#we'll see if i continue panels of this or whatever

[acekindaneat]

uh oh! bad decision, serizawa!

[todays-xkcd]

[desperately] Maybe this is from some country where they use commas as decimal points, and also as digit separators after the decimal, and also use random other characters for decoration???

Reading a Big Number [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[A large number is written along the middle of the panel. Above and below the number there are 10 labels, (5 above and 5 below), and from each label a small curved line points to a part of the number. There is a heading above the top labels:] Thought process while reading a big number:

[The number is continuing off the edge of the comic to the right, the last digit is missing about a third:] 54,000,000,000,000,000,000,0000,0000,054,000"000,00c2ef46

[The labels are listed below in the reading order as from where the small lines are pointing on to the number, so both those above and below the number, not first all those above. Text in the brackets indicate where on the number the line is pointing:]

[To the first two numbers before the first comma, label above the number:] 54! Great! I know that number. Solid start.

[To the first zero after the first comma, label below the number:] Oh, a comma and some zeros. Cool. Must be at least 54 thousand.

[To the second comma, label above the number:] A second comma! I wonder if we're talking population or money.

[To the third comma, label below the number:] Yikes! If this is money, it's a lot of money.

[To the fifth comma, label above the number:] Why am I reading this? Whatever this number is, I'm not going to be able to visualize it.

[To the sixth comma, label below the number:] All right, either someone made a unit conversion error or this is one of those incomprehensible astronomy numbers.

[To the middle of a group of four zeros after the seventh comma, label above the number:] Oh no. Is this a misplaced comma or an extra zero? I guess we'll see if the next group has two zeros or three. If it's two, we can at least hope the digits are right.

[To the middle of a group of four zeros after the eighth comma, label below the number:] Oh no.

[To the last two numbers of the three digits after the ninth comma, label below the number:] What is happening.

[To a quotation mark, where the eleventh comma should have been, label above the number:] Someone messed up real bad.

[To the first number in a group with mixed alphanumeric numbers, where the thirteenth comma should have been, label below the number:] Someone messed up real bad and I hope it wasn't me.

[yumeka-sxf]

Today's new chapter reveals why Hemlock resents Yor so much: as I suspected, it's the fact that, from his perspective at least, she's "lost her edge" which made him angry to the point of wanting to wipe her out of Garden completely.

We haven't seen Yor do a Garden mission since the cruise arc, but we know from there that she definitely hasn't lost her edge. Even though she messed up a bit at first, it was only because she was trying to understand why she's continuing to fight as Thorn Princess. And once she realized what that reason was, a renewed strength welled up inside her that allowed her to overcome very strong adversity.

In this sense, having a family has actually made her stronger. Originally she was fighting solely to cleanse the country of "bad guys," and that reason hasn't gone away, it's only been amplified by her other reason for fighting, which is to create a peaceful world that her loved ones can thrive in.

Unfortunately, Hemlock interprets Yor's happiness about her family and lack of the "robotic" aura she used to exude, as a degradation for Thorn Princess.

He's also extremely resentful because he sacrificed so much to reach the level of skill he thought Thorn Princess had - isolating himself for who knows how long just to keep honing his assassination skills, despite suffering true loneliness.

And now he thinks Yor has thrown all her skills away because she'd rather be a housewife than an assassin. He not only sees this as a betrayal to Shopkeeper and Garden, but a slap in the face to someone like him who had to work so hard for skills that she's now seemingly tossing aside.

Hemlock also sees Yor's hesitance to fight him as a weakness, but I think it's an indication of how she stays true to her principle of only fighting "bad guys" she's ordered to fight by Shopkeeper (or anyone who threatens her loved ones or the innocent). It's hard to say if the past Yor that Hemlock admired would have immediately fought back, but regardless, he interprets this as just another sign of how she's lost her touch when it comes to being an assassin.

But once he decides to threaten her family, a threat to the people Yor desires to protect the most, that's more than enough to ignite the will to fight in her, even against a fellow Garden member. I've mentioned in past posts that Yor doesn't have many personal desires for herself, which is something that likely came about from her upbringing as a "mindless soldier" for Garden. She also tends not to fight back if she herself is being threatened, insulted, or berated, which again could stem from whatever was instilled in her from Garden. However, when others are being harmed, especially those most important to her, she doesn't hold back at all.

And fight she definitely does - in the end, Hemlock is brought to his knees just by the intense aura of Yor almost stabbing him.

This scene reminded me of how Fiona reacted after she lost the tennis match with Yor. Yor is quite good at devastating her rivals just by displaying her skills, she doesn't even have to injure them!

Another person Yor has left her mark on 😂

Even though the chapter ended on a lighter note, with Hemlock in total shock at his defeat, it's hard to say if he's had a total change of heart or not. Is he now going to accept that Yor is stronger than him despite her passion for her family, or will he continue to be hostile to her? We'll have to wait and see.

I'll end this post by pointing out the fact that in the Japanese version of the below panel, Hemlock uses the phrase "icha icha" when describing Yor's "making out," which is the same word that Anya uses whenever she says "Papa and Mama are flirting" 😅

[sengenism]

What forehead touch, what did I miss? Fuckkk gotta find that chapter now :')

LOOK NO FURTHER IT'S CHAPTER 190

[dr stone manga spoilers ofc!]

IN FACT, LOOK NO FURTHER I'M POSTING IT RIGHT HERE

it's not really a forehead touch but more like a head touch i guess? but whatever, i still love this scene so much because

- senku and gen and the continuous theme of them vowing to die together

- senku being touch averse except when it comes to gen

- in fact, someone pointed out on twitter in the past (like, when the chapter came out so three years back, and i can't remember and credit them sorry TT) that senku actually seemed to have crossed distance to close the gap between him and gen in this scene! and i can't remember what exactly was said, but i'll elaborate below on my take on this:

so as u can see, in the beginning of the scene, gen is sat quite some distance away from senku, chrome and kaseki

and then gen looks up with tears in his eyes because his friends have died in front of him while he couldn't do anything to help. taiju even saved his life

and right after the panel shows this scene, where senku and gen are touching foreheads of sorts. but to do that, senku is the one who has most likely moved towards gen, given that gen's head angle is similar to the panel before and he's distressed and tired

meaning that senku sought out physical touch from gen. senku, the most touch averse guy out there. and if u brainrot and go even deeper into the delusion, u'd take into account the fact that gen was crying before this, so it could be seen as a way of comfort too

(well, this is all just speculation though and we'll never know for sure until the anime comes, i guess?)

anyways, this forehead touch of sorts really represents sengen so well. the touch meets in the middle, just like they always do as partners and equals. it's so beautiful anon :)

[ktckymeatshower]

ok so i just caught up to phantom busters and something i love so much about it is its insistence on showing the importance of Family and the Power of Friendship. in all forms. for good or bad. (and i use found family loosely here but walk with me) we have found family—or at least the beginnings of one—between the phantom busters, comprising 4 boys who have never had friends their age before. or at least real ones in eugene's case.

and then we have the shishikuno clan and its violent past and present + internal division and corruption, and mogari's rejection of his family's expectations for him and the isolation he And ren underwent (which i assume we'll see more of in the following chapters). like this guy started sobbing and wailing and throwing up when his friends got him a bag of convenience store snacks as a late birthday gift. mind you it was only late because they only found out when they went to his house and found ren's sinister ass present.

this panel is so funny but it's also devastating because like yeah!! these guys have never experienced (from what we know so far, lasting) friendship or connection with people their age!! even eugene, who is extremely socially adept, stands up to his mother and tells her the phantom busters are his "first real friends."

