#i'm v v v v v v v hype wow wow!!

[cyberdragoninfinity]

wild dana spotted howling and barking about yugioh arc-v out in the parking lot

oh BOY oh boy it's bout that time again. i can't believe it's been OVER A YEAR (?!?!?) since i last did one of these 'i just finished a yugioh here's my little rambly retrospective about it' posts but we are BACK!!! Finished my first ever watch-through of Arc-V last Tuesday after some 8 months of it putting me through the spin cycle and now as it's wedging itself permanently into my psyche i need to talk about its Everything or i will explode. so LET'S SWING INTO ACTION!!! I'M TAKING CONTROL OF THIS DUEL STARTING NOW!!!

[SPOILERS ahead for this decade old anime, of course]

WOW. YUGIOH ARC-V, HUH. before i started it watching it, I knew two things: A.) every single bit of knowledge I'd learned about it from Duel Links events or otherwise had me so, so, unbeliebable fucking hyped. I was absolutely certain this Yugioh was going to be so full of Danabait and completely fry my brain like an egg on the griddle. I had to physically restrain myself for TWO YEARS to keep from jumping the gun and watching Arc-V before I'd finished all the series before it (a decision I'm ultimately thankful for--Arc-V hits kind of fuckign crazy as a chaser to four other yugiohs.). And also, B.) when people Talk About Arc-V they always talk about it in a Very Particular Way. like. it's hard to describe. I feel like you know it when you see it. There is the full range of human emotion in the way people talk about Arc-V. People talk about Arc-V like its a confusing, malicious specter haunting their living room. And this admittedly got me even more hyped to watch it.

And then I watched it and here I am and I KNOW NOW. I KNOW NOW WHY PEOPLE. TALK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT. SLASH POS. SLASH NEG. SLASH SECRET THIRD THING.

Arc-V is a fucking MESS. It starts out SO strong and then it starts setting plot threads on fire and writing conceptual checks it absolutely cannot cash. It falls down the narrative stairs like it has a goddamn death wish. It introduces 342052805 characters and then forgets to do anything with 99% of them. It does things to its girl characters that makes the back half of 5Ds's girl writing failure look like the height of feminist theory. If the stories I've heard about its deeply troubled production are any indication it is some kind of MIRACLE this show got made and aired at ALL. IT'S LIKE WATCHING A CAR WEAVING THROUGH TRAFFIC AT 90 MPH ONLY TO PLOW DIRECTLY INTO THE SIDE OF A PARTY CITY.

and goddamn if I didn't have a FUCKING BLAST watching it. GODDAMN IF I DIDNT HAVE SO, SO MUCH FUN. goddamn if Arc-V might very well end up being my FAVORITE yugioh out of ALL of them when all is said and done. WHOOOOOPSSS!!! 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

like. imo Zexal is absolutely from a quality/art direction/narrative/everything standpoint leaps and bounds better than Arc-V. Definitely one of my favorite cartoons I've ever seen period, and most people should give it a shot. Such a beautiful work of art. But Arc-V....... girl they put something In this one. My pre-show hype was absolutely warranted. This show is just one blast of Shit That Makes Dana Crazy after another. Every character absolutely delights me and is my best friend. I'm going to be losing my mind over Yugioh Arc-V for the rest of the year and maybe forever.

As usual I primarily watched the dub, with some sub episodes sprinkled in if I got tipped off about a big change, or just if I wanted to see what was going on back there. (glad I did, of course, for a number of reason--least of all that Arc-V's OPs and EDs are SO fun and so charming!!) (THOUGH SIDE NOTE: THE DUB OPENING SHREDS SO HARD IM SORRY. IT'S UP THERE WITH THE GX DUB OPENING FOR ME. CAN YOU FEEL THE FUCKING POWER!!!!!) Anyway, gotta say, really was blown away by this dub!! It's tied with Zexal for what's imo the 'best' yugioh dub--the majority of the voice performances were just fantastic (truly all the love in my heart for Michael Liscio Jr.'s performances as the yuboys, they all have such unique and charming voices and im OBSESSED WITH THEM.) and having watched some sub eps side by side with the dub it's really cool seeing a dub that genuinely tried to faithfully translate Most of the Original. idk it's just a really solid localization to me!! I loved it a lot!! ALSO IT'S EXTREMELY FUNNY. I SAY THIS ABOUT EVERY DUB BUT IT'S TRUE. there are line reads in the arc-v dub that have me SOBLAUGHING.

anyway. I like to do these little subsection breakdowns in these little retrospective roundups, so let's get into the weeds with it:

Stuff I Didn't Like: loooooooooong inhale through my nose. looks at you with mildly pained eyes. alright. let's get this one over with.

though I did really try to go in as blind as I could/avoid most spoilers with this one, I did inevitably get spoiled by some things from Duel Links, but in the case of. uh. Riley Getting Turned Back Into a Baby At the End. 👶🏼 I AM glad I had that spoiled for me, so I knew it was coming. Because if I didn't know that was going to happen and that clocked me over the head I would have been on the NEWS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN, SO MAD. HEY, YUGIOH: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼 WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO RILEY!!!!

"character gets permanently turned back into a baby for Critical Plot Reasons" has gotta be one of my LEAST favorite tropes in anything, it's NEVER GOOD. AND IT'S ESPECIALLY BAD HERE!!! Riley is such a good character, he's got such an interesting arc going on, and THEY JUST RIP THAT TO PIECES. SO RILEY'S JUST FUCKING GONE NOW I GUESS. COOL. ALRIGHT. SURELY THERE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER WAYS TO DEFEAT ZARC. SURELY. just. good GOD. it was a small miracle to me when this happened like 8 episodes before the end, it was like ripping the bandaid off early, it was like "oh thank christ i got past that. ok well whatever happens it cannot possibly be as bad as the shit they did to riley"

^ (and imo it wasnt. thank GOD. actually let's talk about that)

LIKE. MAKE NO MISTAKE ARC-V'S ENDING IS CONFUSING AND CLUMSY AND SO STUPID AND NOT GOOD. WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DOES THIS SERIES NEED EIGHT EPISODES AFTER ITS BIG BAD DUEL.WE COULD HAVE WRAPPED THIS UP IN 2-3!!!! it feels like watching Chopped and the contestant has 20 seconds on the clock left and theyre like "i gotta make my whipped cream" like WEEEE DONT NOT HAVE TIMEEE FOR THAT!!!!! WHAT ARE WE DOINGGGG. why are we dueling jack AGAIN. FOR TWO EPISODES. EVERYONE IS YELLING AT YUYA LIKE ALL OF THIS IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY AND FUCKING IS IT??!?!??! HE'S 14. AND THEN THOSE EPISODES HAVE THE GALL TO THROW SO MANY COOL IDEAS ON THE TABLE (Gong fully exploring dueltaining, the Dimensional Highway, etc) AND IT'S LIKE. COOL!! WISH WE COULDVE HAD THIS ANY OTHER TIME THAN THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND!!! WHAT ARE WE DOINGGGG

BUT all that being said, the way people talk about that fucking last episode I was expecting some genuinely godawful 'zuzu is yuyas mom again like in the manga' tier absolute nightmare scenario. i literally made a secret prediction chart of what insane plot twist i assumed the last episode was going to drop on me.

AND THEN THE LAST EPISODE WAS JUST. FUNNYBAD. just a run of the mill whimper at the end of eight episodes we KIND OF REALLY DID NOT NEED. THE SHEER AMOUNT OF RELIEF I FELT. like absolutely i think going into it completely blind/encountering that ending watching live I would have been pissed, folks are rightfully frustrated with it, but I WAS TRULY. EXPECTING MUCH WORSE. IT ENDS LIKE A FAKE TUMBLR POST. "AND THEN EVERYONE CLAPPED" ASS ENDING. I DO HAVE TO LAUGH

^ YIPPEEEE SIX CHARACTERS HAVE EFFECTIVELY STOPPED EXISTING YAAAAAYY (😬😬😬😬)

ALSO, IN GENERAL. SPEAKING OF. GOD. THE BRACELET GIRLS. YALL ARE SO COOL AND THEN POOR LULU AND RIN DIDNT GET TO DO A GODDAMN THING EXCEPT HAVE WORMS IN THEIR BRAINS!!!! HELL ON EARTH!!!!!! WHY DID THEY DO THATTTT GAHHHHH again!! show that introduces SO many characters, so many FUCKING COOL CHARACTERS, and then does NOTHING with them. Or hits them with PARALYZING NERVE GAS FOR 20 EPISODES. CHRIST!!! WHY DO ARC-V GIRLS SUFFER MORE THAN JESUS. LEAVE MY GIRL ZUZU ALONEEEEE

TO THAT END, ARC-V JUST MAKES; SO MANY CONFUSING CHARACTER DECISIONS. AND CHOICES. why is Yuto just out of the picture for like 60 episodes!!! Let him be Yuya's brain buddy!!! WHY WASNT HE. DID YOU NOT WANNA ANIMATE HIM FLOATING NEXT TO THE DUEL RUNNER??! BE REAL. It's like. GRAHHH In general Arc-V has a pacing problem that is like. Atrocious even for yugioh's bad pacing problems. This series needed to be 400 episodes long. I like the IDEA of a yugioh with a big cast, spending episodes cutting between different groups of characters like some kind of bulky YA fantasy novel, but in practice it got. Real Muddy. RIP Xyz dimension arc you shoulda had so much more to you. And then there's that combined with this way it's trying Really Really hard to ape the themes of the past yugiohs ('dont forget to have fun,' grief/moving on after loss, classism) but it's hitting every damn branch on the way down and just completely fumbling ALL of them, it's not actually doing much to Earn being able to have those kind of themes resonate properly. IT'S SUCH A BAFFLING SHOW. IN THE THEMES DEPARTMENT. AMONG OTHER THINGS. "DONT EVER BE VISIBLY PUBLICLY SAD" IS A FUCKING INSANE MORAL. AND IT TAKES THAT SHIT WITH IT TO THE BITTER END. WHY IS THE FATE OF THE WORLD HINGED ON YUYA MAKING A BABY LAUGH. WHERE AM I!!!!

god. god. ok. ok im calm now. im sure in the coming weeks i'll have more barking about arc-v's various fumbles. but i'll leave it at that for now, i wanna talk about stuff i DID like now lol

Favorite Season/Arc: ok well. this actually is a hard question. um. hrm. LIKE. I'LL GET SHOT BY SNIPERS IF I SAY IT WAS SYNCHRO ARC BUT ALSO

IM SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYY I GOT THAT DOG IN ME (A BACK HALF OF 5D'S LIKER'S SOUL.) and unfortunately I WILL go in there and think about it that hard (the absolutely fucked to hell sociopolitical situation happening in Arc-V New Domino City and how it contrasts with the NDC in 5D's) (one thing about me I love weird fucked up yugioh old people I love those bitchass old centrists apparently governing the entire dimension and doing a piss poor job of it it's just like contemporary American politics!!!!!!) ROGET WAS JUST REANIMATING DEAD PEOPLE AND PUTTING MIND CONTROL CYBERNETICS IN THEM AND WELL YEAH SURE I'LL BE NORMAL GRIP ABOUT THAT. NORMAL. i need to make an arc-v AU Aporia so fucking bad THEN YOULL ALL SEE *talking to empty room*

YES synchro was way too fucking long. but regretfully i love turbo duels and will never not be charmed when yugioh puts guys on motorcycles that have no business being on motorcycles. DAMN I JUST FUCKING WISH YUYA AND YUGO GOT TO ACTUALLY TALK AND MEET IN THE SAME ROOM THOUGH!!!! BUT ANYWAY!!!!

im. kidding at least a little, I actually thoroughly enjoyed like...all of Arc-V's seasons/arcs at least a little (barring a lot of the Weird Post Zarc Duel 8 Episode Dead Zone.) The first 50 episodes really are just peak banger Yugioh, I do love action duels to absolute bits (though Action Spells. Uh. Need Some Workshopping 8| If I See Evasion One More Time Im Gonna Lose It) and the shit especially that first season does with the crazy Action Fields is AWESOME. GENUINELY. GO DUEL IN THE VOLCANO. DO A FLIP. RIDE YOUR MONSTER. it's practically running on Pokemon universe logic i cant NOT love it. And well Fusion Dimension arc does just have a whole lot of episodes that make me go cuckoo bananas crazy. Truly something for Dana in every crevice of Yugioh Arc-V.

Favorite Characters: god I do think like a solid half of why I think Arc-V may be becoming my top fav Yugioh is that the cast is just, really Really fucking good. Like yes so many of them are underutilized but the time we Do get with them really just shows off what delightful characters they all are. Half the reason it took me so damn long to finish was I was having so much fun and was going to miss seeing them!! IT'S GENUINELY HARD TO PICK A TOP LINEUP OF FAVS. THERE'S SO MANY DANABAIT GUYS IN YUGIOH ARC-V. YES EVEN THE SYNCHRO ARC GUYS. LUCAS SWANK I MISS YOU SO FUCKING MUCH.

The Lancers alone are SO good, theyre up there with Team 5D's in terms of Favorite "Main Yugioh 'Friend Group'/Organization". Group of guys who kind of have horrible synergy and only like 3 of them are actually competent. Declan came up with it when he was 13. Funniest group of teenagers imaginable, I love them all. LIKE .YUYA MAY BE MY FAVORITE YUTAGONIST??? IM NOT SURE YET BUT. I DO LOVE HIM A LOT. HE'S A PATHETIC WET PAPER TOWEL AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM A NOOGIE. SLASH POS.

And I mean I'm always gonna be Z-one biased but I do like Zarc as a Big Bad a lot too... damn if I don't love Just Some Guy Has Become God and Is a Huge Tool About It <3 WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS!!!!

ah. but. of course. i'd be remiss if i didn't bring up. Rainbow Carrot Rock Your World.

hey guys. why'd it happen again. why'd the Yugioh Carrot and Company get in my head and completely fry my brain AGAIN!!!!!!!! ORANGE CARROT. PURPLE CARROT. YELLOW CARROT!!!!🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕 YUGO ISNT EVEN MY TOP FAV BUT HE'S IN MY HEART AND IN OUR HOUSE FOREVER NOW. meanwhile i dont want. to talk about what yuri is doing to me. if i think too hard about this little purple freak i'll start going bonkers ballistic chewing my leg off. I like all the yuboys but he is especially. Gripping Me. La Cucaracha Loca. My shithead gay son.

dennis needs his own post he's just. a Lot. may very well be one of the funniest yugioh characters ever. Among Other Things. his dub VA's performance needs to be marked as culturally significant. AND THEY JUST KEPT BRINGING HIM BACK.

