#{ : yes btw there's more lmao }

[mobius-m-mobius]

#Sir Derek Jacobi is just gonna keep getting away with it huh 😔 (insp)

[burnt-cookii]

cookies I love but you wont see me talk about too often if at all pt 1

[mikesbasementbeets]

ok. look at these.

look. that's the same look. right?

let's take a closer look. to do that, i'm gonna have to zoom in a bit on the first one. because, as you can immediately see, the shots are slightly different. the first is a little farther away, showing both mike and el, walking next to each other, whereas the second is much more intimate, a closeup on mike's expression as he looks at will's face in the foreground. a minor but telling difference about the levels of emotional intimacy in each scene.

so, moving past that first element of contrast, let's look at each shot in full, because in both of these scenes, mike goes on a bit of a face journey before he gets to that final smiling expression, seen above.

personally, i think studying actors' body language and micro-expressions is inconclusive at best, but i won't deny that these look similar. however, it's pretty clear to me that they aren't the same.

toward el, i see confusion, intrigue, maybe pleasant surprise, followed by a glance down (to emotionally process and/or watch his step), and then a nervous but friendly smile.

toward will, i see awe, relief, and overwhelming affection, followed by a shy glance down and a slight schooling of his slack jawed expression into a warm smile.

but, again, that's just my interpretation, and i can't say with any certainty what the intention of all of finn's micro-expressions are. but from my perspective, even a surface level viewing of these two expressions depicts a very different emotional experience. however: there's no denying the connection between these two scenes. they clearly mirror each other, just like a lot of things about mike's relationships with el and will mirror each other. i don't think that's an accident.

whatever you think his sexuality is, mike is undeniably in a romantic narrative with el. beginning in season one episode three, when the concept of their romantic relationship is introduced, the narrative arc mike and el share is heavily focused on that relationship. the first scene above actually happens in that same episode (s1e3), not coincidentally almost directly afterward. and the former scene, with mike, lucas, and dustin behind the baseball field, provides very interesting context for several reasons:

first: bear with me, because we're going back to look at the context behind this context. this is only episode three of the show, but already there's a lot going on, both in text and subtext.

and since we have the entirety of their relationship so far presented to us on screen, when lucas accuses mike of looking at el romantically, we're easily able to go back and figure out where he got that impression: we can examine every time lucas has seen mike look at el at all.

the first night, after finding el in the woods instead of will, and while insisting that the next day she'd be gone and they could focus on will again, mike's behavior is directly reminiscent of benny's. taking el in, and providing her with shelter, food, and clothing.

the next day, after learning that she's in danger and changing his mind about pawning her off on his mother, mike infers that she might know something about will. when lucas arrives, he exclaims that she recognized him and knew he was missing.

later, when lucas tells her that will is their friend, she asks what that means and mike explains. a friend...

and then she displays that she might really be able to help them find will. and mike looks at her like this:

each and every one of these interactions is directly related to will. but lucas, through the omnipresent lens of heteronormativity that surrounds boys' interactions with girls (especially a group of boys who have no experience with girls... more on that in a bit), only seems to consider the fact that mike's behavior, which is undeniably about will, is being directed at el.

throughout season one (and beyond, in more subtle ways), will and el are repeatedly connected to each other through the trope of mistaken identity. will is abducted on the same night (and due to the same series of events) that el escapes the lab. hopper, in his investigation into will's disappearance, keeps running into clues about el. and mike, lucas, and dustin, sneaking out in episode one to search for will, find el instead.

later in the season, hopper eventually realizes the truth of his own more overt mistaken identity arc: while he was under the assumption that he'd been following will's trail, he'd actually been following el's. interestingly, the realization is triggered by one specific distinguishing difference, which tells him beyond a doubt that he's been looking for two different kids: their art.

though much more subtle (aka hidden in the subtext), mike's arc with his feelings about will and el follows a very similar pattern. the main difference, though, is that in season one, the swapping of places is eventually reversed but never acknowledged as such, and mike ends season one with el now missing and will back in his life, but a lingering sense of something yet unresolved.

second: (i'm not going to deep dive into this one here, because it's a whole analysis in and of itself, but i need to mention it because it is relevant) this scene introduces the recurring motif of superheroes being directly connected to mike's feelings for el, which is an association we see follow them all the way into season four and become a defining metaphor for their incompatibility.

