#I get the need to expand on this super cool race but I personally felt that less was more sometimes w that. Spock was supposed to

[rainbowresurrection]

I hate how post-TOS canon tries to elaborate and expand upon the rules of pon farr. Noooooo you're fudging up the metaphor for repressed homosexual desire! Smh

[mizutori-heiko]

Mizutori’s bakudeku fanfiction master list [complete works]

Really really good writing by these incredible authors. In no particular order! These are all Top!Bakugou and Bottom!Deku. If A/B/O dynamics then it’s Alpha!Bakugou and Omega!Deku. Yes, I have preferences.

Canon World – until 15k

What The Fuck Did You Just Call Me? by reading_raindrop | 8,303 | Izuku starts calling him Bakugou and it pisses the explosive teen off a lot more than he thought it would.

Oh right, you were a little sh*t by SaysiWrites | 5,653 | When Midoriya Izuku gets hit by an age-reversion Quirk, the last thing anyone expected to find out is that Toddler-Izuku is a little shit. Except for one Bakugou Katsuki, who has seen this phase one too many times already. (Bonus+ the entire Little Sh*t (Kidfic) series)

Do Not Disturb by surveycorpsjean | 10,010 | Apply enough force, and something is bound to break.

And Atlas fell by supercrunch | 15,185 | They move in together, after a while. Katsuki joins Best Jeanist and Izuku trains under Gran Torino. They still take comfort in each other every day, curl up in bed and kiss and talk about how life is going. Their live are tumultuous, after all, what with villains and training and rescuing people every week. It’s nice to have something certain. At the end of a day filled with violence and adrenaline, Izuku knows he can come home to someone concrete. It’s perfect. Being a hero is scary and grueling and uncertain, but this part is just right. And then, one day, a child dies in Izuku’s arms.

be loved by bonnia | 5,403 | The kidnapping incident leaves bakugou traumatised about being touched on the back of his neck, and midoriya decides to take matters into his own hands.

Big Protein by Mysecretfanmoments | 13,683 | Bakugou Katsuki has a thriving hero career, an agent to manage his famous attitude, and absolutely zero romantic interest in anyone. With the exception of his favourite health food joint refusing to expand to his city, his life is pretty damn perfect—so why does a viral video revealing Deku's stash of dirty mags involving him and Deku together turn everything upside-down?

Chocolate cake and resin preserved flowers by Anoksun | 11,396 | Izuku loses his memories. Katsuki struggles not to lose Izuku too.

Twin Stars by theperksofbeinglarissa | 8,435 | When Deku saves a woman's life, her quirk is accidentally activated. Her quirk? She reveals a person's soulmate. A star-shaped mark appears on Midoriya's left arm... and on Bakugou's as well. Kirishima is the only one who knows that Bakugou is Midoriya's soulmate, and Bakugou isn't taking the news very well. Can the twin stars of class 1-A work out their differences and find their happy ending?

Unhealthy Fixations by Thesis | 12,522 | Izuku is an adult who knows better than to crush on his childhood bully. AND YET.

Like the Moon by osakakitty | 14,781 | Katsuki Bakugo is having constant, erotic dreams about Izuku Midoriya. He isn’t sure why, but they won’t go away. In order to make them stop, he needs to figure out what Izuku Midoriya means to him.

Worth a Second Shot by cinnabee | 13,080 | Katsuki and Izuku celebrate registering as a Hero Duo together with a big party. What could go wrong?

Like Something Out of A Shoujo Manga by Merrywetherweather | 2,971 | Deku ends up in a rather interesting quirk accident, one that triggers flag events as if he were the protagonist of an otome game.

Canon World – 15k++

Blood Moon by lalazee | 94,860 | The Thank-Fuck-We-Aren’t-Dead Sex had started then, and had never really stopped. Then came the feelings and the fights. The ego, the pride, the jealousy. And then there was Us.

The Way You Used To Do by edema_ruh | 669,463 | During a battle, Midoriya gets hit by a villain whose quirk detaches his soul from his body. Stuck in a ghost-like state, the boy enters a race against time in order to save himself from permanently dying. Much to his luck - or lack of it -, the only person who can see and talk to him in this state is no one other than Kacchan.

Just Like Breathing by MD_Daydreamer | 35,423 | Izuku got engaged. He didn't mind. If that made Uraraka happy, he could do it. He thought his life wouldn't change much.But then, Kacchan went to live in the USA.

briar roses (and hundred years of sleep) by vannral | 15,951 | In which Izuku is hit by a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Quirk, Class 3-A tries to find his True Love and get them to kiss him, and Katsuki’s very angry about it all.

"what's your type?" by sapphicflower | 20,192 | In order to increase their popularity rankings as up and coming pro heroes, Izuku and Katsuki participate in the most popular late night talk show for hero duos - ‘Heroes Rising!’. They’re killing it, obviously, because they know each other from inside and out. Until one question stumps the two of them: “What is your hero partner’s type?”

and it was Just Right by cinnabee | 23,759 | Katsuki spends two years post-graduation in a furious one-sided competition with his childhood friend and rival's promotional photos - until they finally run into each other, and, well. You shouldn't believe everything you see in magazines. A love story about size differences.

Notice Me, Nerd by useless_donut | 40,000 | Bakugou is in love with Midoriya. He doesn’t hide it, in fact it’s so painfully obvious that the entire class of 3-A has him figured out in a matter of months (days, in some cases). Too bad Midoriya is the most oblivious motherfucker out there, and Bakugou is too damn stubborn to actually ask him out. A love story as witnessed by the class of 3-A.

in your dreams, nerd! by sapphicflower | 37,639 | In a strange and unexpected set of circumstances, Izuku and Katsuki find themselves sharing their dreams together whenever they happen to fall asleep at the same time. Being hopelessly in love with each other, they don’t mind it all that much. What better way to spend time with your crush than in a stupidly vivid dream?

Hear Me by my_name_is_Levi | 22,419 | It wasn’t as if nightmares were uncommon for the freshman class of Yuuei. They’d seen plenty of things, heard and felt and witnessed enough travesty in their lives to last them a lifetime. But Midoriya Izuku was screaming, and no one, not even Bakugo Katsuki could ignore it.

Bridges by supercrunch | 18,018 | Bakugou is signed up for a Calvin Klein modeling gig. The thing is, they really do need the money. And Katsuki's technically the leader of this bunch of morons, so he finds himself taking the job even though his pride will never recover. And even though nobody thought to tell him that he'd be working with his ex-boyfriend. You know, the cute freckled guy from high school who went and broke his heart. So, yeah. This whole situation kind of sucks.

objective truth by mamalade | 15,390 | Izuku gets hit with a truth quirk, as one does. He seems to be handling it well—until Katsuki shows up.

catharsis by dollcewrites | 15,071 | It's been six years since Izuku graduated.It's been six years since he confessed to his childhood friend; his classmate and his inspiration. It's been six years since he deleted Bakugou's number, asked his friends not to mention the name, spent every last effort of his heart turning off the TV and averting his eyes from the newspapers. It's been six, long, long years since he gave up on Katsuki Bakugou ever loving him back.

Here here, my friends and me (You are my familia) by Jeka | 128,832 | Bakugou Katsuki has made a great job of ignoring the fact that he is tragically in love with Deku, someone who could never love him like that and let's face it, he doesn't deserve. Now that he can't ignore it anymore, he has to find a way to keep his childhood friend and move on for his own sake. Or so he had thought, maybe he can have Deku, after all. Izuku has everything he always wanted in life. But suddenly he has to navigate the most important relationship in his life through different eyes.

Canon World – Jealous! 

Hands Off by SaysiWrites | 7,140 | When a new girl at school starts flirting with Bakugou, his friends quickly become invested in the idea of their friend experiencing love - even if he doesn't seem at all interested in her. What they don't see is Midoriya fuming in the background. But how can he get rid of her when they've spent so long keeping their relationship a secret?

Surfaces by surveycorpsjean | 25,225 | Katsuki has a new girlfriend, but something isn't right. As impossible as it is, Izuku can't help but wonder what it'd be like to be called Katsuki's girl.

Green-Eyed Beast by SecretKiwi | 4,721 | Everyone wants a piece of Katsuki Bakugou, but they should beware of the Green-eyed beast always lurking close behind him.

Green with Envy by Sol_Morales707 | 2,611 | Izuku Midoriya is not as innocent and pure as everyone thinks he is. The truth was he was very jealous and willing to do anything for a certain blonde.

Happy Camper by Arysa | 7,074 | Wanting a break from the stress of dealing with the rookie Pro Hero grind, a handful of students from Class A decide to go on a camping trip. Izuku's excited to relax and catch up with everyone, especially Kacchan. But, well, Kacchan's... Kacchan. And dating Kirishima.

How to stop time: kiss by Teddingtons | 31,693 | Deku finally asks Uraraka out. Everyone's supportive except Bakugou who can't even look him in the eye. Deku seeks him out after and is hit with truth.

What I Deserve by s_the_queen | 16,671 | When Izuku starts dating a student in General Studies, everyone is happy for him. She's super sweet and really caring. But something doesn't sit right with Katsuki.

Deku's Already Fucking Taken by asdfjkl129 | 20,704 | 5 times people don't realize that Deku is already in a very happy relationship and try their hand at asking him out, and then in Bakugou's unique and special style, get very firmly corrected, +1 time where no correction is needed.

His by sister_elric | 6,206 | Izuku would like to consider himself a pretty level headed individual. Sure, he had the occasional tunnel vision, especially when it came to training. And hero work. And Kacchan. But, overall, Midoriya felt as though he typically kept his cool. Well, maybe that was a stretch. But, at the very least he could understand his own emotions. So, it surprised even him when an unfamiliar emotion coursed through him as a first year approached his boyfriend, Katsuki.

Down the Red Line by MinervaHope | 7,804 | Izuku has been able to see the red strings of fate since birth. It's no surprise that his is connected to Katsuki.

Canon World – Fake Relationship Goes Wrong

how he should’ve known (and how it turned out) by vannral | 43,918 | In which Katsuki and Izuku pretend to be a couple to avoid journalists, the plan backfires magnificently because of course it does, and the act goes on. Includes feelings, pining, domestic fluff and jealousy.

Vicious by feelslikefire | 105,173 | Midoriya and Bakugou wind up in the very last position either of them thought they'd be in: Hero Partners. It's not fun, but they learn to cope. Their first big assignment together takes them undercover to infiltrate a cult, but the situation turns out far more sinister than they first thought.

What I can never tell you by Mikacrispy | 27,067 | After living in the US for 5 years, Izuku returns to take care of a concussed Bakugou who believes they're engaged. Now, Izuku has to pretend he's in a relationship with the man he's loved for most of his life, knowing that it's just a matter of time until Katsuki gets better and realizes it's all a lie.

Not-Dating by MiraChaDoodles | 14,290 | Katsuki takes Deku on a not-date to save his career, only to find himself wishing it were real.

we'll do the things that lovers do by ethereals | 29,544 | Izuku gets an invitation to Shouto's wedding and Katsuki is PISSED that he asks Kirishima to be his date (also he wasn't even fucking invited

Canon World – Friends With Benefits (?) 

Four Times Bakugou Katsuki Doesn't Intend to Sleep With Midoriya Izuku (And the One Time that He Does) by fallingraine85 | 17,601 | He hadn’t planned for any of this. He isn’t about to go delving into the ball of yarn that is Midoriya Izuku’s heart; he isn’t equipped to try and untangle and make sense of it all. He isn’t about to try to analyze how he’s feeling about all of this, either.... How many times can you repeat the same mistake?

We Wear Chains on the Weekend by surveycorpsjean | 35,086 | Well, in a day of revelations, it turns out that Izuku isn't as vanilla as Katsuki previously thought. Unfortunately, that fascinating discovery is overshadowed by Izuku's dumbassery, because he has zero concept of aftercare."Don't go to anyone else," Katsuki says, because screw it. He can do a better job anyways. Or; Katsuki finds Izuku on a bad drop.

Just for Now by Shiro_Kabocha | 48,135 | Katsuki's parents are out of town over a school break and to keep him from getting up to any shenanigans, they ask Izuku to house sit with him. What are two teenaged boys to do when left alone to their own devices? (Bonus+ the entire Just for Love series)

safe in the darkness by yoonskisses | 20,855 | Izuku and Katsuki had been meeting up secretly for months, with absolutely no feelings involved. Or so Katsuki thought at least. The dorm gossip about Ochaco and Izuku's new relationship seemed to set a spanner in the works for their arrangement.

Alternative Universe – No Quirks

Bluebird by EtherealBeing | 53,108 | Dialing a wrong number was no unusual occurrence. Everyone did it once in a while, and Katsuki was well aware of that fact. However, possessing this knowledge made it no less aggravating for him to discover — a full two minutes into his rant about his day — that he’d been venting his frustrations to a complete stranger. As if that wasn't enough, said stranger was also inexplicably determined to hear his story to its end.

Someone Borrowed by mynameis152 | 138,996 | It felt like hours that he stared at Izuku, coming to terms with the fact that a man, his childhood best friend, whom he hadn’t seen since their senior year of high school, was there in front of his very eyes. Then his brows furrowed and his jaw clenched before he uttered through gritted teeth the very name Izuku had longed to hear for years. “Deku.”

Dark Side of the Sun by Synnie | 51,598 | Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Manage Me by Justaperson1718 | 10,756 | Izuku becomes Katsuki’s model agent.

Don't Set Your Drink Down by Crandberrycrush | 88,424 | With sudden clarity Izuku realized he had broken the first rule of going out. Never leave your drink unattended.

Livewire by pretty_rekless | 18,160 | Per Ochako's request, Izuku downloads a gay dating app in hopes to finally find a partner. Except every single one of his leads keep ghosting him or standing him up... That is until one hot, fiery blond enters the chat. Grindr/Tinder AU fic.

Drinking Watermelon by warschach | 8,906 | Katsuki works as a camp counselor, and Izuku is a boy made of summer heat and sunlight.

Precious Pet by Mikacrispy | 6,379 | When broke college student Midoriya Izuku found a job that offered lodging, food, and good pay for four hours of work each day, he thought it was too good to be true. But he called anyway. Turns out all he has to do is to be the spoiled little puppy of a rich businessman.

Our Eleven Summers by Dark_Mage_Ayumu | 34,472 | The first time Katsuki met Izuku was when he was eight. For the next eleven years, Izuku changed his life, and no one even knew. Their relationship was something they shared in secret.

sticky note crushes by ladyofsnails | 3,239 | Katsuki hates his roommate. The green-haired, freckled, artsy son of a bitch with his dumb pun t-shirts and paint-stained hands he can’t fucking keep to himself. Katsuki can’t leave a single assignment or paper out in his room because that idiot will just grab anything to draw on it. He’s like a shark that can’t stop swimming else it’ll die – he can’t stop drawing. Ever.

Don't Play Pretend by SweetSide | 10,103 | Actor AU: Deku and Bakugou get the leading roles for an upcoming TV Drama. They weren’t aware that they would be working with each other for who knows how long. It would’ve been completely fine if they weren’t exes.

97.6 FM by jamjars | 32,249 | Izuku can’t stop listening to the radio host with the deep voice who sounds like he’s stuck in 2010. It’s a harmless crush. That is until he starts calling into the show under the pseudonym Deku.

Read {between} Your Lines by greatcloudninja | 52,252 | Midoriya Izuku, up-and-coming actor, has finally hit his big break (...), Bakugou Katsuki, who has been acting for over twenty years.However, Bakugou seems to have it out for Izuku, leading to tension both on and off set. When some incriminating photos surface, the studio suggests (...): having Bakugou and Midoriya fake a relationship to get ahead of the rumors. 

I’m not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts by PassingShadow | 5,522 | Izuku is a professional cuddler and Katsuki is his new client that’s just a little rough around the edges, and needs a natural healing touch.

Alternative Universe – Quirkless Deku

A Good Old-Fashioned Tattoo AU by lalazee | 14,437 | After their paths had split, Bakugou & Deku meet again as adults. While Bakugou begins to repent for the kid he used to be, he also starts to prove himself as he the man he is now.