mogari & eugene, who have both been socialized as Singular in some way (eugene as a prodigy who Must use his intellect for the furthering of scientific discovery, mogari as the shishikuno heir) reject the notion that "ordinary teenage life" is simply an obstacle in their paths imposed upon them by their family and/or society. eugene first learns this from his grandmother & internalizes it upon meeting mogari. which makes me want to know more about mogari especially after we see just how self-destructive this guy can be when ren tells mogari he could die while trying to eat a god and he just says he doesn't care?? and when prompted abt why he would sacrifice himself for zaki, someone he just met, and essentially let ren kill him and let the cycle of violence of the shishikuno clan continue, he shrugs and says it's Because they're friends??? this guy, even after realizing his fate belongs to him, thinks the best and only option he has to help his friends is to throw himself in danger knowing the risk of Death. despite his refusal to associate with the malicious background & alignment of the shishikuno clan, he maintains a Moral Duty to do use his exorcism to help people. it's the same innate Obligation his family drilled into him, only for the greater good of people in need of help and his friends, which is still incredibly self-destructive. neither ren or mogari understand each other concerning each other's ethics & autonomy vs. lack thereof, but ultimately, mogari hasn't escaped his learned loyalty to a fault either. ren operates with the mindset that he'll do whatever his Father tells him to do because he provided ren a Home and Purpose. & the difference between him and mogari is that mogari was able to find people his age who recognize him as a person and protect him when he needs support, of course—but both ren and mogari's loyalty to their loved ones ultimately manifests as self-destruction, save for the fact that mogari learns to Choose who to direct his loyalty towards. ren was manipulated to believe he was only allowed to survive because of the grace of his "family"—mogari was forced to grow up knowing since birth that he was a target within his own family. mogari doesn't owe anything but blood to shishikuno. ren thinks he needs to owe everything to shishikuno Because he doesn't owe them blood. and while mogari was able to shed himself from responsibility with his family, he still hasn't understood that complete self-sacrifice is not synonymous with altruism. he just knows how to rely on others, too, for more than basic means of survival, which ren does not.

anyway i think this is summarized best in mogari's words when he defends zaki from the upperclassmen in the basketball team:

and then there's constant reminders that family & belonging exists Everywhere, including the student council, the little kid ghost the phantom busters took back home, 8beatshift... hell even the supernatural research group!! even charles and his old group of ostensibly 4!!!

these 4 person groups, regardless of their screentime and importance in the larger narrative, are constantly being put center stage for their tight knit love & care for each other. the purpose and courage they find within each other. like this truly is shounen power of friendship. so like thematically this isn't unique to phantom busters of course but it is so nice to see it so blatantly mirrored again and again. 1000 ghosts in 1 year. mogari's saying "i'm not too interested in other people's problems, so i just ignore them" & his deliberate and visible lack of response when hikari tells the boys about zaki's eye scars, being the one to directly ask zaki if he'll let them help him, eugene stopping tamon from going with zaki and mogari to talk,

and mogari hears this Knowing this is the same internal and external isolation he grew up learning as the shishikuno heir, the same rebuttal he used to hear to his wish to leave the mountains & go to school.

and mogari who admits himself that he doesn't know anything about friendship tries to make sense of friendship and genuinely Asks zaki because he really doesn't know but this is what he's gleaned from being with the phantom busters

it's almost certainly not intentional, of course, but the little boy & his mom, tamon & his ghost mother, and zaki & his mom all get me so hard. like these panels fuck me up

we know how much zaki's family spoils him bc of the guilt they feel for him + that zaki's mom only said she's sorry she's sorry for giving birth to him because she unknowingly brought him into the world with psychic powers, but zaki misinterprets this as her regretting her son's birth entirely. the first time zaki realizes his power isn't just a source of misery & communicates his to his mom is once the phantom busters show him that not only can his power be used to help others but that he and his friends can Also use it to help himself.

i'm sure most of this is obvious or doesn't make any sense but thanks for reading my insane rambling. i'm so excited for this manga and these stupid idiots :-)

[klissblog]

Are we ready for his new work? Referencing this tweet.

What will it be? This is just my opinion, but if the author decides to continue Saiki K, it could be in the form of a one-shot, some characters appear in a single panel of his new work, or even a spin-off.

SaiTeru marriage

The tweet included the message: "I was happy to draw a flyer on my own." Hmmm... This shows that the author can create whatever he wants, and he's clearly happy to draw Saiki and Teruhashi together. That’s why he has never drawn other ships in official art, except for Saiteru. The message supports his statement: "I want Saiki and Teruhashi-san to marry."

The author is really sweet for making it clear that Saiki ends up with Teruhashi and that she wins over Aiura on twitter ❤️❤️.

Maybe we'll get to see their marriage ❤️ Honestly, though, I'd prefer this to be the final step. I want to see their relationship develop first.

2. Aiura´s soulmate

I asked the author twice, but he didn’t tell me anything about aiura, only confirmed saiki and teruhashi. I guess he doesn’t want to spoil anything and will reveal Aiura’s soulmate in his next work.

3. Saiki k university version

For those excited about "Saiki K university version", the author responded to a fan in the twitter who said it would be lonely if they made it during the university arc without Nendo. The author clarified that Nendo wouldn’t pass the university entrance exam. He didn’t even take it, but he probably sitting next to them (when they study). The reply comment said I can easily imagine that happening and Saiki probably just say, "Yare yare"

Poor Nendo who loves his pals, but struggling to pass the test and coming to terms with his limits. I can totally imagine he had a tough time graduating high school!

4. Third year of high school

5. A new manga

He will create a new manga, but some of the Saiki characters will likely appear in it (just in some panel or a few chapter), similar to how he brought in characters from his previous works in some chapter of Saiki K. I think this is the most likely scenario.

[draw-ren-draw]

Avantris Comic Scripts #2

Often when I get ideas for comics, I break my panels into scripts first. These are less prose-y than fics but still contain dialogue and basic interactions. You seem to have enjoyed my first one, so have a few more, this one featuring my initial thoughts on "Gorebek"

Confrontation with 'the Duke' (spoilers up to ep: 56!) [A script I wrote to explore my personal headcanon about Torbek's situation; I think this would be a delightful twist that suits what Nikki and Andy might be plotting for us. Please be sure you are caught up to episode 56 to avoid any spoilers! These ideas are not confirmed just my personal favorite take~] * * * * [After another grueling battle, 'The Duke' has made himself known by taking control of Torbek's body once again. Dripping with the blood of his latest conquest, the party stands at odds with the most sane and yet somehow scariest version of their friend yet. This time, the Witchlighted to hell and back bugbear has no interest in further bloodshed and seems more inclined to take his leave. Weapons drawn, Carnivale Lecroux debate whether to fight or allow this unexpected threat to flee, knowing they could risk losing Torbek too.]

Kremy: "You're outnumbered so KINDLY get the hell out of Torbek already!" Gideon: "Ya can't just show up after somebody's been experimented on and claim that bodies your own!" "Not my own?" The Duke pauses, considering something while facing away. "Let me get this straight. Your friend. Who speaks in grunts and the third person. Can barely write his name. And you think he's the original personality?"

A hush falls over the crowd Gricko: "… In hindsight…" Frost: "…it does make a disturbing amount of sense.."

