#It will also be hilarious if he keeps winning adaptations but then is still in this weird purgatory hes currently in in the comics

[robocops-a-christ-allegory]

Still thinking about Suicide Squad Isekai Peacemaker sorry. Seriously wondering if this is gonna be the Peacemaker Show again where against all odds it ends up being a Peacemaker take that really clearly gets him. Its on my mind.

[piracytheorist]

Episode 36 reactions!

I don't think one single minute passed this episode without me bursting out in laughter XD

I will get what interesting details I can, though! And here we have soap opera male character who has a Betrothed in the West. Interesting! Why did they separate, and how did she end up in Westalis, or he in Ostania? Did she defect and is waiting for him to join her? I need the full context, Berlint in Love!

Looks like one of the things that make Becky rush to be a grown-up is how she can't wait to have romantic feelings and relationships. Gurl, you're six. Pick up a doll or a ball.

The way the next scene was shown (hilarious) it looks like it was Anya who first picked up the phone, and didn't even make a sound before Becky started off her rant. Picking up the phone as a kid is quite a responsibility!

The music suddenly went full humor shoujo there XD

I love how Martha is already onto Becky.

She's like "Yo maybe reel it in a little"

The way all three of them are in completely different wavelengths is hilarious. I guess Twilight, the honey-trap master, sees Becky as the girl she is and cannot imagine she'd ever have such passionate imaginings with him.

The hell, though. I've met my favourite actor from up close in a convention and that was pretty much my reaction while being close to him. I feel Becky but someone needs to tell her of this thing called parasocial relationship--

WHAAAAAT

I had my eyes glued to the screen for this. It's definitely not surprising that the Blackbells would hire such an experienced bodyguard for Becky, but it's very interesting how it was pointed out to us! I wonder what we'll get to see next with her! (reminder: anime only!)

Becky really thinks she lives in a shoujo story doesn't she XD

I mean, Anya thinks she lives in a Spy Wars story so it's not that surprising XD

I love how in the "new" family photo Wiesel is added in front of Bond!

This episode is full chaos and I love it.

Seriously, the way Anya's powers work for her character is amazing. Usually, we'd get to see those imaginings even if she didn't have telepathy. But since she can see them with us, she gets a fair place as - almost - an audience proxy. And I mean, yeah, why wouldn't Anya be excited at the idea of super tasty food all of the time (even when papa is super busy), not having to do chores, and having fun family outings all of the time?

Completely different wavelengths, I tell you. How does this show make me love misunderstandings XD

And then a fourth wavelength is added and it's just! You don't know where to begin!

Poor Bond was heartbroken that Becky didn't notice him! Poor boy!

I find it really funny that this episode happened now, just a little after we got heavy hints that Loid is falling hard for Yor, and Becky is still like "I will win his heart with my six-year-old charm!"

If you count Bond dealing with getting rejected, that's five different wavelengths in one single screencap. No-one knows what's going on, not even Anya the telepath or Twilight the master spy.

Those are not the family teacups! Interesting choice. Also Becky's face, yeah that's exactly how I was when approaching my favourite actor for my photo shoot with him. I was smiling from one ear to the other, though XD

Also, I remember getting sent manga screencaps with Loid in such a cardigan! And I guessed right that it would be a beige one! I mean, it's a pretty common colour for a grandpapa cardigan, but has he maybe worn this before?

I wonder how he'd react and adapt if he knew Becky is having a crush on him. Like, what would he do? He'd definitely avoid anything inappropriate for all the obvious reasons, but here he's trying to pull back because he thinks Becky is getting suspicious of him XD

Send this to a friend without context and ask them to guess what the actual fuck is going on here. This is Misunderstandings: the Right-Before-Holidays Special.

Pure Chaos and it just

keeps

going.

This is exactly what I signed up for when I watched the very first episodes and was like "please tell me the entire show is like this"

Poor Yor, though. Her very first instinct was to blame herself and think of herself as incompetent. I guess old habits die hard.

Simp alert.

YEAH DEFINITELY NOT SCREAMING AT THIS

Seriously, though! She remembers what he told her there (though, weren't they supposed to repeat the conversation the next day?) and I hope she remembers how vulnerable he made himself with her.

OH BOI I DON'T SHIP OFTEN BUT WHEN I SHIP. I SHIP.

LOID BROUGHT YOR'S COAT WITH! MY GOD!

I mean! This isn't supposed to be a twiyor-centric episode and yet!

BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T RICH AS A KID AND THEN YOUR CHILDHOOD WAS VIOLENTLY RIPPED AWAY FROM YOU 😭😭

If you thought I wouldn't grab even this opportunity to make this angsty, well, you were wrong

The highest prize in the hammer competition thingy is... a q-tip?

We stan. Everything for the ultimate q-tip.

Becky sees Loid's ._. face and she's like

The way he said that "Yoru-san" there, though! This was the cherry on top of this entire hilarious part!

It was weird to see there was an entire small part on Nightfall, considering we haven't seen her in the entire season. However.

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS. WHY IS HE WATCHING THEM LIKE THAT.

(again, anime only here)

And I'm like, whoa. That's a very suspicious guy thrown in the middle of a filler part (I was told this is anime original) and not shown again. Since the next episode is the last of the season, I assume we'll see him again in that one?

I remember that in episode 20, when Loid is in the hospital, we see a moment from afar with a moving shadow, like someone was watching them. I noticed it on a rewatch and up until now I thought that was Nightfall. But now?

Seriously, though, are they not noticing him??

What he doin

I love how Handler said she doesn't want to overwork her agents... I wonder if she says anything relevant in the manga but I dare not look into the chapter after the one with Becky XD I'm guessing she actually took to heart the reprimand from HQ to be more lax with her agents.

Nightfall shows an almost audacious level of self-confidence in front of her boss... and Handler doesn't deny it. She trusts her and actually thinks the same - that Nightfall is probably the only one capable of handling Twilight's missions.

Anyway, Nightfall is going all "Senpai will notice me" and I'm like

ADDITIONAL CRUISE FOOTAGE???? 👀👀👀👌👌

Another hopeless suitor, Nightfall goes like "Did you spot any flaws in that Briar woman yet or" having no idea he was looking at Yor like the yearning simp he is <3

Nightfall being all "Pick me. Choose me. Love me." and then Twilight is like "Wow she did all of that hard job while I was gone. Guess she deserves the leftover souvenirs."

Like. I'm crying laughing over this. He didn't even think about getting a souvenir for her, not even as a cover. Nightfall couldn't be more hopeless.

And then she gives him that look

And the little hope she didn't even have is thrown out the window.

I love how Twilight turns around in shock and goes like "Why is glaring at me like that?!" because you idiot you gave her "leftovers"

Like I know he thinks they're not supposed to actually connect as friends but still. For a master spy he's so dense XD

They do kinda make you feel bad for her, though. She is trying really hard, and it would be hypocritical to blame her social awkwardness when we're here shipping Mr. Emotional Constipation and Ms. Naivete Personified. She would have actually been sympathetic if she wasn't so aggressive towards Yor (and in her mind, Anya too).

Anyway. Very funny and unhinged episode but there's only ONE EPISODE LEFT. I'M NOT READY FOR THE HIATUS 😭😭

[noahideahwrites]

Headcanon — Bakugou with a alpha that has a quirk like Sukuna

Notes: I thought of this idea right before going to sleep, I'm happy I didn't forget it. I only watched three episodes of jjk, so I had to search Sukuna's powers and true form, so it might be a little off, also I adapted some parts.

Warnings: possible grammar errors

»» Alpha's quirk is named "Possession", they have two forms. One which looks more human-ish, with markings spread across their upper body, an extra pair of eyes under their "normal" ones. The second form, also called their "True Form", is bigger, more muscular, and visibly stronger, it adds an extra pair of arms, the right half of their face is covered by some sort of mask and their right eyes get more vertical than before.

»» Alpha also possesses an ability called "Cursed Energy", which he can manipulate. They also have other technics such as "Dismantle" and "Clave", but also a more powerful one which drains a lot of energy, "Malevolent Shrine" in which a separate domain is created and almost everything there is under the Alpha's control, except for the people dragged in.

»» Now, I do believe that to call Bakugou's attention enough for him to even pay attention to you, you have to stand out somehow. So with this quirk, you stand out, principally if you're in the hero course. »» So let's say that Alpha is in the hero course, more specifically 1A. They would be at least in the top 5 students, I do believe that Bakugou is not a moronsexual, so he will prefer a more smart alpha. might not be the smartest, but smart enough.

»» Bakugou is a tsundere, and he loves to fight, so I think he would try to get Alpha to spar with him almost all the time, as a way to bond with them. But would never tell anyone, and if Alpha asks, he says that it's to prove that he is the strongest and will become number one no matter what (if he keeps winning), or that it's for him to train and become better then you and anyone in any way (if he keeps loosing).

»» If Alpha wasn't already they would become an honorary member of Bakusquad, everyone in the group would like him to participate, be because they're the only one who can calm Bakugou, or they are really fun to be around and a great friend. Either way, they would get dragged into so many shenanigans, principally by Denki and Mina.

»» After the initial phases of the courting, Bakugou would probably show off his Alpha, saying they are strong and the best alpha, and of course the best Alpha chose him because he is the best.