IN GENERAL, AS I WAS COMPLETELY EXPECTING, FUCKED UP AND EVIL DUEL ACADEMY REALLY DID ME IN I love you Fusion Dimension kids I love getting sick in the head thinking about card game child soldiers.My Actual favorite Arc-V character may just straight up be Sora..... I just like him a lot. He's got a really solid character arc, his deck rules, he's a little fucker AND an absolute real one. Just 10/10 little guy.

GOD WHAT EVEN IS MY TOP FIVE FAVORITES. UHHHH Okay Sora and Yuri for sure, and Declan, I love Declan. Yugo..... god. GOD IS THE FIFTH ONE DENNIS FOR REAL. I FEEL HIM IN MY BRAIN SO BAD. AAAAUUGHHHH (Runners Up: Yuya, Yuto, GONG MOTHERFUCKING STRONG!!!!!!, Rin my girl my badass mechanic girl IM ON MY WAY. I'LL THINK ABOUT YOU THAT HARD., Riley, Arc-V Aster unfortunately a Dana Guy ever. Why Is He Here. He Didnt Even Go to DA in GX. But all of this is subject to change in coming months as the entire cast continues to hit me with weapons. An honor and a privilege to induct these characters into my Blorbo Hall of Fame)

Favorite Duel: HEY QUICK QUESTION: WHY ARE ARC-V'S DUELS SO FUCKING WEIRD. LIKE. NARRATIVELY. There's like 4352984589 ties and duels that get cut short and DUELS WE JUST NEVER GET TO SEE THE FULL OUTCOME OF ON SCREEN?!?!? WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE. It feels like another symptom of arc-v just desperately trying to bite off more than it can chew 😭 Frustrating!! And god I LOVE the zaniness of Action Duels, but we neeeeeed to do something about Action Spells... GRABBING AN ACTION SPELL SHOULD NOT BE THE CRUTCH OF YOUR WHOLE DECK.........

coughs. anyway. My actual honest to god favorite Arc-V duel is Yugo vs. Celina in the Friendship Cup <3 IVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE BUT IT'S JUST SUCH A FUN ONE. It's got some great character moments on both sides, a yugioh girl Getting to Be Cool, the colors are gorgeous, it's SO funny, I just get such a kick out of it....I think part of what I Do like about the Friendship Cup is it really shows this sense of kinetic energy that the WRGP in 5D's really needed. I also really like the Shay vs. Dennis Friendship Cup duel for just going completely off the rails. Blow Up This War Criminal and The Whole Stadium With the Giant Bird Satellite Cannon. DOES NOT GET MORE YUGIOH THAN THAT!!

for all its weirdness Arc-V has a LOT of really fun duels that i enjoy--Shay vs. Sora is beloved for a reason, it also goes hard as hell. So many Season 1 duels are just a goofy blast, I really need to rewatch the quiz show one. For as much of an unnecessary mess as those last 8 episodes are, I DO really like Yuya and Dennis's duel too (THAT GETS REALLY REALLY GAY AT THE END???!?!? ARE WE ALL SEEING THIS.)

Hell even the Zarc duel started making me kind of sick in the head--watching Yuya's friends passing around his pendulum necklace while trying to save him makes me turbo emo WHAT CAN I SAY!!!

Arc-V also has the thing I had with Zexal where there's just some individual episodes that are absolute bangers for me. i love the Prison Break episode, it's fucking INSANE. HIP HIPPO SAID FUCK COPS FUCK THE PRISON SYSTEM!!! I love the episode where Gong and Dennis duel. FOR HOW LONG IT DID DRAG SYNCHRO HAS SOME REALLY FUN ONE-OFF EPISODES which I just really enjoy. Also love when Zuzu and Sora beat the shit out of a pack of cops. Based for that for real.

i do also love Yuri and Yuya's duel. Of course.

Other Miscellaneous Gushing/Shrieking/Losing My Mind About Yugioh Arc-V For Good and Bad and Everything in Between: arc-v arc-veeeeee yugioh arc-fiveeee theres just so MUCH. TO TALK ABOUT. THIS ONE'S GONNA BE IN MY HEAD FOR EONS I FEAR. THINKING ABOUT THE EVERYTHING. The sheer amount of narrative traits that make me specifically lose my mind (in a good way. as opposed to. the babyfication making me lose my mind. in a Real Bad Way :////) that they crammed into this. It's like digging in the treasure chest of elaborate fanfics I was writing in my brain in freshman year of high school. The Sick and Twisted Evil AU Version of Duel Academy. The Trained to Be Weapons Child Soldiers. Mind Control Reanimated Corpse Brain Chip. Alternate Dimension Selves. All of the Split Different Dimension Bullshit. Soul Splitting and Soul Fusion Framed as Fucking Terrifying. It's good I didn't have Arc-V growing up it would have been doing IRREVERSIBLE THINGS TO MY DEVELOPING CREATIVE BRAIN. INSTEAD IT'S DOING THEM TO ME NOW.

(side note, re: terrifying soul fusion: Arc-V is SO FUCKING SCARY SOMETIMES?!?? Like "ohh i wish yugioh was still a horror story" DAWG ARC-V ROUTINELY HAS SOME OF THE MOST DREAD-INDUCING CONCEPTS GETTING FLUNG AT YOU AT 90 MPH. SKIP BOYLE FORGETS HIS DAUGHTER EXISTED AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HEARTBREAKINGLY HORRIFYING THINGS IVE EVER SEEEEENNNNN )

The shit Arc-V does with Yugioh's themes of identity, these "when does a piece of yourself stop being you and start being their own person?" "what happens when multiple free standing people are one person" type ideas, you KNOW that makes my Aporia Turbofan ass go CRAAAZYYYY. AND THEN IT HAD RELIGIOUS MOTIFS TOO <3333 YOU'RE ME AND IM YOU AND IT DOESNT MATTER WHO DOES WHAT THE DEVIL WILL COME BACK REGARDLESS 😊💞💞💞

Arc-V takes such bold swings at things and 95% of the time it misses the ball entirely and spins up and out and directly into the fireplace but that 5% of sheer genius and thematic weight hits like a truck. Is Arc-V good? FUCK IF I KNOW. PROBABLY NOT. BUT ALSO YES IT IS. BUT ALSO IT'S NOT. BUT ALSO IT'S SOMETHING SO SPECIAL, AND I LOVE IT. That first like 50 episodes makes for such a good yugioh starter course tbh, the way it goes over different summoning methods and is very engaging and energetic, and then the rest of the show is an 18 car pileup of Card Game War that makes me automatically like DONT. START WITH THIS ONE. WATCH ANOTHER YUGIOH OR TWO FIRST AND THEN COME MELT YOUR BRAIN IN HERE. AND THATS SUCH A WEIRD DICHOTOMY TO HAVE WITH ONE YUGIOH. weird like everything else with arc-v i suppose. :,)

For all the mess and all the madness there truly is so much I love, though. I love the character dynamics, even when the show isnt doing much more with its cast--Yuya and Gong's friendship may be one of my favorite 'yutag and best friend' bonds, it's SO sweet and I'm going to be mad forever that Gong isn't more popular in western ygo fandom. I love the DUEL MONSTERS!! Performapals are SOOOO sillygoofy I have to adore them, the dimensional dragons all kick so much ass I love you Clear Wing my big legless weirdo. I love Shay's increasingly bigger Bird Guns. I LOVE FRIGHTFURS!!!! I LOVE D/D/DS!!!!! SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM ON ESPECIALLY SCREEN AFTER PLAYING THEM FOR MONTHS IN DUEL LINKS. MY FREAKY DECLAN DEMONS. I love the miscellaneous callbacks to past iconic monsters and funky weird AU retrains of the Legacu character's decks. Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend my friend Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend

I also do love that Arc-V in theory is trying very hard to be a celebration of past Yugiohs, but it's also instead being completely fucking insane with its 'tributes.' Oh you like Heartland City from Zexal? It's a carpetbombed warzone now! LIKE... HUH!!! When Lazar showed up at the end of season 2 i SCREAMED. I WANT TO KNOW THE LOGIC OF THESE CHOICES. THEY DONT MAKE ME MAD OR ANYTHING REALLY IM JUST FASCINATED BY THEM. i cant really be too angry at arc-v I'm just. transfixed. at every baffling choice it's ever made. I've really truly never seen a show that's so thoroughly felt like some kids doing a roleplay on a forum somewhere, players dropping in and out and mods not really knowing what to do with the lore anymore as things become more and more convoluted. I watch arc-v scenes and i can picture the text RP in my head, the players' forum signatures and all. It's truly some kind of feat to achieve that inherent vibe, that's for sure.

ok im running out of steam i think... what else. god. Yugioh Arc-V is just.... such a teetering Jenga tower of a show, a complete nuclear meltdown of clumsy writing and fantastic vocal performances (dub and sub) and confused handling of its own lore and occasionally some of the fucking coolest most intense expressions and gorgeous shots of any yugioh

I held out on watching it for so long cuz i just fuckin KNEW it was going to grab me by the brain and swing me into the wall and WELL!!! I WAS RIGHT!!!! SHES A MESS BUT SHES MY MESS BABEYYY!!! IS ARC-V GOOD? MAYBE NOT BUT, BROTHER, I FUCKIN LOVE WHEN YUGIOH IS BAD ❤ ive been a disciple of Bad Yugioh for 20 goddamn years and im not stopping now!!!!! I love you Pendulum summoning you insane busted ass mechanic. I love you all four completely fucked up dimensions. I love that they localized Maiami to Paradise City. I love the little nods to past yugioh things (like fusing with a motorcycle <3 Primo Moment...2!) I hate you Leo Akaba explode and die forever (though 'parent going mad trying to bring their child back' do also go me a little bananas.) I love the kickass shots of Yuya's monsters being set in the pendulum scale.I love Sora's relationship with Yuya and Zuzu. I love every fucked up crazyass expression Yuri makes. I love the sense of character design in this show. I love the Action Duel start chants. I love seeing the Synchro Math again and the Overlay Units and the deeply unsettling fusion hand gesture kids use with Polymerization. I love that third ED thats just the Lancers dicking around in different locations and having fun. I love Declan and Riley's complicated but deeply loving bond. I love when characters RIDE THEIR DUEL MONSTERS!!! AND I LOVE THAT DESPITE EVERYTHING I ALREADY WANNA SEE THESE CHARACTERS AGAIN. THEYRE MY FRIENDS!!!!! THEYRE IN MY BRAIN!!!!! MY KIDSSSSS

I KNOW NOW. WHY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ARC-V LIKE THAT. AND IM ABOUT TO START TALKIN LIKE THAT TOO. YUGIOHHHHHH!!!!!

[shuttershocky]

actually this is a good chance to get to know you a bit better. top 3 animals, top 3 colors, top 3 games

Top 3 Animals

1) Crocodiles — There used to be many saltwater crocodiles back in my mom's province. These are the largest reptiles in the world so just seeing them (from a very far, safe distance away) is pretty awe-inspiring. One of these was so gargantuan we put a replica of its skeleton on display in the national museum in Manila, hung over the lobby. We also have Philippine Crocodiles which are endemic to the country, but I've only seen juvenile ones at a zoo since they're endangered and all.

2) Turtles — There are very few experiences like being on the beach and seeing a sea turtle in the wild. One time we were on a fishing boat and someone screamed, I thought for sure it meant someone spotted a shark, but when I leaned over to look, there was a sea turtle poking its head out right above the coral reefs to watch us. There's not many perks to living in the tropics, but this is one of them.

3) Kulasisi — These are very tiny parrots (I think the smallest in the world even?) that aren't common, but can be found virtually anywhere. One of my favorite classes back in college was birdwatching, where one of our sessions found a couple nesting pairs right outside one of the buildings. It was because of that class that I realized it was a Kulasisi that was making the bird calls I would hear when getting up in the morning to go to class

Top 3 Colors

1) Purple — My grandmother's favorite color, and mine eventually. I used to be a blue person until I shifted to darker purple and violet as I got older

2) Blue — I still like it

3) Black — I really liked the Matrix

Top 3 Games

I'm a big gamer (enough that I went into gamedev for a living despite everything) so this is probably the most malleable list. I'm not difficult to please and generally like a lot of stuff, so a top 3 favorite games list could look very different each time, barring one game.

1) Dota 2 — I have over 5000 hours in my favorite game of all time. Picked it up in 2012, and then it was all over for me. I can go stretches of up to 6 months without touching the game, but when I reopen it, the hype comes flooding back.

2) Devil May Cry 5 — I continue to hold the opinion that DMC5 hit the platonic ideal of stylish action game design, V's lack of depth notwithstanding. The game has been out for 5 years and people are still uploading new runs, finding all these tricks and secrets in the game just as they did with DMC3 and 4 before it. If Dante only got wall running and Wild Stomp back from 3, it might be as close to perfect as you can get. Devil Trigger and Bury The Light are also among my favorite video game songs of all time, among the likes of Killer Instinct's or Metal Gear Rising's

3) Metal Gear Solid 4 — MGS3 is the better game, MGS1 and 2 are more iconic, but MGS4 rescued the PS3 from irrelevancy before Uncharted 2 made it big. Holy shit that game looked unbelievably good when it first came out. The way Snake would lie still and camouflage into the floor while bullets sprayed the ground right in front of him while mooing mechs and soldiers were mere feet away blew my mind.

