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dollystuartwrites · 1 year

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Stray Gods - Chapter 30

Pairing: Gods!OT8 x !F!Reader

Genre: romance, friends to lovers, polyamory, mystery, supernatural, angst, fluff, smut

Wordcount: 3585

Chapters: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4] - [5] - [6] - [7] - [8] - [9] - [10] [11] - [12] - [13] - [14] - [15] - [16] - [17] - [18] - [19] - [20] [21] - [22] - [23] - [24] - [25] - [26] - [27] - [28] - [29] - [30] [31] - [32] - [33] - [34] - [35] - [36] - [37] - [38] - [39] - [?] MASTERLIST

Summary: With no memory of who you were, you wake up in the woods, only to be found by eight unusually handsome men. With no information of the past, the guys decide to take you in and take care of you for the time being. But that time becomes years, and as time passes, you start to notice that there is something different about them... and something different about you...

Warnings: angst, praise, thigh riding, kissing, fingering, overstimulation, lovebites, bad/miscommunication, low self-esteem, swearing, name-calling, dry humping, college, degradation, gods, special powers, vaginal sex, oral sex (f&m), mentions of contraception (condoms&thepill), injuries, mentions of death (but no character deaths), virgin!reader, teasing, orgasms, poly relationship, semi-public sex, daddy kink, strength kink. I've probably forgotten some so let me know if I did and I will add more as the story progresses.

Taglist: @eastleighsblog @tangerminie @speedybagelmongerpasta @swittyregan @septicrebel

Special thanks to my beta and cheerleader Millie.

You were sitting at the middle of the table; Lady sat across you, with both her and your boys by your sides.

‘So, you’re a Goddess too! Congrats!’ Jimin said cheerfully, raising his empty wine glass as if he was toasting on you.

‘You’re talking as if it’s something you become,’ Lady said, rolling her eyes.

‘What? It’s something to be proud of, right?’ Jimin said defensively.

‘Fair,’ Lady said, winking at you, and you giggled.

‘So, you’re a Goddess too?’ Chan, who was sitting on your right-hand side, asked.

‘I am,’ Lady said dignifiedly, raising her chin slightly.

‘But I’m guessing there is some kind of difference between Gods and Goddesses? I mean, since I know y/n is different from as,’ Chan suggested.

‘We are different from you, yes. We don’t have powers in the same way you do, but we come from the same place,’ Lady said.

‘Then, what is it you do?’ Changbin asked curiously.

‘You’ll find out,’ Lady said with a mysterious smile. ‘But we do have one fun power that you guys don’t have,’ she said, looking at you.

At that moment, the door opened, and all of you looked around. Hyunjin came walking into the room. He stopped for a moment when he saw all of you seated together, raised his eyebrows but then walked over to go and sit next to Jeongin at the end of the table.

‘Erm... Did I miss anything?’ Hyunjin said as everyone looked at him silently.

‘Oh, not much, just that y/n is a Goddess, like her,’ Jeongin said, pointing to Lady, ‘and that these guys are Gods too, like us.’ He spoke casually like it was the most normal case in the world, but his mischievous grin gave him away.

‘Wait, what?’ Hyunjin said, raising his brows so high that they disappeared under his pink locks.

‘Yeah, but shush now, she was gonna tell us their secret powers,’ Jeongin said eagerly. Hyunjin blinked a few times as if he had just been struck in the face, and it was hard not to chuckle at his baffled expression.

‘Y/n,’ Lady said, drawing all attention to you, ‘you wanna give them a demonstration of what we specifically can do?’ You didn’t have to ask what she was referring to and instantly nodded, looking at the tattooed guy, feeling slightly nervous.

He had messy black hair and large dark eyes that burrowed into your soul as he stared back at you.

‘Chaos,’ you said. The guys from the other group all oooh’d, and some even clapped.

‘Uh, yeah, that’s right,’ The god said. ‘My name is Jungkook, God of Chaos,’ he said with a polite nod.

‘Oh, do me! Do me!’ the god sitting next to him said eagerly. It was the god you had seen a few times before, the one who seemed to radiate light and whose laugh was simply addictive.

‘Erm…’ you said, thinking for a moment. The god sat up straight, and his face became serious as his golden-brown eyes locked intently with yours.

‘Happiness,’ you spoke the words, barely even realising them. The god cheered, laughed, and clapped his hands, as did the others.

‘Perfect!’ he laughed. ‘Yes, I’m the God of Happiness. You can call me Hoseok or Hobi,’ he said happily.

You moved to the broad-shouldered man sitting next to him. His eyes were a mesmerising deep blue-green, and his dark hair gave off a bluish sheen underneath the LED lights.

‘Easy,’ you said, feeling confident, ‘God of the Sea.’

‘Wow! She really is good!’ the god said, looking impressed. ‘But it’s not just the sea, though,’ he said, smirking. He looked at the empty glass set in front of him, and you all followed his gaze. Out of nowhere, it seemed to fill itself up with clear water. A few guys made impressed sounds.

Next, you looked at Jimin, who had put his hands underneath his chin and batted his eyelashes at you playfully.

‘Love, just like Hyunjin,’ you said instantly, slightly surprised that you hadn’t noticed it before. Jimin looked pleasantly surprised as he looked around for the owner of the name. You looked over at Hyunjin, who had just recovered from the shock of you being a goddess and was now processing the new shock of another god of love. He blinked a few times but then bent across the table; his arm outstretched to give Jimin his hand.

‘Hyunjin, nice to meet you,’ Hyunjin introduced himself politely as Jimin shook his hand and bowed his head.

