#but aaaa my friends from my animation track is going to this one course and skjdfhksjdfh

[rylxdreams]

When you're enrolling for college tomorrow but you're still unsure about your course and school:

[the-phantom-ender]

HELO HI YES PLEASE USE ME AS A REASON FOR INFO DUMPING ON YOUR NI NO KUNI AU

(Also damn,,, i got hit with nostalgia when i read Ni No Kuni,,,)

OHHO FRIEND YOU GIVE ME TOO MUCH POWER.

ni no kuni is one of my favorite games and i am genuinely like. very shocked to have found other people aware of it dfjkhdfg.

but uh yes!!! what ive got so far is. core cast, since ive run through it before and thisll be a more concrete version

Oliver - Grian, general vibes. grian is obviously a bit more chaotic than ollie boy, though. crying for him probably translates as anger, angry crying possible.

Mr Drippy - Iskall. I have no real explanation for this other than the fact that... the dynamic is about right.

Esther - Gem! animal charming vibes are there, more capable than given credit for. also i just like the idea of her playing a lyre

Swaine - I originally said Scar, but i maaaay just actually make that Impulse. i think impulse should be allowed to have a gun. as a treat.

Marcassin - Wels. its the knight thing. and also his general vibes of "please let it seem like i know what im doing please let me seem competent"

Pea (who, yes, for the sake of things ill count) - Stress. why? ghostish stress runnin around trying to lead people on the right track. which means, ill cast "Ice Queen Stress" as the White Witch herself.

Shadar - see. this is hard. considering that. uh. spoilers. i dont want to bring watcher stuff into this but the council of twelve fits watchers very well and uh. Xelqua is the name many people use. for that.

Allie - Pearl. the soul stuff has to be a little fudged for this to work but uh... no pearl is not grians mother in this au. shes an older sister. grian is also a little older than oliver, so.

other characters include Mumbo as Philip (of course), Ren is King Tom, Scar is Rashaad (more weird uncle to gem than dad), Bdubs as Solomon (its the eyes). i know im missing a lot of characters from both ends but bear with me here skdhfgksfd.

as for how the plot changes... its still similar, but theres gotta be some changes for it to work out. pearl (formally known as pearlescence), upon fleeing her home, manages to find grian. who is... an orphan. she picks him up and basically helps raise him. theyre like siblings more than anything. the timelines a little fudged but shhh shhhhh.

wels and impulse are actually brothers in this au so thats fun. uuuh. grian lashes out in anger a lot but never really. means anything by it. hes scared and suddenly In A New Universe after his sister just died. so. hes got a lot going on. ding dong dell obviously is more dog oriented. i have so many thoughts its just hard to words aaaa!!!!

[062467]

Rammstein Tag Game!

Rules: - Tag the person who tagged you, so they know. - Put your answers under the questions. - Tag as many awesome people as you want. - Feel free to do it if you weren’t tagged! Here we go!

I don’t remember who I was tagged by, this draft post is like 3 years old i’m sorry haha

1. If you get a chance to take a photo with your favorite member, would you like them to smile, make an interesting pose, be serious or something else?

I would honestly love them to smile, there’s nothing more precious than them, six men who do pyro, sing about eating humans and generally seem badass and scary, smiling.

2. If you could choose only one of the previous live performances to go to, which one would you choose?

opening of the Mutter tour, or the one when they played Lied von der unruhevollen Jugend or Pet Sematary. honestly, i’d just blind pick one of these.

3. How old were you when Sehnsucht came out? (1997)

-3:) kill me now

4. Which era (their appearance/look) do you think was the best?

MUTTER, THE RED FLÄMIN HOT CHEETO TIPS. or just the general full-on fed hair thing. but Reise, Reise was also flaming hot.

5. What’s your desired relationship with Frau Schneider? (wife, mother, etc.)

I feel like she’d be this one annoying aunt, who you love despite them being irritating as shit. love me some Frau.

6. Which hairstyle suits each member the best in your opinion?

Paul: the long hair, doesn’t matter if blonde or brown Till: his Herzeleid hair or the silver-ish Sehnsucht Richard: spiky black, like Ich-Will-video level spiky black. but I live for richard in long-ish hair... Flake: blonde Oliver: hehe. no but seriously a full beard suits him. Schneider: I feel like now is my favorite Schneider era. that or either the Sehnsucht one.

7. Which of the members do you think you’d get along with the best and why?

either Paul, because I’m a goofy mess, but can pose as intimidating, or Richard, because I’d constantly express my admiration for him. and he’d love that. on a serious note tho, I feel like we have some problems in common, as well as the supernatural thingy would be an interesting topic to tackle. idk, I’d do my best to get along with all of them.

8. Which of the members do you think you’d get along with the least and why?

probably Flake, Oliver or Till. I heard that Flake is cranky and seems shy, same with Oli, I’m shy too, so idk if any conversation would ever take place haha. and with Till I’d simply be too damn scared to say a thing. so there’s that. basically we wouldn’t *dislike* each other, there would be barely any contact lol

9. Who of the members would you like to see singing with Till?

hell, maybe Ollie or Doom, just because I never heard them sing with him, I think.

10. Which band’s song would you wish to see as a cover by Rammstein?

idk, they always kinda surprised me with their cover choices and execution, so I wouldn’t like to change that, they’re doing a good job.

11. Who of the members would make the best dad?

something tells me that Schneider is a really caring dad.

12. If you got the chance to interview Rammstein, what would you ask them?

how do you pick you setlist? what qualifies a track to be an opener?

do you come up with stage and outfits concept yourself, or is it suggested by someone else?

what flavor of ice cream would you be?

what is your most vivid memory from your childhood?

which era is your favorite?

do you have a vision of a music video for a song that never got one? or a different vision than the music video it got?

I’d rather not write all of it here. not because they’re inappropriate or something, it’s just, I don’t even wanna start writing some of them, because I’m gonna cry lmao.

13. Would you consider of doing a nude scene in Rammstein’s music video? (just you appearing nude, nothing too nsfw)

I mean, if course I’d consider it. it would depend on my shape at the time and just on that probably. doing acts and nude scenes is, supposedly, very liberating and makes you more comfortable with yourself, so why not. and hey - I’d be in a Rammstein video haha. (I’d probably not like the way I look and hate myself a bit for doing the scene)

14. If you could remake a movie(s) so that the main role is played by one of the members, which movie(s) would you like to remake?

my favorite movies are always pretty tragic or scary as fuck for the main character, so idk if I’d like to see any of the members in such state.