»» Now, when they're adults and popular pro-heroes, I believe the fans would do a lot of speculations. Considering that Bakugou is very particular about his personal life. Like he would still show off his alpha in the sense that, if anyone asks he would have no trouble saying that he is mated and that his alpha is great, but he would never dive too deep into it or talk in detail.

»» But anyway, it's hilarious to see the fan's speculations, principally the ones with more sensual connotations. Some are far from the truth and others suspiciously close. Either way, neither Bakugou nor Alpha would address them, unless it's a harmful speculation, like throwing hate or bullying.

[rifulofthewest]

My take and analysis on why MTP anime adaptations is so bad

(I recently rewatched anime and wrote a whole list of reasons)

1. Intentionally left out details

At its core, MTP is a detective anime.

The details in a detective stories are very important. The writer left them there on purpose, they all lead to something

• Starting with the biggest change: only Albert kills a human being during the first burning of the estate (with his own hands; all the residents died from the fire they created)

Which, from the perspective of the progress of plot, cancels out all Albert's internal conflict.

All the time he worries that it's his fault that Will has become murder. That their joint murders are the only thing that keeps Will and Louis close to him, otherwise they would have long since forgotten about his existence.

This is the reason why Albert moves Jack to their estate, to give Louis more free time to participate in the murders and to convince himself that they will stay with him until the end BECAUSE all 3 of them are killers now.

None of this makes sense if Will only broke a chair for him and Albert was the only one who killed somebody that night.

This is also the reason why adult Albert is almost always absent from the anime. His character no longer makes sense.

2) Ignoring the political component (in political anime, hilarious)

There are many examples here, so I will mention just a few.

• The case of poisoning:

1. For some reason, Mr Burton is working in the aristocrat's garden instead of representing the interests of farmers

2. The whole rent storyline simply doesn't exist when it is Moriarty's main weapon to win good publicity from the townspeople

• the Kidnapping chapter, which was a direct continuation of Will's investigation into drugs at the university (the pregnant girl on opium who was thrown off a bridge)

3) Missing characters and missing backstories of characters who are present in the anime

Moneypenny

The Man with the Golden Army chapters (Sebastian's backstory)

3) The change in perspective was not replaced by anything

In the manga, we - readers - observe everything from the 1st person perspective: right from William's head.

We see his thoughts (sadness, empathy, planning), even if he cosplays a rock and shows no emotion

In anime, we observe from a 3rd person perspective: we act as a surveillance camera.

The characters either have to voice their thoughts in dialogue with others or do something to let us know what they are thinking

Which William does not do. His whole point is that he lies to everyone around him.

Therefore, the adaptation had to either make him more open with one of the characters (Albert was right there❗❗) or keep the first-person perspective and give the voice actor opportunity to voice over silent, emotionless William

In general, rewatching I got the impression that while the manga was actually focused on Moriarty's plan (albeit not to the desired level but still), the anime's goal was to adapt Sherliam only (even here they missed a couple of moments)

[thatcartoonnetworkblog]

Cartoon Network Friday Spotlight: "The Bear That Wasn't"

Frank Tashlin may not have been as innovative as a director as Tex Avery or Chuck Jones, or as consistently hilarious as Friz Freleng or Bob Clampett, but he had arguably the most impressive resume of the major Looney Tunes directors. Tashlin moved from studio to studio for more than 15 years, most notably holding a few stints at Warner, as well as brief runs of varying jobs with Ub Iwerks, Columbia's animation division, and even Disney, not to mention working on his own comic strip, as an early pioneer of stop-motion animation, and as a gag writer for a range of talents including the Marx Brothers. In the 50s, he started directing live-action films for comedic icons like Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis, with or without Dean Martin, as well as bombshell Jayne Mansfield.

Hugely impressive, right? Tashlin also wrote a few children's storybooks during all of this time, one of which would be adapted into a short subject during Jones' tenure at MGM*, this, which ended up being the studio's last short subject.

In this, a confused bear wakes up from hibernation in the middle of a busy building, where he's confused for a big, hairy man in a fur coat who needs to go back to work. The thing is, he's just a bear and wants to go back to his lifestyle, but no one will believe him. He goes through the chain of commands to state his case, but to no avail.

The original book was a criticism of the increasing corporate industrialization and the pressures in society of embracing popular opinion despite how it might conflict with the truth. The cartoon keeps these themes to varying extents but due to its short nature, some of it is missing, which Tashlin noticed and considered disappointing, even as Jones made the short as a tribute to his friend and in hopes of winning him an Oscar. That didn't prove to be, but it's still an enjoyable cartoon, one of Jones' last true classic animated works. Luckily, this is available on the first Looney Tunes Platinum Collection.

*confession- I don't recall or have immediate evidence of "The Bear That Wasn't" airing on CN or Boomerang, but as it's a part of the Turner library, I think it's worth adding here anyway.

[saffronapplemanga]

Anime/Manga Recommendation Round Up

Anime and manga recommendation thread of things I’ve been enjoying in recent years~ 

~I’ll link any dedicated posts I have to these~

~Links to my other manga posts here~

My personal favs/ones I super enjoyed will have a ✨ on them :)

(Some of these might not have official EN translations since any physical manga I read are JP copies. I guess if any sound interesting, ask publishers to license them!)

I won’t get too much into what they’re about because I think finding out is part of the fun. I’ll mostly list the genres and a little blurb. Some of these I feel like I rarely hear anyone talk about so it would be cool to see people try these :) 

 PLEASE LOOK UP ANY TRIGGER WARNINGS!

HORROR, SUPERNATURAL 

✨The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumoku Ren 

(4 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

Picked it up earlier this year up knowing nothing but was immediately gripped by the eerie mood. Takes place in the country side where mysterious things have been happening. My friend couldn’t stop reading when I recommended it.

ACTION, THRILLER, DRAMA, CRIME

✨Banana Fish by Yoshida Akimi

(19 volumes + side stories, completed)

It’s getting reprinted in English, so what are you waiting for!

Anime - yes and it’s so good…

The manga is from the 80’s-90’s but the anime updated it in 2018.

Without giving too much away, it takes place in NY where our characters are trying to break out of the vicious cycle of violence and figure out a mystery that’s also connected to a conspiracy. Lovable cast, keeps you on the edge of your seat. I’m obsessed.

DRAMA, ROMANCE, LGBTQ

Lovers’ Kiss by Yoshida Akimi

(2 volumes, completed)

JP only

A short story where high schoolers are just trying to figure life out. Yoshida-sensei has this way of writing human stories and melancholy/tragedy while still leaving a glimmer of hope.

HISTORICAL, SUPERNATURAL

✨Mushishi by Urushibara Yuki

(10 volumes, complete)

I think the physicals are out of print but you can read it on bookwalker. It deserves a reprint!!!

Anime - yes, it’s a whole vibe please watch it

I watched S1 ages ago but never got to the rest until recently. Recently picked up the manga and plan to read it eventually. Another top fav of all time. Amazing atmosphere. We see the daily life of mushi expert Ginko deal with mysterious phenomenon mushi cause.

COMEDY, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Yotsuba&! by Azuma Kiyohiko

(15 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

This series is super cute, wholesome, and hilarious! Yotsuba is honestly a delight, and following her daily life as she befriends her new neighbors is just a good time. Yet another fav of all time.

DRAMA, ART, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Blue Period by Yamaguchi Tsubasa

(15 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

Anime - yes, but… listen I’ve never said “don’t watch the anime” because everyone can enjoy stuff however they want but... don’t watch the anime… I’ve never been so offended by an adaption ;_;

After discovering something he’s passionate about for the first time, Yatora navigates the art world despite his fears and being a complete newcomer. This series made me cry so much, I love it… please

ROMANCE

In the Clear Moonlight Dusk by Yamamori Mika

(7 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

Blind-bought this a while ago. Yoi is dubbed “Prince” by her classmates for her cool demeanor, but she’s not the only one.

YOI IS MY GIRL!!!

ROMCOM, ACTION

MARRIAGETOXIN by Joumyaku and Yoda Mizuki

(3 volumes, ongoing)

Available for free on Shueisha’s mangaplus site

Assassin Gero needs to produce an heir so his sister can stay with her gf, but the social skills he needs to win a girl over need some help. This series is so funny and wholesome, all around a good time!

ACTION, ADVENTURE, FANTASY

✨Yona of the Dawn by Kusanagi Mizuho

(44 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

Anime - yes, but I haven’t seen it yet so idk

I’m not very far in this one yet, but I’m having a great time. Love the friendship, the found family vibes. Seeing Yona acknowledge that she is naive and then stepping up is awesome.

idk how I slept on this for so long since it seems like something right up my alley. Literally picked up a lot of all the 39 currently out volumes (it came with the light novel too), no questions asked. I’m only a few volumes in, but I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s giving me Ertugrul vibes (the historical Turkish drama). No, I won’t expand on that point, go watch Ertugrul!

I’m committed apparently...

ROMANCE

A Sign of Affection by Morishita Suu

(10 volumes, ongoing)

Available in English

Blind-buy. A cute romance between a deaf girl and a well-traveled guy.

FANTASY, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Ascendance of a Bookworm by Kazuki Miya and Shiina You

(3 seasons, ongoing)

Available in English - originally a light novel

Anime - yes, I’ve been watching this not reading it yet

Listen, isekai just don’t ever click with me, but this one does. There’s political drama and we get to learn about the culture and daily lives of people living in this world.

