#The parallels and differences between 2 sides of a conflict

[emblazons]

So (because I cannot go three seconds without noticing new little things that tell the wider story in this show):

Let’s talk about how the music that plays during the S3 Byler fight is the exact same music that plays during the S4 conversation Mike & Dustin have with Lucas as they walk to class after the pep rally—

—and how that parallel gives us insight not only into how Mike (and his devotion to Will) has evolved between seasons 3 and 4….but also how The Duffers are evolving Mike as a character in the wake of the "conflict" of forced conformity they introduced in S3.

To start: here are snippets of both scenes where “Not Kids Anymore” plays, both in Season 3 and Season 4.

Now, even though Mike is present in both scenes, it’s not entirely obvious why these things would be parallels, given the radical difference in tone. That said: when we look at these scenes in their wider contexts, we see that they are both exploring the exact same issue, only with Mike on opposite sides of the convo each time—

—namely, whether or not its worth it for Mike to embrace conformity, given that there are behaviors/roles he is meant to fill when trying to keep up with being normal/growing up...and "society" says that DnD / nerdiness (and a refusal / lack of desire to participate in performative relationships) stands entirely apart from that.

Let me see if I can explain.

First: these things are parallels because they are asking us to compare the Mikes in each situation—to notice how he took Will’s words to heart, and decided on some level that Will was right, not him. How do we know? Because in the time between these two convos (aka the rain fight and then the first few episodes of S4), we learn that Mike has made a point to address and rectify all criticisms Will had of him & his behavior during the rain fight.

As of the very first episode of S4, we are shown that Mike is 1) paying attention to both the party/DnD the way Will criticized him for not doing (to the point of calling out Lucas for not prioritizing it the way he now wants to)—

—2) he is focusing on keeping closeness with Dustin (even to the point of judging Lucas for not doing the same), because Will accused him of ignoring Dustin as readily as he ignored him—

—and 3) he has entirely stopped "swapping spit" with El (to the point of removing her from a hug at the airport, kissing her on the forehead...and then never kissing her again lmao) while letting his relationship fall apart without much of a fight…right before apologizing to Will for letting El get in the way of their time spent together in the first place.

Basically: even though he is still struggling in many ways to defend himself from being bullied/being an outcast by hiding behind his relationship with El (the same way Lucas is with “being popular” and basketball), we can see that Mike has made clear strides towards embracing the sides of him that aren’t conformist, which is reflected in all of his decision-making in Will's absence.

Though Mike is getting older and the party “aren’t kids anymore,” them paralleling these scenes is showing us that Mike, at least on some level, has realized that growing up is not at odds with embracing the things he enjoys & his various identities, whether that be through playing DnD—

—wearing clothes he chose on his own—

—or willingly choosing closeness with Will over the performance of relationships with girls (the same way Will already had in Season 3, and Dustin reflected as well).

Now...this isn't to say that he's entirely succeeded at the task, given how many times we see him fumble through actually implementing these changes/revelations in himself, whether with clothes (hello 'shitty knockoff'), embracing his actual interests, or even letting himself want to admit he wants to be with/around Will and not El—

—on top of the fact that I've already talked (many, many times) about how the journey of "feeling like you lost" the Duffers took us on had Mike ending up in a position where "conformity" temporarily wins, how that plays into his relationship with El versus Will, and why it matters for his character even outside of his queerness.

Still: I think this parallel in particular is important to understanding his character because it rules out any idea that Mike is somehow oblivious rather than intentionally working through to the changes happening in himself, whether they be in regards to him re-choosing DnD, making decisions about his clothing for himself...or wanting to be closer to Will / not participate in "liking girls," which is what he gets projection-mad at Will about during the rain fight.

tl;dr: Mike has realized on some level that he wants to be more like / closer to Will than his S3 "conformity" self—and the war we see on his face throughout the season in conversations with Will has a lot to do with that, among other things.

This musical parallel in particular draws attention to the fact that there have been changes happening within Mike that he sees and recognizes—he just "lost" like every other character this season, aka failed at walking into a more secure sense of self / out of his "conformist" relationship in its entirety...which we'll resolve in S5. :)

[sanzusslutt]

MHA Discussion Time!

What is the discussion about?: I’m just gonna talk about my thoughts on BakuDeku, IzuOcha and TogaChaco.

Warnings: Extreme My Hero Academia manga and anime spoilers ahead.

Walking past the current manga characters, Ochaco’s romantic feelings towards Izuku have been confirmed when Uraraka confessed her love for Izuku to Toga, while Deku’s only thought was Katsuki and how to win the war. In the last chapters, Izuku doesn’t really give much attention to Ochaco and she doesn’t either due to hers and Himiko’s fight arc that show the appreciation she had for Toga and how much she wanted to save her. Ochaco cried in belief that Toga is dead, while Katsuki cried about the possibility that he and Izuku couldn’t be heroes together due to Deku nearly loosing One For All. So, with both Izuku and Uraraka thinking about different people, I believe there isn’t much potential in IzuOcha. Let’s break this down.

1) Ochaco's Confession to Toga: Ochaco explicitly confessed her romantic feelings for Izuku to Toga, which confirms her side of the potential relationship. However, this also underscores the one-sided nature of IzuOcha, as Izuku has not reciprocated these feelings in the series.

2) Izuku's Focus: During critical moments, Izuku’s primary focus has been on Bakugo and their shared goal of becoming heroes. This focus is evident in his thoughts and actions, particularly during high-stakes situations, where Bakugo often occupies his mind.

3) Recent Arcs: In the later chapters, both Izuku and Ochaco have been preoccupied with different characters and arcs—Ochaco with her conflict and emotional connection with Toga, and Izuku with his mission and concerns about Bakugo. These narrative choices suggest that their paths and emotional investments are diverging.

4) Emotional Investment: Bakugo’s emotional reaction to the possibility of not being able to be heroes together with Izuku, and vice versa, highlights a deep bond and mutual importance in each other’s lives. This intensity is not paralleled in Izuku’s interactions with Ochaco.

5) Character Priorities: Ochaco's emotional response to Toga and Izuku's to Bakugo during critical moments show where their priorities and deepest connections lie. This indicates that their most significant emotional bonds are with characters other than each other.

Given these observations, it does seem that the narrative places more emphasis on the bond between Izuku and Bakugo than on any potential romantic development between Izuku and Ochaco. The complexity and emotional depth of the relationship between Izuku and Bakugo, coupled with the mutual focus and investment, indeed suggest that BakuDeku has more narrative significance and potential.

Ultimately, while Ochaco's feelings for Izuku are confirmed, the broader narrative context and character interactions point towards a stronger connection between Izuku and Bakugo, making BakuDeku a more compelling and supported pairing within the story.

You’re free to speak your mind in the comments! I’ll be more than happy to discuss with you! You can also give me ideas about a future “Discussion Time”!

[siriusly-the-best-bi]

Ya know what’s curious to me? In Episode 2 when Crowley asks Aziraphale in the cellar whose side he’s on, Aziraphale responds “God’s, of course!”

Ya know why this is curious?

Well, for one, they’re talking about sides. Heaven and Hell. Their respective bosses. Crowley’s response of going along with Hell as far as he can makes sense, it’s what we expect to hear, but when he turns the question on Aziraphale, he doesn’t exclaim ‘heaven’s obviously!’ He immediately associates himself and his values with God directly.

Second of all, In episode 6, when talking about accepting the Metatron’s job offer as the new supreme archangel with Crowley, Aziraphale says “but heaven! Well, it’s the side of truth, of light, of good.”

For the entirety of Good Omens season 1, Aziraphale had always talked about following God’s ineffable plan, which was a noticeably different turn of phrase than those such as Gabriel used in heaven, always referring to it as the Great Plan. This is even the very thing that lead them to wiggling their way around Armageddon in the first place when confronted by Gabriel and Beelzebub.

Aziraphale has always made the distinction that he is an angel and does good because he believes that God is good and he trusts in their design.

Now I might just be loosing it, it is nearly 3am, but this sudden distinction and the choice of Aziraphale to not only discuss heaven in such a manner, but to refer to it as an entire Side, and use the adjectives he uses to describe heaven when we’ve only ever seen or heard him talk about God this way… it just all plays very intentional to me. It feel’s weird.

Especially once you take into consideration the flashbacks we’re shown of Beelzebub and Gabriel discussing the failed Armageddon in their little pub rendezvous. They never once mention their respect ‘boss’. Gabriel says “we are ready for round two.” And Beelzebub’s response is “as are we.” This we that they’re referring to isn’t God. It’s not Satan. They’re talking about the beings who reside in these respective places. The Angels and the Demons. And the conversation then continues with Gabriel admitting, “everyone in Heaven is all like, ‘Well, you’re the commander-in-chief, can’t you just make the war happen anyway?’ Like, I make the rules.” And whats Beelzebub’s response? “That’s exactly what my lot said.”

The pressure isn’t coming from God anymore. In the past, like seen in the Job episode, when there were divine tasks at hand they were dealt with by the angels for God, and God was directly involved in finding the outcome. There was no going through management or filing paperwork or monitoring miracles. And hey, I get it. As time evolves along with the humans, so does everything else.

My question is, is it possible that with these evolutions in the human world, that Heaven and Hell have perhaps learned a thing or two from humanity as well? Already they’ve mimicked the clothing, the office spaces, the entire design of heaven and hell down to the management hierarchy. Is it possible that these wars and these fights aren’t being started by God anymore, but an act of civil war amongst the Angels and Demons? We already see Michaels urge for power and control paralleled and almost foiled by Shax’s drive for control and power and both were the driving factors between any of the Major problems this season that lead to major conflicts between Heaven and Hell.