15. Who of the members would make the best husband?

I will go with Flake or Ollie

16. You can put eyeliner on one of the members, who do you pick?

well, Richard, obviously, since he doesn’t seem to do it anymore (which should be considered a crime, he looks so good in eyeliner jeez).

17. Who of the members would make the creepiest uncle?

Till. all the way lmao. like, imagine him on family gatherings doing all the hips and tongue movements aaaa.

18. What do you think about the “Pussy” music video?

I love it, it’s so funny to me. when I watch it, it’s always a mixture of being a tad uncomfortable, turned on and giggly.

19. If you could travel somewhere with Rammstein and pick a destination, where would you go?

I’d go to the place where they had the whole creative process (and recording, I believe) of LIFAD or Mutter. I’d just like to kinda re-live it with them.

20. Who of the members would be the best to get drunk with?

I’d love to get hammered with Paulchen.

21. Could you sing Engel with Till in front of thousands?

hell yeah, this is one of the few songs I feel comfortable singing. I’d love to do that even more if it was done like on 2019 stadium tour, on the b-stage, only with piano and rest of the group humming. ahh.

22. With which member would you agree to swap clothes with and with which one would you definitely not?

if we’re talking personal style, Paul has some poppin outfits, from what I’ve seen, Richard and his shirts, however... I would just let him rock them:)

now if we’re talking stage outfits, I’d LOVE to switch with Richard (especially the fluffy coat), there’s not really a person I wouldn’t switch with, as long as they’re not topless haha.

23. Which of the members do you think would win in a stripping competition?

Richard.

24. Which of the following would you rather be?

- Rammstein’s manager - Rammstein’s make up artist 🙋🏻‍♀️ - Rammstein’s bodyguard

25. Which of the members would make the best best friend?

Paul.

26. Which Rammstein song do you skip on your shuffle? (There must be that one song you just don’t need at the moment)

Stirb nicht vor mir. I’m sorry but I rarely can stomach it. it’s a nice song in theory, but there’s just something about it that I can’t stand, maybe it’s the other artist’s voice, I don’t know.

27. What would you do if Paul made a bad joke about you? (With good intentions but slightly rude)

I’d laugh and pretend to be offended for a quick second haha

28. Who would you give a stuffed animal and who a leather thong for their birthday? XD

I’d give the animal to Flake and the thong to Till.

29. Are you concerned about anything that has to do with Rammstein?

I’m always scared for them tbh. oftentimes I’m just petrified at the thought of stage/pyro malfunction, I mean what they’re doing is some really dangerous stuff.

besides, I’m scared when I think that they won’t be here forever, sometimes I’m scared that they won’t be there when I’ll be in my 30s, so I’m grateful for every moment I can cherish them and their craft, for every minute at the shows.

30. Would you like to get a tattoo that refers to Rammstein?

yeah, I’d like a couple.

31. Would you pet Oliver’s head?

who tf wouldn’t like to?

32. Which position in Rammstein do you find the hardest to be? (for example: the frontman, drummer, bassist etc.)

probably frontman, lots and lots of pressure, most eyes are probably on them, they have to use most dangerous props and move a lot, so it takes a physical toll as well.

33. If you could have one of the members with you in school/work to protect you from evil, who would you take?

oh damn, that’s an interesting one. Richard, Is love to have him around.

34. If you were in one of the boys position, would you feel awkward or strange when you see your face on a giant poster?

of course, I’d hate it, probably. after sometime tho, I’d get used to it.

35. Would you Flake dance with Flake on stage?

if only I could dance like him haha, but I’d love to try!

36. Do you think any of the songs are underrated or overrated and why?

obviously I think Du hast is a tad overrated, as for underrated - Nebel, Adios, Hilf mir, Dalai Lama, just off the top of my head.

37. Who of the members would make the best breakfast?

I’m gonna go with Ollie, he’s so stoic and always in great shape.

38. Would you like them to make a song in your native language? (If they haven’t already)

hm, Till made an intro to polish edition of Sehnsucht and it was very sweet to hear it, but I don’t think so, no. if it was like in Ausländer, one or two words, sure, but I never want to get over the excitement of Till speaking Polish haha.

39. Which Rammstein couple combinations do you ship?

I don’t I mean I love all the sweet moments they share, but I get a bit uncomfortable when people make it out to be a bigger thing than it is. of course I love to joke around about their bromances, but it’s as far as it gets tbh.

40. Would you join Richard in his spray tanning hour?

I mean, damn, I love being pale-ish, but we’d have to be barely clothed while in there, right...?

RIGHT...?

41. What Rammstein possession are you most fond of? (merchandise, album or other)

probably the Völkerball photo album, I love it. I particularly like to go to the index and search for pictures from Poland, it makes me very emotional.

42. Favorite song performed live?

Heirate mich or Was ich liebe.

43. Would you dare to touch Frau Schneider’s hair?

I’d beg her to allow me to.

44. Rammstein with beard? Yes/No

yes, except from Richard and Flake.

45. Which of the members would be the best for playing video games with?

Paulie or Ollie.

46. Red haired Rammstein or blonde Rammstein?

oh shit oh fuck, I’m gonna go with blonde just because red tips Rammstein>redhead Rammstein.

47. Favorite interview with one or all Rammstein members?

Viva Jam 1998, still have a copy on my computer, it’s my first and favorite interview.

48. Would you Till hammer with Till on stage?

what are these questions, of course I would.

49. Your favorite feature in each member?

Paul: smile creases Schneider: smile! Flake: I love his whole face, it’s so calming Till: eyes and lips, can’t choose Oliver: his chest and him being a friggin giant Richard: tummy and lisp (I hope it can be considered a feature)

50. If you could write a letter to Rammstein what would you write?

some cheesy shit I will not share here.

