#the idea is that it's like a visual you'd see in an anime opening

[mostrandomgallery]

Omoide no Tama (思い出の玉)

DO NOT REPOST!!! Also on deviantART

[silverwarewolf]

DUNGEON MESHI EPISODE 24 THOUGHTS

Oh, I had asked to see what the party's thoughts regarding the changeling situation were, especially when it came to their lifespans, but I didn't think it would turn out like this!

GOOD FUCKING JOB, CHILCHUCK. YOU'VE TRAUMATIZED MARCILLE EVEN FURTHER. Oh but I do so love the horrors of this situation of theirs. Marcille babygirl I would like to hug you and have a nice chat.

Anywya, on we go to think about Falin and any solutions that might help us here. Which is great! I love how much foreshadowing there is (in terms of what I've been vaguely told about the manga).

Laios Touden's problem solving skills, everyone.

That's honestly the SICKEST weapon design, I'm so on board with you Laios. This could be Kensuke's Halloween makeover. BUT DONT JUST TAKE THOSE MUSHROOMS WITH YOU OH MY GOD

... was this the opening sequence foreshadowing everyone was freaking out about? was that it? (don't actually tell me, though. if it was it, say yes. if it wasn't, don't say anything)

no comment here I just love them.

I just will never get used to elfshi's hands being Like That. But it's also kinda nice to see him and Izutsumi working along so nicely! Like, don't even get me started on how Izu is presented as the pickiest eater of the party (Marcille has been dethroned severely) and usually you'd see that presented as a Hassle, but here in DM, Senshi doesn't even bat an eye. He knows and respects Izutsumi's tastes and preferences and works his meals out around it! That's such a based thing for him to do. <3

This is a renaissance painting. (I love it when they adapt Ryoko Kui's visual gags and I LOVE when she does zoomed in faces like this. Truly one of the artists ever)

I did not have "Laios gets Pissed On" on my bingo card but every day I grow more and more convinced that the animators KNOW what they're doing and - OH MY GOD IS THAT SENSHI'S DWUSSY. ELFSHI ALTERNATIVE TO PANTY SHOT.

Ah, yes, Izutsumi sprawls all over them when sleeping, we been knew, again it's a little unexpected to see it front and center but I guess it works to demonstrate them returning to - THAT WAS LAIOS??? AND CHILCHUCK IS JUST LIFTING HIS LEG LIKE THAT?? OKAY THEN. SURE.

(and then there's a few more seconds of laiosfoot and laios bedhead)

BUT HEY THEY'RE BACK TO NORMAL

1) Yep, they're back to normal.

2) Laios I love you and I love Gothsuke but someone needs to be careful about biohazards and it's not going to be you.

3) Add this to the "Marcille Donato gets threateningly close to you in three steps" folder.

4) Truly only they can match each other's freak. When the NECROMANCER is telling you not to do something, don't do it! I know last time you smuggled a "normal" sword, it turned out to be useful, but I'm sure that's not the case here!

5) Poor Laios tho. I'll learn to blacksmith just to give you a cool sword. <3

I'm so glad they kept this. One of the silliest touden siblings moments. 10/10 no notes. Also, Falin is never beating the blunt force trauma allegations.

IS THAT CHILCHUCK'S WIFE. ARE YOU - MA'AM. HELLO?

"Why aren't you a twink like I thought you'd be?!" gets adapted! (I'm pretty sure that's the scene meant to be here, anyways)

I get it, girl.

Oh dear, they're going to eat Falin. And SENSHI was the one to suggest it! For a guy who was just fighting the doubts of accidental cannibalism a week ago, you're taking bold steps forward.

(I do love how it mirrors Laios' kindness back then, in truth. Even if it's an idea so shocking and dire at first, it comes from a place of reason and logic and love)

Marcille "I said I wanted to eat her OUT, not eat HER" Donato Izutsumi "That's going to taste gross as fuck" Izutsumi Chilchuck "If it brings her back..." Tims Laios Touden, the man with a thousand things on his head right now, two of which I reckon are "I don't want to eat my sister" and "Dragon-Chicken... what might it taste like?"

Yes, well. Valid as your concerns are, Laios, because how the fuck would five people eat THAT much meat, you can't just ramble on about what dishes you're going to make out of your sister.

(...I get it, though. I mean if you're going to eat, might as well make it good, right? I know no one wants to grill one of Faligon's ribs but I'll go ahead and say it would be worse to tell them to eat her raw)

FUCK! we DID lose those scenes about the twin bell that toshiro kept!! forever sad about that.

oh my godddd they're going back into the dungeonnn we're going to reunite with themmm

I know they're really fucking competent, I mean, Namari and Toshiro are already described as pretty formidable warriors (and we've seen it), and Kabru is... admittedly much more geared to fight humans but he's a decent fighter either way. And a good leader!

Speaking of, where the fuck is everyone else.

I know they're meant to be scary (and I suppose they are! If we have the reference that, firstly, marcille is an excellent spellcaster so these elves could be just as good in their own areas of expertise, yes?, and secondly, the canaries are Well Known)

... plus, Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them. Namari, Toshiro and Kabru are wary of them.

BUT damn it Lycion, I need to- (gets dragged off stage)

Anyway, while we wait for the next season (WHICH HAS BEEN GREENLIT! WOHOO!), have these wonderful images of chicken falin being a cathedral painting (...if cathedrals ever added dragons, i guess) and my beloveds, who have finally returned!

[blingblong55]

Model- 141+ König NSFW

Based on requests:

1.OKAY BUT 141+KÖNIG WITH A READER THAT DOES DIGITAL ART🏃‍♂️ 2.Can you write about TF141+König with an S/O what draws, animates, etc? I was thinking more digital art, but traditional is cool too. If you only wanna do one character, can it be Ghost? Thank you!

GN!reader, digital artist/painter!reader, established!relationship, civilian!reader, smut, 18+, MDNI, Sub!Male, Dom!reader

A/N: Some will be short...and you'll definitely notice who is my favourite on this one

As someone with the talent and skills to create art with your hands and a clean canvas, you always find yourself looking for a model. Thankfully, he is there now, in that position, just for you.

Price:

You mentioned before that you needed a model to help you with proportions for your art. Your strong and bulky boyfriend decided to be just the right model you needed. For months you and him work late at night, and he props himself up for you, wearing whatever you need to bring your ideas to life. The people who buy said art always admire how realistic your art looks, and how no other artist does what you do. And it's all thanks to him.

At the moment, he is on the sofa, dressed in a black suit, a collar around his neck, eyes looking at you, pleading for you. "Stay still, I have to get this angle." You sketch his body onto the canvas of your tablet. You had been teasing him since he woke up, vibrator to his sensitive cock. You had tied him up before this session, mainly because he kept touching himself for some release. Now, staying still and obeying was his punishment. And for him, it was the worst one so far.

"How...much...more...please..need-.." he said in between whimpers and moans. You approach, looking at him, taking in how needy he was being. You get down on your knees, and he moves a little only to find you sketching this position. He whines and closes his eyes, whimpers getting louder by the second. "Stay still or do I have to teach you another lesson?" The masochist in him wanted to be taught a lesson, "Please..please do" You grin, and slap his face lightly causing him to whimper in response. "Don't make any noise, I'm busy.." For an hour, he stayed still, cumming from just the way you teased and looked at him. For sure, this site would end up in someone's dungeon.

Gaz:

When he and you started to get more intimate and he'd make you look at what you and he were doing through the mirror, that's when you knew he had to be the model you'd use for your creations. It took time to mould him into who he is for you but it was all so worth it. Currently, he is leashed to your canvas' stand. Looking up at you, the bite marks and hickeys you had done hours prior still worn proudly on his neck. He was wearing nothing but the collar on his neck and the fishnets you made him wear. His face is slightly red from the heated makeout session you two had since he was a good boy for you.

Your paintbrushes colouring the canvas in front of you, he looked up at you. How sexy you looked when you were so focused on your art. You know he likes it when others watch as you fuck him. How well you can ride and how well he can listen to you. So, you brought a mirror into the art studio. Made him look at his reflection as you ride him, each time he would ruin a line in your art, it was another slap to his already abused face. Tears ran down his cheeks but a wide smile as he enjoyed the thought of how others would look at the canvas and see a moment where you once more made him yours.

Paintbrushes used to mess with his already-hardened nipples. His hands gripped your hips, guiding you to go faster, but you resisted, not wanting to ruin the creation you were making. Some paint smudged to his chest, your hand prints on them when you'd get carried away and ride him faster.

Soap:

He was the one who offered himself up, wanting to please you not just physically but visually. You had made him wear his kilt, war paint on as he spread his legs open for you. Hands in between his thighs, he leans forward, looking up at you with puppy eyes. You had been working with him in this position for too long now and all he needed was just some attention, physically. You knew you wanted this painting to feel more personal, needed a touch of yourself and him in it. So, you picked out the paints that were safe for the next activity you had in mind. You laid the cloth of a canvas on the floor and commanded him to go to it and get on his knees to wait for you.

Poured some of the safe paint on his chest, and you and he began to make out. The cloth filled with paint, art made from your bodies. By the time you and him were done paint was all over your bodies. He requested, as a reward, that you and him take a shower and if you wanted, he could also pose for you in the shower.

Ghost:

He loves to be your sub so when you mentioned that you needed a model for your art, he wanted to be the subject of all your attention. Currently, you have him tied up with leather ropes. A cock ring on him as you paint his position. He looks up at you with puppy eyes, his mask lifted only far up for you to see his lips. Every now and then, he closes his legs to get some friction, only to have his inner thighs spanked by you. He whimpers a little, asking for forgiveness since he knows what you will do to him after you are finished painting this position.

He looks at you, doe-eyed. "Please, please just touch me...just once." But you ignore his pleas. He shuts his eyes and begins to think of how you would touch him. That was the only way he could find some release while he was tied up. You look at the canvas, paint and figures finally making sense, and then you hear his loud moans and cries of pleasure. He was cumming at the thought of you, no one around to touch him, just his mind playing for him.

His whimpers were louder as he couldn't stop cumming, it all leaked everywhere, spurting out as he bucked his hips. "Oh...yes...oh..mmm." he moans. Leather leaking his own mess as you watched with a pleased smile.

König:

It all started with asking him for help in a position you weren't quite sure you knew how it worked or looked. He offered to help and now months later, he has become the man you please and base your art on. Tonight, you had a sudden idea, a man in a suit, touching himself as he wore some rather rougher ropes around his suit. König, is never opposed to the idea, he loves to listen to you and if he knows he can please you this way, then as your good submissive boy, he will obey. The tie he was wearing was now used as a choker that you pull any time he moans too loud.

When you finish sketching his position he looks at you, brows furrowed. "Can I please be touched now? I was a good boy...please" his voice soft, whimpers low. You stand up, the pen which you used to sketch his position in hand. You trail the cold pen along his skin, reaching his sensitive parts. He begins to move his hips, hoping you could go faster, to touch him sooner. Your hands are on his hip when his already hardened cock begins to throb, pre cum leaking as he looks at you. "Meine liebe, I'm so..." he moans. "I'm your messy boy..." he whimpers.