‘Can you do me?’ a soft, husky voice asked. You looked over. It was one of the Gods you had seen the least. He had natural-looking dark-blonde hair and dark eyes. You hadn’t consciously heard him speak before, but his soft low voice was quite mesmerising.

‘Yeah, erm… One second,’ you said, narrowing your eyes in concentration, then, ‘Sound?’ you spoke, feeling a little unsure.

The god grinned widely; his smile quite unusual from any you had seen before but very charming, nonetheless. He nodded and clapped his hands twice.

‘Hi everyone; I’m Taehyung, God of Sound,’ he said, waving politely at the rest.

‘Hmm,’ you hummed as you stared at the God next to him. He had one of the cutest faces you had ever seen, besides Felix, maybe, and his cheeks kind of made you wanna pinch and squeeze them. The god had long black hair and dark eyes and looked at you unfazed. ‘Is it… sleep? No! Wait! It’s… dreams, right?’ you decided.

‘I was kinda hoping you wouldn’t get it,’ he said with a chuckle, ‘but yeah, you’re right. Yoongi, God of Dreams,’ he said with a soft smile.

‘I guess that just leaves me,’ Namjoon said, looking at you hopefully. You scanned his face, neatly groomed short grey hair, and then locked with his steel grey eyes.

But nothing came to mind.

You tried to clear your head of thoughts, going on instinct.

But still nothing.

‘I…’ you said, frowning, but you only felt emptiness. ‘I honestly don’t know.’ you said, feeling slightly defeated and annoyed by yourself. Namjoon slightly tilted his chin up, and you could see a hint of surprise in his light eyes.

‘That’s okay,’ Lady said, ‘He’s especially difficult. I would’ve been more surprised if you had gotten him, actually,’ she said. You still looked at Namjoon pryingly, hoping something would come, but nothing did.

‘He’s the same as your right-hand man,’ Lady said simply. You looked beside you at Chan.

‘What, death?’ you said, surprised, looking from Lady to Namjoon and back.

‘Yep,’ Namjoon said simply with a soft smile.

You frowned. It was weird. You hadn’t been able to pick out Chan’s power back then, either. You looked at Namjoon, whose calming presence and relaxed manner was almost impressive. Suddenly, you remembered the first time you had seen him. You had instinctively known he was a god, yes, but there had been more thoughts… You had called him “angelic”, a word that your mind also linked to Chan.

‘You’re a God of Death too?’ Chan said, looking incredulously. Namjoon simply nodded. ‘Wow, that’s- I mean- wow, I’ve never met another, I just thought…’ Chan began rambling.

‘That you were the only one?’ Namjoon finished his sentence with a chuckle.

‘No, no! not at all, I just, I never thought... I dunno...,’ Chan said, pulling an awkward smile. Namjoon laughed.

‘It’s okay; we thought the same at first, but over the centuries, you learn stuff. I’m Kim Namjoon, by the way, nice meeting you all,’ he said with a slight bow in both directions before stretching his hand out for Chan to shake.

‘Bang Chan,’ Chan introduced himself.

‘Can you do that too? What y/n just did?’ Jeongin asked Lady curiously.

‘I can, God of Luck,’ she said with a nod and a grin. Jeongin looked happily surprised. ‘Since we all introduced ourselves, I think it’s your turn now?’ she suggested, looking meaningfully at Jeongin.

Lady did the same as you had, going round the table, naming every God and their division. Every God introduced themselves until they’ve all had their turns. Just when everyone was finished, the food was brought in.

‘Can you show me that trick again?’ Seungmin asked Jin as soon as the waiters were gone.

‘The glass fill-up thing?’ Jin asked, already bringing his fork to his mouth, a piece of fish on it. ‘Sure,’ he said, looking at his half-drained glass and filling it up again. Seungmin looked at it with narrowed eyes this time.

‘So do you like, make the water appear or?’ he asked curiously. Jin shook his head.

‘Can’t make somethin’ out of nothin’,’ Jin spoke, his mouth full. ‘Gotta pull it in, ya know,’

‘Riiiiight,’ Seungmin said, seeming to understand and nodded. He looked at his own glass, a concentrated look on his face, and then suddenly, it filled up too.

‘Yah! Just like that! Wow!’ Jin cheered, putting down his fork and clapping his hands before sticking up his thumb. Seungmin looked very happy with himself.

At the other side of the table, you could hear Jimin chatting with Hyunjin.

‘So, God of Love as well, right?’ Jimin said, interested. Hyunjin nodded as he took a bite of his food. ‘What kind of business are you in then?’ Jimin asked.

‘I’m an art curator,’ Hyunjin answered, ‘You?’

‘I run a hotel chain,’ Jimin said. ‘But if you’re into art, you should talk to Joon. He’s in the art business too,’ Jimin said, pointing at Namjoon.

‘Really, what do you do?’ Hyunjin asked Namjoon curiously.

‘I run the Indigo Gallery,’ Namjoon said casually.

‘No way,’ Hyunjin said, almost dropping his cutlery. Namjoon nodded calmly, raising his brows. ‘I’ve been trying for ages to get in with you lot! Your collection is like the-the best, the top!’ Hyunjin said enthusiastically. Namjoon chuckled.

‘Thanks, man. If you ever wanna do business, just call the front desk, and say it’s you. I will take care of the rest,’ Namjoon spoke.

‘Really?! Oh man, that would be so great. I’ve got so many ideas already,’ Hyunjin said excitedly. Namjoon grinned and winked at him, and continued eating, Hyunjin looked eager to get started on business, but Jimin interrupted him.

‘So, do you have your extra powers yet?’ Jimin asked him. Hyunjin shook his head. ‘Yeah, me neither. All the others got them already, but I’m the last one not to,’ he sulked.

