#this is partially copium but like

[erinravenseeker]

look you guys don’t understand i know Dan Feng comes off as really cold in the short but imagine how experiencing the universe outside of the xianzhou and away from the responsibilities imposed on him SINCE BIRTH, with the express crew to guide him, has given Dan Heng a chance to grow into and act on his own emotions. ofc DF is cold in the short, it’s DH’s perception of him, and outward temperament is not your inner self especially if you’re a political figure your entire life and are forced to do things you may not necessarily want to because your duty demands it (i am very normal about them i swear)

[elbowreveal]

qsmp +sketches :3

+bonus random:

[abyssalshriek]

My headcanon is Pearl doesn't remember who Agent 4 is because no one ever calls them that outside of NSS work (and Off the Hook aren't part of the NSS). If the palette was labeled "[Agent 4's Name]" or even "Eight's Roommate," she'd at least be like "Oh yeah, that's Eight's friend."

[miscellaneoussmp]

I've been writing for two weeks straight!! So, I'm treating myself with some guapoduo/spiderbit copium. Here's Cellbit and Roier enjoying each other's company (cw/tw: cigarettes/smoking):

It was late, Roier isn't sure how late but late enough for any visible light to be moonlight or artificial. He had been trying to get some sleep even if it was light and barely resting. He had heard the light commotion of Cellbit returning home. He was grateful that his husband was here for the night. Roier didn't move as he expected Cellbit to lay down with him after a few minutes, but that didn't happen. He heard some soft muttering as the other went to sit on the balcony off the side of their bedroom. It was disappointing, but Roier decided to get up to sit with Cellbit. The company was definitely needed, as Roier felt like he'd start sobbing without it. He really didn't need his husband to hear or see that.

Roier padded over, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He didn't even notice the lighter in Cellbit's hand or the cigarette in his mouth as he sat next to him. Cellbit wrapped his free arm around him as Roier leaned in. There were no words exchanged. The only noise was the couples breathing and the nighttime ambiance of the island. Roier pressed a kiss onto his husband's cheek. Cellbit smiles softly, pressing a kiss to the top of the other's forehead. They sat quietly, aside from the occasional soft laugh or yawn, for a bit longer while Cellbit finished smoking the cigarette held between his fingers. They both needed company even if neither would admit it outloud to each other.

Roier yawned again, lack of restful sleep catching up to him. Even if he sleeps a lot, it doesn't do a lot for him physically or mentally. Cellbit looks at him while putting the cigarette out before pressing another kiss to his forehead. He looks just as tired as Roier, probably even more because he's doing actual work, Roier thinks. They both get up while holding hands and head back inside their bedroom, then the bathroom. They both go about a typical nightly routine. Roier hopes Cellbit doesn't notice how obvious it is that he hasn't brushed his hair properly in days.

Once both are done and changed, ready for bed, they both lay down. The couple is cuddled up together in their large bed. Roier leans his head on Cellbit's chest. Cellbit holds Roier close around the middle. It was nice to have company, especially when the company is your love. The two fell asleep easily, a rarity these last few days.

[cvstodians]

coming out as a fake fan Im not gonna be able to play the game on release because uni work is beating my ass at the moment, im broke as hell and im already too invested in a playthrough of kingdom come deliverance

[mohntilyet]

to the people who tagged that asian dellamortes post with “i thought lucanis was asian because of his eyes” firstly me too and before i even read the art book LOL because if i reach then he kind of looks like he has double eyelids but secondly i believe that was copium. if the designers ever come out and say “the dellamortes were always meant to be partially/half asian” then we should kill them because there is nothing that implies any kind of korean or asian coding. i think there is a clear and total failure in character design and writing if you present a character who is white passing and fail to address the fact that their quote unquote culture means something to them and the writing treats them like they’re (only) italian or spanish. like i think if he actually was supposed to be asian he would have mentioned literally any korean dish. while we’re here i kind of would have liked more references to worldbuilding for bellara (and cyrian) who has a hairpin (a cultural thing not seen before in thedas! but from where?) or irelin who has an accent which literally implies she is not from thedas or that she at least speaks another language. same goes for neve and dorian but i also would have had mixed feelings about south asian aesthetics pinned onto thedas’ proxy for the roman empire that is also filled with slavery. like i don’t think it’s gotta be one-to-one with coding especially with a world that is as broad as thedas but it is kind of crazy that a previous head writer said “idk. i guess there are just no asians on the continent. don’t ask me again” and then it was like hmmm actually the pavus family seem to be the only asians on the continent and then suddenly veilguard goes “HEY WE’VE HAD ASIAN PEOPLE THE WHOLE TIME!”

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 57 Cope Posting

Not like this, dear void... not like this. The blessing/curse of Kagurabachi chapters ending in 7 being absolute banger cliffhangers continues and there is not enough copium in the world to get me through to next week. This entry is an absolute mess...