I tag @amura @gay-pengy @beauty-at-matrix @naraism @followthecreeper

[driftingglass]

aaaa i read why you love Katsuki and Izuku's dynamic! Can you also tell as why you love Killua and Gon's? *w*

[ WARNING: Discussion of the Hunter X Hunter anime/manga/characters below. If you haven’t read the manga or watched the anime and don’t want any spoilers of any kind, do not read. ]

*Holds breath.*

HOLY. Oh damn. This. THIS is where it gets real, my friends.

Anon. You have no idea how pumped I am to answer this. I’ve got it all ready to go, and please, if it’s a bit scrambled at times… that’s just how my brain is. All composed of bunny trails and dumb theories that may or may not be connected.

Alright. Here it goes. 

Why do I love KilluGon? 

Or… why do I love the dynamic between Killua and Gon in general?

As I’ve stated in my response to another Anon about why I love the dynamic between Katsuki and Izuku from Boku No Hero Academia, my love for a ship is constructed based on a few important details.

It depends on whether or not I respect and intensely admire both characters involved in the ship, and whether or not I find their dynamic interesting, with or without evidence to support a romantic inclination.

Now, in order for me to dive into the reasons why I just… honestly, adore Killua and Gon as individual characters as well as the ship, I have to pinpoint my connection for respecting them to the manga/anime as a whole.

Hunter X Hunter is my favorite anime of all time. 

Now, there is a reason I’m pointing this out, as seemingly unneeded it may appear. For, the main core reasons why I adore Killua and Gon as characters and their ship so much is connected to the overall appeal of the anime/manga in general.

It’s common sense to those who have watched Hunter X Hunter (and if you haven’t… what are you even doing with your life?) that numerous traditional shōnen manga tropes are either inverted, discarded entirely, purposefully subverted, or deconstructed within a story that contains arcs with no conclusion, but rather a continuous, streamlined story. 

As far as my personal experience, I started watching Hunter X Hunter with little to no expectations. I was completely blown away with what I received, and almost all of that is owed to the reasons I listed above out of pure respect, awe, and wonder at how the mangaka has been able to craft a story that’s so complex and rewarding with characters that face continuous hardships, growth, and struggles that we can relate to. 

I consider both Gon Freecss and Killua Zoldyck to be two of the greatest anime characters ever created, especially when considering the shōnen demographic.

Those who have watched the anime and read the manga know that both characters subvert traditional tropes presented in their storylines as well as their personalities. 

The author has taken numerous risks with showing his star characters in incredibly twisted circumstances that presents them in extremely nontraditional (and even, at times, antagonistic) ways. I love the risk factor taken with this series.

Now, without including any spoilers in this post, I can safely say that Gon Freecss, in particular, is one of the greatest deconstructions of any character-specific category I have ever seen. 

And Killua, while incredibly complex and going through tremendous character development alongside Gon, introduces traits that are highlighted in the other that the reader/watcher would never expect upon entering the show/manga for the first time. 

Alright. So. I want to make one thing abundantly clear with this ship. 

Many people consider Killua Zoldyck to be canonically in love with Gon Freecss. 

I respect that opinion, and I’ve entertained the idea myself, particularly with the dialogue choices, artistic liberties taken in the 2011 anime, and the reputation the author has in general of subverting shōnen tropes in his other works.

However… I do not believe that we have enough evidence to actually pinpoint Killua being romantically interested in Gon, simply because of the genre in particular. At least, for this very moment in the manga and where the anime ended. 

I do think that the potential is there, but it depends on where the story will be heading in that regard.

Could I be wrong? Absolutely. 

Could I be right? Yeah. I could. 

But, that’s a discussion for another time. 

Does this make their dynamic any less human, complex, or phenomenal? 

Absolutely not. Not in any way, shape, or form.

It’s because of the fact that we’re not sure about the possible romantic undertones between Killua and Gon that we have the freedom to deconstruct, theorize, and discuss these characters in general. 

And, this is only made possible through fantastic writing, characterization, and the undeniable one-of-a-kind friendship and connection formed between two incredibly flawed, damaged, and different characters. 

Gon and Killua go through the unimaginable and demonstrate the true essence of friendship with elements that are so human and complicated that it’s just… so impressive, that it’s able to be conveyed at all in an anime.

There are specific aspects that make their parallels all the more interesting. As I’ve noticed myself, and my two OTPs, I tend to ship characters that have very fascinating parallels and have “foil”-like connections to one another. 

Gon and Killua are not foils, as far as I can tell, but they do challenge and push each other to reach the ultimate goal, and it’s due to their mutual companionship that they are able to face the struggles they come across.

Similar to my other post regarding the dynamic between Katsuki and Izuku, I would like to present more complicated bulleted lists showcasing the inner complexities that balance Gon and Killua as well. 

So, hopefully this helps.

Let’s Focus on Gon Freecss First.

Gon, for all intensive purposes, is very simpleminded and driven mostly by a slightly skewed form of logic that is only understandable to him, both morally and culturally.

He is ambitious and ultimately one-track-minded, very driven towards a goal that could either cost him or others’ lives. 

Because of these factors, Gon is ultimately a bit of a selfish character, despite his normally good intentions. He is very much driven by his emotions.

Again, Gon’s logic is a bit skewed, though in a way that is far more complex than some give him credit for. It’s shown often in the 2011 anime, with his judgment and, at times, butting heads with Killua’s far more perceptive views on certain situations. 

Gon’s logic is based on what he sees as a genuine fact brought to attention by what he sees as the path towards success and growth. 

Both he and Killua are extremely hard workers and have been ground to the bone to achieve the strength they have.

Gon acts primarily on adrenaline and instinct, in definite contrast to Killua’s personality elements. 

Because of these factors, Gon seeks the balance to his temperament and recklessness through Killua’s (rather ironic) stability and caution. Of course, the over-reliance between the two leads to catastrophic consequences, which all ties back to the elements of them both that are, ultimately, human.

Now, Let’s Focus on Killua Zoldyck.

Killua, as stated above, has been referenced in the 2011 anime to be the offset to Gon’s temperament. In other words, he’s very much the person who calms the other down and redirects his outbursts towards something else.

At times, Killua demonstrates the need to assert control in their dynamic, which Gon does not have a problem with despite the intense way that they can, while unintentionally, take advantage of one another’s weaknesses while simultaneously boosting one another’s strengths. 

Killua is cautious, analytical, observant, and both outwardly cocky and insecure. He is also, above all things, loyal. 