That brings us of course, to the Metatron. Who is he and where exactly did he come from? When did his position become necessary and why wasn’t he present as the ‘voice of god’ in the job minisode? Why suddenly are all of God’s plans, only being carried out by him?

Do you want to know why I think Gabriel was being demoted and not sent to Hell as a fallen angel? Because I don’t think they can. I think that’s something only God can do, but what kind of fear and control would that hold over all the busy bee’s? No, no, instead, let’s frame it as a Kindness. Heaven won’t cast you out because it will make them look bad! because it’s happened before, so they have no choice but to play a game of politics to keep everyone in check.

But here’s my question. Has there been a fallen angel since the great war? Why is it that after all this time, Aziraphale hasn’t fallen time and time again? Why is it that instead of an Angel falling from grace to join the armies of hell, the response to an act of rebellion is absolute destruction. The same could be said for hell. If you have demons walking around that are doing good, wouldn’t that simply just re-spark their halo’s? Why is it that they’d be destroyed by Holy Water instead of simply returning to Heaven?

It’s because God plays an ineffable game of their own design. They’re not playing with earth, or humanity. They’re toying with the Angels and the Demons. It’s why they’re placing bets with Satan.

When Crowley’s attempting to convince Aziraphale to run away for the last time, he doesn’t say Fuck God and Fuck whatever game this is, we don’t need to be a part of it. He says Heaven and Hell are toxic we need to get away from them.

It’s just so curious to me how this season has carefully and slowly taken us away from the idea of God and God’s Ineffable Plan and instead led us into this drama between Heaven and Hell, no mention of God whatsoever. No narrator.

[manikas-whims]

Things we can still get in a possible SoC Spin-off

now that i'm done ranting about the things that annoyed me, lets talk about this.

1: Some light on Inej's backstory, the abuse and exploitation she suffered, her own struggles with touch, her vulnerable side, her fun side especially when she's around Jesper and Nina, her fears and how she rises above them. According to this article by tvguide, showrunner Eric Heisserer states that a script has already been written about her incorporation back into the Dregs. Let's just hope they stop reducing Inej's personality to a mere “knife wife” and “girlboss” , and address her actual depth.

2: Tante Heleen's return! Since we never actually see her body onscreen and her death is merely mentioned twice and shrugged off, I'm hoping she's alive and that the production team is keeping her for the spin-off. She's an integral part of Inej's character arc.

3: The Dregs. I wanna see Rotty, Specht, Anika, Pim, Per Haskell, Big Bolliger and the rest of the bunch. Also Dime Lions, Razorgulls, The Liddies, and other prominent gangs. And a shot of the entire Merchant Council would be nice.

4: Since Inej will return and Matthias is still in Hellgate, we'll get the entire Hellgate breakout and Ice Court Heist. (I'm assuming during Matthias's breakout, Pekka Rollins will also manage to escape from Hellgate 🤔) So we can still have the entire book 1 ending at Vellgeluk where Wylan's face has been tailored and Inej gets captured by Van Eck.

5: Crooked Kingdom plotline till they rescue Inej— Kaz throwing off a rapist from the lighthouse after gaining intel, Kaz threatening a little girl, Jesper and Wylan going to receive Colm Fahey and the whole “people pointing guns at each other is basically a handshake” 😂, Nina's struggles with Parem and Matthias trying his best to be there for her, the iconic Kanej reunion at Goedmedbridge,..

I'm not sure how they'll proceed after retrieving Inej, because alot has already been adapted in this season of SaB. But we'll still have the showdown against Van Eck. Not sure what they'll replace the plague thing with but we'll see..

6: Wylan's backstory! Aside from Inej, we also have Wylan's heart wrenching backstory and we'll witness it all. His early life, the moment he lost his mother and his world became gray, his escape from the men who try to kill him, his realization that they were sent by his own father, his struggles with it all, his conflict with being a good person and working with criminals, his reunion with his very alive mother and Jesper being there for him, and so much more..

7: Kuwei! I'm a big fan of this sassy boy. He absolutely hates having to be with Crows and he chooses not to use their language simply so he can avoid conversations with them 😭 We'll see him cause conflict in Wesper's relationship but also slowly accepting and being thankful of the Crows. And I really hope, the show adds a sort of camaraderie between him and Wylan too. But despite it all, I still wanna see Wylan threaten to drown him 😆

8: The Bathroom Scene ♡ If we take into consideration the wound cleaning moment in season 2 of SaB, its a lot different from the bathroom scene. For starters, they're on Black Veil and not an actual bathroom, and Kaz didn't actually tie any bandages for her. Most importantly, the neck kiss didn't happen. So bathroom scene can still happen and it can serve as a beautiful callback and a parallel to this scene in season 2.

9: Kaz can still find Inej's parents, meet them and well, gift her a ship. Wylan and Jesper can still have their happily ever after, living at the Van Eck Mansion.

10: Since they've made so many changes to the source, can they fucking not kill off Matthias and let him and Nina have their happily ever after too? Like they can act as delegates for Ravka and Fjerda 🤔 Or they can help Hanne claim the Fjerdan throne 🤔 Anything aside from killing him off please.

if you guys have something to add or correct me on, please do so in replies/reblogs ☺

[jorisjurgen]

My Kerubim Playlist - explained

Very self indulgent post going into details on why I picked certain songs for my playlist. Will explain the other playlists later because this post took ages to write.

CHILDHOOD PART:

1. Kikuo - the Good Child and the Fox Spirit

I chose this song because Ecaflip is a bad father. Yay <3

It's also a parallel to the song "You Are A Worthless Child" by Kikuo, which is on Atcham's playlist.

2. Regina Spektor - Two Birds

I chose this song because,,, I like to think that Atcham and Kerubim had very different visions if their lives and futures, when they were kids. And Ecaflip's manipulation didn't really help.

3. Maretu - The Flavor of a Cockroach

I chose this song because it's very unique in being a song about bullying from the perspective of a bystander/bully. I don't think Atcham was having a good time in the orphanage, and him not having a good time was also making Kerubim feel unwell.

4. Eve - Sister

The thing about my playlists is that I like to use them as a medium to retell the story of a character. I think it goes well with Maretu's song because it expresses Kerubim leaving Atcham behind.

5. SEDO - Bad Mouthing

While I don't think Kerubim was bullied in the orphanage, I do think he was excluded and tried to cope with it by clownery and denying it was happening. And by trying to leave Atcham.

6. Abuseken - Um, Ren-kun?

This is a special type of song I add to playlists - a "vibe-builder". This song might not fit a character but it expresses story ideas of Kerubim and Atcham being badddd to each other, because the entire song is two people going "I'm going to kms because you don't love me" "Good I think you should in fact kys" at one another, which is entirely how I think they talked to each other at the tail end of still being on talking terms when they were kids.

7. Pinocchio-P - Isn't it "A"

The last song is very "Kerubim and Atcham" /neg, while this one portrays a conflict between two people in a less mentally ill way, exploring that neither is right and that both are looking at the world with different opinions that may or may not be the same opinion viewed in a different light. I thought it might be important to use this song to reiterate my belief that in this situation there is no right or wrong side.

8. Maretu - Maegamist

I always interpreted this to be a song from the POV of someone who closed their eyes from mistreatment someone close to them suffered, either by someone else or by their own hand - before realizing far too late how bad things have gotten. I do think Kerubim coped his way into Atcham detesting him.

9. Glass Animals - Space Ghost Coast to Coast

This song is inspired by the singer's real experience of finding out that his childhood friend tried to commit mass murder, and I think that when Atcham went off the deep end Kerubim uhhh. struggled. As we've seen in canon, while he feels bad about their relationship, he also unflinchingly thinks Atcham is a very mentally ill individual and has nobody to blame but himself for 90% of the predicaments he's in (at least, ever since leaving the orphanage). So this song's unflinching "I understand life hurts, and I want you to get better, but you are insane" energy is very fitting.

ADOLESCENCE / ADULTHOOD PART

10. Glass Animals - Take a Slice

This song is another of those "vibe-builder" ones. This song is very lustful, the most sexual one Glass Animals ever did. It follows the story of a female sex worker who is falling in love with one of her clients. I think it's a good opener for the part of the playlist that touches on Kerubim's youth, because the lyrics are vague, and Kerubim has an inherent femininity to his self-confidence and his crush on Lou, which is very well expressed through this song. He's a bit of a femme fatale to me, and this song is very "Kerubim Crepin at his most confident, to the point of arrogance. He is cute and sexy and dangerous, and he knows it".

It's also a very high point, which serves well, considering his life gets worse afterwards and the songs do reflect that.

11. K.Flay - High Enough

This being the first song after the one that serves as the "character intro" of adult Kerubim immediately sets the stage to his relationship with Lou being completely fucked and unhealthy, with him using this relationship to numb the pain of everything that happened to him.

12. K.Flay - Thicker than Dust

His "femme fatale" that was expressed in the last song is, in a way, just him abusing various substances and falling in love with people to distract himself from the whole "my parents died and I went to orphanage and my brother hates me and is a criminal now" thing. Less real confidence and more of him confusing numbness and need to distract himself for confidence and happiness.

13. K.Flay - Wishing It Was You

While he is using his on-and-off relationship with Lou as a painkiller, he does love and pine for her - but the whole song being "I'm drinking and imagining myself giving you head instead of drinking" is kinda very Kerubim-core. At this age he wasn't very deep and WAS addicted to multiple substances imo, including alcohol, frat boy style.