Our mc is reincarnated into a medieval fantasy world where access to books is limited, making it her personal hell. But don’t worry, she gonna do something about it! This series is so interesting and I love the character dynamics. Even if isekai aren’t your thing, try this!

DRAMA, HISTORICAL, POLITICAL

✨Requiem of the Rose King by Kanno Aya

(17 volumes, complete)

Available in English

It has an anime but I heard fans were really mad at the adaption. I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment.

Normally not the kind of thing I would go for, but this series has me constantly screaming. IT’S SO MESSY, but the good kind of messy. It takes every fiber in my body to contain myself when reading in public. It features an mc who was born intersex and a battle for the crown of England.

DRAMA

My Broken Mariko by Hirako Waka

(one shot)

Available in English

Saw this at the bookstore and I looked at the cover like “wow, she looks like she’s really going through it…and she’s carrying someone’s ashes, oh no…” Didn’t know anything else about it but, oof, it’s a heavy one…

DRAMA

Look Back and ✨Goodbye Eri by Fujimoto Tatsuki

(one shots)

Available in English - also on the Jump app

While Fujimoto-sensei’s more well-known work wasn’t 100% clicking with me, I tried his one shots and really enjoyed them. I particularly liked the cinematic feeling and environmental storytelling.

Maybe when I’m up to it, I’ll do posts on some of these that go into a little more detail on how I felt about them idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[squijim]

pjo episode 5 reviews!! [spoilers]

Overall Rating: 8/10

oh my god. oh my goddddd.

i LOVED the doodle storytelling on the walls of the thrill ride of love. the little cartoon hephaestus with the dreamy swirly magic is exactly how i pictured hephaestus's work in my head.

however... the more you think about it. the more it makes no sense. not to keep being That Person in every single one of the reviews, but in the books, hephaestus's influence on the theme park was a secret, which is why aphrodite and ares were unexpectedly caught hanging out in there. why would aphrodite willingly go to a romantic place that tells the life story of the husband she neglects? i don't see how that version of events fits with this adaptation, i think it would've been better if they had omitted the aphrodite part completely, since it's distracting. if the thrill ride of love is about hephaestus's relationship with HERA instead of his wife, then they should've changed the storyline to provide a different reason for ares to be there instead.

especially since they removed aphrodite's magic scarf, which bums me out because i wish we could've gotten it so it could be a callback in the last olympian when percy talks to the oracle again for the last time :')

i loved the hephaestus tv detail in the books, idk if that's an unpopular opinion? especially since it keeps coming up, like in the lost hero. so i wish we could've had the golden net since that makes more sense than hera's golden chair... plus we get to see more of percy's wave control which sets up his fight with ares later on. but this adaptation was still cool and i liked annabeth getting her moment to shine!!

PLUS i really liked grover staying back to manipulate ares. not only does it reflect annabeth's message from the books, that brain wins over brawn everytime, but also grover staying back gives him more protagonism. the books had him awkwardly waiting around for annabeth and percy to leave the ride, but this makes his role even more important, especially since he's an empath and knows how to read emotions very well.

we did lose the waterland fits which would've been hilarious. alas.

the ares actor nailed it!! no notes, great interpretation. can't wait to see him interact with clarisse next season.

more sassy percy this episode!! i loved that, it felt more true to his personality in the other medias. i question the choice of making annabeth talk so bluntly to the gods, because it makes the contrast between the three of them less so... but at the same time, annabeth breaks rules when she finds it important to do so, so i think it could make sense. plus, it establishes why she doesn't like hera (or one of the reasons), so... I'm interested to see where they take that.

we keep missing action scenes.... that's this show's biggest problem right now. there is a lot of emotional conversations and humor but the actual action sequences are rushed and static. kind of a bummer :(

I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE LOTUS HOTEL! I can't tell who Percy was tackling? Was it Darren? And the fact that they steal the taxicab instead of hiring a driver, I'm so curious to see what that's about. Manifesting a Bianca & Nico cameo.

Finally, Gabe talking shit about him on the news was one of the little things from the book I wanted to show up so badly and I'm happy we got it. I hope we keep hearing from him!

[ciacconne]

Favorite tropes associated with my favorite ships:

Seto/Yuugi

Business arrangements/contracts/dealings where Yuugi has given himself to Seto. I read a fic 20 years ago (fic has been deleted since then) that still haunts me to this very day because of how lovingly it was written and Seto’s obsession with him was just exquisite. One day I will write a fic like this. Wait, I think I already started a fic like this?? Lmao.

Keeping their relationship a secret - Because trying to be discreet is fun to read about.

Everybody else’s pov regarding their relationship - Always fun to read different povs.

Atem being protective/ cockblocking Seto - This cracks me up. I read a few like this and it’s just so hilarious.

Awkward Seto (& Yuugi) - Because trying to imagine this is hilarious and the few I read were hilarious.

Seto and Yuugi taking care of each other in different ways - I just really like this idea. Seen a fic like this once, a long time ago. I will write a fic like this too.

The person pursuing the other romantically (either Seto or Yuugi, most likely Seto) and having to overcome hilarious roadblocks. - I think this is fun to read.

Dealings with a demon/fae where someone loses themselves or their soul to the other - I will write this some day.

Possessive Seto - Because why not. Love that shit.

Yuugi trying to be friends with Seto - Because as sad as it sounds, it’s so like him to do this.

Seto being vulnerable - I didn’t realize I had a thing for this until I started writing Connection.

ABO - Because claimings are fun. I read a few and they’re fun to read. I will write a fic like this someday.

—-

Atem/Yuugi

Atem being scary protective - Because it’s so like him to do this.

Atem and Yuugi supporting each other - Fuck, this makes me so weak.

Emotional intimacy - Ditto. This pairing has it in spades.

Bantering - The easy way they gravitate towards each other through talking. Always fun to write about and read.

Awkward flirting (Atem) - Because it’s hilarious.

Early manga!/Season zero!Atem/fics that takes place in the early manga. I have a fic like this already.

Atem comes back / reunites with Yuugi / fix it fics - Because fuck the canon ending, lmao.

Soulmates - They’re already are in canon. It’s how I see the ship.

Games - Anything that relates back to their title.

Atem gains a body and Yuugi helps him adapt to the modern world - I need more fics like this.

Atem having to adapt to the modern world in general / Yuugi teaching him about it - Hilarious to read.

Everybody else’s pov regarding their relationship - Always fun to read different perspectives of ships.

—-

Tomarrymort

Voldemort stays the same / doesn’t change - This is intriguing to me.

Flirtatious Tom Riddle - Always fun to read about.

Harry being resistant/ fighting back / feisty / not putting up with Tom’s shit - Because it’s so like him to do this.

Harry going back through time - Fun as hell to read.

Harry going dark - Need more fics like this.

Harry raises Tom - My favorite!

Tom raises Harry - Also a favorite.

Arranged marriage - Because there’s something about having to cope with the inevitable that’s fun to read.

Tom actually getting therapy - I haven’t seen a fic like this that wasn’t crack, but it’s intriguing if he gets any professional help.

Tom being manipulative / possessive / obsessive - Because it’s so like him to do this.

Tom and Harry actually having a healthy relationship - Has this been done? Lmao.

Tom winning the war / taking over / bad future - Because dark scenarios are fun to read about.

[aho-dapa]

Beron and Jurian

Some anti sjm and anti rhys comments because it's my brand

Hmmm, actually, this is super interesting fr

But quick imagine hot dilf beron for a sec, okay, cool

This can go a few ways, the first one is during ACOMAF:

maybe Beron is canon typical and is just a very logical thinker that puts his court above his family (while still caring? for them, idk canon beron is literally better than rhysand, you heard me).

Or it could go with Beron doing a Tamlin and siding with Hybern while working against them

(Maybe Lucien’s past can be reworked and stuff for this angle because I don't think Jurian would get above a hate fuck level with Beron if he knows about the Jesminda stuff) and maybe Beron has only been going with the tide in terms of humans and just not really caring about human slaves and just adapts to keep his family afloat

But Beron definitely meets Jurian with this set up and it's definite enemies to 'I will never admit I love you' type dynamic at best, at worst... it's real bad

Or it could turn into mutual erotic torture porn who knows

But I do find this relationship to be temporary and very tempting to the both of them

Very brief and passionate of them like a flickering candle flame being blown out (is that a pun??)

