#it's literally going to be 36 for real at some point /silly

[doodlejoltik]

Thunderous Rift Above The Summit - Thirty-six Views of Mount Coronet

Study/redraw of "Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit" from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by the ukiyo-e master Hokusai. It was really fun to figure out how the colour layering was accomplished and how to represent the rift in this style!

Painted on @pokemagma's recent "Pokemon Museum" event.

OG reference and some more info under the cut :)

The aspect ratio / cropping was changed because I was fitting it into a frame on the art gallery session template. I also needed to make space for the rift as a focal point.

This style is really interesting to me! I did this wholly in Magma, though I ran the small image through Rebelle to upscale it on some paper texture, and I think it would look even cooler with proper ink simulation. Dark edges on the ink areas, variations in the wash, etc...

Also yoinked some actual paper from ukiyo-e prints online for the base and overlay texture, which is a fun touch I think haha

And it involved multiply layers for different colours as seen here in the layer stack. Really interesting workflow that makes the shapes very deliberate and graphic. I've been in a bit of a print mediums era recently, what with the CMYK halftones and my recent highlighter art experiments and such... it makes for such cool effects!

[deadatsuko001]

A list of types of people I completely despise:

1. zoophiles

2. pedophiles

3. rapists

4. proshippers and anyone who supports/promotes incest

5. people who do drugs for fun and also pushes people into it "cause it's fun"

6. people who cry about their problems but don't even try to fix them

7. people who make everything a competition

8. people who bring race, gender, nationality and anything like that into fights (that's not a valid argument you dumb fuck)

9. people who fake mental illness, lie about their life and stuff like this (people actually go through shit. fucking shut up)

10. rich people (they always have an annoying personality)

11. these brainlets that sais "my mental illness is so silly/makes me look hot" (you don't fucking know the hell people with real problems go through)

12. people who have everything they want/their life is perfect but they try to find any minor inconvenience to cry about

13. pedobaiters/zoobaiters (understandable from point 1 and 2)

14. people who have fucked up fetishes/kinks but not as a coping mechanism (like being into mentally ill people or liking age playing)

15. people who like olives (sorry this one is a joke. I just don't like olives. moving on...)

16. people who think all cases of murders are bad and immoral

17. people who say "at the end of the day we all bleed red" (yes, we all are humans but some of us are bad and some are good. fucking put your brain at work)

18. people who destroy their life on purpose to attention farm

19. narcissistic and histrionic people (not a problem with you personally as long as your actions don't affect someone else. fucking stop putting innocent people down)

20. teachers. yes. all of them. no exceptions

21. people who can't see the bad things behind immigrants (think about it cause this is NOT about the families and people who are trying to live a better life)

22. people who make kids without wanting them even tho in their country abortion is legal (this is more about these women who make children then hate them or dads that leave)

23. people who don't believe in mental health

24. people who support patriarchy (it's 2025 and we still didn't evolved)

25. people who make fun of others for doing mistakes/typos in English (Emily, not everyone is American. get out of your bubble or attend geography classes for once)

26. sensitive people (and by this I mean these who call everything asianfishing, racist, anything chronically online like that)

27. religion wars (can we fucking accept already that we come from various places with different backgrounds? of course we are different you stupid shit)

28. also people who push their religion on others (it literally doesn't work like that)

29. people who talk with so much pride about their religion but they did all the sins in their book

30. presidents and anyone who works in the governments (no exceptions. they're all liars and money hungry)

31. people who sais they're broke (or really are broke) but have enough money to buy themselves expensive stuff (buy yourself some food, you're dumb?)

32. only fans influencers (men and women. men and women. exception: cases where money is really really needed and employment doesn't pay you enough because of this fucked up economy we live in)

33. people who get in relationships because "they're bored" or "needed a plot"

34. people who sexualize sex (it sounds hypocritical but I'm more talking about these sex workers or these who fuck around for fun. bring back seeing sex as something that bounds your soul to the person you love even if it's before marriage or you change partners. shit happens in life and it's understandable)

35. people who pick on others for no reason

36. people who do bad rage baits (bring back pineapple on pizza type rage baits)

37. people who try to be edgy (no one is scared of you, fuck ass. calm down)

38. people who get in dramas that aren't theirs

39. people who support the bad sides of AI (like using it to generate nudes of someone or to put down artists)

40. people who don't listen the others' part of story (misunderstanding or misinformation exists, dumbass)

41. people who put their partners over their kids but also people who totally forget about their partners after they get kids

42. people who get married too fast (you don't know what might wait for you after the wedding. wait. life isn't that short)

43. people who judge others for things that don't affect them

44. people who glamorise bad people/actions for no reason at fucking all

45. people who try to be something they aren't (for example forcing yourself to listen to a type of music you don't like just because you want to be tuff. literally just stfu)

46. people who put labels by how someone looks like

47. popular people (most of them have fucked up personalities)

48. people who start fights they can't handle

49. people who sees your warning about your mental health but then expect you to act like a normal person

50. people who sais an artist's songs aren't good just because their reputation is problematic

51. people who put labels on people because of their past

52. people who make lgbt their whole personality (you know what I'm saying)

53. people who promote shit like pornography to kids/on apps frequented by minors

54. people who make out in public

55. people who act like they know everything but you can tell they know shit when they start to talk about a subject

56. posers.

57. people who follow trends and make a big deal out of it (excessively)

58. people who hates kids (we get it that you don't want kids in the future but stop saying you wouldn't feel bad if you would beat up one, you failure piece of meat)

59. people who beat up/kill animals (not including food)

60. people who use others' trauma as comebacks (still not an argument, you insensitive shit)

61. people who think you should just take hate from others just because you're older (I will argue and fight with whoever pisses me off. I don't give a fuck if you're 3 years younger)

62. any type of abusers

63. people who can't tell the difference between words and actions

64. people who hates on others just because they're a beginner at what they're doing

65. people who cry about their weight but never touched a gym in their life

66. people who promote eating disorder or sees it as something cool (said by someone who never had one. this is living proof you guys aren't woke)

67. people who sais smoking/drinking is for pussies (some of us use it as a coping mechanism. maybe you should just put a cock in your mouth and stfu)

68. people who think they're better than others for never having sex or not feeling sexual attraction

69. people who doxx as an argument (unless that doxx is really deserved)

70. people who bullies others to death and feel proud of it

71. people who don't take accountability for their actions (you fucking pussy)

This list will keep getting updated. Idc if you're mad at it. If you get mad then you know you're the problem.

[08skyguy80]

SEASON 7 OF PUPPET HISTORY IS OUT!!

If you haven’t watched it yet, you should go watch it. It’s a super funny and interesting episode, plus we get huge lore drops that I’m going to dive into below!

This next part is just going to be my analysis rant for the episode because there’s so much I noticed that I want to share my thoughts on.

‼️Warning for spoilers‼️

TW for mentions of drugs, memory loss, god and death/murder.

I just want to start by saying that this episode was literally a cinematic masterpiece. Even with the silly bits of dialogue, the actual lore writing was so good and so was the acting. Plus the actual cinematography? The pan from the Phorgedytol billboard? The lighting and sets? Masterfully done. You can tell so much love and skill go into the making of this show and it’s so amazing to see!

Onto the actual analysis…

I’m in love with how much the lore is being built up and all the new concepts we were introduced to in this episode. Even from the beginning, we can see that something is off with the professor and when we get to the end things start to begin making sense. Starting even at 1:28, we see him losing his memories. I’m going to list some of the example timestamps here, they might not all be true, it might just be me looking into things for some of these but still. Him forgetting the details of the C-Dogs joke at 7:30, him going into how fuzzy the details are at 36:50, and his slip up on what season it is at 43:30. I assume the memory loss is caused by the Phorgedytol (I mean it is quite literally pronounced like forget it all). I tried to find out if the chemical structure we saw on the front of the bottle meant anything, but I wasn’t able to find a match or anything super similar unfortunately (though in fair warning, chemistry has never been my strong suit).

We see a Phorgedytol billboard during the flashback sequence which has a few pieces of possible symbolism I wanted to point out. For one, the image of the horse which could be in reference to horse tranquilizers which usually depict horses in the branding. The two people covering each other's eyes could be seen as symbolism for not facing something, a reason people might choose to take the pills, or as ignorance, people being blind to the truth behind Phorgedytol. This is definitely me hyper analyzing little details, but the actual pill bottle itself has a purple lid which is a trait commonly featured with melatonin bottles. This could possibly refer to the idea that the drug could have sedative-like qualities or a reference to the fact that sedatives have a risk of causing memory loss. Or it was just an aesthetic choice which is the most likely reason but still.

The introduction of Phorgedytol as the Coveted Capsules is also really interesting. The Professor says they’re a corporate sponsor but why would a pharmaceutical company sponsor a history show? Why are they trying to, as the professor says, “flood the public” (36:20). The ending with both Ryan and the Professor taking the pills is also super interesting to me. It would be so cool if them taking the pills makes them forget that they ever took the pills causing a cycle to form of them taking it “for the first time”.

I want to commemorate Shane’s acting, and character design, in his “clandestine meeting” with the professor. He’s so incredibly talented and in this scene specifically it’s crazy to think that the two characters, The fedora-clad mobster looking ex-producer and the fuzzy blue professor, are actually the same person in real life with how unique the two are. Along with that the lighting in this scene was really cool, with the professor being lit from above, which gave the scene an almost interrogation-like feel, and Shane being lit from behind shrouding his character in shadow.

I think it’s really interesting that Shane repetitively calls the professor Connie, which is the same thing he called the hologram version of the professor in season 5 during The Bloody Life of England’s Fastest Surgeon, despite the fact that he’s, supposedly, talking to the real professor. The professor also never corrects him or comments on the name which maybe just means that Concupiscence is his real name, as he is aware that Shane did meet the evil hologram version of himself (40:45). However, at 41:48 we see in the background a banner saying “six nasty seasons”. Maybe “nasty” is a reference to Concupiscence McNasty, the evil hologram, rather than just an adjective. Maybe this means that the evil hologram will be coming back this season? Or possibly already is back???

When flashing back to the present, we see a skull overlay Elmer Walter Williams and the professor for a split second at 42:11, with the skull lining up directly with the professor's eyes. Regardless of which of the two it was meant for, I think it’s an interesting little detail to point out. As he’s returning to reality, the scene flips back and forth from the professor to Elmer distortedly laughing. That on its own might not mean anything but it paired with how he gave the professor and Ryan Phorgedytol, saying it has “no side effects, just operating on a higher plane” (42:33), how he is the one taking care of brand relations (38:40), and how he was “suspiciously eager for work” (38:35-38:56) makes me suspicious of him. Also his specific wording “operating on a higher plane” and “God willing” makes me wonder if maybe God will be coming back? Plus, there was an image of a prism on the retirement door which some say symbolizes a connection to the divine. Then again, prisms also are known to represent a transformation or life, so who’s to say? Below the prism we see the letters ES, which I think could possibly stand for the name of whatever company is running the “retirement” program.

Speaking of, we are introduced to a new character this episode, Dr. Sprat who introduced himself in the flashback scene as someone from the Department of Puppet Safety. At the very end of the episode, we see him taking the triangle through an office-like building, saying he’s here to assist with the other’s retirement (43:50). We quickly find that retirement doesn’t mean there’s an old puppet nursing home, but rather something much more sinister. The triangle saying that “time, space, and the entire universe come unraveled by my volatile existence” (43:59 references back to The Puppet History Holiday Spectacular where God told the puppets that “the professor was inadvertently creating you abominations” and that they had to be killed but their souls had to go somewhere, which happens to be the Wondrium Arena, or purgatory. I really want to see more of a deep dive into E.S. or whatever the “retirement” company is as it’s clearly quite processed with a whole facility and a Retirement Machine that kills puppets with lasers and sends them to purgatory (44:08-44:35). Also the reintroduction of purgatory supports my idea that we’re going to get another God episode or possibly another episode with the devil.

If you made it all the way here thank you for reading!! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the episode and I hope you have an amazing day/night!! ⭐️

Also I’m thinking of adding seasons 3-7 onto the Puppet History Fandom Wiki as it currently only has the first two seasons. Puppet History is digging its furry little paws into me, I can’t escape the jellybeans.

[otakween]

One Pound Gospel - Volume 4 (Final Volume)

Man, all the cover art in this series is so samey. Kind of a shame. Maybe they should have incorporated side characters into the covers?

