#whoops i got rambly

[hazzybat]

This question is similar to one that has already been asked but what are your favourite JO ships and your thoughts on them?

Ooooooh okay!

So in general I of course love the big 2 (Jance & BoKris) mostly cause there's just so much content for them so it's easier to find good fic and relationship stuff to make you love it. Jance is so domestic and fluffy. BoKris is very cute and flirty high school enemies turned friends turned lovers vibes that's oh so sweet.

More obscure though I love Jure/Nace. They're fucking adorable together and I need more content of that tbh. (Jure is my fave in general so I'm very biased). Nace often plays to Jure in shows but the camera doesn't focus on it. And I like them being the oldest but having very different vibes to each other.

They balance each other very well I feel. I made a whole post about Jure's ships and how good they are and people should utilise them more including them. I still think their ship name should by rhythm and funk or something.

Also there's beautiful writing tropes of the two who play the kinda back up/not spotlight instruments being in love. Like yeah they get their moments but traditionally the drummer and bassist get less attention than the fronman or guitarist so to then have them be in love and find all the attention and love and adoration in each other's arms is just such a fun idea.

Of course they actually get a lot of love and attention so it works less with them but hopefully you see the vision.

Bo(Jan) is also a great pairing that benefits from very different vibes. I like the extroverted/introverted pairing of them and how Bojan brings out the party in Jan and Jan brings out the soft and sweet intimate moments with Bojan.

(I hope that made sense. Didn't intend it to be that long. i had an hour of sleep then accidentally woke up to answer questions at like 3:30 am before I'm going back to sleep lol)

[elyserie]

Fate's Refusal to Honour (or at least properly research) Depictions of Non-Japanese Figures 2: Electric Bogaloo ft. Wandjina from the Current JP Summer Event

Disclaimer: While I am an Australian, I am NOT of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Therefore, I am coming at this issue from an outsider's perspective. If there is an Aboriginal person, or more specifically of the Mowanjum people from the Kimberly regions, please PLEASE correct me if I am wrong on any front.

The culprit behind the events of the current Summer story in the JP servers has recently been revealed to be Wandjina, a creator Dreamtime figure from the Mowanjum people's culture.

In any other context, I would be thrilled to have an Australian figure in FGO, but the problem here is the figure they use.

Wandjina are sacred to the Mowanjum people, and therefore one needs to go through Aboriginal Law to obtain the right to use the Wandjina's image.

In Australia, this resulted in an actual conflict between a non-indigenous artist and aboriginals. You can read more here, but one quote to note is from an Aboriginal man of the Darug people, Chris Tobin: "Aboriginal law is very specific on what you can and can't do with wan[d]jinas." Another quote on this topic is made by the owner of an Aboriginal art gallery, Adrian Newstead: "Only a few Aboriginal artists ever win the right to depict wan[d]jina, and only then after years of initiations and ceremonies..."

I am NOT attaching an image of FGO's iteration of Wandjina due to this. Not only is her appearance only Aboriginal on a surface-level with her 'dot art' aesthetic (dot art* is only a recent addition to Aboriginal culture, created back in the 1970s), having no resemblance to an Aboriginal person (note, that while many Aboriginal people are white/pale, FGO continually chooses to depict people of colour as light skinned as possible. And yes, I know she's blue, not white. There is literally no records of her being blue skinned; is this because Wandjina's are associated with rain????) but she is also not very Wandjina looking? These figures do not have mouths, have large eyes meant to resemble the eye of a storm and are typically depicted with elaborate headdresses. That little glowing boomerang on her head is not exactly elaborate. And WHY does she have a boomerang??? Because she's Australian???? By that logic, every Japanese figure needs to have a katana. #GiveMurasakiaKatana2023.

There is also the issue of Cnoc na Riabh. While it is funny to think that she's a foreigner because of an Australian influence, Yaraan-doo is also another Aboriginal figure. And it is slapped onto a white girl for a fan service event. I'd just rather Fate leave Aboriginal culture alone and just do, like, Ned Kelly or something if they're going to continue like this.

More resources and info under the read more!

You'll have noted in the quotes that I've edited an 'n' into wanjinas. This is so I didn't confuse anyone: both can be the correct spelling! I just stuck to what I thought FGO was using for their Wandjina.

