#light sodes

[evann-5]

You know how in the new incorrect sander sides quotes how they all where playing different cards? Me and my friend made it a true game-

Welcome the game

WHAT GAME ARE WE PLAYING?!?...the game

Materials

Deck of uno

Deck of playing cards

20 pokemon cards

Cards against humanity (amount depends on people playing ex 30 white 15 black for roughly 2-4 people) //or play with apple vs apples and let your 6 year old have a early crisis//

White board

Folders for however many players you have

Points

Cards against humanity- 10 points

Uno- number cards 5 points- weird cards- 6 points

Pokemon- Names a-h- 7 points- i-q 8 points- r-z 9 points

Playing cards- multiplier cards- hearts 1- club 2- diamond 3- spade 4. Even cards 7 points odd 8 points face cards plus aces 9 points

Set Up

Each player will have a folder covering their cards

All are dealt out like war, all cards should be given

Playing cards and black cards against humanity are in two separate piles a pile face down in front of you

Pokemon, white cards against humanity and uno cards are in your hand

One uno card is to be placed in the middle

One designated player will keep track of uno color and score on the white board

Ending the Game

The game will end when someone has run out of cards

The winner is the player with the most points

Game Play

At the beginning of the game, everyone will silently decide what kind of card they would like to put down. You will put the card down face up behind your folder and on three you will lift the folder.

Only put down an uno card if it can be played off of the uno card that is in the middle. You can also put down a white cards against humanity card. The number will be determined by the number of vowels on the card(one vowel the number is 1 and can be played on a 1 but the color DOES NOT changes ). If it is above 15 then it is a wild and color changer. Number 9-14 is a 9. Wild cards just work as color changers. But colored pluses add the points reverse cards are worth 50 points but you gain no points if any other uno cards are played.

Playing cards and pokemon are played as war. The winner is based on the first letter of the pokemon or whether the playing card is odd, even or a character card. If the playing card wins, the points are multiplied by the numbers tied to the symbol. If both play a playing card, the winner gets the points of the winning points subtracted by the losing points. If you tie, then you will play a round of cards against humanity with the point kept as a judge or whoever has the most siblings, using the last white card played.

Rules

If you forget the color of the uno game and you put down the wrong color, you get subtracted 10 points times the number of your card, or times 10 if it is a colored wild

No changing cards after you put it down

No hitting

Old cards go next to the uno pile

In uno if more then one players have put a uno card down after lifting the folder who ever is first to place their card down gets to if the other person(s) card(s) cant be played they get the same punishment as if they forgot the color (times ten of the number)

If a card against humanity card is played they get authority over the uno cards and get to place their card first.

No asking judge /person holding points on white board/ for point checks

Edit: at the end when tou run out if cards you have to yell "what game are we playing?!?" If failed to do so you switch points with whoever as the lowest amout

[rainmacaroni]

Rukia & Ichigo's respective blades turning white ,

Sode no Shirayuki x Zangetsu

[eidolocene]

I’ve got it so bad, I’m writing dandadan AU fanfic.

I’ll post to Ao3 if I have the time and can figure it out. I’m not usually a fic writer, but I was buzzing to do this. For now, here’s chapter one of a Yokai!Ken fic. (He doesn’t appear til chapter 2, sorry!)

Premise: Momo Ayase is a disillusioned 22-year-old grad student doing everything she can to avoid her reality-breaking psychic powers. Ken Takakura is a spirit haunting a crusty old hospital… and the two of them are the only thing standing between Kamigoe City and an alien invasion.

Had they not appeared (or, rather, disappeared) in the winter, Momo Ayase may never have noticed the missing stars at all.

- - -

There was a time, once, when she believed it might have been possible to impress her grandmother. That version of herself, fifteen years younger and awed with the magic of it all, had checked out a book of constellations from the library. Her grandmother could see men’s hearts painted in the signs of the natural world - perhaps, she thought, she could learn to do the same with the stars.

Ursa Major. Ursa Minor. Cassiopeia. Pegasus. Each page showed a cluster of dots superimposed with the fantastical image they bore and a retelling of the story they claimed. There was Andromeda, bound to the rock, and Cetus, the great sea monster who would devour her. She brought the book back home to her grandmother, eager to share what she’d learned.

“The Greek myths ain’t like the Japanese ones,” her grandmother said, flipping idly through the pages. “Neither are the groupings. This big one here-“ she tapped Andromeda with her fingernail “-this is actually four separate constellations, the way I was taught it.”

Momo had tried to yank the book back, sick with the shame of being corrected, but her grandmother was faster; she stood up, holding the book well out of the girl’s protesting reach, and continued to slowly flip through the pages. The woman’s attention, once won, was agonizing.

“This one, though…” Momo had her back to her grandmother, arms crossed in defiance. Then, she heard the settling of fabric as the woman knelt back down to her level.

“Tell me about this one, Momo.”

The girl held still for one, two moments before her curiosity won out. She turned back around to find her grandmother holding the book open to the page with the portrait of the hunter.

“That’s Orion,” she said.

“What’s his story?”

Momo hadn’t found Orion nearly as interesting as the princesses or the monsters, and the children’s book of constellations hadn’t had much to say about him. She drew what she could.

“He was a giant who wanted to hunt every animal, so a goddess of the earth sent a scorpion to kill him.”

“Show him to me in the sky.”

They stepped out together into the courtyard. It was a cool, clear night, the stars a bright, impossible mess without the printed lines to connect them. Momo scanned the sky slowly, starting overhead and then down to the horizon. Then, a triumphant sense of recognition.

“There!” she said. “Over the shed, just to the left.”

Her grandmother nodded, already facing that direction. “How did you find him?”

“Those three stars. He’s shaped like a man, and that’s his belt.”

Her grandmother sat down on the ground, unceremoniously tracing a finger through the dirt. The moon cast just enough light to see the outline of the same shape on the ground below.

“Those three stars are mitsu boshi. They make a belt here, too. Look.” She drew two ovals in the dirt, one at Orion’s shoulders, and one at the hem of his tunic. “That’s the drum, tsuzumi boshi. The belt’s the rope holding the drum heads taut.”

Momo studied the dirt, then checked the sky again. Now, it was easier to see the drum than it was to see the man.

“And look here,” instructed her grandmother. She drew a shape to the left of the constellation - a woman twice the size of the hunter. “Now it’s sode boshi - the whole hunter is just a lady’s kimono sleeve.”

This one was harder to place, but she willed herself to see it: the outstretched arm of a great, graceful woman in the sky.

“Everyone sees them differently,” explained her grandmother. “Same stars, different stories.”

She blinked. Orion again. Then the drum. Then the woman. How was anyone to discern the future from that?

“What does it mean, though?”

“It means it’s cold. Get your butt back inside.”