Ch. 29

So apparently Angela's family is super rich and judgy, that sucks. Maybe that's part of why she wanted to join a convent to begin with lol. As an aroace person, I somewhat understand her struggle being pressured into a relationship by society.

What do you MEAN Angela isn't her real name?? I didn't know that nuns adopted new names! (So I guess I did learn something new after all). Is her real name pronounced "Mari-eh?"

The chef literally made "Tyler's Bullshit" from The Menu lol

Great another dumber than bricks character who is so dumb that no one could possibly be that dumb in reality. New guy's gimmick is that he just adds random sauces to his dishes without knowing what they are. Riiight

Ch. 30

Well, that was a tiny arc. It succeeded in making me hungry.

This was just the Kana arc but in reverse (Kosaku is jealous instead of Angela). I can feel Takahashi running out of ideas for the characters.

Ch. 31

What is this, the dying of over work chapter?? Both the bento guy and the cram school teacher are going through it.

Kosaku threatens to quit boxing for the 9 millionth time. I don't buy that he's serious about becoming a chef. These kinds of flaky people are the worst irl.

Ch. 32

I appreciate the different fighting styles we've seen through the course of this series. In this one we see one of the lazier options that boxers can use to earn points. I thought it was funny that the nuns referred to it as "hugging" because that's what I was thinking it looked like lol.

Ch. 33

Okay, I feel really silly that I didn't pick up on the fact that Ryusei was Kosaku's next opponent.

I respect Angela's immediate disgust for the dudes at the host bar. I have heard stories of how they can be pretty extortionate and phony. I'd be scared to go to one. Kosaku's reaction to finding out she went to one was funny. That is pretty wild out of context lol

Ch. 34

I liked the use of overlapping speech bubbles to show Kosaku ignoring his coach, that was clever.

They're implying that the guests at host clubs are often female employees from similar industries. IDK if that's true, but that's pretty interesting...

This chapter made me google whether or not male customers are allowed at host clubs and I got mixed results. I guess it depends on the club!

Woah, host club dude gets 3 chapters instead of 2? What makes him so special...?

Ugh, I just googled what a "bait dog" is and learned some very disturbing info about pitbull fighting 😭 couldn't find anything about the term being used in boxing

Ch. 35

All the guys at the gym cringing at Ryusei's phony TV interview was funny. Kosaku's so cute saying "yeah he's cringe, but he's not a bad guy!" (paraphrasing)

Oh snap, Kosaku got angry! Honestly, Angela deserved to be yelled at a little bit. I know it's because she cares, but she's a little too hard on him sometimes.

Ch. 36

Wow, these final chapters are so short! It kinda feels a little rushed actually, oh well.

Ryusei's host coworkers coming to cheer him on was cute.

Ch. 37

Aww, that was really wholesome :) <3 Marie (Angela) gave up being a Sister to be with Kosaku at last and Kosaku won the title.

I loved that Kosaku said he was fighting for Marie AND himself. It's important to be a whole person outside of your relationships!

This was a sweet little, fluffy romcom. Very easy to get through. Looking forward to the adaptations!

[trickstarbrave]

for visual design: all of the swords in skyrim look like paddles. i just really thing they look kinda silly and also hit like paddles for basically every melee weapon. idk if this is controversial or not i dont see anyone else saying it and i see a lot of ppl enjoying the designs but i keep thinking theyre ridiculous

for writing i like the 36 sermons unironically and dont think vivec is a liar because of them specifically (hes def sketchy and has lied though. i just dont like ppl using the 36 sermons as 'proof he's a liar'). i dont get people thinking theyre impossible to read to the point they don't belong in a TES game like ive heard some people say. they are a slog to get through at times but they are heavily inspired by the irl work of aleister crowley and any familiarity with his work will make them much easier to read. you could argue in fact they're a little too inspired by crowley actually. in some circles people treat the 36 sermons with such contempt of being "historical revisionism and pure nonsense" i didn't wanna read them. but then i did and went "this is JUST an occult text. why is everyone bitching about them" and now i wanna talk about them 24/7

and for world building: we need more holy wars and religious schisms. everything in the setting is about racism, but the gods are literally real with real tangible benefits to worshiping them so bethesda just acts like religion should basically be standardized and no one fights over it ever. or if they do fight about it its actually about racism. give me some good old fashioned culture clashes and holy wars. not EVERYTHING can be just about racism and its actually getting weird that is the go-to method of conflict. yes racism is pervasive irl but we also have intersecting modes of oppression like classism, religious conflicts, homophobia and transphobia, misogny etc. instead the major conflicts given any importance are elves vs men. hell i'd also take class conflicts, fighting misogny, and more. i think ESO does some of these in side quests but the assumption is always the preservation of the status quo/other forms of bigotry are mostly just ignorance or a few bad apples. or in the case of racism usually justified somehow. which Isn't Great.

Post your *genuinely* controversial TES design opinion. Can be about game design, world design, writing etc.

I am well aware that just because I don't like something it doesn't mean it's objectively bad. Art is subjective after all!

---

I'll start. I cannot stomach the look and design of Glass armor and weapons in any of the TES games. They all look awful to me. Mountain Dew or 7up coloring just makes me 🤢

Every iteration I've seen is the ugliest weapon and armor set I come across.

The only glass armor designs I've liked are fan designs. IDK why but none of the official designs of glass weapons or armors are appealing to me. I've seen people often say that the glass armors are their favorite and it makes me feel genuinely alienated from the rest of the fandom at times lol.

---

What's your controversial TES design opinion?

[gillianthecat]

Candy Color Paradox episode 4

Having vented my complaints, and after some helpful conversations about the show, I was better able to enjoy this episode for the fluff that the show is rather than being frustrated about what it is not. I mean, I still think that it's missing a lot of opportunities to explore some interesting themes around ethics, celebrity journalism, Kaburagi's cool boy pose and the way he uses sex for his job, Onoe's... not innocence, but whatever it is that makes him a blushing maiden uke, and everyone's feelings about sex in general. But I accept that's not what the show wants to do. It is straight up yaoi archetypes and a silly plot to smash them together. ("Now kiss.") The glancing look at deeper questions is probably accidental.

That being said, here is what I thought while watching this episode:

- lol it looks like they heard my complaining about how bad they were at stalking people because the literal first conversation in this episode is about how they're too obvious in a parked car 😂

- ooh la la, and they're in a love hotel 😳🤭😉 How risqué. Poor little blushing uke. 🥺

- Aw poor Onoe. He was all ready to fuck then and there. (Or maybe just kiss? I'm not sure how he interpreted the phrase that Gaga translated as "let's do it.")

- It seems odd to me that a paparazzi photographer is also the one taking official portraits. Is that a real thing (in general or in Japan specifically) or just a contrivance for the plot here. Not important, just curious.

- More extremely jealous Onoe 😂 To be fair, I too would be jealous under the very confusing circumstances he's in.

- I hope we get Kaburagi photographing Onoe. Bonus points if Onoe doesn't notice him doing it. I love that trope and what's the point of having a photographer character if you don't use it.

- Haruta is blatantly flirting lol. I suspect that Kaburagi is trying to see if he can catch Inami in jealousy with this hair fixing maneuver, but he's caught Onoe in his net instead. 😂

- But are these actors dating/in love? Is the father/little sister thing a ruse or their genuine feelings? Now I want to know, not because I care about these imaginary celebrities, but because I feel like the answer will say something about the show's perspective on paparazzi ethics.

- Is Onoe putting the pieces together about Kaburagi's purpose? And does Inami's expression while on his phone indicate jealousy or disinterest? I honestly can't tell the answer to either of those.

- Innocent Onoe is literally eating vanilla yogurt while bad boy Kaburagi is smoking.😂

- Go Onoe! Bravely asking Kaburagi what he meant be "I like you." I'm so proud.

- On the one hand, I'm annoyed at Kaburagi for acting so aloof and not taking Onoe's understandable frustration seriously. On the other hand, "smutty alien" is adorably hilarious and I can't blame him for laughing fondly at it. I do wonder if it's a literal translation, or an actual phrase in Japanese, or if it's as random and absurd as it sounds in English.

- Onoe is so obvious when he tails people 🤣

- Inami is pulling an Issei and killing the paparazzi stalker with kindness. I love it. Perhaps that is just how celebrities in Japan deal with paps? I don't know.

- Inami is cute though. And very young looking for supposedly 40. Though the actor is 36, so not that far off.

- Oh the meta levels of young new actors trying to shake off their idol images. I have no idea if Kimura Keito and Yamanaka Jyutaro are actually trying to shake off their idol images, but it does feel a bit ironic or something.

- Onoe. Where is your journalist's skepticism. Are you always this credulous or is it because your brain has been turned to mush by your crush?

- I see Kaburagi wonders the same thing. Perhaps we're both being unfair to Onoe and he just has good instincts.

- Kaburagi noticed Onoe's yogurt and brought him the same kind! Cracks in the facade! Feelings creeping back in. And brave Onoe immediately goes to ask him...

- and... a mid-sentence cliffhanger.

- Looks like next week it'll be Kaburagi's turn to be jealous. And we get more Inami. Being flirty even. Hooray for me!

There probably are things I could say about their developing relationship, the slow melting of Kaburagi's numbness and cynicism, and Onoe's (honestly wise) anxiety about falling for this confusing ice prince (or tsundere seme, to use yaoi vocabulary), but I frankly don't care enough about the characters or this relatively shallow take on this conventional romance arc to think much about it. Still, now that I'm thinking of them as cartoons come to life I'm enjoying them a lot more.

[marshmallowgoop]

Hey Goop! Do you have any favorite Detective Conan episodes? I'd love to hear your recommendations.

You know, I've actually just been thinking about editing some GIFsets of my recommended/favorite episodes for each season! It's information I wanted to include in a series of seasonal write-ups for the show, but since I was feeling like I'd never complete those, I thought the GIFs might be a nice alternative.

Not sure if either the write-ups or the GIFs will ever really happen, but I'd love to share a few standouts now, thank you! I'll just note that there's a lot I haven't seen yet; I'm only on Season 14 right now and have watched very little beyond that point. So, most anything I can recommend will be pretty limited to the earlier half of the show.

Also, I wouldn't particularly consider myself a mystery fan! If you're looking for cases with especially clever tricks or phenomenal detective writing, I wouldn't be able to tell you. This list is more about charming character interactions, main plot development, and emotional resonance.

All that said, here are some of my favorites, in chronological order:

🔎 The first 12 or so episodes. I think these are generally all pretty solid, even the ones that aren't at all relevant to the overarching story (like Episode 8, "The Murder of the Art Museum Owner") and the literal anime-only filler that is Episode 6, "The Valentine Murder Case." In many ways, Detective Conan isn't my type of show in the slightest, but every one of these stories exemplifies why I like it so much anyway. The interactions between characters are fun, the scenarios can get so ridiculous that they make me laugh, but I also genuinely feel an emotional connection to the events that are occurring, too. I don't know if I'd single out any one of these episodes as an absolute fave per se, but they are all classics that I like to revisit.

🔎 Episode 36, "The Monday, 7:30 P.M. Murder Case." I feel obligated to list this one because, well, I wrote a 4,000-word essay about it. Yes, my longest essay for this show is really about an anime-only filler. But I like the central conflict here and the questions it raises. It's an episode I've clearly thought about a lot.

🔎 Episodes 48-49, "The Diplomat Murder Case." Heiji Hattori's first appearance, as well as the first case Shinichi solves as himself since Episode 1. Need I say more?

🔎 Episode 54, "The Game Company Murder Case." Just a solid story dealing with the main plot. I admittedly get a little (or maybe a lot) lost in the actual case, but I love the sense of tension here, and the ending scene is one of the most affecting moments of the series for me.

🔎 Episodes 57-58, "The Holmes Freak Murder Case." Heiji's second appearance. I love his dynamic and interactions with Conan (even, and perhaps especially, before he realizes that Conan is Shinichi), and the case itself does well in keeping my interest, particularly with FUNimation's English dub. While the script or performances regretfully don't do anything to localize Heiji's Kansai accent (which is maybe odd, given that there is an effort to localize Tequila's Kansai accent in the aforementioned Episode 54, making it into a Boston/New York accent), I get a real kick out of the fortuneteller's lines being riddled with references to "sensing" things and premonitions:

[Image descriptions: Screenshots from Episode 57 of Detective Conan/Case Closed. Several characters, including the fortuneteller Maria Toda and Ran and Kogoro Mori, look towards an offscreen window. Maria says, in FUNimation's English dub, "I'm sensing that this rain will go on for some time," and Kogoro adds, "I'm sensing that I'm tired. And hungry, too." End image descriptions.]