Here's an overview of what wandjinas are and their inappropriate use in art: https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/what-are-wandjinas

Here's another page about an inappropriate use of Wandjinas (note: it's only a short synopsis about a documentary that covered the incident, I'm uncertain if you would be able to get access to the documentary outside of Australia): https://www.creativespirits.info/resources/movies/who-paintin-dis-wandjina

It should also be noted that the two websites I've linked above are from the website Creative Spirits. While it is run by a non-Indigenous person, the person behind it is currently transitioning it to be an Aboriginal owned and run resource. You can read more about how this site is run in his About page.

*If you want to know about dot art's origin, here and here are some resources on them. However, this article brings up something interesting that I would like to bring back to FGO Wandjina's dot art aesthetic. It notes that "the term 'dot painting' stems from what the Western eye sees when faced with contemporary Aboriginal acrylic paintings" (emphasis mine). All three articles note that dots were used to obfuscate sacred symbols and artifacts so that those who were not initiated into their cultures could not see what these figures were. In that case, what the hell is the dot art seen on Fate's Wandjina supposed to represent? In this article, it talks about the symbolism in Indigenous art. Fate's Wandjina has none.

[blackkatdraws]

Expression study with girlboss narrator Black

[intotheelliwoods]

I present to you a little timeline :)

I have been having dreams about this story since way early march and im so happy I finally have the guts to go through with it all lmaooo no matter how wild it is

"hey ell what happened to this being a hurt/comfort comic" can you pretty please trust me when I say that everything comes full circle, the hurt comfort comics will return! I just want to have some fun first!

Anyways uhh expect a time skip next update!

[hearts4juzi]

I like how Doll is basically Uzi if she got blinded by her desire of revenge against the Disassembly Drones and, rather than fighting (badly) her darker AS impulses, decided to embrace them and became a monster.

And while Uzi got close to achieve her goal, Doll failed to achieve anything other than a long streak of dead worker drones and probably made things worse to everyone.

OH MY GOD NO IVE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PARELLELS FOR SO LONG IM COLLECTING UP MY PAPERS IN FRONT OF ME

You're so real tho, while Uzi immediately rejected the solver and was afraid of it, doll embraced it. She was willing to hurt innocent people for revenge and uzi refused.

AND on your second point, i offer, "We move forward together, or not at all." Uzi survived being attacked by tessyn because N rescued her. Doll had nobody to save her.

Also both of them projecting a message on their screen. "Fight back" and "Die mad" actually fit together well imo. Doll knew. she understood before she died. thats why she fought so hard to get to uzi at all. to let her know. "fight back"

uzi's "die mad" was a lighthearted jab at N. "i know this will make you upset but deal with it because i love you." that was her fighting back. they could take uzi but she would NOT let them take N.

Doll is Uzi without restraint. Doll is Uzi if she never met N. If she let go of everything she believed. And Doll died.

I think parallels between Yeva/Nori also apply to Nuzi, too, which expands on the "we move forward together, or not at all"

Nori took Yeva's hand, and Yeva held her hand out. And they both lived and loved. Doll never offered a hand to Uzi, but N did.

I also find it interesting that Cyn never took control of Doll, as far as im aware, because Doll embraced her. Uzi fought back, so she got controlled. But the control can be broken in a way that Doll's vengeance couldn't. Therefore, "fight back"

[peony-pearl]

June was the only woman older than Katara and Suki to show up and help the Gaang in the finale and I think that’s ridiculous. We could have seen Yagoda and the Herbalist in the White Lotus (and Miyuki!! She has a cute miniature lotus collar). Perhaps even Haru’s mom showing up somewhere??  IDK the lack of older ladies as respected guides and teachers is irksome and until further notice I’m headcanoning out of spite that they were there we just didn’t see their scenes but they were there dammit

[ask-the-totally-real-peppino]

It is i! The one who collects the random facts!

(And forgets if my questions have been answered or not!)

Can Pep do the whole "Take off my head and throw it at Peppino" thing? Like he did in Pizza tower? Since in this Au he's more... melty.

