#Vol 150

[lansyuan]

guess who started reading sha po lang!!!

[intomybubble]

I finally paid shipping on my neokyo order and it was $116 ㅠㅠ

[spookyfoxdreamer]

[animusrox]

TOP 10

Past Lives

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Poor Things

Oppenheimer

Barbie

BlackBerry

The Holdovers

The Iron Claw

Killers of the Flower Moon

MY LETTERBOXD Grade A 11.    The Killer 12.    Beau Is Afraid 13.    Dream Scenario 14.    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 15.    Godzilla Minus One 16.    American Fiction 17.    They Cloned Tyrone 18.     Evil Dead Rise 19.    Eileen 20.    The Artifice Girl 21.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 22.    Talk to Me 23.    Reality 24.    Leave the World Behind 25.    A Thousand and One 26.    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 27.    Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. 28.    Theater Camp 29.   Carmen 30.    Merry Little Batman 31.    Priscilla 32.    Society of the Snow 33.    Infinity Pool 34.    Enys Men 35.    Sanctuary 36.    Rye Lane 37.    Skinamarink 38.    Monster 39.    Anatomy of a Fall 40.    Landscape with Invisible Hand 41.    Reptile 42.    Sisu 43.    Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game 44.    No One Will Save You 45.    Tetris 46.    May December 47.    The Zone of Interest 48.    V/H/S/85 49.    Dumb Money 50.    El Conde 51.    Arnold 52.    Maestro 53.    Napoleon 54.    20 Days in Mariupol 55.    Influencer 56.    The Creator 57.    Origin 58.    Thanksgiving 59.    Next Goal Wins 60.    The Boy and the Heron 61.    Bottoms 62.    Wonka

[Press Keep Reading For The Full Graded List]

Grade B

63.   God Is a Bullet 64.    No Hard Feelings 65.    Joy Ride 66.    Fair Play 67.     Cocaine Bear 68.    NYAD 69.    Asteroid City 70.    Nowhere 71.    The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster 72.    Divinity 73.    The Equalizer 3 74.    The Last Voyage of the Demeter 75.    Venus 76.    Butcher’s Crossing 77.    Somewhere in Queens 78.    The Persian Version 79.    Boston Strangler 80.    Polite Society 81.    Miguel Wants to Fight 82.    The Color Purple 83.    The Royal Hotel 84.    Saw X 85.    All of Us Strangers 86.    Fallen Leaves 87.    Ferrari 88.    Elemental 89.    Peter Pan & Wendy 90.    Renfield 91.    Cat Person 92.    Scream VI 93.    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 94.    BS High 95.    Blue Beetle 96.    Huesera: The Bone Woman 97.    When Evil Lurks 98.    Dark Harvest 99.    A Good Person 100.    Final Cut 101.    Knock at the Cabin 102.    Quiz Lady 103.    Leo 104.    Air 105.    The Super Mario Bros. Movie 106.    Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham 107.    John Wick: Chapter 4 108.    Beaten to Death 109.    The Wrath of Becky 110.    Passages 111.    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 112.    Gran Turismo 113.    65 114.    Sick 115.    Sister Death 116.    The Blackening 117.    Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain 118.    Flamin’ Hot 119.    Nimona 120.    Cobweb 121.    Totally Killer 122.    What’s Love Got to Do with It? 123.     Sharper 124.    Unseen 125.    Dunki 126.    Bird Box Barcelona 127.    The Marvels 128.    Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Grade C

129.   Wildflower 130.    Freelance 131.    M3GAN 132.    Strays 133.    Sympathy for the Devil 134.    Creed III 135.    Chevalier 136.    The Marsh King’s Daughter 137.    A Haunting in Venice 138.    The Little Mermaid 139.    Silent Night 140.    Master Gardener 141.    The Flash 142.    Fast X 143.    The Pope’s Exorcist 144.    Saltburn 145.    Kandahar 146.    Stand 147.    Plane 148.   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 149.    Fingernails 150.    Quicksand 151.    Fool’s Paradise 152.    Migration 153.    Rustin 154.    The Covenant 155.    Good Burger 2 156.    The Pod Generation 157.    Alice, Darling 158.    Insidious: The Red Door 159.    Missing 160.    Shotgun Wedding 161.    You Hurt My Feelings 162.    The Boogeyman 163.    Showing Up 164.    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 165.    Champions 166.    Consecration 167.    The Nun II 168.    Biosphere 169.    House Party 170.    The Exorcist: Believer 171.    Big George Foreman 172.    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 173.    Children of the Corn 174.    The Beanie Bubble 175.    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Grade F

176.    Anyone But You 177.    Marlowe 178.    Paint 179.    Extraction 2 180.    It Lives Inside 181.    Deliver Us 182.    Trolls Band Together 183.    Finestkind 184.    Corner Office 185.    Wish 186.    Prisoner’s Daughter 187.    Pain Hustlers 188.    Foe 189.    The Mother 190.    Old Dads 191.    Ghosted 192.    Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken 193.    Haunted Mansion 194.    Mafia Mamma 195.    Five Nights at Freddy’s 196.    The Machine 197.    Justice League: Warworld 198.    We Have a Ghost 199.    What Comes Around 200.    Legion of Super-Heroes 201.    The Boys in the Boat 202.    Attachment 203.    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre 204.    About My Father 205.    You People 206.    Meg 2: The Trench 207.    Pathaan 208.    Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire 209.    Assassin 210.    Dalíland 211.    Vacation Friends 2

Bottom 10

212.    Sound of Freedom 213.    Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 214.    When You Finish Saving The World 215.    Heart of Stone 216.    Family Switch 217.    Expend4bles 218.    Sweetwater 219.    Hypnotic 220.    80 for Brady 221.    Spinning Gold

[tremendouslybeautifulsimz]

Music Tv Vol. 2

Under The Cut

New Mesh

300 Swatches (separated in 2 packages)

Functional As Radio

Deco Version

Music Included

*Since there are 150 swatches in each part I highly recommend scrolling through the swatches in build & buy so all of them will show*

Details

So The tv is functional as a radio so it gives the appearance that you actually have your Apple Music playing on the tv.