This is definitely one of my most rewatched cases. Silly, fun, and I love to see Heiji and Shinichi vibing.

🔎 Episode 118, "The Naniwa Serial Murder Case." Probably my favorite episode so far. Yes, I am definitely biased towards Heiji. But I again love his dynamic and interactions with Conan here—he's so unabashed in how much he cares for his friend, and Conan also clearly cherishes having Heiji as a friend, too. You can't tell me that there isn't something genuine behind his fit when they're separated.

I'm a sap. It gets to me.

But beyond that, I also feel invested in this case, and I like how it calls back to past episodes.

🔎 Episodes 138-139, "The Final Screening Murder Case." Admittedly, this one might be on here simply for the mirror scene. Which I adore. But also, while you could totally skip this case and not miss much, I do really like the character interactions here with Conan and Ai and the Detective Boys. Just super cute and charming. I'd definitely recommend not skipping it, even if it's not on Xerblade's important episode list.

🔎 Episode 174, "The Twenty-Year-Old Murderous Intent: The Symphony Serial Murder Case." My biases are showing, I know, but I got a lot of love for this Heiji case. How much Shinichi values his detective friend is depicted in heartbreaking clarity, the actual case is one of the more emotionally affecting, and there's just some stunning and memorable shots. Would really love to see this one remastered one day.

🔎 Episodes 176-178, "Reunion with the Black Organization." It's probably an unpopular opinion, but I think I would actually rank these episodes above "The Desperate Revival." I love the exploration into Conan and Ai's thought processes—into the contrast of her jaded worldview and hopelessness and his childish impulsivity and recklessness. There's a great sense of tension, tons of heartwarming scenes, and unlike in "The Desperate Revival," I find Shinichi's immaturity here to be charming rather than irritating. Just stellar episodes all around.

🔎 Episodes 188-193, "The Desperate Revival." But, of course, I'm not leaving "The Desperate Revival" off of this list! It's definitely still a favorite, though it's probably also an unpopular opinion that I'm most fond of the first two episodes, 188 and 189. I'm a sucker for the drama and love to see the Detective Boys taking on a more active, productive role. But there are great emotional moments across all the episodes, lots of fun twists, and a heartwrenching conclusion. Absolute classic Conan. No recommended list would be complete without these.

🔎 Episode 196, "The Invisible Weapon, Ran's First Investigation." An anime-only filler, but I feel it's worth mentioning because I was so... let down? by the first canon case in which Ran gets to be the detective (Episodes 343-344, "The Convenience Store Trap"). She's a lot more proactive here, there's so much less repetition, and it even references "The Desperate Revival," so it has a sense of continuity!

Season 8 was kind of a huge slog for me, with tons of dull, subpar fillers, but I like this one a lot. If nothing else, I think it's at least nice to look at, with some great shots:

[Image descriptions: Screenshots from Episode 196 of Detective Conan. In the first image, Ran and Sonoko sit on opposite ends of a table as the sun sets. They both have glasses filled with a dark liquid and a straw in front of them, but neither is drinking; they are instead looking intently at each other. The second image depicts Kogoro's office. Ran stands at one end of Kogoro's desk with her head bowed, while Kogoro sits in a chair on the other side. It's mostly dark, with a small bit of light coming in through the window behind Kogoro. End image descriptions.]

🔎 Episode 225, "The Secret of the High Sales." An absolutely hilarious anime-only filler. I can understand having problems with it because Shinichi's character development arguably goes backwards here, but personally, it's just so dang funny that I can't find it in me to be bothered. DetCo is such a formulaic series, so episodes that break the formula like this one are a breath of fresh air.

Plus, "Koi wa Thrill, Shock, Suspense" is such a bop of an OP.

[Image description: A GIF from the eighth Detective Conan opening animation. Conan dances against a green rectangle, a serious expression on his face. Behind him, a shadowed figure mirrors his movements against a yellow rectangle. End image description.]

🔎 Episodes 277-278, "English Teacher vs. Great Western Detective." Probably no surprise that I'm recommending another Heiji case! But it's a rare case with him that's very main plot relevant, with so many great moments. I think I summed it up all right in the tags for a GIFset I made from 277:

#anyway anyway just felt a great need to gif this after posting about it the other day! this two parter is one of my faves #doesn't quite top 118 for me (not nearly as interested in the case here) but it has so many gems #like heiji and conan going into jodie's bathroom together to steal her gamergirl bathwater lol #(no that's not what really happens but okay it totally kind of looks like that omg) #and it's also got plot!! #great eps would recommend

🔎 Episode 304, "The Trembling Police Headquarters: 12 Million Hostages." Okay, I'm a sap, and lots of things make me cry, and, yes, of the handful of DetCo episodes that have brought me to tears, this is one of them. This is an incredibly emotional special, full of fantastic character interactions and edge-of-your-seat action. I laughed, I cried, it's good classic Cone.

Just wish there was some closure for Jam-chan.

🔎 Episodes 309-311, "Contact with the Black Organization." I'm a big fan of the main plot, and I love the intensity of these episodes. The ending bit of 311 is the most anxious and edge-of-my-seat I might have ever gotten from this series thus far.

It's a shame that my OCR'd softsubs are a total mess, though...

[Image description: A screenshot from Episode 309 of Detective Conan. Conan sits by the computer, a shocked expression on his face as he stares at Ai, whose hair is still wet from the shower and who looks entirely unamused. Dr. Agasa smiles nervously as he talks to her. The English subtitles, riddled with errors, read, "of weste :n novels: you see I Mm hooked eon this internet series." End image description.]

I started editing a nicer softsub file made for the remastered version to fit with my DVD (as the remastered version of the case cuts out a significant amount of content), but it's a long process. Still, I'm so fond of these episodes that I really want to get some proper subs on them! But maybe Crunchyroll could start adding some more episodes and save me the trouble...?

🔎 Episode 345, "Head-to-Head Match with the Black Organization: A Dual Mystery on a Full Moon Night." I feel like this one is often cited as absolute peak Cone, so it's probably no surprise to see it on my list. I do think the first half is a little weak myself, so I wouldn't personally put this at the very top of my recommended episodes, but this is most definitely a fun ride. The way that things introduced literally over a hundred episodes before finally get paid off in the most outlandish and ridiculous ways is incredible and addicting and exactly the kind of nonsense that I love this show for. You get intensity and hilarity and the wildest reveals here, and it is such a treat. I absolutely adore the ending bits of this one.

🔎 Episode 356, "Kaitou Kid's Miraculous Midair Walk." Probably my favorite Kid episode so far. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out his trick, and there's a really fantastic interaction between him and Conan at the end. This is just a good time.

🔎 Episodes 521-523-ish, "Murderer, Shinichi Kudo." I've obviously just skipped to this one, so I'm definitely missing a lot of the build up, but I'm still really fond of it. I do have to say I'm disappointed that it teases a plotline that it ultimately doesn't go through with, but there are so many good moments with Ran, Heiji, Kazuha, and Shinichi. Plus, it's one of the rare times that Heiji and Ai actually interact, so that's fun. The case is cheesy and dramatic (and I say this affectionately), and the displays of love and friendship get me so good. I'm excited to go through it again when I have watched everything leading up to it.

🔎 Episodes 853-854, "Memories From Sakura Class." A flashback case about how Shinichi and Ran first met that's unbelievably cute. I was smiling like the whole dang time because they're so adorable.

Also... I've never related to Shinichi more than when he tries to impress Ran and get her to like him but only insults her instead. Big mood.

🔎 Episodes 927-928, "The Scarlet School Trip." Just... cute. I don't think I really have much more to say about it than that.

And I think I'll leave it there! There are a lot more episodes and cases that I'm fond of, but these are probably the ones that stand out the most to me now. Thank you for asking!!

[astrodrawsturtles]

Meet the Main Cast of TMNT: New World Mutants!

I received these very kind asks about my version of TMNT, and i’m finally getting around to answering them! @sirwolficus-art​ @dianounais​

So! Mutations and meetings first!

When Splinter met the boys, they were human kids living on the streets of NYC as a group, scavenging for food and making trouble. He had an instant soft spot for them but knew he couldn’t properly house them. Instead, he kept an sharp eye on them and bought them fresh food whenever he could.

One day, Splinter came across the boys in the middle of a street fight with a group of older kids. They weren’t faring particularly well, so Splinter stepped in and scared off the bullies, ushering them into a nearby pet shop to talk to them. While there, they took interest in the baby turtles and played with them for a while. Mikey explained to Splinter that they were fighting over food. Splinter offered to take them out for a proper meal when the chaos calmed down outside, something they happily took him up on.  

Unfortunately, on their way to a diner, they were approached by a threatening stranger carrying a couple canisters of glowing green chemical. They attacked, and though Splinter did his best to defend the boys (ultimately hurting the stranger enough to scare them off), at the last moment they managed to throw the ooze onto them. Boom, mutation!

Donatello!

Donatello is the eccentric of his brothers. He’s the embodiment of pure chaotic neutral and will blow up a Chili’s just to see what happens. (Think Rise Donnie without the ego) He’s an outspoken, highly opinionated drama queen, but has a quiet confidence about his actual intellect. More often he’ll show his family something he’s made with excitement rather than arrogance. His skills lie mainly in hacking, but he’s also a gifted engineer. He’s an absolute genius but a total dumb ass about everything else.

He LOVES science fiction and is 100% convinced aliens are real, and the thing that mutated them. None of his brothers belive him, but they tolerate his rambling conspiracy theories to various degrees.

Despite being the oldest of his brothers at 17, he is by far the least mature. He often focuses too much on his projects and doesn’t take anything else nearly as seriously. He swears like a sailor and the hardest for Splinter to get to train. He is a red eared slider.

Leonardo!

Like his father, Leonardo came up in a heavily traditional Japanese culture. He grew up learning ninjutsu from his birth parents (more on that in later posts ;)), and though he is now separated from them, he still values the culture. He takes his training very seriously, and though he can sometimes come off a stoic or emotionless, he is very much capable of being just as silly and fun loving as his brothers. He just has his own way of showing it. If you pay attention, he laughs the most at his brothers antics; it’s just quiet.

In fact, he is selectively mute thanks to his severe voice dysphoria. He is a trans boy and it’s the thing he struggles with the most; so he often just doesn’t speak. Instead, he signs to his family and used common mannerisms and gestures to communicate. He will only speak when he feels it totally necessary.

Despite being the youngest at 15, he’s always been the natural leader of his brothers; even before meeting splinter and becoming mutated. He just naturally falls into the role, and his brothers don’t object. He is a red eared slider.

Raphael!

Raph, along with Mikey (his bio twin) is 16. He loves to scrap and fight and be strong, and often underestimates his physical strength in training. But it’s never mal intended, he just shows affection with his actions rather than words and the language he speaks best is physical. He aims to be strong enough to give the BEST hugs.

He has his fair share of hissy fits, though, due to some unresolved sensitivity that can turn into anger if left unchecked. He doesn’t get angry often, but when he does he REALLY gets angry. Sometimes to the point of intentional malicious harm towards his brothers until he’s able to calm down. His biggest fear is seriously or permanently hurting his family, so he does his best to quell his anger.

He loves to cook, especially pizza (he takes a lot of pride in his homemade pizza dough, something he’s perfected for many years) and his favorite thing is to make food for his family. He is a box turtle.

Michelangelo!

Mikey is also 16, but despite his young age he is the most emotionally mature of his brothers. He’s very chill, down for whatever. He’s great at reading others and will find a way to make friends with anyone. He jokes around a lot, but he know the exact way to listen to, console and then cheer up every member of his family.

He’s highly sociable and loves to go out in the daylight and explore NYC whenever he can. He’ll often drag one or all of his bros with him. He is a literal ray of sunshine, and is immediately friends with everyone he meets. Unless he gets Bad Vibes™ from someone. If Mikey doesn’t like someone, it’s a definite sign they’re bad news bears.

He loves to yoyo, and spends almost as much time on the hobby as he does on his art. He is a box turtle.

Master Splinter!

