#wait do anime-onlies know that the killing game is next. should i tag for spoilers

[books-and-catears]

Okay so I've been thinking of writing this for a while now. (Spoiler alert for chapter 16-20)

After MC is brought back to life, everyone approaches them as Lilith. And everyone seems to be all over them as if they weren't just almost killed by Belphie.

So MC feels uncomfortable over this whole thing. Not only do they feel like a replacement for Lilith but they can't even tell anyone about the trauma of almost dying cause they are demons, they can't possibly sympathize with human fragility. Well maybe one of them can.

The only brother who didn't know Lilith firsthand. The only brother who has spent centuries studying humans and reading all about their emotions.

Satan.

Tags: Angst, Hurt, Comfort

Only You

GN! Reader X Satan

"Ah MC...It seems you have only a week more left in Devildom." Lucifer announced in the middle of breakfast.

Everyone paused and stared blankly. Even Beel stopped chewing and put down his sandwich. You smiled, "Ah I was guessing it might be. Thank you for confirming, Lucifer."

One more week and then you could stop pretending to be okay. One more week of being Lilith. One more week of holding in your trauma. You smiled at the thought of being free of it all.

Everyone around looked dejected. Mammon was the first to break the silence, "Oi! You both are kidding right?!" Lucifer shook his head sternly.

"Ah how unfair! It seems only yesterday we met MC!" Asmo piped in.

"B-but we have so many animes left to finish in our watchlist, MC! And so many games we're still waiting for release!" Levi whined.

"So we can not have MC's cooking anymore?" Beel asked sadly.

"I barely got enough time with them! And you all are complaining?!" Belphie said, annoyed.

Satan was still silent. You looked at him only to find him staring right at you. You blush and look down, picking at your food. No matter how many times he did that, you still couldn't get used to it.

"You must have missed home a lot MC. Happy to go back?" Satan asked softly into your ear. You nodded slightly.

Then you felt your chest tighten. You did want to leave but that would mean no more Satan. You wanted to open up to him. If there was anyone among the brother's who could understand you - it was him.

After breakfast was over you stopped everyone before they left for class.

"Um..since it's my last week here, I have a request on how I want to spend it." You announced. All the brothers nodded and stared attentively.

"I will spend one whole day with each of you individually. And the order will be Beel, Belphie, Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Asmo and Satan. Is everyone okay with this?"

Everyone shared confused glances at the sudden statement but obliged never the less.

The rest of the week flashed by and soon it was your last day. Satan's day.

You woke up early that day, already prepping his parting gift. A bookmark made of dried flowers, with two petals on top shaped like cat ears, inside your favourite book from the human world.

"MC? Are you awake?" Satan called out, after knocking on the door.

You were still dressed in your flimsy pajamas but who cares? You ever going to leave tomorrow anyway. You put on some cat ears and called out, "Come in Satan!"

"Good morning MC, I think you'll like what I've planned for-" Satan stopped in mid speech. His eyes widening at the attire that did a fine job of wrapping around your body seductively.

"Good morning...sorry I was too busy to freshen up haha.." You apologize. "Wait for me here, it'll only take me a few minutes."

Satan nodded, hiding his blush behind his golden locks falling all over his cheeks as he lowered his head. You sighed. How was he so beautiful early morning?

Satan held out his arm like the gentleman he was as you prepared to leave for your date. "Take my arm, MC. We have lots of places to be."

You chuckled and did as told. "I can hardly wait."

You spent the day as if you were in a Romance novel. Cat Cafe, the bookstore, walking in the park watching the setting sun, holding hands. Satan really knew the ways to your heart.

After the sun set, you returned to the house of Lamentation.

"Would you like to come to my room later? We could read your favourite book together one last time before you leave?" Satan requested, his fingers still interlocked with yours.

"Yes..." You nodded, "I was going to ask you the same..."

"I'll be waiting." Satan said, walking you to your room and reluctantly letting go.

After dinner when everyone was asleep, you sneaked into his room. He was wide awake, waiting. He was sitting in his bed in only his black t-shirt and jeans, reading a book. The room was dark with only candles providing enough light to read. He looked up when you called for him softly.

"Satan I'm here...sorry for making you wait.." You said sheepishly.

His eyes lit up and he held out his hand for you to take. "Come sit with me."

You joined him on the bed. He swiftly put an arm around you, holding you snug against him. You could smell his scent and feel his breath on your cheek.

"I got something for you. It's not much but.." You handed Satan your gift.

"A gift? For me?" Satan saw the cover of the book and flipped to where the bookmark was. "That's... beautiful. Thank you MC I can't believe you'd- wait what's this?"

He fished out a long strip of stray paper in the middle of the pages beside the bookmark.

You remembered what it was and tried to snatch it away. How did this even get in there?! What the hell?! "IT'S NOTHING!", You scream

Satan smirked as he held it beyond your reach and started reading it. "A poem for Satan? That doesn't seem like nothing MC."

You tried getting up to gain better access to snatch the paper from him. "DON'T READ IT I SWEAR IT'S NOT SOMETHING SERIOUS. I WAS JUST BEING SILLY!"

Satan tightened his grip on your waist and started reading it out loud to your utter humiliation. You struggled in his grip, gave up and hid your face instead. He stopped midway.

"You read it to me." He demanded.

"Like hell I will!" You rebutted.

"Please." He splayed out his fingers on your back holding you close. His locks tickling your nose.

"N-no. It's embarrassing. I can't-" You started but he looked so dejected you gave in. "Fine but you have to look away from me."

Satan swiftly turned his face away and nodded. You cleared your throat nervously and started.

"Dear blonde boy with the sea in his eyes,

I'll be gone soon, so I'm done with the lies,

I've liked you for a long long time,

But it's too late to impose now, so I guess it's fine?"

"You see me for me, like I see you for you,

Everyone else, they just put me in her shoes,

But these shoes don't fit, they're not mine

And I'm sick of having to toe this line."

"But with you, I'm better, I'm more like myself,

And I can't thank you enough for all your help,

For your kindness, smiles and touch,

You always save me when it gets too much."

You stop. The next part of the poem feels like oversharing. Maybe you should have talked to him about this first. He squeezes your arm, asking you to continue.

"Satan I should explain this-"

"I know. I've known this for a while. But I want to hear this first please continue."

Shakily, you continued.

"I feel his fingers on my throat, unforgiving and unkind,

Help it's getting dark...am I going blind?

I let out a tiny scream with whatever voice I have left,

You're the only one here who didn't turn deaf."

"So replace his touch with yours, with your fingers so gentle and nice,

Hold me, warm me, I feel as cold as ice,

I wish I was a kitten, in your care,

You may be full of wrath, but I was never scared."

"But I'll be gone soon, I don't want to return,

But for you my bookworm, my heart will yearn,

Blonde boy with eyes of sea,

One last time, will you kiss me?"

You had barely finished when Satan spun around and cupped your face. He peppered some kisses on your lips, going upto your ear. He nipped at your earlobe and you let out a soft gasp. His face felt warm and flushed.

He placed his head against yours and sighed. "I can't get enough of you. How do I hold myself back when you're showering me with this much love and that too so beautifully?"

He wrapped his arms around you protectively. You instinctively buried your face in his chest and put your arms around his torso.

"You don't need to hold back..." You whisper.

Satan stiffens. "MC, you don't know what you're asking for."

You hold him tighter, lifting your head you place kisses on his jaw and nibble on his shoulder. "I know."

"Then I won't hold back any longer" He says, slowly pushing you down against his pillows.

He reached down and removed your slippers off your feet. "A part of me suspected you might feel this way. But you're not Lilith. You never will be and you don't have to pretend to be. You're MC. And that's all you need to be."

You looked away, outside at the moon. "Tell me honestly...if I didn't have Lilith's bloodline, would you all care the same way?"

Satan held your chin and turned your face towards him. He may never have been an angel but awash in this silvery moonlight, he certainly looked like one.

"Remember when I told you how much I hated being a part of Lucifer? And you told me that I'm my own person. You told me there was more to me than my wrath."

"Of course." You reached out to hold his face. "You're the smartest demon I know. And your love for cats and literature is unparalleled."

"Well then you're the only human who has swayed my heart. The human so strong and capable enough to bring a semblance for harmony to a dysfunctional family of demons." He smiled gently, running his fingers in your hair.

You felt warm inside. Atleast there was someone who liked you for you. You were so happy you could cry.

"As for what Belphie did, I made sure you never really alone with him." Satan said, now intertwining his fingers with yours. You give him a questioning glance.

"Remember the book of defense spells I gave you? I cast one on you whenever he's in the vicinity. It will render him useless if he dare attack you." He said, matter of factly.

"You knew...? But I never told anyone." You said, confused.

"I know. You held it in for our sake didn't you? You repressed it so much. I can't imagine what kind of hurt you went through." Satan's fingers tightened around yours.

"But one night, you fell asleep in the library. I went to put a blanket on you when I heard you mumbling for help. You kept saying it hurts and you can't breathe. And then you said Belphie's name and asked him to stop hurting you."

"I was so furious I rushed straight to the twins room. I was going to yank Belphie out of bed and renact what he did to you. But Beel woke up and stopped me. I told everyone in the morning before Belphie woke up. You've never been alone with Belphie ever since. One of us always stayed nearby."

You listened in utter shock. "You...you were protecting me all this time?"

Satan nodded, "Well I can't take all the credit. My brother's helped too. But just know that you're not a replacement for Lilith. And Belphie's an ass who doesn't know how to apologize. I'm sorry you had to go through that alone. I know it's your last night here, MC... so I'll make this one worth remembering."

You smiled and pulled Satan towards you for a kiss. "I'm glad I saved the best for last."

[inventors-fair]

Free Sample Group Commentary

Open doors only for today!

@scavenger98 I didn’t do runner ups this time but this entitled boy had serious potential, though I don’t understand the when cast part of the card. Anyway, great overall flavor, 0 actual impact like its cost, which is a good thing for this challenge. It can have serious uses in monarch matters environments, in decks that skip their draw phase for one reason or another (mad pair with Solitary Confinement ) and there can be interesting kitchen table politics since you get to decide who’s the next monarch!

@machine-elf-paladin Pretty smart flavor text and a deceptively innocent 0 drop which could warp the game around it, especially in limited formats, where it would feast on every blocker or removal target until it becomes a threat in its own right. Considering this, maybe haste is a bit too much.

@walker-of-the-yellow-path making a statement for the peculiar times we live in right now with their design! The cards reads fun, but I’m concerned about the impact it will have on the game it’s played. The back and forth of the Plaguebearer might feel too much in the long run. I would like it more if it had limited uses like in the peculiar case of Leech Bonder.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes one can’t go wrong with egg designs! Unlike other egg cards, this one has to “hatch” and not just break/die to get your birb, which is a neat flavor win!

@kavinika Not gonna lie, this lil robo put a smile on my face. It has the essential amount of usefulness for a 0 drop and later on, be it equipment or counters, you can make combat difficult for the opponents. I can’t wait to see more of Soscarus’ creations!

@askkrenko One major concern when designing 0 drops is what if the player gets to have two of them in the first hand? Will it be too much? The all-wise goblin lord of Ravnica tackled this problem with the introduction of the “basic creature” concept and I dig it. Yes, this goblin is stronger than the standard 0 drop, memnite, but at least you can play only one on your first turn. People with experience with affinity decks will know this matters quite a lot.

@aethernalstars Before the commentary, I’m pretty sure this hydra can enter the battlefield without counters but I don’t remember the method. Everyone please comment below to remind me of the card, it really bothers me that I can’t remember it XD Now on to the commentary, I like you used the trend in the flavor texts where Vivien describes animals from different planes! On the battlefield, a 0/1 will do what 0/1s do, but the “printed power” is the selling point of the card, be it revealing on exiling with Varolz.

@dimestoretajic This this the first of the three o drop gods we received! The art chosen for this is great, mighty yet hilarious XD The fury of Om rains down on infidels that mess with your creatures, and that damage can really make a difference. The threat of damage also “protects” your creatures so its a tad easier to actually flip Om’s switch!

@morbidlyqueerious The second god design comes in the form of a land creature. Technically lands aren’t qualified for this challenge since they don’t have costs at all but the problem of the design is that it’s very easy for Anagatha to start counting as a creature, and a 5/5 creature that is. If this was a regular god design for like 2 to 4 mana, it would be great, it has both a good straightforward condition and payoff.

@naban-dean-of-irritation Atropos has a very subtle impact on the game at any time, and its power level is lower than other graveyard hate cards, so I think it being a God creature evens things out. The creature awakening condition feels fair too. I believe it could see play in decks with some artifacts and/or morph shenanigans!

@emmypupcake If you frequent to mythic spoiler, you might have come across the ongoing meme of “Looks like dredge got a new toy”. I feel this can be said the wisps but for Arcades decks or defender heavy theme in general. However it being defender isn’t that much of a drawback for it to have more toughness than ornithopter, and I feel it would be really frustrating if your opponents could wall you with a 3 toughness flyer with 0 effort.

@evscfa1 Zuthfangg is a really interesting design in regards of using a drawback to justify the 0 cost of the card. And in our case the drawback/ the spice of the card is that the opponents have a say on what it can or can’t do. With that in mind, I think being a 1/1 would be okay. Yes, it would surpass memnite for sure, but it’s a legendary creatures so it makes sense!

@nine-effing-hells First of all, I got to praise your effort for writing two flavor texts, and the second in the broken message form! On to the actual card, I think it would look better if the specimen had counters and it loses them in order to transform. That would save some text and complexity. As for the power level, I think by the time you get this to transform, your opponent will be able to handle a 4/4 menace creature.

@whackycrack It’s so cute!!! And while innocent it plays pretty well especially with combined blocks and/or more tiny screamers!

@hypexion I really dig the design idea and the overall flavor but being either a 0/1 or a 4/4 flyer for 0 mana feels overwhelming. The optimal stats are debatable but my call would be either 2/1 or 3/1. I feels its ok to hit harder if you are the monarch, but the high toughness gives it more longevity than other more expensive creatures. What do you guys think?

@starch255 This design is meant for edh, where life totals and creatures are usually larger but gifting a 5/5 0 drop to an opponent so they kill all the other plays is surely undercosted, plus EDH has a lot of tutors so the threat is very real, even in a 99 card deck. A smaller body with some slight evasion would feel less oppressive?

@thedirtside Leyline of Anticipation’s best friend!! Buy yours while supplies last XD It also works well with blink effects. So this little kitty is either an innocent creature or an demon straight out of the Hellvault. Are cats allowed to have such power?

@snugz Fleeting Flame is strictly more fair than the spirit guides cards, and that says a lot. The elemental tag might also come in handy! What’s not to like?

@Danny Death triggers fit 0 cost designs because even if they do have an impact, it happens later in the game, so in this regard, Exploited Muse gets a passing grade! There’s like a lot of room in the card, so I kinda expected some sort of flavor text to explain the muse’s hardships etc

@whuh-oh a 0 mana sliver? You sir, like to play with fire! The average sliver deck appreciates all the ramp it can get but at some point the enters tapped clause will be a hindrance. Ι doubt this passes the 0 cost test, but I’m curious to see how different a Sliver deck would be with a playset of this in it.

@shootingstarhunter Another good strategy for designs with stats higher than the average of the mana cost is the group hug way! The design is also a nice throwback to the recent Generous Gift.

@misterstingyjack and @antediluvian-microchip​ With the innovation of Lithoform Engine, we can now have copies of creature spells, and two people jumped on the hype train to explore this design space. Ludevic’s Reject provides semi-useful bodies with a steep life cost, and Motes of dust, being true to their name, do.. a lot of etb and death triggers. However, there’s a reason MaRo named the storm scale after this wild mechanic, so for once, maybe we should trust Ludevic XD

@shakesZX Typical humans, they cry about being oppressed while they can enter the battlefield as a 3/3 for 0 mana and minimum effort. May Avacyn purge them! Also, it can somehow count the opponent creatures that enter the battlefield on your turn with flash or deathtriggers.

@wolkemesser​ Not gonna lie, didn’t expect to see a germ in a not-token card! The ability is really sweet, it obviously synergizes with living weapon and one scry every couple turns feels ok for a 0 cost card! Glory to Phyrexia!

@deafeningsandwichpeach​ I like that this card uses a condition to justify its power and cost but getting to ten Scute Swarms is a small miracle in itself, even with the built-in replication ability.

@milkandraspberry​ Symmetric effects are fair game in any mana cost, but the scale of this goblin is extreme. 5 damage swings can close the game very abruptly and sudden ends usually don’t provide fun or closure.

@teaxch​ The suicide recipe is never off the menu no matter the mana cost! I think this works well as a 2/1 0 drop. But I can’t help but wonder what evil acts a leech must do to return as a spirit horror XD

@ignorantturtlegaming​ Closing with a very interesting design that cares about multicolored cards. It would be bold to say this is a “build around me card” but I can see it being prime target for auras and other buffs while being supported by multicolored instants for protection. Also pearlescent dragon is all colors, which elevate it to high draft pick in environments like shadowmoor/eventide with their color matters theme.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 249: Todoroki Taco Night

Previously on BnHA: Nothing happened at all, because the manga was on break last week! Fortunately the anime had finally resumed after a billion years (estimation; exact length of time may be slightly off), so we had that to take the edge off in the meantime. Except we didn’t, because the anime also ended up going on break due to a rugby game or some shit. So that was nice. On a related note, when I die I’d like the Basement arc to lower me into my grave, so it can let me down one last time.

