#because they bicker. a lot

[starpros-sunshine]

sometimes I think about the Torikasa baking fic that I would try to write if I knew how to properly do that in english

[wasyago]

the kind of chemistry these two have is very entertaining

[canisalbus]

have vasco & machete ever gotten into any big arguments?

.

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

The idea that GRRM is anti Tolkien is particularly funny because ASOIAF is sprinkled with rather intricate (and even passionate) homages to LOTR. And I can’t help but think of how Tolkien’s Fellowship, more specifically the Hobbits, may have inspired GRRM’s Night’s Watch. Jon Snow, for starters, is in many ways a combination of LOTR’s Frodo and Aragorn. And in the same way that Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are unexpected heroes in LOTR (because who looks to a hobbit as the face of an epic adventure?), Jon the bastard becomes the leader of a ragtag of socially disenfranchised men (in the form of the NW) who are anything but heroic. Sure there’s the odd knight or noble in there, but the NW is quite full of criminals and the very worst of the social order. The hobbits aren’t the strongest or the sharpest but they become the face of the fight against Sauron. And the NW, while being severely undermanned and under-equipped, has become the main force that stands against winter. GRRM even adds a love letter to Tolkien’s Sam Gamgee by adding his on Sam - Sam Tarly - who acts as a moral compass and counselor to Jon, in the same ways that Sam Gamgee is key to Frodo’s journey. And just like Frodo, Jon gets his very own pair of jokester friends, one of whine is even named Pyp. So it’s all very beautiful and nice, and we should talk about it more because it’s super evident that GRRM is a massive Tolkien fanboy. But I do have to say tho, GRRM’s take on Gandalf is exceedingly hilarious just because Melisandre is famously very bad at her job.

[antisocialxconstruct]

the rituals continue to be intricate

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Maid and The Crocodile

standalone YA high fantasy romance, set in the world of Raybearer (10 years later)

a girl ages out of her orphanage and searches for a job as a maid - but before she’s hired, she accidentally gets bound to the Crocodile - a god thought to steal girls through his shrines throughout the cities

she wants nothing to do with him or his curse, and gets herself a job as a Curse Eater at an inn, consuming the spiritual residue of their past mistakes and regrets

but her past and her connection to the Crocodile won’t go away, and she gets caught up in his revolutionary ambitions

disabled MC (vitiligo, cane user)

[sol1t41r3]

i contain an unbearable amount of yearning (i miss him)

[pinetreeshack]

elaboration in the tags

[ohitslen]

Thinking and headcannoning the shit out of angry Stampede! Vash and how Wolfwood deals with that first thing in the morning because i think him getting angry about something and letting down some of his mask in those genuine moments of anger is super awesome

Before we continue I have not read the manga yet so if you read something incredibly obvious or redundant to your experience, well, haha or something OQNENW

This is a VERY LONG Vashwood ramble I have to put SOMEWHERE or I will explode, so feel free to join if you want.

Vash is an overall very expressive person right? very emotional too generally, but the thing is I like drawing people getting angry so that’s what you are getting from me.

And I also often think about the fact that it’s Wolfwood and Knives the ones that have seen him be like that (most often than not towards them).

Wolfwood specifically, I think that he WOULD get scared because when Vash is angry angry, he just seethes and looks like he is three seconds away from being love and peace to hate and war. These are probably the moments in where he carries the most resemblance to Knives, and to anybody that has experienced the man firsthand they know how scary that is because everyone and their moms knows that he does not hesitate to resort to murder if he is upset about something or if it’s inconvenient to him, so it is rightfully terrifying to even think of him getting mad.

Now take the same idea and apply it to Vash, he is so friendly and playful all the time and he gets kicked around all the time too, that it would be almost impossible to imagine him getting angry in a genuine way. That is UNTIL his ideals and morals are being countered or challenged by someone and THAT’S when people are gently reminded that oh yeah he can get mad too, and really fucking mad at that.