Splinter is a patient, soft and caring father. He loves his sons to the ends of the earth and would do anything to protect them. Perhaps a tad over protective at times, but a loving father above all else. That is, except for in the dojo. He takes his teaching very seriously, and while he is still patient with the boys, he is very tough love when it comes to ninjutsu. He places a very high value on the culture he came from and expects his sons to honor it to the same level.

He is a very young father, currently only 36 and 28 when he was mutated (along with his sons). He’d always intended on adopting a kid or two when he was old enough to support them, but was very much thrown into fatherhood when they were all mutated. His Dad Instincts™ kicked into high gear, and there was no question in his mind that these were his kids now. He sometimes struggles with being a young father to four teens, but he wouldn’t trade his life now for anything.

Due to his rat mutation, he is severally color blind and now considered legally blind. His vision only got increasingly worse over the years, so he can no longer see what Leo is signing. Instead, one of the other turtles will speak for him or Leo will tap morose code to him if he wants to communicate. It’s tough, but they do their best.

[wildselkie]

Top 10 Scenes in TDP Season 1 (pt. 1/3)

Top 10 Scenes in TDP Season 1 (pt. 1/3)

*not ordered in which is better or worse, but it will be in chronological order*

Also some things are worded weirdly. I have a pain in the ass time trying to get my thoughts across in words so... I thank you for your patience :))

_________________________________________

1) The scene where Callum, Ezran, and Rayla find the dragon prince. Ep. 2

I think this is one of the more pivotal moments in the show. I mean it is literally the scene that sets the story in motion after all! Two human princes, an elf assassin, and the lost dragon prince (who was thought to be dead/gone/egg destroyed(?)).. this is just IT.

*also i’m aware that Ez probably found the egg first cos he already knew about this secret area but still

2) Viren (attempts to) proposes the idea to trade his life in for Harrow. Ep. 3

Now there are other well thought and well written posts on this scene with Viren and Harrow, so I won't waste your time with all the gushy stuff. I find this scene important because it shows the lengths that Viren would go for his friend. Whether he's doing out of the goodness of his heart or some other selfish reason... maybe both(?)..

!WARNING! MINI VIREN POST ALERT EVEN THO I SAID I WOULDN'T GET INTO IT

In the book Moon, it dives deeper into the plot along with expressing the characters' thoughts and feelings. As for Viren, it's stated in the book that he wanted to:

"offer his life for Harrow's, but he wanted him to understand that this was more than just a sacrifice of a subject to his king. This was personal"

"... he would need to be straightforward. He wanted to say simply I love you and I will die for you" (Ehasz 80).

I have no doubts that Viren didn't not love Harrow or anything of the sorts, but at the same time it feels like there was another motive. Maybe there was, who knows.

All we know about Viren is that he's a father of two (Claudia & Soren), divorced/ separated from his wife, and he's a dark mage. Of course there's some more (like he's taller than Harrow according to the character line up)... also his staff... like if you look at it, it's the same one as the mage who faced Sol Regem all those centuries (?) ago. Maybe he's related to him, or possibly descended from one of the followers. I'd imagine that teaching dark magic may be a thing within his family and ancestors... he taught Claudia dark magic. That doesn't prove anything but it's a small thought.

ANYWAY-- this scene is one of many scenes that show Viren in a vulnerable state. The book gives a look into how he felt when he decided to sacrifice himself and everything. It's just interesting and I'm here for it. 

3) Amaya and her weapons grade baguette Ep. 4

On a less serious and more fun note, the fact that Amaya is a breakfast connoisseur is just perfect. Amazing. Fantabulous.

"As a breakfast connoisseur, she was offended that Ezran would neglect a hearty morning meal" (Ehasz 120).

I only emboldened and italicized "offended" because in the show YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE HER FACE WHEN EZ TELLS HER.

Bruh she was so offended lmaooo

It's right at 13:36 time in the show... the slow zoom in and all 😂

4) Amaya and Gren meeting Viren at the statue Ep. 5

I’m trying to see if I should have paired this with the first scene where Amaya arrives first. That scene is pretty calm but has a somber feeling. It introduces the relationship of Amaya and Sarai without having to directly say it. 

But this scene here is... interesting. Not in a good way or bad way, but we see they’re reminiscing of the past. At some point, they all got along nicely. Callum even noted in his spellbook that Viren’s family became like a second family to him when he moved to the castle. 

This interaction was cute tho. It started out positive (sort of) with them joking about Viren eating the last jelly tart which pissed Sarai off lol. But then Viren went on to apologize to Amaya and reassured her that what he does is out of the goodness of his heart and love for Katolis. But...

“Aaaaand, he’s back, Amaya thought” (Ehasz 150). 

And then went on to sign that he’s on a bunch of bs. See? Even Amaya knows he’s full of shit lol. But really tho... it makes me wonder how much of bs Viren goes on even before the events of the current story line. 

5) Rayla saves Bait from the sea monster Ep. 5

Let us give a round of applause for Rayla going against her fear of water to save Bait, the grumpy frog who hates her. I think this just goes to show how compassionate Rayla really is. This would include the time when she goes back to grab bait back in the banther lodge in episode 4. 

6) Viren giving his kids their *secret* missions Ep. 6

Okay this isn’t just one scene. I cheated yeah yeah whatever >:3

When Viren is telling Soren what he must do when he finds the princes, at first he doesn’t fully get it, but then.. OH n0

Viren’s intentions are starting to unfold and come together as one. Like, this man just told his own SON that should he find the princes, he should kill them. This 18 yr old bby 

bruh

And Viren didn’t say it aloud, but he heavily implied it. Only to then gaslight him later on when Claudia confronts him in prison. 

As for Claudia, Viren tells her that she must retrieve the egg. And do everything in her power to bring it back, even if it means that she’ll have to sacrifice Soren... her own damn brother ;-;

7) When Callum finally lets Rayla hold the egg Ep. 6

This scene is pretty big. Rayla knows that Harrow is long gone and is trying to find a way to tell them. Obviously she doesn’t choose the best time to try it.

They were in a dire situation that could potentially kill them (even tho they had plenty of those moments already). The reason why this scene is so big is because it shows her struggle to break the bad news (ever since the right binding fell) as she continues to grow closer to them. Here you can see Callum passing the egg to her, despite her hand being in the terrible state that it is in. It is also the scene where right before passing it, he finally tells Rayla that he trusts her. 

8) Human Rayla!! Ep. 7

Human Rayla is so corny but it’s the good kind of corny. One of the best comedic jokes in the series! 

That is all cos human Rayla needs an AU of being a nighttime tv host or smthg

9) Viren and Runaan Ep. 8

yo this is alot okay. The scenes with these two introduced some Moonshadow philosophy and such (ie. not being scared of death). Runaan being the stoic and serious assassin that he is. And Viren not having any of this shit. 

There are three major things here:

 Runaan knows about the mirror and is most likely aware of who Aaravos is. He literally says, “That mirror? You have found something worse than death.” Goddamn...

And then Viren just... trapped his soul.. his essence into a goddamn coin. Just like that? wow. And hold it, almost admiring it in front of Gren. 

Also this is the first time we officially see Viren in that form. In the beginning of episode 5 we are given a darkened silhouette of Viren and the butterflies. But here we see the damage resulted from years of having done dark magic, and it’s horrifying. He is the high mage and all but goddamn. I mean with every action there are consequences so- 

10) Callum destroying the primal stone Ep. 9

I feel like this is one of the “of course it’s this one!” scenes but it really is! Callum realizes that only a sky dragon can be hatched in the eye of storm and there he is with a literal storm in his hand. By now, Callum has come to understanding what feels right and that being a mage is his destiny. But he also understands that he needs to sacrifice some things for new beginnings. This whole journey was to get the lost dragon prince home and restore balance and peace and with the egg starting to die... well you can’t really do that without the egg. 

It’s at 18:50 where he realizes all of this. It’s one of the big boy moments in the show. Seriously, it’s a big moment and the suspension helped get the feels in. And we got a cute baby dragon!! 

End, begin. it’s all the same. (pls someone get that reference ;-;;;)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some honorable mentions:

- Episode 7: Claudia and Soren interacting. I love their sibling bond; it’s so silly and sweet and I love it. It makes me wish I had an older brother of some sort. 

Ellis and Ava,, I like the flashback story given when they meet the dragang. I just like it, okay? Smol chiald w/ smol wolf pup and a hippie Lujaane seeing the beauty & strength in Ava. 

CGI Coran. That all I have to say about that guy lmao

- Episode 8: When the group is going up the cursed caldera and they encounter that giant leech. Like can we just appreciate Callum’s funny way of making out a plan? Fat respect for that. 

Another is when the group split up and waited for the leech to leave. The conversation between Ellis and Callum were sweet as was the one between Rayla and Ez. I loved Ellis’s admiration for Callum being a mage. And her expectations of what a mage was is pretty hilarious. So wholesome. The same goes for Ez when he gave Rayla that daily fill of positivity. 

Like... Ellis is telling Callum how smart and confident and cool he is. And meanwhile Callum is like... it’s not me, it’s this. *whips out primal stone* And she goes on to tell him that she believe he’ll be amazing with or without the stone. 

And Rayla is telling Ez how she failed in her job of killing the enemy. And Ez is telling her how she’s awesome at everything she does.

this is the positive wholesome shit I come for like... this is parallels but GODDAMNIT it’s so.. ;;;;-;;

Yo this is long ENOUGH! Thank you so damn much if you read to the end. You’re the real beauties. Anywho... uh parts 2 and 3 will be up soon. 

 It’s 11 now so I need some sleep. goodnight kids

[eldritchsurveys]

862.

1. have you ever gotten soap in your mouth for cursing? do you think that’s right to do to kids who curse?: >> I did get soap in my mouth, but not for cursing; for “talking back” or being “fresh”, mostly. I was (understandably...) too afraid to do anything as brash as curse. I don’t think it’s an appropriate disciplinary measure at all, unless your mission is to confuse and frighten your child into obedience... which, apparently, is a lot of parents’ ultimate goal, it seems.

2. what age do you think is appropriate for kids to start watching horror movies with lots of gore?: >> I really don’t have a solid opinion about this. I tend to skew a little unorthodox on this front, which is probably best left unexplored (fortunately, this is all hypothetical and I’ll never have to address this situation in real life).

3. do you know what the word “polyamorous” means? and did you ever hear that song by breaking benjamin?: >> I know what it means, and I do remember the Breaking Benjamin song.

4. how many bug bites do you currently have?: >> Zero.

5. what’s one word you always have trouble spelling and can’t remember the correct spelling of?: >> I don’t think there’s any word like that. Spelling and phonics is one of my few strong suits.

6. what’s one band that really sucks live?: >> I don’t know, I haven’t seen any that I thought sucked performance-wise (I have seen a few whose music I just didn’t care for, like some opening acts, but that has nothing to do with the quality of their performance).

7. do you go to warped tour? why or why not?: >> I have never been to Warped Tour. I just never got an opportunity to go, or I was never interested, or whatever.

8. do you have any wind chimes outside your house? how many?: >> No. Some neighbours have them, I think.

9. do you know someone who actually had someone give them a bouquet of real roses and one fake one, and tell them they’ll love them until the last one dies?: >> I’ve never even heard of that.

10. which do you like better, firefox or internet explorer?: >> Firefox.

11. who is the most attractive person on your street?: >> ---

12. do you have a flat stomach? would you ever wear a belly shirt to show it off?: >> I no longer have a flat stomach, and you wouldn’t catch me dead in a crop top.

13. which do you prefer on yourself, long or short hair?: >> I like how I look with long hair, but I prefer the low maintenance of short hair. So, I buzz my head, and I wear wigs when I feel like it. Best of both worlds.

14. what about on your preferred sex? long or short?: >> ---

15. with eyebrow piercings, do you prefer the ring or the curved barbell?: >> I have no opinion.

16. have you ever pierced something yourself? why and what was it?: >> Yeah, I pierced my ears a few times. I did it because I wanted to? And also because I couldn’t afford to have them professionally done. I also did it when I was 16 because my father wouldn’t let me get a cartilage piercing, so I pierced my own ear at work one day. (My father eventually noticed because I put the most ridiculously obvious jewelry in it... hold on, I’m going to find a photo of what I’m talking about because like... what did I expect to happen)

looked something like that. I straight up deserved to get caught.

17. would you date someone who was five years older than you?: >> I don’t date, but that wouldn’t be a dealbreaker if I did.

18. i heard of a girl whose boyfriend cheated on her with a 13yearold (he’s 18) and got her pregnant, so she left him. what would you have done if you were in her situation?: >> I... just can’t imagine being in this situation, sorry.