Anyway, Endeavor did some mentoring and gave Shouto and Kacchan a power-up assignment and told Deku to work on Air Force to help him master the fine control he needs for the Bloop. Then Fuyu called a week later and was all “HEY DAD, DINNER, OUR PLACE, TONIGHT, BRING THE KIDS.” And then as previously mentioned, we waited two whole fucking weeks and MY GOD, my body is ready, on to the new chapter we go!

Today on BnHA: Shouto, Katsuki, and Deku are cordially invited to Todosmith Farms for an evening of food and fun! They make it approximately six minutes into dinner before Natsu loses it and exits with more theatrics than a spurned reality TV show contestant. Baku and Deku spend the next hour being all “!!!” at each other back and forth, and whispering about how fucking dramatic the Todorokis are, which fully kills me and is my favorite thing ever to happen in the world. Deku then begins to guide Shouto through his personal healing process like fucking Mufasa booming at Simba from the heavens, and meanwhile Endeavor listens in while quietly kneeling before HIS DEAD SON’S PHOTOGRAPH, IN THE SHRINE THEY BUILT FOR SAID DEAD SON IN HIS BEDROOM, and sorrowfully wishing he could do more for his family. Anyways so I’m in ruins now, but otherwise fine. How are you?

(All comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity afterward, and added a few ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.)

well it’s Thursday morning, and I have just seen the picture of baby white-haired Touya because no one in this fandom knows how to fucking spoiler tag (and that’s on me too for browsing the BnHA tag on a Thursday; I know better, but I was just curious how this new group chat thing was working out), so here are my immediate thoughts

we never actually confirmed that the hair color correlates to their powers, huh. we just assumed. but come to think, there’s no reason why someone couldn’t have mom’s hair but dad’s quirk. it’s all Shouto’s fault for being a perfect 50/50 split and thus making everyone assume that THAT’S JUST HOW IT WORKS. damn you Shouto and your dramatic character design

anyways I tried not to look at the pic for too long -- once I realized what I was looking at, I averted my eyes -- but he does look like Dabi, I think. oh shit guys. it’s really fucking happening

and I also didn’t get a good enough look to determine whether this was a photo of Touya (that Deku or whoever happened to spot while visiting the Todochester Mystery House for the much-hyped dinner) or a flashback image (in which he is just standing really fucking still for some reason and staring directly at the camera), so I guess we’ll see. but anyways, Deku and Kacchan didn’t come all the way down to Todoroki taco night to not have their evening peppered with intricate family drama and reopened wounds and hysterical conspiracy theories, so you had better keep them goddamn entertained! lord knows the Todorokis don’t do small talk. this is literally their only way of spicing things up so their guests don’t die of sheer awkwardness while Endeavor sits in stony silence and Shouto just stuffs his face with soba all night

also aren’t we due some popularity poll results soon? just getting in all my random thoughts now before we dive in. anyways Horikoshi, so you know what I want to see now and you better deliver

aaaand now it’s Friday! so Happy Birthday Aizawa, and LET’S GET TO THAT CHAPTER

and we’re opening with Endeavor’s Redemption Arc: The Page. omg

holy fucking shit BnHA. you sure do have a way of making me wait WITH BATED BREATH!! FOR TWO WEEKS!!! ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT!!!! for the new fucking chapter only to have me immediately suck in a deep breath through my teeth and seriously reconsider whether I am in any way emotionally prepared to handle this. “you think you know what you want?!” Horikoshi demands. “YOU HAVE NO IDEA.” sob it’s trueeee

okay. okay. we can do this. hell, if we made it through Tomura’s flashbacks then this should be child’s play. so all right, let’s go

-- oh wait, but before I click to the next page, I just want to note that Endeavor isn’t the only one who’s nowhere to be found in this pic, though! boy you have three sons. uno dos tres

“the hellish Todoroki residence” lmao this legitimately sounds like the title of a Buzzfeed Unsolved episode

ARE YOU TELLING ME ENDEAVOR PROVIDES LUXURY APARTMENTS FOR ALL HIS FUCKING EMPLOYEES OMFG

SO MY THREE SONS HAVE ALL BEEN ROOMING TOGETHER UNDER ENDEAVOR’S ROOF!? THE FANFIC ENDEAVOR AGENCY RESIDENCES?! WHAT KIND OF OT3 SHENANIGANS HAVE BEEN ABOUNDING THIS PAST WEEK OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS LIKE A DREAM

OH MY GOD

okay I have like... ten different notes I want to make about Katsuki and I don’t know where to start SO I’LL JUST START SOMEWHERE!

I’ve legit wanted to see how he would look with his mask pushed up into his hair like a headband for the longest fucking time (I don’t know why! I just wanted to see it!) so this. is. Christmas for me omg. if only he wasn’t making one of his (◣д◢) faces and was instead making a normal face. but that’s probably too much to ask of him at THE CRACK OF DAWN, which brings me to my next point,

I thought he was a morning person?? [furiously checking headcanon notes] kid you go to bed at 8pm. you have your full eight hours by four in the fucking morning. and the full nine and a half hours that GROWING BOYS ACTUALLY NEED by 5:30am, which is when I always assumed you typically woke up in order to get in your morning workout and BEAST IT UP IN THE PIT or whatever gym people do. yet here you are, half dead, while Deku and Burnin’ are raring to go. were you just burning the midnight oil and that’s why you’re grumpy? WAS IT THE FANFIC AGENCY RESIDENCES SHENANIGANS, OH MY GOD I CAN’T

lastly, look at that unzipped collar. why is it that the more disheveled he looks the more I want to pile him up in a headlock and give him noogies. I love him so fucking much, this is ridiculous, he was only gone for two weeks but it felt like SEVENTEEN YEARS anyway

so Burnin’ is all “catch any villains faster than Endeavor yet, LOL, LIKE THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN!!” and they’ve been putting up with this trolling for a fucking week now huh. no wonder Katsuki’s ready to pack it in and sleep for the next year

motherfucker holy shit

sure thing coach. Todoroki Shouto out here ready for the morning huddle. BRING IT IN! ONE TWO THREE PLUS ULTRA

meanwhile Katsuki better keep his hair like that for the rest of the arc now. the collar too. I am living for this

what is Shouto doing with his hands

are you blowing a kiss. or beckoning toward her like Neo in the Matrix. are you channeling your inner Iida. wtf is this

this one panel perfectly encapsulates everything I love about this OT3 dynamic oh my god

Katsuki screaming at Todoroki that he’s better than him (based on impeccable, flawless logic). Shouto completely disregarding this and calmly continuing to have a normal conversation at a normal person volume. and Deku ignoring them both while sending the chipperest, most positive energy in the world out toward this other person because he loves everyone!!

and now there’s three closeups of the boys showing how worn out they are

they’ve been working so hard I’m so proud of them and also they totally deserve a night off to go gorge themselves on soba at Toderly Manor

and then there’s a whole nother page continuing to establish that it has been a week! and they’re working hard! and YES, WE KNOW, though

yep yep yep we get it now WHAT ABOUT THAT DINNER oh my god. it’s been four pages! and if we’re only getting thirteen again then this is precious real estate we’re just wasting here, come onnnnn

so Endeavor is continuing to show off how great he is while the kids look on in frustration

heh but I like this panel because LOOK AT THEM

ALL THREE OF THEM CAN FLY (basically). I love it. yes. just let them be airborne for the rest of the series

meanwhile Endeavor’s thinking agitated thoughts about how Fuyu wants him to try and CONNECT TO THE CHILDREN ON AN ACTUAL EMOTIONAL LEVEL, like what do you think he is?? a human being??!

lol he’s got that look like “WHY DON’T YOU JUST KILL ME NOW AND BE DONE WITH IT.” things he would rather do than have a family dinner with his kids and his two new apprentices: literally. anything. else. ah, but Endeavor. no one said the path of Not Being A Bastard would be easy

he’s thinking about how happy Fuyu sounded on the phone, though. “the thought of us finally becoming a real family...” c’mon Enji you can’t just let your only daughter down like that

and also me. you better not fucking let me down. I was promised dinner at Todoton Abbey and DAMN IT THIS IS HAPPENING

lol he’s getting all fired up and the kids are just mindlessly yelling back like “FUCK YEAH”

even the guy in the background’s like “YEAHHHHHHH LET’S DO ITTT.” the best part is how not a single one of them has any clue what they are loudly agreeing to

OH MY GOD

TODOLAND RANCH, AT LONG LAST. YESSSSS

lmao Kacchan

“it’s not too late!” he is so desperate, bless him. all he wanted was to curl up in his room with a bowl of spicy ramen after a long day and watch old All Might clips on Youtube while blissfully not interacting with a single other soul. and now instead they’ve dragged him to fucking Todo-a-Lago for dinner with his boss, his two best friends who he hates, and SOMEONE’S SISTER. what a nightmare

FUYUMIIIIII

worst part is, I don’t think Kacchan will be able to resist Fuyu’s Kind Elementary School Teacher Energy at all. he’s totally screwed. -- OH MY GOD, IS HE HIDING

like, I know this is the Todoroki drama chapter and that’s where my focus should be, and I’M SORRY, but you guys all know what you signed up for by this point, right? you can read a million other Todo hot takes on tumblr today, but this will forever be the blog that spends paragraphs and paragraphs obsessing over Kacchan hiding behind the door frame and sulking and asking “why though?” in increasingly petulant tones like a four-year-old because SOMEONE DRAGGED HIM TO A SOCIAL EVENT and this is his personal hell! Fuyu’s gonna end up having to manually feed him chicken like Satou did at the party

meanwhile now that I’m actually READING THE REST OF THE PANEL LIKE A NORMAL PERSON, I have to pause for a moment to let my heart break over Deku saying that he hardly ever gets invited over by friends. hey Deku come here for a moment, I just have to give you a dozen hugs real quick and then you can continue as you were

anyway so guys I literally owe Todoroki Fuyumi my life and I want to send her flowers with a “THANKS FOR SAVING THE MANGA” card but it’ll have to wait until the chapter is done. let’s continue

NATSU’S HERE TOO, SHOUTO SAW HIS SHOES, OH M Y GO D

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

(ETA: shout out to Natsu for wearing the greatest shirt of all time and taking Deku’s rookie-tier gags to THE NEXT LEVEL!)

I LOVE EVERYTHING. I’M SOBBING. BLESS YOU HORIKOSHI. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!

holy shit Deku

Alton fucking Brown over here. chill my dude

NATSU BRINGING THAT DRAMA YESSSS

and look how oblivious Deku is to the general vibe settling in here

what the fuck do you see. you just literally had no idea how else to respond to that, huh

oh my god oh my fucking god

(ETA: I’m laughing so hard and I’ll explain in the tags. sob.)

guys let me just break down these two panels for you

1. Fuyu is all “NATSU YOU COOKED TOO”

2. Shouto is all “WTF, I ATE NATSU FOOD AND NO ONE FUCKING TOLD ME”

3. Natsu is all “YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T BECAUSE... THAT MAN PROBABLY WOULDN’T ALLOW IT”

how the fuck is there drama brewing over the fucking cooking. this fucking family. and Shouto’s face is two seconds away from being my new icon omg

LMAO

SO YOU TWO FINALLY FUCKING CONNED ON TO THE DANGEROUS SITUATION YOU’VE FOUND YOURSELVES IN, HUH. that’s right bitches. welcome to Todo’s Landing

and now Fuyu has finally made a FATAL ERROR IN JUDGEMENT oh no. that error being trying to fall back on Shouto of all people to ease the awkward tension. that boy literally is made up of awkward tension. right down to his atoms. Fuyu what were you thinking??

FUYUMI: [SLAMS HANDS ON TABLE] “SHOUTO WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU EAT AT SCHOOL!!!!”

SHOUTO: [LEAPING TO HIS FEET] “AT THE CAFETERIA!!!!”

someone help me I’m fucking dying. actually, you know what, help them

“yo Deku, do you wanna get the fuck out of here right now.” “yes, yes I do.” turns out, they didn’t really need that internship anyway. maybe they can still convince the centipede man to take them instead

holy shit

like, I feel so bad for him, but also Fuyu looks so fucking sad and I can’t?? this is too much, and things haven’t even gotten spicy yet. this arc is going to leave me a wreck

DSFKSLDFJLK

“it’s okay,” Horikoshi says comfortingly, “here’s a panel of your two good boys helping clean up.” WELL THANK YOU, EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT, I’M GOING TO GO SIT. and think about Katsuki being a fucking gentleman whose momma raised him right and who helps clean up the dishes after being invited over for dinner. never mind that he didn’t even help clean up the Christmas party. but he saw Fuyu being sad and immediately went MY GOD, I’VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THIS STUPIDLY NICE LADY

anyway so are you two going to ask Endeavor why his kids hate him so fucking much. or just ignore it because you pretty much know the gist already because Shouto can’t keep a lid closed on anything

OH MY GOD THEY’RE HAVING A SECRET CONVERSATION ABOUT IT

FFFFFFFdfsLK -- “YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NEXT TO ME, ON ACCOUNT OF I WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE, IN THE SHADOWS, BECAUSE I WAS EAVESDROPPING, SHUT UP”

anyways so did you guys know that Deku and Kacchan having whispered conversations about how dramatic the fucking Todorokis are is my all-time aesthetic. I didn’t know either actually. but it is

Fuyu why are you apologizing to Shouto for making him help clean up

AND WHY ARE YOU PERSISTING IN MAKING THAT FACE. SON OF A BITCH. GIRL I’M BRINGING YOU SOME ICE CREAM AND SOME DVDS. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A SLEEPOVER AND FORGET ALL ABOUT THIS SHIT. PLEASE FEEL BETTER. I’M SORRY YOUR TWIN BROTHER IS DEAD AND YOUR WISH TO HAVE A NORMAL FAMILY IS NEVER GOING TO FUCKING COME TRUE BECAUSE WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS OMG

oh my god she’s having a heart to heart with Shouto about how he feels about Endeavor. oh my god I see Horikoshi aiming a bow right at my fucking heart. he’s notching the fucking arrow, this is it, it’s been real you guys

that look in his one visible eye. god. there it is. oh god. hurts

(ETA: do you suppose all of the Todorokis have secretly had that exact same dream. we know Fuyu has, and Rei as well based on her letter. I’m starting to think that Shouto has too. it only makes sense that a boy who was denied a real childhood for the first fifteen years of his life is going to have some part of him that secretly longs to just have a normal family. in related news, Shouto had better get some fucking hugs in this arc!)

-- ARE YOU SERIOUS

WHAT IS IT WITH HORIKOSHI LATELY AND BEING DONE WITH JUST IMPLYING THINGS AND NOW VERY INTO SHOWING THEM IN EXPLICIT HORRIFYING DETAIL. HERE’S A DEAD DOG! HERE’S A DYING CHILD! HERE’S A SIX-YEAR-OLD WHOSE MOM JUST POURED SCALDING WATER ON HIS FUCKING FACE AND SHE DIDN’T MEAN TO BUT IT’S TOO LATE AND NOW THEY’RE BOTH TRAUMATIZED. AND SHE’S USING HER QUIRK TO HEAL HIM AND HELLO, THIS ONE PANEL IS ABOUT TO MAKE ME START CRYING. KATSUKI YOU WERE RIGHT. WHY, THOUGH

(ETA: yeah this does not bode well for an upcoming flashback in which a child was presumably burned the fuck alive. feels like Horikoshi was testing the waters to see how much he could get away with. we may be in for some brutal shit pretty shortly.)

OH MY GOD A LETTER

they’re going to discharge her soon!?? IMMINENT FEELINGS INBOUND. I HAVE NO MORE SPACE TO PUT THEM!! MY HOUSE IS PACKED WITH FUCKING FEELINGS ALREADY, PLEASE

ahhhh he says he doesn’t know

this is the most realistic fucking thing I’ve read in this manga to this date. not knowing how you feel about the abusive parent who did so much harm but is now trying to change. boyyyyy howdy I feel that in my fucking bones. Horikoshi is out there delivering the real shit. goddamn

KATSUKI MY HERO

it’s as though Horikoshi placed his hands on his shoulders and said “listen up sonny boy, I’ve got an important job that only you can do. defuse this tension. in any way you can.” and Katsuki looked him dead in the eye and said “I got this”

meanwhile Deku’s hoping he can spontaneously develop another new quirk which will open up a hole in the ground to swallow him up

DEKU: “I HAD PERMISSION!!!” KACCHAN: “I DIDN’T HAVE SHIT!!”