(I have offhandedly mentioned it a few times, but yes, Pep can remove his head like in game (anything that happens in game, assume he can do). The fact that he is 'melty' does not affect his ability to do so - unless he is upset and unable to hold his form, making parts of his body fuse into each other

In fact, all clones (Fake Peppinos and Peppiclones alike), can remove their heads, and it's kind of a bonding experience to swap heads for a while hehe

Anyway, Pep brain jumpscare raugh!!!

[thrilling-oneway]

i'm not sure if this is me overthinking things or my media gcse is actually paying off but i wanted to talk about this detail from pandemonium that i haven't seen anyone else point out.

(this kinda unravels into a character study halfway through don't question it)

in chapter 5 (subs here), Shizuku talks about a childhood memory where Tsukasa intervened in an argument her friend group was having. She adds that this interaction made her realise that Tsukasa is the kind of person who really values his friends. Fast forward a second and Shizuku has complimented Tsukasa to the point of embarrassment, Rui teases him over it and Tsukasa gets annoyed and asks what kind of person he takes him for.

Specifically what I want to talk about is Rui's response to that, or lack of response, since he never gets the opportunity before the group moves on to their next tour spot. Internally we see that he agrees with Shizuku's take that Tsukasa is the kind of person who loves his friends a lot, remembering that Tsukasa had been looking out for him and encouraging him to make friends during the trip. He ends up coming to the conclusion that Tsukasa's happiness comes from seeing his friends happy, which makes sense, since we already knew it works the same with Saki. As I said though, he never gets to actually say that out loud.

Kind of.

While I wouldn't question it if only Shizuku had mentioned this detail about Tsukasa and the scene had moved on, the fact that they added that little bit on the end with Rui realising that statement is true makes me go into delusional media student mode.

Point #1: HOLY SHIT the Rui character development in this event was insane. That deserves its own post which I will write some other time but I was genuinely not expecting this to be the end of his first character arc. I mean, we still haven't got the last WxS event of the season yet so they might throw in an epilogue, but this felt like a proper conclusion to his character arc. Rui started out as someone who didn't have any close friends, he was lonely, and in this event he's finally starting to make friends outside of other MCs and actually coming to terms with the fact that, yes, his friends do care about him and his wellbeing. To put it shortly, he feels loved.

Point #2 slash Point #1.5: I said kind of. Does he answer Tsukasa's question out loud at the time? No. It was kinda rhetorical anyway but shhhh. But. Does he answer it later? Yes absolutely. Chapter 8 specifically (no fan TL yet so I'm running off DeepL and wiktionary as normal). You see what I said above, about how they could've just left it with Shizuku saying that Tsukasa is someone who cares about his friends and then just moved on? Yeah this is what I mean. The whole event still works if you remove the part with Rui. But including it does add a little set up for chapter 8. What kind of person does Rui think Tsukasa is?

Chapter 8 is where Rui outright admits that Tsukasa changed his life. Without Tsukasa inviting him to join WxS, he never would've gotten close with Nene again, never would've met Emu, never would've had friends. And thanks to that, he's now able to keep making new friends. He's happy. Thanks to Tsukasa, he can be happy now. Ship or not, Tsukasa impacted Rui's life a lot. Going back to chapter 5 of the event, that's where Rui realises that his friends, or Tsukasa specifically, actually cares about his wellbeing and his happiness, something which he wouldn't have been able to say a few months prior in-universe. Again, ship or not, Tsukasa is like. the most important person in his life right now.

Point #3 slash 2 / 1.5 part 2: This one's less media student and more overthinking it but still a media student. But whatever. Anyway, maybe I'm thinking too hard about the fact that Rui specifically outlines that Tsukasa's happiness comes from seeing his friends happy, but like. I wonder if that realisation is part of the reason why he even told Tsukasa all of that. Like. He's not normally very honest about his feelings, hell he doesn't even realise them half of the time. Even in his last WxS event, he never told the other members about the job offer Asahi gave him, he doesn't even realise how much the prospect of leaving WxS was hurting him until Asahi had to take back the offer for him because of how sad and pained he looked when he accepted it. So the fact that he's fully aware that yes, Tsukasa had an impact on his life, yes, he feels like he's loved and cared for by the people around him, yes, he actually wants to make friends, yes, he's truly happy - it really sticks out, the fact that for like the first time, someone didn't have to tell him this to his face. It sticks out that he even admitted it out loud to the person his feelings revolve around.