third: lucas is the character who first introduces mike's romantic feelings for el into the narrative. and instead of giving any indication that lucas' interpretation is correct, mike's reaction is... difficult to read. his response is immediately defensive, both verbally ("what are you talking about?" "shut up, lucas,") and physically (leaning away and shielding himself when lucas hugs him). we can infer from the original character descriptions why mike might be defensive about this subject:

obviously, this description is only a vague impression of what Mike Wheeler became, but it's clear that the core elements of his character outlined here did come to fruition on screen. here, mike's insecurity is linked both to the bullying he undergoes, and to his inexperience/ineptitude with girls. and it's presented as key to his character motivation (the original concept of his character arc put forth here is very straightforward: at the start, mike has insecurity centered around bullying and is romantically inexperienced. by the end, mike has courage against monsters and romantic experience.)

in any case, this scene is the first hint of this aspect of mike's character in the show itself (the earlier scene of bullying in the show focusing on mike consoling dustin over what he’s being bullied for (“i think it's kinda cool. it’s like you have superpowers or something!”)... see my last point here… mike holds the idea of superpowers in high regard, and they are consistently connected with his feelings about el. something about the mistaken identity through-line feels apt here: mike mistakes his feelings of admiration for el as feelings of romance.) in this scene, mike is confronted with both romance (in direct relation to himself for the first time in the show) and bullying.

but due to the way this is shot, it's impossible to get a read on what mike is truly feeling. it reminds me a lot of another scene, actually...

in both of these scenes, mike's genuine emotional reaction is hidden from us. in the first, lucas forcibly hugs him, teasing him about how much he "loves" el, and in effect introducing the idea of el as a romantic prospect to mike. in the second, el hugs mike tightly, her hand still around his neck from their kiss and his arm trapped in between them, similar to the way he shields himself from lucas. we're then shown that he's signed the card on the flowers squished between them "from, mike." hm. so... not love, as lucas suggests.

we come to learn over the course of season four that this is something mike is actively struggling with: his inability to "love" el in the way that she wants, expects, and deserves. this scene, introducing that season-long arc, conceals mike's true emotional state and motivations from us, again, mirroring the first introduction to their entire romantic plot line way back in season one.

(an aside: lucas' "if you love her so much, [then] why don't you marry her?" aka the inciting event of their romantic arc, is a based on a conditional statement with the hypothesis that mike loves el. as mr. clarke might posit (in, say, season one, episode one): what's the difference between an experiment and other forms of science investigation? ...well, an experiment is a controlled test of two or more variables against a hypothesis. does that remind you of anything happening in mike's romantic narrative? something about...... [murray voice] experimenting sexually?)

anyway. then, after extracting himself from el's embrace, mike finally drops his bag(gage) and opens his now empty arms to will, before preemptively cutting himself short with a punch to the shoulder.

...did someone say internalized homophobia?

and then immediately upon being introduced to argyle, mike is called out for his presentation here not being genuine. ("it's a shitty knock-off,"/"i really thought it was ocean pacific...") we're being told that something about mike's performance is not what it seems (and may even be a case of one thing being mistaken for something else).

and speaking of homophobia...

fourth (and finally): this scene, of lucas' teasing mike about his "love" for el, which i'll remind you again is tied directly to lucas mistaking mike's behavior regarding will as being solely about el, is quickly interrupted by an onslaught of homophobia, during which mike is specifically targeted (read: tripped) by the bullies.

the juxtaposition is immediate and obvious: mike's friends lovingly teasing him, even embracing him, over a crush on a girl vs. bullies maliciously taunting them about will being killed for being queer and then physically harming mike.

(there's also something to be said about the later scene in which these bullies force mike to drop his bike in the woods and chase him to the edge of the quarry, mirroring exactly how the cops assume will must have died... and, to be clear, i'm not saying that mike himself is being bullied for being queer in the way will was. no, mike's queerness is invisible to those around him in a way that will's isn't, so his relationship with it and the ways it affects him are hidden in subtext.)

which brings us directly to the following scene in the woods. el asks about mike's injury (sustained from the aforementioned bullying, thereby linking these two scenes even more concretely) and with a little prodding ("friends don't lie"), he opens up to her about what happened, and about being bullied at school. she listens, tells him she understands (this also follows her recent flashback of brenner's abuse in the lab), and they share a "cool," "cool," and a smile.

so... let's quickly jump over from here to the van scene with will. something similar, yet notably different, is happening in this scene, leading up to that infamous smile at the end. mike is sharing his insecurities with will now, but instead of will prodding him to open up, mike, prompted only by will's "she's gonna be okay," begins rambling so much about his insecurities (while speaking in superhero metaphors) that he eventually cuts himself off, saying it's "stupid." instead of letting him brush it off, will guesses exactly what mike is afraid of: "you're scared of losing her." he gives him The Painting (a symbol of his love for mike) and a long speech about feeling lost and different, while insisting upon mike's value (you're the heart, leading us, inspiring us, etc). and then they share a "yeah?" "yeah," and a smile.

so we can see the similarity in the way the shots are set up, the progression of the conversations, and mike's visible reactions. but we can also see distinct differences, all of which together inform a significant difference in emotional weight between these two scenes.

