#this is what post show blues will do to you

[lamiadrowned]

what if Jinx had an affectionate girlfriend? I want to assume Jinx is touch starved so having a girlfriend that loves cuddles and holding hands is a dream come true

*:･ﾟ✧ jinx with an affectionate girlfriend

jinx x fem!reader | sfw

i love her so much :(

it would take her a bit of time to get used to this dynamic.

her entire life, she’s never put much thought into relationships, nonetheless ever believed she’d end up in one, and she’s so happy she did!

especially with someone who seems to love her so deeply, despite how chaotic and difficult she can be at times.

the first few times you guys go out together, you’re always touching her, and she picks up on that quickly. you’re either holding her hand, fidgeting with her fingers, placing your arm around her waist, or playing with the loose strands of navy blue hair that frame her face.

she has no complaints. it makes her feel… warm. safe. appreciated.

but she doesn’t really think of reciprocating this until a small altercation between the two of you.

one day, you’re sitting on the edge of her workbench, listening intently as she shows you the scribbled blueprint of a new invention she’s working on. you can’t remember the name and you have no idea what any of it means, but you’re nodding like you understand so that she’ll keep talking.

“alright, what’s the problem? is it something i said?” she asks you suddenly.

you tilt your head. “what?”

“don’t play dumb! you haven’t touched me at all today!” she grumbles. “you’re always touching me. i mean, did i do something wrong? or–”

“jinx.” you cut her off firmly. “stop that. you didn’t do anything wrong.”

she looks stumped. so, you continue. “i don’t know. it’s just… you never do it to *me,* you know? it’s always me, touching you. i thought, maybe, you didn’t really like it. something tells me that’s not the case.”

your explanation is met with silence, and she stares at you like she’s seen a ghost.

she can’t believe you feel that way. this whole relationship thing is new to her! she had no idea her own self doubt could end up hurting you the way it did.

her first instinct is to apologize. to reassure you that, going forward, she’d be sure to give you as much as you give her, because she really does love the affection.

in no time, she’s just as cuddly as you!

each night that the two of you spend together is spent wrapped up in each other. legs crossed over legs, arms tangled with arms, faces pressed to chests with a constantly growing need to be closer to each other.

i saw somebody else post something about this, but she’d definitely be the type to say something like ‘i wish i could crawl inside you’. she truly can’t get close enough once she learns how good it feels.

and one of many good effects of this is that when she’s having a particularly bad day, you can calm her down in an instant.

if it happens to be one of many days where she’s hearing voices, seeing things that you can’t see, berating people who aren’t really there, all you need to do is put a hand on her shoulder to make her aware of your presence. it’s grounding enough that you can pull her into a tight hug and stroke her hair as she cries into your shoulder.

if it’s one of those days that she’s just angry, where she feels like everything is horrible and everyone else is rotten, you can change her mind in less than an hour by simply leading her to bed and convincing her to lay down for a bit while you undo her braids and scratch at her scalp.

when you play with her hair, it makes her melt, so you’re careful to preserve that effect– you only do it when you feel like she could really use it.

and as for you, if she finds out you’re having a bad day, jinx has learned from the best and she puts her knowledge to good use.

if you’re alone, she’ll pull you into her lap and caress your back, guiding you to rest your head in the crook of her neck because she knows how much you love to be there. if you want to talk about it, she’ll listen. if you don’t, she’ll pick a random topic to ramble about in hopes to take your mind off of things.

if you’re in public, she’ll grab your hand and squeeze it, stroking your palm with her thumb.

unless it’s somebody in particular that’s bothering you. she has no second thoughts about leaving you for a few minutes to go teach them a lesson. either way, the problem gets solved.

given how long she’s gone without any sort of physical affection, it’ll all be very new to her for a while, but jinx is a quick leaner.

sooner than later, your relationship starts to feel more like a constant competition over who’s more touchy and who can get the last kiss.

it’s so mushy! she hates it.

(she loves it).

[queenmelancholy]

Thanks for all the comments!! @professorcalculusstanaccount @nuttypizzabluebird373 You guys really got me interested as a Hongkonger, so I think I’d just throw in my two cents’ worth XD

Regarding where the Wang family lived and how it impacted Chang’s character, I’ve read on Tintin wiki that Mr Wang was involved in fighting the Japanese in the Mukden incident, but the bombing that triggered it happened near Shanghai in the comic (while in reality it was in Shenyang), which just showed Hergé’s intention to depict Chang as someone based around the area of Shanghai - maybe not that far north, just to stick to his real life friend’s background, and to increase the chance of Chang interacting with foreign people later on in the story (not to say that he wouldn’t have been an open-minded person if he had grown up in the north, but to make a starker contrast with his biological family).

So, apart from speculating that Chang’s biological family was in Jiangsu, when it comes to the parallel timelines, I am thinking maybe in The Blue Lotus (1930s) the Wang family was indeed in Shanghai, and only in Tintin in Tibet (1950s) had they relocated to HK considering how the political landscape had changed over the two decades.

The ‘open-port’ (開埠) of HK and Shanghai happened in 1841 and 1843 respectively because of colonisations after the first opium war. Business activities thrived in both cities, but before the communist regime (since 1949) it was Shanghai that was more prosperous (and where the Chinese had more actual power, whilst HK’s capital was basically controlled by the British in the early days), so it was reasonable that the affluent Wangs lived in Shanghai.

1930s Shanghai

As discussed, in 1950s the ‘class struggle’ under the new communist government led to land reform activities including dou dizhu (fighting against the landlords) which was quite violent and millions of people died (estimated). This was something that Hergé wouldn’t have foreseen. And Shanghai was no longer colonised since 1943 so it was also affected by the political turbulence, which left HK (British colony until 1997) and Macau (Portuguese colony until 1999) the only cities not under communist rule (also Taiwan was under KMT’s rule but it’s more complicated). Many people, rich or not, chose to settle in HK (because apparently the British was doing a slightly better job at ruling lol) and perhaps it was what the fictional Wang family did as well. They probably couldn’t have maintained their living standards at the start but it would soon become better if they knew how to invest their money because opportunities were everywhere. Furthermore, some people just used HK as a springboard to go to the west, like Chang’s adoptive uncle who went to London to open an antique shop. And perhaps, Chang himself in the end, too.

1950s Hong Kong

So there you have it! I’d say that the characterisation of Chang was quite consistent if you consider whichever city he’s lived in was the most culturally diverse place in China at that particular time.

Again, I was only here because my mutual @acewithobsessions very kindly entrusted me to help with the Chinese names. But this post has got so wild that I must take it more seriously. I’m not a history expert nor someone familiar with Tintin, so I apologise if there’s any mistake. And thank you all for reading my nonsense.