14. K.Flay - Fever

This is also a Lou pining song, but in a far more desperate way because Kerubim is a very lonely person and his way of living his life actively makes him miserable.

15. K.Flay - FML (FUCK MY LIFE)

Guys I don't think alcoholism and substances and being a cute sexy adventurer and dating are fixing him.

16. K.Flay - Bad Things

This is a very sad, hopeless, and introspective song about trying to drown one's troubles in addictions. With this one, I am slowly upping the sadness ante. And also, it is the first Very Self Aware Kerubim Song, even if it is hopeless (basically saying "I will never get better and I will be alone forever.")

17. K.Flay - Make Me Fade

A spiritual sequel to me including "High Enough" by K.Flay in this playlist. Instead of speaking of the relationship as a painkiller, this song goes fully in the "you make feel like I have disappeared, and it's a good thing", and feeling like Lou not being there is torture.

It also touches more on the budding understanding that life is baddd. Like with the lyric "Sad about the bad I've done, on my grave, please believe me."

18. K.Flay - Can't Sleep

The last K.Flay song in this huge chunk of the playlist that's nothing but K.Flay music.

The most explicit song in the whole "my life is bad" arc. References other people being displeased with the way of life that is being led, which fits with Lou probably not liking Kerubim's self-destructive behaviours but not really being able to help him and blaming him for said behaviours.

19. Glass Animals - Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth

This is so ironic about someone who seems shallow and very confident, hiding behind a veneer of being cool and sexy. The song itself seems funky and filled with vibes, but hides something deeper and more violent/ill.

This song seems like a conversation he would have with himself, extremely self-hatingly.

20. Abuseken - Menthol Tear

Another "vibe-building" song. It doesn't fit him well outside the context of this playlist, but here it is included to express his rising feelings of jealousy, "she is going to leave me fr fr", and feelings of inadequacy.

21. SODDIKEN - Hansel

This song might not fit him entirely, but it is a mirror of the song "Gretel" by SODDIKEN which is on Atcham's playlist, and does express a sense of a slipping mental health + Kerubim's abandonment issues and need to be the center of attention and love.

22. skyfish66 - Go Big or Go Home!

ALL GAMBLERS QUIT JUST BEFORE THEIR BIGGEST WIN! But to be serious, this is extremely Kerubim-core to the point of being self-explanatory.

It fits with the previous song's theme of "upping the ante to be liked" and turning your life into a show. And it is kinda... Ecaflip City-ish.

23. Kikuo - Love me. Love me. Love me.

OK so what if your father was a god and he wanted to manipulate you into spending centuries living with him and to do that he constantly berated you and said you were worthless but also sad you're literally the most wonderful and cool and amazing child ever. And what if your relationships all fell apart because you keep using people to fill the void within you that you have felt ever since your family died and your brother left you. Wouldn't it be fucked up or what.

24. TX2 - I Would Hate Me Too

"I'm a 5'4'' manwhore who slit his wrists. there's a reason I keep wrecking relationships. And I would fucking hate me too" - worlds realest kerubimcore lyrics.

25. Akali - Surrender

This is an another "vibe" song, and a very dark and cryptic one. I always interpreted it to be about a conversation that takes place during a break up caused by severe mental illnesses that have eroded a relationship in ways that are both unfixable and haunting, and uhhh. You can guess why it is in the kerulou part of this Kerubim playlist.

26. Nantoka-P - Love Love Nightmare

Its just a horror song, but lyrics "which one of us is the bad one?" and "I wished I would be the only one who exists for you" are Very kerulou, especially as reflections on a relationship that has ended.

27. DECO*27 - Ghost Rule (Cover by Crusher)

If I don't add this song to the playlists of characters whose central trait is being a liar/faker, the Blorbo Police will execute me.

28. GHOST - ROTARY DIAL

An angry sort of "everyone always abandons me and I hope every one of them dies for having boundaries and cutting me out of their lives for my negative influence" song. He deserves a moment of being toxic and a hater.

29. Red Vox - In The Garden

A song about the guilt that follows habitually ruining relationships, trying and failing to change, and escape responsibility for your actions.

30. K.Flay - Punisher

Themes of divinity of one's self in their life, which flows into the theme of being one's own worst enemy and obstacle.

31. K.Flay - Yes, I'm Serious

This always makes me cry, whether I'm listening to it normally (I am a big fan of K.Flay and the circumstances behind it's making are just. heartbreaking) and in the context of Kerubim.

In a way, in the context of this playlist, it's the finale of the "Kerubim being very mentally ill" arc of this playlist that's been happening since song #20.

It's very introspective and has many self-realizations, in a way.

"Really, I feel like I'm feeling the feelings of my inner child whose been pounding the ceiling; Repeatedly asking for reasons and soothing, so I found a bottle and covered the bruising; But I was confusing a numbness for comfort, abandoned myself while I slipped under cover." — ngl these lyrics make me fucking insane both in blorbo context and normal person context.

32. Shikiura Sougo - Poison me, I want to drown in you.

It's a very beautiful and dare I say cute song reflecting on a horrible relationship that is described as being "a painkiller" and "poison", ending with words that go something like "I want to face you properly and say I really do love you."

I think it's a very cute and melancholic sort of post-break up kerulou song. In the context of Kerubim, even knowing how bad things were, he still loves her and wishes neither of them did this harm, even if it is far too late.

33. Glass Animals - Heat Waves

This song is literally about a relationship that failed and it has lyrics like "I wish I could make you happy". Big divorcecore track. I am going to throw myself into a river.

34. K.Flay - Slow March

This song is about life moving on regardless, as you try to heal and make sense of everything that happened. I think he'd be in limbo, after the divorce, for a pretty long while. There's a reason none of his stores in the show take place after it...

35. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - It's Called: Freefall

This song is about battling suicidal ideation after things went just completely Over. Besides that, it also is a conversation between a godly figure representing the bad urges and vices and the desire to die (but also, depending on the interpretation of the song that you prefer, might be trying to help instead, despite his evil nature), and a man who is at the end of his rope and is talking to him out of loneliness.

Kinda Ecaflip-core ngl.

36. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

It's a song about growing old. It's a song about moving on from even the things you thought were completely world-shattering. It's a song about regretting your youth.

It's a song about hoping to have a child just to show them how beautiful the world is before the damage is done.

37. DECO*27 & Pinocchio-P - (Not) a Devil

The version in my playlist is a cover, because I think the subs there are beautiful than the subs on the official upload of the song.

I think "angel who is being choked by purity and trying to appear better" and "demon who is trying to appear angelic" is a very good aesthetic for Kerubim and Atcham. Two opposites that are more similar than one might think.

I think this kinda fits because after the divorce and growing old, Kerubim and Atcham start actively beefing again due to going to a war AND due to Atcham trying to kill him in Astrub.

38. Nashimoto - Die In a Place Where I Can't See You

LITERALLY all of Kerubim's feelings on Atcham as an old man. He still loves him. (Sadly.)

39. Shikemoku - Hocus Pocus

YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHY THIS SONG IS ON THE PLAYLIST.

40. K.Flay - Mean It

A song about wanting to get better to love someone more sincerely and without selfishness.

"I hope to die next to my daughter, let her sing me to sleep. Having made the mistakes of a mother, still I taught her to breathe [...] So when the world gets painful, she becomes her own god."

41. K.Flay - Get it Right

A song about wanting to become better, despite your impulses, wanting to break the cycle and carve out a good life for yourself despite how much it hurts.

42. K.Flay - Giver

Song about trying to unlearn selfishness and find a new way of living.

43. Pinocchio-P - KICK-ASS *LITERALLY

A song about waging a one-man war against your past self by holding yourself to new standards of not being a bad person, for the sake of your happy future and other people.

44. Iyowa - Until Your Tears Dry

World's Hardest Challenge: Imagine Kerubim singing this to Joris, without crying, throwing up, and then killing yourself.

I think this song fits very well with Dofus Cartoon-era Kerubim, and his thoughts on life, and Hopes and Dreams about Joris not repeating his mistakes in life.

45. Nagisa - Touch

A song about loving someone so gently to the point you'd melt at touching them, and yet hurting them anyway. Dying dying dying.

46. Trickle - Homunculus

A song about having tried everything but still being mentally ill and ashamed of yourself. Because bros, I don't think Kerubim is healthy even during the show, even if he did do a lot of work on himself.

47. Onoken - Fluquor (Deemo OST)

I shit you not, this song is literally canonically (I'm about to spoil a major plot twist from an oldass mobile game) about dying in the arms of your child who has no family left except for you, and your thoughts on it being "Being left alone is scarier for me, than it is for you. I don't think I'm going to heaven. Please hold me just a bit longer... But please don't forget to let go of me before I drag you with me."

Isn't it fucked. Haha. Btw it's one of those songs you should listen to at least once in your life.

48. VocaCircus - Déjà Vu

A song about cyclical relationships. I think it fits Kerubim and Atcham well, esp with them meeting once again in the movie. (Albeit not for long...)

49. syudou - Handle with Care

Imagine using a child to heal your mental illnesses and give you therapy and giving them so much brain damage that they begin to feel pleased when doing that after 6 centuries.

You will NEVER guess why this is on my Kerubim playlist.

50. R.I.P. - Mommy (Twins in Paradise OST)

Vewn's short indie animation "Twins in Paradise" is the closest we as a society will come to experiencing whatever emotions a depressing OVA about Kerubim and Atcham's childhood would make us feel. Marcy and Darcy are LITERALLY Kerubim and Atcham.