19. how old was the youngest person you ever found attractive? and how old were you?: >> Oh, I don’t know. Probably not much younger than myself; my tastes always skewed older (oftentimes much older).

20. isn’t it annoying when you’re trying to start conversation with someone and all they say is “yup” or “really now” or something like that?: >> Not necessarily, unless they’re usually much more exuberant and participatory than that. Then I’d wonder if something was wrong (and if it was my fault).

21. if you have aim, do you have any linked screen names? how many?: >> ---

22. which of your favorite bands released a new album last?: >> I’m not sure.

23. are you waiting for any bands to release new albums? which ones?: >> No.

24. what’s your favorite store for buying cds and such at?: >> Back in the day when that was my primary mode of listening to music, my favourite music stores were Virgin Megastore and Tower Records. Ah, nostalgia.

25. what’s the point in buying dvds like “girls gone wild” and other porn if you can get tons more online for free?: >> Well, people generally do watch more porn online nowadays, I think. But the benefit of having a DVD is that... you never have to worry about the video being taken down, and you always have it available (so, even if you don’t have internet connection, etc). It’s the same argument for having paper books or movies/shows on DVD, really.

26. if you had to have one drug (illegal ones, like marijuana and cocaine and all of them) right now, what would it be?: >> Well, marijuana is technically legal here (although I think new recreational dispensary openings in this city have been kinda interrupted by the whole pandemic business, so it’s still a bit hard to access for now). The only drugs I’m even interested in anymore (besides maybe a little low-THC weed, just to see) are psychedelics, and I don’t just want to take them casually, I want a tripsitter or a therapist present. So it’s more complicated than just “getting the drug”.

27. would you ever get a sleeve or a half sleeve on your arm (we’re talking about tattoos)?: >> I would love that. I have had the idea to have a tree-rings tattoo down my left arm like the astronaut character in The Fountain for years.

28. do you have a wireless mouse and/or keyboard?: >> No, my keyboard and mouse are both wired, which is logical. Wouldn’t it suck if I was in the middle of a boss fight in FFXIV and the battery in my keyboard or mouse just fuckin died? Yikes.

29. do you think your biological parents love each other?: >> They did not love each other, from my perspective. I don’t even know if my father is capable of loving anyone, the way he fucking acts.

30. do you have callouses on your feet?: >> No.

31. did you see the commercial for that “foot grater” on tv that basically shaves the callouses off of your feet? isn’t that nasty to think about?: >> That is nasty to think about, and I don’t think it’s even necessary. Anything to make a buck, I guess.

31. what’s your favorite color combination (ex. pink and purple)?: >> I don’t know, I like a lot of colour combinations.

32. ever been to watchmovies.net? what do you think of the quality of the movies there?: >> Yeah. I don’t like sites like that because I can never get good subtitles and also they’re always buffering and shit. I can’t put up with that anymore, I paid my dues back in my literally-broke days.

33. what’s one movie you’re dying to see but haven’t had the chance to see yet?: >> Everything on my watchlists across the four streaming services I patronise. I just don’t always have movie-watching energy (or time), so it’s slow going to get through all my watchlists.

34. would you rather live alone in a huge mansion or alone in a small studio apartment?: >> Alone in a small studio apartment. Unless the huge mansion had a staff, because I really can’t fucking imagine keeping a mansion clean and maintained otherwise. But... huge mansions often come with a lot of acreage... and no neighbours... that’d be nice.

35. if you came across child porn on your computer, what would you do?: >> How the fuck would that even happen? Let’s not get silly here.

36. what’s the last computer game you played?: >> Final Fantasy XIV.

37. what’s the name of the street you live on?: >> Eh, let’s not.

38. would you ever dye your entire head blonde?: >> No.

39. what’s the randomest thing you ever heard of someone collecting?: >> I don’t know, most things people collect seem random to me.

40. how often do you use “<3” or “:]”?: >> Rarely.

41. isn’t it annoying how people walk around thinking hollister logo tshirts and ripped jeans are preppy, even though those things would never be allowed in a prepatory school because of the dress code?: >> *stares blankly in “I don’t care”*

42. how do you feel about abortion?: >> I am pro-choice.

43. what’s one thing your grandmother does that you can’t stand?: >> ---

44. did you ever notice how it’s more tragic if a younger person dies than an older person, even if they both died of the same cause?: >> It does seem that way to people, but I don’t see it that way myself. Of course I’d rather die when I’m old than, like, right now, but hey. It be like that.

45. when’s the last time you snuck around, and where did you go?: >> I don’t have to sneak around.

46. how often do you wash your hair?: >> Once a week, provided I remember.

47. do you think the price for a movie ticket is too high these days?: >> Not here, it isn’t. In NYC, it was fucking astronomical.

48. have you ever been to a drive-in movie theater?: >> No. I’d like to one day, that seems fun. But only if I have a convertible, lol.

49. what’s your favorite musical?: >> Phantom of the Opera.

50. what do you think of dr. seuss?: >> I’ve never read him (that I can remember) and I don’t care.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #184 & 185

Thur Aug 22 2019 [12:35 AM] Wack'd: We still haven't resolved why kidnappers kidnapped Agatha who kidnapped Franklin so we're probably back to that in [12:35 AM] Wack'd: FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 1 #184 [12:35 AM] Bocaj: I hope someone kidnaps the kidnapper's kidnapper [12:35 AM] maxwellelvis: I'd like to at least see the covers for these, but I guess we're too far in now. [12:36 AM] Wack'd: You can just...go to Marvel Wiki and punch in issue numbers? [12:36 AM] Wack'd: There's a reason I don't post covers often [12:36 AM] maxwellelvis: yeah [12:36 AM] Wack'd: So Reed has had...a very long day [12:37 AM] Wack'd: And for once in his life lets his family take care of him and get him into bed [12:37 AM] Wack'd: Mostly because he was literally passing out, but still [12:37 AM] maxwellelvis: And probably because he no longer has the physical ability to resist their efforts to get him to take a break [12:37 AM] Wack'd: Also true [12:40 AM] Wack'd: So Ben calls to check in with Alicia ( 🎵 checking in with Alicia / Alicia what's uuuuup 🎶) [12:40 AM] Wack'd: And Alicia, on Sue's orders, doesn't mention what's happened to Franklin to stop him from doing something reckless and stupid [12:41 AM] Wack'd: All the ruckus knocked AUNTIE offline (hey! someone remembered!) and Thundra and Greer are like "actually, fuck this" and leave Ben to clean up the damaaaaay wait a second [12:41 AM] Wack'd: WE FORGOT ABOUT THE HEAT-GENERATING ROBOT [12:41 AM] Wack'd: Gotta circle back to that at some point, probably [12:41 AM] Wack'd: But not right now [12:42 AM] Wack'd: hrrrrrrg

[12:43 AM] Wack'd: Johnny is also leaving, having decided he's not going to harrass Frankie [12:43 AM] Wack'd: Instead, he's gonna get hit by a laser, I guess

[12:44 AM] maxwellelvis: Also, Johnny's dialogue here? CRIMSON BANNER RIGHT THERE [12:44 AM] Wack'd: I have no idea what that means [12:44 AM] maxwellelvis: Red flag [12:45 AM] Wack'd: Oh yeah [12:45 AM] Wack'd: I mean [12:45 AM] maxwellelvis: I mean more so than usual, y'see. [12:45 AM] Wack'd: He's deciding not to harass her until she confesses her deepest traumas and decides to date him again? [12:45 AM] Wack'd: Seems like kind of the opposite [12:45 AM] Wack'd: A green...something [12:46 AM] Bocaj: green street sign [12:46 AM] maxwellelvis: The way he's been acting since finding out she's got a phobia of fire has been... [12:46 AM] maxwellelvis: very much not how you treat that sort of thing, even for the 70's [12:47 AM] Wack'd: hahahahahahahahaahahah this is so fucking stupid i love it

[12:49 AM] Wack'd: So Reed, Sue, and Ben head off to rescue Franklin and Agatha, with Ben shooting off a flare to see if Johnny will notice anything's up [12:49 AM] Wack'd: (He won't) [12:50 AM] Wack'd: And shortly thereafter the Fantasticar is shot by another one of those lasers, which transport them to an even bigger, spookier haunted house than Whisper Hill [12:50 AM] Wack'd: "It's darker than Doctor Doom's soul in here," quips Reed [12:50 AM] Bocaj: Weirdly poetic for him [12:51 AM] Wack'd: They find Johnny, completely out of it, hanging from a banister by his shirt [12:52 AM] Wack'd: And then there is this asshole

[12:52 AM] Wack'd: The Eliminator is here to dispose of any evidence that Agatha Harkness ever lived [12:52 AM] Wack'd: And that includes living evidence [12:52 AM] Wack'd: Fight fight fight [12:53 AM] maxwellelvis: TECHNOMAGES! See! Maria was right! They ARE real! [12:54 AM] Wack'd: Sue is like "okay, fuck this, I'm gonna force field this doofus" [12:54 AM] Wack'd: And then she is atomized [12:54 AM] Wack'd: Len Wein sure likes to set Sue up to do something cool and then have her unceremoniously disposed of [12:55 AM] Wack'd: OH OKAY NEVER MIND [12:55 AM] Wack'd: She only pretended to be atomized so that the Eliminator wouldn't suspect anything if a hit didn't land [12:55 AM] Wack'd: Using invisibility [12:56 AM] Bocaj: As I would say "I can't believe Sue Storm is dead forever and now the book will be about <x inane thing> from now on" [12:56 AM] Wack'd: And then she saves Reed and Ben from getting got, and uses the force fields to block their life signs so Eliminator thinks they're dead [12:56 AM] Bocaj: I guess force fields can do that [12:56 AM] Wack'd: Yep [12:56 AM] Wack'd: Johnny then follows his sister's lead and pretends to blow himself up on a suicide run [12:57 AM] Wack'd: The Eliminator, having eliminated the last of the witnesses to Agatha's existence, congratulates himself on a job well done and starts to self-destruct [12:57 AM] Wack'd: And then the Four all pop to their feet and tell him they're fine. Just to mock him in his dying moments [12:57 AM] Wack'd: And then he explodes [12:57 AM] Bocaj: ... wow [12:58 AM] Bocaj: thats [12:58 AM] Bocaj: wow [12:58 AM] Wack'd: Weirdly cruel actually [12:58 AM] maxwellelvis: That's like something the Seventh Doctor would do [12:58 AM] Wack'd: But he did just try to murder them and may or may not have murdered their prepubescent child and family friend [12:58 AM] Wack'd: So he earned it, honestly [12:59 AM] Wack'd: Anyway [12:59 AM] Wack'd: With that done with they're more determined than ever to find out if Franklin and Agatha are still alive [12:59 AM] Wack'd: (I mean spoilers, they are, but they don't know that) [01:00 AM] Bocaj: Like I said, Agatha is sometimes a ghost and it doesn't mean anything. Vitality is just something that does or doesn't happen [01:00 AM] Wack'd: Maybe she's a lich and she cloned her own body so she could wear it like a suit sometimes [01:00 AM] Wack'd: Who's to say [01:01 AM] Bocaj: Who's to say indeed

Thur Aug 22 2019 [01:02 AM] Wack'd: I dig the hell out of this Gaspar guy's lettering

[01:02 AM] Wack'd: Man I wish hand-lettering was still a thing in comics [01:02 AM] Wack'd: I miss it [01:02 AM] Wack'd: Like there's not necessarily any merit to doing it for dialogue bubbles but for stuff like this it's invaluable [01:03 AM] maxwellelvis: It feels like he just got back from seeing Dr. Strangelove or something for the writer and illustrator credits. [01:03 AM] Wack'd: I got more of a Batman TAS vibe personally [01:03 AM] maxwellelvis: That too [01:03 AM] Wack'd: With the low center of gravity on the Es [01:03 AM] Wack'd: And the big round Os [01:04 AM] maxwellelvis: I just had Strangelove on my mind is all [01:04 AM] Wack'd: It's good lettering [01:04 AM] Wack'd: Anyway, last issue, I forgot to mention because it was on a two-page spread that was rendered [01:04 AM] Wack'd: Really small for some reason [01:04 AM] Wack'd: But they found a metallic egg in the woods outside the big gothic mansion [01:04 AM] Wack'd: And have now determined it's probably where Eliminator came from [01:05 AM] Wack'd: So Reed's doing his workaholic best to figure out something about it to save Franklin and Agatha [01:06 AM] Wack'd: Reed manages to pinpoint the metal to somewhere in the Colorado Rockies [01:07 AM] Wack'd: Also, waaaaaay back in #39 the team lost their powers so Reed's hauled his old extendo-arms from out of the basement to cover for his lack of stretching [01:07 AM] Wack'd: This requires him to wear his 60s uniform for some reason