A/N: Maybe this was not part of the request...but a girl has her own needs...anyway..bye

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook/platonic!OT7

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 [Part 1: Rain]

There's something strange about Jungkook.

Main tags/Warnings: Werewolf!Jungkook, Werewolf!Bangtan, strangers/enemies to lovers, romantic Jungkook x reader, Platonic bangtan x reader, eventual smut, mentions of past emotional/psychological manipulation, hurt and comfort, fluff!, some wariness from MCs side

Length: x Words (will be added later)

-> Masterlist

There is no taglist for this fic.

🌲── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ─🐺─ ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──🌲

"Here-" Jungkook offers, having taken off his zip hoodie for you to hold over your head. "-so you don't get wet." He smiles, and you take it after a moment of contemplation.

It's only after, when you walk after him through the woods, that you notice the full, partially colored tattoos covering almost every inch of skin of his arm, probably even up his shoulder- some ink found on the back of his hand, too. "Careful!" He suddenly says, reaching out to hold you- just in time, because during your blatant staring at his exposed skin, you'd failed to notice the large tree root sticking out from the ground. "You okay?" He asks, and you're stuck in place for a second-

Oddly mesmerized by his golden eyes looking at you from such little distance.

But it doesn't take long for you to snap out of it and nod, before you step over the root, quietly urging him with another nod to continue walking- something he does, but not without looking at you with something almost like suspicion. The rain isn't letting up- rather intensifying now, as he picks up his steps to get through the woods at a faster pace, your hand subconsciously reaching out to grab onto the back of his shirt to keep up- something he notices, as he smiles and reaches out his hand for you to hold. "We're almost there, promise." He tells you, and you nod, trusting him-

and he stays true to his word.

Because not even a few minutes later, there's an actual path now- not man-made, but trampled down from generations of animals and people alike it looks like taking the same route. It leads you both to a more open space, wooden cabins in varying sizes built long ago from the visuals of them, lights turned on in the largest of them. A door opens- multiple people are seen, one waving, before more seem to try and get a glimpse of who Jungkook is bringing along.

"They're really nice. Some of them can be a bit intimidating, but I promise you they're completely harmless." Jungkook reassures you as he notices the way you slow down now, and you nod, a drop of water falling from your nose. You've got no idea where you are at this point, so you can't do much other than trust him, for now.

Even though you're incredibly nervous at the prospect of being in the same house as an entire pack of wolves.

Someone seems to break up the people squeezing together to catch a glimpse of you, leaving only two in front of the house, door now closed. "Hello." One of them says- friendly, but not inviting. "Jungkook?" He asks, and the wolf next to you sends you a reassuring smile, before he talks, and explains to who you assume must be his packleader.

"I didn't know you were back already." Jungkook says, hugging him in a greeting for a second, before he steps back to stand next to you again, telling the young man your name. "She was just kind of.. having a picnic near the entrance path when it started pouring. And she's here without a ride or anything, so I offered her to stay until it clears up maybe." He explains.

"My name's Namjoon. I'm the packleader here- have you told your pack yet that you'll be here?" He asks, and you shake your head.

"I'm human- I don't have a pack, and my friends know I'm up here so if anything happens I can ask them to pick me up." You shrug, trying to appear relaxed- even if you're straight up trying to lie since you don't actually have.. well, friends. Though you're sure Namjoon must already notice that you're just putting up a front.

"I see. Alright then." He says, before he turns around, opening the door. "You guys can stop eavesdropping now, by the way." He scolds his packmembers inside, who all, except for one, have been actively listening in on the conversation.

"Sorry.." a tall guy with broad shoulders laughs softly, opening the door a bit wider. "We were just curious. Come inside you two, you must be freezing!" He ushers you both in, and you follow with a bit of hesitance, trying to distract yourself with rather examining the interior of the large cabin. Jungkook takes a moment to talk to his pack, probably to catch up with his leader and to tell the rest that you're.. not too fond of werewolf people.

All while you're in the bathroom, towel drying the ends of your hair while contemplating your life choices.

That's a whole pack of wolves- seven people currently present, and god knows how many more members they have! If they wanted, they could literally just cook you for dinner tonight, and no one would even really notice. Since you work as an independent person, you don't technically have an employer, and like mentioned, you only really have one somewhat friend who you text once in a blue moon.

No one would miss you if these guys were to just.. murder you. Or do even worse.

"Hey- you okay?" Jungkook's voice calls out through the closed door, a knock before that announcing his presence.

"Y-yeah, I'm done." You say, opening the bathroom door to reveal the young wolfboy who's looking at you with his golden eyes filled with worry. And he's not the only one-

most of his other packmates somewhat look into your direction with varying degrees of the same emotion. "Let's stop staring at her, maybe then she'll feel a little less like prey." the only one who's not currently looking at you says, making most of the other's avert their eyes caught red-handed.

"I'm sorry, if you'd like I'll show you my den- I mean, house! You can stay there by yourself if that's a little less threatening to you." Jungkook offers, and you shrug, before nodding.

Right now, you feel way too crowded. Like they're circling you, waiting for a chance to strike.

You both run a little from the main house to another, smaller one- a small cabin, cozy and a little chaotic inside. "Sorry- I didn't clean up." He laughs a but bashfully, turning on the lights before he swiftly throws an empty paper bowl from the small table in front of his kitchenette into the bin nearby.

"Its fine." You reassure him, feeling a bit better in here. "I'm.. is it really fine if I stay here?" You worry, and he nods.

"Its totally fine. You can even sleep here if it doesn't let up- which it won't, to be honest." He says.

"How do you know?" You wonder.

"Senses. Perks of the wolfblood I guess." He offers kindly, walking over to put a blanket on the couch. "I'll just make you a place to crash if you want, I promise I'll sleep at the packhouse so I won't bother you-"

"No-!" You rush out, actually a bit unintentional, as you swallow, before you collect your words properly. "I- could you maybe stay? I don't.. sleep well alone.. during storms." You mumble. "I know it's stupid but-"

"Its not." Jungkook promises, a warm glimmer in his eyes like a warm furnace during a cold winter day. "Seokjin- one of my packmates, the tall one with the broad shoulders who gave you the towel-" he says, occupying himself with putting a pillow on one side of the couch, "-he's similar. He needs the pack together during storms or he can't sleep well. Something to do with instincts." He shrugs, walking onto an open room with a bed inside, where he steals another pillow and a thick blanket to put on the bed.

"Oh." You say. "Then you should sleep with them-" you start, but Jungkook laughs.

"Nah, he'll be fine. He's treating me too much like a pup anyways!" He jokes, finishing up the couch before he moves the small coffee table further away for space. "There you go. Oh, you can charge your phone here too- let me get you a cable for that-" he perks up, before he moves into his bedroom to search for one.

Something feels... off.

You're no longer very worried about things going south for you, the small cabin offering you a warm place to stay- and in a way, his company is oddly soothing. He's kind, clearly not out for blood, and you also feel pretty sleepy, as the exhaustion from the last week catches up with you.

You've never felt so.. tired, but in a good way. As if your body is finally preparing to rest and restart.

"There. You can plug it in over there- just not on the left, that ones kind of wonky. I need to fix that up soon." He chuckles a bit shyly, and you nod, plugging your phone in near the small TV.

"Did you make this.. yourself? Or..?" You wonder, as you look at your phone starting.

"Yeah. Most of us built our homes ourself. It's like a coming-of-age thing almost." He says, pride swelling up in his chest at your next words.

"I like it. It's very.. warm. Welcoming." You nod, looking at him, who's staring back at you with round cheeks and even rounder eyes.

"Thank you!" He grins, slightly sharpened canines reminding you of what he is, down the line, and past his soft words and gentle looks.

But it doesn't scare you.

"I'll leave the door open in case you need anything." He offers, as he walks into his bedroom. "Have a good night." He smiles, and you nod, phone in your hand vibrating once to tell you it's started and charging.

"Thanks-" you say, smiling back a little hesitant. "-.. and good night to you too." You offer, before you watch him get ready for bed.

And that night, despite being alone in the woods and in the same home as a wolf-

You sleep soundly, tightly, no dreams haunting your slumber at all.

[piracytheorist]

Spy x Family Code: White thoughts!

Alright, time to write down my thoughts about the film! I liked it a lot, and for this anime only it was a HUGE satisfactory dose after not having had anything new since December 🥲 there were a few parts that I found meh, and I will mention them here too, but overall I got a very positive view of it!

Related to this, my mom was in the next room where I was sitting watching the film, and when I finished and passed by to get some water, she asked me what film I watched that made me laugh so much. So I think that speaks for itself 😂

Anyway, on to the film!

Having seen the trailer where Twilight rips off the disguise of a woman with long, curly blonde hair, as soon as I saw her here I was like is that her? But then that guy appeared and I recognized his voice and, dare I say I was confused XD

Damn, isn't that past their rating? XD

And then the music started! STRIX theme with a new twist for the film!

I think by this point we've already shrugged away Twilight's ability to make disguises. It gets even crazier near the end, so it should be of no surprise that he just disguised himself as that woman. Lucky she happened to wear a choker, too, good cover for his Adam's apple.

The way they showed the woman wrapped in a blanket underneath the desk, though 😳 that's the kind of visual you'd use to show a character died. What am I supposed to infer from this, guys?!

Then we cut to Yor!

There's a review on letterboxd saying how easy the film is to watch and follow for someone who hasn't watched the original, and I'm happy to hear that because as someone who already knows these characters and their dynamics, it didn't feel like it dragged on too much on that.

Yor, ever being the sweetheart, will call a guy a traitorous scumbag yes but she will be kind as ever when she kills him 🥰

The way she dodged the bullets! Queen! And also a set up to later show her dodge all the ammunition thrown from the shooters and Type F!

This. Was. Amazing. I actually gasped out loud. The animators understood the assignment, 10/10.

Right after that, we see Loid reach his door, and for the first time we see him go to use keys. A few other times I remember anyone opening the door they just... opened it. You'd think an apartment where a spy and an assassin live would have better security! XD

I love how they kinda showed it like Yor was going to attack Loid, and then Loid just turned and went like "Oh hey beautiful wife, welcome home! :D" It must have looked funny for anyone who hasn't seen the anime/manga before XD

Yor wants to cook! Everybody hide!

That... is a horror of an omelet. Yor's cooking is always for the "congrats lil buddy that’s the worst anyone’s ever done it" meme. She does try, though, bless her heart.

Anya evades the horror. And Loid wants to make... peanut butter pizza???? Is that even a thing??? WITH MEAT ON TOP???

What does it say about this film that this isn't the weirdest thing to happen in it

TITLE CARD WITH THE THEME ENDING AND THE ORCHESTRA GOING WILD <3333

Damian, shut the fuck up

... I mean, with a mother like that... I'll give this to him XD

Did Anya call him an asshole? Serves him right, tbh XD

Knowing that the story can't veer a lot far from the anime/manga canon, I already knew Anya wouldn't earn a Stella in that competition. But it was a good set-up for the rest of the film to move on from.