The second option is more romancey and morally gray Beron + LoA:

Ya'll, morally gray Beron is giving Eris and I need you to know because you're missing out with the crackship possibilities fr fr

Beron and Jurian actually know each other from the War with Hybern and maybe tweaking it so that the human rebellion also happened at the same time

Cue High Lord Beron being mates with human Jurian (or make a poly couple with LoA or have LoA have an open relationship with Helion that Beron knows about because they could have been forced to marry each other due to political schemes)

I actually find a tough, stone faced Beron being absolutely mortified at Jurian being his mate and Jurian not knowing to be completely hilarious

Imagine Beron and LoA just having a conversation about this and Beron just hands in the air, astounded that his mate is literally the leader of the human rebellion?? And betrayed Clythia, and cut her up into pieces in revenge?? The way this man might be a little weirded out for thinking that's hot, anyway

Also Beron and LoA aren't perfect parents but they're definitely the winning parents of the millenia

Also, maybe they've slowly been working together to weaken the power the nobles of the Court have over them and do a little bit of spring cleaning cough and they use this power imbalance between the fae and humans to gain more power and advocate for facing Hybern and siding with the humans because of the threat they pose (maybe humans could use magic but it was dwindling by Feyre's time) and maybe Beron and LoA just have personal distaste for cruelty and have been trying to fight for power so they can make better lives for their citizens and children

(Also instead of magic choosing the successor, it goes by typical lineage bloodline, that way Beron and LoA's position in the court is not as secure)

In this, maybe Jurian was a slave and servant to Clythia who took her along her war campaign as entertainment and company, and this is when Jurian kills her after gathering the othering human slaves they brought with them

Beron plays an active role in the rebellion and LoA acts as the High Lady of the Autumn Court during his absence and that's where we get Jurian and Beron shenanigans with them falling in love and whatnot

Cute stuff until Amarantha kills Jurian and Beron finds out about it after the victory of a battle when his magic suddenly twists on itself

So he doesn't know that Amarantha kept Jurian barely alive as an eyeball in a ring

Beron continues to fight in the war in grief and rage and is about to attack Amarantha when the KoH orders their surrender and agreement to sign the treaty (this treaty is only effective in Prythian and Hybern, not on the Continent where human slavery is still practiced into Feyre's time)

Beron returns home and grieves and eventually finds comfort in the life he builds with LoA and his children

But then Amarantha comes back, and curses them, and Beron plays double sides to protect his family and kill Amarantha in revenge

Only to find out she's been keeping a part of Jurian in a fucking eyeball for centuries and his goals shift

He's the one that ends up taking the ring once Feyre breaks Amarantha's curse (might just have there be no curse) or do something completely different

And Beron actually sides with Hybern again as a ploy to destroy from within because 'the tides have changed once again' and I love to characterize Beron as someone whose seen as someone who acts with their court in mind first to protect his own standing

So temporary truce with Hybern and then he finds out about the Cauldron and brings Jurian back to life

But fr, because we're talking about dilfs

Papa Archeron / Rhys with neslin and feyris, just IMAGINE

Tam mentally having the thought that this technically makes Rhys his father-in-law and Eris his brother-in-law by human terms and Rhys just spits wine across the table

No because that's it this is a fic now, I'm gonna write it fr

[nerdby]

There is a rumor that Disney is selling Marvel to Apple, which would not surprise me and would kinda make me ecstatic. Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 following the success of the first Iron Man film, but you'll notice that since then Disney media has become a lot more liberal because Marvel and their fans tend to be extremely liberal. Now, this is notable because if you do some digging into the founder of Disney, Walt Disney Sr, you'll quickly find out that in addition to being a business man he was also a terrible person.

Walt Disney Sr was a Nazi sympathizer.

He agreed to work with former Nazi scientists and to promote radiation, nuclear energy, and single use plastic for the US government and military so that the government would help him get the original Disneyland theme park off the ground. This was done in the original Tomorrowland ride, which also featured -- wait for it -- robotic housewives. Guys, that is some bullshit straight out of a horror novel -- seriously, go look up The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. The book was adapted into two horror movies, the most recent of which being the 2004 horror-comedy of the same title that stars Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken.

If that doesn't terrify you Disney's brutal business tactics and winning personality also influenced Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonald's Corporation and godfather of the modern American capitalist hellhole we all know and love today.

But getting back to the subject of Disney and Marvel, initially Disney benefited from Marvel's liberalism. I mean, ya know, as long as Disney agreed to play along and throw in a wink and a nod to queer and minority communities everyone was happy, right?

Right?😅

Well, now, it seems its become obvious to CEO Bob Iger and his five million dollar bonus that maybe it's just not worth it to try to draw in new audiences when he can also cater to the fiscally conservative Christofascists of the good old days. And like I said in a way this would make me very happy because Apple has already proven itself to be much more left-leaning with it's media content and therefore truer to the Marvel's political values. Which are also, obviously, my political values.

This does make me wonder if Disney will attempt to buy out DC Comics which be hilariously ironic considering how hard DC Comics has been working to retcon their ass backwards misogynistic image these days. Like their entire empire has pretty much been built off of the male power fantasy and faux male feminists masturbating to Wonder Woman comics until the 1990s when Harley Quinn was invented to save them from looking like complete homophobes. Because, apparently, her existence has been the only thing keeping people from noticing that the Joker is an extremely problematic queer-coded villain.

Because apparently people still don't realize bisexuals exist even in 2023😒

And, no, we're not transphobic. -A Nonbinary Transgender Bisexual🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[actualbird]

hypothetical fights i want to see between the tot cast cuz it’d be fun to see how they’d fair in a fight to the death (just kidding. i mean a friendly fight as an appreciation of combat skills)

inspired by a convo i had with @samsspambox . i’d like to make it clear that when i say 'fight' here i mean a physical fight, a scuffle, some good ol fashioned "nothing personal just wanna see who would win" FISTICUFFS!!!!

with no weapons allowed, heres who i'd pay good money to see go at each other with only their unarmed martial expertise

-

The Battling Butler VS Agent Raven (aka ogier vs luke)

ogier is so badass. i love a fighty dude and hes dressed to the nines and he hilariously drags vyn every once in a while, whats not to love?

but yeah, clear in my memory is his combat prowess in vyn’s personal story 4. i dont know anything about ogier past that, but given that he was sent as a guard from svart by vyn’s father, i can only assume his training is of the royal guard quality type of level. thats intense!

though we also know luke is ALSO INSANELY INTENSE....

i think a spar between them would be really fucking close, irt who bests who. luke is NSB’s top agent, but i assume ogier is incredibly well trained also, youve gotta be Damn Good to be a guard of anyone remotely of royal importance

so like, what luke has got going in his favor is his NSB training obviously but also

luke has youth on his side

HSKJHFDKVJHGVSD HEAR ME OUT! aside from his illness, hes at the top of his game in terms of prime age range for physical peak, did u kno that the average age for olympic competitors is early 20s? well now u know. body can be in good shape at this point, thats a plus for him and a not-plus for ogier. idk how old ogier is (and i cant find out cuz he doesnt even have a Big Data Lab entry omfg the man the mystery the LEGEND) but he looks Older, a little past his prime. even skill cant negate the woes of aging.

buuuuuut ogier has a trump card: his training was probably completely different to anything luke is used to.

now we dont know very much about luke’s days in the NSB, but i get the impression that his work was Generally Within The Country Of Stellis OR Generally Handling People Who Are Stellans.

ogier is not a stellan. hes svartan. or svartish. or however the hell we decide to conjugate the nationality of svart. additionally, i can see it being a huge advantage for svartan guards to be keeping their training/fighting style under wraps. if opponents dont know how you’ll fight, u can catch em unaware

ogier’s fight style and tactics could be completely novel to luke, which would knock luke down a peg (both figuratively and metaphorically).

still, luke is adaptable and hes got a quick and intuitive mind. while he cant fight exactly like ogier, he’d be able to recover and figure out his own way of countering ogier’s attacks

with all that said, my personal verdict of who would win is.....//drumroll!!

nobody!

it’s a tie!

and luke enthusiastically brings ogier out for drinks later, he hasnt been tied in a match for years and hes kinda giddy about it!

(luke: you have to teach me some of your moves sometime, yeah?

ogier: of course. and perhaps you could encourage vyn to join this class as well? haha.

luke: haha.

ogier: haha.

luke: hahaha.....no. im pretty sure vyn is capable of destroying me psychologically, im not making him do anything he doesnt wanna do, thanks.

ogier: fair enough)

-

The Battling Butler VS The Perplexingly Over-Capable Assistant (aka ogier vs vincent)

remember when luke in main story 7.2 said this in the case files?

yeah. YEAH IVE GOT MY EYE ON YOU, VINCENT KIM!!!

vincent’s investigative prowess aside, i just think it makes sense for vincent to have some kind of combat knowledge for the following reasons:

1) currently, marius has nearly gotten stabbed a total of three (3) times. while marius has his own self defense knowledge, i wouldnt put it past vincent to get some training in as well juuuuusssstt in case knife-magnet von hagen gets into hot water again.

