#I especially love any panel of him next to darius

[waitineedaname]

that collection of greedlings I reblogged earlier reminded me I should post my own collection of favorite greedling panels, except mine are mostly sillies

[anupalya]

Please bear with me, I’m about to say this as a complete and utter Destiel lover (as anyone who spends even a tiny bit of time on my dash can see), Misha lover, and person who just loves my little curated corner of fandom and the incredible explorations of love and friendship and family and fun that fanworks bring. 

This is also very much NOT intended as a call-out post, and not intended to scold or shame anyone for anything they are experiencing or feeling.  I am just sharing my own differing opinion.

I’ve pieced together what happened during today’s Q&A after being very confused for a few hours (lol coming on tumblr is always an experience), and I honestly love that the questions today weren’t about Destiel.  That’s not because I don’t love having new Destiel revelations, and I definitely was celebrating yesterday when Misha shared that Cas could see the love in Dean’s eyes.  It is so wonderful to have someone say “you’re not crazy, I see it too, I played it that way ON PURPOSE, this is how I felt the character was” after all the gaslighting crap Destiel fans get put through, and how often we get called crazy and cringey.  It was also a particularly beautiful, thoughtful, affirming, and just all-around good take that adds another lovely piece to our Destiel mosaic.  So I absolutely celebrated and reblogged the shit out of things yesterday, and I am so glad we all enjoyed it.

That being said, I personally want to be moving away from holding Misha as an authority over the character of Castiel or of Destiel.  It’s actually hard for me to remember to do, honestly, given all the bullshit the see-double-you and various other people have pulled.  He’s shouldered the burden of all of their failures in that regard, which has to be exhausting and straining.  But, as shown by the care he gave to his Destiel responses yesterday, Misha does not want to be the definitive authority on this subject, and I quite agree, for a number of reasons.  If he tried, he’d never be able to avoid invalidating some or other person’s read or interpretation on the character or relationship.  It would end up being at the very least a publicly-not-queer-presenting man talking over queer voices, which he was so careful and conscious to NOT do, yesterday.  He also, and I cannot stress this enough, has not watched the show.

Fandom and fan works, the different interpretations of Destiel and the beautiful art created around it, have changed my life in many ways.  And this was done by different people presenting their own interpretations, by saying “screw you” to the story we got and “love you” to the characters we got.  The beautiful, incredible thing about fandom is that we are our own authority over the story, and no one person’s opinion overrides another.  It’s in that we don’t have to look to anyone to be the authority and say what is right or wrong.  Validation is wonderful, especially because people love calling us crazy and delusional, and so the thoughtful validation Misha gave yesterday shows respect and solidarity and acknowledgement that we are not stupid or crazy because he played it that way on purpose(!!!), but it was not the deciding factor on whether we were “right” or “wrong.”

Today’s panel had questions about Bridgewater, about the food show, his poetry book, Darius....I haven’t seen it yet but I am so excited to.  If Misha shares Destiel opinions I am so happy to hear them and celebrate them, but I also want to hear about his next endeavors and the fun he is having with them, what they mean to him, etc.  I am so glad people asked those questions, because that sounds like a fun panel, very interesting and lovely and I hope Misha also had a wonderful time answering them and sharing his interest and endeavors with us.

Once again, this is NOT intended to scold, shame, or hurt anyone.  I do want to say that I doubt we will be able to get much more of Misha’s opinions than what we’ve got (although if I’m wrong, yay) because I doubt he can share everything we want to know, ESPECIALLY about the see-double-you’s fuckery, and again, he doesn’t seem to want to position himself as an authority on the subject.  For that reason, I do want to caution everyone who might be disappointed right now to not get your hopes up again, but encourage you instead to just treat any possible new shared opinions or revelations of his intent in playing Cas as beautiful (although NOT authoritative) presents.

[dariuspuckermannyc]

Atlantic City || JARIUS

Jesse hit the final note of the song, one of his favourite Sondheim songs, and then turned the volume down on the radio, looking over at Darius in the drivers seat as they turned off from the freeway to the Atlantic City Expressway, signaling they'd be there in about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic. He laughed, shaking his head, "thanks for humouring me with music control, babe. Best part of any road trip." He winked at him, and then looked out at the window as the city started to come into view. In the day it looked much like any other city, but he knew just from what people had said, that Atlantic City truly came to life at night. "I can't wait to see all the hard work you've been putting in."