Despite the intense nature of his character, the only person who rather effortlessly breaks down Killua’s walls and introduces him to a new understanding of the world is, in fact, Gon. 

Killua’s loyalty is, arguably, the main factor of his character that roots himself to Gon. No matter the situation, he will pull through for Gon. Gon is, essentially, his world. 

Killua comes from a rather twisted family background with traces of moral ambiguity and questionable relations to his parents and siblings. 

Gon is an only child and is seeking his father, while Killua seeks his family companionship in Gon and values the other’s perspective to a point that is both freeing for him as a person and damaging. 

Another thing needed to be made clear with discussing the gray, less-than-pleasing aspect of their friendship…

None of these discussed personality traits and reasons excuse any elements of their relationship that are damaging, because there’s plenty of pain in what happens between them. But, that’s part of what makes it all fascinating. 

And, I think that’s what it all comes down to. Despite the craziness in their world, in the two of them as characters individually and the indescribable, believable connection they have, one thing is made abundantly clear. 

Killua and Gon’s relationship is the most complex, fleshed out, beautifully presented, tragic and fulfilling dynamic between characters I’ve seen in an anime. Ever. 

This is, of course, my opinion. But there is something that needs to be said with Killua and Gon and their inseparable connection. 

It’s because of Gon that Killua knows he must take a step forward and grow on his own while being apart. It’s because of Killua that Gon has reached the milestones he has, that he’s even alive. 

The both of them balance each other out, survive together, challenge each other, suffer through the worst of the worst, and still remain steadfast in a companionship that is so brutally human and complex that I will forever laud the two of them (and their fantastic ship) for existing in the first place. 

I love them as best friends. I love them as characters. I love them as romantic interests because I’ve never been so convinced that it could happen not only in theoretical discussion, but also in the canon universe. 

And that is something that I don’t think will ever be repeated. 

Gon and Killua are the epitome of complex, relatable friendship that treads the lines of the ugly and the beautiful in the best possible ways. These factors make their dynamic breathtaking, awe-inspiring, tragic, wonderful and human in both platonic and romantic ways. 

*Releases breath.*

Believe it or not, I could say more, but… those are the overarching reasons. Anyone who hasn’t seen Hunter X Hunter needs to just watch it right now and experience it for themselves. No amount of words can express the justice of these two. Ever.

THANK YOU ANON. 

[mrbananny]

Breakdown

Crie s I'm done with this aaaa. I think this might be the longest fic ive ever wrote omfg. I'm actually pretty proud of myself, because i usually never finish things this long. But thanks a lot to both @uf0-toast and @cartoons-behind-blogging for listening to me scream about this for two days ;v; a cookie for whoever can guess the three songs I referenced !

Summary: GCBC gets invited to a party.

TW: anxiety, possible ptsd, minor blood

Rating: T

It was at a party. Well, not exactly a ‘party’, more of a festive get-together as Bad Cop called them, considering the fact that he didn’t want to be there in the first place. Especially not at Cloud Cuckooland. The lights were too bright, music too loud, and even voices were gosh-darn annoying. The only reason he had been there was because of a certain someone wanting to go.

  ‘Hey, buddy, why don’t you go n’ dance? Make some new friends!’ Good Cop had spoken up, speech still a bit slurred.   The cop gave a sigh. “If you wan’ a dance n’ make friends so bad, why don’t you come out n’ do it yourself?“ He mumbled back.  ‘You know ’m scared t’ come out like this. B'sides, you need t’ work on your social skills, Bad’ Good Cop held back a laugh at mentioning this.   Ever since the events of TAKOS Tuesday, Bad Cop’s other half hadn’t exactly… been himself, in more ways than one. It’s been about a week since then.