- - -

Most of the names and placements had faded from her memory. At 22, Momo could pick out only a few: the Big Dipper and Little Dipper (if she found one, she could find the other), the Pleaides (“Subaru,” she could hear her in her grandmother's voice, tucked neatly into Taurus), and Orion (the drum, the woman), which remained the easiest of them all to spot.

It was already dark out when she left work. Another two months of this, she thought, miserably. The cold weather was fun for the first couple weeks after she unpacked her winter wardrobe, but she quickly lost interest as night crept earlier and earlier. She headed south toward the train station, eager to get home. Whatever mood she was to find her grandmother in, at least there would be a warm dinner waiting for her.

She noticed Orion, accomplice to all this damned cold, hanging low in the sky. On winter nights, he led the way to the station, skimming the rooftops. She didn’t mistake it for chivalry, though. He was running backwards, one arm grasping that great bow.

Big game for a kimono sleeve. Big game for a guy missing his belt.

She blinked. What the fuck?

The sky was cloudless and her view was unobstructed. There was the familiar triangle of his shoulders, his arm and the bow. There was the hem of his tunic. But his belt, the mitsu boshi, was gone. Had she missed some sort of stellar event? Surely when the stars changed, they either went out with a bang or faded so slowly that it would take lifetimes to notice. And all three of them?

“Get over or get moving!” demanded a gruff voice.

She hadn’t realized she’d stopped dead in her tracks, blocking the sidewalk. She opened her mouth to snap back but couldn’t draw anything up. She started walking again and Orion was obscured by an office building. She pulled out her phone and opened her internet browser.

supernova

black hole

missing stars

orion

orion’s belt Belt

No headlines about disappearing stars. No indication that one of the most recognizable portions of the sky had gone dark. She pocketed her phone again, sighing. The building dropped out of view, opening her line of sight to the sky again.

What the fuck.

His belt was back, but his shoulders were gone. He was only visible from the waist down. Momo’s stomach dropped. Whatever it was she was missing, whatever she wasn’t comprehending, it left her disoriented. She began walking faster toward the station, keeping her gaze locked straight ahead. Couldn’t be a black hole - not when the stars came back. Could it be a cloud, after all? A very small, dense cloud? She didn’t want to look, but the hunter was running right at the corner of her vision. Why was she afraid to look at him?

I’m not afraid.

She removed herself from the flow of foot traffic on the sidewalk, stepping into the alcove of a little storefront. There was the hunter again, perfectly whole. But now, she could see it clearly - a black circle in the sky, hovering right above Orion. It was darker than the night around it, like a perfect cookie-cutter bite taken out of space.

There was a hole in the sky. It was getting bigger. And, as far as Momo Ayase could tell, it was hovering directly above the old hospital.

[exo-raskreia]

Its funny how Ichihime fans compare their pathetic ship with Naruhina to make it seem more valid. Honestly, those two ships have nothing in common. Naruto has always believed in Hinata's strength. He outright invites her to battle with him in the War. When has Ichigo thought Orihime was strong or encouraged her?? He has done all those things for Rukia, the girl he loves. When a boy truly loves a girl, he appreciates her strength. It honestly annoys me When Orihime fans compare her to Hinata when they are not alike at all. Hinata is more like Rukia than any other girl in Bleach. Orihime was an extroverted person who was shy only around Ichigo. Hinata was an introverted person like Rukia. Both Hinata and Rukia were royalties. Both of them had a lot of expectations and burden on them. Both had stoic elder brothers whom they really loved. Neji and Byakuya were initially indifferent or somewhat cruel to their sisters until they got sense beat into them by Naruto and Ichigo. Naruto and Ichigo fought hard to mend the relationship of their girls with their brothers. Only they understood how much the girls were suffering because of their brothers, no one else could understand them like their boys. Their stories are so similar. They grew closer to the Protagonists for how hard they fought for them. Seriously every time Hinata and Rukia are hurt or kidnapped Naruto and Ichigo show resilience they have never shown before. They became better persons due to the influence of their girls. Their girls encouraged them, pulled them out of darkness and became their light. They are also tied by Red String of Fate. When their girls left them, they became depressed. I can go on and on about how similar Hinata and Rukia are and How Naruhina is similar to Ichiruki not Ichihime. There's a reason Naruhina is so popular while Ichihime is bleh. Both Naruhina and Ichiruki are my Otps. When anyone compares Naruhina to Ichihime it just annoys the hell outta me.😒

THIS THIS THIS!!!

I've always thought IchiRuki & NaruHina have similarities! Glad someone else sees this! 😭 You even brought up some points I hadn't thought about!

They both also have Sun & Moon symbolisms & official titles. Hinata's colors are purple/lavender & white like Rukia. Ichigo & Naruto have orange & even black? Other similarities with Hinata & Rukia, as u mentioned, are being associated with "princess" like Hinata the Byakugan Princess & Rukia's zanpakuto is called Sode no Shirayuki (Shirayuki is the JP name for Snow White), the Hyuuga heiress & the Kuchiki heiress, & you're so right on the introvert part! Both so brave in the face of danger, willing to sacrifice themselves for those they love... I think they would've gotten along & even admired each other for their resilience & kindness.

Ori & Hinata may have some superficial similarities (pretty & nice big-boobed girl who likes the MC) but it doesn't go farther than that! Hinata & Orihime are very different people. Ichigo & Naruto are very different too. Their dynamics are completely different. NaruHina is very popular & beloved even to this day while IH isn't 🤷‍♀️. Hinata is very popular on her own unlike Ori...

I also can't stand when ppl compare Rukia & Sakura. They also only have superficial similarities; tough, small-breasted, & being the FL of a battle shounen. Their personalities & values are completely different, tho, as well as their dynamics with Ichigo & Naruto. While I came to tolerate Sakura & support SasuSaku, I've never been a fan of hers.

There's actually an amazing meta here in which OP compares Orihime & Sakura & their dynamics with Naruto & Ichigo. They're eerily similar...

It just gets on my nerves when ppl compare NH & IH. I once made a post on most of the major differences between them. I even mentioned how NH & IR could understand each other thru their eyes. I would've liked to elaborate further on these dynamics with manga panels, but I no longer feel like going over it. It's been years, I'm happy with NaruHina, so I'll just leave it at that.

When Bl3ach ended & ppl were comparing NH & IH, it ignited me to make my first written post on here, haha. I did a couple others like this added reblog & some silly posts. You can also explore the NH & anti Naru/Saku tag on my blog to find reblogs of similar posts.

Thanks for sending this, anon! Fellow NH & IR shipper! 🫡

[tanuki-kimono]

Irezumi kei (tattoo penalty) as depicted in the [徳鄰厳秘録 - Tokuringenbiroku], a kind of penalty instruction book compiled in 1814, digitalized by the National Archives of Japan.

