#I think vol 4 is when it starts to really get good (at least when I started to get more attached to it)

[chouhatsumimi]

Words from Nukoduke, vol. 4, part 4

Words in bold are particularly relevant to the story, and words in italics seem like they’d be worth remembering outside the context of the manga. Bold and italic together means they’ve probably appeared somewhere in Nukoduke more than once. Kinda long list but it’s for a whole volume… actually it’s too long for tumblr, so splitting into four parts.

供え物 そなえもの offering (e.g. to the gods), votive offering / ofrenda 誠実 せいじつ sincere, honest, faithful / sincero, honesto, fiel 重視 じゅうし regarding as important, attaching importance to, taking a serious view of, putting emphasis on / importancia 作務衣 さむえ, さむい samue, monk's working clothes 匂��せる, 臭わせる におわせる to give off (a smell, scent, aroma), to smell of, to perfume (a room, etc.), to hint at, to suggest, to insinuate 天然 てんねん nature, spontaneity, natural airhead / natural (belleza, gas) 未亡人 みぼうじん widow / viuda 純文学 じゅんぶんがく pure literature, belles-lettres 茶葉 ちゃば tea leaf, tea leaves ようやっと finally, at last, at length, barely, narrowly, hardly, only just 威圧感 いあつかん intimidating air, sense of intimidation 人望 じんぼう popularity 嬉々, 嬉嬉, 喜々, 喜喜 きき merry, joyful, gleeful / contento, satisfecho, alegre 引っかく, 引っ掻く, 引掻く ひっかく to scratch, to claw / arañar, rascar, rasguñar 野性 やせい wildness (plants, animals, etc.), uncouth, rough, unpolished / silvestre, salvaje 看板娘 かんばんむすめ pretty girl who attracts customers to come inside a shop ぴちぴち, ピチピチ bursting with youth and energy (esp. young woman), vivaciously young, spunky, energetic, (fish) jumping around energetically (e.g. when caught in a net), bursting (e.g. seams), tight, splattering (e.g. cooking oil) 男勝り, 男まさり おとこまさり (of a woman) strong-minded, spirited, mannish / (de una mujer) mentalidad fuerte, animada, hombruna 舎弟 しゃてい one's younger brother, underling (e.g. in yakuza), junior male peer, sworn younger brother 寡黙 かもく untalkative, quiet, taciturn, reticent, uncommunicative / callado, tímido 女房 にょうぼう, にょうぼ, にゅうぼう wife (esp. one's own wife), court lady, female court attache, woman who served at the imperial palace, woman (esp. as a love interest) / esposa 僭越ながら せんえつながら by your leave, with your permission ちまちま small, compact 狭き門 せまきもん the strait gate (in the Bible), the narrow gate, high barrier (to enter a highly competitive school, company, etc.), difficult hurdle, difficulty, obstacle ひた隠し, 直隠し ひたかくし hiding at all costs, desperate cover-up, doing one's best to keep (something) secret ひた隠す, 直隠す, ヒタ隠す ひたかくす, ヒタかくす to cover, to cover up 独学 どくがく self-education, self-instruction, self-study / estudiar de modo autodidacta, autoaprendizaje 快諾 か���だく ready consent 厳格 げんかく strict, severe, stern, rigid, rigorous, tough / serio, duro, severo, inflexible, rigor, austeridad 涙腺 るいせん tear gland, lacrimal gland 資格 しかく qualifications, requirements, capabilities / calificaciones, requerimientos, capacidades 暴挙 ぼうきょ violence, reckless action, (an) outrage 古株 ふるかぶ old-timer, veteran, senior, old stump, old roots 息抜き いきぬき taking a breather, relaxation, vent hole 吹き出す, 噴き出す, 吹きだす, 吹出す, 噴出す, 噴きだす ふきだす to spout out, to spurt out, to gush out, to jet out, to sprout, to bud, to burst into laughter, to blow (smoke, etc.), to send out shoots (of a tree) / brotar, soplar hacia afuera, empezar a soplar 実体験 じったいけん real experience, actual observations 天才肌 てんさいはだ (person) seeming like a genius, (having) the temperament of a prodigy 急ぎ足, 急足 いそぎあし fast pace, quick pace

[idrawweirdstuffnominors]

I saw your Girl dad! Josh post!

….Bill in his girl dad arc when (JK! JK!….unless)

(Lol lock tf in chat this is gonna get interesting to say the least

Bill dickey as a Girl Dad headcannons

1. "You're Not Dating Anyone Until You're Thirty-Five."

Bill is insanely overprotective but in the worst possible way. He doesn't trust anyone, especially boys. If his daughter so much as mentions a crush, he launches into a 15-minute rant about how “men are scum, and I should know, because I am one!”

2. Turns Her into a Nerd by Force.

He starts her on comics, sci-fi, and horror movies from the womb. Think “Alien” at age six and mandatory Sunday night viewings of Twilight Zone.

“You don’t get to sleep until you can name the entire creative team behind Swamp Thing vol. 2.”

3. Absolutely Cannot Handle Emotions.

She cries? He panics. He just stands there holding a Mountain Dew can like, “Uh… do you want… a Funko Pop or something? Stop leaking! I didn’t raise a weakling!”

4. The Most Toxic PTA Parent Ever.

He shows up to school meetings in a black trench coat, rants about the school’s media literacy failures, and says things like, “If my daughter’s being bullied, I will sue. I have lawyers. I know people on forums. Don’t test me.”

5. Secretly the Best Coach in a Weird Way.

Bill is a ruthless perfectionist when she shows interest in anything creative. “If you’re gonna draw anime, do it right. These proportions? Amateur. You call this anatomy? This is CalArts-tier crap, and I won’t allow it under my roof.”

But his standards push her to be really, really good—even if she wants to murder him half the time.

6. Grudgingly Proud Dad Mode

She wins an art contest or aces a project? He brags nonstop for a month—but never directly to her face.

“She’s not bad. I mean, obviously she got the talent from me. But yeah, whatever. I guess she’s okay.”

7. Hyper Fixates on Her Interests to “Vet” Them

If she likes something he doesn’t understand (like K-pop), he goes full rage-research mode. Watches 6-hour YouTube essays. Then returns to say things like:

“Okay. So this Jungkook guy? I guess he’s talented. Still don’t trust him.”

8. Accidentally Raises a Girl Just Like Him

One day she quotes The Thing perfectly, destroys a boy in an online debate, and calls someone a “poser” for not knowing Kirby’s original designs. Bill just stares and mutters, “My work here is done.”

9. Will Go to War for Her

She never sees it, but if anyone seriously messes with her? He’s already on the dark web tracking their IP address. His threats are too specific.

“You want me to drop their home address or are we playing the long game?”

10. Sentimental? Nope. Never. (Okay, Maybe Once.)

He keeps a photo of her in his wallet, folded and beat up. He never talks about it.

But sometimes, when she’s not around, he looks at it and sighs.

“She’s… fine. Not like she makes me proud or anything. Idiot.”

“The Coat”

Bill was elbow-deep in a tote labeled "CON BADGES / UNTOUCHED GARBAGE", muttering under his breath about how these kids wouldn’t know practical effects if they crawled out of a latex womb, when his daughter walked in—dragging the massive, beat-up orange flannel from the back of his closet behind her.

It was practically a robe on her. Oversized, worn, and clinging to the smell of years of conventions, bad takeout, and Bill’s lingering rage.

Daughter:

“…Can I wear this to school tomorrow?”

Bill turned like she’d just asked to burn his comic collection.

Bill:

“That? You mean my coat? The coat I wore to every screening of The Thing between ‘92 and ‘06? The coat I nearly got kicked out of Wizard World for wearing over a Gremlins tee because some idiot thought I was doing a bit?”

Daughter: (nodding calmly)

“Yeah. That one.”

Bill: (offended beyond comprehension)

“Why would you want to wear that? You trying to look like a failed screenwriter with back problems?!”

Daughter:

“It’s warm. And I like how it smells. Like… your weird soap and burnt pizza.”

Bill: (pointing dramatically)

“That’s character! You don’t earn that smell, you live in it.”

Daughter:

“I want to live in it. Just for the day.”

That shut him up for a second. He looked at her—dwarfed by his rage-blanket of a coat, arms poking out like she was wrapped in a sleeping bag—and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like: “…you’re a menace…”

Bill: (grumbling)

“Fine. But if anyone spills anything on it, anyone—you, your friends, some gluten-free goober with a juice box—I will rain hellfire upon that school. I will march in there, I will quote John Carpenter until they expel themselves, and I will not be held responsible for what happens next.”

Daughter: (grinning)

“Love you too, Dad.”

Bill:

“I didn’t say that. I don’t believe in love. I believe in practical effects and staying angry.”

She rolled her eyes, already backing out of the room.

Daughter:

“Sure. I’ll be careful. I swear on your limited edition ‘Murder of Crows’ box set.”

Bill: (horrified)

“DON’T YOU JOKE ABOUT THAT—!”

But she was gone. And he was left staring at the empty spot where the coat had been, rubbing his temples and muttering:

Bill:

“Kid’s gonna be the death of me. In the best possible way.”

[mihachansstuff]

So I finished reading a danmei novel for the very first time (it's SVSSS)

Spoiler Alert

(And incoming rant...)

So I just finished reeading the volume 4 of SVSSS, and even before i finished it i knew i have to talk about it and let my thoughts out somehow and here we are. My danmei journey started not too long ago with MDZS donghua before i found myself buying physical copies of SVSSS. Although my first novel was 2ha but I read till volume 6 to keep it on hold and finished this one instead.

Now that i am done, before i make it too long i will just leave some snippets of audacious thoughts here which may or may not be agreed upon -

I really wanted to like LBH, but in the end I just couldn't, some parts and traits of his character just don't sit well with me. I mainly hate his manipulative part, and I just don't understand why someone like Shen Yuan/SQQ falls for it again and again.

Zhuzhi lang is indeed a lovable character, but I just can't forgive him for killing Gongyi Xiao. The only time I shed tears while reading this novel was when we hear about his death and how SQQ was then remembering how GYX told him he would visit his peak after everything is over. (I was still holding on to that hope that he will be miraculously alive *sob*)

I found Tianlang-Jun to be a decent character, even more decent than his own son. I mean, yeah LBH went through traumatic periods but TLJ also went through miserable times while sealed. But in the end he just let all of it go while his son kept getting jealous and vicious towards every human being close to SQQ.