HE IS BITCHING LIKE A DISGRUNTLED HOUSEWIFE HOLY SHIT I’M LOSING MY MIND

“A NORMAL, PLEASANT EVENING!!” yes of course, that’s why you spent the entire ride over here clinging to Todoroki’s shirt and repeating “WHY” ad infinitum. anyways as usual this child is a nightmare whose fickle tirades absolutely no one deserves to be subjected to, god bless him and I adore him so

and Deku is again apologizing for him like they’re fucking married. this chapter is filled with so many highs and lows for me, it’s wild

this, to be clear, is one of the highs. god I love it

oh shit it looks like Deku’s getting ready to say something! SOMETHING WISE, I BET

YESSSSSSS

IS HE?? sometimes this kid can just peer into other people’s souls with perfect clarity, it’s uncanny

oh my god Shouto’s face

genuine shock. he doesn’t even know how he feels, but somehow Deku is able to cut right to the heart of it

oh my god Katsuki’s there to chime right in too and say “but if you feel like he doesn’t deserve forgiveness that’s fucking fine too”

this is actually incredibly fucking supportive? anyway so guys have I mentioned within the last five seconds how much I love Bakugou fucking Katsuki. I have? well that’s okay I’ll just say it again anyway. and also I love Deku and Shouto too oh my god. bless this chapter

oh lol nevermind that still Deku talking while Katsuki is just making faces. well he’s doing his best. anyways so like I said I love Midoriya fucking Izuku

(ETA: [chinhands] do you guys think. that perhaps. Midoriya Izuku might be harboring some unresolved feelings regarding his own absent daddo. maybe. ??? why does this chapter have so many layers??)

ah I see, Katsuki spied Natsu just STANDING THERE LISTENING IN THE DARK, as one does, and that’s why the face

and also YES, Shouto is like the kindest fucking person in the whole series possibly. thank you for acknowledging that?? I’m in the process of arranging all of these new feels into a comfy little pile now, so maybe I can curl up in them. if Horikoshi insists on delivering more and more

SLDKFJSLDKFLSHGLKJKLJSLGKJSDLFKSDLFKJLSDKJFLKSL

“THE OTHER CHILD WHO’S NO LONGER THERE” RED ALERT, RED FUCKING ALERT, IT’S REALLY HAPPENING, HOLY FUCKING SHIT. REMINDER TO SELF, NEXT THURSDAY I’M GONNA HAVE TO GO ON A SELF-IMPOSED INTERNET HIATUS FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS BECAUSE FANDOM’S GOING TO LOSE THEIR FUCKING SHIT WITH THE SPOILERS NEXT WEEK AND I’M NOT EVEN MAD

sdfhk. oh my god. and so it was a photograph! but one which appears to be a segue into a flashback! and the law of escalating tragic flashbacks states that Touya’s is somehow going to be even more horrific than our last flashback, in which, let me just think back for a sec, oh yes, an entire family was massacred and torn into bloody chunks including a six-year-old girl and a dog, and the surviving child was then adopted by a psychopath who adorned him with severed hands and was all “NEVER FORGET HOW FUCKED UP YOU FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS” and then the child murdered some people to feel better about himself. so this is somehow going to be worse than that. well that’s just. ...I don’t even know. I literally can’t think of a lighthearted way to end that train of thought lmao. WE ARE FUCKING SCREWED. get ready to burn, baby

but meanwhile, parting thoughts

so they really do believe he’s dead. that’s confirmed. and he died (or, well, “died”) young, too, based on this picture and on the toys on that shelf. fffff

Endeavor kneeling at a family shrine to pay respects to his dead son and miserably wishing he was still alive is just. repeated stabbings of my already mutilated heart. thanks. thanks for that

he heard EVERYTHING and he’s saying nothing, because what can he say?? I meanwhile have already said “oh my god” about 1600 times in this recap, but I’ll go ahead and say it again anyway one last time because oh my god, the fucking Todofam AND THEIR FUCKING DRAMA!!!

what can I do for my family at this stage? the last plea of a desperate man struggling to make amends and piece together something he’s already shattered into a million pieces. he keeps dreaming of them being happy together, even if he’s not in the dream. he wants to do right by them, finally. but he doesn’t know how. anyways so people have been saying and saying that this arc so far has been death flag after death flag for this old coot, and you know what, they’re fucking right. this does not have a happy ending. this is going to be fucking devastating. and here I am, fully obsessed with it. fuck me

anyways I guess that’s finally everything I can think of to say. this recap is already a million fucking words so that’s fine lol. why though

[stardancerluv]

Being a Good Friend

Part One

Summary: You play the part of a wing person as your friend goes on blind date. Interesting things unfold.

Warning: *spoiler* Alex Law dressed as a girl (which in the movie he does) drinking, getting tipsy, blacking out.

Arthor’s note: Finally, watched Ewan McGregor’s first film. Oh my I I love it. So I am trying my hand at some Alex Law. Based on how Juliet acts, I imagined her being bi- sexual. I’ve only ever written heterosexual charactors, so I thought I’d give it a try! Don’t hate on me! Also, there are two parts of this that actually happened. They were changed to fit what I was writing. If you care to know what they were please PM me!

You, leaned against the bar. Yawning, you looked down at your watch it was two thirty am. The week, had dragged on for what felt like ages. Rose, your best friend since elementary school had begged you to join her tonight. She had a blind date and had not wanted to go by herself. She only recently had come out and was terrified to meet this girl Juliet.

Glancing over, you smiled. The two were sitting close, smiling and animately talking. You were pretty sure the date was going well.

“Hello there?” You jumped a little, as a voice came from behind you. Followed by a rich chuckle Turning, to the sweet voice, you smiled. “What is a lovely girl like you doing here all alone and without a drink?”

“Hello,” You shrug, and smiled. “I’m not alone.” The blue eye shadow the girl wore was a bit over the top along with the scarlet lipstick, like she was trying too hard. You pressed your lips together, so as to no laugh seeing the Christmas bulbs or disco ball earrings they wore. She seemed tame enough. Looking at what she could see of the dress, you had to wonder how she wore a dress of sequins especially a skin tight one.

You gesture to your friend Rose. “My friend, Rose went on a blind date, she wanted me to tag along in case.”

“How very nice of you. I’m here supporting a friend too.” Her red lips spread into a wide smile. “So how about that drink?”

“Alright! I suppose one drink will be alright.”

She gestured, “Whatever the lady would like.” She told the bartender when they came over.

“Amaretto sour, please!”

“Very nice choice.”

*****

Your giggles had become the silly over exaggerated ones that only comes after several drinks and from being overtired. The conversation between the two of you flowed. It made the time fly as you waited for Rose.

You had not expected to find someone interesting. Last time, Rose was here, she said she had gotten so nervous when in her words girls kept on try to get her to dance. You had thought that was the idea was to get into this and finally feel free. But what did you know. All you knew is you’d kill if a few guys kept on trying to get you out on the dance floor when you went out.

“Y/N?” Having a good time?” Rose came over smiling at you and your newfound friend.

“Yeah.” You nod. “How about you?” You giggled. As you saw Rose and Juliet’s fingers entwining as they stood there.

You noticed that your new found friend had gotten up and rested a hand on Juliet’s shoulder. They said something to each other you couldn’t make out.

Rose smiled and looked back at Juliet. “I did, I am. We’re going to go to her flat for a late night bit to eat want to join us?”

“Yeah, huh you want to come over?” Juliet asked. She seemed sweet.

“The night is young.” Your friend smiled brightly from over Juliet’s shoulder.

You stood up then that’s when you realized you the drinks hit you a little harder. You giggled as you wavered on your feet. Looking at them but meaning to look at your friend but being so tipsy kind of prevented that.

“What if she’s an ax murderer bring you back to her lair.”

The two others laughed uproariously. Your friend gave you a look that could have killed.

You held up your hands. “Hey I was here just in case.”

“Comon’ let’s go eat. If you don’t like it, I’ll call a cab.”

Still feeling protective of your friend you decided to come, just in case.

“Sure! I’m game.”

*****

When the cool night air hit you, you realized even further how the drinks hit you. The world felt fuzzy, warm and just little off balance. It had been ages since you drank that much. Your new friend gave you a solid arm to hold onto as you all walked over to what appeared to be Juliet’s car.

Once in the back seat, Rose leaned in close. “Juliet is amazing.” She whispered.

You smiled. “You two seemed to have hit it off.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Your friend asked from the front seat. A smirked played on her lips.

The two of you of you looked at each other and giggled.

“Absolutely nothing.” Your friend replied.

“Your fabulous earrings.” You piped up.

“Hey what’s wrong with them!”

“Nothing.” You giggled further and shook your head.

“I couldn’t decide if they were disco balls or Christmas ornaments.” You whispered to your friend, who laughed uproariously.

*****

You were a little winded when you reached the top floor. “How the hell do climb these everyday?” You had held onto her a little tighter. The steps in your state had become a bit of a challenge.

“I’m just that strong.” She said easily.

“Huffed and puffed the first three months after moving in.” Juliet called over her shoulder at you two.

She grimaced. “Thanks.”

“Only fair she knows the truth.”

Once inside, you leaned against the wall. “Mind if I slip out of these.”

You held one of your aching feet still in the high heels. You friend leaned a hand on the wall beside you. “Be my guest sugar, but allow me.”

Kneeling in front of you she gently took you by your ankle and rested your foot on her thigh.

You wavered a little.

“Steady.” She gave your calf a firm squeeze which did in fact steady you. Her blue eyes reminded you on a clear, warm days.

She removed the first heel, then she did the same with your other foot.

You sighed and relaxed, leaning heavily against the cool wall.

“You’re quite short.” She chuckled, as she looked down at you.

You smiled. “A bit.”

She led you to a sofa. “Come here, have a sit. Take it easy.”

A brisk male voice came from behind the two of you. “What is this about? Who are they?” A man with very serious eyes, narrowed as he looked at you down his beak like nose. Despite looking rumbled, his terribly serious pajamas made for a rather comical image, you bit back a giggle.

“That’s Juliet’s date Rose in the kitchen...I believe that was her name and this is Y/N.”

“Ahh I see. Well, keep it quiet. I’m working some over time tomorrow. I don’t have time for any nonsense.

“Such a party downer you are David.”

David, shook his head and disappeared back into a room and closed the door.

“He doesn’t know how to have a good time.” Grimacing, she continued. “I was gonna say, I’m gonna get more comfortable myself, I’ll be right back.”

“Alright.” You nod, you sunk into the incredibly comfortable sofa. It made the fuzziness of the drinks truly envelope you.

You glanced over at Rose when you heard giggles and soft voices in the kitchen. You watched as Rose hopped onto the counter, Juliet looked in the refrigerator. Then something, you couldn’t make out and her Juliet gave you a quick nervous kiss. You smiled. How sweet, you mused then you fell into the darkness only all the drinks you had could do.

******

On the way, to his bedroom he spied Juliet giggling with your friend. It made him happy. You were good enough to hang out with. That in mind, he was kicking himself.

Why had he let Juliet convince him to dress up like a girl. Oh! I need a wing person, she said. If you don’t do this no one will talk to you all night. You will get antsy and want to leave. It will be fun, you make a pretty girl. She ruffled his hair. Sure it was all good fun till he met you.

You were incredibly lovely. He had really enjoyed the conversation despite you growing more tipsy. He on the other hand did know how to hold his alcohol.

Closing the door behind him, he more than happily pulled off the sequined dress. You had managed to distract him so much that he had stopped fidgeting the night away. Damn, sequins was awfully itchy. His whole body, shook with delight to have it off his body. He pulled off the earrings next and taking a tissue rubbed off the scarlet color from his lips.

He now pulled on some jeans, heavy socks and a green sweatshirt. Sneaking out of the bathroom, he wanted to wash off the eye shadow before seeing you again.

He really hoped that when he said you to, he was helping a friend too that maybe you see him under the make-up. Or perhaps, when you felt his solid frame as he walked with up the dreaded steps up to the flat or his hairy legs. He’d soon find out.

Turning the knobs, making sure the water was the right temperature, soaping up his hands he washed his face of the last of the make-up off.

He dried his face. Pointing a finger at his reflection and he winked.

“So ahh, Y/N can I get you some water or tea?”

He came up behind where you sat on the sofa. Coming, around the sofa to you, he saw.

“Oh, bloody hell.” He knelt down in front of you. He patted your cheek, snapped his fingers. “Y/N, are you with us? Hello?”

You continued to sleep on.

Damn, he knew the two of you should have stopped at two drinks not five but he was having too much fun with you to care.

Not incredibly, sure what to do. He had to think fast. He remembered what Juliet and David would do when that was him. Grumbling, he picked you up. He’d never been so glad that he had just changed his sheets or he would have kept you on the sofa, he thought with a chuckle.

He placed you on top of his bed. Gently pulled off the scarf, he reached under the sweater, he smiled when he felt a silken cami. Removing, the sweater the cami came to light. “Oh!” His lips formed an o. That cami left little to the imagination. You were really quite lovely. Damn it. Grabbing your clothing, he draped them on top of his dresser that sat near the bed.

Easily, he moved you onto your side and grabbed some pillows, he propped you up. He placed his bin nearby, just in case.

Happy he had done the right thing he went out to the girls.

Juliet, was pulling out a pizza he had seen her earlier make and put in freezer. “Oh we get to dig into that do we?”

She smiled. “Yup.”

He offered his hand to your friend. “Hello Alex, Y/N told me you are Rose.”

She tiled her head to one side and laughed behind her hand after shaking his. “You were right he was a pretty girl.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “You said that to her?”

Juliet nodded. “I told her you did it to be my wing person.”

“Ahh, alright.”

@darling-i-read-it @rosionis @theblackmaskclub @brookisbi @johallzy @obiwankenobiness

[jq37]

i know you posted your thoughts on the big arguing scene in “we need to talk about pete” but i was wondering if you were going to post a full breakdown? that episode was a lot and i love hearing your thoughts on eps. ignore this if you have done a breakdown and i’m dumb and just missed it lol

**spoilers for the war of bugs and rats and we need to talk about pete**

What’s up denizens of Magic NYC? Now, I unfortunately live in normal NYC where I have to pay bills and stuff so I’ve been MIA with recaps for the past few eps but, no sweat. We’re gonna do a double feature of the above two eps and then I’ll group in the last battle episode with the upcoming episode. So lets catch up on what’s been going on in The Unsleeping City There’s a LOT to get through so vámanos y'all.

First up, we have our big bug fight in Queens, which Sophie enters with a camelback full of box wine because Emily is Emily.

“I’ve heard of gentrification but this is crazy!”

Brennan enjoys making those gross, chittering, bug noises way too much.

Have we talked about Pete’s cowboy hat? Because, for real, what is up with Pete’s cowboy hat? It seems absolutely apropos of nothing. Was he just like, “Sick,” and he decided to wear it everywhere? That seems to be how he makes all of his decisions.

“Butthole 2: Electric Boogaloo.”

Emily clocks the cat *immediately*. Like to the point where I’m almost thinking, “Did this cat exist before Emily mentioned looking for one?” And I want to say yes because La Gran Gata seems very fleshed out, specific, and intentional. But folks, we are living in a post-Avanash world so idk what to think. (Edit: The cat does have a mini now that I’ve gotten to that but idk, that insert shot could have been shot post ep so like, who knows?)

Anyway, Emily’s entire mission objective immediately becomes saving this cat she’s vaguely aware of.  

“5E you crazy.”

The Cast, Knowing Emily just rolled a 25 and still has a 1d8 Bless in Her Back Pocket if She Needs It: Brennan, Just Ask.

The horror on Emily’s face when she realizes that she just called an attack on the cat cocoon.

So Emily goes off on a very Emily side quest to rescue a random cat but happens to unlock a very cool NPC–La Gran Gata–who is like the spirit of all the bodega cats out there. Sophie immediately calls upon the entirety of her limited Spanish skills to try and make friends with the cat, and succeeds.

The, “To arms, to arms my brothers!” thing kills me every time. Are all rats just Like That? Is that what they’re like when they’re out and about too?

Kingston rolling a nat 20 to literally walk across the store is wild.

Oh also, Pete failed a wild magic surge roll which just lets him fly. So far, those wild magic surges have really been working out for him.

Anyway, Bug Boss Becky turns Ricky into a “buff-ass” dog.

Zac playing dog-Ricky with almost exactly the same self-awareness (or lack thereof) as normal-Ricky is so funny. He’s an Akita and I was expecting Dalmatian but that makes sense too. Ricky, the very good boy, attacks Becky and–as a Sentinel–stops her in her tracks.

Emily does a ton of damage and Brennan, about to describe her attack, is like, “Are you still drunk?” Emily shuts down the opportunity to look cooler and is like, “I am a messy, drunk bitch. Describe that.” Emily isn’t here to be cool. Emily is here to roleplay.

I had never heard the word brindled before now and Brennan uses it to describe two separate animals in this ep.

Siobhan rolls a nat 20 to dispel magic on Ricky which is objectively good but also I would have loved for him to be a dog a little longer. Also, this moment makes me really, really want to get some backstory on Misty. Like, clearly there are some serious Fae Shenanigans going on with her and I need specifics yesterday.

Also, Ricky comes back with pointier ears and wolfier senses and I’m just picturing Channing Tatum in Jupiter Ascending.

Before I forget, Sophie, Pete, and Misty yoink magical items from the magic bodega within the bodega La Gran Gata opened up. Sophie’s is a magic ring that amps up her punches. Misty took a mirror and Pete took a grill (like for your teeth). Not sure what those do yet.

The fact that this whole fight wasn’t under the Umbral Arcana and there are people out there that remember is a little concerning for me. I can’t quite tell if it’s the sort of thing that will come back or more of a warning of what can happen if the U.A. goes down again.

Post-fight, Sophie asks La Gran Gata for mismatched David Bowie eyes like the cat has. Siobahn goes, “That’s what you’re gonna ask? You drunk bitch.” But Sophie has her wish granted. I’m sure that won’t raise any questions with people who have known her her entire life. 

“She’s gonna fuck that cat.”

So the fight’s over and they realize that the Key to the City is missing which I can’t imagine is a good thing.

This brings us to the RP ep, We Need to Talk About Pete, which picks up directly where the previous ep ended.

Ally and Emily go for the exact same joke of getting Guinness’s post-fight. Kingston–as a medical professional, Vox Populi, and sanest adult of this troupe–loudly objects (smacking the beers out of Pete’s hands multiple times) and wants to know what the hell is going on with the bugs they just fought.

Sidenote: Sophie took a level in Warlock with La Gran Gata as her patron because of *course* she did. I wonder if this was the plan from the beginning or if Emily was watching all her friends spellcasting and started getting the jitters from magic user withdrawal.

Murph’s “What?” face when Emily says, “I’ll be waiting, but not in an impatient, desperate way,” is gold.

