#i love cub this was the best episode

[sprinklesharkie]

🎶 mumbo! mr jumbo! 🎶

[retiredkat]

Great interview with Eric Bogosian

Vulture article

Eric Bogosian Would Get Naked for Interview With the Vampire 10:31 A.M.

Daniel Molloy is a fictional two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, bullshitometer, and sass-kitten, an aging journalist holding his own among monsters while conducting the titular Q&A at the heart of Interview With the Vampire. With clear-eyed wit and a dash of human vulnerability, Eric Bogosian gives Molloy a distinctly Anthony Bourdain–ish edge infused with notes of his own acerbic Talk Radio character Barry Champlain. In Anne Rice’s book and the movie that followed, Daniel Molloy is a cub reporter trembling over his tape deck. But in Rolin Jones’s brilliant AMC adaptation, which just wrapped up its second season, this isn’t Molloy’s first twirl around the vampire hoedown. The conversation takes place 50 years after that first interview ended in blood, gore, and sexual frustration (Luke Brandon Field plays the younger Molloy in flashbacks, including this season’s standout episode five). Now Molloy’s seen it all, has a loaded past with these vamps, and when he trembles, it’s from Parkinson’s, rarely nerves. Molloy’s the audience surrogate, cutting through Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Armand’s (Assad Zaman) competing narratives while ultimately shipping Loustat just like the rest of us.

This delicate dynamic got slammed into a concrete wall and lit on fire (complimentary) in the final minutes of the season-two finale, when Molloy was revealed to have been turned into a vampire by Armand, breaking the ancient vampire’s centuries-long incel streak. And boy, is it a reveal, with a cocky Molloy, riding high on his best-selling book, whipping off his sunglasses at night to reveal color-changing eyes while doing mental walkie-talkie with Louis. He’s even got a sick leather jacket to really hammer home that he’s a cool bad-boy vampire now. It’s an incredibly fun beat to leave this character on and opens up a world of season-three possibilities for Bogosian as a performer who, at 71, has always wanted to play a vampire.

Do you know how weird it is to be hitting record on my MacBook right now to interview you about playing a character who’s always hitting record on his MacBook to interview people?

It’s all weird to me. I’m from another century, so all these things are new to me.

This is suspiciously sounding more and more like an interview with a vampire by the minute! Which makes sense, considering where we last saw Daniel in the finale.

Since we have multiple narratives and jump around in time already, I don’t know where things are going. Personally, I’d love to see more of young Daniel, Luke Brandon Field. I think he’s terrific. I’d love to see more Claudia. I wonder whether vampires can time travel. I think they can move around in time. I’m not sure how much Anne Rice you’ve read, but Merrick can actually bring people back from the dead, so you never know.

What was your relationship to the books when you signed on to this show?

In the mid-’70s, when Interview With the Vampire came out, I was 20-something and reading that stuff and I loved it. Then I got distracted by life. When we started doing the show, I was going to read the first one again, but then I realized that the script and my character were quite different, so I thought, I better stick to the script.

However, I needed to know what happened next, so I started plowing through the books and it was amazing. The Vampire Lestat was a trip — that’s what they’ll be hitting next — and they just got trippier and trippier. I just finished the seventh, which puts all the stories together. I love Anne Rice because her imagination is completely unfettered and she plays with really deep themes in a way that’s not heavy. It’s not like you’re reading Ayn Rand; it’s more like Stephen King. She explores death in the guise of these vampires by asking, Oh yeah, you wanna be immortal? Here’s what immortal looks like.

I’ve always been a big fan of vamps. I lobbied Francis Ford Coppola to get a part in his Dracula in the ’90s. I guess I wasn’t a big star, so I couldn’t get a part in it, but he was nice about it and invited me to set. I’ve told this story in other interviews, but my wife was directing a play in Chicago, which, totally by coincidence, was written by one of our first-year writers. On the plane there, I was thinking about life, thinking, I’ve done so many things. What’s left? And I thought, Man, I still really want to play a vampire. And when I landed, I got a phone call: “Do you want to be on Interview With the Vampire?” At the time, it wasn’t like, “You’re going to be a vampire,” but I figured vampire-adjacent was good enough. And of course, it evolved, and as I got on set, Assad was explaining all of these things that were going to happen with my character. Sometimes I didn’t even want to hear about it because we never know what’s going to happen. There have been slight detours off the main story, particularly with my character.

What were those things you didn’t want to hear about your character that Assad was talking about?

I become, you know, under his spell in later stories, and there’s a whole relationship that goes on between us. I’m not entirely clear at this point how that’s going to shake out or if it’s going to shake out. I didn’t necessarily want to go waltzing into something where they were making me do anything weird or awkward or embarrassing to no particular end. I’ve done nudity and stuff like that a long time ago, and at 71, I’m not really big on getting naked and sexy onscreen.

However, having been around the genius of Rolin Jones for two years, whatever he wants to do, I’ll do it. When you’re around a master like this, it becomes a process of discovery. When I’m learning my lines it’s like, Oh, this is 3-D chess. There’s a lot going on here that I didn’t see the first time I read it. When I first got this job, I thought I was just going to be doing bookends every episode, like, “So, tell me the story,” and then it would be vampires the whole time, and at the end I’d be like, “Hmmm!” And then, “stay tuned for the next episode!” But Rolin had this idea from the beginning and it went deeper and deeper until it was insane by the end of the second season.

I would prefer not to be playing cliché. Sometimes I’m playing something that feels like a lot of other things I’ve done. Even in the service of a show that is terrific, like Succession or Billions, the things I’m doing on those shows are not things I’ve never done before. As a friend of mine said when I was doing Under Siege 2 with Steven Seagal 1,000 years ago, “They just want you to do that Eric thing you do.” My stage stuff is about being very big and very loud, and a lot of the stuff I do on-camera is like in Uncut Gems, being very angry and very broad. But this thing, particularly in the fifth episode, and going into the end — I have to go places that I’ve never gone as an actor before. The subtlety of episode five, where I am brought to tears, that’s new stuff for me, and I was really happy to do it. Not only working with Rolin and the directors but with everybody. The writers bring a lot of sensitivity, a lot of nuance to every scene.

I need to ask if you’ve seen this: Someone from the writers’ room tweeted a picture of a note card that was on the wall for episode five and it just says, “MOLLOY ASKS ABOUT 1973: DID WE FUCK?”

