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blackstarchanx3new · 1 year

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Creations AU, But I obnoxiously over explain it PT 8

Holy crap how are there 8 parts.

211-240

Well it took 200 pages but he cracked like a damn egg in front of someone.

Sammy's a cool dude though.

Again we see characters treat Mike rather, differently because they know something about him we are assumed not to. or at least don't have full context too.

He's delicate and understanding towards a complete WTF situation.

Sammy's continues to be a delicate dude about Mike's horrible horrible ordeal.

Mike's memory is fuzzy atm.

Apparently they were gonna "Talk to a puppet"

Ya know that thing we saw as a plushie earlier on. Sammy seems to think that's weird.

and holy shit it's a corpse.

Haha don't yell in front of the traumatized man in shock at who he's looking at. Sammy quickly rights himself as soon as he notices that.

Sammy seems way more upset about Mike being put in danger than having to help him. X'D He's used to bullshit I suppose.

"Prank" our asses Michael you got impaled.

So the owners know about Mike's mental health struggles and an illness we aren't quite privy too. One that makes it hard for Mike to distinguish reality.

Thanks Michael.

Makes sense why William was so weird. (Still handled that poorly)

Sammy's handling it a bit better in the sense he isn't acting like Mike's unhinged or dangerous and he's clearly not scared to be in the same room as Mike, but is being delicate and soothing for Mike's sake.

Also: Michael has a history of doing "Crap" which is amusing. Wtf are you doing Michael. X'D

You can see why I like Sammy right? X'D

Specifically his line "DON'T APOLOGIZE TO ME APOLOGIZE TO HIM"

Dudes got his priorities are in place. He doesn't want Michael to kiss his ass he wants him to make shit right with Mike. Ya know, the person actually most affected by this shit.

We can see between the two Sammy is clearly the more responsible one and despite Michael's shit talking earlier Sammy is pretty level headed.

We can see why they don't get along though.

Also because heights/panel layouts are hard: Sammy is around the same height as Mike, aka he's short lmao but they're just shown at head level for convenience reasons.

Sammy is literally that one meme of the woman holding the guy pointing at the other woman angrily.

He continues to be responsible by NOT letting Michael take Mike home lmao. Let's be real I wouldn't trust Michael to do smth like that either. X'D

Haha Mike you still aren't okay are you?

Sammy's still trying to be nice.

Sammy that's a weird response...

Oh. He's nuts too!

Mike's response to Sammy's insane rambling about not being sure he's a real person is just

"...Yeah"

Lmao. Seems Sammy has had a colorful past with Freddy's himself. Makes sense he's one of the owner's son.

Which makes his relationship with William very...questionable from an age/how long they've known each other angle. If you were curious about why Michael was possessive over Mike earlier and called William a "Gross old man" now you now. William's having relations with his business' partner's son who's presumably older than Michael but stillllllll wtf Will. X'D. Healthy relationships isn't something this series thrives on if you haven't noticed.

Also: Silver eyes reference with the Spring Bonnie panel.

Fourth closet reference with "Fake Charlie".

The panel where Sammy's face is an endoskeleton is symbolism by the way, not directly "real".

The depths of Sammy's paranoia and anxieties he's not real is justified. How WOULD you know if you were a fake person? XD

What I like during this convo is Mike asking directly if Sammy thinks he's crazy and Sammy swiftly responding with "Not really no"

Ahh. So Mike for sure has an illness that makes him see things that "aren't there".

(It's never directly stated to be schizophrenia because I don't like writing illnesses I don't have 1 to 1, but what Mike's been experiencing LATELY Has not been apart of his illness, as he's medicated and as we've seen: Cody was very much real.)

And we hear it from Mike: He thinks everything he's seen with Cody so far has been a dream of some kind. Since again, he's on medication he shouldn't be hallucinating.

I forgot this was the case till going back and looking into FNAF stuff again: Mike's character trait of hallucinating was based on the player character "Mike Schmidt" having hallucinations/the "Rare screens" in FNAF 1.

Something I've hoped ya noticed: Mike's character arc is gaining friendships and relationships and getting over what happened at Freddy's.

Lol so you COULD see as this purely as Sammy being manipulative buuuut here's how it is to me:

He cares enough about Mike's health to let him have a break at all. He cares about the robots happiness because replacing nightguards is implied to be stressful for them.

He's a "Try to keep everyone happy" kind of person lmao.

Also new character yay.

Lmao. She's weird.

This is Mike's roommate! :D We knew he lived with someone and now this is just conformation.

She looks familiar....

Wonder if we've seen ANOTHER red head who's associated with green....Oh yeah. The ghost that spoke to Bonnie briefly.

Something brought up before: Sammy hired Mike so Sammy is technically Mike's boss.

This art style wise was when I decided: I just needed to get pages done and I didn't super care about the quality (Still feel that way)

the first arc isn't my favorite. FNAF 3 was fun because of our 2nd favorite local hoe behind Freddy himself, known as Andrew Sister Location was a SLOG It was LITERALLY just the game dialogue and occasionally I had fun with Josh, but it differed enough from the game that I NEEDED to do it bleh and FNAF 4 had it's moments again, everything original was fun.

Twisted ones and Pizza Sim are my favorite concept wise because that's when shit SUPER hits the fan. They aren't directly 1 to 1 with anything so I can go nuts.

The FNAF 1 arc mostly ESTABLISHES a lot so when we get to BATSHIT INSANITY nobody's confused who everyone is and what their relationships to each other are.

Anyway: Mike explains wtf they were doing at Freddy's to this woman, clearly SHE'S the person he's been conspiring against Freddy's with.

The Puppet is a fan favorite design in Creations and to this day I don't get it:

I gave the regular puppet HAIR. That's about it. X'D

Either way: Mike can't fully trust the info given during this because of Michael's "Prank".

Keep in mind: They went her presumably to discuss how to fix Freddy's. Which is what Michael and Mike were talking about before shit went wrong.

Sus things:

Michael knows about the "Putting people in robots" thing or at least is implied to know. How and why does he know that? Michael's friends/acquaintances with the girl who put his brother in the Golden Freddy costume. Does he KNOW Cody's fate? How does he feel about these things?

So Mike presumably waited 5 years to do anything about what was happening at Freddy's because he wasn't ready to confront this.

William was committing the "Main" murders that caught Mike's attention 5 years ago. They conformed there ARE more than Jeremy by mentioning "victims" but he came HERE after an incident at a sister location Fredbear's having children and the owner go missing.

Michael woke up from his accident 5 years ago.

Afton has dabbled in making robots that look and act human.

and the suspected main goal from this was to create robots that had human souls/remnant inside them.

HMMMMMM WONDER WHAT'S GOING ON LMFAO.

Lol oop-

Sooo question: Does Sammy know about his sister being in the puppet? X'D

If he does it'd make sense why he was confused Michael and Mike were talking to her lmfao.

Also if you're FNAF savvy you're probably wondering wtf is up with Fake Charlie and all that. Considering Charlie is APARENTLY STILL ALIVE. Huh.

I have a comic planned explaining all that BS with Sammy, Charlie and "Fake Charlie" and the puppet. Because it is left almost completely not answered in the main series lmfao.

Suffice to say: Mike's "WTF" attitude is pretty spot on.

The robot Sammy ran into that looked like his sister isn't the one currently walking around AS his sister, since they presumably dismantled it from his comment about it bleeding and the Puppet is his REAL sister.

And there's just something/someone walking around claiming to be Charlie.

OH.

SO JOSH IS MISSING NOT DEAD?~

SL readers again, know what happened But I'm being cheeky here until we review SL too.

So Michael seems to think Josh is "Dead". That's weird. Why would he think that exactly? With the specific detail of dying from machinery? Is this something his dad told him to keep quiet about?

Michael does seem to know a lot more than he SHOULD.

Lmao our new gal pal suggesting zombies is funny especially if you know what happened to Josh.

Dead people don't stay dead at Freddy's lmfao.

HAH HE RECORDED THAT CONVERSATION.

Haha wonder if that important thing has been staring you right in the face.

No the series is not subtle about who it is but it was never meant to be a "Twist". UNLIKE THE SILVER EYES SERIES

The evidence to who the robot is is made obvious from the start, it's not meant to be an ass pull. You're supposed to be in on it. You're waiting for everyone to notice the OBVIOUS but the OBVIOUS isn't relevant to completely see until later.

You know they're weird the second they appear on screen lmfao. The denial comes from the very idea a PERSON robot is a thing is hard to believe. So the CHARACTERS are in denial this person is a robot. BECAUSE WHY WOULD YOU ASSUME A NORMAL HUMAN IS A ROBOT!? X'D

Humans dismiss a LOT of shit until what they're looking at is undeniable. Mike's still in denial what he's thinking is the 100% fact because holy shit this entire situation is BONKERS.

Everyone in the building is BONKERS. Everything that goes down in there is BONKERS.

And even worse: Mike cannot trust his own eyes fully because of his hallucinations.

Like if someone you met had a few oddities with them your first thought wouldn't be "Oh they're a robot" it'd be "Oh that's weird" and it would build, and build and build until you're like "Oh..."

It's the fucking invader zim affect lmao. An alien being in your god damn class is so out of the realm of THINKABLITY you wouldn't even think that's a possibility.

Of course: Our characters are AT the point where "A human robot is a possibility" now all that's left is waiting for them to realize WHO it is and fully connect everything together.

Mike's still in denial. Poor dude is used to having to not fully trust what he sees/experiences. Which sucks.

HAHAHA YES TALK TO FREDDY. >:)

SHOW US THE BEAR MIKE!!!!

Haha his friend/roommate is a goof.

...I hope the cut to Michael is as funny to everyone else as it is to me considering wtf they were JUST talking about.

AND OKAY MICHAEL HOW COULD YOU HURT BONNIE'S FEELINGS LIKE THAT?!

He's playing on the Pikachu and Eevee switch which either conforms he has 3 switches or 3 sets of joycons at least lmao. Rich little shithead.

#fnaf au #fnaf comic #fnaf fan comic #fnaf fan art #fnaf creations au #fnaf golden freddy #golden freddy #mike schmidt #fnaf michael afton #michael afton #bonnie #fnaf bonnie

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cata-daily · 2 months

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Day 100

So um when I said I didn't think day 100 would be anything extra- I absolutely did not plan for this to be a full on.. comic?

I started this at like 10pm lmao it's almost 12

(I was gonna give Shadow a mouth when she talked but could not make it work and was running out of time heh)

Anyways this is one of the headcanons I have lol- more about it & the comic under the cut

I've drawn it before and talked about it I think, but just to clarify a bit more;

This is the hc that he has some sort of wing bindings whenever he doesn't have wings- the accessories, ingame

They stop his wings from glowing (that's why I used them for that Moth House comic) and make them intangible- so anything can pass through them, but he can still move them freely

This means yes he can try to fly, but they won't catch the air so they aren't exactly useful

Where do they come from? Um. Idk?? lmao? Shadow maybe? (could be why i tried to make her find cata jumping off the cliff a bit funny, tbh i'm not sure how much of her moth murdering tendencies are left after amit) But they are there, so yeh.

I hc that he'd pretty much go about life as if the wings were physically there, avoiding letting things pass through them whenever possible

The symbols on them are changing because I am not gonna remember what they look like from different angles. But in the falling panel, they're all "x"'s, because they're actively not working for flight

a little more about the comic-

Ik Sprocket's summoning item is 2d and smaller in the first panel but like hrhhdhxxnmzks yeah no i'm not fixing it lol

Put the sleeping thing for Shadow since she literally dozes off if cata stands still for 7 seconds I think lol??

He does a pretty pathetic little hop off the cliff edge

Shadow is meant to find it pretty funny, but I didn't really draw that well

He's meant to be continuing the "goooooo" in the falling panel

Why Sprocket and Shadow aren't trying to help him? As I said before, I think Shadow would find it funny, and uh maybe this is a. common occurrence.

so Sprocket's like, "did he just jump off a cliff without wings or a horseshoe again" and Shadow's like, "yes lmao"

*distantly, cata: "to be fair i usually slip off a cliff though-"

The carrot and extra "d" for the death message is because I'm 98% sure the character limit is one too short for his name, and he tends to take out the extra d

The death message is a screenshot of a website that can generate things in Andy Bold, because I am laying in bed with my phone and was not going to get on my computer and jump off a cliff after making and naming a character just for a death message lol

#cataclysmicarmageddon #daily cata

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decepti-thots · 3 years

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i didn't wanna takeover someone elses post with my ramblings but this panel-

-always really stands out to me on reread because as I said in the tags on my reblog, it's framed as though rodimus is being sincere, not an angry or facetious use of "i'm sorry" to emphasize how much megatron deserves it but a kind of "you and I both know the score here" vibe. he's not really sympathetic, don't get me wrong. (why would he be? like, c'mon.) but he's not being spiteful or petty or even really angry. he's talking to megatron in a way noone else really is- more on the level with him, almost.

and i think the kind of "you definitely deserve this, but i'm not like, Super Mad At You Personally rn" vibe is interesting because it contrasts so strongly with how rodimus interacts with megatron once OP is like "hello he's your co-captain now i am not taking questions, goodbye." and these things are happening more or less simultaneously since the flashbacks are being woven in so it really stands out in contrast.

(gonna put the rest under a cut so you aren't all subjected to me trying to incoherently feel this vibe out lmao)

rodimus on the LL with megs is PISSED. rodimus in a cell before that with megatron is harsh, but looks at him, i think, less like a symbolic representation of pure evil and the war to spit on, and more like some shitty asshole who is locked up, and sure he deserves it, but he's still just a guy.

which stands out to me because it really drives home that a lot of what pisses rodimus off about megatron being on the LL isn't... really... related to his role or actions in the war. i mean, obviously rodimus CARES about that stuff, every cybertronian alive does one way or the other. but that stuff kind of seems like in rodimus' mind it takes sort of a backseat to the much more personal slight of rodimus being shoved out of the way on his ship to make room for This Asshole he never asked to be here.

there's a lot of ways you can look at that: as an extension of the tendency towards being self-absorbed that rodimus' whole arc is about gradually overcoming, or as an extension of rodimus' comparative willingness to consider the possibility of redemption or atonement for people that we already saw to varying extents with drift and cyclonus...

but i do think it's sort of the most interesting angle for me to take when trying to puzzle out their relationship in canon because it drives home that rodimus' relationship to megatron feels more personal than a lot of other characters'. even when he's spitting mad at megatron, he never really sees megatron in this grand, symbolic way most every other character does, as representative of like, the evils of the war and such. even at his maddest, rodimus is mostly pissed off at this person who muscled in on his ship and undermined his authority, emphasis on person.

because you wind up with this odd situation where on the one hand rodimus "humanizes" megatron wayyyy more than basically every other character at this point in the narrative, but he does it specifically in the context of, like, hating his guts. it's not a sympathetic thing at all. but it's also the groundwork for any further development of their dynamic, because that anger and dislike is weirdly what allows rodimus to see megatron in the right light to even allow for it to move beyond "big bad scary decepticon warlord" at all.

#idw #megatron #rodimus #meta #ok not really meta #this is just me stream of consciousness-ing my thoughts trying to suss out a Vibe #that can both work for me and works with canon #bc my feelings on canon here are.... ah......... Very Mixed lmaooo #anyway

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belafujoshisdead · 3 years

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this is so fucking satisfying to look at and it isn’t even the whole thing LMAO. the main set of drawings is done though which means most of the really hard work is over! babygirl you were soooo overdue for a comprehensive ref sheet

image description:

[ID: a series of digital drawings of a showing how a character’s outfit is put on piece by piece. The character is a tall, muscular woman with dark turquoise hair, tan skin, and grey eyes with bright white pupils. She has glowing blue-green freckles scattered across her nose and cheekbones, her collarbones, her shoulders and upper arms, and the backs of her hands. Her face has sharp features and shows a grin with triangular fangs and dark turquoise lipstick. Her right eye is strongly outlined in black and yellow, while her missing left eye is covered by a black eye patch with a yellow cross. She is posed for a reference image, so she stands straight up with her arms slightly apart from her body.

There are six images showing how her outfit is put on:

In the first drawing, she wears form-fitting grey pants that come up to her waist.

In the second drawing, she now wears a pair of boots over the pants. These boots are extremely high, covering her leg almost to the hip. They are made from a shiny, blue-black material and have faintly glowing, bright turquoise soles.

In the third drawing, she now wears a sleeveless, dress-like top in addition to the boots and pants. The top is high-necked and form-fitting; it zips up the front and fastens at her neck. The top is mainly black, accented with lines of bright turquoise. Two lines run down the front of the top, starting at the neck and stopping just above the waist; both lines end in downward-pointing half-arrows (barbed sides facing outward). Instead of a full skirt, the top is cut to the waist at its sides and skirt panels at the front and back, both of which end in points and stop just above her knees. The top is trimmed at its bottom hem with a continuous line of dark turquoise. Inside the trim, a section of each skirt panel fades smoothly from black at the waist to bright turquoise at the bottom. A symmetrical design of sharply angled lines in black decorates the bottom of each skirt panel, just above the trim. The ends of the lines extend past the trim and reach the edges of the skirt panels.

In the fourth drawing, she now wears a black upper body harness over the previously described clothes. Though it can’t be seen from this angle, this harness is attached to the armor that covers her back. The harness covers her neck and collarbones and has two straps, one at her waist and one across her chest. Both straps have silver metal closures. Attached to the back of the harness and extending over her shoulders are two additional, heavier straps, which both have metal locking mechanisms attached to their ends.

In the fifth drawing, she now wears chest armor over the previously described clothes. It is the same blue-black color as her boots, and its top edge is decorated with an inverted version of the symbol from her skirt panels, this time in a faintly glowing bright turquoise. The armor fully covers the front of her torso and connects with her back armor in a way that cannot be properly seen at the angle from which the character is drawn. The shoulder straps from the harness extend over the front of the armor and are now fastened to the armor.