But trail back up again to where I mentioned chapter 5. Tsukasa's happiness comes from his friends' happiness. Rui is a much kinder character than people give him credit for. I don't think it would be out of the question for him to want to give back some of the genuine happiness Tsukasa gave him. I mean he says it, right? He thanks Tsukasa for giving him the chance to change his life. And it does make Tsukasa happy to hear that Rui is happy; he says he's welcome, but still points out that Rui came to this point by his own will as well. He's happy that Rui was able to turn his life around.

Like literally the very last thing said in the event. Rui finally has friends, people who love and care for him. He's finally genuinely happy.

Fufu. I'm sorry Tsukasa-kun, but …… this is also going to be a fun memory for me! You really make me smile a lot, Tsukasa-kun! And with those smiles, I will make new friends and new relationships.

Bye I'm gonna go cry in a corner I love this event sm.

[ophelliate]

little snippets from the mutant mayhem official script that i enjoy

screenplay's found in this article that micah retweeted. read away!

[alloverthegaf]

look I don’t live in America but as that country continues to claim to be the power of the fucking world and likes to try to effect it as such I’ve been following y’all’s politics closer than my own country’s since 2016. Perhaps not smart, or strategic, or selfless or whatever, but instinctively that’s where my focus has been. Insistently. Non stop. For fucking 6 years now.

So if you can listen to this outsider’s perspective...

Joe Biden fucking sucks, the Dems fucking suck, that’s all incredibly clear. We all know it. They’re shit. They’re a disappointment, they’re weak cowards, and they clearly, like all the dems before them, give more of a shit about winning the next election than actually making an influential difference, and yes, sometimes you do need to prioritise one over the other.

Anyway that’s my long-winded way of getting to the point which is you still have to fucking vote, and you still have to FUCKING VOTE DEMS. THEY SUCK. I KNOW. I FUCKING KNOW.

But everyone who doesn’t vote for the democratic party is an advantage to the republicans. Your third party isn’t gonna fucking win in this two party system. They’re not. You can be on your high horse about it and vote for someone you feel is better than the Dems, but they’re a third party. They’re not going to win.

And you can choose not to vote at all, because everyone is shit, and they ARE, but what the fuck are you doing to help there. You’re leaving it to everyone else to try and win what has truly become a fucking war. You’re foisting the responsibility off yourself and onto everyone else. That’s not gonna help.

Vote. The fucking. Dems. Because they are shitty and useless, but the Republicans are evil, and will go out of their way to hurt everyone who isn’t them. Anyone who is queer, poor, has a uterus, a darker skin colour, a different belief. The republicans are the ones voting to make teaching about sexuality illegal, voting to make letting your kid be trans illegal, voting to make it illegal to have an abortion. The dems are fucking shit but they don’t go looking for those results, they don’t go trying to spread fear and hate and actively damage the lives of everyone they don’t agree with.

You HAVE to vote and you HAVE to vote Dems or you will be actively allowing the country to fall back into the hands of Donald Trump and the ghouls that have risen up in his image. You will be making it easier for the fucking demons that make up the republican party to get away with everything they want, and that means hurting everyone else.

Vote for the goddamn democratic party if you have any kind of hope at all left that your country won’t fall into complete ruin.

[avionvadion]

Rewatching Diluc scenes and he’s just…

He’s so sweet??? Like they animate him with such a deadpan expression but he’s genuinely one of the nicest characters???

Klee legit burned down half his vineyard chasing butterflies and instead of getting angry or upset with her, he just gifted her some free bottles of grape juice and walked her back to the Knights of Favonius to make sure she arrived safely. But because his face is so deadpan he’s the only one she says isn’t “the best” because he’s “looking so grumpy all the time”.

Like, baby girl, come on, you BURNED DOWN HIS VINEYARD, and HE GAVE YOU GRAPE JUICE.

He even jokes about making Venti pay for all the wine he’s drinking as “only the knights drink for free tonight” before retracting his comment because he doubts Venti could afford the bill. And in the teapot he even makes a new non-alcoholic drink and offers to name it after you, because it was made with you in mind.