Games like Resident Evil 4 three years earlier really popularized making cinematic cutscenes that were rendered in-game rather than pre-rendered, but I didn't realize the possibilities behind it until MGS4's Raiden vs Vamp. A complex action scene where Raiden and Vamp had a sword duel would always be cool, but what pushed it over the top was that you kept playing the whole time it was happening. MGS4 would split the screen, playing the cutscene in one half, while in the other you had to carry on with your mission, and goddamn that sure was a moment of thinking "Wow this really is next gen"

[1ivinqdeadqir1]

SHADES OF COOL: V

Chapter 5: Red

A/N: wow, holy shit, mama has had this cooking up for a whileeee I'm so sorry for the wait, guys, and I hope the hype hasn't died down, but I have been very busy with my exams. Thankfully they are almost over! I have one left, which means more SOC updates and quicker replies to requests. Thank you so much for the support. You don't understand how nice it's been having you all enjoy my work. It really makes it all worthwhile.

WARNINGS: an allusion to murder, drugs mentioned, shitty Spanish that comes to you from an English speaker doing her best to learn, Lalo being a bit of a cunt, allusions to previously abusive relationships.

word count: 7.2k

SHADES OF COOL MASTERLIST: here

»»————- ♡ ————-««

They'd left Daniel Vineyard tied up, lacerated, half naked and half dead outside of his home on his front porch. Lalo already had some guys around to sort through the copious amount of paraphernalia he'd accumulated. It all sat in the trunk of Lalo's car, waiting for him to dispose of it the next time he set that fire in his yard. 

Danny could hardly knock. Every muscle throbbed, and each joint in the young man's body felt bruised and brittle. There were moments of - what looked to be - black ink filtering and blooming in his vision. 

Scared, confused and revolted by the thought of even looking in your direction. Any sick sexual urge deep in his stomach and at the back of his conscience had been beaten out of him- almost like that tooth a few hours earlier. Daniel would have died on that doorstep that night if his roommate had not been home. 

"What the hell happened, Danny?" his roommate, Aaron, was sitting by his friend's side as Daniel rasped from his place on the hospital bed. They'd gotten there at about 2 am. He had two broken ribs and a collapsed lung on top of all the visible bruises and scrapes. The doctors had asked what happened, to which Daniel coughed and said two men had jumped him. He lied and said he hadn't seen their faces and that they'd taken his wallet and cigarettes. Aaron huffed, tugging lightly on the end of his braids, his tanned skin slick with sweat. Danny's complexion looked almost grey, with specs of purple and red in the places where Lalo had hit him. 

“Why would these guys jump you outside work and then drop you off at home? It makes no sense at all." 

Daniel winced, trying to sit up, though he inevitably gave in and lay back against the white cotton bed sheets. "You know that girl I dated?" There was a pause, but Aaron nodded, said your name, and leaned forward on his elbows. "Well, I wasn't over her, and, uh, she's got some new friends."

"New friends? What like-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore, okay? Can't you support me for a second here?" Daniel groaned, placing a hand where the hospital had bandaged him up. He wasn't a doctor, but he had no fucking idea what a bandage would do for a broken rib. Willowy fingers curled around his knees; Aaron hummed and tried to piece together what had happened. He knew Daniel wasn't over his ex, but he'd figured that was belated mourning of a ‘doomed from-the-start’ relationship. Aaron wasn't aware of his roommate's complete and utter obsession with everything you related. Maybe he'd have a rummage through Danny's room at some point whilst he's in the hospital. 

The cold room had a buzz that began to grate on Aaron. The cocktail of painkillers had Dan thinking that the low thrum of the machine was all in his head. Like Tinnitus - the thing you get from listening to music too loud.

"I'm going to head out", Aaron stretched, cracking his fingers whilst simultaneously checking the time flashing against his watch—4:35 am.

 "If you need anything, clothes, food... Let me know. k? "

Nodding, Daniel flashed his friend a thin-lipped smile. One that his roommate hesitantly returned whilst shrugging on his college sports apparel. 'Aaron’ printed on the back was the last Danny saw of his friend, who took quick, assured steps out the hospital room door and into the hall. 

---

At 7 am, you awoke to the sound of your alarm and tossed onto your side to slam your palm atop the snooze button. You close your eyes again and savour the darkness within the room; the curtains manage to keep sunlight from pouring in through and onto your sheets, which pool around your body and crunch as you turn to pull the soft cotton quilt closer to your face. It smells of home, and you slip into an idyllic slumber filled with warmth and the hum of dreams - you can't exactly make out who you're with, but you can almost feel their hands wrapped around your body, the caress of the breeze upon exposed skin. Their fingers are warm, and you lean into their touch. Then, you notice the tattooed band on their forearm and gaze up into dark brown eyes. 

After what had felt like a minute, you sit up and glance at the clock again. The red LED numbers tell you you've slept an extra 4 hours. Your phone had been pressing into the meat of your back against the mattress, and once you had managed to slug yourself out of bed and to a power socket, two messages were waiting.

Lalo: Buenas dias, mi amor - 9:34

Lalo: call me when you're up :) - 10:47

There's a smiley face, and as you gaze down at the colon and bracket, you return the gesture. The apples of your cheeks warm, and you wait a few minutes for your phone to charge before calling Lalo, who greets you - almost immediately - with the sound of his rich baritone voice. 

"Hola, hermosa, guessing you slept well, hm?"

"Yeah", you begin, fingers tracing across the counter's edge by the plug socket. "I did, thanks… What about you?" 

There's a laugh from his end, and you can't help but blush. It's deep and hearty from within his chest, like you've just missed out on an inside joke. "Lalo?"

"Sorry, sorry, Bonita, It's just that… I don't normally sleep, maybe about 2 or 3 hours, but, yeah."

"So you're quite the night owl then?" 

You think you hear him agree and scoff under his breath at your quip. Despite the humour in his tongue, you can't help but feel sorry for him and wonder if maybe he's got something going on that prevents him from getting those crucial 7 hours of rest. Well, he may not need it. Perhaps he naps throughout the day. 

"Well, you look good for someone that only gets 2 hours of sleep." 

"You think? Eso es mucho viniendo de alguien tan hermosa como tú” You just about catch onto what he'd said, your Spanish isn't as good as his, and you don't speak it as regularly as you should. Maybe dating Salamanca would aid your understanding. Nevertheless, your cheeks flush, and you must wait a moment before asking when you and Lalo will go out for that date. He suggests picking you up at 7:30, he's made a reservation for eight, and he also adds that you should wear something fancy, or at the very least formal. You can't help but rack your brain for something at his prompt. A blouse and skirt or your old prom dress? Perhaps you still had that somewhere behind a few coats and layers of dust. 

He hums and draws out a 'sooo ' amidst your comfortable silence. "Are you looking forward to it?" your heart clenches in your chest, and you can almost hear the smile on his face as he talks to you through the phone, his moustache raised slightly with the crease of his lips. 

"I am; it should be fun… I might be rusty, though. I haven't been out for a while."

"Out, like, on a date?"

You nod, 'yeah ', in a sigh, and sit down at a stool in your kitchen with the phone pressed to your ear. Lalo chuckles- it was hardly noticeable and more of a breathy huff, but you had just about picked it out from the silence. 

"I don't believe that. Not a catch like you; guys are probably falling over themselves trying to ask you out." 

Flushing, you sigh and whisper his name, to which he hums a low laugh. Your face hurts from how much this man can make you beam by doing the most mundane things. As you sat there, drawing your fingers across the counter ledge, you imagined what he looked like now- whilst talking to you in his car. Sometimes when he smiled and his moustache curled with his upper lip, you had the urge to reach over and stroke the coarse black hairs with your fingers and caress the soul patch he kept well trimmed with your thumb. 

"Well, I've got some things to do before our date Hermosa. I'll call you later, yeah?" 

You nod and agree that later is fine as long as he calls. The deep lull of his voice echoes and narrates your thoughts as you think of where he'd take you on your night out. You'd already taken note of his fancy car, so the restaurant must be pretty expensive, the kind where you'd have to pay a deposit to ensure you turn up on your date. You liked Lalo a lot; there was no doubt about that. He made it easy to talk and had a way about him that managed to single-handedly quench the loneliness you had felt within the pit of your stomach since having split with Daniel. 

---

Lalo sighed as he hung up the phone, brushing a hand through the thick matt of dark hair atop his head. He'd had a word from Ignacio that, supposedly, the cops were onto him about the whole travel wire thing. That fucking stupid kid and fucking stupid Michael. Had the kid been smart enough to let him check the footage, he wouldn't have had to die- which also meant that the travel wire building wouldn't have been charred down to grit and plaster. 

Yet, as he stroked the tuft of hair beneath his bottom lip, he wished he could have spoken longer to his girl on the phone, loving the sound of her voice and how she somehow managed to incite such a domestic calmness within him. He enjoyed that aspect of their relationship. She made him feel ordinary, unlike the murderous tyrant his peers and family had raised him to be. As cliche as one might find, the barriers he had spent years building around his heart finally threatened to crumble at the hand of this woman he couldn't stop thinking about. 

The moment he saw her with Hector, smiling and reading that comically large book - too big for her tiny hands - he sensed she would be trouble. He was interested then, and that same interest had blossomed as the days flowed into weeks. Despite his need to call and hear her on the other end, through the muffled speaker of his cell, Lalo convinced himself that letting her call him was a good idea. She had been so tired the other night and may have carried that fatigue into the following days ahead. 

"What about you?" His girl had asked so casually, and he could hardly believe her. That, for an instant, he thought she might have been mocking him. Whenever anyone took a genuine interest in how he was, Don Eduardo had to ask himself whether or not they were being sincere. In his line of business, you could never be too sure of one's true intentions. Somehow, she'd managed to wash that paranoia away in such a short time. It was fascinating, and he wished to know more about her and what made her so… familiar.

---

The hours before the date had you pottering around your house, tidying up the bits and pieces and washing up until about 1 pm when you decided to pick up your car from Casa tranquila. It'd been long enough; in all fairness, you also wanted to grab some beauty products from the drugstore on the way back. 

At the counter, the middle-aged woman offered you a nail file kit for an extra 2 dollars, but you declined politely with a smile shadowing your lips. She returned the gesture and placed all the toiletries in a small bag, her lavender-coloured eyeshadow wrinkling with her lids as she slowly tapped numbers into the register. You picked out some: mascara, lipstick and nail varnish to match the dress you'd decided on wearing earlier. 

"Well, it sure is nice and quiet."

"Yeah, I don't know. Business is a bit strange like that at the moment. Did you hear about that travel wire, kid?" 

You nod, "I have.”

"I guess they've found something to link someone to the crime, but I'm not sure. Probably camera footage.” 

Nodding again, you hand over the cash for your items, and the lady passes you the bag, receipt, and a few coupons that read:'10% off your next visit.'

"Yeah, probably… thanks anyway" With that, you turn to leave, and as you do, you feel a cavity hollow out from within your stomach. You toss the bag onto the passenger side seat of your car, and as you rev the engine ( it takes a minute to warm up ), your phone starts to vibrate from within your back pocket. 

"Hey, lalo"

"Hola princesa, how's my girl doing this afternoon?" he asked. You could hear the wind whistling in the back and almost didn't catch what he said. 

"Oh, so I'm your girl, hm?" you replied, tone light on your chest as he hummed in response. The whining from outside his window stops, and as you plug in your seatbelt, you hear him shuffling in the background.

"princesa? you there?"

"Oh, sorry, I was putting my seatbelt on. What'd you say?" 

Lalo tuts as you wedge the phone between your ear and shoulder - one hand on the wheel and another on the gear stick - you can imagine the smile on his face as he rolls his eyes. 

“We both know you wouldn't mind being my girl." 

You switched to holding the flip phone once you'd successfully pulled out of the parking lot. The streets were tame, and only a few other people were on the road within this part of town. Strange for a Sunday, though perhaps the people are at church or home watching the game. "oh, and you sound so sure," you pause for a moment as you round a corner, coming up on a few tiny houses, a few of which have cars sat outside. 

"how do you know what I would and wouldn't mind, Eduardo?"

He chuckles, and you go to reply but can't find words quick enough to interject." Well, you would've hung up by now, right?" He tries to hide the sound of his grin through the phone, though he manages poorly. The hairs on your cheeks stand up, and you feel as though you're glowing from within the comfort of your car at his words.

 "I suppose that's right, Lalo." you tap your fingers against the wheel about 5 minutes away from home. Choosing to organise your time now, you decide that you may read for a few hours before getting ready. "I'm excited about our date, y'know." 

"me too, princesa. Are you alright with Italian food?" 

"Of course, I'm not all that picky." 

"aye, no worries, Mija, it'll be great. I'm sure of it." he was. He hadn't imagined the date going wrong at all. The only bad thing that could happen is that he gets a call from Nacho or one of the other men about business. And Nachito could hold up the fort for one night, especially when his girl needed tender loving care. God knows the last time either of them had had that.

"Well, I just got home, so I'll see you later, yeah? We can talk more then."

"hasta luego,Chiquita" 

"hasta luego, Lalito" 

lalito cute. 

---

"hasta luego, Lalito"

Flipping his cell shut, Lalo stepped out of his car onto the gravelled pathway that led up to his safe house. An all-white mansion within a gated community of gringos, many of whom he had yet to introduce himself. There wasn't much need. Give it a few weeks, and they'll have forgotten that somebody lived there. He'd expected to have stayed in ABQ for a few months, but that trip and his work up here had to be cut short. 

Thanks to the trouble at the travel wire and the police on his ass. 

Maybe he'll ask you on an impromptu trip to Mexico. He could pay off your work whilst you're away with him- and it wouldn't be long—a fortnight at most. 

The stone from the pathway left chalk dust airbrushed along the soles and sides of his blue suede loafers as he made his way up toward the clean, modern home that couldn't have been more different to his home in Chihuahua. Where he had staff waiting eagerly. 

Lalo wondered how seventeen-year-old Ciro was managing without him, how he'd coped with Miguel pushing him around and not Lalo - the master of the house.

Once inside, he slipped off his shoes and tossed the keys onto the kitchen counter. A bottle of amber liqueur beckoned him closer from the glass cabinet a mere foot away, and he scoffed. Drinking at 2 pm? That was life for his papa but not for him. The Salamanca family was notorious for many things: murder, torture, bludgeoning, pillaging- they were the muscle of the cartel, essentially, but alcoholism? No. He could handle his drink. If shit dismantled the fan at a pickup or the border (and since he lived so close), Lalo was often sent to diffuse any confrontation with los federales or gringos that tried to stick their noses in business that had nothing to do with them. Usually, his sweet talk and coercion involved wads of Ben Franklins tied together with a rubber band.