  The day prior to the festive get-together was one of the Cop’s first days back from working under Business’ strict rule. After leaving the Super Secret Police that Business had them working in, they had instantly gone back to working as a normal cop. They knew they should take time off after what had happened in those last 3 short days, but they couldn't just laze around their home all day. For them, normal patrol work was a vacation, compared to the work Business had them doing. It was a good break, Bad Cop returned to the normal car chases he loved, and Good Cop went back to crossaint and donut breaks, which he oh-so loved as well.   "PULL OV'R N' COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" The cop had shouted into the megaphone, head halfway through the window. The criminal was persistent, and it took hours upon hours to finally catch him. And after that was Good Cop's croissant break.   Bad Cop had to order the croissants and coffee, of course. The other still had a bit of a doubt of how people would react to his new face. Bad paid and thanked Larry before rushing out the coffee shop door.   The cops had made their way back to the police cruiser before meeting a familar furry face.   "HIIII, BAD COP!!" Unikitty had shouted in her high pitched, hurting-Bad-Cop's-ears voice. The cop gave a shout, being startled by her sudden appearance, nearly dropping the hot coffee in his lap. "GAH! DON'T SNEAK UP ONE SOMEONE LIKE THAT!" After attempts of trying to calm his heart rate, he continued, putting his hand on his forehead. "What d' you want? I thought the Master Builder's wouldn't want anything t' do with me." Unikitty's excited grin faltered a bit at that question. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too. Buuut! I am throwing a party tomorrow night to celebrate the defeat of the Kragle," that word had caused Bad Cop to flinch a bit, "and Emmet, Wyldstyle, Benny, Metalbeard, and myself thought it would be great for you to come stop by and join us!" The cop opened his mouth to say something-   "There'll be CAKE, and ICE CREAM! Oh, and MUSIC," He had been interuptted as she continued to list off things she had planned, "and GAMES, because who doesn't love party games?! Of course, we're still doing reconstruction on CCC, or C3 for shorter, but we were able to make one party room for tomorrow-"   "Unikitty."   "And it should be good until we get the other 23 up and running-"   "Unikitty?"   "But we REEEALLLY think it would be great for you two to meet new peop-"   "I can't."   Well, that just made her stop dead in her tracks. "W-Why not?" Bad Cop picked up his keys, as a way to hint at her that he wanted to escape from this conversation. "I jus'... think that it might be better if I wasn't there. After all, I was th' one t' ruin... C3," Man Upstairs, he didn't want to call it that. "Look, I appreciate the offer but I just can't."   Unikitty looked defeated. Her ears folded back and she looked toward the sidewalk. "Alrighty. Well, if you change your mind you can always come anyway! Bye, Bad Cop!" And with that, she was off, sparkles and glitter and every other bright shiny thing you can think of trailing her.   'I think it would be fun.' Good Cop had spoken up after a short period of silence.   Bad Cop had ignored what he said. "Do you want your croissant 'r not?" He heard a mental sigh come from his other half as their head spun and suddenly his scribbled face was in control. He picked up his croissant and hesitated.   'You're okay.'   Ever since the... 'incident' with Good Cop and Business, several things have been harder for Good Cop to do with his new face, replaced by scribbled features. Eating, for one, was an issue, considerjng his mouth was nothing but a cross between smooth and jagged edges. Sight, another. Without his glasses, Good couldn't see very far, and adding that to his new eyes, several problems could erupt, which is usually why Bad does all the driving. And of course, speech. He didn't sound like he used to, which is something he could ignore, but his speech pattern had become slurred, which led to some misunderstandings. "I know, I jus'- Maybe we should go?"   'No one would want us there n' you know it.'   "We don' know that. We won' if we don' go."   He took a bite from his snack. "I think it'd be good fer you."   Bad Cop had been so busy thinking back to the day before that he hadn't even noticed the unicorn/cat hybrid and a familiar blue spaceman walk (or rather, float, in Benny's case) up to the punchbowl where the cop had been hiding out since he arrived. "Hey! Bad Cop! Wassup! It's me, Benny, remember?!" Ben had shouted at the top of his lungs, over the loud music playing, snapping Bad out of his thoughts. He jumped back a bit, startled by the new set of loud noises. "Uhm...?" He started, making an attempt to actually remember who Benny was. Good Cop spoke up.   'Remember when we were stuck at th' tower? 'N all the Master Builders escaped, buddy?' Bad Cop thought back. He did remember a blue-clad astronaut among the other Builder's. "Vaguely." He mumbled to Good, just enough to where the music drowned it out. Benny tilted his head a bit when he noticed that he had said something. "Hmm? You gotta speak up, dude, it's LOUD IN HERE!" Bad Cop shook his head in annoyance and opened his mouth to repeat himself, but next thing he knew Benny was already off on another tangent. "Hey! I just wanted to thank you for letting me build a spaceship last week! It really meant a lot!" The confused cop made sure to speak up this time. Benny was right, it WAS loud in here. "'m not th' one you should be thankin'! Good was the one who-"   "OH, YEAH!" Benny had interrupted, "Unikitty and I wanted to know how Good Cop was doing!" Bad flinched. "He's f-fine." He mumbled, forgetting that the music automatically drowned it out.   "WHAT?!"   "I said he's FINE, Ben!" He just about screamed that.   "OH-KAY!"   Unikitty felt as though it was her turn to speak, just trying to keep Benny from being in the hospital due to possible death by chair. "I'm so glad you could join everyone, Bad Cop! I was kinda worried you'd miss the party!" The only response she got was a quiet grumble from the cop standing in front of her. "C'mon Mr. Grumpy Pants! Lighten up a little and come dance!"   Man Upstairs, why does everyone want him to dance so bad?! "No, thank you. Not happenin'."   Unikitty raised one eyebrow and put on a fake innocent smile. "I bet Good Cop would come out and dance!" This caused her to receive a glare from Bad Cop, which was hidden behind his aviators. So Unikitty's expression didn't falter in the slightest. "He doesn't wan' t' come out right now."   Unikitty's smile disappeared, and was soon replaced by an expression of 'the opppsite of happiness'. "Okay... I won't pressure you anymore, sorry!" Bad Cop sighed in relief. As the two Master Builders went to the other end of the snack table, where all the cookies and cake and cookie cakes where. Something told Bad that the last thing those two needed was more sugar.   'B-Buddy?'   "Hmm?" Bad Cop had responded, quietly.   Good Cop had been silent for a few short moments. He did a mental inhale before saying,   'I want t' come out."   Bad Cop froze for a few short seconds.   'Bad?'   "I heard you." He looked out across the sea of dancing Master Builders and 'Party Animals' as Unikitty called them You really wan' t' come out?"   'Yeah. I haven't... been out... much.'   Bad Cop sighed. "I know." He looked back over at Unikitty and Benny before calling for them.   They were in a smaller, separate room. A dress up room. With a mirror and a large closet stuffed with party costumes.   "You wanted t' know how Good was doing?" The cat and spaceman nodded. "You look a little nervous, Bad Cop, is everything alright?" Benny was the first to ask. Bad Cop had been gripping at his shirt with his right hand, left on his cheek. "'M fine. It's jus' that he hasn't been out in public much since..." He stopped himself there.   'Bad, I'll be okay... breathe.'   "Bad Cop you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Not if it makes you uncomfortable." Unikitty reassured. Gosh darn it, why were these two being so nice to him? It's a question he hadn't even thought of asking, he's been so distracted with literally everything else.   A new song had started up and could be heard from through the walls.     