I love that beat. As much as I’m known for my verbosity, I love reaction stuff, too. Jacob and I are very in sync, and we’ve developed a good relationship. He’s not holding back, he’s not being cagey, and that allows you to trust the other person a lot. You’d be amazed how some actors … are actually not good actors. They’re thinking about what they look like and all this crap. Jacob can’t be thinking about what he looks like because sometimes he looks really nasty. He’s letting the emotions build out of him. And yet he’s always very adept at sculpting what he’s doing. It’s a great company. I never work with Sam, I just see him all the time on set, but that scene in the courtroom, and the scene in New Orleans … where’s that shit coming from? The emotion is wild.

You all have incredible chemistry with each other, too. Knowing where your character might go with Armand, or what other buried history may or may not also be between them, how do you play that dynamic?

In scripted narratives, you’ve just got to play what the script is doing and let the audience try to figure out the rest of it. On Succession, I worked with Sarah Snook, and her character was never clear until the end. They were making it very hard to figure out what she was thinking. And I don’t know that she always knew herself what she was thinking. She was playing the script.

There are a lot of ways to look at it, and ask, What’s really going on here? Much of it is the audience putting it together. They hear the lines, they see my face, and an older actor’s face kind of has a narrative built into it. All of it gets put together, and what you don’t know becomes fodder for your imagination.

And this audience has quite the imagination.

I’ve never been through this experience before, exploring where the audience is at. I’m reading a lot of the blogs, and they make a science out of it. Rolin gives them all they can eat in terms of details and Easter eggs that are blended into the story. I think like 30 percent of our audience is really familiar with the books, so they’re constantly checking back and forth between Anne Rice’s story and ours. So far, Rolin’s been scoring pretty well in terms of being consistent with the original material.

But again, Daniel is a whole different ball of wax. The Armand thing is interesting, because it goes into all kinds of fascinating realms far away and weird. I had to get out history books and start reading about ancient Kyiv.

The fans aren’t even just pulling from the books; I’ve seen some draw comparisons from your work like Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll. They’re finding all these crazy parallels.

That I haven’t seen. The character in this show and me in real life have a lot of parallels. Just imagine young Daniel in the show, that was my life. The funny thing is when I used to write and perform these monologues, in my mind they didn’t have anything to do with me. And then last year, Andre Royo, who played Bubs on The Wire, did one of my shows, Drinking in America, onstage. This was the first time that I’ve watched my own solo show, and he did a great job. I started to understand the biographical aspects of these monologues. It isn’t until afterward that I can look at it and go, Oh right, this is about that. Rolin told me that they were always thinking of me for this role. He didn’t know me, so this was coming out of his enthusiasm for a movie I did 700 years ago, Talk Radio with Oliver Stone. That was based on a play I wrote for myself. What I write about has to do with a certain kind of narcissistic personality, which seems to be the theme of this TV show — they’re all narcissists in one way or another.

I’m fascinated by my character. In episode five, when he’s in San Francisco, he’s kind of a loser. That’s what Armand says: “You might as well die right now. Where’s your life going?” And yet Daniel has two Pulitzer Prizes by the time he’s an older guy. What is that about? I would almost not believe it except that it happened to me. I was leading a really dissolute life in the late ’70s into the early ’80s. I didn’t win a Pulitzer, but I was nominated in 1987 and continued to be, I guess, “successful.” So it makes sense that it happens to Daniel. But you can also ask, What motivates this? It’s a way of fighting against the world or maintaining your sanity.

I think I’ll continue to play with the push-pull of this guy if I continue with the show. In San Francisco, he says, “Make me a vampire.” Later in Dubai, he says, “No, I don’t want it, because I’ll outlive my children.” He’s going back and forth. Of course, what we don’t see in the last episode is how did he become a vamp? Did he say, “Yeah, I want to do it?” Or did he get drunk with Armand one night and when he wasn’t looking, he became a vampire? I guess we’ll find out.

I’m sure it’s the subject of dozens of fan fictions already.

I’ve gotten so close with Assad. We’ve enjoyed spending a lot of time with each other. But when he gets on set, he turns into a different person. That’s some evil shit going on there. The way he ends up in that last episode, kind of smashed, he put everything into that. It’s a lot of fun. I never got into this business to do anything other than make believe and pretend. I feel more whole when I’m being somebody else than when I’m my own self, so the more deeply we can pretend when we’re making the show, the more deeply we can get into all of this, the higher I get from it. And when you’ve got guys like this who are ready to fly, I want to go flying with them.

I know you said you don’t really know what’s happening next season, but I look forward to your vampire adventures.

Rolin keeps sending me notes saying we’re gonna have an amazing time when we start shooting again. I can’t wait. It’s just that there’s a whole formal process of how this goes, and I’m waiting for my engraved invitation from the King of AMC to say “welcome back.”

[pyromaniacldrt]

So, my mind has been reclaimed by the Wild Kratts fandom, and I cannot escape.

So I´ll make random headcannons! (Disclaimer: These are not about the actual Kratt bros, I´m writting about the show)

STARTING WITH THE BLUE BOY.

Martin is an organized disaster; Alow me to elaborate. Martin has BIG trouble keeping himself of getting distractions or organizing at all, and yet somehow finds what he´s looking for.

He loves moving around and NEEDS to say hi to every animal and give them THE BEST NAMES, wich I personally belive is the reason he has more scars due to animal attacks than the rest of the crew (I can imagine him getting a bit too close to a grizzly cub and naming him Presley and his mom Mrs.Sharpclaw. I cannot unsee it. ).

Sometimes he´ll talk about animals for hours and compete with Chris to know who knows more about creatures. It´s a wonder how Tortuga hasnt been wrecked yet.

This guy here is a bit bilingual, unlike Chris who dosent quite understand new languages. Martin likes to learn new words in spanish with Aviva.

Also (based on that one interview where Martin said he at first wanted to be a veterinarian that mentioned someone in tumblr but I cant remember their name), Martin has some interest in the med area, and got even bigger after the Orangoutang episode.

He HATES to be still, specially after the tree episode. I think he probably hates small spaces and will not tolerate to be locked out.

I do personally belive he´s kind of the unnamed leader of Tortuga. While he´s not a strategist and is a total clumsy geek, this guy will act quickly and is very good under stressfull situations and making decesive decisions, even if he sometimes does not think it through (like in the Flying fish episode). He's a professional in his job and everyone forgets that sometimes.

Martin is the type of person to believe in second chances, and tries to see good in everything and (mostly) everyone.

BUT. Hurt his friends or/and (god forbid) his brother, and RUN. He'll catch you anyway, but is worth to try.