Let's start with practicing on the editor's comments again. Sorry if the colours are hard to read on brighter backgrounds, I live in Dark Mode as much as possible.

First page: ハクリが飛宗の転送に成功! そして- [Hakuri ga Tobimune no tensou ni seikou! Soshite-, Hakuri successfully transfers Tobimune! And then-] Last page: 座村, 漆羽… 事態は混沌へ… [Samura, Uruha... jitai ha konton he..., Samura, Uruha... the situation turns chaotic...] noting that the word used for "situation", jitai (事態), specifically has negative connotations (as opposed to 状況 [joukyou], which is neutral).

These comments are rarely more than fluff just to give the editors some presence in the work itself, so I don't take them as definite indicators of anything going on in the plot. But man. Man. "Bad situation" seems to be putting it lightly. I was ready to take you off the list of possible traitors, Samura! I was seriously going to do it! Whyyyyyyyyyyy

Chihiro and the Pink Menace

Fine, first up... school?

How does our cast stack up to the average student after getting home schooled in murder and cool action poses?

It was obvious to everyone that this arc would involve Chihiro learning about the unpleasant sides of his dad's legacy. So this is just a "hey don't forget" moment for us that also highlights how far removed Hiruhiko and Chihiro are from regular society. Those two (and Hakuri) should be in their last year of high school, complaining about homework or stressing about their future college/job plans right now instead of fighting to the death. Poor guys.

I don't want to presume too much about Hokazono-sensei's views, but I really like directly acknowledging that winners write history and so their wartime cruelty is often downplayed or re-framed as heroism. These kids and even Chihiro only know the revised version of what happened, not the truth of the matter.

Home schooled Chihiro confirmed! Kinda!

Anyway, some more John Plan Reveal. He wants Chihiro to learn the truth about his father's legacy and the impact it's had- that's why he hasn't been "harvested" yet. This implies that there's some terrible thing that could upend Chihiro's entire worldview to be learned. But we kind of already knew that based on everything I just said.

I hope this isn't a flag for John trying to convince Chihiro to join him. There are awful secrets that are going to be unearthed about Kunishige and the Kamunabi this arc for sure, but it's kind of a waste of our time to do the "oooh it was worse than you thought why don't you join us to set things right" rigamarole.

Obviously the Hishaku have some compelling reasons to do all this if they can get someone as loath to kill as Samura on their side to murk his war buddies. It's just never gonna convince Chihiro so I hope we don't get a moralizing yapfest to accompany John's outstretched hand. I trust the writing though! So far it's been almost nothing but excellence so... chill, me. Just wait and see.

I think that no matter what happens Chihiro will continue to forge his own path with allies who care for him at his side. He won't choose the government's path, or the Hishaku's, or even his dad's- he'll create something new. Standard stuff for a shounen series but I never get tired of seeing it!

Before moving on to the coping session, there's something neat in this scene that I want to ramble about:

Local yapper yaps while the guy listening to him literally overthinks

I'll use the JP version if I have to, but I like how Chihiro's inner monologue deliberately overruns Hiruhiko's speech bubble to show that he's not paying full attention while his thoughts are in overdrive. He's still partially listening but he's not quite as composed as he appears to be on the outside, which is confirmed by the close-up zoom into his stressed look with the sweat drops. Yet when we zoom out, he seems a bit more put-together like usual. He's still exhausted from yesterday, man! Really should have rested up... at least the author acknowledges it. (Forced bed rest soon? Hopefully?)

This is how Hiruhiko was able to get the drop on Chihiro. Chihiro's got a lot on his mind and he has trouble focusing, just like Uruha chided him for on the train. His resolve is unshaken but he's still prone to wavering in the moment as he tries to process things. He even misses the fist time Samura's name was mentioned! Clearly Chihiro needs Hakuri or Uruha or someone there to yell encouragement at the right time to stop him from getting lost in his own head. But he's got a lot to think about and work through right now, so it's understandable why he's so stressed out.

Poor Chihiro. He's coming to the conclusions that we, the readers privileged with having weeks IRL to ponder new information, came to long ago. The Master is not treated like a hero but a prisoner, and probably for very, very good reasons. Ones good enough to convince Samura to make a deal with the devil.

What Actually Happened?!

Not all the blades have themes from nature, it seems. Geisha offered many different types of entertainment to guests, from performing music to conversation to serving sake. So now we have the idea behind the name [Swaying Sake]!

First up to delay just a little longer: Kumeyuri power reveal! Seems to be based in some kind of performing arts aesthetic with the geisha that were conjured. Fitting for the guy who wears kabuki eye make-up right? ...And for the next bearer, who interrupted a kabuki performance to pick it up in a theater... I see you and your foreshadowing, Hokazono-sensei.