In the sixth drawing, she now wears the final part of her outfit, a pair of gloves, in addition to everything described so far. The gloves reach her upper biceps and are the same blue-black color as her boots and armor. The top of each glove is accented with a line of turquoise. Each glove has a grey panel on the back of the hand, the same color as her pants. The gloves are fingerless and have cutaway palms (to allow her a better grip on her spear, unfortunately not shown here).

There are four images in this set. The first image shows all six drawings one after another. The next three images are cropped versions of the first. Each of them shows two of the six drawings. / ED]

#my art #oc #ocs #original character #character design #character sheet #character reference #character ref sheet #virenina #virenina ii tauhrelil #okay to reblog

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thyandrawrites · 4 years

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Maybe your fave pics of hawks now??

late response cause I’ve been busy but here goes!

starting off with his first appearance because for me it was love at first sight. What I liked immediately about this pic was both the design, and just how clear it is from the start that Hawks is really one of the youngest heroes on the current pro scene. He looks like he’s barely high of high school here, and the angle and the pose add to that feeling

I love love love when hori goes extra out of the way to draw him from the back, his head turned to stare at us over his shoulders and his feathers framing his face like that. It’s just. great composition. I’m super weak for it

the fact that he throws his head back to laugh when he genuinely finds something amusing shouldn’t be as adorable as it is but. Also, his friendship with Twice is a knife through my heart.

On that topic, this expression right here? this is quite possibly one of the most emotion-packed panels of the whole story. This smile is genuine, too, but resigned. He had everything within his grasp, and he didn’t let himself have it. it’s so tragic.

completely switching the mood from that last one before I cry, this panel here is genuinely amongst my ref pics for his cosplay because the bagginess of his pants is something else. I always found something incredibly amusing about this panel in particular. The way his pants poof like that gives him such a chicken leg comedic look for some reason

making fun of him some more. This panel just begs to be turned into a meme. There, I even removed that fucking stupid line of his. Please, let’s make this a meme format. Hawks deserves some bullying

I mean, look at him. How can you take him seriously when he’s a living emote.

this is what I like to call the “Oh shit I done fucked up” Hawks. He just... slips up and accidentally reveals he knows classified information, and when he’s called out he... hides his mouth in his collar. That’s probably meant to be a tell of his (or symbolism, but I like thinking of it as a tell more). But it’s an hilarious one at the same time. What are you, a grade schooler? You couldn’t look guiltier if you were caught with your hand in the cookie jar. Dumbass.

I’m just. That dopey expression. Sir, be serious for one fucking second please. I find it absolutely iconic how Tokoyami lost all respect for him within an hour of meeting him. I’ll never get over how Hawks is a vodka aunt mentor while Tokoyami sounds like the designated driver friend who’s always serious and responsible

more of Hawks acting like a complete dumbass because I can. Also, that little hop to his step is why he should’ve had bird feet.

that and well. This^. Standing on his tippy toes like that requires either a considerable amount of leg strength and ankle balance, or unfair retconning of what were meant to be bird feeties. No I don’t take criticism.

Then the one panel the fandom consistently pretends doesn’t exist. That one time Hawks called Endeavor an idiot. Because yes, he admires him, but not for his intelligence, lmao. Also, Hawks is canonically an asshole

and that one grimace that went with the above one because this chicken is one of the most expressive characters of the series for a guy who’s constantly wearing masks. I love how little sense he makes sometimes

nothing deep to say about this one. He just looks amazing when his wings are spread out like that. Also, his boots were clearly not meant to be black, originally. Bones gotta stop ruining my cosplans.

I could do more but I’ll just close this post on another cute baby picture like for the Dabi one. Just look at him, he used to be so precious

#ali replies #bnha #hawks #long post #Anonymous

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felassan · 3 years

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Thoughts on Dark Fortress #1

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

NB, my thoughts on the first pages that came out in the preview are collected here [spoilers at link], so I won’t repeat myself.

Okay here we go :D I’ve posted up my fav panels but always want a space where I can burble at length.. (I’m late in posting this bc recently for the last few days I’ve been obsessing over politics in my country as it’s the run-up to election time.. I haven’t read anyone elses’ thoughts on it either so I could be behind on prevailing speculation or whats known or something) The preview pages ended at the panel when Aaron says “Vaea is right”, so that’s where I’m beginning.

I can’t put my finger on why but I really like the “don’t tell me I’ve had too much to drink” panel showing a Tevinter street. It’s a neat blend of “Tevinter is advanced relative to much of the rest of known Thedas, but also ominous, but also a place where people live and go about their lives, and also not going too heavy on the cyberpunk angle”. I dig the composition ‘leading’ the eye up the street and the consistency with the recently-seen DA4 materials that have red lighting in Tevinter buildings, similar building shapes etc. ig I’m pretty obsessed with the idea of the DA4 PC & party walking up streets like these.

I wonder how Aaron felt witnessing Tractus’ drunken scenes in the pub :(

Tractus’ attitude towards the barman here shows the influence and power Magisters wield in Tevinter, and the fear of them common among the mundane populace

digging the Tevinter-y motifs & design of the bartop, bar shelving etc. it feels like thought went into it

I’d watch a spinoff show or read a story where Marius and Ser Aaron have to team up in order to achieve something

Vaea is so badass and agile! I appreciate that the shot of her up high was tasteful and didn’t like, weirdly contort her body, have a weird leering angle or emphasize things in that way comic art often does for women at moments like these

so in Tevinter, lamps give off red light (seen in the bar scene). are the windowpanes themselves also red?

good thinking Vaea grabbing the staff. great sense of snappiness and motion in this panel. her landing reminds me of squirrels doing the superhero pose landing actually :)

tfw you and a dog burst out of a wardrobe

Tractus recognizing Fenris, it seems - did they encounter each other when Tractus was young, or does he just know of him (distinctive markings and all that)? if the former, I have a feeling we might get a flashback scene to that time in a future issue

cutting to look at Francesca when Tractus talks about Fenris murdering his father is GENIUS. look at the sadness on her face here; “you murdered your father” is exactly what she’s been telling herself and struggling with all this time

nice to see staff-less magic in action

Tractus seems to have drawn power from the red orb set in his staff. he reaches out to it and it responds by glowing and the staff moving, but he wasn’t doing a Jedi ‘use my Jedi powers to make my thrown lightsaber [staff] return to my hand’, as you might expect, he was instead charging up and drawing magical energy/power from it [the orb], as seen by the red light in his hand in the next panel. this reinforces my earlier wonderings that the red orb is notable and that there’s some connection between it and his red eyes. later in the panel when he’s trying to cast on the floor his eyes seem lit up (altho it could just be lighting & dramatic effect)

I wonder if Fenris thinks of Anders and Justice when Tractus says “justice”. There was once a mage in Fenris’ life who was really focused on justice..

the combat scenes are beautifully drawn, thought out and colored

Fenris’ lines here are really metal, badass and impactful. I could hear Gideon Emery’s voice in my head as I read these bits - the word choice of “hounded” helps with that I think, it immediately recalls Fenris talking with anger about how Hadriana denied his meals and hounded his sleep. they nail how Fenris speaks, the pattern and words he tends to use, etc

PHASING POWERS in action!! this is very cool to see, this ability of his didn’t get touched on much at all in DA2 outside of combat or a few scenes

I enjoy the contrast between the red and blue glows

Fenris is understandably merciless

“Perhaps if you had it carved into you” feels like foreshadowing for the ‘red wraith’

:( the reminder that the very thing Fenris struggles with feelings of hate and fear towards is carved into his skin for the rest of time and always will be

Vaea is brave to step in, standing up for what she believes is right and also re-centering focus on the critical mission at hand

;___; Autumn helping keep Tractus on the ground. she is such a good girl. she Help

“You’re lucky the mabari is here” - having Fenris in a dark light here relative to the rest of the panel is nicely symbolic

oh shit!! some plot advancement in terms of the ongoing story of the wider world. The Antaam have now reached Neromenian!! the invasion is progressing further and further into Tevinter. how far will it have come by the time of DA4? will there be an active war front not far from Minrathous? I appreciate the comics from this team a lot, here and there they push forward the ‘story of Thedas’ not just the story of the comic’s focus. also, I like that the Qunari soldiers here aren’t clones of one another but all look different. different hairstyles, sizes/bodies, clothes

love how our group work together, everyone has a strength and a role to play, the teamwork, the delegation, they’re like a DA basegame party or a D&D party

the way Fenris’ hand and arm glow in this sequence has been drawn/colored is smart - calling to mind the image of blue veins running through someone’s arm or below the skin on the backs of their hands

Fenris has surely picked up Fereldan sayings from Hawke.. stop .. my heart ;__;

the Fenris/Autumn exchange

this is so intense.. why do I get the feeling that Fenris has used this sort of torture technique before in his hunting and extermination of Danarius’ adult children campaign and/or his hunting of slavers as the BW with Shirallas campaign. it feels like he has done this sort of thing before in the time post-Kirkwall. I like that they didn’t hold back with a bit of gore here and there in this issue (phasing a hand and then solidifying it inside someone’s body, the Qunari attack portion in the street etc), while at the same time not being excessive with it.

this miniseries so far has good pacing, things moving along nicely and not being too slow or meandering

it’s smart having Tractus’ explanation of how to get in stay off-screen to the reader while we follow Francesca calling the alarm. It means we get to find out as we watch them infiltrate

omg those puncture wounds from his talons

when Fenris is about to kill Tractus after he tells him what he wanted to know, I’m strongly reminded of how he promised to let Hadriana go then killed her anyway, regardless of player choice. he has his ruthless streak and it feels like a callback. and before, when he was standing over Tractus when he was on the floor, echoes that scene in A Bitter Pill when he stands over Hadriana on the ground, who also reached for her staff

Tractus pale with bloodloss and fear

lmao @ Fran and Autumn’s faces when they walk in on this scene

Fenris listening to Vaea is nicely consistent with his character too imo - there are times in DA2 when Hawke can be like “Fenris no don’t do the Thing” and he doesn’t do the Thing

I have missed the way Fenris’ nose bridge crinkles when he’s angry

I wonder what the consequences of leaving Tractus alive will be. [tv announcer voice] FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DARK FORTRESS

so the ritual will only take minutes to complete huh 👀

wow Neromenian has truly fallen, reeducation of the people of Tevinter continues as in Three Trees to Midnight in TN

explaining that they are speaking in Qunlat is a nice immersive touch and shows attention to detail of the lore of the world

bobbly-shoulders Qunari, Legolas hair Qunari, septum piercing Qunari, bobbly-brow Qunari, undercut Qunari. I wonder if the shoulder and brow protrusions are aspects we’ll see in the Qunaris’ latest design in DA4?

poor Tractus can’t catch a break lol. it has Not been Tractus’ day

Karasten: an infantry field commander

bit of Tevinter lampshading, lil fourth wall break with “This land and its obsession with magic. There is always a forbidden ritual with them” hhhhhh

Ringwraith on a horse moment at the end there

strong ending, can’t wait for next month weww.. 👀

#dragon age #bioware #dark fortress spoilers #dark fortress spoiler #spoilers #spoiler #fenris #the Fenaissance #dragon age: dark fortress spoilers #dragon age: dark fortress spoiler #video games #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #gore cw #blood cw

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justletmeplayminecraft · 4 years

Text

guess who’s back at it again in @martuzzio‘s space outlaw au! this is a bit of a shift from my last two, so please heed the warnings below! if you want to know details about any, or think any others should be added, then drop me a message. it’s also over 7k, buckle in.

usual psa, may not be completely canon to the au. i pick & choose depending on what’ll be most fun, and its up to marzo what (if anything) she wants to keep! enjoy it as it is!! (aka wels has longer hair in this because i have a crayon licence that says ‘i do what i want’.)

featuring: mumbo has a meeting on his home planet that goes wrong in an impressive way, wels has a sword, an evil tech guy villain, hurt/comfort, me being annoyed i have to use grunts instead of minions because i only see yellow things & good ol’ last minute rescues

warnings: violence, electrocution, mind control esq device (not used on anyone), injury, attempted kidnapping, brief imprisonment, pseudo-science lmao

"So I'm on babysitting duty." Wels is an intimidating sight in his suit, sword glinting in his hand. Mumbo finishes slicking back his hair, trying to get the parting perfect before he replies.

"You're not that much older than me." Compared to some of the hermits, at least. Nobody can come close to Xisuma, anyway. Wels laughs, checking his sword over.

"I feel it." He tilts his head towards Mumbo with half a smile. "I'm pretty much ancient next to you." Mumbo scoffs, flicking through his design folder again. Thankfully, this is more of an exchange than a pitch. Mumbo's improved, certainly, but he'd argue his reputation does most of the work for him. It's the main, if not only, reason he's back here.

"You're going to look it if you bring an actual sword to a tech meeting." Wels shifts his hold, the sword pointed towards Mumbo in an instant, narrowly avoiding the glass screens he's holding.

"Think you can stop me?" He teases, one eyebrow raised. There's the hint of a smirk on his face. Mumbo breathes out, relieved he's not offended him by accident.

"Didn't say you couldn't, did I?" Wels's shoulders rise with a smile, his sword coming to rest at his side.

"Smart decision." Wels picks up his weapon holster. A brief meeting or not, they all know better than to leave the ship without protection. Iskall refused to let Mumbo go until he checked each of his weapons, cleaning them thoroughly. His suit has been examined too, even if he's leaving the helmet on their ship. He knows the air is breathable here and it'll probably help if he's recognised. Wels has his helmet under his arm, waiting to put it on. "You ready to go?" He asks, holding his hand out. Mumbo nods, patting his folder and weapons.

"Got everything I need," he replies. Wels gives him a last smile before putting his helmet on, checking its secure then nodding.

"Let's go get you to that meeting, then." Mumbo glances around the shuttle, making sure everything's shut down. It locks with a satisfying beep. "You know where we're going?"

"Think I remember my way around." Wels nods, gesturing for Mumbo to go ahead with a bow. It's only slightly sarcastic. Mumbo makes sure to roll his eyes as he takes the lead.

He'll admit, it's nice being back on his home planet. Stepping out of the hangar bay to concrete roads and pavements. White buildings reach into the sky, entwined with greenery and tunnelling the layered streets. It's not often he gets to come back here. Plus, he might get to prove himself and his designs. If this works out, it's a massive step for him.

With all its familiarity, it's still strange being somewhere so busy. Cars and buses float down the roads, and they pass by people as they walk. Families with kids, couples, mostly people in the business wear Mumbo recognises. The pair get a few second glances as they make their way through the city. Wearing the suits is a bit of a statement. In truth, Mumbo didn’t want the stress of changing for the meeting. He would've spent forever worrying about what to put on and how he wants to present himself. Whereas Wels would probably live in his suit if given the chance. They're more common in a city like this than in other places, but hardly a frequent sight in public. Being part of the Hermits might also garner some looks, but they should be fine here. It's friendly territory.

Wels sticks close to Mumbo either way. Even without seeing his expression, he can tell how carefully Wels examines their environment. Mumbo feels safer having him here. He wouldn't want to come on his own. The building they're looking for is at the edge of the town centre, a tall office building with an angled top. The same pristine white as the rest of them.

"This it?" Wels asks, crossing his arms. He's looking up at the building.

"Yep."

"Fancy." Mumbo can't help a soft noise of amusement. Inside is a wide lobby, with a fountain of all things at the back of the room, cushioned seats and plants filling the space. It's also strangely empty. The front desk is obvious enough. A hologram of a receptionist appears when they get closer.

"Hello and welcome to Dukes Crown Limited!" The voice is like a parody of a person. Mumbo's never liked the voice of AIs. The closer they are to human, the more uncanny they become. "What is your reason for visiting?" The wide smile never changes. Mumbo shivers.

"Mumbo Jumbo, I'm here for a meeting." The hologram remains still before jumping to life, pointing to a lift at the back of the lobby.

"Your meeting is on the thirty fifth floor, office A. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Mumbo shakes his head quickly, "Nope, that's all, thank you very much."

He's already turned towards the lift as the AI replies, "You're welcome. Enjoy your visit!" Wels joins him as he walks, leaning in close.

"Are they always that creepy?" He whispers, sneaking looks around the empty lobby.

"Unfortunately." He's never been completely comfortable with them. It's all superficial programming. You give something the ability to think and then limit it. "Lobbies aren't usually this empty either. Must be a busy day." Wels hums, sounding unconvinced. He follows Mumbo into the lift anyway, waiting in the corner. It takes Mumbo a second to find the right button. He tries to block out the cheery music and focus on his breathing.

"I don't like this," Wels states what they've both been thinking. Mumbo stares at the door of the lift. He breathes in deep, holding it before letting it out slowly.

"We can't exactly back out now," he says. He's come this far, taken the entire ship off course for this meeting. He knows Xisuma would understand. Gut instincts are there for a reason, as they've all learnt. But Mumbo wants something out of this. Maybe it's selfish.

"We could." Wels gestures to the panel. "We press the button, go straight back down and walk out of that fancy front door."

"You can if you want to," Mumbo tells him. Wels turns to him and Mumbo wishes he could see his expression.

"And leave you alone?" Wels asks. "Absolutely not." Mumbo smiles slightly, watching the number on the display climb until they reach their floor, accompanied by the same artificial voice of the receptionist. Wels steps out first, Mumbo following soon after.

Their suits click against the floors, white plastic beneath them. The walls are halftone between white and blue. It's not particularly appealing, but these offices rarely are. It was a lucky turn of events he ended up how he did. How boring his life would be if he actually made it into one of these.

"Is this the one?" Wels points to a closed door, one of very few on this floor. Mumbo checks the symbol on the side, nodding.

"Looks like it." Wels stands beside Mumbo, resting his hand near his sword.

"You ready to go in?" He asks. Mumbo quickly checks the time, sighing. It doesn't look like he can stall. This whole set-up has brought his anxiety back full force. He knows what he's doing, though. He's practised with the others, he knows not to devalue himself. He's going to be great.

"As I'll ever be." Wels lifts his shoulders, offering an incline of his head. Mumbo smiles back. He raises his hand to knock on the door, but it slides open before he can. Wels makes a quiet noise of surprise behind him. Mumbo shakes his head, stepping into the office.