He made a few stops with Nacho for the next few hours, who picked him up in his red 1973 javelin. He'd half expected the guy to be driving a Porsche or Ferrari, so when they'd first met, he was pleasantly surprised by how nuanced his companion was with his taste. He'd remarked at the time, 'Is this your papa's car?' to which Nacho's lip twitched the slightest at the corner, and his brows furrowed in a straight line. The more he'd gotten to know Nacho, the more he enjoyed his little grunts and echoes of 'yeah' or 'okay.' It was fun to imagine how Nacho's silence and ambiguity paired with his cousin's fury and impulsive nature. 

Hell, he couldn't even imagine Hector dealing with it, and that guy had always preached to him and his cousins as children, 'Only speak when you are spoken to!' Something that Marco and Leo had taken in their stride. 

"so, where are you going with her then?" Nacho asks up from his place in the driver's seat, the fingers of his left hand tapping the wheel as they wait for the traffic lights to change from red to green. "we're going for a meal, you know, to that Italian place I asked you about last night."

The car's engine purrs when Nacho puts weight on the acceleration, and Lalo keeps his eyes on the side of his friend, who nods and takes them around a corner. He'd gotten ready earlier into one of his more formal outfits. Black slacks and a flowery blue shirt. He'd rolled the sleeves to his elbows and had his gun and cell on his person. Ignacio glanced between the road and his boss, lips pursed together in a narrow line. He hadn't seen you since dropping off Lalo's replacement phone. To think that only a day had passed. 

"Lalo, what's the point in you going after this girl? I mean-"

Scoffing, Lalo shook his head and turned toward Nacho in his seat. His tattooed right arm was leaning against the door, and his hand pressed against his cheek. "Oh, so you do talk, hm?" his body shakes as he laughs, and subconsciously Nacho's grip tightens on the wheel. He can't glance at Lalo; cars are in front and behind them. The last thing Nacho needed on his plate was a fucking busted bumper. "Well, she's taking such good care of Hector. I figured she deserved thanking properly,” 

Nacho wants to ask whether beating her stalker to death wasn't enough thanks, though he bites his tongue and keeps driving. "That and, Nachito? You know Tuco well enough by now to understand that…everyone needs something.." Nacho huffs, his lip tugs into a faint smile, and he rounds the next corner, approaching Lalo's home away from home. 

"Okay, well, does she know about what we do?"

Lalo's gaze faltered, and the once bright enthusiasm behind the brown was replaced with an emptiness Nacho couldn't describe in words. "It won't come to that, hermano," he said, planting a hand on Nacho's shoulder. His hand was heavy, and he could feel Lalo's fingers gripping his skin through the cotton of his red button-up. "Es bueno, Ignacio" Nacho nodded twice, and life returned to Lalo's face. He removed his hand and opened the door, trudging into the 6 pm air. 

What was once stale and humid had been replaced with a slight chill that rode up the length of his spine. "Perfecto, we'll talk later, yeah? Good that we managed to pick up la yeyo, no?." Lalo slaps the car door frame, where the window should be hiding. "Half expected ocho loco to be scaling a fucking drain pipe again, ai that guy…" he laughed, and Nacho offered his boss a smile, "Yeah, I guess." To say that Nacho disliked his boss was an understatement, though one thing he could respect was that the guy managed to get shit done.

"well, later, yeah?"

Ignacio nodded, "Later." 

---

At 6:30, you were ready. The black satin dress ended at your mid-thigh, hugged at your skin, and you felt slick with a thin layer of perspiration despite having showered and washed your hair. You'd folded your jacket across your lap, and your purse was draped across your shoulder; as the clock in your living room ticked, you tried your hardest to refrain from gnawing on your bottom lip. 

 All dolled up for a man you had been waiting to ask you out on a proper date since you'd first seen him at Casa Tranquila. The cold from the air conditioning whispered against your skin, and you wondered whether you were ready to start dating again. Lalo was a gentleman, but you couldn't shake the thought of him turning out like Daniel. He was charismatic, could cook and made you laugh. He truly cared so much for his family. It was almost too good to be true. 

As you sat and waited, you were reminded of your first date with Dan. He'd taken you to the local bowling alley- and supposedly let you win. To think that you wasted so much time with that asshole, so many years of your life when you could have been flirting with men that actually gave a shit about what you had to think. 

'C'mon, you really gonna embarrass me like that?'

You'd blushed and slapped at Daniel's shoulder, taking the medium-weight bowling ball by your index and middle finger, your thumb pressing against the inside.

'I told you that just because we're on a date doesn't mean I'm taking it easier on you, Danny.'

To think that you'd fallen in love with someone that day and clung to the person they were at that moment. One part of you despised him. You hated that he'd taken advantage of your kindness- yet - at the same time, you were thankful that now you knew what to look out for, what manipulation looked like. You couldn't imagine how Lalo would react to meeting Dan after everything you told him about the guy. The picture of Lalo snapping your phone as though it were a breadstick he intended to share came to the forefront of your mind, and despite yourself, you found it funny to visualise him snapping Daniel in half like one. 

At 7:00 sharp, a fist rutting against your door pulled you from your train of thought to the mirror in your hallway. You quickly fixed your hair and reapplied your lipgloss, puckering the colour and adjusting your hair awkwardly with your fingers. There was another knock; by then, you'd peeked through the spy hole. There he stood, his hands by his sides, waiting. Even through the fish-eye lens of the peephole, Lalo Salamanca looked positively gorgeous.

Opening the door, you were greeted with his sizable grin and rich brown eyes that seared through your own. "Buenas noches, mi amor." you step out, keys in hand. "You look…" Lalo stopped momentarily, stepping back to get a full view of you in the short black dress. He'd thought he felt his throat dry as he racked his gaze across your form, eyes lingering on your legs and chest. Your cheeks grew hotter, and your palms clammy as your date complimented you again in Spanish. "You're not looking too bad yourself, Lalo." you glanced down at his shoes; He wasn't wearing the blue loafers, the ones you had developed a strange adoration for over the last few weeks of knowing him.   

"Gracias mi amor," he said, cupping a hand to your waist, ushering you out with him once you had successfully locked the front door. "Are you feeling hungry?" he asked, pressing a quick kiss to the side of your head- it felt as though you had been lovers for years. "Starving, what about you?" 

Lalo nodded yes as he walked you down toward the car. "didn't have lunch? Dios mio, now we can't have that! not my girl" he brushes his thumb against your cheek, and you giggle, skin warm and hands cold. The way he looks at you once you reach the passenger side makes you wonder whether you're actually experiencing something real. The warmth and the stirring from within your stomach put you in a daze- as if you had been dreaming for hours. Like you'd dreamed this relationship up from start to finish. 

"You're trying to fatten me up, Salamanca?" 

He ushers you inside when you both reach the car, holding an arm out as you lower yourself into the leather. "thank you, Lalo" Your smile is so earnest that for a split second, he forgets where he is and can only really pay attention to that. This woman, the one that had been here with his Tio the entire time, he shouldn't trust her- for all it's worth, this person could be a trap- but when he rounds his way to the driver's side, Lalo feels as though he has known her and been in this situation before. 

"no problem, princesa" princesa. There it is again. That warmth as Lalo turns the key to the ignition and the car purrs to life from beneath your seat. Escaping the breeze is what'd done it, surely.

Lalo turns on some quiet music, and the ride is peaceful for the most part. Someone cuts their car in front of you without using their indicators, and you hear Lalo call the guy an idiot in Spanish beneath his breath. The radio droning is enough to counterbalance his swearing. You chuckle and glance out onto the street as you turn a corner. By now, you're further into the central city- and you drive past a few fancy-looking restaurants before Lalo slows and pulls up in front of a flowery-looking Italian restaurant; you don’t have to look at the sign above the door to know that you’re at Ginos. 

“Ai, amorcito, have you been here before?” you look up at Lalo, who moves his hand off the gear stick onto your thigh. You shake your head and take your lip between your teeth. His hair looks like he hadn’t put as much gel in it today, and you abruptly have the urge to reach up and run your fingers through the fluffy white streak at the front. “No, I haven’t; I’ve got a few friends that have been here before. Apparently, the food is really good, a little expensive, but..” Lalo shushes you with a wave. “Only the best for my girl, hm?”. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Lalo opens the car door and walks to your side. The soft breeze catches your skin as the door opens, and Lalo stands before you with his hand outstretched. As your skin meets him, you’re pleasantly reminded of the Friday you spent together at the park. 

He’s closer now, and you can feel the muscles of his arms move as you both walk to the restaurant entrance- linking. You’re abruptly made aware of the cologne he’s wearing, a rich, wood-like musk that reminds you of a campfire. Fitting for a man like him. It’s masculine but not too masculine to be considered an assault on your nostrils. 

“Is it…weird to say that you smell really nice right now?”

He looks at you, and you’re about a pace away from the door. The ‘front of house’ spots you through the window and grabs two menus. “Not weird at all; if I thought you said weird things, cariño, you wouldn’t be here with me tonight, hm?” You shrug, and he chuckles, taking your shoulders in his hands. Your skin tingles, and the hairs stand on your arms as he does so. The warmth he radiates into your skin sears, and you swear that if you look, you’d see two perfectly shaped palms branded to your flesh... Lalo leans in, presses a kiss to your cheek and lingers there momentarily. “If it's any consolation, you smell great too. I could almost eat you up, hermosa.” 

Feeling bold, you grab one of his hands and press a soft kiss to the palm, “maybe later, hm?” He quirks a brow, and there’s a moment of shock, you think, behind his dark eyes.  “At least take me out for dinner first” Your words are soft on your tongue, and Lalo chuckles, pulling you into his side. His hold is strong, one you can’t let up but welcome nonetheless. 

You think the front of the house seems almost nervous, based on how he’s shuffling the menus and smiling so forced. Maybe if you worked at a restaurant, you’d feel similar. 

“Uh, the table should be under Santiago, 8 o’clock. I called the other night?” 

The man stammers, then laughs and slicks back his hair, ushering you into the main dining area. The room's lighting is soft and mainly lit by candles in the centre of tables and chairs. It’s classy, and some vines tattoo the sandstone brick wall at the back of the restaurant to your right. They’re probably real, considering the restaurants here are so fancy and high-end. A few other people are scattered around near the bar and the leather booths by the entrance. “Lalo, it’s gorgeous. You didn’t have to go through all this effort, really.”

“I wanted to, princesa. You’ve been so kind to tío, and I respect that, but I do want to get to know you better.” 

You feel his hand squeeze a little, and you peer at him from beneath a veil of lashes as you place a hand on top of his. “You’re too kind, Lalo.” 

Lalo grins as the two of you follow the front of house further into the restaurant. The stranger stops in front of a secluded table beside a curved window that reaches the roof. Thick velvet curtains fall from the tops and pool at the bottom by the chairs. There are only two, and Lalo pulls out his seat for you before the manager can do so. 

“Thank you” 

He winks and then sits parallel to you, one hand left dormant on the red linen tablecloth. 

The front of house explained that your waiter would be there shortly, and Lalo dismissed the man with a nod. Only now, when the man returns the gesture and starts to walk away, do you remember that the table had been booked under the name ‘Santiago.’ 

“So,” you start, picking up an empty wine glass and inspecting its rim with your finger “Santiago… Is that you or your friend?” Lalo’s smiling when you ask that; he looks so handsome beneath the warm lighting that you can feel your question leaving your head. 

“Nobody important, I’ll tell you later… There are lots of… things to catch up on since tío’s stroke.” 

You think you see Lalo’s gaze falter, At the mention of his uncle, similarly to how it had on the day you first met him, when he’d seen his uncle In his state.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you touch his hand with yours, and your thumb grazes his knuckles. He’s still hot to the touch. “I understand; sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.” 

Lalo grins, huffing and shaking off your ‘sorry’ lightheartedly- as though not to hurt your feelings. “You’re too sweet, amor. There’s nothing to be sorry for. You asked a reasonable question hm?” 

The reassurance from the older man has the sudden ping of worry in your gut settle to a low simmer, and rightfully so, as before you can even get your words out, the waiter comes to your side with menus in hand.

“Buonasera, signore and Signorina, I’m Leo, and I’ll be your waiter for the night. Can I start you off with some drinks?” 

Lalo sits for a moment, eyes scanning across the drinks menu. “What wine do you like to drink?”

“Is it… bad to be boring and say red?” You smile awkwardly, though somehow he still looks at you with his half-lidded round eyes and chuckles, full of love. 

“Not boring at all, querida; we’ll go for the 1972 red wine, the Italian one?” Lalo looks up at the waiter, Leo, who swallows and nods, prying the drinks menus from where they lay on the table. 

“Excellent choice, signore; I’ll be right back with your wine.” 

You try to comprehend how old 1972 wine is. You hadn’t even been born when that wine was produced, and you were pretty bemused by the fact that Lalo would spoil you in such a way. He must actually be some sort of big-shot lawyer down in Mexico. 

“Wow, 30-year-old wine… that sounds expensive. Are you sure you don’t mind spending all this? I mean- I don’t mind putting something toward the cost. “

“Querida, I asked you out tonight. Don’t worry about anything, okay? You and your little worries,” he almost coos. If he weren’t so charming, you’d be offended.

“I suppose” 

There’s a comfortable silence between you, where you spend time folding the napkin on the table into a small square. Lalo huffs and reaches out to take hold of your hand, and he does so gently. The rough pads of his fingers graze your soft skin, and you glance up-, locking your eyes with his. 

“Are you okay? You seem nervous, princesa”

“I’m alright, I just… haven’t been on a date for a while, and I really don’t wanna ruin things between us, you know?” 

He nods, and you smile, the thought that he’d find your silence strange slipping your mind completely. You hadn’t been quiet the first time you met, maybe a little reserved and a bit tired, but other than that, you’d been okay. Some of you felt guilty for being sat here with such an attractive man, who was admittedly a little old for you and better suited to more mature, classy women like your mother. 