'The Duke' smirks and misty steps closer to Kremy, taunting the lizardfolk. 'The Duke': "You never could remember me, could you?" Kremy: "Now that's not true, the herri--" 'The Duke': "You just believed whatever it was I told you, it was easy enough to picture." The Alligator squints, fae magic clouding his mind. Something about what this not-Torbek is saying does make an insidious amount of sense. He grits his teeth, unable to find the lie. Kremy: "… Think I'm beginning to remember why I didn't like remembering you."

Gideon is not falling for it and he's even more incensed after seeing someone make Kremy of all people unsure about something.

Gideon: "So what. This is just 'YOU' now? You're just gonna leave and take Torbek along, just like that? He's not coming back this time?" 'The Duke' steps back again, testing how far he can push his retreat without being suspect. He stretches his arms in a gloating manner. 'The Duke': "I assure you, I have lived more in this body than 'HE' has ever forgotten." The Duke smiles cruelly, all teeth, eerily wide and full of malice. 'The Duke': "But that's right. You're the chosen heroes of the faewild, aren't you? Then ask yourselves this: are you really okay with erasing someone from existence just because you like another side of them better?"

Twig: "We are if he's a little BITCH!" Gideon gives the brownie a supportive pat with a laugh Gideon: "Well said Twig."

'The Duke': "But is that JUST?" He continues to raise his arms in a taunting manner, but it is clear he is starting to look and sound a little more harried (as anyone with sense usually is after prolonged exposure to these idiots) 'The Duke': "You think you can get him to override me? ME? The Duke of the Twilight Court??!"

Kremy sidebars with Gideon. Kremy: "We could if we got him to fall off the Herris wheel couple more times." Gideon: "Hehe yeah! Couple a hits and he'd be back to full form no problem!" Kremy: "Can't hit him too hard though, have a repeat of Chuckles." Gideon: "Nah, He ain't a clown, I don't think he'd laugh to death if we punched him in the body like Chuckles did."

'The Duke' interrupts, flustered at being ignored. 'The Duke': "ENOUGH!" 'The Duke:' THIS is the faewild; MAGIC country! Anything is possible. We'll see who the land's deem most worthy of sticking around. A distinguished aristocrat-- or a blubbering waste of flesh." Bonus panel: Internal Torbek dialogue represented in a sad thought bubble 'Gottttta say, the odddds aren't in Torbeksss favorrrrrr'

[Some details have slightly shifted as I developed this idea more, but I thought there was still a lot to like in these character interactions in this original draft.]

[poppystheories]

Eye Theory Continues

Allen's eye doesn't always look like this; usually it’s black and red or even slitted like a cat's (like Mana/Nea's). Here it is clearly taking on the appearance of Eshi's eyes, because it's connecting to him.

Allen comes to this conclusion, but I don't think that is at all what's going on here.

The Akuma are the Earl's "eyes". He can see through them. Allen's eye contains a consciousness that was once part of the Earl. The paneling above makes it abundantly clear that the eye is seeing what's happening to Allen's friends through Eshi's eyes. Mana's trying to tell Allen that the friends are in deep shit.

As for the other nights it's throbbing, I think that has another explanation:

Down the road, we'll see the Earl's left eye startle him awake with a vision of Allen being attacked by Apocryphos. Whatever part of himself the Earl excised into Akuma!Mana, it is still connected to the whole. Right now, though, Allen's the one being startled awake with visions.

I don't think Allen's eye throbbing has anything to do with his eye trying to punish him or push him. I think this horrific mass of souls is what the Earl is seeing, or what the Eye is seeing through the Earl.

Allen's Innocence started falling apart after his eye evolved. Now that his Innocence is mostly gone from his body, his eye seems almost unable to control itself, activating like crazy and connecting to Akuma an ocean away. I think all of these are symptoms of the Dark Matter and Innocence in Allen's body being out of balance, with Crown Clown being unable to keep the eye’s connection to the Earl in check.

I do have further evidence of this, when we get there...

[ichinoue]

In the lust arc, ichigo never said the "her" kanji in the original Japanese scan, this kanji: 彼 was nowhere to be seen. It was ichigos instinct to protect that made him get up; he didn't know who was calling, but since someone was, he ahd to protect, that's who he is.

The translation for the original Japanese scan is:

“呼んでる. 呼んでるんだ. 聞こえる. 立てよ. 立て. 俺が. 俺が. 俺が護る."

“Calling. They are calling. I can hear it. Rise. Stand up. I…I…I will protect.”

I don't know why viz chose to add a non existent her, but in the original scan, there's no her.

Now you can ship what u like, just don't mischarecterize ichigo for the sake of it. We know you want it to appear that ichigo was down bad for orihime, just don't do it at the cost of ichigos charecter. This was a moment for ichigo to show his instinct to protect, no matter who, and his will as a shinigami.

You also say that in terms panel that ichigo blasts orihime away and off her feet, that he wasnt attacking her because "his sword was on the other side". If he raised from the DEAD to save her, why wouldn't he more cautious of her? That blast flew orihime off her feet, you dont do deliberately do that if ur protecting someone.

I've seen some people use the data book as an arguement to say it was about orihime since it says he was "bound to orihimes screams" when that was 3rd person. That was from a readers perspective, because we as readers knew that orihime was calling out to him, ichigo didn't.

If vasto lorde/ichigo meant to protect orihime, he wouldve said the her kanji in the original scan, and he wouldn't have blasted her away after that. By all means, enjoy ur ship. I don't give a fuck abt that, what I do give a fuck about is ichigo mischarecterization or a false narrative being pushed in order to enjoy ur ship. Ichigo rose from the dead to protect who was calling out to him, because that's what he does. The ichihime ship doenst need this moment to stay alive, once again I know ichihime shippers love to use this as a basis of thir arguement as to why its canon, but it simply didn't happen the way u guys say.

Call me an ichihime anti, call me an orihime hater, I don't give a fuck. Stop pushing false narratives to make ur ship appear any better than it does, its quite frustrating to see mischarecterization happen because of shipping. And I say this too any shippers who want to twist the narrative or mischarecterize charecters in order to validate their ship or prove that their ship is good.

Well guys, it's 2023 and here's another dolt ranting about pronouns in the lust arc, just like the IH Fail essay that ended up being a fail in and of itself.

When will these people learn that Japanese doesn't require pronouns the same way that English does?

Hell, English doesn't even require pronouns when it's redundant and *this* incredibly obvious who is being talked to and/or about:

Seriously. Even if the only thing Ichigo were saying here is the word "protect"...or furthermore, even if we were not meant to know what he was saying at all, and it was just some mumbled, broken speech that the reader was not meant to decipher...It's still blatantly evident that whatever it is he's saying, he's talking to/about Orihime.

I mean this is just hilarious to me. Here's Orihime and Ichigo, literally placed together in side by side panels as Ichigo continues to chant about protecting...And ichiruki shippers are like, "hmmm well, it's not super clear who he's talking about because there's no pronoun so...I guess we'll never know 🤷‍♀️."

When literally, she's...she's right there on the page lmao. That's Orihime, she's right there! You can't miss her!! Like c'mon, dude. This is basic reading comprehension. You really need a pronoun to help you figure this out when her face is right there? Directly adjacent to his? When she's listening to what he's saying, so that it can then dawn on her that, "oh shit, it's my fault, he's doing this for ME."

This is the very next page following that last one, with a flashback of the moment in question, of Orihime screaming out for Ichigo, the moment he could hear HER calling before he rose up from the dead, chanting about protection. Confirming for the 47 thousandth time that yeah, he rose up from the dead for her.