CW for this post about Edo period judiciary => mentions of physical punishment, torture, death penalty (text only, no details, no graphic illustrations) . The irezumikei pages above are p.19 to 25.

I won't reproduced the illustrations here, but the Tokuringenbiroku book also presents other Edo period "punishments" and death penalties, like different types of goumon (torture), gokumon (decapitation and exposure of the head to public view), kakei (stake), haritsuke (crucifixion), or tameshigiri (sword cut testing, here on executed convict corpse). Please proceed to the full book according to your sensibilities!

Back to irezumi kei : the markings of character Akaza (from Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon's Slayer) are directly inspired by those, same for Mugen in Samurai Champloo for example:

After Tokugawa Yoshimune's reforms abolished bloodier punishments (nose or ear cutting) for lesser crimes (like theft, gambling or fraud), irezumikei spread, inspired by Chinese bokkei practices.

Yet, zainin (lawbreakers) were also often beaten or whipped (tataki), which could be a "light" sentence or more far extreme one. Women tended to be imprisoned instead.

Punishment tattoos also often went alongside tokorobarai (banishment), which had several levels depending on the crime. You could be banished to a remote island, just away from your city, or forbidden to enter a certain perimeter.

Exile is why different areas had different marks, placed on the arms or faces, easily identifying the person as a criminal convicted in another region.

Number of lines or dots were often used to symbolize repeated offences (pic below source). Most of the times, getting 3+ irezumikei could grant you death penalty.

Irezumikei maybe be why criminals came to use extravagant tattoos, as to cover their infamous marks, leading to the yakuza association with body ink.

Yet, other strata of population also favored figurative tattoos, so the link between criminals and tattoing in Edo period is not self-evident.

Some shapes of -sode (sleeve part of a tattoo) for example left arm interior bare, maybe to prove then that no armband tattoo was hidden underneath a bigger design.

[aurora-313]

Bleach ask game: 5, 6, 15,

5. Favorite shikai? I'll skip the obvious answer of Nejibana, and go with my second favourite. This beautiful ice queen here, Sode no Shirayuki.

6. Favourite Bankai? Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinju

15. Favourite arc and why?

Shinigami substitute arc, with Soul Society trailing a little behind. Because its the best the characters are.

Ichigo is a total gremlin, Rukia matches him with her own antics. Yes, there's glimpses of more sinister forces at play - what with Rukia's crime looming over her head, Soul Society demonstratively being very morally wrong.

For example, the creation of mod souls to build armies of disposable revenants foot soldiers from human corpses and their subsequent discarding/elimination when the project was abandoned, the genocide of the Quincy clan back when they were just one of hundreds of magical clans who fought follows, not a faction of psychopathy cult slaves.

But mostly because its Ichigo at his best. He's a punk. He's a brat. He's ruthless. He's catching hollow bombs and feed them back to them and punching hollow masks and ripping out tongue for good measure. When Renji tries to take Rukia back, Ichigo is having the time of his life beating Renji's ass bloody.

In that first arc, Ichigo IS Zangetsu. Sure Rukia had to brow beat him the first time, but Ichigo is absolutely thriving as a person. He is EVERYTHING everyone wanted him to be throughout the rest of the story. This is the Ichigo everyone expected to confront Byakuya, Aizen and Yhwach. This is a kid that doesn't let a broken blade stop him, that doesn't let half his guts spilling out stop him. He will fight and curse and rage against the dying of the light until his heart's done pumping. Quite literally. And sometimes even THAT won't stop him. (Then suddenly, Ichigo obtusely decides he doesn't want to be a pitbull, he wants to be a golden retriever and worked towards that despite how much his soul screams 'Don't do it you fucking idiot!' but that's another post)

In a bout of twisted irony, Shinigami Substitute arc is by far the strongest Ichigo is as a person. Same with Orihime, same with Chad, Uryuu. All the characters. Orihime remembered people existed outside of Ichigo. She remembered that Tatsuki was her friend and she activated her powers to be Tatsuki's protector for once. Chad was still on a relatively comparable level to Ichigo and could keep up with the mayhem. Uryuu was still working that stick out of his ass to beat Hollows to death with it.

I like early Bleach because it is delivering on what it promised: A slice of life with supernatural shonen elements thrown in, to serve as a metaphor for entering adulthood. Then it moved away from the initial elements that made it great, took itself way too seriously, and suddenly Ichigo's the second coming and we're fighting for the fate of reality? Was that the only path of escalation you could think of Kubo?

Anyways. I digress.

[rainmacaroni]

Standing Witness

Ichigo to Aizen's ; Rukia to As Nodt's transformation There's a multitude of parallels between these 2 fights

[wsjyuyuyuau]

Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach)

Name: Rukia Kuchiki

Series: Bleach

Gender: Female

Status: Alive

Family: The Kuchiki Clan

Flower Motif: White Camellia (Camellia Japonica)

Flower Meaning: Prosperity

Weapon of Choice: Dual Blades

Associated With: Interdimensional Hero Club

Hero Form Appearance: A chilling combination of a Soul Reaper’s uniform and YuYuYu’s Hero Form outfits. The undersuit of the outfit is a jet black to make the white and light blue stand out more. The main outfit’s palette is mostly white, but as you near the sleeves, lower half of the shorts, and the tailcoat, you can see that it switches gears and fades to a lighter blue. The stockings are a twilight purple to match the gloves and belt, while the boots, which are a combination of snow, combat, and fashion boots, are a white fading to a light blue. The boots, gloves, and belt all have subtle white camellia patterns on them. Black, gray, silver, periwinkle, and purple all help balance out the lighter colors, and the white camellia’s petal shape can be seen in the sleeves and tailcoat. The only other accessory is a white camellia hairpin in Rukia’s hair.

Full Bloom Gauge Location: Left Thigh

Guardian: Yukime (Based on the Yuki Onna)

Favorite Food: Starbursts

Parallel To: None

Bio: Rukia's encounter with Ichigo led to her temporarily losing her powers as a Soul Reaper, forcing Ichigo to take her place. Now, she is one of Ichigo's most stalwart allies. Armed with the Sode no Shirayuki Zanpakuto, she joins Ichigo in his battles.

[sodapopcurtis-dx-asks]

Both Steve and Soda were exhausted. After each being bit once by a rat at least at some point during their cleaning up, and the long, boring days they both had, they were just sleepy.

“Hey, Stevie.” Soda piped up, the tiredness obvious in his voice because he spoke soft and sleazy.

“Hhm?” Steve looked over at Soda, staring at the blonde as he finished putting up cleaning supplies.

“...Nevermind, I forgot already.” Soda giggles, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He pulled himself across the station, grabbing onto one thing after the other to hold himself up so he didn't fall over. “I don't know why I'm so tired today.”

He was mumbling to himself, switching lights off and writing down his list as per usual.