It's emptier than he's used to. Two bookshelves against the walls, lined with books that look like they've never been read. There's a shutter blocking out the window, leaving the main light the bulb overhead. Towards the back of the room is the desk. It's empty. Mumbo looks to Wels, who's hovering inside the door.

"Do you think we're early?" Wels doesn't get the chance to reply. There's a loud bang from nearby. Mumbo spins in the direction of it just as his suit lets out a warning beep and the light flickers out. When he tries the display it won't turn on. Oh no. "Wels-"

He cuts himself off when he sees him fighting with his helmet, fingers missing the release latch. Mumbo drops his folder, rushing forward and batting Wels's fingers away so he can get to it himself. Wels fights him momentarily but settles when the helmet clicks and Mumbo can slide it off his head.

Fear isn't a stranger to Mumbo. He's certainly feeling it right now. But he's never seen it on Wels before. His eyes are wide until he scrunches them shut, his breath coming out in short puffs and his hair stuck to his forehead. He reaches his hand out and Mumbo offers his own to hold. His heartbeat picks up considerably as he glances around the room. The door has closed and Mumbo has no idea what this is.

"Wels?" He tries, when his breathing has calmed. "You with me?" Wels nods, taking a deep breath in and squeezing Mumbo's hand.

"Helmet stopped getting input." Mumbo winces, glad he didn't wear his.

"It's supposed to release when that happens-" He shakes his head "-I'll look into it. We've got worse problems." Wels blinks hard, standing straight and taking in the situation. His face is still red, but his composure has returned. He finally releases Mumbo's hand.

"The door's shut." Mumbo nods. He examines it, considering the model in his head. The keypad won't even activate when he tries it.

"This model is supposed to open when it loses power," he says, thinking out loud, "It's a safety feature."

"So someone's changed it on purpose."

"Appears so." Mumbo isn't going to think about those implications. "What even was that? Nothing's working." Wels's face is grim, trying to pry the shutters open.

"Localised EMP, I think. Probably only affected this floor."

"Well." Mumbo glares at the door, deciding to pry the keypad open. "This is just wonderful."

"Note to self." Wels ducks under the desk. "Trust our gut instinct." Mumbo makes a noise in response, sorting through the wires in the panel. He knows how these doors work but it doesn't seem to be getting any power. There's no amount of re-ordering wires that can change that. He tries his suit again but gets the same result. They need to get out of here and contact the others.

"Found anything?" He asks when Wels appears again.

Wels shakes his head, "Nothing. I was hoping for an escape latch or... Something." He makes a frustrated noise. "Somebody wants us trapped in here and I'm not going to let that happen."

"Well, I don't think there's any way I can open the door. Unless we can lever it." Wels looks it up and down.

"Right. Last resort." Wels pulls out his sword, launching it at the thin parting in the door. "Please don't break," he murmurs under his breath. In a sharp motion he angles his sword, managing to pry the door open by a crack. "Mumbo!" Mumbo squeezes his elbow in, pushing the door until the gap is wide enough for them both to fit through. Thankfully the only resistance is the weight, rather than any mechanism.

"I doubt the lift will be safe," Mumbo says, checking down the hallways. Wels has his sword by his side, holding it ready. He's left his helmet behind, same as Mumbo's files. An annoying loss, but he's not fighting the door again for them. "Did we pass stairs?"

"I think so." Wels leans on one foot to look down the corridor. "Are those signs?"

Both of their heads jolt in the direction of footsteps down the corridor. There's nowhere obvious to hide. Wels pushes Mumbo into the small alcove by the lift, standing in front of him with his sword to attention. Mumbo can't see his face but his shoulders are set in a tense line. Mumbo reaches for his gun, although he has a feeling it won't work. Neither of them breathe as the footsteps grow closer.

It's two men, dressed in dark clothing. Neither of them look in their direction, focused on the door they should be behind. There's no hint of movement before Wels launches. He butts one of the men on the head with the hilt of his sword, swinging as he drops to knock the gun from the other's hand. He follows it up with a strike against his head with the flat of the blade. Less deadly, but it leaves them incapacitated enough. Wels kicks their guns in Mumbo's direction.

"Anything work?" He asks, pushing the hair from his face back with a scowl. Mumbo scoops the weapons up. His own gun isn't working, so that's great. He plays with the other two, attempting to activate them. He only gets 'access denied' on a small screen.

"It's fingerprint locked. How absurd." He twists the gun to see the underside. "I could rewire it." Wels shakes his head.

"That would take too long," he says, "Our only advantage right now is that they don't know we're free. The blast will have knocked out the cameras on this floor." He nudges one of the grunts with his toe. "When these two don't report in or... Whatever, they'll realise."

"At least we know where the stairs are." Wels smiles, stepping over the grunt. He keeps his sword ready by his side, only slightly bloody.

"That's the spirit." Mumbo exaggerates his sigh and gets an amused puff in response. Wels gestures for him to continue with his hand, both of them making for the stairs.

"What's actually the plan here?" Mumbo asks as they reach the stairwell, thankfully open. Wels leans over the barrier to check below them. "Do we even have one?"

"Nope," Wels pops the 'p'. Well, nothing new there. "Stay behind me."

"Planning to."

He tries to tread lightly down the stairs, difficult with his suit. Wels nearly dances down them, feet ghosting over each step. He stops them both by holding a hand up. Mumbo only stumbles down one stair as he tries to stop. Wels turns, mouthing and pointing them both up around the bend. They press themselves around the stairwell, listening as a few people enter. Mumbo can see Wels relax when they go down away from them.

It's a tense wait for the voices to disappear, punctuated by another door sliding shut. The two wait for a few seconds more.

"This must still operate as an office building," Mumbo murmurs, keeping his voice low.

"It's a big building to rent out just for an elaborate trap." Wels continues down. "Is there usually a back door?" Mumbo hums, trying to think to his adolescence.

"There should be," he replies. Usually into an alleyway, for taking out the trash or something.

"Well, it's that or the front door." Wels checks ahead as they go down another twist. "Which would be a statement."

"They set an EMP off and tried to trap us in a room, Wels."

"A statement," Wels repeats, pausing to give Mumbo a cheeky smile. Mumbo shakes his head. It reminds him of the situation they're actually in. He has no idea what the motivation is for this. At least it's not Convex, he hopes. Variety is the spice of life or whatever. He trusts Wels when he says it was an EMP. There's something very wrong with this situation. Mumbo's a big fan of run first, ask questions later.

They encounter trouble as they reach the ground floor. Wels holds a hand out in front of Mumbo when they hear shouting, both of them stilling. Wels leans forward, listening carefully.

"Head up slightly," he murmurs, pushing Mumbo in the right direction. Mumbo hides around the corner, peering so he can just see Wels. He's pressed against the wall, his breathing measured. He's looking at the ground as the sounds come closer, voices and footsteps.

The door opens and Wels pounces. He kicks behind the knees of the first person, hitting his head with his sword. Without hesitation, he twists to the next, jabbing backwards and knocking them into the person behind. Mumbo is barely breathing, watching Wels's precise movements. Wels is quick to knock their weapons away, hair falling into his face.

A noise behind Mumbo startles him to his feet, raising his arms as he spots more grunts rushing down the stairs. He glances to Wels, finding he's mostly dispatched the ones by him.

"Wels, we need to go!" He calls, rushing down the stairs. Wels drops the last one with a jab to the spine, his shoulders rising with heavy breaths.

"Okay, that's a lot." He grabs Mumbo, narrowly pulling him out the way of a shot. His hand stays around his wrist until they're into the corridor, releasing him to sprint ahead. Mumbo gulps, breaking into a run. He can hear the crackle of electricity hitting the wall beside him, far too close for comfort.

He pauses when he hears a crack of electricity coming from up ahead, calling out a panicked, "Wels!" Wels stops, swerving to the side, but not fast enough to avoid the rope that flies out from a side door. It wraps around his torso, sparking with electricity and pinning his arms to his side. Wels falls with a pained shout. He lands hard on his arm, gasping out for breath. The sword falls too far from Mumbo's reach. He instinctively moves to help until his head kicks in, hearing the shouting around him.

"Hands up!" Mumbo looks at Wels on the ground, his chest heaving as the wire (he can now see that's what it is) crackles again. Wels shifts in place, letting out a weak cry at the pulse as his body tenses. Maybe it's a good thing his hair hides the pained expression Mumbo knows must be there. He raises his hands, allowing one of the grunts to grab his arms and pull them behind his back. Something solid and heavy is secured around his wrists. He almost loses his footing at a sharp tug, turning to see the bloody gash on the guy's head. Maybe Wels should have hit him harder.

A figure enters the corridor that Mumbo is more familiar with.

"Mr. Dukes-" he keeps his voice steady, masking the fear churning in his stomach "-This is an interesting meeting." Internally, he curses the guy out. He only has to take one look at Wels for his morals to disappear. But he knows they're at a disadvantage, and he knows that won't help anything.

"Mumbo," Dukes nods very slightly to acknowledge him before nudging Wels with a pointed toe. Wels groans, trying to curl up and Mumbo bristles. "This would've been much easier if you stayed put." Dukes waves at the grunts. "Take him to an office. I'll move them at nightfall, figure out what to do with the extra." There's a few affirmatives before Mumbo's being dragged away, battling every urge to break free or to call for Wels or something. It feels like he's failed somehow, but he doesn't fight. He doesn't know what to do.

Mumbo paces the room they left him in. He's tried everything he can get his restrained hands on, checked the walls, checked the door, the little furniture there is to check. He can't find a way out of here. In the tiniest crack at the base of the shutters, he can tell it's ticking into evening. They've got time. If they're moved to a second location they're absolutely boned.

There's no telling how long it'll take the others to realise something's gone wrong. First it'll be when they don't get an update after the meeting, but when did they expect the meeting to end? Then they'll send a message but how long until they worry about the lack of reply? A deep part of Mumbo is gnawing at him with the knowledge they might mobilise too late. The Hermits stop at nothing to protect their own, but they need to find them first. It's too easy to disappear.

With any luck, Dukes was only after Mumbo. Wels was extra, wasn't he? Turn him into the right governmental body for a quick profit, easy. Just as easy as it would be for the others to break him out. It's himself he's not sure about. He was the target of all this. For his designs, he's guessing. He slumps against the wall, watching the sunlight creeping under the shutter. He pushes away thoughts of what might happen to him. He's sure he'll find out soon enough.

The light outside gradually fades in colour. Mumbo paces the room several more times until it becomes a strong amber, travelling across the carpeted floor. If he stays still for too long he thinks his worry might consume him. He tries his suit a few times as a last ditch effort, knocking it against the wall. He can't even get annoyed at the work it'll take to fix it. He might not get the chance.

He's mid-pace when the door slides open. Two grunts grab his arms, holding him in place in the centre of the room. He scowls, trying to shift their grip. Dukes follows soon after them.

"It has," he replies, falling into the professional tone. "Do I get to know why we couldn't just have a peaceful, ordinary meeting?" Dukes strides forward, his hands clasped neatly behind him back. He's only an inch taller than Mumbo, but he makes him feel tiny.

"It's been some time, hasn't it, Mumbo?" Should've been longer, apparently. Being rejected for that internship destroyed him, back then. The constant comments, the reminders he'd never make anything of himself. All of it. He was so excited to finally prove himself and look at what that gets him.

"You have no idea how valuable you are, do you?"

Mumbo tilts his head side to side, "About ten million, actually, last time I checked." Dukes laughs.

"One of the smartest minds of a generation," Dukes says, "And still unsurprisingly foolish." Mumbo frowns. It's an effort not to reply. "See, I've been working on a project but I need more brains to push it further. It's nearly perfect and once finished, it could change the scene as we know it." Mumbo doesn't know it. He doesn't want to know it.

"That could've been done through negotiation," he replies, "I'm available to hire."

"I don't think I could pay you to work on this." Dukes holds something in front of him. A collar of some kind. There's sharp, thin spikes around the back, on the inside. Mumbo cringes at the sight. "This has been my brainchild for some time. This collar, combined with a remote, taps directly into the wearer's spinal cord. It can stop or send its own signals, allowing control of body parts the wearer can't use, better health management-"

"You want to use it to control people," Mumbo interrupts, the reality sinking in. He glares at Duke, hiding his terror as anger.

"Smart boy."

"You're right. I won't work on it." He edges back into the hands holding him. Dukes laughs again. The sound makes Mumbo feel dizzy.

"You wouldn't just be working on it," Dukes tells him, in the same tone someone would use to talk to a child. "You'd be one of the first test subjects." Mumbo's eyes widen. He pushes back, thrashing to loosen the grip on his arms.

"No- no, no, no-" He's completely broken and he knows it. No going back now. "Get away from me. Take that thing away. You're sick." Dukes stands there, ignoring Mumbo's panic. He opens an antiseptic cloth, running it over the metal points.

"I imagine it'll hurt going in," he explains like he's reading a book. "But we made sure it'll do as little damage as possible. It's getting it out that could mess things up a little."

"You can't do this. You won't get away with it."

"I think I already have-" Dukes steps forward, holding the collar up, "What will you do, call for help? Oh, wait-" A smile with too many teeth "-You won't be able to." Mumbo pushes himself back, drawing in as a last ditch effort to protect himself. He shuts his eyes and hears the crackle of electricity.

Then the hands around his arms release.

He tumbles to the floor, opening his eyes to see a suit he recognises stunning the second grunt. False turns to him, her expression hidden by her helmet.

"Mumbo-" It sounds as if a heavy weight is lifted when she says it. She drops to her knees, gently checking him over. "Are you okay, did he hurt you?"

Mumbo shakes his head, "No I'm... Alright. I'm okay." He's... It might take a minute to believe it. She sighs, resting her glove on his cheek.

"We were so worried. We just-" She shakes her head, standing and turning to the incapacitated people around her. "Let me sort this out first."

"No, please do." Safer than making the same mistake they did. She pulls out her sets of cuffs, securing the grunts first.

"We got a distress signal from Wels. Apparently it's set for if his suit fails. Then we couldn't find either of you- X went near ballistic," she explains as she works. Mumbo listens, her voice a grounding anchor. "We came as soon as we could."

"Who's here?" Mumbo asks. He knows they couldn't fit the entire ship.

"Iskall, Etho and I. Doc's on back up."

"Is Stress there?" False nods. "Wels might be injured. He seemed bad when he went down." She finishes checking the bindings, raising her arm.

"False reporting," she pauses for an unheard response, "I've got Mumbo. No injuries but he says Wels might be. Tell Stress to be prepared." Mumbo wishes he could hear the conversation, but False lowers her arm afterwards. She hesitates when she sees the collar, picking it up cautiously.

"What even is this?" She asks, helmet tilting to Mumbo. He shudders, drawing his legs closer to himself.

"It's a... controlling device. It accesses your spinal cord to send nerve signals. Lets you control someone." False looks at it for a long second, then to Mumbo.

"He was about to put this on you." She sounds breathless. Mumbo looks into his lap, can't find the words to reply. He might break down if he does. "I'm getting those cuffs off and getting you out. What are the authorities like here?" She leaves the collar to the side.

"They're not awful," Mumbo explains as she works on the restraints around his wrists, "But someone with money and influence like him... He'd probably find a way out of it." She makes a frustrated noise just as the restraints fall away. Mumbo's muscles ache in relief. He rubs at the soreness around his wrists.

"We'll see what we can do," she decides. She offers him a hand. He stumbles forward, kept upright by her firm grip. "Who is he? I'm assuming that's the leader." She dips her head in Dukes' direction. Mumbo sighs.

"Tristan Dukes. Everyone in the city knows him. Well-known for his innovation and inventions, donates regularly to charities. Most inspiring inventors want to work for him." Mumbo gives his wrist a last squeeze. "I tried going for an internship here. It didn't go well. Probably good I didn't get it, if this is what he's doing behind the scenes."

"If I wasn't afraid of waking him up then I'd kick him harder." Mumbo can't help an amused snort. His legs are still trembling.

"That's not very do-gooder of you, False." She laughs, bumping his side gently enough it doesn't knock him over.

"What X doesn't know can't hurt him." He breathes a little easier at her light tone. She reaches for her belt, placing a stun gun in his hands. "You ready to get out of here?" Mumbo glances to the door. He'd like to see Wels, get proof he's okay. But he'll only get in the way. The three of them are a well-oiled machine on missions like this.

"Absolutely." It's a cause for celebration when he steps out of that office prison on its own. "How did you guys get here?" It would be a bit obvious to have a crew in their full suits through the city.

False makes a high-pitched "Well." She shrugs, sounding not very sheepish. "We took one of the ships. Then we may've borrowed a few cars."

"Borrowed," Mumbo repeats. She holds her hands up.

"Hey, we fully plan on returning them this time!" Mumbo shakes his head, following behind her. She raises her arm. "False again-" Pause "-Yeah, I'm getting Mumbo out. Left three people in the office. Floor forty, office B. The one in the fancy clothes is the owner of the company, Tristan Dukes. I want a background check on him. Dig up all the dirt you can find. He's not going free." She hums, glancing at Mumbo. "Okay. Keep me updated."

"Who was that?" Mumbo asks. False starts moving towards the exit, giving her gun a quick check over.

"Ren," she replies. "He's doing comms from home. We should be all set." And isn't he glad to hear that?

Their escape goes better than his and Wels did. Any grunts on the staircase have already been dealt with, tied up in neat batches for the police to find. False still scopes out each corner, all business as they move through. It's the side door they leave through. The cool air in the alley nearly makes him sag in relief. The night is almost on them. She leads him through a network of alleys, head twitching towards any sounds she hears. The distant traffic is a quiet undertone. She approaches a parked car, knocking on the window of it.

The door swings open, Doc inviting Mumbo into the seat. Mumbo near collapses into it, shutting his eyes and leaning against the headrest.

"Mumbo," Doc greets. Mumbo cracks his eyes open, giving a tired smile. "It sure is good to see you."