THIS IDIOT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS SELF PRESERVATION AND NOT BEING A HUMAN SHIELD.

Yet, he has the most consistent sleep schedule.

I like to think that he and Aviva were the first members of the whole Wild Kratts project, but it was far different, like some kind of lab in an island. Then Koki and Jimmy came and BOOM. Tortuga. Chris was the last member to officially join the crew, but he was there since the begining.

Martin can play MANY instruments, but only knows the cheesiest, most anoying and weird songs to ever exist.

He has used the "I´m the older brother and I´ll tell mom" Card on Chris way to many times.

Martin is the oldest member of the crew, wich makes him feel responsible for everyone and tries to protect them. Still, he´s just to silly to do so, and always gets distracted.

He can´t draw. Like, at all. Chris makes fun of that all of the time.

He´s a heartbreaker and he dosen´t even know. Like, he´s so oblivious to the fact that many people have a crush on him and he´s just like "You´re such a great friend haha!" after literally telling said person how pretty and awsome they are.

He´s got that blonde on him.

If it wasn´t for the fact that she´s a villain, Donita and Martin would be great friends.

Maybe I´ll make more parts, I dunno...

Pyro Out!

[thebettybook]

“Unca” Leona

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About: Fluff headcanons/mini fic of Leona learning to be an uncle to Cheka over the five years since Cheka was born

Warnings: None, this is a fluff post about family :)

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🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, that fact was established when his nephew Cheka was born.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids; they needed constant attention. For the first few months after Cheka was born, the entire Afterglow Savannah palace was in a frenzy. On the bright side, that meant less eyes on Leona and he could slip away and just drive out to anywhere he wanted whenever he wanted.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, they still needed constant attention. When Cheka turned six months old, the cub began crawling everywhere. Safiya (Cheka’s mother and Leona’s sister-in-law) started implementing days where Leona would have to spend time with Cheka as his “uncle,” a title begrudgingly thrust onto Leona by fate. Despite Leona’s best efforts to get out of playing with the cub, the cub stuck to his side like glue.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, they were messy. This one in particular liked to drool on Leona’s book pages as Leona read books about ancient languages while having baby Cheka in his lap. Said baby also loved to nibble on Leona’s hair and barf on Leona’s shirt and giggle afterwards.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, especially as they began to learn how to talk and walk. Fast forward to a year or two later, he now had a toddler on his hands who affectionately crowned him with the title “Unca.” Leona didn’t know what was worse, the fact that he was known throughout the whole country as “the second prince,” or the fact that he was now known in his own home as “Unca Leona.”

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, they tended to watch the same shows over and over again and make you watch the shows with them. Leona, even with his ever-sharp memory, lost count of how many times he had to watch a show about singing and dancing vegetables with Cheka. The horror.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, they tended to bug you at every hour of the day. Cheka developed a habit of waking Leona up every day, usually running into Leona’s room every morning to jump onto Leona and wake him up. Sometimes, Leona would even get startled when he woke up and found the little furball asleep next to him. Leona now didn’t remember a time where the cub wasn’t by his side at most hours of the day.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, they liked to spread their germs all over the place. Leona had caught a slight cold that Cheka had a few days ago. Leona grumpily took a nap on a chaise lounge as the cub sat on the floor a few feet away, watching a new episode from the show about singing vegetables. When Leona woke up, Cheka was nowhere in sight. The cub was probably off doing a singing lesson with the Kingscholar family’s Grand Chamberlain, Kifaji. Leona then noticed his nephew’s favorite tiny light-blue blanket strewn haphazardly over his figure. He sat up and then noticed a note on top of the blanket. Written messily in crayon and surrounded by flower and sun doodles, the note read: “Get well soon, Unca!”.

Sigh.

🧸 Leona didn’t like kids, but maybe…just maybe…he didn’t completely dislike this one.

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Important:

🍓 I don’t own any of the characters I mention or write about; they belong to their original and respective creators.

🍓 All content on this blog is created by me, @thebettybook (excluding posts I reblog that aren’t my own posts and unless I state otherwise). Do not modify, claim, repost, or translate my work onto this platform and any other platform.

🍓 Reblogs are appreciated :). Want more Leona romance fluff? Check out my masterlist

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[theinwardshoe]

I love hermitcraft, obviously, my main blog is dedicated to them specifically

Hermit seasons I’ve seen

Season 3-the start of something great, while not best as big in scale as later seasons, the hermits focus more on community events pranks etc. 7/10

Season 4- everyone settling on or around the mesa biome made the world seem far more connected, and the introduction of the shopping district made for great interactions 8/10

Season 5- while most episodes were focused on one hermits project and the vast majority of the series felt like single player, with exception to some of the convex stuff and other collaborations. season 5 also featured some of the craziest, large scale building projects to date. tangos base, scar, cubs color wonderland, Mumbo Xisuma and everyone’s base easily make season 5 amazing, albeit living up to “hermit” part of hermitcraft. 7/10

Season 6- you know why this is here. The introduction of Grian, the Architechs, Sahara. Really solidifying Hermitcraft where it is today. While I didn’t follow most of the major plot lines at the moment, all that they did for Tag, the Prank War, Star vs G team, Area 77 and the 1.14 area, the mini games, and Demise, truly a great season. 9/10

Season 7- any complaint on season 6 is non existent in season 6. season 6 was too long, well season 7 while being slightly shorter does not overstay its welcome, it relishes in its quick pace, quickly after starting the shopping district we get the headhunt, the diamond pile being strung in, without effort. Hermit challenges being one of the most bizarre and funniest things I’ve ever seen

Interactions? Season 7 has them in spades hearts and diamonds- did I say diamonds? Oh yeah the diamond throne being the centerpiece for the mayor campaign over the shopping district being equal parts hilarious and absolutely the best thing I have ever seen in hermitcraft. The other plots are just as engaging, as Grian builds up his barge, until the mycelium restitance really gets going.