The peak of his anger doesn’t last for too long because he tries to level himself quickly, he is aware of how he can look when he gets like that, and it would be showing a little too much about how he is not very human in nature for what he is comfortable with. I think that when he gets mad his expression turns into something very vulnerably honest, to the point in where he unconsciously looks imposing and demanding, paired with his uncanny vibes it really is a treat and anyone at the other end of it would be other than also upset, quite scared. Like Wolfwood.

There is something very obviously other about Vash and he has the privilege of knowing just exactly why that is, and considering that his brother has a record for being a certain way when angry, knowing what he is does not soothe him at all. Then again, Wolfwood cares for him still and he is a stubborn guy himself, so even when most likely scared shitless, he would not move his ground, and the only thing that reassures him that things will be fine, is Vash’s pacific nature and also knowing that he cares deeply for him too, but that is a thing he would not think too much about other than the flash of thought that it is in the moment.

Vash is petty as hell too, he remains silent and gives the cold shoulder to the other person that was involved in the argument, and it is usually, once again, Wolfwood at the end of that stick. Wolfwood is a “mind your business and I mind mine” kind of guy considering he never asks things, but traveling with that idiot and having to be with him 24/7 and being given the silent treatment has to be uncomfortable at best incredibly annoying at worst. So even though he won’t change his opinion most of the times, he still insists on talking to him idly sometimes after they argue, something he would usually not do.

All Vash ever responds with are the necessary answers, at first shrugs or nods, then very short and to the point sentences, he eventually warms up to him again and they talk the way they usually do; and just like that things seems to be at bay for the time being until the next unavoidable argument comes by.

No matter how many times they argue, when things escalate and Vash begins to show his very honest anger, Wolfwood’s instincts would be screaming at him to stop it and to get away, because whatever Vash is feeling is reeking of a danger that no matter how enhanced he might be, he is NOT gonna make it through whatever will happen to him worse comes to worst. But when has he ever actually heard his instincts when it comes to dealing with Vash. So he always replies and stays.

He is somehow one of the very few (almost non existent) people who can deal with Vash when he is like that, one thing is getting mad at Vash and the other is him getting mad at you, and he has bite alright, he will say things that can come across as hurtful and very venomous when he starts to get more visceral, and yeah the whole predator kind of vibe he can give off is there too.

Maybe Wolfwood also knows how hurt Vash would feel if he retreats because of how scared he feels and that’s why he doesn’t back away. It would be reasonable if he did, hell he doesn’t owe him shit for all he knows and he would be in his whole right to run away scared if he wanted, but for one it would be too cowardly, and two Vash would be once again pushed away for being something not human, and that would be a scar he would carry for his whole life and Wolfwood does not want to be a part of that. So that’s another reason to the ever growing list of “why don’t I just let this be”.

There is an odd sense of comfort in seeing Vash get mad, knowing that the man knows his ground, that even he has lines he won’t allow anyone to cross, that he can allow himself to feel something genuine for once and not the fake little things he is always doing. It is the positive side Wolfwood tries to see in those situations and what he has to remind himself over and over again so he doesn’t flinch away. Good thing he has some practice in arguments thanks to his little siblings back at the orphanage, practice he refuses to let go and holds on to dear life because he needs any crumb of reason at those moments.

At some point when hands are involved, when a clench to the shirt and a push to the shoulder escalates to shoving the other to the ground and a punch to the gut, Wolfwood goes full survival mode because no one told him that Vash was THAT strong and THAT heavy and THAT intimidating. He could have guessed after having watched the man fight. He is capable and strong, he usually moves with a certain preciseness and care under the goofy display, he may twirl around and stumble when dodging, but he is dodging and also landing hits.

He knows that Vash is strong and that he is also incredibly careful. But that’s when he is in all his senses with a mostly cool head, so having him hovering over Wolfwood pressing him down rendering him to the ground while very obviously mad and trying to prove his point, he freezes before he can react and fight back.