‘What are your special powers?’ you asked Namjoon curiously.

He looked at you calculatingly but then said, ‘Mood affect. I just wanted to make you laugh to show you, but then I remembered our soul powers don’t work on Goddesses,’

‘Soul powers?’ you repeated questioningly, looking at Lady.

‘Soul powers are powers that affect you internally,’ Lady started to explain. She looked around the table for a moment, stopping at Felix. ‘Right, for instance, take your God of Fauna. I bet he can sense the internal state of animals. Like how they feel and stuff,’ she said. Felix looked up and nodded. ‘And I bet your powers kind of work on Humans too, as they’re part animal in a way,’ Lady suggested. Felix agreed once more. ‘Well then, just how internal, or as we like to call them “soul” powers, don’t work on other Gods, they also don’t work on Goddesses,’

‘Oh, so just like how I can’t read her mind?’ Jeongin said suddenly.

‘Exactly,’ Lady said.

‘Wait, I thought your division was Luck?’ Jungkook said, confused.

‘It is, but mind reading is my special power,’ Jeongin said, puffing up his chest proudly.

‘Sick,’ Yoongi said simply.

‘But then how can Hyunjin sense who I’m in love with?’ you said, confused, looking at him.

‘Pheromones, baby,’ he said, tapping his nose wisely.

‘Right, and that’s an outer power,’ Lady pointed out. ‘It doesn’t have anything to do with your mind or soul but with your human shell,’

You nodded slowly, taking this in.

‘So, I guess that’s why Changbin can warm me up, but someone like, erm,’ you looked around the room and spotted Hoseok, ‘but Hoseok’s power of Happiness probably wouldn’t work on me,’ you said thinking.

‘Exactly,’ Lady nodded. ‘Nor would his additional power, for that matter,’ she added. Hoseok’s eyes went down to his food, and the light he seemed to have emitted faded a little.

‘What is his additional power?’ Han asked who had been listening as well.

‘He doesn't like to talk about it, but it’s actually pretty rad,’ Yoongi said. Most of the table was instantly captivated by this remark, and they all stared at Hoseok.

Hoseok took his time. He chewed his food while staring at his glass of red wine before taking a sip. Slowly he put down the glass, still not meeting anyone’s eye. His expression was almost entirely blank.

‘Compliance,’ he said, his voice quite different from before. His eyes flicked up and met yours. You spotted a sadness in there and a distaste for his own abilities.

‘YA! That’s so rad!’ Han said enthusiastically.

‘Much more convenient than telekinesis, man,’ Minho said jealously.

‘It’s really not,’ Hoseok said dryly. You felt a slight pit of worry when you looked at his expression, and you could understand why he felt the way he felt.

‘Don’t mind Hoba too much,’ Jimin’s voice said behind you, ‘He’s still coming to terms with it. Meanwhile, I haven’t got anything new yet after 2700 years,’ he said jokingly with a pout. His statement was clearly to lighten the mood a little.

‘Namjoon, may I ask,’ Chan began suddenly, and Namjoon looked up. ‘If your special power is mood affect, would I get the same if I would get my additional power?’ You could hear a hint of worry in Chan’s voice as he asked this, but Namjoon shook his head.

‘I don’t think so. I’m not sure how it works, to be honest; I mean, the reason why one gets a new power. It seems to be different for everyone, so I’m pretty sure the additional powers are also unique. For all we know, our main powers don’t even work the same,’ Namjoon said with a shrug.

Maybe he was sensing a new topic of conversation because Chan simply nodded and quickly picked up his fork and started eating.

By the time everyone was finished eating, many seats had been swapped, and the groups had mingled with each other, talking about their powers and experiences.

Hyunjin was talking eagerly with Namjoon about his art gallery.

‘Did you see our latest show of still life?’ Namjoon asked Hyunjin.

‘Yeah, I did; it was excellent. I especially like the piece by Jeong Mul with the pink flowers; what was it called again?’ Hyunjin recalled.

‘Kkochdeul,’ Namjoon said with a nod. ‘I actually curated that piece myself; it’s one of my favourites.’

‘See Chan,’ Hyunjin taunted Chan, who was sitting across from him now. ‘You can have a job and be a God of Death at the same time,’

You looked up in surprise.

‘You don’t have a job?’ you asked Chan, confused. ‘But you always said-’

‘Being what I am is my full-time job,’ Chan answered. ‘I should work even more, but-’ he got interrupted by Namjoo,n who put his hand on Chan’s shoulder.

‘Dude, I know our workload is intense, but you gotta live a little,’ Namjoon said in a fatherly way. Hyunjin scoffed.

‘You think we haven’t told him that? He’s a freaking workaholic. Barely even sleeps. It was a good thing y/n came around when she did, cuz I’d think he would’ve drowned himself in it if it hadn’t been for her,’ Hyunjin said, half annoyed and half upset.

‘No way, it’s not that bad. It’s just that it’s very important work. I need to do my duty. People rely on me,’ Chan tried to defend himself.

‘And my work is not important?’ Hyunjin said, arching a brow. ‘You take your job way too seriously, Chan; just admit it,’ Hyunjin said, rolling his eyes. This was just a step too far for Chan, and you could see a muscle move in his jaw as he pulled up a fake smile before getting up, with a polite nod towards Namjoon, and walking over to the other end of the table to sit with Changbin who was talking to Jin.

You had always suspected that Chan wasn’t doing too great, but no one had ever said much about it before to you. However, hearing this worried you more than ever before.

‘Oh, leave him; clearly, he loves his misery,’ Hyunjin said, now annoyed himself, when he saw Namjoon’s worried face. ‘Anyway, back to business,’

You got up and wanted to follow Chan but stopped halfway when a conversation between Jungkook and Jeongin piqued your interest.