Steve just laughed at him. Not a loud one, but it was noticeable. He made his way over to Soda, slipping an arm underneath Soda's and pulling him up. “Cccooome on, Pepsi-Cola. We still gotta get you to the truck.”

Soda giggled, humming in response. His eyes were already closed, but his smile was big and dopey. “Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'...” He yawned, lifting himself up and pushing himself forwards to start walking out of the DX.

Steve hurried after him, grabbing his arms to stop Soda from nearly ramming his face into the glass doors. “Jeez, Sodes. You sure you're gonna make it out?” He teased as he redirected Soda and opened the door for him.

Soda just huffed, pushing the door open even more for himself. “I got it.” He gritted, but there wasn't any real meanness behind it. He stumbled out of the DX, clutching onto the door as he waited for Steve. “You're the one who needs to hurry up!”

Steve scoffs, making his way out beside him. “Am I now?”

In between the mix of them fighting for the door and making way through, someone's hand flipped the Open sign to Closed.

“Mmmhm.” Soda grabbed onto Steve's wrist, pulling him off to the truck.

Steve protested, trying to pull away from Soda, but a sleepy Soda surprisingly has a stronger hold than a tired Steve.

And despite all the playing and struggle to get inside, they did manage to hop into the truck. Steve driving, of course. As Soda dozed off in the passenger seat.

[cosmosbeelover]

The History of Korean Female Soloists from the 20th Century: Episode 11/?

The eleventh episode of 'The History of Korean Female Soloists from the 20th Century' focuses on notable Korean musicians who emerged during the early 20th century, a time significantly impacted by Japanese occupation. The historical records pertaining to these artists remain largely incomplete. This scarcity of thorough documentation can be attributed to the nearly century-long gap since their contributions, which predates the Korean War and resulted in the loss or inaccessibility of vital records. As a result, the limited information on this singer may render this episode a (8th) mini-sode within the broader series 'The History of Korean Female Soloists from the 20th Century.'

It is important to highlight that the available information is limited, and there is no image of the singer. The photo I have included may be associated with Lee So-hee, but the only connection appears to be their names, indicating that they may or may not represent the same individual.

Lee So-hee (이소희; 李素姫)

Lee So-hee (이소희) was a Korean folk vocalist and a Jinju gisaeng during the period of Japanese occupation in Korea. She showcased her talent by performing Namdo Sori alongside Lee Ok-hyang (이옥향) and Kim Hwa-seon (김화선) at the Female Master Singers' Competition of the All-Joseon Local Entertainment Competition on May 3-4, 1938, and later participated in the Hanhaeguje Master Singers' Competition on March 18, 1940. Between 1940 and 1943, she collaborated with Im Jong-seong (임종성) and Jeong Won-seop (정원섭) on the Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station (京城放送局), where they presented a variety of short songs and folk pieces, including "Pak Taryeong," "Sugungga," "Undam Punggyeong," "Jukjang Mang-hye," and changgeukjo.

Sugungga (수궁가; 水宮歌)

Sugungga is one of the five recognized pansori madang, also referred to by various names such as Tokki Taryeong, Byeolju Bujeon, Byeolju Buga, Tobyeolga, and Toebyeolga. This pansori narrates the tale of the Dragon King of the Water Palace, intertwined with the fable of the turtle and the rabbit, a narrative that has been preserved through generations and is traditionally performed by clowns. The plot centers around the Dragon King of the South Sea, who, afflicted by illness, sends Byeoljubu (Jara) to entice a rabbit for its liver. However, the clever rabbit outsmarts Jara and escapes to the outside world.

Key elements of Sugungga include the Dragon King's ailment, a Taoist priest's pulse examination, the rabbit's artistic representation, and the ensuing conflict among beasts over territory. The narrative unfolds with Jara's attempts to lure the rabbit, the rabbit's cunning evasion of the Dragon King, and its subsequent mockery of Jara. The story is rich in allegory and humour, characterized by a light and cheerful tone, which distinguishes it as one of the more accessible forms of pansori.

The text of Sugungga (序唱), particularly the version known as Toebyeolga, was compiled by Shin Jae-hyo (신재효; 申在孝), reflecting the performance style of clowns of that era. Notable segments include the preface sung to a jungmori rhythm, along with various thematic pieces such as Yongwangdeukbyeong (龍王得病: Jinyang, Jungmori, Eotmori) and Gogocheonbyeon (皐皐天邊: Jungmori), all performed in the same rhythmic style. The five-line score, recorded by Park Cho-wol (박초월) and transcribed by Kim Gi-su (김기수; 金琪洙), appears in Volume 5 of ‘Korean Music’. Contemporary performers like Kim Yeon-su (김연수; 金演洙), Jeong Gwang-su (정광수; 鄭珖秀), and Jeong Gwon-jin (정권진; 鄭權鎭) have gained recognition for their interpretations of Sugungga, with the former two continuing the legacy of Yu Seong-jun (유성준), while Jeong Gwon-jin (정권진) upholds the tradition of Gangsanje.

Pansori Sugungga Jo Sang-hyeon (조상현) A performance scene of Sugungga at the 1988 Korean Traditional Music Festival. The singer is Jo Sang-hyeon and the drummer is Kim Myeong-hwan (김명환). Sugungga is one of the five madang of pansori. (Source: Encyclopaedia of Korean Culture)

[purple-on-black]

A short Character-focussed side story. Not necessarily canon to the rest of my Fallout 4 WIP, I just sometimes like playing with character interactions and scenarios that don’t really fit into the main narrative—these ‘mini-sodes’ are a great way to do that.

This time I tried out Deacon. I didn’t like Deacon before, but you know…writing this short it kind of just poured out of me and I think I have a new respect for the guy.

Anyway, I’m really pleased with how it ended up. Hopefully you enjoy it too.

Mini-sode

The Tangled Web We Weave

(A Kat and Deacon vignette)

****

Summary:

Kat’s down with a fever and is grounded at Railroad HQ, much to her chagrin. Deacon—self-appointed nurse, decides that bad paperbacks and questionably safe tea are the answer. But under the banter and snark is a crack in the wall they’ve both been holding up. And neither of them is quite ready to say what’s actually on their minds.

***

It was unclear who had actually put Deacon in charge of sick duty.

Probably no one—which was precisely the issue.

Kat had been running a low-grade fever for two days, holed up in a dusty corner room at Railroad HQ, draped in a too-thin blanket and stubbornly muttering that she didn’t need help. So naturally, he had stepped in. Heroically. Unexpectedly. Unsolicited.

He sat backwards in a wooden chair next to her cot, arms crossed over the backrest, wearing his mirrored sunglasses indoors as always. A can labeled “Maybe Stew” steamed precariously on a cracked plate beside him. The smell could generously be described as ambiguous.