Fine. I'll admit it. The ending of the chapter makes it crystal clear that Hiruhiko is the new bearer contracted to Kumeyuri by having his origami butterflies come undone as he grasps the hilt in his teeth. Can't even hope it's another case of someone "borrowing" power like Kyora did with the Shinuchi of the bunch.

Magatsumi's the only blade that can be used by someone not contracted to it, hence the extra protections it needed.

So that means... yeah. Uruha's gone. Just like that.

There will be thousands of theories about what exactly happened to Uruha, why Samura made a deal with John, what the details of that deal were- we'll get the truth soon. I'm most interested in the reasoning that ties into Samura's sincere beliefs of killing being an evil act.

The burden of death weighs so heavily on him that he blinded himself in penance. But he's willing to let his own apprentice die -probably even kill him himself!- because of... what? What was so horrible about fighting with the Master and Kunishige's weapons for the good of the nation? What compelled him to help the Hishaku kill the remaining bearers and upend the peace they earned?!

Hey, Samura. Is it really so bad to be called a war hero while being treated like a prisoner in a comfortable government-provided jail facility? Is it so horrible that "alternative facts" pass for real history to bury whatever horrors you witnessed and possibly perpetrated? Is it truly awful to have people willing to die for you despite all the grave sins you've committed? That they're likely completely unaware of thanks to government propaganda and being too young to have witnessed the truth?

...I need those Seitei War flashbacks pronto.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Wait a minute. Jail? Even the friggin' onsen?

Yup! The Master's the only one being treated like a dangerous criminal outright, but the 慚箱 [sanso] are just dressed up prisons for the Bearers. The Kamunabi ain't even subtle about it.

慚 [san] - to feel shame 箱 [sou] - box

The government put these guys in specially-constructed (or repurposed) buildings officially referred to as "shame boxes" and told them they couldn't leave. Even the name given to one of them is a bit much! 国獄温泉 [Kokugoku Onsen] translates to:

国 [koku]- country/state/national government 獄 [goku]- jail/prison 温泉 [onsen] - hot spring

Gee, I wonder if Uruha was having a good time at State Prison Hot Springs?

That said, while there may well be some bitterness between the Bearers and the Kamunabi, it's not the main motivating factor for Samura. His is definitely rooted in how they all acted during the war and how guilty he feels now that they're promoted as heroes.

*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

It looks like Chihiro's being summoned by Hakuri in the very last panel so we might get some perspective on Samura's reasoning next week. Probably no clear answers right away, but at least enough to see if he really was the one who killed Uruha and a bit of insight into why. And to see if Uruha's dead at all... I mean, if we don't see a body... let me be delusional, okay?!

I'm just not able to go all-in on believing Uruha's dead. But it's not because I don't think he actually is... it just doesn't feel real after spending weeks preparing to let go of Samura. Not to mention the tried-and-true tactic of baiting out strong emotions with implied character deaths.

Normally I don't take death foreshadowing like this too seriously in shounen series. I just wait to see if the author is faking me out or not before getting stressed (unless it's Hakuri, in which case I stress responsibly). But Kagurabachi is a series that lured the MC with a child's severed leg and showed two suicide attempts on-screen, one of which was horrifically successful- right in front of someone who was already traumatized too. Hell we lost most of the anti-Kuregumo squad without much fanfare back in the Sojo arc! Only actually showing a child being tortured on-screen is too much, apparently. This series is dark as hell when the author wants it to be and Uruha's death is probably another one of those times.

There's hope in me that Uruha can still come out of this alive just because I like him so much, but I want the author to follow through on his death when it's presented as such an ominously real scenario. All signs point to Uruha being a goner, so don't make it look iron-clad then say "nah" the next chapter with some technicality that we couldn't have known about until the reveal. I would rather lose Uruha in an unexpectedly painful way than be faked out just to get the reaction out of me, y'know? Don't toy with me. Commit to crushing my heart, dammit.

But, God... oh man. I fell for the bait and got stupidly attached to a Bearer in the arc named after killing them. I even knew bad times were coming because of all the levity at the start of the arc but still went on hoping nothing would happen so soon. Laugh at me, I deserve it. I probably helped this manifest by mentioning how awful it would be if Chihiro found out a Bearer died because Hiruhiko was able to contract with one of the blades. Saying "I crave the angst that will come from this situation with every fiber of my being" in a post tag was overkill. It's just:

Author: names the arc after assassinating the bearers

Reader: gets attached anyway

Author: assassinates a bearer

Reader: ╚(•⌂•)╝

Coping Theory

May as well put my two cents in on how it could have gone down while I'm here...

I wonder if he planned to die in the raid instead so it looked like an unavoidable accident, sparing everyone else from the carnage.