[01:07 AM] maxwellelvis: They were probably built into the suit. [01:08 AM] Wack'd: And then Sue and Johnny also get into their 60s uniforms because Len Wein seems determined to rehash literally every ounce of the Kirby years for moral support [01:08 AM] maxwellelvis: *literally every ounce of the Kirby years Roy Thomas hasn't already [01:08 AM] Wack'd: Generally when Thomas or even Conway brought back stuff from the past it was to put a new spin on it. Wein seems to just do it because he likes it [01:10 AM] Wack'd: JOHNNY HAS MADE MODIFICATIONS TO THE POGO PLANE [01:10 AM] Wack'd: THIS CAN ONLY GO WELL [01:10 AM] Wack'd: Remember the last time Johnny was allowed to so much as touch this thing he and Medusa got stranded in the Himilayas [01:11 AM] Wack'd: So they land in the Rockys [01:11 AM] Wack'd: And Johnny has built--I shit you not--a hot-rod-in-a-box [01:12 AM] Bocaj: huh [01:12 AM] maxwellelvis: Like, like you throw it on the ground and BOMB! there's a hot rod? [01:13 AM] Wack'd: Some assembly required but the implication is that Johnny has done this in like five minutes

[01:13 AM] Wack'd: And so the Four go exploring in the whopping one tiny town they found in the Rockies in hopes this is anything [01:14 AM] Wack'd: Reed has Ben do his old Ninja Turtle shtick because Len Wein is nostalgic so no one notices them [01:15 AM] Wack'd: Everything about this man screams "trustworthy"

[01:15 AM] Bocaj: That’s impressive facial hair [01:15 AM] Wack'd: Not just a twirly mustache but a beard you can also twirl in two directions [01:15 AM] Wack'd: Also his name is SCRATCH [01:16 AM] Wack'd: You know, like THE DEVIL??? [01:16 AM] Wack'd: The Four find nothing odd about this at all [01:16 AM] KarkatTheDalek: Truly, I have never known a more trustworthy name [01:16 AM] maxwellelvis: "Nick Scratch" [01:16 AM] maxwellelvis: That's not even TRYING [01:17 AM] Wack'd: The Four wander around this tiny town aimlessly for a bit and then give up [01:18 AM] Wack'd: But Agatha sees this from her window and realizes she has to do something, even if it means alerting her captors [01:18 AM] Wack'd: So she raises A GAINT WALL OF FLAMES around--oh right, also this town is named NEW SALEM [01:18 AM] Wack'd: You dinguses [01:18 AM] Bocaj: oh [01:18 AM] Bocaj: New Salem comes back up again for the Scarlet Witch Vision maxi series [01:19 AM] Bocaj: The one where Vision dry humps a mystical pregnancy into Wanda [01:19 AM] Wack'd: Was it ever really time for deception at all? Signs point to "no"

[01:20 AM] Wack'd: "YOU!", Sue yells, like this was a surprise or something

[01:21 AM] Wack'd: Anyway this asshole summons a bunch of gargoyles to fight the Four [01:21 AM] Wack'd: Fight fight fight [01:21 AM] Bocaj: I’m sick of fighting silly fights! [01:21 AM] Bocaj: heeheehee [01:21 AM] Wack'd: "No one had yet considered that I could hit people hard with things"

[01:22 AM] Bocaj: A force field with momentum is a blunt object and trauma [01:22 AM] Wack'd: Anyway they best all the gargoyles so Nick Scratch unleashes his most terrifying plan yet [01:23 AM] Wack'd: "Why're you hitting yourself, why're you hitting yourself, why're you hitting yourself"

[01:23 AM] Wack'd: Also this is a thing that happens

[01:25 AM] maxwellelvis: I wonder if, when these two were kids, and Franklin Storm had to tell young Sue to stop hitting her brother, if he ever imagined that ^ would happen? [01:26 AM] Wack'd: I think if his powers of foresight were that good he wouldn't have gone to prison and then died tragically [01:26 AM] Wack'd: Anyway, they're defeated, darkest hour, yada yada yada let's get on with it

[oldtumblhurgoyf]

Lauren Orsini wants to kiss a cat man and that’s wrong*

Here’s a ranking of All 36 'Magic: The Gathering' War of the Spark Planeswalkers Ranked By Dateability in Forbes no less. But it’s so terribly wrong. Here’s my Empirically Correct List of Planeswalkers Ranked By Dateability.

*this is all very silly and Orsini’s list is fine, I’m sure... for her.

36-28 Undateable

36 and 35. Tie between Gideon Jura and Domri Rade (with an honorable mention to Dack Fayden).

Dudes are all literally dead. Sorry, but I’m not dating a corpse. Also, before Gideon’s death, he was running himself ragged hopping from plane to plane to save the world. He didn’t have the time for a relationship. Domri is an obnoxious child (emphasis on child too). Of the three, Dack had the most potential but even alive he’d be lucky to break the top 20 of my list. Good for a few fun weekends and that’s probably it. Tempting to hope your love could reform him but that’s just a good way to have your heart stolen.

34. Nicol Bolas

He’s downright evil and self-centered to an unfathomable degree. Hard pass, no thank you. Literally no redeeming qualities.

33. Ob Nixilis

The obvious date for him is someone into BDSM, right? Wrong. He’s not going to respect your boundaries or practice good after care. He’ll use and abuse you for what he wants and then probably murder you. That’s not a date.

32. Dovin Baan

This dude’s whole deal is that he sees the flaws in everything. He’d probably outright refuse to date and if not, he’d constantly be nitpicking your relationship and you. There’s probably a decent amount of built up angst and stuff and if he ever cut loose there could be some fun, but it would be very fleeting and comes at too great a cost (months later thinking “what did he mean by ‘your forehead is adequate, but your nose is not the ideal shape’?”).

31. Tibalt

See Ob Nixilis. Kind of crazy how similar these two are.

30. Ashiok

We don’t know a whole lot about them, but I’m envisioning they’re like Ob Nixilis/Tibalt except it’s all mental/psychological harm. It’s Dovin Baan but instead of an ostensible pursuit of perfection, the mental anguish is its own reward.

29. Ugin

Like dating a dad, but a really boring dad. And like any other dragon, he’s still very full of himself, he’s just a little more subtle about it. Besides, apparently you’d do all your dating in the Prison Realm and Bolas would be there trying to ruin your (already pretty miserable) date as some small payback for being trapped.

28. Sorin Markov

Things will be okay, but he gives me weird unwanted daddy vibes and he’s just going to ghost you anyway.

27-19 Redeeming Qualities, Not Long-Term Material

27.  The Wanderer

Not much to go on here but we do know she’s gonna ghost you though probably not voluntarily.

26.  Teyo Verada

He seems nice enough but he’s pretty young and super naive. He’s got some things to figure out and some growing to do before you’d want to date him.

25. Jiang Yanggu

What I said for Teyo goes for Yanggu as well. Plus side, every date with him there is a really cute pupper coming along.

24. Kaya

She’s giving me Gideon vibes. I think she’d be more fun than Gids, but she’s too devoted to her career to have time for a relationship.

23. Teferi

It’s a common refrain I’m running into here, but Teferi is also too dedicated to his job to make for a good relationship. Additionally he’s got lifetimes of experiences that make him “The Most Interesting Man in the Multiverse” and you’re always going to feel like a second fiddle to him, not an equal. This is a case where he’s almost too perfect.

22. Jaya

Jaya’s got distinct mother vibes for me. There’s just no way I could see a date with her that isn’t weird. It wouldn’t even be a bad date per se, but it’s not gonna happen.

21. Samut

I’m intimidated by Samut. I mean, who wouldn’t be? She’s been through Amonkhet’s trials and stood ready in front of Hazoret’s spear. That’s such a singular dedication that few others can match. I think I’d shrivel in front of her love.

20. Kiora

She’s a playful trickster and kind of flighty. You’ve got one good date with her and then maybe a follow up fling at some point, but there’s no building a relationship here. I mean, unless you’re really lucky, but I wouldn’t count on it.

19. Karn

Karn’s got plenty going for him. He’s done some really interesting stuff, he’s motivated, and deeply invested even if he doesn’t always show it. He can certainly show you a lot of cool things. But long term the lack of humanity creates distance and problems.

18-10 A Good Time, Let’s See How it Works Out

19. Liliana Vess

She’s a toss up to me at this point. She’s been through a whole helluva lot and this is the point where she could go completely good, or take her get out of demon-contract-death jail free card and double down on all her worst attributes. She’ll be a fun date, you just can’t be sure it should be more than that.

17. Angrath

Dude’s super dedicated to his family but he gets incredibly frustrated and pretty damn easily. His name’s literally angry wrath so you kind of have to expect that. If you think going to a dive bar and getting into a fight with a biker is a good date then Angrath is going to be a fun time.

16. Vivien Reid

Maybe I just haven’t been paying a whole lot of attention, but I know less about Vivien Reid than any other planeswalker on this list I think (which is wild when you consider exactly how little we know about the Wanderer or Kasmina). But as the Steve Irwin of the multiverse, there’s no way this date isn’t fun. You’ve just perhaps bitten off more than you can chew.

15. Ajani Goldmane

Ajani is a total sweetheart who will care for you like no other. The flip side of that is he is always pushing you to be your better self and, hon, that’s just a little much for me. Like can’t we just stay in and cuddle for once? I do NOT want to go to the gym again this week.

14. Arlinn Kord

Unlike Jaya, I don’t have mom vibes here. She’s a good looking lady who definitely seems to be here for a good time. 

13. Huatli

This one is totally an “it’s not you, it’s me situation.” She’s so big on community and sharing stories--I’m more of a homebody. There’s nothing wrong exactly, we just won’t be compatible, I don’t think. But somebody out there is, and the two of you will get along famously. Another list would totally rank her as marriage material.

12. Narset

This is another case of such dedication and perfectionism that I just don’t think I could measure up in a relationship with her. She’ll come home from exploring the multiverse and meditation and combat training and reading ancient scrolls to find all I’ve done is take out the trash and do some dishes before playing some games and... not be disappointed exactly, but it won’t inspire respect and desire in her. Another one where there’s incredible potential there... for the right person.

11. Kasmina

Mysterious as she is, I’m getting young Jaya vibes from Kasmina. Not as in, when Jaya was actually young and all fiery temper and stuff. But rather, current Jaya without the creepy (to me) mom vibes. There’s potential here but so much mystery it’s impossible to say for sure without taking a chance.

10. Nahiri

I can’t imagine anyone I’d have a better single date with. Like a real good time. She’s planned it out perfectly and she’s ready to go. It might not last, but you’ll enjoy it while it does. Keep the lines of communication clear, respect boundaries, and be aware she can hold a grudge, and I think this actually has a chance.

9-1 Marriage Material

9. Jace Beleren

He’s sort of what I see Yanggu or Teyo needing. He’s done that growing and learning and he’s a pretty solid guy. He’s learned a lot of lessons the hard way but he’s definitely better for it.

8. Tamiyo

She’s literally married and raising kids in a happy home. The potential is there (if we ignore her canon marriage and assume she is available to date), not to mention her chosen career of essentially multiverse astronomer is pretty damn cool and relatively safe compared to what these other planeswalkers have devoted themselves to. (Sure, there’s Innistrad and Emrakul, but I imagine most planes’ moons are much safer to observe than that.)

7. Sarkhan Vol

Like Jace, he’s worked through a lot and is a pretty awesome person because of it. Unlike Jace, he’s been attractive the whole time. He’s tender and vibrant and aware and just cool as all hell. Bringing him home would be like dating Brendan Frasier in his prime.

6. Vraska

Downside to Vraska is that she’s pretty clique-ish and suspect of anyone from outside her group. Her views have expanded recently, but I think she’s still going to put up a rock hard exterior. If you can chisel your way through that then you’ve got a heart of gold.

5. Davriel Cane

Forget the demon contracts and all that nonsense. What this guy wants deep down is to just be left alone. Let’s retire to a nice estate on the countryside and enjoy our time together.