while mike's conversation in the woods with el takes place in the third episode of season one, at which point mike has known her for less than 48 hours, the van scene is in the second to last episode of season four, and is the fourth of five heart-to-hearts mike and will have this season alone (and following three previous seasons and beyond that years of close friendship). it is also arguably the climax of their shared arc this season. on the other hand, mike and el's season one moment is part of the introduction to their storyline, and the introduction to their romantic arc. in this moment in the woods, mike is looking at el romantically (did you think i was gonna argue that he isn't? because no, he definitely is). in fact, this is the beginning of mike's entire romantic arc, which sets out to address the foundational insecurity that is key to his character. we, as an audience, right alongside mike, have just been told (by lucas) that mike has romantic feelings for el. and then we are presented with this scene. we are supposed to view this as romantic. because mike is starting to view it as romantic.

had stranger things been one season long, then the climax of their romantic arc would have been the kiss they share in the cafeteria, followed by the denouement of el's symbolic death (the gay implications of which i could write another whole essay on...). but the end of season one was not the resolution of mike's full romantic arc. by the nature of the five act structure (which is what stranger things has, being five seasons), the entirety of season one serves as exposition for our full narrative. which means, in effect, that the entire arc of mike and el's season one relationship is there to serve as groundwork, a foundation for mike's complete five season arc. season one, starting from before he even meets el, all the way through to when he eventually kisses her and then loses her, is only act one of that arc. the first act of five act structure is when the driving conflict is presented. so in the context of the entire show, for us as the viewer, mike's narrative arc surrounding the romantic aspect of his insecurity begins with his season one "romance" with el.

and we know that this insecurity is an element of the full five-act narrative, rather than being presented and wrapped in the course of the mini "self contained" narrative of season one, because we can see plainly, three seasons later, particularly during mike's heart-to-hearts with will, that this insecurity has not yet been resolved. we know this, on a basic level, from having watched mike and el's relationship struggles progress, but it is still explicitly laid out for us in season four. and will is consistently the only person who genuinely hears mike out, encourages him to open up, and addresses his insecurities, instead of brushing him off, like most other people in his life (including will at some points) have done. will understands him in a way el only claimed to in season one.

looking back to the character outline: mike has now "kiss[ed] a girl" and even "had a girlfriend" and still hasn't resolved his insecurities even remotely. in fact, after the first season arc wraps up, this romantic relationship becomes the main source of that insecurity. his difficulty navigating a real romantic relationship with el is the basis of their arc in season three. and by season four, mike is consciously struggling with being unable to tell el that he loves her. despite will's reassurances that things will be okay (which stack onto lucas' constant relationship advice in season three), mike keeps circling back around to it. because he can't move forward on the path he is on.

he has reached a point of no return, like a “fight you can’t come back from.” he is unable to find the security he is searching for in his romantic relationship with el... and this is where we arrive back at the van scene with will.

if the scene in the woods marks the beginning of the introduction of mike's romantic arc, then the scene in the van marks the beginning of the conclusion of mike's romantic arc. if the introduction of his romantic arc (season one) presents his insecurity, then the natural conclusion of that arc (season five) is security. throughout season four, mike lays out for will the insecurity that his relationship with el still brings him. he is unable to find that security with el, and, in the van scene, finds it with will instead.

or, should i say, begins the journey to finding it. because, especially after the lie that brings them into that moment, and then traumatic pizza dough freezer incident, we're still at the beginning of the conclusion. there's still a lot to resolve, but season four (alongside mike, who now understands what he's been going through) finally began moving the subtext of mike's arc into the actual text. and this moment indicates that season five will take that next step to fully, textually, actualizing it.

so, getting back to the parallel we're looking at here: each of these scenes is a catalyzing moment in mike's romantic arc. in season one, when lucas suggests that mike has a crush on el, and then what follows is a conversation with el where she is (to quote lucas) "not grossed out" by him, he actively begins his journey toward resolving this character motivating insecurity. he looks at el and he sees the possibility of romance.

and just look at him. he looks excited. hopeful. a little nervous. but... i want to remind you again: mike has known el for less than 48 hours at this point. this is the first conversation they've had in which they've related to each other as equals. for their entire relationship before this and afterward, outside of their romantic interactions (and also. often. disturbingly. concurrent with their romantic interactions...), mike's role has been as el's protector, a makeshift father figure, the elliot to her E.T. here, though, el tells mike that she understands him.

in season one, mike is twelve years old (read: pre-pubescent). he has no personal understanding of or experience with romance. dustin starts to comment in s1e2, "you're letting a girl...?" and ted later scoffs "our son with a girl?" and outside of the queer coding, what we can take from both of these (which draw back to the original character description) is that mike has no experience with girls whatsoever. (outside of, you know. family. but that's not what this post is about.)