This exact sequence- the Makizumi talking about honor in death for saving Samura, and Uruha's words that the Bearer's lives need to be valued above others'- is what solidifies Samura's resolve. This man is filled to the brim with guilt and self-loathing (much like another swordsman we know). He cannot save himself, but... perhaps he can take some equally bad sinners down with him for the greater good. He's not only a mirror for Hakuri, but Chihiro as well- one's resolve to save no matter the cost to one's self, and one's resolve to go to hell for what they believe is right. That's how I'm reading this until we get his own insight on the matter, at least.

It's not a stretch to infer that Samura thinks the Bearers are better off dead in large part due to the powers they command and things that were done during the war. That's still a huge mystery to be unraveled but I mean:

Seeing the bare minimum of Magatsumi in action really drives home how horrific these "heroes" could seem out on the battle field doesn't it? No wonder the clone sorcerer described the Seitei war as "hell on earth". But the public has no knowledge of this. They only got the sanitized version fit for PR purposes and feel-good stories.

The Hishaku seem to be intent on dismantling this image. Perhaps that's how they got Samura on their side? Not sure how the current Bearers dying and giving the Hishaku access to that dreadful power is better than the status quo, but that's something that will become clear with more reveals about the ideology driving the group. Maybe Samura doesn't care so much about the rest of the world and just wants to do what's best for the truth that's been buried under nearly two decade's worth of secrecy.

As to what happened with Uruha... two things come to mind. One I think is more likely, and one I want to cling to until it's ripped away as I sob and beg for just one little bit of comfort.

Most likely, I think Samura and Uruha had an exchange about ideals and the value of their lives. Samura overpowered Uruha per the plan as the "trump card" and that was that.

In delulu land, I want Samura to have been double-crossed. As in he made a deal on the condition that the lives of the people he cared about would be spared, but of course Uruha couldn't be allowed to live. So the Hishaku ensured that he'd die there no matter what. It's a bunk theory since Mr. Hatshaku left once the situation turned against him... maybe incorporate some of the datenseki mind control stuff in there somehow? I don't know. Just let me have this until canon proves otherwise.

Hakuri and Chihiro, Though?! And Miscellaneous Questions

(Ch. 46) I'm not going to be okay for a while and neither are they.

Best boys are really gonna go through it no matter what Chihiro is summoned back to. They'll be in a rough way... not only did they lose Uruha and hand Kumeyuri to Hiruhiko, but Samura betrayed them all... oof. So much for proving themselves to the Kamunabi. They're going to get an earful and be set back in the "negotiations" big time.

No doubt Chihiro will put this burden on his shoulders too, even if no one could have predicted Samura's defection to the enemy. It's his dad's legacy that's causing all this strife right now. He'll be more motivated than ever to unravel the war's true history and I'll be right there with him hoping he doesn't push himself too hard or harshly. The son shouldn't be responsible for the sins his father committed before he was even born. But that's just like, my opinion, man.

Meanwhile...

"I'm still good for it," wheezes the guy with blood gushing out of his nose at an alarming rate.

Hakuri will probably blame himself too. Depending on how things shake out, it could be for anything from accidentally arming a traitor to seeing someone die in front of him again. There's a good chance he'll (temporarily) lose the thing that makes him useful too, so that'll be an extra layer of angst for him to deal with. What value does a broken tool that couldn't fulfill it's one purpose have?

I also wonder what prompted Hakuri to summon Chihiro away from Hiruhiko. He's kind of in rough shape to do it just 'cause he misses his (boy)friend. They have cell phones to communicate with so it seems a bit abrupt to summon him back without checking first. Hakuri's also not the type to impose on someone to protect him. Nor is he the type to drop Chihiro into the middle of a life-or-death situation without a sense of mutual understanding first. So there had to be some kind of pressing need. The timeline of events means he's summoning Chihiro right after Uruha was killed, so... more soulmate stuff maybe? Their souls call out to each other and resonate when they're in distress, after all (it's canon baybeeeeee). They're in perfect harmony and all that. Sorry for the shipping nonsense I just need any bit of fluff I can get right now.

So many questions that might not get answered...

What about the Makizumi? Will they defect to serve Samura? Or will they try to help get Hakuri to safety with the Kamunabi? Samura doesn't want to kill them at all so no matter what happens they'll live at least. Hooray an elite squad that didn't bite the dust... (I think they will choose Samura because of everything he did for them).

How did Hiruhiko know when Kumeyuri was usable anyway?! Was it some signal from his mystery supporter that was lurking outside the window? And who was that- did Worst Jeanist show up?

Samura's loath to kill innocents, but does Hakuri count as one? Would losing his sorcery be enough to count him as neutralized for the Hishaku's purposes? Was exhausting Hakuri the main reason why Hiruhiko sent all the forces to the temple in the first place?