Those are the times where Vash feels the most guilty after the fight from what Wolfwood can gather and wildly assume. If him not eating (again) for days or even refusing to acknowledge Wolfwood unless necessary is any sign. That behavior can last over a week which is a little too long for Wolfwood’s peace of mind. So he starts poking again because apparently arguing again is the only way to make the bastard answer more. And it usually works, some nudging here and there and putting lemon with salt to the wound seems to do the trick.

It entails more shouting and screaming at each others faces their flaws that they already know like a script, until things start to calm down when Wolfwood reassures him that he is tougher than he looks, and that no matter what he won’t just leave Vash in a ditch, and if they were going to travel together for the future to come they would have to learn how to sort things out. Something he knows neither of them will probably never learn, but it is what it is and that’s what he can resort to at the moment, and it does seem to satisfy Vash a little. So once they are done, and they go their separate ways, never too far from each other, Vash starts to nibble at his food and says or asks little things to Wolfwood, and just like that they are good to go again.

They are both aware that addressing out loud how fucking scary Vash can be at those raw moments of anger, would be like painting a line of ‘I am this and you are that so we shouldn’t be doing this’ that neither of them would actually want to have. So even when yeah it can be horribly scary and surprisingly intimidating to deal with Vash when he is angry, Wolfwood is willing to stay and fight with him if that’s what he wants, if that’s what he needs. Even if it’s starting to take a toll on him. He is getting used to it though so it will be fine.

Probably.

[dark-elf-writes]

The whole thing can be funnier if genesis refused to acknowledge that cloud and his eternal rival are siblings.

See yes but I would argue that not only is Genesis the exact kind of person who would gloat to anyone and everyone that he is in a devoted relationship with Sephiroth’s little brother, but he would also consider this the ultimate victory just based on how angry it makes Seph who is very much trying to be a protective older brother “saving” Cloud from his best friend/rival but Cloud is Cloud and just as stubborn, if not more so, than both of them.

(And Genesis knows how much having a family means to Sephiroth and for all their petty fights and rivalry he wouldn’t deny him that.)

[hplonesomeart]

Going to post this small snippet spoiler for another SMG4 animatic I’m cooking up for viewing pleasure (and also simply because these characters are slowly seeping into my subconscious. As we speak Mr. Puzzles is directing my actions so that I can push his name into stardom with “gloriously animated content” HE’S KEEPING ME HOSTAGE HELP /J)

IT’S NOT FINISHED IT’S A POTENTIAL WORK IN PROGRESS

I love musicals and Mr. Puzzles strikes me as a theater nerd so I figured Hairspray (song being Welcome to the 60’s) was a good fit, plus wouldn’t it be fun to see Meggy try and help him along to start a redemption arch? Like how could they not carry a bit of sentimentality over the time spent together? I feel like her resilient passive aggressive energy pairs well with how he can be stubborn sometimes too…she can give him the push (or more like a well-intentioned shove) he needs to get his act together and give it another try! Because a part of me feels like he would want to regress into unhealthy past habits after facing so many defeats at the hands of SMG4 crew; shut himself in solitude and stare at a screen. So think the animatic would start with that scene and then lead into the musical number :D

[itsamenickname]

You know, I don't think that there's enough discussion on the possible relationship dynamic between Kammy and Luigi when it comes to Bowuigi.

Now don't get me wrong, while exploring Kamek and Luigi's relationship makes perfect sense (since Kamek's the one who raised Bowser and all (not to mention that he shows up in a lot more Mario games than Kammy)), I feel like Kammy is a really underrated Mario character and I can totally see her as either being Bowuigi's #1 supporter (which is what I'm personally leaning towards) or have her be the one who's really protective over Bowser instead of Kamek (or they can both be protective over Bowser, but Kammy would be much more protective than Kamek).

[canisalbus]

What do you think would have happened if (somehow, idk how but somehow) Machete rose to the rank of pope?

To be perfectly honest? I think most realistically he would've ruled maybe six months at best and then keeled over from stress and exhaustion.

[neon-kazoo]

Hero and Villain Go Tubing

They got an early start, arriving at the water mid-morning bright-eyed and eager.

Well, at least one of them was.

“Remind me again why you made this a stipulation of our neutrality deal,” Hero groaned.