They search the bodega and find a thing of 1000 Hour Energy and Kugrash gives it to Ricky over Pete’s objections. They also find Holy Grail Laundry Detergent (Kingston pays for it), The Grill I mentioned earlier (Kingston hates this), and this bagel. 

All the magic users show up. Alejandro wants an explanation pronto and everyone points a finger at Pete who explains everything in his typical, nonchalant, vague, kinda spaced out way which Alejandro is not digging at all. He starts to go off on the enormity of the situation and Pete starts dropping acid.

I’m gonna stop here for a sec to talk about how Ally is playing Pete. There are moments when I feel like Ally is doing something as a comedian for a bit. And there’s kind of a sense of, is this funny? Obviously. But what are the in game implications of this move? Like the running joke of Pete constantly being high on something is funny, out of game. But,  in game, it’s massively concerning. And I’m really curious about where Ally is choosing to draw the line between doing the funny thing and doing the prudent thing. I almost said the in-character thing but Ally made a character so consistently bonkers that whatever he does could plausibly be the in-character thing. Pete is kind of a massive disaster.

Anyway, Alejandro drives home the point that Pete’s actions have consequences and have caused actual deaths at this point. Pete’s magic is internally going wonky as he gets more distressed (I really wanted to see a wild magic surge fail here but alas). But he’s still outwardly like a 4 on the giving a damn scale when the situation is a 13 out of 10. Pete is only half listening to this because he’s halfway out the door, smoking. Alejandro plans with Kingston to discuss Pete later.

Misty, always sowing seeds of chaos, suggests Alejandro stock up on Juul pods before they stop selling them completely. Kingston hates this (this is basically his mood for the episode).  

Outside, Pete gets a text from Priya which ends with them planning a meet up for later after leaving her on read for a while. Pete dips without saying anything to anyone but Kingston who ignores him (and also Sophie who Emily hilariously guilts Ally into including out of character). Dipping on the conversation about how to fix YOUR mess isn’t the wisest move but Pete isn’t the wisest guy.  

In the meantime, Ricky does the Twilight Bark to summon a dalmatian (yes!) to help him find the stolen key to the city. Kugrash turns into a busted ass dalmatian who has trouble keeping up.

Ricky doesn’t have the plate mail armor that usually makes a Paladin so unstealthy but he is so hot as to have the same lack of stealthiness which is one of my favorite adaptations of the game for this setting. Anyway, Ricky does the superhero thing of running through the city, helping everyone with a problem along the way, and loses the key in the Financial District which smells like death (feels about right).

Siobahn playing Misty as, “Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was Emma Lazarus,” when, in reality, she was the first person who made the connection was great. S/o to ppl who separate player and character knowledge. Misty partied w/ Emma of course because she partied with every historical figure that’s passed through NYC since she showed up.

Post adventure, people need to go to their day jobs. Misty has a +10 to performance but rolling a 3 is rolling a 3. It’s not her best work. Later, her assistant brings her holly, silver, and assorted other stuff which sounds like Fae BS if I’ve ever heard it. Misty cuts her off before she can elaborate more. I know we’re getting a secret spilling episode next time so I’m really hoping we get some Misty lore because she is being frustratingly cagey. She talks so much but says so little that means anything.

Kugrash sneaks into his son David’s house (while Emily learns a rat fact she clearly didn’t want to know) and Murph  and Brennan tag team go for the proverbial emotional jugular.

Murph rolls a nat 20 on his investigate and so he gets a lot of his old files and puts together that Robert is Robert Moses–a famous historical figure in NY who I actually heard about for the first time very recently. Or maybe I should say infamous. He did a lot with NY infrastructure–especially highways–(Emily connects this to the Highway Hex immediately) and he wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. His bread and butter was working the system. There’s a Pulitzer winning book called The Power Broker about how he was able to amass power and influence. I don’t know enough about NY history to run my mouth off about the guy but the little I do know is in character with his T.U.S. incarnation. Also, just FYI, irl this dude died in the 80s. So, you know. That’s interesting.

Brennan, I guess: Why invent new bad guys when history is full of terrible people I just have to give magic to?

Brennan, continuing his tradition of letting people get emotionally destroyed by nat 20s, has Murph find a crushing letter from David to Kug which was never mailed.

Note: So, as I was writing this, my video timed out right at the line, “I don’t expect this letter to find you before my funeral,” which is kinda good bc idk if this is what I need at 1 AM. Anyway, back to the pain.

The letter reveals that David has devoted his life to stopping crooks like him (Kug) and that he’s mostly upset about how his leaving has affected the younger, more fragile Wally.

“I leave the letter because I’ll remember it.” Yeah I bet you will.

It looks like Kug is gonna confront Wally next ep which I am now even more excited to see.

So let’s move onto the SECOND big gut-punch of the episode. Kingston goes down to the station to give a statement about the Santa Incident. He sees a shit elemental in a lineup which isn’t super relevant to the main events but I can’t not mention something like that.

Anyway, guess what? Kingston’s ex (Liz) isn’t dead! She’s an attorney for the justice system of The Unsleeping City and she’s pissed the hell off. During their interview, he stops the tape recorder to cuss out Kingston for going on a “date” with Misty and for getting her involved in all the magical junk which means she has to do things like fingerprint shit elementals instead of being on track to be D.A. like she originally was. The way she described it made it sound like she was press ganged into it which seems like it shouldn’t be how this works, you know? Is there no blue pill option here? Also, not to be all grass is greener but I actually am a lawyer in NY (closer to Kug’s job, minus the crime) and I would swap with Liz in a heartbeat.

The fact that anything Kingston says as Vox is per se admissible is a cool detail. 

Sophie fights an old man (Jackson) in a CVS and joins a monastery which sounds like a shitpost but it isn’t. With La Gran Gata’s blessing she is now a member of the Order of the Concrete Fist.

I saw the Staten Island joke coming the second Brennan started talking but it was still hysterical when it landed.

At the same time, Pete is getting knuckle tats because, sure. And he also goes to see Priya who I am baffled was with him for any length of time. Maybe it’s the artist thing?

Also, Sophie keeps postponing her meeting with Mario which is concerning to me. The story is still happening when you’re not interacting with it. Brennan specifically said when she texted him that she got no response which doesn’t make me feel good about what’s going on with him.

Ricky has three super jacked, fratty firefighter bros, all named John who are like woke as hell. I wish I could follow the dude around for a day because every single facet of his life is wild.

Well, this episode promised we were gonna talk about Pete so let’s talk about Pete.

The gang, sans Pete, meet up with the magical powers that be to discus the destruction the newest Vox his leaving in his wake.

Sidenote, wild that Sophie has been magic for like 15 minutes and got to go to this meeting.

Alejandro wants to know what the plan is for if Pete’s powers go off the rails again. Kingston, who has clearly seen Old Yeller, offers the most drastic solution immediately: if it comes to it, we take him out. (Cut to Ally’s “Yikes” face). Kug, Sophie, and Ricky push back on that.

Misty, hilariously (and also suspiciously), is mainly concerned about NY because she needs theater to keep happening. This woman is chaotic something and I’m not convinced it’s chaotic good yet.

Anyway, I already did my big write-up on this part of the episode, but I’ll say it again: Kingston is right. He’s harsh but he’s right. This is some Phoenix Force BS that’s happening and do you know how that arc ends (the OG one, not the million other Phoenix Sagas that have happened since)? It ends with Jean Grey killing herself so she doesn’t lose control and eat another planet. Ricky is too dangerous for his own good and he doesn’t seem to have the emotional maturity to care (or at least to care at the correct level). Like, he was a drug dealer when this started which is already not ideal. He caused a huge mess and then just bounced without trying to help fix it. He thought that a week was enough time for human casualties to be water under the bridge. Frankly, not considering the nuclear option and just having to figure out if killing him is something the group is willing to do on the fly would be the more irresponsible option.

And not including Pete in the discussion would bother me more if he hadn’t openly blown off every serious discussion people have tried to have with him so far. If he’s not going to take things seriously, it makes sense they don’t invite him to the serious discussions.

The version of this story where Pete accidentally gets a bunch of people killed, finds out what he did, cries about it for a full day, and then finds out they’re talking about possibly killing him is a story where Pete is more sympathetic imo. But still, finding out that people talked about killing you under any circumstances has got to be rough.

IMO, the order of things that should be done right now are (1) putting magical training wheels on Pete, (2a) getting Pete trained or his powers transferred if it’s possible/he wants out, (2b) either way, getting Pete into therapy (like, he needed therapy before he got magic. now it’s just a matter of life and death–besides just his own), (3) talking to Pete again about the stakes and telling him point blank but not in while heated that there’s the possibility of a scenario where his powers go out of control and you have to understand that at that point it’s a matter of saving as many lives as possible. Like, Kingston can say, with conviction, “If I go rogue, you should do the same to me.” They’re in the same boat. Kingston’s just been rowing longer. Well, similar boats anyway. I imagine the Vox Populi powers are less inherently chaotic. And maybe the knowledge that a nuclear option is on the table would make Pete not want the job or want him to have his powers muted or something. Cool. Then you have that discussion at that point. Just, these are the conversations that need to happen. And maybe his own mortality will be the thing that helps get Pete’s head in the game. 

What jewel did Ale take out of his pocket during this conversation? Taking note of that. (Juul, not jewel. Duh. Thx thethief )

Pete gets in touch w/ Alejandro’s granddaughters who tell him that Alejandro’s still pretty pissed (which is surprising to Pete but like, bro. People died). Then, Robert shows up to sweet talk Pete and show him the video (that he somehow has) of Kingston talking at the Pete Meeting. When I was watching this the first time I was like, “How long before this blows up in their face–oh, almost immediately. Cool.”

He takes Pete to his vampire nightclub and hits him with Pete’s own “I didn’t create the demand” line that you just know Brennan put a pin in to hit Pete with that Uno Reverse card.

Robert tries to get Pete to summon Nod and then just does it forcibly with some kind of blood magic when Pete is hesitant. Pete wild magic surges, kills a bunch of vamps, and Nod (super injured by being in the waking world) teleports them both to the subway.

The group (including Alejandro) meets them there so they can catch the L train to Nod but Epona shows up. And you already know from Fantasy High that Brennan is on the ACAB train (or is that AFCAB?). Epona is now wearing a crooked badge–crooked badge for a crooked cop. She wants Nod. No can do. The gang gets ready to–to quote Mr. Cubby-make some bacon while Alejandro tries to cast a spell to summon a train to Nod (the place not the person).

So I’ll see y’all next time (whenever that is) for some subway fighting and some backstory unlocking! 

[bookenders]

11/11/11 Tag Game: Round... uh... 5, 6, & 7?

I got tagged by a bunch of people ( @quilloftheclouds is this how your 77 question one felt??) so here are a bunch of answers! I think this is the most I’ve ever talked about myself in my life. 

Good gracious, you’re all so nice and have such good questions.

Tagged by: @surroundedbypearls, @waterfallwritings, @bigmoodword, @sundaynightnovels

Rules: answer 11 questions, tag 11 people, give them 11 new questions!

[I’ve done this enough to be able to break the tag rules. Fight me.]

44 questions and answers below the cut!

But I’ll be nice and put my questions right here:

What would you do for a Klondike bar?

When do you title your WIPs? It is the first thing you do? The last? Does it come to you during drafting?

How many inside jokes do you put in your WIP(s)?

Your WIP’s antagonist is now The Riddler. How do your OCs handle that?

Do you use sticky notes?

Laptop or desktop?

Your OC is a wrestler. What’s their hype music?

Do you own any craft books/books on writing?

What’s your favorite book cover?

How many unread books do you have sitting around right now? Which are you most excited to maybe get to eventually some time?

How committed are you to your outline(s)?

Bilbo Taggins: Literally anyone, but also @francestroublr, @sahados-shadow, @a-story-im-writing, @bethkerring, @citruschickadee, @bos-ingit

If I’ve tagged you before, you can totally ignore this. In fact, I encourage you to.

From @surroundedbypearls:

What’s your favourite genre to write in and why? Literary fiction! It’s what I learned in university and the one that fits my themes best. Sci-fi is hard, I’m just getting into writing fantasy stuff, I can’t do thrillers, romance is hard for me, and historical is too much work.

Do you think you have a style/voice that you use more often in your writing? When did you develop that style? If you’ve read one of my stories, you know exactly how my writing voice sounds. It doesn’t change too much. I write like I talk, but if I had a lot more gravitas and charisma. Honestly, I’ve always had that kind of style, but it really developed in high school. It’s been getting stronger since then. It’s one of the things I always got comments about from my teachers and fellow workshop writers. “Your voice is so strong!” Yep. It’s mah thang.

Do you play video games? What’s your favourite? YES I DO. It’s hard to pick faves, but I’ve played Dragon Age: Origins too many times. 

If you were going to do a WIP crossover, which OCs would be most interesting together? (If you’ve only got one WIP crossover with something else) A crossover between H2H and AOPC? Interesting. I think Mel and Keema would get along the best, Oz would have some fightin’ words for Elder Sanga, and Gemma and Teva would be a force to be reckoned with, my god. Two stubborn nerds who believe totally different things but are also very determined to be very good at what they want to do and love their communities to a fault? Fear them.

Do you prefer to plan WIPs in a document or through handwritten notes? I used to do it by hand but I couldn’t read it because my handwriting is terrible and I kept losing papers. I do it in docs now. Much easier to organize and incredibly legible.

Do you multiple languages exist in your WIP? If so how do you address that in the story? H2H is set in the “real world,” so yep. It hasn’t been addressed too much yet, but I have a way for tackling languages. I’ve written multilingual-ish stories before. I never write phonetically and use hella context clues so the reader knows the gist of what was said if another character doesn’t translate.

What’s your favourite animated film that’s not Disney or Pixar? AN AMERICAN TAIL. All of them. It’s on Netflix go watch it and marvel at the way a kids movie talks about Jewish immigration, poverty, and cultural oppression via mice. As a young Jewish child, this movie was my jam. It’s very dark, though.

Do your real-life surroundings influence your WIP’s settings? Nope! One time I tried to write a story set in the same area where I lived and I couldn’t do it. Too weird. Sometimes I’ll write in an item I see near me, or like, a painting or poster on the wall if I need some set decoration, but that’s about it.

Which OCs would be most likely to break the fourth wall? Oz. Lookin’ at the camera like he’s in The Office.

How do you work out your OCs’ personalities? Hm. I look at the story I’m trying to write and make a protagonist that would have the most interesting experience in that narrative. For H2H, I wanted someone who would be loyal as heck to the people they loved while still being experimental enough to try new things and get into shenanigans. The story called for someone like that, and there she was. Mel came about my thinking of someone who would compliment other characters in the story while still being their own person. If that makes sense. I think of dynamics and interactions with the story world in relation to the theme(s). Most of the time they just happen, though.

Do you prefer worldbuilding or character building? Character building! As much as I like making stories about places, making characters is more fun for me, and more interesting. You should see all the DnD character sheets I have. 

From @waterfallwritings:

1. How do you come up with ideas for your WIPs?

At random. Seriously. It’s like my brain has to be running something in the background to function normally, and usually that something is whatever story I happen to be working on. Or I’ll look at a thing and go “huh.” My brain also likes to twist normal things to be a little bit different.

2. How do you get past gaps in the plot?

No idea, man. It’s like throwing spaghetti at a wall. I like to work backwards. If this is what I want to happen, what needs to happen before that to ensure that it occurs? I look at all the elements currently in the story and see if one can be manipulated to fill in the hole.

3. What motivates you to keep writing?

If I don’t, my brain gets all constipated and angry until I write something down. Like, seriously, I get grumpy and frustrated like I’m hangry or something. Aside from physical need, I love writing. I love word puzzles and feelings puzzles and figuring them out. Sometimes I think of how my stories could help someone, or make them feel something that they enjoy. 

4. Do you do any other kind of creative writing?

Oh, man, I’ve done it all. Screenwriting, playwriting, poetry, video game-ish writing, interactive storytelling, short stories, flash fiction, proposals, essays, DnD campaigns, monologues... You name it, I’ve probably tried it. I tend to stick to prose and poetry these days.

5. Do you have any other creative hobbies besides writing?

I’ve gotten into graphic design a little bit. I kind of wanna learn how to knit again. I’m not really very crafty. 

6. What do you do when you’re stuck on a scene and don’t know how to get it out / write it?

Write a different scene, stare at the screen in frustration until I give up and go to sleep, meditate for a few minutes, go do something else to get my mind off of it, clean, work on a different project.

7. How do you decide how to end your WIP?

I mean, see the next question for part of my answer. How did I decide to end H2H? My friend, that’s a big ‘ole spoiler. But I decided to end it at a place where everything, and everyone, comes together.

8. When in the process of writing do you decide how its going to end? Or do you kind of just wait til you get there?

Right at the beginning. If I don’t know where it’ll end, I have a hard time writing the arc. I work backwards: start with the idea, then think of where I want it to end up, then work back to the beginning until I know where its going, then start writing.

9. Why did you decide to join writeblr?

My reasons are pretty personal, but the least personal is that I needed some accountability and motivation. And I missed being in a good writing community.

10. What’s your favourite food?

Pasta! I’m eating spaghetti right now.

11. If you had to kill off a character in your WIP, who would it be and why?

Oz would be the most tragic. Treena would be the most logical. 

From @bigmoodword:

1. using one sentence summaries, can you tell me about your wips?

Nerdy potion woman meets cute odd stranger who helps her solve magic mysteries in their quirky small town.

2. what inspired them?

I saw a zine accepting submissions for magic stories, then an open call for queer shifter stories, and thought “what if wholesome magical lesbians?”

3. which of your ocs do you most identify with?

Gemma!

4. if you’ve ever cried while reading, which book cued the waterworks?