More on HK’s colonial history around 1940s-1950s: Grantham, A., & Lord Wilson of Tillyorn. (2012). Via Ports: From Hong Kong to Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. Written by Sir Alexander Grantham, governor of HK (1947-1957), first published in 1965.

I'm boggled. This isn't the same thing as in the letter, is it?

Thank you so much for the ask!! Good job on spotting the difference!

Posting the letter again for reference:

So you're right, on the rock it reads 張仲仁 (Cheung Chong Yan in standard cantonese romanisation), while on the envelope the name is 張仲文 (Cheung Chong Man). Hergé’s real life Chinese friend is 張充仁 (Cheung Chong Yan), so the romanisation would be the same as the name in your ask. 

HOWEVER, those are just romanisations (which are less accurate but easier for foreigners to pronounce). Their actual pronunciations in cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong) / mandarin (spoken in mainland China including Shanghai) are different:

張充仁 = Tcheung Chong Yun* / Zhang Chongren

張仲文 = Tcheung Tchong Mun / Zhang Zhongwen

張仲仁 = Tcheung Tchong Yun / Zhang Zhongren 

* 'Tch-' is similar to J sound; '-ong' is OW-ng; '-un' as in under

As you can see, there’s a bit of a mix and match. But I think it makes sense to change the first word in his given name into 仲 given that the story says Chang is from HK, because we seldom use 充 in our names (perhaps more common in mainland China, not 100% sure). 

Another fun fact for you on the meanings of those given names~ 

充 = full of

仲 = still be (only in cantonese)

仁 = love for all beings/ benevolence

文 = cultured/ gentle

Both 仁 and 文 are commonly used here across different generations and genders. So I think both translations are pretty nice!!

Also, I just spotted that the stamps in the top right corner are of Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI:

Not so good at maintaining consistency but good attention to detail, I must say :)

[skzdust]

Ateez Snapshots: Calling them Daddy

All suggestive. Minors DNI.

Anon request here! Daddy is usually not my fav but these were actually a lot of fun. My fav is Wooyoung's :) Enjoy!

Summary: Reader, who is friends with each member, calls them "daddy" out of the blue... they respond in a variety of ways.

Pairing: Ateez x reader

Includes: coffee dates, amusement park dates, study dates, video games, bar dates, dinner with a friend, writing a song, and touching yourself during a movie

Word count: 1.8k

Taglist (Comment on a post/send an ask if you'd like to be added): @weirdowithaphone, @caught-in-the-afterglow, @palindrome969, @skzstan12345, @katsukis1wife,

@hyunjinsjeans, @somethingkindazainy, @silverstarburst

Network:@mirohs-aurora-society

Reblogs, likes, comments all appreciated!!!

Masterlist

-----

Hongjoong:

You and Hongjoong are having coffee, and your mind starts to wander.

Hongjoong is sipping his usual iced butterscotch latte with almond milk, caramel cold foam, and cinnamon sprinkled on top, and you have your usual order. You’re staring into your drink.

Hongjoong is your best friend, but you can’t stop thinking of him naked, pushing into you with a groan.

“Hongjoong… Daddy…” You’d whisper at the feeling, at him bottoming out inside you.

“Huh?” You look up, and Hongjoong’s flushed red.

“What?” You’re confused.

“Did you just… um… call me….”

Your eyes go wide as you realize. “Did I say that aloud?”

“Um… yes, you did.” Hongjoong is looking at you, waiting for you to respond. He’s all red, his fingers tapping against his cup, slightly biting his lip.

You want him so bad.

“Hongjoong…” You murmur. “I was just…” You sigh, unsure of what to say.

“Do you want to call me that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then… ah, do you want to…” Hongjoong looks so nervous you laugh. “Don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing cause you look adorable…” You lean in. “Daddy.”

Hongjoong groans. “Don’t say that in public. It’s gonna make me… ugh.”

“Kim Hongjoong, does ‘daddy’ turn you on?” You raise your eyebrows.

“Maybe.” He smiles.

“Then maybe we should go back to my place.”

Hongjoong’s eyes light up. “Yes, we should.”

-----

Seonghwa:

You and Seonghwa are at the amusement park, and your mind starts to wander.

You’re on the biggest roller coaster in the park, climbing up the first hill. Seonghwa’s hand is warm around yours, holding it tightly. You should be nervous about the drop ahead, but you can’t stop thinking about those hands, about what they could do to you.

Seonghwa squeezes, and you smile at him. “Thanks for holding my hand, daddy.”

“Daddy?” Seonghwa looks shocked, but before you can say anything, the car is toppling over the slope of the roller coaster, and you’re screaming, squeezing his hand even tighter.

Your stomach is in knots from more than just the coaster as it slows to a stop at the end of the track, and as you pull into the unloading area, Seonghwa doesn’t let go of your hand.

“Did you call me daddy?”

“I… um, yeah…”

Seonghwa smiles, a glint of mischief in his eye. “You know, if you want to call me daddy and scream, we could do something other than another roller coaster.”

You smile. “Are you serious?”

Seonghwa’s eyes dart over you. “Yeah, I’m serious.”

-----

Yunho:

You and Yunho are studying together, and your mind starts to wander.

Both of you are in a chemistry class together, and you just can’t get the calculations quite down. As Yunho’s showing you one for the third time, you can’t stop thinking about him fucking you on that table. You’re in one of the most private study rooms in the library, so it’s unlikely anyone would find you…

“And then you carry the one… got it?”

“Got it… daddy.” You whisper the last word.

“Daddy?” Yunho repeats.

“Yeah.”

He tilts your chin up so you meet his eyes, and your stomach jumps. “Did you mean that?”

“I did.”

“Fuck.” He says softly, his eyes roaming over your face. “You’re so beautiful, I’ve always thought that, but I didn’t think you… wanted…”

“Wanted you to dominate me?” You say boldly.

“Yeah.” Yunho smiles. “But now that I know… we’re gonna have fun, aren’t we?”

-----

Yeosang:

You and Yeosang are playing video games, and your mind starts to wander.

Well, Yeosang is playing League, and you’re laying on his bed and watching him. Your best friend isn’t very good, but it’s fun to heckle him as he plays.

He finishes his game and tosses his controller on the table. “I swear, that was not reflective of my skills.”

“Sure.” You laugh. “Whatever you say.”

“Oh, come on.” He spins around in his chair to face you.

“What did you want me to say? Yes, daddy, lose that game harder!” You say, joking, but Yeosang goes deep red, quickly looking away.

“Don’t say that.” He mumbles.

“Kang Yeosang, do you have a daddy kink?” Your eyes widen, and you grin.

“No!” He protests.

“You totally do, daddy.”