Twilight read Henderson's lips through a window and through the latter's thick moustache, and lip reading is already hard to do accurately, if not nearly impossible. Boy's nuts. But I think it only prepared us for a fucking falcon to fly above him and throw him the message from WISE. Show-offs XD

A rare view of Berlint!

DAAAAMN the higher animation budget is really doing those characters such good favour 🥰

Bro actually read a book by flipping through it. Get outta town.

The idea of having another guy take over Operation Strix from Twilight feels a little shallow. It's already a very delicate and long-term operation, it feels that it wouldn't make sense to replace their best agent with just a dude just because said dude has connections.

Twilight meets with Nightfall outside, and Yor sees them across all those streets (I mean, she is an assassin with a deadly aim) and... she doesn't recognize Nightfall? Is this supposed to take place before Nightfall visits the Forger household?

I mean, at the current time in the anime, Yor is supposed to be over her fear of getting replaced, but I get why they retreated back a little, so they could explain the later scene of Loid taking her hand and reminding her of his vows.

Very conveniently, Yor's coworkers are chatting about cheating men, and Yor, being inexperienced with relationships, immediately believes everything, her suspicions even taking root with what she just saw.

Back home, Twilight thinks about how, since he's dismissed from Operation Strix, he'll have to move out, and the camera shows their happy family picture 🥺 he's not ready to admit his feelings to himself but the narrative is.

Making the dessert that's the favourite of the judge and in particular the one he grew up with feels kinda cheating, no? XD

Come on, Loid. A child filling her bag with toys does not deserve that murder glare 😂

That train looked a little too modern for the supposed 60s/70s aesthetic. I know Germany has some top trains (as does Japan) but like, still XD it's very different from the train we see on the very first episode when Twilight boards one for Berlint.

Lovely visuals, though!

I wonder if there's any system as to how Bond's powers work. He has the vision of Anya finding the suitcase and opening it... but that's creating a sort of paradox because without the vision coming to him and without Anya seeing it, it wouldn't have been made true. I mean, I get why it was put there, but still.

Again, the story needed a little backtracking in order for Yor's doubts to make sense. I'm not sure how much they contributed to the whole story, but at least there it was funny. The small awkward laugh she throws at the end before she exits their booth to go look for Anya was hilarious XD

Gremlin Anya is best Anya <3

LMAO at least she enjoyed the chocolate XD

The following part was intense! I found myself saying "Run Anya run!" even though I knew from trailers that they'd eventually catch her anyway.

So the microfilm hides intelligence about a research lab in Westalis. Hmm.

I think it was at this point I noticed that they had Anya react to people's thoughts way too little. I get that it can get repetitive but with her curiosity she would have tried to look for more information through the guys' thoughts.

"Chocolate thieves" is actually perfect to describe those two. They were conveniently - and hilariously - incompetent.

But it did get intense. It's always like that when a bad guy threatens to hurt, let alone kill, a child.

I love how Yor asked Anya to close her eyes while she was beating up the guys but then told her she can open them when they were down and fully expected her to believe her lie that they just passed out XD

Also, her snowman jgvllublftlulbj

Chekhov's military airplane! I didn't expect it would actually work by the end, though XD

I love the music in the restaurant. Poor Bond being left alone outside where it's snowing, though 🥲 at least they brought him food!

Yor notices that it's rare for Loid to wear turtlenecks, and that's actually true. Too bad, though, they fit him so nicely :)

I actually laughed out loud at the guys jumping on Yuri to stop him. They were prepared. They knew who they were dealing with XD

"Rubble and Bonds"... the chef is very wholesome but he literally named his restaurant after his trauma and like... dude. Therapy exists. And then he starts laying out his trauma thick while Twilight is sitting there like yup this doesn't affect me at all

I don't think he was prepared for that when he asked about the restaurant's name. I was kinda disappointed they showed the exact same footage of him as a kid from the first episode. I think they could have afforded making a few seconds of new footage of the same imagery. But maybe that's just my anime-only ass who has been waiting for a certain manga arc to be animated for nearly two years now 😶

Snidel appears! And he has the absolute nerve to just... steal the meremere plate from someone else's table. Perfect way to make us hate him.

And... I'm sorry. I have to say it. When Snidel challenges Loid to a game and the camera focuses on Loid... that zoom-in and fade to black was SO CRINGEY. Sorry XD

The music there was nice, though. I think I notice a tiny bit of James Bond music influence.

Fucking Snidel shifting the goalposts with the amounts of sugar. That's not being detailed, that's not explaining the rules of the game properly. They really wanted us to hate the guy.

Twilight looks really stricken by the fact that he lost. And we know it's not because of despair - since he immediately says they can have meremere the next day - and it's not because his pride was hurt... so you can't take it out of my mind that it was because he was disgusted by how a grown-ass man practically stole a piece of cake from a little child, and Twilight was unable to stop him.

But then XD Loid has the absolute gall to ask a chef for his recipe, and then reprimand Anya for calling him stingy. Like mah dude it was already a far-fetched request to have the guy give you the recipe XD

Twilight being totally not suspicious and bolting through the market to buy all the ingredients. Cause that's what normal people do.

The way Twilight tries to cheer Yor up and he only manages to make her feel worse never disappoints XD

Right, I forgot this film was released in December in Japan. It feels weird for it to have a winter-y, almost Christmas-y feeling while I have my A/C on XD

I like how Twilight actually cared enough to expose the guy at the shooting gallery, and advise him to run an honest business. You'd think this would be low on his priorities... but having a child will expand your sensitivities. It feels similar to how he encouraged Carroll Campbell into playing tennis more fairly and to depend on his own strengths.

And then he wonders why a little child has fun on a train ride XD

I... am not sure how I feel about Yor's outburst there. It feels directly inspired by the Disastrous Date, if not a copy of it, and I'm not sure it helps Yor's character develop in any way. I mean, again, I get that the film can't allow the characters to develop a lot since it can't veer from canon, but still, it felt a little forced just to give Yor more screentime and to have a very subtle twiyor tease.

Anya finding out about divorce through Becky's soap-opera filter, though XD

They feel too confident leaving Anya all alone (even if she's with Bond) in a strange town. I know they can keep an eye on her from the ferris wheel cabin, but still.

Now that's a character development moment you can have without veering from canon: having Yor feel guilty for allowing Anya to notice her dark mood, and then feeling happy that Anya pushed her and Loid to having a moment together to talk things out.

Also, beautiful visuals!

Twilight, best™ spy™ of Westalis™, being unable to read the room whenever his wife is involved.

MAH DUDE. THERE'S ONE THING TO DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THAT'S BEING TOO DIRECT

That's a phrase you don't wanna hear from your little kid, especially when you're fake married XD

Handler: Go and help Twilight. Nightfall: Yes ma'am! Handler: Not you. Nightfall: SENPAI WILL NOTICE ME SENPAI WILL NOTICE ME Handler: jfc

It was really sweet seeing Anya and Bond play, and then Yor joining in. That makes it more plausible that the film is set earlier on in the story, since it looks like Yor isn't used to playing with Anya.

No, really, what did that woman who was at Franky's kiosk want to ask him when she would come by with her friend??? 😳

One day the way Twilight abuses Franky's services will come bite him in the ass, I'm calling it now.

Yet another scene where character/relationship dynamic can happen without veering from canon: Loid comes back to the hotel and says he'll go out again, Anya says she wants to come too, and Loid tells her she has to stay in the hotel. Anya goes back to the bedroom dejected, but Yor reminds him it's a family trip and they're supposed to spend this time together, connecting that to her memories of Yuri being happy whenever he spent time with her.

And I think that speaks to another level of distance Twilight has kept from his emotions; he denies himself that he loves his family, but that also leads him to forget that his family won't like missing out on quality time with him.

I especially noticed his surprised reaction at Yor saying that being away from loved ones can make one feel lonely. I don't think Twilight has allowed himself to grasp just how lonely he's felt all these years, it was just the norm for him to have no-one. He's forgotten what it's like to have loved ones and to miss them when you don't get to spend enough time with them, and he's also forgotten that for most people, this is how everyday life is like. We love people, we like spending time with them, we miss them when we haven't seen them in a while. A master of disguises he may be, but this role forces him to face the thing he understands the least: human relationships.

And so, he realizes that Anya's motivation here wasn't petulance or restlessness. It was her need to have fun with him. He considered it easier to sneak around to find the liqueur if they weren't with him, but he failed to consider that casting them aside would actually impact them. Give yourself some credit, dude 🥺

Nightfall: I will surprise Twilight with my effectiveness!

Twilight when he sees her unexpectedly:

I did love however how he looked so sternly at her when they were outside. Like lady, first, bad timing, second, this is why Handler didn't want you to be the one to help Twilight XD

Once again, Bond's power works in a form of paradox. He saw the shop where the liqueur was, and Anya went there because she saw it. If she hadn't seen it, she wouldn't have gone, and Bond wouldn't have had the vision.

I love how the military guys get a rough sketch of Anya and go like "Nah no-one can actually look like this" XD

Anya must have swiped some dalcs as she ran off. That liqueur wasn't gonna be cheap!

Poor Bond!

Endo has surrounded Anya with two physically exceptional parents and a big strong dog to protect her, so it's hard to make a case of her getting kidnapped believable. Realistically, I think Bond would have fought harder to keep her safe, but to achieve the kidnapping the bad guys would have had to get more violent with him. That would make for a sadder scene and also take away from the humor of those guys' incompetence, so the most violence against an animal they could resort to was a conveniently falling beer can.

And thus, the "Anya Has to Poop" side plot starts! With the amount of fear she went through in those scenes, I'm surprised she didn't just... accidentally let go 😶

I just realized when Loid was checking the plane's radio they were also refuelling it. Again, kind of a surprise the whole system worked XD They were a little too chill about the fact that Anya was with the military, though? Maybe I got the wrong vibe off of their acting, lol.

The way that Yor decides at the last moment to join Loid and just... runs and jumps into a plane that's right on takeoff. Madwoman. I love her.

Meanwhile, at least Nightfall is funny XD

They really went on and made an entire sequence in a different animation style for a poop joke. Respect where it's due 👏

Someone: So how did you save world peace this time? Anya: I refused to take a shit.

The incompetent duo have a bedpan that's shaped like a duck and, funny thing... in Greek the word for "bedpan" can also be called, colloquially, with the same word that we use for "duck". So. There's that random connection I found funny XD

Twilight tries to ask for permission to land on the airship and they immediately turn their guns on him and damn, that must be terrifying.

And damn, again, that's a huge risk he took just to get Anya back. My man was prepared to do anything. And he walked out of the plane crashing into the airship without a single scratch like GET OUT OF HERE. I wanted my whump and I only got a single drip of blood near the end 😞 when will I have my whump.

And then Yor just... ran on the top of the airship, fully exposed to the freezing weather of not only outside but also a few hundred (thousand?) feet off the ground. My girl runs on hot steam. AND THEN SHE ALSO FUCKING TOOK HER COAT OFF.