Now the lyrics DO NOT SCROLL like they do on apple products. It's for aesthetic purposes only.

There Will Be A Video Of How It Looks In Game On My Instagram

This Comes With a Functional & Deco Version. Music Is Also Included

Last but not least since you guys voted for a dump, I will not be doing any future volumes unless you guys' request for me to.

This separated in two packages so you guys will be able to see all swatches.

How To Make Sure The Music Plays Correctly In Game

Step 1: Put music in Hip-Hop folder.

Step 2: Go To Music Settings And Uncheck All Sims Music

Step 3: Only Your Music Should Play

Early Access, Public 1.11.24

Do Not Share My Content (Always Free After 2-3 Weeks except Blender content)

Recolors Allowed Do Not Include My Mesh

Do Not Use/Altar My Mesh To Make Your Own Content

DO NOT CONVERT TO ANY OTHER GAMES

Do NOT Share IN Discords, Facebook Groups or Give Away In CC Folders.

*STOP PUTTING MY CONTENT IN FOLDERS AND PUTTING THEM BEHIND A PAYPALL*

IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES PLEASE BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW VIA MY IG DMS!!!!

IF YOU USE ANY OF MY CC PLEASE TAG ME ON IG I WOULD

[profeminist]

"Jeannie Epper, who was a stunt double for Lynda Carter in the original “Wonder Woman” TV series and performed stunts in many movies and TV shows, died Sunday evening at her home in Simi Valley, Calif. She was 83.

Born in 1941, Epper went on to perform stunts on over 150 feature films like “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Kill Bill: Vol. 2,” “Flight” and many more.

She was featured in Amanda Micheli’s 2004 documentary film about stuntwomen, “Double Dare.” The movie followed Epper and fellow stuntwoman Zoë Bell over several years of their stunt work."

Read the full piece here: https://variety.com/2024/tv/people-news/jeannie-epper-dead-wonder-woman-stunt-double-1235992864/

[sparklecarehospital]

💕 Sparklecare update 💕

VOL 4: Pages 148-150✨ Link to update

🎨 Promo art by @reptilianrepscallion and @feiremoverr

✨ Patreon! ✨ Updates Mondays & Thursdays

[extraordinary-heroes]

Venom Vol. 1 #150 (Cover art by Adam Kubert)

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

“Yatagarasu” characters and their ages+ when the anime has begun *

Wakamiya/Nazukihiko, 16/17 years old (from the novel Vol 2) upon meeting Yukiya; I must add that character designer Takumo Norita canonically made that Wakamiya stands 188 cm tall despite his young age. Chisato Abe wrote: “Yukiya heard that His Highness was sixteen or seventeen years old, but for his age he turned out to be quite tall and slender.”

Yukiya, 13 years old at the start of the episodes, but turned 14 after his stint in the Ravine/Taniai (from the novel Vol 2 and manga). Yukiya, on the other hand, is small for his age, according to Wakamiya and Rokon. The boy stands 150 cm tall.

Sumio, between 18 and 19 years old (he finished the three-year rigorous education program from the Keisoin Academy and was the top of his class. Children usually enter this institution when they are 15 years of age.)

Natsuka, 21/22 years old (from the novel Vol 2 and anime)

The Princesses/First Arc

Asebi, 18 years old (from the fan book), has turned 19 at the time for Wakamiya’s bride selection. Chisato Abe wrote on the fan book that Asebi and Hamayu are of the same age.

Hamayu, 18 years old (from the fan book), must have turned 19 during the bride selection

Masuho no Susuki, 16/17 years old (from the fan book)

Shiratama, 14 years old (from the anime), has turned 15 for the next spring

Others

Yukima, 14 years old but will turn 15 that year to celebrate his coming of age during the New Year’s banquet with the North House first couple (from the manga Chapter 2)

Yukichi, 8 years old (from the manga)

Kazumi, 18 years old (from the manga and novel)

The Golden Raven arc

Yukiya, now 15 years old (Chapter 2 of the Book 3: The Golden Raven), he left Wakamiya’s service only to return to him, but this time voluntarily

Koume, 15 years old, the same age as Yukiya

*Subject to change

[ruporas]

apologies if you've already been asked this but do you have any favorite trigun fics? i absolutely adore your art btw!

thank you!!! and i've answered this on insta, but i don't think i've ever shared on tumblr... i'm not good at reading fics, esp long ones, because my attention span is pretty bad, but from the ones i have bookmarked, i'll share some that i like in no particular order

hills like white elephants (meet me halfway) - adlvnam

pairing: vashwood word count: 1.1k, sfw, vague post v.10 spoilers ‘I read a story once,’ Vash says, unsure. ‘I’m kind of thinking about it right now.’