Call Me a Safe Bet (I'm Betting I'm Not) by WTTTD | 10,803 | He wished he had some sort of heads up before seeing Deku again for the first time after nearly two years, looking like the essence of a lazy Sunday, smiling and surrounded with brand new, adoring friends. It was a little fitting that Katsuki burned for him so badly. (Support Department Deku)

In Which Kacchan Has a Ruff Time by OneshotPrincess | 14,511 | Bakugou Katsuki gets quirked into a dog, gets adopted by an unknowing Izuku and generally has a very rough few days full of realizations

While You Were Sleeping by Belkacaramelka (annabelleg) | 71,197 | The one where quirkless fanboy Midoriya Izuku rescues Pro Hero Todoroki Shouto, gets mistaken as his fiancé while he is in a coma, and gets caught up in the most unlikely fake engagement... until his childhood enemy and Todoroki's classmate Bakugou Katsuki tries to catch him out, and they both end up discovering a lot more about each other than they'd expected.

Let Me Assist You Personally by Seeress | 32,806 | Izuku is long-suffering Personal Assistant to #1 Pro Hero Dynamight.Dynamight can't keep a PA to save his career. They all quit crying after a few days weeks. Enter, Izuku—with enough money problems to brave the jaws of the cranky beast. Childhood friend turned glorified paid slave. Somehow it all works out. ‘Kill them with kindness’, his mom had told him once. If that were true, Bakugou Katsuki would be stone-cold dead by now.

Smile For The Camera by kurokonekokilled | 19,179 | Midnight has a cam site, home to millions of users, but one catches Katsuki's eye when he goes scrolled through it in search for something to help him release a little stress. A live stream and the best orgasm of his life later, his wallet is lighter, and he might be almost as obsessed with this Deku guy as the cam boy is with him.

Just Like The Comics by brichibi | 24,935 | Where Izuku works at a comic book shop because that’s as close to a hero as he’s gonna get, and Katsuki plays the part of heroic ex-boyfriend who is good at everything except winning Izuku back... maybe

Alternative Universe – Quirks

Get on my Level by Mikacrispy | 92,273 | Bakugou Katsuki is a Pro Hero whose boss demands him to take an intern. Midoriya Izuku is a UA student who needs an internship. When the two of them are put together, they learn about what it truly means to be a Hero and what it means to be in love.

A/B/O – Secret! Baby

Home by Emerald2402 | 87,214 | Midoriya Izuku left Japan in a rush, moving to America without a word to anyone else. But then almost 11 years later he arrives back Home and Bakugou Katsuki's Alpha is furious. Fuck that, Bakugou is furious, because Midoriya Izuku, an omega he tasted one time, has been keeping a very big, very blonde haired, green eyed secret.

Those Under the Same Stars by PerpetuallyPerturbed | 325,553 | When Katsuki Bakugo left Izuku Midoriya five years ago, he thought it was for forever. He put aside dreams and wishes of the omega to focus on his career. He was going to be the best hero, after all. He couldn't have an omega getting in his way. So when he's stopped on the streets one day by a pup begging for help for his mom, he isn't prepared to face what he gave up, and what the consequences of his actions were. (Quirkless Deku)

A/B/O – Quirks

Mark Me. Make Me Yours. by decadentbynature | 10,062 | Midoriya is the only Omega at UA and he's been hiding it well but there's one issue that threatens to expose him: his attraction to an Alpha, Bakugo. After being told to give some paperwork to Bakugo, Midoriya lets him into his dorm room and is immediately overwhelmed by his scent. Unable to help himself, he gives in to his urges, only to be discovered by Bakugo but instead of becoming enraged, Bakugo decides to give Midoriya exactly what he wants

Claim Me by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) | 114,449 | Being an Alpha has nothing to do with Katsuki's success as a Pro-Hero, the same way Deku's Omega status hasn't kept him from becoming Number Two. Secondary gender doesn't mean anything nowadays and “mating” is an antiquated practice. So when Izuku, his rival, asks Katsuki to Claim him in the middle of the night, there is only one logical thing to say. “What the fuck?”

Change of Plans by Mikacrispy | 185,965 | Alpha Pro Hero Bakugou Katsuki never planned to get married to some random omega but what he wants isn't an option anymore. One for All wielder Midoriya Izuku has suffered injustice too many times and doesn't plan in allowing his secondary gender to dictate how he must live his life. Falling in love was never in the plans.

Going Feral For You by ANGIE_fic | 17,977 | Bakugou has an aggression problem that might have to do with his Alpha. His job is on the line because of it. So what do you do with a pent up Alpha? Yes.Rut. (Quirkless Izuku)

i live for you, i long for you by jeonjeonggukkkkkie | 19,165 | The five times Izuku hinted he wants Katsuki to spend his next heat with him, and the one time Katsuki took the hint.

Baby's First Bloom by ContraryBee | 44,945 | Izuku blooms for Katsuki one warm day in their third year of middle school. What follows is both boys learning about themselves, their bond, and the society they live in.

As Fate Would Have It by ScientificallySinful (VampireGaaraCheesepuffs) | 88,737 | Katsuki Bakugo had plenty of reasons why he wasn't mated yet, not that he was going to explain why to just anyone. But now, Ground Zero was running out of time. If he didn't find someone soon, he'd lose his position as a Pro-Hero and he'd never get to be #1. So, when he finds out there's a male Omega recently arrested for prostitution that's headed to prison if he too doesn't get a mate…well it must be fate. (Quirkless Izuku)

A/B/O – No Quirks

Gravity by warschach | 71,477 | Izuku is back in his hometown and plenty hasn't changed much from the 8 years he was gone. Except, Katsuki Bakugou, the alpha king of their small town. He's hotter- because that's fair, right, God? -, stronger, a now-famous pro fighter, and noticeably nicer this round.Not that he cares, pfft. (Fine, he cares.)

Nine Months by greatcloudninja | 23,303 | Omega Midoriya Izuku connects with Alpha Bakugou Katsuki through an online singles ad. Izuku pays Katsuki to help him with his heat, ending up pregnant in the process. What follows is a pregnancy filled with ups and downs, but whatever hurdles come their way, they can make it through together.

The long dark by Ominous-Anonymous (Ominonymous) | 13,289 | He could have been really dangerous. He could be a fucking murderer for all he knew. But Izuku Midoriya, ever the reckless daredevil, was not thinking of that when he got into a car with a complete stranger. Completely ignoring the part where his mother always taught him to never gets into cars with alphas he didn't know...

[satans-left-asscheeky]

I made a very short post about this, but didn't elaborate on it:

How about Sole teaching their companions to drive after Sturges gets a prewar car working for them! :)

Hey! Love your blog so much! thanks for the ask :)

Maccready

"No way! think you can teach me how to drive so we can race this bad boy?"

Oh boyyy. See Mac has heard all about this wonderful thing called drag races and he's absolutely hooked... He'd want to paint a neon green racing stripe down it and give it a hideous leopard print interior. You know those guys who are super into cars? That's Mac... Sole really shouldn't have shown him the car because now he's addicted

Hancock

"Well would ya looky here. Can't wait to see the bastards in goodneighbors faces when I roll up in this thing"

Hancock gives mad fancy and cool car vibes. Like he'd totally have a sports car he loved dearly named after another founding father or some shit. red obviously. No but back to the prompt he thinks it's awesome, unlike Mac he doesn't want to race it because he doesn't wanna risk breaking it, but he does like it for practical and luxury uses.

Cait

"Would ya look at that. Let's take her out for a spin and see how fast it'll go!"

One word, reckless. Yet another racer. Don't let her and Mac around eachother or else it would cause a MASSIVE fued. Her car is always messy. Beer bottles, trash you name it its probably in there, but she loves it dearly. Probably sleeps in it.

Danse

"This will prove most useful to the brotherhood! Good job knight."

Doesn't the NCR canonically have cars? either way love or hate the brotherhood an army of armored men and women in vehicles is definitely an interesting step for the commonwealth... would they share the technology (especially since they weren't even the ones to figure it out)? or will they hord it? Given their history I'm far more inclined to say the latter is more probable. though that's not directly Danses fault.

Curie

"Oh this is most wonderful! With the car and the minutemen radio we can rush to injured citizens in no time. What an exciting advancement!"

She'd basically have her own personal ambulance. If word got out it would probably encourage the followers of the apocalypse to make their way west.

Deacon

"Woahhh.... how fast you think this thing can go?"

Though vocally he acts like he wants to race the car he knows what a rare opportunity this is and would only actually use it responsibly for the railroad. He's probably the safest driver and cringes hard at mac and Caits racing shenanigans

Piper

"Oh. My. God! This is such a huge step Blue! Do you realize how much this means?"

Cars are back! This means easier access to other regions of post apocalyptic America, better trade ruits, new writing opportunities and a huge step at rebuilding unified territories and expanding. This is truly amazing

Nick

"Most of the cases I cracked came from late night drives to clear my head. It's almost like a little bit of home just came back.... last time I felt that way was when I certain pre war vaultie asked for my help... seriously though kid tell Sturges thanks for me.... you two don't know how much this means...."

If he could Nick would be tearing up. When he first became a cop he was taught to have a safe space to retreat to when he needed to calm down, think or clear his head, and for him that had always been his car. One of the hardest parts of waking up in a post apocalyptic boston was finding his safe spot again and being able to feel comfortable and not on edge. Sole and Sturges just gave him back his safe spot and for that he'd grateful

Preston

Sturges, General! You know what this means right? We really can help are settlements at a minutes notice!!! Good job both of you."

Hes so excited! he'd never dreamed of ever having a car before and now he has one! There's so many places he wanted to go. He knew for sure he wanted to visit capital wastland and see all the monuments from before the war... he might just take nick and Mac to show him around... it'll be great

X6-88

*uninterested* "Congratulations ma'am/Sir....."

Hes indifferent. The institute had single handedly created teleportation and they were excited about a car? it just was strange to him. Are all humans this easily entertained?

[jypbae7]

Im Changkyun - Natal Chart

- requested by @jookyunz

Can’t remember if you wanted the 18+ section so I included it at the bottom and marked it incase you wanna skip it ❤️

(Not claiming to be an expert this is just for fun please don’t take anything too seriously!) Hope this is helpful and that you enjoy it 🥰❤️

Personality: Aquarius Sun, Aries Moon, Capricorn Mercury, Aquarius Mars

Aquarius Sun comes with lots of intrigue and lots of complexity - like the other air signs Aquarius is very adaptable and tends to prefer an “exciting life” (though earth signs tend to see this lifestyle as pure chaos lmao)

Aquarians tend to be intrigued by mystical things due to their very logical view of the world, this logical side can often lend to them coming off as cold or aloof but it’s less about that and more about their need to rule with the head and not the heart in order to avoid being thrown off the balance that they like (Aqua is a fixed sign) also they do NOT want to be hurt by people so the guard they have up towards the world is basically an iron curtain till they develop enough trust with you

Aries Moon is equally as spontaneous and adaptable but for a different motivation - Aries is bold and wants the most out of life and you can bet your bottom dollars they’ll do WHATEVER necessary to gain the lifestyle and goals they set for themselves.

But since they are naturally social butterflies and genuinely just want to have fun and encourage the people they love to reach for their dreams and have fun doing it, they tend to succeed rather easily since people are drawn to them. - All about confidence, bold styles, working hard because they NEED to be the best at whatever they do, but they definitely play hard too (as does every fire sign lmao)

As much as Aries and Aquarius like change and excitement - Capricorn Mercury does NOT. This adds a LOT of grounding and “tradition” to quick moving Aries and unconventional Asquarius.

Capricorn Mercurys are known to speak slow, quite monotonous and precise which I definitely have always felt about Changkyun. You’re not getting too much fluff or extra words from them because Capricorn finds it a waste of energy. They say what they mean when they mean it and not much else more. But this means they are good listeners and are very comfortable and unreliant on “attention” or “being in the spotlight” giving them added levels of independence. I also feel that this is why they are sooooo unbothered by other people’s opinions and friendship.

Aquarians straight up rather be alone than around fake people. They don’t care if they “fit in” with general norms because they don’t want to be like anyone else anyway lmao and they are interesting enough to keep themselves entertained. While Capricorn and Aries have places to go, people to see, and goals to crush so why the hell be worried about others???

Mixed with the other 2 placements it’s likely that his home is a serious sanctuary for him that he takes seriously. When he’s out in the world doing his busy schedules and chaotic traveling and work he’s happy and really feeding into the air and fire energy. But when he gets home it’s his Capricorn Mercury that is being nurtured and stimulated. He’s going to wanna hibernate there for a while without leaving especially if he’s been gone a long time. Could be either unbelievably messy or unbelievably neat but likely no inbetween with these placements lmao.

Aquarius Mars.... reminder that Aquarius is a fixed sign so this in Mars could mean one HELL of a temper or at least rage once he’s set off. But thankfully the Airy nature of Aqua means you’d really have to mess with him to get that kind of reaction because they generally really dislike being upset. They prefer staying content and neutral rather than having extreme feelings of any kind or it makes them veryyyyy edgy. If you can disagree with respect and if you provide logic instead of ego as your argument you’re likely to get a much better reaction from Aquarius

Relationships:

Non-Romantic Relationships & overall communication style: Aquarius Sun, Aries Moon, Capricorn Mercury, Aquarius Mars

Boy oh boyyyyyy he takes a LONG time to open up to people - 2 Aquarius placements and a Capricorn placement screamssssss trust issues and vulnerability issues

Capricorn doesn’t wanna sulk and talk about their problems so IF they trust you enough to come to you with an issue they want solutions and practical help and support

Is really cheered up by acts of service and quality time - watching a great movie even in complete silence just near each other on the couch in sweats tucked under cozy blankets or getting surprised with their favorite dinner can boost their mood instantly

Aries Moon as I said before is a natural in social situations and tends to draw attention even when they aren’t trying so he’s bound to come off a lot more open and friendly than he actually is. The deep stuff won’t come out till he REALLY knows and trusts you and even then… in SMALL increments

That said he’s a super fun friend to have - down for adventures, actually thinks about and puts effort into doing cool stuff with friends and loved ones

When it comes to friendships he shows care through quality time and acts of service

When he buys gifts for people he cares about they are BOMB - cool as fuck and either one or a combination of the following: one of a kind, meaningful as fuck, and/ or super expensive - most likely fashion, jewelry, something music related, or super cool stuff from his travels

Romantic relationships and preferences : Pisces Venus, Aquarius Mars, Aquarius Juno, Aries Eros

Lmao even MORE Aquarius and Aries energy

Ok into the main meat - these four placements are particularly interesting combo: 2 fixed air (Aqua), 1 mutable water (Pisces) and 1 Cardinal Fire (Aries)

Aqua Juno - generally hints at a pretty unconventional relationship and this can come in manyyyyy forms for the very unique and varied Aquarians (partnership without legal marriage, mixed race/culture couple, could even mean choosing a bachelor lifestyle over any normal type of relationship, etc.) - given that Changkyun seems quite close with his parents and his interest in kids I’d say he’s unlikely to choose the bachelor route.

For a lot of Aquarians unconventional can also come in the form of a very stimulating partner, they enjoy learning and expanding their minds and experiences which is why they tend to run towards challenges that others would run from. I think someone who shares similar passions but varied skills and/or background would fulfil that for him. Aquarius, Pisces and Aries like to be stimulated A LOT.

Pisces in Venus is a tricky placement - can be pretty hot and cold, lots of mixed signals, you should be ready to be stood up or flaked on atleast once in the beginning🙄) BUT if you actually manage to earn their trust and dedication they make very caring partners.

Pisces in Venus is art gallery and museum dates, binge watching documentaries especially murder mystery, and spending most of the summer near the closest body of water.