and again, this scene happens almost directly after lucas first introduces the idea of romance between them, both to the narrative, and to mike himself, who, very significantly, up until this point, has shown no romantic interest in el. the sequence of these events is not a coincidence. 1. lucas assumes mike has romantic feelings for el. 2. el and mike have a moment of personal connection and understanding 3. mike "boys only" wheeler puts these two together and assumes the connection between them must be romance. but the expression on mike's face here isn't a representation of already existing romantic feelings. there's no basis for those. again, this moment represents for mike the potential for romance.

which... makes his expression in the van scene hit even harder. because unlike el, will isn't a stranger he barely knows, but rather his best friend of ten years. and it isn't lucas telling mike how mike feels. it's will professing his own feelings about mike, in direct response to mike's self-professed insecurities. (ding ding ding, are your alarm bells going off?) mike's expression at the end of this scene, if we're viewing it as a reprise of his season one expression, is a representation of hope for his romantic future. but this time, heading into the resolution of mike's romantic arc, with all of the knowledge and context we (and mike) have gained over the course of the past four seasons, it's directed at will.

ok. so. with the basic connection between these two scenes established, i'm gonna move a little bit sideways here. at the end of their romantic arc in season one, el disappears from mike's life and will reappears in it, effectively swapping their places (remember that we've been dealing with the mistaken identity trope between these two), and leaving the question of mike's romantic security glaringly unresolved.

and we know why - this is a five act narrative we're watching - but just within the context of the season one arc... the climactic moment of mike finally asking the girl to be his sister kissing the girl was preceded by her locating will in the upside down (leading to his rescue) and followed by a resolution in which she disappeared... and will took her place. at the end of the season, mike is left in the same place he started: playing games in his basement with will, his first attempt to resolve his arc of romantic insecurity, with el, ultimately ending in tragedy.

after season one, this arc picks up again, but this time will is the one present in mike's life. and mike's behaviors toward el in season one, during which they were undergoing a romantic story arc, begin showing up again in his behavior toward will. but unlike with el, mike's particular (read: romantic) behavior toward will happens without outside intervention, and in fact, often in spite of outside intervention. now, this isn't to say that all of mike's behavior with el was a result of others' influence. when el reveals to mike that she is on the run from "bad people," mike is immediately protective and caring toward her. however, as i've already explained, this caring behavior (which, again, we know right off the bat is not romantic because it directly mirrors the way both benny and hopper care for her) doesn't turn into romantic behavior until lucas introduces that idea.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, right from episode one of season one, mike's behavior toward will is fully self motivated, even in the face of opposition.

and as we move through season one and beyond, we can see that mike continues to rely on constant guidance in the way he cares about el (particularly and most consistently from lucas).

stranger things is, at it's horror filled core, a coming of age tale. like many of our other characters, mike's full character arc, romantic and otherwise, is about self-actualization. from the very conception of the show, his insecurity is presented as a central character flaw to overcome, while also being directly linked with his romantic fulfillment. the overcoming of this fatal flaw, the resolution of his romantic arc, and his final achievement of self-actualization are all inextricably intertwined.

the reprisal of this specific expression of romantic hope as we enter the end of mike's romantic arc is not an indication that mike is in the same place emotionally at the end of season four as he was at the beginning of season one, just with a different person now. instead, it is an indication of his romantic arc coming full circle. mike began in a position of hope for his romantic future with el, only to have the actualization of that hope (their romantic relationship) gradually degrade his romantic fulfillment and self-esteem. the longer mike and el are together, and the more serious their romantic relationship becomes, the worse mike's insecurities become. this is, i would argue, directly related to the fact that mike's pursuit of a romantic relationship with el is not due to his own genuine desire, but instead a combined result of heteronormativity (lucas assuming mike's feelings for el to be romantic), compulsive heterosexuality (mike's subsequent assumption that his feelings for el must be romantic), forced conformity (mike's attempt to resolve his insecurities firmly within these heteronormative boundaries, under the assumption that a rejection of these boundaries is unacceptable), and the trope of mistaken identity that has been following will and el since season one.

and of course i don't know with any concrete certainty what season five will contain, but based on the narrative so far, and optimistically expecting a satisfying resolution to his character arc, the actualization of his romantic hope regarding will is going to lead to true romantic fulfillment and coincide with his self-actualization (a big part of which is coming to terms with his sexuality).