Even if it makes me blind     I just want to see the light     Breath in, leave it all behind     I just want to see the light   Unikitty's expression changed from concern to excitement in a matter of milliseconds. She squealed with delight. "Ah! This is my favorite song! C'mon Benny!" And with that she ran out the door, the spaceman following. Ben turned back around to face the nervous Cop. "Hey, just chill, dude! You'll be okay. If not, just give us a shout!" And he left.   A shout. Right.   He turned to look at the mirror, taking his hand off his cheek, other hand still gripping at his shirt. It was a good thing that he had been wearing a normal button up shirt rather than his leather police uniform, or those wrinkles he was creating would've been there forever.   "You sure you wan' t' go through with this?"   Good Cop's only reply was a simple word.   'Yes.'   Next thing Good Cop saw was his scribbled face in the mirror. He was starting to have second thoughts.   'You don' have t' do this if you don' want t', you know this, right?'   Good noted Bad's repetition of Unikitty's words. He shook his head.   "I need t' work on my social skills jus' like you do." He laughed a bit, making a light-hearted joke to ease the anxiety between the two. Good Cop stopped laughing and took deep breaths before walking out of the room and into the main party hall. He felt his heart skip a beat as he took one step foward, then another. Some partygoers had started to notice him, and the room went quiet, save for the loud music and chatting of people who were clueless to what was happening. Good Cop's heart started to race, which Bad Cop took note of.   'Good, calm down.'   He could hear comments about his face, and more and more comments about his presence overall.   'Stay calm.'      'Ew, what happened to his face?' 'Wasn't he the one that destroyed Cloud Cuckooland in the first place?' 'He's probably just here to spy on us, so we can just do this whole shebang all over again.' 'Business better not have followed him here.'   That name. Business. Good Cop started to focus on that name.   'Good, breathe in n' out. You're not breathing, Good! Snap out of it!'   He was right. He couldn't breathe. He was frozen to the spot like a deer in headlights. Why couldn't he move? He could've moved if he wanted to but-   Emmet was walking over. Wyldstyle, Metalbeard. Why were they walking over? He tried to hide his face, arms merely twitching. Emmet walked up to him. "Heh, hey, uh Good Cop? Everything all right there, pal?" He placed a hand on the cop's shoulder, which caused him to step back. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find a lie to tell him. Bad Cop was so much easier at lying to people's faces, gosh, why couldn't he?     He closed his eyes and held his head, blocking out any noises around him. Man Upstairs, if he could just move he could run back into the room. Why couldn't he move?!   He opened his eyes. Presi- No. It was Lord Business. He was wearing his Power Suit and everything. His helmet, his cape, his boots. Where did he get them?! He had told everyone he had gotten rid of it. Good Cop's eyes went wide as he started spitting out apologizes left and right, hoping he wouldn't punish them again.   He didn't mean to let the Special get away, it was that darned Master Builder's fault. Business said something, which Good Cop couldn't seem to make out. Robots came over. He felt hands grab his shoulders, cold and firm, and he desperately thrashed about to get away, eyes glued shut. Through much struggle he pulled his arm free and clocked whoever he could reach. The hands leg go. After several short moments, he opened his eyes to where Business had been standing, ready to apologize once more for punching one of his robots. Although, when he opened them...   He was still at the party. Metalbeard- goshdarn his size- was standing in place of where Business was, Benny to his left, holding his nose, blood dripping from it and down his chin, under where his space helmet had cracked, Wyldstyle and Emmet at his side. Oh.   Oh no. Oh no, no, no.   He could hear Bad Cop shouting at him.   'SNAP OUT OF IT! IT'S NOT REAL, GOOD!!'   Good Cop shook his head. His mind cleared. The whole room had gone into shock, only the music left playing. The cop just stared with wide eyes. He didn't want this to happen. Why did this happen?! All he wanted was to be more outgoing than he had been. All of this was just a mistake. Mistake. Suddenly, he could breathe easily again, though he felt as though the room had been getting smaller. Metalbeard leaned over to him and said, as quiet as he could, which isn't very, "Ye be alright, laddy?"   And there they were.   Tears. Tears had started to fall down Good's face, mixed with the ink of his eyes and mouth, staining the shirt he had been wearing. Everyone stopped short and took a step back, allowing him some room. Darn it all, first he clocks Ben in the face, causes a scene, then cries in front literally every Master Builder? Bad Cop would have his head, if they didn't share the same one, for showing all this vuberability of the two. Biggest mistake of Good Cop's life, considering he felt awful bad for everything that had happened in the span of 5 minutes. Benny looked up, ignoring his now broken face (he could worry about that later), and floated over to Good Cop, who was doing his best to hold in sobs.   "Hey, man? Are you okay?"   That was all Benny had to say before Good let it all out. These people really cared about him and he just didn't understand why. His legs gave out and was soon on the floor, crying inky tears into his white (now gray) shirt and onto the floor. Unikitty must have noticed because the music had been shut off. Everyone stood still looking in the direction of where Good Cop had been sobbing. The room was absolutely silent now, save for the few hiccuping sobs coming from the cop.   Good had made an attempt to reach out to Bad, considering he needed him now more than ever. But he received no response from his other half.   Everyone had been staring. Good Cop expected them to laugh, to use these weaknesses against him and Bad. But they just stood there, concern across everyone's faces. Emmet exchanged glances with Benny. No one knew what they should be doing. They had never seen the two like this. Emmet had walked over to him on the floor and sat down. He said nothing and put his hand on the cop's back, starting to rub it. He looked back at the crowd with an expression of 'This doesn't leave this building', then back to Good Cop with sad eyes. He had gone quiet, save for the occasional hiccups. Emmet didn't know how long he sat there, Benny didn't realize how much blood had gotten on his suit, and Good Cop didn't realize how many were staring.   Bad Cop had finally spoke up through the silence of their mind.   ''m sorry.'   Good Cop wanted to say something back, but his throat had felt like it'd closed up.   He couldn't say anything. He didn't know what to say anyway, so it wouldn't make a difference.   ''m sorry.' Bad Cop repeated.   'I knew you were too nervous t' go out there. I shoulda stopped you.'   Good Cop took in a breath. "I-I'm okay." He said with a shaky breath, both to Bad Cop and the crowd around him. Bad just about screamed.   'Good, you're NOT OKAY. YOU'RE ON TH' FLOOR, STAININ' YOUR SHIRT. I THINK THAT'S A WEE BIT FAR FROM 'OKAY'.'   He tried to stand up. He needed to escape. To leave. To forget this ever happened. He was embarrassing himself. Emmet and Unikitty helped him onto his feet, his gaze locked to the floor, finding the little bit of space between each brick in the makeup more exciting then what had been currently happening. Once he had gotten to his feet, he crowd began to mumble things under their breaths. Good Cop refused to look away from the floor, hands covering his face. "Good Cop? You feeling better?" Benny had asked him. Through his hands, he responded with, "'m f-fine." He lied. "I- I jus' wanna leave."   "Okay. Unikitty and I'll see you out, i-if that's o-okay?" The cop nodded and started out the door. The spaceman looked back at Emmet, Wyldstyle and Metalbeard, as a way to say, 'Everything's okay,' and allow them to resume the music.   