Aries Eros fantasizes about being in a partnership that others look at as a power couple but they’ll never admit it - they dream of a partner who is in awe of them and their accomplishments but has their own big goals and successes to cater to as well. They like people they can grow with as individuals and as a couple. Push and pull works really well with Aries (and the other two fire signs too honestly) they like the cat and mouse thing and they like to have time to miss & yearn for their partner especially the men - absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Love languages in order from most to least: quality time, physical touch, acts of service, gift giving

Aries is a strong sign and they want and need a real partner who respects and supports their independence and boss energy but also can nurture their softer more vulnerable side and be the strong one for them when they need it

***** 18+ Preferences ****

Ooof this should honestly come as a surprise to NO ONE but damn placements do NOT lie...Im Changkyun is one freaky ass boy

I mean ARIES EROS???? Let me spell that out for y’all: fucks you like he absolutely fucking hates you or ties you up like a present and edges you for hours till you’re crying

LOVES, let me repeat LOVES jealousy sex - whether it’s you being jealous of all the screaming thirsting fans he has or him being jealous of guys getting too close too you for his comfort - he is allllllllll about taking that energy directly into the bedroom ASAP (or a bathroom or even closet if it locks 🤐)

Could and WOULD makeout for hours on end - especially if he’s been drinking

The more you switch it up the more excited he is - with all them Aquarius placements it should be pretttyyyyyy often

Different positions, lingerie, role play - any and all of it excite him

With a partner he actually trusts and has feelings for I can see him being extremely open minded to trying things (though obviously EVERYONE has limits and boundaries)

Toys, blindfolds, handcuffs, whip cream, hot wax, spanking - all a STRONG yes

Get the strong feeling he has strong preference to use his mouth often - lots of kissing (passionate, needy, messy - sometimes more aggressive) , likes to give and receive hickeys, wants to kiss all over his partner’s body and LOVES oral both receiving and giving (and I get the feeling he’s TOO good at that 👀)

More willing to let his partner take control than you might think - he’s not a switch but he just doesn’t think you initiating or “being in control” makes him any less dominant. In fact it’s probably the opposite; you showing your desire to that point actually makes him feel MORE dominant and masculine

Literally could find anyone and everyone beautiful - is more attracted to people’s minds, spirit and energy than physical looks (BIG Pisces and Aquarian thing)

Gets turned on every single time he sees you in the crowd at one of his shows - makes him feel like you are the only two people in the world (drives his Aries Eros INSANE - gets a kick out of the slight power play of being on stage in front of so many people, as well as the secrecy and raw passionate energy of it all)

Tattoos, piercings, colorful wigs, or even just interesting jewelry paired with the right lingerie or outfit will have him 🤯- think short black see-through lace robe with nothing on underneath except a sparkling body chain dripping from your body....yep he’ll eat you like a main dish in .00000000023 seconds

Hope you enjoyed! 💕

[badsongpetey]

I posted 39 times in 2021

28 posts created (72%)

11 posts reblogged (28%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.4 posts.

I added 143 tags in 2021

#trollhunters - 26 posts

#toa trollhunters - 24 posts

#tales of arcadia - 24 posts

#toa - 20 posts

#toa fanart - 12 posts

#jim lake jr - 11 posts

#toby domzalski - 8 posts

#tobes - 6 posts

#fanart - 6 posts

#toa fanfic - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#probably because i'm also a bundle of nerves and half-baked ideas

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Poor Walter might be the subject of Jim's ire in the scene I'm doing for my fic. I also may never be done, this is taking forever.

175 notes • Posted 2021-11-21 02:58:25 GMT

#4

troll boy angst

222 notes • Posted 2021-11-18 22:15:08 GMT

#3

Tobes wip. So I have this headcanon on Toby that he’s descended from Vikings, hence his natural gravitation toward war hammers. In his senior year, he, like Eli, has a massive growth spurt and shoots up to 5’10”. He’s never going to be a lean guy which is fine by him cuz he loves Jim’s cooking*, but cuz of his Trollhunters training he puts on a ton of muscle and is this big friendly bear of a guy (sorta a human Aaarrrgghh). Basically moves a little closer to the Rock than to a human meatball. Also, he may be a little bit Barley from Onward, cuz he’s adorbs.

*Even when he’s a troll, Jim never stops cooking. It’s his love language.

228 notes • Posted 2021-10-29 07:53:36 GMT

#2

18 yo Jim and Toby (I know, I know, I gave Jim 5 fingers, but look, I haven’t drawn much in FOREVER, and hands are hella hard. I need a reference. Also, apparently half-trolls and hobbits have the same feet, who knew.)

Because y’all seem to enjoy my hc as much as I do, I gave Toby his bff, and you get bonus storytime about them (sorry for the long post):

Toby’s growth spurt happens so fast, that he decides not to tell Jim (who’s in NJ). Mostly because Toby loves some good drama and being the center of attention.

The day comes when Toby’s supposed to go meet Jim out in NJ. They’re going to meet up in a clearing in the forest near where the trolls have set up. As soon as the sun sets, Jim races to the meeting spot, super excited and eager to see the best friend who he’s missed so much. Phone calls are okay, but lately Toby’s just been pointing his camera up at the ceiling and the most Jim ever sees is a closeup of an eyeball.

Jim gets to the clearing and waits impatiently. Finally he hears someone coming out of the forest across the grassy expanse. He smiles broadly, not even trying to play it cool, when a large man (well, large for a human) walks out of the trees.

Jim panics, this is all he needs, some rando out for a hike discovers that trolls exist, and quickly moves to retreat into the safely of the trees. He stops when an oddly familiar voice says, “Hey Jimbo! Where ya going? I just got here.”

Jim spins to see the stranger approaching, he’s grinning wide around a complete mouthful of braces, green eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Toby??!!”

Toby laughs.

Jim approaches him slowly, waiting to see how this is a trick, but Toby just keeps being this extra large version of Toby.

“Holy. Crap.” Jim circles him, mouth agape, just repeating, “holy crap” over and over. Toby laughs some more and is clearly enjoying Jim’s amazement an enormous amount.

After Jim’s third or fourth trip around, Toby spreads his arms wide, “So what’dya think buddy?”

Jim huffs out a long breath and leans back on his heels, “I think I now know how you felt when I first became a troll.”

“Hey! I’m way better looking than that!” Toby feigns insult.

“Oh, that’s it, now it’s personal.” Jim rushes forward and before Toby can do anything, grabs him up in a big bear hug. Despite the fact that Jim is more than strong enough to lift his friend, he grunts, “Oof, man, you’re heavy.”

“All muscle baby.”

Jim laughs and squeezes Toby. “I missed you giant Tobes.”

“Missed you too, Jimbo.” Toby squeezes right back.

260 notes • Posted 2021-11-07 05:49:40 GMT

#1

Expanding my previous wip - 18 yo Tobes hamming it up. 

So in case you didn’t see my previous post, cuz why would you: My headcanon is Toby’s descended from Vikings, and grows to 5’10” during senior year. 

Expanded hc: Coach Lawrence tries to get Toby on the wrestling team, but it conflicts with Geology Club and Mistrial and Error, so he’s having none of it. With Jim and Claire away a lot, and Aja and Eli off-world, Toby and Steve go on bro adventures fighting monsters, like the Winchesters except without all the family drama.

426 notes • Posted 2021-11-01 11:00:41 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

There are no surprises here because I've been on Tumblr for 6 1/2 weeks, and I haven't had a chance to forget about anything yet lol. So maybe this is my month in review? Honestly, I thought it was longer, you all have been awesome, I've had a blast so far.

[evakuality]

Hanna, episode 5

1.  Sensible Hanna trying to talk to Jonas, but unfortunately picks the absolutely wrong time.  Jonas, while usually being quite sweet with Hanna, does change a lot when he’s with his boys.  There’s a cover he puts on, of not really caring.  Plus of course he’s almost certainly stewing about his own issues.  Hanna has been sleuthing and she has picked up a whole lot of stuff even if she’s coming to the wrong conclusions and he must be worried she’ll work it out.  But it all combines to mean they’re not communicating effectively and it super sucks.  Again, this is all from the original but it still hits really hard with this particular couple.  This Jonas seems genuinely unhappy, and more ... hmmm, like there’s a lack of thought here rather than a real attempt at trying to be cool and detached.  It feels quite obvious that there’s some hurt here.  And he actually literally says he’s upset because she’s with her girls so much after being annoyed at him for the same thing.  But I don’t know, it’s really quite different.  Hanna literally asked Jonas if he wanted to come and he chose not to, which has always been the way for the entire season.  He’s always been the one to choose not to do something together, so this seems a little bit ‘apples and oranges’ but even so.  He seems to be realising that things are slipping, but like her he doesn’t really know what to do about it.  Partly because he’s hiding stuff and is trying to deflect but also because he’s genuinely unsure of himself on this new ground where she does have people outside of him.  And then they settle it, as they always do, with kissing.  And I get it; this is something that works for them.  It’s the one thing in their relationship that isn’t fraught.  But this isn’t a good idea long term.  They need to talk properly.

2.  I do like the developing relationships between the girls that’s happening.  Working together for their classes is a nice, natural way to get them together and allow these little moments to happen and is also a nice nod to Hanna’s sad little longing look at Leonie and Sara’s study group earlier in the season.  Also, sad that on that occasion the one who made a connection and was first to show Hanna she’s not alone was Amira - the one Kiki specifically wants to kick out of the group.  Kiki is so black and white as a character, and it’s nice to see that play out against the others who have more nuanced takes.  But also, it’s painful to see the start of what we know if coming with Kiki here.  Her need for control (and to be liked and popular and ‘the best’) is so important and necessary to her that it’s leading her to harm.  So as much as her attitude is painful and difficult to watch, it’s also understandable.  Plus we know she grows up a lot.  And one thing I do love that Druck does is use these parts of the show and their lives to inform and expand into other seasons.  Carlos’s attempts to get Matteo to a spa or whatever in s3 as a form of self care is pretty much a direct result of Kiki growing and developing from this point.

3.  I adore this doctor they go to with Kiki.  I mean, clearly, the original was a great model for this but this one puts a nice spin on it.  And her reaction to Kiki’s ‘really old’ is so perfect.  There’s no shame in how she reacts, but rather reassurance that being 17 isn’t too old for this.  Which is such a great message.  The pressure (heh) we all put on ourselves to do things a certain way is so bad for us all.  Kiki particularly seems to be prey to this, but Hanna too does seem to want to do things the way others think she should.  And it’s a real crying shame that Sam never gets to shine the way she should (this was true of Chris as well - she damn well deserved her season), because even as a reasonably minor character she imbues what she does with so much heart.  I adore how into the doctor’s ‘romantic’ story she is.

4.  This thing with Hanna’s father is so painful.  It’s clear that he is trying to be there for her and be a good dad, but he also puts a whole lot of pressure on her.  Jonas has been getting at her about her mark and how stupid it makes her and now here’s her father backing that all up.  I’m sure it hurts and it all feeds into the way he doesn’t get her.  And she tries to explain what’s wrong and he insults her too?  No wonder she doesn’t like trying to communicate when it always seems to end with her feeling like shit about her intellect.

5.  I didn’t notice before that someone has put condoms on Kiki when Mia is trying to help her get turned on.  This whole situation is so silly, but there’s also something charming about it.  I like this group of girls together so much.  And wow Kiki is so innocent about this whole thing.  The girls are absolutely right - she doesn’t have to rush into this and feel like it’s a race and a competition.  She’s CLEARLY not really ready for the whole thing.  And someone with Alex’s reputation is 100% not the right person, even if he’s ‘the best’ according to the school.  But somehow, this whole thing with Alex and the girls and Jonas cancelling etc doesn’t seem quite as fraught as it was in the original.  I can’t put my finger on why, but it felt far more awkward and stressful and difficult for Eva somehow.  Like, Hanna’s got the worries about hearing Leonie’s voice and she seems unhappy about that, but it’s more defeated somehow.  The tension isn’t there in the same way.  

Overall, I feel like ‘anticipation’ really sums this episode up.  Not a lot happens, but we’re gearing up for something.  It’s subtle but there’s a sense of waiting, of anticipation if you will.  It also lets us see the girls together a lot more and how well they’re clicking as a group.  I did feel Amira’s absence quite vividly and that must have been worse during the actual time - that’s a whole week since her hurt and upset face as the bus rumbled away with the others and leaving her behind.  Mia says she won’t be in a group where Amira isn’t welcome, and yet... there’s still no Amira by the end.  Also, we’re starting to get those darker tones coming in.  Things have gone from soft and washed out to brighter and warmer to this slide into something with darker overtones.  Thematically things are starting to pile up and get a bit much and the cinematography is reflecting that.

[giant-sketches]

Oh GOD!  I’ve been trying my best to get better at writing these pieces so you all can enjoy both the art and writing thoroughly, but I have to say this time it got a little corny. Which, I mean, it’s Roman so it makes since and I just hope it all makes you swoon more than cringe by the end of it. Please do enjoy though, I worked super hard on both parts!!!

- Night had set in as Roman and Virgil exited the fort to go off on their stroll. Virgil was excited to be spending some personal time with Roman and at the same time nervous. Since their bonding exercise last week he had noticed a tremendous change in Roman’s demeanor when present. Roman’s eyes would sparkle at the sight of him and his voice would become boisterous. Virgil could tell Roman was always looking forward to seeing him and enjoyed his company. So many things had changed for the better, if not suddenly. At times it was difficult to process it all, but nonetheless he was happy.

Virgil: “I’m glad you invited me out for a walk Roman.” Roman: “Of course! Tonight is your night and I intend to make it one for the history books!”

- Virgil smiled sheepishly as he slumped his blushing face away from Roman’s gaze. Noticeably that they had been walking for quite some time now and grew Virgil curious about where they were headed.

Virgil: “Where are we going Roman that’s so far out?” Roman: “We’re headed to a secret spot of mine. You’re going to love it!”

- A big smile formed on Roman’s face as he led Virgil by the hand to a special spot where he loved to stargaze. As they pushed past the foliage, Virgil’s view opened up to reveal a wide open valley covered in moonlight. Virgil was in awe at the stunning view of the star filled sky above him. Roman had gone ahead until he reached the center of the field; there he motioned for Virgil to come join him. The cool night air brushing past Virgil’s face was refreshing as he walked up towards Roman.

Virgil: “This place is beautiful Roman.” his eyes were still transfixed on the sky in wonder. Roman: “Beautiful indeed.”

- Roman wasn’t looking up at the sky as he spoke, but instead at Virgil. Slowly he slid his hand over and interlocked his fingers now between Virgil’s. Surprised, Virgil immediately turned his attention towards Roman as his face glowed bright red.

Roman: “You don’t like it?” Virgil: “No, I-I…it was unexpected is all.” he shook his head violently.

- Virgil felt silly for overacting about holding hands and tightened his grip. Roman smiled and brushed his shoulder up again Virgil’s arm. The two inched closer to one another as they stood silently gazing up at the stars. It felt as if time had stopped as both of them found themselves lost in thought about the other.

Roman: “Virgil, would it be alright for you to hold me?” Virgil: “Do you mean like a hug?”

- Unsure of what Roman meant Virgil shot him a confused look. Roman giggled and lifted up his hand while still attached to Virgil’s. Carefully he uncurled his fingers to expose his palm and used one of Virgil’s fingers as a pointer.

Roman: “Here, I want you to hold me here in your hand.” Roman pointed to the center of his palm. Virgil instantly knew what he was referring to now, but was understandably concerned.

Virgil: “Oh…are you sure? I know we’ve been having fun with my smaller growth spurts, but this-this is a big leap in size. Are you going to be o-” Roman: “I’ll be alright. I trust you completely, also I’ve even started dreaming about this moment.” Did Virgil hear that right? Virgil: “Yo-you’ve been dreaming about me?!” Roman: “You don’t need to be so surprised about it! I-It’s embarrassing enough to say out loud.”

- Roman retracted his hands and cupped them together against his chest. He was trying desperately to quiet his heartbeat. Honestly, it was never his plan to reveal such a fact to anyone, more so the person in question. All Roman could do was hope Virgil would make his dream come true.

Roman: “So what do you say?” His eyes twinkled in anticipation for a favorable answer. Virgil: “Sure.” he responded softly.

- Roman was elated with Virgil’s response as he began bouncing up and down with joy. Then, without warning, Virgil touched his right hand gently to Roman’s face and stroked it. His hand was cold from the brisk night air and the sudden touch caused Roman’s face to redden. As Roman lifted his hands up to caress Virgil back he failed to notice that the hand had already outgrown his entire head and was continuing to expand. Virgil grew taller at a casual pace and as he began towering over Roman, he kept smiling towards him as reassurance. Once he reached a certain point, Virgil bent down to his knees and stretched out his hand towards Roman.

Virgil: “Only a little more to go. Once I get big enough you can climb right on.”

- In front of Roman now was a giant hand that was big enough to hold him like a doll. Still, he wanted it to be bigger, he wanted to be completely encompassed by that hand. It appeared that Virgil also wanted this as he continued to grow. His form was now covering up Roman’s view of the Moon. Roman chuckled at the thought of Virgil being the Moon and himself the North Star.

Virgil: “I think this height will do. By the way, what were you laughing about earlier?”

- Virgil had stopped growing as Roman quickly climbed aboard. The hand was now the perfect size for Roman to sit upon and still have space to roam about. Gingerly, Virgil shifted his position upwards and started to rise onto his feet. He now stood at a staggering 130 feet tall with a tiny Roman resting in his palm.