Hiruhiko wasn't surprised to see Tobimune disappear, so the Hishaku probably know about Hakuri's power. Their mole within the Kamunabi should get a bonus for the turnaround time on learning that bit of info and sending it on. Unless John's playing 5D chess and knew about Hakuri's awakening and team-up with Chihiro before they even met the Kamunabi anyway... perhaps even orchestrated it too... that would definitely need a very good explanation.

Alright. Okay. Let's wait on tenterhooks together, dear void. No waterworks until they show the body, got it?

[sob]

[weebsinstash]

Suddenly having Vietnam flashbacks to the last election where I literally started writing all those "Reader gets sucked into Eos and travels with the Chocobros" posts as copium partially because i was worried Trump would be re-elected in 2020 and now it's just like... "welp, maybe I'll write some tense horror-escape fics about Reader finding out Vox and or Alastor genuinely DO have Awful Traditional Values that they start forcing on you and you run away and find someone who treats you nicely"

[bleachbunnygi]

Okay Capitano wanters, here's some Copium for y'all

(Inazuma and Natlan spoilers, just in case)

Remember this?

For anyone who's never seen it, that's every single Harbingers symbol + the Tsaritsa.

Going clockwise, that would be the Tsaritsa at the top, then Capitano, Columbina, Arlecchino, Scaramouche, Signora and Childe with the others still being speculations but I'll put a pic with the most likely theories at the end of this.

I remember first finding this back in like, 1.5-1.6 so it's pretty old but what became interesting is the order in which the harbingers are listed. The most intuitive order would be by their ranks but it's pretty obvious that's not the case. So what order is it?

Well, Childe was the first harbinger we got introduced to, all the way back when he became playable in 1.1

Then there's Signora who died in 2.1

We got playable Scaramouche/Wanderer in 3.3

And of course playable Arlecchino in 4.6

Starting from Childe's symbol at the bottom and going up counter clockwise, the symbols actually make out the order in which every harbingers "fate" (playable or not) was decided.

And if we continue that, then technically we should we be getting Columbina's fate next, not Capitano's.

Genshin has a script and there are rarely ever any actual coincidences (or I'm just too stupid to notice them) so why would the order suddenly change? Anyhow, I don't think this is the end of the line for our glorious king, partially because the Tsaritsa's release not being too far away anymore actually makes a lot of sense considering Snezhnaya is our next stop along with Pierro a while after that could align with Khaenri'ah being released (and Sandrone being the last harbinger could be an end-game connection to Guizhong and Zhongli but that's too much for now) so I don't really see any reason for this to not be the actual order.

Of course there's also the possibility that I am reading way too much into this and Hoyo just changed their mind but my delulu ass is going to skillfully ignore that

Feel free to correct me in the comments in case I'm talking bs and for now, we'll just have to wait, see and hope

Rest in peace Captain

(none of the pics belong to me)

[ya-kiri]

I was so miffed when I heard today that the Code Z Switch release in the West was canceled, but then I had some time calm down and think. Something just doesn't add about the canceled West release of Death End Re;Quest Code Z and the Neptunia Re;birth Trilogy on the Switch. I can humor the idea that Code Z was rejected because it's over the top gore (I'm humoring, not accepting it, especially since the Spirit Hunter: Death Mark games are on the Switch), but that doesn't explain Rebirth. Also, the reason given "content not complying with Nintendo guidelines" doesn't make sense if the reason why is fanservice considering IF has released more risque games on the eShop. Also, Lollipop Chainsaw RePop was released very recently on the Switch as of writing this, with no issue of censorship or guidelines even being mentioned. Also, they've released other Neptunia games on the Switch with no pushback. It can't be because of one comment I read about the console war storyline possibly being the reason. The spinoff games' writing and tone are no different from the Rebirth trilogy yet they were released on the Switch.

It feels like there's something Idea Factory is not saying. Like there is some miscommunication or misinformation involving them and Nintendo of America. If censorship was the issue (as a lot of loud people are quick to yell about) then why completely cancel the release instead of editing these games? Rebirth and Code Z are still coming out on the PS4/5 in English. It just raises too many questions. Again, they recently released Lollipop Chainsaw. Also, Neptunia Riders vs Dogoos is still coming out on the Switch in January, not canceled at all. One flimsy reason I can come up with is that the reason IF gave is either hyperbolic or not completely accurate. What if the real reason is that they don't want to admit they can't optimize these games good enough (as IF Switch ports tend to run poorly) and they decided to scrap the ports and are instead going to release them on Nintendo's next console? Yeah this sound Switch 2 conspiracy copium nonsense like those clickbait posts, but hear me out. They said they can't release on the Switch's eShop (and physically) but who's to say that means they can't release them on the Switch 2 later down the line? Obviously they can't share an eShop due to the possible difference in power between the two systems; there will be release exclusively for the new Switch. So yeah; there is a possibility that these games could still get release and better optimized on Nintendo's next system. As to why they would say it's due to Nintendo's guidelines, who knows? NDA or to save face? Also "content" doesn't necessarily have to refer the aesthetics and story, it can also refer to the game itself i.e. the performance. Also this could be another screw up by Idea Factory International. They don't have the best track record especially with how they cheap out with partial dubbing and that one incident where they messed up the ESRB rating on Sister Vs Sisters, forcing them to re-record lines and censor profanity in order to not get in trouble for false advertisement. Those are my thoughts. The big point of contention I can see to this theory however is that these games were released on the Switch in Japan. Take my unorganized thoughts with a grain of salt.