THE SONG OF ACHILLES.  My God, my soul was weeping. Honestly, it still is. Doesn’t matter that I knew the story from the Iliad. Madeline Miller is a feelings wizard.

5. how do you conduct research for your wips and what’s the most interesting thing you’ve discovered in said research?

On an as-needed basis. I used to do way too much research to avoid actually writing the damn thing, so now I only do it when I actually run into a problem that can be solved by Google.

6. thus far, which scene has been the most difficult to write?

The ones that aren’t hugely emotional. Which is... unfortunate.

7. which of your ocs do you like the least?

Rude. On a personal level, Jill. I love her, but I would not be friends with her. We wouldn’t mesh at all.

8. which pov and tense do you prefer to write in?

Third person limited present tense! To the bane of everyone who’s ever edited my work.

9. do you write poetry?

I do! Not often, though.

10. who is your writing role model?

My freakin’ writing professor from college. He is crazy disciplined.

11. if you could give your younger writer self some advice, what would it be?

Hey, you know those people who say your writing is too dark? Yeah, they suck and they’re wrong. They just want kids to live up to their expectations and write happy sunshiny stories about unicorns and dinosaurs having ice cream. And you’re not depressed because you wrote that one sad poem one time and someone asked if you were depressed. What you have is called feelings and they’re very useful for a writer, nay, a human, to have.

From @sundaynightnovels:

Who is your biggest role model? Okay, so I got crap all the time in grade school for never having a role model, and I still don’t have one. The teachers were concerned about me. But my reasoning was, “why should I want to live someone else’s life?” Yeah. They didn’t really know what to do with that...

What are your OCs favorite foods? Sort of answered here!

Which OC is most afraid of the dark? Oz and Mary!

What made you want to start a writing blog/participate in the writeblr community? Answered above!

Did you sleep with a stuffed animal as a kid? Do you still? I did, indeed. I don’t anymore, but I have two that I shuffle around my room when they get in the way. One is a highland cow I got in Scotland (he has a plaid hat), the other is a blue whale I got at the Museum of Natural History in NY.

Do you like donuts? I love donuts. Especially jelly filled ones. Mmm.

Do/would your OCs like donuts? All of my OCs like donuts. I don’t think Mel has ever had a modern one, though.

What is your least favorite food? Cauliflower? I’m the household taste-tester, so there’s been a lot of stuff I don’t like.  ( @sundaynightnovels I hate sparkling water, too, you’re not alone!)

What is your ideal writing environment? Comfy seating, a chair with no arms (stupid elbows), alone, plenty of chosen beverage within reach, headphones.

Favorite line from your WIP? So far, it’s this one!

Favorite quote from a book? Oh, man. There are so many. From recent memory, here are a few: “’Give it time,’ she replies. ‘It won’t be a story forever.’“  and “Everyone has heard stories of women like us, and now we will make more of them.” (both from The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy) “When he smiled, the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled like a leaf held to flame.” and “I lean forward and our lips land clumsily on each other. They are like the fat bodies of bees, soft and round and giddy with pollen.” (I could write a goddamn essay about the imagery in this scene.) (It is quite possibly my favorite description of a kiss ever. And the metaphor extends through the rest of the scene so artfully ugh.) (both from The Song of Achilles) “The thing about a story is that you dream it as you tell it, hoping that others might then dream along with you, and in this way memory and imagination and language combine to make spirits in the head.” (from The Things They Carried)

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

very late S5 Ep6 discourse

Really? People got upset over that?

What’s the big deal. Sansa got raped by Ramsay Bolton. Ramsay Bolton is a monster. That’s his character. Next.

I read some complaints saying “Oh it completely backtracks all of Sansa’s character development” and I’m just...fuck, what character development? 

She went from being a naive silly little girl who seemed to care only about herself to a sad yet still naive girl that lost her family. The only things she possesses are her ability to say “yes” to the wrong people, her wariness of everyone (including the people who want to help her), her beauty, her resentment, and her family name. What major changes has she gone through, pray tell, because honestly I sense really nothing changed about her character and nothing really seemed to be simmering “in the making” of change. She does not assert herself in the face of adversity or act proactive like Catelyn or Arya, she does not have wits like Cersei, she does not possess charm or even that much likability like Margaery, she doesn’t even really hold true to any moral code like Brienne. Fuck, she doesn’t even fight viciously to protect what little she has like Lysa did. With the exception of the time she rescued that knight from Joffrey’s sadism, she’s been a doll shuffled and rattled from one place to another. Losing all hope and sense of personal agency is not “character development”, and being raped on your wedding night isn’t undoing anything. 

( Is it her fault what happened to her? Not exactly. Was the threat of torture and death under Joffrey there? Yeah, I guess, but honestly, the fact that she herself said to her father “I don’t want someone who’s nice, and gentle, I want Joffrey” is as retarded as anything I’ve ever heard. You have to be a special kind of stupid to want someone who beat up your sister’s friend, threatened to torture him, and caused the death of your innocent direwolf, your FUCKING ANIMAL COMPANION, love or not. If you ignore clear warning signs, then how is it anyone else’s fault but your own that you ended up marrying him after he killed your father, even after you saw him for the monster that he was? Arya saw Joffrey for what he was immediately.)

She is an average girl born in a good house and happened to be the eldest daughter. People only care because she’s one of the main characters. Tons of girls like her have been taken advantage of in the same way in GoT universe, tons of untold stories of girls that were of high status who were shipped off to their enemies and mistreated. This is literally nothing new, nor particularly outlandish. I don’t even find it exploitative, it seems par for the course that a character would be raped (off-screen, mind you) because that’s who Ramsay is in this version of the series.

This is Game of Thrones, people are raped and slaughtered and yes, main characters aren’t immune to this. Did people think Ramsay wouldn’t rape Sansa? We should be lucky we didn’t see it in all its horridness on the same level as the orgy scenes in the brothels.

(Tumblr is acting weird so I’ll just copy + paste a reply here because why the f is xkit reblogging shit to my main?)

@effleuresense

Not blaming her, just saying that people who were outraged by Ramsay raping her are kind of.. why are you outraged again? Did y'all think Ramsay would be kind to her? My criticism of peoples’ criticism is specifically that some people say “oh it completely retconned character development” and it’s like … what could she do in that situation? Kill Ramsay? She didn’t have it in her to kill him, I don’t think. It was after she was raped that she got a weapon, that …I don’t know, barrel borer or whatever in Episode 7. But she didn’t use it on him. Up until the episode of her rape, she had been slowly, slowly SO SLOWLY maybe trying to find a backbone and stand up to her abusers, to at least give herself the comfort that she didn’t passively take anything. The thing about the rape scene is that it wouldn’t have mattered if she had, because Ramsay would have hurt her even more, possibly, so it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t, and that’s the sad truth of it. The only thing I’m blaming her for is for being blind and stubborn to not seeing Joffrey for the monster he was, and Joffrey didn’t rape her. Harassed and threatened to kill her, but didn’t rape her. She could have totally avoided that anguish if she hadn’t deluded herself into thinking that termite wasn’t an utter sociopath even when she saw right in fucking front of her that he was a spineless worm. I mean, if y'all are thinking I’m blaming Sansa for her rape, I’m not. I’m just confused why everyone was so upset that it happened when it has been made abundantly and expressly clear that Ramsay is a cruel man. We saw Craster’s girls raped by the Night Watch, we saw Daenarys unwillingly having sex with Khal Drogo at first, why is Sansa any different. Because we know her better? Because it’s gratuitous? I thought that was kind of the theme of Game of Thrones. People having their entrails spill out is fine, but an off-screen rape isn’t? I can post whatever I want in the Sansa Stark tag. I like Sansa but she’s a bit slow and dim when it comes to maneuvering the game of courts and kings and houses. She’s not like her mother, certainly not like her sister. Because yes, what you do to your wedded rapist is make him even more pissed off by reminding him he’s a bastard (S5 Ep7), that’s smart. That little jab must have felt so good before he likely spent the rest of the day conceiving of ways to make her hurt even more. Smart girl, she is.

 Ramsay thrives off of breaking obstinate people, that’s how Theon turned into Reek. Sansa doesn’t know that, but she doesn’t seem to know a lot of things despite having experienced so much. I’m waiting for her to get those balls that Ramsay commended Yara of having, and since I’ve read a bit of the spoilers I know that she does escape Ramsay’s clutches and eventually gets Petyr dead to death, so thankfully she does get shit done, but as she is now, the awkward transition from victim that makes all the wrong choices to victim who makes the strategic choices is kind of abysmal. Still rooting for her.

[ghostmartyr]

Attack on Titan Episode 30

LIVEBLOG

I have this acquaintance who seems to believe that I’ve been unfairly circumspect regarding my opinion of this (and other) episodes. I am aghast (aghast, I tell you) at this ruthless judgment of how I best enjoy my cartoons.

To defang such a callous accusation, this seemed like the way to go.

(Featuring xtreme whining, manga spoilers like whoa, more whining, and maybe a few spots of joy. Who can say. I haven’t started yet, and I’ve never done a liveblog before. It’s a surprise for everyone.)

So, Attack on Titan Episode 30, “Historia.” Let us begin!

I appreciate that it starts with the opening instead of pretending that the content outside of this week means anything.

Tag your spoilers though. Sheesh. That’s going to continue to bug me every time I watch an episode from this era.

Yes, we could have given these characters with a surprising amount of lines this season something new and exciting to do in the opening considering that we’re going to exclude them from all the group shots (they aren’t traitorous  enough for traitoring, but boy howdy are they too shady to pal up with their innocent buddies), or, or... we could just go ahead and borrow animation from six episodes in and throw it through some filters.

Complete with dramatic stills. Still. The other one can have dramatic motion. She’s going to be a main character soon, after all.

It still makes me happy that the opening spends time remembering that these two matter outside of everything else that’s going on. Their dramatic anvil of emotional trauma has meaning enough to be dropped in the first minute and thirty seconds of every episode kind enough to skip flashbacks. Most good and excellent.

I like this opening on its own, too. The first one has the epic music that goes with anything, the second has the epic music and really tired anime tropes, but this one manages to grasp that the epic music belongs with suitable animation. I don’t know how it would compare head-to-head, but this one feels like a more complete work.

But enough with the opening.

Bring me the feels that I have graciously waited four years for.

Yes, good, excellent.

...

You mock me.

I don’t understand. Is there something wrong with suddenly shifting your story’s entire focus to two girls who have yet to contribute anything relevant to the plot in a season where there are only twelve episodes and the fanbase has not been reared on monthly frustration?

Why would you want to give the filler moments to characters that people already know something about and care for? How very dare.

(I have watched this before, in case that was unclear, and I don’t remember my exact reaction to this episode opening with filler, but I do remember moments of pain as the snowy boot failed to lead to the scene I wanted it to.

You cut the flashbacks to taunt me with filler, WIT.)

However much it floats about the wrong people, the snow is really beautiful. I don’t live anywhere I get to experience snow, but I like the feeling of muted emptiness it brings an atmosphere. Things are allowed to be still and quiet.

As a bunch of young recruits are trying not to freeze to death, but it’s okay. We already know everyone we care about makes it through.

Hark, the first reference to this episode’s true purpose!

(Why couldn’t Crunchyroll show me kindness and use the K version of her name? It isn’t like it’s going to matter soon.)

I am against this filler on general principle of not getting exactly what I want at all times, but Mikasa showing awareness of what Krista gets up to is always going to blindside me with feels. Mikasa doesn’t know it, but they’ve both watched their mother die thanks to the world’s malevolence, and they both latch on to the person who comes to shape their new place in life.

Neither Eren or Ymir is especially delicate about it, but when they speak their hearts, Mikasa and Kristoria hear them like they’ve heard nothing else.

Of course, that’s all based on later things, but whenever Mikasa has a scene with Kristoria, there’s this extra weight of subtextual understanding that just sings to me.

It helps that it’s mostly one-sided. Everyone in the 104th knows Mikasa, because how could you not, but Kristoria, outside of being rescued repeatedly and bargaining for certain people’s lives, doesn’t show any special acknowledgment of Mikasa.

Meanwhile, Mikasa notices Krista. She’s not the blonde or tiny one, she’s the one who sticks with Ymir--or, in this case, stays behind with Daz.

In this section of the story, Mikasa really has no idea how alike she and Kristoria are, but I like that even before she knows, she notices. ...Or maybe more accurately, some part of the writing staff notices the similarities, so allows them to be continually linked.

...I really like Historia and Mikasa’s nonexistent irrefutable bond.

Why is the OVA that has more of it not stateside when we were given the crack one.

BUT HEY GUESS WHAT THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS EPISODE’S ABOUT!

Look, look, it’s what the episode didn’t start with.

...

...

Oh help.

Excuse me, I think my heart grew three sizes and I need to lie down thanks to unforeseen feels because oh wow, this is somehow the perfect and I don’t know how to deal.

How.

Just how.

I don’t care if it’s a translation flair or not. There’s something--heck, just help.

Not “no.” “Never.”

Kristoria is a melodramatic stubborn moppet and what even.

You’re dragging a dying body through the snow. Be less perfect.

Ymir, of course, continues to talk, going through all the reasons why a dead body is going to be involved in their night--because some titans get their energy from sunlight, and some get it from pointing out as many inconvenient truths as they can in the space of a single conversation--and Kristoria, of course, continues to be perfect.

I swear, my favorite part of half of the training scenes between these two is that Ymir spends most of her time rightfully criticizing every single thing Kristoria does, and after the initial confusion, Kristoria just refuses to listen.

She puts up a good fight, and can talk with shining eyes about Sasha choosing to be herself regardless of her word choices, and play the heroic role of still believing that there’s a way out while she’s basically in the middle of a suicide attempt, but she is so, so wrong.

This kid is so wrapped up in whatever role her head thinks she’s playing that she listens to her common sense maybe about half as much as any rational person would. Then she uses whatever’s left to try and defend herself to Ymir, because Ymir has the nerve to suggest that she’s thinking about as little as she actually is.

And good grief I just love this scene.

Because yeah, she’s about ten seconds away from being bashed over the head with how unproductive this all is, but look at that face.

The anime version is going with a lot less dead eyes here, and I should and will maybe find time to complain about that, but what it’s turned so horribly glorious is Kristoria’s overall tone when she starts telling Ymir to get lost. It’s downright mocking.

Also fake.

So, so so so fake.

Yet somehow, one of the genuine things Kristoria does as Krista. She doesn’t try to convince Ymir to save herself with a warm smile and proper actions; she plays Ymir’s own game and taunts her into wanting to leave Kristoria and Daz behind.

Kristoria’s basically given up at this point. She’s marching in the middle of a blizzard tugging a pre-corpse behind her, and I don’t think she considers her own life to be in better shape than Daz’s. They’re both dead. Game over man, game over.

Ymir’s outside of that picture, though. Ymir’s heart is still beating, and she obviously doesn’t want to stay, so why should she stick around and watch all of this misery?

This is the early version of how Historia always negotiates. Whenever there’s something she wants, she picks her arguments based on what the other person will find convincing, not necessarily her own logic for making a case.

So with Ymir, she chooses to be obnoxiously cocky about her chances.

(help.)

The manga has this byplay so much quieter, and you can see so much more of Historia from the next arc coming through, but Kristoria makes affected arrogance look damn good and why why why.

WELL NOW THAT’S RUINED, ISN’T IT.

Tough break, Kristoria. You’re going to have to earn being cool from now on.

The anime does such a good job of this moment.

What always gets me in the manga, and what carries over here, is the look of pure horror on Kristoria’s face when Ymir puts words to her thinking. When it’s said out loud, it sounds horrible. She isn’t trying to save someone’s life. She’s given up on Daz.

I don’t think the jab about giving up on herself hits that hard. Kristoria’s a suicidal mess.

But Daz, he who spends this entire scene basically being treated like a sack of potatoes by both of the people responsible for his eventual survival, is a life Kristoria cares about. I think a lot gets lost when that isn’t taken under consideration.

She doesn’t mind killing herself. But what hits is that her resignation regarding her own life has crept out and threatened someone else.

Kristoria’s been responsible for death before. It terrifies her.

Before Ymir draws it out, I honestly don’t think Kristoria has any idea what she’s doing here. Her own life has never mattered to her. Daz’s fate is pretty much inevitable. She’ll stay with him until the end, and put in the token effort, but they’re both screwed, and deep in her heart, all of the talk of third options and hope is a lie. The only thing she can do is keep Ymir from being taken by the hopelessness as well.

But giving up the way she has means that she’s hurt Daz’s chances of survival beyond what they already were. She never asks for help. She just accepts death and carries on walking straight into its embrace.

And when Ymir says it, like this is all on purpose, Kristoria immediately denies it.

She does not want Daz to die. She thought herself a witness, at worst. Not his executioner.

Like I said earlier, Kristoria just does not think about this. Her fatalist tendencies take the wheel and drive her off a cliff that wasn’t even on the route.

So when she’s made to think about what she’s doing, and when she sees, for the first time, where it’s landed her, she’s horrified. She’s a screwed up mess, but she isn’t intending to get anyone else killed.

There’s no denying that that’s where she’s sitting, though.

This is so well done. It’s... this is one of my favorite scenes in the series. Most ones involving these two are, but these moments make such strong use of silence. There’s nearly a full page of beat panels after Ymir starts this conversation, and the tension and the swirling snow stand out even better in a medium dependent on motion.

The world stops when Ymir calls Kristoria on her actions. They’re probably all going to die, and in what Kristoria is thinking will be her last moments, the deepest part of her soul is on full display, and she can’t come up with a single way to defend herself.