Roman: “I thought you resembled the moon.” he whispered. Virgil: “The moon? Is it because of my size?” Roman: “There’s that, but you’ve always had an air of mystery about you. You’re also not half bad looking.” Virgil: “Roman, we have the same face…” Roman: “See! Then if I’m handsome you must be as well.” Virgil: “You really are a character sometimes, you know that?” Roman: “Of course! I am a man of the theater after all!”

- Virgil couldn’t stop himself from laughing and Roman did the same. Both found themselves completely amused by the other as the night went on. Virgil carefully moved Roman to his shoulder and the two continued to gaze up at the starry sky. As Roman snuggled up against Virgil’s neck he pointed out the constellations. Virgil would in turn playfully draw his own constellations with his arm outstretched. Roman loved Virgil’s creativity and began pointing out his own constellations and formed stories about them. Their exchange of laughter and smiles between each other could only be described as magical.

Roman: “Hey Virgil, I know this will sound crazy but I want you to hear me out first.” Virgil: “What is it?” Roman: “I want you to grow even bigger.” Roman pressed his head up against Virgil’s neck affectionately. Virgil: “Bigger?! You want me to grow even taller than this? You’re right, that does sound crazy.” he was bewildered by Roman’s request. Roman: “You don’t want to?” Virgil: “No, it’s not that I don’t want to…why do you want me to grow more anyway?” Roman: “I want to be your North Star.” Virgil: “My North Star? What does that even mean?” his voice cracked. Roman: “You see that star up there near the Moon? The one that’s shining the brightest is called the North Star. I want to feel like that tiny star next to the giant Moon is all.” Virgil: “You don’t feel like that right now?” Roman: “No, it’s not about how I feel right now. Sometimes, despite how I act, even I have my insecurities. Once in a while I feel like one of those regular stars, one out of many. That no matter how hard I try to stand out I’ll always be lost in someone else’s glow.”

- Virgil had gone silent. He never imagined Roman of all people could feel anxious about such things; he pretty much exuded confidence. Virgil could relate heavily to those kinds of feelings and wanted Roman to feel like the bright, beaming star he truly was.

Virgil: “Then let’s do it. Let’s make you a star!” Roman: “You mean it?” Virgil: “As long as you’re okay with it, then I’m okay with it.”

- Virgil lifted up his hand to his shoulder and placed it horizontally against his collarbone in order to keep his palm flat. Roman was overcome with excitement as he climbed back onto Virgil’s hand once again.

Virgil: “I’m going to start growing again and this time I’m going to get really big, are you ready?” Roman: “Ready!”

- Right after Roman responded enthusiastically Virgil began to stretch upwards rapidly. Standing tall, Virgil grew almost exponentially as he whizzed by 200, 300, 400 feet and onward. Roman was so small that Virgil’s fingers that once matched the height of a person, now resembled towers. Last time Virgil had grown to this height was back in the facility when he lost control, but this time was different. He had been practicing constantly in order to never again put his friends in danger. There was no pain, dizziness, or sudden pulses; he was in complete control. All Roman could do was look on in astonishment as Virgil finally rested at an enormous height of 700 feet tall. Unsure about talking, Virgil meekly smiled at an almost microscopically small Roman staring up at him with wide eyes. Cautiously, Virgil began moving his arm upwards towards the night sky. The sudden movement caused Roman to lose his footing a bit as he fell to his knees. Virgil noticed this, but believed that stopping his current movement abruptly wouldn’t be a wise idea and carried on until his arm was fully straightened. Roman was lost as to what Virgil was trying to do until he saw how close he was to the night sky. He gasped in surprise and turned back to look at Virgil. Virgil smiled gently, squinting his eyes, and gave a nod. With that Roman sprung to his feet and started racing up Virgil’s pointer finger. Now at the tip-top Roman energetically shouted,

Roman: “How do I look? Am I the North Star now?” Virgil: “You look even brighter.” he answered quietly.

- Roman blushed deeply and a huge smile covered his face. He truly was bright as the moonlight washed over him, highlighting his outline sharply. Roman couldn’t help thinking that this was the best moment in his entire life and it was all thanks to Virgil. He bowed gracefully towards the now massive giant he stood upon.

Roman: “Thank you Virgil.”

- No one could imagine how much those words meant to Virgil. He had been thanked for being the way he is. After all those moments of being belittled, viciously insulted, and treated less than human, someone finally loved the way he was. He had to hold back his tears in order not to flood the valley down below, but his heart was pounding loudly. Roman could feel each beat underneath his feet as he straightened up. The cool night air was getting to him, especially at that height.

Roman: “It’s pretty chilly up here, huh?”

- Virgil couldn’t relate as at his current size he couldn’t even feel the wind, let alone get cold. He was also enjoying his new size and wasn’t ready to shrink back down. Still, he couldn’t let Roman freeze so he instead offered an alternative.

Virgil: “I’ll warm you up then.” Roman: “What do you mean?” Virgil: “First walk down back to my palm.”

- Roman did as he was told and hastily walked back down Virgil’s finger to his palm. Once back down Virgil slowly lowered his arm and raised his hand close to his face. Following that motion he made a fist with the thumb sticking out with his free hand and moved it over to the hand Roman was on.

Virgil: “Here, I want you to climb up on my thumb.” Roman: “Okay, but what are you going to do?”

- After a bit of trouble Roman had successfully climbed up onto Virgil’s thumb and kept himself steady by grabbing on to the nail.

Virgil: “Alright, up we go!” Roman: “Wha-”

- Suddenly, the thumb turned upwards and began moving towards Virgil’s mouth. Roman froze, was this what he thought it was? Next thing Roman knew he was being softly pushed into Virgil’s upper lip as his frame was pinched between Virgil’s thumb and pointer finger. Roman’s mind went blank as he let himself completely melt into the world’s biggest kiss. He had never experienced anything like it as the sensation of Virgil’s warm lip spread throughout his being. Although, it was a bit too warm. 

Quickly, Roman’s breathing became shallow as he huffed deeply. Even though it felt like he might suffocate, he didn’t hate it as his entire body boiled. He began to sweat profusely and his face had turned a bright scarlet as he reached his hand out from underneath Virgil’s lip and began slapping it in urgency. He had reached his limit and was on the verge of passing out.

Roman: “Vir-gil. I-I can’t take i-it any mo-ore.” His voice was weak from overheating.

- Despite his size, Virgil felt Roman slapping his hand on his lip and could hear him mumbling something. As he jerked his head back Roman gave out a loud gasp and collapsed backwards onto Virgil’s thumb. Virgil titled his thumb slightly in order to get a better view of Roman who was panting aggressively. At a glance he could tell he may have gone too far with his kiss, but nonetheless Roman wasn’t cold anymore.

Virgil: “Sorry Roman, are you okay?” Roman: “Yeah, I-I’m fine. Ju-just a little out of breath.” His breathing had become extremely shallow. Virgil: “Hey, I’m going to start shrinking back down. I don’t think it’s safe for you to be out of breath so high up.” Roman: “You ha-ve a-a point.” Virgil: “Can you climb back down to my palm on your own, or do you need some help?” Roman: “I-I can do it.”

- Roman then began sluggishly dragging his feet down Virgil’s thumb and onto his palm. There he went down on his knees and further laid on his stomach with his arms tucked underneath his head.

Roman: “I’m just going to lie down for a little bit.” he whispered as his eyes closed.

- The tiny frame lying still on his palm was beyond adorable. Virgil couldn’t help but ruffle Roman’s hair amusingly with his massive finger before he swiftly started shifting downwards. He stopped at 12 feet tall and gently carried Roman closer to the treeline. There he sat down criss-cross with Roman resting in his arms, sleeping soundly. It had gotten late and while he wanted to get back to the fort, Virgil also didn’t want to wake Roman. As he continued to figure out what to do next  he was startled by the sudden sound of trees toppling over and being crushed underneath an unknown pressure. Out of the darkness came a terrifyingly familiar voice.

Remus: “Found you!~”

To be continued.

@gentlegiantdreamer​ @paranoidgurl​ @suckedinfandoms​ @pattonvirglsanders​ @crystalk17​ @sanders-sides-virgil​ @just-some-gt-trash​ @notkolaidoscop​ @bluegreeninbtwn​ @lgbtqiaemo​ @enby-phoenix​ @avenirunknown​ @rainbowbowtie​ @ncanspeak​

[coeursetcolores]

What I Would Add To/Change About: Psychonauts

Howdy! Today is April 19th, and if you don’t know what game came out today, then why don’t you try and read my mind to find out? Go ahead!

So what’s your answer? 

...

Why yes, it was Psychonauts! Way to go, you just earned a merit badge, cadet!

...What do you mean you just read the title?!

Anyway, for those of you who know, Psychonauts is a beloved cult classic that unfortunately received not that much mainstream attention, which is such a shame because I loved playing this game! I’ll admit there’s some problems, but I had such a psi-blast playing it, I didn’t really mind! That being said...

I’m still gonna talk about the problems.

This is all just my own personal opinion and if you disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay! If you’d like to talk about a point I made, please let me know, but please try to respect my opinion as I respect yours.

Well, without further ado, let’s open that Psycho-portal!

SPOILERS AHEAD!

As usual, first let’s get out all the things I absolutely ADORED about this game!

The. Voice. Acting. I cannot say enough how much detail went into dialogue and performances, you just have to listen to it. I was talking to/inspecting as many people/things as I could and seeing what dialogues were available when I switched things out. I probably spent more time doing that than actually playing the game! Definitely Richard Horvitz’s best work in my opinion!

The environments. This game is a mixed-up feast for the eyes and the level design is the main course. Things can go from the nice and simple Whispering Pines to the breathtaking and colorful Black Velvetopia to the utter lunacy and ominousness of the Milkman Conspiracy. It’s a masterpiece in artistic expression.

The Milkman Conspiracy. My gosh, this level deserves all the hype it gets. I really wish it hadn’t been spoiled for me, but even then it’s just such a trip that I can’t mind it that much. Also, Steve Blum!

The character design may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but it fits the messed up and wacky world of the game to a T.

JUMPING!!!!!!

The puzzles can get frustrating (especially at a certain final level whose name shall not be said in respect of those still recovering from it) but they’re really fun to experiment with and find ways to move ahead in.

I really enjoyed Raz as a protagonist. He wasn’t too moody or obnoxious and he was necessarily sassy when he needed to be. He was also really relatable, being a kid who felt ostracized at home and didn’t understand why his father wouldn’t let him do what he wanted. And he was just so nice in spite of how upset he was at his family situation while still being determined to accomplish his dreams and help people. And even when he reached the asylum, it never felt like he was going into anyone’s mind as a means to an end, he genuinely wanted to help these people along with the campers. Also, he’s a total fanboy geek and that’s awesome!

As fast as it happened, the romance between Raz and Lili was really sweet and cute and I’m glad it didn’t lessen their characters or take away too much from the story. It was definitely two kids going through their first puppy love.

I also really liked Raz being nice to Dogen. Their scenes together were just sweet!

All the different abilities were so cool to use and the different types of enemies encourages you to switch things up on the fly which keeps gameplay from getting stale as you progress.

Underneath all of the trippy sequences in the levels there’s a solid moral that not everyone can deal with their mental issues by themselves and sometimes you need someone else to step in and help, and I appreciate that kind of message. Even with all of their eccentricities, the mentally ill are people too and even if you can’t fix their problems like Raz can they still deserve basic compassion and understanding.

With all that being said, I feel like the game could have used a few more things.

ADD:

I really wish Raz got a new look for every mental world like he did in Black Velvetopia.

The game should have been stretched out over more than just one day. It would have given more time to expand upon certain plot elements and develop the characters more, as well as make Raz’s psychic growth a little more believable. I know that the plot kind of relied on Raz only having a day to do everything, but it just made him seem like of a Mary Sue learning all that in one day.

I feel like the game should have explained some things more. I get that video games shouldn’t hold your hand too much and they should be a challenge, but some things took FOREVER to learn the right button for.

A tracker for emotional baggage? I couldn’t find it all.

Maybe make the other counselors seem suspicious so it’s not so easy to single out Coach Oleander as the villain? 

Add some side quests around camp to help the other campers: Stand up to Bobby, talk Crystal and Clem out of suicide, show Mikhail he’s being used and knock some sense into Maloof, get a show for Phoebe and Quentin’s band going, and help Dogen control his powers, etc. I feel like they really could have expanded Part 1 at camp more.

Maybe add some flashbacks of Raz’s family life before he ran away to help the audience see through his eyes and understand his thought process better.

More fights with the Nightmares would have been cool. The scrapped plot about them escaping from Milla’s mind and abducting kids while they didn’t have their brains would have been a cool subplot. Or they could have come from the kids themselves or Oleander. I just think they had more potential.

Dr. Loboto boss fight (I did not play Rhombus of Ruin, I don’t do VR!)!

I’d kind of want to see Raz’s dad arrive at camp and how he got to where all the action was. Maybe some scenes of him getting there too to really make the player feel just how little time they have.

A scene of Ford Cruller getting up to go help out and save everyone?

Alright, now it’s time to get to the ugly!

CHANGE:

Oh my gosh, ARREST COACH OLEANDER! I know he was genuinely remorseful and the Psitanium might have had a hand in it and he was unfairly rejected from every branch of the United States army for his height, but that doesn’t change the fact that he lobotomized an entire camp full of children, attempted to murder one, built psychic death tanks, mutated and brainwashed a peaceful fish, brainwashed an asylum patient into covering his tracks through arson without regards to the residents of the asylum, kidnapped and lobotomized two colleagues whom he then tried to kill, hired DR. LOBOTO and tried to take over the world. At least have the guy monitored and put under probation, geez!

Change the rules of the race in Milla’s Dance Party so you DON’T have to win! I don’t care if I lose, I just want to move on already! This is not a racing game!

LESS. FIGMENTS.

I honestly don’t know what to say about the **** ****** except HAVE OLLIE STAY PUT AT THE TOP SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT KEEPING HIS BUNNY-LOVING HIDE ALIVE!!!!!

Maybe the Two-Headed Dad Monster could have been more challenging at the end? As I’ve said, I am not a gameplay expert, but that final boss fight was really easy, and not in a satisfying way. Then again, you did just have to play through the **** ******...

And, that’s about it, I really don’t have much to complain about. Psychonauts is a super fun game and I highly recommend it. It’s colorful and explores heavy themes with respect and humor while going hand in hand with interesting gameplay and plenty of likable characters. There are no dull moments, I genuinely enjoyed this game greatly. I wish more people had given it a chance when it first came out and we could have gotten the sequel sooner, because I am honestly super nervous about it living up to the first. This is nothing on Tim Schafer and Double Fine, I just don’t have high expectations for a sequel made and released after ten years of radio silence as a rule. But, who knows? 

Maybe they’ll go in and change my mind.