2) it’s unexpected. vincent does not look the type to punch anybody in the face, and thus i want him to be capable of a mean right hook

3) if nobody expects u to throw a punch, that punch can land way easier.

that being said, i dont think he’ll beat ogier at all. my view is that vincent took some classes and that his self defense training is a little bit above marius’ skill level, but it’s nothing that can go against a trained royal bodyguard

still, ogier can be caught unaware. vincent maybe gets like a few hits in before ogier takes him down

so my verdict is: ogier would win but would be very impressed by vincent for managing to fool him

(vincent: oh, i wasnt...aiming to fool you?

ogier: hm. i think that adds points for you, actually)

-

Baldr Civil War (aka howard syter vs william lewis)

ive got no rationale for this

i just think theyre hilariously pathetic and i wanna see them fight in a hilariously pathetic way, like the one scene in Bridget Jones’ Diary

absolute cringefail combat, this is what i WANT

maybe whoever loses has to be the one to face mc in court next, and neither of them wanna be the poor shmuck to have to get annihilated by her again

my verdict: ingrid has to break the fight up (which is happening in the baldr legal office lobby) and everybody involved loses. everybody loses their dignity

[sindirimba]

Booker!!

yes!

favorite thing about them i quote this a lot but it’s because it kind of just fits with how i see him: whatever works. i like his adaptability. he’s a forger, he’s the tech guy, he’s the gopher. he struggles with the world he’s been forced into but he still fights, however he can. gun out of ammo? headbutt. can’t kill yourself the old fashioned way? listen to what the CIA guy has to say. his adaptability hurts him but it helps him, too, and it makes him as important a part of the group as all the others.

least favorite thing about them he (and copley) really should have come clean, like, as early as after the killing floor. it was a sloppy plan and it was obvious they both realized this early on, but he just soldiered on through. long term planning isn’t a depressed person’s sharpest skill, i have to say.

favorite line “I felt her die,” okay sorry my favorite quotes keep going back to nile and booker in some way but well, you know. their stories were intimately intertwined in the story, so. i liked the way he said this, and the fact that he was so shaken by his first new immortal dream, how heavily it affected him, the way he grabbed his own neck. amazing.

brOTP well, with joe, of course! but also a little bit, copley? i’d love to find out more about how they got back into contact, how that conversation went, whether they were ever friendly or commiserated about being widowers. maybe they can forge something like a friendship again some day, or maybe not. but i like to think they could.

OTP nile, of course <3 see nile post for my little ramble on them, etc etc.

nOTP again, just like with nile, basically everything. but in particular: andy/booker & joe/nicky/booker. no ty. also, at this point in the fandom, just out of spite, booker/therapy, lol.

random, i don’t ship it at all but i appreciate the booker/copley shippers for the name ‘bopley’ being so fucking hilarious

random headcanon okay most people accept that he’s the tech guy, but i definitely like to think he’s more than that, he’s a nerd. he can code, he got into computers and the internet way early on, he obviously texts just fine, he’ll use emojis with nile and mostly understand what they mean (and when he doesn’t she teases him about it so it’s a win-win), he has a cache somewhere full of old motherboards he’s sentimental about. nerd <3

unpopular opinion this is hard because so many people are so wrong about him in so many ways 😔 and i’ve bitched about most of them. hmm. just plucking randomly out of the giant cauldron of bad booker takes, that he specifically intended to get the others captured and tortured. i mean i feel like it’s obvious that’s not what the plan was, and that it spun rapidly out of his and copley’s control (in a way they should have but didn’t anticipate). but for some reason there’s this persistent hot take that he deliberately was like “(rubbing hands together villanously) bwa ha i can’t wait for joe and nicky (and andy i guess) to be TORTURED i’m gonna love it so HARD”. also that his shooting of andy was like, particularly heinous. was andy headshotting nile attempted murder? stop.

song i associate with them mark lanegan - “borracho”

Here comes the devil prowl around One whiskey for every ghost And I'm sorry for what I've done 'Cause it's me who knows what it cost It breaks and it breeds and it tears you apart It bites and it bleeds And this desert turns to ocean over me

favorite picture of them this is kind of cheating bc it’s two pictures but i had trouble capturing the exact moment so:

that “so about those samples” expression

thank you 🖤 love talking about the best boy

[yomigaere]

Some frank spoilery thoughts on Tribe Nine episode 9 (heh):

*Ota's zerg rush of runners was a hilarious galaxy brain move, if nothing else.

*It was very, very easy to see coming from a million miles away that Minato Tribe would all forgive Kazuki and accept him as a True Nakama, and that Kazuki would admit that he liked being with them after all.

*Rejoice, Ojiro fangirls! Your husbando is confirmed redeemable and Minato Tribe are going to save him in defeat-equals-friendship fashion and make him smile again and have him finally see the fun in playing XB!

*I still like Enoki, but I liked her more when she was with Ota Tribe smiling at people getting cut up and squashed by falling billboards. Shame she'll probably just be Taiga's unwanted yandere waifu now, and doubly so if she ends up actually joining Minato Tribe. (Also, holy sexism when Haru and Taiga faced her...)

*I'm about 50-50 on whether or not Fucho actually died at the end. On one hand, his last line sounded very much like Last Words, and being killed by Kiyoshiro seems like a fitting end for him. On the other hand, we don't see what happened after Kiyoshiro brought his knife down, and IIRC one of Kiyoshiro's voice sample lines on the official site is something like "huh, why'd I let you live?!", so as far as I'm concerned Fucho's death is far from guranteed (plus we've seen he can easily snap his bones back into place, so who knows what else he can survive). I personally want to believe he's still alive, because I was hoping to see at least a little bit more out of him, but I guess we'll find out in a week or two or three's time.

*Meanwhile, I think it's 99% guranteed that Tenshin is dead for real. (Holy shit, a plot twist I didn't necessarily predict!) No way could that old man have survived a punch from Ojiro that practically caved his chest in... good riddance, to be honest. He was a total cartoon villain anyway, so he had to go, and if this show's going to have any actual character deaths other than Shun then Tenshin absolutely should be one of them.

*Did this episode completely forget about Yasuhiro? He didn't show up or get mentioned at all, after that whole thing with him in last week's ep. I was surprised he got brought back in the first place, as I thought he was just a throwaway character who only existed to establish Haru as a bullied woobie in the first ep; if the narrative wasn't going to bother with actually doing anything of value with him, even if that thing was just showing how far Haru has come since the beginning or whatever, then what was even the point of bringing him back?

*This ep also seems to have forgotten about Minato's win order that Ota Tribe would help patch up their diner again. (Was it even still wrecked? I admit I wasn't paying that much attention...)

*I bet the remaining three episodes are going to be very predictable. Next week might see a quick detour to Taito, because a) there's a scene of Hanafuda hitting a ball with his pipe in the second PV that still hasn't appeared in the show itself, b) Taito's theme song hasn't played at all yet and there's no way the show's gonna finish its run without the fan-favourite (going by views on the official YouTube channel) Tribe theme song ever playing. Other than that, we'll have the final Minato vs Chiyoda showdown, and I'll be bloody amazed if it doesn't end with Minato winning and Ojiro being redeemed.

*After all the complaining I've done here, I just want to say I never had particularly lofty expectations for the T9 anime in the first place. I was always more interested in how the game would turn out and was never that taken by how the anime adapted the designs (garish colours, simplification of designs even when the animators still keep forgetting design details afterwards); honestly, I figured it would be a win if the anime just got me liking the characters and world and wanting to see more of them elsewhere. Then again, I expected Akudama Drive to be a brain-switched-off trainwreck at best and was surprised by it being legitimately good, so I admit part of me hoped the T9 anime would also turn out better than it has...

[maybankiara]

YOU’RE IN MY HEAD

pairing: Footballer!Rafe Cameron x Reader

summary: When he keeps putting you off your position during matches, you decide to take it up with him -- unbeknownst to you, there’s more to Rafe than just wanting to prevent you from being a good football player (and it’s called unresolved sexual tension.)

w/c: 4k

a/n: happy valentine’s day!! @drewstarkey and i have a whole football!obx au (soccer, for you americans) planned that i keep putting off, so here’s a little something loosely inspired by the idea, until that finally arrives. also, in this universe, football is a unisex sport. i’m not a football expert so there may be some inaccuracies. i hope you enjoy both the day and the fic! (and do let me know if this football!fic is what people are interested in.)

masterlist

It’s the half-time of one of the better matches the team has played this season and, of course, Rafe Cameron ruins it by uttering a single sentence: ‘Y/N, you’re swapping positions with Kiara.’

 The captain’s orders don’t end here, and he decides to implement some more strategies the team has practiced before, adapting the approach to the heavy-defence strategy that North Carolina is playing tonight. Sarah gives you a sympathetic look and a tap on your hand, but all you can do is shake your head.

 This is the third time in a row Rafe has put you on the sidelines, basically. Always swapping with Kiara, whom everybody knows to be a lot fiercer right back than you, or anyone else on the team. Just like you’re better at being in the front, charging for the goal.

 When the changes are in place and there’s about five minutes left, Rafe asks if anyone has got questions. Peterkin stays quiet and lets Captain Cameron take over, just like she always does.

 You raise your hand, and Rafe calls on you. ‘What the fuck, Rafe? Why are you putting me in the back again?’

 His jaw clenches. ‘We need someone firmer on the front.’

 ‘But you also need a firm defence,’ you argue. ‘You’re not making any sense.’

 He stares at you and you hold his gaze, unwavering, feeling his sister stir next to you. On the other end of the locker room, Kiara pulls her jersey down, biting her lip. ‘Y/N’s right—’

 ‘I know what I’m doing,’ Rafe cuts her off. ‘Now let’s get back on the field.’

 You listen to what he says, but not without letting your disagreement with his choice be written all over your face. When you’re headed out, he’s waiting to be the last, and you bump into him as you’re walking out, shoulder to shoulder, torso to torso.

 He glares, and you clench your teeth, trailing behind Pope.

 Back on the field, time flies. You warm up quickly and it’s back in the game again, only on a different position than where you started. Kiara offers you a sympathetic glance, much like the one Sarah gave you, because everyone is starting to notice that Rafe is treating you differently.