They stood upon a rock overlooking a semi-shallow green river with their ecstatic nemesis by their side.

A toothy grin spread across the villain’s face in response.

“It’ll be fun!”

For Hero, that was yet to be determined.

The hero’s swim trucks were adorned with cartoon flamingos. When questioned, Hero had asserted that they were a gift, and they didn’t go swimming often enough to own a second pair. Villain was dressed in more ‘tasteful’ swimwear, a dark blue rash guard and green shorts.

Hero sighed, “You brought the tubes, right?”

“They come with the tickets, we just give them back when we get out,” Villain explained.

“Tickets?” Hero questioned, “We’re paying for this?”

“Of course not!” Villain assured, then corrected, “You’re paying for this.”

Obviously, Hero had not bothered to read the fine print on the contract they signed.

They begrudgingly made their way to the ticket building across the street, mumbling something about ‘touristicification’ and good-old-fashion private waterways. Hero returned with a tube on each arm. One a cool blue, the other a neon pink.

Villain reached for the blue, but was swatted away by Hero not-so-gently flinging the pink tube at him.

Villain scowled, but inwardly he may have smiled.

Hero didn’t need to know that, though.

They took a step towards the water access before Hero’s voice interrupted them.

“We’re not leaving until you put on sunscreen.”

“I didn’t bring any-

“I did!”

Villain was interrupted by the taste of banana boat entering his open mouth as Hero sprayed him down with SPF.

Villain spit, gagging from the bitter aerosol assault.

Thouroghly protected from the sun, courtesy of the now-smiling Hero, Villain and Hero began their trek towards the put-in point. Halfway there, Villain stopped, searching for something he didn’t seem to find in Hero’s hands.

“Where’s the stick?” He asked, and Hero rolled their eyes.

“I was not paying five dollars for a stick. We can scavenge for one if it’s that important.”

Villain begrudgingly continued on. They made their way down to the water, wading out across the rocky river bed to an acceptable distance before falling gracefully boarding the tubes.

Just like that, they were off.

Their inter-tubes had been linked together by a nylon strap, so they floated in tandem. At first it was leisurely, feet hanging in the water and heads tilted back to gaze up at the tree canopy. That was, until, a sudden jerk had them stuck in place.

Their first obstacle.

A rock.

“You’re stuck!” Hero yelped, looking over at Villain, affronted at him for ruining the peaceful moment.

“No you’re stuck!”

Hero scoffed. They both looked around into the water, trying to locate the source of their sudden loss of momentum. Hero rocked to no avail, legitimizing their claim that this debacle was not their fault. Villain refused to move, so the hero grabbed the connecting strap.

Hero yanked hard, and the tubes spun free of the rock and caught the current again.

“I told you we needed sticks.”

“You didn’t even help!”

Hero leaned back, staring at the clear sky once again. Until Villain saw fit to once again ruin the moment.

“I think this journey is deserving of a soundtrack,” he spoke.

They pulled out a speaker from who-knows-where. In true villainous fashion, they pressed play at the highest volume, subjecting the entire river to their playlist.

“~I know, you wanted me to stay~”

“What is this?” Hero asked.

Villain gasped.

“You’ve never heard Pink Pony Club?!”

“Never heard what now?”

The villain didn’t answer, letting the singer answer for herself.

“~I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Pony Club~”

“Is that the kind of club I think it is?! This is not appropriate-“

“If you want to hear not appropriate…” the villain cursed, and the Hero’s jaw dropped open, but he wasn’t looking at them.

“Villain!”

Villain snapped his mouth shut as he caught Hero’s gaze and saw the child floating by. He blushed at the glare shot to him by the kid’s guardian, who paddled them both by as quickly as possible.

“I see why you needed someone obligated to come with you. Clearly no one would do this willingly,” Hero stated, much to the chagrin of their tethered partner.

“Oh come on, its not that bad,”

“It’s not, you are.”

Ice cold water cascaded in drops over the Hero. They froze, then turned slowly to face the grinning villain.