Also bases?? You liked the great bases from season 5? Go check out False castle, Grians mansion, Scars forest and mining base, literally Cub the desert king, spent his entire season for his base to look like a chunk error on a map. I could go on…. The pace, the interactions, it is just perfect 11/10

Season 8- everything great about season 7, but turned up to 11, the jungle bros from season 7, but now they share their base. Boatem being entirely too cursed as the season progresses . While the short season may feel like a cop out, the short duration makes every episode feel more and more hectic, the boat war with Tango, evil X returning, the Octagon rivalry, just amazing. Especially moon big. What a concept the only possibly bad thing was it being a short season 9/10

Season 9- I have watched very little of season 9, yay being in another country for two years ….. but solid hijinks 8/10

[gryphonlover]

I’m in a yapping mood so I’ve come to bother you (I’m so sorry), anyways here’s how I think the chain would play BG3:

Time- he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. He falls for every trap and he accidentally kills characters he shouldn’t have because he trusted the wrong people. He definitely played the dark urge because he thought “that one looks interesting” but didn’t fully think that choice through, and he was TRYING to be a good person but he’s absolutely given into the evil thoughts by act 2. Doesn’t even realize romancing the characters is an OPTION until Lae’zel comes up to him like “i want you” and then he screams

Wars- He’s still stuck in character creator /j Fr tho he put HOURS into designing his tav and his created like, the most conventionally attractive mf out there (it’s definitely a paladin half high elf with that ONE specific face). He’d romance Wyll (best man in existence) or Lae’zel (terrifying lady). I’d say he plays it for the dating sim but he’s also INSANE and likes attacking people

Twi- He’d play a sweet little tiefling druid. He’s just there for the vibes, he just wants to pet the owlbear cub the rest of the game stresses him out (he’s a stardew valley kinda guy). He stays in the safety of act 1 and just runs around

Sky- he takes his bg3 incredibly seriously, he has over 700 hours. I think he’d be a cleric, every single time. He’s GOOD at combat, he’d good at building the characters, he loves exploring

Hyrule- Ranger. Romanced the emperor because he thought it was funny and then had a LOT of explaining to do when Legend saw he got a trophy for that. He just makes whatever he thinks the funniest choice would be

Legend- He’s one of the few who has the strength to play a different character every play through. He loves exploring the game and he’s romanced all the characters just to see how different they all are and he loves all their lore. Has more hours than Sky but pretends he doesn’t so he doesn’t get judged for being insane

Wild- Wizard or Sorcerer, either way he blows everything up. Pickpockets all the npcs for cash because he thinks its funny, makes HORRIBLE decisions because he’s curious to see what happens. Definitely doesn’t know you can pay Withers to revive people after they die-

Four- plays the exact same dragonborn fighter every single time, but each play through he does gets crazier and crazier until he’s making INSANE decisions and everyone gets the WORST possible endings, but he’s having fun and he likes being evil

Wind- he picked to be a sorcerer, but other than that he randomized everything else and ended up playing a hot pink gnome he named “Ronald”. He’s having the time of his life

-crazylittlejester

This is the best thing I've heard ALL DAY. I'm not kidding. (And you can bother me anytime. That's why the ask ox is open. 👍)

I have to admit, I had the same reaction as Time when I discovered the dating part, and I've never even played the game. 😅

11/10, totally agree. They would love D&D so much, my goodness. Someone needs to make an LU version of that one episode of VLD where all the paladins play a one-session campaign. It would be complete chaos.

[tumelothee]

THE MESSAGES OF FATHERS

I would like to point out the difference in the messages that Sydney and Carmy both receive from their father/father-like figures in S02E09.

First we get Sydney and Emmanuel. As Sydney is about to leave for the restaurant, she has a talk with her father. Sydney ponders on why we can't put everything we have into of everything we do. Emmanuel then asks "then why put so much into this one?" Sydney then says because she's not sure if she could do another one.

Then we get Uncle Jimmy/Cicero and Carmen. Cicero tells the story of "complete and utter failure", the Alex Gonzalez and Stevie Bartman story. The story of how Alex's first fuck up led to another fuck ups but the loss of the Cubs was blamed on little Stevie Bartman. Carmen then thinks that they don't want to end up being Stevie but Cicero tells him no, he's actually not supposed to end up like Alex Gonzalez, he mustn't end up unfocused.

Both messages come from a place of love and wanting the best for their loved ones, but the differences in how they're expressed is so stark. With Emmanuel, he asked Syndey how she's feeling, before anything else and lets her know that she puts too much pressure on herself and that he'll ALWAYS be there for her. With Cicero, he urges Carmy to completely commit himself and not drop the ball, because he doesn't want to take the restaurant away from him.

Going back to previous episodes of S02, in episode 1, where Sydney talks about staying calm and taking it step by step and episode 2, where Carmen tells Sydney that if she wants the star, she must be incredibly focused and care for nothing else. Both Carmen and Cicero's messages align and Sydney and Emmanuel's messages align. But Carmen and Sydney's messages don't. I feel that Sydney needed to hear Cicero's message and Carmen needed to hear Emmanuel's. Because it's true, Sydney does need to be more focused and efficient to get that star and Carmen should relax and take things step by step, as he has been there before. He was the youngest CDC and managed to retain stars, he's got nothing to prove, he just needs to be a great partner.

In order for success on both sides, Sydney and Carmen need to be aligned. Both messages need to be at play so that both Sydney and Carmy know what they must do for one another in order to get what they want.

In the end of episode 10, Sydney vomits and Carmy spirals. They are far from the messages that were told to them. In season 3, balance and finding their way back to the messages AND to each other will be a determining factor on if they get that star. I CAN'T WAIT.😭😭😭

[pawphin]

i firmly believe that episode 46 of 1999 hxh is one of the best episodes in the entire show because it does such an amazing job touching on killuas character. it focuses primarily on killua getting accustomed to gon's home life, and right from the beginning it's clear to the viewer that killua is not used to receiving affection; particularly, affection from adult figures. adult figures that are supposed to take responsibility and provide genuine love and care. the love at the zoldyck estate is entirely conditional, while aunt mito's is not.

when gon introduces killua to her, she responds in a very kind manner, and i particularly like how killua responds to her throughout the episode. he isn't taken aback by her kindness, or believes it to be some sort of trick. he's just very awkward. when mito encourages him to eat red peppers even though he dislikes them, he doesn't complain. when mito asks him to run the shop, he takes interest in his surroundings, and eventually ends up falling asleep; not because he's indifferent, not because he's angry at aunt mito, he's just tired. and when mito's grandma comes home and places him gently into bed, he is unable to process that someone would move him simply because they felt like it. simply because they knew he'd be more comfortable. it's a strange feeling, but it's not unwelcome.

near the end of the episode, when gon and killua are trying to rescue an injured fox cub from poachers, killua insists on putting it out of its misery. he argues that the fox cub's breathing is very shallow; that it's likely just suffering at this point. gon is upset, believing that there is still a way to save its life, and the two fight over what is the correct choice of action, to the point where killua unsheathes his nails. aunt mito steps in to try and stop him from slashing the cub's throat, but he ends up reflexively clawing aunt mito and she falls to the floor, with three open wounds on her arm.

and she slaps him.

and she asks him: "hasn't anyone ever taught you how precious life is?"

and here is the first time in the entire series that an adult has stood up for him. that an adult who loves him unconditionally is able to tell him that he's wrong. instead of being encouraged to kill without regard for their will, their right to live, he's being encouraged to help. to breathe life into it. and that's what he ends up doing, with gon coming up with the idea to infuse their nen into the cub in order to save it. when they release the cub back to its father, killua apologizes to mito for hurting her. but she just pulls them both into a hug and says, "let's go home and have breakfast."

and for the first time, killua melts into her warm embrace.