 As you run, a little out of the grounds he told you you’d be covering, saving the ball more than a handful of times, you feel his watchful eyes on you. You’re not meant to be playing the right back but you’d rather do your best, even if it means overexerting yourself, just to make sure you don’t lose.

 You foul an opposing player and drop to the ground, feeling your ankle get sore; Rafe’s the first to get to your side, helping you up. ‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing?’

 It’s a free kick, but not a yellow, so you say, ‘Whatever it takes.’

 ‘Don’t go breaking your legs, Y/N.’

 You pull your arm out of his hold, sending a glare his way as you go back to your position. You should keep paying attention to the ball, because it’s about to be kicked, but you can’t help but shout, ‘If you let me play what I’m supposed to play, maybe I’ll listen!’

 The game picks up. You dive a few more times, Kiara gets a nasty foul that has her off the pitch for about half a minute, Topper gets a cramp, JJ fouls in the front and gets a yellow, John B and Rafe nearly start a scrap when someone gets Sarah to the ground – but you win.

 That should be what’s important, you think as the entire team is hugging and celebrating, but your heart isn’t in the right place.

 Playing football is far from fun when you keep being treated like a lesser player than someone else.

 Time wears on, the team gets changed, and it’s time for a proper celebration, down at the Wreck. Sarah tries getting your spirits up, even Kiara tries telling you that at least you evaded getting fouled like that, Kelce tells you that you saved his ass, but none of it matters – not when Rafe celebrates as if what he’s doing is right.

 Seriously. Three matches. It’s fucking ridiculous at this point.

 You approach Rafe without hesitation, but still keep your voice hushed, because you’re not exactly trying to ruin everybody’s happiness with your tension. ‘Can we talk?’

 He glances at you as he pulls his jersey over his head – your eyes drop to his lean torso, despite the fact you see it on an almost weekly basis.

 ‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ he says, and takes his shorts off. ‘You were good today, as a right back.’

 ‘That’s not my— Jesus, do you need to be half naked right now?’

 ‘What?’ he asks, almost innocently, but the grin betrays him. ‘I’m getting changed. Why are you getting so worked up?’

 ‘I’m not—’ You pinch the bridge of your nose, letting out an exasperated huff as he takes off his socks, too, and is now wearing literally just boxers. ‘You’re ridiculous.’

 He chuckles, dropping down on the bench. You half-wonder what Topper, sitting next to him, must be thinking – and realise that most of the team is taking selfies and chatting in the other end of the locker room. It’s just you and Rafe.

 Good.

 He looks up at you from the bench, manspreading with his back leaning on the wall. ‘What do you want?’

 ‘I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m kind of trying to have a serious conversation with you right now.’

 ‘Yeah, I got that.’

 He’s hot. Okay, he’s hot and the reason why you’re so bothered about him being almost naked is because it’s taking your mind off of what you’re wanting to talk about, and giving a different meaning to you being “worked up”.

 So you gather all your courage and bring your eyes up to meet his, trying to exude as much fierceness as you can muster. ‘I need you to let me play on my position. I’ve had enough, you can’t keep doing that if you’re not training me to play Kiara’s.’

 ‘Easy,’ he says, shrugging. ‘Then we’ll train you.’

 Your jaw drops. ‘Are you being fucking serious right now?’

 Before he gets to answer, JJ calls from the other end that they need to hurry up, if the team wants to make it to the Wreck at a normal time. It breaks whatever moment you and Rafe were sharing and, telling him the conversation isn’t over, you retreat back to your locker. It takes all you’ve got to not let this affect the celebratory mood, because winning 2 - 0 is pretty damn good, and you should take some credit for that. Even if it wasn’t on your position, for half of the match.

 It ends up not being so difficult, actually, to not think about what happened. Once you’re back in Kildare and at the Wreck, food and drinks are flowing, and as long as Rafe is out of your earshot and sight, it’s good. He tends to stay away from you most times, anyway.

 (Which, okay, you can admit now sometimes bothers you, you’ve had a few drinks.)

 It’s not so difficult, until JJ lounges in the chair next to you, beer can in one hand and a donut in another, asks, ‘What’s up with you and Cap’n?’

 ‘Don’t even get me started,’ you sigh. ‘I don’t know what crawled up his ass.’

 ‘Language, Y/N.’

 ‘Fuck off, Maybank.’

 The blond just grins, probably happy to see you slightly irritated – but not at him.

 He pushes the chair back from swinging into its normal position, resting his elbows on the table. He leans towards you as if he’s about to tell you a secret – even his eyebrows furrow, the ever-present smile shaping into a frown. ‘Seriously, he keeps pushing you in the back. He’s gotta have a reason for that.’

 ‘Not that I’d know of,’ you admit. You shrug, lightly, despite the actual weight of the subject. ‘I thought we made a good team in the front. He assisted me, I assisted him… It’s been working well.’

 JJ nods, pondering. ‘It was the game against New Jersey, right?’

 ‘The last time I played without the change?’ You play until JJ nods, then sigh, playing with a broken piece hanging off the wooden table. ‘I didn’t even get to play, since that bitch nearly sprained my ankle.’

 ‘It’s always your ankle,’ JJ says, chuckling.

 His thoughts take him to stories of all the injuries you and the rest of team have gotten so far, drawing a couple of your teammates into the conversation. Rafe slips off your mind for the most part, as you laugh along to the ridiculous number of times Kelce has faceplanted while tackled, or to Pope is retelling how he defended the goal by getting the ball in his nuts, which made him fear for his offspring (it was all fun, and makes for a hilarious story).

 It’s only when you glance around the table and catch him in conversation with Topper, or James, or Sarah, and his eyes are trained on you for just a moment before they’re gone – as if he wants you to see him, but wants you to question whether it was an accident. You feel yourself growing stiff; when it happens too many times, your mind flashes back to the locker room – you, trying to talk to him; Rafe, half naked, grinning at you like he knows exactly what he’s doing.

 He’s conceited. He’s selfish. He’s attractive, with that prep-boy look around him that falls apart when he’s leading the charge on the pitch – when the wisps of blond frame the sharp lines of his face, and he embodies the look of the leader he’s become.

 It just sucks that you don’t quite agree with his leadership, and he doesn’t quite agree with you speaking up about it.

 Night wears on, and your teammates flock to their beds, one by one. You’re only staying at the Wreck, the local hotel, for a night – tomorrow’s a new day, a new tournament. It would be smart to go to sleep early. Get the energy you need for tomorrow, because tomorrow’s filled with press conferences, which you don’t tend to enjoy.

 It would also be smarter to deal with the captain tomorrow morning, when you’re both sober, instead of the buzz running through your veins right now.

 By the time it hits midnight, it’s only you, JJ, Pope, Kiara, Rafe, and Topper. Instead of taking the big table at the wreck, the few of you retreated to a secluded one in the corner of the hotel’s dining room. Topper’s beating everyone at cards, but Kiara’s at his neck, and everyone has downed enough drinks for the night to be called quits soon enough; you are starting to sober up, and can already feel the headache looming.

 Inadvertently, you glance at Rafe. He’s holding his cards in one hand, spread evenly, long fingers adorned with rings keeping them in place. Across from you, his eyes don’t meet yours, as they look around the table, through everybody’s poker faces – you notice the angle of his cheekbones, the sharpness of his jawline, the unstyled hair having the slightest bit of a messy wave to it. You hate how much attention you pay to the parting of his lips, and the line of his nose, the curve of his eyes; his Adam’s apple bobbing as he taunts Pope across the table, trying to get him to break the cards.

 When he turns as if scalded and his eyes meet yours, you don’t avert your gaze.

 It might be the alcohol, but the room is starting to feel a little stuffy, a little warm; you’ve never realised how intense his gaze can be. It’s almost as if it’s unguarded, spiked with the few drinks everyone’s had.

 You clear your throat, looking at your cards – you’re definitely not going to be the one winning anytime soon. ‘I think I’ll head to bed, soon.’

 If anybody notices the fluttering of your voice, they don’t comment on it. Kiara nods, JJ boos you, and Rafe says: ‘We should all probably head to bed if we want to be ready for tomorrow.’

 ‘Okay, Cap’n,’ says Topper, resting an arm around the blond’s shoulders. ‘You go get your beauty sleep, me and the boys are going to let you know how it went when you wake up in the morning, princess.’

 Kiara clears her throat, drawing the attention to herself before quirking an eyebrow at Topper. ‘What’s making you think you’re getting rid of me?’

 There’s a collective of ooh’s, and you think about staying, but it wouldn’t be smart. Rafe’s right, you all would be better getting some sleep, but there’s also the fact that you’re pissed at him and you’re drunk enough for that to be making you seem in a bit of a different light.

 (You’re still struggling to breathe, a little bit. Hopefully no one has noticed.)

 In the end, you bid everyone goodnight, pay your bill, and head for your room. You’re still not feeling well and there’s a water dispenser in the ground hallway, opposite end of where the stairs to the upper floor are. You think about making a cup of tea, but settle for water – water is good.

 Cold water should unhaze your mind.

 You stay in the hallway, for a little pit – it’s peaceful here. Hallways have meant something to you ever since your team’s career started to take off two years ago. Wherever you go, rooms and places are different, but hallways are nearly always the same. They’re always just transit spaces, connecting point A with point B; it’s not quite a liminal space, but it’s where you feel like nothing can hurt you.