‘So, you have to imagine it like a set of scales. If the scale is up, you have good fortune; if it’s down, you have bad fortune; and if it’s in the middle, it’s neutral. Means anything could happen really, good, or bad,’ Jeongin spoke.

‘But then what is it that you can do if you say you don’t decide?’ Jungkook asked. His dark doe eyes sparkling with fascination at Jeongin.

‘Well, I can’t do much, as I said,’ Jeongin spoke, his face thoughtful. ‘It’s also very complicated since it rarely involves just one person, right? It’s all connected,’

‘And stuff like tripping over a ledge or something?’ Jungkook asked. Jeongin laughed.

‘That’s not necessarily bad luck; that could also simply be clumsiness,’ Jeongin said with a chuckle. ‘No, you gotta think like this. Erm, let me get an example,’ he said, frowning for a moment. ‘Okay, right, it’s like this. There is a crossing. Imagine a pedestrian wanting to cross the road and a car driving. The lights are red for the car, but the driver doesn’t notice, and the pedestrian is gonna cross the road. Now, whether they will get into an accident is dependent on both their luck. For example, if both the driver and the pedestrian have bad luck, they will collide. However, if the driver has bad luck, but the pedestrian has good luck, the driver might swerve and drive their car into a lamppost or something. If they both have good luck, nothing will happen,’

‘And if they have normal luck?’ Jungkook asked.

‘Then it can go either way,’ Jeongin shrugged.

‘And if something bad happens? Do their scales change?’ Jungkook asked.

‘Most of the time, they do. You can see it almost as karma. If they get into a big accident - it has to be big, though, nothing small, their scale will gain better luck later on. To break even as it were,’ Jeongin explained.

‘Right... But there is nothing you can do at that moment?’ Jungkook asked.

‘No, I can actually,’ he said, and Jungkook raised his brows. ‘If, like, only the driver had bad luck, but the pedestrian neutral, or if they both had normal luck, I could like, for instance, make the driver sneeze, causing him to accidentally hit the brakes so there won’t be any accident,’ Jeongin said.

‘And if they both have bad luck, you can’t do anything?’ Jungkook asked.

‘I could, but I’d rather not. The longer you walk around with bad luck, the heavier it gets. I could prevent it, but it’d only put it off, so that’s not a good idea. Better to just get it over with before it gets even worse or gets more people involved,’ Jeongin said.

‘So, you don’t decide on anyone’s luck then, like me with chaos,’ Jungkook said.

‘Well, I can tip someone’s scales lightly, but it’s like putting a rice grain on it to make someone have only green lights when they’re driving home or getting someone to spill their drink over themselves. It’s not much,’ Jeongin said.

It was interesting to hear Jeongin explain his power as he did. You had wondered now and then but never gotten around to asking it. It also answered a question you had almost forgotten about before: whether Adam’s big bad was gone now. If you had understood Jeongin’s explanation correctly, it probably meant he’d be on the neutral scale or maybe even on the good luck scale. The thought of it made you smile.

You took a few more steps and ended up in Han and Minho’s conversation with Yoongi.

‘No, I don’t,’ Yoongi answered simply to a question you hadn’t heard.

‘But isn’t it boring like that? It would seem boring to me,’ Han said simply.

‘I actually love not having to be a God in every aspect of my life. Namjoon is the same; he’s an art dealer but also the god of death. Not necessarily related. If I had to use my powers on my job, I would be dead bored,’ Yoongi said.

‘But then, how do you manage them?’ Minho asked. Yoongi shrugged.

‘I have work time, and then I have work time, you know. I do dreams in the broadest sense of the word, yes, but I can literally work while sleeping. Dream walking, the others call it. But I wouldn’t wanna become a therapist for the life of me. I already have six brothers whose nagging I have to listen to all day, every day; why would I add anyone else to that list?’ he complained, but anyone could see the smile at the mention of his family.

#skz #stray kids #stray gods #bang chan #felix lee #hwang hyunjin #han jisung #jeongin #kim seungmin #seo changbin #lee minho #leeknnow #skzoo #i.n.#chrisopher bang #stray kids fanfiction #stray kids ff #stray kids fanfic

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fandom-smut-shots · 2 years

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Striker x Reader - Picking Up Trash and Calling It Treasure 2

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

All of your coworkers could sense the change in your mood at work the following day. They’d all expected you to be late, or to not show at all after your date. But you arrived bright and early, looking more than a little exhausted, clutching a cup of cheap coffee like it owed you money. You sat in your usual seat at the meeting table, feet propped up in an empty chair, cleaning your guns and reloading your ammo as Blitzø rambled on about the company’s newest client.

“And how was your date, (y/n)?” he inquired suddenly, nearly causing you to drop your weapon in surprise. You turned to look at him with wide eyes, your lips set into a hard frown.

“It was fantastic,” you replied, placing your gun on the table. “I sat in my apartment until midnight and then I went to bed.”

Millie gasped loudly beside you. “He stood you up?!”

“I knew something like this would happen,” Moxxie sighed, shaking his head.

“Just shut up, okay?” you grumbled, downing the rest of your coffee. “I don’t need your fucking pity. You told me not to fuck with him, and this is what I get for not listening. Can we just move onto work already? I need to fucking shoot someone.”

“I have just the client for you!” Blitzø grinned, stepping aside to reveal a white board covered in poorly drawn stick figures. You groaned in unison with Moxxie at the display, picking your teeth with your nail as your boss began to explain.

“She died in a coma, and shortly after she was admitted to the hospital, her boyfriend cheated on her with her sister,” Blitzø animatedly elucidated, throwing white boards to the floor as he progressed through the toddler-esque scribbles. “She’s hired us to track down the cheating son of a bitch and his new hoe and take them out.”