[sodalitefully]

Enter freely and of your own will [GNR, Sluff AU]

I know, I know, I've written vampire AUs before… Several times.  But I had to write something about what a nerd Slash is for vampire fiction!  Mostly inspired by interviews Slash gave after gnr covered Sympathy For The Devil for Interview With A Vampire (so any digs at the movie adaptation are based on Slash’s opinion, not mine – I’ve never seen it!).  Occasional mentions of blood and stuff, but not particularly graphic.  This fic is expanding on an AU I originally drew here.

~~~~

In my mind, it all played out like the plot of a paranormal romance novel.  I’ve gotten familiar with those lately, thanks to the collection hidden in the bottom shelves of Slash’s library, buried below the gothic horror classics, the crime thrillers, and about a mountain of nonfiction.  Hell, I could probably write my own!  “Tall blonde unexpectedly falls for rock and roll bad boy with a dark secret,” yeah, the readers would eat that up.  Of course, our love story didn’t really start when the unsuspecting protagonist moved to a new city, or when the leather-clad love interest showed off his supernatural shredding skills.  No, I’d say it started a couple years later, when I found out Slash’s other deep, dark, embarrassing secret.   

It wasn’t a dark and stormy night… but it was a movie night at my place, a tradition for Slash and I.  Whenever we needed a break from the so-called rockstar lifestyle, we’d get together for a night in, smoke some pot and put on a movie. Slash laid back on my couch while I dug through a cabinet packed with VHS tapes and listed off a few options: 

“Let’s see, we have Jurassic Park, Alien, Interview With a Vampire – Uh, sorry, I guess that would be weird huh?”  Slash made a sour face. 

“Ugh.  I hate that movie, it’s such a bad adaptation. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, seriously?” 

“Wait,” I dropped The Empire Strikes Back and Blazing Saddles onto the growing heap of tapes and sat back on my heels to look at Slash in surprise. "You’ve seen it before?” 

“Uh…” Vampires may not be able to blush but I'd known Slash long enough to tell when he’s flustered.   

“And you’ve read the book?” 

“… Yes?”  I laughed, Slash ducked and hid his face, obviously feeling self-conscious, but I didn’t mean to laugh at him.  It was just… 

I’d assumed that a real-life vampire would roll their eyes at the cliche, over-romanticized movie interpretations of their kind.  Instead, I learned of Slash’s (nearly) indiscriminate love for all things vampire, anything from Carmilla to Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  He was a sucker (hah, get it?) for dripping fangs, swishing capes, even those crazy accents, ever since he was a kid.  And I can’t lie, it was pretty endearing.  I wasn’t in love with him yet, but the more he told me about his obsession, the more warm and tingly I felt, charmed by how genuine he was – Hell, I barely even teased him about it!  Somehow, that conversation felt even more personal than finding out he was a damn vampire.  I was really touched that he felt comfortable sharing his interests with me, that he trusted me with his softer, nerdier, more romantic side.   

I resisted the temptation to press for more details that night, but a month or so later, I caught him in the act!  I remember waking up in the afternoon after crashing at his place so late it was early the night before.  I wandered around his big, spooky house until I found Slash curled up in one of his fancy antique armchairs, his legs dangling over the armrest and a paperback book cradled in his lap.  I couldn’t make out the curlicued script on the cover, but from the captivated look on his face it was a favorite – his eyes were bright as they darted across the page, and his lips curled into a warm, gentle smile. 

I couldn’t stand to disturb him, so I snuck off before he noticed me in the doorway, and headed down the hall to the room he’d transformed into a tiny library – The man had a library in his house; between that and the subtly gothic decor it was hard to believe I never noticed that Slash was playing up the vampire aesthetic, consciously or not!  Anyway, I poked around until I found where he hid his collection of vampire lit, and snatched a few that were, shall we say, not quite as acclaimed as Dracula or even The Vampire Chronicles.  I don’t remember the titles, but there were a couple paperback romances and a horror novel with a badass-looking dude on the cover. 

I had to see what all the fuss was about, you know?  Yeah, this kind of thing wasn’t exactly up my alley, but Slash usually had good taste, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to check it out.  Plus, if it was important to Slash, I wanted to know about it!  And not just the well-known classics either; I wanted the guilty pleasures, I wanted to see what it was that could make Slash smile like that when no one was watching. 

I’ll be honest, it wasn’t bad.  I wasn’t a big reader at the time, but I raced through the horror novel in just two days, and trust me, I barely slept the night in between!  The trashy romance was more enjoyable than I would ever admit; even with all the cliches and melodrama there was something compelling about unraveling the tangled web of forbidden love in a world full of the supernatural. 

At this point, I was very cautiously beginning to entertain the idea that I might see Slash as more than just a buddy and a bandmate.  As friends, were were closer than ever, hardly spent a day apart, and I was beginning to notice things that I hadn’t noticed before.  Things like the way he always smiled at my lame jokes, the way he leaned on my shoulder when he was pretending to be drunk, the way he tossed his hair on stage… And I couldn’t help wondering whether Slash identified more with the heroine or the love interest.  Did he want to be the cool, mysterious vampire lover, or the unsuspecting protagonist who gets drawn into an alluring new world? 

I got my answer a couple months later, in town again after a leg on the road. It was a steaming hot summer day back in L.A., and Slash was dozing on his couch. This wasn’t unusual in and of itself, Slash’s sleep schedule had been fucked for as long as I'd known him. No, what made this instance significant was that I was also on the couch, reclined with my feet over the armrest and Slash draped across my chest. Tales From The Crypt played at a murmur on a brand-new TV set, but I wasn’t paying any attention. 

See, at this point I’d recently learned that, when Slash focused hard enough, he could hear a living person’s blood pulsing in their veins and detect changes in body temperature.  And that had me wondering: Could he tell that my heart beat faster when he leaned against me on stage?  Could he tell that my ears got warm every time he turned a smile my way? 

Could he tell how much I was affected by his weight on top of me?   

He was like a huge cat in my lap, relaxed from head to toe.  If you paid attention, you could tell that he was breathing more slowly that an ordinary human should be and his bare skin was slightly cool.  Other than that he looked completely normal… Except for his teeth.  His mouth was slightly open, allowing his pointed, knife-sharp teeth to scrape against his lower lip. 

To Slash’s chagrin, they weren't gleaming white, perfectly straight fangs; instead they more closely resembled a shark’s jaw, crowded with small flesh-tearing blades.  It was rare to see them exposed, Slash was careful to limit himself to tight-lipped smiles and mumbled dialogue whenever his secret was at risk. Even in private he was self-conscious about it, and I considered myself lucky when he grinned openly in my presence. 

“Hey, Slash?”   

“…Hmm?” Languidly, he shifted until he was looking up at me.  Midafternoon sun leaked through the blinds brightly enough for me to make out a hint of red in his eyes, the other (un)dead giveaway that was usually obscured by his sedately lidded gaze.   

"You know how you said the other day that you have really strong senses? Well... I was wondering what other, uh, non-human traits you have. How true are the myths about vampires, really?” 

“Well… Hm.  My eyes are pretty sensitive to daylight.  And technically I’m nocturnal.  But I don’t have fangs, I don’t really look like a vampire and I don’t have superpowers.” I swear to god, he pouted a little.  "All things considered I didn’t really get any of the cool stuff." 

“No super-strength?  Or mind reading? Can you shapeshift into a bat?” 

“Don’t you think I’d tell you if I could turn into a bat?  At least I don’t have any of those stupid weaknesses, I can be in the sun and eat garlic and whatever.” He paused ponderously. “…You know, I might be immortal, I was around a long time before Tony and Ola took me in.  Guess I’ll find out in a few decades.” 

“That would be pretty cool.” 

“Yeah, maybe." 

“So... do you enthrall your victims?” I prodded, in a spooky, menacing voice belied by my goofy grin. 

Slash snorted a laugh and shook his head at my antics. “No, I can’t do that either.  Well, I don’t know, do you feel enthralled?” 

I laughed awkwardly and counted my blessings when Slash didn't notice that my unspoken answer was an empathetic Yes. 

Slash chuckled with me, then sighed.  “Fuck, I wish vampires like that were real, though…” he confessed softly. 

“Like what?” 

“You know, badass, seductive, awesome powers…” He waved a hand toward a pinup poster on the wall with a corset and fangs, then let his head fall back to my chest.  He mumbled into my shirt, “Is it really so much to ask for a sexy vampire to come and sweep me off my feet?” 

“Slash, I hate to tell you this, but…” I couldn’t make it through the sentence with a straight face. 

He swatted my bicep – pretty hard too, was he sure he didn’t have super-strength? “Fuck you, Duff, you know what I mean." 

And, yeah, dreaming of being wooed by a beautiful, badass, intelligent and darkly mysterious vampire?  Who appeared in my life and changed it forever, who blew me away with his capability and his passion?  Who could captivate me with just a look? 

Yeah. Believe me, I could relate.

~~~~

Happy Halloween! 

[thatdarkwitch]

In Defence of Winx Club season 5?

Yes, I’m doing this. I went back and rewatched it to reformulate my opinion.

Edit: this is from like six months ago but the fandom is dead so have my unpopular opinion.

So season 5 is actually alright , not great, almost good. The biggest problems with it are what wasn’t done. It could have been better but I still like it. Nostalgia I suppose.

Before I say anything I want to submit a formal complaint about the Magic Dimension’s security.

Plot: The plot is very structured and based on the completion of the quests, which actually works very well, keeping the story moving as the characters try to achieve what they want. In the first half it is the Sirenix quest as well as Tritannus trying to get the power of all of the Selkies and the second half the race to the pillars of the Infinite Ocean. All of the quests actually come to an end and are satisfying regardless of who is victorious. It gives each of the winx a chance to show off their skills and powers and really feel like they earned the power. Although it would have been a thousand times better if they actually made Tritannus threatening. He had promise to be a good villain, with his powers being an unheard of thing and him being just a little unstable while wielding them. However we are never shown the destruction that he has caused to the worlds through their oceans and we’re sort of just supposed to believe he is dangerous. The pillars caused acceptable damage but that was not really his doing. What bothers me the most is that neither he or the Trix ever mention the Infinite Ocean to the winx in the second episode that we saw, then when they talk to Faragonda she immediately suggested Sirenix. A little forced. It would have been better if the stakes were higher in general with the time limit on the quest being shorter instead of them just waiting till it was almost to late. Then there is the trident.... that was some bullshit. I don’t care if Bloom used her special spell, that thing had been taking hits all season and he didn’t even have it when he originally got his powers. I don’t buy it. As for the subplots, they were okay. Sky’s memory thing was annoying but was sometimes kinda cute. The thing with Krystal was stupid and I wish it led to us learning more about Flora’s insecuritys and not just a petty love triangle. I wish they had focused more on Aisha’s grief as well as the fact that her family was being torn apart. They started but didn’t commit. My favourite subplot was always the riff Tritannus caused between the Trix, but seeing that his and Icy’s relationship doesn’t have a tail (sorry) to stand on makes it less important, it also would have been a super easy fix.

Characters: It is very clear that everything that stopped this season from being great revolves around Tritannus, he is a horribly underdeveloped character and villain. I really wish they could have gone into his past, since he was clearly neglected by his family. It would have made him a good morally gray villain, since he is also clearly insane and could have given his relationship to Aisha and Nereus some more weight. It also would have been a great leeway for Icy to manipulate him but have her be manipulated as well because of her tendency to trust quickly. I would have liked to see her reasons for being interested in him. Their relationship was toxic and it shouldn’t been any other way but it still could have been interesting. It would have been really cool to bring up the Trix problems with trust, especially after Magical Adventure. After being betrayed by the Ancestral witches, I would have liked to see the Trix reflect on why they trust people so easily and start to move on from that. That’s what I imagined going on behind the scenes and why Darcy and Stormy were wary and then done with trusting others. Icy simply reacted differently and took longer to get out of her old habits. It would have been great to see them start to grow and have the riff between them as they change at different rates. I loved seeing the concern they had for Icy and trying to warn her, before leaving to let her learn for herself. Actually having to admit that she was wrong and learn from it with them still being villains would have been amazing. I also love all the new powers and spells they got in the first half, yeah that was good.

As for the winx, their characters were shown pretty well for the most part. I loved that all of them got a chance to shine and show off their skills and powers more than once throughout the season. I loved how the battle was made personal for both Aisha and Bloom as well as the others having something else weighing them down while they needed to be focused. I wasn’t even mad that Bloom was the one to deliver the final blow because she hadn’t gotten all of the unnecessary spotlight. I liked that most of the things that they learned were resolved after a reasonable struggle not being something that was easy. Some of them could have been fleshed out a little more or could have been replaced with something else. I mentioned Flory already and I also really wish Musa’s conflict wasn’t with Riven, again. They got along well for most of the season except when they needed drama and that was frustrating. I love One to One and I hoped that would be the end of it and they would learn to communicate better. She also never got her Sirenix wish and I’m salty. Stella’s arc with her fashion designs was stupid, she was already an amazing designer and it felt like deliberate regression. The only plus side was seeing moments with her and Brandon. That date with Tecna and Timmy was pointless, they know how to behave that was just dumb. I still wish there was an episode with just them but they could have gotten together and created some awesome thing to help protect the realms because they are a teco power couple.

I love how the lore of the Magic Dimension is expanded and has more layers through the Infinite Ocean and Sirenix. I always love seeing the past before the main story and seeing how Daphne was cursed was really cool. Even if it was a retcon it was one I wasn’t that mad about.

The music was awesome. Not much else to say, it was amazing. One to one, Return to me, Sirenix and Harmonix are all some of my favourite songs of the series. The background music also really stood out to me and just set the scenes really well. The designs are decent. I actually like Sirenix even though it’s very similar on all of them, it still suits them all. Dark Sirenix is better though. Harmonix is pretty but I wish it was more individualized.

Yeah it was fun. I still love it, I just wish it better.

[purplesurveys]

1160

survey by pandaphant

What was your first kiss like, and who was it with? It was with my ex-girlfriend; she was spending the night and the time just came for us to kiss. It was scary, but they were very encouraging so I felt a whole lot comfortable in the end.

Do you have to be in love with someone to sleep with them? In my case, yes. I know this isn’t a prerequisite for a lot of people though, and that’s okay too.

What's your favorite kind of bear? Not too obsessed with bears but I like polar bears and pandas, heehee.

Would you rather see a movie at a theater or at home on DVD? At this point? A theater. Pre-pandemic me would’ve preferred to watch movies at home because I find the cinemas too loud and too dark – and movie tickets cost like a bitch – but now I just want that life back.

Have you ever sent a FWD because you were afraid? I have no idea what this is. I’m reading this as ‘forward,’ as in sending forwarded messages; but I’m not sure if I’m accurate.

Are you still madly in love with that *someone*? No. There’s still love in there, but it’s no longer the in-love kind of love; and the love I do have is also considerably tinged with resentment.

Have you ever waited for someone? Like...in relationships? I’ve never been in that kind of situation before.

You've been given access to a time machine. Where and when do you go? I’d love to go back to an early point in my last relationship and end it off as soon as I saw the first red flag, instead of ignoring and tolerating the next 487897839473 that followed.

Would you ever date more than one person at a time? I would never be in an open relationship. I’m cool with it and I have friends who are in one, but it’s not my preference.

Would you rather have pancakes or waffles? Waffles. We have pancakes pretty often at home already; I also find waffles a lot more versatile as well.

Do you hate any of your friend's S.O.s? No. Hans is a delight; I’m friends with both Andi and Leigh so that works out well for me; and I’ve never met Jo’s girlfriend but I bet I’ll like her anyway.

What do you eat on your waffles? Either with bacon or fried chicken. Then with maple syrup and whipped cream on top of the waffles too, yum.

Have you ever had a major crush on someone that never found out? I had a happy crush on JM that never went out within Kate, Jo, and myself. He was objectively physically attractive and it was just nice to look at him sometimes, but it never developed into anything emotional and I definitely did not have any intention to flirt or cheat, because bleck.

What is one thing that has changed your life, either good or bad? I think this pandemic has brought about a lot of changes.

What is a juggalo? A juggalo is someone who is a fan of Insane Clown Posse. I only know this because I’ve confused it for gigolo a billion times.

Do you like to cuddle? Only with the right person.

Have you ever drank alcohol? Yes.

Which is your favorite punctation mark? Semicolon and em dash. So basically I like hacks to make my sentences longer.

What is one trait you could not put up with in another person? Refusing to acknowledge their toxic habits or actions and staying the way they are because “this is who I am.” That shit makes me absolutely nauseous.

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why? I’d love to time travel just to satisfy the budding historian in me.

Have you ever worn leg warmers? No. I’m not sure what those are, either.

What's your favorite way to wear your hair? These days I style it in either a very high ponytail, almost like Ariana Grande-esque; on more relaxed days it’s in a low side ponytail.

If someone made a movie about your life, what would you want it to be named? Y’all know how much I dislike questions like this that force me to get creative, so I’m moving on.

What makes you really mad? All shapes and forms of injustice.

What do you like to do for fun? Trying out new things – I’m always down to try hiking, attending a cooking class, rock climbing, archery, etc, as long as I’m with at least one person.

What eye color do you prefer in a significant other? No preference but seeing as how most Asians have dark brown eyes anyway, I’d go with that because I doubt I’d end up with someone from a different race.

American Eagle, Hollister, or Abercrombie? Eugh, none of these.

What's your favorite ice cream topping? Hot fudge and/or chocolate chips.

Have you ever rebounded...or been someone's rebound? No.

Why is your best friend your best friend? They both understand me and my needs, and we simply click insanely well in our respective relationships.

If there was one thing you could do differently, what would it be? If the pandemic never happened, I could be driving to the office everyday, experiencing nightlife, meeting new people and expanding my circles, and overall making the most out of my 20s. That kind of life would have been nice.

Do you have commitment issues? Commitment was never an issue to me. It’s trust that’s been ruined for me.

What do you do when the lights go out in a thunderstorm? Groan out in frustration and gather with my siblings in the living room.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today? Just buy a crap ton of food and share it with loved ones. Then spend most of the time with my dogs.

Where do you live? Philippines.

Are you scared of spiders? Not as much as most people are.

What's your favorite band? Paramore.

If you had to do one which would it be, skydiving or bungee jumping? Skydiving. I’ve already done bungee jumping so it would be cool to try something completely new.