Deacon flipped open a worn paperback novel and cleared his throat with exaggerated ceremony. “Chapter twelve. ‘His glistening chest heaved in the moonlight as he—’”

“Deacon,” Kat groaned, voice hoarse, one arm flopping over her eyes. “What the hell…”

“Shh, no talking,” he chided gently. “You’re in a fragile state, Nurse Witherspoon. You need rest, fluids, and the dulcet tones of terrible literature. It’s medically sound. I read a pamphlet.”

“You made that pamphlet,” she rasped.

He flipped a page with flair. “And I stand by every word.”

Kat exhaled, but it came out more like a wheeze. Her skin looked clammy, her breathing shallow, and despite the banter, Deacon’s smile faded just a little.

“You know,” he said, tone light but steady, “jokes aside—you ever stop being tough for five seconds and tell someone when you’re not okay? Or is this your signature move?”

Kat grunted but didn’t reply.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no comment,’” he said, reaching over to gently press the back of his hand to her forehead. “Yup. Still radiating like a malfunctioning Mr. Handy. Stay put. I’ll go find something less suspicious than Maybe Stew.”

He stood with a rustle of his coat, tossing the paperback on her chest. “Bookmark’s on the good part. Try not to swoon too hard while I’m gone.”

Kat grimaced and flicked the book off her chest, brushing the imagined filth off her fingers. She wanted to go home—back to Diamond City. She wanted her bed. She wanted Dogmeat. She wanted Nick or Piper…someone warm whom she trusted. But ever since she got back from the escort mission at Bunker Hill, she’d been running a fever—nothing major, only about 101, but enough to make her miserable, and enough that Doc Carrington and Desdemona both had forbade her from leaving until she had recovered. “For the sake of the mission,” they’d claimed.

Ridiculous.

Deacon returned a few minutes later with something vaguely resembling tea—though, judging by the color, it might’ve also been mop water.

“Good news,” he said, crouching beside the cot with a stage-whisper. “I found a mug that only smells mildly like radroach jerky. That’s a win down here.”

Kat eyed the cup with suspicion.

“Before you ask,” he added, “no, I didn’t make this. Glory did. Which means it probably won’t kill you. Only maim you a little. You trust Glory, right?”

Kat didn’t answer. Just took the mug and sniffed it cautiously. Chamomile. Mint. A hint of something floral. Okay, maybe not mop water.

“You’re lucky, you know,” Deacon added, sitting down again, this time on the floor, back against the cot. “Most people don’t get bedrest and tea. They get a concoction of chems and some old bandages. This? This is the Railroad’s five-star spa package.”

Kat sipped quietly. Her hands still trembled a little. The heat of the tea helped though. Slowly. Marginally.

“You don’t talk much when you’re sick,” Deacon mused aloud, not quite teasing anymore. “It’s weird. Kinda eerie.”

Kat snorted softly. “And you never shut up. It balances.”

He grinned. “Touché.”

There was a pause—comfortable, almost—and then Deacon leaned his head back against the cot frame. His voice dropped, just a fraction. “You know, if you wanted out… no one would blame you. Not after all you’ve already done.”

Kat was silent for a long moment. Then, quiet as a whisper, “I don’t want out. I just… I want to go home.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I get that.”

And for once, Deacon didn’t joke. Didn’t dodge. Just stayed there on the floor beside her, still as the air, until the sound of her breathing softened back into sleep.

Once he was sure she was out, Deacon pulled off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly with the opposite hand. He liked Kat—he did. There was a sort of magnetic genuineness about her. But every time he tried to get close, bridge that gap of friendship, she would slam shut. It was his fault. He knew that. She wasn’t like this with anyone else. He’d watched her from the shadows long enough by now to know that for sure. If only he could just stop lying.

He stared at her sleeping form for a long time, the shadows of the catwalks above striping across her face in the low flicker of bunker light. Her breath hitched once in her sleep—a tiny, shivering noise—and he felt something twist in his chest.

Goddammit, he thought. Why do you have to make this so hard?

He wished he could tell her the truth—any truth. That he’d been watching her even before she joined up. That he’d been impressed. That he’d admired her—still did. That the lies had nothing to do with her, they were just… part of him. The scaffolding that kept the whole thing standing.

But that scaffolding had cracks now.

Every time she let her guard down—even just an inch like this—it felt like a sin not to meet her there. But the only thing he knew how to do was duck and cover, play the part, spin a new tale when the old one got too close.

He leaned forward, carefully tugging the blanket back up over her shoulder, tucking it gently beneath her chin.

“…Sorry,” he whispered, though she couldn’t hear him. “I really am.”

Then he stood up, slid his sunglasses back on like armor, and turned to go.

The quiet scraped at his nerves on the way out. Too honest. Too still.

And for a long moment, he hated himself more than usual.

Some time later, Kat stirred. The chill of the old catacombs under the church seeping into her bones in a way that the thread-bare blanket couldn’t block out. The vague scent of over-applied cologne still hovered in the air near the edge of the bed. Deacon.

Her eyes shifted down to the book that still lay strewn onto the floor, well worn, spine cracked and faded, pages dog-eared and yellowed. Deacon had been here, but he hadn’t taken it back. He always carried a book or two around with him—she’d overheard Desdemona complain about it, claim that they were a distraction and that he wasn’t paying enough attention on his recon missions. “Trust me, Des,” he’d replied, “Me reading these crappy romance novels is the least of your problems out there.”

Kat pushed herself off the bed, still a bit lightheaded and groggy, but picked up the discarded book from the floor. Then she headed out to find Deacon.

She found him near the top of the church, seated on a broken section of pew that faced the window slats. The morning light spilled in through the cracks, brushing gold across the lines of his jacket. He hadn’t heard her approach—or if he had, he didn’t show it. His sunglasses were back on, one arm resting lazily across his knee, the other draped along the backrest like he belonged there.

Kat held out the book, spine-up, one dog-eared page marked with a strip of cloth.

“You forgot this,” she said, voice still hoarse.

Deacon turned toward her, slow and careful, like he wasn’t sure if she was real. His eyes flicked down to the book and then back up to her face. He didn’t take it right away.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” he said, his voice quieter than usual.

“I’ll live,” she replied.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.

Kat furrowed her brow, but didn’t press. She waited.

Deacon finally took the book from her fingers, but instead of tucking it away, he turned it over in his hands. “Y’know,” he said, “it’s funny. In this one, the guy spends half the story pushing the girl away to ‘protect her.’ Says he’s not good for her. Too much of a risk. Too many secrets.”

He looked back up at her. “She forgives him anyway. Because she already knew.”

The pause that followed hung heavy with words that neither of them said.