SQH and MBJ is a good ship. I would love to know more about them I need more Moshang content (this everyone will agree i know)

In that one interview chapter at volume 4 SQH's comment about Bingqiu being the kindergartner and his teacher, I can't agree more. Also his comment about how dating LBH must be exhausting and annoying was so true that I just don't understand why SQQ accepts all this 😭😭

I wish I could learn more about Liu Mingyan's thought process while writing Regrets of Chunshan.

I saw a Youtube comment that said - "In SVSSS, almost every character can be shipped with SQQ" and I couldn't agree more! SQQxYQY, SQQxLQG and etc. all are good ship material.

I felt like there were more background plots that could be explored (like what happened to Huan Hua Palace after, or how TLJ was doing, or some more info and background about certain characters etc). In this way I feel like Shen Yuan, heh

The novel art is pretty, but the way LBH was described about his looks and beauty, I somehow didn't feel it through the art. My fav character ranking according to art would be Tianlang Jun→Mobei Jun→SQQ, even though I really like curly hair.

At this point people might think I am a LBH hater, but really I am not, or at least I don't want to be. But I just really think SQQ deserved a better peaceful life at CQ Mountain, around his disciples and sect brothers that really adore him like a family. I really hated the ending in Vol 3 where SQQ left the mountain with LBH in this respect. Well at least in vol 4 it said that the two come to the mountain from time to time so I guess I can calm down a bit.

I really, really like Shen Qingqiu. He's a diva. But I just don't understand...some of his choices. But I guess I will just leave it at that.

This is my first time finishing a danmei novel as I mentioned already, so please go easy on me, even though I may have said things that might spark an argument. Overall I think it was a good experience and I'm looking forward to reading more novels. Feel free to give me some recommendations!

[lykos-with-a-gun]

The Mandela effect. Vol 1.

Warning: I am not gonna post the volumes in order. So some inconsistencies (like volume 3 coming in a time before volume 2) are because of that.

Synopsis: Mark Heathcliff and Cesar Torres have been friends since childhood, so it's clear that none of them would lie to each other... Right?

✝︎◐———————————————————◑✝︎

September 15th, 1992.

The phone starts ringing at around 10:57 pm, and Mark Heathcliff knew exactly who that was.

And he was right, after all, who would call this late at night if it wasn't Cesar Torres, his friend.

He answered, no expression visible in the dark of the night, "hello?".

Almost immediately a familiar voice answers, Cesar, "Mark? It's- it's Cesar, I hope is not too late" he said in an urgent tone.

"No it's fine, what's wrong, are you okay?" Mark replied concerned.

"Yeah.. No... It's not me is my mom.. We where getting ready for going out for a while and then she screamed very loudly and I... I don't know what to do... I- I'm going to the hospital right now" Cesar had said, Mark could hear the sounds of the car sightly in the background.

Mark paused, "Jeez... And uh, did you have your doors and windows closed? Just like the broadcast said?" He had finally said.

"Yeah... We did not open them when we were getting dressed, that's why I think that... Whatever that did her this, was already inside the house" Cesar replied, the anxiety on his voice was noticeable enough "man you know I don't want to get you on these troubles but..."

"What's wrong?" Mark said, worried by the sudden pause.

"Can you check if I let my security cameras on? I don't remember and I'm getting worried" Cesar asked

"Sure but... Why?" Mark asked back

"Well I'm... I'm just worried that thing is waiting for me to come and... I don't want it to get you but I'm worried for the security of the house and... Ugh what am I saying" Cesar said

Mark said nothing in response

"Look man, if you don't want to it's okay, I just wanted to-" Cesar tried

"No, it's okay, I'll go" mark interrupted, "it's just that... You know how I feel about your house."

"Yeah... I'm sorry" Cesar said then. The faint whispers of people near the hospital start sounding as he gets near to it "I'm almost at the hospital man, bye, gotta go".

"Bye Cesar".

Mark wondered, for a moment, if Cesar still thought that he was Mark, or if that he had already noticed.

Looking back to the dead body of the one who used to be Mark Heathcliff he said "your friend called, he told me to go to his house, so I'll go"

Opening the door of the now empty and cold room he paused, saying finally "farewell, Mark".

———

The night was dark as he drove to Cesar's house, it was around 11:40 pm when he finally reached there.

The thing that seemed to be Mark stood quietly in front of the house, the car that was cesar's wasn't there anymore, which meant he wasn't there.

Soon he entered.

The house was empty, the stairs held a feeling of loneliness as he reached to the cameras.

They where on. Good thing he supposed, he, just like the real Mark, did not really like the house

Stepping quietly, he stopped near the kitchen, didn't say anything, but far away the trees whispered what he said.

He leaved, did not want to stay in that house, not now, not yet

Not alone.

——

Cesar In the other hand was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for at least good news

He told the police what happened, they said it was weird that they both where alive, and that it must have been an alternate attack

Cesar knew very well what it meant to be dead;

There had been a time, 6 years ago, where he was victim of a car crash

The doctors where about to say that there was no case for it after 4 months, and that he was, immediately irremediable, dead.

That was until he opened his eyes, finally. He was a bit delusional at that point but the doctors supposed it was because of the feeling of being dead, if that could ever qualify as a feeling of course.

Back in the reality, Cesar received the good news that he needed, but not in the way he expected

The nurse had mentioned that she was probably affected by something called M.A.D, and that she'll surely act different, and also said that she should stay there until new advice

Cesar was not very happy with that, but he accepted anyways.

———

Going back to his house Cesar received a call from the Mandela police department.

"Is this Cesar Torres?" A man asked

"Yes, uh... What's wrong?" He replied

"Well, we wanted to report that your friend Mark Heathcliff was found dead in his room" the man answered

"... What?"

Cesar felt a sudden wave of fear, was Mark dead this whole time? who did HE talk to then?

Oh poor Cesar

Lied by the thing that pretended to be his best friend

Lost in his own fear, Cesar could only drive to the crime scene, to watch how he who had loved him, he who had helped him this whole time...

Was 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙.

•—————————————•

I'm dying, lasted an hour doing this shit, is just that this au is very fucking complex.

Also where's the one piece catalogue fic? Well I have a lot of things to fix in TOPC so it won't come just yet.

So uh summary: Mark is ded, Cesar didn't know and called him, he answered the call for Mark and proceeded to disappear after the security cameras where checked.

[gayofthefae]

They've said they want their show rewatchable. As someone who wasn't like SUPER invested in the ships/show before, the most rewatchable thing they can do is Mike's queerness.

I would not have rewatched it until season 5 came out. Maybe once before then if I got bored, but definitely not as much as I have without it. And the plots for Will have been too supernatural focused (also a good rewatch point after season 5 comes out, I'm sure) to be worth rewatching for his queer personal plot for two seasons before we even really get to it too much.

But Mike? Everything Mike does is impacted by his queerness. Will? Obviously. El? Most DEFINITELY. The Supernatural? You mean the thing that only ever affects Will and El? Yup.

Do you know my first thought, as someone not yet obsessed, when it started to become more clear that Mike was queer? "Oh, that's more interesting"

The average person isn't gonna drop the show because their ship broke up amicably. But they are going to if they get bored.

Mike having been queer the entire time, who cares if planned, as long as it isn't contradicted by anything prior (which is not possible because queerness is not disprovable) just gives a whole new view to everything he's ever done, making it less straightforward than you thought it was, changing your original view of the events, making you want to rewatch just to see how each moment is impact.

Making it more INTERESTING.

It's simple, honestly. Speaking as someone who passively thought the couples were cute and generally wanted the characters to be happy but wasn't deeply attached or fixating on any part of the show, Mike being queer is just more interesting than him being straight. That's all the people really want.

They've already gotten lots more residuals from this. And I'm sure they know that at least half of it isn't just because of the vol 2 lore drop. And it isn't because of what we think is gonna happen for Will in season 5 either, why watch seasons where it also hasn't happened yet. It's because of something else, much like the lore, that affects every facet of an entire plotline from the first episode. Not even the lore actually does that, it's just interesting to know, but that one's easier to connect back in your memory, but isn't as deeply rooted that you need to think through every singular behavior of the mind flayer. But with Mike, we know it affects it, but we immediately had to know how.

I probably would have rewatched it once by now. Maybe one more time a year from now to prepare for the season 5 release, but maybe not. I didn't do my rewatch before season 4's release, so I might not have. But instead, because of Mike and Mike only, I'm currently on my third watch since 2022. Maybe fourth, I'm not sure. Not just because of a ship I wanna see again because they're cute. Because I'm LEARNING something new every time I see his face on my screen. Not because I ship it, not even because I personally want it to be true for any character's sake.

But because Mike being queer is just. more. interesting.

[tigersharktheautisticseawing]

first murdle post ever, but man do I have to yap about vol 1 or else I'll explode (spoilers below cut)

So I got vol 1 back in November when my sister (whom I love with all my heart (remember this I'll yap more about it later)) saw it in an empik and was like "Yeah my autistic gay sisbling thing would love this book" and got it for me. Also fun fact, I saw the book in Empik like a week or so earlier but I decided to pass up on it in favor of books that I was sure I wanted (rookie mistake, fortunately I've got big sis to correct it <3).

Then I got to what I think was about riddle 25-30 before putting it down for like 2-3 months (Epic the musical entered my life with a bang about that time and is only now slowly letting me go from its clutches).

Now, about a week ago, if not less, I saw this book again in my travel backpack and was like "You know what? I really do want a good puzzle." and began solving it at home and bringing it to school with me.

Then puzzle 50 happened.

Up until that point I genuinely thought this book was just some loreless riddles and I didnt discover the lore for a while (before the hiatus but a good week at least from when I got it innitially), so imagine my fucking suprise when the answer to riddle 50 cointained some of the least veiled gay angst I've ever seen in a physical book. Actually scratch that, the least veiled gay angst I've ever seen in a physical book.

So I was like "holy shit I gotta go on ao3 right fucking meow" and found many a fic with the lovely oxymorons ship (well, as many as our sadly ridiculously tiny fandom can produce) and began a-reading.

About that point I started seeing stuff like "spoilers for riddles 75/95/100/etc" and I was like "man tf is happenning in riddle 95 dawg"

(side tangent, I solved the irratino+mr.shadow plot twist in like riddle 61 or whichever was the one where shadow was the culprit with the "fammiliar laugh". Fun enough, just before that in the very same fucking riddle I noticed that we are given different information on mr.shadow at different times and stockpiled the info I found, which left me missing only his height, and upon seeing the phrase "fammiliar laugh" my neurons fucking fired and I frantically skimmed the book to find that one case around 36 with Irratino as a suspect to find his case file and sure e-fucking-nough all the info matched except for the missing height, which couldn't match due to being missing, and I was this close to screaming out loud (which I couldn't cuz I was in some class at the time))

So I work my way through chapter 4 like a champ, the autism helping for once, feeling proud of myself for basically never needing hints.