Meanwhile, Anya finally finds a private moment to take a shit. And that marks the end of the wackiest plotline in this movie XD

Okay now, look. I can maybe imagine Twilight quickly making up a mask of Snidel's face from earlier in the day (though he wasn't shown to have any time to do that), and he somehow had it ready when the time came for their duel. But making a mask of that random military guy? Yeah, my suspension of disbelief is stronger for that than for freaking time travel XD

Yor also has her moment of going like "Excuse me, may I ask a question" and immediately getting guns aimed at her.

Damn. What the actual fuck is Type F even. At first I thought it was a full-on robot, but apparently it's a modified human? The fuck. Also. Just how many fucking bullets does he have???!

For real, though, Snidel isn't fucking around. He not only is fine with murdering a kid in cold blood, he also finds it entertaining to make her terrified as well. Like, even that guy from the Doggy Crisis arc said "Nothing personal, kid," when Keith commanded him to kill her.

And then Twilight overhears the incompetent dudes mention Anya... and mighty spy Twilight's emotions get the best of him and he beats up those guys for no other reason than getting back at them? More likely than you think.

Fuck, that scared me. That bullet was literally millimeters from piercing his brain. Cool visual, though, with his real hair popping from beneath the mask.

Anya worrying about her papa :(

Okay, I don't care about the logistics. This was fucking awesome.

AND THEN THIS???

10/10. They understood the assignment.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING???

QUEEN SHIT.

No, but really, their fight was going in circles because Type F has a shit ton of bullets and Yor has great stamina and ability to dodge bullets. She can't win with her strength, so she has to use her brain and her environment. AND SHE SLAYS 👏👏👏

My dude why are you still surprised 😭😭 what did you expect your kidnapped daughter to do once she saw you came to her rescue 😭 HUG YOUR DAUGHTER BACK I BEG 😭

Nah, I know he can't yet, this guy's got the emotional type of constipation. He'll get there.

So we'll never know what he thought about her sneaking out to get him the liqueur, and why that made her smile, eh? Okay 🥲

I love how Yor and Loid just both buy each other's lies. Oh yeah I just decided to jump on your plane while you were taking off, no biggie! Yeah this military ship was totally run by chocolate thieves! And also, I was flying part-time as a student :D

(I also love how high his voice went there. It's full-on "nice sweet Dr. Forger" voice XD)

And then :)

My crops are watered :)

With the action part over, I gotta say that they handled it all of it awesomely! I felt that the whole film was a little slow at first, but I didn't really mind. The climax was great, I got my whump, I got my fake family working together with all of them pretending that oh it was just chocolate thieves and not an actual threat of war breaking out.

My question is... didn't Anya just gulp the chocolate down?

... how did the microfilm get stuck in her teeth?

... you know what, never mind XD

Aw, Twilight got Handler a bottle of wine! And she actually looked thankful for it!

... was she the one who went in disguise to trap Depple into cheating on his wife??

*squealing*

Yor offering to help with the dessert and everyone going "Naaaaah you don't have to 😁"

Damian, shut the fuck up.

It is funny, however, how Anya can say one (1) thing and unintentionally leave him a blubbering mess. Girl is not even trying for that, lmao.

And then, another trip! Buddy who has the time and money--

Oh, wait. Yeah they're going on vacation on WISE budget lmao XD

It's kinda funny to see this with me having the Cruise arc as the "last" I saw of them, as an anime only, cause it was "trip to the ocean!" then "trip to the north!" and now it's "trip to the beach!"

Aw!

Meanwhile, after the credits...

Hang in there buddy. Your time will come to get Twilight back XD

Overall, definitely recommended, it did have its weak parts and its parts that you had to happily kick your logic out the window, but it was great fun, with awesome action, character depth, and even angsty parts that I adored. This will keep my anime-only ass satisfied for a little while, hopefully we also get news about Season 3 soon!

[astrxlfinale]

Okay! So this will have spoilers tied to it, but this is another lore sample that I just want to have stored here.

So mind the warning! Keep looking at the warning and avoid it if you ain't done!

SO OL' HOOLAY RIGHT?

That Heart of his basically slammed open doors to what feel like a whirlwind of concepts for me. From Rahu's formation, and at large, what those under Yaoshi's blessings run the risk to actively growing into. Through the power of Abundance, the elemental of genetics are heavily explored. One bit at a time however!

I'd like to discuss the matter of a potential correlation with Rahu and Hoolay's heart. As within the current quest, they've actually did a frame showing through visuals of an event in Hanya's character story.

Now we didn't get to see what this could've done once unveiled, as Feixiao was quick to immediate suppress it. Though, as for the 'crimson star' giving this visage?

Hoolay EXPLICTLY calling this Crimson Moonlight? (Matching the nightmarish moonlight and LITERALLY being a beating heart.)

'Voraciously consumed and gave birth to countless offspring.' Now we've SEEN Hoolay not only go and eat a person outright, but there was an important scene that matches with this excerpt as well.

I genuinely find this to be no coincidence. I believe that this act stems all the way back to the age of when the Borisin and Foxians came to be. Their shared ancestry upon that original world will proceed to cycle all of this around. The ability of this 'Crimson moon' implanted within him allows him to freely manipulate that matching genetic strand. It's less of a spiritual and more of a divine DNA type of manipulation I say.

Now comes the idea that this excerpt proceeds to give me here. The planet they were on was a living planet, one of Yaoshi's creations to begin with in statis. You could picture the long made Lupuswinter as measure similar to cryogenic freezing, keeping it from 'heating up' to the extents that you'd see phenomenon on Vonwacq's lore bits. What I want to propose is that on this day, all humans that drank from the Redspring became an extension of the planet's original gene, it altered them to take the form other living lifeforms upon it.

What I see Hoolay utilizing was the original gene that's been made as a more powerful manifestation within Borisin Warheads. There was a moment of time he drew a conversation about it with Jiaoqiu.

Now, there is some differences here to take note of here. That's natural, given how Duran/Tushan are legendary figures within their time on this world from different cultures. Yet, they also could potentially be one in the same person from how the artifact set decided to make take emphasis on this.

Which in concept isn't even wild to imagine. As we've seen Feixiao herself as living proof of a life who managed to bring both of those genetic sides to life.

This only brings a connector back to Yaoshi as the progenitor. Blessings of the Abundance seem to hold this as matching vein, as we can easily infer the descriptions to a similar Abundance based area; Vonwacq.

Just to give a lil touch of lore about this locale!

That said? I believe that this Crimson Moon of Hoolay's is just a more empowered seed of what created a living planet that Shuhu did with Rahu. While I'm not sure how it ENTIRELY spans out. I'm assuming that during the revealing of the Redspring, this was a collective of not only the people who died and returned to the earth (blood being soaked in too), but all animals, beings, organisms.

Borisin and Foxians just happened to be the result that won out with them. I REALLY can't wait to come and see more they unravel and reveal with this plot thread. It's been one of my most curious perspectives within the Xianzhou personally.

Also as a fun ending bit here--

This is why the exact core of tearing these hearts away from sustenance is so important. And in kind, I believe this is ALSO what happened to that living planet they once lived on. It reached a point of either status with Lupus winters or genuinely became unable to continue. It'd be Duran's actions that managed to create not only a important discovery, but also begin an offshoot of Shuhu's work.

[fleetwood-cheese]

Persona thief outfit breakdown: pt 2

This is a continuation of my previous post and series regarding my opinions on the phantom thieves' metaverse costumes, prompted by a poll by @waywardsalt. I will like all of these together as they're finished.

Akechi - Makoto - Sumire - Futaba - Yusuke - Akechi 2

Next up is Ann, because she was in the lead on the original poll (but not my personal pick).

Firstly, I want to come out and say that her design isn't actually all that bad; in fact, from purely a design perspective, it's one of the more solid thief outfits, and its a nice callback to the idea of cat burglars and batman's Catwoman without being a copy-paste of the idea. It's the costume's treatment and relation to her character that make it so egregious and so hated (fair enough).

With this in mind, one of the first things to change about this design is its relationship to the character. Obviously, Ann is sexually harassed, and her standing up and saying that no, she doesn't deserve that and neither did Shiho is her inciting incident to awakening a persona and becoming a phantom thief. The game tries to play her character arc as her reclaiming her sexuality, but not much of this is actually seen in how she interacts with her costume. By introducing the costume as something she's comfortable in, starting off nervous but becoming accustom to quickly, having her compare it to the anime villainesses she says she's inspired by the her confidant, and having her express this confidence in her interactions with the other thieves would go a long way for the reception of this outfit overall.

On the actual design of the costume, the most obvious things I'd change are the tail and the zippers, particularly the zipper sliders. For the tail, I HATE the way it falls perfectly between her butt cheeks, its just so uncomfortable and tasteless. I think by having it wrap around her as a belt that turns into a tail, although I'm not 100% certain how you would execute this, would be significantly better. While I do appreciate the way the zippers break up the monotony of the red suit and create a sort of visual lengthening, the way the slider and pull tabs rest directly on her nipples is incredibly tacky; i would either remove/minimize them entirely (definitely change them to a different shape instead of that awful ring) and/or change the boob window to more of a keyhole neckline. Keyholes, like the one pictured below, still allow for the color break up in the chest (and the stylish/sexy look), but raise the line so its less stopping directly in the middle of her boobs and thus directly above her nipples and instead covering more surface area of the breast.

If you wanted more of major change, I would add a jacket to her design. I'm thinking a cropped jacket in a darker red to match her boots, but a similar material to her bodysuit to keep that texture and shine; I adore the way the fabric catches and plays with the light in the in cutscenes (the in-game model ones, not the anime ones). You could also have some fun with patterns on it, perhaps of roses or some sort of feline motif. The only downside to this would be that you would have to change her gloves to accommodate it, presumably either making them wrist length or disappearing under the sleeves, and I love the long gloves as an homage to Carmen's operatic origins (although they're too short to be true opera gloves). If a jacket is incorporated, you could change the catsuit to more of a halter top-esque neckline, as it would cover her and you'd never actually have to see the open back.

Other than this, I really don't have a lot more to say about her outfit; again, I think it's a pretty solid design with a poor introduction that's been incorporated into a character that the writing does dirty in a way it helps emphasize when it could encourage her arc. Overall, I placed Panther's phantom thief outfit as 7th place out of 10 and a rough 5/10 overall.

[lostusagis]

@jiraipink asked:

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧!!! 🎃

Bzzzzzzt!

"Coming~!" The buzzer sounds off from her apartment and she rushes to the door excited at the thought that it's Kamui who has arrived. Unfortunately, she was in for a trick rather than a treat. When she opens the door, her beaming grin very quickly takes a complete 180. "EEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" There's a fake spider hanging from her door; the string attached the toy taped at the top of the door frame. Face in horror, she hears a couple of guys laughing their asses off from a distance peeking out from their apartment room with sounds of a party going on in there. Her racing heart slowly calming down now that she knows it's fake after giving it an experimental poke. Namida's blood boils and she yanks the toy off (SQUEAK) and she throws it at one of the guys' stupid face who was holding a cup of alcohol that he ended up spilling on his shoes. She may not be strong, but she has good aim! "ENJOY YOUR WET SOCKS, BITCH!" And a foul mouth! She then closes the door and huffs in annoyance as she tidies up the decorations she put up. She should've looked through the peep hole first. When she hears the buzzer again, THIS TIME she remembers to check and- GASP! She immediately opens the door and embraces her most beloved visitor. "Kamuiiiiiiii~!" She hugs him tightly for a while, before finally letting go and her grin is shining like it always does when Kamui shows up. This time, with pointy fangs! "Happy Halloween, Mui~!" Her mood is very clearly back to being up again. "Eheheh~! How do you like my costume?"