“You couldn’t ruin things between us, believe me,” Lalo pauses as the waiter pours both of your drinks. He takes the glass in his right hand whilst his left is still on yours, and you almost melt when he gives it a reassuring squeeze and let's go. 

You take a sip of your drink, savouring the strong fragrance of the wine. It warms your throat, and you sigh. 

“You’re doing perfectly anyway” Deep down, Lalo knew why you were nervous. He had an inkling from the moment you’d opened the door that it’d be a bit daunting for you- yet, he continued to bring you out with him for a meal. 

“You’re too sweet, Lalo, really. I think I might need to go to the dentist after this” 

The man before her grinned and chuckled at her joke, rolling his dark eyes as he drank the wine. 

“Yeah yeah, you’re not complaining.” 

---

By 9, you had shared a starter, a garlic bread that was probably the best thing you’d ever tasted. The butter seeped into your mouth, and the flavours danced on your tongue. Lalo made a joke about needing a mint before kissing you later, and you flushed at the thought, refuting that you wouldn’t mind him kissing you regardless. Perhaps the wine or good company was getting to your head, but he enjoyed your boldness. Quite evidently, by the smile on his face as you leaned against your palm, looking at him with your half-lidded eyes. 

For the main, you had fancy bolognese, and he had lasagne. You both ended up trying each others. Lalo leaned forward in his seat, holding his fork out - hand underneath just in case anything fell - and fed you with the fork. It was a bizarrely intimate moment, yet you felt as though the restaurant's quiet, with its music filling the air, was enough to make you not worry about who was watching. 

“God, I think I’m stuffed after that…” you placed your hands on your stomach, which looked a little bigger from all the food you’d eaten over the last hour and a half. Lalo chuckled and finished off the glass he was nursing; he didn’t seem tipsy, despite having had more glasses than you. “So you don’t want dessert?” 

“Mmmhm, maybe not a full one. Do you wanna share something?”

“You’re all for sharing today, aren’t you?” 

Your cheeks warm up again, and you hope he doesn’t notice in the restaurant's dim lighting. “Yeah, well, it’s just… it’s nice; I like sharing things with you.”

Lalo leans back in his seat, brows raised as you keep eye contact with him. You look down at his hand, which lies bare on the tablecloth that’s remained clean throughout your meal. 

Without thinking, you reach forward again and intertwine your fingers. He looks down at your hands momentarily as if to gather his thoughts. You like the comfortable silence between you both, it’s relaxing, yet the sound of the light Italian music in the background somehow manages to subdue any awkward tension that might have been there, to begin with. 

“I mean, honestly, I don’t know if I could eat any more, but I don’t want-“ you hesitate, and Lalo chuckles at your nerves. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Will you stay with me?” 

“Of course” 

He doesn’t even have to think before he replies with those simple words. And he does it whilst smoothing his thumb across your knuckle. The waiter patiently stands a few paces away, hands clenched tight behind his back. The stranger waits a moment before intruding on your conversation. 

“So, how about dessert then?” He inquired, brows tucked inwards slightly as though a manager had just scolded him. 

“Actually, we’ll just take the bill and the wine to go if that's alright.” Of course, it was alright. Even if it wasn’t, Lalo would’ve probably just taken it anyway and walked out with you tucked beneath his arm, snuggled into his side for warmth. 

“No problem, monsieur.”

The waiter was quick with the bill, as though he had been preemptively waiting for Lalo to ask for it between each order and sarcastic comment. You didn’t really mind how he treated the staff. He seemed polite enough and respectful. There wasn’t much need to make small talk with them, though. Your mother had a habit of doing that. Whenever you went out for a meal as a child, she’d spend about 75% chatting with the waiters about their job and the food. 

You much preferred Lalo’s curt nature. If he began to go into a story about shopping or the desserts they served like your mom did, you’d get up and walk out through the doors and never look back. Not only was it embarrassing, but it often left you both needing some conversation starters. Weirdly enough. 

---

When you step into Lalo’s car again, the air is heavier, and the sounds are louder outside the glass windows. You can feel each crease of the leather beneath your skin and between your black dress. Lalo slides beside you into the driver's seat and presses a hand to your thigh. It takes a moment to realise it was there, but when you do, you smile at him and lean more in his direction. 

He looks so handsome. You’re convinced that that’s the only word you can think of to describe him externally. He encapsulates everything you need, everything you look for in a person. Even now, with his hair soft against his forehead, charmingly unkempt, you could sketch his image into your mind forever. 

“Thank you again for tonight. It was honestly the best date I’ve ever been on.”

Lalo draws lines into your skin with his thumb; he hasn’t started the car yet, though you hardly notice. “It’s my pleasure; you deserve it. Even before I knew how much of a caring, loving person you were, I knew I had to take you out, find a way to get you to like me.” 

You laugh, and it’s light against your throat, and Lalo stops stroking for a second as you do. He cocks his head to the left, like a puppy or lost child. 

“There’s not much to dislike about you, Lalo. I can’t imagine not liking you.” You again place both hands on his, like you had on the table in the restaurant. He’s so warm, and the feeling lingers against your palm. He’s managed to brand you without even realising it. 

“You’d be surprised. Though I appreciate the gesture,” the older man shrugs and returns his attention to the car's ignition. The engine thunders to life, a low thrum vibrating as he drives back to your home. 

The trip is again relatively silent, though you do move to turn up the radio- filling the car with upbeat Latin music, which you'd come to associate with Lalo’s vibrant personality.  Lalo uses your thigh as a makeshift finger drum when tapping along to the beat. It's cute, and you find his humming quite adorable. You think you hear him sing a soft, quiet tune to himself that sounds vaguely similar to the song on the radio. 

Lalo makes a note to check on you every now and again in the corner of his eye, and whenever he does, he finds you sitting, tapping your feet along to the quiet buzz. It’s strange, and he concludes that you’re perhaps more of a dancer than a singer. 

[booklr-nova]

UGLY LOVE

Book Review

UGLY LOVE BY COLLEEN HOOVER

HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!! MY HEART IS SO PERFECTLY BROKEN! I DON'T THINK I TOOK A BREATH THE WHOLE TIME I READ THIS BOOK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME COLLEEN HOOVER!!! I HATE YOU BUT I LOVE YOU! YOU RUINED ME AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!

IF YOU CAN'T GUESS IT BY MY NON-STOP CAPS THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO THAN SCREAM "I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!"

WOW JUST WOW! I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHEN I'LL GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER.

Ugly Love was nothing like I expected it to be. I excepted it too be like a 50 Shades of Grey fan fiction with just a butt ton of thrown together steamy scenes... No, it wasn't it was so much more. I knew I was going to like Miles (because he sounded so hot), but I had no idea that I was going to love him. That he was going to have an actual back story... That he was going to be actually interesting in a realistic way... I had no idea he was going to break my heart.

All that being said I have a few bookish confessions to make before I really get into the review, I choose to read this book 1) because I heard it was becoming a movie and if there's anything I love nearly as much as reading it's seeing movies 2) because this is who they have playing Mil

and 3) I also need to admit that I didn't get what was so appealing about this book that it was actually going to become a movie... I get it now. I get all the hype and talk surrounding this book. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER cried so hard in a book. That's the very last thing I thought this book was going to make me do.

The characters in this book felt so real. Tate was naive and normally that would make me want to punch a B, in her case it made me love her. Unlike most leading ladies she isn't overly sassy, or has incredible lol rebuttals, she was realistic. Her brother Corbin, OMG CORBIN, I loved every single thing about him. He has to be one of my favorite sub characters ever. He was what I imagined a brother would be and even with him not being a constant character just his presence had me. Then there's Miles and he is hands-down the star of this book. The moment you meet him you hate him. He is a mysterious mess and I thought he was going to annoy me fast. He won me over once they started going into his back story. The further they went into it the more I could feel what was coming... Yes, I knew where this story was going and what was going to happen but in no way, shape, or form was I actually prepared for it. I was a blubbering weeping ball of emotions.

The switch between time and POVs was done flawlessly and revealed the perfect information at the perfect time to keep you hooked and wanting more. Colleen set up this story so at first you would only like Miles because of his looks (which I've already made clear I was guilty of) ...

"His shirt isn't buttoned. I'm staring at his stomach. Oh, my word he has the V. Those beautiful indentations on men that run the length of their outer abdominal muscles, disappearing beneath their jeans as if the indentations are pointing to a secret bull's-eye."

And yes, he is a looker, but by the end I could have cared less about what he looked like. He could have worn a bag over his head for the last half of the book and my heart would have still been his. The relationship between Tate and Miles is like nothing I have read before. It was something else that really surprised me about this book. Saying it was complicated would be an understatement. I thought that the steamy scenes were going to take up most of this book, but it didn't... Yeah that's something that would normally make me rank a book lower, but the scenes were so well written and again realistic. They were well placed and well thought out. Just enough to make this book not "too much" which is what had me falling hard for this read way harder than I anticipated. The scenes are hot though like dump a bucket of water on your head hot. Miles and Tate's conversations roll so smoothly and the moments between them are so; I don't even know a word for them, they're just perfect (that word really doesn't do justice). Not only is he romantic but he made average things so hot.

Orange juice is hot, rugs are hot, scrubs are hot, and curtains are so so hot. whoosh.

Honestly though the scenes that turned out to be my favorite were just "average scenes", like when they all go and visit Tate and Corbin's family for Thanksgiving. That whole section had to of been my favorite. I loved how I thought this story was going to be Tate's but turned out to be Miles'. I love how I thought this book was going to be a light sexy read but turned out to be a heartbreaking love story. I just loved how everything came together while falling apart... Because when all Miles story is finally shown and is laid out in its fullest, I was basically like this...

I want to rant and rave even more about this book, but this is something you really need to read and experience for yourself. Ugly Love might just be the biggest surprise read I've had all year. I can't express enough how impressive the characters, plot, and play out of this story are.

I didn't think that this book was going to be so hard on me... And yes,

it hurt. And yes, it was a total sobbing fest, but that ending... Good golly miss molly. That ending was perfection. I don't know if I can ever forgive Colleen Hoover for what she did to me, but God dang it I love her so much for it. I didn't see this coming, and I've never been so happy to be emotionally slapped in the face like I was reading this.

[mrs-monaghan]

Hello~ Who do you think is Jimin’s best friend from bts now (except JK though we can’t call him just a friend, hehe~)? I believe the soulmate era with V is gone, they seem distant.

Hot dance King Jhope is Jimin's BFF. He's so hot for what? 🥵

No cap, no lies, no nothing. He's the closest to Jimin after JK

I would go as far as to say even when the Vmin soulmate thing was happening they were closer. He was the first member Jimin met coz he was the one that was sent to pick him up or go get him or whatever. And they bonded over the fact that they were both dancers. And they have been roommates from jump.

Their relationship has always been special and they have never been mean to each other. I think they might be the duo that fights the least. Jhope knows where all the bodies are buried; we've heard that from their own mouths. I think Jimin said Jhope's phone has alot of things that could incriminate him or something like that.

Jhope was so nervous and worried during Hobipalooza that he was only able to eat when he saw Jimin. Thats just... wow.

People say Jhope is Jimin's Jimin and that always gets me emotional because Jimin deserves his very own Jimin and I am so happy to know he has Hobi. Sure JK is there for Jimin in ways that nobody else can but what happens when JK is the reason Jimin is upset and he needs comfort? I am very happy that he has Hobi. Honestly.

Vmin is... yeah. Vmin is not Vmining anymore. And ever since some Jikookers started calling out V for his behaviour, there have emerged 2 types of Jikookers when it comes to V.

The first group over hypes him now. Praises him all the time and tries to say as many positive things as they can about V. Dont get me wrong, V deserves to be praised, that's fine. But they never used to do this before. So its very clear that they are overcompasating for the Jikookers who aren't very happy with V right now.

The 2nd group i dislike alot. They are the ones who like to act high and mighty, telling their fellow Jkkrs that they are behaving like tkkrs even though the situations are not the same. When we get a tiny taste of Vmin they come to gloat that they were right all along. That Vmin are fine; that people need to mind their own business or some other bullsh!t like that. Which is ironical considering they run Jikook blogs. If people talking about Vmin need to mind their own business then how about you delete your blog where you talk about Jikook because that's definitely not you minding your own business, is it?

I digress anon and I'm sorry. I just get angry when I see people telling others what to do. It just irks me so hard.

Vmin is not dead. And I for one enjoyed the Jimin/Jikook content that V dropped and I liked seeing him commenting under Jimin's live. Coz I like Vmin and I like the assurance that they are okay. Its literally the only reason I have no issue with V name dropping JK. Because if Jikook don't have an issue with him, then neither do I. But I won't come here on my blog and yap about people who feel differently or judge them and call them tkkrs.

Vmin aint dead my lovely. But Jhope takes the best friend spot.

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

I'm so happy to see you getting active again. Honestly, I thought this account just died 😅😅😅😅😅.

I have fallen in love with your posts, especially those meta analysis about Comte are so on-point. I can't wait to see your reviews about his drama CD.

Also, have you seen Comte’s 6th birthday story? I saw the CG but I dont have the chance to read the story. Is ok if you also give some spoilers about it? 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Glad to be back! Sorry for the scare--life just got ahead of me, and alas my spoons were limited and focused on survival. That being said, I've still been reading/translating his stories, so I have indeed seen Comte's 6th bday story.

I think you've given me a bit too much power 🤣 but I'm happy to gush about Comte anytime. Since I'm going to discuss something that hasn't been released in the English version yet, the deets will be under a cut.

A reminder that I'm not a professional, so this is by no means an infallible translation. I try to convey what I find to the best of my ability, but I'm sure there are nuances I miss.

Where to begin? Honestly this story was A Lot, and arguably among my favorites, but the title of the CG/story is allegedly "Courtship at the Nape of the Neck." Get hyped, y'all--if I understood things correctly, it's exactly as it sounds.

The story begins with MC and Comte on their way to a ball for his birthday, and MC is all like "honey. When I said I wanted this day to be for you. That did not mean. Another dress for me." To which Comte's response is "New phone, who dis."