Like????? Excuse me??? Sir???

He’s just so misunderstood, like 😭 when he commented that your teapot abode was “not bad” he immediately apologized and said that he didn’t intend to come off insulting. He just meant that it would take some time getting used to staying there. He then apologized again because the conversation was going downhill, proceeded to say that he’d have to do some “introspection”, and that he would also try to find some “conversation topics that align with your interests” so that you two can actually talk together.

My heart can’t, he’s so freaking sweet. And even in his voice lines he generally only ever has good things to say about the other characters (save for his warning to not trust half of what Kaeya says) though heartbreakingly the other characters only ever complain about him because he’s “always frowning” or “is a lot different than how he used to be”.

Like excuse me, his dad was practically murdered by using a delusion, and had his death covered up by the Knights of Favonius. Then he found out his adoptive brother had been lying to him all along, nearly blinded him during their fight, and then went on a revenge mission for about three years to avenge his dad.

He isn’t gonna be as cheerful as he was before! It’s a miracle he’s as sweet as he is now.

He and Kaeya still have a rocky relationship, but they don’t HATE each other. That much is clear. They’ve mended their relationship to the point where they’re able to send letters and team up on missions. And based on recent updates, they genuinely miss each other.

(Kaeya having that Diluc card is both so sad but also kind of hilarious. Dude is legit just drinking away staring at a picture of his brother. Jean, please get this man some therapy I beg of you. He’s the Calvary Captain, he can afford it.)

Anyways, Kaeya harbors too much guilt and keeps pushing Diluc away by making comments he knows he doesn’t approve of, being genuinely insufferable almost as if to punish himself by trying to get Diluc to hate him, and Diluc has a hard time bringing himself to try and mend the rest of that gap without outside forces helping because he attacked Kaeya in a fit of rage and nearly blinded him, thus giving him his own guilt to harbor as well.

(Adalinde is doing the Archons’ work to pull these brothers back together, I swear)

Diluc even has a hideous vase Kaeya gave him as a present out on display in his manor. He could have trashed it. Could have shattered or donated it. But he didn’t. He kept it and decorated the manor with it. Despite everything, he does still care about his brother. He wants to mend things, but doesn’t know how, and Kaeya keeps pushing him away.

…Holy frick, this was not the direction my ramblings was supposed to go to.

AHEM. Anyways…

My point is, Diluc doesn’t come off as a very friendly person, but he’s literally one of the sweetest characters in-game.

Sassy and sweet.

Man’s been through some shit and he’s only, what, 22? He’s gonna look grumpy. His dad is dead, his brother is a brat, he’s got to run an entire wine business on his own with only his butler for help- specifically, the largest wine business in all of Mondstadt, he works part-time as a bartender at his own tavern, and is also trying to take down the Abyss/Fatui during his free time.

He’s probably so tired.

But Diluc ain’t the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt for nothing, y’know?

[magniloquent-raven]

Y'know, the more i think about hellcheer, like, as a ship, the more i veer away from anything that has Eddie putting Chrissy on any kind of pedestal (even in a joking, petname sort of way where he calls her princess or angel or anything like that)

Like. Eddie could very easily have pulled out the kid gloves when interacting with Chrissy, she's physically small and emotionally fragile, it's not hard to let that kind of shit cloud the way you see someone. Genuinely, everyone in Chrissy's life seems to hold her to this weird Good Girl standard. See: Jason's outright refusal to believe she would've stooped so low as to associate with Eddie and willingly do drugs. See: the way her mother talks about her during her eulogy, not like she was a person but like she was some light-bringing saint.

But Eddie just kind of. Treats her like a person. And that seems to be what she likes about him.

Plus, he's doing it on purpose, as far as i can tell.

He saw something was off, in the beginning, she was acting weird, and he tried to validate her feeling like the whole situation is strange by dropping his "queen of Hawkins High" line, but then when this was her reaction to that:

He immediately shifted gears. He got a lot more theatrical about the whole thing—something he seems to only do around his friends—and started trying to connect with her by bringing up the fact they knew each other in middle school. Like he was trying to reassure her that he didn't just see her as the person she became in high school, the Important Cheerleader Girl, because clearly whatever reputation she's cultivated isn't all that comfortable for her.