Namida had done a photoshoot advertising an event a while back and she was allowed to keep the outfit as her Halloween costume. Naruko, AKA Nyaruko, was aware of Namida's modeling thing she does for Dark Girly Kei fashion, so she thought it was a good idea to have Namida model for a costume and well she likes Namida! Nyaruko was in charge of a Halloween-themed haunted attraction event based off of the popular horror game franchise "Silent Hill." It's taking place at an anime cosplaying convention. OF COURSE Nyaruko would be into that nerdy stuff. It's really no shocker, considering the way she talks and her favorite cat ears accessory she never seems to take off. She and her friends created their own vision of a story for their haunted house and they absolutely HAVE to add those creepy nurses you'd see in Silent Hill. They're a recurring type of monster and staple to the beloved series, well-known and important, and Nyaruko thought it'd be a cool idea to dress up and scare/invite people to the fright event and invited Namida to be one of the nurse monsters alongside her. The nurses are visually similar across the series and share many common traits, so Nyaruko and her friends came up with their own version. A bloody vampire nurse!

"I was invited by Naruko, you know the cat girl who's also a rental girlfriend, to be one of the nurse monsters in her haunted house thing and I did a photoshoot advertising the event so that's why I have this costume since she let me keep it." She leads Kamui inside and shuts the door behind them. There's Halloween decorations everywhere. The lights were off and the only ones that were keeping her apartment lit in pretty orange and purple colors where the string lights hanged up all around. There's also a My Melody boombox playing Halloween music. "Eheheh. Do you remember when she was the one that caused us to be trapped in a closet together?" Nyaruko was sort of PART of the reason these two got closer. She's also the one that always felt like they liked each other or were perfect for each other. Even now, she continues to show support in her own mischievous/teasing ways. As well as the only coworker she knows that genuinely cares about Namida. She felt bad about turning her down. Usually, she wouldn't feel bad for turning down an invitation to something someone wanted her to attend to, but Nyaruko has slowly made her way into Namida's soft spot. Perhaps maybe... Even thinking about being friends? She fidgeted with her white lacey gloves covered in fake spots of blood. "I ended up telling her I can't go, because well..." A pink shade of blush warms up her cheeks when shyly smiling up at Kamui. "I want to spend my time on Halloween with you and Kagura." Especially Kamui; if the batting of her dreamy googoo eyes at him wasn't obvious enough. Kamui and Kagura are so funny when together though, so she was also looking forward to watching them in amusement, but also looking out for them should she intervene in their spats. She can't help it when her older sister instincts kick in.

There was a delayed reaction to how long she had been staring at Kamui all lovey-dovey, but when she did snap out of it and realized what was happening, Namida quickly turns around to walk towards the kitchen clearing her throat. "U-Um! So I made you and Kagura something!" There were two handmade Halloween gift baskets: one for Kamui and one for Kagura. It included a bunch of chocolates and candy she bought, but there was also a homemade chocolate shaped like a chibi Kamui and chibi Kagura she did herself. "Here ya go~! Some yummy treats for you!... Or maybe it's a trick? Maaaaaybe I added mayonnaise filling inside one of them~" She says with a sly wink, before giggling at her own teasing. "Just kidding!... Or am I?" What is Halloween without a little scare when eating your candy someone gives you? Well, there's nothing to worry about. It IS true she added filling in the homemade chocolates, but it's not mayonnaise. She's not EVIL! For example, Namida had filled Kamui's special chibi chocolate with strawberry filling. "Oh by the way! Did you see Kagura's video on Twitter? The one with the summoning of Beetlejuice, Candyman and Bloody Mary? Even though nothing happened, I still think Bloody Mary would've won that fight.... Oh! Also look at this!"

Namida excitedly hurries into the living room with a big smile on her face. She REALLY wanted him to see what she's done. "Ta-daaaaa~!" She Will Smith poses at the coffee table all proudly. Three pumpkin carvings, each with a candle lit inside of them, of Kamui Namida and Kagura. She still gets a little embarrassed about her artwork, since she knows they tend to look childish, but at least they're cute right?!... Please say they're cute. Her lacey gloved finger scratches at her cheek as she shyly smiles. "I-I did my best and I-I think they look cute! Well, we can always do pumpkin carving together too! I have so much activities we can do here so this party for three doesn't bore you and Kagura. I have to be a good host for my precious guests! I totally forgot that Apple Bobbing was a thing and honestly I'm really curious to see which hungry Yato has the quickest and strongest bite to win~!" There's many things the three of them could do to make this night last and be fun. Like she had set up Apple Bobbing, pumpkin carving/painting, horror movies they could pick and watch, playing Lights On Lights Off, etc. There's a ton of ideas running through her mind to make the Yato siblings happy. She was fixing up Kamui's pumpkin a little with the carving knife until she heard the buzzer... and it caused Namida to accidentally prick her finger. A small drop of blood landing on the Kamui pumpkin; as if it were the final touch of her masterpiece to create an accurate representation. "Ow!" She removes the glove and shakes her head chuckling. "Eheheh. Funny how I have fake blood all over my outfit and now I'm actually bleeding. Geez. Uh! Could you get the door for me, Mui? It must be Kagura! I'll go and wash this off."

The only reason Kamui even dressed up was because of constant pestering from his little sister. So, he just went with a serial killer costume. One, because he could wear blood on his clothes and not be questioned if he had committed actual murder, two, he could carry around a knife. The knife was real. Kamui had also decided to not have his hair braided for tonight either. Although, more importantly, he was dying to see what kind of costume Namida was going to wear.

He'd press the buzzer to her apartment, waiting for her to open up. When Namida does, he was immediately embraced. Kamui wasn't complaining at all, hugging her back tightly. He lets out a happy sigh, feeling all the stress leave his body from her affection alone. ''Glad to see you. ♡'' When she pulled away from the hug, he'd see her costume and it was pretty hard to pry his eyes away. Hues of blue looking her over, seeing her look amazing in her costume. Blood looked really nice on her.

''You look really beautiful, but that's not much of a surprise. I think your costume is the best out of every one I've seen on the way here.'' He smiled, acting like he wasn't completely biased solely because he liked everything about her. ''Hold on... are those fangs real?'' Kamui leaned in close, looking at her fangs curiously. He's seen various amanto with ACTUAL fangs, so... he wasn't sure if by some weird possibility, humans could grow them too. Kamui didn't know them all that well after all, Namida was the only one who actually seemed interesting outside of fighting. ''Hahaha, well you look nice with them!'' He laughs, then goes right inside with Namida.

When he saw all the decorations in her apartment, Kamui looked pretty amazed. She always went above and beyond, ''This looks really cool.'' He couldn't help commenting that when looking at her decorations, like an impressed little boy practically. She was really creative. Although, Namida speaking about Naruko led him to look confused. He hadn't the slightest idea who that was, or rather he hadn't cared enough to remember. He didn't care about any of the rental girlfriends, except Namida. Why would he? Although, it did click who the hell Naruko was once the incident with being trapped in the closet was brought up.

''Oh, her.'' Kamui scowled, sounding just a bit too spiteful. Although, thinking about it now, being trapped in a closet with Namida at this point in time, might end a lot differently. He still didn't like some annoying person doing that out of nowhere though, plus it was when he was feeling weak too, and couldn't just break out. Didn't Namida also get mad at him and stopped talking to him too during that? Well, it was a long time ago. They were best friends now. Actually, now that he thought about it.... that whole situation did kind of lead to them being best friends. Kamui, however, still didn't like that cat girl.

''I remember that yeah. . . .'' Kamui kind of forced a smile while saying that, not too happy reminiscing about that time. He was happy when she admits to wanting to spend with him and his sister on Halloween. His features would brighten up finding her adorable. The way she looked at him definitely made his chest fill with warmth. ''Hey Namida, you're kind of tempting me to kiss you right now, you know? But Kagura might be here soon, so I'm trying to control myself. ♡'' He never actually manages to control himself though, it was all just a farce. The smirk he was wearing proved that much. He easily noticed the lingering stare she was giving him too, and couldn't help but be amused. Kamui didn't really mind, but he'd likely tease her about it.

''Ooooh, always so generous, huh? Maybe I should eat Kagura's before she gets here.'' Was he joking? Likely not. He always went to Gintoki's apartment to eat all the food after all, including stuff Kagura had for herself. Kamui went ahead and took his basket looking through the stuff inside. Immediately he started eating some of the candy. He came across the strawberry filled ones, ''Sooo tasty. Love this. ♡'' Glee fills his face, not the least bit disappointed. Then seeing the chocolate chibi version of himself, he wondered how she was so talented. It was really incredible.

''Although, I hope you're just messing with me about the mayonnaise filled ones. That sounds really gross.'' He gives a bit of a weirded out look, seeing her laugh when teasing him.

Kamui liked different food combinations, and would eat almost anything. But chocolate and mayonnaise was an exception for obvious reasons. He'll just.... leave the rest of the chocolates alone for now. Since, he seemed to have been lucky to not encounter any of the mayonnaise filled ones so far.

''Also yeah, but isn't that stuff fake? It wasn't gonna work anyway, right?'' Kagura posted a lot of stupid videos on twitter, he does occasionally watch them when they seemed interesting. Then makes fun of her in the replies. Kamui looked over at the pumpkins Namida brought to his intention, and looked in awe. ''Wow, this actually... does look really.... cute.''

He couldn't help but chuckle, soon taking out his phone to take a picture of all three of them. It was something to preserve since pumpkins didn't exactly last forever. ''I gotta keep this. ♡'' The flash goes off as he happily snapped his picture. He'd likely post it online later.

''I've actually never done either of those things, since I hadn't been to Earth much until I started visiting Kagura. . . . So, I'd love to try it out with you two.'' He wasn't against learning new things, he wasn't exactly the most knowledgeable on the more minor activities people do during Earth holidays. Namida helped him grow more interested in learning too. He wanted to know about the things she celebrated, and what made her happy. Kamui would be happy sharing those experiences with her.

''Hey actually-'' He goes up to Namida, his arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer to him as he holds up his phone. ''How about a picture to remember today, with just the two of us? ♡'' He grins then snaps the picture with her. Whether he admits to it or not, he was sentimental, and liked preserving memories with people important to him. They could take one with Kagura too later. Although afterwards, he'd watch as she went to fix up the pumpkin of him and ended up pricking her finger. The pumpkin version of him was definitely more accurate now.

He had stopped her, grabbing her hand. ''Hey, let me see your finger first. Kagura could wait.'' Kamui's hand was gentle when handling her, careful to not be too rough in any way. He had looked at the bead of blood at her fingertip, it wasn't that much thankfully. Although, he hadn't actually thought before his next action which was licking off the blood, also putting just the tip of her finger where the prick was, into his mouth too. Kamui didn't think anything of it, since that's usually what he did when handling slight cuts, and pricks on his own fingers. It wasn't until Kamui was sure the bleeding stopped that he ceased.