One of the many things Darius enjoyed about Jesse to the fullest was to get the chance to hear him sing, and if that happened to be only for him to hear, like at that moment, with the two of them in the car, the wind barely audible over Jesse's amazing voice, so when he was done and thanked him for giving him music control on the trip to Atlantic City, he could only smile at him. "You know I enjoy our one to one concerts, babe. Don't worry." Darius was also excited to show Jesse what they had done so far, a work that had made him be away from Jesse for a lot of days at the time. "Your opinion is important to me, not to mention you're the main act on the night we open." He winked at him and chuckled, the car now driving under the arch that marked the entrance to the city, also known as the 'Las Vegas of the East'.

@jessestjamesnyc

Jesse laughed, "I know... I'm preparing my set list already. Though I know you have final say. I'll go more modern and less Broadway, I promise. Maybe a Queen song or two? Whatever you want me to sing babe." He knew he had told Darius before that he'd never been to Atlantic City, so everything that was appearing in front of their eyes was a new sight to him, especially once they reached the casino strip. "Are you looking on track to open when you'd planned?"

Darius smiled brightly and nodded. "I love it when you get to sing Queen songs! With all due respect to Freddie Mercury, whose voice can compare to none, you are the one who does it the best, and even give it your own special touch." He looked at him and winked, then continued to drive ahead. The sun would be done in a short while, so the casinos and hotels were already starting to show their flashing lights. "Tell you truth, we're running a bit on a tight schedule as of right now, but I'm confident that we'll bue ready in time. I made sure to hire the best contractors in the business, so that was one headache less." He chuckled, then took the exit to the right, where the hotels right next to the beach line were, and after a five minute longer drive they finally arrived. "We're here" he announced with a smile as he turned the engine off.

Jesse stared incredulously at Darius, and then burst out laughing which he couldn't stop for a few minutes, before wheezing and catching his breath, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry." He cleared his throat, "I mean, I'm flattered but I don't think anybody does Queen better than Freddie, not even me." He leaned over the console and pressed a quick kiss to Darius' cheek, before leaning back in his seat again, "but I appreciate you saying that." When they arrived Jesse unclicked his seatbelt and looked out of the window and up at the building next to him. He reached for the handle of the car door, opening it so he could step outside. He turned to look at Darius, and the beach behind him, "you've redone the front gardens, haven't you? They look different to the first photos you showed me... way better."

After they both shut the doors Darius clicked on the alarm control he had in his hand, the car now locked and secured, then he walked around the car and held onto Jesse's hand. "I did. Call me crazy, but palm trees seemed more like Florida, and we're definitely not there. I preferred a normal front garden that wouldn't distract your sight so much. Those palm trees almost blocked the whole main entrance!" He chuckled, then kissed his hand. "I'm glad you like it too. Now let's go inside to check the rest, come on!" Like an excited kid, he tugged Jesse along as he started walking, his long legs moving fast enough so that it seemed like he was towing the other man behind him, then as they made down the driveway that led to where the main entrance was he waved at some of the workers that were still there, of course al of them knowing who Darius was. "We have a three shift team of people, for a total of 18 hours a day work. Other than helping getting this done with in time, it helped creating a lot of work for local people, which was good, you know?" They walked through the main entrance, the lobby where the main desk was, marble floors at their feet and luxurious couches and sits all around to welcome people as they went in. "Down to the right the elevators which take you to the rooms, which we get to later-" He wiggled his brows at him and chuckled. "- and also that way takes you to the pool and gym area. Let's go see the casino, come on!"

Jesse couldn't help but smile at how happy and excited Darius was, in the moment. It scared him, because he knew that his job was in New York and now Darius' job would be in Atlantic City... but he was sure they'd make it work. He whistled softly when they walked in the main entrance, "fuck... babe, this looks amazing. It really screams luxury." He looked at him and smiled, giving his hand a squeeze, "okay. Lead the way."