"Yeah. Yeah, I could say the same." He's ready to sink into this seat forever. Doc rubs his shoulder and Mumbo allows himself to be pushed.

"What are you doing?" Doc looks to False, who's bouncing in place. Mumbo follows his gaze, listening along.

"I'm going to head back in," she tells him. "Can I trust you've got Mumbo?"

"Won't let him out of my sight." Mumbo rolls his eyes, slouching further into the seat.

"I am sitting right here." False laughs, patting his head.

"I'll keep in touch. Stay safe."

Doc nods, "You too." She offers a quick nod, closing the door and darting back into the alleys. Doc turns to Mumbo. He's smiling, but Mumbo can tell concern when he sees it. "How are you doing, man?" Mumbo sighs.

"Exhausted," he admits. "I don't think I've processed it properly at all."

"Understandable," Doc replies. "What even happened in there?" Mumbo groans, rearranging himself to rest against Doc's side. The suits aren't comfortable, but it helps to know someone is behind him after being alone in that room. He sticks his feet on the seat so his legs shield him from the door.

"Meeting could've gone better." Doc laughs deeply at that one, careful not to knock Mumbo off.

"Well, that's one way to put it." Mumbo smiles to himself, resting his eyes.

"Got into the office, EMP went off, broke out the room, nearly got out but got caught, rescued by False." He isn't going to mention the collar, or his history with Dukes. He'll save reliving that for the official report. "Think that covers it."

"Yikes."

"Yep."

"Guess it's not just Cub and Scar we gotta worry about, huh." Mumbo presses his hands to his face with a noise of displeasure.

"I don't even want to think about that. I do not want this to be a reoccurring nightmare." Doc chuckles, patting Mumbo's shoulder carefully.

"You'll be fine. Hopefully, it'll all be sorted after this. And you've got us. We're pretty terrifying." It takes a bit of effort, but Mumbo leans his head back far enough to see Doc's eyes.

"You know what, I'm holding you to that." He yawns, the energy that's been keeping him going has drained. He can tell he's crashing. "Protect me from businessmen with delusions of grandeur."

"Oh, of course." Doc's voice is dry. "I'll let Iskall know." Mumbo chuckles, shaking his head. He closes his eyes again, accepting he might not stay awake much longer.

"Big scary Iskall."

"He was big and scary when he found out you were in trouble."

"That's Iskall," he agrees. It's nice knowing that they all care about him. He wouldn't be forgotten. They'd keep looking until they found him.

He doesn't realise he's dozed off until he's being gently moved. He blinks his eyes open and realises he's now lying across the seats. Looking up, he finds Doc resting his hand on Mumbo's side. He's talking to someone out of eye-line. Mumbo relaxes. If Doc's there, then he's fine. He has no doubt in his mind about that at all.

The next time he wakes up, it's because he's being nudged awake. Doc is next to him, with a gentle smile.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he greets, sitting back so Mumbo can sit upright. He yawns, covering his hand with his mouth. "We're back at the ships. Got some stuff to finish up before we go back home."

"Is it finished?" Mumbo asks, rubbing his eyes. When he looks out the window, he recognises the hangar parking.

"Yep." Doc crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat. "There was an incident-"

"Is Wels okay?" Mumbo interjects, fear twisting his stomach. Doc's expression softens as he nods.

"Wels is fine. Fractured his arm and a little bruised, but Stress has got him. He was asleep last I heard." Mumbo sighs, his chest finally expanding again. He sinks back into the seat. He has no idea how they've made it out of this situation as lucky as they have. "You wanna head into the ship? Let one of the others return this car." Mumbo nods. Would be nice to avoid running into the law after all this.

When he gets closer to the ship, he can hear shouting. He frowns, pressing closer to Doc. Doc simply rolls his eyes.

"They're still going," he murmurs.

"Still?"

Doc shakes his head, "Don't worry about it."

He leans over to open the ship door. The arguing silences immediately. False and Iskall turn to them as they enter. They're helmet-less, although False's hair is still in a bun at the bottom of her head.

"Mumbo!" Iskall moves before Mumbo can react, nearly knocking them over as he wraps his arms around him. Mumbo's brain momentarily malfunctions, taking a second to remember to hug Iskall back. "I was so worried, don't you dare do that again."

"I wasn't planning to, but I'll let you know." Iskall steps back, keeping his hands on Mumbo's forearms.

"And you're okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm-" The lie nearly slips out before Mumbo thinks about it. He sighs, answering truthfully. "I'm a bit shaken. Finding it hard to believe that all happened, honestly."

"We've got you, okay?" Iskall reminds him. "I'll listen if you want to talk." Mumbo nods. He's not sure when that will be, but he knows it'll do him good.

"Will Xisuma want a proper report?"

"Not until you and Wels are rested up," False says, "He's pleased you're safe." She nods to Doc. "We're going to take the car back."

"Make sure you check in," Iskall tells them.

"We will," Doc reassures, offering a wave as they head outside. The ship feels much emptier with the two of them gone.

"Do you want to see Wels?" Iskall asks. Mumbo didn't realise how much he wanted that until now.

"Yes. Yes, I'd very much like that." Iskall smiles, leading Mumbo through the ship. It's bigger than the one he and Wels took. Offers more than three rooms. Iskall takes them into one of the side doors. Mumbo can immediately see the pink of Stress's suit as she moves around the room, humming a tune to herself. She pauses when she sees them in the doorway.

"Oh! Mumbo, you're back!" She smiles. Mumbo spots Etho curled in a chair on his phone. He raises a hand to acknowledge them. "You're not secretly hiding any injuries are you?"

Mumbo laughs, shaking his head, "No, I promise I'm okay. No injuries on me." She pokes her finger into her cheek.

"And you wouldn't mind me checking?"

"Um, if you want to."

She beams at him, "Nah, you're fine!" Iskall scoffs, gesturing out.

"How come that doesn't work for me? This is bias. Surely that's against oath."

"Iskall, love," Stress starts, her voice dangerously sweet, "Your idea of a minor injury is a stab wound. You've lost trust privileges." Iskall makes a noise of protest whilst Mumbo breaks into laughter. He can see Etho smiling out the corner of his eye.

There's a groan from the bed, then a teasing voice, "Who let you lot in?" Wels pushes himself up with one arm. The bulk of his suit is gone, only the black under-layer left. His other arm is bound by tight fabric to his chest. More interestingly, his hair has been neatly plaited out of his face.

"You shouldn't be moving, mister!" Stress scolds, jumping to move the pillows so he can sit up. "No jostling that arm."

"Yes ma'am," Wels replies. He laughs when Stress flicks his cheek, batting her away with his uninjured arm. Mumbo feels like he can finally breathe properly for the first time since all of this started. Wels looks at him, his expression soft. "Good to see you, Mumbo." His voice turns serious when he asks, "You're okay?"

"I'm fine. Virtually untouched." He holds his arms out before remembering he's still wearing his full suit. "Don't know if I can say the same for you." Wels laughs, sinking into the pillows.

"It's only a broken arm."

"Only," Iskall teases, "Like you're not going to complain when you still can't use it in a week."

Wels hums, "Well, Stress gave me painkillers, so I'm not exactly hurting right now." Stress waves her hands.

"All of you have complexes, I swear! You're gonna gain nothing by sitting there all miserable and sore!" She sounds genuinely exasperated. Mumbo is guilty of falling into that category.

"Admit it, you just like seeing us all loopy." Iskall tilts his head towards her. Stress flashes a smirk, resting her cheek in her palm.

"You can't prove it."

"That's admittance." Etho chimes in, keeping his eyes on his phone, fingers moving impossibly fast.

"I- I don't think that's how you use that word." Iskall frowns, his face scrunching in confusion.

"They're all made up anyway," Etho replies, "I'll use them how I want."

"Stress?" Wels asks, turning to her. His voice is perfectly polite.

"Yes?"

"Can I have more painkillers for the headache they're giving me?" Mumbo barely holds back his laughter. Iskall doesn't, doubling over with it. It only gets stronger when Etho makes a noise, looking disappointed at his phone.

"Yeah, I think you're going to be okay." Iskall pats the bed by Wels's feet. Stress finally sighs, standing fully and shepherding the two in.

"If you're going to clutter the room up then get some chairs. We can have a sleepover." Mumbo smiles, getting pushed into the chair Iskall slides under him.

"Woohoo," Iskall cheers dryly.

"Does that mean I get ice cream?" Wels asks, "I think I deserve ice cream."

"You need more sleep, is what you need." At Wels's dramatic noise she adds, "Ice cream when you wake up."

Iskall sticks his hand up, "Do the rest of us get some?"

"I want ice cream," Etho adds. Stress breathes in slowly, closing her eyes.

"You lot are gonna be the end of me," she announces with a smile. "Go to sleep." Mumbo laughs. Despite his impromptu nap, he can already feel tiredness settling in again. Surrounded by everyone teasing each other, it's not hard to drift off. Nothing's going to get him here.

"He was going to put that collar on him," False explains. Her arms are folded, back straight. The hologram of Xisuma frowns, a surprising display of emotion during a debrief. "If I'd been literally seconds later, X, I don't know what we'd be dealing with."

"And he's doing okay?" Xisuma asks, concern in his voice.

"He's dozing with Wels," Iskall replies. "He said it hasn't set in yet. I've told him I'll be there if he wants to talk about it. Stress and Doc are with them."

"Okay. And Wels?" The two glance at Etho.

"He wasn't great when I found him," Etho explains, his mission voice in full force. "We think he's broken his arm and he was giving me static shocks, so probably electrocuted. Won't know more unless they open up, but they seemed in good spirits earlier." Iskall nods in agreement. It's concerning him how quickly they've both settled. As if nothing traumatic happened. That's the most insidious kind. The one that punches you later.

"What about the people responsible?" All three of them share glances at that. False swallows.

"We secured most of the grunts. The authorities have picked them up." She made sure of it herself.

"But?" Xisuma prompts.

"The main guy, Dukes or whatever, completely vanished." Bitterness is still heavy in Iskall's tone. False sighs.

"I left him in the room, out cold, whilst I got Mumbo out of there. He was gone by the time I got back and so was the collar."

"None of us saw him leave," Etho adds.

"This is... More concerning. So that device is still out there."

"It won't be easy for him to build himself back up after this," False explains, "Most of the papers are already linking it to his company."

"That's no guarantee," Etho points out. "There's ways to place blame, claim he had no idea."

"Or he'll use it to go even deeper," Iskall comments. Xisuma taps his fingers on his arm, the hologram flickering as he thinks.

"Have you told Mumbo or Wels about this?" He asks, finally. He always puts his crew first.

"We've... No," Iskall admits.

"We're not sure how to."

"Make sure you do," Xisuma tells them, "Before you get back tomorrow." He pauses, looking over the camera. "Well, today now. Consider yourselves dismissed. We can have a full debrief when you're back on the ship." The three nod. They exchange a brief farewell before the hologram shuts off. Iskall turns to False, resting his hand on her arm to stop her rushing off.

"I'm sorry for shouting earlier," he apologises, straight to the point. "This has stressed me out more than I'd like, and finding out that scum got away just-" He breaks off. False smiles.

"It's okay. I get it." She couldn't believe it when she got back and he was gone. Then nobody knew where and her blame had to fall somewhere. "But they're with us, now. We're all safe. We got there in time."

"We nearly didn't."

"But we did," Etho states, joining the conversation. "Don't get stuck on the ifs right now. They're going to need us."

Iskall nods. "Right. Yeah." He perks himself up. "After mission nap?" False shakes her head, the three heading back through the ship.

"It's past midnight," she reminds him.

"After mission bedtime," Etho suggests. Iskall laughs, but nods along.

"Things could've gone worse," he states. False claps lightly, aware of the possible sleeping hermits.

"There you go! That's more like it."

"Mission successful-ish," Etho agrees.

"We got them back," False says, "That's the main thing."

"Yeah."

None of them want to consider the alternative.

#space outlaws #space outlaws au #hermitcraft #yeah im maintagging this one took work #my writing #anyway for my usual rambles #theres a few things i think would work differently in the au #but were more fun to include #yes i created a whole villain for this #idk if ill use him in the future #but i thought id leave it open in case #spoilers if u havent read it yet:#wels doesnt panic because of his helmet malfunctioning #he panics because of the emp #but he wont tell mumbo that #fun fact :)

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makeste · 4 years

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not a cavalcade of Katsuki panels

damn, anon. you stone cold came for me with that last part. and just fyi to all onlookers, this was before I had posted the headcanons ask proving this exact point lmao.

but a challenge has been issued now! so I will do my best to pick a variety of impartial panels featuring a veritable medley of characters. not sure I can really provide much in the way of insightful analysis of symbolism and metaphors and stuff, but I can certainly type a lot of words about the pretty pictures, and about how cool people look when they’re standing around all serious surrounded by clouds of billowing smoke.

why I like it: I figured we’d start off strong. no point in holding back. can the other panels possibly even hope to compete. maybe. we’ll see.

why I like it: because, you see, he punched a giant robot, and it exploded. you see that, there? and the text was all “SMAASH” in humongous comic book letters, and it was pretty cool. also Deku is very tiny and the robot is very big. and just to clarify, most of the time if a tiny fifteen-year-old child tries to punch an 80-foot robot, it’s not actually going to go all that well, and the robot probably will not explode. but in this case it did! and so this is a very novel and unexpected outcome, which makes it all the more visually striking, which is a very good thing to be when you are trying to show off the brand new superpower which your protagonist just inherited, and letting people see it in action for the very first time.

why I like it: so you may have noticed we just skipped a whoooole bunch of chapters lol. this is because there are almost 300 of them, and so I’m going to have to use a bit of discretion. anyway so this is a gorgeous panel. just, everything about it. the lighting; the expressions; Shouto’s hesitation; and his mom facing away, not looking back yet, and us not yet knowing how she’ll react. and the fact that they’re visually separated by as much distance as possible -- at opposite ends of a two-page spread -- and yet they’re so close, closer than they’ve been in years. mm. anyway it’s pretty.

why I like it: first of all because there’s nothing like seeing a deserving character get punched in the fucking face, and few characters IMO have been as deserving as Stain. and second because this is Deku, showing up to save the day out of nowhere at the last minute, because excuse you, but he’s a motherfuckin’ hero. sorry to interrupt your evening plans of stabbing a kid while lecturing him about why, philosophically, he deserves to die. but I’ve got a package here for a Mister Stain. it’s from Mister Smaassh, with two A’s and three S’s.

why I like it: fyi, anon said nothing about a cavalcade of BakuDeku panels. you didn’t think I’d let that loophole go to waste, did you? but nonetheless I will try to restrain myself until we get to the second ground beta fight. anyway, I like this panel because All Might’s canonically 7′2″ self looks about twelve feet tall here, and he is just TOWERING over these two boys, who’ve been tasked with somehow outwitting him during this curiously sadistic final exam. and it’s just an interesting perspective, because we know they both look up to him, and here they are physically looking way, way up, up, up at him.

why I like it: now this is how you do a villain entrance. I love absolutely everything about this. the sheer scale of destruction, and the way he’s just sort of casually hanging out there in the middle of the panel almost dwarfed by all this dust and smoke and carnage, and yet is unquestionably the focus of the page. the way that you can’t actually see his face, not yet. not until the end of the chapter. the way the clouds are drifting so calmly and peacefully in the night sky in stark contrast to the horrific events that are about to take place on the ground. this panel gives me literal chills, especially when I think about All for One’s creepy theme music playing in the background.

why I like it: this panel is so iconic to me that it’s one of the first ones I immediately knew I had to go and find when I got this ask. this entire fight is perfection from start to finish, and there are other panels that are more artistically striking if I’m being honest (in particular, the ones where he’s half-transformed with his face perfectly split down the middle between Muscle Might and Skinny Steve). but there’s just something about his determination in this panel, though. something about the fire in his eyes, and the way he clenches his fist. “my heart is still the heart of the Symbol of Peace.” I remember being sooooo fucking anxious when his true form was revealed, wondering if this was it, if the people watching were going to turn on him, if he was going to lose both the fight and their faith. turns out I was wrong on both accounts. basically what I am trying to tell you guys is that this panel was and is still the most badass thing I’ve ever seen.

why I like it: because he’s just a frail old man doing what he can to protect the last flickering embers of the thing that enables him to fight on. there’s something so fucking desperate and yet so determined about this image. he knows it’s futile, but still he persists.

why I like it: damn it was hard to find a “you’re next” panel with just the right angle I like best. this is probably as close as it gets, but I kind of wish Deku was somehow visible in this image as well. but at any rate this is an amazing moment, and All Might is dramatic af for basically no reason but IT’S BADASS. “no I’m not going to actually look where I’m pointing. it’s cooler this way.” or was it because he wasn’t sure if he could keep the emotion off of his face if he actually turned and looked? in this moment of knowing that it was finally over for him, that he would never be the Symbol again, and knowing that he had no choice but to move on and entrust that burden to the next generation? damn.

why I like it: I... fucking... okay, here’s a fun fact. did you know that I still get emotional over this panel almost a full two years after reading it?? obviously a good 84% of it is the context -- All Might losing his power; Deku being forced to take up the mantle before he feels ready; All Might feeling responsible for him; and both of them being so desperately grateful to have each other in that moment. but don’t underestimate that remaining 16% either though! this is just an extremely well-drawn hug, on top of everything else. All Might pressing Deku’s head to his shoulder with his fingers laced in his hair is some mighty fine fiercely protective hug tropes there, you guys. and the way Deku is clinging to his shirt so tightly his knuckles have probably gone white?? while he cries?? while both of them cry? ON THE BEACH? WITH THE WAVES LAPPING SOFTLY AT THE SHORE IN THE PEACEFUL NIGHT AIR?? jesus fucking christ. this hug contains more emotions than I am capable of carrying inside me at once. I just sort of have to let them flow in and out little by little until they finally subside.

why I like it: you bet I skipped right from Kamino straight to Deku VS Kacchan Part 2. no regrets. anyway, so these two panels are an absolutely gorgeous one-two punch. so much has changed from the days when they were innocent little kids marching off into the woods to have adventures. they’ve changed. their relationship has changed. and yet, at the end of the day, Izuku is still willing to follow Katsuki even without being given any kind of explanation. and Katsuki still seeks out Izuku when he’s on the verge of having a spectacular emotional breakdown. because he doesn’t know who else to turn to. and because despite everything, there is trust there still, on some deep, fundamental level neither of them fully understands or knows how to acknowledge. anyway, so these two panels just give me a ton of feels all about the passage of time and how everything changes and how you can’t get back what’s lost, but also sometimes if you look deep enough you find that parts of it were never fully gone.

why I like it: because in a striking display of dramatic main character energy, these boys decided to stage their life-changing destiny-affirming rival fight on the coolest possible stage in the middle of the goddamn night. and then Katsuki made it even better by producing WAY MORE SMOKE than his attack by all rights should have produced! and then they went and crouched down all symmetrically so as to more poetically make intense eye contact at each other. I really like panels with smoke and/or dust clearing dramatically. there are like four more of them coming up on this list. what can I say. it’s cinematic.

why I like it: I actually had this one as my icon for a while. it’s rare imo to see an action panel that’s so balanced and has so much going on and is so clean and easy to read. both of their poses are so dynamic. I like the way the arc of Izuku’s kick is drawn, and I love the way you can clearly see that Katsuki propelled himself backwards with his quirk in order to dodge it. it’s just a really cool little panel that for me perfectly sums up the general feel of this fight, and its awesome choreography.

why I like it: actually you know what, before I go any further, let me skip ahead a bit and add three more panels with this same energy.