“She died in a coma?” you questioned, raising a brow. “How’d she end up here?”

“Before the coma, she was known for getting into bar fights and putting other people in comas,” your boss continued with a shit-eating grin. “The last loser she fought with ended up dead, and someone smashed our client’s head into the bar.”

“And she understands that she’ll spend eternity with her cheatin’ ex and his side bitch once we kill ‘em?” Millie questioned.

“Not my problem,” Blitzø shrugged. “Now, who wants to kill a sinner?”

All three of you raised your hands, and your boss cheered before the four of you set out for the mission.

A groan sounded from your lips as you slumped down onto a bar stool, resting your weight against the bar while half-heartedly raising one hand to get the bartender’s attention. His brow raised upon drawing closer to you, but he kept his commentary to himself as you ordered your drink of choice. He nodded before turning around to prepare it, leaving you to your business.

Dried blood matted your hair and stained your clothes. Scrapes and bruises littered your entire body, and you could feel a lump forming on the back of your head. You hadn’t even bothered to shower after the job, opting instead to come straight to the bar to drink away the bad night.

All had started off perfectly fine. The I.M.P. crew teleported to the living world, easily located the targets, and had the perfect shots lined up for a clean kill. It should have been simple. It should have been easy.

Until Stolas called Blitz, and your airhead of a boss hadn’t bothered to silence his phone, and the humans heard the screeching ringtone from the bushes where the four of you had been hiding. They were braver (or dumber) than most of your hits, and they came running towards the foliage with weapons of their own. Their spunk caught you off guard, allowing the cheating ex you were after to strike you across the face with his fist. You howled as you were thrown to the side, the impact sending you flying to the ground.

Blitz growled and aimed a gun at the man’s head, but he was knocked unconscious by a metal baseball bat before he could pull the trigger. You pulled your own gun and fired without properly aiming, shooting the cheating ex’s new bitch in the leg. She squealed and lunged towards you, manicured nails poised for a scratch-off. The blow to your head had left you dizzy, slowing your movements just enough for her to catch you. Millie leapt onto her back with a cry, looping a rope around her neck and pulling it tight, but your face had already been raked with barely sharpened nails by the time she fell to the ground.

You pulled a knife from your boot and began slicing, not particularly focused on your aim so long as it wasn’t one of your coworkers. Blood spattered everything around you by the time you were done, and Moxxie carried a still-unconscious Blitz through the portal after Millie called for Loona to open it.

The bartender returned with your drink, which you immediately drew to your lips. You swallowed half of it by the time a presence approached your left side, taking the empty stool beside you.

“You look like shit, little lady,” came a familiar southern drawl. You groaned inwardly, in no mood to deal with Striker’s bullshit tonight.

“Gee, thanks,” you replied, not sparing him a glance. “Is that why you never showed up?”

“Had a job,” he offered lamely with a half-hearted shrug, nodding to the bartender as he was served a bottle of beer.

“What an original excuse,” you countered, swallowing the rest of your beverage.

“It’s the truth, darlin’,” he countered. “What’s it to you? Not like we’re datin’.”

“Suppose not,” you murmured. Millie had been right. Hell, you had been right. He was not boyfriend material, and you should have been glad he hadn’t shown up for your date.

“I could make it up to you,” he offered, and fuck why did your heart have to flutter at those words?

“How?” you questioned before you could come to your senses and tell him to fuck off.

“Let me take you out,” Striker shrugged simply. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

“Hm, where have I heard that before?”

He snickered, and the sound went straight to your core. Get a grip of yourself, dammit. You are not sleeping with Striker.

“Come on, I mean it this time,” he insisted, finally turning to look at you. You refused to meet his gaze, though you could see his reptilian eyes in your peripheral vision, and goddamn they were hypnotizing.

“Fine,” you agreed, because you apparently had shit for self-preservation instincts when it came to hot cowboys. “But this is your last shot. Stand me up again and I’ll fucking kill you.”

He grinned, taking your words as a challenge. “I’d love to see you try, darlin’.”

He paid for his drink- and yours, much to your surprise- and tipped his hat to you, offering you a wink before he strutted out of the bar.

Oh, Millie was going to kill you.

#helluva boss #helluva boss x reader #reader insert #striker #striker helluva boss #striker x reader #slow burn #imps

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alena-reblobs · 10 months

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Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol4 Part 1

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1 Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1 Vol02 Part 2 |

Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2

Thoughts on the first part of Volume 4 of Trimax!

I feel there are so little instances were we see Vash and Wolfwood being friends/buddy-buddy and here in casual clothes, they just look so much like good friends it makes me happy to look at! Just two dudes! Vash putting a hand around Wolfwood’s shoulder to show him around the ship...rare physical contact!

(with each progressing volume I’m less and less just showing little panles but simply complete pages. Watch me in volume 14 pointing out every single page because EVERYTHING is worth looking at.) anyway! Knives looks so cool here! Reminds me of western superhero comic style how he is drawn actually! And I love the follow up page, and the little detail that sb else already pointed out of the glass fracturing from...plant stuff? Or the shock wave of Knives destroying the satellite? And that first panel of Vash opening the eye as he senses Knives and probably him using his powers...

The little dots of what is being unsaid of Vash are so telling. I mean, the cards are pretty much on the table already. It’s less that Vash really needs Wolfwood...but more that it’s Wolfwood’s mission to accompany Vash. Vash knows that and Wolfwood knows that Vash knows but it’s all left unsaid. (Why say it when there’s nothing you can do about it and it wouldn’t change a thing anyway?)