''Look at that, the bleeding stopped. Hahaha.''

[eerna]

Hi! I was the one complaining about Bird Harrow. It's been bugging me enough I rewatched the first couple of episodes. From a writing perspective, they introduce the Soulfang Serpent! It's only purpose is to do a body-swap! This scene serves other purposes, so it could just be a prop, but the snake comes back later. It serves to show Viren is kinda cutthroat about his goals (theoretically condemning another person do die in place in Harrow) and Harrow is a Paladin (Boy Scout) about stuff.

It's pretty good characterization! It shows Viren really likes his plans, especially because they're His Plans (which kind of makes it weird later when he's just super down for Avaros' plans. I know it's spelled wrong but I'm not looking it up. Moving on). He's an egomaniac, and Harrow carries guilt over the events that happened, and sees his impending doom as an atonement, though is still planning to put up a fight because it's his duty. Great, good. Next Episode!

Viren's still got the snake! Argument ensues! it's the one they had last episode, to remind everyone of their dynamic.

Bird alights on shoulder! This was a deliberate choice! for a reason! You don't just set this up because it's Dramatic!

Viren appears, sans snake. So at this point, we have two options. Either the animators made a... not necessarily a continuity blunder, but a real interesting choice, OR it's missing for a reason. (I'm being heavy-handed with this but I'm annoyed at the wiki) Yadda yadda, the "Invincible" Moonshadow elves apparently narrowly succeed in their assassination attempt. Suggesting that if Harrow had actually been allowed to fight they probably would've been fine, actually.

But he doesn't Fight. He doesn't emerge from his quarters at all! Really weird for a dude unwilling to sacrifice people merely to save his own life! Gosh, something must have happened in there! But What could it be????

anyway, next episode.

awesome armor aunt is introduced.

AND THEN THIS SHOT.

Viren doesn't care about this bird. There's no reason to cage the bird. The bird does not appear to have a cage, prior to this. It's an incredibly distinctive element they spent a lot of work on that, as far as I can tell, does not appear again. And most importantly. They never show Harrow's Body. Which is kind of an odd choice, if he wasn't a bird. Since if he wasn't a bird, it would be a dramatic shot! Nevermind the Dramatic Fight he could have had with the assassin! If he was a bird, well, you'd probably not want to show the king fighting like a bird in a man's body just for the dignity of it, and also showing his corpse would muddle the VERY OBVIOUS IMAGERY YOU'VE SET UP TO THIS POINT THAT THE MAN IS GONNA GET BIRD'D! Deep Breath. At SDCC 2019 creator Justin Richmond said that Harrow was killed by the elven assassins. This enters the realm of speculation, but unless he's just outright lying (which is... boring) it would indicate to me that this idea was cut at some point after most of these shots were finished, and it would be too expensive to remake them. So... most of the connective tissue was left, kicked under the rug as best as they could, afforded little other choice. Because the alternative is that they're incredibly, fundamentally unskilled at visual storytelling, which frankly, seems wild. The show is very, deeply flawed, but they do consistently demonstrate proficiency in the shots chosen for other threads in this opening plot. So many choices are done carefully and deliberately, that to fumble this one Major thing? Seems nutty. And it's really disappointing because Ezran coming home and chatting with Dad Bird and unravelling Viren's plot is Way more compelling than anything else they actually did do in the show. Come to think of it, maybe it's when they decided to have Aravos as the/a big bad. idk. Viren's dealing with Asarov to seem mildly-to-fairly inconsistent with his characterization in these early scenes. and not in a way that demonstrates any kind of meaningful arc.

Rant over. Thanks for listening. I doubt we'll ever get a good answer to this.

This was a highly entertaining read, np! I felt the same way when I rewatched the beginning of the show dsnjkavkas. Those first few episodes are directed much better than the rest of the show, and you're right, it's so weird if they are really meaningless. There is also a shot at the end of the season showing the bird escaping the cage, and then we NEVER SEE IT AGAIN. It shows up again only in Viren's imagination in s5. SO WHAT WAS ALL THIS FOR HUH. But honestly the show LOVES to introduce concepts and then drop them, so I wouldn't even be surprised if they just did it for the vibes and making it seem like a Cool Mature Fantasy Thing where the villain keeps the dead hero's animal companion in a cage instead of any proper writing reason.

[some-teeth-in-a-trench-coat]

What are some of your current blender projects? Or just things you like abt the program and hobby?

Hi sorry I meant to answer this several days ago but I kept forgetting until right before bedtime and I knew this would not be short... Thank you for the ask!

Ok so I don't know what your definition of "current projects" is but there's nothing I'm actively working on right now, I'm just playing Minecraft all day, but I have many wips in various degrees of being abandoned, most recent being an alternative to https://minetrim.com/ that would run in Blender and be controlled by a geometry nodes modifier. I do hope I get around to finishing it, since the online tool as it currently exists is lacking in many aspects and can be a little buggy. It probably wouldn't be all that useful for most players since you'd need to install Blender and understand a few basics of how to use it, but it would at least help me plan my armor trims (if you don't know, Minecraft recently added a system for cosmetic customization of the player's armor combining colors and patterns, and the website and my tool are meant to simulate user-selected combinations to see what it'd look like).

And that is one of my favorite things to do in Blender, create little tools with geometry nodes, which is basically a visual simplistic programming language interacting with many of the things Blender does. I can create a customizable banana with randomized shapes and spot locations with a slider for age, length, curviness, thickness, you name it, and produce a photorealistic banana (this is one abandoned project), or I could make a regular polyhedron generator taking only a Schläfli symbol as input (another abandoned project, here's a great video that inspired me to try, I highly recommend it if you have no idea what I just said), or, as mentioned, an armor trim simulator.

But Blender can do so much and I can't talk about it without mentioning that it is Completely Free And Open Source and it's good for so much more than just 3D modeling. You can of course add materials to the model, defining exactly how the surface interacts with light, defaulting to what is physically possible but not limiting to this, allowing you to create every possible and a wide range of impossible materials. And then of course you can render that, with several rendering engines to choose from depending on the look you want and the computing power and time you're willing to invest, but I usually use the ray tracing engine (simulating rays of light for most realistic result, which you shouldn't do in video games much because games have to render in real time please don't conflate my use with the crimes of AAA games). But why stop at a still image? You can animate the model, and the material if you want, and you can animate basically any property, and of course to make animation more interesting you can rig it to a skeleton (usually how characters are animated) (includes inverse and forward kinematics of course) or do physics simulation including fluid/smoke/fire simulation, soft and rigid body simulation, and cloth simulation. They've made some changes to simulation and hair since I last looked at those aspects so I'm not totally in the loop on the details but it's good and only getting better. Ok cool you've got your little animation and you can render it to a little video, neat, but it's just in a void? Do you have to model the whole background too? Well, you can, or (I'm gonna oversimplify and gloss over a lot of differences and unique challenges of each method here) you could use an HDRI (high dynamic range image, meaning it contains A Lot more information about lighting from a much wider range of values than a normal image... you know how you point your phone camera at a light source and the image goes dark? That's because your phone camera has a lower dynamic range than human eyes, it can only see a small range of light or dark values at a time), or, hey, if you do have a video camera, you can try something really fun... camera tracking. If you film a video of real life, with the camera moving around, you can plug that video into Blender and with some help it can figure out exactly how the camera is moving through space! This means, you can make the virtual camera inside Blender move the exact same way around the animation you made, and you can then render that video and lay it over the footage you took and BAM your 3D object is now in that scene! It might still look off, of course, if it doesn't cast a shadow on the ground or if it's reflective and clearly not reflecting its surroundings, but there are solutions to all these issues and if you're like me it'll turn into a fun little puzzle.

And that's just. Just scratching the surface ok? I just. Love Blender. I love that it's free and open source. If you have a computer and time you can just. Make a movie with amazing special effects and yes yes we love practical effects but trust me digital effects are not evil they're just overused because it's not unionized so it's cheaper labor but you can't tell me it isn't cool that you could make a photorealistic video of a dragon landing on your own rooftop without paying for software or putting up with ads or risking malware with piracy it's legal it's free it's fun. I will not tell you it's not time consuming but I will tell you it's cool and free*

*I recognize not everyone has free access to a video camera, internet, a computer, and enough electricity to run it

Anyway that's my summary of why I love Blender. "That's not a summary, Maws." Trust me. This is the short version.

[nitrosodiumfmp]

Where to take the game next?

As of writing, I've finished the Docks, and while I was beginning work on a tutorial level, I didn't have time to get any screenshots. That's not massively relevant right now. I need to decide on Level 2, and what I'll add to the greater game.

My first thought was concerning smaller locations which could be put into a larger map. You'd start, and the first thing you'd see would be a gigantic Tesla coil-esque structure in the distance, pointing up into the clouds, various bits oscillating and rotating. Your next objective would be to activate a warped relay station at the foot of that Transmission Tower, though I have no clue why you'd need to from a lore perspective. The map itself would be roughly divided into two "atria", each one roughly the size of the Dock map; the left atria (from your spawn location) would be an industrial estate, and the right atria would be office buildings. You'd need to get a Train Ticket (acting as a third key type) from some kind of transit hub in the right atria, and then take it to a train depot in the left atria, which would take you into a third area mostly consisting of pipes, gears and big pistons, where you would enter the relay station and restore power to the underworld's electric mains. This does seem cool but most of it makes no sense.

Firstly, I'm a big fan of having "hubs" in games, perhaps stemming from my love of Half Life. In that game, you often get into a situation of entering a large open area, where you have a broad objective and multiple directions to go. Look at Office Complex, where you're moving further up through the facility while attempting to get topside, or Questionable Ethics, where you're navigating the xenobiology lab to look for a scientist to buzz you through the revolving door. They're almost like precursors to the sort of massive open-world levels you'd get in real immersive sims like Bioshock or Deus Ex. The issue is, in those games you could save, and in Sinister, if you die, it's alllllllll the way back to the start. This is ok with a relatively small map like the Dock, but if you're navigating a whole city district and you die without mid-level saves, you lose a lot of progress. To that end, the better result would be a lot of smaller levels with an over-arching objective between them. Like, my idea for the Transmission Tower arc could be three levels: get the train ticket, find the depot, and get to the relay station. Or maybe the train would be a static object with a Mortality Anchor it it, so it gave the illusion that you were moving around a larger metropolis.

I also had some ideas for switching up the formula. More enemies and more hazards. My first idea was implementing the Mozzie enemy in some capacity; if you don't remember, that was a perpetually-buzzing steampunk drone that would fly about to avoid me animating any sort of leg movement. They'd invoke imagery of mosquitoes, with long needles as their primary appendage. My new idea is to have them generate paranoia. They fly about in the sky, shining a spotlight down on the ground, and if you're caught in it, it would make the same sound as a Grave Digger noticing the player. So if you were walking in the open and you suddenly hear it, you'd panic, thinking you were being chased, and have to make sure it wasn't a false alarm. My next idea was traps, inspired by a suggestion by one of my playtesters. They'd be beartraps or maybe a mine, lying on the ground, and if you step on it, you die. They'd probably emanate a slight glow so they're not unfair; more of a navigation puzzle and a way to block the player in without obscuring their vision. (For example, want a player to see a cool visual but not block them with a big wall? Litter the ground ahead with traps.)