I just really, really love these rare moments when all differences between them are momentarily forgotten and they’re just two teenage boys caught up in the intense pressure of an awkward social situation. the one enemy neither of them is the least bit equipped to handle. anyways Horikoshi clearly enjoys it too because he seems to delight in drawing it over and over and over.

why I like it: because it’s more billowing smoke and dust. because it’s Endeavor, the guy we all swore we would never ever root for, and then 160 chapters later Horikoshi pulls this shit without an ounce of shame. because it’s All Might’s pose, but tweaked juuuuuust enough so that Enji can avoid copyright claims. because he knew that pose well enough to know which arm not to use. because Endeavor is a profoundly flawed human being, wholly incapable of filling the void All Might left behind. and yet he still tries. because it’s better than nothing, and because it’s all he can do. it’s the one thing he can do, his sole redeeming virtue. he tries. he doesn’t give up. anyway so yeah, Horikoshi didn’t have to take the single most unlikable person in the entire manga and give him the world’s most controversial and openly scorned redemption arc. but he did! and I think it’s one of the best things about this entire manga.

why I like it: because nothing in BnHA is just black and white!! it’s messy and layered and complex, just like in the real world. Shouto despised his dad for almost his entire life. with good reason! Enji was abusive and selfish and treated his son more like a prized possession than a person. we as readers are fully aware of all of this, and we sympathize with Shouto 100%, and that’s completely by design. Horikoshi is well aware of this. so for him to still give us this little moment, where Shouto is so relieved that Enji survived that he drops to the floor and presses his face against his hands in this little prayer gesture -- whatever you think it might mean -- is just so fucking powerful, and again speaks to his commitment to refusing to let anything in this series be completely clear-cut and unambiguous. I love that the characterization of Shouto and Natsu hating their dad exists side by side with the equally authentic characterization of them being terrified that they’re about to watch him die. because those two things aren’t contradictory! sometimes that’s just how it is. anyway so this is a beautiful moment of nuance that instantly adds so much to this relationship with just a single panel.

why I like it: for once the symbolism is so obvious that even I can’t fail to miss it! Izuku’s face half in light and half in shadow as he thinks about the power bestowed on him. “All for One’s power.” anyway so in my mind Izuku having AFO could not be any more fucking foreshadowed if he was wearing a freaking t-shirt with the Musketeers saying on it and the background was peppered with little Sistine Chapel-esque images of AFO giving his quirk to his brother lmao. but regardless of how it does end up playing out, this is nicely done.

why I like it: I wasn’t sure whether I should include this image, given that I just made a whole separate post about it a few days ago. but I just really like it, okay. this is one of the all-time great entrances in the series. Bakugou being perched on that pole for absolutely no reason other than to add visual interest. Todoroki’s hair blowing dramatically in the wind. Katsuki’s frayed pant hems and characteristically asymmetrical facial expression. the fact that you just know both of them spent the ride home with their faces pressed to the windows of their taxi cab hoping desperately for an opportunity to break in their brand new licenses, and then lo and behold. that’s amazing you guys. it’s almost like you’re main characters or something.

why I like it: they did great.

why I like it: because I lost my fucking shit at this fucking reveal and can you even blame me?? we knew coming in how much trouble Endeavor and Hawks had dealing with just one of these Noumus, and then Horikoshi goes and divulges that the villains have at least A DOZEN MORE waiting on standby. including Hood right there in the foreground, which is a fantastic touch! this panel, for me, almost instantaneously established the League as a legitimate threat once again, and gave me the kind of spine-tingly evil vibes I hadn’t felt since the Kamino arc. and while the payoff might not quite have lived up to my expectations, the Mirko fight at least was more than worth it.

why I like it: BILLOWING SMOKE AND DUST CLOUDS. you just see this vast landscape of destruction that Tomura has oh-so-casually wrought, and this once-powerful enemy utterly defeated on his hands and knees bowing before him. and it’s just like, oh. Tomura just became a fucking king, didn’t he. he finally stepped up and became the main villain. really the main villain, not just an awkward fumbling NEET whose adopted dad is not-so-secretly pulling all the strings. he did this himself. he went out and conquered and Awakened and won himself a fucking army. and he’s just standing there so cool and casual in the aftermath of it all. and then he goes “oh wait, you guys have money right, that means you can buy us the good sushi.” yes, Tomura. yes.

why I like it: um because this panel is fucking amazing?? hello?? do I really need to explain this one. the detail is jaw-dropping. he’s got the little scars which are either from the head wound that caused his death, or from his Noumufication. his expression is fucking heartbreaking, and the transition from Kumo to Kuro is so subtle and seamless, and yet it distinctly is both of them. this panel is gorgeous and fucking haunting and almost made me gasp when I first saw it.

why I like it: the decision to have the night sky take up so much of the space in the panel was [chef kiss]. nothing says existential like the night sky on a cold winter’s night.

why I like it: this is the best panel in the entire fucking series.

why I like it: dude. showing his actual family holding onto him with their hands in the same spot as the severed fashion!hands was a stroke of genius in and of itself. but combining that with the emotional tension of them desperately trying to hold him back and protect him from AFO?? that’s just so fucking smooth it’s almost inhuman. just how much meaning can you cram into a single image?? sometimes I wonder just how far in advance Horikoshi plans these things.

why I like it: guess I’m just a big fat sucker for panels of Tomura calmly standing around in the ruins of his own senseless destruction. the sense of scale on this one is really great, too. and yet again, those dust clouds. gotta love it.

why I like it: because Tomura literally appears out of nowhere, like he’s ripping a hole through the fabric of time and space. it’s so fucking sudden and he looks evil as FUCK, and Deku and Kacchan are totally caught off-guard, and it is scary. this is one of those panels that made me say “holy shit” out loud. in fact I practically screamed it. and the angles are all funky and weird, and the sky is all BLACK FOR NO REASON, and it really just feels like Tomura could reach right over and just MURDER THEM like it was nothing. just like that. this panel is so incredibly effective at conveying how hopelessly outclassed the boys are. they’re not even in his league, and it’s honestly terrifying.

and on that happy note, we have come to the end of my list of favorite panels! and I gotta say, it’s really gratifying that a good deal of them are from this year alone. I said it in another post a few days ago, but imo the overall quality of the series has been insanely high as of late, and it honestly just blows my mind whenever I stop to think about it. the art is still this good six years into the game. the story is still this good. we are spoiled goddammit.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #all might #endeavor #todoroki shouto #shigaraki tomura #horikoshi kouhei #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks #anon asks

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jeonggukieandcream · 4 years

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To wear a halo of fire // Raven x Outpost!Michael Langdon // sensual cuddles.

Summary: You do so much in any given day that sometimes is it hard even to breathe. Your Michael, your beautiful angsty-christ (😂) is always so proud of you, but even at last is the day too much even for your body, he's there to coax your mind into a similar state of relaxation. He's not afraid to use his body to achieve such a goal. Anything for his darling Raven.

A/N: For a dearest friend, @ravenrainy. Thank you for talking to me throughout the years. We don’t always get time to talk but I cherish the days we find to speak to each other and I adore you so so much, as does Michael (call him angsty-christ to his face; what would he do? LMAO ~ ), and we’re both so so proud of you!! I love you, doll!💖💖💖

Word count: 1, 594.

(I don’t love Michael in the same way that you do, but shit the chills asdfghjk imagine that voice in your ear late at night...👀)

There was no word in your native language nor in the English language to describe the level of exhaustion which you were feeling right now.

Day after day were you always so busy that your body simply couldn’t keep up, and it wasn’t entirely unusual for you to collapse into bed next to Michael, too tired to even think clearly. Michael was equally as busy as you were with his final preparations, conducting the interviews, communicating with other Outposts and making his selections, and though he had advanced physicality due to his parentage, he too often came to bed tired and wanting nothing more than to slip into sleep the way one eases themselves into a warm bath...

... Slowly and then all at once.

On this night, you had been ready for bed hours ago. You had carried your way through your evening routine with a yawn every few moments, and somehow had Michael picked up on this. He had largely left you to it, knowing well did he just how busy you were, but the door to his bedroom, where he worked, had been left unlocked. He always knew exactly what you needed even before you knew that you needed, and it had been that way ever since you had known him all that time ago when you had been a neighbour of Constance’s. Michael had always loved you, even before he had known your name, and the two of you were truly meant to be; Satan had yet to bless it, but Michael couldn’t have cared less. It was his life and his choice and his Raven and that’s all that there was to it! If Michael was going to carry out his father’s bidding, then he was going to get to pick his own love, and no matter where he went, no matter who he became, no matter what happened to you, Michael would always pick you, again and again... and again.

Finally, finally, was it time for you to go to bed... to go to sleep and you knocked just once on Michael’s door with a single knuckle. The door pushed open under your touch, eager was he to get you to come to bed, and you couldn’t have stopped your fond, tired smile if you had tried. You let yourself in to Michael’s room and immediately did his scent envelop you, welcoming your senses home just as surely as his arms would greet your body. The warm orange glow of the fire which was perpetually lit in the old Victorian fireplace, complete with the original fixtures, gave the room a safe, gentle atmosphere. The heat from the flickering flames, which made the shadows dance upon the walls, only fed into the heavy lull of sleep which was beginning to make your feet drag across the dark wooden panels.

The room itself was tidy, the only artificial light coming from the glowing apple symbol on the lid of Michael’s laptop. You knew not where or how it was powered, but it mattered not. The room was serene in how neat it was, warm from the fire, and on the bed, oh... your Antichrist wore a halo of fire, his golden curls reflecting the orange glow which was in the room, and his eyes were closed. A peaceful smile was on the corner of his lips and, oh, how you longed to join him. But you should get some more work done, this you knew, there was still maybe an hour until you really had to -

A deep, rich chuckle broke the quiet stillness of the room and you almost jumped. Almost. “Why do you bother trying to make yourself work, when what you want has already won?” Michael turned his head slowly to look at you, his eyes alive with humour, and you shrugged good-naturedly.

“There’s always more to be done.”

“Of course,” Michael’s arm peeled away from where it had been still by his side and he raised it up to drape over your side of the bed, his extravagantly bejeweled fingers dangling just over the edge. He curled his slender wrist upwards and made a “come hither” motion with his index finger and like a siren’s call was it powerless for you to resist. “But where’s the fun in that?” You advanced and allowed yourself to be pulled down, down, by a will not entirely your own, and you sighed in relief as finally, finally, did you get to relax in your bed, as finally did you get to cuddle up to your Antichrist. You had been wanting this all day and Michael had been craving you just as badly. You completed each other, whole persons on your own but all the stronger for the love which you shared. “There you are, my beautiful Raven.”

You rested your head against the back of Michael’s hand, and his nimble fingers dove into your hair, manually and easily working out any tangles which would cause you pain or discomfort when later did you try to brush your hair. He was always everything you needed and even in his blackest moods was that no different. He always had time for you, he always had room for you, and he was always there for you. With a weary sigh did you roll over and Michael huffed in suppressed amusement as his arms encircled you and you were pulled tighter into his chest. You were home now, in the arms of someone who had brought light to your life. It was ironic, really, considering that he was the Antichrist, and the idea made you giggle. Michael, sensing your thoughts, only smirked and pressed an approving kiss to the crown of your head; a queen were you.

Still thinking were you also of work; your mind now figuring out everything which had to be done tomorrow through its own hazy exhaustion, so all-consuming were your days, and the things which you also had to do the day after that and the day - Michael groaned, wanting you to stop, and he could think of nothing more to do than to simply press his full lips to yours. His kiss was slow, reverent. You were his religion and daily did he lay worship at your altar. You half wanted to pull away from Michael now, due to bad relationship experiences in the past, but this was Michael and you knew that you - that all of you - was safe with him. So you stayed, you stayed, just as you had when you had found out who, what, he really was, and Michael hummed against your lips in satisfaction. He knew that you were okay, but even so was he gentle with you, he was patient and he was caring and nurturing and it was so at odds with how the rest of the remainder of humanity perceived him to be,

But you saw Michael, you saw him, and he saw you, too. The darkness in him called out to the darkness in you and you answered one another’s call as naturally as one breathed. Michael rolled you so that you were underneath him, the brunt of his weight supported on his elbows. Like spun gold did his beautiful locks spill down his face, shielding your own view of the room like curtains, and his blue eyes had amber flecks contained within their oceanic depths from the reflection of the fire. He looked like an angel with a halo of fire, and oh, how your poor heart ached. “There is nothing you can’t do tomorrow, my love,” Michael’s lips barely brushed against your own, his nose almost touching yours, and you hummed and looped your arms around his shoulders, “Your body needs to rest, and your mind - “ Michael trailed off and angled his head so that he could press a kiss to your temple. His lips, heated from the warmth of the room and also from the warmth of your own mouth against his, lingered against your skin, and you felt your eyelids growing heavier... you resisted the pull, the urge to stay awake because finally did you have some time with Michael, but his voice filtered through your weary mind.

Just relax, Raven... focus on the sound of my voice. Follow me. You’re strong enough to do anything, you know that. You’re my Queen and the world, once it is rebuilt, is yours and mine.

Michael rolled again so that you were once more cradled into his chest, a hand on the back of your head, his arm slung around your waist and one of his legs tucked between both of yours so that you were anchored to his body, and as his lips claimed yours once again, you felt that same lull over your consciousness.You were ready to sleep now, and even as you registered in the back of your mind that Michael was the reason you were suddenly completely relaxed and sleepy, you were once again powerless to resist his call. He had set out to so completely relax you, and he had achieved exactly that. With Michael’s body tightly pressed against yours, his hands keeping you where you were, his mind connected to yours, his heart intertwined with yours and the spirits of your souls joined forevermore, you closed your eyes and at last, at last... you slept. As promised did Michael follow you and he was waiting for you even in your dreams, for there was nowhere you could go where he would not follow you.

#michael langdon #cody fern #michael langdon imagine #raven x michael langdon

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autisticlalna · 4 years

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BRUH!!!!! the pmv was so gorgeous and cool!!! all the scenes from all the tales were so ahhhh, like karl looking up at liaria, the sword legit looked terrifying, and the EGG, bro, the egg looked so cool!!!! and honk in the library!! honk in the in between!!!!!!! bruh all the parallels between honk and karl both looking at the books, putting up the posters, that bit where honk handed karl the book in the in between oh my gosh!! and honk's development, going from yellow and angry to getting white and friendly and then at the end, like honk alone in the library all sad like he took karl's place as the only one keeping the tales like????? bro that was so cool thank you so much for making it and sharing it and ahh!!! are you willing to talk about it at all, like little symbolism or cameos or cool bits folks might miss their first time watching?