This volume is out here to confuse me in lots of scenes, this one of them. Though now that I look at it again I think....this is not a knife as I initially thought, but the ground or whatever they are standing on (machinery structure?) is sliced/cut open by Knives. And Midvalley was able to see or sense it because of his hearing?

These brothers really look so much alike. I wonder if they are identical twins or if these categories even apply to plant nature? Since they originate from one source only..it’s more like they are clones maybe of their mother plant. Like little tree sprouts!

Very interesting to note here on this spread, after Knives tells us that he is a collector of Knives (the Gung Ho Guns): We see Wolfwood’s cross and also the arm that is holding it (white sleeve? Or is this just thanks to the drawing?) but the rest of the body is out of frame! Clear distinction from the rest of the gang!

Oooh Legato was not informed of this! Even though as a Gung Ho Gun, Wolfwood would be his subordinate. Legato might think that Knives doesn’t trust him enough or value him enough since he withhold that information- though the me it just seems like he does not care. Look, he can’t even be bothered to look at Legato while talking to him, even yawning. His whole posture tells us how uninterested he is in Legato.

Pic of Legato walking away (with that weird creature on his shoulder! I’ve come to the conclusion that he has kinda attached himself to that half-person because of his pretty messed up state) which looks kinda cool! Yeah alright, you can have ONE or TWO cool panels, you messed up boy.

This whole chapter here to ultimately confirm that Wolfwood has an ulterior motive (secret mission assigned by Knives) to follow Vash and guide him. His real reasons though, we don’t really know yet, but I guess a first time reader could make a pretty good guess.

Love the girls for this! And look at Milly’s expression! :DD These silly moments in between really safe the reader from dropping into too much of a depressing hole.

I strongly believe that Milly thinks Meryl is being honest here, because she hovers over her so considerate, while Meryl is straight up being sarcastic. Probably grinning into her hand! She’s such a fun character :D

I’m not quite so sure what they are saying by this (and the conversation the page before)? Do they regret that they teased Vash and Wolfwood. What Meryl says here, “feel like this”, does she mean she wouldn’t have expected to feel angry and revengeful after Wolfwood and Vash just left them behind earlier? And she probably doesn’t like how the whole situations drags her in emotionally...I guess. Hm. Sometimes these conversations are hard for me to fully get behind, but that’s ok.

Somebody tell me this is not what I think it is but also I don’t want to know.

Yeeeah cool Milly pose!!

They are doing it! They are arresting criminals, helping people by themselves, and they are being so much more confident about these situations than in the first volumes! Others have pointed that out before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE that Nightow’s female characters have their own agenda and are being strong, even supportive of the main male cast.

Uuuh Zazie you should let that get checked

Another conversation where I’m not quite sure I’m understanding it correctly. By what I’ve read of others too by now this is Wolfwood arguing that it’s maybe better to leave the girls behind and have them stay out of trouble, while Vash is saying that, hey, the know what they are getting into and if they want to follow him, they can do that! I mean..Vash is probably enjoying the company for a change, where people will stick to him despite being super dangerous, and the girls have grown on him. Vash says it sounds more like Wolfwood asks himself if he’d be able to watch them die if they get in a fatal situation...well, maybe! I’m sure that’s smth Wolfwood doesn’t want at all! But he does have a point though, cause the road that Vash and Wolfwood are headed is much more dangerous than Meryl and Milly can imagine and are prepared for.

These are from different pages, and I liked how just 2 pages before, we see Meryl shortly stepping into this ring of light...just for her to be gone from it later. And that panel with the light and nobody in it...such a strong impression!

The reaction faces of Wolfwood and Vash..:DD

#trigun #trigunbookclub #trigun maximum

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estelscinema · 25 days

Text

Quickie Reviews

Immaculate (Michael Mohan)

Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarks on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.

Immaculate is a peculiar yet untamed exploration of Catholicism's darker aspects in cinematic form. It occupies a unique space between the jumpscare-centric horror characteristic of Blumhouse and the more nuanced, "elevated" horror epitomized by A24. While it draws from both traditions, it doesn't fit neatly into either category. The film follows Cecilia, a Catholic Nun, who joins a new convent in Italy to care for her ailing sister in faith. As weeks pass, she inexplicably finds herself pregnant, leading many to believe she carries the Son of God. However, as strange phenomena and unsettling visions unfold, doubts arise about the true nature of her pregnancy. On paper, Immaculate promises a chilling exploration of religious trauma and the intersection of women's bodies with faith. Yet, in execution, it falls short of realizing this potent blend of horror.

In the initial half of the film, tension is primarily manufactured through cheap jump scares rather than allowing the story's natural ambiance to set the mood. These jumpscares feel contrived, lacking originality and failing to evoke genuine fear. However, as the narrative progresses into its latter half, the film begins to leverage its inherent atmosphere to truly horrify the audience. The transition marks a shift towards a more immersive experience, where the unfolding horrors stem from the organic progression of the story. The horrifying realization of being unwillingly impregnated is terrifying as it is routed in reality. Additionally, when juxtaposed with moments of authentic tension, such as the harrowing escape from captivity in the convent catacombs while undergoing labor, there's an inherent sense of unease that permeates the scene. I just wished the entire film had this momentum that it showed in the film's later half.

The performances in Immaculate offer a varied experience. Sydney Sweeney is inconsistent in Immaculate. She has many moments, especially in the first half, where she is unintentionally funny in what would have been serious and unsettling scenes. However, when she is finally allowed to go full Scream Queen, she kills it. She has this horrifying intensity in these unholy moments that proves she is a perfect match for this genre. Overall, Immaculate is interesting and terrifyingly fun at points, but feels like it is wasted potential.