Like a good 40 seconds after he fails to get a response to the Queen Chrissy comment he calls her a freak instead and

My girl is here for it, okay. She's into it. They're making googly eyes at each other and suddenly he's inviting her to see his band and showing her the tattoo on his chest even though he has SEVERAL on his arms he could've just pointed to instead, like. Okay, slut.

My POINT is, this isn't some cliche Good Girl Is Taken In By Local Bad Boy love story where she's not really a person and he treats her like an object because she's so pristine. Chrissy's been living this life that has her holding herself to impossible standards, where the stress of it has her seeing a counsellor and throwing up in the bathroom and keeping horrifying hallucinations to herself because she can't tell anyone in her life that she's struggling. And then Eddie comes along and goes "Yeah, I mean, life is kinda fucked isn't it," like that's just normal, because it is, and she can't help but want to know what it's like to be that comfortable.

And while she's being drawn in by the idea that maybe it's okay to be a little fucked up, he's realizing that she really isn't that Good Girl Cheerleader archetype, she's a person with struggles and quirks and he'd really like to maybe get to know more about that because she isn't judging him by his reputation either and she remembers what his band is called and he's just a little bit extremely infatuated but it like, in the normal adorable "I made her laugh I can die happy now" sort of way not the weird "She's literally a perfect angel" kind of shit that seems to pop up a lot when girls are blonde and nice.

Idk I'd just like to see more Eddie giving Chrissy increasingly nonsensical petnames to make her laugh. Them getting high together and Chrissy finding out she kinda hates it but she just kind of giggles her way through a rambling explanation of how weird it is before passing out. Or her practising cheer routines while Eddie hangs out because she just likes having him around, despite the fact that him (obnoxiously, loudly) cheering on her cheering is super distracting. Etc. Just. Y'know. Them being weird and messy and silly with each other. Fuckin' around being dumb, because they feel safe with each other.

[strangefable]

what d&d class is your oc?

tagged for this uquiz by the lovely @jillvalentinesday, @cassietrn, @inafieldofdaisies, @voidika, @josephseedismyfather, @direwombat, @poisonedtruth, and @theelderhazelnut, thank you all <3

Ranger

You are a Ranger, an explorer of dangerous territories. You are fearless and cunning, traits necessary on your travels, but you tend to be closed off from others and overly pragmatic. Your connection with nature and skill with weaponry will carry you through most battles, and your sneakiness will let you avoid the ones it will not.

There isn't any other class that suits her. She's not got the magic for druid, but her fighting style keeps her out of direct warrior/barbarian types. Archery and nature, exploration and knowing the lay of the land, and using it to advantage? That's Micah. She's at home alone in the woods, but with party members she's off her footing, unsure how to interact or engage. Trusts comes hard for her, but a fearless ability to throw herself into danger? Yeah, she's got that in spades.

Rogue

You are a Rogue, a skilled adventurer who uses guile and expertise to your advantage. You are often seen as stealthy and precise, aiming for your opponent's weakest points, but you can master various other skills to aid you on your journey. While you tend to be underhanded and greedy, you can also be daring, clever, insightful and charismatic.

Sneaky. Underhanded. Guile. Charm. Greed. Loose Morals. What else could Lil ever be but rogue?

Artificer

You are an Artificer, an adventurer who wields science in place of magic. While your foremost trait is intelligence, you're built tougher than most others who place their faith in their brains. You are inventive, curious and occasionally reckless, all traits that get you both into and out of trouble on your adventure.

I admit it, I took the quiz for her a few times until it returned the right result. Intellect and knowledge, melding science and magic, those are Bright's Things. No matter how much the quiz kept trying to make her a traditional magic user, she's just not. She's extremely reckless, but it's not out of malice or a drive for power; it's simple curiosity. And a love of shiny things. She's clever but not wise; she's quick but not strong or nimble.