[piduai]

I’m not sure if you’ve seen it but an English interview with Ryoko Kui came out the other day, some of the questions were kind of cringe. One question was them asking if Laios was intended to be written as autistic (a large chunk of the western fandom treats this as canon and takes it really really seriously btw) and she basically said it wasn’t, that she intended on writing him as some every day guy and somewhat based him on herself.

As a result, a weird chunk of the fandom responded to the information of her partially basing Laios on herself by like… somewhat armchair diagnosing Kui as undiagnosed autistic, as copium as to why their headcanon could still be canon if I had to guess?? Very strange.

LMFAOOOOO this is what you get for fandomizing a DISABILITY and treating it akin to horoscopes and stuff like mbti instead of what it is. to most people outside of the terminally online anglosphere, autism is a very scary, clinical word, because in the real world most people who have it are actually displaying behaviors incompatible with an ordinary independent lifestyle lol it's more than hyperfixating on my hero academia yaoi and only eating mac n cheese

armchairing kui is so fucking rude and demented though. i've seen a couple of people armchair noda as autistic as well it's so weird... people can have strong, all-consuming interests and hobbies and passions and be dedicated to their work and art and craft without any diagnosis believe it or not. going as far as armchair diagnosing a real person you know nothing about just because they challenged your worldview a tiny bit is peak fandombrained behavior, it's so vile and intrusive

[ostebee]

Bunch of my thoughts on Lace because I need copium.

As you could notice I like long-reads. Let's talk about Lace's role in Pharloomian ordeal and why's she so important. This all mostly is a speculation so thought of it as a headcanons.

Hollow Knight: the colour theory.

I want to start from a far topic. Colours. All the bugs in Hollow Knight could be separated by colours of clothing (or whatever it this things):

Black — usual folk (Elderbug, it could be applied to the Knight as well)

Blue — servants (sentries in City of Tears, Dreamers themselves, Mantis Lords)

Red — high society (King's station dudes, Hornet)

Gray — outcasts (Grey Mourner, Grey Prince Zote)

White — royalty/divine godlike creatures (The Pale King, White Lady, Pure Vessel. The Radiance could also count as well).

I don't know was it intended but definitely it makes sense. Just for the record THK's colours changes with the time twice — from black to white to black again as they gained and lost their divinity. Lace's primal colour is... white. If system of such works in Pharloom even partially — this could mean that Lace holds some power.

2. Skills.

We know that Lace can to manipulate with the Seals. She breaks one while releasing Hornet from her cage and she's conducting to those white things. I think they could be manifestation or projection of her spells because it could be really bad if such creature could to destroy Seal of Binding in one click. Whatever those things are — they have physical form (and I could speculate that Lace manifests them just like the Radiance does with her weaponry).

3. Conclusions?

Lace could technically be a Higher Being either related to them or just part of local royalty because of her colour scheme and skills. I haven't much to add actually. It's a bit weird assumptions but it's still non canon speculations

[surveillance-0011]

Every HOL 2 + Comic prediction I have

Possible spoilers ahead. Some of these I'm very much convinced about, others are more general statements or spitballing/guesstimates.

In general:

We find out where the hell Lizzie and Kenny are

We see what remains of the G3+ more of how they've impacted space

Funny mission control in the form of Clug's kids + Gene. He was literally gonna blow us up to keep the house.

Maybe seeing Krimothy or Gene's nephew

More stuff abt Gene + whatever he's got going on, too

More Torgs maybe?

Bounty Hunter will probably remain a very self insert-y character and therefore be more of a blank slate while the Gatlians get center stage but we might get more on them... maybe something abt their parents

And. Lezduit. Did you fuck my mom Lezduit?

The Comic

Takes place pre-High on Knife

Follows (at least partially) the bounties that have been done pre DLC (the ones on the screen)

Gurgula plays more of a role or shows up as some sorta easter egg in the bg

Actually shows what's up with Creature

"Redemption" We are totally getting stuff about Kenny

and maybe similar themes with Harper? if the Task Force led to her doing some fucked up shit

And ofc who knows maybe. applies to creature lore. If not that then maybe the "lost love" in the blurb is referring to this... hm...