now, i'm not going to conclude this whole analysis by saying, "and that's why mike is gay!" because while i think this all is a good indication of that, based on all of the context and my impression that this narrative is being presented in a way that focuses on the subtext and deeper symbolism of each of these relationships rather than being a case of specifically el vs. will, you might still have a different interpretation than me. that's fine. however, i am going to end by insisting (me when i argue with the wall), based on everything i've laid out, that this parallel and others like it (ie parallels between byler & miIeven's romantic arcs) are not evidence of mike's feelings, specifically whether they are genuinely romantic or not. this parallel serves as a narrative device in his romantic character arc... the conclusion of which is mike realizing and coming to terms with the fact that he is actually in love with will, and not el.

just to be very clear, i'm not saying these parallels alone are proof against mike being bisexual, but i am saying that they are not evidence in support of his being bisexual. again: they do not indicate that mike is romantically attracted to el. what they indicate is that will and el are foils in mike's romantic arc.

before i finish, i want to address a couple misconceptions:

1. the fact that mike actively and willingly participates in a romantic relationship with a woman means he can’t be gay. this is straight up homophobia. gold star bullshit. no.

2. mike and el being presented in a romantic light means that they have genuine romantic feelings for each other. this is a misconception of the way narrative tools are used to tell a story. going right back to my first point: it is an irrefutable fact that many gay people have romantic relationships with the people of different genders (read “the opposite sex”) before they come out/realize their true sexuality. it is also a fact that many of these gay people fully believe their feelings to be genuinely romantic before realizing that they are not. as i've already gone over, mike is twelve years old when his romantic arc begins. on the surface, his relationship with el is presented as romantic. he participates in (and even initiates) romantic behaviors because he believes that his feelings for el are romantic. in seasons one and two, mike is one of our main POV characters. we can see a romantic tilt to the way some of their scenes are shot because, to mike, while they are happening, they are romantic (keeping in mind what i said before about mike having no experience and therefore no personal knowledge informing his perspective, AND keeping in mind that many of these on-the-surface "romantic" scenes are also consistently subtextually linked (read: paralleled) to familial relationships for both of them... and i haven't even touched the cultural context surrounding homosexuality in 80's. there's so much nuance informing the way this story is being told). and we, as the audience, are supposed to read them as romantic on first viewing, because otherwise the season five plot twist, revealing the truth of mike's feelings, would not work.

it is not a coincidence that the active degradation of their romantic relationship (outside of all of the other context, parallels, symbolism, family coding, etc, that are there to hint along the way that things are not as they might seem) begins full force in season three, at the exact point when the two actually enter a real relationship for the first time, and also when our characters are entering puberty, the time during which a person's sexuality (in a general sense, but also in regard to sexual orientation) begins to fully emerge. after his season one arc with el, mike underwent another season-long romantic arc: this time, with will. it's more subtle, because (i believe) mike doesn't realize yet that it's romantic, but it's there. then at the end of season two, mike makes a choice: he encourages will to dance with a girl and he dances with el, re-writing their tragic ending from season one, but now leaving his romantic arc with will frustratingly unresolved, again mirroring the sense of unresolution from season one: mike has swapped out the end of each romantic arc with the wrong love interest.

and then in season three, now having had the experience of both romantic arcs, and now, for the first time, with both will and el right there beside him, all we can see anymore is the overt contrast between the two relationships, depicted most blatantly through the same type of visual and narrative "parallel" we've been looking at here.

but at the end of this season, instead of making a choice, mike's choice is made for him. he has a romantic moment with will, and then el kisses him, confusing the resolution of these two romantic arcs once again.

mike's season four arc closely mirrors his season one arc (searching for one love interest with the other by his side, mistaken identity trope abound), but with important distinctions: 1. mike is a little older, a lot more experienced, and has a better understanding of both the context of romantic relationships and the scope of his feelings for both el and will. and 2. mike's only real guidance in season four comes from will, and he doesn't simply listen and act based on will's advice, as he did with lucas' in seasons 1&3. now, he fully engages with will's input, pushing back against it when he doesn't agree, and accepting it when he can acknowledge its truth (up until, of course, our fourth (and hopefully final) tragic, incorrectly resolved ending). mike is finally taking control of his romantic narrative in a way he hasn't previously, and the direction it's heading in now is toward security, self-actualization, and will.

so the point of all of this is: nothing is as simple or straightforward as it may seem on the surface. the narrative has always been deeply complex and layered with subtext and symbolism. and most of all, when interpreting the meaning of anything presented directly to us on screen, context matters.

also uh. yeah, mike gay

[lazycranberrydoodles]

woe mundane monopoly headcanons be upon ye

follow for more of modern au hua cheng’s outfits

[archersartcorner]

Back in Far Harbor gang… I get they probably didn’t want to extend a cutscene where the player had no control out too long, but I do wish in the Acadia meeting that you can eavesdrop on they brought up Nick 😭 but they do Not so here’s me making up scenarios. The Usual. 😏