Do you answer your phone when it's your mother? I’d say it’s 50/50. If I have nothing much going on I’ll pick it up; but if I’m busy at work I’d have to reject it.

Do you own anything with peace signs on it? I don’t think so, but maybe. Idk it’s always possible.

Do you every buy anything at Bath & Body Works? I don’t, but this question is very timely since I had just watched Safiya Nygaard’s vlog about buying every single Bath & Body Works scented candle in existence and combining them into one candle. I had no idea they had SO many candles??? And all of them have pretty names and notes??? Thanks to her I literally placed a couple of their candles in my shopping cart at like 2 AM last night hahaha.

Do you like candles? I do now. I definitely see the hype haha.

What'd all you wear this week? House/loungewear.

Do you know any hippies? No.

Do you refuse to use public bathrooms? Yeah, even before the pandemic I refused to use them unless I absolutely had to go. The idea of sharing a toilet with hundreds of other people is just so icky, even though I don’t let my butt touch the toilet seat.

Do you know anyone that had Swine Flu? I don’t think so. I now know people who’ve gotten Covid, though – both from family and my circle of friends.

How'd you get your last booboo? Cooper’s leash, when he was tugging on it.

[splendidlyimperfect]

discord & dragons - chapter 10 [a daring rescue]

**link to ao3 is provided in the comments since tumblr has apparently been shadowbanning anything with links 🙄**

When a magical mishap transforms Natsu, Sting and Rogue, Gray finds himself responsible for a horde of dragons.

Chapter Summary: Gray gets captured by Vengeance Soul, and Freed and the dragons attempt a rescue.  

Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Natsu Dragneel/Sting Eucliffe/Gray Fullbuster, Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox Additional Tags: Canon Universe, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Magical Accidents, Spells & Enchantments, Transformation, Dragons, Fluff and Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, kind of, baby dragons are basically kittens, I make the rules here, Fluff and Humor, Cute, like super fucking cute, it’s just dumb and fluffy okay, Nonbinary Character, Freed’s enby, because i say so

-----

Freed tore through the forest, slashing away branches and leaping over logs as they moved deeper and deeper into the underbrush. Rogue and Natsu, who Freed had hastily tucked into their pockets, whined in confusion, and desperately tried to climb out. Sting squirmed in Freed’s grip, kicking at their arms and making soft, distressed sounds that increased in volume the further they got from Gray.

“It’s not safe,” Freed panted, keeping an eye on Laxus, who had barely figured out flying and was hovering awkwardly just ahead. Freed ducked around a large tree as they held Sting tighter against themself, heart pounding as they listened for sounds of being followed.

Laxus moved further away, then turned back to Freed and made a soft trilling sound. Freed could feel a slight tug in their stomach – the same feeling they got when Laxus asked them to trust him in battle. They nodded, kicking several dead branches out of the way as they followed him.

[link to chapter on ao3 in the comments]

Eventually the undergrowth opened into a small clearing, walled in on three sides by high stone walls. Freed exhaled in relief. Holding Sting under one arm, they held their hand out and quickly scribbled some runes into the air, pulling up a barrier that kept them both enclosed and invisible.

“Thank you,” Freed murmured as Laxus fluttered awkwardly down onto their shoulder, rubbing his face against their cheek and making a comforting sound. Sting squirmed out of Freed’s grip and immediately ran for the wall, pawing at it and making distressed sounds. Natsu and Rogue quickly joined him, whining and digging at the ground, then turning back around to look at Freed accusingly.

“I’m sorry,” Freed said, dropping down and leaning back against the stone wall. They ran their hands over their face, trying to catch their breath as their heart pounded in their chest. Sting scampered back over to them and hopped into their lap, standing on his hind legs and pressing his paws to their chest. “I’m sorry,” Freed said again, stroking Sting’s head as he chittered frantically. “We have to—I had to keep you safe. We’re going to rescue him, I promise.”

Natsu growled, headbutting the rune wall and scrabbling at it with his claws. He stood on his back feet, pressing both paws against the wall and staring out into the trees as if it would magically summon Gray.

“It’s okay,” Freed said as their breathing started to return to normal. Laxus made a comforting sound and cuddled closer to them, and Freed reached up to pet him as they continued to run their fingers comfortingly through Sting’s fur. “We can find him,” Freed reassured the dragons, reaching out and beckoning for the other two. Rogue slunk over reluctantly, but Natsu remained at the barrier, making soft whining sounds and pawing at it.

Freed unbuttoned their jacket and dug around in the inside pockets, eventually pulling out their communication lacrima and wiping the screen clean. They swiped their thumb across it to power it up, sighing in relief when they saw that it was still connected.

“Freed?” Levy’s voice came through, muddled by static but clearly there. “Are you all right?”

“Gray’s in trouble,” Freed said, tipping their head back against the wall. “We need to find him. Warren – his magic radar – does it still work? Can he find someone this far away?”

“It should work.” Freed winced at the way the sound warbled, and they were barely able to make out her next words. “I’ll---him, bu--take some t---call you back?”

“Yes,” Freed said, sighing and sending out a desperate plea to the universe. “Yes, I’ll wait for your call.”

~

The sound of people arguing dragged Gray from unconsciousness. He blinked slowly awake, wincing at the throbbing in his temples.

“We need to do it soon,” a voice said. It echoed, as if coming from far away, and Gray shook his head to try and clear his blurry vision and figure out where he was. The ground underneath him was jagged and uncomfortable, and when he pushed himself up, he felt cool rock beneath his fingertips. Gray stumbled to his feet, swaying and steadying himself against the wall. A faint green light shimmered nearby, and it took him a second to realize that it was some sort of moss, bioluminescent and lending a faint green light to the darkness of the room.

“He’ll wake up soon,” another voice said. It was deep and lightly accented, and Gray immediately recognized it as the man who had hunted them down last month – Siedge. A chill ran through Gray and he rubbed at the scar on his wrist.

The first voice sounded closer as it replied, “He should be out for a few more hours – the sleep magic is strong.”

“He’s stronger.”

The voices were now joined by footsteps and the sound of something jingling. Gray’s vision slowly adjusted to the dim light of the room, and he could just make out the shape of a door across from him. He stumbled over and pressed himself to the wall behind it, taking slow, even breaths and trying to push away the nausea that blurred his vision.

“Just bring him to the room,” Siedge said, and then there was the sound of keys in a lock as the door started to swing open. Gray curled his hands into fists, ready to summon his magic, and he was so surprised when it didn’t respond that he was taken aback by someone reaching out and grabbing his arm.

“Lemme… stop it,” he mumbled, bringing his hands up and scrabbling weakly at the person’s grip. His tongue felt thick in his mouth, and the place inside him where his magic usually lived was like a void.

“Come with me,” the person said, dragging Gray forward and into the hallway. They were tall and beautiful in a cold, frightening way, and the Vengeance Soul guild mark took up half of their face.

“Where…” Gray tripped over his own feet, nearly falling into the mage.

“I told you.” Siedge’s deep voice was accompanied by a large, terrifyingly familiar man with long blond hair pulled into a braid. He grinned at Gray, showing off sharp teeth. “He’s strong.” He grabbed Gray’s chin, tipping his head up. Gray growled weakly and tried to struggle against the grip, but everything in his body felt like it was being pulled down into the earth.

“Fuck you,” he spat. “You almost killed Sting.”

Siedge laughed. “You escaped me last time, I have to give you credit for that,” he said, letting go of Gray and reaching up to touch the scar on his own neck from Natsu’s flames. “But you don’t have your dragon slayers to save you this time. They’re not quite as ferocious now, are they?” Gray glared at him. “I’ll admit, when Laka here suggested the spell, I didn’t think much of it, but it’s been surprisingly effective. And in your haste to discover its origin, you walked right into my trap.”

Laka tugged Gray backward by his arm and he stumbled after them, nearly tripping and falling to his knees. Whatever they’d used to put him to sleep still made everything hazy – and apparently blocked his access to his magic. The empty feeling in his chest expanded as he tried to awaken it again.

“Don’t bother,” Laka said, shaking their head. “Nobody can lift those runes except me.”

Gray frowned, then looked down at his chest. A mark was etched just over his heart – an unfamiliar rune that looked like it had been burned into his skin. It didn’t hurt, but he could feel the magic emanating from it.

The haze and confusion slowly receded as they made their way down a long, dark hallway – Laka in front, pulling Gray along by his bicep, and Siedge following behind. By the time they arrived at their destination, Gray’s head felt clearer and he was strong enough to walk without stumbling.

“Get him set up,” Siedge said, pointing to a chair in the center of the room. Magic bonding runes glowed around the arms and legs and Gray’s heart jumped as Laka shoved him toward it. He pulled weakly away from them, but the little strength that had returned to him wasn’t enough to break their grip on his arm.

“Why?” he asked as Laka shoved him down into the chair. “This is stupid. You can’t just take someone else’s magic.”

“Actually,” Siedge said, moving away from the chair and picking up a book from the desk along one wall, “I can.” The cover of the book shimmered faintly, and it took Gray a minute to realize that it was patterned exactly like the devil slayer marks. The faint hum of fear that had been coursing through him since he woke up solidified and he tugged harder against the restraints.

“Where did you get that?” he demanded, swallowing against the nausea that was starting to rise in his throat. The pattern on the book shifted in a sharp, uncomfortable way that made Gray’s vision blur. It was wrong – deeply, horribly wrong – and he couldn’t breathe.

“Irrelevant,” Siedge said, flipping the book open. A sharp flash of pain spiked through Gray’s temples and he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. The ache quickly spread, racing down his nerves until the marks on his arms felt like they were on fire. It hurt worse than any burn Natsu had accidentally given him – the searing pain was bone-deep, eating him up from the inside, clawing its way out of him and taking the magic with it.

“S-stop,” he managed, shuddering and trying desperately to slip his wrists free of the bindings. He couldn’t feel his hands. Someone was talking, and then something touched Gray’s forehead, and he was sure he was going to die, and then—

—then the pain stopped abruptly as something exploded.

Gray gasped as the devil-slaying magic returned to him, searing across his skin and slamming into his chest so hard that he could barely breathe. Siedge stumbled forward, cursing and dropping the book face-down on the stone floor.

“Gray!” Freed’s voice quickly followed the explosion, and Gray looked up to see them standing in the ruins of the wall with runes sketched in the air around them. Their right eye glowed purple, swirling with magic that made Gray’s markings pulse and ache.

“Freed, don’t—”

“I thought you said your barriers were impenetrable!” Siedge growled, whirling around to look at Laka. They were staring at Freed, who glared right back, rapier moving quickly in front of them to create more runes in the air.

“They should be,” Laka said, stepping forward and waving their hand in an attempt to dismiss Freed’s magic. Nothing happened, and before Laka could write any more runes, a burst of lighting sparked through the air and singed off a lock of their hair.

“What the—”

A flash of gold was the only thing Gray saw before Laka shouted in pain and started flailing, trying desperately to remove an angry Laxus, who was clinging to their arm and had his teeth sunk into their neck. Siedge moved to help Laka but was quickly stopped by a burst of fire that raced across the ground and hit him in the shins.

“Natsu,” Gray gasped as the tiny red dragon appeared between Freed’s legs, snarling at Siedge before darting across the floor. He scrambled up onto Gray’s lap and immediately started chittering as he pawed at the magic restraints. “Get out of here,” Gray hissed, tugging at the bonds again. “You’re gonna get hurt.” Natsu growled in disagreement and bit at the magic, hissing when it started to spark.

The ache from earlier still tingled under Gray’s skin, but it was quickly being overwhelmed by a protective fear for the dragons. He could see the other two out of the corner of his eye – a dart of black and a flash of white that came at Siedge from both sides.

“He’s too strong,” Gray said, trying to shift his legs so Natsu would jump down. Natsu glowered at him and clung to him stubbornly, digging in his claws. “Please, I can’t watch any of you get hurt again.”

A cry of pain filled the room as Laka fell to their knees, bleeding heavily from their neck. Laxus scrambled backward, spreading his wings and growling at them as electricity crackled around him. Siedge moved toward him but was blocked by a blast of magic that swirled together in black and white, hitting him in the chest hard enough to knock him onto his back. As soon as he hit the ground, Freed was standing over him, rapier pointed at his throat.

“Don’t,” Freed said as the tip of the sword moved quickly, creating a rune that hung over Siedge’s chest. He snarled at Freed, struggling against the magic that appeared to have paralyzed him. Sting and Rogue, who had been sitting near the door, scampered over to Siedge and growled at him, both of them humming with magic power.

“Are you all right?” Freed asked, glancing over at Gray as Sting clambered onto Siedge’s chest and bared his teeth. Laxus growled at Laka, who was still holding their wounded neck and glaring at Freed.

“Fine,” Gray said, exhaling in relief. “Just...” He nodded down at the bonds around his wrists that Natsu was still attempting to chew through. Freed made a quick gesture and the bindings dissolved, immediately lifting the pressure on Gray’s wrists and ankles. Another flick of Freed’s wrist dismissed the rune on Gray’s chest, and he exhaled in relief as the familiar cool sensation of his ice magic tingled across his skin.

“Thanks.” Natsu made a soft chirping sound and scrambled up onto Gray’s shoulder, rubbing his face against Gray’s cheek and purring happily. “I’m okay,” Gray murmured, kissing the top of Natsu’s head and pushing himself unsteadily to his feet. Frost covered up the devil slayer marks that quickly started to spread across his body, reacting to the heady demonic magic that emanated from Freed.

“You have to stop.” He squeezed his hands into fists as the magic tried to pull him forward, whispering, destroy it, destroy them, destroy the demon. “I can’t control it,” he gasped, trying to step away. Natsu made a concerned sound and nipped at his ear, and Gray tried to focus on that instead of the angry insistence of his magic.

Then Freed’s magic shifted, and their eye returned to its natural blue. The tense pulse of the magic in Gray’s arms quickly disappeared, and he fell to his knees, suddenly exhausted.

“Don’t even think about it,” Freed said, turning their gaze to Laka, who had lifted their hand into the air. Laxus snarled at them and darted forward, teeth bared and ready to pounce. Freed gave Laka one more disdainful look, then drew a quick rune and flicked it toward them. They fell unconscious almost instantly, slumping backward onto the floor. Siedge followed quickly afterward. Sting, who was still sitting on his chest, growled at him once last time, then looked over at Gray.

“C’mere,” Gray said, holding out his arms. Sting immediately darted over, followed closely by Rogue, and they stood on their hind legs, pressing their paws against his chest. Their distressed sounds quickly turned to affectionate purrs as Gray petted them. “I’m okay,” he reassured them, feeling the warm, familiar sense of calm flood through him at their presence. “It’s okay.”

Sting whined and wriggled up onto Gray’s other shoulder, anxiously nuzzling his hair, while Rogue clambered into Gray’s arms and continued purring so hard he was nearly vibrating. Gray sighed in relief, holding the three of them close.

“Thank you,” he said again to Freed, who was holding a smug-looking Laxus, still crackling with electricity. “He was—they were after the magic. Again.” Gray gestured to the book, which was still face-down on the ground where Siedge had dropped it. Looking at the marks on it made Gray feel nauseous again and he quickly looked away.

“I’ll take that,” Freed said. They leaned down and grabbed the book, studying it for a moment before sliding it into their jacket. “I’ll call the Council,” they said, pulling the lacrima out of their pocket. “It’s time to put these two away where they belong.”

[msbowser]

My Top Games of the Last Decade

The year 2020 is here, ushering in a new decade to live in. Instead of looking at the bad events that occurred over the years, I instead want to look at my favorite games over the last 10 years. It’s crazy that back in 2010, I was only in my second half of the fifth grade. Oh how young and naïve I was and an even worse gamer. Now in 2020, I am in the second semester of my second year of university, studying in the psychology field. I feel how I was raised over the last years shaped of how I am as a person and I am still learning, no one is perfect. Those developments shaped even the gamer I am now. Back when I was younger, I just liked games that were fun to play. But now I am a person who puts Character Development and Story before Gameplay. You will see this shift as the years go by.

Well let’s start with 2010. And I will try to limit how much I write each game to about a paragraph each. Don’t want to make this post too long. I can give a more detailed explanation at a future date if someone is interested. 

PS. All the games are Nintendo Games. I’m only a Nintendo gamer so sorry if you don’t see like Persona 5 or Last of Us.