 That is, until you’re about to set your foot on the stairs, and you see Rafe walking out of the toilets.

 His eyes settle on you at the same moment and both of you freeze; the hallway is quiet, save for the music reaching it from the dining hall. You can almost hear your heart beating.

 ‘Thought you were going to bed.’

 You raise your glass, which you refilled just before embarking for your room. ‘Had to stop for a bit.’

 He nods, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Outside of the locker room, outside of the dining hall, he doesn’t seem like the overconfident Rafe you’ve got so much against. He still is the same – it just doesn’t show that much.

 ‘I meant what I said earlier,’ he says, slowly, as if the words are hard to push out. ‘I think your should train to be right back.’

 If you had half a shot more, you would’ve thrown the water into his face. Now, all you do, is say – ‘You’re an asshole, Cameron.’ – and go up the stairs. For a moment there’s nothing, but then there’s rushed footsteps coming up the stairs, and you feel a hand on your wrist, and his voice calling your name.

 You don’t turn around instantly. You’re too angry for that – you close your eyes instead, and breathe, before collecting yourself enough to not explode.

 He’s still holding your wrist when you turn around, and he’s close enough that you can almost feel the heat radiating off his body; the cologne mixed with the scent of fresh clothes.

 ‘Please don’t be angry with me.’

 You scoff, pulling your hand out of his grip. ‘You’re ruining my life. You know how important this is to me, and you keep— you keep putting me where I don’t belong!’

 ‘I’m sorry,’ he says, and he sounds earnest; he sounds the way his face looks – a small frown on his face, lips quivering breathlessly, the wrinkles around his eyes almost pleading with her. ‘I’m just doing what’s best for everybody, Y/N.’

 ‘I don’t play defence. That’s Kiara’s job, but apparently that’s not good enough for you. You know where I’m good at.’

 ‘You’re good playing any position.’ He says it quick, as if the words escape from him. He swallows loudly enough that she hears him and takes a step back, shaking his head. ‘Look, you’re one of the best players on the team. That’s why—’

 ‘Then why don’t you put me where I can be the best?’

 ‘Y/N, just trust me, okay?’

 ‘No,’ you say, crossing the distance he created between the two of you until his back’s pressed against the wall, and you’re right in front of him, a finger jabbed into his chest. ‘I want to know why you’re doing this.’

 He hesitates; you feel his heart beating faster than you thought possible. ‘We were playing against rough teams. I couldn’t let you get hurt.’

 You scoff again, half-laughing as you rub your forehead with the back of your hand. ‘That’s bullshit. Jesus, Rafe, you’re spewing shit.’

 ‘Look, it’s the truth. I couldn’t take that risk.’

 ‘But you could take that risk with Kiara.’

 ‘Yes.’

 No hesitation; no wavering. It’s something he must’ve thought through, over and over again, for the answer to be so certain. You’re a little taken aback, and your finger falls from his chest, but the distance is still almost nonexistent.

 It’s because I’m good, you tell yourself, that’s why he’s keeping you safe, but it doesn’t ring true. Not when you can smell his cologne and not when his eyes drop to your lips, cheeks flushed.

 So you decide to ask why.

 He hesitates again, and you feel his shoulder slump as thoughts run through his head. Whatever he settles on, he’s certain, and you can see it. His voice is almost sad when he admits, ‘After the game against New Jersey, I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt. I couldn’t lose you on the pitch, because when you weren’t around, it was like I couldn’t get my head straight.’ He pauses, and then: ‘I’m sorry.’

 Rafe breathes slowly, carefully, but your heart is racing around your ribcage, threatening to break through. His words echo around your head as you try to make sense of them – make sense of the way he felt like it was more than just a admission of being a good team – make sense of the way he’s looking at you like he’s expecting more than a reaction to the recognition of your worth as a teammate.

 There’s a feeling in your chest that you can’t describe. It’s in your throat, in the back of your head, burning through your ears – a thought almost too scary to form, but then it does, and it refuses to leave.

 So you swallow the gulp in your throat and ask, ‘Is my being good on the pitch the only reason?’

 A beat. ‘No.’

 You nod, slowly, as if in a trance. His eyes are gazing into yours with intensity you’ve never felt before – it’s as if he’s asking you to say something, to do something, to show that you understand what he’s saying without saying it.

 And you do.

 You do.

 You nod, and your lips are on his before you get the chance to think this through. His hands are quick to grab your waist as your fingers get tangled in the soft waves of his hair, bodies pressing against one another in a heated rush.

 ‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ he mutters, a moment before his lips find your neck, fingers slipping underneath your top, dipping into the skin on your back. You moan, a little too loud, and he laughs against your neck. ‘We really shouldn’t.’

 ‘Yeah, we shouldn’t,’ you agree, watching him as he pulls his head back to look at you, a dazed smile on his face. ‘My room or yours?’

 Rafe’s grin is enough to set your body on fire. ‘Yours is closer.’

 He kisses you again, a firm kiss planted on your lips, before taking your hand and letting you lead to your room. The moment the door is locked, your lips are on his neck, clothes are clumsily coming off on your way to the bed, and you only have a second to wonder how long this has been inevitable until his lips hit the right spot, and every thought is as good as gone.

 When you wake in the morning, you’re half-surprised to find him curled into your side, head resting on your shoulder and an arm draped over your stomach. He’s still asleep, and you take a moment to think about how calming—how right—it feels to be here, with him. The hotel room is nice, a quiet rose gold, and the light coming through the windows is making it almost ethereal.

 It doesn’t feel like a mistake. You’re still a bit angry about being pushed back, but things seem a little different now that you know he wasn’t trying to hinder you, but protect you.

 (You still need to tell him that you don’t need protecting; you know what you got yourself into when you decided to play the sport.)

 With a smile on your face, you start playing with your head. He wakes within five seconds, with the same dazed look on his face from last night. His eyes find yours and he pauses for a moment, as if he were taking it all in, before his lips find home in yours. Neither of you think about morning breath, or about the fact that you should both probably go for a shower before leaving the hotel, because Rafe snuggles into your shoulder, pressing butterfly kisses to your collarbone, as his hand traces circles around your stomach.

 You take it upon yourself to ask, ‘No regrets?’

 ‘None.’

 ‘You should have one,’ you tease, and only let him be frightened for a moment. ‘Pushing me into the back.’

 He sighs, burying his face in the crook of your neck. ‘Are we still arguing about that?’

 ‘We will be, until you let me play offense again.’

 ‘If it was you instead of Kiara yesterday, it could’ve messed with your leg,’ he says. Before you get to respond, he pushes himself off the bed so he can look at you. ‘I know your ankle is still hurting from New Jersey even if you’re not saying anything.’

 You can’t deny the truth.

 Rafe kisses your forehead. ‘Just promise me you’ll be careful.’

 ‘I always am.’

 ‘More,’ he says, breaking into a smile. ‘I need my partner back.’

 ‘If you promise to never make decisions for me without consulting me first.’

 He squints, as if thinking about it, but you can tell he isn’t. ‘I promise.’

 ‘Okay, then.’ You wrap your arms around him and pull him down, kissing him softly. ‘I promise to be more careful.’

 In the end, it’s like he promised – you go back to playing offense, in the front of every attack, and you and Rafe are back to being the dynamic scoring duo you’ve always been. Except this time this dynamic extends to beyond the field, and you support each other when the football isn’t around. Nobody is surprised by the turn of the events – you’re not entirely sure, but JJ passes Kiara a few bills when you and Rafe break the news to the team, and you think there was bets going around.

 Things get back to fine. Things get better. You end up winning the tournament, and Rafe kisses you with the cup in his hand, and the next morning, the headlines are full of your and Rafe’s names more so than your team’s, but that’s fine. You’ve made it.

 You’ve got everything you need – you just never thought it’d be no one other than Rafe Cameron, the Captain himself.

[mistaeq]

For the fluff alphabet: J , K , L , & Z with Yoshikage Kira please :)

kira yoshikage: fluff alphabet (j, k, l, z)

tw // none

dora's note: handman ♥︎ i hope you don't mind if i headcanon killer queen as a female stand, if it is a problem, i'll modify it in no time !!

taglist: @fragolaaaaaaa @outofthiszawarudo @sky1mercy @cheemerthejojofreak [if you wanna be removed or added, all it requires is a dm or an ask !!]

J ealousy: are they jealous? what do they do when they are?

♥︎ kira is new to relationships. having a hand with the person attached to it is a new feeling, so jealousy is a sensitive topic for him. whenever you're around with him, the man does not move away from you. he sometimes risks to invade your vital space too much, but it'll be enough to give him a lot of attention, or even better, hold his hand. all he wants is just to preserve you, you're the thing he values the most in his life.

♥︎ if someone's trying too hard to impress you and he notices, the instinct to use killer queen in order to save you will be hard to stop. either he wants to free you from the clear discomfort you're experiencing, and he also wants to make sure your annoying interlocutor doesn't try to touch your hands. those are his to touch and kiss, better for nobody to try to mess with that. you only want kira to touch your hands as well.

K iss: what kind of kisses are you used to give each other? how many?