Good Cop had already been in the car he drove to the party, which is actually the opposite of what you would expect him to drive. It wasn't a police cruiser, more of a normal everyday car, one much like what Emmet would drive. Benny had floated over with Unikitty and found the cop sitting in the passenger seat. Although, it had been Bad Cop who had taken over, mumbling quietly to himself. The vehicle had been dead silent, but the two still couldn't make out what he had been saying.   Benny opened the driver door. Before he could open his mouth to say something- "Get in. Both 'f you." Bad Cop had demanded. Although the Master Builders were confused, they got in anyway, Benny, in the driver's seat, Unikitty in the back seats. "What are w-"   "You're drivin', Ben." Bad Cop informed him, looking away. Benny said nothing, gripped onto the steering wheel and started the car.   The cops had lived a long ways away, and the ride had been silent, save for occasional mumbling and grumbling from Bad Cop, the spaceman barely able to make out what he had been saying. Apologies, how much he hated how bright C3 was, the sort. Benny looked at Unikitty in the rear mirror. She had been looking out the windows, a bit of a bored, yet regretful expression on her face. The blue astronaut put his eyes back on the road, remembering that he needed to be more careful with this car and not cause a crash. After all, there were two things it wasn't: his, and a spaceship.   He took a look at the car radio. He hadn't noticed how quiet this ride was until he took a glance at the buttons and bells and whistles to his right.   "'m sorry all this happened, Good." Bad Cop whispered under his breath.   ''s okay.'   "No, it's not okay. We shoulda given you more time t' recover. All this is my fault 'n 'm sorry."   'It's not your fault.'   The two stayed quiet after that. Benny spoke up, breaking the two from their conversation. "Bad Cop?"   He grumbled.   "Look, I-I'm really sorry that happened to you, dude." He meant more than just the party incident. "But, if you ever need to talk to someone about this, we're your buddies, man, we'll listen to anything you gotta say."   Buddies. Right.   "Emmet, Wyldstyle, Uni and I, even Batman-" Unikitty shook her head. "Okay, maybe not Batman," he still had that whole tax evasion thing going on, "but everyone else, we'll be here for you okay?"   Bad Cop said nothing. It was a few more minutes of silence before Unikitty whispered something to the astronaut, just enough to where the cops couldn't hear. It would've made a difference anyway, he hadn't been listening to anything but the sounds of the engine running.   "Could I play some music? I think it could get your mind off things for the night." Ben asked.   Bad Cop shrugged. "Sure, but we're almos' there anyway. It's jus' about fifteen minutes."   Benny rolled his eyes. "C'mon, dude I'm trying to help you out here. Look, I'll try to see if I can find, like, an 80's music station or something."   After about a minute, Bad Cop heard a song playing. "Oh, my gosh! I love this song!" Benny shouted. A few seconds in, Unikitty perked up from the back and agreed. Bad Cop listened to the lyrics as Benny and Unikitty sang, quite bad, if you wanna put it politely.     I stopped an old man along the way   Hoping to find some long forgotten words or ancient melodies   He turned to me as if to say, "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you"   Bad Cop recognized this song. It had been a song he and Good always started road trips off with. It was never an official trip without it. The chorus came along.   It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you   There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do   Benny and Unikitty had been singing at almost the top of their lungs (not enough to bother Bad Cop), that they almost didn't notice the quiet, slightly slurred voice that had joined in.   Keyword: 'Almost'.   I bless the rains down in Africa   Gonna take some time to do the things we never had   Benny and Unikitty shut up before he was finished singing the second half of the chorus. Good Cop noticed that it had been unusually silent from them, despite the song still playing. He looked over, revealing his still-runny-inked face, which didn't seem to phase either of the Master Builders. Benny had a huge grin on his face, almost literally stretching from ear to ear and Unikitty's eyes were sparkling like they've never sparkled before. "See? I told you you'd feel better with some music! Just some singing and you're back in the groove of things!" The cop made an attempt to pretend that he didn't know what he was talking about. Of course, Benny wasn't believing it.   "You should sing more often!" Unikitty cheered. Good Cop's face flushed at the compliment, which was very crontrasting to the ink smears that made it up. Bad Cop quickly switched in, their head spinning around. "Th-Thanks, but we jus' wanna get home n' forget that tonight ever happened." After that, he quickly fell silent again, Benny and Unikitty still grinning.   The song ended and another began.   Darling you got to let me know   Should I stay or should I go? They had soon arrived at the cops' apartment complex in Bricksburg. Bad Cop jerked a bit in his seat and looked up out the front window. He groaned and put his face in his hands. "Ugh, 'm sorry, I didn't even consider th' fact that you both need a ride back." Unikitty got out of the car through... the window. "Pssh, it's okay Bad Cop!" Benny undid his seatbelt and turned off the car, opened the door and soon floated right out like a balloon. "Yeah! I have a spaceship hangar close by, dude! I have them all over the universe just in case!" Bad gave him a look through his hands before promptly placing them in his lap. "It's only been a week. How've you had time t' build so many spaceships in seven days?" Benny looked nervous.   "W-Well, I never said that..." He waved his hands. "ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. Look, dude, Unikitty and I'll find a spaceship to take back to Cuckooland. And again, remember, that the rest of the Master Builders and us are here if you need to talk to anyone about anything okay?" He handed the cop a phone number. In messy handwriting, it read:      The DOG          270-4730   Bad Cop nodded. "G'night, Ben. Unikitty."   "Good night, Bad Cop. Tell Good Cop 'night for us too!" Unikitty responded.   Their apartment. That old, messy apartment. The one Business had reserved for them while under his rule. After TAKOS Tuesday, it had become more and more filthy and dirty. Bad Cop didn't mind, he had a place for everything, but Good Cop hated it.   He walked into the bathroom. The mirror, which desperately needed a cleaning (Man Upstairs, give him a day off to clean this place), showed his face, his tired, tired face. It then switched to a scribbly face, ink stains running down the cheeks and chin.   'D' we need to fix it?'   "... yeah."   ''m still sorry about what had happened back at 'Kitty's place.'   "'S not your fault."   'I know.'   It had been about a month later. Bad Cop had been sitting in his police office and Business payed him a visit, another attempt to apologize for Good Cop. Gosh, he wanted to punch him. However, by a cruel miracle, he was still the president, and the cops knew all too well that if you threaten the President, you threaten your life. No matter if he's 'reformed or not' (extra claw quotations around reformed). After the president had left, Bad Cop grabbed the nearest, replacable object he could, and gripped it as hard as possible. It broke. It was a ceramic dog, much like one that you would buy for $2 at an arts and crafts store and paint it yourself. A gift from Emmet. The ears, paws, and tail were blue and pink, while the rest was orange. The colors contrasted a bit, but Bad Cop didn't mind. He felt awful for what he did to it though, but then again, you shouldn't give anything breakable like that to Bad Cop.   He cleaned off his hand, pieces from the dog making his hand white from the powdery material, and rainbow colored from the paint.   He sat there a moment, recollecting his thoughts before looking over at a strip of paper taped to his computer monitor. He contemplated something for a few quick moments.   He picked up his phone and dialed the number.   It rang a few times before a cheery voice picked up on the other end.   "Hello?"   "Hello, Ben. Sorry t' bother... but I need t' vent." 