You think Kubo drew this^ entire page, at such a pivotal moment, to show that Orihime's...wrong? Like some sort of gag? She's just *imagining* that Ichigo rose up for her, but it's not actually true? That's...certainly an interesting way to interpret things lmao.

Here's the page the flashback references, of Orihime screaming, placed directly next to Ichigo just as he begins to rise up. But yeah, it had nothing at all to do with Orihime. Just a total coincidence, I'm sure.

And if that weren't enough, here's the Bleach Unmasked Databook:

完全虚化した一護は, 織姫が発した叫びを反芻 しその目的だけに縛られた。

"The perfectly hollowfied Ichigo ruminated over Orihime's screams and was bound only to that purpose"

You...mentioned this? Kind of?

"I've seen some people use the data book as an arguement to say it was about orihime since it says he was "bound to orihimes screams" when that was 3rd person. That was from a readers perspective, because we as readers knew that orihime was calling out to him, ichigo didn't."

The readers aren't the ones who bound Ichigo to Orihime's screams (especially not you, anon, since you keep insisting it had nothing to do with her lmao). Kubo did that. That's how he meant for this scene to be interpreted: that Ichigo was bound to Orihime's screams. But you're still here fighting against it for some reason lol.

Ichigo did know she was calling out to him. It was part of his internal monologue, as she's screaming, before he hollowfied. Whether the pronoun is there or not (because again, the pronoun for her doesn't *need* to be there to make it clear who he's talking about when she's clearly the only person screaming, placed directly next to a panel of him rising him up...) he could hear her voice. He could hear her calling him. He ruminated over ORIHIME'S screams and was bound to ONLY that purpose. Only her.

You can try to downplay it and remove her from the equation all you want, but it's impossible. It's impossible because she was the only one on her knees by his side when he died, the only one screaming, the only one whose voice he could hear, the only purpose he was bound to. The only one whose face is side by side with his as he speaks about protecting. The only one featured in a flashback to the crucial moment of her screaming, placed side by side with a panel of him about to rise up, confirming it was for her.

Try to crop her out of all the pages leading up to the moment Ichigo rises up and see how much is left. Try to make sense of him rising up because he can hear someone screaming, without her there...literally screaming. Try to erase her when she was the catalyst to it all.

And I guess at this point I just don't understand why that's so hard to believe? That Ichigo rose up from the dead for Orihime? Considering Kubo has confirmed that he planned the final chapter revealing the endgame couples after writing chapter ONE.

Is it really that difficult to fathom? That Kubo wrote Ichigo doing such a thing.....for his future wife? Considering Kubo *knew* they would be married in the end when he wrote the lust arc?

Honestly like, it's been seven years. What is the point of digging in your heels and shouting at clouds that scenes like this between Ichigo and Orihime were not romantic when their relationship was literally...planned out...to be romantic?

It's over, it's canon. You can either accept the high likelihood that you were misinterpreting Ichigo and Orihime's relationship from the way Kubo meant for it to be interpreted all along, or continue to rant in my inbox on anon. The choice is yours lol.

[cyberrose2001]

I said I'd make a oneshot about railing Synth-en!Ratchet, I'm making a oneshot about railing Synth-en!Ratchet 😇 