i like a lot of adlvnam's fics, i find them very unique and creative in their execution, and their writing is wonderful! this was the first fic i've read from them and it's stuck with me ever since. others that i like from them are in manus tuas (no spoilers) and vox dei (warning for post vol.10 spoilers).

stay - Anonymous

pairing: vashwood word count: 2.3k, sfw, no spoilers “Hold up,” Vash groans. He presses his free hand to Wolfwood’s mouth and shushes him. He’s probably going for a stern look, though between his poor attempts to stop grinning like the biggest idiot this side of the planet and the way he’s patting him, it’s hard to take him seriously. “Stop laughin’. Where’s the keys?” “What keys?” Wolfwood tries to ask, muffled by Vash’s hand, and his tongue is a little thick and slow in his mouth so… something comes out, but it’s probably not very wordy. Word-like. Not a sentence, probably. (or, wolfwood and vash get drunk, bicker, and then share a bed together.)

i enjoyed the mundanity and silliness of this fic and i think about it from time to time... i think fics where one of them or both drink together are pleasant to read.

Last Summer - varilien

pairing: vashwood word count: 741, sfw, no spoilers You are what you love.

tags on this one are "sunrises, morning routines, coffee, sentimental" which caught my attention. very sweet and beautiful.

Rain - Kokohamstar

pairing: none, wolfwood centric word count: 768, sfw, major spoilers - post v.10 Ever since he was a little kid listening to Bible stories, he dreamed of the day the world would be washed clean and wondered what the rain would feel like on his face.

as most wolfwood centric fics, it was a gutpunch and melancholic, but still soooo.. augh.... the last paragraph really does it for me.

water bucket blues - fathomfive

pairing: vashwood word count: 3.7k, sfw, major spoilers, post trimax Vash the Stampede goes on the record about a friend he once had. Also about card games, cats, family, and some other things. "Start with a piece of the whole, Meryl said. It doesn’t have to be the first piece. Start with a specific. That’s what they mean when they throw around the words human interest. I know the pieces. Believing they make a whole is another thing. But she’s a broadcast professional and I trust her advice. Maybe if I can figure out how to tell one piece—like the story of Wolfwood as I knew him—I can learn how to tell the others."

i love vash pov fics and i love it when it's first person and this one in particular hits because it's his pov and he speaks, honestly, openly, telling a tale that he can't really flub because it's about the people he loved. i love how grounded this fic is in the present of max, i love how vash grows within the 3.7k words, i love how he moves forward with the world he's living in. this fic makes me teary if i think too much about it... it's really wonderful.

it’s a summer day, and I want to be wanted more than anything else in the world - goldenglitz

pairing: vashwood word count: 3.9k, nsfw, no spoilers Vash has the lung capacity of a man who’s cried for 150 years. It isn't like Wolfwood takes more than he gives — but like with most things, he barely keeps up with Vash. He works his body to the limit, even as his lungs burn and his legs and arms give out under him. They fuck like they’re on borrowed time. All of this makes it so easy — so much easier than just talking. Wolfwood would sometimes rather pull new and interesting noises from Vash with just his mouth than do anything else with it. Their own dialect: moans, groans, and four words. “Yes” — “Please” — “Vash” — “Wolfwood.”

i love all of their vashwood fics, they only have 3 but they're all lovely and has a sort of characterization to both vash and wolfwood i don't see often. definitely one of my faves, especially when it comes to explicit vw fics.

i think these are all the ones i'll share for now!!

[indierpgnewsletter]

Fantasy Cities Volume 1

Around a year ago, I published a series looking at city settings from various fantasy games. I looked at 7 cities including Doskvol, Spire, Eversink, The City from a|state, Into the Cess and Citadel, Infinigrad, and Endon from Magical Industrial Revolution. I’ve now taken those 7 essays and expanded and improved them, added 2 more essays on Lankhmar from DCC’s boxed set and Freeport, a Pathfinder 1e city from Green Ronin. This PDF, Fantasy Cities Vol 1, is available now on my patreon.

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction

In the history of the fantasy genre, cities have an interesting place. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, which created so much of what we consider generic about fantasy, doesn't really care for cities. Which makes sense because the books themselves feel like an elegy for a time before industrialization, a love letter to the countryside - to woods and streams and the sands below your feet. The cities of Middle Earth are, at their best, noble and static, and at their worst, corrupt and fallen to the hubris of man.

The earliest thriving fantasy cities are probably in the sword and sorcery of writers like Fritz Lieber or Michael Moorcock. These stories were influenced by, among other things, the machismo of pulp magazine stories. The cities reflect this. At their best, they're a canvas for male bravado and havens for debauchery and dissolution. At their worst, they're predatory and authoritarian.

In modern fantasy, the city is ascendant. The old tropes withered under post-modernism's sarcastic glare. Now, you get Ankh-Morpork and Bas Lag and many more that capture the contradictions, potential, and romance of cities as places to spend your lives. But what about games? A city in a novel has to be interesting on the page. A city in a game has to be interesting at the table, it has to bear the weight of the imagination of 3-5 people over a shitty internet connection. That's where I started the series affectionately known (by me) as WWTAWWTAC (pronounced whatawhatac), i.e. What We Talk About When We Talk About Cities.