51. Hanyuu Maigo - Aun Beats

Listening to this song and thinking about Atcham dying in Kerubim and Joris's arms in the movie is just as emotionally devastating as listening to this song and thinking about the 48487538 years of separation between Qilby and Shinonome, or The Situation between Nora and Efrim.

This song has done a lot for doomed siblings economy, despite not being about siblings and instead the concept of doom itself.

52. Sohta - Twilight Station

I'm insane about Kerubim feeling anxious and ashamed of all his faults and the ways he wronged Atcham (and Joris).

53. Faded Paper Figures - Pointing at the Moon

This song feels the same way Kerubim loves people, and I think it's a good song for the end of the playlist. He loves everyone he's met this way.

54. Faded Paper Figures - Relatively

A general crepinjurgen-core song that touches on the theme of their relationship lasting forever.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Spring 2023 Anime Overview-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2

In my review for season one of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, I praised the show for being a compelling sci-fi full or intrigue, centering a well developed queer romance between the robot-piloting protagonist and all around precious girl, Suletta Mercury, and her fierce fiancé, Miorine Rembran.

But having been burned by anime before, I said I would hold off on recommending the entire show until it finished, and crossed my fingers tight that season 2 wouldn’t drop the ball.

The great news is that I can now wholeheartedly recommend the show. The final season did not drop the ball. It remained a great watch, the romance and relationship development continued to be worthwhile and excellent, and it was consistent with the strengths of the first season. It wasn’t perfect, which I’ll get into, but it was very good. Whether you’re here for girls in love, robots wrecking each other, tense battles between opposing political factions, or morally-horrifying moms on a revenge spree, you’re in for a treat.

The shocking last moments of the first season have some great relationship fallout, and the series delves into how Suletta was truly brainwashed by her mother. Miorine’s struggles to come to terms with the bloody legacy she’s inherited and her relationship with Suletta can withstand such a thing. Suletta grapples with her mother’s deception and her own individuality. Both are compelling arcs that built upon the groundwork the first season laid and lead to some nice relationship drama.

(Also, the credit sequence was awesome.)

The parallels between the two girls really pop this season as they both have to confront their mistakes, shoulder their sins, and see if they can move forward with the other. You really see how they mirror each other, and how they need each other. The romance ball isn’t dropped and becomes even more textually explicit, with Suletta explicitly stating she's into Miorine and no one else and eagerly anticipating the wedding, while Miorine also makes her intentions with Suletta very clear.

The second season is also a lot faster paced than the first, delivering tense and heartbreaking episodes one after another and leaving you on the edge of your seat. A lot of the conflicts that had been building from the first episode came to an explosive crescendo. Those bombs dropped and the carnage was wonderful. It was exciting, we saw more sides of the conflict, spent some time on earth, and got to see some unexpected depth in several characters. And yes, there were approximately a million more Utena references, some that made me laugh out loud.

However, this season wasn’t perfect. I was already having a little trouble following all the different factions and agendas in the first season, and this season exacerbated the problem. And while some characters got great roles, there were just so many. That meant a lot of them didn’t have any space to develop or even serve a clear purpose. There were a lot of characters I was excited to see do something, who the show built up as super ominous and meaningful and...then they did nothing. As funny as it is that several characters can be summed up as "s/he did fuck all the whole show and then bounced, king shit", it's also a letdown.

And this season really threw into focus how many of the more distinctive supporting characters were barely explored. Suletta’s bond with Earth House was a major plot point, but we barely know anything about most of them so it doesn't hit as hard as it should. Even Chuchu, who was one of the more developed ones, felt under-served as fan favorite. For instance, there were several bits where she entered the battle and it was treated like a big deal…and we didn’t even get to see her fight, presumably because the show didn’t have time. And it was worse for other characters- I couldn’t even tell you the names of most of the girl squad working with Shaddiq. They all had such potential as characters, I wish we'd gotten more of them. Things that should be impactful the narrative, like Miorine's dad and the consequences to his actions and what it means for their relationship, were barely explored (not that I'm all that interested in him, but it was weird after the emphasis the first season put on it).

No major balls were dropped in the conflict between the Spacians and Earthians, but it also felt like it got lost in the shuffle at times and I felt like the show could have had a clearer ideology. The “war is bad” and “exploitative corporations are bad” came through loud and clear, but it felt like some threads could have been followed up on more.

In hindsight, I was also disappointed how much of the season Suletta and Miorine spent separated- some of that was plot relevant, but some of it was just clearly so they could learn exposition separately, and considering how important the relationship was to the show, it felt like a waste.

A good chunk of screentime was also waited Guel’s brother, Lauda. While Guel’s arc was solid and he’s the character who changed the most throughout the show, his brother and his tendency to blame any woman Guel was standing near for all their problems was not compelling (Nanami did it better). So it felt like there was a conflict involving him just to give Guel something to do during the fighting and tie a bow on things. Even the characters involved admitted what happened was kind of dumb, and I would have liked to see one of the more interesting unexplored characters get development instead.

The finale was especially rushed, and while there were cool moments, I couldn’t really describe how the battle was fought, and even one of the characters in the show admits that certain plot developments don’t make sense. I also couldn’t tell you exactly how exactly the villain’s big plan worked, which is kind of important!

You just had to be like “oh okay, well, pretty lights, stuff happened, don’t know why that was a thing, that was the power of love I guess, I’ll just soak up the vibes.” Which isn’t the end of the world, a lot of anime does that, but it stuck out because all the battles before that had their fantastical mechanics (mostly) clearly explained, There were also several reconciliations I would have been more okay with if the show had spent more time on what the messy process of repairing that broken trust looked like, but because it didn’t, it felt unearned.

And finally, the show spent a lot of time talking about a huge romantic event and in the end we…didn’t see it. It’s made clear it happened off screen, but the fact we didn’t see the event the show itself made such a big deal about felt like a let-down and even a bit of a cop-out, if I’m being honest. I get that outside forces may have been responsible, but it doesn't change my disappointment.

Basically what most of the complaints amount to is that I really enjoy this show, but I feel it needed to be longer than it was. At the very least, the events of the final episode could have used two episodes to unfold, so everything could be fully developed, and we could fully see how the characters ended up where they were. But ideally…Gundam series are typically 50 episodes, and I feel like this show might have been better served as a show of that length (or even 37 episodes/3 seasons). This show had a huge cast, a huge world, and a lot going on. I think we needed to spend a lot more time with the characters to get to know their backstories, personalities and agendas. I would have loved some “filler” episodes focusing on a minor character, or Suletta and Miorine going on a disastrous date.

However, overall I was satisfied with the ending. I came out feeling like a winner. It was fun, a lot of the characters ended up where I wanted them to be, and I liked how things turned out. There was an acknowledgement that a corrupt system of war profiteering and exploitation could not be taken down in one stroke, but that our heroes were going to keep fighting. I dearly want a slice of life following all these people at the end of the day, and my investment in the characters is a sign of a job well done.

The show also continued to treat it’s array of fat characters with respect, and it had some good disability representation as well, highlighting some disabled people leading fulfilling and joyful lives.

I really wish G-Witch could have been the absolute best version of itself. But the version we got is still pretty great. I definitely had a fantastic time with the show, was often touched by it, and I’ll carry the excellent characters with me for a long while. The textual romance between two female leads in a mainstream franchise like Gundam is a monumental achievement, and the show handled the relationship well. I hope its success opens the door for more like it. We deserve more stories like this- stories of all genres where queer people are important and get to go on grand adventures, are protagonists, are a normal part of the setting, where we see the kind of people anime usually ignores (fat people, non-Japanese people of color, queer people and disabled people...) are treated with respect, where the story embraces all even as it explores injustice. G-witch is an important step, and I’m sure it will be remembered fondly for years to come. And I sure wouldn’t say no to an OVA to fill in some of the blanks.

[wilcze-kudly]

I read about your "Avatar Bolin AU" and I got curious. And what would the end of season 3 and the whole season 4 be like? (+2 season, if you want, although Bolin would really not trust Unalaq-) Is Bolin still poisoned? Who is working for Kuvira now? By the way, I really liked your idea and the idea of ​​"Someone is the Avatar, and Korra is not"

Huh that's actually very interesting. I think B3 would still go similarly, though I'm also 50/50 if Zaheer could even carry Bolin's beefy boy ass like he did with Korra.

I feel like our short king would struggle lmao

Though if we really wanna divert from canon, I can see Bolin being more receptive to Zaheer's rethoric due to having seen what the Earth Queen's rule has done to his own family and also because of his own upbringing disillusioning him towards governments and law enforcement, since republic city officilas apparently did fuck all about the many orphans.

It could provide some interesting drama between Bolin and Mako who probably might make a bond with Lin. Not sure if Mako would become a detective in this AU, probably feeling a lot of need to protect his brother.

Also the conversation between Zaheer and Bolin would be so funny.

Zaheer: we want to help the common people by removing leaders from power

Bolin: ok. Yay ❤️

Zaheer:*whispering to P'Li* what do I do now

I would also like to still see Bolin and Ghazan have that weird bantery mentor/student thing and maybe even expand on it.

LET THEM BE HOMIES LET GHAZAN BE BOLIN'S COOL WEIRD CRIMINAL UNCLE IT'S ALL I ASK

So I could see the Red Lotus storyline going completely differently depending on how much the Red Lotus would change their approach to Bolin. Since I'm not even sure they got arrested in this AU bcs in canon they were captured during their attempt at kidnapping Korra. So they might be mildly saner in this AU lol, or at least be more understanding of Bolin since it's not like he ever "had a chance" to join them.