Darius smiled, happy that Jesse also liked what they had done so far, then nodded and they both walked into the casino area hand in hand, the sound of drills and hammers still sounding in the background, but the main hall was already there standing with all the lights on, and it had nothing to envy any hotel in Vegas, which was where he had originally gotten the idea from obviously. "There are two levels for the casino, and they are games and everything you may want from one on each level, and also there is a bar on each one, plus the tables to simply sit on the upper level, from which you can look down on all of this." There were scupltures almost on every corner, even a small fountain in the middle of the big main lobby. "So? What'd you think so far, babe?" he said and pecked his lips quickly.

Jesse looked around and shook his head with a smile on his face, before turning to face Darius, wrapping his arms around his waist. "What do I think? I think you've done an amazing job... seriously, babe, I knew you were talented but I didn't know what to expect. I don't think I could have ever expected this though. It looks gorgeous. You're going to have customers flooding the place." He leaned in and kissed him deeply.

Darius blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Really? I'm glad you think so, Jesse. I mean... I only had the idea, and also did some drawings of what I wanted, how I wanted it to be, but all the people here did all the work. I mostly did all the bossing around." He chuckled, then hummed softly against his lips, his arms going around Jesse's shoulders and holding him close. When they pulled back he bumped Jesse's nose with his and smiled. "Having you here, being able to share this with you makes it all more perfect."

Jesse laughed when Darius said that, and then shrugged, "maybe so... but without your ideas, it wouldn't have been this, right? You still implemented it all. Besides, you're cute when you're bossy, so I'm sure the workers didn't mind too much." He smiled against Darius' lips. "Well, you know I love to see your hard work paying off, so I'm glad to be here, babe."

Darius smiled against Jesse's lips and nodded. "I suppose you're right. Let's call it team work then, huh?" He held him closer, their foreheads now resting together. "I wouldn't want to share this with any other. Only you-" He pulled back just a bit and smiled. "Let me show you the rooms! They're already done and ready to be used, so all that's left is finishing the area down here." He held onto Jesse's hand and tugged him to where the elevators were, pulling his own personalized card from the pocket to hail for it. They stepped inside when the doors open, an exquisite antoque decor inside the lift, completed with seats on the further end and mirrors on every side from top to bottom, then every three floors they would step aside and Darius showed him one of the rooms. Singles, doubles, triples and quadruples, all equiped and ready, then he finally took him to the top floor, which is where his card came in handy on the control panel of the elevator. The doors opened when they got there and he did a soft 'ta daaa' sound as he walked ahead of him, taking them both inside the penthouse that covered all of the top and higher level of the hotel. "Welcome to our Atlantic City home, babe."

When Darius said the rooms were already done and ready to be used, the corner of Jesse's mouth twitched up in a smirk, already thinking of all the uses they could get out of them. He let Darius pull on his hand to the elevators and then throughout the short guided tour of the various types of rooms that would be on offer, making compliments as they went. They'd been furnished perfectly to fit the age and history of the hotel, without feeling dated or musty. When they stepped out onto the penthouse, he whistled softly under his breath, "... holy shit. This is beautiful. Look at the view!" He made his way quickly to the window, pointing it out, forgetting that of course Darius had seen the view plenty, he was sure. "Wait," he turned to look at him, his brow creases, "our Atlantic City home... this room isn't for customers?"

Darius smiled brightly when he saw Jesse taking in the view of the ocean that of course he had seen dozens of times now, and he was glad he liked it as much as he did, then it turned into a grin when he saw the look on his face, and he walked up to him and put his arms around his waist as he looked down into his eyes. "Nope. This is my penthouse. Our penthouse. What better place to live than where I work? Makes the driving to work unnecessary, right?" He winked at him and chuckled.

Jesse leaned into Darius' touch when his arms went around him, shaking his head but with a smile on his face. "You're something else, Darius..." He chuckled and kissed his lips briefly, "something good, don't worry." He turned to look at the view and smiled, "I can't believe you kept the best for us. Plus, right at the top has got to mean it's more private, right?" He turned and smirked at him.

Darius giggled. "I always dreamed of having something like this, so why not going all the way, if I have the money to do it? I'll always thanks Louis for that Christmas bonus he once gave me... It was practically the base for all of this." He grinned. "This one penthouse, yes, I did it for us. Initially, I was just going to get a suite, but that was back before I met you, or before we got together. And yes..." He pulled him closer, their bodies pressed together. "Very private. And also soundproof, because we both know just how loud you are." He winked at him and chuckled.