And here’s an excerpt from the new entry on Lankhmar:

Creating a roleplaying game supplement for an existing fantasy city is tricky. It's trickier when it's a place as famous as Lankhmar, the City of the Black Toga, the City of Sevenscore Thousand Smokes. Not only are the stories well-loved, the city is an inspiration for other well-loved cities, notably Discworld's Ankh-Morpork which started out as a loving pastiche before evolving into something deeper. (Even the word "ankh" comes from Lankhmar). This means that you have to walk the line between giving fans what they want and making it a useful, usable supplement. Basically, DCC's approach is to not invent any new lore whatsoever - as far as I can see. They lay out what Leiber's originally stories say about Lankhmar and then give themselves permission to colour within the lines with small, inoffensive details. The end result isn't radical or surprising but it does seem genuinely quite good.

I’ve titled it Volume 1 because if we hit the patreon drive’s goal, I’ll do a Volume 2. Maybe I can finally tackle Waterdeep or Ptolus. Maybe I can expand to cities in novels and actually compare them to cities in games directly. Maybe I can look at cities in video games. Where does Dunwall from Dishonored end and Duskwall begin? There’s lots of things to explore!

Thanks to the 30+ folks who signed up last week, we’re currently at 94 out of 150. So if you’re doing okay and able to support, please head over to patreon and subscribe!

Link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fantasy-cities-1-94754443

[frogaroundandfindout]

Nightwing pilots the tied up blimps to crash into the water instead of dropping acid on the city. He drags two face to shore and says hello to lady liberty (Nightwing Vol.2 #150)

[kudouusagi]

Buddy Daddies Drama CD Vol 1 – When one door closes, another door opens

*Gun sounds*

*Large explosion*

Video Game: MISSION FAILED!

Rei: Gah...? I lost?

Rei: *Sighs* Right now I'm so... bored...

*Stomach rumbling*

*Presses button on phone*

Concierge: Good Morning, Suwa-sama!

Rei: I'm making an order. Mild beef curry, a steak, a cola...

Concierge: Thank you so much for doing business with our hotel. However we need to discuss your payment with you...

*********************

Rei: I can't use it?

Concierge: That's right. This card has been suspended. Do you have another form of payment

that you could use?

Rei: Ugh...

*********************

Concierge: Wait!

*Rei running*

*Car honks*

Driver: Hey you! Watch where you're going!!

Rei: This is bad... The family card has been cut off... so I don't have money!

*********************

Kazuki: I'm gonna score big! RED!

Crowd: Ohh!

Girl 1: Wow! You’re betting it all?

Girl 2: Kazu-kun, you're so brave!

*Chugs drink*

Kazuki: Ahhh! I’m on a roll today! I'm gonna win this one and be rich!

*Ball rolling to a stop*

Kazuki: AAAHHHHHHH!!!!

*********************

*Kazuki shivering*

Girl 1: Come again, okay?

*Kazuki sneezes and drinks more*

Kazuki: Ugh... Ah... My life is over...

Kyuutarou: Don't just decide that on your own.

Kazuki: Kyuu-chan!

Kyuutarou: Kazuki. Come to Yadorigi.

*********************

Kyuutarou: Can you even work a proper job after all this time? The only kind of work for you is dirty work. Isn't that right?

Kazuki: Yeah... that's right...

Kyuutarou: You keep failing your jobs and I haven't been able to contact you. Is this really the time to be drowning yourself in alcohol?

Kazuki: I'm sorry...

Kyuutarou: How many years do you think it's been since that accident? Can you face Karin-chan like this? 

Kazuki: Ah...

Kyuutarou: This is your last chance.

Kazuki: Last?

Kyuutarou: If you mess up this job... I'll kill you.

Kazuki: Wait...! Anything but that!

Kyuutarou: Then make sure this job is a success.

*Paper crinkling*

Kazuki: Huh? Who's this...?

Kyuutarou: Suwa Rei. The son of our organization’s leader, also known as the "murder machine"

***************

*Convenience store bell ringing*

Cashier: Welco-...me...

Rei: *Grumbling*

Cashier: Eh? That guy's kinda creepy! His hair and beard are both unkempt and he’s stumbling around.... He seems like he'd be able to kill someone...

Rei: Umm...

Cashier: Y-yes? How can I help you?

Rei: How much is this?

Cashier: A teriyaki dog? It's 150 yen.

Rei. Mmm... *counts coins* 39 yen...

Cashier: Ah... Not enough, huh...?

Rei: *Sighs*

Cashier: Sir... Is something wrong?

Rei: Coat...

Cashier: Huh?!

Rei: Nevermind...

*Rei walks out while groaning*

Young Girl Cashier: Ah... Thank... you... What was with that guy?

***************

Rei: I’m an assassin. I can't bother civilians.

Thug: Aniki!

Aniki: Yeah? How'd it go?

Thug: I got the ransom! Here it is!

Aniki: Great job! Let's see it~

*Rei grabs bag*

Aniki: Huh?

Thug: Who are you!?

Rei: I'm borrowing this!

Thug: Huh!? Hey, give that back!

Aniki: Hey! Come on! Stop!

Thug: We’ve lost him!

Aniki: That thief! I'm gonna find him even if I have to turn this whole town upside down! Go find him!

Thug: Okay!

Rei: How annoying...

*Gun clicks*

Rei: Should I kill them...?

Kazuki: Hold on!

Rei: Who’re you?!