He puts his face in his hands. “Shut up.” His words don’t have any bite.

“Fuck me, daddy!” You whine. “Harder.”

“Seriously, shut up.” He looks at you. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll start to think you’re serious.”

“Well, maybe I am.” You say, your stomach jumping. Would that make things weird?

He blinks. “Seriously?”

“Yes… daddy.” You smile, shy.

“Fuck.” He whispers. “I love it when you say that, y/n.”

-----

San:

You and San are at a bar, and your mind starts to wander.

He takes another drink of his beer. “You look distracted, what’s up? Weird day at work or something?”

You shake yourself out of it. “Yeah, exactly that.”

“What happened?”

I was thinking about you fucking me all day and I couldn’t focus on my project, but I did have some fun fantasies about calling you daddy, so that was good. You think. “I was just really spacey today, I don’t know. Couldn’t focus on anything.”

“Really?”

“Yes, daddy.” You say without thinking.

San laughs. “Daddy? Where’d that come from?”

Your face goes hot. “I— um—”

“Be honest, baby.” He lifts his eyebrows. “Where’d that come from?”

San calling you “baby” lights a fire in your stomach. “I’ve been thinking about it a little bit.”

“Thinking about… calling me daddy?”

“Yes.” You look down.

“Hey. Look at me.” San says gently.

You look at him. His expression is full of compassion and maybe something a bit darker. “You can call me daddy if you want. And if you want me to fuck you, just say so.”

“I want you to fuck me.” You whisper.

“Okay, then let me finish this beer and we’ll go back to my place.” San takes another long swig from the bottle, nodding at your glass. “Finish your drink, and we’ll go, baby.”

You smile. You drink your wine as quickly as you can.

-----

Mingi:

You and Mingi are having dinner, and your mind starts to wander.

It’s just hamburgers from your favorite local place. You’ve gotten takeout and you’re sitting at the dining table in Mingi’s apartment.

But it feels like more than that.

“Did anything exciting happen today?” He asks, taking a bite.

“Um… not really.” You say, smiling, images of Mingi’s hand around your throat filling your head. “Nothing too interesting.”

“Whatever you say, sunflower.” You blush at the nickname. It’s your favorite flower, and it’s his special nickname for you. “But your little grin says otherwise.”

“What do you mean?”

“What really happened today?” Mingi raises his eyebrows.

“I was just… thinking.”

“About a guy?” He pokes.

You take a breath. You’ve been in love with Mingi for so long now, you may as well go for it. “About you.”

“Me?” He looks surprised. “I don’t get it.”

“I tink about you all the time, Mingi.” It comes spilling out. “You bending me over my desk, you pinning me against the wall, kissing me… all that kind of thing… daddy.” You whisper the last word.

“Daddy?” He whispers back.

You squeeze your eyes shut. “Yeah…”

“Call me that again, sunflower.”

You open your eyes. He’s looking at you intensely, his eyes burning with a fire you’ve never seen. “Call me daddy.”

“Daddy… will you fuck me?” You whimper, putting it all on the line.

“Shit.” Mingi says softly. “I’ve been wanting you to ask for so long. Yeah, daddy’ll take care of you.”

-----

Wooyoung:

You and Wooyoung are working on a song, and your mind starts to wander.

You usually don’t write sexy music, but the melody Wooyoung has built with the guitar combined with the riff you’ve composed on your bass has an undeniable seductiveness to it. Heavy, like a heartbeat, but somewhat risky, too. Wooyoung’s got an effects pedal plugged into his guitar that’s making it even hotter.

And you’re thinking about his fingers deep inside you as you play the bass line you’ve got down practically by heart at this point.

“That sounds really good, y/n!” Wooyoung says loudly over your playing.

“Thanks, daddy!” You say back, and then stop playing as you realize what you’ve just said, staring at him for any reaction.

“Daddy?” Wooyoung laughs. “Damn, you’re really getting into the… mood of the song, aren’t you?”

“I am.” You laugh nervously, hoping he’ll dismiss it at that.

But he takes a step closer. “Didn’t know you had a thing for ‘daddy’. I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He taps the tip of your nose, winks, and turns around to pick up his guitar again.

You feel hot all over. “What do you mean keep that in mind?”

“I just mean it’s good to know what you’re into. You know, in case you want to fuck.” He slings the guitar strap over his head, facing away from you, but you can hear the smile in his voice.

“In case— what?” You sputter.

“Oh, c’mon, I’ve noticed.” He smirks. “You stare at my fingers a lot when I’m playing. You want them inside you.”

“I— I mean, maybe.” You exhale.

“I’m up for it if you are.” He starts playing the chorus to the song, looking down at his guitar, and you notice the blush on his cheeks.

You smile. Wooyoung’s just as down bad as you are.

-----

Jongho:

You and Jongho are watching a movie, and your mind starts to wander.

Jongho kissing you, pushing you down into the couch, making you his.

You sneak a glance at him. He’s watching the fight scene contentedly, sticking a piece of popcorn in his mouth. He doesn’t even notice you looking.

You carefully slip one hand under the blanket on your lap.

And then you slide it under your sweatpants.

You close your eyes for a second. It feels so good to touch yourself after how worked up you’ve made yourself thinking about him. You know it’s wrong to touch yourself thinking about your best friend, much less when said best friend is sitting next to you, but you can’t stop yourself now.

“Fuck, Jongho, daddy.” You whisper, the words bubbling up on your tongue before you can stop them.

“Did you just…” The movie pauses, and you open your eyes to see Jongho looking at you, blinking.

“Oh, I was just— um—” You search for words, but you can’t find any.

He grabs the blanket and pulls it off, revealing your hand down your pants. You snatch it out and he takes it, licking your fingers and making hard eye contact with you.

You shiver. You hadn’t been expecting that.

“Beautiful girl.” He whispers. “Were you touching yourself thinking about me?”

“Maybe.” You whisper back. “I… maybe.”

“You should’ve just asked me to do it for you.” He licks again. “I would’ve said yes.”

“Can you do it for me?” You breathe.

His eyes glint. “Sure thing, baby.”

[sheerfreesia007]

Love Stuck On You

Pairing: Changbin x Reader

Word count: 1,356

Content warnings: Fluff

Summary: At first it had started as a joke and a reminder for Changbin, but when you realize that he loves your little post-it notes you can’t help but continue it. What happens when his other members spot your cute little notes for him?

Maknae: Youngest member

The first one started as a joke between you and Changbin, he had been continuously leaving his workout water bottle in your apartment and after the fifth time of you having to rush it over to him before you headed to work you started leaving brightly colored post it notes everywhere he would look to remind him to take it with him. He had bashfully come to you after collecting all the post-it notes and you both had a good laugh over it since it had taught him to remember his water bottle finally.