It would also be an interesting look into them and how dedicated they are to their ideology. Since they wanted to kill the Avatar in order to stop the Avatar Cycle but Bolin being an Avatar more open to their ideas might cause them to think more about this. Maybe they'd even be divided with, for example, Zaheer trying to continue the mission of poisoning Bo, while maybe Ghazan would feel more conflicted and perhaps even consider other options.

So perhaps Bolin still gets poisoned but this time Ghazan (and maybe Ming-Hua, depending on who she sides with) would try and help him.

I imagine Bolin would still need a lot of time, just like Korra, to recover and he would be in the South Pole a lot. I imagine Mako would be with him, as his brother. So would Korra, whom I imagine as Katara's apprentice in this AU. I would love to imagine some Katara and Bolin interactions bcs I think that they're actual pretty similar in many aspects.

Katara and Bolin paralleling each other

Discussion of Mako and Sokka's similarities vs Bolin and Katara's similarities.

Long ass post on these two pairs of siblings

I think Bolin would be more willing to accept other people's help than Korra, so he could recover emotionally more quickly, bit I think he'd still be very wary and more insecure in himself. Maybe he'd really fall wayyy to deep into his coping mechanism and rely on people directing him even more than usual and the plot of B4 is him finally becoming more independent.

I actually find Asami working with Kuvira very interesting. I don't think she'd work directly under Kuvira, but she could be sort of a business partner, supplying weapons and mechas to the Earth Empire. And then having a crisis when those weapons are eventually used against Repuvlic City because she should rethink being a war profiteer tbh.

I also think it would be interesting to see Bolin interact with Kuvira in an AU where she hasn't been manipulating him for years. Since he has a more personal connection to the Earth Kingdom than Korra. Also, since I want Wei to be Bolin's romantic interest in this AU (bcs I'm me), I think this would provide an interesting extra layer of drama lol. Let Wei radicalise Bolin against Kuvira it's the right thing to do.

I honestly really like this AU bcs Bolin would be a fascinating Avatar due to his past.

And I love Korra as the avatar but girlie deserves a break lol.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Asks Masterpost

Arranged in chronological order for (hopefully) convenience. :)

For my analyses and other posts, check out my pinned post here.

Dead Apple comes before Cannibalism arc (BSD)

Stormbringer comes before Dragon's Head Conflict (BSD)

Local Cryptid Mori (BSD)

Chuuya's Relevance to the Main Manga (BSD)

Chuuya and Dazai Outfit Changes (BSD)

Chuuya loses his coat around Dazai (BSD)

Interpretations of Chuuya losing his coat Pt. 1 (BSD)

Interpretations of Chuuya losing his coat Pt. 2 (BSD)

Dazai loses his coat as he runs to Odasaku (BSD)

Chapter 101: Chuuya will be fine (BSD)

Fyodor underestimates Chuuya (BSD)

Poking Mori with a stick (BSD)

Random Yokomizo and Mushitarou thoughts (BSD)

Mushitarou Thoughts and Contrasts with Ango (BSD)

Chuuya is intelligent (BSD)

Kunikida and Akutagawa stalemate in Entrance Exam (BSD)

Natsume Thoughts (BSD)

Aquarium Mayoi Chuuya (BSD)

Timeline Clarification for DoA and Meursault arc (BSD)

Thoughts on "Dazai is the Book" theory (BSD)

Kafkaesque (BSD)

Enneagrams for Dazai, Yosano, Akutagawa, Atsushi, Kyouka, and Tachihara (BSD)

Pushkin and Meursault (BSD)

Chuuya and Water Motifs (BSD)

Shouldn't the Special Division know where the Book is? (BSD)

Rimbaud and Verlaine as a generation of skk (BSD)

Could No Longer Human have been transferred to Dazai? (BSD)

Onsen Drama CD discussion (BSD)

Is the Book's manipulation of reality flawed? (BSD)

Is Dazai's real name Shuuji? (BSD)

Kouyou and Kyouka's abilities cannot form a singularity (BSD)

Was Dazai's ability given to him by the Book? (BSD)

Is the anime set in a different universe to the manga? (BSD)

Dazai's distant, well-adjusted cousin Shuuji (BSD)

Location of Chuuya's hat in Fifteen and Stormbringer (BSD)

Nikolai's speech is narrated by the page (BSD)

Clarification of the Russian writing on the note Sigma found (BSD)

Who could've bitten Chuuya? (BSD)

Stampede Vash thoughts and picking sides (Trigun)

Anti-Katai Fyodor ability theory (BSD)

Differences between "real" and parallel "Book" worlds (BSD)

"The Double" and potential Fyodor connection (BSD)

Tanizaki development and observations (BSD)

How I do my analyses (not fandom)

Who left the note? (BSD)

Thoughts on Dazai attacking the cop in Side B (BSD)

Skk - Who's the dog, really? (BSD)

Atsushi and Sigma parallels (BSD)

Chuuya's friend-making method (BSD)

Is Q coming back? (BSD)

Ace and Dazai parallels (BSD)

Thoughts on Atsushi not resisting Akutagawa's bite (BSD)

Angel and demon comparisons (BSD)

Atsushi as the Key, Dazai as the Seal... (BSD)

Protagonist Switch with Chuuya and Dazai? (BSD)

Possibility of Akutagawa leaving PM after DoA arc? (BSD)

Possibility of Agency abilities going haywire after Fukuzawa's death (BSD)

When did Dazai learn Chuuya was not a vampire? (BSD)

Ending of Meursault arc thoughts (BSD)

Did Bones change the script for S5 finale? (BSD)

Gide vs Oda, Fyodor vs Dazai (BSD)

Workaholic Chuuya (BSD)

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Rose Reads Love In The Big City

Part II

For now I'm only focusing of question 3.

The narrator has an emotionally difficult relationship with his mother. Why do you think the narrator intercut the relationship with his mother with the relationship with this boyfriend?

My brain is all over the place so I apologize if this doesn't make as much sense as it should.

I think there are a lot of parallels between these 2 relationships in the mind of the narrator. The biggest thing I found in common in these two relationships are the conflicting feelings the narrator seems to have.

I think the passage “was old enough to know that my mother did not exist solely to hinder my existence, but was a person in her own right who had fought hard making her way through life” is a good representation of this dichotomy. He resents her in many ways and yet he chooses to also represent both sides of her. This is his story, and so many times I wonder if I, as a reader, am getting an accurate representation of events. And yet, with his Umma and also his boyfriend he feels the need to at times, defend them right after he attacks them with his words.

With Hyung this internal conflict seems even less nuanced, as he insults him in the middle of grandiose love declarations. The way he immediately put Hyung on a pedestal and himself several steps below ground, was a big neon sign for me. And as the love obsession grew, so did the internal conflict. Because after the physical attraction, the more he knew about Hyung the harsher his words to describe him became. My own thoughts about Hyung were definitely put into a different perspective when I read @doyou000me post giving me the historical context that he talked about. But honestly I could relate to the author whenever Hyung said something really “deep” about the universe or, you know, fish, because I found myself rolling my eyes. And yet, as much as the author seems to detest him at times, calling him a bastard he was also, in his own words “ready to change my entire belief system for him”.

I kept thinking, why are you so obsessed with this guy? He seems like a dick honestly and granted I can’t see him, but is he really that pretty? That it’s worth all this? But given how this relationship started, I don’t think it was so much about Hyung’s looks, as it was about the narrator’s lack of self esteem and his loneliness. Like the cliché, he’s not in love with him, he’s in love with love. He’s in love with the idea of belonging to someone else. Of being in a relationship. This becomes even more obvious just before the break up when he writes “I was enamored by this image of myself cooking for him”.

I could argue that both the relationships are about being wanted/needed, more than about his feelings towards either person.

There’s another parallel that I found that’s been rattling in my brain but I still can’t articulate well enough to write about it. Maybe someone else can give it a go. Or maybe I'll came back to it later.

Something something about Hyungs obssession with American Imperialism and being watched, and something about his mother’s religious beliefs. The contempt he feels about both of these things is similar.

I mean, he calls her church “ the source of all evil rumour in this world” and mocks Hyung’s fear of being monitored. Even before all this talk about his past, just the way Hyung speaks makes the narrator think cult at one point. And then with the discovery of his browser history relating homosexuality with disease, there’s a parallel to the Leviticus passage that his mum passes to him in a note.

Anyway these are my first thoughts about this chapter.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Colours in Our Skyy 2 Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars ep 2

With this first crossover ep and the whole thing set in Chiang Mai/Pha Pun Dao, I was interested to see whether the colours I had interpreted in Bad Buddy would continue. @respectthepetty has written a great post on the use of lighting in atots, but I didn't pay as much attention to the lighting in this crossover to be able to say whether it's been consistent here too (maybe they will!).

I did notice, however, that the villagers wore a lot of blue and red (although a quick scan of atots reminded me that they wore a lot of those colours in that series too...although weighted more on the blue side).

Hello Toto and sound-booth-guy! (I think he had a name but I couldn't find it again). Also, I think they raided the wardrobe for Aou in Vice Versa for Pat's Chiang Mai clothes - why has he gone from sleeveless shirts in BBS to pocketed vests in OS2?!