(And the reader is a gender neutral Cybertronian because)

~~~

"Yeah, we'll be gone for a couple hours. Your staying here with Ratchet, [reader]." Arcee chimed out before transforming to her alt mode and speeding down the hallway towards the exit. Bumblebee transformed to his alt mode and chased after her pretty quickly before she left him behind. Ratchet scoffed, before turning to you. "Why do you have to stay here again?" 

You shrug in response. "The last time you took Synth-en you had the biggest personality swing anyone's ever seen. In fact, your even more snippy than usual. Im here to keep you from doing something stupid.." Ratchet sneered in response, turning in the opposite direction to fumble around with some broken gadget on his work station. "Yeah, and now while everyone else is out on a mission, I'm stuck here with you basically babysitting me." He huffed, shoving a wrench to the side. Hes definitely much more snippy than usual. 

You come up behind him, putting your hands around his waist and leaning your head over his shoulder. "So what are you working on?" You question, gently caressing his abdomen, near his valve port. He's obviously a little surprised, and definitely flustered. "J-just something Bulkhead broke." You smirk slightly, reaching your hands down further as you spoke. "Let me guess, he tripped over a cable and fell on this gadget, so that's why your so snippy right now?" You continue to lower your hands, getting all the way down to the edge of his valve panel. 

Ratchet isn't even working on whatever he was working on, just stuttering while trying to respond. You look behind you, seeing the empty workspace behind the both of you, nothing in the way. You pull Ratchet back, moving out of the way and grabbing back onto him, now both of you facing eachother before pushing him up onto the table. You smirk a second time. "I could raise your mood." You reach your hand down, grabbing and gently squeezing his thigh.

You tap at his valve panel with the knuckles of your digits, lowering your spike panel. "You alright with this?" You question. Ratchet reaches his arms over your shoulders while you stare into his green optics, awaiting a response. After a moment, he nods his head yes. 

You push him down a bit further on his workbench, and slip the tip of your spike into his interior mode. He shifts his legs, clearly now trying to grind against you already. Yet, you pull your spike back. He then looks back up at you. "Hm, so you don't have the will to-?" He tries to tease, but you slip your entire spike into his valve. He stops speaking abruptly, clawing at your back while trying to hold back a moan. You feel transfluid leaking down your legs, and you look down to see pink transfluid dripping down onto the floor.

"Heh, we've barely started and you've already overloaded?" You murmur, pulling back out half of your spike. It's covered in Ratchet's transfluid. In response, he claws at your back harder, and you retaliate by shoving your spike all the way back in. This time, Ratchet can't stifle his moan, clenching at your shoulder's, letting out a little whimper. "I bet next time you'll think before your snippy with me, won't you?" You tease, rubbing one of your digits around his valve. "Y-yes..." Ratchet whimpers out.

You pull Ratchet's face up near yours, grabbing the back of his helm and kissing him. That stifles his next moan when you slam back into his tight valve. His legs shake every time you push back into him. He claws at your back with every thrust. His moans and whimpers begin to grow louder, grabbing onto the side of your upper torso. Around 15-20 minutes later, you both end up overloading, and you both stop to take a breathe. After a minute, Ratchet sits back up a little. You smile, one of your hands still around his waist. "Round 2?"

He's a mess, the inside of his legs coated with transfluid, but he nods yes. He pulls himself a little closer to you, whimpering, "Please." over and over again. You oblige, readying yourself before thrusting back into the shorter mech, receiving a half moan, half whimper from him. After about 3 more overloads over the course of a 2 and a half hours, your both totally wrecked. You aren't as wrecks as him though. His plating is beginning to heat up from the friction, panting heavily, and transfluid just dripping down his legs. You can see his lower abdomen plating bulging up a little bit. You lightly press down on this buldge , and feel your spike inside of his interior.

You rise back up a little, panting as well with transfluid coating your spike and the area around it. "I'm....assuming we're...gonna stop here?" You ask between heavy breathes. Ratchet tries to say something, but it just comes out as a whimper, so he nods yes. You retract your spike back, Ratchet also retracting his valve plating. You pull out and back away slightly, turning around. You spot a towel, before heading over and picking it up. You come back, wiping away the transfluid from his thighs, from off of the table, and off of the floor. 

Ratchet stands up, stumbling and almost falling over with shaky legs. He yawns. "I'm...I'm going to my room." He doesn't get very far before actually falling over. Concerned, you come over to his side, asking him questions such as "Are you okay?" and "Do you need help?" He just complains that he's really sore. He probably won't make it back to his room on his own, so you chose to pick him up bridal style and carry him there. 

You set him on his berth, kissing him lightly on his helm before standing back up. But Ratchet grabs at your neck before you stand back up fully,  pulling you back a little and asking you to stay. You smile in response, climbing onto his berth with him, wrapping a arm around his shoulder. After a moment, he cuddles up to you, and your now holding him in a rom-com cuddle position. The others, who still haven't gotten back, don't need to know what went down ;)

I have no shame >:)

-😩

YEEEEEESSSSS!!! THANK YOU

Poor ratty can’t be trusted to be on his own anymore, what better way to baby sit him than to fuck his pretty valve?? <3

[dailycass-cain]

I am absolutely gonna double dip here with Cass in Absolute Power. Besides, that it took a secondary story to buy this Batman series again.

Was it worth the price?

So the secondary story "continues" the thread Absolute Power #2 was supposed to carry on. Namely, the Birds going after Green Arrow.

Which honestly, is an interesting thing as Cass/Ollie haven't fully interacted since um… 2009.

Instead, Batman #152 BoP story by series writer Kelly Thompson doesn't go this route. The intent feels more a piece showcasing the members. To get readers into the team, Cass, and Dinah.

Since next month and November.

That, and it explains the BoP being on Themyscira answering one given the events of the series' first arc (Birds of Prey #1-6 aka Megadeath go check it out!) the Birds rescued Sin on Themyscirca but ticked off all the Amazons as a result.

Thinking about it more, Dinah hasn't had this chance to process Green Arrow betraying the heroes and the emotional baggage of said BoP arc. So in that respect, the story is earned here, instead of feeling cheated that you have to read ANOTHER issue (Green Arrow #16).

Besides that, it does set up the BoP next arc pretty well (#14 next month) by doing this to make up for the actions of "Megadeath" arc by rescuing captured Amazons.

Not to mention explain the BoP (Cass, Zealot, Sin, and Barda) being in Absolute Power #3) while Dinah isn't. Again, off panel making up for the actions prior by defending the island.

The story here is pretty good character-wise. This story is all about Dinah and whatever will go on in Green Arrow #16 and showcases Dinah and the continued Sin/Megaera symbiotic relationship.

For Cass, there isn't much, but what we do have is her helping Zealot regain her steps given she lost her powers in Absolute Power #1 (even though she was the first to damage modified Amazo in #2 before it pulled a Metal Cooler healing sequence).

But hey it's Cass fighting, and man oh man the art by Mattia De Iulis is just-- STUNNING. We've all seen the Barda floating around and yeah that alone is worth the hype.

The details in the background, the fluidity of them sparring. Brief but oh SOOO good! 🤩🤩🤩

I just wonder why Cass put on mask and cape at the end portion though. Was this a Shōnen-type thing where she wanted to spar with Zealot with ALL her gear?

We'll go with that answer.

The sparring match is just a way to nicely showcase well how GOOD Cass is at fighting and even depowered Zealot is still deadly as heck.

I kind of wonder if we'll get more of this growing admiration in BoP or Batgirl? I guess we'll see.🤔

The other bit, (although minor) is when Dinah announces to the team she's going to find Ollie alone. Honestly, I get it.

Cass/Ollie aren't um.. bestest friends since 2009 is the last they met CANONICALLY and sending Cass to find Ollie might not be a smart move.

Though interestingly, Cass other than Sin refers to Dinah by her first name (unlike Barda/Zealot who go with her codename).

It is interesting to see this layer of Dinah/Cass back into DC again.

So yeah this little secondary story was a nice "appetizer" to get those who aren't reading Birds of Prey (or the upcoming Batgirl series) on board.

Not only that but it gives Dinah some much-needed characterization during this event with ALL that's gone on.

That said, I was kind of disappointed with Absolute Power #3 (at least in Barda's characterization of the issue). We just had an issue with her in BoP where she was possessed by evil.

Instead of Nightwing stopping her, I think this would've been a REAL good moment of Cass's only dialogue in the entire event stopping Barda, telling her to "trust Nightwing's judgment." THEN showcase Dick confronting Cyborg Jon.

Where we get the twofoldness of it lining up with what happened in BoP, Barda trusting Cass again, and everything lines up.

I just didn't like this moment in the issue (other than Waller's crazy OOC).