[satureja13]

The morning of the playtest! But who will be the first to enter the Therapy Game?

Jack: "Fear not my furless friends! For I - the Supersoldier - will boldly go where no creature had gone before!"

Saiwa, deliberately ignoring him: "So who will test this amazing technology first?" Jack: "Me! Me, me, ME!" Saiwa: "Hm... no volunteers? I would go myself but I'll have to supervise the devices and the AI... What about you Ji Ho?" Ji Ho: "Me? ö.Ö' Uhm..." Saiwa: "Right, this would not be a good idea. You are too precious for this." Jack: "Me! I will do it! What? Am I not precious or what? Ach! I don't care! C'mon Sai! Me, me, ME!"

Saiwa, still deliberately ignoring him: "Hmmm who else is eligible?..." Jack: "ME!!! Me, me, ME!" Saiwa: "What about you, Vlad?" Vlad: "Sure!" Jack: "What? And you claim to be my best friend! Tch!" Vlad: "But shouldn't we choose the one we can the easiest live without? In case something goes wrong?" Jack: "And that would be me! And thanks for your concerns: but Tiny Can will ensure I remain unscathed. Because he loves -> me!"

Nothing is as annoying as Puppy Jack ^^'

This is the mirror episode to this one :3

Saiwa: "Let's go!" Jack: "AWOOOOO!"

Saiwa and Vlad refunctioned the Therapy Room. Jack: "Wow! Will you be able to watch on the big screen?" Saiwa: "I hope so."

Tiny can is already connected and compiling.

Saiwa: "And these are your VR glasses and the Controller Arm." Jack: "This is so cool! Thank you, Sai!"

Saiwa: "Please be careful. As soon as you experience something off or weird, tell us and we stop it! We don't know what awaits us there and Arturo might have gotten that board from the Council and ..." Jack: "Omg Saiwa, it's just a game! What can possibly happen? You sound like my mom - if I had one..." And then he took a selfie, because it's so cool...

Jack: "That's a small step for a wolf - a giant leap for creaturekind!" Saiwa: "Omg! Go already!"

Jack: "Can't wait! ... Seems there is only one place I can go, so I'll just start there?" Saiwa: "Makes sense. This is your customized therapy session after all."

Jack: "Hm, I can see nothing - but I hear a crowd chanting. 'Wolfsbane! Wolfsbane!' " Saiwa: "Us neither. Wait, I'll make some adjustments. And to Tiny Can: "Tiny Can, check your graphics output, please." Tiny Can let out a streak of beeping sounds.

Jack: "Oh I can see! It's blurry and distorted - ah... now it's slowly getting better - but... ah" Jack gasped for air.

Saiwa still can't see anything: "Jack! What's wrong?" Jack tried to speak between gasping for air: "I... I'm... locked up! ...out!" And the he collapsed. (Due to his difficult past and after being locked up as a toddler and later with Saiwa in the lab and again when he and Ji Ho almost died in a fire, Jack can't stand being locked up.)

Jack also collapsed in the room in Tomarang and Saiwa is immediately stopping the game. Saiwa: "Tiny Can, stop the simulation!"

Vlad is helping Jack up and get's him to breathe again. Saiwa cries: "I'm so sorry, cub." (That's not the first time Saiwa is mean to Jack and something happens to him ö.Ö') And Ji Ho is petrified. Jack is like a brother to him and one of his best friends. This all started so promising and could have been of so much help for them... Tiny Can also looks abashed and beeps sadly...

'Terrified of the open road Yeah, where it leads ya never know But rest assured he'll be on you back Yeah, the holy ghost through his tounges in black As the band dog howls and the young girl cries The blessed virgin in her proud dad's eye The albatross hangin' round your neck Is the cross you bare for your sins he bleeds

Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep We're the rebels of the sacred heart I said, no ball or chain, no prison shall keep We're the rebels of the Sacred Heart'

Flogging Molly - Rebels of the Sacred Heart This is one of my favourite songs of all time and I had it as my wake-up-song for many years. I just googled the meaning behind the lyrics and it's quite interesting to read. This song seems to tell about my own upbringing and now I love it even more.

This chapter's music is going to be very Irish/Scottish. Have I ever told you how much I love Ireland? I've never been there but whenever I see pics of Ireland, I cry. So I fear if I visit, I can't stop myself from crying all the time^^'

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest 🕹️ 'Therapy Game' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[thefeastandthefast]

Since I promised Mr. Feast I wouldn't watch ahead of him and he's slowly catching up, I've taken a pause in my gleeful binge of 一念关山 A Journey to Love to jot down a few of the disorganized thoughts I have about my best beloved favorite girl Yang Ying in the wonderful first eighteen episodes of this drama.

MILD SPOILERS BEYOND.

I cannot wait to see little pocket sized wolf cub Princess Yang Ying do her thing in the next half of the show. Honestly feel so blessed to have this character; there’s no one else like her in cdrama or American TV for that matter!

One of the themes I enjoy in stories about royal power struggles are narrative arcs for female characters who transition from naive to knowing, usually borne out of experiencing the inescapability of their femaleness in a treacherous sexist environment and consequently the limited array of tarnished tools at their disposal and the ways these tools are then deployed. I enjoy that type of story- Book Sansa Stark, my nostalgic fave! Zhen Huan! Minglan, even, in a way. As for historical examples, Empress Matilda! Isabella of France!

But I'm also absolutely relishing this twist on the familiar theme in A Journey to Love.

Because Yang Ying is a royal woman being explicitly trained to grasp the duties and wield the power of a prince, not the oblique power of a princess. The success of the mission, and the lives/fates of the Wu emperor, her subjects, and her now beloved friends in the delegation, depend on her ability to convincingly wear the mantle of princely responsibility, power, and prerogative and to physically and mentally embody this role. And for a child who is as malleable as she is in the beginning of the show, this incredibly formative AND transformative extended roleplay will inevitably become forever entrenched in her conception of self and her sense of possibility.