Then case 91 rolls around and I get hopelessly stuck.

It was last weekend when I was at my dad's house (split custody) and I genuinely could not figure out the suspect statements, even after using the hint, and was so close to just checking the answer that I decided to just take a break.

Then, on what I presume to be Monday, I got it.

It was late but my night owl mind was sharp and I was kinda embarassed for not figuring it out earlier, but hey, autism was cooperating for a suspiciously long amount of time, so my defeat shouldn't've been a suprise at all.

Then, between 11 PM and 1 AM I solved cases until case 97 (it was late at then and I was fucking tired (pretty sure I had to go to school at 8 am as well)) and had fun

And when case 95 rolled around I was really excited to see my boys hanging out finally and bonding further, but the detective code made me really curious.

So, somewhere between the witching hour and 1 in the morning, I painstakingly flipping what seemed to be the entire fucking book back and forth for every letter I needed to decode. I was extremely excited to find the answer, and giddy because I love a good mental challenge.

I got the gist of the message about halfway in, but refused to believe it until I got the whole thing decoded.

"[on zaczął] się w nim zakochiwać"

"[he started] to fall in love with him"

I was so close to screaming, because I genuinely expected the oxymorons to be this thinly-veiled thing that isn't ever stated outright but is also never denied, and yet here I was, staring at the words that seemed to burn into my retinas with their simplicity and message.

And, as the dust settled in my brain, one thing hit me.

Holy shit it's canon

I finished the book in its whole glory on a PE lesson on Wednesday, and immediately knew I needed to get the second book right fucking now.

Yet, poland continues to be poland, and as I input the book into my Empik app to find which store has vol 2, I am met with the answer of Westfield Mokotów, which is about an hour away by public transport. Coincidentally, that same trip by car happens to be only about half that time, leading me to devise my epic plan

Ask Mom if she'll drive me there

If yes, let Mom drop me off and get the book (success!)

If no, go there by public transport and get the book myself (longer, but still success!)

Well, after my mom came home literally as I was writing the texts to her, I presented the plan, which got interrupted by Mom giving me three pieces of information:

That mall is close to my mom's workplace

She cant get me the book today, but she could the next time she'll be working stationally (she works from home most of the time to take care of me and lil' sis and the dog better + it's more convienient)

My big sister's workplace just so happens to be not far from the same mall as well

So, plan now revised, I go to my chat with sis and ask her.

I did not even start typing the actual logistics before she agreed to buy it for me. Not to drop me off there, not to take the money from me so it's like I'm buying it anyway, but to actually buy it for me.

So, after writing something along the lines of "OMG TYSM ILYSM!!!!!! <3 <3 <3" and her writing back that she'll get it on Thursday when she goes to work stationally again, I walk away on could nine and go scrolling this very tag for content of my precious idiots.

Thursday (today) rolls around, and my day is okay. Math test first period, but I'm math autistic so I came in late and finished first, instead of english the six of us in our split class group go listen to a lady present a powerpoint about forest day to some year 0's (zerówka) and then chill (I'm mostly filling in the spots in vol 1 where I haven't written out the murdlers by word yet).

Then, two lessons from the end, we have commonroom period (godzina wychowawcza, with your assigned class teacher yapping on about something). We didn't talk about anything since there was a poem contest due Friday and our Polish teacher guilted homeroom teach into letting us make the poems (I wasnt making one, but like at least two people did and there was a grand total of like 12 of us so yk), and towards the end of my lesson I started feeling weird. I went to the bathroom and felt cold, so I grabbed my coat from my locker, and yet I still felt cold. And not oh-no-too-cold cold, but I-am-having-a-fever-so-everything-else-seems-cold-by-comparison cold.

(Forgot to mention, but just before commonroom my sis texts me that she got the goods and that I can just drop by and pick it up anytime. This is important for later.)

Then, just before WOS (wiedza o społeczeństwie, it's like politics jr and stuff), I ask my teacher to let me go to the nurse. Long story short, waited 15 min for her to tell me I'm fever-free, so I got back to class, still feeling queasy, and do the lesson stuffs (fortunately it was just a question sheet that our teacher was just actively telling us how to fill in and giving us good grades for that + 2 quizzes on knock-off kahoot, so it was chill)

Back at home I'm feeling queasier than ever (plus dog almost gets run pver by a bike on the fucking sidewalk right in front of the gate to our house), so I take my temperature, and, wouldn't you know it, 37.8C (deep in fever territory for the americans).

So I text my sis a pic I took of the thermometer with the caption "Me sick".

AND THAT ANGELIC CREATURE FUCKING DECIDED TO DROP IT OFF TOO!?!?!?!?

Like, our next texts were just me saying variations of "TYSM ILYSM <3 <3 <3 <3" cause she was doing me so much favors this week oh gods

And now as I sit here, unstarted yet vol 2 under my arm...

I CANNOT FUCKING WAIT TO START!!!!!

Happy to be her with y'all <3

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.1 (2000/Winter) Changerion Reunion Interviews ft. Takashi Hagino & Aizawa Kazunari (translations below)

Publication: December 31, 2000

Takashi Hagino & Aizawa Kazunari: After 4 years, a date in Harajuku

Hey you two, how are you doing these days? It's been 4 years since the end of the broadcast. You two had a fateful encounter in "Choukou Senshi Changerion," an unusual heroic show that still remains popular to this day. We asked Takashi Hagino and Kazunari Aizawa, who say they still get along well with each other, about their memories of those days, and what their future plans are.

Main Interview Section

"I'm going to say it now. I mean it, I'm really going to say it right now! Changerion was really entertaining! It was truly a masterpiece! Suzumura Akira, a happy go lucky, good natured, 182cm tall, cat eyed, beautiful private investigator, and his partner, Hayami Katsuhiko, a 183cm tall, hot blooded and direct individual with a handsome face, are both on the side of justice. Kuroiwa Shogo, the Dark Knight, is an elite who's handsome, also quite tall I guess, and is running for governor of Tokyo in order to seize control of the city. A slapstick comedy and super cool tokusatsu hero show, with a mixture of fiction and reality, something like this most definitely existed in 1996 Tokyo. On the day of this interview, I was so excited to hear their voices saying, "Good morning~!" The appearance of those two standing there looked really really cool! And so begins the converstions full of laughter between Takashi Hagino, who plays the main character Suzumura Akira, and Aizawa Kazunari, who plays his partner Hayami Katsuhiko."

-Casting!! Secret Stories?-

Hagino: At that time, the role was the same as it always was, wasn't it? I went to a party at some production company, and someone was like, "Ah, you there," and told to come in for an audition. When I went to it, Shirakura-san, the producer, and Nagaishi-san, the main director, were smiling ear to ear once they saw me. I remember thinking, "What, why are you smiling like that?" I was 22 at the time of my debut, so it was about 5-6 years after I dropped out of high school. Before that, the movies that came out around that time made me think that acting was really interesting.

"You've also appeared in a V-Cinema that contains slightly adult content."

Hagino: It's bad. Please don't watch it (laughs). Watch something else where I look cool.

Kazunari: For me, I had just started acting, and my manager took me to Toei's head office to introduce myself. I announced that I was new and would be in their care, and then a strange old man came up to me and said, "Are you the one?" (everyone laughs).

Hagino: Wait! Was he trying to flirt with you?!

Kazunari: Uh, no, you see, my shoelaces became untied in the hallway, so I had to sit on the floor to retie them. He came up to me and said, "What's wrong?" I said, "Ah, no, I'm an actor," and he said, "Come with me then!" Things got carried away, and before I knew it, I went in for an audition.

Hagino: So, who was that guy?

Kazunari: He was……a really good guy to say the least, I actually don't remember his name.

Hagino: You're terrible! (laughs).

Kazunari: No, no. Look, it's because, it's just…anyway, so, at first, I was reading the script without knowing which one of us would play the role. Then, when it was down to just a few people, they asked me, "Which role do you want to play?" I was like, "Well, Hayami, I guess." I wondered if this was it, and then I passed, I passed……huh.

Hagino: Can we get some more joy here?

Kazunari: Well, it's because I really didn't understand. I didn't really feel it when I was suddenly told that I got the job. What's more, I still had no idea how hard it was going to be. No, rather, you really don't know what's going to happen in this world.

"Thank goodness for untied shoelaces and nice people"

-I'm not awkward!-

Hagino: I was asked to read my lines in front of everyone. Naturally, the producer told me that in the future, he would never have me read my lines at the audition for a leading role ever again (everyone laughs). No, I thought it went really well, and while I was a favorite to play this role, somehow I was also the worst. One of the more important people there looked as if he was going "?" all while tilting his head. He looked really nervous. He said, "From now on, when we present leading role auditions to the higherups, we won't make them read lines." He also said, "If you go with this guy, then shut him up and pick him already."

"It's true, Akira's acting wasn't very good, and I felt so embarrassed watching that I wasn't even able to finish the first episode. But, I could never think of anyone else playing Suzumura Akira but Takashi Hagino, and I still think that way after seeing him again after four years."

Hagino: But, back then, I definitely had some momentum. I was always told "You're a perfect fit for the role of Akira!," and a part of me got carried away over it, it felt like my nose was growing just like Pinocchio, except this nose is of brilliant glass. If Pinocchio's nose was made of glass, it would be really beautiful and sparkling.

"He smiles cheerfully and says that such things give him "the power" to play a role."

Hagino: But, you know, it's going to break someday. When that happens, only then will you understand.

"Afterall, Akira, aren't you suppost to be an adult?"

-First Impressions-

Hagino: We first met in an elevator, right?

Kazunari: Yeah, it was in an elevator. When I was on my way to the audition area.

Hagino: I said, "Huh? What's with the long hair?"

Kazunari: Yeah, it was really long.

Hagino: Incredibly long, it was tied in a single knot, along with wearing black jeans and a black shirt. I noticed him and asked, "What floor?" He said, "8th floor, hurry it up."

Kazunari: You liar! No, I politely said, "I'm going to the 8th floor, please."

Hagino: Well, I don't know, I guess that's just how bad my impression of you was (laughs).

Kazunari: Somehow, I never thought that the two of us would be working together.

Hagino: Yeah, I had costume fitting, and they told me that my partner was coming, and then the absolute worst guy came walking in.

Kazunari: Hey now (laughs).