It just screams again why Batgirls #7-8 sucked bad, and again here Dick mogs the spotlight unnecessarily when it could've been more badass for him just waiting for Cyborg Jon to call him out instead of stopping Barda.

I know its me being nit picky, but hey if Cass is given one moment in the series. THAT SHOULD'VE been it. We get Cass with a gun that she never even uses in the attack. 😭

Still, we got more Dan Mora-drawn Cass. So it is a win no matter what. And man Mora carried the later sections. Just his art is SOOOO good.

So yeah Absolute Power #3 disappointed me a little, but the back section did make up for it. I do find it refreshing that next month this event just ends. For a "mega event," Absolute Power doesn't feel like wearing out its welcome like prior DC events to me.

It does make me want to go into that Super Son one-shot that's coming out next to see Jon recovering and hopefully find out what happened to Dreamer and well Green Arrow #16 for whatever Ollie be scheming.

If anything, we've got one issue left of this series and SO many plot threads. Like what's gonna happen to Failsafe (other than hopefully, the machine goes boom boom), the multiverse threat, and Waller's ultimate scheme?

Dangnabbit the series got me hooked. 😭 At the very least the event is WORKING.

[yumeka-sxf]

I'm finally home from my vacation and able to discuss the latest SxF chapter...all I can say is, I have a lot to say! I'll start with funny stuff first before I move on to analyzing...

Anya was especially hilarious in this chapter - where do I even start with her gremlin-ness? 😂 First off, there's her calling the butlers "henchlings' henchlings" (in the Japanese version, I believe she's using some mispronunciation of 弟子, which means "follower")

Then she calls out Twilight for being, well, Twilight, even giving his behavior its own acronym 🤣

She feels bad for George because his family isn't important enough for Twilight's aforementioned Twilighting 😅

And this doozy of a nickname for Bill!

In the Japanese version, she calls him something like "old man bully who hits people with balls" 😆

But joking aside, we get these profound words from Jeeves that seem to resonate with Twilight.

His words remind Twilight of the hypocrisy of his position: on the one hand, he agrees with Jeeves and wants the children to be able to grow up as they wish, without being burdened by the expectations of their parents. But that's exactly what he's been corralling Anya towards this whole time...doing whatever's best for Operation Strix, regardless of what may be best for her.

This scene reminded me of his musings when they first took Bond to the dog park; another case where he's aware that the morals he believes in are the opposite of his actions and yet...he continues with the mission.

I also think it's great that the other parents thank Anya for her bravery during the bus hijacking. Even if their kids don't act grateful, the parents should be on their behalf. Perhaps seeing this praise for Anya right before his eyes is what made Twilight feel even more guilt upon hearing Jeeves' words - he's seeing more and more what an exceptional girl she is despite not having the perfect traits for his mission, and yet he's still manipulating her (not realizing she's aware of the mission and wants to help).

But on that note, it's nice to see that George's dad and Becky's mom somewhat agree with Jeeves. As of now, I'd say out of all the Eden kids we've gotten to know, George and Becky seem to have the most decent families. I especially like how Becky's dad is adorably doting, to the point where he gets crushed when Becky asks Yor for help instead of him 😅 Also Martha having to reel him in, lol.

But despite being an overbearing dad, at least he isn't quick to jump on Loid supposedly "seducing" Becky 😂 He seems to not take it seriously, which is good since Becky is the one making the moves with her silly little girl crush.

Also Emile thinking Yor is pretty~ I'm surprised he had something nice to say about anyone connected to Anya, lol. I really want a chapter where Yor takes all the Eden kids on a playdate and they start thinking she's awesome like Becky does, even Damian.

Speaking of Yor, just when I thought she would be demoted to "background character" for whatever arc is coming, the last few panels give the impression that she'll have her next moment in the spotlight soon! Is she just destined to always catch Melinda when she falls? 😅

Not only are we getting more Yor/Melinda interactions next time, but also (hopefully) more of Anya reading Melinda's mind. I know there's theories floating around of how Donovan may be able to read minds and is possibly the one behind the experiments done on Anya, and that Melinda may have some psychic abilities too. Also some relation to that Arnold Crowley character introduced several chapters ago. I'm not good at theorizing, so I'll leave it to fans who are better with that kind of stuff 😅 But I think they're all good theories and I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll get more insight into Desmond secrets very soon!

...but unfortunately the next new chapter won't be until November 25th, so we'll have to be satisfied with theories for now!

[universalzones]

"You sure you don't want to go over and offer some help with Restoration? I mean, all their bases are good, though losing the command center can't be easy," Rotor said continuing to wield a new piece of metal to replace the missing panel that fell off their mobile command center. "I'd be easy just to pop by real quick, see what we can do."

"I did consider it, though as you said, their bases are doing okay and from reports they're already sending help to rebuild. I'd much rather focus on maintain the border to Eggman's Empire and doing damage to whatever forces he sends out." Sally would rather keep Eggman's attention it'll take focus away from possibly attacking Restoration while it's in a vunerable state.

"Fair enough," Rotor said taking off his googles and standing up, giving the freshly wield panel a test by stepping on it a few times. "Alright, should be all good to go till we get back to one of our land bases for a full repair. Let's make this the last time we do a last ditch effort and ram a Super Badnik."

"I agree with that, though this just means Eggman's creations are getting more dangerous. We'll have to adapt like always and find counter measures that don't involve such risky moves." Guess Sally was in for a long session in the lab to advance their weapon's and defenses.

"It couldn't hurt to call Sonic for some support. Provided you aren't still ticked at him," Rotor said as he began putting his tools away. "You know him. He always has a knack for finding the weak points in Eggman's machine's, even if he can cut it close at times."

"For the last time, I'm not mad at Sonic. The Freedom Fighters have the borders mostly under control and he wanted to focus on helping other area's of the planet. Just... he could call or visit every once in awhile." Sally was used to Sonic inability to stay in one place, and they both agreed him traveling to other places that don't have the protections they do here was a good idea. That didn't mean he can't check in every now and then.

"Bold to assume that he knows how to use a phone." Rotor doubt Sonic could even use a computer with both him and Tails standing right behind him telling him what to do. He knows it's just because the hedgehog just has a general dislike for tech, beyond Eggman and his machines.

"Good point. The last time he tried to use a computer he nearly crash our entire network. Something I still wonder about to this day." Sally would think being around so many people who use technology on a daily basis Sonic would pick up a thing or two, though that wasn't the case. "Let's focus on getting back to a land base," she said climbing the ladder back into the mobile command center with Rotor following suit.

[kimberlyannharts]

I liked the ending for what it was, I guess. It was alright but too many loose ends.

Rita's closure (she freaking went through a transformation in that canister!), the zombified Skull and Zack, (fuck them, I guess?) etc. Coinless Trini vanishes... with Kyia who I wasn't invested in (no shade)....

And obviously I'm a Jason Scott fan (character not actor) so I hoped that his Coinless version had more, at least a smidge (I know he's not your fave, no worries lol. I work with people suffering from PTSD so maybe that's why I have a soft spot for him). He kept his prison armor and they made a point to show it. I hoped he'd get some start to healing. Nothing story stealing mind you, no swooping in to take over, but goddammit throw him something...

And i will probably get some shit for this... I sort of hoped Drakkon would somehow resurrect and get a happier ending (what can i say... I've got a soft spot for the asshole). And happy, if weird, endings. I'm a softie...

But like with Coinless Jason (before his 'resurrection'), I know the impact is greater if he's actually dead...

I don't like or dislike the Solar Rangers or Hyperforce Rangers. I just wasn't as invested in them I guess. Too many Rangers on the field that left other characters out to dry that I was was more connected with....And wanted to know their fate...

However at the end Billy DID look badass in my opinion

Honestly while I would have liked if there was some indication Drakkon survived or could come back I'm not bothered by how there wasn't. Him and Ranger Slayer are by far the most iconic and popular creations from this run, so I'm sure we'll see them again one day. (Like they can do some bullshit "oh he died in the Grid so his spirit still lives on in there" or whatever - or even just ignore any explanation whatsoever depending on how we're doing canon/continuity stuff). My annoyance over Coinless Jason coming back didn't really have to do with the emotional impact of his death (there was none) it was more to do with the plot holes it opened up. I still say it would have been good to even get just a panel of the state of the Coinless World after everything was fixed, but frankly, with all the other nonsense I had to endure here, I'm glad they didn't go with my fear that he would get Drakkon's powers.