Beyond all the blue and red, the other colours featured as well...starting with Pran in an orange shirt, which I said I would talk about in my ep 1 post. I love the idea that the orange might be a reference to Ink and how she entered Pat and Pran's story as a potential faen fatale in ep 4 of BBS. Initially, Pran regarded her cautiously as a love interest for Pat and similarly in Our Skyy 2 Pran is first looked upon warily by Tian as someone suspiciously close to Phupha (the children don't help by saying Pran is Phupha's boyfriend). This leads me back the tent in ep 1, and the orange there could also have been a nod to the faen fatale character - of Wai coming between the couple by being mistaken by Pat for Pran. Anyway, note Pran's yellow socks below! He might have left Pat behind but his love for him is still with him.

Pran's orange could also have been a choice for Aof to create the wonderful parallel with Moonlight Chicken, of Mix's character being witness to the 'baby-gays', alongside Pat's blue striped top. But Tian's olive-green top (and Phupha's camouflage), suggests the conflict and hostility between both couples.

The next day, despite sabotaging Pran's attempts to get Phupha and Tian to make up, Pat is wearing a yellow top, perhaps proclaiming his love for Pran out loud. Pran, despite telling Pat he wanted to come alone and get the signatures without his help, is wearing Pat's colour - a loud proclamation itself. And we soon see that they have exchanged colours again, with Pat wearing Pran's colour close to his under his shorts (@dimplesandfierceeyes pointed out a great little parallel with this to BBS ep 7 here). Note also Pran's yellow socks again - maybe this is the start of them matching their tops and socks 🤭

Jumping back to the night before and the dark green and brown of their tops could symbolise their fight - their stubbornness to not give in to the other becomes an obstacle to their happiness and they go to sleep disgruntled with each other.

But then the next night is a different matter, when they *ahem* test the structural integrity of the hut... Pat's love for Pran makes him always want to help Pran, seen in the yellow of his top, and they end up unified again (shaking the hut) as symbolised by all the teal and mint green (do we include the Nong Nao mask in this? 😄).

The next day, Pran is in his own red, perhaps feeling back to himself again after pulling away from Pat...and Pat is confusedly in the strange 'Aou from Vice Versa' outfit above 🤷🏽‍♀️ (sometimes clothes are just clothes 😏) Later, Pran wears yellow stripes (in front of a yellow lantern) whilst singing about his and Pat's love. Pat's also in stripes and the blue could add to his confidence as the 'engineering top-notch'. The green, however, is quite neutral - a 'primary' green, neither good (lime, mint, or teal) nor bad (forest/olive), and maybe this alludes to the draw he eventually has with Phupha and that the outcome of their drinking was neither good nor bad.

Incidentally, I liked that Pat woke up on a bed of red, initially thinking he was with Pran, and on top of another mat that looks yellow and blue, and was covered by a blanket in his own blue. With the amount he loves Pran, it's not hard to see that he wouldn't have cheated on him, even blind drunk (the same maybe could be said for Phupha with Tian).

It was interesting that Phupha and Tian also wore teal whilst Pat and Pran were trying to get them back together...and they might have succeeded if it hadn't have been for the letter - perhaps Tian's olive green pants and Phupha's camouflage allude to this...or, going back to @respectthepetty's interpretation of lighting, the fact that the lighting is quite cold here could show that the night would not end well for them.

And so on to the brown on Yod and Kampung - perhaps showing Phupha yielding to Pat's challenge, and Pran yielding to Tian's desire to walk to Pha Pun Dao. It's a nice touch that it looks like Yod has a dark blue shirt over the top of his brown (whilst with Pat) and Kampung has the red jersey (whilst with Pran).

And lastly, we end on olive/brown and camouflage - symbolising the trouble ahead for both couples (and for our sanity) and the sacrifice that they might have to make. (Or, you know, it just makes sense for them to be wearing this because they're forest rangers 🤷🏽‍♀️).

[ep 1] [ep 2] [ep 3] [ep 4] (<- I'm being hopeful)

[houseofpendragons]

I'm sure you've seen this a thousand time before but I hate that they made Aegon a rapist!!!

I love what they did with the show, I loved every thing, and I mean everything...except how they handled Aegon's character. They had so much potential with his character like if this is a show about 2 opposing sides, the Fandom should be split and conflicted about who they want on the throne (I have to support Rhaenyra simply due to the fact that Aegon is a rapist; even though I was team black from the books anyways but you understand what I mean)

Theu could have made it so that he was back from a night of drinking & whoring at a brothel, or maybe some serving girl he got pregnant (as it was rumored that he had two bastard children in the same year the twins were born) is asking for money to support the baby and he says no, or my personal favorite make it so that Dyana didn't say no bc she felt like she HAD TO SAY YES bc he's a prince. Like make it a parallel to Rhaenyra/Ser Criston Cole situation (bc that's how I interpreted it. I saw him looking at that door like he was thinking bout bolting but it would have been her word against his and she was his Princess so he felt like he really had no choice)

I feel like we should have seen a lot of parallels between Rhaenyra and Aegon. She wants the throne but it is take away from her bc she is a woman, Aegon doesn't want the throne but it is forced upon him bc he's a male. All Rhaenyra wanted was for Viserys to see her when she was little, Aegon wants the same thing now or at least he used to. Just make it so that they find different ways to cope; hers are healthy and his are self destructive.

And don't get me started on that child fighting pit, like what was the point. I would have much rather it been just seeing the children around Kings Landing instead of that bs. Or if they did decide to do that make it so Daemon went to bc as much as I love him he wasn't all that good just as he wasn't all that bad either. Idk I even saw a spoiler at one point for episode 9 that turned out to be false and it said that Aegon was found hiding with one of his bastards and that would have been cool if earlier like I said he had sent said mother away when she asked for money but then found comfort with his bastard child.

I also like how Rhaenyra very much embraces the Targaryen customs and all that (same for Aemond) and Aegon seems genuinely disgusted with it like he cut his hair short in open rebellion and even seemed repulsed at the thought of marrying his sister and I think it's bc that's what he genuinely see her as, his sister.

I think they should have kept him pervy like how we saw with Ty Tennents Aegon, and then as the series goes on and he slowly starts to go insane he gradually gets worse and worse and could then become a rapist, again parallel Rhaenyra who also gets worse and worse with insanity due to all of her grief and is even compared to Maegor (maegor with teats). It says that no serving girl was safe bc he would pinch and fondle, not rape. Again should have waited until later in the series. Instead they went with mushrooms story, mushroom who was a) known to make stuff up and overly sexualize everything, and b) wasn't even in Kings Landing.

Okay that's all, it just really irks me. He and Rhaenyra should have been parallels (and maybe have had at least a conversation😭) so that you are conflicted over who you want to win and are equally devastated as we see them sink into insanity and bad morals and actions.

(Also I saw something that showed Aegon was staring at Daemon and rhaenyra during the dinner scene and when I saw that I thought it's bc that's what he longs for and something he will never have 😭)

[emblazons]

*rattles the bars of my cage*

Mike Wheeler's emotional/moral ambiguity actually makes him one of the more fascinating younger characters in this show. Why?

Because he isn't following the same simple linear narrative line that Will and El are because of their supernatural interactions, but rather existing as a special, third thing that often exists in contrast to the villains in the story, where he gets to be messy and confused and insecure—and where he has spent entire seasons moving in the direction of what has always been the true enemy of characters in Stranger Things: conformity—and STILL CHOOSE WHATS RIGHT. Y'all are just so used to caricatures in television / thinking that "heroes "& "villains" exist in two entirely separate, non-overlapping camps (rather than existing in shades of gray) that you over-simplfy him...and miss the forest for the trees.

Mike being the one who struggles most with conformity and wanting other people to fill the gaps of insecurity are why all those goddamn Brenner parallels exist. It's why Vecna, who is paralleled to El in many ways, said something to El when she was tied to that door about a "mediocre man looking for power in someone else great" and it applies as much to Mike calling her a Superhero 2 seconds later as it does Brenner trying to use her powers. It's why the tension between him trying to "act normal" / date El (who exists on a pedestal for him) and him being the kind/loyal nerd who exists in "being human" with Will does—that love triangle exists to showcase his flux between his two sides, the one that embraces himself and the one that follows the path of the things he's always been told to want (like S1 Jonathan/Nancy/Steve).

Its why Mike is such a confusing mix of heroic energy and an immature chaos—why his insecurities have pushed him into some oddly toxic mindsets even at a young age...like thinking "a girl" will solve all his insecurity problems which sounds a hell of a lot like beginning of modern incel thought processes if you want to get into it, but he was 12 so we'll let that go and why he seems so wishy-washy now. Mike is just now aware enough of how his desires compete within him (and how they affect the people around him) to start making a choice about how he will respond to them...but we had to present all the sides he was conflicted by first, because for him, those conflicts almost always come at him in the form of relationship, like it does in most of our own lives.

Mike is not "under-characterized." He is not "poorly written." He is written human in a space (and two people) steeped in the supernatural, and is learning to accept himself for who he is in the midst of that. He is messy and morally ambiguous at times just like his mother and sister—and more interesting for it, because he isn't so easy to pin down as an "everyman central protagonist" that way.

If anything, Mike as a character is harder to follow because he exists as an entirely relational character in a show that often allows you to easily put all its other characters into caricatures (aka the superhero (El), the gay kid (Will), the final girl (Nancy), the POC kid (Lucas), the Guy in the Chair (Dustin), etc) and why, as the character that required four entire seasons to be fleshed out, he will probably be as central in the final season as the first. Mike has always needed external action to move through character growth...and Vecna, the being literally designed to push people to their limits, is the way he will probably go through that.