The kind of limited power she might have been able to achieve as an impoverished minor princess requires a very different skillset from the one she's acquiring. It would only be a contingent and conditional power, a la her sister-in-law the Empress of Wu or the Noble Consort Chu or Chuyue, the tomboy princess from the state of An, who perfectly demonstrates how a clever, capable, wealthy, beautiful royal woman with a powerful family is still a blunted sword.

What would be fascinating to explore, beyond her triumph as Prince Li of Wu (which, to reiterate, I'm SO EXCITED FOR), is the inevitable friction of what she would feel and do after mastering and embodying princely power but then must contend with the expectations and limitations of the identity she has long outgrown but will still be expected to perform once the mission is complete.

I don't think the drama will have time to cover this- after all, she is a supporting character and it would be a thematic tangent. But I suppose that's what fic is for! Maybe I will once again be inspired to write fic, depending on how they end Yang Ying's story...

Stories and characters that reveal emotional truth through pretense will always be my jam. In addition to the unexpectedly delightful Ren Ruyi/Ning Yuanzhou, I love this show so much for giving me Yang Ying.

[raphaelesbian]

Absolutely tickled by your Shredder/Splinter swap AU. Uh. Long ask warning. Like. Thinking about how in Lone Rat and Cubs Splinter's like, validly, "What did I do to deserve this? :(". Cinder meanwhile-- "What did I do-- oh wait yeah. What did the turtles do though?"

Young Raph and Leo getting super into training (taught for self-defense, I'm guessing), and Cinder just. Begging them to get a different hobby. Please. He'll even give the children noisy toys (the bane of many a parent) if they would just. Stop.

Michelangelo, already manipulative as a younger brother, being an absolute MENACE under this new parentage-- Cinder may not be a great manipulator, but he certainly had enough charisma to inspire a coup.

Cinder would probably be like, "Absolutely NOT," in regards to Donnie and April. (Romance is DANGEROUS, kids!!!) Which, since it'd probably be a harsh, instinctive reaction... would not be great for Donnie's character development.

Miwa meanwhile... her choices in teenage rebellion are either 1. be laidback in response to her father's seriousness, or 2. be murderhobo in response to her father's values. Since Saki's alive, #2 is looking really appealing... (Kinda reminds me of a crack AU of mine-- TL;DR Shredder realizes after killing Shen that he Done Fucked Up and wants to be better. Somehow this doesn't stop S1 from happening.

Point is, they share this vibe:

Saki: Look Yoshi, I understand you wanting me dead but could you stop sending teenager(s) to try and kill me? It's not good for their mental development!

Yoshi, who does not want Saki dead: My kid(s) are WHAT?)

oh my goddd I'm literally OBSESSED with this omfg???? you took that thought and RAN with it and I love it so much fhfashglk.

EXCELLENT point about the way lone rat and cubs would play out differently. Like, Cinder ABSOLUTELY believes he deserves his fate to be mutated and outcast from society, but his boys? They didn't deserve any of that. They don't deserve to have HIM as a father. But they do, so he does his best to care for them and not make them feel ashamed of what they are

(though, now that I think about it, I think he would do a much worse job of it than Splinter. Though Splinter ALSO is not a huge fan of being mutated into a giant rat lmao, he wouldn't have Cinder's belief that it's, like, a punishment. He talks positively about being a human, AND his life as a rat with his sons, and though they can tell he misses being human, I don't think he really gives much of an impression that his whole being-a-rat is a bad thing. Plus, Splinter leans into it a lot with his cheese phone and his cheesesicles and the rat wheel fhdaksghkasghlk.

Cinder would be different, I think. He may not outright state it, because he's not dumb lol, but I think it would come through more that he views his mutation as an overall negative thing (that he deserves), and he would not be one to encourage the rat jokes. So the turtles may be a bit less positive and comfortable with their status as turtles. Idk, sidebar fhadshksdglk)

FHALSGHKDSG, Cinder literally trying EVERYTHING to get them to stop being so interested in fighting. he gives them finger paint. he gives them loud toys (where raph gets his drum set fhdkasghkds). he scrounges up an old video game console. they still like sparring the most. what remains of his fur is going grey

oh man, Mikey would be DANGEROUS. which also, just another tangent, I do think it's so interesting that what we see of Shredder in 2012.... is NOT particularly charming or manipulative! which, like you said, he had to be charismatic and convincing enough to inspire a whole coup. What we see of his strategy seems to be mostly threats, which yeah, works NOW that he's super powerful, but in the beginning? nah. we see SOME charm in the tale of the yokai episode, where he tries to convince Shen to leave Yoshi, but that's p much it. So like, idk, it's interesting to think about. My interpretation (mostly) has been that, like, he just kind of loses control at the start of the show with the re-emergence of Yoshi, and the super-aggressive Shredder we see is kind of out-of-the-ordinary. Like, that's him when he's enraged beyond belief. but idk hfashgklskdgl I think it's very ambiguous...

ANYWAYS, omg the Donnie angst angle??? Literally that never even crossed my MIND but you're so fucking right. idk if you read my father/daughter one-shot but the description you gave of a harsh, instinctive reaction called to mind how he snaps at Karai in that one, which, idk. I like that thought a lot. it would absolutely drive a bit of a rift between Donnie and Cinder, that's for sure.

omg yes that's literally EXACTLY the vibe I had in mind for Miwa. To Yoshi she's like "I'm just here to support you, I really don't want anything to do with Uncle Saki" and Yoshi is like "I understand <3"

Meanwhile Miwa is sneaking out at night to attack the turtles and try to hunt down (and kill) Cinder. Meaning the turtles are EXTRA convinced this Hamato clan is up to no good, Cinder is SURE that Yoshi wants him dead, and Yoshi is just like ":(((( why won't my brother talk to me.... I just want to move forward and find a way to be a family again...."

Miwa: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ idk dad maybe he just sucks and we should go home

ALSO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT CRACK AU IF YOU EVER WANNA SHARE FHKASGHKSDGLK. literally I am obsessed with any potential for Saki to like, Try and Improve, bc it's something we really don't see ANY of in canon, but he's SUCH an interesting character.