2010: Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Gosh this game is too freaking cute for words. I remember the stories about how much I wanted this game when I was younger, even the embarrassing ones. While this game is easy even for Kirby standards, this game is so fun to play. The levels are enjoyable to play, you can get lost hours doing minigames and playing music (Frosty Wheel is still the best), and is just cute. This game is cute incarnate. And if you don't want to play the original version, you can play a port of it on the 3DS with even more goodies on it.

2011: Pokémon Black and White

My favorite Pokémon games and generation even if I started with Pearl. Gen 5 of Pokémon is super special to me as I know it is for many others, being the first game I bought the day of release. I was also pretty blind in my playthrough, finding new discoveries as they came along and finding new Pokémon that I might have not liked at first but became my favorites. Pokémon like the Krookodile line, Emolga, the Leavanny line and so much more. The game also first brought to my attention to how characters can be written well and still is my favorite story in a mainline Pokémon game. 

2012: Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure

So I’m kinda cheating with this one since I didn’t play it until 2013 but damn it, I don’t care! This game is awesome. I am super terrible with rhythm games but this game is one that is very enjoyable with an excellent story and characters. Phantom R is such a cool guy that you just want to hang out with and go dancing with and not the fact he’s a gentleman. The rhythm minigames are mostly enjoyable and have a wide variety to play so you can't bored very easily (the gyroscope one can go die in a fire though). All I want to know is where is the damn sequel already Sega?! It’s been 8 freaking years with that teaser you showed at the ending of the game and no I don't count that bad IOS game you made a year later. We fans need our fix and answers now. 

2013: Mario and Luigi Dream Team

Bowser’s Inside Story will always be my favorite Mario and Luigi game but this game comes to a close second. As part of Year of Luigi, this game did not disappoint. Luigi is front and center and he is the best of the part of game, with his dream abilities and overall character. The story is also very good with the adventures the bro’s have on Pi’illo Island and the soundtrack of the game is my video game soundtrack of all time. There is also the fact that giant battles return and if anyone knows me, knows I love me those giants <3

I also have two honorable mentions for 2013 that I will give a brief note while I like them

Fire Emblem Awakening 

First Fire Emblem game, got me in the series. Characters are great and story left me generally shocked at points. Make a yearly tradition to one playthrough each year

Super Mario 3D World

Favorite Mario platformer, Peach being playable and being a cat. Yes please

2014: Kirby Triple Deluxe 

I freaking love Kirby games :D Triple Deluxe was the first Kirby game on the 3DS, using an engine that looks beautiful on the 3DS that was used for the next game they did. The game is super colorful with its vibrate worlds and use of pastel colors. The new abilities is super fun to play with as well, Archer being my favorite. Supernova is also a neat gimmick for the game and glad it was present in many of the levels and used in new ways to solve puzzles. 

2015: Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle

Surprise! I said favorite games of the decade and mobile games count. This game means so much to me, being the one of the mobile games I keep track of everyday, even looking at what the JP version gets. I am proud of my account and how far it has come over these past years. Though I was not there right when it released, it has felt like that long as I have had my account for over 4 years now and don’t plan to quit now. One day I will have my full husband team, just you watch <3

2016: Dragon Ball Fusions

This game was my answer to a playable Dragon Ball RPG to play on Nintendo consoles (before Xenoverse 2 got ported over on the Switch). The chibi artstyle gave this game its own identify from other games like it. The gameplay was fun as you can make your own character and fly all across the world fighting characters from the Dragon Ball timeline. The game is all about the fusion mechanic, but with an expanded roster of characters to fuse and the ability to fuse your favorites is a blast. 

Brief Honorable Mention to Pokémon Sun and Moon for a fun region to explore, new pokemon to love and pretty good story.

(Lillie is so precious for this world I swear. And Snowy as well :D))

2017: Miitopia

A lot of people would write off this game as a simple Mii game, but it is so much more than that. This game has much more personality than one might think, with its class system, characters even when you chose who is what role and the story as well. The story and characters allows many possibilities of ideas for stories and art for creators to make and enjoy, as this game and Tomodachi Life was used as a template for a rp that me and my bf do. And this game can get hard, like wanting to rage quit hard, so be prepared for grinding. The OST is also a charm of the game, being one of my favorite OSTs ever. 

Like with 2013, I have two honorable mentions that I will give a short comment on.

Splatoon 2

Love it more than the original, Aerospray is still the master race and Off The Hook is better than Squid Sisters, don’ t @ me XD

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 

Amazing story, characters and unique experience from other games I have played. Berkut x Rinea OTP

2018: Dragon Ball FighterZ

As much as I like the Super Smash Bros games, I was more excited for this game to come out. I was glad it did come to Switch so I can play it. FighterZ was my first proper fighting game with button inputs and it threw me for a loop, but eventually I got the hang of it and is still learning. The story is a fun experience if you don’t think too much about it, me loving Android 21. And of course I main my husband that is in the gif above <3

2019: Pokémon Sword/Shield and Super Dragon Ball Heroes World Mission (That’s right, a tie)

I was excited for SwSh since day 1 and was not disappointed even with the dex cuts. The Wild Area has been a blast exploring, finding all the new raid Pokémon to catch and train. The new Pokémon are super fun to use, some of my favorites being Ponyta, Scorebunny and Dreepy. My baby Eevee also got a GMax form and she is super freaking fluffy, big and I want to hug her <3 I’m excited for the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLC when they come out.

This game was huge to us USA fans of the series as this was the first time we ever got anything DB Heroes related here. The cards were fun to make teams with and make even custom cards. It was a full experience without to play the irl game, which would still be fun. Though the game is slow to add updates, I will be waiting for what will be coming. I am glad the game came out so we can finally enjoy all of what the game has to offer. (Though I played the previous game in the series being Ultimate Mission X through Citra, so I got a headstart XD)

This is it for this post. Even though I am late at posting it, better late than never. If anyone is interested, I’m glad to give more detailed descriptions. I realize I have to do better at explain my opinions in a more detailed matter.

Thank you so much for reading :D

[bloody-delicious]

Hello! Can I ask for a matchup pls? I’m a female, a Pisces. And I love drawing/designing, traveling, and music. I have short black hair with green highlights. I tend to hide my sadness/anxious feelings, I love my family and pets, and I’m a slow-to-warm-up person. I’m also super quiet towards ppl I don’t like/know, but once you get to know me, I will give you my full trust and love. But if u betrayed me, I will pretend you don’t even exist. I also have anxiety. And I’m also kinda curvy/busty.

i match you with bubba sawyer!

•traveling is a beautiful form of escapism. it gifts to us that wonderful breath of freedom, that thrill that races through our veins and beats with our hearts, that richness of the mind that expands our understandings and broadens our horizons. god gave man legs and wheels and wings to explore and embrace the lush earth from which he was created. but there are parts of this world that reject the beauty of the life that surrounds it. there are lands that fester, that spoil, decay, and cannibalize themselves, supporating and thriving in their own wickedness. the hell that we were told of lie not beneath us, but right alongside us. the hell recounted by many is not loud, it is not bold; it sinks into the soil and grows like a deadly fungus, like an intruding weed. it is not death, no, it lives with us, it breathes and matures with us. hell is anywhere one finds it to be. for the inhabitants of La Frontera, hell is the sawyer house. inside, creeps the devil, a crooked smile with crooked teeth and crooked words, his body and his mind as sickly as his business. and the devil is followed by his two bastard sons, hounds of hell that crawl out of the purple shadows of the texan heat and slink into the coolness of the night with bloody fingers and quiet, mad eyes. the house beats with their sin and walks with their red feet and hums with the beat of the leatherface's saw. yes, hell can be found in that old farmhouse on the hill. children dont wander near, they watch from the weeds and scamper off when the sound of the butcher can be heard. no man dares pass by, they take the long way around, they steal a glance at the road to death as they pass by. no birds sing in the trees, no flowers grow. mother nature would not have her children so close to such a lifeless land. but the shepherds lambs will always stray eventually. and the house must eat.

• maybe you ran when the others were too slow. maybe you betrayed another for yourself. maybe you hid under a warm, bloody body. maybe you rose when they fell. maybe you simply found yourself in gods favor. it doesnt matter. those you loved are dead, and you are alive. those you loved are served in front of you, steaming, bubbling, tender, pink, rich. and you must eat the fruit if you wish to live. you are reborn into a godless world, and you will suffer and feel and breathe and survive as sinners do. you will feel the weight of the chains on your body, your skin will shiver and sweat in the palpable darkness and burning heat of the basement, your eyes will see shadows and glints of light and crude sketches of reality. you will hear those who were not as lucky as you. you will hear them plead for your aid, as if you were an angel, sent to relieve them of this pain. you will hear the squelch of flesh as it is hung, the screams that erupt, uncurling from their throats in a display of the horror their bodies have been subjected to. you will feel their tears drop onto your sleeping body when the night comes. you will hear their last breath. you will know that a mortal man cannot claw his way out of the depths of hell.

• persephone lived for the rest of her days in a limbo of love and despair. you saw your loved ones in dreams. you wanted to go with. you wanted to know what it felt like to be happy again. you woke every night and morning with tears so heavy they cut into the flesh. you are beloved by the devil, by the mocking mask of twisted skin, the blood on his hands when he reaches out to just touch, just touch that skin of yours, by his wide eyes peering from the shadows. perhaps love cannot grow in hell, but it can be imitated. it can soothe eternal damnnation, it can hide from sight the wounds of a trauma that can never heal. a curious game you play with him, a tragic play you take part in. to pass the endless time. to distract the mind. to bring hope to the soul. does it matter? he sits beside you in the lowest circle of hell, and it is nice to have company when your very being is ripped so violently apart into nothingness. both of your hands are rough and bloody and bruised. they sometimes hold onto eachother when the night is long, when the flames burn higher, when the pain cuts deeper. he shows to you his life. you have nothing left to show. he brings you gifts of severed flesh and rotting animals. he doesnt know how to comfort you. he instead sits with you in silence. he doesnt know if it is enough. it is all he can do. the dead cannot give to the living anything of beauty, for it can only be found in the old world. but for the two of you, the old world no longer exists, neither of you can reach it with your hands, painted red, stretching towards the sky so desperately. both of you have stopped trying. you cling to what little life is left in each other, you feed on eachothers flesh to stay alive one more day, you scream inside your heads and no longer bother to wipe away the tears that fall down your faces. it is a cruel existence, but it is not without hope. it is not without that urge within you to live, to survive, to rise from the ash. you cannot converse fluently with him, but there is no need. you are now the same disease, the same creatures that rose from satans seed.

• things can get better if you wish. if you learn to love him, he will stay until you both return to the same sadistic earth you came from. both of your lives will never be without pain, but they have a chance to also be with warmth. maybe there is a future to be born in the dimness of that basement. maybe it will seep through the cracks in the walls and throb and beat throughout the house to the rhythm of a decaying heart. maybe it will one day wake in the light of day and feel the sweltering heat and hear the soft breaths beside you and once again reach for that hand that you held onto in the darkness and blood. maybe heaven will cast its light down to the pits of hell one day, even if for just a mere moment. the devils will continue to dance and slaughter and feast, but there is a happiness to be found in this depravity. you may be loved by a man who knows not of warmth and kindness, but of blood and cold, cold metal, but his heart still beats for you. many lives have been lost at his hands, his skin is forever dyed red. but they are gentle with your skin, with your hand when he grasps it, with your hair as you feel yourself being lulled softly into the hazey lavender summer night.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Outlander: Man of Worth (4x13)

I see that this finale has been kind of polarizing in the fandom, and honestly I don't really see why. If you haven't liked the season thus far, this finale isn't going to fix things. But if you have liked it, then this finale is exactly what it should be to wrap up all of these various story beats. For the most part, I did like this season. That's not to say I don't have my complaints, though... this episode was a bit of a mixed bag, in the same way that a lot of the season was.

Cons:

I will admit that this season has felt the most unbalanced out of the seasons of Outlander we've had thus far. The later books in the series are my favorite - I love spending time at Fraser's Ridge and being around as the Revolution starts to heat up. But the further along in the series you get, the more sprawling these novels become. They're not structured like most novels are. They're very meandering and rich with incident, and it makes for a real challenge in adaptation. I definitely felt that challenge here. The whole season does feel a bit meander-y. They hit all the important plot moments they need to hit, but there's less room for some of this stuff to breathe. Claire herself has a reduced role in this season, and that's a consequence of so much going on. In the books, though, the story just expands to encapsulate everyone and nobody feels diminished. That's not entirely possible in a TV show, though.

Some smaller notes: this season still didn't grapple enough with the issues of race that it presented. We see that Brianna and Phaedra have formed a friendship at River Run, but we don't see Brianna confront the fact that her friend is a slave in any meaningful way. Also, the romance between Murtagh and Jocasta relegates Ulysses to a complete background figure in this episode, which is another significant bummer. Also, as an added consequence of elevating Bree and Phaedra's moments, Lizzie becomes almost completely useless as a character. I feel like for people who haven't read the books, Lizzie is just a non-entity. She's there to muck up the truth for dramatic irony, but she doesn't have a purpose in the show beyond that.

Murtagh and Jocasta. Oy. Let me say this: I don't object to it on principle, but do you know what I would have liked better? Keep the scene where they fight just as it is, and they we cut to Murtagh and Jocasta waking up in bed together, or one of them wakes up and realizes what happened the night before, and has a bit of a "what have I done?" moment? Then, in that final moment, instead of an expression of tender love between them, we get this awkward sort of interplay where neither of them regrets what happened, exactly, but they're not foolish enough to think anything more will come of it, so there just trying to be considerate of each other's feelings. Basically, what I'm getting at is this: I'm cool with Jocasta and Murtagh having sex. I actually think that's pretty hilarious and fun. But suddenly being in love? Nah. I'm not about that. I literally laughed out loud when it panned over Murtagh lounging shirtless in the bed. Pretty sure that wasn't the intended reaction.

I don't blame Roger for punching Jamie, but I did think it was odd how long the scenes of violence went on. There's a lot to cram in to this hour of television, so it felt strange to have these prolonged scenes of Roger beating up Jamie, and Ian going through the gauntlet with the Mohawk. Surely we could have gotten the point with less time spent on showing the violence.

(Also, as a final note, I missed Lord John this week. A lot.)

Pros:

I actually really liked all of the stuff with the Mohawk, from learning the full story of Otter Tooth, to Jamie agreeing to stay with the Mohawk, to Ian stepping in. I thought it was well-paced, well-acted, dramatic, heartbreaking, all of that good stuff. Obviously the real stand-out moment is when Jamie and Ian are saying goodbye to each other. It was heart-wrenching, and the performances made me feel more connected to Ian than I have so far in this show. I also absolutely loved Ian's reaction when he learned he would be made part of the Mohawk. He was so elated, and his big goofy grin just told you that everything would be alright. This was meant to happen for him.

Otter Tooth traveled back in time for much the same reason that Geillis did, to try and save his people. There's an inherent heartbreak to his story, of course, but I like that the Mohawk, or at least some of them, understand that his presence could be regarded as a gift, not a curse. There's a lot of tragedy and complexity to this story, and I felt like the show did a pretty good job with it, despite some of the problems they've had throughout the season with portraying the native characters.

So, when Roger learns the full truth about what happened with Brianna, that she's having a child that might be his and might be Stephen Bonnet's, he hesitates. He doesn't come back to River Run right away, leading Bree to think she's lost him forever. I don't think Roger's hesitation on this account is excusable, necessarily, but I think it makes him a realistically flawed human. We know that Frank Randall loved Brianna as his own daughter, despite knowing the truth about her parentage, we know that Jamie has raised more than one foster child who wasn't his by blood. This story has a lot of complex child/parent relationship stuff baked into it, and here we see that Roger is conflicted, but he comes back to Brianna and makes the right choice - he wants to go meet his son.

The Brianna/Roger reunion was super cheesy, super overblown, and exactly the kind of over-the-top romance that Outlander should include. I'm not going to complain about the cheesiness level. Please. We all knew what we were getting into. I think it's adorable, and I'm glad Bree gets to have her happy ending with Roger. For the moment. And I'm glad Roger has found a way to reconcile all of the torment that he's been through, and come out the other side still devoted to his family. I've noticed people being pretty harsh on Roger as a character, but I personally think it makes sense to show a character handling adversity poorly. Not everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and succeed against all odds. Roger is in over his head for the entire season, and I'm willing to see past a few stumbles.