Though it's not following the G3 I'm going to assume we'll be seeing Merkaloids and other G3 grunts doing other odd jobs and the remnants of the Cartel + power struggles before it crumbles for good

Uh. Maybe bonus G3 chapter at the end? Or at least mentioning them + filling more in for sake of worldbuilding. maybe this is copium but i want moar... moar G3. please. waughh

HOL 2

Lez might come back late game once the parents get back from their road trip. Maybe he'd be used for a challenge mode/bonus gauntlet instead of the final boss.

If we don't see what's going on with Lizzie in the comics we'll certainly know by 2.

Maybe Gurgula got a hold of her or Gene or the BH's parents as a way to play on Garmantuous trying to hurt who the BH "loves most" but it's not a celebrity cameo this time

Either Kenny-Harper dual wielding or Kenny gets an upgrade that's not quite Lezduit level but makes him a more advanced gun.

Alternatively maybe the perspectives switch between BH and Lizzie? BH keeps their guns and there's chapters or otherwise ways to switch perspective to continue to the story with Lizzie, Kenny, and her own group of Gatliens. This would eventually lead to the two reuniting and being able to choose who to play as and what combo of Gatliens you like to complete the game. This is pretty ambitious and most likely too clunky but something like this could be on the table.

And if you don't get to play as them I do like the idea of Lizzie turning up ok with Kenny in tow

May or may not be accompanied by a joke w/ Kenny saying he's got a frog in his throat or some other meta commentary. Then again given the circumstances to why the change would be made this might be in poor taste. We will see.

I mean really after what she did to Tweeg if you follow that path then I'm sure she's gonna end up getting in on the bloodshed. Really thinking she'll fight along side you or maybe against you at some point if she gets brainwashed or something (maybe unlikely but as a splatoon fan I'm Used To This Happening by now)

And by now Gene's legs r probably gonna grow back or be just about enough to walk with?

Knifey keeps the chainsaw obviously. maybe another modification or two to switch out?

Flamethrower + Sniper Rifle Gatliens, sticky + smoke bomb trick hole or mechanism

Being able to meet + save more Gatlien survivors even if they aren't playable

Maybe a shooting range/training room to hone techniques

More standalone bounties while the Bounty Hunter tries to track down Gurgula on their own terms

Gurgula is from Australia III or IV or. yeah just another Australia. Maybe the original first Australia planet... hm...

More Australia in general

More Gurgula also :3c this is a given but I am very much excited 2 see him. I think unlike Garmantuous he's probably not going to try to check in on us or anything and it's more cat-and-mouse-y.

The game will probably be a bit more grim, esp when the focus is on Gurgula. Not too gritty, but certainly more in line with the secret ending and HOK's more morbid/scary moments.

that being said I need to see him lose his mind as he gradually gets totally tired of everyone else's bullshit and comes to the conclusion that he's in a game chock full of nerdy stoner comedy.

There will probably be a joke about/reference to CWC it'd be funny if Gurgula was actually super wowed by all of that. Not disgusted like actually just. wow. the depths of the human mind.

I've said it before but I am certainly thinking they may kill off Gene or Lizzie. Knowing how calculated and cutthroat Gurgs is I'm pretty sure he'll be targeting them eventually and even if he doesn't with some of the themes of redemption we've been seeing here I'm thinking we're gonna see some people we like go.

In general i hope the game does not shy away from more emotional moments and allows shit 2 get real grim. After being thrown for a total loop in the secret ending and the pretty well done bits of horror around the reveal of Mux in HOK i do hope we get some real gut wrenching bits where we see the real depths of depravity with Gurgula :3c and just knowing that. shit is fucked.

[yuujispinkhair]

Hey I have been seeing your posts and content on my feed lately and I want to say you have amazing content with Yuji and Sukuna❤️🙌😎

Yuji has honestly grown on me as my favorite protagonist since season 1 episode 5 and he is best boy and the greenest flag character with friendships and relationships. Honestly who wouldn't want to be friends with him and be his s/o? He is chill, pure and loving, plus a total pervert (in a good way lol) and feral👀😎 the duality of this guy.

I adore your Yuji content especially with the fluffy ones since this boy is the sunshine child that shall be protected at all costs, plus your content is partially my copium after reading the manga💀💀 and especially today's episode of jjk😭😭😭 But overall I enjoy your content🔥🔥🔥

Awww thank you so much for this sweet message 💗💗 It means so much to me that you find comfort in my stories!! I started writing because I wanted something where I could escape real life + to make the bad things that happen in canon better to deal with. I want my blog to be a safe space and a place of comfort. So it makes me super happy that my fics can give you a feeling of comfort, too 💗💗

Aahahaha and yesss I see Yuuji like that too ;) A sweet and kind and genuine guy, who loves you as you are and respects you and treats you like a goddess, but also such a naughty and horny boy who can't stop thinking about you naked and with your ass up and face down and who will send you the most shameless videos of him nutting while moaning your name ;) 💗💗 The perfect combination really. It drives me insane 💗💗