[romanticheri]

i want to focus on finishing my assignment so here's a nikolai art while i'm gone for a lil bit!

if you see this art somewhere no you don't

[cangrellesteponme]

well that. that sure is a babygirl

[rainofthetwilight]

imagine....ninjago arabic dub, but everyone has different dialects instead of just speaking in fus7a

lloyd is syrian, kai and nya are lebanese or libyan (probably libyan), jay is morrocan, cole is egyptian, zane is iraqi, pixal is jordanian, and wu is stuck in fus7a lmao

arin is yemeni, sora, jordana and percival are lebanese (basically imperium as a whole r lebanese), wyldfyre is egyptian, euphrasia (and the cloud kingdom) is syrian, and ras would probably be any khaleegi dialect except iraqi (I'm sorry I cannot see him have any dialect other than a khaleegi one that's not iraqi, he's not deserving of iraqi it's too good for him 💪), and judging by cinder's voice in french he prob might be jordanian?? Ig???

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 738: Towards to scorching hot stage!!

Pag 1

The climax of the training camp arc!!

Pag 2

The incandescent battle is starting!!

Sohoku, towards the Inter High!!

Pag 3

4: It's so hot

It's so hot suddenly!!

I can't do this anymore, I'll take a two hours break

I'm your buddy, so I'l also take a two hours break!!

5: The weather on the third day of training camp....

Pag 4

1: is scorching hot

Pag 5

3: Kakaka it's pouring out!!

Pouring out!!

5: Sweat!!

Pag 6

1: Finding shade and running like this seriously exhausts our stamina!!

2: Yeah!!

5: Murakamii!!

Pag 7

1: Yessir!

3: Thanks!!

Thank you!!

Pag 8

1: Kaa....!! Cold water feels so good...!!

Hyaaa.... it works..!!

2: The standard spots to pour water on yourself are face, head, and back, Onoda-kun

Putting it in yous stomach also feels so good, but

3: In one shot you'll upset your stomach and then a toilet hell will await you

O-okay!! Scary...

4: Alright, we're refreshed!! Let's raise the pace again, Onoda-kun!!

Okay!!

Pag 9

1: Naruko-san....

3: Incredible... the senpais aren't taking a break and keep running

Despite how hot it is...

4: By the way, have you noticed?

Huh?

Their jerseys

5: Since this training camp started, the senpais

6: have been wearing long-sleeved jerseys

Pag 10

1: Why!? Ah! It's true, Imaizumi-san... and Kaburagi-san too

They should just take it off, since it's so hot

2: Is it a way of training?

Like carrying a burden to power up?

A heavy burden

3: I'm sorry... my left knee hurts

Is that so?

4: I was overly optimistic... I thought that if I did a good job.... and succeed in this training camp, then I'd be one of the six members

But....

5: To overcome everything and keep fighting, you need physical preparation

6: Just being cunning won't open the way

7: I understand, I accept your retiring

But

Pag 11

1: You'll work behind the scenes for the last two days

There's a lot of work to do behind the scenes, and this time you'll do it with all your strength!!

3: If you want to become stronger, you have to study and watch other run, too

Observe, discover. There are things you can only discover when you're not pedaling

4: Not a single second is a moment you can't learn!!

5: It might be the first time I meet such an intense senpai...

“Learn”.... Naruko-san....

6: I want to become stronger, I'll do my best

Let's add ice

7: The jerseys have a meaning too, I'm sure

It's not just a careless burden

Pag 12

1: There's something!!

Human bodis have the ability to adapt

2: From spring to summer

3: From autumn to winter, we meet seasonal changes and adapt

We do it two times a year

4: The body naturally creates its own system to face the hot and cold according to the climate

5: Just like during summer the leaves grow green and thickly

6: While during winter the leaves fall

7: You can't see it with your eyes, bt our skin, bones, sweat glands, and muscles, go through dramatic changes

Pag 13

1: The proof is that, during summer, 10° are so cold you feel like freezing, but during winter it feels warm

2: To force that adaptation faster, that's the meaning of these long-sleeved jerseys!!

3: Adapting takes time. So we're adapting to heat earlier to prepare for the summer Inter High!! Our bodies too!!

4: Yeah!!

5: After all, this year's summer is gonna be our third Inter High!!

Pag 16

3: Kyushu, Kumamoto Prefecture, Mount Aso

Pag 17

1: Do you know? A long time ago.... they say that here, as far as your eyes could see, there was a hugh volcano surrounding this scenery

2: Huh, really?

When humans still hunted with stone tools

3: There were four big explosions and the mountain collapsed in the magma pit

4: With a diameter of 25km, it's the largest caldera in the world.... and it made this outer rim of the crater

So, the cities, roads, and fields we can see from here, inside the muntain?