Jesse slapped Darius on the shoulder playfully and shook his head, "lies and slander. Or maybe it's not... I'm a stage actor after all, have to be loud." He returned the wink, and looked around, "is there a bedroom for the boys here too?" It already felt so natural to refer to Gabriel and Isaac in that way, even though they both only had a weekend with them, it was still nice when those weekends aligned, and even more to picture spending a week away with them... though maybe avoiding the casino parts while they were too young.

Darius grinned and diped his head down to Jesse's neck, his lips nipping playfully on the spot of skin there. "Uh huh..." he hummed against the skin, then giggled. "Oh yeah, all about those amazing vocal chords of yours, huh?" He leaned back up and giggled before he nodded. "Yes, there is! Come on-" he said, pulling on his hand as he led him through the living room, then down the hallway until he pushed the door open. "One thing though... It isn't furnished yet. I didn't want to do that without your input in it, since it'd be also for your child. But look!" He walked in to where the big window was, tall enough for the children not to reach to it, and it had the same beautiful view the balcony had. "Pretty view, right?" he said, almost bouncing on the spot like a giddy child.

Jesse laughed and followed Darius as he lead him down the hallway, noticing the impeccable finishes along the way. He really had hired some fantastic contractors. When Darius said it wasn't furnished because he wanted his input, he couldn't help but smile widely. It was still an odd concept for him to grasp, that he had a son. And that Darius also had a son, and when the four of them were together, it really felt like a family... it was scary, that it felt like that so soon, but it did. "It's gorgeous," he said, looking out the window with a smile, "they're going to love it. Gabriel especially now, but Isaac too when he gets older." He leaned his head against Darius shoulder and enjoyed the moment before tilting his head to look up at him, with a slight smirk, "... when you say unfurnished... is that just this room? Because I would really love to see our bedroom."

Darius leaned his head back on Jesse's, loving the fact he had liked the room, and the whole place so far. He pulled his head back and looked back at him, also grinning. "Well, not really. Come and see." He pulled his hand and led him into the master bedroom, holding the door open for Jesse to enter. "It only has the bed, and the cabinet drawer. I needed somewhere to place all my stuff in while I was here working. Bt the rest of it, we can do it together too."

Jesse smirked as Darius opened the door and spoke. Their hands were still linked as the door shut behind them and he pulled Darius in the direction of the bed. "Babe, I promise you - there was only one piece of furniture I was interested in seeing in here right now." Their legs hit the edge of the bed and they toppled onto it, Jesse falling on top of Darius and looking down at him with a grin, "what do you say... should we christen it?"

Still reeling from the fact that Jesse had fully given the okay for their new place, Darius was practically bouncing on the spot, his face shining with a bright smile as he looked around; but the moment Jesse started moving him to the bed his smile turned to a sly grin, especially when they fell on the bed and his body was covering Jesse's completely. "I'd say that's the coolest idea ever... But just so we're clear, when have we ever needed a bed when we 'christen' anything?" He chuckled, then leaned his head down and kissed him deeply, leaving no room for a reply, or even a breath, at least for the moment. 

It was, without a doubt, the best way to end the tour. 

END SCENE.

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 109 Review

There’s a reason why we have role models in our time. They can be inspiring and encouraging. They can help a person or people to gain a future. The only downside is it doesn’t always mean good. One can inspire them to do great things; however, it’s their decision to choose a path. This series has done stories about inspiration in the past; this time, we see the effect from the characters we followed since the beginning. This may be a chapter with more developments in story and conflicts, but it’s one that is necessary to understand the deep foundation of its long-term effect. Leader is a fitting title.

Gabi and Falco are brought to the girl’s orphan home. I believe it’s not the same home where we last saw Historia, but regardless, she doesn’t appear here at all. Instead, it’s a story of two Marley kids; one tries to fit in and the other can’t stand to live on a soil of the devil. This is quite the challenging chapter for those who can’t stand Gabi’s attitude, but it is necessary if the ending truly has its merits.