I am sending you lots of love!! And I am happy that you found my blog and enjoy it here 💗💗

[riewritten]

something disturbingly funny happened at work today that partially cured my old men syndrome 😭 and i think ab its crackfic potential too 😭

so you see, i have a huge generational gap with my workmates (like the youngest in the office & still studying while most of them alr have children—that type of gap).

when the mtg momentarily had a break, my senior (man in his 40s) pointed at my coffee bottle and said, "that seems well-liked by kids now. my daughter gobbles it up every single day." then he joked that the drink must be some type of drug.

in turn, i asked him how old his daughter is; turns out we're the same age! so he was like, "really? you can call me daddy then"

and i think he had a 10-second loading process bc he only realized it when someone said, "that's disgusting" AND GJDJFHSHDE the meeting room just burst down in laughter 😭

AND GIDJDJSHS I FELT BAD FOR HIM BC ALL OF US CANT STOP LAUGHING AND WHILE HE APOLOGIZED MULTIPLE TIMES, HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS INDEED AWKWARD TO HAVE A COLLEAGUE THAT'S OF THE SAME AGE AS HIS DAUGHTER (seems like a first time experience for him too 😭)

and u know what i had a quick flashback of the age gap fics/fantasies i consumed as copium for my daddy issues AND enlightenment washed over me: i would actually rather die than have a partner that could also be referred as my daddy 😭

the takeaway is that: i will be needing 10 business days to recover from that before i start on my age gap fics again

[ranboo5]

Frankly the most tragic part of cbee was that the love (again, not always romantic) was real. Like if those two characters were not in that specific-ass situation they probably could’ve worked it out with a little couple’s counseling or some shit. Instead you got two people trying to be each other’s shelters but the shelter is like. Sleeping on an uncomfortable bench in the rain as opposed to in the mud. They were probably better off together than they were alone, but that doesn’t mean they were good together

I actually don't know if I think theyw ere better off together than alone but . Okay I was struggling to word this because it comes off as really unbalanced but like the thing is it IS unbalanced this is one of the most fucked up things abt cbee

Ranboo got out of that relationship two main things: a very expensive sense of security, which I don't want to call a benefit bc the threat mitigated in cbeeduo as threat mitigation is . Tubbo, and theoretically a proof of concept that they were a good person. Ranboo staked their morality in that, and while it wasn't nothing as an anchor, it was also . Extremely flimsy and extremely entangled, and I'm not convinced that, in absence of that anchor, Ranboo wouldn't have found a different one that was at least laterally bad. Like, to rephrase, the security he got from cbee was either something that a) was something that he could get elsewhere (the commune 2 some degree, and possibly other dynamics if he wasn't spending this much time and mental energy maintaining this one) or b) security from (both real and perceived) threats that either cTbbo or the relationship itself were the reason for

But you are not . Off base for saying this because

Tubbo kind of did not . Have those options . During and post NLM Tbbo had drifted from most of the people he was properly close with -- even people who didn't have direct conflict with him at that point (Q, Fundy, Jack) had their own things going on. Idr what his relationships w/ Foolish &c were like but they certainly weren't close either. And ofc Tmmy [FNAF ambience]

Like that's the thing, right, that's what I kind of lose in most of the metals I've posted as I remember . In giving Tbbo due credit, in making sure I'm leaving a certain critical framing of Ranboo intact, in making sure I'm addressing the paranoia and condescension and projection complexes and ableism that play into how it feels abt Tubbo as an object of pity,,

Tubbo during and after L'Manberg is actually deeply alone and generally isolated. He is in the poor graces of a lot of people, and the people he's in the good graces of repeatedly deprioritize him and fail to respect him or see him as a person – all except Ranboo, who sympathizes (and extremely personally, as someone who is itself insecure about being no one's priority and about being brushed aside as a doormat to the point of literally saying as much). Ranboo is condescending and afraid and is hanging onto this as copium to convince themself that they have some kind of control over a dangerous situation, and it's absolutely a viewpoint that rides in on a wave of arrogance and all sorts of distorted thinking, but it's also, in typical Ranboo fashion, tragically, agonizingly, damningly right .

What was my point . Okay basically like . In response to this while I think I can kinda reasonably confidently say that Ranboo probably wouldn't have been worse off without beeduo to worry about, I really can't say that for Tubbo, which makes it . A lot more agonizing, imo, and much more fucking excruciating that Ranboo's respect is only partially legitimate. Like think about the scene where Ranboo yells at Tubbo in Ho16 with this in mind .

But I also can't say either of those necessarily for sure bc this . Exact general outlook of the relative necessity of the relationship is in itself what made it inevitable .