Kazuki: I found you, murder machine, Suwa Rei. My name is Kurusu Kazuk- Woah, woah, woah! Where are you going!?

*Running and panting*

Kazuki: Hey! Wait!

*More running and panting*

Kazuki: Fuck.

Kazuki: He’s so fast! I guess it's to be expected from an elite of the Suwa family? Fuck... I can't keep up...

Even though I'm confident in my running ability... all that drinking’s messed with me. Useless assassins will be gotten rid of... If he gets away now... then I'll...!

*Stops running and catches breath*

Kazuki: Maybe that's for the best. I’m a useless drunkard. There’s no one to mourn for me. That's just what I deserve. I'm finally... going to hell...

*can clinking*

Kazuki: Hm? Over there?

*Mechanical door opens*

Kazuki: Come out! Suwa Rei!

*Fist fight*

Kuzuki: Fuck.

*Gun clicks*

Rei: You know my name. You must be in the same line of work.

Kazuki: Wait! You don't understand!

Rei: You must protect yourself again-Hrk! (Idiom: 降り懸かる火の粉は払わねばならぬ Meaning: You must protect yourself against any possible dangers. Literally: you have to brush off any sparks that land on you)

Kazuki: Huh? What? He suddenly fainted?

*Stomach grumbling*

Rei: I’m... hungry...

Kazuki: Huh?!

*****************

*Rei groaning*

Kazuki: Oh! You’re up? Hold on, it's almost done.

Rei: Where...?

Kazuki: My place.

Rei: It’s dirty.

Kazuki: That's all you have to say to the guy who saved your life? I've had a lot going on so I haven't had time to clean.

Kazuki: Here~! Eat.

Rei: Food?

Kazuki: You're malnourished, aren't you?

Rei: Are you sure?

Kazuki: Don’t spill it.

*Slurping sounds*

Kazuki: How is it?

Rei: Udon.

Kazuki: You can tell just by looking at it! How does it taste?

Rei: Like soy sauce?

Kazuki: Because it’s udon! I'm asking if it tastes good?

Rei: It’s normal.

Kazuki: What the hell are you?! At times like this it's only polite to tell someone “It's so delicious!” as thanks even if it's just flattery!

Rei: Hmm!

Kazuki: Huh? Damn, man... Your file said you don't understand polite society and have zero life skills, but you're really like a robot! So... you ran away from home?

Rei: Yeah...

Kazuki: And you're already broke? The money in that bag... it's the ransom from the kidnapping case that’s all over the news, isn't it?

Rei: Probably.

Kazuki: Did you do a kidnapping?

Rei: I borrowed it.

Kazuki: Borrowed it?

Rei: From the kidnappers.

Kazuki: You liar! You stole it!

Rei: I didn’t have any money.

Kazuki: Ugh... Why in the world did you target such troublesome people?

Rei: I can't bother civilians.

Kazuki: You're strangely conscientious.

*Rei continues eating*

Rei: Done.

Kazuki: Osomatsusama (Set phrase to thank someone after they eat your cooking that means sorry for the crude food)

Rei: Kurusu... umm...?

Kazuki: It's Kazuki.

Rei: Kazuki.... Why didn’t you kill me?

Kazuki: Oh, don't get the wrong idea. My job was to protect you.

Rei: Protect?

Kazuki: There's a certain order to this town. Having a lone wolf like you running around wild is a problem. But you’re quite skilled, aren't you. There’s plenty of troubles you can deal with around here. If you work for Kyuu-chan, this town'’s boss, I'm sure you'll make good money.

Rei: Money...

Kazuki: Did you really think you could run away from home and become a normal person? The only kind of work for us is dirty work. Isn't that right? Do you want to slowly die from malnutrition or do you want to play with the cards you’ve been dealt?

Rei: Umm...

Kazuki: Hm? What is it?

Rei: Get me in contact with that boss.

Kazuki: Oh! Okay.

Rei: Thanks.

Kazuki: Huh? Nah I just did my job. You don't need to thank me for anything!

Rei: Mm.

Kazuki: Mmm... What?... It’s not like I’m happy that you thanked me or anythi-

Rei: Move!

*Rei shoves Kazuki to the ground*

Kazuki: Ah! Hey! What’re you do—?!

*Bullets and yelling from thugs*

Thug: We know you're in there!!

Kazuki: Gah! you idiot! Stop! Hey! My place will-!!

Rei: It’s fine. Leave it to me.

Kazuki: Rei?!

Rei: I’ll take responsibility for this. 

*Thugs yelling and shooting*

Kazuki: Wah! Wah! Hey! Wah! Stop! Wah! Not- Not my place!!!!!!!!!

**********************

Kyuutarou: Welcome.

Kazuki: Ah... Hey, Kyuu-chan... I took care of those two jobs.

Kyuutarou: I’m relieved to hear you're actually able to do your job now. Now you just need to improve your skills.

Kazuki: I'm only second rate anyway. I'm nothing like the elite Rei. But he’s amazing, isn’t he? It hasn’t even been a month yet and how many jobs has he done?

Kyuutarou: 30 jobs.

Kazuki: Seriously? We're going to go out of business! He’s probably earned a lot already. Ah, but when I saw him here the other day, his beard and hair were still as much of a mess as ever. Is he even living decently?

Kyuutarou: I found a place for him to stay.

Kazuki: Huh? Kyuu-chan, do you also work in real estate?