Hagino: Because we seemed so similar in type, I thought there was no way the two of us would be together. Then he came in. And, as you can see, he's handsome, incredibly so. And…uwah. He stands out just by standing still. I really have to do my best here. Even still, I feel good with this guy. I can't imagine anyone else, as I'm already spoiled being stuck with him.

"Oh? Hayami is smiling shyly as he listens."

-Dramatic Drunks-

Hagino: When we drink together, we end up staying up until morning, right?

Kazunari: Yeah, when I see him, all he does is drink.

Hagino: When drunk, this guy tries jumping backwards. He gets really mad. When he stomps, it makes a nice sound.

Kazunari: I see… (pretending not to know)

Hagino: I end up joining him (grinning)

Kazunari: It seems I do alot of unacceptable things.

Hagino: Not really. He says that like I'm trying to wring it out of him. Well, guess I'll just go home then… (walks straight past him)

Kazunari: I do drink abit too much.

Hagino: I feel like a fighter when it comes to alcohol. I'm trying not to lose my memory here.

Kazunari: This guy makes people drink all the time. He'll ask, "Want some sake?" It seems I don't drink for myself, rather, I only drink due to the influence of other people. (to Hagino) Hey, you, you're the reason I always end up getting drunk.

"As usual, they are the best of friends."

-Acting, Theatre and Films-

Kazunari: Basically, about halfway through Changerion's filming, my impression of him was, "Ah, this guy, he's actually really serious.

"Oh? Somehow, Akira looks very happy."

Hagino: That's because, you know, it took me a long time to properly get into the role.

Kazunari: In our current ranks, we don't get into such big roles on TV or movies. I often get a role at the last minute, and have to act on the spot, so I think that because I can practice for a month on stage, movies really require alot of power in comparison.

Hagino: It's definitely different from Changerion, where we could say, "Let's take our time and work on it." I won't be able to make it if I try to wing it. But, if you ask me if I can act in the moment, I can't play the role of a big shot, because I think it wouldn't come off as authentic, but it'll be the best I can do, so it's important to know how much you can work with in such a short period of time.

Kazunari: I think about it alot. When I get a role, I'll think about it for a long time, doing research by watching similar movies, reading books, and so on, then, build up an image. Finally, once on set, adjust it as I see fit.

Hagino: My perception of acting has changed. I'll still watch the videos, and think, "Wow, I really did it~." But, there are also scenes where I'll say, "Oh, I don't think I can do this now." There are so many scenes like that. Although, it's a great opportunity to get into the swing of things, because you end up transforming yourself. The more I got into the rhythm, my surroundings were also in rhythm, so I was able to stay on track. Changerion was a a unique experience, and I don't think I could have done it alone.

Kazunari: The final broadcast was on Christmas, right?

Hagino: For some reason, I don't want to talk about the final episode. It went something like, I drank alot before the shoot and just had alot of fun, since we basically had a day off…

"Does this mean you were having a rough time before the end of the broadcast?"

Hagino: No, no, that's not it. We had about four days off before we started shooting, and I'd never had such a holiday weekend before, so I got alittle too relaxed.

"Does that mean things ended on good terms?"

Hagino: Yeah ❤️, that's how it felt. That's why I don't want to remember.

Kazunari: Like-I-was-say-ing, you…

Hagino: No, no! For me it may be just a past memory, but it's an important one.

Kazunari: Yeah, it was alot of fun.

"Never ending stories and overflowing emotions. I was happy to meet them. Changerion, beyond time…and for all eternity."

[lirabuswavi]

Hi Lira! Good to see you here. Do you have any Ozpin Lives Au headcanons? And do you have any Oscar&Ozpin vol.4 headcanons?

Hey! I was pretty excited to see you on here too, if the spam liking your posts wasn't any indication, lol. And oh boy do I have a lot to say, I'm just gonna put it under the cut.

Okay. So. For Ozpin Lives AUs. There's so many ways to go about it. I'm a fan of Ozpin Lives but with Consequences of the Soul kind, because how else are you supposed to tie in our favourite farm boy? Whether this is some kind of half baked merge, or a kind of platonic soulmates, or just a Connection, Ozpin deserves a chance to actually parent the kid the universe randomly assigned to him.

I imagine he'd be very tactile, hands on shoulders, hair ruffles, holding hands, helping Oscar learn to fight, the whole nine yards.

And I imagine Oscar would, at some point, start to reciprocate. Initiating hugs, poking Ozpin, gently kicking Ozpin when Oscar thinks he's being stupid (Oscar should get to kick Ozpin in the shin at least once, he deserves it).

What's the point in being shy about physical contact when their very souls are intertwined?

Now in Haven, I feel like Qrow would be baffled by the presence of Oscar but more releived and focused on the fact that Ozpin's alive. Oscar has an easier time making friends with RNJR when he doesn't have their dead Headmaster in his head and constantly hovering over his shoulders. Though, I do think in contrast, Yang will be more aggressive with Ozpin since he's physically there and doesn't have Oscar as a kind of buffer between them.

In the Haven fight, Oscar would still be the one to fight Lionheart, because Ozpin will be very occupied with Hazel trying to beat his head in. I think there could be a sweet moment in there where Oscar covers for Ozpin there. Ozpin protests that this is his fight, but Oscar replies that they're supposed to be a team aren't they? And that means no one has to face anything alone! Hazel, of course, would get even more pissed off at what he sees as another child trying to fight Ozpin's battles so the moment is quickly broken up.

Now, when it comes to Jinn... it's hard to say. RWBYQ will definitely know that Ozpin's hiding things from them, but how would they get the Lamp's password without Oscar giving it to them? And without Oscar in Ozpin's head and vice versa, how would they even get there? I don't think it makes sense for them to get the Lamp's password, though I definitely think they'll be frosty with Ozpin because they know he's hiding things from them, they just can't tell how much.

Now the Apathy, however... oh boy. With all of Ozpin's repressed trauma I expect he'd be taken the fuck out. Could probably fit in a reveal in there, with the Apathy impacting Ozpin's ability to see the point of hiding his secrets since Salem's unkillable anyways, and they never did technically get a divorce and killing your spouse is frowned on though that hasn't stopped her yet and wow he's so useless at protecting people, all of his children have died, he's so sorry to Oscar for bringing him into this, he's just getting another one of his kids killed-.

Yeah. I. I really don't think Ozpin and the Apathy would get along.

(I know you asked for Ozpin Lives AU headcanons but you're getting an entire AU, whoops.)

Jaune definitely punches Ozpin in the face in Argus. No argument there. I do feel like Oscar would still go off on his own to go shopping and also have some time alone to reflect. What does he really want out of this? He's just another one of Ozpin's kids, how much does he really matter? He's not a Huntsman either, he's the youngest of everyone, just a kid, is he a burden? In the end, I feel like Oscar would come to the conclusion that he's not stuck here, but he wants to be here. He wants to do more, he wants to help, he wants to fight. It might have felt like he was just getting dragged along from his Aunt's farm but now... Now it's his choice. And he chooses to fight. He chooses to save lives. He chooses to stay. He chooses Ozpin.

Ozpin, meanwhile, is freaking the fuck out over where his kid went. Everyone's kind of shocked to see how much their perpetually in control Headmaster is panicking, meanwhile Ozpin's in the corner catastrophizing because oh no, what if he's been kidnapped what if he tried to go home but then got kidnapped what if there was a Grimm attack what if he's dead-.

Yeah. Panicking. Ozpin hugs the life out of Oscar when they see each other again (codependency says what) and doesn't even bother trying to play it off. Cue heartfelt speech of how though he may seem implaceable, he deeply cares for people. He cares for his friends, his students, his kids. He thought the best way to keep people safe, keep his friends safe, was to seem invincible, and the only way to do that was to keep everyone at arms length. But looking at everyone, they find strength in their closeness, and not letting people know how much they mean to him seems to only have been hurting them in the long run. Cue promises to do his best and to try to trust other people more. Oscar's still grounded for the heart attack he gave Ozpin (hey!).

The Cordovan issue is not automatically fixed. Ozpin lost his scroll and by extension his ID when Beacon fell. Cordovan thinks there's no way this burn scarred ragamuffin is the former Headmaster of Beacon Academy, fraud is a crime you know! They still steal an airship. Oscar gets to commit a felony. As a treat.

Now Atlas is... hmm, a toss up based on how you characterize Ironwood. I believe he has the potential to make the right decisions, to be a good person, but he also very much obviously has the capacity to make terrible decisions and be a bastard. Would having Ozpin there fix that? Fuck if I know! Still won't stop Salem from showing up.

Now, for funsies, I think Ozpin should be the one getting kidnapped by the Hound. Let him be a Damsel in Distress, it'll be fun. Oscar should get to go rescue his father figure, it'll be enriching. Bonding time in the evil whale!

That's as far as I've got for Ozpin Lives AU (headcanons, I wrote so much, this was just supposed to be headcanons, ahhh-). Now for Oscar and Ozpin volume 4 headcanons!

In the show Oscar seems to spend most of the time ignoring Ozpin where he can, so it'd be up to Ozpin to fill the silence. I think Ozpin tells stories about people he once knew, about heroes. Teams at Beacon when he was a Headmaster, teams when he was a student, the people that were the basis for fairytales and ones that have been forgotten to time.

Oscar ignores the fact that he can picture the faces of every single person his hallucination talks about. Though the stories are nice.

But less nice stories would be the nightmares. Oscar definitely has nightmares of Beacon's Fall, Ozpin's death, past deaths as well. He has hardly gotten a single good night's rest since Ozpin showed up in his head.

I think more than just breathing exercises and talking Oscar through his panic, I think it'd be cool if Ozpin taught Oscar how Huntsmen check themselves for wounds. Adrenaline can numb pain, and Aura could be actively healing the wounds too, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. It's both educational and grounding, allowing Oscar to root himself in his body and not in the body of the person who he just remembered (lived) dying.

Ozpin tries to hide it but he feels very guilty for these nightmares. He knows they come from him.

Immediately after these nightmares is the most Oscar's willing to engage with Ozpin at the beginning, before Oscar accepts that this is happening, that it's real.

As you can see I have a lot of thoughts about this. Thank you for the ask! ✨️❤️🧡💛💚💙💜✨️

[putschki1969]

Hi Puts!!

I hope you’re doing well! Thank you for always sharing information about pretty much everything, along your thoughts. After every event I always look forward to reading your reviews/comments.

You’ve pretty much inspired me to learn Japanese (along with the girls)! I’m even studying abroad in Japan this fall!! My exact days are August 22 - December 22.