[lotus-duckies]

lone rat and cub really is the episode ever

their collective arc in that episode is about coming to see each other as family, with the turtles recognizing Splinter as their protector and caregiver and wanting to help him and Splinter seeing them as his children and desperately holding on to them

and also it very much has the vibe of Splinter barely holding himself together. His grief for being cursed as a rat man, fear for being hunted by the kraang and losing his children. You can almost feel his exhaustion radiating from the screen.

while splinter tries his best to protect the turtles, the turtles go from just. watching him. to trying to help him.

which really culminates after he accidentally sent the grocery cart over the edge and tried to save them. Technically, he was in more danger than they were cause. they're turtles and can survive underwater, but he does it anyway, and they end up transporting him to a new safe location like he had been doing for them.

It's episodes like this that emphasize the relationship between Splinter and the turtles, that it's a very mutual feeling of wanting to protect and love regardless of the situation they're in and i just

[the-wegg]

oh my god hour long grian ep was a TREAT

spoilers 4 that below it's SO GOOD

first of all

THE PIG,,, DANGLE,,,, THing

those 5 were just VIBING,, many art ideas from that alone

GRIAN GETTING FIRED AN REHIRED

CUB TAKING OVER

SO SO FUN

I'M GOING TO CALL THEM 4 THE PERMIT SQUAD NOBODY CAN STOP ME

AND ALSO JUST DRAWING CUB IN THE RAIN

FUN

AND THE BEST PART

GRIAN AN SKIZZ

WHAT A DUO OOOOUH BOYY

I'M 100% DRAWING THEM AS CUTEGUY N FAIL/COOLGUY IN THE TRIAL CHAMBERS

SPECIFICALLY THEM RUNNING OUT W THEIR MACES MY IDEA DONUT STEEL /SILLY

oh my gosh I loved that ep

it's 1:30 am but grian please upload longer videos like that more I'm insane

that felt like 3 episodes in one CHEFS KISS

GLORIOUS

[dreamstormdragon]

Sorry for another ask but I am curious I know you said you can relate to Raph and Don is your fav. I will get to the point lol. What is your opinion on Raph? For the iterations you have seen of course

Oh this a welcomed one!

I adore Raph. He's one of my favorite character types - the gruff, protector who inside has this heart of gold, he just has to work through some stuff.

Rise Raph, will be first to go in this department, what a himbo, what a gem, what a sweetie. He's still got some of his rage, but he's more so the protector of the family. I love details like the bandage on his chest, that smile. His interactions with his brothers and April are so funny and wholesome. (The Lair Games and The Clothes Don't Make the Turtle are my favorite episodes for some choice brotherly moments)

Then we get to 2003 Raph, who is the one I first saw, the one who made me adore the character as a whole. This is the one I related to the most, because of the mix of his heartfelt moments, mixed with sometimes being too much.

Shoutouts to Lone Raph and Cub, for being the best Raphael episode. This boy just wants to save his loved ones and his brothers and father, bring out the best in him. Meet Casey Jones is another great Raph episode, because we see how Raph can turn OUT if he's not careful (and showing his merciful side, which I feel like is a character trait, that doesn't get talked about enough?)

Like, this boy could've laid Casey out, truly could've beat the snot outta him and left him hanging, but he DIDNT'.

I also, really appreciate in Hunted the way that Raph specifically wanted to *wrestle* with Leatherhead. There was no fear of his strength or his temper, just full out respect. I remember I read this AMAZING fict, btw involving them by Halogalapaghost: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53261914 Oh my gosh SO GOOD.

I really enjoyed the storylines they gave Raph, throughout 03, because he was trying to be better from what he was - even though, some of it was still his pissing contest with Leo, but ohhh so good... and Same as It Never Was Raph?

HELLO?

SIR?

YES?

THANK YOU

(Oh man, do not get me started on SAINW. DO NOT GET ME STARTED-)

This is gonna turn into just a 2003 Raph post, if I'm not careful. He's my SECOND favorite next to Donnie if y'all haven't guessed yet.

Because NEXT ON THAT LIST IS 1987 RAPH

DUDE HAD S TIER RIZZ.

Oh who am I kidding? Raph's always got rizz. It's just a matter if the writers will LET HIM HAVE A W.

Raphael Meets his Match was one of my favorite episodes of 1987 for that very reason. He's snarky, he will OBLITERATE you verbally, but this dude had rizz!!!

Honestly, he always makes me laugh.

NOW IF WE'RE TALKING RAPHAEL-

2007 RAPHAEL

Oh man, this totally gave me a type when I was 11... Gruff, armored, badass motorcycle, I was fresh off my Sonic phase (yes I was a Shadow stan, let's just get that outta the way now)

My Linkin Park listening, Shadow the Hedgehog loving self, was fresh off of getting caught up on 03 when this dropped.

That movie had no right being that fun. I know it's up in the air whether or not it's ACTUALLY 03 canon but it hurts no one to think it is so I consider this Raph to just be the 19 year old ver of 03 Raph. Lot of time to grow and adjust. The Nightwatcher look for him, was SO good and that scene where he's fighting that demon? LOVED IT. Still die laughing to this day.

I need to read the 07 comics, because I know there's a Nightwatcher origin comic.

The fight between this Raph and Leo too... this was one where, Raph had some good points. Leo had issues to work through but then he comes back and just expects everyone to be ready to go back to how it was... and Raph's been keeping things in check, while Don and Mikey tried to keep them financially afloat, (frick I should've included 07 Donnie too, but again *points to "I see them as the same just older"*) and Raph had to keep the city SAFE.

Some of the BEST ficts I ever read, involved that fight in the rain. Mmm that was good HOT SOUP

But then... my favorite Raphael of all time...

IDW Raphael is everything, I love about him and more. He's this protector, he's still got his temper, but his bonds with his family, with Casey, with Alopex...

It's just all coming together so nicely and I ADORE moments like these, where we see him calm, where we see his SMILE. WHere everything in his world, for just ONE MOMENT is all right. Where he's okay.

I love that and I adore Raph/Alopex, I love it more than RaphXMona. (I ALSO LOVE THIS ONE. IT'S GOOD BUT RAPHLOPEX IS MY OTP)

And I do not have an opinion yet on Mutant Mayhem Raph YET, but we will get there.

Thank you for coming to my RAPH APPRECIATION HOUR!

[los-ninos-tortugas]

(Throws this at you because I love your blog)

Rewatched Touch and Go today and it's such a GOOD 03 Raph episode!! It tells us so much about him!!

The mob chasing him? Not that big. He has fought and defeated bigger groups of actually trained and armed assailants. (Heck, he did it BLIND in Lone Raph and Cub.) This group didn't even have guns. If he had chosen to fight, he would have won - but he didn't even CONSIDER fighting them until his back was against the wall and he couldn't see another way out. This is punch first ask questions later RAPH choosing to flee because he didn't want to hurt ordinary scared people.