For the most part, she is still under influence of Paradis Island citizens as demons while Falco is more open to others. Once they got inside the girl’s home, he does the talking for both. If Gabi were to talk, it’s an early game over for them. Falco may not be strong, but he is wise to think carefully. He thought of a fake name for both and a fake backstory on the spot. The way he speaks appears like a bad actor. If so, I would love to see it animated.

The Braus Family welcomes them to the farm. As you can guess, they are nice people, helping others like they are family. It was all nice and charming with the mother patting Gabi’s head like a nice kid, until Gabi knocks her hand violently. It really got awkward at the dining table; almost like they are about to scream, “Evil!” Falco reacts quickly to ease the mood and eats his breakfast with glee. Seriously, I believe he’s pulling a bad acting skill. I really want to see it animated. So everything seems back to normal. For now.

We have a greedy lady, Kiyomi, and a strange fellow, Darius, having a chat. Basically, he greets her to the Paradis Island, the most dangerous island in the world. He actually said that, which is funny. She congratulate them for their victory at Marley. But the real important note is the invention of an aircraft run by iceburst stone. It’s designed for the flattening the world plan. The next battle is shaping up to be more devastating than I thought.

Speaking of devastating, there’s an uproar by the Headquarter. All the introduced characters from the Uprising Arc are presence here. This is like a tribute to the anime since it’s the current arc. While we’re at it, let’s also put Hange into the mix, because there’s nothing like a good old reunion. Sadly, it’s a reunion of trust slowly being tarnished.

Once again, I feel bad for her to appear disloyal to her people. With the anime recalling the moment, it’s actually sad to see this. That’s a good timing on Isayama’s part. Everyone feels like Hange has changed her way when they are told about Eren as captive and such. She can only tell them that her method is to save Eldians. It’s not the best answer but she is clearly stressed out. The one who leaked out the info is the new recruits. That includes Floch.

Usually, the new batch of characters tend to be the next runner-up to die. It could still be the case, but they are adding something else to the table, starting with Floch. He’s making it difficult for Hange since he’s more on the freedom fighter side that believes domination is the key. He wants to cause a protest to free Eren. This ensue a heated debate between him and Hange and it’s interesting.

It’s mainly because no one is really right, even if one path is already decided. One way or another, Paradis Island is in a tough position. Either die by starvation or die by fighting. I like how the one panel has them sitting in their chair silently, indicating either no one wins the debate or Floch has the lead because of the path they’re already in. He pleads once more to release Eren, which is his closing argument. Although Hange was again1st his idea, she thought he might be right. It was technically her fault to follow this plot, but she won’t let the damage go any further. Therefore, she sends them to solitary confinement.

This means she won the confrontation, right? She has, in a sense of disagreeing his proposal. However, Floch got the last laugh by not only be glad to go to jail, but doing so for the humans of the walls. That makes him look like the hero and at the same time, mocks her. The sad part is the reminder of a moment from Uprising Arc, where that guy in misery warned her that the role is played in turns. In other words, she’s playing the role now. She is slowly losing her cool, but she can’t let it go nor get some sleep. Damn, I missed her eccentric personality.

If you recall a new female recruit, she is Luise and yes, she is the one who Mikasa saved in the past. Good eyes, fans. Those two have a chat at the cell and this is where the chapter’s title becomes clear. Luise is a big fan of hers ever since that day. I can’t confirm if she loves her in a romantic sense, especially how she hoped she was in the same cell as hers, but regardless, she is obviously influenced. That all said there’s something not right.

While Luise is all about fighting to survive, her ways of handling it is questionable. She thinks if she breaks out the cell, she will be excused because she fights for honor. I know other manga excuse it like nothing, but let’s be real. It doesn’t matter because she still stand by her choice, no regret. It gets a bit personal when she mentions Mikasa’s reasoning to join Survey Corps and it annoys her. The sad part is it feels like Mikasa is responsible for Luise’s upbringing; for better or worse. It tops it off with Luise saluting; a familiar imagery from the past. That right there says it all about inspiration.

The one part that I’m still wondering the purpose is when Mikasa has a sudden flashback to when her life was changed forever. It strongly emphasized the brutality of the moment when Eren killed that invader, including the close-up shot of his expression covered in blood. It’s rather eerie with Eren casually saying not to worry in a disturbing view. I don’t know the meaning behind it or rather, what’s going to follow up this scene. It’d probably be addressed when she and Armin confront Eren.