I wasn’t sure I would be able to go until quite late (my program sucks at communications info) so I’ve been busy dealing with preparing to go to Japan, that I haven’t applied or bought any tickets! (Pretty much panicking at this point since I don’t know when I’ll be back).

Unfortunately YK vol.#20 tour ends before I arrive which I’m so depressed about since I loved every setlist (especially with Hikaru now performing T_T) (hoping she has more performances). Thankfully there’s still Wakana’s Classics, but I’m trying to figure that out still.

I was wondering if you knew any upcoming performances where there’s a good chance I can buy tickets still (whether online or at door) or have any advice on what I should do? I know there’s the Highway Star Party event but I’m not really interested in that. I will have a japanese phone number, address, and residency card so hopefully even the trickier tickets don’t cause any problems.

Also is there anywhere you suggest I visit? Restaurants and food? I plan to do a deep search and visit places the girls have mentioned ^ ^, more specifically around Tokyo.

Anyways, sorry for the long post/ask. Thank you for everything you’ve done!!

Hello there!

Thank you for this lovely message! And wow! That sounds amazing! I hope you'll have a great time in Japan.

What a shame though that you won't make it in time for the last YKL Vol#20 performance with Hikaru as guest vocalist. As of right now, I don't think they are planning to add any more dates for Japan. They have been known to announce at least one or two additional performances for Tokyo in the past but this year, it looks like they will end the main portion of the tour this weekend in Saitama. However, there are four concerts scheduled for November in China, Thailand and Malaysia. Chances are high that Hikaru will be invited as guest vocalist for these. Keep an eye out for any updates on that! We don't have any details yet but if you get the chance to go on a short weekend trip, I'd definitely recommend you get yourself a ticket and check out one of those places.

Overseas Performances YKL Vol.#20 Tour The performances are scheduled for November 2024. YK and her team will be returning to Shanghai (China), and will be performing for the first time in Guangzhou (China), Bangkok (Thailand), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

It may be a bit too late for this but you should 100% try to get a ticket for Keiko's upcoming fan club event! Just a few days ago, they announced a second lottery round so there's still a chance to apply for tickets until August 4! I don't know if you are a member of Keiko's FC but you could technically still register and hopefully finish the procedure in time to take part in the ticket lottery. Please note though that you'll probably need help from someone in Japan when using Lawson Ticket.

『KEIKO fan meeting chocolate meating #4』 Date: September 7, 2024 (Sat) Venue: TIAT SKY HALL 1st (Day): Open 14:00 /Start 14:30 2nd (Evening): Open 17:30 / Start 18:00　

Aside from possibly joining the YKL Vol#20 Asia tour leg, Hikaru will also be holding her very own solo tour during the winter time. Again, we don't have any details yet but once further infos get announced, I recommend you get your hands on a couple of tickets for one or two of those concerts. The Toyama live in particular is something I'd aim for if you want to have the best possible experience. Also a great opportunity to explore Hikaru's hometown

Hikaru Solo Tour 2024/25 -2024- 24/11/30 (Sat) Toyama 24/12/07 (Sat) Aichi 24/12/14 (Sat) Miyagi 24/12/21 (Sat) Kyoto 25/02/11 (Tue) Tokyo

The FC ticket lotteries for Wakana Classics are already over but there will be other options available soon. Last year, ticket playguide lotteries for non-FC members took place in October (with a subsequent regular sale) so I expect the same to happen this year. Just be patient a little while longer. They will most likely launch a dedicated webpage on the BSFuji website with some more infos on the concert and where to get tickets.

『Wakana Classics 2024 (tbd)』 Date/Time: 2024/12/18; Start 18:30~ Venue: Hamarikyu Asahi Hall

As for food and restaurants, that's very difficult for me to answer because I typically try to visit places that the girls have recently been to (I guess it's more of a spontaneous thing?). I do my best to keep track of all the good spots but it's a struggle T_T I suck at everything that's related to locations. However, you can check out my MEDIA posts on Twitter to see pictures of some of the spots I've already visited. I usually add a little description to my tweets so you should be able to figure out which places I'm talking about.

Three very popular Kalafina pilgrimage places are definitely Tsurutontan Roppongi (from an old blog post), La Maison Kioi (from a SPICE interview) and Shinagawa Aquarium (from a FC Harmony feature). Here's a blog post where I talk about visiting all three of them. One day, I want to eat at all the gyoza restaurants that Wakana has recommended in her fan club magazines but that's actually not so easy since most of those places are tiny and require a reservation.

You should also try to make short day trips to Ishikiri-Sanmyaku and Oya History Museum (best done with a group of locals or fellow fans). Both are beautiful locations which were used for various music videos (Kalafina's "Hyakka Ryouran", Hikaru's "Alterna-ate-", Kalafina's "Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa", Wakana's "Butterfly Dream").

Sorry I can't provide a better list but hopefully, this will help at least a little bit.

[storyspinner91]

Twenty Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @littleblackraincloudofcourse

Tagging @lowkeyed1 @evodevo-geekmonkey @dianels @bisexualshakespeare @spybrarian @blackdalek

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 

7 (3 are WiP)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 

186,452

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Willow! ...Technically other things too but really it's just Willow with playful skins.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Red Embers: dark alternate future AU, resistance fighters against the Wyrm's tyranny, grim & gritty

Like Constellations, a Million Years Away: sprawling mecha sci-fi AU set in the world of the Lancer tabletop roleplaying game. The Questies all pilot giant mechs; four books (2 done), one focused on each of Jade, Kit, Graydon, and Elora (in that order). Posthumanism, anticolonial to the extent a fanfic can be, utopian, dramatic.

Soft Blazing Crowns: Tanthamoretober one-shot. Modern AU. Elora helps Jade with a sexy photoshoot for a gift for Kit.

Full: (E-rated) Tanthamoretober one-shot. Modern AU. Straight-up smut drabble, 100 words on the dot. Extremely funny to me that this is in the top 5. :P

The Loving Hurt: Canon-set one-shot digging into the violence implied by the canon against the Bone Reavers, Scorpia's backstory, how Jade got her name. Dark, grim, not pleasant to write and in some ways probably not to read TBH. I was in A Mood!

5. Do you respond to comments?

Religiously! Sometimes it takes me a while, but I do.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? 

Hmmm. I mean I think it's gotta be The Loving Hurt. Like I said. Dark. Blame the show's writers, I do. :P

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

Gonna resist the temptation to say Full and instead say I think that it'll probably be Flawless Five vol. 1 when it's finished in a few weeks!

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

Not so far!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? 

The only thing I'd consider smut is Full. Otherwise, not anywhere that you can see. ;)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? 

No true crossovers, though Like Constellations is set (loosely) in the Lancer Universe.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so! They're too weird!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

No but I'd be so honored.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

Nope!

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I am a Tanthamore diehard, what can I say.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? 

If you'd asked me recently I'd probably have said "all of them." Fortunately I'm feeling a little better lately! I hope to finish all of the current ones; Constellations is a slow, weighty project, F5 I hope to have done very shortly, Embers...we'll figure that out after F5.

16. What are your writing strengths? 

I think I'm pretty good at dialogue, and I'm decent though not incredible at humor (especially character-based humor). I'm also a decent mimic - though this can feel a little clunky sometimes, I think I'm able to adjust my voice pretty easily to suit a situation, genre, or style. My unhinged and unpopular fic Excerpts from a new translation... is a pretty good example of that, lol. And on that note: I have a lot of fun with wacky metatextual stuff.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Taking the wacky meta stuff too far; not being bold enough in straying from the established character arcs/plots in canon; I don't think I'm great at writing really juicy interiority. Starting very large projects that will take forever to finish. ':)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? 

I'm comfortable enough in Spanish to write simple dialogue in that language. I've done one line in Latin (which I'm comfortable with since it's functionally a dead language) and made up some words in a conlang for Constellations. Wouldn't try anything via Google Translate though.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Willow! At least if we count conscious fanfiction. If we're going back to the Days of Yore probably Animorphs when I was a wee one.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

Difficult to pick...but Like Constellations is the baby, the one I'll finish come hell or high water (I hope). On the other hand, Flawless Five is probably the most fun (to write, and maybe to read if you like that sort of thing) and Red Embers is the one that in many ways I find most exciting. Like I said - hard to choose!

[yuhi-san]

Hospital yuri be on my yay! Vol 4 lots going on in the few first pages already.

Floppy haired vash is so adorable omg

Them making contact all of a sudden just then felt a little abrupt but good for them! Of course knives has to ruin it. Makes you wonder just how much he notices and knows of things going on.

Wolfwood oh man. I think its easy to miss how much time he spends just trying to keep it together and to adjust to all the curveballs hes thrown ever since he met vash. I think that deserves his own post eventually but he is not having a great time. But his reaction to the satelit and them making contact is really telling. His “will we be saved? Us…?” speaks volumes about ww. I think it shows how little hope for the future he really has. He can’t think much further than surviving tomorrow and maybe, if he’s lucky and smart and ruthless enough, keeping the children save for a little longer. But its clear he didn’t believe that there truly could be a future, let alone a good one. he has so very little hope abiut that but at the same time he wants to hope so, so badly, if not for himself then at least for the kids. And ouch that hurts.

Vash trying to sneak off alone, thinking he has to do it all alone. Of course he does. One day you will be at the receiving end and it wont be fun.

Ohh midvalley. Still very intrigued by him. But on the same note, what an unhinged first impression you give knives. But anyway  I think midvalley is actually a lot like Wolfwood. At least in the sense that he is very, very terrified but also has a very good intuition for a situation and danger. He also clearly does not want to be involved in this insanity, less out of a sense of morality but self-preservation. He can feel in his bones how evil and dangerous knives is and he really, really rather not cross his path again but what would be worse is getting on his bad side, so. I guess in a way midvalley is in a very futile situation, not too much unlike Wolfwood. Makes me wanna see an au where midvalley switches sides, if for no other reason than thinking this is more likely to keep him alive. Him and Wolfwood would be so interestig

Well knives seems confident Wolfwood is doing exactly what he wants. Though I’m not sure if that is because knives is so certain about ‘chapels’ loyalty (to the children, that is) or if he thinks it doesn’t really matter how it plays out either way as no matter what, he IS guiding vash and also it IS going to cause him so much pain regardless on how it goes down. Also not sure he even knows ww is the wrong chapel. On one hand, knives is meticulous and damn smart on the other hand I can see him not giving enough of a fuck to realize or maybe worry about it.