[thebeginningofhope]

“Abandon Ship!”

PREPARE FOR TROUBLE, YOU'RE SO NAIIIVE AND MAKE IT DOUBLE, AS WE DECIEEEVEE SURRENDER NOW OR PREPARE FOR A FIGHT! Meowth pops up from fish sub Thaaaaat's right!

commentary from me: they're gonna sink the ship. More follows: 

max- I thought you were just a nice old couple! Jessie- no one's ever accused us of being old James- and certainly not a couple.

na na na DA DA DA (trumpet) di da {Fight music cover of game wild battle soundtrack, possibly] TR goes blast! all our savings are gone! spent on those twerps! our savings aren't the only blasted thing here WE'RE blasting off again a trashbag trap?!

oh its the abandoned ship from the game. attention mystery fans!

aww his marshtomp got seperated from him. Tom and MarshTOMP

i want to drink soda on a ship, too.

obviously thats marshtomp. or maybe it evolved! torchick! no! you have a type disadvantage! wow it did evolve!

of course meowth knows something's up poor them!

AH, THE INDIGNITY I'm gonna cry.

well who asked you anyway max... such a great trainer fury swipes to the rescue!

i know meowth has good reason to be cranky but why the threads? just hold your horsea newton's motion machine desk toy reference

[tada!] it's a golduck box! is that the same duck from orange islands?

noooooooo not like that why is hoenn so... so... cruel. The episodes are good but i cant forget that one threat that came out of nowhere

made by grass types! why... [edit made after watching the episode: grass types... oh tragicomedy...]

i paused it in the beginning of the animation. now it's worse. even more worse! why...

meowth- well, hello there! max is in on the snarky humor too... at least they both can see the funny side

this is cruel... unpause now

infighting?! really, you two. poor torchic.

Who’s that Pokemon?

NO NOT SILCOON yes, it was silcoon. guess “silk” gave it away why... WHY NOT MUDKIP

not May, too!

Brock's mudkip to the rescue! ah, those three have the right sense of tone

update: i would cry, but i'm too dehydrated i'm like alice, i dont take my own advice

"And we're getting picked off, one at a time!" [James]'s in on it too... he's mad from stress max still has a level head

this is a game of chess, isn't it let me guess: third one is Jessie... but she's going to stomp on a seadra and get dragged down there... 

oh no I've succumbed to it too!

They have such faith in her ... James has lost it. I like the poetry of what he said, but it's crazy NO, MANIACAL LAUGH, THEY HAVE LOST IT

I really have tears in my eyes, now

Jessie, you gotta do something Jessie: it's not polite to leave a helpless woman all alone

AAAAH! WHAT IS IT? aa wooper... the wooper is in on it I heard the tada sound effect I'm hysterical now capital Hysterical

"so, you think you're pretty funny, hah!"

(claps hands to head)AAAA LOOK BEHIND YOU!

I'm crying, too.

may made the same joke... I can't believe it...

WOBBUFFET?! SAVE THEM WOBBUFFET! YOU'RE CLOSEST TO A LASSIE THIS SERIES HAS GOT

my temple's twitching... tragic illogic STOP BEING MEAN JESSIE NO! STOP IT [He’s not useless] i have to hit play

it's ground type... so it isn't totally immune? bet it's like grass types, as explained earlier in the season does that make Pikachu a ground... no.

WHY THE CHEERY MUSIC, POKEDEX?!

[Swampert]’s running like a dog

mudkip to the true rescue!

wait, the spider is scared

I don't think that's gonna work, Brock

we get the irony... OH ILL TIMED PUN

this is the determined sound track! tom'll sort this out!

NOOOOOO! NO NO NO NO NO NO HEAR HIM OUT

"you must've thought that I abandoned you, huh" ... pun :')

mudkip... [Edit: the small mudkip reminds Swampert of its youth]

this is so sweet

"I think they're ok now" "yeah"

"I'm really sorry for the trouble we caused you" "Nah, no trouble at all"

cut to team rocket "Ah, we're free at last" "and out of those confining threads" [Meowth confidently crosses his arms]

"dok dok"

A) they really went all out with the sound effects in this episode B) just leave and think about your lives, Rocketeers

"Go team!" NO, TEAM-

at least swampert has a chance to redeem itself now...

same animation from before...

"I think this is starting to get old" "and we're getting too old for dis" "speak for yoursellllves I'm not old"

Hoenn is an amazing season. Team rocket will be good in the end, I'm sure.

[ending song from first season plays] (But this one's more high-quality)

"This ship has become a home for water pokemon" "And it seems to be a kind of refuge for pokemon that are crossing the ocean" "Kind of like a Pokemon Oasis, if you know what I mean" "So I think I'm going to stick around and fix this place up a bit, see?" "Me and Swampert, of course!"

"Hey, that's a great thing to do!" "Good luck to you guys!" nods from May and Max

[”An abandoned ship became an unlikely site for a reunion between two old friends. And now our heroes are off to Slateport city as they get that promised ride from a new friend.”}

oh, swell animation! Great way to end the season...

three ships in one episode. one's a rental out of gas that drifted to the second, and the second's a ship that ran aground. Third's a speedboat. is that the proper term for it?

(I liked the plot in these episodes a lot. The pacing is nice, and I like how real the drifting away plot convenience felt.)

Ah, I initially found the wrong ending song, but my heart is warmed.

The Journey Continues!