She’s out of hope, doesn’t have a sense of self-worth to begin with, and Ymir is confronting her with every sordid detail of the life she wants to forget.

...That part’s me skipping ahead, but look, that’s the mood. Just this lost little girl in the snow wondering how the hell she’s fallen so low.

...While Ymir continues to make it worse.

Because why not. Blizzards are a great time to chat.

(Daz ends up dependent on the two people with the some of the strongest saving-people instincts in the series, and he still nearly dies because they only know how to have honest conversations if death is nearby. That is his purpose in this scene. He is the conversation starter.)

"Hey, you’re about to kill a guy, but btw, I am totes not a thief.”

Who are you trying to impress. I mean, Kristoria, obviously, at all hours of the day, but even at this point she knows you too well to buy that you’re too morally pure to steal things when you’re starving.

Also, there’s that blizzard thing. How are you still trying to act cool.

Oh Ymir...

That ability to instantly empathize and decide a course of action based on those feelings is a little scary, really. Because she knows the story, this girl she’s never met sends a hook through her heart, and suddenly she’s in the military.

Her gift of perception is what makes her so fun when she’s around other characters, but combined with her smarts and impulsiveness... she’s good at finding just enough rope to hang herself with.

...Yeah, meanwhile there’s you.

...

Fine, let’s be real, it’s both of you.

These two are so innocent that it physically pains me.

There is some humor in Ymir resorting to blatant lies to cover up having *~feelings~* in a conversation largely about being true to yourself (Ymir and Historia are both human disasters whose emotional maturity lingers somewhere around toddler level), especially when it’s in response to the person lying about her entire identity posing an honest question, but mainly, oh no.

Like.

No.

Ymir and Kristoria are having this dramatic conversation in the middle of a blizzard while some guy dies at their feet. They are working the tension like it’s going out of style, and they aren’t going to stop anytime soon.

They’re reaching Batman levels of extra angst.

...Holy crap, Historia’s Batman.

No no no, listen, see, she’s got the blue blood, and she’s got the piles of influence, she has the tortured dark loneliness, she watches her parents die in front of her (admittedly, one has help), AND SHE ADOPTS SCORES OF ORPHANS. HISTORIA REISS IS THE ONE TRUE BATMAN FIGHT ME.

But then Kristoria swoops in, mid-suicide attempt, and goes all angelic shiny eyes, because oh my gosh, friend??!!

She is the epitome of a kicked puppy, and it is adorable.

Unbelievably tragic, but. That is a puppy expression. Over friendship.

While Ymir tries to pretend she’s too cool to want any of that.

When she’s just as bad.

She’s not the one dragging someone’s body through the snow out of a warped sense of self-hatred and heroism only to go all doki doki over the possibility of someone wanting her as a friend, oh no.

She just joins the military because she hears a story about some girl and she can relate.

I know the episode isn’t there yet, and since we’ve been graciously spared a flashback start, it might be hard to remember. But for the sake of perspective:

Ymir is standing on top of a collapsing tower surrounded by titans entirely because she’s so desperate for human connection that she ran off looking for some girl whose first name she didn’t even know because she thought they had something in common.

THIS IS THE PERSON WHO HAS THE NERVE TO PLAY TSUNDERE ABOUT WANTING FRIENDS.

TO REVIEW.

THIS IS WHAT COMES OUT OF HER MOUTH

LITERALLY ONE MINUTE AFTER SHE SAYS THIS

“HI I’M YMIR AND I WEAR METAPHORICAL REINCARNATION BETTER THAN YOU, SEE HOW PRETTY MY BLACK AND BLUE DRESS IS NEXT TO YOUR SILLY WHITE AND GOLD ONE.”

This is a very mature conversation between two people who have been through too much and come out incredibly damaged.

It’s also two teenagers yelling at each other in the middle of a blizzard.

For instance, this is a tragic statement about Kristoria’s emotional trauma.

It also sounds vaguely like Ymir is encouraging murder.

It might not sound funny now, but give it time. Around the arc that ends with Historia killing her father, this becomes utterly hilarious.

And this... this will always hit hard.

Kristoria’s my favorite character, and that’s been the case since I first saw her. This is the arc that gives substance to that fondness, and this moment in particular is one of the most brutally cool parts of Kristoria.

She isn’t just trying to kill herself. She joins the military. She conducts herself admirably. She’s a good enough soldier to earn a spot in the top ten, even if that should more correctly be the top eleven.

Yeah, she doesn’t care about herself. Her care for others is also debatable.

But she isn’t just stumbling her way towards the quickest end. She keeps her head up and finds a way to die that looks appropriate from every angle, and marches toward it. If she had died here, even though that’s exactly her plan, and staying alive isn’t something she’s trying too hard at, she would have died on her feet, still stubbornly clinging to the heroic ideal she wants to decorate herself with.

Krista might be a fake hero, but Kristoria goes the extra mile even when she’s completely out of heart to give.

That unholy stubbornness is headed the exact wrong direction here, but it is such a cool character trait.

Ymir and Kristoria’s relationship is really just this long debate over which one of them is better at winning arguments.

I also appreciate that Ymir’s winning argument, in this case, involves throwing people off cliffs.

Sure, she’s right.

But even without titan powers I can totally see her suggesting throwing someone off a cliff as a valid way to keep them alive if it meant finding a way to prove Kristoria wrong in this scene.

She starts out wanting Kristoria to leave Daz behind. Then it turns into a philosophical showdown, and suddenly, nope, there is a way for all of us to live, guess what Krista, YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING FOREVER.

(Love yourself.)

...Whatever the anime does wrong, now and in the future, I don’t think I will ever be able to deny the extreme gratitude I feel towards whoever lovingly detailed Ymir picking up a kicking Kristoria and throwing her down a hill and into a tree.

Best love interests ever.

You three still aren’t supposed to be here, but I begrudgingly appreciate that even when Eren finds Krista creepy, he’s the kind of righteous dude who will do whatever he can for his crew, and of course Mikasa and Armin won’t ever let him do it alone.

Fine, I like the filler this episode.

“Hello, we are also here, and have absolutely no ulterior motive to making sure that Krista is still breathing. Look at how helpful and great we are.”

“We’re just good people who love our friends and need more screentime.”

For a good time, count how many times Krista is mentioned by name compared to Daz and Ymir.

You know, I feel like the full context of what happens here deserves more words.

Ymir literally jumps off a cliff to win an argument with her girlfriend, leaving said girlfriend smacked against a tree and under a pile of snow in the middle of a blizzard, all with the full expectation that Kristoria is going to be just dandy.

AND SHE’S RIGHT.

Kristoria gets a front row seat to two people she sort of wants alive diving off a cliff, and then gets to wander through the wilderness in the dead of night, blizzard raging, entirely by herself.

Just like Ymir knew she would.

...

Just because it’s a terrible plan doesn’t mean I can’t find her faith heartwarming, shut up.

I feel like this screencap accurately captures the Ymir experience in its entirety.

...I always forget how tiny Historia is.

She is incredibly tiny.

I don’t have a comment.

I just feel something in my chest.

I think it is pain.

The whimpering noises coming from somewhere support this theory.

This level of physical affection is not in the manga version help it doesn’t even make sense for their personal bubbles to be ignored like this where they’re at right now it’s just done to make a smooth transition cut so how dare you make me feel things.

Stop.

Look, see, we have a perfectly good thing here where even the idea of living under her real name makes Kristoria gasp fearfully, and that is a slice of tension that I should be able to dig my teeth into and enjoy,

BUT INSTEAD WE’RE HERE, DOING THIS!

My heart is on the floor yet somehow still doing things to me and I have complaints.

Oh good, this is better.

...Does Ymir just. enjoy jumping off high places?

This is also some epic music to get the party started.

LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR

Speaking critically for a moment, as much as I dig the music once we’re back from the Information for Public Disclosure, I’m really disappointed in the blocking for Ymir’s initial attack on the titans.

It lasts about ten seconds, so wow get over it, but they go with more long shots than swift cuts for those ten seconds. Considering her fighting style, it feels like the wrong call. It’s impressive to watch how swiftly she’s moving from titan to titan, but some of the brutal strength of the violence is missing. Chomp, nom, move on. There are a few good shots mixed in, but the flow of the scene feels like it could have been way more intense if they’d kept close to Ymir.

Loving that music, though.

Pictured: Kristoria nearly falling from her death because she hasn’t moved a single inch since trying to reach out and stop Ymir from jumping off yet another high surface.

So. Cause of death?

Could not stop staring at Ymir.

Okay.

...I’ve been good. Very good, arguably. If Studio WIT wants to take a few liberties with micro expressions, that’s their call, and they even made one really unfair thing out of it, so I shouldn’t complain too loudly.

...

Yeah, fuck it.

SHE DOES NOT SMILE IN THIS PANEL OF THE MANGA. VERY MUCH THE OPPOSITE, AND THAT WAS WITH SIGNIFICANT LESS DAMAGE TO HER LEG.

YOU ALSO FAILED TO DEPICT CONNIE’S PANICKED STILL OF REACHING OUT WITH BOTH ARMS TO TRY AND CATCH HER. IT IS PRECIOUS AND ADORABLE AND YOU ARE DEAD TO ME.

Bertolt’s “wtf” expression is a gem, though.

This is Kristoria’s most vivid recollection of three years of friendship with Ymir.

Bless these two.

Only two people on island with knowledge of history past a hundred years ago shocked when the person named Ymir has a link to Titans.

Bertolt really does have magnificent background expressions.

I. feel personally victimized by this episode.

What always gets me about this section of Utgard is how disturbed Kristoria starts out by... all of this. It’s all scary stuff, everyone up safe on the tower is talking about how suspicious everything is, and Kristoria’s a bit of an anxious mess to begin with when it comes to life.

You can see so easily how someone who’s never had a reason to trust anybody could have trouble trusting the motives of a secret like this, and the environment is just waiting to tighten its hold on all of her insecurities.

But Ymir is still Ymir.

Even before the pieces fully snap together, and Kristoria starts breaking out of her anxious shell, she can’t watch Ymir in danger and not worry. She can’t turn off caring for her friend.

And then we just. just.

Oh help they added a montage.

This should not be allowed at all what even why are you doing this.

Butting heads and marriage proposals. And awkward drinking experiences.

That’s what Kristoria holds dear to her heart when she thinks of Ymir.

I’m fine. Fine fine fine. Fine.

Help me I love this episode.

I do not have words. They are not found. This world was not meant to waste moments talking about scenes like this when they’re there to be enjoyed. There is no greater high than Kristoria shouting off encouragement about property destruction and generally showing her deep, abiding love for Ymir by calling her an irredeemable jackass while she nobly tries to save them all at her expense.

Then WIT goes ahead and brings me back to earth when it decides to cut my favorite smile altogether. While I’m grateful for the return of my ability to make words instead of distressed noises, why. You gave the filler its dear sweet time to do whatever it felt like, and now we’re left without an animated form of the bestest smile ever.

Minus bazillion points.

Oh wait.

Waaait.

You. can’t just.

Ow?

Ahaha oh, but this is entirely the anime’s fault and ow. That... that slow hesitance of her feet before they just start going. Ymir’s being torn to shreds, and there are titans everywhere, but running to her side is such a basic instinct for Kristoria that she just... goes.

The manga captures that sense too, but the boots. That tiny little delay before she bolts.

How are you allowed.

Oh yeah, and here we have Ymir’s eyes opening. Entirely because Kristoria’s calling out to her. That’s good. That’s okay. Yeah.

If I didn’t have things to complain about like WIT turning Kristoria’s kindly request that a titan wait on eating her into the anime version of thought bubbles (WHICH SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE YET), I don’t know what I’d do.

Mikasa’s auditions for the role of Kristoria’s personal white knight just make me really happy.

Smiling Erens would, except.

Well.

Sorry about your life, kid.

....Yours too, but, uh.

Um.

...oh wow.

This can’t be how they’re supposed to spend their budget. but. This is so amazingly beautiful. The lighting is so, so soft, and Historia’s voice when she tells Ymir’s her name is one of the most gentle utterances you will ever hear on this show.

You have this episode full of teenagers yelling and being scared and making poor decisions, and so much pain, and so much violence and passion. Then the morning sun rises, and all that’s left is this tender moment between two people who love each other.

And Ymir, battered and bloody, smiling at the sound of Historia’s name.

More care than I’d dared to hope for goes into the final scene, and... yeah, wow. Thanks for existing.

So.

That’s it.

Episode over.

On the whole, I like the manga version better thanks to a few tiny details that don’t matter to anyone but me, but this is... extraordinary, and I am so glad that they were willing to take their time and let it flourish into everything it’s meant to be. Damn.

I can’t see myself doing one of these again, but it definitely had its moments (this episode hurts me), and I hope some enjoyment can be had from the transcript. Thanks for following along.

[sugaranspikes]

okay, but since I saw the movie today, obviously a Beauty and the Beast au. minor spoilers for the 2017 movie

when jack was young, he dealt with his anxiety behind the scenes while his parents took care of the kingdom.  he was expected to become king, to rule, to be an even better monarch than his dad was.  which was almost impossible, because everyone LOVED bob with his endless charm and impeccable rule.  whereas jack was awkward and hated balls and wished to have been born to any other family, any at all.  of course he loved his parents, but the pressure...

and then one day it all changed. his parents were killed in a terrible accident.  jack was terrified and in mourning.  he thought he’d had longer to train, to be educated in the ways to rule, and suddenly it was all thrust upon him.  he tried his best, tried to be as good as his father while putting way too many expectations on himself.  panicked and grieving, jack stopped seeing people as people and started seeing them as statistics.  he began to lose his humanity as his panic attacks became more frequent, more severe.  he became impatient with his subjects, then cruel.  he thought what he was doing was the best for the kingdom.  

after another sleepless night, of his limbs unable to stop trembling, a beggar came to the door requesting shelter for a single rose.  exhausted, angry with his weakness, for the beggar’s gall, he turned her away.  she revealed to him that she was an enchantress, and for his icy malice she cursed him to become a Jötunn/ice demon until he could learn to love. His skin turned blue and his features sharpened into those of a frightening monster.  He was frosty to the touch and could create snow with the palms of his hands.  the castle grounds turned to winter and everyone in the castle became animate objects.

obviously eric is belle, he’s seen as odd because he’s not a man’s man - he doesn’t want to hunt, or drink, and he isn’t pursuing any woman in marriage.  It seems all he wants to do is bake.  But he’s the friendliest person you’ve ever met, and his features are unique - blonde hair, a button nose, and smooth skin from lack of outdoor work.  the women flirt with him, but he doesn’t seem to even notice.

i’m thinking that his moomaw could be the crazy inventor in this one.  everyone thinks she’s odd because she’s a woman doing man’s work, but she has quite a bit of money from her inventions so bitty is seen as a catch once his inheritance comes to him.  kent is the most popular man in town, with his charm and good looks that are much like bitty’s, and he is determined to marry off his sister to bitty for his wealth.  bitty turns down kent’s offer, and kent leaves but swears to get his way.

so the story starts out much the same, with his moomaw going out to show her invention and getting lost and ending up at the castle.  he goes to save her and takes her place, and is horrified by the ice demon he encounters.  but this bitty is still a sassy bitty and refuses all of jack’s demands of dinner.  

he is soon introduced to the animate objects.  i’m not 100% on what everybody would be.  there definitely wouldn’t be the same group dynamics as the movies, but the one I really like is nursey as the excitable lumière and dex as the stoic cogsworth, constantly battling each other.  lardo would be there as maybe a paintbrush?  similar to mrs. potts but younger and she takes no nonsense.  and of course shitty is the closest to jack, but i haven’t come up with what he would be yet. maybe ransom and holster could be like the piano and wardrobe in the new movie, dying to see each other but forced to be in separate rooms because they aren’t able to move that far to meet.  or maybe really annoying door knockers that talk to each other 24/7 and harass guests.  

anyway, the usual stuff happens, bitty defies jack and goes into the west wing where the rose is and jack scares him, so he runs out into the woods where the wolves are waiting.  jack is able to find him and save him by freezing the wolves, but not before they take a bite out of him. plus using that much ice exhausts him.  bitty takes him back to the castle and patches him up, shivering at jack’s icy skin.  

they come to an uneasy truce, but then one day bitty finds jack having a panic attack.  everyone is getting on his case about bitty, claiming he is the one to break the curse.  jack is trying, okay, but they should know he is terrible at being charming and how can this even work bitty is a man and yes he knows he’s attracted to men but that’s not normal, especially not for a king, and bitty is just so attractive and jack just can’t do this-

bitty finds him in a room filled with snow and ice, shivering against the wall, entire body trembling and shaking as he tries to get himself together.  bitty pulls a thick blanket into the room and wraps it around them both.  he snuggles into jack and as his warmth seeps into the ice monster he is frozen and numb.  but he’ll do anything to help stop whatever is happening to jack.  

jack eventually calms down, slumping into bitty’s body.  his body feels slightly warm for the first time in forever, but he knows bitty must be miserable.  he tucks bitty into bed with three blankets on him, whispering a “thank you” into his ear.

jack notices how animated bitty gets around mealtimes.  for his kindness, he has a surprise for bitty - an entire kitchen just waiting to be used.  the ingredients magically appear, thanks to the curse, and bitty is in heaven among the flour and butter (or whatever they used back then).  jack is total heart eyes at this point.  the kitchen appliances adore him and the entire castle seems brighter with bitty baking and singing.  