Vash and Wolfwood are soo dumb. How are they not dead. Bless milly and meryl. What absolute idiots. Especially vash. you traveled the desert for over a century, you should not make mistakes like that!!

It may be short but some badass milly and meryl moments! Man does meryl look mad. It reminds you that if they are not dealing with basically superpowered people, these two girls are not ones you want to mess with

Wolfwood waving at milly and und the horrified face he makes when she starts crying is so funny. He was just saying hi!!

Goddamn vash is mad and ready to strangle zazie, I’d say with the way he jumped at him (which went great. That was some hilarious rodeo of a worm vash)

It probably wouldn’t have worked out well but man I have no doubt milly would have shot ww. Shes so determinate I love her.

Lots and lots going on. The action and dialog is sometimes a little hard to follow to me. The missle Wolfwood shot into the sky. What was that for? Or was that the same one that hit between vash and hopperd?

Knives. We get to see him some through midvalleys eyes but there is also the shot of vash with a black eye stumbling after him while knives looks… displeased and uncaring at best. And we’ll see how my opinion evolves but I do think already then, knives was rotten to the core with no sympathy and love left. I do not at all think he is a case of born evil or anything. Knives very much was a victim of the circumstances. But what I do think is the whole tesla situation and all broke his innocent mind to a point where for him, there was never a chance of healing, no matter the course his life would have taken. You know what I mean? Maybe I’ll get more into that in another post.

[applestorms]

4, 15, &/or 25 for the ask meme?

hehehe sure ^w^ original ask game

4. If your favorite character weren’t in Death Note, what anime/manga do you think they would thrive in?

HMM. ok, hear me out: near in mob psycho.

admittedly i still haven't watched s3 yet BUT, even w/o that context i think he would be such a fascinating character in that environment, like-- mob's Whole Thing throughout the show is about wanting to be a normal kid and figure out his normal middle-school aged boy problems, in such a way that he Doesn't have to rely on his one incredible mental ability to fix everything for him. the Parallels of being this uber-talented kid that everyone reveres for their talents but also not really giving that much of a shit about that talent themself is already present. i feel like near would make a really good enemy-to-friend rival here, like he starts off totally ascribing to this idea of Well, This Is What I'm Supposed To Do while internally suffering under the weight of the whole Legacy thing before mob is like NO!! YOU CAN BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE!!! and flips his world-shit crazy style. also ritsu n mello could totally relate inferiority-complex-wise and watching them interact would be funny as fuck👍

15. Which character’s personality do you relate to?

god =3=" i guess L? i try not to be such a fucking manchild like him but i do somewhat relate to the overall mindset of not giving much of a shit about conventional social expectations. + sweet tooth, + obsession with light yagami. lmfao. i fear i may also be quite a bit like misa in some ways, specifically when i'm really excited about something/comfortable around someone i can go Full Stubborn Dedicated and get enthusiastic about shit in a way that expresses itself more like her than L. thoughhh, i think i probably relate to light more in terms of his underlying fears/angst/etc. so. idk, some mix of those three? ^w^ (you tell me tbh how do i come across)

25. At what point did you fall in love with Death Note?

HMM. good question. there's a couple points that i think might've tipped me over the edge from general interest to one of my most dedicated fixations yet, though it probably comes down to this: reading light's death in the manga. in part because it's such a Fantastic scene, easily one of if not the best in the entire series imo, but also because i kinda accidentally edged myself and didn't read it for years LOL. like i read the manga back in high school (black edition) but dropped it due to Circumstances and never ended up reading the last half of vol. 5 + vol. 6 until a couple months ago. oops.

also once i started to really get on board w/ meronia/the wammy's kids is when i think i Really started to commit to DN as a whole. "there's a point where if you start taking interest in wammy's house in the latter half of DN it's all fucking over for you," etc. etc. or however that post goes. really, it's once i started taking a Big Look at both near and light (around the time that i wrote this post, still one of my favorite astronaut rambles tbh) that i really started loving this series <33 (also the fact that this fandom has been great in my experience, at least around here!! :3c)

[sineala]

I am sorry if you have already gotten an ask like this, but I must admit that I am curious. Which avengers runs would you recommend as must reads? Of course, with special reference to stevetony.

So the thing is that there are A LOT of Avengers runs. We are currently on volume 9 of Avengers, and that numbering doesn't even include things like New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, All-New All-Different Avengers, all of which were the main team at some point. (There are of course also a bunch of other teams; Steve is currently on the Uncanny Avengers again.)

If you're looking for Steve and Tony specifically, off the top of my head, these are the main-team volumes that have had both Steve and Tony on them: Avengers vol 1, 2 (technically), 3, New Avengers vol 1, Avengers vol 4, Avengers vol 5, Avengers vol 8. They aren't always on the team at the same time, but that's everything that might conceivably contain them both.

So. I have a lot of recs.

For about the first half of volume 1, basically everything that shows up on lists of classic Avengers stories are a good bet. You definitely at least want the first 16 issues because that's when Steve and Tony first become teammates. But, yeah, things like the Korvac Saga and the Kree/Skrull War are probably things you will want to read anyway. (The Korvac Saga is the time Steve punches Tony in the face that, weirdly, fandom doesn't talk about much.)

I know volume 1 has nearly 400 issues but you can actually knock out everything after about #230 because that's approximately when Tony leaves the team because he's drinking again (there are some issues afterwards of the Avengers, mostly Steve, expressing concern) and eventually goes to the West Coast Avengers, and he and Steve aren't main-team together until vol 3. Tony does come back for the big events, though. But, yeah, you can basically stop slightly after Steve learns Tony is Iron Man (216) if you want them as regular teammates. In terms of what you might need to know from the second half of volume 1, the big thing that shows up in Steve/Tony fic is Operation Galactic Storm, because Steve and Tony have a big ol' fight by the end of it, and eventually end up resolving everything else they've fought about in arcs like Armor Wars (you did not ask for Iron Man recs, but, you know, maybe read that). Other than that, there's not much you need to know for Steve/Tony purposes because they mostly aren't together. But if you want to read things that are good anyway, I would highly recommend Under Siege, in which the Masters of Evil invade the Mansion (and destroy the only photograph Steve has of his mother). (There is a recent follow-up issue to Under Siege -- Avengers: Loki Unleashed -- by the original writer, Roger Stern, in which Tony does show up in New York to help the team rebuild.) It's not part of Avengers, but you might also want to consider reading some of the big events. I mostly mean Infinity Gauntlet when I say this. The other events in Avengers v1 that get fic mentions are The Crossing and Onslaught, but I swear you don't have to read them.

Volume 3 is my personal favorite and I think it really hits the sweet spot of being a classic Avengers run where everyone lives in the mansion and are friends together, but with more modern art and storytelling conventions. Steve and Tony aren't on the team together for the entirety of the Busiek/Pérez run which is the first half of the volume (and in fact Steve leaves for a reason that is Not Great), and it's not the absolute shippiest volume in the world but I think it's an incredibly solid run. Like, if you want A Really Good Avengers Run, read this run. Steve and Tony are back on the team for most of the second half of the run, which includes Red Zone. You absolutely want to read Red Zone.

After this, Marvel mostly starts new volumes when the creative team changes, which makes them slightly easier to keep track of, except then there's about five years where there isn't a comic called "Avengers," which is more confusing again, so there's really no winning here. Anyway, after vol. 3, we get Avengers Disassembled (which you probably should read just because you should know what happens) and the mansion explodes and everyone moves into the tower and we get New Avengers.

The first half of New Avengers vol. 1 -- which is the beginning of Bendis' Avengers run -- is what a lot of Steve/Tony fans (including me) imprinted really hard on. There are about twenty issues of them putting a team together and being co-leaders and it's really sweet and they work amazingly well together and you will probably really like it... and then Civil War happens and everything is bad and wrong and then Steve dies and stays dead for a few years and that is, uh. Less happy. You will probably want to read all the stuff after that anyway. I have a reading order for that around here somewhere.

Eventually Steve comes back to life and Avengers Prime happens (and you should read Avengers Prime) and we get Avengers vol. 4, which is the end of Bendis' Avengers run. I actually really enjoy vol 4. It is my Underrated Fave. Steve only rejoins the team, technically, for the second half of the run (for the first half he's running the Secret Avengers, which he hates), but he's around for a lot of the first half anyway because he just can't stay away from Tony. It's an interesting Steve/Tony dynamic because Steve remembers Civil War and he's pretty depressed and pretty angry and it's kind of like "what if you couldn't stand to be in the same room with the person you loved most?" because they clearly want to be around each other but they don't really seem to remember how to be friends with each other anymore but they still have a lot of feelings about each other and the best they can manage is A LOT OF SCREAMING and they're like "is this how friendship works???" and the rest of the team is like "no???? stop screaming." Because of course they want to scream at each other about their feelings in public in front of all their friends like two people who have a normal amount of feelings about each other.

This is Avengers v4 #9. This is their teammates watching them having a screaming fight. I wasn't kidding.

And then halfway through they figure out how to be friends again and because it's their particular kind of friendship it involves, like, Steve just gently touching Tony's neck while they are having a conversation.

That is Avengers v4 #18. You'd think Steve would rather put his hand on Tony's shoulder. Like a regular friend. You would really think he would do that. That doesn't appear to be the thing Steve is doing here.

Issue 19 gives us this panel which is basically their entire relationship:

The last arc of v4, where they get Jan back, is one of my favorite Avengers arcs. It's just... the classic Avengers being Avengers, and it's a lot of fun.

So, yeah, Avengers v4 is my Underrated Fave. But also it probably helps to have read the entire rest of Bendis' Avengers run first (or at least New, Mighty, and the major events -- Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege), which is a lot to ask.

And then you get Avengers vol 5, which is Hickman's Avengers run. Reading this run is kind of an all-or-nothing thing, because it tells one story that goes through Avengers v5, New Avengers v3 (if you're wondering what happened to v2, it's just that it's a team neither Steve nor Tony were on), Infinity, and probably also Secret Wars, in a very precise order. This is about a hundred issues. (If you are deeply into Hickman's work, before this you would want to read Secret Warriors and his Fantastic Four run. Which is about the same number of issues again.) It's a big commitment.