Once again, I find myself pleasantly surprised by how well Murtagh has continued to fit in to the story. Sure, his romance with Jocasta is a bit much, but the fact that Governor Tryon has come to collect on Jamie's loyalty, and that Murtagh is caught in the middle - I think that's an excellent change from the source material. It's a shortcut that gives personal stakes to Jamie's decision about where his loyalties should lie going forward. Fraser's Ridge has become a haven for Jamie and Claire, but they bought that haven with a promise of fealty to King George III, and the bill has come due. This makes for an exciting jumping-off point for the next installment of the story, and I'm so bummed we have to wait for it!

That's all I've got. I had a lot to say, both good and bad, about this episode, but ultimately I still enjoyed watching it, just like I enjoyed watching the whole season. Now if we could just have a whole show about Lord John Grey please and thanks...

7.5/10

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Sees An Old Enemy Return in Episodes 141-147!

With another week comes another batch of episodes in THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH. I'm David Lynn and I'm here to guide you through the rougher waters as we truly begin our deep dive into the seas of filler in the back half of original Naruto.

  This time around we're finishing off our journey through the Land of Rice Paddies to see how Naruto and Sakura help out the desparate Fuuma clan. Right after that we transition into a full arc, including a return of the show's very first villain, Mizuki! Orochimaru is always up to no good, but did his antics entertain this time around? Let's find out!

The end of the Land of the Rice Paddies arc comes with a number of twists and turns. Did that story do anything for you as it wrapped up here? Joseph: This ended up being an decent little side story. I enjoyed seeing more moments where Sakura finds the need to shine, and this combined with later episodes in this set start to flesh out her abilities and potential a bit more. With that said, I find myself already forgetting about the conclusion of this saga and its beefed-up villain thanks to the one that immediately followed and also ended with a beefed-up villain! Kevin: The final fight was much more captivating that I thought it was going to be. Instead of just a monster of the week fight it showed off some of the great choreography that the franchise is known for, and the final scene with the Fuma siblings made basically no logical sense, but was beautifully shot. Paul: Overall, I thought the Land of Rice Paddies arc was more competent than the Land of Tea arc as far as filler story-lines go, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me aside from a few body horror moments. My biggest issue is that the writers didn't leave Naruto and company any decent clues to follow, so even though tracking down and rescuing Sasuke is still a driving goal, it feels like they're just spinning their wheels. Danni: Not really. Nothing in this arc was at all very compelling. We never learned much of anything about the Fuma clan, it was still all up to Naruto to save the day, and the final villain was incredibly underwhelming. There was potential in having the final battle be against the fused corpses of Arashi and his captives, but it was all undercut by giving him a cartoonishly evil personality for no reason. Hopefully Sakura’s training under Tsunade will pay off in future arcs. Noelle: It wasn’t bad, but it still doesn’t stand up to the canonical content. In terms of filler though, it’s pretty okay. I liked that they tried to pad some of the routes that Kishimoto ignores, such as Sakura’s further development. If a filler tries to add stuff, I can’t complain too much. Jared: It was acceptable. Not great, but not bad. We get Sakura something to do finally which will hopefully be good and it at least adds to Orochimaru being a jerk, but at the same time, is the Fuma clan going to be remembered at all? Probably not, but that’s to be expected. Carolyn: I’m also of the camp that this arc was pretty boring and not very compelling. I am also hoping for Sakura to get a truly meaningful arc but everything she gets to do is just centered around Sasuke. Sakura deserves better!

  The interim between the two arcs this week came with some relatively peaceful times, showing us what the characters do when there isn’t a crisis to solve or tournament to compete in. That part of episode 142 is also adapting the final chapter of the manga before it transitioned into the “Shippuden” storyline. Did you like that small break, and would you like the show to expand upon that part of their lives more often? Joseph: More valleys of calm would certainly be welcome in Naruto. At one point Tsunade said she feels like everything was just starting to cool down right when another situation popped up, essentially describing the pacing of a long-running series to the audience. I’d like to see more if only to connect to some of the side characters and see what Choji’s eating at any given moment. Kevin: Honestly, I would’ve been completely fine taking several episodes just to expand on what the characters do on a regular basis. If we’re going to have entire seasons of filler, then why not have a Lee episode, an Ino episode and so on, just showcasing what their normal day is like? Paul: While I enjoy getting a broader view of what daily life is like both inside and outside the Ninja Villages, the manner in which this material is presented can be a bit confusing. For example, although I knew that ninja society has police forces (such as the Anbu Black Ops), I'd never really thought about there being a ninja maximum security prison, and now I'm wondering about how different Villages deal with crime, punishment, and rehabilitation. Danni: My favorite part of shonen anime is whenever we get to see how these crazy powerful fighters function in their daily lives. Dragon Ball Super and Diamond is Unbreakable are two of my favorite examples of this. So, yeah, I appreciated it, and if I had it my way we’d get a full arc dedicated to Guy and Kakashi furniture shopping at IKEA. Noelle: I’m all for characters in their daily lives. While I certainly live for the plot, knowing that these characters have things to do in the day to day that doesn’t solely revolve around magical combat fleshes them out. It’s a lot more relatable connecting to characters that have mundane stuff to do too. Jared: I love when we get breaks like this and the show turns into a slice of life for a tiny bit. Especially since there will be all of this filler to go through, why not do more episodes like that. Although, I’m bummed we didn’t get to see Gaara attempting to teach the youngins at the school as that would have probably been good. Carolyn: I guess it didn’t feel like much of a valley to me. I felt like they were stretching out the few fights and confrontations they did have over multiple episodes when we probably could have wrapped them up much faster.

  Other filler arcs have had loose connections to the main story, but this one brings back the original villain from episode 1, Mizuki. On top of that, he gets a ton of development and backstory alongside Iruka. Do you find Mizuki or Iruka more interesting after watching this? Joseph: It was cool to see a character come back from the beginning, even if he was yet another who has been manipulated completely by Orochimaru and the promise of power. I appreciate the connections to the main story, but if we’re going to be venturing into non-stop filler I also kind of hope we run into some villains with their own unique motivations. With that said, I dug learning more about Iruka, one of the series’ great characters who isn’t on screen enough. Kevin: I liked most of Iruka’s development, since we get to see him work alongside Naruto and thus see just how far Naruto has come. Mizuki is much more developed now, but I didn’t particularly care for his development. I’m okay with bringing back the first villain of the show, but why not just make it a revenge quest or something of the like? They wasn’t any particular need to bring Orochimaru into the mix, outside of forcing a connection to Naruto trying to find Sasuke. Paul: All I can say is that Mizuki is a complete jabroni. In pro-wrestling terms, he doesn't even merit “jobber” status. It's also hard to take Mizuki seriously when his back story-paints his as a complete psychopath who murders his comrades when they become a minor inconvenience, but he receives a stiffer penalty for stealing a forbidden scroll. Also, his ultimate technique is wearing a karate gi with the sleeves torn off and using an experimental drug to express his tiger fursona. Danni: Can I say neither? Iruka didn’t do much, and we didn’t learn anything new about him. Mizuki, though...Someone at Pierrot really loves Mizuki. All of a sudden he’s super ripped and powerful and has a cool dude jean jacket with the sleeves torn off. I appreciate them trying to flesh out a backstory for a throwaway character, but I don’t think it could’ve gone much more poorly. Noelle: I think I appreciated more the attempt than the final product. Considering how large the cast is and how many throwaway characters there are, utilizing existing characters instead of creating some from scratch gives the writers more to work with. I don’t think it necessarily worked here, but it wasn’t a bad choice. Jared: I don’t think it really benefited either of them to be honest. Mizuki’s backstory just made him seem like a joke and yet we’re supposed to take him seriously as this big threat to everyone. I totally get why you’d bring in a minor character like this to utilize in the filler, but it didn’t really do much for me. Carolyn: I’m kind of over the whole villain was manipulated and isn’t that bad thing. We can have real villains. It’s OK.

  Connected to the previous question, would you rather there be more attempts at filler using characters we know, or do you prefer the ones that introduce us to whole new lands and people? Joseph: Balance is important. I like having characters we know branching out to other areas and taking the time to introduce more ways of ninja life in the land. On the spectrum of filler we’ve been presented with so far, though, I much prefer what’s been handed to us in these eps than the dull Land of Tea race arc. For a specific example: There was one moment in which Tsunade’s people casually enter her office to tell her they’ve captured all the inmates but three. I would have liked to have seen some of that go down! Kevin: Both options serve different purposes, so ideally I would want both. Maybe a filler arc where a different squad of people we already know about goes to a new land, but with Naruto or Sakura included so that we still have a connection to the main cast? That way we would get more worldbuilding while also learning more about minor characters through more in-depth interactions. Paul: It all depends on how the characters are written. Fujin and Raijin are completely new characters here, but for me they stole the show, because they're basically One Piece characters transplanted into the Naruto universe. As long as the filler arcs focus on characters who are interesting or unique in some way, and as long as the stories are decently well-written, I don't think it matters whether the characters are new or not. Danni: Like others have said, you need a good mix. It’s cool when they take inconsequential characters and try to give them some real material, but if you stick too close to the main story you run the risk of contradicting something the original creator had planned for later. Extended filler can really only take place as side stories, which is why people are so often disinterested in them. Noelle: Mildly addressed this in my previous answer, but I think both is the best mix. The only issue is, that if the writers make a character completely from scratch, they have to put the work into them too. Having a completely new face means that the audience needs to find some way to get attached to them, to want to see what happens to them. As far as that’s gone, it’s been a mixed bag, but anything can be pulled off with the right team and effort behind it. Jared: It’s best to have a mix since if you just keep going with established characters, you’re probably going to either run out of characters or just give them convoluted backstories. As long as you can make good and meaningful stories for either characters we know or ones we don’t, that’s the route they should take. Carolyn: I think a mix of both works. But don’t introduce us to new lands if they are going to disappear forever and not actually mean anything. Also, the closer we get to the end of the series the less I’m going to want to see new people. Don’t show me someone I won’t have time to get to know. When the series wraps up, go back to basics.

  Mizuki makes a surprising “evolution” of sorts here, thanks once again to Orochimaru’s blatant disregard for safety and ethics when it comes to scientific progress. If you were in charge, what would be the next wacky thing Orochimaru’s antics force Naruto and friends to contend against? Joseph: Mizuki’s evolution made me want them to dive even deeper into the mad scientists of the ninja landscape. Give me The Island of Dr. Ninpo or something. I’d be even happier if it didn’t feel the need to be directly connected to Orochimaru, though. It could even focus on a villainous rival of sorts. Kevin: Let’s see: a mad scientist who wants to generally find ways to gain more power while also mastering every Jutsu in existance and doesn’t care about the mortality rate of anything, so nothing boring like “make the Curse Mark not kill people.” I’d probably look into how to implant Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan and Haru’s Ice Mirrors without needing to reincarnate into a new body every three years. So in terms of something for Naruto and friends to face: a shinobi with significantly weaker variations of basically every Kekkei Genkai we’ve seen in the show thus far. Paul: I'd try to invoke some sort of moral dilemma where Orochimaru's twisted machinations accidentally result in something positive happening. i.e. Maybe Naruto and the gang come across a small village where Orochimaru experimented on the inhabitants in an attempt to develop deadly new combat Jutsu, but his efforts failed in a way that inadvertently made the villagers happier and healthier. Orochimaru would have departed in disgust, but – unaware of his true character – the villagers presently idolize him as a hero and a savior. Naruto would have to decide whether or not to tell them the truth. I think that would be an interesting conflict. Danni: I already proposed an arc wherein Guy and Kakashi shop at IKEA together, so let’s say all their furniture had been destroyed before in Orochimaru’s attack and now they’re in the market for snake-proof end-tables. Guy does a cool roundhouse kick to Kakashi’s new table and breaks it, revealing a secret compartment full of food pills that rival the curse mark’s power. Turns out Orochimaru has been using furniture to smuggle these pills through villages. They don’t find Orochimaru in the end, but they do get a sweet new couch for their bachelor pad. Noelle: This is a mix, but I want to see just what makes Orochimaru such a draw to so many people. There has to be more than he’s offering to people than just power, and maybe the science experiments have to do something with that. So many people have joined his side, but what exactly is the pull here? What makes him so appealing? What is he promising people (beyond power, which gets dull after a while) that makes people so loyal? I want to see that. Jared: I’d probably go with something with lower stakes, but also goofy. Have some of Orochimaru’s goons sabotage some local event, maybe a festival or a sport of some sort. Naruto and the gang have to make things better, but at the same time, it’s not something that’s super dangerous or incredibly life threatening since we know that won’t affect any of the main characters. Carolyn: I do also like the idea of Orochimaru’s manipulations accidentally causing something good to happen. But then also maybe just someone who is a straight baddie? Like Orochimaru tries to offer them a deal and they’re like, “Nah, I’m just in it for the evil.”

  And as usual, what were your highs and lows? Joseph: My main high was Formation Ino-Shika-Cho! They seem like way more of a cohesive unit than Team 7. I love how their abilities complement one another and work together strategically. Also, it’s worth noting that episode 146 is artistically moody as hell. Low: Naruto stepping in to get his back stabbed in place of another happens twice in just these 7 episodes. I wish they would have skipped the first one to give the ultimate callback of the second one more weight. Kevin: High - Iruka and Naruto fighting alongside one another, showing that despite all of the powerful forces trying to kill Naruto and the people around him, he’s still quickly becoming strong enough to stand on his own. Low - Orochimaru being a part of Mizuki’s backstory. Bringing back an old enemy is perfectly fine, potentially even interesting since it’s a great way to measure how much Naruto has changed in the past 150 episodes. Making him a part of Orochimaru’s overarching narrative just doesn’t work for me at all. His entire original motivation was stealing a scroll and leaving the village. Sure, the new information doesn’t change that, but it overcomplicates it in a way that’s never going to be followed up on due to this being a filler arc. Paul: My high point was Kakashi summoning Pakkun into Iruka's hand. “May I offer you a tiny talking dog in this trying time?” Fujin and Raijin were a close runner up; I love those kinds of characters. My low point is how aimless overall the series has become in terms of pursuing the goal of finding Sasuke. I want to believe that Naruto really wants to rescue his friend, but it's hard to suspend my disbelief when he spends so much time goofing around on these low-level missions. Danni: The high point for me this week was easily the direction in episode 146. Seriously, I need the name of whoever storyboarded that episode. It was some of the best Naruto has ever looked. The low point for me is the fact we had two terribly written cartoonishly evil villains in a row. A good villain doesn’t have to maniacally laugh and yell about how evil they are! Just look at Orochimaru! Sure, he isn’t amazingly written, but he doesn’t have to prove to you how evil he totally is! He just walks up like “sup?” and you think “Oh geez this guy’s bad news, huh.” Noelle: High point, all that 146 has to offer artistically. It’s lovely to watch. Low point, looks like the fillers are shaping up to be ‘everything is Orochimaru’s fault’ and that’s not such a good sign.

    COUNTERS: Ramen: 2 bowls Hokage: 0 Clones: 46 + 1 uncountable scene

Total so far: Ramen: 47 bowls, 3 cups Hokage: 52 Clones: 503

  And that wraps up this week. It's more fun to be invovled, so you're always invited to join in on our rewatch journey by checking out Naruto today!

  CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH!

Episodes 134-140: The Climactic Clash

Episodes 127-133: Naruto vs Sasuke

Episodes 120-126: The Sand Siblings Return

Episodes 113-119: Operation Rescue Sasuke

Episodes 106-112: Sasuke Goes Rogue

Episodes 99-105: Trouble in the Land of Tea

Episodes 92-98: Clash of the Sannin

Episodes 85-91: A Life-Changing Decision

Episodes 78-84: The Fall of a Legend

Episodes 71-77: Sands of Sorrow

Episodes 64-70: Crashing the Chunin Exam

Episodes 57-63: Family Feud

Episodes 50-56: Rock Lee Rally

Episodes 43-49: The Gate

Episodes 36-42: Through the Woods

Episodes 29-35: Sakura Unleashed

Episodes 22-28: Chunin Exams Kickoff

Episodes 15-21: Leaving the Land of Waves

Episodes 8-14: Beginners' Battle

Episodes 1-7: I'm Gonna Be the Hokage!

  Here's our upcoming schedule: - On June 14th, PAUL CHAPMAN will continue on with our filler journey. - On June 21st, KEVIN MATYI will push onward into what the fillers have to offer. - On June 28th, JOSEPH LUSTER brings us to the Land of Birds!

  Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! See you next time! 

  Have any inquiries or thoughts on Episodes 141-147? Let us know in the comments!

---

David is always on Twitter @navycherub where he watches too much anime and plays too many mobile games.

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