All jokes aside, MC does feel bad about it but he insists it makes him very happy, so she concedes:

MC: You got me a dress as a gift again…despite the fact that it’s your birthday;;;

I smiled at MC, who seemed to feel bad about it.

Comte: It’s because it’s my birthday that I gave you that dress. It’s my greatest pleasure to gift them to you, and accompany you in it.

I reached out beside me to stroke her hair gently.

Comte: It’s always fun to think about what kind of dress would suit you…And besides, when I see you all dressed up like this, I can’t help but fall in love with you all over again.

MC then mentions that she's made him a gift, and downplays it--likely out of shyness--before handing it over.

It was a handkerchief with a simple yet elegant design, with a name embroidered on it.

Comte: Did you embroider this yourself? How did you prepare such a wonderful thing?

MC: Hehe, I did my best under Sebastian’s guidance.

(To do something this intricate by hand would have taken quite a bit of time…)

Comte: Thank you, MC. I’ll treasure it.

I felt a warmth fill my chest at the sweet gesture, and I dropped a kiss to the handkerchief I received.

Comte: I’d prefer to be kissing you, but I fear if I do I won’t want to get out of the carriage after I start.

So like, yes, take a moment to scream, because wow. First of all, how dare you Abel. Second of all, AAAAAAAAAAA IT'S SO SUBTLE AND SWEET BUT ALSO LOWKEY SULTRY HOW DARE!!! I will have my r e v e n g e--

But also??? Aside from my brainworms, I really do love this part of him. Even though her gift is simple, he really does cherish the effort and dedication she put into making him something. I guess I think about how someone in his position could easily downplay its significance--but he doesn’t. He’s mindful of how her feelings saturate the act, and he honors it openly. And in case you think this is a one-off instance, it really isn’t. In his Anniversary story event, there is a direct emphasis on how he still keeps MC’s wedding gift to him--the preserved flower pins--polished as if they were newly gifted to him, not a speck of dust clouding their surface, lovingly tended.

I think it’s very easy for people to minimize him as unfeeling or haughty the way only very rich people can be, but...the his character construction and the intimate personal details you see if you’re close to him reveal that he doesn’t really fit that stereotype at all. Sure he’s selective about who he shares himself with, but that doesn’t make him fundamentally shallow.

Moving right along, MC gets bashful (and honestly who could blame her idk how she even makes sustained eye contact help) and they arrive at the venue in short order. None of this is especially notable except that it says, when they exit the carriage:

Her small, lovely hand covered the one I gently held out for her to take.

Thanks! I'm devastated!!! You just broke down adoration to its bare essentials!!!! I'm a romantic for one person and one person only, and it's HIM--

Naturally, they enter the ballroom and everyone flocks over to congratulate Comte on his birthday. Gracious and measured as ever, he accepts each one in turn, but MC is silent/stiff for most of it. All of a sudden, MC says she's going to get some fresh air and slips away to the balcony to clear her head. Comte is understandably confused and tries to follow after her, until he's intercepted by another noblewoman.

(What’s the matter…? It’s not like her to leave on her own like that so suddenly.)

When I tried to follow her at once--

Well-dressed noblewoman: Wait, Comte

As soon as I’m stopped by the woman, melodious music swells to fill the hall.

Well-dressed noblewoman: I’d love to spend some time with le Comte tonight. Won’t you share a dance with me?

A woman with a charming smile from the past crossed my mind.

(In the past, when I hadn’t been in love, I would have accepted such an invitation for the sake of simply enjoying the novelty of a single moment; that ephemeral warmth was something I relied on in the endless sea of loneliness that was eternity.)

--But now, I don’t feel that way anymore.

(Because I met MC.)

Comte: I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m already accounted for. Have a pleasant rest of the night, young lady.

So after Comte picks the correct answer, he continues on his way to the balcony and finds MC staring up at the sky.

Aight so like. I love when they have a certain writer create these stories, because they literally always make MC the strong and silent (stoic/defensive) type and Comte her little meow meow. It may be specific to me and my tastes but I love it here and I'm never leaving.

Before I add the transcription, I will say that I'm not really sure the "were you crying? did someone bully you?" part was something I fully understood. It appeared to be some kind of idiom/nuance the translator struggled to pick-up on, so I apologize for that. But it is my understanding that he's alluding to MC being picked on/unhappy.

When MC turned around, she had a surprised but also somewhat anxious look on her face.

(If I try to ask her what’s wrong…she’ll say it’s nothing. In that case…)

Comte: Were you crying? Did someone bully you?

MC’s expression relaxed a little at my dramatics.

MC: What are you on about, I wasn’t crying or bullied. But if I was crying…what would you do?

Though she throws the question back at me, I smile in response.

Comte: A gentleman's handkerchief is there to wipe away a lady's tears. I would tend to you with the very handkerchief you gifted me tonight.

MC: Thank you. But, I’m not one to shed tears so easily.

Comte: That’s right, you’re very strong.

The anxiety that clouded her expression earlier has faded away now, and she’s smiling.

I hold my hand out to MC once again…

MC: Yes, with pleasure.

Y'all but the way she claps back, and then he kills with that line about the handkerchief. God damn sir, if nothing else you get full points for incredible verbal repartee. (Lowkey, I’d make out with him for his emotional intelligence alone, don’t look at me.)

Okay but because I can’t help myself. I love how he’s like. I’m No Gentleman, MC. I Am A Liar.

Also Comte: A gEnTlEmAn’S HaNdKeRcHieF iS tHeRe To--

Mfer certainly knows how to lay down the charm when he wants to cheer her up--

After that, it simply says they spend a lovely evening together and then cuts to them relaxing in a hotel near the venue. Cuddled together (GOD I WISH THAT WERE ME), MC eventually speaks up to explain what happened earlier that night.

MC: Hey, Comte…

MC is picking at the hem of her clothes absently when she calls out to me.

Comte: What’s the matter?

I caress her hair to encourage her to continue, and she slowly opens her mouth as if she were choosing her words very carefully.

MC: When I was on the balcony earlier tonight…I wasn’t crying, but I was pretty frustrated with myself. I saw so many beautiful women giving you their congratulations tonight, I can’t help but worry you’ll be snatched away from me…I’m sorry you had to see me like this on your special day…

So, in the immortal words of Beyonce, "What's worse, looking jealous or crazy? Jealous or crazy?" is basically the mood of this whole scene. I'm usually not the territorial type, but I wouldn't even blame MC for getting pissed--nobody likes to see other women ogle/grab at ya mans (especially when ya mans is Comte).

Also beginning to wonder if Comte has a certain interest in MC’s hair 🤔

(I see now, so that’s why)

Comte: MC

After hearing such a cute confession, my fingers moved from her hair to stroke her cheek.

Comte: It’s all right, you have nothing to apologize for. Besides which, I know how you feel--I’ve been jealous/frustrated plenty of times too.

MC: Oh…like when?

Comte: Always/All the time.

MC suddenly looks at me, looking as if she really hadn’t been aware of it.

Okay but when he just gives that flat expression and goes "ALWAYS" without hesitation, I nearly started wheezing with laughter. Petty and glamorous, I love him your honor it's not a phase!!!!

Comte: Today, for instance, that Baron who was in love with you from the moment you stepped into the hall. A young waiter brushed his hand against yours while handing you a champagne glass. Every time I see another man taken with you, my heart is agitated.

(Of course, it’s not limited to just today. It’s been like this ever since I fell in love with you…)

Comte: Rather immature for someone like me, isn’t it?

MC: Comte…

Comte: But now…I’m not the only one who feels that way anymore.

I wrapped my arm around her delicate waist and hugged her close, a sweet scent catching my attention.

Comte: Come, MC.

Just the thought of him seething because some random waiter brushed MC's hand literally just. Sent me. Like straight up astral projection, that is so much I had to stare at the nearest wall to cope. And like I'm not sure if it's the same guy, but I have to wonder if the Baron he's talking about is the one that hit on her in Comte's rt--because if that's the case, that would be hysterically funny. At the same time if it’s literally just some random dude that thought MC was pretty at first sight, that is somehow even funnier. Le Comte de "Peace was never an option" Saint Germain. Monsieur le “Don’t even think about looking at my wife. Walk away.” Comte.

I live for it, I love it, I regret absolutely nothing!!!!

I escort her to bed and sit with MC in my arms. I kissed her soft hair and laid my forehead on hers.

Comte: You belong to me, and I belong to you.

MC: Co--Abel…

She calls my name and settles against my chest, and I’m filled with such affection for her.

Comte: You’re so cute…Telling me all about the frustration and the bullying honestly. You’re so lovely I want to bite you.

"You belong to me, and I belong to you." SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP THAT'S SO ROMANTIC AND TENDER AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"You're so lovely I want to bite you." Do you promise. I want it in writing. 👁✒️

Then MC, who was silent as if she were thinking about something deeply, looks up--

Comte: …what is it, MC?

She pinches the skin of my neck between her lips and nips at me.

MC: I want to bite you too…I love Abel so much…

She keeps nipping at me, her soft lips nearly ticklish against my skin.

(I can’t believe you’re doing this…) NARUTO VOICE: BELIEVE IT!!!

She bit me lightly, and our eyes met.

MC: Am I the only one…allowed to do this to you?

Comte: Yes, of course…you can…bite me harder

So like. I'm aware I've already had several episodes in the process of recounting this birthday story and I apologize for the moments where I breach containment--But.

Bite.

Me.

Harder.

Wow, thanks, none of my thoughts are holy and I am forever changed. I am not going to heaven, and I'm okay with that. I lived, and that's what matters. BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK--

Also yes MC, girl get it!!! Go MC, go!!!!!! Live your best life!!!!!! Get his ass!!!!!

I leaned back to give her more room and she nodded, digging her blunt little teeth into me. The slightest pain is followed by a feverish arousal that blooms from my chest outward.

(I want to bite you even now, I want to love you forever)

MC: Abel…

She called my name again, as if she could sense the urge rising from deep inside me.

MC: I’m the only one who you will bite one day.

Comte: …Of course

(I only want you)

The reversal/mirroring???? The intimacy????? Comte being blindsided but literally out of his mind in love?????? Help??????? It’s more than I can bear??????

This is especially insane to me on the level of like. The game is pretty clear about how biting your lover (at least for vampires) is a mutually understood sign of courtship. It’s a clear sign of who your lover is. And the fact that MC uses that sign to convey her feelings despite being human????? As the signal that she’s ready to fully be his and wants no one else to be able to interfere with that??????? Long time coming but also BWAH, BWAH BWAH BWAH BWAH

The other part of the end that kills me is that. They make love. With her fully dressed. And sure not necessarily that notable out of context, HOWEVER. BECAUSE I NEED TO DIE ON THIS HILL. What he specifically says is:

I reach to undo her dress--before my hands freeze.

[Comte: It’s always fun to think about what kind of dress would suit you…And besides, when I see you all dressed up like this, I can’t help but fall in love with you all over again.] (He’s remembering what he said before.)

Comte: I’ll make love to you as you are tonight. You’re dressed up to my liking, after all.

For those of you who haven’t seen the CG. MC. Is in a black dress. With sleeves that are see-through. Low cut bust. A long and visible thigh slit. With slight gold accents.

SIR. SHE IS DRESSED. TO YOUR LIKING????????????

At this point I’m convinced Cybird wants me to be in palpitations before the game ends for good. So much for Mr. Prim and Proper, I know you nasty Comte--

The rest of the bits are fairly raunchy so I’ll forgo that (let it be known simply that he is a firm believer in foreplay) but there are a few lines that I want to focus on.

(You haven’t the slightest idea how captivated I am, do you?)

[He asks her to say what he can only hear on his bday, and naturally she says happy bday.]

The heat of where our bodies are connected, her voice crying out for more, my heart and soul are on fire with the twin calls.

Comte: MC…

I kiss her tears away before connecting our lips with a smile…

Comte: I love you, too

(MC, you are the best gift of my life.)

With a feeling that is equal to eternity, I dropped my lips to her delicate neckline and…--

A lot to unpack here, but I will try (and fail) to remain composed as we go through each one.

“MC, you are the best gift of my life.” Like. Sincerely don’t even know how to approach this one. I have no clever witticisms. No trite commentary. Literally it is just beyond touching...[insert your preferred sobbing meme here]. It’s an odd feeling because honestly it doesn’t even feel like a surprise; his actions 100% substantiate what he’s expressed. It feels more like the inevitable culmination of his devotion up to this point. But there’s just something about the way it’s crystallized into that simple but enormous sentiment. That she was something unexpected, but not only welcome--accepted with such gratitude and joy. 11/10 I was not okay when I first read it and I’m not even okay now, every minute is half-catatonic.

And now to the question many of you probably have as you wait for me to address it. Did he..........b i t e bite her? The answer is I have no freakin’ idea. That’s where the story ends, and there’s no itemized specification as to how he bites her. But the phrasing keeps bothering me. If it were just another harmless love bite--as we’ve seen him do before--it’s never prefaced with “a feeling equal to eternity.” That kind of distinction is only made when he’s talking about how he changed the men into turned vampires when he found them.

Additionally, so many of his most recent stories have featured MC as a vampire (AU settings) but also in the most recent Christmas story (in the normal mansion setting), he gets extremely close to biting her for real--the closest I’ve ever seen, up to this point.

Granted all I can really do is speculate, but I will say it feels skewed in the direction of “holy shit he bit her for real, this is not a drill, LET’S GOOOOOOO Y O O O O O O”

I hope this summary was as cathartic for you as it was for me. But yeah!!! This is the vast majority of the contents ✌🏼💛

[jangmo-othewarrior]

DMC Questions Anon here!

Before you read this next question:

I was informed that it would be a good idea for my questions to be answered with a specific tag so if people wish to block it they could. Please tag your answers to any question I send you with "dmc questions anon" and I think that should work.

If you wish to be taken off the list, ask. If somebody wishes to be placed on the list, ask. If your anon asks are off and you wish to participate, just make a post answering the question you see going around.

Remember you do not have to answer every question, so please don't feel pressured to do so.