Kyuutarou: Well, I have connections. Should I refer you too, Kazuki? You haven’t found a new place yet, have you?

Kazuki: Ahh... well I’ve been busy with work... Even though my last place ended up riddled with holes I really liked it.... *Sighs* Why did it end up like that? Ahhh... This sucks...

Kyuutarou: Oh, right. I have a request for you. Rei is perfect at his job but he never leaves his house so I never see him. So I'm sorry but could you take the information for his next job to him?

Kazuki: Yeah, sure... I was just wanting to complain to him about my wrecking house anyway.

*Kazuki walking away*

Kazuki: Bye! Tell me if you get another job for me!

Kyuutarou: Yeah!

*Door opens and closes*

Kyuutarou: Well... I hope it goes well...

*********************

*Elevator dings*

Kazuki: Wooooow... How good of an apartment does he live in? Is this normal for a son of the Suwa Family? He must be raking it in. Damn it!

*Doorbell rings*

Rei: Yes?

Kazuki: Umm... Kyuu-chan has a job for you so he asked me to bring you the information.

Rei: Ah...

*Kazuki opens the door*

Kazuki: Pardon me... Gwah! Hnk! It reeks! So bad! Hnrk! Eh? This place is so dirty! Eh!? Dirty! Dirty!It’s bad... It's so bad!

Rei: Huh?

Kazuki: Don't just say "Huh?" What is this on the floor?!

Rei: Pizza.

Kazuki: The leftovers of one, right?! And that green stuff isn't basil, is it?! There's something awful growing out of it, isn't there? Aghh! And this delivery sushi is all dried out! Wah! And there’s a cup noodle with the soup left in it! Throw it out! Throw it out! Now what about the kitchen...? AHHHHHHHH! THE SINK! THE SINK IS FULL OF A STRANGE COLORED LIQUID!!! HEY, REI!! DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PLACE!!!

Rei: Maybe I'll hire a maid?

Kazuki: Wait, wait, wait, wait! Have you forgotten what you do for work? Your place is full stuff like sensitive

documents and weapons! It would be bad if you let a normal person in here!

*Rei’s starts playing video game*

Rei: Oh well then.

Kazuki: Huh? Stop escaping from reality! *Sighs exasperatedly* Fuck, okay then! I’ll help you clean this place up!!

Rei: Thanks.

Kazuki: You're helping too, you shut in! And I'm going to tame that wild hair of yours too so be prepared for that!

Rei: *sighs in frustration*

**************************

*Boiling*

Kazuki: Hm... *slurp* Mmm! Perfect! Okay! 

*Turns off stove*

Kakuzi: Hey, Rei! Food's ready!

Rei: There’s so many plates.

Kazuki: Complaining about strange things as always but oh well. Here you go. Go ahead and eat your fill! Since the money for this came out of your wallet anyway.

*Rei starts eating*

Kazuki: He can't even say Itadakimasu, huh?

Kazuki: So? How does it taste?

Rei: The curry... is a little spicy.

Kazuki: I thought you'd say that! But whatever.

Kazuki: If you're eating it so fast, then I guess it was worth making it. It felt nice to cook in such a large kitchen again anyway. Ahh... I want a kitchen as big as this in my new place. It would be impossible with my pay though...

Rei: You don’t have a place to live?

Kazuki: Because someone completely destroyed it!

Rei: Mmm...

Kazuki: Huh? Ohh! Are you feeling guilty?

Rei: Want to stay here?

Kazuki: Huh?

Rei: I have extra room.

Kazuki: You... wow...! You just want to use me as your housekeeper, don't you?

Rei: Yeah.

Kazuki: HE JUST ADMITTED IT!!! JUST HOW SHAMELESS ARE YOU?! Ah, but... hmm I guess that might not be so bad actually?

Kazuki: I'm good at housework and Rei is amazing at his job.... so we can cover for each other's weaknesses...

Rei: We're playing with the cards we've been dealt.

Kazuki: That’s not what I mean!

Rei: Oh?

Kazuki: Fine! Then I guess I’ll be staying with you for a little while.

Rei: Mm.

Kazuki: Thanks, shut in.

Rei: Thanks, freeloader.

[seeinganewlight]

2024 books read

2024 goal: 150 books

january: 1 - heartstopper vol. 1 → alice oseman (reread) 2 - heartstopper vol. 2 → alice oseman (reread) 3 - heartstopper vol. 3 → alice oseman (reread) 4 - heartstopper vol. 4 → alice oseman (reread) 5 - heartstopper vol. 5 → alice oseman 6 - a fragile enchantment → allison saft 7 - some shall break → ellie marney (audiobook) 8 - only if you're lucky → stacy willingham (arc) 9 - over my dead body: a witchy graphic novel → sweeney boo 10 - notes on an execution → danya kukafka (physical & audiobook) 11 - murder on the orient express → agatha christie (reread) 12 - our wives under the sea → julia armfield (physical & audiobook) 13 - the invocations → krystal sutherland (arc) 14 - red string theory → lauren kung jessen 15 - the breakup tour → emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka (arc) 16 - the name drop → susan lee 17 - the secret of the old clock → carolyn keene (reread) 18 - bright young women → jessica knoll (audiobook) 19 - last call at the local → sarah grunder ruiz (audiobook) 20 - no one can know → kate alice marshall