The second one is just a simple reminder for him to eat during the day, it’s written on a simple blue post-it note stuck to the front of your fridge and even stuck to the front of his fridge in his own apartment. Hyunjin had been surprised to find you at their door knocking one day with a wide happy smile on your face. He had told you that Bin wasn’t at home and probably wouldn’t be home until much later. You had told him that was fine, you just needed to do something really quick for Bin. Hyunjin had watched completely confused as you walked into their kitchen and happily stuck your post-it note onto their fridge and then walked back to him giving him a quick hug before waltzing out of their apartment. His laughter was loud and followed you out into the hallway when he read your note, Make sure you eat a healthy meal love!

The third one is just a sweet reminder that you’re proud of him and wish him good luck on his newest comeback. Changbin had been spending more and more time at the dorms or studio with the guys in preparation for the comeback that was approaching. You didn’t get to see him as much as you’d like but you understood his career and how much work it was for him. So you would sneak into his apartment with the key he had given you after your last note and leave him cute little pastel colored post-it notes telling him how proud of him you were and that you wished him all the luck in the world. You had placed quite a few in multiple different spots around his apartment for him to find, one on his bathroom mirror, one on his night stand, one on his workout water bottle, and you had even left a few for Hyunjin to find for himself which had made the two men absolutely giggly messes. 

Once the comeback had happened and you watched it on livestream he had sent you a text asking to see you that night. You had told him to come spend the night at your apartment and you’d cook him a nice dinner to celebrate his success. He had gladly come over and surprised you with a beautiful bouquet of flowers to thank you for all the post-it notes you had left him and Hyunjin. He had confessed to you that your notes had kept his spirits up when he was bogged down with work and kept him going through the whole thing when he wanted to give up due to stress. He showed you proudly of his favorite post-it note stuck in his phone case with your encouraging words and you smiled sweetly at him as you wrapped your arms around his neck before kissing him softly.

It wasn’t until a week later when an idea popped into your head while you were out shopping with your girlfriend when you spotted the different shaped and brightly colored post-it notes. You picked them up and the idea of using them for Binnie struck like a box truck had hit you. After his response to your last post-it note and how happy it had been to receive just a few words of encouragement and your pride made you want him to feel like that all the time. Smiling happily to yourself you slipped the post-it notes into your shopping basket and kept walking around with your friend who questioned you about them.

“What are those for?” she asked, noting your soft smile and sparkling eyes.

“Just another way to show Binnie that I love him.” you responded and she grinned widely at you knowing that she’d be hearing all about it after you enacted your plan on the unsuspecting man.

And that’s how it started, you would pick different shaped post-it notes and place them all around your apartment for him to find, this time with words of love and affection for him. Some of them would just be simple I love you’s with little hearts dotted around the post-it notes, others would be reasons why you loved him, and even some would be a little risque but nothing too bold for him to be embarrassed by. He would send you pictures of the post-it notes he finds with his own little love confessions to show you how much they mean to him and it soon became something that you enjoyed doing for him. You knew it lifted his spirits and made him feel good and confident about himself so you would enjoy continuing this little habit of leaving him post-it notes to find.

*-*-*-*

As Changbin made his way to the gym to meet up with Minho, Jeongin and Chan he could already hear the trio talking loudly as their workout music played in the background. Smiling softly to himself he finished typing out a text to you letting you know that he’d meet you at your apartment later tonight to take you out on a date. His smile quickly turned into a wide lovesick grin when you responded with a simple I can’t wait, love you and a kissing emoji. He then walked into the gym to the sound of Chan and Minho’s loud cheers. Walking into the room he waves at his friends and doesn’t notice Jeongin’s eyes darting and then focusing on his water bottle that he holds in his hand.

“Changbin hyung, what’s that on your water bottle?” Jeongin asks in a teasing manner as his eyes widen slightly when they spot your handwriting and the sweet note that you have written on the pretty purple flower post-it note. “Is that a love confession on a post-it note? That’s so cute!” he teases loudly while watching Changbin look down at his water bottle smiling widely at the post-it note you had snuck onto his water bottle. He quickly read the note you wrote for him and he felt his heart melt in his chest. You are the strongest man I know even if you didn’t have those amazing muscles. Get those gains! Love you! He felt a blush creeping up his neck as he giggled softly at your words before turning back to his friends to find them all watching him with varying reactions. Chan was smiling widely and fondly at him while Minho looked at him with a knowing smirk and Jeongin looked at him with a look of slight disgust on his face.

“Yah! Don’t dis my woman like that Ayena!” he snapped loudly causing the younger man to flinch back slightly. “This is how she tells me she loves me when we can’t be together and it’s the best way to catch my attention,” he explained. “I find her notes all over in weird different places each day. She’s made it into a game and I love playing. Plus I know without a doubt that she loves me. It makes me feel good and I know she loves doing it.” Changbin said softly as he beamed down at the note before looking over at the guys, their faces hadn’t changed much if only deepening their expressions as they stared at him.

“Stop traumatizing the maknae Changbin.” Minho says with his knowing smirk as he turns to the elliptical machine to start working out. Changbin giggles loudly at his words before turning to Jeongin with a happy smile.

“One day you’ll understand maknae.” he teases Jeongin who gags loudly causing all the boys to laugh loudly at him.

SKZ Taglist: @intartaruginha, @kayleefriedchicken, @babigriin, @simpforleeknaur, @inlovewithstraykids

[shinning-whammy]

Red Eyes Au

I wanted to give full color this comic but is small and i have it from july so i decide posted a crossover with my other Au from Happy Tree Friends - Gold Eyes Au

i no going to continue this Au because no want to give spoilers to my other comic and still on progress

Let me explain what happens in this comic Dogday was the lieutenant of Poppy's team, however, on a mission he was reported dead and Hoppy, who was a sergeant, took his position as lieutenant, however Catnap had set up the ambush to capture Dogday

Catnap is the lieutenant of the Blue Tigers and the favorite of General Tiger 1006 (yes, they are the same) more because Catnap created the red smoke drug that helps his army to be more aggressive and efficient in combat.

But Catnap wanted Dogday on his team and once he captured him, he has been injecting him with drugs and making him believe that he was always part of the Blue Tigers group. When Dogday is affected by this drug, his eyes are red and he only obeys Catnap and 1006.

General Tiger and 1006 are the same, imagine his cat design and his hand is the metal part like the prototype so there is not much change on him

In this part of the comic, once Hoppy is in prison as a prisoner of war, Catnap visits her and makes fun of her.

Catnap: What did you think of seeing your old lieutenant alive again, but now on our side?

Hoppy: Damn you! What did you do to him?