Hickman's run was the run that was going on when I joined this fandom -- I actually got into 616 Steve/Tony the week that Avengers v5 #29 came out, which was a hell of a week to pick -- and I think honestly I liked it better when it was coming out. Hickman is a very plot-driven writer, which means that a lot of big epic stuff happens, but it also means that characters often get slotted into positions in the narrative because someone needs to do a thing and I feel like there's often not a lot of consideration about whether this particular character would do that thing. When this was the first run I was reading, I didn't have a feel for the characters and I trusted that Hickman knew them better than I did, but at this point I have read enough Avengers that I have developed Opinions (as every comics fan does at some point; comics is kind of unique as a fandom in a "build your own canon" way) and my opinions are not really the same as Hickman's. Also at the time, it hadn't ended yet, and I thought the ending was a disappointment.

However, if what you want is a big, epic, universe-changing Avengers story in which Steve and Tony are main characters and how they feel about each other is absolutely integral to the plot... well. That's what Hickman's Avengers run will get you. As a Steve/Tony shipper, it's hard to imagine there ever being another Avengers run where Steve and Tony's feelings for each other are what so much of the run hinges on. So this is that.

After that, the universe ends (don't worry, it's fine), and then there's a period of time where Steve and Tony are on different teams. Then Steve is secretly evil for a while, and then Tony is dead for a while (while Steve is secretly evil), and then we get Avengers vol 8, which is Jason Aaron's run, which recently ended. Steve and Tony were both there and neither of them were evil or dead, which was nice, and somehow this run lasted five entire years and I just thought it was... mostly okay...? Steve and Tony didn't have a lot of interaction with each other. Some of the events during this time period were pretty good, though. AXE Judgment Day was the standout for me, though I think a lot of us who like villain AUs have mined and are continuing to mine Secret Empire for some angst material. That was before Aaron's run started, though.

Currently we are on Jed MacKay's volume 9, and Steve is not on the main team, though Tony is.

So, yeah, I'd have to say that my picks are some of the classic v1 arcs, v3, at least the beginning of NA v1, v4 provided you have read everything after NA v1, and v5/NA v3 if you're into that. Hope that helps!

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol14 Part 4

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4 | Vol11 Part 1 | Vol11 Part2 | Vol12 Part1 | Vol12 Part2 | Vol12 Part3 | Vol13 Part1 | Vol13 Part2 | Vol13 Part3 | Vol14 Part1 | Vol14 Part2 | Vol14 Part3 | Vol14 Part4

That's it! The final chapters and thoughts beneath that! AAaaah.

Chapter 8: (I'm having more image space now with one chapter so..uh...just me nearly posting every image in this one)

The biggest mystery in Trigun: HOW did they get a photo of Vash with all black hair and HOW??? did they get a photo of Knives?? I just have to assume they either have really good painters or maybe just painted black hair on Vash's old photo...and...someone made a photo of Knives moments before his death. Poor sucker.

Black hair Vash with his hair down looks so...so...so agh! So young! And vulnerable! And actually pretty good but also so cuddlesome and wow that hair looks soft. Every hair-era of Vash gives me different vibes, and this one especially has something super soft/melancholic...it's after his widower era (which is half-black hair) so it's a settled and accepted sadness but it's also post-trimax so it's also a hopeful atmosphere? Hope that explains it??

Also he's just super cute like this.

Also, hello there interesting bit of information that totally slipped past me on my other reads.

Egg Plant Dome...what exactly is this? I think that happened in ch6 when the feathers and plants fell down. Is this something the plants created, like a shell for the whole city? (don't wanna live underneath, it must be like a big oven during the day)

What a moment

(Oh they are talking about the wound Knives inflicted on Vash! When they fought and while Knives stabbed him, Vash protected them both from Chronica) There's something so meaningful about Knives, who thought himself above all humans, pleading them to save Vash's life.

What a way for the antagonist of the story to go. It doesn't end with violence, it ends with a silent thank you, with him protecting one last time what is dear to him and choosing his own (inevitable? Vash lives on. So could he have lived on if he wouldn't have created the tree?) end.

Just saving these because we're getting more cute Vash faces here.

Of course Vash finds an exit directly at the spot of his pursuers. And cute salamander thing!

Salamander and Vash do not approve.

IT'S HIIIIIM

The image of Vash with a wig, fake teeth and a fake beard is really entertaining. But really, was that ever an option for him? An option at least he'd be satisfied with?

Meryl & Milly! (Don't wanna forget Milly!) Aaaw and directly back to bantering!

Hehe love that face

awww and he would have loved to be fighting his way out of messes with these two together!

Vash was utterly betrayed in this moment.

Can we get a character song where Vash sings this in Stampede, please?

24h live emergency broadcast? Phew boy Vash is not getting ANY rest.

Many familiar faces! That one older boy, I wondered if that could be Kaite from the sandsteamer? And nice to see that the guy Vash and Wolfwood beat the shit out of at Lina's is still holding up to his promise and protecting the place now (and serving drinks as it seems). Then of course Livio!!! Being at the orphanage, next to Wolfwood's grave...I'm sure he's protectig them like nobody else could, being the best big brother to them all they could wish for. (I have to say I loved his short hair look but long hair works too) And we can spot Chronica...the Nebraskas and Brad and Luida! And, I love the way Vash starts from being exasperated to running to laughing. Has he missed this? Maybe!

Running into the far horizon....

And we're here, throwback at one of the very first pages of Trigun with the same line "And the same song of humanity still sang".

What an ending, huh? I really liked the ending..it's kinda started like it has begun, with Vash running away again. A bit like a circle, but in a way, that's the theme. Because at it says "the same song of humanity still sang" - some things don't change, humans will always be humans and will always hunt Vash down for the bounty (with the extra now that there are a lot that do LIKE him and want to know what he's at, knowledge which Meryl and Milly can provide). It's such a dark and serous manga, and to end on such a light note, with a really humour-filled last chapter, to me it transports the feeling of hope. The first time I read this it moved me so much. And it made me tear up not because of sadness, but because the ending is so hopeful, so good despite everything that happened! And the fact that Vash manages to get back up again, running and smiling, while he suffered so so much throughout the whole series...isn't that a wonderful thing? To not lose your smile after all that? Isn't that the most difficult thing maybe, and he still manages?

I wanted to add some final thoughts about the manga, but I don't really know where to start? I don't have any specific thoughts, and if I get, I might make an extra post...but I just want to say how much I love this series. I read it around february the first time and was instantly flashed. It turned out to be a completely different story than I had expected. It turned out to be very confusing at times (esp. because I read the Dark Horse translation which sometimes lacks in context in the dialogues) but I STILL loved it to bits. And it's maybe now one of my favourite series if not the. It's hard to compare different mangas and series, but when I'd had to decide for one where the theme moved me the most, is interesting, where the characters feel alive and tangible, where everything feels so round and like a story that was exactly written down as the author intended and not a bit shorted or altered, where you can feel the passion in the art...man it's just this one. That doesn't lessen the impression other series have on me, but it just means that this one stands out SO much that I can always go back to it and will always love it. And, when I said it turned out completely different than expected, I especially refer to the ending. And I also want to point out what I pointed out in a post earlier, about Vash having to kill somebody, about the fact that I don't think this story is supposed to preach us any moral, any higher ideal...it just tells us that nothing is easy, people are complex, decisions are complex and fucked up stuff happens. And despite all that, you can STILL choose kindness. It's a story that sounds like it's being told exactly like it happened. Nothing is put in a better light, and the bad guys are not put in an extra bad light.

What we take from that is up to us.

[weirdcat1213]

ok i guess this is it

the end of the road

i may do an actual post about it later but fellas, its been an honor suffer read with all of you :3 the meta, memes and reactions? priceless

thank you @revenantghost for bringing us together for the best group activity ever: suffering and crying in a corner :D

lets go one more time

vol 14 thoughts

chap 1:

-THIS ONLY HAS 8 CHAPTERS WTF

-longer than he has been alive? oh thats adorable

-"that is how...i lived my life" why do i feel so sad all of a sudden

-OH YIKES WHAT

-ok damn i get that now, legato is really fast damn

-again, when did vash's coat turn black

-oh shit chronica no

-pls leave vash alone legato

-for some reason vash feel really quiet right now. thinking back to other fights, those didnt feel as quiet as this one, i wonder why

-yeah,,,,sadly i dont think he can control his body either...

-oh ok i didnt notice that the 1st time but thats so interesting. spoilers for 98 but in that one vash's decision is quick, a decision he made against the ropes. he thought about ways to avoid it and then gave up at the last second. here however, he has been thinking about it the moment he started to fight legato i think. like only one man could survive that encounter. he knew from the start it was either the plan (cuz cmon he doesnt care about whether he lives or dies) or legato. at least in 98 the decision was in a quiet setting, imagine giving up your values (and with them a huge part of what you think is your heart) while you are fighting to the death

-HE DOESNT WANT TO DO THIS BRO LEAVE HIM ALONE

-GEESUS oh god no. is he even there or is it vash's imagination

-oh nvm he is here, hi livio

-"dreaming saint" may be one of the saddest nicknames he's ever gotten :c thats kind of what he is and that makes me sad

-and...there he is. not even a word, just him

-:c

chap 2:

-"overkill" huh? maybe

-you did that to choose :c you did what you could. god, he needs to hear more how him trying is enough.

-oh god hes spiraling, this is not the time :c i get it tho

-"you always give up hope so easily" and thats what he did when he chose

-its too early for me to cry, tears go back in

-wait chronica was in the nomad right? is she...yknow...

-i love that panel with meryl picking up vashs head a little bit cuz it gives me the feeling finally someone can protect him from everything, let my man rest pls

-oh shit bro you good?

-oh :c.... oh

-oh god ok its time for the cable

-oh god not the fucking feathers

-if i keep reading today im gonna start crying

chap 3:

-oh my god its the beginning

-he IS a clever bastard ill give you that

-the feathers :c

-oh my, things are happening (aka my cue to cry)

-its time knives, youre gonna fall and hit your stupid head so hard

-YES MERYL YES YOU ARE SO RIGHT MERYL

-NOT THE SCHOOL TRIPS OMG THATS ADORABLE

-...ok i get why *hes* saying that. the conflic, i think, pretty doesnt exist anymore for him but for knives is very real and really present. he may be a little stupid to understand balance and how wrong he is, but at the same time there was a reason for all of this. he committed the same mistakes humans did doing his stupid little crusade but you cant tell little knives, the one who hoped to connect with humans, that he is foolish and reigniting a conflict. its just 2 really different perspectives

chap 4:

-knives is a bastard, and an asshole and he hurt vash so much but damn it. i cant hate him, not after processing trimax for the 2nd time.

-anyway

-oh god not the cable

-VASH OMG MY SON MY MAN MY LITTLE MAN

-GET TFO LEGATO PLS, CANT A MAN BE UNSCOSNCIOUS IN PEACE???