february: 21 - worst wingman ever → abby jimenez 22 - drop, cover, and hold on → jasmine guillory 23 - with any luck → ashley poston 24 - the atlas six → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 25 - that's not my name → megan lally 26 - not here to stay friends → kaitlyn hill 27 - this golden state → marit weisenberg 28 - today tonight tomorrow → rachel lynn solomon (reread, annotation) 29 - past present future → rachel lynn solomon (arc, annotation) 30 - the atlas paradox → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 31 - the guest list → lucy foley (audiobook) 32 - in the market for murder → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) 33 - the neighbor favor → kristina forest 34 - in the mix → mandy gonzalez 35 - everyone in my family has killed someone → benjamin stevenson 36 - the seven year slip → ashley poston 37 - veronica ruiz breaks the bank → elle cosimano (audiobook) 38 - finlay donovan rolls the dice → elle cosimano (audiobook) 39 - the simmonds house kills → meaghan dwyer (arc)

march: 40 - the mysterious case of the alperton angels → janice hallett 41 - the book of cold cases → simone st. james 42 - what the river knows → isabel ibañez (audiobook) 43 - cut loose! → ali stroker & stacy davidowitz 44 - how i'll kill you → ren destefano 45 - the reappearance of rachel price → holly jackson (arc) 46 - when no one is watching → alyssa cole (audiobook) 47 - outofshapeworthlessloser: a memoir of figure skating, f*cking up, and figuring it out → gracie gold (audiobook) 48 - julius caesar → william shakespeare (rerad, audiobook) 49 - the family plot → megan collins (audiobook) 50 - if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread) 51 - alone with you in the ether → olivie blake (physical & audiobook) 52 - disappearance at devil's rock → paul tremblay (audiobook)

april: 53 - shakespeare: romeo and juliet graphic novel → martin powell & eva cabrera 54 - shakespeare: macbeth graphic novel → martin powell & f. daniel perez 55 - shakespeare: julius caesar graphic novel → carl bown & eduardo garcia 56 - shakespeare: a midsummer night's dream graphic novel → nel yomtov & berenice muniz 57 - twelfth knight → alexene farol follmuth (arc) 58 - kill for me, kill for you → steve cavanagh 59 - murder road → simone st. james 60 - everyone on this train is a suspect → benjamin stevenson 61 - listen for the lie → amy tintera 62 - king cheer → molly horton booth, stephanie kate strohm, jamie green 63 - twelfth night (musical adaptation) → kwame kwei-armah & shaina taub 64 - in juliet's garden → judy elliot mcdonald 65 - fat ham → james ijames 66 - death by shakespeare → philip l. nicholas, jr 67 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread) 68 - good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread) 69 - as good as dead → holly jackson (reread) 70 - dark corners → megan goldin (audiobook) 71 - the one that got away with murder → trish lundy (audiobook) 72 - funny story → emily henry 73 - imogen says nothing → aditi brennan kapil 74 - people we meet on vacation → emily henry (audiobook, reread)

may: 75 - episode thirteen → craig dilouie 76 - the girls i've been → tess sharpe (reread) 77 - the girl in question → tess sharpe (arc) 78 - wild about you → kaitlyn hill (arc) 79 - just for the summer → abby jimenez 80 - my best friend's exorcism → grady hendrix 81 - second first date → rachel lynn solomon 82 - the ballad of darcy & russell → morgan matson 83 - the good, the bad, and the aunties → jesse q. sutanto (audiobook) 84 - truly, madly, deeply → alexandria bellefleur 85 - your blood, my bones → kelly andrew 86 - amy & roger's epic detour → morgan matson (reread) 87 - romancing mister bridgerton → julia quinn (reread) 88 - the viscount who loved me → julia quinn (reread) 89 - bittersweet in the hollow → kate pearsall 90 - to sir phillip, with love → julia quinn (reread) 91 - when he was wicked → julia quinn (reread) 92 - it's in his kiss → julia quinn (reread) 93 - on the way to the wedding → julia quinn (audiobook, reread) 94 - emma → jane austen (audiobook, reread)

june: 95 - first lie wins → ashley elston 96 - we got the beat → jenna miller 97 - firekeeper's daughter → angeline boulley 98 - chlorine → jade song (audiobook) 99 - what stalks among us → sarah hollowell 100 - hollow fires → samira ahmed (audiobook) 101 - part of your world → abby jimenez 102 - the road trip → beth o'leary 103 - yours truly → abby jimenez 104 - finally fitz → marisa kanter 105 - the last love song → kalie holford

july: 106 - dead girls walking → sami ellis (audiobook) 107 - home is where the bodies are → jeneva rose 108 - we used to live here → marcus kliewer 109 - the children on the hill → jennifer mcmahon (audiobook) 110 - what moves the dead → t. kingfisher 111 - my throat an open grave → tori bovalino 112 - dashed → amanda quain (arc) 113 - asking for a friend → kara h.l. chen (arc) 114 - beach read → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 115 - book lovers → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 116 - happy place → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 117 - you have a match → emma lord (reread, annotation) 118 - bonnie & clyde musical script → ivan menchell (reread) 119 - such charming liars → karen m. mcmanus (arc) 120 - she left → stacie grey (audiobook) 121 - let the games begin → rufaro faith mazarura (audiobook) 122 - death at morning house → maureen johnson (arc)

august: 123 - cleat cute → meryl wilsner (audiobook) 124 - i wish you would → eva des lauriers 125 - the break-up pact → emma lord (arc) 126 - water for elephants → sara gruen 127 - when you get the chance → emma lord (reread, annotation) 128 - come out, come out → natalie c. parker (arc) 129 - my lady jane → cynthia hand, brodi ashton, jodi meadows 130 - the lies of alma blackwell → amanda glaze (arc)

september: 131 - the spare room → andra bartz 132 - late bloomer → mazey eddings (audiobook) 133 - savor it → tarah dewitt (audiobook) 134 - triple sec → t.j. alexander (audiobook) 135 - the skeleton key → erin kelly 136 - the examiner → janice hallett (arc) 137 - the dark we know → wen-yi lee (audiobook) 138 - pretty girls → karin slaughter 139 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, annotation) 140 - lady macbeth → ava reid