Paladin

You are a Paladin, a warrior sworn to an Oath, whether it be to a god, a king, an ideology or oneself. As a divine soldier, you are well equipped to strike down evil, but must follow a code of your choosing to retain this power. While you are limited somewhat by these bonds, you are also the most driven and determined member of your group.

tbh i've never considered what would suit Lore, but honestly? yeah, she's very driven for good, for what she sees as moral and right, for the betterment of the people, though i don't know if she could be defined as a soldier or warrior. she's about practicality and function over form or style, but she'd balk at the idea of serving a god or a king. her goal is always to help people, especially those who have no voice and no power. she fights hard, but she prefers diplomacy and compromise whenever possible, to save as many lives as she can. she's one of my purest, most good characters.

i realize i'm kinda late on this one, but i'm passing on tags, anyway. (feel free to ignore me<3) @henbased, @adelaidedrubman, @v0idbuggy, @legally-a-bastard, @damejudyhench, @mars-colony, @strafethesesinners, @thisisrigged4, @mediocre-life-span, @harmonyowl, @marivenah, @socially-awkward-skeleton, @florbelles, @trench-rot, @wrathfulrook, @simplegenius042, @incognito-insomniac, @gayafsatan, @shallow-gravy, @turbo-virgins, @chazz-anova, @confidentandgood, @aceghosts, @jacobseed, @vampireninjabunnies-blog, @fourlittleseedlings, @clonesupport, @unholymilf, and anyone else who wants to do this, please say i tagged you <3

[dittolicous]

whats this, more raging stealth black?! gasp!

(1- 2 - 3 - 4)

judge, in an attempt to ensure sanji does 'fall back into bad habits', messed with Sanji's ability to taste food, has him banned from being anywhere close to the kitchens, and even has forced 124ji to refrain from making comments about the food for the foreseeable future. they dont want to risk triggering anything too soon after his 'recovery'

of course, while in the infirmary, sanji just figured he was getting standard grade mild hospital food so he was (subconsciously) looking forward to his first real meal afterwards. and it smelled so good! but then he took the bite... and it just tasted like mushy cardboard. as did every bite afterwards. glancing around at his family, they all seemed just fine with the meal... so perhaps thats just how it was then? was food/eating just like emotions, something they preformed, an end to a mean? food was fuel, not a leisure activity, he supposed...

so, choking down his food, he said nothing

food was just fuel

just another drop in the pool, another small itch in the back of his mind, the growing sense of something being off

overtime he starts skipping meals, brushing them off altogether or asking for someone to just puree it for him so he can down it while he works. his time is more well spent furthering their plans than spent chewing on cardboard. he tries not to acknowledge the way something in his reiju's eyes breaks at that nor to claw at the spot where judge proudly clapped his shoulder for his taking initiative. his brothers remain oddly quiet, glancing between each other as niji snorts

it doesnt matter

what does matter is the strange burning sensation in his chest that has him biting back snarls at soilders that waste his time with meaningless compliments or the way he has to fight his face to remain neutral when yonji laughs or how his body aches, shoulders twinging from the tense posture he holds in his fathers presence

he is a a vinsmoke. he is a cyborg. he is an unfeeling, unflappable soldier meant to spread the glory of germa across the land and sea, no mere emotion nor man could ever hold him back

so why is it then that he finds himself clenched into a tight ball, hands ripping at his own hair, desperate to forget the feeling that came when that burning desire nearly succeeded in breaking free after a maid bumped into him in the hallway, flowing out of him with a snarl and its only his carefully honed control snapping back in place that allows the maid to keep standing where she is, pressed fearfully against the hallway wall

his hand, frozen midair, right where he caught himself before the hit could land across her face

the books in his hands have been long forgotten where they lay in the hallway after he dropped them and ran blindly. he doesnt know where he is, only that its quiet, dark, and he is alone with his ragged breathing. he curls up tighter, desperately trying to push down everything, the bile in his throught, the memory of the maids fear in his mind, and the horribly, confusingly angry tears that burn at his eyes

it shouldn't matter, he shouldn't feel, he shouldn't care, and yet, and yet, and yet

something snaps inside him as he yanks out a clump of his own hair, something bloody and visceral and uncontrollable

because he can no longer sate himself with soothing lies of his family's love and blood-born honor, not when he is so clearly broken and wrong and all he ever wants to do is scream and burn it all down, starving for something more he cant even recall

covered in his own blood, snot, and tears, sanji realizes how little he truly knows

with the plans to strike the strawhats down moving ever closer, he stands and begins his charting own.

in the meantime, he works. he trains. he studies.

he researches.

and he learns.

so, suffice to say, he's not happy with what he learns. the life of one blackleg sanji, sprawled before in clippings from newspapers across the years, some freshly printed, others yellow with age. faces in photos that he swears he knows yet cannot name make him break a wall with one flaming kick.