Catnap: I'm just trying my experiments on him and boy did it work just watch how he no longer recognizes you as his old friend

Catnap calls out to Dogday who shows these bright red eyes and hoppy notices this, while Catnap holds Dogday's chin

Catnap: I could order him to eliminate you and he will do it

Hoppy can tell that Catnap is telling the truth, Dogday doesn't seem to recognize her and doesn't seem to want to intervene to save her.

Catnap usually visits Dogday very often, especially to give him doses of the red smoke and keep him in the team, as well as to see his effects or improvement. If Catnap notices that Dogday is doubting being there he will increase the dose.

The doses make Dogday feel dizzy and the higher doses can even knock him out for a few hours. During this time Catnap is in charge of the team until Dogday wakes up.

As you can see, it has a bit of the first part of my happy tree friends comic Gold Eyes where Flippy becomes part of the Blue Tigers and is controlled by General Tiger.

patreon - Deviantart - youtube -instagram - twitter - kofi - webtoon - Tiktok - comissions

[peppermintquartz]

Captain Buckley-Kinard is too good-looking, Kieren thinks to himself as he changes out of his turnouts, especially when he is smiling like that over family dinner that he himself cooked. It's "Bobby's Chili", though Kieren has yet to figure out who the hell Bobby is.

Kieren is happy to be posted to Station 28, don't get him wrong. It just sucks that he is crushing hard on his captain, knowing he has zero chance.

Because right there, next to his stupidly attractive Captain, is his captain's husband. Thomas ("Call me Tom") Kinard was a legend at the 217, according to some of Kieren's fellow firefighters from the same cohort; apparently, the man was mad enough to fly a chopper right into a hurricane, and on a separate occasion, flew into a raging forest fire in the San Fernando Valley while winds were raging up to 70 mph. On both occasions, scuttlebutt says, Captain Buckley-Kinard was involved too.

Anyway, Cap's husband has since retired. He is a silver fox. Those cheekbones should be illegal, and the deep grooves of his face that appear when he smiles only add to his charm. He's got a nice silvery stubbly beard too, and when he laughs, Cap lights up too. Kieren can see the young men they used to be when they gaze at each other.

It's aggravating.

It would have been easier if Kinard was a standoffish, arrogant jerk. But he's nice. He brings Cap special treats with extra snacks for the whole team; he helps to fix their cars ("keeps me out of trouble"); he's even flown Sandra and her wife in a chopper for a romantic getaway to Napa Valley. If the team works holidays, Tom Kinard will show up with a veritable feast, along with their twins (Joanna and Jacob).

It's really aggravating.

"You look irritated," Lenny says under his breath when Kieren finally joins them. Kieren elbows his partner when Lenny grins at him knowingly and leans over. "You're glaring at the trophy husband. Again."

"Shut up," Kieren manages to say without moving his lips.

"Okay I gotta go or I'll be late," Tom says, standing up. "The kids are having a sleepover at Parker's."

Cap kisses his husband, sweet and fond. "Say hi to Chim and Hen for me."

Tom crinkles a smile. "Will do. Love you. Be safe."

"Be safe."

Cap is watching his husband walk away like he can't get enough. Kieren can't blame him; even in his fifties, Tom Kinard has a very nice ass.

"You're so lucky, Cap," Lenny says, picking a soy sauce wing from the serving plate. "Maybe you oughta share some tips for us poor lonesome guys. How did you find your happily ever after?"

Cap grins, his blue eyes bright and he almost looks like he's blushing. "We had our ups and downs. Broke up once. Argued a lot. But we found our way eventually. And, uh, I'm gonna pass on some advice I was given about happy endings: You don't find it, son, you make it."

Lenny reaches out a fist and Cap bumps it. "Thanks, Cap."

"Anytime." Cap goes off to the oven when it dings.

Kieren is chewing thoughtfully on a morsel when Lenny turns to him. "Hey, I got a couple of free day passes for the aquarium that needs using up by next weekend. You wanna come with me on Thursday?"

Surprised, Kieren swallows and shrugs. "Sure, why not?"

"Great! I'll pick you up at nine, we'll grab breakfast, and then, fishies." Lenny looks like he's going to say something else, but averts his gaze and returns to his food.

Kieren catches Henderson's amused grin and wonders what he has done that's funny. Ah well.

Househusband Buck this, househusband Buck that, what about househusband TOMMY?

Give me Captain Buckley-Kinard and his trophy husband who puts silly little sticky notes in his lunch!! Please!!

[rosenkranz-does-things]

first of all i love ur art so much and your x files art has made me start watching x files again! when i stopped watching my favorite episode was quagmire bc i was obsessed with nessie as a kid, but i was wondering, what do u think about this ep? :o

hi! thank you so much! 🥰 oh Quagmire is one of my favorites! I feel bad for the dog (Scully couldn't even take care of one tiny pup, this woman should never be a mother), but that Chekhov's gun was ready to fire the moment Scully named him Queequeg. nominative determinism got him 😔 but also knowing that Gillian resented the dog because he was stinky makes it funnier. anyways! the episode! love that Scully gets to drive for once (and a boat of all things!). I love that she knows her cryptozoology even now that's she's an Adult and a Scientist.

this scene where bait for the mysterious beast turned out to be not good enough-

and the beast chooses a different bait, reminds me of these glorious shots from The Terror

also this sums up the show so well. it may not be what I believe, but it's not what you believe either! it's a secret third thing (an alligator)

also ooh look at their dyke swag

but I'm getting distracted. oohh look a cormorant! sorry getting distracted again

getting stranded on a tiny rock in the dark with your coworker who talks about cannibalism. and they say romance is dead. but also, cannibalism aside, this is what the show is about. the two of them in the dark, searching for the elusive truth which is just in the walking distance, but they can't see it. this is why I don't understand people complaining about the show being too dark to see. that's the point! you're not supposed to see. neither are they.

and the Big Blue? it appears the moment they turn their backs. the truth is out there but they'll never find it.

I have many thoughts on this episode, especially about the closing scene, but this post is already getting too long. anyways. Quagmire is truly one of the greatest episodes in the whole show

[grapejuicebluesrry]

28th november fic rec!

*welcome to the final show*

this is the last 28th appreciation of 2024 for me, as i'll be posting my 2024 fic recs in the last week of december so ill just include my december recs in there :)

so! here's my november fic recs:

Eternal Summer (65K) by j_klmnop

After the death of his estranged father, Harry makes the trip from London to Naples, Italy to say his goodbyes. He has seven days before the funeral and since he's on summer break from university, he decides to make a road trip out of it.

His carefully planned trip is thrown a loop when he meets a beautiful blue eyed hitchhiker named Louis, who is trying to escape his controlling family. With no destination in mind— just the desire to get as far away as possible, Louis decides to tag along for the ride to Italy, with plans to continue on once they arrive.