His interactions with Mrs Morrinson are just BEAUTIFUL. First of all his face when she pulls him through her door and essentially kidnaps him is hilarious and adorable. Secondly, he didn't have to let her do that!! He is so much stronger than her - he could have pulled away, but he didn't!! And then he spends a couple of hours at this random old lady's house THAT HE HAS NEVER MET BEFORE moving boxes and keeping her company and drinking tea. And he clearly has a good time!!! I don't even think it occured to him to try and leave - SHE has to tell him that it's getting late and he should go home. And when Mikey and Master Splinter suddenly have briefcase full of money? Raph's first impulse is to give it away to someone he has only known for a couple of hours. (Sidenote - this episode is the third time the Turtles are in possession of a stupidly large amount of money. The first time they hand it in to the police, the second time they insist April uses it to rebuild her shop, and the third time they give it away to somone only one of them has met. What does that say about them, when literally everything they own is other people's refuse? They are poorer than poor, and yet they give away life changing amounts of money with no regrets. I love them so much)

This episode really showcases how GENTLE Raph is. He is so good with vulnerable people. He doesn't treat Mrs Morrison as a convenient escape - he treats her like a person. And yes, there is a lot to be said about the fact that she is blind, and that that means she is treating him like a person - but he could have left as soon as he knew it was safe. He didn't have to move boxes and be kind to her. He didn't have to speak to her respectfully or drink tea with her or even let her pull him into her house.

Just... the 03 boys are such GOOD boys. They are extremely kind, and I love that about them. This episode showcases that for Raph so well.

(There is more I wanna say about this but my brain is melting due to the heat so I'm going to leave it there)

Thank you I do try my best <3

ALSO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A REASON TO TALK ABOUT MY BOY (I do love all the 03 boys but 03 Raph is my fave)

So I decided to rewatch the episode too so I could refresh my memory. And omg you’re sooo right. While 03 Raph is definitely one of the more straightforward Angry™️ iterations of Raph, he’s also one with a really strong moral compass. The crowd isn’t that big, they’re not armed, they’re still on edge from seeing their city torn apart. Could he have very easily incapacitated them single handed? Yeah probably, but it’s just not in his moral code. This Raph is very much a protector of the innocent, even when they don’t appreciate it. The fact that he only draws his weapons when he thinks he has absolutely no choice says a lot about how violence was his absolute last resort. And even then, as soon as Mrs. Morrison emerges from her apartment he puts his weapons away again.

His face when she pulls him in is so shocked but like, Raph you’re letting it happen! He really didn’t have to let her pull him into her house and he seems so surprised by it but he also doesn’t resist even a little bit. Also the way his voice goes from his usual kind of gravelly roughness to a slightly more gentle tone, like he’s almost speaking in a slightly higher register than he usually does and it’s kind of sweet? Little old lady is here better use my Polite Voice. And yeah, there is something kind of interesting about her being blind because yes, it means she’s not immediately hostile to him, however she gets pretty touchy when she’s pulling him into the apartment. She takes his notable three fingered hand and then she puts her hand on his shell when she pushes him in. Not going to lie when the mob asks her about “aliens” and she says there’s no aliens she sounds just like… mildly insincere (but maybe that’s just the New Yorker in me talking. We all say shit we don’t mean when we want someone to stop bothering us).

There’s something really funny about the fact that we don’t see the conversation that presumably happened right after they’re both inside, we just cut straight to Raph moving boxes 🤣 he really went, “well while I’m here…” and just started doing whatever she asked of him. And he just met this woman but he was already curious about why she was packing up to move! (Which is kind of a trend with this version of Raph and it’s part of what really makes him endearing to me. In spite of his tough guy exterior he gets invested in people soooo quickly. Even though Casey annoyed the (s)hell out of him when they first met, Raph also became incredibly invested in making sure his fellow hot head didn’t fist fight his way into an early grave. And you mentioned Lone Raph and Cub, where, despite the kid (I forgot his name at the moment) initially resisting Raph’s help and telling Raph to leave him alone Raph only becomes more determined to help him out.) I think even if Mikey and Splinter hadn’t conveniently come home with a suitcase full of money Raph still would have found a way to help/stay in touch with Mrs. Morrison because that’s just the kind of guy he is. (But also kind of makes you just how convincing his argument was to get Mikey to give him the money, these boys are very generous as you rightly pointed out and knowing it was going to a good cause I think Mikey would have agreed pretty easily but also Raph did just meet her that night so he must’ve had to have been reeeeaaal convincing)

My brain is also soup from the heat ✌️

[born-in-ascalon]

Tyria, Grothmar Valley, 1332 AE. Season of the Scion is entering its seventh decade. The Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik is dead, its branded minions scattered and slowly dying out. The Flame Legion is about to shake off its past and rejoin the other High Legions. In what feels almost like overnight, the charr are free of two major threats that were keeping their forces occupied for years.

To celebrate both of these occasions, Blood Legion imperator Bangar Ruinbringer invited any and all to Grothmar Valley. Imperators and tribunes, centurions and legionnaires, soldiers and gladia, charr and other races alike are to come to the home of the Bloods for an All-Legion Rally, to witness the rebirth of charr as one, unified force.

Some see it as an obvious political power play – a chance for Bangar to establish dominance over the other imperators and shift power in Blood's favor. Others consider it a chance to mingle and celebrate, safe in the knowledge they can breathe just a little bit easier from now on.

And for certain charr, it is a time ripe with opportunity.

For all of them, life changes in less than a fortnight...

[This story is set shortly before and during the episode Prologue: Bound by Blood].

Full resolution: https://www.patreon.com/posts/comic-frostbound-78080853

Note, please, that this is an episodic project, but due to the nature of tumblr being... well, generally unsuited for such endeavors, I have no way to link the episodes together. I will tag any works related as "#Icebrood Saga: Frostbound", but since there will also be related brief non-comic interludes, it may be difficult to get to these in the correct order. When in doubt, see page numbers, those do not reset with chapters.

For best results on anything related to this project, [search here].

This comic is unofficial and not part of the game's canon.

In case you have any doubts about it, I love Icebrood Saga. I don't love it uncritically, I don't consider it perfect, it was obviously cut short due to an abrupt shift of development in favor of the expansion, but even with all that said, it remains my favorite part of Tyria's story.

This series is my loveletter to that story. It will be a long ride, so... strap in, cubs. The Blade Warband has a long way to go.