Yeah

Pag 18

1: I can feel it, somehow....

The breath of the earth

2: With my whole body... yon!!

3: Fou!! Really!? I can only see this huge scenery....

!! No, I can feel it...!! Fou

Pag 19

1: This splendid scenery and steep slopes

2: This magnificent nature

3: An unpaved side road that appears from time to time

4: We came to.... inspect the race's course

5: and chose a “road bike”, but

6: Ah!! I get it!! I was thinking about it now!!

7: I wish we had bought our “mountain bikes”, yon!!

Fou!!

There's so many roads that make me want to run!!

I totally get that!!

Pag 20

1: Our third and last Inter High will be in the scorching hot Kyushu!! In the “land of fire”, Kumamoto

2: Mount Aso

Pag 21

1: will be our stage!!

Pag 22

1: It's gonna be a hot one, this Inter High!!

2: It's burning up

3: Our final last stage

Pag 23

1: Red like magma!!

2: Challenge!! The last Inter High!!

Yes!!

Yeah!!

Pag 24

2: At CSP, Sohoku High School racing team's training camp is 3 / 4 done

Everyone is riding at their buddy's pace

3: Many of the first and second years retired, but even so, the third day ended without any incident

4: Currently, there are 8 people in the top ranking who could be chosen as Inter High members

There's only the last day

5: The fourth day

[berry--blonde]

So I got into League..........

[neverevan]

Wip Wednesday 🎄

I shared a small tidbit from this yesterday, but here's a little longer one this time 💕

Eddie was holding a bag of M&Ms in one hand while twisting garlands around the railings by the stairs with the other. They were putting up the Christmas decorations around the station during a lull and while Eddie was all for the Christmas spirit, the garlands didn't seem too keen on cooperating.

“Pass me one?” Buck walked up to him, both his arms tangled up in a big knot of Christmas lights and on the top of his head, pushing into his perfectly coiffed hair sat a frankly ridiculous hairband with a set of floppy white ears, decorated by big black blotches to resemble a dalmatian.

“What are you wearing?” Eddie frowned at the dog ear hanging down just beside his birthmark.

Buck looked up like he could see the top of his own head if he just tried hard enough. “Must’ve been left here from Halloween. Cute, right?”

"Sure."

Well, it was cute.

That still didn't explain why he felt the need to put it on, but Eddie had more important things to worry about, namely the damned garland that kept on slipping off of the railing and bunching up on the bottom.

“So, are you gonna give me one?” Buck tried again, eyeing the small bag of candy in Eddie’s hand.

“Ask nicely.” Eddie quipped, mainly just to be a little shit but as always, Buck was game.

He ducked his chin, jostling the dog ears on the top of his head and batted his eyelashes a little cartoonishly, then after an elongated whine of pretty please, he stuck his tongue out expectantly.

Eddie rolled his eyes and plopped a big green one onto Buck’s tongue. “Here.”

tags under the cut 💛

I was tagged by the lovely @jamespearce9-1-1 @daffi-990 and @malewifediaz mwuah mwuah 💛

✨and totally no pressure tagging: @spagheddiediaz @jeeyuns @ladydorian05 @disasterbuckdiaz @steadfastsaturnsrings @eowon @heartshapedvows @nmcggg @rainbow-nerdss @watchyourbuck @eddiebabygirldiaz @theotherbuckley @thewolvesof1998

[mobius-m-mobius]

OWEN WILSON and RAFAEL CASAL in LOKI S2 (2023)

[astro-inthestars]

HEY. HEY GUYS

Remember Dream Trail? Awesome indie game made by just some fellas with awesome talent???? HAVE ANOTHER ONE!!!!!

If YOU like games that include a buncha different characters with funky personalities (all of which you can befriend) getting stuck in a situation where they can all DIE (just like Danganr- Your Turn To Die!! (it's actually inspired by that!)) and you have to solve puzzles to make it out alive, THEN YOU'RE IN LUCK!!!

THIS IS KENIKARI learn more and download HERE hi the DEMO IS OUT AND IT'S SO GOOD!!!! (watch the trailer that's on the site btw it's amazing and so silly) Here's the devblog too <;3 @thekenikaridevblog

Here are the characters you meet!!! (minus the characters in the art above <3)

⁽ʰᵃʰᵃᵗᵒᵗᵃˡˡʸⁿᵒᵗᵒᵇᵛᶦᵒᵘˢʷʰᵒᵐʸᶠᵃᵛᵒʳᶦᵗᵉᶦˢ⁾

Shoutout to @sobredunia (CREATOR!!! BTW!! SHE'S AWESOME!!) and @chipistrate (fellow Kenikari brainrotter and whO GOT ME INTO IT!!! YOU!! 🫵)

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i've seen some other people do this, so let me share some songs that remind me of catradora.