By S5, he will have to face his ongoing confusions and fears (aka major insecurity) and come into himself...for the sake of himself, his party and the one he truly loves. Mike's ability to make mistakes over the course of five seasons and still make a difference to defeating the ultimate evil in real life (and not just in the games he played as a kid) is what will give him the courage to self-actualize, admit that he is important even surrounded by people "more special" than he is, and come into his own—while embracing what makes him different.

You don't have to like him. You don't have to relate to him or even enjoy what The Duffers have done with him as a character (or any character tbh). But damn if you're gonna roll up and act like he doesn't even have a character because he's not Will or Eleven LMAO

Sidebar: to all the people mad m*leven went romantic...Mike would have never been able to realize that a girl wouldn't solve his problems...without having ever been in a (however poorly executed) romantic relationship with one. As a character motivated to learn through interaction with other characters, Mike needed to experience for himself that El—or any girl, really—wasn’t ever going to fill the hole of his internal insecurities. If he never got the thing he thought would solve his problem, he would have either never grown...or fallen into resentment while in the closet even longer, like men do about that in literal real life. Just saying.

[remus-in-docs]

It is an ensemble show. But Polin are unique in the fact that we've known them for two seasons, and they've been those wallflowered side characters. So to 'lead', and still be pushed to the back for meaningless Mondrich and Benedict scenes doesn't quite cut it.

personally, i don't really see it this way for two reasons:

1. i feel like colin and penelope both had pretty prominent plotlines in seasons 1&2 compared to anthony in season 1. in season 1 colin's relationship with marina was an important plotline that took up quite a bit of time and had significant impacts on other plotlines that were occuring. penelope was of course also very involved in the marina situation, with a lot of time spent establishing their friendship and how that led her to feel conflicted about the whole baby trapping thing. in season 2 penelope and colin were a little less plot heavy, with penelope mostly pining after him and trying to dissuade eloise from pursuing whistledown. i would argue that the impact of penelope exposing eloise in whistledown and their subsequent fight does not reflect a character that has been sidelined. i will agree that from my memory colin wasn't doing much except setting up his desire for purpose and his insecurities and being apart of that awful lord featherington plotline. meanwhile anthony from season 1 was really important in the first 2-3 episodes in ruining daphne's prospects. after that he was not really doing much other than having his relationship with that opera singer whose name i can't even remember after watching the show several times. his friendship with simon creates some contention but is ultimately not the main issue in their relationship. so all that to say: i think they have all been treated pretty equally as side characters until their leading seasons.

2. assuming you're talking about benedict's threesome scenes, i personally did not find them to be meaningless. do i think they could have been cut together better? sure. but i also am a huge fan of pan benedict and think he needed a little time to explore this new aspect of his identity especially if his season is next. even removing the fact that it's important queer rep, i don't see how it's any different than anthony and that opera singer in season 1? bridgerton loves to give their leads a low stakes relationship so that we can experience the character's "aha" moment when they realize that their connection with the other lead is true love.

i honestly didn't love what they did with the mondriches. i feel like they could have made a really interesting parallel between will and penelope's perception of their work and how it affects their relationships but they didn't commit to it. so i did feel like that was kind of a waste even though i love them

[gaysindistress]

Soldat - one

summary: After finally settling down in Louisiana with Sam, Bucky thinks he’s finally free. Unbeknownst to him, there’s an organization who’s mission is take out all enhanced individuals and he’s their next target

pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader (code name is Elv)

warnings: cursing, Bucky’s smartass, angst, guns, violence,

word count: 2.3k

Series masterlist

translations: they all come from google so if they’re wrong, please let me know!

Hvilen kommer når ondskapen er borte: Rest will come when evil is gone

dejevler: devils

disclaimer: credits to original creator/poster of image/gif. found on google/Pinterest

Snowflakes flutter down around her hidden form in the tree stand, her cold breath creating a fog in front of her as she steadies her breath and looks through the scope. The target hasn’t moved from his table in the last fifteen minutes, making their job easier and boring. The goal is to take the man out with one shot and slip away without being seen. Off to her side in another tree is one of her partners, the other sitting in the café to keep a close eye on their target. Each woman acts in parallel, never making a move without the others and all maintain the same patterns as if one machine. 

“Elv are you in position?” crackles through her ear piece. 

“Yes,” she mutters back.

“Five seconds until go.”

5

She takes a deep breath. 

4

Her heart rate slows to a steady pace. 

3

One eye closes to focus on the target through her scope. 

2

Her finger gets ready to squeeze the trigger. 

1

The target crumbles to the ground as the barrel smokes through the white landscape. 

She slips the gun back through her hiding spot as the cafe’s inhabitants start to create chaos. Slinging the gun across her back, she descends down the tree as her partner does the same. Their boots hit the ground as the third leaves the café. All three move in step together as they walk to their vehicle amongst the chaos of people running for help. The car doors slam shut once the sirens start to race down the street. Engine roaring to life, they speed off away from the scene as the shooter takes off her weapon and replaces it in the case that lays in the trunk. 

As if one mind, the women remove their beanies and masks, uniform braids dropping against their tactile vest clad shoulders. If someone were to look in their car, they would think the trio were one person mirrored three times with how in sync they are and uniform their outfits are. Their organization, the Voktere, preferred it that way; no difference between each member. Difference led to conflict and they reserved their conflict for their enemies. 

“We have a new target,” the passenger announces. 

“Already?” the shooter says as she finishes putting the gun away, locks clicking into place to ensure a secure closure. 

“Hvilen kommer når ondskapen er borte,” the driver recites effortlessly. 

“Hvilen kommer når ondskapen er borte,” the shooter repeats along with the passenger before posing another question, “Who is it?”

“The Winter Soldier.”

“The Winter Soldier?” the shooter parrots, settling into the backseat with her gloved hands tucked into the sides of her vest. 

“It’s an American enhanced soldier. It was taken by Hydra during the 40s and turned into a walking weapon however it was freed maybe ten years ago. We haven’t been able to get a secure location until recently. Our new intel points to Louisiana as its current location; it looks like the target has finally settled down so now is our chance to take it out.”

The shooter slowly nods her along with the information, taking it all in as she preps a mental plan for the best way to achieve their objection. The women in the front continue on their conversation, rattling off facts about the target as they do at the start of every mission. The Voktere are thorough with their investigations, gathering every piece of intel that could be useful from the appearance of the target to their medical history to find physical weaknesses. This target is slightly unusual however; the enhancing serum and prosthetic arm giving him an advantage they haven’t been up against before. 

“When do we leave?”

The passenger answers over her shoulder, “We’ll have two hours after we arrive at hq. They want us in America ASAP just in case the target takes off again.”

“And who is coming?”

“The three of us.”

“Good,” the shooter sinks back to rest her head against the seat as she speaks again, “No Fjell.”

“Fjell is a good fighter. You’d be lucky to have her on your team, Elv,” the driver chides.

Elv, the shooter, rolls her eyes and closes them to take a nap so she doesn’t have to keep listening to the two women fawn over the famed Fjell, who is every bit of her name; a tall standing mountainous woman who has a habit of sabotaging Elv when they’re on missions together. The other two women do persist in their lecture but she tones it out, praying for sleep to overcome her so she doesn’t have to endure the nonsense they are spewing. 

She is awoken by the slowing of the vehicle as it comes to a stop in front of a metal gate. Confirmations of their identities are made by the gatekeeper, another Voktere member, and she waves the car forward as she buzzes the gate open. The familiar driveway is covered in tall and looming trees to provide aerial coverage from anyone who might attempt to spy on them. The concrete compound comes into view from beyond the trees as the car rolls closer. Their headquarters is designed to look like an abandoned boat shed however inside an entire training and living facility is housed. 

Elv sits back in her seat when she spots their commander standing at the front doors, file in hand and waiting for their arrival. The car stops and the three women file out, weapon cases in hand as they cite their motto in greeting to their commander. 

“Hvilen kommer når ondskapen er borte,” the four women say in unison before the commander starts speaking, “Good work with the last target; quick and efficient. The next target will require the same level of work, perhaps more. It is more skilled and stronger than previous targets. Given its enhanced status, Fjell and her team will be on stand by if needed. Both teams will travel to Louisiana and work together but yours will be one sent in for the final objective.”

Elv hides the wrinkling of her nose at the mention of Fjell’s team joining them. Of course the brute of a woman would be joining them and if Elv’s team isn’t careful, Fjell would take over the mission and claim the win. The commander, an older woman with her rich, dark hair arranged in a tight braid, spots the sign of disgust and gives her a sharp look. 

“Something the matter, Soldat Elv?”

“Nothing, Kommandør Eik,” Elv’s body straightens at being directly addressed. 

Kommandør Eik’s dark eyes flicker down her body to assess her soldier's stance before meeting eyes again and nodding to release Elv. She hands the file to the driver as she leads the women into the compound. 

“This contains everything you’ll need for the mission. You’ll have three days once you land in America. Here,” she points to the page the driver has opened to, “is the photo of the target. I suggest all three of you make an execution plan, this target will not go down easily, which is why Fjell will be on standby waiting for your signal. Do not let the target see you or otherwise know of your existence. Its ability to take out entire teams single handedly is well documented. Your best chance will be to conduct a covert operation so it has no time to plan an escape.”

The heavy boots fall in step with each other as the sounds ricochet off the concrete and steel walls. As they make their way into the main room of the compound, Fjell and her team come into view as they’re preparing for their departure. Scattered across steel tables are various weapons and necessary tools ranging from small hideable knives to guns of various sizes. Fjell is ordering her team around, telling them what needs to be packed and what can stay while her thick brows furrowed in concentration. A sly smile falls upon her freckled face when she spots the incoming women. 