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now that we're alone (say you hate me) (18K) by 28goldensfics | @28goldens

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are Co-Project Managers, constantly bickering at work, always finding themselves at odds, and competing to be the best. When a scheduling mishap with their company’s timeshare forces them to share a summer vacation, they're less than thrilled. But, as they navigate their time together, they realize that their animosity might be masking something a bit deeper than the hate.

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reminiscence (259K) by Fxckinf

“I’ll always look after you.” Louis whispers.

“Always?”

“Always and forever, Harold.”

Or

Louis and Harry were the friends that fell in love and then broke up. Harry tries to navigate having his ex in his friendship group, which only gets harder when it becomes apparent that there’s a secret.

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if we were butterflies (52K) by blueskiesrry | @blueskiesrry

“Is this how I used to look at you?” His hand hovers just over the collarbone of the sculpture, like he’s caught between wanting to touch and wanting to pull away, wanting to leave and wanting to stay.

Eyes stuck on Harry, unaware of anything else in the room, Louis whispers, “Something like that,” wondering now if he ever quite did it justice.

or: after recruiting harry to model for his sculptures and coming to know all his edges, louis loses him to a life more prosperous than he can provide. he finds harry again four years later.

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Seeing Blind (46K) by zedi

Louis finally turns his head in Liam’s direction, knows his face is showing the longing he’s been aching with ever since it took root in his chest. “What the fuck do I do, Liam? He wouldn’t want me like that, but I want-” his voice cracks, and he turns his face back downwards. “What do you do when you’re not perfect for the person who’s perfect for you?”

OR the one where Harry’s an independent omega who likes to have his fun and Louis is the blind alpha that changes Harry’s priorities.

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Stars over Amsterdam (4K) by HelloLovers13 | @hellolovers13

Louis remembers how stressed they were, trying to get tickets at all. The waiting for the email with the code, which only Louis got, the actual On-sale. How Harry stood behind him, peeling at his nails nervously. Trying not to distract Louis.

But it had all gone smoothly and he had gotten the tickets within just a few minutes.

Harry had jumped around Louis’s chair in excitement like a bouncing ball. Already starting to plan their outfits.

A gold fringe dress for Harry, Fearless was his favourite album, after all, and a matching shirt he had found online for Louis. So people could tell right away they were an item.

That was their plan. Before it all went to shit.

or

Fate in form of Eras Tour tickets forces Louis to meet up with his Ex.

Hopefully soon to be Ex-Ex.

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[series] I See Us in Black & White (70K) by Ioudloudlove

Harry Styles is just your average 20-something. He followed his soul to a new town and now he works hard as a barman and lives alone in his little house. That is until he's swept off his feet... literally.

When Harry regains consciousness, his entire world has changed. Everything that was once black and white is now flooded with colour. And the first person he sees is his soulmate...Liam.

What Harry didn't count on was Liam's best mate...Louis. What is it about him that Harry just can't let go of? Why has his entire world been turned around? And is it really possible to walk away from your soulmate to chase a dream?

Original Prompt:

soulmate au where you see the world in black-and-white until you meet your soulmate. Harry Styles meets two people at once at the moment he first sees in colour, makes the wrong choice, and falls in love with the right one anyway

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Whole Lot of History (73K) by Blue_Green28 | @bluegreen28fics

Louis and Harry have a whole lot of history. With 3 children coming out of their twelve years long marriage they are essential parts of each other's lives even though they have moved on with new partners since their divorce ten years ago. Or have they?

What happens when Harry finally gets some money to open the coffee shop he had always dreamed of and they spend more time together to plan everything? Does their love still have a chance?

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Not having a breakdown! (I'm just here for the kid.) (28K) by louisismycat (tiflamomet) | @liminalkitty369

Harry has to park outside his ex-husband’s (Louis) wedding so that he can whisk their kid away if a meltdown ensues during the day. Guests will not know this and will only see him parked outside, it cannot be stressed enough, his ex-husband’s wedding.

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Hazelbridge (77K) by CoolCrying

Nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, the tiny town of Hazelbridge has been home to Louis and his family for generations. Heir to his grandfather's historic bookshop, Louis lives a quiet but happy life, providing a hub for the town's many queer people, and indulging his love for books. That is, until Harry Styles comes to town.

This is the story of a town and two bookshops. It's the story of a family, and two boys with very different stories, who fell in love.

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At Least Let Me Buy You Dinner First (35K) by Anonymouis

“I said, Harry. As in Styles. AKA you. You’re pretty and certainly a piece of art if you ask me.” Louis mewls.

“Oh,” Harry breathes. He takes a moment taking in Louis.

Louis watches his eyes work their way all over his face and body trying to read him. Luckily, he knows just how to read Harry. The moment their eyes meet again, Louis leans in a little at a time, as slowly as possible. His heart racing, giving Harry all the time to back out, but then, Harry is reaching around Louis’ wrist and sliding their hands together, lacing their fingers and leaning in as well.

Then…

The bell above the door rings.

They both pull back at light speed, sniffling and coughing from almost being caught. Harry trips over his own feet with the force that he used. Giggles fall from both of them while Louis steadies him.

“First day with legs there, bambi?”

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Come What May (58K) by j_klmnop

Louis didn't believe in love at first sight until he met his neighbour Harry, the gorgeous man in the apartment next door who saved lives and had a smile that made his knees weak.

Louis was determined that today was the day he would finally grow some balls and ask Harry on a date.

Until his plans were disrupted by an unexpected delivery. One that would surely ruin his chances at any kind of love life.

Or, maybe it would be just what Louis needed to bring he and Harry closer together.

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2 a.m. texts (30K) by everysingleday

Harry has just come out and, with his best friend Louis’ support, he might finally be brave enough to go on a date with the guy he’s been chatting with on a dating app. Meanwhile, there’s a cat that wants to murder Louis, a fast-approaching deadline for Harry to find a new place to live, and this minor situation wherein he and Louis can’t seem to stop making out. It’s not a big deal. Louis is just being supportive.

—

aka, a practice kissing fic.

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Roman Empire (11K) by Speechless

One day Louis answers Liam's phone while he is in the shower.

That's how he meets Harry, Liam's friend who moved to Italy just a while ago.

And that's how Liam loses ownership of his phone.

“Do they sleep on the other side of the bed in Italy?”

He hears Harry laugh for a moment.

“I sleep right in the middle,” Harry replies. “Because no one will marry me.”

Louis bites back a little smile.

“Have you asked enough people?”

“The old lady walking her dog, just now.” Harry confirms. “She said no.”

Written for the BLFF 2024

Based on prompt 205: A Larry fic that includes the “I love you,” “no, you don’t” convo.