♥︎ the two of you mostly kiss when you're alone. your pda just gets to holding hands, but that's basically the greatest display of affection, when it comes to kira. anyways, he enjoys kissing your lips, of course. it's the sweetest kind of kiss, never exaggerated nor scandalous, no matter the situation. it is the most unproblematic kiss, right after the little pecks on your hand, that are a personal favourites of his. yoshikage is also a big fun of receiving kisses on his cheeks for some reason. but the truth is that mr. kira likes to be pampered more than he admits, and might fuck up his routine for some kisses.

L ove letter: a small love letter from the character you choose.

"it's been just a single week since you left morioh cho for work business. i know there's still a week to go until you come back, but i can't help but miss your presence.

my dear,

i can't hide that you got me so used to having you around and to having you in my life, that my routine romantically adapted to you. i wake up early in the morning to prepare a breakfast for two, to remember too late that i could actually sleep some more, since you're away. i come back home from work, and still warn you i'm back, even if you're not there. yesterday night i waited for you to come out of the bathroom in the evening, to have our usual warm drink before going to bed, to realize nobody was in the bathroom, and that i had just prepared an additional mug nobody would have drinked from. you're probably laughing, i imagine, and i can't hide i somehow find this hilarious as well. i just wanted to hear from you and let you know how much me and my routine missed you. even killer queen finds no peace. she likes it when you pet her, and if i try to, it just doesn't feel the same to her. understandable.

yoshikage—♥︎"

Z zz: how do they like to sleep with you?

♥︎ at the beginning of your relationship, kira used to be your little spoon. it was because he kept on giving you his shoulders, since he was used to sleeping alone and didn't do it on purpose or to ignore you. so you took the habit to hug him fron behind and give him a little kiss on his back, so that he could get your affection, no matter what. yoshikage did nothing to keep you from doing it, in fact, he loved to be the little spoon.

♥︎ but he also likes is to lie on his back, and to have you in his arms. you're warm, and yoshikage loves warmth. this is a double win, since you're also able to listen to his heartbeat. on some nights, you can feel something else holding you, and that's how you know for sure that killer queen has just joined you and your man to sleep with the two of you. sometimes you wake up to kira being in the kitchen and you hugging the stand.

[masqueradeball]

How about number 3? Like, tell us all about it if you want :)

Oh my gosh 🥺 thank you so much for giving me my first ask! 💖 I'm eternally grateful I get to spill all my pheels out.

3. What is my favorite Phantom tv/film adaptation?

My absolute favorite Phantom is the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film. He just embodies everything that I like about Gaston Leroux's Erik for me and he is both horrifying and pitiable. I dislike the ending but I can live with it given it's what test audiences wanted at the time. I truly love his Red Death costume. You can find it on Youtube and the Tubi app for free.

My first runner up would be Claude Raines in the 1943 because his Erique so soft and tragic in that film I cannot help but love him. This was one was my grandma's favorite 'classic monster' movies that she loved, so I have a special place in my heart for this one. I love his hair and appreciate that he was one fine silver fox before the revenge and jealousy issues set in. The opera parts are a little boring, but the costumes and the sassy diva rival to Christine are worth the watch. We get 2 handsome Raouls who end up going to dinner together at the end of the movie and a Christine who gets to bask in the limelight of her career while not choosing any suitor, which is the best possible outcome for her. Double play for the win in my book! You can watch it for free on the Peacock app.

My next runner up is a 3 way tie between Robert Englund, Gerard Butler, and Charles Dance.

I honestly enjoy all their performances because they each bring something unique to the role.

I cannot stress enough how violent the Robert Englund version is if you want to give it a go, but Erik Destler is insane, twisted, and fabulously murdertastic in this. I love the creepy, evil vibes the man gives off. Think of this film as a time travel AU of the original novel. I feel like he nailed Leroux Erik's darker, snarky personality that some people tend to forget he had and the gothic horror parts of the original novel are there. Bonus: they keep the Faust parallels like in the novel!

I'm gonna say it: I love the Charles Dance miniseries. I know it's not the best, but damn, he is so dry and sarcastic I cannot help but enjoy his performance. I want to pinch his cheeks and smother Cherik with the love his father never gave him everytime I see him. Again, this one focuses on the operas a lot, and for me it's a bit boring. But the backgrounds, settings, and props in this thing are fantastic and the costumes are wonderful too.

That leaves Gerard Butler in the 2004 movie. No he is not the world's greatest singing Phantom, but I don't care. I absolutely love his facial expressions and body language. The Phantom is an emotional, expressive dude and the Red Death costume scene is pretty good. I love how kind and sincere Emmy feels in this film and I appreciate she's not overracting and doesn't feel fake compared to some other Christines *coughSierracough* Being the film version of the ALW musical, this Phantom story focuses on the romance and Gerard excels at that. When he and Christine are singing Past the Point of no Return, I FEEL THEIR PASSION! And that's what counts more so than hitting the same notes we've all heard a million times before.

Now for the versions in the 'I will eternally like this' category 😊 :

The Phantom of the Paradise from 1974. This is also a very violent and dark film so fair warning if you haven't seen it. It's a bizarre rock musical, but if you're weird like me and enjoy Rock & Rule or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this might be a film you'd like too. I don't want to spoil it too much but the Faust/devil parallels are here too, as is various pop culture references. His teeth and mask are terrifyingly cool, and so is the electronic voice box he uses. It makes sense Daft Punk was inspired by this film. Maybe G1 Soundwave was inspired by this film too, but that's a debate for another day 😉

Next is the animated 1988 film. This one features animation on par with other 80s tv cartoons of the time. I love that they kept the Persian and the torture chamber from the novel. The Phantom's death scene is pretty damn epic. Christine is kind of a flake, but animated Leroux Erik is hilariously insane and terribly charming, especially when he calls himself a Don Juan. It's worth watching just for his antics and his dialouge.

You might not expect a Goosebumps episode to do a Phantom story any justice, but here we are: 1995, The Phantom of the Auditorium is a spooky fun take on the story and honestly, I'd like to see the full play the kids at that school are putting on cause it looks better than some of the live Phantom stage scenes I've seen. Both young boys playing the Phantom are fantastic actors and the plot twist at the end is great.

I absolutely have to give a shout out to Wishbone's Pantin at the Opera. He is the best, cutest, most adorable Raoul de Chagney ever and I will fight you if you dare talk smack about this version. I'm not even a Raoul stan by any means but like, this dog is precious and I enjoy this episode so much.

Also in the animated category and cute dog category is Scooby Doo Stage Fright made back in 2013. This movie is one of my fave Scooby Doo films (yes I own almost all of them on dvd) and there are multiple Phantoms, a reality tv show contest, and Fred and Daphne finally kiss each other! Lots and lots of hidden Phantom references in the background and lots of voice acting talent for those of us who appreciate that.

Now for the versions I intensely dislike 😏

The 1962 Herbert Lom version. UGH where to start. The sets are so small and everything looks dirty and of the wrong time period. The color in the film looks washed out. The clothes look too modern somehow (maybe it's their hairstyles?) and it bothers me. It feels low budget in a bad way and it shows. This phantom is not likeable or pitiable even though his backstory is similar to the Claude Raines version. He has no romantic interest in Christine, so it feels off. This guy is such an old a$$ piece of sh*t, he literally slaps Christine as she's singing for him for no damn reason. His paper mache mask looks like a Kindergartener's botched art class project. His personality is like somebody locked up cranky grandpa in the basement and he's PMS-ing because y'all forgot to give him his daily prune juice. This squatter's lair lacks creepiness, and his bizarre sidekick is annoying and yet somehow more interesting than the Phantom. The pervert manager trying to bang Christine aggravated me and simultaneously made me want to vomit. Raoul is the only likeable character in the whole damn movie. The Joan of Arc opera scene makes up for some of the film, but it's still terrible.

Next on my meh list is the 1983 made for tv movie starring Micheal York and Jane Seymour. Now, this one has some likeable and applaudable scenes: the various murders and general creepiness of the Phantom, and the lair scene when she wakes up in his bed and the Phantom gets all up in her face is so intense and so Leroux I absolutely love it. The rest of the film is a jumbled hot mess at best, but Jane Seymour is 🔥 and she gets some damn good sex, so hell yeah to that!

And lastly, I do not like the Royal Albert Hall 25th anniversary recording. I should preface this by saying it is Sierra I don't like. I like Ramin, I love Hadley, everyone else is wonderful but I cannot stand Sierra. She tries too hard to make Christine a Disney Princess- and that doesn't fly with me. It comes off as insincere or mocking the source material at best, and at worst it makes Christine look like an airheaded ditz. Apparently Sierra played Ariel at one point which is hilarious because of all the Disney princesses, I dislike her the most. But that's a different rant for another day.

And finally, the one I hate most of all:

The 1998 Argento film. This is the worst Phantom adaptation I've ever seen. It is a whole lotta nope for me. Between the rats, the unecessary and pointless telepathy, the r*pe scene, and the unfunny weird vibe from the murder going on in this film it's a disaster from start to finish. Honestly, it's the rats and his hair that bother me from a visual standpoint alone and it's beyond disgusting the way this a$$🤡 treats Christine. I don't like any of the characters in here and for good reason. It's not worth watching and if you do, be ready to bleach your brain afterwards.

💖 Sorry if this was a long read! Thanks again for giving me an ask and I will cherish it forver!!!! 💖