4. Saheeli Rai

Creative and inspiring, Saheeli is an absolute sweetheart. And she’s dedicated to a craft that she can do at home. She doesn’t have go trooping about the multiverse on dangerous missions without you. She can work on amazing marvels in her workshop then come next door to take you out for ice cream.

3. Nissa Revane

Nissa is a bit aloof and distant, but don’t let that fool you. She’s nurturing in every way you could want and then some. She’s great if you can get past that stoic exterior.

2. Ral Zarek

Ral’s more romantic than I ever woulda thought. He’s dedicated and thoughtful, but not so stuffy that things get boring. Actually the biggest detractor here is that things will never be boring with Ral, but he’ll make it worth your while to stick beside him through it all.

1. Chandra Nalaar

Full of warmth and passion, Chandra’s got what it takes to make the strongest connection. And she’s another character who has made some incredible personal growth recently. She’s ready to take the next step with someone special and if that were you, the two of you are in for a long-burning love.

[latitudesunknown]

Day 36 on Tiny Haven

Today in Tiny Haven : dangerous people, unsafe behaviour, art!, talkative hedgehogs, escaping deer, hobbits, and intriguing smoke!

Marie has got a worrying announcement to make.

(1)

Whaaat? Is AC about to turn dark?!

(2) Ah. A dangerous art dealer. That’s more like it. 😂

I get a postcard from Abraham in the mail, which is both adorable and more than a little weird, considering the content...

(3) You... licked the postcard? Say, Abraham, that’s not very confinement friendly.

Once I’ve washed my hands, I go to the beach, where I soon meet the Dangerous Art Dealer.

(4) A fox! :D Can he move to my island?

It soon becomes clear that fox is indeed a formidable con-man.

(5) I literally went “what the fuck?!” outloud when I read this.

Thankfully my only two possible answers are basically “wut?” and “are you fucking kidding me?”, which means Rounard (I can’t get over how stupidly cute that name is. Fox is “renard” in French, and red-head is “roux”. Spelling it “rounard” is just making it sound unabashedly adorable) has to cut me a better deal, taking his price down to a much more reasonable 4,980 bells.

At least, he wasn’t lying about the quality of the art, fucking hell.

It’s so gorgeous that I can’t make myself give it to Thibou, no matter how interested he is.

(6) Sorry, Thibou. I’m gonna take that back now.

The painting ends up hanged in my bathroom, which would probably send Thibou in a fit if he knew.

When I go to the clothes shop, Cousette talks to me again!

(7) Now that you mention it, some tea would have been lovely.

She keeps on talking for a while, which reminds me of my real life baker, who started off super cold and has now warmed up to me so much getting bread takes me 15mn.

I learn how to make a fake duck, and while I can’t make it float, I can at least place it next to my lake. 

I then proceed, for the rest of the day, to do a double-take every single time I pass by it, because I have a goldfish brain.

I meet Abraham, who must have heard about how snarky I got about his licked-postcard, because he tells me the words I never wanted to hear from him:

(8) Nooooo, not again!!!

(9) Food? You want to leave because of FOOD?! You’ve, like, never even mentioned food before! You can have food here! I know I can only grow fruit, but I’ll do better! I’ll learn how to grow dim sums!

Thankfully, I manage to convince him to say. And to make sure he doesn’t get any silly ideas into his head again, I spend a chunk of my afternoon finally giving gardens to all the homes.

I’ll probably miss the wild-island look at some point, but for now, order gives me peace of mind.

My plan works wonderfully. The next time I see Abraham, far from talking about leaving, he asks me if he can use my special nickname.

(10) I’m super stoked but now I kinda wish I’d told Nacer to find a better nickname, I didn’t think it’d catch on.

In the evening, as I’m doing my rounds, I stop dead in my tracks. There’s smoke, in the distance! Like something’s on fire!

I run to the top of my island... and see a small boat, in the creek where nothing ever happens!

!!!

(11)

Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to enter the boat. It’s pretty clear this must belong to Rounard, who confirms it, but still doesn’t give me authorization to come onboard. :(

After that I spend some quiet time at Lili’s...

Silent time together, my favourite kind of friendship.

And visit Abraham one last time, catching him mid-nap.

(12)

(13)

Now I understand why he wanted to leave in the search of more food. Turns out Abraham is a hobbit and I never even knew!

.

Subtitles

(1) Lately, people have reported the presence of a suspect individual on neighbouring islands.

(2) This... visitor deals in the shameful commerce of art pieces of doubtful origins.

(3) Hellooooo Maddy! D'you smell how good my postcard smells? That's because I dipped it in my milk chocolate! I licked it all before sending it to you so all you've got left is the nice smell! Abraham, top-notch perfumer

(4) I'm ready to sell it to you, my family, at a price that defies competition.

(5) How about 498 000 bells? That's a bargain. So, we have a deal?

(6) And I'm not talking about a copy, we're dealing with an original here! I'm all aflutter!

(7) That's very kind of you to visit so often, when we don't even have a cup of tea to offer you...

(8) The thing is, the idea's been nagging me for a while, I think I'm going to move out...

(9) The world is filled with delicious dishes that I haven't yet tasted, and I want to discover all those flavours!

(10) Say, Maddy... I've heard some people call you champ...

(11) This dingy boat barely looks like it can float. Better not climb in without permission...

(12) I love taking naps! After breakfast... and morning snacks... and lunch...

(13) ... and afternoon snacks... and dinner too... and let's not forget about evening snacks...

[mars-the-4th-planet]

A spy story I wrote when I was new to writing (based on "a handmaids tale") (chapter one of like twenty something)

At the height of the infertility crisis that broke apart global alliances and drove whole nations into madness, there were those doing their best to ensure that their own country would survive the situation.

And where there were people trying to fix a problem... There were those who only made things worse.

This is what Ika Manchuria specialized in preventing. Once an ally to American soldiers in the middle east, she was disgusted by the way the Americans treated her and the squadron she was an acting commander of. They humiliated the smaller force and pushed them out into the desert without supplies and forced them to hand over their radios and weapons. This was supposedly because they were "suspected terrorists."

Then the American Revolution happened just weeks later. Ika never knew what happened to those soldiers who mistreated the Japanese assistance, and she really didn't care. She had more pressing matters than past offenses that would only make her angry for nothing. If she ever met the brigade commander who pushed her around, revenge would be taken. But before such an opportunity came Ika knew there was no point in worrying about it. Then she joined the Japanese Intelligence Agency. It was a vague sounding organization because of the way its secret agents tended to have flexible jobs and missions.

Now, in the home of one of those aforementioned people making things worse...

The suspect went on the computer first thing. She could hear the mouse clicking.

I say "suspect" but after searching through his computer there was really no doubt in Ika's mind. He was a traitor. Ika walked out of the closet she was hidden in. He heard the door creak from where he sat, which was in a room just around the corner. Ika suppressed the urge to laugh: she could hear him fumbling through a desk drawer for his American Pistol. But she had already taken it.

"For His Glory's sake maybe you could try being quiet." Whispered her partner. This was Agent 88, who thought his real name was silly and preferred to be called by his title.

"You be quiet Jimothy, I hardly made any noise." Ika whispered back.

"Who's there?!" Demanded the anxious suspect.

Ika popped into view. She was a rather intemidating lady. Tall, foreign with medium length blonde hair, and noticeably fit, she was quite a scare to the small Japanese man. It didn't help that she was holding a stun rifle and had appeared very suddenly.

"I am! On behalf of the State of Japan you are under arrest for detailing sensitive information on the internet! You were entrusted with that information and- stop screaming! I'm trying to make the arrest sound official for once because APPARENTLY that's the rule!"

"Haha, I don't know why you even try." Said Agent 88. Then he stunned the suspect with a loud crackling noise. "I love these things. So much better than baton sticks and close-range tasers."

"I guess... But remember what Desolate said. No using them on old people." Ika reminded him.

(Desolate is a First Agent, a higher rank than these two.)

"This man is 36, I looked at his record before we got here."

The two secret agents went over to the temporarily paralyzed man and his computer. It seemed he was trying to go to his deep web website about the interworkings of Restorative Facility A2, where he worked. Ika hoisted up his limp body and Agent 88 picked the computer his monitor was attached to. The two started off but then Ika noticed that the suspect's cell phone had dropped on the floor. She picked it up and slipped it into her pocket. Ika intended to take it to the First Agent for review, as you weren't allowed to just keep whatever you found on an offender. "It's a shame though." She thought. After all, it looked like a brand new phone and it was always interesting to go through traitor's phones. Of course, her curiousity could be taken as nosiness. But being nosy was a large part of the job.

They bound the suspect and packed him in the back of their van. Along with his computer. Then they started driving their way back to headquarters.

It wasn't long before they got a decrypted message though. A few seconds of decryption later and their van computer displayed the message: ONE OF THE GUARDS MADE A BREAK FOR IT. HE STOLE ONE OF THE PROTOTYPES AND IS NOW ON TOKYO DRIFT 9 HEADING SOUTH.

"Oh for crying out loud, two traitors in the same day?!" Ika exclaimed.

"It's probably because of the China operation." Agent 88 said.

"What China operation?"

"Nothing. You'll find out soon. You'll be the one preforming it."

"Jimothy you are a terrible spy!"

"Am not."

"You literally just told me-"

Agent 88 made a bee face. "Blessed bee. Buzz buzz."

Ika couldn't help but laugh. When she stopped, she smiled and saluted. "Under his ass."

They both laughed and made fun of Gilead sayings all the way to Tokyo Drift 9, a long section of highway to the south of Tokyo. It was thirteen minutes away so it wasn't that far.

"Okay, how are we supposed to know who this guard is? They didn't give a description of his car." Ika asked.

"Let's follow the government van over there. They're probably tracking him."

"Okay. I'll contact headquarters while you do."

The encryption and decryption process was fully automated, but the code was so complicated that it was laggy. So having a conversation with headquarters was always a chore. However it was impossible for any computer that wasn't a massive supercomputer to ever calculate the key for decryption within this century so it was worth it to the higher-ups.

Fortunately by typing as few words as possible, Ika found the answer to their problem.

Ika: WHO WE CHASING

HQ: VAN

Ika: GOVT VAN

HQ: YE

Ika: WHY

HQ: HE LEFT CAR & STOLE VAN

Ika: K TY

*nearly twelve minutes later*

HQ: PLEASE DO NOT TYPE LIKE A 13 YEAR OLD THIS IS NOT A GAME

"I can't tell who this officer is tracking. His movements are weird."

"Keep on him, but stay a safe distance back Jimothy. He's our suspect!"

"Cool."

The suspect they already had stirred in the back.

Ika turned to look at him through the steel wires. "Wow, I don't know who you are but your web page got 801 views. Our nation could be in serious trouble if anybody important saw those pictures and documents you exposed for the world to see."

He growled back to her in an edgy tone "Fuck the nation, fuck the Emperor, fuck the facility, and fuck you. You're denying the grace of God by allowing this idiotic facade to continue. You can't re-create the process of making life."

Ika didn't mock him by pointing out that the scientists and engineers already had, nor did she respond to his flurry of curses. It was petty and unprofessional to argue with someone you've already got tied up in the back of your van. Instead she went back to watching the van ahead of them.

The suspect said no more. He had made his point. His name was Hiro and he was one of the mechanics. And he only worked for the facility so he could expose it later. When his time was right, he cut security camera power. Then took some evidence and fled. The guards were left in the dark except for one who took the opportunity to assist the mechanic in his escape. That guard is the one now being chased with more substantial evidence than images and documents that may be thought to be fake.

I'd be describing the car chase more but honestly it was pretty slow and not that interesting. Just one van stalking another. Before long the guard took notice that he was being followed and sped up in hopes of losing them. Ika couldn't let that happen of course, so she took a long pistol, aimed it at the vehicle ahead of them, and fired. The shot was muffled and penatrated the van's rubber tire. She went ahead and shot out the other tire too, although she had to lean out the window a bit to aim her gun at it.

And so, what could have been a speedy chase just turned one van pulling into a parking lot.

[griffinblogsgw2]

1, 9, 15, 21, 22, 25, 29, 36, 38, 44, 47, 48, 49, and 50 for the delightfully wondrous Tora!!!

Tumblr ate my last answer so let’s try again.

This is gonna be a mile long…

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Tora Zollun. He’s a sylvari so there’s no real lore reason for it - they just have names, they don’t choose em, ya?