The segment with Pixis and Yelena is more of segue to something interesting that is saved for next time. That said I did enjoy the build towards it with Yelena just chilling and Pixis jotting down all the evidences that interested him. It’s no secret that she would love to speak with the Great Eren. That is actually noteworthy because it plays a part in here.

Apparently, she was caught in an act where she requested to be placed under supervision and the one who was placed in that position was Floch. That already tells you everything. Because of him, he took her to a residential area that was pretty close to Eren’s residential area. That’s where they believe she and Eren made contact. That’s not hard to argue against. With Pixis got her attention, they’re going to have a long talk and it could be interesting. It could answer a lot; at least that’s what I’m hoping for.

I got to say, Isayama does have strange yet funny sense of humor, considering the dark nature. Case in point, the cleaning up the barn scene. Gabi and Falco are normally cleaning when suddenly the horse was channeling the fans and take a bite of her head. She then slips and falls hard; it must be fans’ pleasing moment. I laughed at that horse. Hell I think it’s laughing as well. Don’t forget the classic bucket on the head. I like how Falco keeps screaming her name for every blunder. It’s pretty funny really.

It’s also funny how they take her devil calling as a joke. She’s like, “This is the work of the devil!” Falco is like, “Uh no…It’s just the horse.” Thankfully, he’s thinking straight to keep it calm, making the best out of the situation. He convinces her to stay by noting that Marley and the world will eventually arrive to attack, though she thought he hated Zeke for the betrayal. The one worrisome to keep in mind is Falco did screw up for Marley by sending Eren’s letter. If she learns about it, God knows what will happen next.

We then have an unusual children drama segment involving with Gabi, of course, and the girl. Surprisingly, I was pretty intrigued. I must have missed it, but the girl’s name is Kaya. Anyway, it was all calming during the break, nice and easy, until Kaya mentions the tragic event four years ago. That was the trigger for Gabi. Because of the lessons that was shoved into Marley’s children’s mind, she acts like Paradis Island is filled with murderers that asked for sympathy. It is like, “Yeah, well, you did sin first, so why you’re acting like the victim.” The funny part is Kaya knew those two are from Marley and it took them a couple of words to realize what she just said. Isayama and his comedy.

What’s also hilarious is how this was an earth-shattering news to them, wondering how she knows, only the explanation boils down to, “Falco said it out loud.” Oops. So it was his fault. Who knew? Falco laughs it off but Gabi tries to attack with a pitchfork in front of others. This would have been the best time to expose them, but Kaya lies and say she only got upset due to their friendship. Amazing how Kaya comes off more mature out of this feud, though that’s not a surprise. The only question is why.

She takes them on a tour to a village where she used to live four years ago. She explains her grim experience with a titan, when she was with her mother with legs problem. If you haven’t guessed it by now, she’s in fact the same girl who Sasha saved back in anime season 2. The long-term payoff strikes again; bless this series. Also, good call once again, fans. The way she tells her story is disturbing, especially the part about her mother’s slow, painful death. I know we have seen it before, but it doesn’t make it any less scary. She then proceed to ask them a tough question that makes this segment necessary: what did her mom do to deserve it?

I believe, and hopefully I’m right, this moment is where Gabi put everything on the table and lash out from the bottom of her heart of her feelings. I said this because her attitude and mindset must change right here, right now. Instead of having her endlessly complain about the devil crap, she must put in her place and this is the time. Right from the very start, she already lost the argument when she mentioned something that happened a thousand years ago. So what?

Okay, it’s not the best choice of words, but the thing is a person should only look what’s now and later on. If there’s anything to recite a past, it’s your own, that’s it. Don’t let another’s journey carry you. Everything she spouts has nothing to do with Laya’s mother, let alone her. This is why Gabi’s mental state is so corrupted. The most effective part is when Laya begins to respond back and every time she does, Gabi slowly loses her stand. Her argument is nothing but a reach for the sake being the righteous one.

Laya has the same expression throughout the chapter until she loses it here because of Gabi’s unconvincing answer. Her stand is far more reasonable than Gabi because not only she lost her mother, but it happened not so long ago. She saw it herself and Gabi could only reference a history that who knows is even true. She’s clearly defeated; couldn’t even say anything more. Falco gives her the answer and it’s all because of the military. Simple as that. He apologizes because he has a heart. It’s not his fault but I can understand why.