(the oldest of them is that of a restaurant opening in a far off ocean - but he couldnt read more before the paper turned to ash in his grasp thanks to the flames creeping up his body)

the only road forward, he realizes, is one that leads to their deaths. vinsmoke judge and everything hes ever had a hand in... this world was not just nor right, just an endless stretch of monsters like him ruining everything. death, admittedly, would be a mercy in the longrun.

he'd make it slow

they never even noticed him pulling away, sneaking into labs and war rooms across the floating kingdom. never questioned the bags beneath his eyes so long as he got them the results they desired. they trusted him, it seemed.

or maybe they just didnt care. is health really all that important when you can just throw them into a test tube and-and try again? dig into their brain and pull out every piece that makes them, them, and see if it works now. lie when you cant dig a scalpel in and hope for the best.

when the day finally came, only three before they were suppose to make the final move of the strawhats, sanji sneaks into the kitchen, aided by his new improved raid suit and his family's growing compliancy. they no longer parole the kitchens like bloodhounds, ready to turn him the other way.

as thanks, he adds something special to his siblings dishes

hes no fool, hes aware he likely couldn't take them all on his own. underhanded techniques never bothered them before, so this shouldn't be any different. besides, they werent his focus

no one says anything about the food or... any odd tastes, per usual thanks to judges standing orders. he bites his lip hard enough to draw blood just to fight back a smile as he spots a tremble in ichiji's hand as dinner draws to a close and dessert is sat before them. niji keeps pinching the bridge of his nose amd yonji eyes take on a strange glaze as he stares out a window

reiju looks at sanji, her ever present fake smile dropping away

the show begins like fireworks, lighting up the evening sky, his many bombs hidden about all going off at once

he listens and revels in the sound the labs make as they turn into flaming rubble, explosions bursting across the many snails in their armada, of his fathers fantic commands, his brothers confusion, and his sisters silence

the germa kingdom crumbles, flames crawling across the snails, the smaller of which begin writhing in pain as theyre cooked alive

he probably should of kept the charades going on for longer, but sanji just couldn't help the bitter laughter that welled up at his fathers flushed face, which only causes him to seeth more and sanji can barely breath through his manic laughter

at the very least, judge seems to catch on when yonji crashes to the ground, unconscious, without ever being touched and ichiji is swaying on his feet where he stands. niji hasnt gotten up, clutching table like a lifeline as he snarls in sanjis direction.

its invigorating, watching the fear creep into each ones eyes, fear they claim to not have nor know. judge can only watch as his kingdom burns and his precious soilders crumble, all thanks to one of their own

and the night has only begun

(in all the excitement, none of them see the ship approaching on the horizon, the lion shaped head glowing in the suns dying light and crackling flames)

[meltymoth]

i love your swamplings

all of them

i feel that swamplings in general have a

"heh loser, i love you" vibes

either that being said to them or them saying it kinda way

i wish i could art good to express myself as a swampling but i am bad at art

so i shall continue to look at yours intently

aww hehe! alluvium is definitely kinda like that, and fen is just sorta. rough around the edges, but yeah.

there's a couple more swamplings i designed last year (for the most part i still like them! might've made A a little bit less lizard-y now), to give a bit of a broader idea of the variance between them.

also this highly scientific chart. the main things that are set in stone for swamplings overall is that they're mammals, tend to have some fur on their backs (which can extend from right around the shoulder to anywhere beyond that point), have possum-y hands and feets and any type of lizard-y tail. and kind dog-ish faces but obviously there's a lot of variability with most of these traits.

loose enough of a definition that i hesitate to even call them an open species, but if anyone is interested in making a swampling absolutely feel free to 💖

[transgenderfivepebbles]

hello pafl community