My central idea, however, was a new enemy type: the Assassin. It's just a codename for now. They'd be slightly altered Grave Diggers, with no light, and a very quiet alert sound. This would obviously make them dangerous to the inattentive player, but in the lore, they'd be tasked with setting the traps, like undead military sappers. The gameplay ramifications would be that Assassins would only be placed in areas where traps were located. So if you see a trap and avoid it, you're left with the lingering fear that whatever placed that trap is still in the area. It's hunting you. Maybe it's already seen you.

This is supposed to connect to a large story development I had planned for a while. Nharro's sleep was not random. The God of Death was incapacitated by the God of War - Khlor. Essentially, Khlor wanted to continue conflict in the mortal realm, by destroying the cycle of death; with nobody going to the afterlife, wars would continue endlessly. Khlor had specially engineered some soldiers of his own to infiltrate Nharro's realm and render the god unconscious; these soldiers were the Assassins. I still think the idea holds some water, though I don't know if I'll use it.

[sadieedginton]

I plan, design and lead workshops for schools, art organisations and universities. Get in touch if you'd like to chat about a workshop idea.

My expertise is centered around these areas but open to suggestions:

Collaboration and team-work

Developing creativity

Developing playful, experimental open-ended art processes in most mediums

Developing individual and group visual art practice

Exploring decision-making and co-design methods

Outdoor, nature and garden projects

Mosaic, outdoor wooden sign painting, insect hotels

Planting seeds and flowers

Children's workshops about recycling, nature, pollination, seed planting, making recycled mini planters, working with natural materials, leaf printing

3D making, DIY engineering, sculpture

Developing groups, starting a your own art school!

Recent workshops have been:

With the London Transport Museum for Year 3 children: I planned and led a series of three workshops, co-working with facilitator Lauren Grierson. They were about introducing children to ideas for sustainable transport, whilst developing stem & '21st Century' skills, collaboration, creativity, empathy and team-work. Through my sculpture background I was interested to develop making skills, so we invented our own balloon vehicles and created large collaborative maps of local parks, using paper engineering to make solutions to sustainability problems.

For BEAF Arts Co at TOSH (The Old School House) in Boscombe, Bournemouth: I did a public talk about planning collaborative and co-design workshops with vulnerable people. The next day I led a one day workshop about developing collaborative workshops! We

A six month project of 10 workshops to create a memory garden project for The Kingsley and The Royal Academy Of Art (2023). I developed 10 workshops leading the adults through a process of developing art practice, collaborative work and then outdoor art skills, to create mosaics, painted art boards and a flower bed area. See more on my tumblr site here. Previous Projects:

For White Cross Street Party, the Plant Procession, I led a series of workshops with three groups of children, in the engagement with the 'mobile pollinators' for the festival. I also created an area at the festival and led two days of drop-in family activities with Bryony James at the festival Ecological Commons area on White Cross Street in Islington. (July 2022)

I developed a women's art group for Culpeper Community Garden and we met up weekly, having a cup of tea, a chat and doing different art activities. The first 10 sessions were about sensory approaches to the garden using charcoal, drawing and collage. We developed long fabric prints using the leaf printing method. Next we worked on round mosaic bird-baths or stepping stones into terracota dishes. The group really benefited from the regular meet-up. They were a group for vulnerable women with mental health issues, who faced isolation due to the pandemic. Culpeper Community Garden 2022

'Sculpture around you' was four days of workshop sessions spread across two weeks for Art UK and Accumulate (sometimes called the art school for the homeless). The participants were eight young adults who were a mixture of refugees and homeless people living in temporary accommodation. The workshops were delivered at BBC Broadcasting House and Autograph Gallery, and a final exhibition was held at Autograph of the sculptures. (2019)

IMAGE Sculpture around you'. A final work by Frank. The project asked 'What does broadcasting and the media mean to young people?' (2019)

Sunday family workshop, Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, as part of the 'Public Routes' project with Alex Parry (2019)

Sunday family workshop, Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, as part of the 'Public Routes' project with Alex Parry (2019)

I spent 6 months working with three Secondary Schools and created an exhibition in the gallery at the end. We developed object, performance and animation work around the school grounds. A Saatchi Education project (2017)

I led a playful chair-making workshop with children and families, at the Pump House Gallery as part of 'Public Routes' project, a collaboration with Alex Parry (2019)

[radwolf76]

So the whole opening credits sequence to this is a master class in visual storytelling/worldbuilding and I'm going to excerpt part of a decade old article to expand on just how much these few seconds say.

It's very, very important that we're getting their reaction shot first. We've just seen that the law is completely powerless to bring these guys down, but now, in the very next shot, there's something that terrifies them. Look at those dudes! They're recoiling and wide-eyed, the jutting jaw and confidence of their first appearance is gone. If they're not afraid of the cops, then what could inspire that kind of fear?

FACT #5: Whatever we're about to see, criminals are terrified of it.

It's almost as though criminals, despite seeming to have all the power in this city, are actually a superstitious, cowardly lot. So what are they so afraid of?

Ladies and gentlemen, 35 seconds into this opening sequence, we meet Batman. We don't know his name yet, but the way we meet him is brilliant. He drops out of the sky, so we have another visual metaphor added to what we've already seen: if the criminals are above the law, then Batman is above them. If cops are five, then crooks are six. If crooks are six, Batman is seven.

The way he drops out of the sky is genius, too: It's done so that he looks like a bat, with his cape flapping around him in this beautiful fluid motion as he lands. And if you didn't know anything about Batman, you'd assume that he was flying above them and dropped down -- if you didn't already know that he drove there in a car, which we know is his because it has the same lines and blue-black color scheme as his cape. See how it all comes together?

It's the close-up that gives us our next crucial piece, though. For one thing, we see that he's a person in a mask and not some demonic creature, so I feel justified in calling this guy "Batman" even though we're never going to learn his name in this sequence. But more importantly is that awesome moment where he narrows his eyes. He's not just there to stop these guys...

FACT #6: Batman hates criminals.

It's not just a matter of wanting to uphold the law -- there's an emotion at the core of what we're about to see, and it's not a happy one. So we have Batman, who does not like these guys, and the criminals who fear him.

Now, there's a lot in this scene that happens very quickly, and it's all very, very significant. First, the criminals pull out guns, so we know that for all the fantasy of police blimps and art deco hot rods, there is something that we can immediately recognize as a deadly weapon. More importantly, this action means that Batman has to react, and right now, we have no idea what he's going to do. Is he going to draw his own pistol and have a rooftop gunfight? By conventional logic, he'd certainly be justified; the bad guys are the ones who escalated the situation by drawing their pistols first.

But instead, Batman pulls out...

Well, I don't know what that is yet. Looks kind of like a boomerang but with weird spikes all over it. What I do know is that it's not a gun.

Quick sidenote before we move on: How awesome is that right hand? It's huge! It would ruin your day to get punched in the face with that thing.

Anyway, so this thing Batman just threw at these dudes is definitely not a gun. But maybe it's some other kind of weapon, like a throwing star. Maybe this Batman guy is like a ninja, who uses his own deadly weapons to take out criminals with extreme prejudice. Let's see!

Okay, so instead of taking out the men, Batman targets the guns, taking them away from the criminals. Huh. That's interesting, he must really not care for firearms. Otherwise he just would've used that crazy bat-boomerang thing (bat... arang?) to knock out the criminals. Maybe there's something specific about guns that's significant to this character.

Take all that together, what do we now know?

FACT #7: Guns exist and they are used by criminals.

FACT #8: Batman does not use guns. He doesn't seem to like them much either.

FACT #9: In lieu of a gun, Batman uses other weapons to fight crime.

The thing with the guns leads to something else that's really interesting, but it's not fully formed yet, so let's move on to what happens next:

And what happens next is that Batman cold wrecks one of those dudes. I love the reaction from the other thug, and the fact that this look of pure shock and terror is the most we ever see of him as a person. He has made some mistakes, and he realizes this now.

But the focus is on the other guy, the one who gets taken out. Batman puts him on the ground in one move while flipping through the air, and the crook does not get up again. So now we know something else:

FACT #10: Batman is awesome.

Seriously: The fluid movement, the quickness, the agility. If crime in Gotham is a step beyond crime as we understand it, then Batman is a step beyond people as we understand them. But not so far beyond that the other thug doesn't at least try to take a swing at him:

Again, even with just a silhouette and the shape of Batman's eyes, they're able to convey a contempt for the thug's punch in this brief moment. Just the posture as he watches the fist sail by -- it all reinforces the idea that Batman's a superior fighter, which continues into the next shot, where the thug tries three more times to hit Batman before Batman finally takes him out with exactly one punch.

But the fact remains that the thug tried to punch him, just like they tried to shoot him. Why? I mean, this guy just dropped out of the sky, disarmed two thugs and wrecked a dude in the span of ten seconds -- why doesn't the remaining criminal just start running? Because he has a chance. He at least thinks he does -- he fights instead of running because if he can land that punch, if he can get off a gunshot, it'll do something. We don't see bullets bouncing off Batman's chest and we don't see him take a punch to the face without reacting, we see him removing the guns from the equation and dodging fists. So now we know...

FACT #11: Batman is not invulnerable. He can be hurt.

BATMAN: The Animated Series (1992)

[charliepipedesigner]

Research into Educational Services - Major Project

This is a website that I used during secondary school to learn and practice mathematics online at home as a service for my teacher to keep track of the class' score percentages, and to see the progress of each student.

The Service

From a student's perspective I remember MyMaths being an unconventional approach to homework in comparison to other subjects because I was usually given sheets of paper to read off and to write on. With maths however, this service was often used to help me and other students to answer questions that were sometimes formatted like a classroom, but there were also times when they were exam-based. It also had a competitive aspect as well, since there was a leaderboard table set-up by the teacher for the whole class. You would receive points for the final score on the set of questions, and you'd receive bonus points for the time of completion (the quicker you answer the questions correctly, the more points you'd receive). Another aspect to mention is the fact that you couldn't cheat the system because the teacher would set out the questions or the website had already provided the set of questions. You could argue that the test answers could be searched on Google or YouTube (if lucky) but it wouldn't benefit the student in this case.

The competitiveness made the experience of learning the subject better because I wanted to prove that I was hard-working and that I could learn maths at a high level. My teacher would keep the class up-to-date with the leaderboard, and he'd expose students for having low percentage scores. This gives me more of an incentive to gamify my service in order to make homework/revision/studying more enjoyable by allowing students to compete against each other to earn rewards for their efforts.