My Rating: C+

Damsel (Juan Fresnadillo)

A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive.

The title of "most likely written by AI" in 2024 undoubtedly belongs to Damsel, a Netflix production that is so undercooked that a dragon would dare not eat it. This film is a colossal failure, lacking in excitement, originality, and substance. Its narrative is painfully predictable and riddled with pretentiousness, making it seem like I had already pieced together the entire story from the moment the first poster and synopsis were released months ago. Despite claiming to break away from the "damsel in distress" trope, Damsel ultimately succumbs to it, failing to deliver on its promise of subversion. Millie Bobby Brown's performance is disappointingly bland, portraying a character that attempts to be different but ends up feeling forced and unconvincing. Her portrayal lacks the intimidating presence she brought to her role as Eleven in the first season of Stranger Things. The only redeeming qualities of Damsel are its costume design and the visually appealing dragon design. However, these aspects alone are not enough to salvage what is otherwise a forgettable and lackluster movie.

My Rating: D

Road House (Doug Liman)

Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

On one hand, I appreciate that Road House didn't take itself too seriously and embraced the campiness of its story, which made for an enjoyable experience. However, on the other hand, I'm frustrated by how it spiraled into a chaotic mess. The remake of the 1989 classic, Road House, is a film characterized by tumultuous disarray. Amidst this chaos, there are moments of fun, particularly in the first half. The fight scenes are entertaining, and the chemistry among the cast members adds to the enjoyment. Initially, the film strikes a balance, embracing its campy nature while still maintaining some grounding elements. However, this balance is lost as the movie progresses into its second half. The once-cohesive story and characters are abandoned in favor of poorly executed CGI fights and nauseating cinematography. As a result, what started as an enjoyable romp devolves into a disappointing mess.

The dialogue throughout the movie feels forced and awkward, reminiscent of lines one might encounter from non-playable characters in the Elder Scrolls games. This feeling is exacerbated by the noticeable use of ADR (Audio Dialogue Replacement) throughout the entire film, sometimes even for entire characters. Conor McGregor's acting debut is particularly noticeable in this regard. While his skills as a UFC Fighter are evident, his portrayal outside of fight scenes comes across as a bit cartoonish, making it difficult to take him seriously. Although he seems to be enjoying himself, he stands out starkly from the rest of the cast. McGregor's talents might be better suited for roles as a stunt coordinator or stuntman. On the other hand, Jake Gyllenhaal shines in the movie, carrying it with his natural charm and impressive physique. Despite the poor dialogue, Gyllenhaal manages to infuse his scenes with comedic brilliance. While the rest of the ensemble delivers adequate performances, Gyllenhaal stands out as the highlight of the film.

In general, Road House presents a varied experience. While it has its enjoyable moments amidst the chaos, there are instances where the tumultuous nature of the narrative can overshadow even the most entertaining aspects of the story.

My Rating: C

Problemista (Julio Torres)

An aspiring toy designer’s work visa runs out, and a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream.

Problemista left me somewhat lukewarm. While I found merit in its narrative, character development, and the societal critiques it presented, the comedic elements failed to fully resonate with me. Although there were sporadic instances of humor, I felt that the execution often fell short of its potential. One highlight was witnessing Tilda Swinton's portrayal of a fiery Karen, accompanied by Julio Torres in a comedic tug-of-war. These moments provided a delightful contrast to the otherwise lackluster comedic delivery. However, outside of these standout scenes, the film struggled to maintain my interest. In summary, while Problemista boasts strengths in certain aspects, particularly its performances, it ultimately failed to capture my attention due to its inconsistent comedic tone.

My Rating: B+

Late Night With the Devil (Cameron and Colin Cairnes)

A live broadcast of a late-night talk show in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.

Late Night With the Devil is an innovative horror satire that brings new life into the found footage genre. Framed as a late-night talk show from the late 1970s, we follow our host, Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchain), through a night that will never be forgotten as he brings a child onto his show who claims to be possessed by the Devil. The opening sequence immediately plunges the audience into the satanic panic and frenzy of the era, while also highlighting Delroy's struggles to compete with his rivals. Following the tragic loss of his wife, Delroy's show spirals downward, leading him to desperate measures in his quest to dominate the late-night talk show scene.

The narrative progresses as a typical late-night talk show on Halloween night. We have three guests, a psychic medium, an ex-magician turn skeptic, and a parapsychologist who brings her teenage patient on air. As tensions begin to brew between the guest, the host, and the network, Delroy pressures the teenage girl to concur up the entity on air, and all Hell begins to break loose. Late Night With the Devil walks a very fine line between horror and satire. It is a slow-burn horror that isn’t particularly scary, but the ambiance that the entire crew was able to build is undeniably unsettling. However, Late Night With the Devil is filled with the ironic spectacle of late-night TV that is similar to Martin Scoreses classic, King of Comedy. This unique blend of horror and satire creates a truly unforgettable film.

David Dastmalchian has been in nearly every single franchise and has worked with some of the most talented directors in Hollywood, but hasn’t gotten a role as a leading man until now. Hopefully, Late Night With the Devil will finally be a sign for Hollywood to cast David Dastmalchian as a leading man. Dastmalchian is excellent here as our host for a night that we will never forget. He transforms into the charismatic host, Jack Delroy. He shows the undeniable talent of his character charm while also highlighting the mediocre limits that are holding his character back from becoming the greatest. But his performance is more than just the imitation of an average Late-Night TV host. Within his performance, he has subtle layers of

unresolved grief from his wife’s death, while also showing subtle desperation and envy for becoming the best. His performance is perfect and shows everyone that he has been overlooked as a leading man for far too long.