bitty and jack get closer, and when they’re walking outside bitty catches jack looking longingly at the frozen pond.  with gentle persuasion he reveals that when he was younger, going out on the ice in his bone and leather skates was one of the things that calmed him down when he was feeling anxious.  he even, he admitted shyly, invented a little game with sticks and a flat rock.  bitty insists they try skating right that second, and they spend the day playing on the ice as the animate objects look on in wonder.  jack even creates some snowballs using his hands and they play a game of tag.  bitty finds himself having fun, and watching the way the sun glints off of jack’s bladelike cheekbones.  he inhales sharply, his cheeks turning red from more than the cold.  eventually he admits to jack that he prefers men, and that’s why he hasn’t found himself a wife.  jack’s heart almost stops, and he’s quick to assure bitty that he’s never really had a preference either way.  

the rest of the story proceeds in the normal way.  they have a ball, and though there’s no iconic dress for bitty, he rests his cheek on jack’s frozen chest, and they both feel warm inside.  jack hesitantly asks if bitty’s happy there, and bitty is...but he misses his moomaw like a missing limb.  jack offers his magic mirror and bitty sees his moomaw being taken away to the asylum.  he cries out in despair, and jack lets him go, with the mirror to remember him by.  he tells his friends, and tearfully apologizes for not being able to save them.  they assure him they know he tried his best, and that all they could have asked.  it was what they were trying to tell him the entire time - he can’t control everything, and not everything that happens in life is his fault.  

bitty is in time to save his moomaw, but once he shows everyone jack’s face in the mirror kent goes on a rampage.  he impresses to bitty that he will fix everything if he marries kent’s sister and turns over his inheritance, but bitty is quick to say “if she’s anything like you, I’d be marrying a monster”.  

the townspeople storm the castle and jack attempts to fight back (my one pet peeve with the movie) because for once he has something to fight for.  if not for bitty, for his friends and loved ones.  he’s about to lose to kent when he hears bitty call his name, and he’s able to gain the strength to overpower kent. jack orders him to leave and never return, and turns to meet bitty, but kent attacks him again before falling to his death.

jack collapses, and bitty falls next to him.  he’s able to breathe “you came back”, while looking at bitty like he’s the most important thing in the universe.  bitty is crying when he says “of course I came back”.  jack smiles. “at least I got to see you one last time.”

jack breathes out his last breath, but not before bitty whispers “please don’t go. I love you.”

the curse is broken, and jack is enveloped in a heavenly light.  when he is released, he is the most gorgeous man bitty has ever seen.  he looks like jack, his cheekbones still sharp as a blade, but no longer deformed.  His skin has returned to it’s peachy hue, his hair to inky black.  Only his ice blue eyes remain the same.  

they are euphoric, and when they kiss the castle is returned to it’s former glory.  the staff is human again, and the memory of their king is returned to the townspeople.  kent’s body is probably picked up by magic, idk.

euphoric but trembling, jack tells bitty that he doesn’t know if he can do this again.  bitty only smiles and tells him that the kingdom lasted 10 years without his rule, he’s sure they can deal with him being a more hands-off king.  jack has never loved him more.

they marry, and while it takes a while for the people to get used to, jack is their king, and whatever the king does is right.  besides, who doesn’t love a monarchy who throws balls on the regular and serves them baked goods by the prince? the kingdom thrives, and everyone lives happily ever after.

[yoyo-inspace]

Black Sails 4x02 - 4x03 thoughts

This is late. Sorry about that. It’s because I was waiting to see the episodes with a friend of mine. 

I had some thoughts I wanted to get out before 4x04, and some of you seemed to enjoy this last time, so I thought, why not do it again?

Two brilliant episodes overall. I’ve already talked a bit about my thoughts on especially 4x03, which you can find here, here and here as well as in all of my tag rants in Black Sails posts on my blog. 

Going to follow the formula and do a character by character/group by group break-down below the cut. This got really long. Look forward to me having long ramblings about narrative techniques, being angry about Black Sails making me care, being very worried for everyone’s future and what’s really the deal with Berringer’s locket. 

Spoilers, obviously.

John Silver A pirate king coming into his own is something beautiful to behold. I thought Silver actually took a bit of a backseat these two episodes, except for the very last part of ep3. He was, quite literally, tied up, and didn’t get as much of a chance as before to be an active player. But that won’t stop him. He just keeps on talking, and how beautifully he does it. He realizes while being held by Hands that embracing his role as the next Teach is his only way out of this, and after that, I think the power it gives him is quite intoxicating. He didn’t start out like this. He didn’t want that man to die in his name. But Silver is morphing in front of our eyes, morphing into becoming Long John Silver. 

He’s also more and more taking over the narrative from Flint. This has up until now been Flint’s show, and it is turning into Silver’s. He’s even taking over the entire Odysseus metaphor with his ‘no one’ stuff going on! 

I don’t want to believe his pseudo-friendship with Max is completely over, though it definitely took a pretty bad hit these episodes. I totally understand them both here, really. John have obviously no idea about Max’s intentions. He still thinks he’s the same as he’s always perceived her. He’s getting caught up in this cycle of vengeance and violence that he can’t understand that she’s not up for playing that game anymore, something that we see is quite constant with all the ladies here. 

His reunion with Madi was beautifully done, from both actors. Like, some A+ filmmaking there. I was actually really happy to see them reunited. 

I really enjoyed his banter and relationship with Hands. I’ll get to that more a little later, but damn, I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much. His reunion with Flint was a bit cut short for me, but it kind of made up for it with all the “we” and confidant-type talking, and bringing another grumpy ginger onboard and trying to make them get along. All these grumpy gingers and princesses and random townsfolk falling for Silver. He needs to stop being so damn charismatic or this is going to turn into a harem anime

His entry into Nassau was basically him being pirate Jesus, and I quite enjoyed that. He was super badass in the fight, and in the end, he’s the one who gives Israel the nod to cut Berringer’s throat. Again, with a look he can get someone to kill for him. He inspires loyalty in people, something I don’t think he ever expected. I’m really worried however where this road is going to take him, and those closest to him. 

Israel Hands DAMMIT BLACK SAILS, YOU’VE GONE AND DONE IT AGAIN. FIRST FLINT AND NOW ISRAEL HANDS? STOP MAKING ME CARE SO MUCH ABOUT RANDOM CHARACTERS FROM TREASURE ISLAND.

Now don’t get me wrong. Israel Hands is a terrible terrible person. He slit the throat of a nine year old. I mean yes, we can argue all day back and forth that Flint attacking Charelstown/the fort probably killed quite a lot of kids (actually, we saw it do so), but we have to keep in mind that this is fiction. If we were going to judge all of these characters on actual real life moral standards, we should probably not be behind anyone. The narrative of these things are set up to get us to sympathize more with Flint, and there is something more horrific to most people about the calculated murder of a nine year old by slitting his throat than a bombardment of a beach with casualties. I think those are important things to take into calculation (though I mean, still all horrific, you know). 

And yet. AND YET. Black Sails somehow manages to make me intrigued by this murderous, old, sad man. Why did he stay? Did he really hate Teach, or was he still waiting around for him? He’s clearly one of those people who feels like he needs a leader. He wants someone to follow, to believe in, who tells him what to do. Silver was able to win him over with words.

As I see it now, he still hasn’t become that Devil on Silver’s shoulder that they talk about in interviews. But I can see how that’s going to play out. His murder of Berringer was very symbolic. He’s creating a new pirate king, and a new Nassau, just like last time.

What fascinates me, is that ten-twenty years down the road, Israel Hands is still with Silver. Still somewhat loyal, if questioning. He’s still there. It’s curious.

They’ve done a marvelous job either way of mixing the historical Israel Hands with the fictional Treasure Island one. He welcomed John Silver to step into their legendary roles, and he’s going to guide him through it.

“I’ve never seen good come from goodness yet.” This man has one messed-up way of looking at the world. And I can’t wait to see it impact the rest of our characters. 

James Flint Oh Flint. He’s mellowed out so much, hasn’t he? Like yes, he had his thing with Billy in episode one, but here all his arguments are rational, he’s calm, him and Madi are getting along so well, which makes me so happy. When she quoted Don Quixote at him I nearly died, okay?

I was so glad he realized the risk to the slaves when taking the Underhill estate. I live for Flint being rational and logical. Also how he spared that lady and her child, and didn’t mortally injure Underhill. That probably all went out the window later, but still. I’m so glad.

Then on the other hand, without his anger and hatred to lead him, with him letting Silver take the lead, what is left for him to fight for? Is he in the end going to let Captain Flint return to the sea? Is Captain Flint going to bring James with him? Who knows at this point.

I think it’s a really valid interpretation to say that he’s in love with Silver at this point. I think it’s also valid to say that these are not romantic feelings. It could be both at this point. At the same time. The point is, Silver means a lot to him, and this is acknowledged by everyone. Would I like them to go in a silverflint direction? Yes. Do I think it would damage the story if they didn’t? No.

That look he gives Madi and Silver when they reunite is interesting. Or rather, it’s interesting that they focused on it. I didn’t see it as sad, per say, more melancholic. Bit happy to see them reunite. Maybe sad that he doesn’t have that anymore. But I think it’s really just as valid to read in any kind of emotion in that scene, Toby Stephens plays it very ambiguously. 

I think my favorite Flint moment from these two episodes though, is his little speech about England, and how no one can remember the world before it, so no one can imagine it after it. It was really nice. And I sat there, and I was thinking “You’ll never see it, but slowly, slowly, the New World will revolt, England will go away. Others will take its place, but slowly, the world will become a better place.” (Which, really, I know we live in a scary world and there are scary things happening. But we have never been better off. And we need to hold onto that as well as we can, because we don’t need to move backward.)

Madi She really is the one holding all of this together. When she whistled to her men to draw their weapons I actually went “YES” out loud. Her concern for not only her people but all of the slaves on the island is touching and so important. Her talking with Eme was great. Just. Madi speaking with other ladies, with Featherstone, with Idelle. Madi making way for Silver to go into Nassau. Madi keeping the peace between Billy and Flint for as long as she could. Madi defending the pirates that stayed loyal to them, defending Flint. Love it. 

Speaking of her talking with Eme, what a great scene. Both her talking about how much both her and Flint has lost (I mean, whether or not that’s ever going to be canon, on a fanfiction level? I’m all for this ot3) when Eme questions why she’s still with the pirates. And when she finds out Silver’s alive? Such a great scene. 

I mentioned above, but her reunion with Silver was amazing. The slow turn, the running. Yes. I like. Though someone should give Flint a hug in the process. I don’t think Israel Hands is volunteering. 

I’m still worried for Madi. I don’t think she’s completely safe just because of her most likely being John’s future wife. My mind actually most go back to that shot from a trailer with John looking completely destroyed. But who knows what causes that? But with Billy bringing up that Madi could be in danger, that feels like such a Chekov’s gun that something is bound to happen at some point. I’m just worried what. 

Billy Bones *Sigh* Where do I start with you, Billy? I mean, I know you don’t grow up to become the greatest person, swindling a kid for money and stressing a man to death, but still. 

No but, to be fair, I get where Billy’s coming from, how he’s putting his men first. But from the viewpoint of myself, I just can’t empathize with putting the slaves’ lives at risk like that. And if he really killed the Underhill family (even though that could be a lie by Berringer), that has basically killed most hope I had for Billy to pull through this in any way a likable character for me. However, I was glad to see him join with the rest of the pirates in Nassau when the big battle went down. 

I’m pretty sure he’s trying to sow distrust between Silver and Flint, and I am not liking it. I don’t approve, Billy. I’m gonna sack Dr Livesey on you soon. 

Max I really just want to put Max in safety somewhere. Out of all the ladies right now, who are all being the voice of reason, she’s embodying that most of all. Violence breeds more violence. Oppression breeds resentment. She is fighting for civilization, but she’s fighting for the type of civilization we should strive for. Because let’s not fool ourselves, while it’s all fun to joke about war against civilization, the pirate world is far from perfect. 

The civilization they’re fighting is oppressive, but that’s not the civilization Max is fighting for. She wants to be safe, she wants to be loved, she wants to be respected. She’s a lesbian, a woman, and a woman of color at that. She’s everything English civilization would deem unfitting. And yet she’s on that side. Because she sees hope in civilization. She doesn’t want the world Rogers or Berringer represents (and really, their version of civilization is just a thin layer covering up more brutality, on an even larger scale than the pirates). She doesn’t want the world of pirates to return either. What she wants is a world where she, as she is, can be respected. And I’m sorry Max. It’s going to take a very long while until the world going through that kind of change. And yet I hope that by the end of this, Max will escape and get out unharmed. She’s trapped in the middle of a war she wants no part of, between two versions to view the world that she doesn’t agree with and doesn’t fit with. And I think now more than ever, Max is one of the most relatable characters in the show.  

Berringer I’ve seen a lot of complaints that by having Berringer look sadly at a portrait of his wife and child, the show was trying to force some sort of sympathy on us for him. 

I disagree.

I think what they did with Berringer was actually quite brilliant. He’s an absolutely loathsome person. He’s by no means supposed to be seen as anything but the villain. But just like with Peter Ashe, a despicable human being, we’re still giving a glimpse of that they’re people. With lives, sorrows, losses, dreams. That doesn’t make them any less villainous. It just makes them human. It’s not meant to give us sympathy for them. But it’s there to show us that there are no black and white villains in this show, just as there aren’t in the real world. Yeah, there are characters they haven’t done this with, like Alfred Hamilton or Ned Low. Because there are just straight up butcherers out there. 

But with a character like Berringer, they showed us that, hey, yeah, a character can be a human, everyone has a past, everyone has relatives and a background and a story. This story wasn’t relevant to our understanding of this character - but he had it. He was a person. With a life. And who knows what kind of life drove him here. That’s not meant to give us sympathy for him. That’s realism. We still hate him. It still feels like a triumphant moment when he dies. But to have him drop that locket in the moment of his death - it’s reminding us that we’re not cheering on for the death of a cardboard cut-out. We’re cheering the death of a person. However loathsome he might be. 

By that I don’t mean we should feel sorry for it. This is, after all, fiction, and as I said earlier, we are allowed to have different morals in fiction or else we wouldn’t be able to consume any fictional media whatsoever. I’m currently in a production of Medea, and to be able to discuss, say, the feminist implications of that play, you can’t treat Medea as you would treat an actual human being that you knew who killed her children. That’s not how it works. You need to be able to separate two different realities and sets of morals in your head. 

But I do find it interesting that they choose Berringer to do this with. Unlike with Peter Ashe, were we learned of his ‘good’ sides before the bad, we are completely overwhelmed with just how brutal and awful Berringer is. The show does go out of its way to show us that we should loathe him. And I don’t think the show is trying to tell us not to. But no one comes onto this show, this narrative, as a blank slate. They all have stories. Berringer’s story isn’t something we are told, it’s hinted to us. We can still cheer his death. We don’t have feel sympathy for him. I barely think think we’re supposed to. But he didn’t come here as a blank slate to spread terror among the people of Nassau. He came from somewhere. And in his mind, he was going somewhere. All these characters have their own stories. We just happen to focus on some of them. And to show us that so blatantly, in a story that’s ultimately about stories, I think was perfectly fine, and actually just shows how much thought is put into every character they bring onto this show, even though we will probably never know the half of it.

Eleanor Guthrie Oh, Eleanor. It feels so fitting that it’s Max who makes her see clearer. She tries more than Max to hang on to this idea she has about what civilization is supposed to be. She’s willing to make so many compromises, because she feels that in the end, that’s how it’s supposed to be. But men like Berringer doesn’t factor in to her idea about civilization. She presumed that monsters were something kept to the pirate side of things. But monsters are everywhere. Very human monsters, but monsters all the same. And then it doesn’t matter if you have civilization at your back. These are monstrous actions done in the name of civilization. And I think Eleanor is slowly starting to realize that while she wants to play the game, in the civilization she’s fighting for, there is hardly any room for her. 

I do think she honestly loves Rogers, or rather, what she feels he represents. I think she wants to distance herself from the person who loved Vane, who was to her eyes, brutal and uncivilized. But I think Eleanor is about to realize, that there’s no line drawn between when a man is civilized and uncivilized, it just depends on where you put them, in what situation. She inspired Vane to brutally murder Low. It was to protect her that Rogers brutally killed Teach. It’s a circular story. And I am starting to doubt that Eleanor is ever going to be able to escape from her own narrative, that seems to be just running in circles, trying to find a way out. 

We shall see how her escape from the fortress (because that’s what I assume will happen) goes, and if she does manage to appease her grandfather. Even if she does, I wonder if that’s going to turn out to be the world she has imagined it to be, the world she wants. Out of all the ladies, Eleanor is the one that I think is most likely to die. Not that she necessarily will, but she’s a character so closely tied to Nassau. And if Nassau perishes, which we know in the end it will, what is left for Eleanor?

Woodes Rogers Woodes Rogers have finally shown his true colors, and it’s not quite what we were expecting. I think we as an audience made the exact same mistake as Rackham (I’ll get to that). We assume Woodes is who he presents himself to be. But he told us already. We just didn’t listen. 

“But there are things you leave out of the book. Things you leave out because if it got around polite society what you’re capable of when pushed, they might stop inviting you to their dinner parties. All you know about me is what I want you to know.”

We mocked him, along with Rackham, saw the polite civilized facade of a British gentleman, representing the system but not quite sure what he’d gotten himself into. Yet Rogers proved to be better at managing his story, the story people told about him, than nearly everyone else has been. This show is ultimately about what story you build around yourself. And Rogers has crafted a pretty good one. 

He is the perfect symbol of civilization. He’s the British gentleman when he has to. But when dark times calls for dark men to do dark things? He’s there. Surrounded by violence and fear and anger, he exhibits those exact traits. Yes, he did it to protect Eleanor. And yes, Blackbeard would probably not have been much kinder to Eleanor had he gotten hold of her. Yes, the pirates have done terrible terrible things. 