Please also remember to take as long as you need! Do not rush yourself, this is supposed to be a fun activity and I don't want anyone to feel stressed out by trying to rush to answer questions.

Now onto the actual question:

How would you rank the 5 games in the Devil May Cry series? (By story)

Separately, if you want, how would you rank extended material? (The DMC1 Novel, The DMC3 Mangas, The Anime, The DMC2 Novel, Deadly Fortune, Before the Nightmare, and Visions of V, all of which can be found (along with other stuff) here: https://originaldmc.github.io/DivinityStatue/Downloads.html)

If you wish, how would you rank all of it together in one big list?

DMC QUESTIONS ANON!! :D

Okay, I'm gonna do everything together, but i will preface this by saying i have a lot more exposure to some things than others, thus I will have varying degrees of 'much to say'.

DMC 5

I'm definitely biased for this (it's the one that got me into the franchise) but I digress.

FAMILY THEMES BABI MY FAVORITE THING

I just adore the main cast so much u do not understand. So much hype shit happens with em too, it's great. The characters are simultaneously over the top but also very real? Like Dante is the wacky woo-hoo pizza man but also horribly in control of his emotions and how to express them.

The Vergil reveal was so obvious but I dont care. It's good. The depths given to his character through V and Urizen are VERY good.

And NERO- lord everyone in this family has trauma

Also SDT was introduced in this game I'm sorry but no piece of DMC media will be able to top this because of it.

2. DMC 3

is anyone surprised

I love the bois so much, with their stupid catchphrases and horrible family dynamics. it's so weird looking at them like

I was nighteen once. I wasn't like them but I was nighteen.

Also the THEMES once again center around family, especially with the addition of Lady and Arkum. I also love this cast SO MUCH

except arkum fuck arkum all the homies hate arkum

Literally the only reason this is lower than DMC 5 is because no Nero, Trish or Nico. That's it.

3. Visions of V

i haven't talked about him much but I would also gently hold V (and by extension Vergil)

Really I just love this manga because of how much is shown and revealed through it. Everything is really visceral and hits so hard.

Literally everything in this manga stabs u in the feels especially the final shit GOOD LORD

but it really is tied with #4 because it can't really stand by itself? It needs DMC 5 to be whole, in a way.

4. DMC 4

I really wanted to put this above VoV but my DMC 5 bias shown through in the end IM SORRY

also yeah Sanctus as a villian is dogshit, i agree

and some characters REALLY needed more screen time (see: Credo, Angus, KYRIE) but also this game has the Shakespeare scene so....

also I just love Nero and his teen angst can u blame me

But GOD did Kyrie need more screentime

5. Before the Nightmare

Wow the DMC 5 bias strikes again, huh.

IDK man I just love the prequel shit. Like, Nico and Nero meeting is so fucking funny

Also Lucia makes an appearance for the first time since DMC 2 so thats cool

It also expanded the lore on how devil arms work through Balrog which I am SO thankful for.

Also Roc Goldstein exists now and everyone should know about one of the ONLY GOOD DADS in DMC history

Really the only other one I give my full respect to is Sparda, and he died when his kids were like, six. (Dante and Vergil r getting there tho, give em time.)

6. The Anime

Look Patty is the only reason this is so high I love her and if u look at my previous posts u can tell I love her and Dante's father daughter relationship u can pry it out of my cold dead hands

Also the lore with Sparda's apprentices, demon smoners being a thing, and the introduction to Morrison is very nice.

But also Lady was WAY off the mark almost the entire time, and the plot with Patty only really took center stage towards the end so :(

ALSO THEY DIDNT EVEN SHOW DEVIL TRIGGER IN FULL I WILL NEVER FORGIVE CAPCOM FOR THIS INJUSTICE

capcom if u put Patty in more shit I will forgive you (maybe)

7. DMC 1 novel

This novel is weird because it was written before almost all of the other shit so Canon often either ignored it or bent over backwards to avoid it until the DMC 5 era

But I like it. All of the new characters r very good and I love them all.

Grues death STILL hits me in the feels so hard.

Dante has lost so many parental figures ya'll

One of the only reasons it's so low is because of Gilver, the fuck

He made NO fucking sense for the longest time until the timeline rewrite and the retcon that he's a Vergil clone.

That fits his character so much more bur looking at him as Vergil makes no fucking sense. Everything about his character contradicts what we know about Vergil, even back with only DMC 3 as a reference.

Despite those issues, i am very happy we are seeing some rep for this book in the games and other media. U do not understand the screech I let out when Grue's daughters were shown years later.

8. DMC 1

is this sacrilegious?

Yeah the gameplay is good and it was a hallmark of its time but also Dante is as stale as cardboard here I'm sorry

Like his plot is the most uniform and overdone revenge plot I have ever seen and his relationship with Trish....

it's funky in this game, let me tell u. Thank whatever higher power exists that they leaned more towards siblings in later installments because I would be pulling my hair out otherwise.

But the quips r also really good and all of the Nelo Angelo stuff is my favorite part of the plot, so I guess that evens out?

This game was a very good launching point for the rest of the series except u know what

Also fuck mundus all the homies hate mundus he sucks

9. Deadly Fortune

Uhhh yeah it's just.... DMC 4 again with some things changed?

Honestly the reason this is so low is because of my preferred way of absorbing story is through video games than manga.

It's okay. Not trash or anything. It's just alright

10. DMC 3 Mangas

They're ... fine? I guess.

Like the first meeting between the twins in YEARS is very good, but also the manga is unfinished and all...

So I'll just leave it at that.

11. DMC 2 Novel

Gonna be honest I've never read this one.

So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt

12. DMC 2

Yeah remember when I said Dante was cardboard in DMC 1? Yeah now he's silent, emotionless cardboard.

the villian is bad, the location is okay i guess, really the only saving grace for this games story is the concepts it introduces

Demon civil wars? Artificial demons created by people? Those are cool concepts! So cool that one was reused in a much better game, but I digress.

Honestly the story is probably one of the least sacrilege parts of DMC 2, and it still isn't the worst piece of DMC media based on story. That goes to our surprise contender....

13. DMC: Devil May Cry

DMC questions anon did NOT ask for this, but I'm putting it here so that everyone understands that this games story and characters are SO BAD that I'm putting UNDERNEATH DMC 2

But what can I say that hasn't been already stated?

Vergil is so far out of character he's basically an OC and his turn around at the end makes no fucking sense

Donte is an asshole who has functionally abandoned what made Dante likeable in ANY GAME

The plot itself is the most rehashed 'the government is evil and we must resist it' plot EVER

Even the new shit they added for this game doesn't even fucking work well.

Having demons that look like angels be the antagonists is much more interesting that just having angels and having them do NOTHING

Kat is literally the only thing that I don't have a super negative opinion on because she was NEW and I hadn't watched them fuck up a character I love. They just made a mediocre one at best

Needless to say, I utterly despise the plot of this game with my entire being.

Thank you for the question, DMC Questions Anon! I'm sorry I went a bit off script, but I hope it was at least entertaining.

[originemesis]

@mothvalentino 's room still smells like cum and someone here is allergic to that- xxx

Val's chest reverberates with a low, foreboding chuckle. He steps closer, taking full advantage of his height to loom. ཐིཋྀ "You might not be one of my whores but I'm still gonna bitchslap you like one if you don't shut the fuck up and do as I say."

"Alternatively, I would like to see just how tight this collar around your neck can become."

Urk-... he glowered UP at him. Why was everyone so freakishly tall in hell, anyway? That's HIS thing! In heaven, anyway. Aside from Sera, the actual statute of liberty herself and a few other eldritch seraphim, the first man was six thousand years ahead of being bred down to a short king.

"Look dude, it's in literal writing that I only do what one of you says- so pop off to the TV-Dinner downstairs if your ass hurts about it ~ " Technically he's not being mean. But the collar is still snug enough for him to not risk another python squeeze.

"But tell ya what. I'll give you a demo, free of charge." The collar seemed complacent at that, so he flashed the golden axe into his arms with a quick flex of his talons and proceeded to pluck a certain riff while he side-stepped and circled the puddle on the floor like he's playing it an introductory hype up despite it already being there flat as well...liquid on tile.

"Bowowow wow ~ wowowowowow. BOW wow wow WOW waugh waugh waugh WAUGH-HAHhh?? Just gimme a kiss! " The notes from a heavenly instrument in hell is a ground rumbling affair. Mostly a bass boosted affair that sent tremors up through legs. It started to cause the liquid on the ground to centrifuge up just to escape the vibrations. "-yeah, she knew what she was doin' and I knew it when she told me to..." A stomp on the now clean tile and he slid his leg through the rising puddle with a strutty strum downwards to send the particles upwards and swirling around him. "Walk this way! Now walk this wayyy ~ " And with each command commandeered by the particular direction of his twangs, the drink particles followed orders, putting on a firefly like show until he directed them all into one ball over his head.

"-walk this waaaay. Uh-like THIS!" And on one final screeching to a stop note, he rammed his tongue through the V shape of talons he'd pressed to his lips and caught the Capri Sun drizzle at the tip of it before the mess could make its way back onto the floor. Hopefully the cum-stain free floor. Not even a five second rule would fix that.

[mllebabushkat]

☀️ Warrior Nun S2E6 🌙

PSA: i didn't survive this ep lakdsj;gjaskjda

haha my whiplash from Confusion to OH OH YOUNG SUZANNE

AND SHANNON

(wow i missed her and i barely knew her T^T)

so either shannon's older than i expected or superion is younger than i expected???

but more importantly

superion's halo is SO POWERFUL?????

she's got that a) touch of death palm technique Lite Version AND b) nifty overwatch lookin shield scuse me ava when will you

once again OST SLAPS

SHE IS SO BADASS!!,!,!,’cbnncbdbdbfj also cocky hahaha i love her

this fight's fave move: double neck skewer!

firstly, halo rejecting looks GNARLY

secondly, w h y (grief? fully drained? it somehow knew she failed to protect someone due to her own ego? severity of her own moral failing? i want. answers)

The PRIDE in bea’s look as ava talks 🤩 i am hanging on to every single avatrice interaction for my liFE

cam trying to summon the boogeyman is the horror trope i didn't know i needed ahahaha

MICHAEL'S GOT A NUKE tony stark lookin ass

"we are not both dying over some interdimensional power grab" u tell em!!!!1 (such a frustrating and common trope, why must the hero always be the sacrificial lamb for some lofty goal?)

yo that is one DIRTY look bea gave him tho lmfao

on today's episode of bullying william: "foster" what a dumb name L u delusional little shit

cut to vincent el bastardo

"and we shall contact god by text" the ABSURDITY PFFF

*what's in the box voice* what did adriel sayyyyyy????

obligatory fuck off adriel

picking out tmrws outfit slay boyo 🤡💁‍♀️is it me or does he look like Hugh Jackman with that new beard

back to the blessed blorbos!

team super cam aw <3

OH NO U DONT TOUCH HER GIRL LIKE THAT

protective!bea i'm swooningg

journalist!yasmine is so cuteeee

CAMILLA UR CHASTITY HAHAHAHAHHAA

clutching my pearls but also yes girliE GET SOMEEEEEEEE

is that the fuckin,, lalisa sonf? v hype but ngl doesn't fuuully fit the scene But i'll let it slide :)

“well then warrior nun, see you on the other side” 😍😍

you tell me that won't be one of her affectionate nicknames once they settle down and have their happily ever after i DARE you-

“do you know how i know that adriel isn't god, vincent? because he chose to speak to you” OUCHHHHHHHHHH

ok i'm calling it now that pointy cross is hanging Very Ominously over the stage,.,,

adriel choosing to mimic the medici’s bastardised image of Jesus the irony is not lost on me :)

so uhhhhhh why does the halo only sputter out at plot relevant moments? *shakes writers in frustration*

LILITHS TEETH VAGINA COSTUME

i'm so sorry but lilith girl they did u so fucking dirty wtf is this shitty look costumes dept u were doing so wellllll TAT

oh dear ava 🥺

yall there’s nothing that hurts me more than a well laid plan going wrong

lilith hurtling off the roof - HAHAHAHAHA YEET BITCH

where tf was ava hiding her helmet???? up her-?

kristian: “let it go” ah ofc they planned for this

insert it’s a trap !!!!!!!! meme

i can’t watch thissssssddsddd

oh boy the cross tip hanging ever lower like the sword of Damocles

I CALLED IT

nooooo rest in pieces duretti shdhdhajahgdhd

jesus that's brutal,, gnarly counter: 2

michael: "god isn’t real" maybe the true message all along was atheism :)

CAMILLA AND HER GUNNNNNN BIG BRAINNNNNN

AVA DESCENDING LIKE THE REAL ANGEL SHE IS

vincent seeing her-

lilith ex machina swooping in-

OK MICHAEL GOT A STAB IN gnarly counter: 3 (once again loving the gore this season !)

BOTH ava and michael choosing to sacrifice themselves in that moment PLS NO

ooh love the millisecond yellow sheen on adriels eyes

sister ARMS- sorry- i meant sister dora HELLO THERE

“come on pretty boy” ahahshdhdksjagahaha bea ily

back at base

ok fess up who's the goddamn snitch

(small eyeroll at the 'oops i destroyed the macguffin detonator' trope)

SUPERION NO

NO

NO

(did she die ????)

never has a cross been so hateful as the one drawn in blood fuck you william u little dipshit

SUPERION NO 😭😭😭😭

did lilith just save ava by teleporting her

jahdkclcpsjsxnxoxmxnsiskncc

this episode took my heart and shredded it in a meat grinder

superion has shot up my favourites list this season and for her to end like that-

and duretti!

but mostly superion TAT i'm suing for her And mary >:(((

ANYWAY

not keeping calm and carrying on-

[alienrascal]

Hello I bring my OC Venatrix for viewing 👉👈

She's originally my Cyberpunk 2077 V that I played like ... a year ago? (leftmost, first pic) and was like the first one that actually 'clicked' for me visually as 'oh yeah this is my canon Streetkid origin V'. Fast forward to this year and I had started making tattoo mods in the sims and though 'huh what if I made her tattoo from scratch in cyberpunk though' and uuuuuuuuuh I kind of went off the modding deep end lol?