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stat time!!

948,562 words read (2% less than last month)

25 fics read (4% less than last month)

25 authors (0% more than last month)

🍫 for you for making it this far

[macattac-trades]

Gameify Your Life

Or, game responses to describe how you’re feeling:

I’m in an intense game of Monopoly.

I’m stressing because I’m the one with the old maid.

I have too many babies, so I had to get another car.

I’m the werewolf so I’m anxious as fuck to get found out.

I can't get this wishbone out of the liver.

I really need a Yahtzee.

I forgot to yell Uno.

Waiting on my ticket to ride.

I need more ore to make a settlement.

I’m on my last domino.

I’ve got the pipe in the study, and we’ll see how it goes.

I’m at the elite four and I forgot to save before going in.

I’m about to Bop It this bitch.

When I said trouble I didn’t mean the board game.

I just need to make it out of the candy cane forest.

Just can’t seem to make it up this ladder.

I keep getting chutes.

I’m in a room full of marble-stealing hippos.

This leftover Z is coming out of my paycheck.

I'm hoping to get a straight piece soon.

I'm swimming in a pool without a ladder.

I've had my right hand on red for way too long.

I broke the ice.

I pulled the wrong block. / JENGA!!

You sent me home, you’d better be sorry.

Checkmate.

My battleships have been sunk. / My battleship :( / I’m sunk.

Courtesy of my amazing Stage Management Team.

[wasabi-gumdrop]

Kabru has a secret admirer in the castle!

[resdayn]

transphobes stay mad

[myreputatioooon]

"fixer i want to have dinner with" is so fucking lame & tame for a poll idc if livestreaming culture is young asf compared to our livestreaming culture, you live in The City,, STEP UP

[fisheito]

snakes have something called a jacobson's organ that allows them to smell. they stick out their tongue, and then when it enters their mouth again, the jacobson's organ processes what they just smelled with their tongue. i say this to propose that, after yakumo licks eiden's dick for a good 10 minutes, he closes his mouth and processes it all like O_____O

when i TELL YOU that this message left me bracing the wall like

(overwhelmed with positive affect)

[wannabemasterofwindintraining]

Omg you have to draw parker angst now, keep the hidden side fandom alive 😭

/j /nf

Doing my part in keeping the fandom alive but in a horrific undead kinda way

[sad-endings-suck]

Blue Eye Samurai: regarding Mizu’s “plot armour” or her “ridiculously over-powered” abilities.

“Mizu is way too overpowered, it doesn’t make sense.”

I feel like a lot of people don’t realize just how much the mind over matter mentality plays a roll in Mizu’s “abilities”. Mizu isn’t the best because she’s physically the strongest, or had the best training, or the most experience, or whatever. Mizu is the best because she has single-minded focus and immense tenacity that borders on psychotic due to how intensely dedicated to revenge she has been for almost all of her life. All the years she spent training, all the time she spends taking out enemies, she is being driven by single minded focus and iron willed determination that never wavers. She has been sharpening and honing not just her body, but her mind, for exactly this. She has dedicated her entire life to her quest for vengeance, and in her own words, there is no room in it for anything else.

People also seem to be making a lot of assumptions about what kind of training and how much training Mizu has or has not had. As the audience, we’ve only been shown bits and pieces of Mizu’s past, which includes her experience learning martial arts. Asking shit like “how is she so good with a sword if she’s only self taught?” is like asking “how can she read and write if Master Eiji is blind?”. The answer is that Mizu has obviously learnt these things from more than one source, but documenting her entire education in detail doesn’t exactly serve a purpose to the narrative. We are explicitly shown in one of Mizu’s flashbacks that she’s been practicing with a wooden sparring sword since she was very young. It’s actually her child self that we see in that brief particular flashback. Not her teen/tween self, her child self. She’s also following the movements and instructions of an older man that is clearly a skilled samurai or warrior of some kind based on context (which y’all love to ignore). Besides, who else would want/need a sword from a master sword-maker besides an expert swordsman? How many skilled fighters from all over Japan have come to Master Eiji’s forge hoping for a blade, and wait with nothing better to do but train while their blade is being made? How many of them have divulged information about certain fighting styles (like Shindo-Ryu, which Mizu was familiar with despite never having been to the dojo before). Or practiced around her and with her? We are clearly shown through Mizu’s flashbacks that receiving training from a visiting client has not been unusual for her throughout her apprenticeship with Master Eiji, and her little spar with Blood Soaked Chiaki was no one time event. Yet Mizu is never given the benefit of the doubt by the audience, despite context clues indicating that she should be.

“Taigen has way more training in an actual dojo, so why is Mizu better?”

Whereas Taigen, while he was determined to become more than just a fisherman’s son and was driven to rise through the ranks of the Dojo and become a skilled samurai, did not have that same desire or determination to hone every part of himself to be the most deadly weapon he could possibly be, like Mizu did. Taigen believes in the samurai code of honor and upholds it in his own way (preventing him from learning how to “fight dirty” so to speak) and he also had a life outside of his training (he had a social life, he drank, he partied, he snuck around a lot to see Akemi presumably, etc). In fact, we actually never see Taigen practice, train, learn, hone his skills, or anything (to my recollection) throughout the whole season, until he’s bested by Mizu in combat. I’m assuming Taigen had to work quite hard for several years to become as good as he is, but I get the sense that ever since he has been regarded as a prodigy he has allowed himself to get cocky and maybe a bit too comfortable. He has always been the best and always thought himself to be the best, so he never needed to give 150% effort when he fought. In fact, as he got older and more practiced, and it became more and more apparent how much better he was than everyone else, he probably stopped giving his 110% and allowed himself to get a bit comfortable putting in 100% effort, and then eventually 80% effort (which is part of the reason why I think he’s so pissed he lost to Mizu in their first fight, because he knows he could have done better: been less cocky, been more tactical, more driven, etc).