But I think the key is in how this scene is presented, and also the context of it. Woodes is trying to present himself as the civilized option to the pirates. But what he did was such a display of cruelty, showing a planned, calculated approach to torture, which I think is what for us, as an audience, sets what he did apart from things we’ve seen the pirates do. It’s very classical narration, in that sense. We have a much easier time seeing the horror of this, and being terrified and disgusted with it, than to see the horror of the people of Charlestown dying or fleeing for their lives as Flint attacked, because we felt Flint’s anger at Miranda’s death, at Peter’s betrayal. We felt justified in cheering for Flint at that moment, even though we logically know that what he’s doing is terrible. This is how storytelling works, when you have these types of protagonists. 

I think also what sets what Rogers did apart, is how proud he was of it, how he saw this as his ultimate display of power. He didn’t have to torture Blackbeard. He was making a point. Which in the end, turned out to be his mistake, as I’ve talked about at great length here. He loses this fight, because the narrative is taken from him by Teach. His display of power becomes a display to his men of what kind of person he really is. It becomes a display to the pirates what they’re up against. Because who would side with someone who refuses to give a man like that a simple death? By trying to show that he too can be monstrous, to make an example and to make them fear him, he became the worst monster himself, and at that point, people won’t be scared, they’ll rise up. 

By showing is the crew and the pirates horrified reaction to his actions, the show’s creators have very clearly stated that “This is not something you’re supposed to be okay with”. That’s the story they’re telling. Whatever his reasons where, and I understand them, it was motivated by pride and he fell into some sort of manifestation of hybris. I’m not saying don’t keep on liking Woodes as a character, because the show is saying he did something awful. I like my fair share of characters that have done far worse. But whatever your opinion on Woodes is, the narrative they’re telling is clearly saying with everything it can, that this was wrong, and that Woodes lost that fight. 

Jack Rackham I’ve always liked Rackham. But I think this season more than anything, I’ve come to care a lot for him. It might be because he and I share that weakness. Of wanting to be remembered for something. Anything. Even if it’s just a footnote next to someone like Charles Vane or Blackbeard.

What he and Anne wants are so different, and while I feel for Anne, and I want them both to get away to safety, I identify more with Jack. And I felt so sorry for him here.

I was confused at first as to why he raised the white flag. But then I realized, he fell into the trap we all also did. He thought Rogers was not much more than he appeared to be. He thought that by giving up, he could save the woman he loved and the idol he looks up to. I think he just couldn’t see himself killing them. Because that’s what he would be doing if he attacked. While not the strategic choice to make, it was definitely the emotional side of him. And it hurt. Because he must feel so guilty. He didn’t know what would happen. And every time Teach was dragged out of the water, you bet he thought it was his fault. He underestimated Rogers’ capacity for cruelty.

And in the end, once again, just like when he lost Charles, he’s left standing at the side-line, being saved by the people he admires and looks up to. I’m scared for Rackham. I don’t think he’ll make it out of this season alive. And I think that to see that happen a second time, he’s going to become more reckless than ever. He wants to prove himself, and now he feels guilty not only for Charles but for Teach, and I think his promise to Anne of a simple life is going to be left in the dust. He admire Teach so, so much. And to see him die and saving him in the process, while also feeling that it’s his fault, it’s going to mess him up big time.

Don’t get me wrong, Jack has done some horrible things. When I say I identify with him, it’s mostly for that specific reason. But I do feel sorry for him. He tries so hard to do what he feels will help, but he’s constantly having that instinct competing with his need to be remembered. He wants to be brave and be remembered, and he keeps failing. In the end, the bravest thing he ever did was slitting the throat of Anne’s abusive husband. But no one will remember him for that except for Anne, and he doesn’t realize that that could be enough.

Anne Bonny Anne is stuck. And I’m scared what it will take for her to get out, if she even will get out alive.

She’s this brutal killing machine to the outside world, which is why I find it so fitting that once she found herself in s2, her goal has simply been to settle down. To live a normal, happy life. And she wants to do that with Jack (and I bet with Max, if she actually knew the truth of what had happened).

Speaking of Max, I loved Anne’s conversation with Jack in the dark. This island makes you do things you don’t want to. She doesn’t want to kill Max, but I think she also starts to realize that maybe this island made Max do things she didn’t want either. And I want them to reunite but I’m worried that might not actually happen.

The moment she and Jack promised to retire after this was all over, I knew that that would not happen. I think her happy ending with Jack is not possible anymore. The question is if there’s still a chance that she can get away on her own. Jack can’t figure out a way to prioritize his life with her over his own legacy. In front of Anne are two roads, as I see it: Be destroyed with Jack and his quest for legacy, or leave him. And I’m not sure what she’ll choose in the end.

Edward Teach RIP Dadbeard.

Of course, Black Sails managed to make me care for Teach just as he was about to die. Because why not?

I mean, I find all the jokes about Blackbeard being boring funny, but I never saw it like that. I wasn’t as invested in him as the others, but I saw his pain and anguish about Charles and I felt sorry for him, I did. But it was even more at the front in her conversation with Jack. And I admire those two men being able to take their feelings of wrongdoing and vengeance and place them into something that is productive to their cause. They both loved Charles, and in the end, I was impressed that for two characters that are so focused on this kind of toxic masculinity ideal (one in upholding it and one in achieving it) were able to think about what Charles would have wanted, and that he would not have wanted them to take revenge on the woman he loved. 

I actually really loved the story about Charles and the bird. I thought it was a nice bonding moment between Jack and Teach, because they are more similar than they think. It reminded me of Gates and Flint talking in the storm in s1. I don’t quite know why. 

But back to the point, it is their decision to follow what Charles would have wanted that what leads both of them to their ruin.

Or is it? Again, I’ve talked at length about how Teach, even in this darkest hour, takes the narrative away from Rogers, and turns into a martyr for the pirate cause. And that’s a victory in the end, just like Charles’ hanging. He followed in Vane’s footsteps. Which makes his death shocking, yes, but not for shock value, just like Vane’s. 

I do have to say that I got very fond of the Teach-Rackham-Bonny dynamic, and I’m going to miss it. 

Quick notes

I loved all the people of Nassau coming together to revolt. Such a good scene. An angry mod is stronger in the end than a few soldiers.

Especially all the ladies that you could see. 

I LOVE IDELLE AND FEATHERSTONE 

The Flint-Silver-Madi parallels with Thomas-James-Miranda is killing me.

I have so many fanfic ideas

Israel waiting for Silver to give the command is so important to me and DAMMIT I care about Israel

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Girls’ Last Tour 1 - 2 | Juuni Taisen 4 - 5 | Ancient Magus’ Bride 2 - 3 | Idolish7 1 - 2

The only one I’ve properly kept up with out of my 5 shows this season is Juuni Taisen, so I’m going to roll out the tag for that show first. Also, the Idolish7 first two episodes became free recently so I cover them here too.

Girls’ Last Tour 1

Pipes…grunge…hey, doesn’t this look familiar? *glares at Princess Principal*

I’ve only seen one episode of Made in Abyss but I get a bad feeling about these character designs…

I’m worried about this falling into the Yuri Divide. Sure,the fandom can do what it wants, but please don’t ship the lolis.

Oh right. Wind, meaning there’s an opening somewhere.

That dramatic eye opening made the outside world seem like an anticlimax. C’mon, show. You can do better than that.

I feel like Chito says “shut up” a lot, even though she’s only said it twice. I get how she’s kind of relatable, but this show’s not on the level of MMO Junkie or even Juuni Taisen. It’s just kinda…average.

Did Tangled ever teach you how to use a pan, Yuu?

Everything’s kinda WWI-esque. It’s kinda unsettling for a person who’s never properly seen war.

Even in this snowy world, you could still learn to hunt and cook, right?

If you kill your friend in a post-apocalyptic world, you’ll be lonely by war. Don’t kill each other, kiddos. Lives are precious.

This is serious, kiddos! C’mon!

Eating snow is meant to quench your thirst, but it’s not any good for hunger. Apparently.

Well, I’m quite lukewarm on this. I’ve already found my seasonal hits and I study globalisation, so it’s no surprise I find this stuff a lot like my weekly content. Nonetheless, whoever decided to put Classicaloid behind a paywall’s gonna have to pay (pun not intended)!

Girls’ Last Tour 2

I half expect a “hey you!” joke but they don’t work in Japanese…

What are the wiggly things on the ground next to Chi and Yuu in the OP??? Leeches???

Oh geez. Now they even draw cleavage on the lolis. Meaning these guys are just drawn young. That’s both a good and a bad thing.

Those letters seem to be…no language in particular.

Book burning. What a thing to throw in.

Oh. The blocky writing is actually hiragana or katakana. You just need to look at it closely.

I think that was meant to be comedy…but it was so cruel. Poor book.

I think what they’re saying is “don’t burn history”, but I think we learnt that a long time ago when the Chinese burnt books.

Maybe if these gals had Bear Grylls they’d survive a bit longer…?

Lemme guess: either Yuu burnt them all, destroyed them all or read them all.

The original joke was gomen wa, where ne is similar to wa. At least, I think it’s a wa. It could be a re.

The red circle said Yuu wrote the me wrong, so it’s actually probably gonun ne.

Well, someone funded a sakuga ending. Like the one from ACCA with dancing Lotta.

Juuni Taisen 4

I find it heavily symbolic that Nezumi likes eating eggs. Eggs represents chickens…and conundrums…

Ooh…bam. Nisio Isin’s going the Middle Eastern proxy route.

Hmm. Interesting, it’s basically Bystander Effect: the War.

The anime’s currently ahead of the manga, so I got slightly startled by Boar’s appearance. However, I’ve read some spoilers elsewhere, so I knew she was going to be in Monkey’s story somewhere else. I just didn’t think it was this soon.

Recycled footage…bad show! Bad!

LOL, CGI tank. Sorry for ruining the mood, but that stood out a bit too much for my liking.

“…participation is mandatory…” – Huh. I never saw that detail coming.

“Ow. I thought you were against violence.” – (LOL.) Yeah, but apathy isn’t good when something’s coming to get you in the sewers, so I’m with Monkey on this.

Wa-wait! Y’mean, Rabbit can use Chicken to use Eye of the Cormorant…so Monkey will die this ep??? [Monkey dying]’s exactly what I’ve been fearing for the duration of this episode. Update: If you want the spoiler version from the end of the ep…she didn’t die.

Notice Monkey uses moves that use the strength of her opponent against her. It’s a very pacifist touch, so to speak.

There are a series of images that flash by before the casual clothes part of the ED. If you observe them closely, you’ll see a lot of them involve the number 12. (Example: the cubes have lines on them that read “12”.)

LOL, I think I only just now spotted the bodyguard behind Boar. He’s hard to spot behind all the splatter.

Home boy and his T-bars make me laugh every time. Then of course, there’s Mr Floofy Jacket.

Oh, it’s Duodecuple who’s doing these next ep previews. I couldn’t figure out who it was last time I tried.

Juuni Taisen 5

Genius, with a capital letter? They keep calling him the Genius of Slaughter in his backstory, so I guess that’s where it’s from.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is the same in Japanese as it is English, so at least the pun is there.

LOL, this episode is pretty much all “stuff goes kaboom!”, and that’s pretty much the way of the Sheep. Haha.

Of mice and men, eh??? (I read enough spoilers to know who the victor is…but I don’t know how they win.)

Whoa, yeah, baby! Bring that action! (That happens to be exactly the way I imagine my own action stories – from the front seat, so to speak.)

The snake’s winking! So cute! I want me some plushies like those!

Old-Timer. Haha, great pun on so many, many levels.

Ancient Magus’ Bride 2

I started doing a productivity blog and got caught up in it so much, I neglected anime! Imagine that – me, neglecting anime!

Oh, there’s a little “open” sign near the door.

It’s anime Hogwarts! Only the train is more colorful…LOL. (Actually, Little Witch Academia is anime Hogwarts, so scratch that.)

Ooh, Elias has a good taste in faces. Not that I’m complaining or anything. (Looks like En-chan, to boot.)

Elias is like the NEET genius of the magic world here. It’s kinda funny.

What’s a Gem’s Bee? (No spoilers, I’m not a manga reader!)

Angelica’s like her (Chise’s) mother, LOL. Seeing Elias properly emote is hilarious, hilarious! (Why I procrastinated on this show? Because it’s a slow mover that should be appreciated in its own time, but I’m not good with binging so…that’s why I’m only watching it now.)

Oh! No wonder Angelica seems like a mother. She is a mother.

Ooh! Ice flowers. Pretty. I’ve already gotten way too many screenshots for my own good out of this show…As a writer, I feel like I could never make a story like this.This is a story best fostered under someone else’s hand.

Poppies, eh? To me, poppies symbolise war and sticking out, but that’s just a product of where I was born. In the case of war, poppies represent the blood of the fallen and those who rise above that.

Speaking of stories I couldn’t write, I’m currently bringing Next to Me to a close. I feel like that’s my best match to AMB, which is why my thoughts dwell on stories so much right now. Next to Me is one of those stories where the world matters just as much as the character building, if not more, which is why the understated majesty of AMB is a good match.

Seeing a blonde Englishman use –kun like a Japanese is a bit disorienting.

Simon really treats Chise like a child, eh?

The “open” sign now says “close”. What is this house, an apothecary?

The CGI door was a bit weird…

Whoa! That was a bit of a fast approach into the dragon scene, but apparently the dragon part of AMB was really hyped…

Ancient Magus’ Bride 3

How does skelly-man see like that?

The dragons look like…Pokémon! (That was my first thought, LOL.)

This blonde is Lindel from the promo material I’ve read. He looks like zaShunina (Kado), so it’s best to be wary of him.

Ooh, now there’s an application of shadows I’d never be able to think of!

Holy flame spirits, Batman! Elias has a tongue! (I got spoilered on that by ANN, but it’s crazy seeing it in context.)

Ancient mages shouldn’t be hot like zaShunina! Where are the real old fogeys like Kiku(hiko, SGRS)?

Uncle Nevin! I found it extremely charming this uil has a name beyond “Uil”.

Can these dragons read minds? Or is it just the power of Dragon Knowledge (TM)?

When they say “Anime saved my life”, I guess they never meant it this literally…or at least, Chise never meant it this literally.

That dragon has way too many eyes!!! Yipes.

Huh. I haven’t felt this feeling since SGRS. The feeling of a masterpiece on my eyeballs.

羽鳥チセ <- That’s how you write Chise’s name, so they did another “Western creature uses Japanese knowledge” thing…

D’aww. That was beautiful! No wonder people like it, now I like it too. Nothing short of majestic, guys, nothing short of majestic.

Hey, the guy who voiced Nevin is called Ryuuzaburo. Ryuu means dragon in this case. (Meta pun!)

Idolish 7 1

Crunchyroll really tried to hype this thing up! Wow. So, here I am at what could pretty much be called a premiere event of the simulcast commentary. Enjoy, friends.

By the way, I’ve tried a bit of the Idolish 7 game (but since it was on BlueStacks, I couldn’t do the “rhythm” part of the rhythm game very well and subsequently couldn’t get too far) and of course, there’s a vested interest through Shirai, Masuda and Nishiyama. Update: There’s no Nishiyama in sight. Sorry, guys.

Oh wow. This is exactly as I remember it in the game, right down to the word!

Yay! I was looking forward to seeing the basketball scene adapted, since it’s possibly the only scene I got to experience in the game in its (Japanese) entirety. Bring the dang game to the Western world, Bandai!

Riku is such a pure cinnamon bun when he gets the basketball back.

LOL, Nagi is such a flirt, kyaa~ (semi-sarcastic).

I don’t remember them dropping Trigger’s name so early…geesh, my memory must be sketchier than I thought it was.

Just as a reference, Iori (black) is 17 while Riku (red) is 18.

Ooh, I just spotted a Trigger ad on one building during that cut.

Ooh, good sense of drama these guys have got going.

Idolish 7 2

Expressiveness for a grump like Yamato, LOL.  

LOL, there’s a shark in the back…

Iori has a cat shirt, hahaha.

Cool and sharp…stationery? Like a compass?

Iori’s so sarcastic, I can’t tell f he’s ever being serious or not.

I don’t know who’s my favourite so far out of these i7 boys. Probably the one similar to my husbando, Tamaki.

Ahh, gotta love me a good, honest hardworking anime gal. You don’t see them very often, y’know. It’s refreshing.

That was a great Iori impression Mitsuki did, even visually (note: I didn’t listen to Mitsuki do the impression, I only read the subs…hence my comment). Troyca really captured the style of the game, to boot, which is another cherry on the cake.

Notice Iori stands in front of the D.C. (da capo) and leaves to reveal it.

I researched who Riku’s brother is while I was watching ep 1 and…(spoilers for the uninitiated!) the brother is Tenn of Trigger!

There was a soba ad in the back in one lingering shot…

Hey, I get the feeling there’s CGI involved in this dance segment, but it’s…hardly detectable! Amazing! These guys seem to have gone a long way since the horribly animated Monster Generation MV.

Notice they (Troyca) only use CGI in (mostly) shots which don’t involve closeups.

Of course Nagi winks in the middle of his performance…

Whoo, yeah. That was a bold move by Crunchyroll, and of course that would grab me more than just leaking the first ep. I wonder if any critics covered this on their blogs…? Or would it not matter, since critics wouldn’t cover this “uncritical slop” anyway? Nonetheless, I covered it, and that’s what matters! (Update: Yeah, all the critics – Frog-kun, Lauren in Space, Mage in a Barrel etc. - passed on it. As expected of those critics…)