Adora's POV:

“Her eyes and words are so icy

Oh but she burns

Like rum on the fire

Hot and fast and angry as she can be

I walk my days on a wire.”

[…]

The way she shows me I'm hers and she is mine

Open hand or closed fist would be fine

Blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine.”

— Cherry Wine, Hozier

•

“L-O-V-E damn 4 letters

You sugar-coat it with L-O-V-E every time

Selfish, I will never be enough

Even when I pour out all of myself for you.

[…]

As long as you love me

The good or the ugly

Everything is alright

It’s like you control me

Without you I’m lonely

But you don't feel the same.”

— Gunshot, KARD

•

“You said it was true love, but wouldn't that be hard?

You can't love anyone cause that would mean you had a heart

I tried you help you out, now I know that I can't

Cause how you think's the kind of thing I'll never understand.

[…]

I used to think I was smart

But you've made me look so naive

The way you sold me for parts

As you sunk your teeth into me.”

— Vampire, Olivia Rodrigo

•

“You only think of yourself

As if that’s natural

I’ve been foolish enough to try to please you

It tortures me, keeping me lonely till the end.

[…]

I have to adjust to you

Every time, that’s okay

It repeats like this every day

If you're taking advantage of my kindness

There's something wrong with that.”

— Egotistic, MAMAMOO

•

“The stars, the moon

They have all been blown out

You've left me in the dark

No dawn, no day

I'm always in this twilight

In the shadow of your heart

[…]

I took the stars from my eyes and then I made a map

And knew that somehow I could find my way back

Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too

So I stayed in the darkness with you.”

— Cosmic Love, Florence + The Machine

•

“Hey girl, wake up

There are better people out there

But even though he acts like that

There's still some good in him.

[…]

So foolish, I'm being manipulated

So stupid, should I break up or…?

This is the end, yes, bye bye

I want to say it but I can't

I'm frustrated but I'm stuck on you

I'm still into you.”

— TRAP, AAA (Misako & Chiaki)

(just replace “he” with “she”)

•

“I can’t stop, I found you

But feels like I’m the only one who feels this way, it makes me mad

I don’t understand

But hurting this much? I’m used to it

[…]

Don’t pity me, no, do as you always did

Because that’s you

Even if you break my heart

And spit out careless words

It’s only you for me.

[…]

I don’t want to be obvious

What if you think I’m weak?

I’m so pathetic, pathetic.”

— Love & Hate / Worthless, Moon Byul

•

“If it was for you I could

Pretend to be happy even when I was sad

If it was for you I could

Pretend to be strong even when I was hurting

[…]

Love you so bad

I molded a pretty lie for you

Love it's so mad

Try to erase myself and make me your doll.”

— Fake Love, BTS

•

“I’m falling endlessly

And you’re playing with me

You got me losing my mind, you intruder

It’s so dangerous I want it

Even if it costs all the pain.

[…]

Oh god, why are you leading me into temptation? Is it a call from hell?

Can’t stop, how am I going to escape from her?

The self-control you gave me has torn in pieces in the dark black hole

Can’t control myself, it’s like sugarcoated poison.”

— Oh My God, (G)I-DLE

•

“My sensitivity making me tense

Your honesty stabbing my heart

Why does this only apply to me? It’s too unfair

[…]

I’m not easy I hate that

I adjusted to you

I loved you more than me.”

— Easy, Wheein

Catra's POV:

“I'm breaking every rule

I want to keep tormenting you

[…]

Hate me as you want, I don't care

The more you break, the more you'll want me.

[…]

I swear I need you, my desires are growing

I’m playing with you like a kid

Hovering like your shadow and whispering to you

I’m your light and your darkness.”

— 28 Reasons, Kang Seulgi

•

“I don't want none, I just want you

If I can't have you, no one should

[…]

I might kill my ex, I still love him though

Rather be in hell than alone.

[…]

Now I'm in the basement, planning home invasion

Now you laying face-down, got me singing over a beat.”

— Kill Bill, SZA

•

“I’m creepin’ in your heart, babe

I’ll flip you over, break you down and swallow you up

I’ll steal you and indulge in you

I’m gonna mess you up

[…]

I’m a bit impatient

I’m not that gentle (I hated you)

But I want you

That’s right, my type

My heart doesn’t lie.”

— Monster, EXO

•

“You fuel my jealousy

Growing everyday

Following your shadow

I’m with you, in every breath you take.

[…]

Call me evil

I'll show you more

I get what I want,

but I can't get enough.”

— Propose, Dreamcatcher

[marimbles]

the agony of enjoying MULTIPLE THINGS AT ONCE. How do people do it….

[thesmokinpossum]

when i tell you my jaw hit the fucking floor at this scene...