We also never see Taigen meditate or mentally or physically prepare himself the way we do with Mizu. Mizu will pray before a major upcoming battle, not because she’s religious, but because she’s mentally, emotionally, and spiritually preparing herself. We even see Mizu submerge herself in very cold ocean water (during the winter mind you) as a ritual/practice of sorts that serves to center herself and prepare mentally and physically for what’s ahead when she feels herself getting “too emotional” or too stressed or unfocused or even just slightly off kilter. Mizu sacrifices every part of her life, so that she can be the deadliest version of herself possible. She has no social life. She has no friends, or significant others (Mikio aside). She has no other activities to participate in, because she’s been completely alienated and thus being anything but the best is not an option in her mind because she has no options. She tried married life. She had the best possible life that she could have had as a biracial woman in Edo era Japan. She did as she was told by her “mother”. She showed her true self to Mikio, just as he desired. Yet the blood and vengeance still caught up with her. She has no other options anymore. Pursuing revenge is the only thing she knows how to do, because every other avenue in life has been cut off from her. So she has to be single-mindedly focused on her vengeance, which means being as skilled and as dangerous as she can possibly be. She has no hobbies or jobs or responsibilities beyond sword-making (which allows her to become as familiar with the blade as possible) and training herself. If she has extra time, she uses it to practice, to train, to improve, to simply maintain peak performance. Such as when she was hacking through those trees in episode 2. Afterwards, we see Taigen attempt to replicate her training (by cutting down trees with his sword). Though even then, it was more about curiosity and trying to suss out Mizu so he could gauge her skill level, then it was about actually honing his own abilities (until episode 3 when he practices with Chiaki’s broken blade). Which does count as training in its own way (assessing your enemy), but my point still stands. Taigen does not have the same unwavering focus and force of will that Mizu does (partially because he does not actually want to kill Mizu, as we do see Taigen go cold blooded with focus when he kills Heiji Shindo, but those are whole other discussions).

“Mizu just has ridiculous plot armour, that’s the real reason she survives every encounter.”

I feel like people that think Mizu has ridiculous plot armour are just not at all familiar with the Samurai or Western/Cowboy sub-genres at all, or even action as an overarching genre on its own. I don’t believe I have ever engaged in a single piece of action media in which the protagonist didn’t have “plot armour” in some way. Basically half of all male protagonists from any and all modern western action movies ever, have been way too over-powered and been able to take a ridiculous amount of damage that should have killed them multiple times over. These action heroes (who in western media are almost always cis-het white men) have ridiculous plot armour in the most classic sense. Yet no one complains when it’s a white man. Only when it’s a queer-coded biracial woman of colour. Shocking.

In fact, you could argue that every main character in every fictional story ever told has plot armour to a certain degree, because having an entire narrative revolve around one character is inherently “unrealistic” and therefore the main character has plot armour, yes? No? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Oh, and on the topic of the samurai genre specifically (and many martial arts based action media) there are certain genre specific tropes that are nearly integral to the genre. One of the most prominent being the samurai/ronin/warrior/martial arts master that is “ridiculously over powered”. It’s literally part of the genre. In fact, the western/cowboy genre is quite similar to the classic samurai genre. Now, how many westerns have you watched in which Clint Eastwood or John Wayne shoot 5+ guys with one pistol before any of the guys they shoot even get a shot off? A lot I bet. Is that not the definition of “over-powered” and “unrealistic”? Or is it just a genre trope, or even perhaps, a genre staple? No one thinks Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2) is over-powered. No one thinks that Joel (The Last of Us) is over-powered. In fact, when the TLOU show came out, people actually complained that Joel, the fifty-something year old man that has been living in a post apocalyptic wasteland for 20 years, was not badass or strong enough (he kills dozens of humans and super zombies and he’s legally a senior). So, who is the “judge” of what is and is not realistic in action media that borders on sci-fi/fantasy based on how “over-powered” the protagonists “realistically” are?

“It’s just weird that Mizu is so powerful when other characters within the story are not. It makes Mizu such a Mary Sue.”

Okay… so, with all that in mind, let’s circle back to where I started when referring to Mizu as someone driven by unwavering determination, and how that affects her “abilities”. That facet of her personality and motivation is nothing new when it comes to the action genre, especially for protagonists of revenge storylines. Think of Kill Bill or John Wick. Why does John or the Bride keep going and keep winning even when they are constantly getting injured and always fighting. Is it because they are simply that much better than everyone else? Yes and no. No, because they are not superheroes (technically), but also yes. Because their single minded determination and need for revenge drives them to push that much harder than anyone else on their skill level. They are the best, but they win against everyone else that is also “the best” because they want it more. They need it more. Mind over matter. They are willing to endure what others are not through sheer will and pure cold rage. Mizu, Beatrice Kiddo, John Wick, and so many more similar protagonists in action-revenge narratives don’t keep winning and keep getting back up no matter how inured they get because they are just “that much stronger and more talented than everyone else”. Yes, they are extremely skilled and would probably be one of the strongest and most deadly combatants/killers in their respective universes regardless… but their refined skill and raw talent and power are not the only reason they win. Their unwavering force of will, extreme determination, ice cold fury, and single-minded focus on revenge is what drive them to be that much tougher. Their tenacity is their superpower. They want to win more than their opponent does. They need to win, because this is their one and only goal in life as of now. Mizu (Blue Eye Samurai) Beatrice (Kill Bill), John (John Wick), they all share a philosophy in life when it comes to their revenge, which basically boils down to “Either I kill you, or I die trying. There is no middle ground, there is no negotiating, no other choice, no path of least resistance, no other goal or motivation. You will die, because I ain’t fucking dying until you do.”

Mizu doesn’t have plot armour and she’s not over-powered. She is an archetypical protagonist of the action-revenge narrative and the samurai/western genre as well. She arguably even has better reason to be completing the feats that she does than John Wick or The Bride, because the medium of Blue Eye Samurai is animation and not live action, and the genre borders on magical realism far more than Kill Bill or John Wick. Now, how many anime protagonists (probably almost all male) can you think of that are “ridiculously over-powered” especially compared to any live action counterparts, but no one complains about it? Why does no one complain about it (aside from misogyny)? Because the medium of animation inherently has different “rules”, expectations, and set standards for suspension of disbelief, than the medium of live action film or television. For example, is it ridiculous and unrealistic when you’re watching a Looney Tunes cartoon and Bugs Bunny’s legs pinwheel in super-speed for 3 seconds straight before he starts running, or when he runs off a ledge and gravity just lets him hang there for a sec so he can look straight at the camera before he falls? No, it’s not “unrealistic” or emersion breaking, not even a little, but why? Is it because any of those things seem even remotely probable or “realistic”? Of course not! It’s perfectly acceptable because the medium, genre, target audience, atmosphere, art/animation style, narrative choice, storytelling style, and more, have all established that Bugs Bunny defying physics is normal in Looney Tunes, and therefore not a “plot-hole” or “unrealistic”. In fact, if Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry didn’t defy physics in ridiculous ways all the time, then it feels far stranger and off-beat than if they did. Same goes for pretty much all action anime. If the characters in those stories were strictly limited to what is 100% humanly possible in real life, most of those animes wouldn’t even have storylines anymore. They’d be turned into completely different content that may be unrecognizable from the original source material. Or wouldn’t even have any material anymore because all the characters would be dead after their first fight scene. So why is Blue Eye Samurai being held to a different standard?

Now, do y’all get it yet?

[bandsandwristbands]

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