After all that breakdown, Laya continues to cover them. That’s nice and mature of her, but why. It’s because of Sasha. It’s rather awkward that she mentioned about her in front of Gabi because well, you know. She explains the story of how she was saved and ultimately, changed her life. Gabi actually calmly ask why she’s helping them, which I think it’s a good sign for her character to calm down for once. Her reply hits the theme perfectly; she want to become a good person, like that girl. In other words, Sasha was her role model; her leader.

This seems to be a defining moment for them, so they can learn and grow up outside of Marley. It’s definitely challenging to withstand Gabi, but she’s a kid and manipulated to the core, so I won’t fault her that much. Now, if she remain very similar after this, I don’t know how much we have to endure. Still, if this is changing point, I’ll be glad that it happened here.

This was a pretty intriguing chapter. It continued to build up each aspects at Paradis Island, including the new weapon that I’ll bet it will happen when Marley attacks. The whole conflict within Survey Corps continued to be interesting, not knowing where this is going, including Eren. There were noteworthy tidbits such as Mikasa’s memory that could lead to interesting developments. The whole segment with Gabi and Falco can be rough for many, but if its payoff begins to surface in the next chapter, then it’s well worth the endurance. The theme was well addressed with how one generation can effect another, for better or worse. It’s why “Leader” is the chapter’s title. Life goes on.

[comicteaparty]

December 9th-December 15th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 9th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.  The chat focused on Thirteenth Child by Sergio Ragno.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Thirteenth Child by Sergio Ragno~! (http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 15th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What moment related to theme of vengeance and revenge did you like the most and why? Overall, what do you think we can learn from the characters and story about the role of vengeance and revenge in our lives?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. How much of what’s going on behind the scenes do you think Alicia Graves actually knows? Is she just someone’s pawn as others have suggested? Also, what will she do now with many of her enemy’s exposed?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What do you think Queen’s goals actually are, and how is she intending to achieve them? What do you think Queen will do now that the plague sample is out of her grasp? In other words, what’s her future role in the story?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene in the comic so far is probably when everything was going haywire at the gala event and everyone gets to the room to steal the sample but surprise, it's already gone. I just liked the delivery of the reveal of that in a lot of ways, since it was both fitting for Lisa while also just leading to a nice dramatic computer screen punch. Plus, given how much had gone wrong to that point, I was glad to see something go right for on Lisa's end. 2) The moment I liked the most in regards to the theme of vengeance was actually that moment where Lisa got recruited by Queen and she was just kind of sitting there like a grump. While not the most poignant moment regarding the theme persay, I did find it fitting in the retrospect. I feel this story and characters kind of promotes the idea that vengeance and revenge won't fill whatever empty void is inside you. So seeing Lisa in that initial kind of dead woman walking state I think really captured the essence of that, in that her path was not one that was ever going to make her happy.

3) My favorite character at the moment is definitely Darius. I love the sunglasses design for him. And I like that he has this strange mix of moral compass fixed on justice while at the same time being kind of smarmy. He's like the sort of "good guy" who you aren't actually sure you want to root for, until push comes to shove and you see he actually is kind of a stand-up guy. And I like that his character keeps you on edge like that. 4) Honestly, I don't think Alicia Graves knows jack of what's really going on. I'm not sure if I'd say she was a pawn, persay, as I don't think the people who do know everything actually have that strict of a control on her. However, she's definitely being used. So while I'm sure she has some idea about the Plague situation etc., I think she's not fully capable of understanding the origins or ramifications of what's going on around her through other people. Now that her enemies are clearer, though, I feel she will take steps to release herself from that used status. But that being said,, I kind of feel like she might go deeper on the villain side for a while, where she becomes really self-focused on getting what she wants, and then ya know, gets into trouble with everyone.