as for Future Billy, tbh he looked way too generic (and too much like Rogue Red Jason) for me to think he looked cool lol like i know some people clowned on Rogue Red Jason having bandages over his gloves - Billy having COMBAT BOOTS over his ranger boots is that times 100

[thaylepo]

Stick weaving part 2, electric boogaloo

Continuing the stickwraving shenanigans! This time with different, heavier yarn than the fingering weight yarn I was using before. The red is less vibrant than the Jamieson shetland I was using before, but it's a sturdy mule-spun yarn with a lovely velvety feel, from a mill near me that uses locally produced wool. It's also more affordable, and I can order it easily from the source instead of relying on the number of dwindling yarn shops in this city.

The medium weight makes this go a lot faster and the sticks catch less, but it's harder to pull the yarn through itself against the sticks when patterning, resulting in more loose ends to tuck in later (you don't want to accidentally sew an end into the warp string while you still need to pull it thru

The yellow I got from them was less of a pleasing contrast with the rust-red (the phone camera makes it look much brighter than it does in person). It's a wheat-yellow with some dusty brown fibre mixed it and it's very pretty, especially with a silvery green I also have, but with the red it's kinda.... muddy.

So I switched to a silk-merino shiny gold yarn, doubled up to match the thickness, just to experiment. I may redo that connected diamond pattern later, since it just kinda turned into a blob off the sticks, but we'll see.

Here's the first one finished and off the sticks (not washed or hung or anything), where you can see the difference in the two reds-- again, phone camera auto-adjusting the colours is washing it out a bit. You can see the test bit with the new yarn up top is stiffer and less pliable than the part woven with the fingering weight yarn, but it's sturdier and holds more tightly to itself.

It's also almost exactly 5" wide across when relaxed off the sticks, which makes my plan for a sleeveless rectangular vest-robe a really clean 4 panels each front and back to get 20" wide. That's comfortably off the shoulder on me, and I'm measuring the warp for 36" of length (about knee length, measured on a coat I have).

This one panel may be the odd one out as I adjust the patterns, depending on how nightmarish they are lol. I'm currently finishing the last few inches with the small repeating wave pattern, which is utter hell to do with the thicker yarn (and the silk bland, it's so slippery) but it looks so good I want it up on the top of the coat where it's visible. I'm not worried about perfection on this garment, it's going to be a hot mess of exprimentation and just making shit up as I go, but it's gonna be so fun and I'll be so proud of whatever abomination it turns into by the end lol

[pixel7777]

Batstarion's New Groove: Ch. 7/10

See Ch. 1 for work summary and content tags. Read this chapter below the break here or on AO3!

Work is complete on AO3 and posting nightly on Tumblr.

Artwork by the amazing @vetochkarowan!

Gale

Gale sifted through his notes as the meeting dragged into its sixth hour. A few attendees shifted in their seats, the tell–tale signs of restlessness that even the undead weren't immune to.

He glanced at Batstarion, who hung upside down from the elegant silver perch Zelara had crafted. The tiny white bat hadn't squeaked in nearly forty minutes. His ruby eyes remained half–lidded, wings tucked close to his body in what Gale recognized as exhaustion. The day had been productive, if grinding – they'd managed to compile Astarion's extensive "Wish and Whine" list documenting spawn concerns, needs, and integration challenges. But the toll on their fluffy leader was evident.

"I believe we've accomplished what we can for today," Gale announced, rising from his seat with a stretch. "We'll reconvene tomorrow morning to begin addressing implementation strategies."

He watched as Dalyria shot Petras a warning glance. The troublesome spawn had behaved himself since their lunch break, after Dalyria had cornered him in the hallway. Gale hadn't heard the conversation, but whatever she'd said had effectively muzzled the spawn's disruptive commentary.

"The Tower has prepared a buffet for those wishing to socialize this evening," Gale continued, gesturing toward the double doors that opened on cue. "Blood alternatives have been provided alongside traditional fare, thanks to Zelara's foresight. Alternatively, Waterdeep offers numerous entertainments should you prefer to explore the city. Just remember – "

"Sun sets in an hour," Zelara chimed in from her position near Batstarion's perch. "So either take a vial of Aureum Vitae with you or plan accordingly."

Gale nodded gratefully to her. "Precisely. Thank you all for your continued dedication to this endeavor."

As the various representatives gathered their notes and began filtering out, Gale approached the perch where Batstarion hung motionless. He lowered his voice, casting a quick glance around to ensure they weren't overheard.

"A successful first day, all things considered," he murmured. "Though I daresay you've reached your limit of diplomatic squeaking."

Batstarion's tiny head shifted slightly, one ruby eye opening to regard Gale with what he could only interpret as weary agreement. "That was tolerable. Barely. No one tried to murder each other, and Petras didn’t burst into glitter. Unfortunately."

Gale led their small procession through the Tower corridors, each footstep accompanied by the soft flutter of wings as Batstarion darted between him and Zelara.

"The library should provide us with privacy," Gale said, glancing over his shoulder at the tiny bat. "Elminster isn't one to gossip about magical... peculiarities."

The Tower seemed to anticipate their needs, widening the corridor as they approached the library doors. The massive oak panels swung inward, revealing a circular chamber with towering bookshelves extending up three stories. Near the crackling fireplace stood an elderly man with a flowing white beard and a pointed hat that had seen better decades.

"Ah! My boy!" Elminster's weathered face broke into a smile as he spotted them. "And your enchanting partners, I presume." His eyes twinkled as they landed on Batstarion. "Though one appears somewhat... diminished since our last correspondence."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Gale said, striding forward to clasp the old wizard's arm. "We find ourselves in a rather unique predicament."

Batstarion fluttered to perch atop a nearby globe, his wings pulled tight against his body.

"I don't need an audience," he squeaked. "This is humiliating enough already."

Elminster stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Intriguing. May I?" He reached toward Batstarion, who immediately took flight, circling the room once before landing on Zelara's shoulder.

"Absolutely not," Batstarion protested. "I'm not some curiosity to be poked and prodded."

Gale sighed. "Astarion, please. Elminster is the foremost expert on magic in all Faerûn. If anyone can help – "

"I don't want his help," Batstarion insisted, his tiny form trembling slightly. 

Zelara stroked a gentle finger over his head. "He's exhausted," she said, frowning at Gale. "That meeting was brutal. Six hours of Petras's sneering and Dalyria's clinical questions, and all those spawn looking at him like he's supposed to have every answer."

"Which is precisely why we need to resolve this transformation," Gale countered, gesturing toward Elminster. "The committee expects solutions, not a... a fluffy mascot."

"A mascot?" Batstarion squeaked indignantly, his wings flaring.

Elminster cleared his throat. "Perhaps instead of an examination, we might simply converse? No touching required."

"See? That's reasonable," Gale said, motioning toward an arrangement of chairs the Tower had helpfully provided near the fire. "A conversation between old friends."

Batstarion made a dismissive sound. "We're not friends. And there's nothing to discuss."

"You can hardly avoid the subject forever," Gale pointed out. "Astarion, this could be the breakthrough we need. There's every reason to be hopeful."

"Hopeful?" Zelara scoffed. "Gale, look at him. Let him rest. The council drained him."

"I'm fine," Batstarion squeaked, though he nestled closer to Zelara's neck.

"You're not fine," she insisted, cupping a protective hand near him. "You spent all day trying to communicate complex policy through squeak–translation while Petras made bat jokes. You deserve a break before we throw more magic at the problem."

Elminster's bushy white eyebrows rose slightly, his eyes twinkling with a wisdom that belied his eccentric appearance. "A break sounds splendid, indeed." He settled his weathered frame into one of the high–backed chairs with a satisfied sigh. "I find that magical conundrums often reveal themselves most readily when not being pursued directly."

Gale suppressed a smile, recognizing the clever strategy. The ancient mage hadn't outright refused to leave, nor had he pressed Astarion for an examination. Instead, he'd simply... made himself comfortable.

"I don't suppose," Elminster continued, stroking his beard thoughtfully, "that your magnificent Tower might recall a particular Sembian goat cheese I sampled during my last visit? The one with those delightful specks of dried blueberry?"

Right on cue, a small side table materialized beside Elminster's chair, followed moments later by the appearance of an elegant cheese plate, complete with the very variety the wizard had requested, alongside several others. A selection of wine bottles appeared next, arranged from lightest to boldest.

"Ah! Splendid!" Elminster clapped his hands together. "Your Tower continues to impress, my boy."