-WOLFWOOD PLEASE TAKE THIS BASTARD AWAY AND TELL VASH HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HIM

-IT HAPPENED AGAIN, WHY DOES MY BODY REACT SO VIOLENTLY WHEN I SEE REM. ALSO WHY DID IT HAPPEN AGAIN

-also im always gonna say this is vash's mind and not ghosts cuz...idk....it doesnt feel like it. the ghosty presence feels more real in stampede but thats just me

-HIS LITTLE EYES AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

-THATS WHAT I MEAN, THATS TOO MEAN FOR A GHOST

-ALSO :C

-hes so tired, hes so fucking tired

-oh wait oh shit

-im granting you nothing you bitch

-oh god knives are you good

-oh yeah hes still there

-oh ok so thats why that plan doesnt work. ok continue

-oh he looks so weird and majestic...you really have to wonder what was nightow thinking when he designed this

-they are so positive, can i have some of that? a gram should do it

-you can easily replace "because i stand with vash the stampede" with jeesus but vash the stampede is cooler im sorry

-also kudos to them for never having a "yknow what im sick of you, i never needed you" kind of arc. thanks nightow. they are married from the beginning til the end

-im...not really sure about where did vash come from but at this point it doesnt matter, im glad hes here <3

chap 5:

-vash in a fucked up mind palace, i win

-"ticket to the future" oh no

-I DIDNT NOTICE HIS ARM IS MISSING???? FUCK???

-HES UP! REJOICE

-FEATHER

-"what a cruel joke" :c

-ONE LAST TIME BABY CMON

-FUCK OK THAT WAS SCARY

-OKOKOK WOWOWOW THAT SO INTERESTING. stampede knives was like "hey this place seems nice for plants, me and my bro. lets keep it" but trimax knives want to literally yeet everything humans have touched. in his mind he can live with other plants idk, in like the middle of space? thats so interesting...

-"what is that noise" YOUR MF SIBLINGS BITCH

-....cmon man. cmon

-were you united by hatred tho? i believe some plants hated humans but not all of them

-leave your own brother alone ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

-"this is insane" it is insane, so you better fucking appreciate what hes doing rn

-AH GEESUS NO HERE IT COMES, THE FUCKING CABLE

-LEAVE HIM ALONE YO

-HURRY VASH HURRY

-"dont touch me" not even us....just him

-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :c

-i fucking love those panels where nightow puts a lot of details and dark lines only to make the next page the softest traces seen by man

-FUCK HIS BODY NOOOOOOOOOO

-OH I FUCKING LOVE THAT PANEL. GIVES ME "ANGEL WHO JUST FUCKING FELL FROM HEAVEN" VIBES

-ALSO KNIVES SHUT UP

-[sidenote: emptiness from the signalis ost just started playing and now i want to bite someone]

-TICKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET :C

chap 6:

-THATS MY FUCKING GIRL

-shut up vash, pls shut up

-oh vash...if it was that easy. but i guess thats the point. its not easy, it will never be easy to communicate, but we have to try. more people should remember that

-"what matters, is that you communicate. that you understand the person next to you is breathing and existing" fucking beautiful nightow

-"i wonder if he'll laugh again. if he'll follow his ideals again" im so...

-oh knives hey buddy

-i hate it, i fucking do but he looks so fucking sad when the plants let him go. when they decide if he wants to keep going down the path of hate he'll have to do it alone. and in his mind i dont think he has ever being alone. it makes me sad im sorry

-using the feather is so smart actually

-oh hes here

-ITS THE SCENE FUCK HERE WE GO NO

-FINAL BATTLE TIME MFSSSSS

-YO KNIVES YOU GOOD CUZ WOW

chap 7:

-OH ON THIS ONE YOU DIDNT EVEN GET TO HEAR HER FINAL WORDS? THATS MESSED UP

-THIS IS IT HERE WE FUCKING GO

-YES PLS KNIVES CMON

-honey...no...pls. let it go, theres literally nothing left to do.

-THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME BUT STILL CMON VASH

-DONT BE A LEGATO RN KNIVES

-oh?

-OH SHIT

-[the promise is playing. the fucking promise is playing]

-YOU "WERE"???? WELL SHIT ON MY FEELINGS NIGHTOW SURE????

-KNIVES???? YO????

-WELL FUCK ME NONONONONON PLS GIVE ME REM BACK PLS PH GOD OH FUCK

-OH SHIT TF IS THAT

-SHIT

-YES PLS RUN, THATS LITERALLY WHAT YOU GUYS COULD HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME. YOU COULD HAVE RUN AWAY TOGETHER (IN A FRATERNAL WAY)

-he is sadly a stupid idiot but HES MY STUPID IDIOT

-LIVIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THE FUCKING MVP

-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PLS GIVE ME BACK WOLFWOOD PLS, I NEED HIM BACK. WHY CANT HIS GHOST TALK TO VASH HUH?????

-ah fuck...them flying away together it looks so beautiful

chap 8:

-HERE WE ARE HERE I AM FUCK ME

-its is a never ending song isnt it

-my man deserved to rest more than 6 months

-hey knives honey why are you saying "hes crucial for you"? is it because you have internalized that humans will keep you around if you seem to be valuable for them? do you think that if vash is crucial they wont kill him? in the many years you have lived you dont know any other ways to ask for help than guaranteeing there will be something to be gained? huh?

-that kid has to live with one of The Traumas ever huh?

-IM GONNA CHOOSE TO BELIEVE HE LIVES IN THE FUCKING TREE CUZ HIM JUST DISSAPEARING IN THE AIR? TOO SAD. TOO FUCKING SAD. I WANT HIM BACK AS WELL

-YES YOUVE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGHHHH, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO YELL THIS *looks at publication date* right

-i dont remember your name doc but damn, you are everything.

-ALSO 1ST AN OLD LADY WITH HER GRANDDAUGHTER SAVE VASH AND THEN A DOC WITH HIS KID SAVE VASH??? SOMETHING SOMETHING ABOUT FAMILIES AND MAKING A SPACE FOR VAHS WHO LOST HIS FAMILY

-you are so fucking stupid and i love you

-also where did he get...yknow...everything

-you should do that...im begging you to do that pls. get all of that, just live peacefully pls

-MY GIRLS ARE HERE :'D

-YOU SHOULD FEEL ASHAMED, LEAVING MY GIRL MERYL LIKE THAT

-stooooop :'c my heart, this is too many ":D"

-THEIR FACE GOD I LOVE THEM SM PLS DONT LEAVE ME HERE

-GIRLS WHERE ARE YOUR GUNS LMAO XD

-the dumbest little song ever, god i could eat this man

-LINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MY BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

-LIVIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

-ah fuck...i ended up crying again and i still dont know why :'D

what a fucking, FUCKING TRIP. this is literally one of the best things the internet has ever done. i want to hug everyone who participated on this. we did it. we fucking did it

[feekins]

depression still sucks but I stay sillay🤞

meanwhile, looks like shit's kicking off again at the start of ch 5 of Trigun Maximum vol 2, so let's get into my thoughts and things and translation weirdness I find as I re-read it!

(NOTE: I'm reading the Dark Horse [physical] and the Overhaul [online] translations side-by-side)

SO. first page. Brad's shoving Jessica into an escape pod. when Jessica tries to insist on staying, Dark Horse has Brad replying with "Get in the 'shell'!! We're at low altitude, we'll touch down soon!" which. always confused me. until I read the Overhaul's translation, which has Brad saying "Get in the ship! We're at a low altitude, so it'll land quickly!"

moving into Wolfwood's...flashback? dream? thing? we see this habit Dark Horse has of keeping in honorifics. I've noticed this throughout my re-readings (like Milly saying 'sempai' where, in the Overhaul, she says 'ma'am'...and they pretty consistently keep the '-san's and '-kun's and whatnot), but...idk. this is one of the more interesting instances to me. Dark Horse has the kids calling Wolfwood "Nico-onii-chan" and "Nico-nii" whereas the Overhaul translates these things as "Big Brother Nico" or just "Big Brother".

COMPLETELY UNRELATED:

(Dark Horse on top, Overhaul on bottom)

...I mean, okay, Dark Horse?????

on the next page...idk, kind of context-changing translation discrepancies? at least, it changed my understanding of this bit. Dark Horse has Wolfwood saying to the kids "It would appear...I'm no longer fit to hold you guys..." and you can see his bloody hands as he says this, so previously, I interpreted this bit as metaphorical blood on his hands and/or maybe his hands are physically fucked up? but in the Overhaul, it's "It seems...I no longer have the right to hold ya..." and that drives the visual metaphor home way better imo.

BUT THEN...WE'RE BACK TO VASH AND WOLFWOOD'S ANTICS 😆

which leads to...

(Dark Horse on left, Overhaul on right)

I MEAN??? OKAY?????

here's a translation discrepancy I'm attributing to Dark Horse doing weird localization things (again). it completely changes the context, messing with this recurring theme we see across vol 1-2 of how ordinary, nonviolent folks will turn to violence when their family is hurt or in danger. to quote Wolfwood in ch 4 of vol 1 of Trigun Maximum (Overhaul translation), "Even people who would never fight will pick up a gun if their loved ones are killed." I'm p sure I've said it before, but that goes all the way back to Vash going against Knives for causing the Fall (killing humans, whom Vash basically considers extended family, as Sensei explains in ch 6 of Trigun Maximum vol 1) and killing Rem (closer adopted family). so yeah, that thing Wolfwood says...that's something Vash knows intimately. so I don't think it's a stretch to say that perhaps that's a big part of why Vash keeps intervening (even when he's hurt or sick as hell;;;;;)...

ANYWAY.

something interesting I noticed about THIS freaky s.o.b.:

in this panel, Dark Horse has him saying "And lost property is lost property, right? Am I wrong? Hmm?" meanwhile, in the Overhaul...he has a pretty distinct Spanish accent? like, saying "Lost property is lost property. Am I right, or am I right, jefe? Comprende?" and that accent goes beyond this panel, so. THAT'S interesting. 🤔

and, once again, the Overhaul's translation makes more sense, as we literally just saw this guy light his cigarette with this thing.

good wordplay in both translations! I'm not sure why Dark Horse leaves out that one bit, tho 🤨

and again, Dark Horse! ya really need to stop leaving out these vital bits...

AND FINALLY...

...Wolfwood.

my guy.

you were LITERALLY THERE at Fifth Moon.

...then again, this bit isn't about the big things, I don't think. it's about the little uncanny things Wolfwood's noticing about Vash as they continue to travel together...