AAAAAAAAHHHH OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDD [SOBS] THANK YOUUUUU

im! really glad everyone liked it so much,, i put a lot of effort into it making sure i got the vibes right and everything flowed together the way i wanted while still fitting the lyrics, and it was deffo a learning experience lmao,, im so so glad i was able to get everything across >w<

i have!! a lot to say about the pmv!! so thank you for giving me a reason to HLKDJXHDF im gonna put it under a cut bc im about to go off

the idea that kickstarted the pmv was basically like. so karl’s shadow is “corrupted” by the inbetween, and part of that includes him gaining the memories karl loses. so... what happens when karl loses all of his memories? is there a point where honk is more like karl than karl himself is? honk is fully aware of this possibility, but he can’t do anything about it-- karl Needs to keep traveling, and because the inbetween is using honk as a way to guide karl he can’t tell karl to stop. not that he’s sure karl would listen to him in the first place, and the situation is out of their control anyway. neither of them want to be like this.

my fav panel is this one:

bc its like, its got Exactly the vibes i was wanting for it and also even tho i detest drawing the inbetween bc architecture is difficult i really like how the background came out XF,JKHFKJ,, honestly both of the big reveal panels came out great but this is one i wouldve used as a thumbnail if not for it being a twist (and also wanting karl to be in the thumbnail as well bc. he’s the other focal point.)

liaria’s sword is an actual sword i found after googling “fancy rapier”:

its like, a flamberge rapier? and it was VERY HARD TO DRAW and it looks so impractical i love it. the idea for it was that when everyone went murdermode at the masquerade, they grabbed a weapon sir billiam had on display-- like, this man is stupidly rich, he hosts balls with the goal of everyone dying at the end, he definitely just has display cases of swords lying around for people to conveniently grab. ranbutler was also supposed to have a fancy sword but after struggling to draw liaria’s rapier i did Not want to bother so he has like. a cutlass? i guess?? he was originally going to be holding the sword overhead to stab down on karl, but there wasnt a way i could pose it without his face being obscured or the angle being super weird

im pretty sure a couple of my friends will not forgive me for this:

which HURT to draw. i wasnt entirely sure how to clearly get across karl Forgetting stuff & freaking out over it, so obligatory photos w/ faces scribbled out-- quackity’s wearing 2 rings from both karl & sapnap, and sapnap’s photo was intended to be candid but he realized what quackity was doing and wasn’t fast enough to fully block the camera

also, my roommate caught this detail, but ranbob’s silhouette is the dream blob!:

ON A LIGHTER NOTE, my fav stupid background detail is this sequence:

sapnap’s chilling out in the background while karl is talking to honk at kinoko (he’s making sure honk is included in things! “we have to go together”!), george yells at him to stop being lazy (despite ALSO slacking off), and then runs for his life as sapnap decides to start up the game of “kill george” again, which he also did offscreen in the beginning of the pmv:

my fav segment overall is probably karl&honk setting up the libraries, like w/ karl setting up the og library near party park and honk setting up the one at kinoko! and then also this bit during the village that went mad:

that segment was one i could see REALLY clearly in my head when first planning this out and it came out p much exactly as i wanted to and it was SO cool. LIKE, DANG, speaking of village, the person holding the axe is intended to be jack! bc at this point karl is just an observer from up on the tower writing everything down. the writing in his book was supposed to be the actual tale summary in the library, but i couldnt find it anywhere so its just squiggles.

uhh what else OH when honk is being summoned during the “i am currently under construction / thank you for your patience” verse, he gets more detailed with each panel-- its a bit hard to see in the finished pmv bc of transparency, but here’s the unedited panels:

with that last panel being more detailed than i drew karl in the entire pmv :,D SYMBOLISM, I THINK,

i also managed to get through the entire pmv with making only one (1) art mistake that’s right at the end orz im surprised i managed to keep the swirl colour on karl’s hoodie consistent w the time of each segment. honk changing colour as things progress also ended up being VERY HELPFUL to show at what point things are happening, bc things are a bit out of order with like, flashbacks & flashforwards and shenanigans

i think thats about it! if anybody has any questions abt specific panels they can ask and ill ramble :D

#dsmp #shadow people au #Anonymous #leo.txt #leo.msg

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chromeskiesstuff · 5 years

Text

The Killing of Three Thousand Crows Recap EP 1 三千鸦杀

This drama has been a huge blast - I am 8 EPs in and the plot, characters are wonderful and refreshing. The main leads are a hoot themselves, being very hilarious and have their own unique personalities. Props to CGI and costume theme who does their best to make it realistic while in budget, in particularly the costumes feel so natural and pretty.

So just a brief introduction:

This is a Xianxia adaptation from novel of the same name. Xianxia = it involves immortals. Our heroine, Yan Yan, or with her adult/real name Qin Chuan (覃川) is a mortal princess of her country and it has been destroyed by the demon people. Her people are slain and she vowed to kill off each and every demon people to bring peace to her people.

The Male Lead is Jiu Yun (九云), a powerful young immortal who has a crush on her, and he has seen through her ten lives/ previous reincarnation.

We started off with our male lead, Jiu Yun and his friend. His friend ponders why he is sharing with him a drawing by his Shifu/Master and what is it about.

He replied that this was about a war where drums are beating, and bones anre piling up. He also said he didn’t understand the meaning of the drawing for thousand years.

The cinematography is pretty amazing and the narration done by Zhen Ye Cheng (yes our Male lead does his own dubbing along with Zhao Luo Si) is nothing short of haunting. The sequence is written in a semi-classical format, and its a thing of beauty when it combines with great cinematography, great colour combinations, great symbolism (eg drums that reinvigorate a dying party) , great prose and great narration. Look at her red robes flowing in harsh winter while hitting the drums. Maybe I should translate this part later :D

His friend retorted. “It’s normal for mortals to be in war”. He replied "I finally met her yesterday. I have been searching for her for a thousand years” while the screen switch to her facing her enemies alone.

I presume she didn’t survive. Based on some notes on the novel this was her past life. Anyway I really dig these prologues as of late as its normally shot wonderfully and in a simplistic manner + introduce the whole thing.

The scene switched to an enormous paper bird flying down to a city.

I love the design of the paper bird. Its delicate. Can I have one for a Mercedes?

Our heroine slept at class, slacking off from learning paper folding spells which is a secret skill of Dali royalty. He also scold her that she have already learn for a year but she knew nothing.Her Shifu challenges her to make ten paper crane.

She could fight with Bai Qian with tardiness though what Bai Qian did is even more crayy

She defended herself that paper folding spells emphasize on making it freely/casually. Under her shifu threat, she back off, saying she can do it anyway, but instead she made a frog.

The sequence is amazing btw. The CGI is really on point here :D

The paper container too is delightfully designed. Along with the sunscreen panels at the background

The set design and the headdress. Its amazing. Look at the Peach blossom background :D. And I enjoyed her acting a lot. She displays the right amount of mischievousness here :D

Our princess met with her brother and to cheer her up, her brother shows her a painting he obtained. She said the painting is fine but not worth two to three thousand coins.

Yeap. It looks like regular drawing even from my POV. But I hope whoever drawing this is not offended T_T (based on TMOPB the artist will normally on set whenever their artwork is shown)

He asks her to look at it carefully. Soon the garden turns into winter, and winter plum blossom starts blooming, and sometime later it turns back to normal. She excitedly asks him where he obtains the painting. He told her he obtained it from the famed painter, Gongzi Qi (公子齐).

Cue hilarity ensured of Gongzi Qi being synonymous with celebrity, full-on with fans dying to have his artwork and to see him, and her brother the prince being very excited to obtain one. While looking for the artist, a scroll appears on his hand and he looks both happy and confused.

Here’s how he describes Gongzi Qi:

Gongzi Qi, he was rumoured to be extremely handsome, with one of the kind drawing skills. He was rumoured to apply rare immortal spells to his artwork.

She muses that man is too proud. And if Gonzi Qi said his art skills are his second-best skill, then his music skills should be out of the world. Her brother said he wrote a song titled East Wind Peach Blossom Flower .. nope it's half a song not a full song (WTF XD) and he refuses to write the other half, saying that no dancer will be able to dance this song (I see you Gongzi Qi, you are tempting her). Indeed our princess is up to the challenge and asks her brother to request him to finish the song so she can dance to it.

The siblings then visit their cousin, where her brother advises her not to be rude. Apparently their aunt and cousin are attending their mom’s 40th birthday celebration.

After greetings and praises, the two women throwing barbs at each other, we know that Xuan Zhu (玄珠，the cousin) recently start to learn immortal skills under a mysterious teacher. Their barbs become a quarrel, causing their companions to try to rein them in. Yan Yan excuses herself. The quarrel continues as both are tugging a purple handkerchief.

A man came in. Yan Yan seems to be jealous that this guy (Zuo Zi Chen, 左紫辰) seems to come here to visit Xuan Zhu. He clarifies that he is here on behalf of his father to see her cousins. She instantly brightens up and let him go.

OK, first crush? And guy seems to be interested.

At the court, the King seems to be really worried about Tian Yuan, as they have usurped three countries around Dali. He is also worried as his prime minister Zuo (Zi Chen dad) applies for retirement at this time due to health. He announces that he will pay a visit to Prime Minister Zuo.

Our Prime Minister seems quite healthy (healthier than the king!!) and performs some ritual that's clearly demonic.

This is performed in front of a satan like figure. That's demonic even in Taoist book right?

Our prince got the sheet music, but with a bet from Gongzi Qi: She must be able to perform it, else he will make her a laughing stock. While visiting the prime minister, she took the opportunity to visit Zi Chen. She blocks him from visiting the king. Instead, she wants him to ask him something on the new music sheet she obtained since he is extremely good with music.

uwuuw the music sheets are so pretty

Zi Chen was amazed since he never saw such complicated tunes. There is a catch though. The verse she pointed out is rather bloody and will cause the audience and the performer to feel very sad, totally inappropriate for a birthday celebration. He answers the way to go is to change the tunes from a sad tone to a happy one.

Girl is clearly enamored with him and his skills. He turned around and ask whether his modified tunes sounds right. She thinks it's great. And she gifted him a hairpin, helping him to wear the new hairpin. She finishes pining the hairpin and touches his face. He reciprocates by grabbing her hand tenderly

OMG I must say this scene is so well done. Very tender, and little words need to be said.

After she left, his father looks for him. He looks anything but friendly. He asks whether he knew the reason the king came. Oh gosh, the prince is way too naive. His father is clearly plotting about something. But he is a young man in the midst of meeting his first love, maybe that's why he didn't catch on the shenanigans.

The Princess is totally unaware of the plot tho, she happily shares her joy with her maid, Aman and hoping for the day Zi Chen will marry her. She also declares that she will be able to conquer the tough music sheets and it will prove Zi Chen's musicality is superior to Gongzi Qi.

At night Gongzi Qi visited her, leaving her a note. She wakes up and declared again that she will win their bet. Gongzi Qi hears her in the court garden and leaves with a smile.

It seems like the budget is spent on the prince wardrobe. His gear looks very natural and menacing ha. But the candles deco is totally inferior to TMOPB Ye Hua house. Maybe the Demon People are saving the $ for war?

Yan Yan dance is stellar, she interprets the music sheets beautifully, with peach blossoms,snow and leaves. The audience including her brother, Zi Chen, and Gongzi Qi are amazed.

Oh wow the music is wonderful. It reminds me of TMOPB EP30 Peach blossom scene OST - the warm and sweet feel kinda touch. And the dance is shot beautifully. Although I think some of the dance moves are done by a professional dancer? Not a problem imo since one of the most beautiful performances in cdrama history is choreographed by a dancer.

And YESSSS.... his wardrobe is really on point here and the angles the cinematographer take is really good. He is not your conventionally attractive lead so I understand that some angles will not stand out. Kudos to the production team!

The dance ended and Gongzi Qi was shocked that she changed the ending of his sheet music. HA, SO YOU KNOW SHE IS GONNA PERFORM AT HER MUM’S BIRTHDAY BASH PARTY AND YOU WRITE HER A BLOODY TUNE? lmao he is pissed and serves him right XD. And what's wrong with your bestie XD? He seems to have a tendency to pine after a married woman.

They met Shifu who seems to be their ShiXiong (Elder brother disciple). Shifu reminded Gonzi Qi that since he is an immortal, he shouldn’t involve with mortal matters especially when Yan Yan is still very young. Gongzi Qi asks if he insists on doing it? Shifu replied that her fate has been decided and he shouldn’t go against fate. He seems to accept that decree and he hands over a huge scroll of painting, requesting Shifu to pass it to her.

Note: The reason why Shifu is able to involve is that he owes a debt to the Dali Royal family per the book.

At night the city is being attacked, and Yan Yan wakes up feeling happy and refreshed. She saw the painting scroll, both her and her maid marvelled at the painting and she told her maid that she wants to go outside alone to visit Zi Chan.

Meanwhile, Zi Chan father sent his son away “ For praying in the temple. Do request for glory at Royal Court”. His son wonders as his dad will not need it because he is retiring. His dad replies smoothly that it’s for Zi Chan. Zi Chan wanted to pray for his father’s health, and his father praised him lightly, sending him away. Looks like he is sending him away for safety.

COMMENTS

I have been waiting for this drama for some time, and luckily they are no longer stuck in broadcasting hell. This EP has a lot to unpack, introducing the background and characters. I feel this EP wonderfully introduces multiple characters while making Yan Yan and Zi Chan characters unique. Yan Yan character is sweet while slightly spoiled, she is still very charming herself, and have all the characteristics of a well-loved high born lady. Zi Chan too stands out as the highly ranked son, with his politeness and his crush with Yan Yan being really subtle. Plot-wise it is interesting and hopefully, the revenge plot won’t be too over the top later. The drama is also not afraid to insert some modern jokes (AHEM CELEBRITY ARTIST) while feeling super natural in doing so.

The magic spells they introduce are fairly unique too (paper magic) which can be quite handy. The brief introduction of paper cranes and paper frogs are delightful. The costumes are delightful too. One of the difficulties of cdrama production is making costumes natural relative to the period and making it beautiful. I love Zi Chan wardrobe here because he looks great in it while not making him too prince-like. Likewise I like that Gongzi Qi wardrobe are slightly more fancier than a normal immortal /Taoist disciple (YEAH HIS WEIRDASS WAYS) but not that fancy.

I think one of the downsides for this drama is the set production. Some of the sets like the snow scene are totally beautiful, while at some parts its so obvious the wood is made of plastic, or the garden looks too tropical. That being said I understand cdrama fantasy budgets are tight + high likelihood of delayed broadcasting, so these downsides are relatively minor, plus the cinematography team is killing it, so I think in overall any fan of xianxia should watch it.

#the killing of three crows #三千鸦杀 #cdrama #recap #review #thoughts #the killing of three thousand crows

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vera-invenire · 6 years

Text

VnC Liveblog - Chapter 14

Previously: Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13

Those are, uh, some interesting eyes you got there, Murr. I know you’re a cat, but please don’t murder anyone, kay? Please, Murr.

We start with a recap of our latest mystery -- in one week three vampires have mysteriously disappeared and the suspected kidnappers are the Church’s anti-vampire unit, the chasseurs. (should that be capped? eh, I’ll leave it for now.)

I see Vanitas still hasn’t bounced back from whatever blow he was dealt when he recognized that button. Only now he looks...sad, too?

Mentioning the Vampire of the Blue Moon in a general way makes him almost defiantly manic and driven; mentioning his quest for revenge makes him look not only lost but like he lost something, like it’s still an open wound. Mentioning the chasseurs gets you a face similar to the lost look, but he’s maybe not quite as dazed? I think it’s the difference between still being gutted and raw and being resigned to the wound, maybe? Speculating off of two textless panels is so fun and productive, guys.

Anyway, the catacombs! The catacombs of Paris are famous, y’all. LOTS of skulls, so of course it’s perfect for VnC.

Memoire 14 Catacombs

Where the Dead Sleep

Well, I hope they’re not playing poker.

(I bet you ten bucks Noé got distracted looking at the streetcar and didn’t realize it was leaving. The things Vanitas has to put up with, honestly. Aw, and Murr caught the eye of a fancy lady! That’s the real love story, right there.)

So the catacombs are a vast ossuary built inside an old system of quarries, we’re told. Twenty meters underground and roughly two hundred kilometers in length, it is said to house the earthly remains of approx. six million people.

So many skulls, guys. (Vanitas picked a good name)

Riche: oh god oh god, i just touched him, i just touched the hot guy, what do i do, he l p

Murr, why you giving her the stink-eye, she’s nice.

Look at this smooth, mofo. He caught the girl AND the candle. Thank god he’s oblivious or else nothing would be able to stop him.

(the real plot twist of VnC: Noé knows EXACTLY what he’s doing when he gives people That Look. He just acts oblivious to stave off the incipient fanclubs. *le gasp*)

Guys, I think the dhams are my favorites. And Dante’s angling for the de Sades, eh?

Noé’s not interested in the comedy routine, though -- something else is distracting him.

I’m glad Noé’s noticed something is off about Vanitas. He’s been avoiding the ‘camera’ for a bit now, which isn’t like him. It’s almost as if he’s withdrawing to the background, an intriguing facet of Vanitas’ personality that we haven’t seen before. But Noé notices he’s gone and won’t let him slip away so easily.

(though now that I think about it, the retreat to quietness isn’t completely new -- it’s what he does when he goes up on the rooftops, after all. we just haven’t seen him get this introspective around others before.)

Hmm, vampires in the tunnels of Paris, fighting the chasseurs...this is reminding me of World War Z, ie. it sounds freaking terrifying, yikes. (er, the book, not movie version. don’t think that made it into the movie.)

“There could even be another war.”

And vampires going feral and attacking humans sounds like just the thing that could provoke another human-vampire war, don’t it. This could turn into one of our big stakes in the series. And with the introduction of Jeanne, who fought in the last war; the chasseurs, who also fought in the last war; Ruthven, who brokered the end of the war...well. It’s not hard to imagine that the board is being set up again.

(it occurs to me that if there’s a faction of vampires that actually WANTS war, a simple way of bringing it about would be to accuse the humans of causing the spread of Charlatan and the curse)

(...they...could blame a human...a particular human in possession of a Book that is made to alter vampires’ true names...)

(oh, crap)

(o_o)

Hey, Vanitas is laughing! First time that’s happened since last chapter when he left Orlok’s office. Good job, Dante.

Noé’s still watching, though.

Vanitas looks run-down. He’ll laugh at Dante getting busted by the guards, but his mood is still extremely -- flat? tired? -- right now.

I love how Johann has no compunctions at all to cozying up to Noé. He’s like, hot guy? Don’t mind if I do.

We already know Noé is a little oblivious when it comes to people, so I think it says a lot that he’s already so attuned to Vanitas.

He knew right away that Vanitas’ reaction on the chandelier was weird (and seems to have hit the bullseye as to why) and he knows when Vanitas’ actions are a veneer over something else. He’s already started differentiating between what’s real and what’s a front when it comes to Vanitas, even if he can’t always understand what he sees (see: their dance). And they’ve known each other for what, a few weeks?

Poor Vanitas. Noé was already disinclined to go along with the most egregious examples of Vanitas’ bullshit -- now that Noé’s Vanitas Radar is getting more refined, soon Vanitas won’t be able to get away with anything. For a loner like him, that might be hard to adjust to.

(Noé looks so comfy, I wish I could sleep like that. Vanitas, don’t you think you’d be more comfortable sleeping inside with Noé, he could use you like a pillow)

This button is a Symbol, and I think it used to be an important one.

Though -- is he looking at the back of it? Are we gonna get an FMA-style message on it?

And hey, speaking of FMA, check out that pocket-watch --

Vanitas waits on the roof until -- what is that, 3am? -- then gets up with a slightly alarming look of grim determination, dark bags under his eyes. (he didn’t sleep at all)

Someone’s trying to sneak out in the dead of night. What are you planning?