Visual Identity

In my opinion, one of the flaws for this educational service involves the brand identity and the general experience of interacting with the service. When I open the website I see the top of the home page, which consists of the MyMaths logo and icon centred with the navigation system. Then there is a call-to-action and brief summary of the unique selling points, in front of a hero image that consists of blue and green shaded lines. Although I do appreciate the calmness and authority of the colour palette, it doesn't invite me in because it feels too generic with the layout system. As for the digital graphics, they feel uninspiring and formal to look at. Perhaps if they were animated or changed shape and size it could grab my attention.

On the other hand, I do like the illustrated icons to summarise the unique selling points off this service. There's a consistency with the small lines and the shape to add texture, and the boldness stands out in comparison to the typography to give character. The information hierarchy helps to separate the sub-headers with the summary.

Gamification

When I was exploring the website I discovered that there are video games that help students to have fun doing maths whilst competing with other student. I had completely forgotten that this was on the website. Visually they are not enticing and the game mechanics are very basic, but conceptually it supports the idea of embracing the user's experience with a medium that's playful and interactive.

Conclusion

Looking back at this service that I used during secondary school, it's encouraged me to think about how I can apply a stimulating learning experience through a gamified service. The way I portray the app in a visual manner will need to be memorable and compelling for the audience in order to learn whilst having fun at the same time.

[shadyhouse]

Your art is so fuckin good and I lose my mind every time I see it! You pretty much top the list of artists I want to commission one I have digital money again. Do you have any art advice you'd wanna give a fellow (though less experienced) furry artist?

OMGGGG THANK YOU!!! :D that means so much, i'm glad my art can have so much of an influence on you! that seriously makes me so happy 😭 i'm honored to be one of your favorites!!!

as for art advice.... i feel like im not qualified to give Good advice since im pretty much completely self-taught, but also maybe that makes the advice better? idk ive been "serious" about art and doing commissions since 2017 so i have quite a bit of experience but i still feel like a beginner gdhkgjldsgdskg but anyways here's my own personal things ive learned over the years

absorb as much art as you possibly can. art of all mediums. tv shows, movies, music, visual art, animations, books, comics, ect ect ect EVEN bad art! i am a huge believer of the idea that both bad art and good art is extremely important to you as an artist because not only does the bad art show you what Not to do, but sometimes bad art has GREAT ideas that you wouldve never thought of before. whether they're just executed poorly or the ideas arent touched upon as in depth as you'd like. i'm giving you permission to steal ideas right now PLEASE steal ideas from all the stuff you love and put your own personal spin on them i'm BEGGING you!!!! just don't claim other people's art as your own and you're golden

if you want to open commissions but you don't think you're "good enough", open them anyway. i swear it will do nothing but help you improve and give you experience for the future. i started out by drawing things for $10 a pop and it did SO MUCH for my improvement, i'm always drawing stuff that i wouldve never drawn otherwise and it's helped me a ton with my own personal art too. the variety of the prompts you'll get will be intimidating Because it'll be stuff you don't typically draw, but you'll feel such a sense of accomplishment by the end Because it's a challenge. all this being said, don't let people take advantage of you. stand your ground and don't be afraid to refund/deny a commission request because you're excited to get paid. for every client who's a dick to you there's like five clients who will gladly respect you and pay you what you deserve irt your skill and quality. i Promise

DRAW WHAT YOU LIKE TO DRAW!!!! Don't draw what you think other people want to see! at the end of the day, it's YOUR art, and you should be building a gallery full of things that make YOU happy and Spark Joy when you create, regardless of how "niche" the subjects may be. i'm in the process of unlearning this myself, but the best thing that you can do for yourself as an artist is be self indulgent and cater to Yourself above anyone else. if you only draw stuff to pull in followers/commission clients/ect you'll end up getting burnt out EXTREMELY easily and start to resent your art. the best thing to do is to slowly acquire the community that cares the most about your art, and you as an artist. that way you'll feel better about your craft and you'll be able to REALLY feel the love. the people who look at your art can absolutely tell when you're passionate about a piece vs when you're just doing it for attention/money/ect. that's why people who claim they're going to "stoop low and draw furry porn for money" never get anywhere unless theyre TRULY passionate about the craft, because people can TELL when their heart isnt in it

TL;DR draw whatever you wanna draw, be open to try new things, and take in as much art as you can and be open to new life experiences so you can stay inspired even when you're not making art. i hope this is helpful!! i feel like im kinda rambling about my own learning experience haha

[dialovers-lover-xoxo]

Reiji's Relationship Alphabet

Not nsfw, just under a cut because it's long

Alphabet Credit: @snk-warriors

❌ TW: Mention of drugging ❌

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A - Activities (What activities do you do as a couple with him?)

Reiji's actually very fond of animals in the visual novels so I can see him volunteering at animal shelters with his partner and/or taking care of the animals in the woods. He'll also allow you to assist him with experiments by holding things. If you gain enough of his respect and prove you're capable, he may even let you do experimentation (with his supervision)

B - Beauty (What physical attribute do they admire about you?)

He loves your face and legs and he often finds himself staring at them

C - Comfort (How would they comfort you when you're upset or having a panic attack?)

The first time you had a panic attack he drugged you so you'd calm down and fall asleep. Definitely not the right way to maneuver this situation, but this man knows a lot about drugs and very little about comforting others so it seemed like a good idea to him at the time. After that, he took careful notes of all your triggers and careful notes of everything that helped you calm down. He'll speak soothingly to you and hold you against his chest while you two lay in bed (if you want physical comfort, if not he won't touch you until you're ready to be touched again)

D - Dreams (Do they picture a future with you? What does that future look like?)

Yes, he absolutely sees a future with you. You as his spouse with two children. Taking care of animals, helping him with his experiments, playing with the kids.

E - Equal (Are they dominating/dominant in the relationship or passive?)

Very dominant. If he tells what to do, you will be obedient to him otherwise you will be punished. Though he loves and respects you, he still sees himself as superior and therefore demands you being unconditionally submission.

F - Fight (Do they forgive easily? How do they fight?)

Fights don't often happen because he is very strict with making sure you're submissive to him. Disagreements may happen in which case he will be thoroughly convinced he is right and you are being foolish. Later on in the relationship if he sees .your intelligence and respects you more, he may listen to your side and come up with a compromise.

G - Gratitude (How grateful are they in general? How do they show their gratitude?)

Despite his pridefulness and how he feels superior to you, Reiji is not above thanking you should you assist him, from helping him overcome the trauma of his past to simply helping him take notes during an experiment. He will voice it and also thank you by returning favors.

H - Honesty (Do they share everything with you? If they do keep something from you, why?)

Reiji is very honest, and he values being honest above sparing feelings. However if you're currently upset about something or sick or anything like that, he will wait until after you're in a better place before giving you bad news (assuming the news isn't urgent) Even if he's under no obligation to tell you and you don't need to know, he believes in being truthful and open and sharing everything with your partner. He expects the same from you.

I - Inspiration (Did they get inspired to change by you? How do?)

While centuries of bitterness and hatred can't exactly be completely gotten rid of, with kindness and showing him Shu's side of the story, you may just be able to inspire him to try and understand Shu and work towards having a better relationship with him

J - Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily? How do they act when they're jealous?)

He is jealous. If he gets jealous he'll just glare at you and then pull you away to scold you. He will have you tell whoever you were talking to that you are Reiji's

K - Kiss (Are they a good kisser? What are their kisses like? What was the first kiss like?)

Very gentlemanly kisses. The first kiss was in the woods, surrounded by cute animals. He gently folded you in his arms and kissed you softly on the mouth. In private and as your relationship progresses he will add tongue. It is very very rare you have those super fast intense rom-com kisses, he finds them sloppy and undignified. His kisses are slow and deep.

L - Love Confession (What was their love confession like?)

One of the very few times he's blushed around you, he told you he was starting to have feelings for you. He fought these feelings for a long time. But he fell for you.

M - Marriage (Do they want to get married? How would they propose?)

Yes, definitely. It would be in his office, amid lit candles. He would bend on one knee and ask you to marry him.

N - Nicknames (What do they call you as a term of endearment? Where did the nickname come from?)

Perhaps "honey" but more likely it's something to do with your name

O - On cloud 9 (What are they like in love? Can other people tell?)

Before you came into his life, he basically did chores and plotted bringing his mother back so he could kill her in a painful way. He was bitter and miserable. He had goals and aspirations but they were tainted with anger and trauma, not with a desire to fulfill happiness. With you, he is so much happier and freer. Those angry negative emotions he felt all the time don't quite grip him like they used to. Maybe they're still there, but you make them fade into background noise and when you're around, they fade completely. He's a stoic man who doesn't share him emotions, so it's not like his brothers will see him smiling at nothing but they know how happy you make him because anytime he's yelling at Shu or scolding Subaru and you walk in his eyes soften and his mood improves. The brothers have taken advantage of this to get out of being scolded/punished.

P - PDA (Are they shy or upfront about their relationship with you? Will they kiss in public?)

Reiji believes intimacy and romantic displays of affection should be private. He's very passionate in private but in public he'll do little more than kiss your cheek and hold your hand.

Q - Quirk (Something random about them that's beneficial in a relationship)

He's really great at medicine and taking care of people when they're sick, he's so kind and comforting and has amazing remedies to help you feel better whenever you're sick or injured

R - Romance (How romantic are they?What is their idea of romance like?)

While a lot of the time you two are just side by side with occasional kisses and voicing your affection, he will make time for romance. He will set up romantic dinners and have his familiars help him. Candles, romantic music. He also gives you dancing lessons and waltzes you around and it's very romantic

S - Support (Do they help you reach your goals? Do they believe in you?)

It'll take some work to have him see you as a capable person, but he will believe in you and support you as long as your goals don't leave him feeling inferior in some way

T - Thrill (Do they like trying new things in a relationship? Or do they prefer routine?)

He's okay trying new things but those new things will be similar to things he's already done. Like we experimented with one potion, let's experiment with a new harder one. Or let's learn even more about animals to help them better. He'll stay with what he knows

U - Understanding (How well do they understand you)

Reiji's not the most intuitive diaboy, but he does make an active effort to understand you so given some time he will understand you very well

V - Value (How important is your relationship to them?)

Before you, he never cared about relationships. He didn't think they'd be important to him. Now he can't imagine life without you. If you died, he'd be broken. He'd bury himself in his work to bring you back or wishing he wasn't immortal so he could literally work himself to death

W - Wild card (A random fluff headcanon)

He actually enjoys watching TV and movies with you, provided the two of you have time and chores are done for the day. He'll get some snacks and wrap his arm around you

X - XOXO (Are they affectionate? Do they like to kiss and cuddle)

In private, yes. He loves to hold you in his arms and have you rest your head on shoulders or chest. He loves holding you in his arms, kissing you, holding your hand. Even when he's busy, he'll still absent-mindedly stroke your arm or kiss your temple

Y - Yearning (How will they cope when they miss you?)

If you're willingly separated, he'll bury himself in work until you come back but it's rare he lets you go anywhere without him anyway.

Z - Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lengths for your relationship?)

Yes, he will do anything for you. He will fight to the death for you and your relationship

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Feedback and reblogs appreciated! ❤️

Thank you for reading my loves ❤️

Shu's Relationship Alphabet

Ayato's Relationship Alphabet

Kanato's Relationship Alphabet