Like what started as really custom, meaningful tattoos for her (because I am a shit for symbolism so it had to happen) turned into custom eyes, custom lip texture, rebuilding her hair from scratch (and then going a but insane with making it curly actually) by myself with absolutely no knowledge of Blender or modding tools in the first place. I also ended up putting her in Baldur's Gate (no literally, that is the head mesh ported over lol) because honestly she's my third 'angry goth energy' OC and I'm just 'how about we just stick to the same one'. So yeah she's my modding blorbo I guess??

I am super thankful for her for that because I always wanted to be in the games industry, originally I studied game design before life and disability things 😦 ... but this has kind of given me some of that back, being able to see something I made and just go 'I DID THAT!' has been really nice and healing for me. (Like even comparing her to the 'old' version with other mods I'm just ... wow. I did so much.)

I don't care that she's technically a 'game' OC or whatever, all I know is I'm the most inspired I've been creatively in a long time and I'm pushing myself to learn things I always thought would be too hard and complicated for someone like me.

Instead I'm out here deconstructing Baldur's Gate 3's annoyingly complicated texture system and reconstructing it in blender just so I can have the option of doing 3D renders of my blorbos.

Like shit man! I've learned so much in only a few months and I am kind of hype about that! And it's all thanks to this beloved angry little goth ball of wrath (who I picture as a Tasmanian devil or something, just creature energy to me haha).

I will draw her ... someday. But pretty content with just learning all this new shit right now.

So uh that's Venatrix 🥺

YEAAHHHH!! bruhh I love Venatrix, and especially love seeing your modding journey and discussions. Literally hop on Tumblr and just wonder what cool stuff imma be seeing!

pov you see me react to a chipped-chimera post

I think in any case, seeing someone convert their oc into a 3d space is incredibly cool. ESPECIALLY that you changed the games model to fit her!! less gooo!!

Though I'm really glad that she's been helping you out, ocs are our little brain gremlins that I truthfully think are there to sort the clothes and do the chores while we're away. Sometimes they pick us up when we're not well enough to keep at it, we never really forget them either; so they're always vibing out.

I'm so glad to read this and honestly hyped for any and all Karlach/Ven 🤝 consider me interested, taggable, and yell-able about it

[reallytryin]

*** buy my merch *** ____________________

Pairings: tommyinnit x GN!reader

Summary: you model for Tom's merch and people go crazy over the pictures.

Warnings: none just cuteness

Type: fluff 🧸

____________________

It was just a normal Saturday when you gota text from you're boyfriend, which wasn't unusual because he usually didn't have any plans on Saturday

____________________

The Tommyinnit????😍😍😍😍

____________________

[ hey come over I want to ask you something?]

[ why not ask me now? Are u breaking up with me Thomas 🙀]

[ ofcn are you joking come over ]

[ ok on my way 😙 ]

____________________________________________

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [0]

[ q ] [ w ] [ e ] [ r ] [ t ] [ y ] [ u ] [ i ] [ o ] [ p ]

[ a ] [ s ] [ d ] [ f ] [ g ] [ h ] [ j ] [ k ] [ l ]

[ ⬆️ ] [ z ] [ x ] [ c ] [ v ] [ b ] [ n ] [ m ] [ < x ]

[ !#1 ] [ , ] [ ] [ . ] [ <- ] ____________________________________________

When you got there he surprised you with a jacket and a hoodie " wow tom these look great " you reply. "Really you think so?" "Of course I do" you say hugging him. No one understands how much you love him. "So I was wondering would you like to model these on the website for me? Then maybe we could take some pics in the park ?" Tom asks excitedly. "That's what you called me here for?" You say fake rolling you're eyes. You can see tom get a bit upset " I mean I thought you would have liked this" he asks confused. "Omg tom baby ofc I love this I'm so happy you picked me" you say smiling while pulling him into a big hug. "Ok good cos I was worried haha". TIME SKIP YALL. After the photo shoot and him hyping you up, you decided to get some pics sround Brighton and post them on Instagram.

____________________________________________

Tommyinnit: @whos_yn i said I would never post sappy shit like this but oh well anyways buy my merch

Wilbursoot: L

User384939287: yall are so cute

Marmalade69: don't even start me I'm gonna sleep on the road

Urmom: the highway looks nice tonight

View more comments

⬇️

Whos_yn: @Tommyinnit he only reads because I do <3 BUY HIS MERCH www.tommyinnit.shop

Quackity: simp alert ⚠

^ whos_yn: litteraly

User7293939393939: don't test me I've just been broken up with

Imliterallygod: I'm only buying it because yn told me to

View more comments

⬇️

Tommyinnit: BUY MERCH IN EXCHANGE FOR YN CONTENT?

User1010102: that sounds like a good deal 🤝

Ph1lza: Kristen started a yn fan club

^ Whos_yn: periodtttt Stan a supportive queen

^Ph1lza: what?

ilovechickennuggets: can we trade? Diamond pick aks for yn?

^ Tommyinnit: no 💋

____________________

[otakween]

Digimon Anode/Cathode Tamer: Veedramon version - Final thoughts

Wow, what a compact little game! I guess that's pretty typical for a handheld, licensed game. This one took me around 15 hours to beat in a single week. Nice. I think gameplay-wise this was actually my favorite so far. I really enjoyed the tactical RPG battle system. It forced me to strategize a bit, so there was juuust enough challenge to make things feel satisfying. Probably doesn't have a lot of replay value, but I'd recommend giving this one a try! (Especially if you're a fan of the original anime because it takes place immediately after it).

Notes:

-I was kind of surprised that most of the bosses in this game were push overs. The guide I was following hyped me up for them and then the majority of them only took me one try. Even the final boss was pretty easy and left me thinking "that's it?"

-Similar to Digimon World 2, this game didn't really motivate me to tame anymore digimon than I needed. The game actually just gives you digimon as you go along and those suited me fine.

-Weirdly this game doesn't really feature digivolution in the traditional sense and, aside from the boss digimon, the partner digis only go up to champion. I kind of appreciated the simplicity of this. I also thought it was clever that the digimon could psuedo-digivolve via the variables. That actually made a lot of sense because digivolutions in the anime are like temporary summons anyway.

-In honor of the V-Tamer 01 manga, I got a Veedramon and named it Zero. He ended up being my strongest partner.

-I still think the story was kinda lackluster. Ryo is just borrowing his digivice and his partner digimon and at the end they're all like "See ya! We're gonna go back to our REAL partners that we like more than you" lol. Also, toxic masculinity Tentomon made me sad:

-Side note: this game's font is terrible. Look at those nearly identical ls and exclamation points!

-Millenniumon low key looks like a Xenomorph in his portrait.

-I'm not going to play Cathode tamer because it's essentially the same game and I've also decided to not do the 4 bonus dungeons. My reasoning is that they don't really seem worth it. It's cool that you can tame the bosses, but one of the hidden dungeons requires you to complete the Digimon Analyzer which I believe requires you to link the games? I guess I could cheat to get to that point, but it still doesn't really seem worth the trouble. If it added to the story maybe, but based on what I've seen on YouTube, it doesn't.

-Loved all of the art so much! Not just in the story bits, but the variables and the digimon sprites were all great. More charming than the PS1 3D versions for sure. The world itself and the battle grounds were a little bland and repetitive, but I liked the designs of the boss dungeons (see the Milleniummon one above). Anything's better than the horrible Digimon World 2 dungeons!

-Just as I expected, I really didn't bother with or need a lot of the extra stuff in this game. A lot of the buildings in town I went into maybe once or twice. I never used Penguinmon trading, Piximon training, Leomon colosseum, or the digimon analyzer. I didn't bother expanding the amount of digimon I could carry via Nanimon because I didn't need anymore digimon. If I had access to this game in the 90s and had my unlimited kid free time, I might explore these features more, but I don't care to do so now. I've got a zillion more Digimon video games to get through!

-I'm trying not to spoil myself for future franchise entries, but it sounds like Ryo will return in other games. I hope he gets justice for his blah storyline then.

[zealsoughtsequesterustanxiedemon]

Just finished Haruhi season 2 with some friends (first time for me, rewatch for them), we're watching disappearance next week.

Feelings atm as well as negative thoughts on endless eight:

My friends showed it to me in airing order. I think this was a bad call on their part. Made things feel v disjointed and was v annoying for 2-parters

That aside, overall not bad. Kind of blander then I was expecting, but that might just be it's age showing. I did always expect it would be a lil over-hyped

The cultural festival episode was definitely over-hyped for me. I felt like that one was going to really wow me, but it kinda just felt v arbitrary in an unsatisfying way (this could be do to watch order)

I had heard about the infamous endless eight and thought we weren't going to do it. We did it. Well part of it at least. I put up with it for one of our watch parties because I didn't know it we were doing it and didn't want to say something after we were already going through it. This week though I'm glad I said something because I did NOT want to subject myself to the same episode 4 more times. We just did it once more this time and then finished it up. So it was only an endless five for me. Man I wish that was three. Three would convey the idea enough.

Really though, like maybe if I watched this weekly, or even daily, or on my own the endless eight might be okay, but binging it, even in parts is just very mediocre

Not that it was painful or anything. It was just boring and I zoned out for a good amount of it and didn't feel bad about doing so like I might if I was having a bad night. It's just not good for a well-respected series, especially one I'm watching along with friends.

It was definitely a creative decision.

Not one that should've survived any discussion on adapting the series

I mean there's a bunch of ways you could do a similar idea and still make it engaging, but this was not it. At least for me, watching with friends, binging it 4 episodes at a time.

ATM, it's kind of feeling like a 6/10. Wonder if things would be different if I watched it in a different order, on my own, or weekly or having skipped 2-3 more of the endless eight. In any case, not a waste of time, but def disappointing.

Excited for disappearance though. Hear v good things and that it recontextualizes some stuff in a good way. Could elevate how much I like the TV series but not endless eight lmao

[kckenobi]

I shouldn't compliment myself but it's really hard to choose between these questions sjjdjd and I already forgot the number's AGAIN anyway <33

3 and Labyrinth I think 😅and the memory garden one lmao this is a mess but also please a question of your choice!! Ily!

No you should ABSOLUTELY compliment yourself bc they're amazinggggg!!!

3. Anti-hero — What’s an insecurity of yours that you have overcome?

On a surface level — I used to be super insecure about being tall! I'd never wear heels and I'd sit when possible so I didn't tower over people, and in the past couple years I've tried really hard to get over that. I just bought high heeled boots yesterday and I am HYPE about it

Less surface level, I used to feel insecure in my friendships bc I always felt like I wasn't ever anyones first choice, or I was just invited to things out of pity. But I never feel like that anymore and I have people who I know love and value me, and that's very special :')

10. Labyrinth — What’s something that’s been on your mind for a long time that you just don’t seem to be able to escape?

There have been some things going on in my family recently that have just dragged up a bunch of old wounds, and I've been spending a lot of time mulling over that. The abridged version is that someone in my family is struggling with mental health and I'm just...kind of trying to process and be supportive at the same time. It's v weird, but it's fine

13. Mastermind – Do you have a story, memory, video etc. of yourself that you would show someone if you wanted to show them the real you?

I don't think there's a video of this, but a few years ago my friends and I accidentally set off the sprinklers on the lawn of a major American monument lmao and we were running through the water, at first to try to get away from it but eventually just,,,,,laughing and singing and sliding on our sandals. And it's just something I go back to now, when I wonder if I'm doing enough with my time and blah blah blah — like, it was just a time I felt very present and living my twenties lol

14. The Great War — What’s in your ‘memory garden’?

Wow what a good question, who came up with this one? Slsjsks anyway This is hard so I'm just going to pick the three first memories that come to mind:

(1) on my 21st birthday I adopted my cats, and I CRIED bc they were so cute and small and I was so happy

(2) my brother and I playing qui-gon and obi-wan when we were little, which we for some reason decided to video record and now have saved for posterity

(3) the time my friends and I got stuck in a torrential downpour and were holding hands and running through the street with mascara dripping down our faces, laughing (wow do I sense a theme with memories of running through water of some kind?)

t.s. Midnights ask game

[xpiester333x]

Conversations with myself:

"I should really play SMT V, I never finished it. Now that the Dawntrail hype is winding down a little I should get back into it but... ugh. The idea of sitting down and suffering through the grind is too real. And I'm too stubborn to lower the difficulty but also I don't want to play it..."

*45 minutes later*,

"I love this game wow why did I ever put it down."

[hopefulstarfire]

15, 18 and 32 for the meme?

Sjdjfhjsjf okay I'm hyped for this!!

15. How did you get into YGO?

You know, the funny thing is...I don't fully remember. I was actually really really young when I watched yugioh for the first time. Yugioh has been part of my consciousness for as long as Batman has lmfao. I had a book that was all about the card game and the anime characters (and idk where tf it is now, probably in storage -- but I remember drawing like the mustaches and devil horns on Seto bc for some reason I despised him as a kid and like. Wow how the mighty have fallen ig) and I specifically had the Yami v Marik Duel on DVD. I would watch it on TV and on the yugioh website all the time (which BTW still up and still has all the dub episodes for yugioh dm through arc v I believe) and God okay I remember back in the day when like GX was airing and then 5Ds had been announced and they had the competition for the theme song for it and I was so excited when the hyper drive song won.

So really Yugioh has just. I guess it's just always been a part of my life.

18. A random headcanon

I like to think that, after Atem moves on to the afterlife, the gang has a day they always meet up on. It doesn't matter how busy life gets or where they are, that day, the anniversary of when they lost him, they come together and eat and play games and remember the times they shared. Seto didn't originally go, never wanting to be stuck in the past, but I think maybe as time goes on he starts to join them.

32. Favorite voice actor

GOD this one's hard bc I love all of them. The cast for the show is really amazing and I enjoy all of their performances.

Okay maybe I'm a little biased if I say it's Dan Green and not even just bc of like Yugi and Yami. Like okay here's my thing. To me, he was also Mewtwo, Entei and Prince Sky okay. He was there for like some big projects of my childhood.

A close second tho is Maddie Blaustein tho bc what an icon. Everyone else also ranks pretty evenly and pretty closely!