5) There's a lot of nice ones, but I'm a big fan of the middle panel on this page http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/index.php/comic/thirteenth-child-the-simulation/ I really love the machine design of the opponent. But what really sells the image for me is the bright blue moon(?) in the background. It adds a really nice pop of color that draws your eye in, and I think it creates a great contrast to create a sort of action-y mood at is were. 6) I think Queen's goal is kind of as she has said: she wants to destroy the current government. If I had to take a guess of what she's going to do, it's probably build an army strong enough to grab essential resources that will cripple the government until their demands are met. And then she'll probably eradicate the current system and potentially go for a more socialism route. As for what Queen will do now, she's definitely gonna hunt Ghost. I do not think Queen will take the events sitting down, and Queen seems like some super, super obsessed with revenge and like she's the type who will hold an eternal grudge. So Ghost is definitely gonna find herself hunted.

Alex_makes_comics

1) I am not super far into this comic yet, but so far I really enjoyed the shift from the action sequence at the beginning to the cool first day at work scene. It was nice to transition into stillness from motion. Likewise, I then like the introduction of all the new sassy friends. Basically, I think this comic does transitions really well, and I like the continual shifts in tone at the beginning.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What exactly is Mary/the Crimson Star? How did Mary come to be, especially given the information we have via the flashback? Will Mary return, and if so, what will the others do?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What do you think the Order of the Plague will do now given the events of the most recent chapter? Can Lisa still trust them given Darius is intercepted by the CIA?

RebelVampire

7) I probably like seeing Plague/XIII and Lisa interact the most. They have a really interesting past history together despite not meeting in person until later. And I'm interested in how their similar but different views create conflict. Mostly, though, I think they make a very good duo who play off of each other really well. 8) I feel like the Crimson Star is some sort of AI machine that was created by Mary and was given her memories in a lot of ways. However, I think the process was flawed so it's basically a separate entity that just has Mary's motivational drives that compel it onward. Since I imagine this was maybe a failsafe measure given the sorts of experiments going on. We definitely have not seen the last of Mary, cause Mary seems to be a master class boss here. Granted, I imagine it'll take a while for Mary to get a new body.

9) I really like the story's attention to past details and how it brings them up later on. For example, the arcade cabinet that Lisa notices in one chapter actually hiding the secret entrance to a base. I really love callbacks like this since it works in comedy in ways that are actually relevant to the story. 10) I think the Order of the Plague is going to be kind of split in goals. I think half of them are going to try to find Plague and Lisa, since i don't feel either of them will be cooperating or making their intentions known. The other half I feel will be delving into the bigger boss villains territory with the CIA. Also no, Lisa should not trust them. The CIA is never good news. They are bad news bears, and at the end even if the Order doesn't mean it, the CIA is likely to stab everyone in the back.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What do you think Lisa and Plague/XIII’s next move will be, and what exactly will be their end game goals? How do you think the two will continued to be effected by the diseases and powers they possess?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. Why do you think Lisa’s mother let Lisa think she’s been dead all these years, and what does this have to do with her role in the CIA? Also, what is the CIA’s interest in the current events of the story?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strengths are what I mentioned for details. It's super good at weaving past history into present history and managing multiple plot threads. I never feel like I need to worry about anything getting dropped, and that gives me a sense of security while reading the story that things would eventually get answers. 12) I feel like Lisa and XIII are going to end up going to some gov facilities to do some research more into what's even inside of them, if they can. And also to make sure to remove a lot of people from positions of power that they're abusing. I think in terms of end game goals, I think it's just to stop a lot of corruption and then probably go into hiding (at least for Lisa). Although I think at the end they will have hard lives in general. Even if they succeed 100% in all their other goals, their powers will always make them targets, so they're kind of doomed for a life on the run unless they kind find a "cure."

13) I am most looking forward to finding out wtf Lisa's mom has been up to and what the CIA wants. Cause those are player's I didn't expect to roll up into the story at all. 14) Speaking of the above, I assume Lisa's mom was summoned for some super duper undercover mission that only she could do for some reason, and she was like "It's fine Lisa can take care of herself." And so she went to do that and since Lisa was kind of loosely fine she just continued to work with the CIA and became the big boss. And it's the CIA. Of course they're interested in what are basically super weapons. I mean their entire job is about protecting national interests, and the last thing you want is for the wrong people to get their hands on super peeps.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Thirteenth Child this week! Please also give a special thank you to Sergio Ragno for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Thirteenth Child, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/

Sergio’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SergeXIII

Sergio’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sergexiii

Sergio’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sergexiii