Gale couldn't help but admire the old wizard's gambit. By requesting refreshments rather than pressing the issue of Astarion's condition, he'd effectively neutralized any immediate objections. Batstarion couldn't reasonably protest the mage's presence when Elminster was simply honoring his request for a break.

"The Tower has excellent taste," Gale agreed, selecting a glass of rich red wine. He noted that Batstarion had relocated to his perch, which Zelara had placed on the coffee table between them.  His tiny ruby eyes narrowed suspiciously at Elminster.

Zelara accepted her own glass, and the conversation drifted to innocuous topics – the unseasonably pleasant weather in Waterdeep, a new magical theory circulating through Candlekeep, the curious migration patterns of pseudodragons this season. All the while, Elminster casually shared cheese with Zelara and Gale, never once directly addressing Batstarion or his condition.

Gale watched as Batstarion's tiny head swiveled between them, his ruby eyes tracking the conversation with growing suspicion. Yet, the bat's posture had softened, his wings occasionally stretching before folding back into place – a sign of relaxation Gale had come to recognize. Elminster's strategy was working perfectly.

"Speaking of magical anomalies," Elminster said casually, selecting another piece of cheese, "I encountered the most fascinating temporal distortion near the Hosttower last month. It seems a novice mage attempted to combine a minor time dilation with a weather manipulation spell."

"Let me guess," Gale leaned forward, intrigued despite himself. "Localized rain that fell upward?"

"Precisely!" Elminster's eyes twinkled. "For three days, the water rose from puddles to form the most exquisite reverse rainstorm. Took eight archmages working in shifts to properly unravel it."

Batstarion made a sound suspiciously like a snort.

"Fine," the tiny bat squeaked, his wings flaring dramatically. "I recognize a siege when I see one. Examine me if you must, but keep your wizardly paws to yourself."

Elminster's bushy eyebrows raised slightly. "Marvelous! A sensible decision."

Gale suppressed a triumphant smile. "Thank you, Astarion."

Elminster rose from his seat with surprising agility for his apparent age. He approached the perch where Batstarion hung, his weathered hands beginning the careful, intricate motions of a spell that looked superficially like Identify. Yet Gale immediately recognized subtle differences – additional gestures, a more complex verbal component whispered almost inaudibly, the way magical energy gathered not just at Elminster's fingertips but spiraled through the very air around them.

"Is that a variant of Identify?" Gale couldn't help asking, his academic curiosity piqued.

"Something of my own devising," Elminster replied without breaking his concentration. "A more thorough examination of the magical weave and how it interacts with living – or in this case, unliving – beings."

The ritual continued for nearly ten minutes. Gale watched, fascinated, as tendrils of copper–hued magic wove around Batstarion's tiny form. The bat remained remarkably still, his ruby eyes half–lidded in what appeared to be boredom rather than discomfort.

Finally, Elminster lowered his hands. The magical energy dissipated, though Gale noted that the elderly wizard's gaze remained fixed on Batstarion with an inscrutable expression.

"Well?" Gale prompted, unable to contain his impatience. "What's causing this? Is it related to Cazador's death? A delayed magical consequence perhaps?"

Elminster stroked his beard, his expression grave. "I detect nothing besides the inherent magic of the undead active in or around our diminutive friend. No curse, no magical malady, no irregularity at all."

"That's absurd," Gale objected, disappointment washing through him. "Something must have triggered this transformation."

"What about the Aureum Vitae?" Zelara asked, her hand hovering protectively near Batstarion's perch. "Could it be reacting with his physiology somehow?"

Elminster shook his head. "I'm quite convinced the potion is not to blame. There is no residue of its power at play here."

"Then what is it?" Gale pressed, frustration edging his voice.

Elminster settled back into his chair, taking a contemplative sip of wine. Gale watched the old wizard intently, searching his expression for any hint of uncertainty, finding none.

"I believe," Elminster said carefully, "that what we're witnessing is simply part of Astarion's natural vampiric development."

"Natural?" Gale echoed, incredulous. "Vampire spawn don't typically transform into bats. That's a power reserved for true vampires."

Elminster raised one bushy eyebrow. "And how many vampire spawn have you studied who were freed from their masters for extended periods? Who were well–fed, well–cared for, and not perpetually weakened by cruelty?"

Gale opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. The question left him momentarily stumped.

"Precisely," Elminster continued. "Spawn are typically suppressed by their masters or living so far on the fringes of society that they never reach their full potential. Whether Astarion has simply been out from under Cazador's thumb longer than his siblings, or is in some way inherently more powerful, I cannot say. But it's entirely possible that Cazador's freed spawn may also develop such abilities, given time and proper care."

Batstarion fluttered his wings in what Gale interpreted as agitation. "If this is supposedly some natural development," he squeaked, "then why can't I change back? Why am I stuck in this ridiculous form?"

Elminster stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Two possibilities present themselves. Either you lack the experience to control this newfound ability…"

"Or?" Gale prompted when Elminster paused.

"Or you don't want to."

The tiny bat launched from his perch, wings beating furiously as he circled Elminster's head. "That's preposterous!" Batstarion squeaked indignantly. "Why would I choose to suffer this indignity at such a crucial time? The spawn need a leader, not a pet!"

"The mind works in mysterious ways," Elminster replied, unruffled by the angry bat circling his head.

"Oh, I see," Batstarion replied, his squeaky voice dripping with sarcasm as he landed back on his perch. "The great Elminster of Shadowdale, reduced to peddling cheap psychological insights. What next? Will you read my future in tea leaves? Perhaps a session of crystal–gazing?"

Gale winced at Astarion's cutting remarks, but Elminster merely chuckled.

"I've been called worse by better," the old wizard said mildly, taking another sip of wine. "Gale, my boy, there is no point in throwing spells or Zelara's wonderful potions at Astarion.  It will not work. The solution is inside Astarion, should he develop the skill and the drive to access it."

Gale suppressed a sigh as Batstarion launched into a fresh tirade of high–pitched squeaks that even the translation potion struggled to keep pace with.

" – absolutely ridiculous! I'm not avoiding anything! I'm a victim of circumstance, not psychology! Two hundred years a slave, and now I'm trapped in this absurd form, and your professional assessment is that I want to be here?"

Zelara stepped forward, positioning herself protectively between the tiny bat and Elminster. "That's enough," she said, her voice carrying an edge Gale rarely heard. "Astarion didn't ask for this. He was preparing to lead the committee – why would he sabotage everything he's worked toward?"

Gale caught Elminster's eye across the room. The ancient wizard's expression remained impassive, but there was something knowing in his gaze that resonated with Gale's own suspicions. For all their loyalty to Astarion, perhaps there was more truth to Elminster's assessment than any of them wanted to admit. The bat doth protest too much, methinks.

"I think," Gale said carefully, "what Elminster means is that sometimes magic responds to our deepest needs, not our conscious desires." He moved toward Zelara, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "No one is suggesting Astarion consciously chose this transformation."

"The line between conscious and unconscious is rarely as clear as we'd like to believe," Elminster offered.

Batstarion squeaked furiously, his wings fluttering in agitation. "This is sophistry, not a solution! If you can't help me, just say so!"

"I've told you what I believe to be true," Elminster replied with infuriating calm. "The solution lies within you, not in any spell I could cast."

"Come on," Zelara said, extending her hand toward the perch. Batstarion immediately flew to her, settling on her wrist. "We've had enough mystical riddles for one day."

Gale watched helplessly as Zelara turned toward the door. "Zel, please – "

"It's fine," she said, not turning around. "We need some air."

The library doors closed behind them with a soft thud that somehow felt more final than any slam. Gale ran a hand through his hair, embarrassment washing over him.

"I apologize for their abruptness," he said, turning back to Elminster. "This situation has been... challenging for all of us."

The elderly wizard waved a dismissive hand. "No apology necessary. Anger is often the first response to unwelcome truth."

"I wish you could have offered a simpler solution," Gale admitted.

"As do I," Elminster replied, rising from his chair with a slight creak of his joints. "But magic rarely accommodates our preferences." He gathered his hat and staff. "I'll see myself out. The Tower knows me well enough by now."

Gale nodded gratefully. "Thank you for coming, truly."

After Elminster's departure, Gale remained alone in the library, watching the fire's dance across ancient logs. The Tower adjusted the chair to better support his posture as he sank deeper into thought.

What now? Push Astarion further and risk driving him away? Let him remain a bat indefinitely while the spawn's future hung in balance? Neither option appealed. Yet somewhere between Elminster's esoteric wisdom and Astarion's vehement denials lay a truth that needed addressing.

Gale stared into the flickering flames, searching for answers that stubbornly refused to materialize.