!!!!!!!!

:D :D :D

omg. I’m cackling. Look at Noé standing there. Fully dressed! Leaning on the wall with one hand in his pocket! Casually reading! Ahhh, this is the best. Reminder that Noé can be hellishly smooth when he feels like it and it’s awesome.

Not only did he outmaneuver Vanitas, but he scheduled his nap perfectly because he knew Vanitas and knew his next likely course of action, even though (because) Vanitas hardly said anything during the day. This pleases me so much, you have no idea.

(and not only is the nap thing galling on principle, but now Noé is well-rested while Vanitas is walking around with visible bags under his eyes. It’s beautiful.)

*epic flaily hands*

guys, guys, it’s a reversal of chapter 2! look, look!

This chapter is gold.

I LOVE parallels, especially when the shoe ends up on the other foot. Even Vanitas’ coat looks deflated this time around, ha.

I think my bottom lip is wobbling. Boys.

The best part -- the best part -- is we already know Noé likes Vanitas’ cranky face. He must be enjoying this as much as I am, lmao.

Also, please note that Vanitas can’t seem to say ‘no’ to Noé, to the point where it’s kind of turning into a pattern. A delightful pattern.

(Thanks to Assassin’s Creed: Unity, I, too, know where this side entrance to Notre Dame is located. Thanks, Assassin’s Creed.)

Hm, hold up.

Lock-picking seems like a very Vanitas-ish skill, so I’m not questioning that. (I do question what his upbringing was like, but that’s another conversation). No, the thing is, didn’t he use the Book to pick a lock in Orlok’s office before?

Yup. There are the formula marks. So why didn’t he use the Book this time?

...wait a minute. wait a goddamn minute.

holy shit. vanitas didn’t have the Book when they went to orlok’s office. that was the whole POINT of going to orlok, HE had the Book, so --

Vanitas can alter formulas without the Book?

UM.

Nothing like a little B&E (plus assault) to get one’s spirits back up.

Vanitas finds a hidden switch behind the candelabra that opens a secret passage. (this may also have been in Assassin’s Creed.)

“These aren’t like the place we visited this afternoon. There are entrances to the underground labyrinth all over Paris. ...but the catacombs we’re headed for are made so that only those in the know can reach them.”

...uh-huh. So how do YOU know about them? And if you knew, why’d you just follow the dhams to the tourist spot? Were you that thrown by that button?

The chasseurs live down here? Uh.

What’s that saying about those who hunt monsters...?

...

...Vanitas was a freaking chasseur, wasn’t he.

But he left them? Or they left him? How does the Vampire of the Blue Moon fit into that?

It would also mean that he lied to Noé in the beginning when Noé asked if he was a chasseur or a bourreau, but. That wouldn’t be much of a surprise. And not technically a lie if he wasn’t one anymore?

Sheltered he may be, but our boy Noé ain’t no dummy.

they’re his former comrades

*raises eyebrow* Chasseurs but not chasseurs? Renegade chasseurs, maybe?

And he knows exactly how they fight because of course he does.

This explains so much. The abilities of the vampires are on a whole ‘nother level, literally superhuman, so it’s easy to overlook sometimes that Vanitas is a really good fighter for a human.

Particularly against vampires.

He’s been doing this vampire-doctor thing for a little while now, right? Meaning, he’s been hunting down transformed and blood-mad vampires and fighting them with only one reluctant, mercenary dhampir as back-up. Sure, he latched onto Noé as a ‘shield’ immediately (probably because he had a few too many close calls and, unlike with Dante, he doesn’t have to pay for Noé), but he was still fighting -- and surviving -- the monsters long before Noé got on the scene.

So were could he have possibly gotten these vampire hunting skills? *insert thinking emoji*

(I don’t know how the Vampire of the Blue Moon fits into all this, but taken with the chasseurs, I can’t help but find Vanitas’ current vocation dryly amusing. Both these entities from his past who HATE VAMPIRES have done Vanitas wrong, so what’s he gonna do?

He’s gonna turn around and save the goddamn vampires out of spite. (...and probably for some other reason we don’t know about yet, because Vanitas, but you get the idea))

Oh look! More skeletons. (momento mori, yus)

Oh shit. It’s that guy from the end of chapter 13.

...oh god, this is a trophy room, isn’t it.

The boys are like “oh, f---!”

This guy’s design is weirdly -- cherubic?, and it’s freaking me out.

Hm. So lower-ranking (-powered?) vampires revert to a more human physiology after death? Why?

And damn, these skulls are in seriously bad shape. Must have been a hell of a fight to take each of them out. Shows the power of the chasseurs, for certain.

Is this guy taunting them?

Noé just seems shocked (as he should), but Vanitas almost looks struck dumb, like he doesn’t know what to do with Disturbingly Cheerful guy.

Hmm, a couple things.

I thought this guy’s name was Roland?? @vnckocurzyca, I think you said his name was Roland? It’s got all the marks of a translation error (swapped Ls and Rs), I just want to know the right name to call this guy, lol. (and if YP screwed up the translation so I can rag on them a bit)

Another thing that might only be amusing to me -- Vanitas has been carrying a sling on his back that I’ve been assuming carries the Book, his knives, etc. But when he stands next to Cheerful Guy who has his own his massive sling (that looks an awful like some sort of improbable weapon of the Kingdom Hearts variety), Vanitas looks like nothing so much as a Boy Scout standing next to an Eagle Scout and it’s kinda hilarious.

Just think about it. In another lifetime, this guy could have been Vanitas’ senpai.

Cheerful Guy is important, I see.

So, he got his high position sometime after Vanitas was no longer associated with the chasseurs? And he wasn’t even posted in the area until recently. Gives me reason to think he wasn’t involved in whatever happened to break Vanitas away from them.

Though it occurs to me the chasseurs might not recognize him anyway, depending on how long ago the association was (couldn’t have been that long, Vanitas is only 18 according to the omake) and when exactly he took on the name ‘Vanitas’. They might have known him under another name, maybe his REAL name, and isn’t THAT thought interesting.

“I’m Vincent and he’s Gilbert.”

“~I’M VINCENT AND HE’S G I L B E R T.~”

ahhhhh, I love easter eggs.

(I prefer to read Vanitas’ bowing and babbling here as his version of a customer service voice. you know, that really fake, ‘sincerely apologetic’ one everyone who has ever worked in retail had to master.)

(is that not the face of every retail worker in the world, I mean, come on)

Vanitas has NO IDEA how to deal with this man, it’s amazing. But it looks like they haven’t been made (yet), so that’s good.

That armor on Mr Paladin’s arms is very reminiscent of Jeanne’s leg armor, no?

*tilts head* Is this a typical shounen-ish ‘he’s strong’ assessment, or can Noé analyze him on a different level because of his vampire eyes?

Either way, it says this guy is more dangerous than he seems. Guess you don’t rise to the rank of paladin by sitting on your butt.

(and what exactly is that weapon on his back???)

...y’all. I play a lot of video games. Suddenly walking into a large room with strategically placed cover spots is A VERY BAD SIGN.

I HOPE YOU SAVED BEFORE THIS CHECKPOINT, GUYS.

Ohhh, shit. There it is. Mr Paladin was playing them the entire time and they fell for it like a pair of shmucks.

Specifically, VANITAS fell for it. Dude, the sneaky tricks are supposed to be your area of expertise. Either this guy is better than you or you are seriously off your game. (possibly both)

(...random, but Mr Paladin is reminding me a bit of Might Guy. probably the gushing emotion and positivity.)

A flash bomb? And Vanitas knows exactly what it is, knows it’s meant to hurt Noé specifically. It also means that Mr Paladin knows Noé is a vampire, probably knew it when he was gushing about all those be-fanged skull trophies. Man, you can never trust the goofy ones.

When you think about it, a flash bomb would be the perfect weapon to use against vampires in an enclosed space like underground tunnels.

I’m paying attention to how MochiJun is depicting the affects of the flash on Noé ‘cause we still know precious little about how vampires eyes, and vampires in general, work.

So, we’ve got a shattering, as if the flash caused the world to break apart for Noé, and then a disorienting swirl where his vision is completely obscured. His eyes really are his weak point.

...ohhoho, wait. Wait, wait, wait, I just remembered something.

Vanitas used the flash bomb trick on Jeanne, way back in chapter 3 --

The canister looks about the same, too. I guess now we know why Vanitas keeps one of those in his pack.

It didn’t work as well on Jeanne, but, well, it’s Jeanne.

Mr Paladin is not only dangerous, but also creepy. And kind of dehumanizing, too, which I suppose is to be expected from this group. Not like Veronica de Sade is much better.

Alright, so. Does this mean Noé can usually see the two ‘worlds’ separately? And this is a thing all vampires can do because of their eyes, while some powerful vampires are then able to rewrite the formulas they see on a large scale? Though since Paracelsus was able to trigger Babel, that means having the innate ability to see formulas isn’t a requirement for rewriting them. And, you know, the existence of the Book.

...why would the Vampire of the Blue Moon, who could presumably also see and change formulas as other vampires do, need to write a Book that allows people to do the same thing? What the hell is in that Book, anyway? Does it just deal with True Names?

Give me answers, MochiJun! *shakes tiny fist*

oh geez, the disorientation was so bad it made Noé physically sick.

And Mr Paladin, the doll look is not an improvement, fyi.

So, if Vanitas can rewrite formulas without the Book, is that power also in his eyes, even though he doesn’t have the weird pupil-thing going on like the vampires, or does he work magic the way Paracelsus (presumably) did? Did the flash bang affect him, too? He’s not in the same kind of distress as Noé, but he had an instant’s more warning and DID cover his eyes. Hmm.

I do appreciate Vanitas’ panic over Noé’s plight, though! That’s always heartening to see.

That’s the frown of Bracing Yourself To Do Your Job. Because that’s what killing vampires is to this guy, his job. And he’s not nearly as gullible or naive as he looks.

Uh-oh.

Do we have a super-soldier serum on our hands here? That would explain how the chasseurs are able to take on vampires one-on-one.

Never trust the goofballs.

(i don’t think this fight is going to go well for our heroes, guys.)

Next up, CHAPTER 15!

#vanitas no carte #the case study of vanitas #noe archiviste #vanitas liveblog #this one took so. much. longer. than it should have #fix your site tumblr

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feisty-mary · 7 years

Text

Reasons Why Marrying William Sloan Is the Best Decision of Your Life (Part 2)

Wow, Part 1 made me realize that there are more people who romanced Mr. Sloan than I originally thought! I just have to say, congratulations on your good taste in men. ;)

To those who have expressed interest in replaying the books to choose this sexy businessman, DO IT! YOU WON’T REGRET IT. Mr. Sloan is a total sweetheart who will sweep you off your feet and raise your expectations of partners so high it’s practically a crime.

Notes.

- From this point on I’ll refer to the businessman as Mr. Sloan, as he is more familiarly known.

- Read Part 1 before proceeding with this part. They both cover the first book, and most points are interconnected.

—————————————————————————

4. Book 1, Chapter 3. During their date in Venice, Mr. Sloan takes MC to Ristorante Oliviero for the best Italian food in the city. Without asking MC, he orders for her.

MC readily calls him out on it. “excuse u?? I can speak for myself and vote and own land and open a checking account? why are you bossing me around like I wanna choke on your dick??? oh wait”

Mr. Sloan is unfazed, although he tells MC to trust him in this particular instance. We let it go begrudgingly, although to be fair, the food he orders turns out to be amazing.

You have to admit, this kind of behavior on your first date raises a lot of red flags. Who wants to be in a relationship with a guy who decides for you without your permission?

To make sense of this, we fast forward to Book 1, Chapter 11, where something similar happens. Here Mr. Sloan returns to the cruise ship for his second date with MC. Honestly at this point I’m not even complaining because he flies back to her as soon as he can just to take her to Paris for a date??

Admittedly, he surprises her under the assumption that MC will readily agree/has nothing planned for the rest of the day herself. (Although, to be fair, surprises do have a way of ruining your own plans. That’s kind of the point!)

Here we’re given the option to tell him that he can’t expect us to leave for the Paris trip at a moment’s notice. A good option, too, since we’re trying to be as lowkey thirsty as possible we get to remind him that respect for each other’s time is kind of a thing. Besides, if you’re going to start a relationship with someone you might as well establish a list of acceptable and unacceptable bullshit between the two of you early on, right?

When MC calls him out, his reaction is surprising; he looks positively contrite. The panels above show him acknowledging his mistake, his tone completely different from when we first call him out in Book 1, Chapter 3. What’s more, he inadvertently reveals that he’s been listening to MC, after all, particularly about that advice to “let loose”. We don’t see him dance until Book 1, Chapter 18 (refer to reason 3 in Part 1), but it is clear even at this point how he’s making an attempt to match MC’s adventurousness and spend more time with her.

Just to put that in perspective, it’s useful to remember that he’s a CEO. In that particular line of work there is very little room for anything messes with plans, blueprints, and established timelines. That he is willing to make time for MC despite his busy schedule (because those meetings were probably scheduled months in advance and rescheduling them would be hell) says something about how much he must really consider being with her as his priority.

What I really want to underscore is how these separate chapters show us Mr. Sloan’s learning curve when it comes to romancing MC - and it’s clear he learns pretty darn fast. I had misgivings about his reaction to us calling him out on his take-charge attitude in Book 1, Chapter 3 but I like how it seems to have been deliberately written that way so we can see how he learns from it several chapters later.

He gets even better at it by the time we reach Book 2, Chapter 16, the night when he proposes to MC for the second time. He surprises her when he shows up at Nomade, and what do you know, this time he directly asks if she has plans for the evening before inviting her to Casablanca.

Did you see that? Yes, that’s character development.

5. Because Mr. Sloan is simply the best kind of life partner anyone can possibly ask for. Book 1 Chapter 18 reveals a lot about what we can expect from him as MC’s husband. As I’ve pointed out in reason 1 of Part 1, one of the things I really like about him is his foresight and how it always comes into play even in his relationship with MC, consistent with his work as an investor. He’s always thinking long term.

One of the ways the conversation with Mr. Sloan in this chapter is so distinctively him is that he doesn’t talk much about feelings anymore. That’s not to say he doesn’t reiterate them, because he does, at least in the beginning. But they don’t take up most of the things that’s said between him and MC.

What do they talk about, though? Well, they talk about important questions in relationships, like where they will live in the future and what MC thinks of having kids (in fact, this surprises MC herself, as shown in the panels below). Perhaps not everyone will agree with me on this, but the way I see it is that this man is already absolutely certain of what he feels for MC. As far as he’s concerned, the dating phase is done, which is why he’s already set that aside and moved on to the next one: planning their future together. Whatever MC’s misgivings might be, it’s clear at this point that Mr. Sloan has given their relationship some pretty serious consideration.

It’s also worth noting that when MC asks him what he thinks their future will look like, he tells her that she can tell him what she wants and he will just make them come true.

In Book 2, Chapter 8, he even goes as far as asking her, “hypothetically speaking”, where his next vacation house should be located.

Going back to reason 4 above makes it easier to see how Mr. Sloan’s character develops - he changes from someone who will make MC’s dietary choices for her to someone who looks at her as a partner with whom he can plan a future life together. It’s these small things, these subtle changes in his words and actions that tell us he’s been paying attention and learning from his interaction with MC. That perhaps their time together has actually changed him, and as cliche as it sounds, maybe even changed him for the better.

6. Mr. Sloan owns a winery. That’s literally it; who the hell turns down someone who owns a goddamn winery? Oh, and by the way? He names a bottle of wine after MC.

7. Because he knows his priorities, and it’s MC above anything else. In Book 2, Chapter 9, Rashad, Mr. Sloan’s very own best friend, warns MC that there’s a very big price to pay in being in a relationship with a CEO.

As hostile as Rashad delivers his warning, he makes a very valid point. Book 2, Chapter 9 perfectly underscores this when MC asks Mr. Sloan to go back to bed with her but he sadly turns her down, telling her he has to prepare for another business trip.

Before the chapter draws to a close, MC considers this silently, wondering if Rashad is right for warning her after all.

Surprisingly enough, in Book 2, Chapter 17, we see Mr. Sloan bite the bullet and very openly discuss Rashad’s thoughts on his relationship with MC.

I admit I did not see this coming; I thought it would be one of the things they’d conveniently overlook to give some sort of disadvantage to a potential relationship with Mr. Sloan. I mean, at least give the other suitors a fighting chance, Mr. Sloan?? lmao~

True to his nature as a businessman who most likely considers all angles of a particular negotiation before proceeding, Mr. Sloan talks to MC about his work-life balance and asks her what she thinks of it.

We try to be subtle about it, but suddenly Mr. Sloan says these magic words: “Consider it gone.”

Even MC does a double-take. Because… well, he can’t do that! He can’t just set aside his businesses for MC! Excuse me?? That’s like… totally sweet and romantic I cannot believe?????

I swear I didn’t cry. Maybe.

8. Because his proposals are so on point! Mr. Sloan proposed twice to my MC Alyanna because I’ve been loyal to him since the first book hahaha. Let me just spend some time on these proposals because they’re both beautiful and so well-thought-out.

Book 1, Chapter 19. First proposal.

I didn’t realize this until I was almost done with this list, but all the points I’ve listed up until now are mentioned and/or alluded to in his marriage proposal. I don’t want to gloat (who am I kidding, I totally do), but I can say with 100% confidence that our businessman’s first marriage proposal is the best of them all.

For example, he gather’s MC’s family members to witness the whole thing. One of the key themes in Rules of Engagement is family, and the first book does a good job at letting us see the strong bond between the four siblings. This being said, I thought it was very smart and thoughtful of Mr. Sloan to call them to witness what is arguably one of the most significant moments in MC’s life. It appears he knows what’s important to MC and he considers them important to him, too.

He also talks about how being with her has changed him, particularly about him dancing, as I’ve discussed in Part 1. In the left panel below, he mentions how MC makes him laugh, but also that she calls him out, unlike other people who appear to be intimidated by “Mr. Sloan from magazines”. I found this to be a nice touch; it gives the feeling that we’ve gone full circle and the time spent with him really helped build up their relationship.