“Yeah,” Kat finally replied, sitting down stiffly next to him on the pew and crossing her arms tightly over her midsection, partly from the chill, partly because she didn’t know what else to do with them. “Doesn’t mean he should keep lying to her, though. How’s she supposed to know if he actually cares if he can’t even tell her one basic truth?”

Deacon didn’t speak at first, just tapped the spine of the book thoughtfully against his palm. “Yeah…” he finally sighed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

They both sat silent for another beat. “You ever tell yourself a lie so many times…you start forgetting what’s real?”

Kat’s brow furrowed. Her jaw tightened, hearing Nate’s voice on that holotape again in her head. “No,” she finally mumbled quietly. “But I once knew someone that did.”

Deacon nodded once, quiet, the movement more tired than solemn. He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he flipped the book open to a random page, stared at it without reading. The paper fluttered slightly in the breeze whispering through the broken windows.

He looked over at her—not the casual side-glance of a man hiding something, but the full weight of him, sunglasses and all, turned her way.

“That’s how it started,” he admitted. “Just survival. Change the face, change the name, spin a new line, don’t let anyone close. But then… I meet you. And you don’t have to lie. You get people to trust you and they just spill their guts.” He went still, staring off into the ruined sanctuary at nothing. “I don’t know how to do that.”

Kat pursed her lips as she thought about how to reply. She was quiet for a long time. “Lies are a slippery slope,” she finally said. “You tell yourself ‘just this once,’ or ‘it’s for the greater good.’ But then one becomes two, then two becomes four, then the next thing you know you’re so tied up in all of it you don’t even know where it all started.” She went silent again, fighting against a small chill.

Deacon didn’t interrupt her. He just sat there, letting her words settle like dust in the fractured silence between them. After a while, he nodded again. “Yeah,” he said, soft. “That’s exactly it. You don’t even notice the ground’s gone until you’re already halfway down the cliff.”

He shifted slightly, just enough to peel off his coat. Wordlessly, he draped it over Kat’s shoulders—not too forceful, not too tender, just a casual, practiced motion. It still held a trace of his cheap cologne and faint dust from the road, but it was warm. Heavy in a comforting sort of way.

“I’m not trying to weasel out of anything. Not this time,” he added, voice low. “I just… don’t know how to start climbing back up.”

Then, after a pause, he gave her a wry smile. “Figure maybe this time I could stop talking long enough to listen. You think you could tell me where to put the first foothold?”

Kat pulled the coat closer, for once not outright rejecting Deacon’s offer. “Well, I guess you could start with something small. Something insignificant. Like your favorite color.”

Deacon huffed a surprised little laugh through his nose, the kind that sounded almost too genuine for him. “Favorite color, huh? That’s your idea of a first foothold?”

Kat didn’t answer. She just looked at him, quiet, intense, waiting.

He stared down at the book in his hands again, thumb running idly along the cracked spine. Then, without any drama, he said, “Green.”

Kat blinked. “Green?”

Deacon shrugged. “Not, like, neon-green. I mean that deep green you only ever see in pre-war photos. Forest green, maybe. Used to be this ratty old jacket outside Fallon’s Basement in Diamond City—faded to hell, but every time I passed it, I stopped. Stared like a sucker. Don’t even know why.” He chuckled. “Maybe because it reminded me of something I forgot.”

Kat smiled faintly. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“Don’t let it go to your head, Nurse Witherspoon.” He leaned back against the pew, arms crossing lazily behind his head. “Next thing you know, you’ll be asking for my real name.”

Kat shrugged limply. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

That caught him off guard.

She looked back out over the dark corridor leading back into the catacombs. “But maybe one day I’ll ask for your second-favorite color.”

Deacon scoffed a small laugh. “Woah, now you’re just going too fast, at least buy me dinner first.” Despite the joke his face seemed to harden. “In all seriousness though, you should probably go back downstairs; you’re going pale—still seem a bit feverish.”

Kat gave him a sidelong look, part suspicious, part amused. “You calling me pale, or just trying to change the subject?”

Deacon raised both hands in mock innocence. “Hey, not trying to weasel out of anything. Just trying to keep you from keeling over again.”

She groaned faintly and rubbed at her temples. “Yeah, yeah… maybe I am a little dizzy.”

“A little dizzy?” Deacon stood, setting the book gently on the bench and holding a hand out to her. “You look like you’d pass out just from trying to stand up too fast. Come on, back to the cot. I promise not to steal your boots while you’re unconscious.”

Kat smirked weakly but took his hand. “How very noble of you.”

“Honor among thieves, right?” he said, helping her up carefully. As she leaned into him, still a little shaky, he muttered under his breath, “Can’t lose you now, Witherspoon. We’d all be screwed.”

She didn’t say anything, but her grip tightened slightly on his arm. Just for a moment.

[jujumin-translates]

Lyrics | Aisubeki Bungo - Lovable Literary Master (Kanji/Romaji/English)

I've had this done for a while now but decided to go back and make some edits to it today and figured why not post it. TL'ing lyrics isn't my strong suit, so please do let me know if there are any errors or anything!

Kanji

鶴松 & 知久

着物に袖を通し

キツく帯を締め上げる

背筋が伸びる感覚

小さな世界の習慣

鶴松

古きを知って

ロマンを語る

丁寧な暮らしの中に

人間の正しさを夢見てた

知久

時に光は屈折し

鶴松

言葉は迷子　彷徨う情緒

知久

でも成し遂げられない

はずはない

鶴松

書き綴った己の答えは

鶴松 & 知久

文学の世界にある

生まれながらに

手にしてきたもの

指先から

筆先に伝う

一筋の光　気持ちを

走らせ　言葉が踊る

故きを温ねて

新しきを知る

以って師と為る可し

文学に生きて

生かされている

愛すべき文豪

鶴松

夢路に袖を通し

知久

焦がれた世界に

身を置けば

鶴松

背筋が凍る感覚

期待という鬼が

見つめていた

知久

時に光は屈折し

鶴松

なぞらう文章

遺伝子の暴挙

知久

でも成し遂げられない

はずはない

鶴松

愛を知った己の答えは

鶴松 & 知久

文学の世界にある

ただ生きるという

学びの中で

見つけたのは

認め合う覚悟

誰かの言葉に耳を

傾けて己に語りかける

故きを温ねて

新しきを知る

以って師と為る可し

文学に生きて

生かされている

愛すべき文豪

鶴松 & 知久

信念と拘り

(信念と拘り)

苦しさと希望

(苦しさと希望)

光と影

(光と影)

言葉と言葉

(言葉)