“Bregne, Selje, Elv,” she addresses the driver, passenger, and shooter respectively as she jumps down from the table she was standing on. The harsh light of the room does nothing to hide the contempt she has for them in her cruel light eyes. She stops short of the commander to recite the motto and begins explaining that her team is almost ready for departure. 

“We have almost finished our preparations. We’ll be ready within the hour.”

Kommandør Eik nods in appreciation then turns to the three women at her side, “I told you that you’d have two hours but it’ll be one hour instead. We have no time to waste.” 

She recites the motto then spins on her heel to leave the two teams to discuss their mission. Fjell smirks at the three as Kommandør Eik exits, arms crossed over her chest. 

“I think we should get it over now; you’re going to need my team. You’re not going to be able to handle the target on your own.”

Bregne, the white blonde driver, scoffs at her statement, “We are perfectly capable of handling this alone. Kommandør Eik is only sending you in as well because you complain about never having hard enough missions.”

“Or she doesn’t think you can do it. We’ll see who comes out of this in one piece,” she taunts, eyeing the trio and turning back to her team to order them to go back to their living quarters to get their personal belongings together, “You better go. We leave in 50 minutes.”

Selje shakes her head at the display of dominance, the action letting a few loose curls fall from her once taunt braid, “Maybe we should call her in and let the target dispatch her so we don’t have to deal with her insufferable attitude anymore.”

The suggestion earns her a hit to the arm from Bregne and a lecture about how, even if they can’t stand Fjell, she is still a Voktere and wishing for her death or injury is strictly against their code. Harm shall only be wished against the evil in the world; evil like their target. 

“Hvilen kommer når ondskapen er borte,” as their motto goes. 

Rest will come when evil is gone

From the moment they are born, they are told stories of how the djevler, those with unnatural abilities, are created to destroy this world. They are taught of the different kinds of djevler, some born and others made, and how to eradicate them for the good of humanity. Djevler are not human and should not be treated as such, they are animals, demons, and devils. They are referred to as targets because they’re the targets of their mission to erase them. While their mission is usually one they do not take part in for others, they will take on targets given to them from outside sources. Most of their targets are found by the Voktere themselves however the Winter Soldier is one that was given to them. 

Kommandør Eik had received an anonymous package that contained a letter about the enhanced individual and how vital it was that the Voktere make it their next target. Also included was a picture and coordinates for its current location. Considering how violent this individual seemed to be, it made the most sense that Elv, Bregne, and Selje be the assigned team. They worked exceptionally well together and had the highest success rate while assigned together. Fjell and her team, on the other hand, were more experienced with enhanced targets hence why they had also been assigned. They had just returned from an assignment that targeted the newly appointed Captain America, John Walker. The two teams’ rivalry hadn’t gone unnoticed by Kommandør Eik, however she had hoped that appointing them to the same mission would bring them together. If anything they could enjoy their success and ensuing celebration as one and maybe put whatever grievance they had aside. 

Her wish may be just that; a wishful thought because the current tension in the plane is so thick, you wouldn’t be able to see through it if it were fog. With her team beside her, Fjell sits across from Bregne, icy eyes staring daggers into her as she plans how she can insert her team into this mission and bench the other team. Selje and Elv are taking a nap, hands holding onto their chest straps and heads lolled forward. Kommandør Eik would lecture them about it if she were here however she is not and their captain Bregne does not care. She would be sleeping herself if the conniving Fjell wasn’t attempting to kill her with one glance. 

“What’s the plan when we drop in?” She asks with malicious lacing her voice. 

“Scout the last known location and find vantage points. From there I’ll assess the best plan of action. I will have you waiting close by if things go south but do not make a move without my cue. It’s been made very clear that this target is extremely skilled and deadly so any mistake could be disastrous.” 

“Wouldn’t it be wiser for us all to be in action?” 

“No,” the plane rocks with turbulence, waking the two girls and pausing Bregne before she starts again, “it’ll be too many people, too many factors to account for. The three of us know how the others inside and out. It’ll be easier to call for backup than relocate the target.” 

The co-pilot makes an appearance at the door leading to the cockpit to tell the teams they’re about to land and to prepare for immediate unloading. 

Fjell whispers one last warning to her as she leans forward, “We both know only of our teams is going to make it out alive and when it’s mine that does, I’ll be the one to tell Kommandør Eik how you folded under the pressure, unable to be a true Voktere.” 

[randomthefox]

Not only is it not really possible for the Sonic 3 movie to adapt the story of Sonic Adventure 2 in a runtime that'd be anything less than five hours and that assuming they don't insert stupid B plots about the human characters that nobody gives a shit about (seriously 30 minutes of Sonic 2s screentime was dedicated to that stupid wedding where Sonic characters weren't even on screen to interact with it), but they honestly shouldn't even try even if it were theoretically possibly. Because the plot of Sonic Adventure 2 would not work as a movie. Or cartoon show. Sonic X proved that. It can ONLY work as a video game.

The entire narrative is ABOUT these two competing factions running in parallel conflict with each other. Have you ever watched any of those fan edits of SA2 that try to play out the entire story across both campaigns in chronological order? It actually doesn't really work at all and is a complete clusterfuck. Those same fan edits that play out Sonic Adventure 1 in chronological order actually work way better despite the fact that game has SIX different stories that overlap roshambo style.

This plot isn't MEANT to be experienced that way. It's not a story that works by switching back and forth between the Hero and Dark perspectives. It's more like a music tape with an A side and a B side. You're MEANT to experience the entire A side album from start to end, then flip the tape and listen to the B side album from start to end. Not switch back and forth. You're MEANT to play through the entire Hero or Dark side story to the ending, then flip to the other campaign and play through to the ending. Either order can work though in my personal opinion you're supposed to do Hero first.

A movie literally cannot do this. And an effort to MAKE that story work AS a movie would leave so much on the cutting room floor that it'd end up being incomprehensible and rushed and make no sense.

Sonic 3 is going to do exactly what they should do: take the broad stroke elements of Shadows backstory into account, and then for the most part do their own thing with how the story actually plays out. If you go in expecting ANYTHING even remotely resembling an adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2s story up to and including the ARK being involved, you're going to be disappointed. And I'm going to laugh at you.

[lgbtqmanga]

New Releases Feb. 6, 2024

Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! vol. 4 by Kuro Itsuki

On the hunt for long-lost love, Asumi has devoted her time to visiting brothel after brothel. She has no idea that her antics are making Nanao more suspicious of her by the minute. Nanao, determined to find out if Asumi is a lesbian call girl herself, makes a booking with a girl to find out the truth. Instead, she opens a door to further misunderstandings. Exactly where is their relationship headed?

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (manhua) vol. 5 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and Luo Di Cheng Qiu

Seeking the truth behind Xiao Xingchen’s death, Wei Wuxian uses the dangerous power of “Empathy” to gaze into the past. He discovers that years ago, the newly blinded Xiao Xingchen journeyed to the remote countryside, where he and a girl named A-Qing became inseparable. Unfortunately, the peace they found together did not last—everything changed after they saved a mortally wounded man. That man was Xue Yang, a villain who used charm to hide his bitterly cold heart. Weaving a web of lies and deceit, Xue Yang joined their quiet life while secretly scheming for a bloody encounter between old friends and foes!

Magic Knight Rayearth vol. 2 by CLAMP

Three girls who couldn't be more different meet on a school trip to Tokyo Tower--and find themselves beamed into a parallel world called Cefiro, where the mysterious Pillar has recruited them to avert a calamity! With the help of a motley troop of rogues and wizards, they will unlock the power of three transforming giant dragons known as Rune Gods and rush to the Pillar's aid...but there's more going on at the heart of Cefiro than they know!

The Moon on a Rainy Night vol. 3 by Kuzushiro

Saki and Kanon are walking around town when a sudden gust blows some flyers for a hair salon toward them. The two girls gather them up and return them to the owner, a salon apprentice, who unexpectedly asks Saki if she would come to the salon to sit for a test cut. Saki agrees, and when she visits the salon later that week, the young stylist recounts a story about a “friend” who fell in love with one of her female classmates during their school days. Could she be trying to tell Saki something...?

Saki’s confusion about her feelings for Kanon only deepens when Kanon ends up spending the night due to a situation at home. As the two girls are lying in bed facing each other, Kanon tells Saki about her conflicting dreams for the future: she wants to live on her own someday, but she also wants someone around whom she can count on...someone like Saki. Kanon drifts off to sleep, but Saki remains awake long into the night, wrestling with the turmoil within her. All she knows is that she can’t go on like this much longer...

Pulse vol. 6 by Ratana Satis

Lynn’s surgery has begun, and Mel is right by her side, assisting with the operation. Things are going smoothly—until the director hears that Mel has postponed her surgeries so she can operate on her girlfriend. The tension sky rockets in an already tense situation as Sue bursts in on the operation and orders Mel to leave the room immediately. With Lynn’s heart literally on the line, Mel is forced to choose between giving in to her ex’s orders and seeing her girlfriend’s surgery through to the end.

There's No Freaking Way I'll Be Your Lover! Unless… vol. 4 by Teren Mikami and Musshu

Still fake-dating Satsuki, Renako finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle between herself and the two starlets of Ashigaya High. As their conflict reaches its peak, and Satsuki’s true feelings towards Mai begin to emerge, Renako suggests a three-way battle to save her clique, her peaceful high-school life, and above all, her friends’ relationship!