The (intended?) symbolism is a nice, touch, too - Mr. Sloan proposes in the same place where he first met MC. If we go back to Book 1, Chapter 2, his very own words on the night they meet is “I’m not proposing that we get engaged. I just want to take you out for a romantic night. No strings attached.” Funny how he comes to propose many chapters later, at the very same restaurant and to the very same woman whom he once said those words to.

This is equal parts adorable and amusing.

In the left panel above, Mr. Sloan recalls the unfortunate (but absolutely hilarious) mix-up during his date with MC in Paris. It’s funny because you can tell he’s been thinking about that little mishap since it happened, and yes, his thoughts all along must have been, “Holy shit that was very embarrassing I swear I will never do that in my life.”

And yet here he is, several weeks (?) later, proposing in front of MC’s family and friends and possibly other people from the cruise. And you know what? He does it anyway. He braves his embarrassment and his discomfort anyway, because he’s decided that it’s okay, because it makes him the happiest, too.

It’s also interesting how he says, “Now, I’d like to put myself out here on a limb for once.” If we want to be very technical about it, “putting someone out on a limb” means “being in a dangerous position” or “doing something risky”. Well, okay, you say. Proposing is inherently risky, isn’t it, because there’s always a chance you’ll get turned down? Mr. Sloan is just acknowledging that fact.

Except, you have to remember he’s a businessman. Taking risks is literally what he does for a living. And if his wealth is any indication, he’s a very successful risk-taker. I actually interpret this as a very subtle way of him telling us how compared to closing business deals, he considers proposing to MC as probably one of the riskiest things he has ever done in his life hahaha.

Book 2, Chapter 17. Second proposal.

I was kidding; of course both of Mr. Sloan’s proposals to MC are better than the others! ;) If anything, his proposal in the Sahara is even better than his first one, because not only does he mention the moments they share together, he also mentions the times they don’t - and how even those form part of the reasons why he wants to spend the rest of his life with MC.

The four panels above show just how much MC has changed him, and I adore it.

But, of course, just to be fair to Mr. Sloan, we tell him this isn’t necessary. My MC isn’t here to impose anything on him, so she tells him he doesn’t have to change for her. He gives what is arguably the best response, as shown in the panels below.

Thank you, Mr. Sloan, for wanting to be that person who will dance with me in my lame black dress in a piazza in Venice. *wipes tears*

The rest of his proposal is absolutely magic, just like how he sees MC in his life.

I told myself I would let the panels above speak for themselves but ohmygod can we just acknowledge how much punch they pack because you can definitely tell that Mr. Sloan is speaking from the heart. This is exactly their love story. It’s a simple tale of two people finding someone whom they can dance in a piazza with, whom they constantly think about even when they’re far apart, and whom they’ll willingly make sacrifices for, because they put them as priority above all others.

It’s not all that complicated, but then again whoever said the best love stories need to be? ;)

BONUS!

9. This isn’t exactly a reason but I just wanted to add that Mr. Sloan planned the second proposal for weeks! Planning is his thing, okay, he’s good at that and he has plenty of money to show for it lmao. Here’s his hella cute reaction when we point this out (MC: “You’ve been planning this for weeks?”).

Dear @ god just please let me marry him already??

Also hey isn’t it funny that Mr. Sloan proposed to us in the Sahara? ahahahaha was our thirst that obvious?????

—————————————————————————

Okay, that’s it, folks! This took a while but I hope you enjoyed this because I did! Thanks for reading and please don’t hesitate to shoot me a holler if you wanna squeal about Mr. Sloan! ;)

#william x mc #rules of engagement #william sloan #playchoices #choices stories you play #reasons why marrying william sloan is the best decision of your life #i'm so fucking tired goddammit william i swear if i didn't love you as much as i do #i probably missed some points but what part of mr. sloan is perfect do you not understand #fucking finally i can focus on school because this is done ahahaha #leaving something unfinished stresses me out #seriously tho i can't wait to marry william sloan let me live pb!!#I have feelings

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makeste · 5 years

Text

BnHA Chapter 208: [S] Bakugou: Win and rescue.

Previously on BnHA: Teams BakuJirouSeroSatou and TokaBondoAwaKama began the 4th round battle. Over on the sidelines, Aizawa chided his students for not being as strategic as class B, while All Might said that class A hadn’t yet shown everything they were capable of. Anyway, so Bakugou’s strategy consisted of “let’s just charge at them while Jirou keeps an ear out”, which predictably resulted in them running into an ambush. Class B’s Bondo used his glue quirk to try and entrap the group, but Bakugou stopped him, which was fairly impressive considering that he was also battling Tokage’s various amputated body parts which were all attacking him like Buggy the Clown because quirks are fucking absurd you guys. Anyway, so then Kamakiri from class B dove in to attack Jirou. But as All Might and Deku looked on, thinking flashbacky thoughts about the whole “win by saving people and save people in order to win” thing, Bakugou dove in to intercept Kamakiri’s attack.

Today on BnHA: We learned that Bakugou’s strategy of “let’s just kick their asses” also included a supplemental strategy of “and if you guys get in trouble I’ll save you.” Everyone on the sidelines is like “whaaaaat!” and Monoma nearly has an aneurysm, poor kid. Bakugou says he wants a perfect victory, meaning 4-0 with everyone unscathed. He heads after the fleeing Bondo, only to be ensnared in a trap by Awase. But then Satou busts him free, and we learn that Bakugou’s plan also included a second supplemental strategy of “and if I’m in trouble you guys save me.” In short, this kid has finally learned teamwork, and within the span of about two minutes, Sero and Jirou take out Awase, Satou restrains Bondo, Bakugou KOs Kamakiri, and then with the help of the others -- using Sero’s tape and his grenades -- he takes out Tokage as well. Anyways, you guys know I don’t like to exaggerate, but this is the best chapter in the history of time, and now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to go pick up my “Congrats on winning the manga, son, you make me proud each and every day” cake. Peace.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my mostly-unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’m caught up with the manga now at chapter 224, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

wow, seeing it from this angle I can appreciate just how close that was. Bakugou had to blast himself in between Kama and Jirou with incredible precision and with barely any time to think, let alone pull it off. Satou didn’t even manage to turn around in the same span of time

(ETA: Satou actually makes this panel look like some kind of renaissance painting and it’s hilarious.)

not to mention from this view you can see how close-range that shot actually was. like how is Kamakiri even alive

oh I see, he blocked it with his swords

you know. because explosions are famously weak against swords

also, “concludes”? already?? like, we’ve barely even gotten started. damn Bakugou, do you have an appointment or something after this? is your coach going to turn back into a pumpkin or what

oh hey

so the saving them part was so important you went and made it an Official Part Of Your Plan, huh. wow. when this kid commits to something, he fucking commits

but we already knew that, didn’t we. he has always been like that. putting 100% into everything. aiming for the top. it’s just that for the first time, we’re seeing that determination aimed in the right direction. or well, not to say that he was aiming in the wrong direction before, but it’s more like his destination was a bit too narrow-minded. and now he’s finally seeing the full picture of what a hero needs to be, the kind of person he needs to become. so now, imagine this tenacity applied toward the aim of keeping the world safe. he is gonna do it. people will know that’s a fucking promise. that is how you become someone that people can put their trust in

basically this boy is going to kill it when it comes to heroing. this chapter has barely even started and already I’m so fucking proud. future numero uno right here. the Symbol of Victory. fuck yeah

anyway I should stop gushing over Bakugou’s character development so I can finish the chapter. I’m sure I’ll break down like six more times to gush some more anyway. probably

so Bakugou is all “you blocked it, eh?” in that manner of his that’s both acknowledging and insulting

yeah Bakugou. he blocked it with a sword. you know. how swords do. I’m sorry, I still can’t get over this lol. it’s like a medieval knight against a fucking bazooka

but anyway, so when in doubt, simply blow them up again right?

lol now that’s more like it. “you blocked it” smdh. for fuck’s sake

lol now Kama is turning tail and thinking “avoid fighting Bakugou head-on. if that happens, retreat immediately!”

and yeah, that’s a valid strategy

now we’re cutting to our audience!

first of all there was no kick, Kaminari. wtf are you talking about

(ETA: thank you @asukaskerian for pointing out that this is referring to him shoving Jirou out of the way with his foot in the previous chapter. I swear I reread that half a dozen times trying to see if he kicked Kamakiri and it never even occurred to me that it might’ve been Jirou instead lol.)

and second, what exactly is your angle here, Monoma? are you attempting to mock Bakugou for... doing the right thing? being a good person?? did he throw you for a loop. do you need a moment to collect yourself

lol Kirishima

every now and then this kid just blows me away though. like, obviously he knows there’s nothing wrong with Monoma’s eyes! so a line like “your eyes are working fine” would normally carry an undercurrent of passive-aggressiveness in a situation like this! you know, like “okay but that’s my bro, dude. so if you’re about to try and make fun of his hard-earned character development, I’m gonna need you to step the fuck off right now”

but because it’s Kirishima, he somehow impossibly manages to deliver this line without any bitchiness. he’s defending Bakugou while at the same time subtly telling Monoma to back down, but somehow he still keeps everything friendly. this is genuinely amazing to me, and I’m sincerely jealous of how effortless he makes this look

lol Monoma

okay I’m starting to think he may not actually have had an angle and his entire worldview has in fact just been shattered

it’s okay Monoma, you can still maintain your beloved rivalry with class A even if they are actually lovely people who have been nothing but kind to you and now even their last bastion of ill-mannered and bratty behavior is turning out to be an upstanding citizen. a little friendly competition never hurt anyone

awwww Kiri

I still want Bakugou to have a gets-hurt-saving-someone moment also, but so far he’s been too damn competent. still, the dream is alive! I love this manga

anyway! so back to the boy in question!

Jirou is all “thanks” and he’s all “shut your mouth!” lmao

see, you have to be able to speak Bakugou. what he means is “forget about it, just stay focused.” which they know! doesn’t mean they can’t still get annoyed by it, of course, but his classmates understand him by this point I think

haha my boyyyy

look at their faces. “a hero is someone who brings reassurance.” well I don’t know what you would call this, but I’d say they all look pretty damn assured right now

and yet, the tiny beads of sweat. because there’s always that flash of hesitation that’s like “oh no, I’m being inspired by Bakugou. is this okay. quick, moral alignment check. we still good?”

but once they realize that yeah, they are, they can’t help but feel the same excitement as him. fuck yeah, let’s do this. let’s beat this challenge. let’s win the day. let’s get stronger

(ETA: and this is also what I was talking about yesterday about his smile being contagious. because it is, though. and also do you remember way back in chapter 106 when Aizawa was talking about how he and Deku inspire the rest of the class and get them all hyped up? about how “they infected the rest of the class with their passion and fervor”? fucking this, though. I love this so much.)

oh my poor class B

this is not actually a strategy. this is them straight up acknowledging they can’t beat Bakugou and saying “well we’ll just keep trying and hope it works out”

and what bits of strategy they do have appear to be entirely focused on him only

like, this doesn’t even make sense. first of all, the fact that they’re following his lead is a strength, not a weakness. every good combat unit needs a leader. in fact I’d argue that was something the previous class A teams messed up to some degree

and second, just because he is leading them though doesn’t mean they’ll just fall apart without him. if you think that you’re gonna have another thing coming

basically this is just a lot of wishful thinking which is unfortunately heavily reliant on exploiting a bug that was fixed in the Bakugou 2.0 release. sorry Tokage. you guys are fuuuuucked

anyway so Jirou’s trying to hear what they’re up to, but it’s difficult with all of Tokage’s interference. but she says there’s less of the Tokage Noise than there was before though

so the others assume that means they’re regrouping for another attack

yeah Baku they’re trying to wear you down and trick you into making a mistake or something. then step 2: ?? and step three: profit. idk

heh

I want to ruffle his hair so bad. this might not be a normal person’s response to a panel like this. I’m aware, but this is how I live you guys

oho!

at first I was like “the hell are you doing” but boy he’s got good eyes

also I fucking love the ZOOM effect of these two panels though?? like, you see how far away he is in the first panel, and then in the next you see how he’s crossed that gap in an instant, and it’s just like, !! like oh shit. even knowing how fast he is, it’s still so jarring to actually experience it like that though. and hella cool

Awase what are you doing

are you using your quirk to make some kind of weapon or something. like LEGOs

OH SHIT

THIS BOY IS PRETTY FAST TOO HUH

well there go the gauntlets! those things are fucking expensive, Awase

I’m not so worried about those, but the ones that seem to be attached to his torso are definitely a problem. or is that just his shirt? if so, less of a problem

so Sero figures that the perfectly staged ambush means that Tokage’s eyes must be hovering around nearby again

and he’s shooting some tape up to where Baku and Awase are

Awase’s looking smug and thinking that Sero will never be able to hit him with all the obstacles around

I mean, yeah. like that seems obvious. I figure he must have had some other aim in mind, though I can’t figure out what

oh sweet!

no pun intended by the way! but that is indeed a sweet assist! glad Satou got to fucking do something finally lol

also my thanks to him and Awase as well for smashing the gauntlets to bits. I have to assume he’ll just get new ones, of course. but if you ever feel like going for a sleek redesign though, Katsuki... I’m just saying. at least until you grow into your fucking costume so it doesn’t feel so much like you’re trying to make yourself into an action figure

(ETA: yeah he has them back a mere ten chapters from now. he doesn’t listen to me. whatever, I’m only trying to help kid but you do you.)

looool

I’m fucking dying omg

so now Awase is frantically sticking a steel plate from another of his pockets onto his face like a welder’s mask

!! what’s this??

IS THIS A TEAMWORK PLAY!?

AHHHHHHH

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

holy shit

someone send the recording of this over to the Hero Public Safety Commission. you can give Bakugou his license now. no need to keep spending the people’s tax dollars on babysitting classes

by the way I fucking love Jirou’s little bluetooth speakers holy shit? I know they’re not bluetooth cuz she’s got her earjacks plugged in, but I’m just referring to their size, okay? anyway they’re fucking awesome. and the new sleeves on her costume are badass too. you go, Deep Dope

anyhoo it looks like Bakugou’s heading after Bondo since we’re seeing the latter turn around now and he’s got that deer-in-headlights look. which, it’s pretty impressive how Horikoshi managed to convey that from a dude with a colander face, by the way

Tokage’s shooting a bunch of her body parts over there trying to save him, but you know it ain’t gonna work

hahahahahahaha

you fucking maniac

although hell, this is still fucking tame compared to the shit those kids pulled in the first three battles though

now Satou’s grabbing him and it looks like they got him!

meanwhile Sero has restrained Awase!

sorry Vlad King

lol again Monoma

WHEN THEY’RE AT LEVEL ONE AND YOU’RE AT LEVEL 50, NATURALLY YOU’LL BE GROWING AT DIFFERENT RATES

holy shit. so what level would we say Bakugou’s teamwork has grown to? he still has room for improvement, obviously, in spite of my giddy enthusiasm. maybe halfway there? little more than? say level 25-30? it’s difficult to say, because Bakugou’s level 50 teamwork is more than likely going to look very different from Deku’s. and also because his level 50 combat skills are pretty effective at concealing any weaknesses in his teamwork skills because they more than make up for the gap right now

for what it’s worth, though, despite what Monoma says, this isn’t the first time Bakugou has shown himself capable of teamwork. in fact, the actual first time we saw a hint of that was all the way back during the cavalry battle. it was, in fact, against Monoma himself. maybe he was just too traumatized by it to remember lol

okay so this is quickly becoming the “everyone is shocked at Bakugou’s character development” show though

you guys really should have watched season 3 of the anime through to the end before you came in here all cocky

haha now she’s all “what is this team?! it’s too perfect!!”

that’s what I’ve been saying! this team was never not going to kick ass and take names

lol class A is so proud

lmao poor Deku and All Might. Jirou’s getting all of your credit

I can’t say I’m complaining though. also, do I suddenly ship BakuJirou?? quick, shipping alignment check. we still good?

hmm, yep, we good. and yep I do

well this sure is a momentous day

wtf Sero

okay first of all, ew. like what happens to the discarded body parts after? ew. ew

and second of all, can someone please check under the mask and make sure that really is Sero and not Deku. holy shit Sero let me go check your class rank again

-- holy shit you guys, Sero is ranked 17th. either he’s been focused on self-improvement as much as Bakugou has been, or class A is so fucking smart that even the 17th smartest kid is out here giving detailed analyses of quirks they’ve barely even seen

and shit, you guys, he’s still going

meanwhile Kacchan is flinging poor Kamakiri into a wall

oh my god I can’t wait to see that one in the anime. gonna be like two fucking years, but I’ll be sitting right here, waiting

OH SHIT YOU GUYS

OH SHIT

I’M GLAD HE CLARIFIED THAT THEY DON’T HAVE A TON OF POWER BECAUSE I WAS SERIOUSLY LIKE “OH SHIT HE’S ABOUT TO BLOW HER TO KINGDOM COME”

OH MY FUCK

IT’S LIKE A HORROR MOVIE WHERE THE AUDIENCE IS ON THE KILLER’S SIDE LMAO

HAHAHAHA

IS IT MY FUCKING BIRTHDAY OR WHAT?? OH MY GOD

oh my godddd

BOY!!!

(º̩̩́⌣º̩̩̀)

my son is all grown. you guys. I’m so proud. I fucking can’t

this chapter might as well have been titled “Bakugou wins the manga and everyone is shocked and amazed and proud.” that’s basically what just happened here. oh my god. what a blessed glorious day

#bnha #boku no hero academia #bakugou katsuki #jirou kyouka #sero hanta #satou rikidou #tokage setsuna #awase yousetsu #kamakiri togaru #bondo kojirou #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #there isn't actually sound in this post I was just trying be cute and do something homestucky #but if you want do sound though I recommend turning on 'another one bites the dust' by queen #moment of silence for team tokage #you put up a good fight and were soundly decimated #you were expecting sweet victory and instead you experienced sicko mode #sorry kids

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