鶴松

書き綴った全ての答えは

鶴松 & 知久

文学の世界にある

生まれながらに

手にしてきたもの

指先から

筆先に伝う

一筋の光　気持ちを

走らせ　言葉が踊る

故きを温ねて新しきを知る

以って師と為る可し

文学に生きて

生かされている

愛すべき文豪

愛すべき文豪

Romaji

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Kimono ni sode o tooshi

Kitsuku obi o shimeageru

Sesuji ga nobiru kankaku

Chiisa na sekai no shuukan

Tsurumatsu

Furuki o shitte

ROMAN o kataru

Teinei na kurashi no naka ni

Ningen no tadashisa o yume miteta 

Tomohisa

Toki ni hikari wa kussetsu shi

Tsurumatsu

Kotoba wa maigo, samayou joucho

Tomohisa

Demo nashitogerarenai

Hazu wa nai

Tsurumatsu

Kakitsuzutta onore no kotae wa

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Bungaku no sekai ni aru

Umare nagara ni

Te ni shite kita mono

Yubisaki kara

Fudesaki ni tsutau

Hitosuji no hikari, kimochi o

Hashirase, kotoba ga odoru

Furuki o tazunete

Atarashiki o shiru

Motteshi to narubeshi

Bungaku ni ikite

Ikasareteiru

Aisubeki bungou

Tsurumatsu

Yumeji ni sode o tooshi

Tomohisa

Kogareta sekai ni

Mi o tokeba

Tsurumatsu

Sesuji ga kooru kankaku

Kitai toiu oni ga

Mitsumeteita

Tomohisa

Toki ni hikari wa kussetsu shi

Tsurumatsu

Nazorau bunshou

Idenshi no boukyo

Tomohisa

Demo nashitogerarenai

Hazu wa nai

Tsurumatsu

Ai o shitte onore no kotae wa

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Bungaku no sekai ni aru

Tada ikiru toiu

Manabi no naka de

Mitsuketa no wa

Mitome au kakugo

Dareka no kotoba ni mimi o

Katamukete, onore ni katarikakeru

Furuki o tazunete

Atarashiki o shiru

Motteshi to narubeshi

Bungaku ni ikite

Ikasereteiru

Aisubeki bungou

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Shinnen to kodawari

(Shinnen to kodawari)

Kurushisa to kibou

(Kurushisa to kibou)

Hikari to kage

(Hikari to kage)

Kotoba to kotoba

(Kotoba)

Tsurumatsu

Kakitsuzutta subete no kotae wa

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Bungaku no sekai ni aru

Umare nagara ni

Te ni shite kita mono

Yubisaki kara

Fudesaki ni tsutau

Hitosuji no hikari, kimochi o

Hashirase kotoba ga odoru

Furuki o tazunete

Atarashiki o shiru

Motteshi to narubeshi

Bungaku ni ikite

Ikasareteiru

Aisubeki bungou

Aisubeki bungou

English

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

I slide into the sleeves of my kimono

And fasten the obi tightly

I feel my back straighten

It’s a custom in this small world

Tsurumatsu

I speak romantically of the past

In my careful life I’ve seen humanity’s truth within my dreams

Tomohisa

On occasions, the light refracts

Tsurumatsu

Words lost, emotions wandering

Tomohisa

But it can’t be left unfinished

Tsurumatsu

The answers that I’ve chronicled myself

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Can be found in the world of literature

It’s something that I naturally possess

From my fingertips to the tip of my brush

A single ray of light flows, letting the words dance

As my feelings run free

Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old

And you may become a teacher of others (1)

I live and breathe literature

Lovable literary master

Tsurumatsu

Enveloped in a state of dreaming

Tomohisa

If I put myself into the world I’ve longed for

Tsurumatsu

A chill runs down my spine

The demon of expectation was staring at me

Tomohisa

On occasions, the light refracts

Tsurumatsu

Imitating writing styles, genetic recklessness

Tomohisa

But it can’t be left unfinished

Tsurumatsu

My own answer to the question of love

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Can be found in the world of literature

In learning to just live

What we found was a readiness to admit

Listen to the words of someone else

And recite them to yourself

Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old

And you may become a teacher of others

I live and breath literature

Lovable literary master

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Beliefs and obsessions

(Beliefs and obsessions)

Suffering and hope

(Suffering and hope)

Light and shadows

(Light and shadows)

Words and words

(Words)

Tsurumatsu

All the answers that I’ve chronicled myself

Tsurumatsu & Tomohisa

Can be found in the world of literature

It’s something that I naturally possess

From my fingertips to the tip of my brush

A single ray of light flows, letting the words dance

As my feelings run free

Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old

And you may become a teacher of others

I live and breathe literature

Lovable literary master

Lovable literary master

• • •

T/N:

(1) “故きを温ねて新しきを知る、以って師と為る可し”/“Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others” is a quote from the Analects of Confucius.

[funwalker]

I saw some people complaining on twitter about the obvious drop in animation quality in the second episode of Uzumaki, but the thing (for me anyway) is the way they've chosen to weave a few chapters together into one theoretically cohesive story. I did think it was an interesting way to handle the first episode, but I think it just kinda ruins the pacing of the separate parts of the second. I'd honestly rather have little yami shibai style mini-sodes or like, courage the cowardly dog style half-isodes.

[Light Uzumaki spoilers under the cut~]

Like the strongest part of this episode is the lighthouse because it's the only bit that kinda feels like it was given room to breathe? And even then, it feels like it could've had a little more time to itself.

In the manga, all of these events felt to me as if they were happening slowly over the course of days to weeks. Like a slow infection taking this town, but the anime jumps so quickly from story to story, it's almost like watching a speedrun of Uzumaki.

It just feels kinda scatterbrained.

Like, this is the obvious pitfall of adapting such an episodic series into this format. I understand why they're doing it like this, but even if the eventual plan was to write full length episode/longer stories, I think they could have started out breaking it up into segments or chapters or something and then just slowly discard that pretense as things ramp up.

[okayto]

Mini-Review: The Vampire Dies in No Time

"Invincible" vampire Draluc is...incredibly vincible, actually, turning into a pile of dust at the slightest provocation; he just revives almost immediately. When vampire hunter Ronaldo blows up Draluc's castle, the vampire decides to move in with the hunter, become a partner and metaphorically-popcorn-munching observer of all the weirdos, both human and vampire, who lurk in Shin-Yokohama.

This is another one of those shows that got me because I thought I wouldn't care about it, and then ended up enjoying myself. I came across this on Crunchyroll's 24/7 live Roku channel, looking for something to put on in the background while I did chores, and it's a good, effective show for that purpose! It came on frequently and hit that sweet spot of "entertaining to watch" and "I don't need to pay attention the whole time" that I want for background shows; eventually I realized I was enjoying it enough that I went and watched the whole series, both seasons, as my after-work dinner accompaniment.

Now, the entire reason I thought I wouldn't care? The title bugs me. I can't say that it's wrong, because Draluc sure does die in no time. (Witness:)

But there's something about the title that doesn't sound like natural English for the subject: Draluc dies all the time for virtually no reason (or every reason). It doesn't actually affect enjoyment of the show, and anyone on the English localization side of things didn't have a choice because "The Vampire Dies in No Time" is there, on screen, in English, every episode in the original Japanese version, which makes me assume it was a decision made more by people in Japan. But I wonder what localizers would've come up with to convey the same thing if they'd been given the opportunity.