He just splashed them. Like a toddler.

Taking the high road, they decided not to strike back, lest they be reduced to the low, low level of their criminal companion.

When Villain failed to get the reaction he wanted, he did it again, this time drenching the entirety of Hero’s lap.

Hero’s mouth gaped.

“Ugh, could it get more hot out?” Villain complained.

“Need I remind you this was your idea?”

“I’m melting, Hero.”

Hero saw the opportunity and took it. They wedged their feet under his tube and lifted up, flipping the inflatable with Villain still inside it. They never saw it coming, and thus were successfully dumped into the pocket of deeper water.

When Villain surfaced, they cut Hero a deadly glare.

“That wasn’t very heroic of you,” they said, pushing back their now-soaked hair.

Hero shrugged.

“You said you were hot. I just saved you from a heat stroke.”

Unfortunately for Hero, some retaliation was in order.

Another large(and several small) splashes later, and they were both overboard.

Both looking like seals trying to scale an iceberg, they eventually managed to climb back into their floatation devices.

All was calm, for all of five seconds.

A crescendo of a rushing sound alerted the pair that they were approaching a rapid.

Ahead, an outcropping of rocks bifurcated their path. On either side, a small cascade prevented smooth travel forward. Hero gestured to the widest side, and his companion nodded.

“I’m going down first,” Villain asserted, aggressively paddling one handed towards the right side of the river.

Hero startled as the angle of the tubes shifted as they were pulled towards the miniature waterfall.

“I don’t wanna go backwards!” They screeched.

In a panic, Hero unbuckled the tether between them.

No longer connected, Hero’s tube passed Villain’s by, following their chosen path smoothly.

Hero looked back to find Villain farther behind them than they should have been.

Unmoving.

They were stuck.

“Wiggle!” Hero called.

The villain managed a vague side to side movement.

“That’s not wiggling!” Hero yelled, exasperated. They were quickly approaching a bend, and they had to crane their neck back to catch sight of the villain.

“This IS wiggling!” They defended.

“THEN WIGGLE HARDER!”

Soon the Hero was out of sight, and Villain had to make the ego-crushing decision to leave his tube to try and displace it off the rock.

Hero only knew he had fallen flat on his face instead when the neon pink tube floated by, its occupant conspicuously absent.

A ridiculously long time later:

The two enemies crawled out of the river, collapsing side by side onto the bank.

One package of bandaids and several towels later, they spoke,

“We should do this again sometime.”

“Never.”

[monotone-artist]

the sillies

[id: two images of digital drawings of some rain world slugcat ocs. the first image features the scrapper and the hideaway. scrapper is a brown slugcat with a dewlap and round ears, and a darker face, tail, and a heart-shaped marking on his chest. he has scarred hands and is wearing green goggles with red lenses atop his head. the hideaway is a dark red slugpup with a lighter torso, face, and tail, and a heart-shaped marking on her chest. she has a large cut in her right ear.

in the first image, there are a few drawings of the hideaway: one of her on all fours, leaning very far backward with a scrunched up face; sitting on her haunches and gazing at nowhere, looking haunted; and standing up with her arms outstretched, her face bright and happy. the last drawing is of the scrapper walking along, glancing back over their shoulder. the hideaway is perched on their back and is also glancing backward.

in the second image are colorless sketches of the scrapper and the hideaway, as well as the current and the monarch. the current is a lanky slugcat with several antenna on his body, and the monarch is a scarred slugcat with a torn ear and frills on her cheeks and underside. there are sketches of: an upper body of the monarch winking and doing a thumbs up with an uncannily realistic human hand; scrapper intensely examining the hideaway's cut ear, gently holding her head in their hands, looking worried; and current laying on the ground, his head in one hand and looking grumpy, while the monarch is flopped over his back and is peering at him innocently. end id]

[transingthoseformers]

You know, we always focus on the literal of what BlackArachnia has become and never the figurative

Like

She's a mad scientist and she's the one who made Blitzwing a triplechanger

Let our girl conduct some fucked up experiments of her own