[domfock]

Ayo, Bookclub, I am back with another information clarification post.

Today we're gonna talk about Chronica, Domina, and Plants in the universe, as well as looking at the timeline. A lot of this information is already given to us in Vol 12, and the rest will not really be any spoilers but serve to give everything mentioned later more weight.

Right off the bat, Chronica and Domina are both Independent Plants. They're now born with neural blockers that contains their powers and prevents them from fusing. It seems to be common place for Independent Plants to serve upon Earth vessels, which gives us insight that Independent Plants are not only trusted, but also admired and respected in these military positions, as we see the Captain always refer to Chronica for her analysis and expertise.

And about Earth. Information was obviously lost over time, so it is easy to imagine the people on planet No Man's Land just assumed Earth was gone, or simply didn't bother hope for anything beyond surviving to the next day. With Earth dying, they sent out fleets to colony other planets, not knowing if they would ever make it possible for finding each other again. All that mattered was that humanity had to survive.

In time, they managed to develop a better and more sustainable form of energy, both to preserve Earth and Plants, and this allowed humanity to also develop warp drives to easily travel the stars, finally making the dream of connecting all of humanity across the stars.

Also, with a quick look at the timespan and year we have, we can use the dates offered in the notes about Tesla to nail down a time period. Tesla was born May 3rd, 2405. She survived for seven month and a half months, making that some time in January, 2406.

An unspecified amount of time passed before Vash and Knives were born, but let's go with a year or so for simplicity, which is then in 2407. Add then the one year plus a few extra months for the time they grew up on the ship, making it 2408. Now we add the 150 or so years, making it 2558, give or take the about three years of the entire story, putting us at 2561 as the current year of the story.

Chronica than states that it's been over two centuries since they started colonizing the universe, setting the year for when the SEEDs ships left Earth at around 2361, give or take a couple of decades or so. Meaning the colony fleets flew through space for like fifty or so years, at least the one Rem and the crew was on.

There's an unknown amount of human colonies out in the universe, most likely doing better than our main planet, since they managed to land on suitable planets and didn't crash and lose all their tech and information like No Man's Land did because of Knives.

It seems the tech and understanding surrounding Plants was not fully understood by the time the colony fleets were sent out, making Independents an unknown whenever they would eventually happen to each fleet and/or colony. With all these unrestrained Independents Plants across the universe, it is no surprise that Chronica speaks about having faced similar situations.

From what Chronica states, non-neurally blocked Independent Plants have for the most part turned violent and dangerous, as well. Might be caused by the access to near-unlimited power, even if the Plant situations could look a lot better on other Planets. They could've been treated like subjects, like Tesla, and grown their hate this way.

This also suggest how much of an anomaly Vash is, having been raised like a normal child, with love and care, growing into a reasonable man. It is possibly other Independents out there shared a good childhood too, which is why Chronica says most unrestrained Indepedents are violent, but not all.

It's also worth noting, that despite Independents having neural blockers to prevent them from fusing, they can still be forcibly assimilated against their will through direct contact, as we saw happening to Domina. Another person in Knives' long list of victims whose autonomy was taken away and body invaded by him, because he cares so much about other Plants and totally not acting out of his own hate and fear.

I hope this cleared some stuff up for everyone. I for one absolutely love thinking about what the rest of the world could look like, considering the scope of the world.

[halfagone]

Hi! I love your fics and especially Off With the Demon's Head. I have a quick question: Will Cassandra, Steph, Barbara and Duke be in this fic? So many writers don't talk about the girls and focus on Batman and his sons. Will you be doing a similar thing?

Also It seems like there'll be 75 chapters- Is that real?🥺 🩷🩷

Off With [the Demon's] Head is primarily an al Ghul family drama-tragedy. As time goes on, we will have less alternating POVs, to focus on the scenes and emotional repercussions front and center. I won't spoil anything, so let's play this both ways: if the girls and Duke appear, they'll only be background characters to advance the plot or help our current background characters put out fires in the background. If they don't appear, then good for them. The girls are with the Birds of Prey, Duke is with the Outsiders. They've avoided this family's hot mess. Good 👏 for 👏 them 👏

(I also consider Duke to be one of Bruce's sons, because I absolutely loved Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 3, but I understand not everyone feels the same way about Duke.)

Yes, there will be 75 chapters! Even if I have to write 10k chapters near the end, I do not want to change that chapter count. I already have a fic with 150 chapters, I do not want another.

I am glad you've enjoyed the fic! As you've probably seen yourself, I've written plenty of fics with the whole Batbrood. If this fic doesn't have the girls, be sure to check out one of the other ones that do. 😊