Because I initially watched whatever episodes were on TV, I didn't start at the beginning, and that would be my recommendation: starting with an episode that's not the first. The first episode sets things up, true, but it's nothing you can't figure out within two minutes of the second's beginning, and because it's invested in setting everything up, it's one of the weaker episodes.

Instead, start with the second episode. Literally all you need to know is 1) Ronaldo is a vampire hunter who 2) lives with Draluc, a vampire [so clearly all vampires aren't bad] because 3) he kinda caused Draluc's castle to explode. And 4) Draluc dies a lot.

(You can watch the first episode later, like a flashback, after you've actually had a chance to decide if you like it. Because seriously, the first episode felt like it was dragging so much.)

Anyway.

It's funny, and each episode is comprised of a couple mini-sodes following a character as something happens. That might be Ronaldo having to hunt or take in a vampire, or it could be a coworker in the vampire hunter guild, or it could be John the armadillo going on a donut run, or it could be Draluc's family reunion.

It doesn't take itself seriously at all.

It's worth noting that much of the humor is going to be borderline-appropriate depending on your situation; this definitely isn't something I'd feel comfortable watching at work, for instance. Nudity and light sexuality are common topics—one vampire foe, Nudenium, is just a guy with a bunch of flowers for a groin and his bite will similarly turn people nude with flowers, because...he wants to spread groin-flowers, I guess? When he's not doing that he's pretty reasonable and friendly, as later episodes show; Micro Bikini's bite will turn people into a hypnotized horde of micro-bikini-wearers; Mr. Lewd Talk is self-explanatory. (Not all vampires are sexual, but these three show up with some frequency, to the point where they are legit secondary characters who contribute to the plot in various ways.)

(Also, it becomes clear as the series progresses that many of the vampires are just, for lack of a better term, dicking around. Sure, some want world domination. Some just want to spread weird flower-children-with-legs throughout parks. Some could be normal people except they just really, really prefer to dedicate their lives to playing strip rock-paper-scissors.)

What I enjoyed about it is how it balances humor with entertaining character stories. Nothing is going to get really deep, but you do get to know characters, and the same secondary and tertiary characters—both the good and theoretically-antagonist— come up again and again. Some of the vampires are related to each other! Some of the hunters are related to each other, or have been friends for years. Ronaldo went to high school with one of the police's vampire division guys, who's mad because his mom likes Ronaldo's blog-turned-bestseller-book about vampire hunting.

Draluc and Ronaldo make a fun pairing in an odd couple-type way. Draluc is, to Ronaldo's chagrin, a good roommate: an excellent cook, pretty clean, generally handles social situations well. Doesn't have (or need) a job, so he's available to follow along and help with vampire hunting situations (although probably a solid 50% of that is him following out of curiosity and boredom). The two are emotionally around the same level (young adults functional enough to live independently but childish enough to try and settle an argument with a dance-off).

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention Draluc's familiar, an armadillo named John. We all love John, in-universe and out. He's sweet. He can DJ. He has a fan club. He has a backstory. He is a cinnamon roll.

Verdict

English dub? Yes, only the first season (there are two seasons). It's very good matching the cadence and character of the original, and I really missed it when I watched the second season. Dub Draluc is given a stereotypical "vampire" accent and sounds pretty smooth and put-together, which goes with his high-class family background, which is context I can't get from his Japanese voice.

Visuals: Modern and fine. Nothing stood out to me, but neither did I find myself thinking about any problems.

Worth watching? Yes. It's a solid, consistently-funny comedy, pick it up if you're looking for a laugh. Don't be scared off by the often low-brow humor I mentioned; it tries to walk a fine line between jokes and going too far, and I think it generally succeeds, so it's worth at least trying. It helps that the episodes move at a brisk, but not breakneck, pace, meaning jokes usually don't overstay their welcome.

Where to watch (August 2024): Crunchyroll (sub and available dub), episodes buyable in Amazon Prime and Apple TV; first season on Blu-ray

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

[thearoaceshark]

More hesdcanons about transfem Leo!

– Before her eyeliners were very simple, just a small line, but after meeting Karai that changed. At first she stayed up late watching tutorials to make more striking eyeliners and surprise her, but when Karai began to be with them more she helped her improve, and taught her how to make eye shadows.

– When Pride comes around she and Mikey turn on a speaker and listen to “Born this Way” every day. It can be heard throughout the laird.

– She likes fresh orange juice.

– Fugitoid gave her a makeup set from a foreign planet because he noticed that some makeup from Earth made her eyes burn. They were certainly better than those on Earth.

– At first when she started using makeup she did very simple things, just small eyeliners and occasionally light-colored eyeshadow. When she met Karai she started experimenting more, she started making bigger eyeliners and using other eye shadows. In the space arc with the makeup set that Fugitoid gave her she learned to put on face gems. When she met Shinigami and she and Karai gave her the black suit she taught her how to do gothic and emo makeup. And now that she is an adult her makeup is pretty good and she does her makeup like a diva.

– Mr O'Neil started giving the turtles therapy and he discovered that she had psychosis. He began to treat her as best he could and for a while they kept it a secret from her siblings, until her partner discovered it and helped her tell them.

– Sunflowers are her favorite flower.

– When Mikey is a girl she always asks her to make an ayeliner on her. Her little sibling loves it when she gives her very extravagant eyeliner and puts face gems on it.

– She would love to be able to wear earrings and rings (no ring fits the fingers of mutant turtles).

– She doesn't know how to draw, she knew how to sing very well, but after the incident with her throat she stopped doing it so often (she only sings occasionally or to practice her voice).

– When she was little she made lots of turtles with her brothers, but over time they learned to sleep alone and lost the habit. After her father's death they resumed that habit, making piles at bedtime or when it was cold.

– When it's cold and her siblings aren't around her, she likes to snuggle up in a giant faux fur coat.

– She and her brothers (especially Donnie) know how to repair many things, that's how they have survived until now. They found her coat in the sewer and washed and cooked it.

– Her brothers threw her a 16th birthday party when she was 18, it was so that this time she would wear a dress and a furi-sode kimono.

– When they were little she and Mikey watched The Powerpuff Girls together.

– Her counterpart from 87 asked her to teach him how to do eyeliner so he can slay like her.

– She and her brothers watch SiMon Queen Race (their version of RauPaul Drag Race).

[two-bit-socrates]

Downfall eepy sode 2 of 3

Spoilers below the cut

Just picturing a giant light goddess standing in her realm going 'tight tight tight tight tight' listening to one of her followers plans.