I personally chose it because he was originally based on another character named Thunder Clarwin, but I was worried that if I named him that I’d feel pressured to play like that character. Bit silly I suppose. Anyway I named him Tora after a minor antagonist from Thunder’s story and mashed together a last name from a conlang I developed for that story. His name literally means Tree Blue Sun.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

Yep.

15. Are they good at cooking? Do they enjoy it? What do others think of their cooking?

He’s interested in it but he’s trash at cooking and most folks learn not to let him in the kitchen. He’s a living hazard.

21. Do they have a temper? Are they patient? What are they like when they do lose their temper?

Yes and depends. Tora can be childish and impatient, but generally with people he’s usually almost too patient? He does have one hellova temper and we’ve seen a bit of this in comic.

We haven’t seen him at his worst yet but… Wait till next episode.

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

He doesn’t really have favourites? He swears a lot though and usually if he’s at a point where he’s insulting someone, it’s likely personalized just for them. Bitching behind someone’s back isn’t generally his style.

If he’s gonna insult someone, it’ll be because they wronged him or his friends. He’s the kinda guy who gives back 10x what he’s given, get me?

25. What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?

Puns, bad Dad jokes, silly bs. Yes and yes.

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective?

Protective. He’s a softie.

36. What are they good at? What hobbies do they like? Can they sing?

Man that’s general. Thieving, knifing, smooth talking, and fleeing? Also weapon and armor smithing. Good singer. Decent metal worker. Storyteller. He’s the theatrical artsy sort. Think that’s about it? Uh hobbies are mostly reading fiction and making art.

38. What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?

Uhhhh -points to Terin- that. Basically that?

Oh and I guess -points to Baya and all the brave charming heroes in his story books- those too.

Tora is someone who wants to be like the cool adventurers he sees in stories, but he also wishes he was stronger, more reliable, and not a general fuck up.

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?

He’s usually pretty warm body temperature-wise so it’s the hotter climates he’ll wine about most.

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

Depends. If he feels like he has to behave to impress, he’ll be miserable, feel outta place and overall self-conscious and awful. He’s guaranteed to steal some alcohol and hide somewhere to sulk if that happens.

If there’s no pressure though, he’ll love it and will probably make whoever invited him regret it. The guests will be thrilled and amused with him at least…

Oh also suits are boring. Don’t expect him to wear anything standard to these kind of events.

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

This might surprise you, but Tora’s introverted. He does better in small groups of friend parties - the real casual kind. And it depends on mood. If he’s got the energy for it, he’s the life of the party. If not, he’s sulking somewhere with booze.

He’s a disorganized mess, he’s usually just showing up to these things.

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

This is a tad spoilery but… There’s a series of daggers he has with metal roses on the hilts. They’ve been shown in the latest episode where Tora is packing supplies, and on this most recent page by his “corpse.” He made those. But they were made for someone else.

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

He did that honestly. Mostly took the clothes on his back, his weapons, a few rations, a notebook, an adventure book, and a few toiletries.

[rareandbeautifulthing]

A Night for Truth

So I’ve never posted my fic here. I usually just post on Ao3 as lostintheverse. But I’ve decided to figure out how to do this so here we go. 

This is a WIP: a first-person, alternating POV retelling of Chapters 33, 36, an 39 of The Raven King. #trc #the raven cycle #pynch

Read on Ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/20306803/chapters/48141343

Chapter 33

RONAN

I go looking for Adam because he went hunting for aluminum foil a while ago and never came back, and I’m a little fascinated by this. Probably because I’m fascinated by everything Adam does. 

He’s sitting on my bed. Normally my room is off-limits, both here and at Monmouth Manufacturing, but it’s never been to Adam. We never talked about it. It was just a thing that we both knew. 

He’s staring at that silly car I dreamed up when I was a kid. The one that plays a tune. He’s so absorbed in whatever he’s thinking, he doesn’t know I’m here. So I watch him. 

Watching Adam when he doesn’t know I’m watching has become one of the things that defines me. He has no idea.

Or I don’t know...maybe he does. Lately, every time I’m watching him, he’ll lift his eyes and meet mine. Or I’ll glance over at him in that way I’ve done since the first time he appeared in my life, and he’s already watching me. Either way, it makes my heart rate pick up, my breaths come short. His beauty haunts me. 

And not just his physical beauty, though that would be enough. His features are so delicate, his face chiseled. His hands are works of art. But no, it’s not his physical beauty that makes me feel like I’m falling into a well full of light. It’s what’s inside him. His fierce determination, his unwavering brilliance, his kindness, his stubborn resistance to pity. 

No, it’s not even that. It’s something deeper and indefinable. It’s just him. His Adam-ness. That’s what brings me to my knees. 

I lean against the doorframe and watch him and wait for him to look up and meet my eyes, but it doesn’t happen, and that makes this moment different. So I rap my fingers on the door, because I don’t want to startle him, and then I go sit next to him. His closeness makes me giddy, as always. 

I reach out my hand for the car, and when he places it gently there his fingertips brush my palm the tiniest bit, sending shivers up my arm as though the touch was electric. I look at the car, remembering the day I awoke with it. How excited I was. I was eight years old, and it was my dream-toy (literally). Even then I was fascinated by cars. They were complex and simple, all at once. Powerful, but breakable. Lovely, but cold. 

I can feel his eyes on me. He’s watching me just like I’ve watched him so many countless times, and suddenly I know it’s time. I’ve been harboring this secret for so long, holding it so close to my chest that no one could possibly guess the truth. But he has guessed. I know this. He knows I know it. He knows I love him, and he’s sitting on my bed, watching me look at this thing I made, and I feel like it’s now or never.

My heart is pounding in my ears. I’m trembling because I know what I’m about to do is going to change everything, I’m just not sure how. But if there’s one thing the past year has taught me, it’s that everything changes anyway. I may as well take the risk and see what it brings, because I think - maybe - it could bring a miracle more glorious than anything I’ve ever dreamed. There’s something in the way he looks at me these days that feels like a mirror.

Or it could bring about my utter destruction. But destruction is inevitable, so it’s nothing to fear.

And anyway, I can’t take this anymore. I’ve kept my secret too long. There are many painful things I could endure forever, but loving Adam in silence is not one of them.

So I exhale, slowly, and I place the car on the bedside table, and I kiss him.

It’s the first time I’ve ever kissed anyone, at least like this, and it’s undoing me. His lips are softer than I dared imagine. Softer, and warmer, and...responsive. He’s kissing me back. 

Holy shit. He’s fucking kissing me back.

I pull back for a second - or, rather, I hesitate. It’s not pulling back, exactly; it’s more like taking a breath, allowing a moment of space for him to process, to decide how he wants to proceed. This is a turning point for us, and I’m not going to rush him into it, whatever the outcome may be. But that moment of pause is all it is - a moment - and then we’re kissing again. It’s not that I kiss him again, or that he kisses me. We just kiss. Together. 

This is the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced. 

And I need to stop it. I’m a breath away from pushing him on his back and slipping my hands into his hair and my tongue into his mouth, and that’s not what I’m trying to do. Not right now. Because I need to give him space. Because this - whatever this is - it’s going to change everything, and it can’t be done quickly, or lightly. There’s a heaviness to this, as if it’s the most important moment of my life. And I think it might be. 

So I pull back, but I keep my eyes closed for a minute and just relive it again and again, and I pray when I open my eyes he’s not staring at me in anger, or hurt, or confusion.

I open my eyes. 

He’s staring at me in wonder.

I don’t know what he’s thinking, but his gaze feels...good. So I stand without looking away from him, and he doesn’t look away from me, either, and I know he knows how much weight this moment holds. 

And then I find my voice and say, “I’m gonna go downstairs,” and then I leave him sitting on my bed. I feel his gaze on me as I walk out of the room. Not once has he looked away.

ADAM

I saw that coming for miles. And I didn’t do a thing to stop it.

Just like that rainstorm that day when I was a kid. I literally watched it roll in. I watched the sheet of rain approaching, and I just stood there waiting for it, waiting to get drenched. Just like I’ve been standing here watching Ronan, and understanding that he wanted me, for...weeks? Months? How long? I don’t even know. It wasn’t conscious. But it was real, nonetheless. I mean, I could tell he was into me. I didn’t understand it, because how could anyone as breathtaking as Ronan Lynch want me? It made me feel good, to be honest, because I didn’t feel worthy of his feelings. But I could see them there anyway. He didn’t care that I didn’t feel worthy. He was just being Ronan.

And I knew if I didn’t do something, say something, drop a hint to put him off, he’d kiss me. I didn’t know it-know it, in my brain. But I knew it in my heart. In my body. 

I didn’t try to stop it because...why? That’s what I need to figure out. Ronan just left. He just kissed me, and I kissed him back, and then he stood up and left the room and I need to figure out why I kissed him back. Because I know Ronan is not someone to play around with. I know he puts up that front because he is so incredibly, deeply sensitive, and there’s no way I’d ever hurt him. I love him too much. He’s my brother.

Is that what it is, though? Brotherly love? Because that kiss ignited things inside me that I hadn’t known were there. Very un-brotherly things. 

 I need to talk to Gansey. 

Chapter 36

And so first chance I get, I do. And he’s blustering about not hurting Ronan, and good God Gansey, do you think that’s even a possibility on the table? I would never hurt Ronan. 

Gansey can be a first-class dumbass sometimes.

That’s not what I’m asking. That’s not what I’m asking. 

“I’m not going to mess with his head,” I say, and I’m unable to keep the irritation out of my voice. “Why do you think I’m even talking to you?” I’m talking to Gansey because everything is about to change, and he’s part of that everything, and I guess I just need to know he’s okay with it. Or maybe I need him to tell me I’m not crazy. I start to tell him I don’t know how I feel, but I stop. Because this is a night for truth, and it’s not true that I don’t know how I feel. I know. God, I know. 

I know it in every corner of my body. In every thought in my head. In every wave of emotion. I know that when Ronan kissed me, and I kissed him back - when we kissed, together - everything in the world finally made sense. I mean, good lord. He’s Ronan Lynch. He’s a dream come true. (The irony of that assertion doesn’t escape me.) He’s gorgeous and brilliant and rich and brave and tough and terrifying, he’s intimidating and creative and brutal and gentle and thoughtful and generous. He exudes sex, which is a little weird because I’m 99% sure he’d never kissed anyone until a few minutes ago, when he kissed me. The man has got to be a virgin. But he still manages to exude sex, and fire, and passion, and danger, and tenderness, and loyalty, and safety. He’s a walking contradiction. He would give anything for the people he loves (me included), and yet he won’t hesitate to kick someone’s ass if they piss him off. Not us, though. Not the people he’s chosen. He would die before he hurt me, or Gansey, or Noah, or Blue. He would die before he let us be hurt.

I mean, really, he’s the ultimate badass. And for some unfathomable reason, he wants me. 

And I want him back. More than anything in my life, I want him. I think he’s handed me the keys to him, to Ronan, to his heart and his mind and his body, and I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to just take them and give him my own keys in exchange.

Gansey knows this. Because he’s a first-class dumbass, but he’s also incredibly wise, and he knows his friends. He knows us. 

I thought, when I went to talk to Gansey, that he could shoot me down. He could tell me I don’t love Ronan, that I just want to be loved myself, that I’m not worthy, that I’m an object of pity rather than of desire. And I think I would’ve believed him, because I’m not like him or Ronan or even Blue. They all believe they’re worthy of love. And I know, on an intellectual level, that I am, too, but it’s hard to internalize it after everything. I mean, until I met Gansey and Ronan and Noah (not that I remember meeting Noah, of course), I was completely alone in the world. I mean, completely, utterly, unarguably alone. My own parents resented my existence, for God’s sake.

It’s hard to feel worthy of love. It’s hard to feel worthy of Gansey’s and Blue’s and Noah’s and Ronan’s friendship. It’s next to impossible to feel worthy of being wanted, especially by the beautiful badass that is Ronan Lynch.

It’s not Gansey who could shoot me down. It’s myself. And in this span of a few minutes of conversation, that becomes crystal clear. So when all Gansey says is that it’s about being honest with myself, it feels like the ultimate affirmation. I just figured it all out; everything clicked into place, and then Gansey basically told me to trust myself. If kings are truly meant to inspire, to empower, to strengthen...Gansey is truly a king. 

And now I just want him to leave and take our pretty friend with him so I can be alone with Ronan so we can get on with our future.