Now with the controversy surrounding the 3 AI images used in the film transition cards. If you are going to boycott this film because of this, fine, more power to you. However, you are pushing creativity and independent filmmaking because a graphic designer in the movie art department got lazy and decided to use AI instead of their talents to create the transition cards. To punish an entire film because of the actions of a few people is insane as every graphic designer I know today uses AI for editing or as an inspirational sandbox for their designs. So please do not punish this movie because someone got lazy. This is an excellent horror satire that breathes new life into this genre.

My Rating: A

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lorianbladeoflothric · 1 year

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These girls are camping out in my brain lately, have some headcanons about Millie and her sisters (readmore for length)

All of them - the sisters (minus Pollyanna) lived in Sellia when they were very young - They were kicked out when either their Rot or Gowry’s position within the rot cult became known - The sealed god of rot speaks to them, as it does Malenia. Not usually in words as much as compulsions, dreams, and fleeting visions. This is what draws them all to the Halligtree to kill Millicent, whether they want to or not.

I'm gonna be honest, I wrote all of this (and that fic the other day) assuming it was said that Millicent would be the only one to become a valkyrie, not just the strongest. I....don't know if that's canon, actually, because I can't find the quote? So. If that's wrong, then. pretend it's not? Au where I'm not wrong is in effect for this post. ^^;

Mary -She grew up being told that they would all be reborn as Valkyries and as the eldest she saw herself as their leader. That all came crashing down when they learned only Millicent would be reborn and she’s felt lost ever since. - Despite that, she tries not to resent her little sister. - She acts more like a mother than an older sister to them at times, especially to Polly and Amy - Out of all of them, she’s the most into the rot god cult. She fully believes everything Gowry has told them and even associates with the mushroom servants and the kindred of rot (who creep all of the others out) - Determined to be seen as worthy by Malenia, she even learned to fight by studying (and aggro-ing) the cleanrot knights in the swamp - Often has nightmares of herself or her sisters dying

Maureen - She’s a cynic, and kind of a bitch, always has some kind of out of pocket comment waiting, but her abrasive personality hides a soft spot. - When her god and mother seemed to look her over, she turned to the golden order, drawn in by the promise of endless prosperity for all and wanting to make up for the suffering the Scarlet Rot has caused. - She left first and hasn’t been back since - On the surface, the rot seems to have affected her the least (which she would say is a blessing from the erdtree), but she deteriorated mentally faster than the other girls. As such she’s easily confused and forgets things often - Has to use a two-handed weapon as part of her dominant hand has rotted away. She’s either too stubborn or too unaware to remove it entirely

Amy - Softspoken and kind - The rot has affected her the most out of all of them. She’s lost her eyes, her hearing on one side, and both of her legs - The only thing that slowed the progression of her rot was the techniques she learned from the blind swordsman - She traveled with him for a time, and grew to enjoy sword fighting as an art (but she still hates to hurt others) - When Mary lost her sight, Amy was the one who taught her how to adapt. - She isn’t sure what she believes anymore, having experienced so much of the world but still feeling the pull of the outer god of rot from within her

Milli rock - She's almost illiterate. The old sage couldn't take any books when he and the girls were kicked out of Sellia, and there's not exactly a Caelid County Library. She can read juuuuust enough to get by. - Her nightmares show her wreaking death and destruction upon the lands between. - Before getting the needle, they were often so bad that she would try and go without sleep for as long as possible - She loves the sea, the sound of the waves is comforting to her.

Polyanna - The only one not found by Gowry, but by commander O’Neil. Despite being driven mad by rot, O’Neil kept her safe until she was found and stolen away (for the better) - She feels pulled in many different directions by her sisters. Eventually she decides to seek the Halligtree and speak with Malenia, wishing to know what her mother fought for. - Like Millicent, she can't read very well. - Since she uses the blade of calling, I think she would have attempted to become a finger maiden if her fate hadn't already been planned out

#headcanons #like a lot of them #idk if i should even tag these characters bc they really are kinda just ocs here #millicent's sisters

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longhands-the-second · 10 months

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First thoughts on Trimax volume 1

I appreciate eriks. Just like, generally. I love how scruffy he is lol.

I do wonder if he’d let his hair grow out like that if he wasn’t in hiding??? He’s had the same haircut since he was a kid though so idk. He’s very attached to his whole look, it seems.

When and how did he replace his prosthetic? What was that like?

WHAT A FUCKING DUMBASS I LOVE HIM

YES INDEED, THAT WAS “FUCKIN STUPID” (Wolfwood says fuck guys omg good for him he deserves it)

I laughed out loud for real though I definitely woke up my roommate on accident oops

Oh god the hair. It’s fuckinh coming. The gut punch. (<- does not know the specifics)

Seeing him with the stubble AND the normal hair is doing something bad to my brain. Fix it. It doesn’t compute.

THE GORLS!!!!

Her hair is. Not exactly bad but that’s not my Meryl.

New Miami, huh? I’m so excited to get absolutely no elaboration on this ever.

Shoutout to the little dude on page 84 who looks like fuckin Wallace

Oh. My god. How many times did he just get shot

OH MY GOD GOOD FOR THEM. God I love milly

Wolfwood is such a chickenshit.

I wonder if Vash has conceptualized himself as human up to this point, and where he’s at with that now?

DAMN I wish I was that balanced

I uh. Man. Wow. I kind of want to make fun of him for doing the most Anime Shit Ever

[redacted]

Babygirl i promise you he knows how plants work lmao

Y’all really weren’t joking about the panty shots

Brad is ALSO a shit. We can’t win here.

Oh. My question is being answered. I don’t like it very much.

On the face of it, I'm pretty solidly in Nico's corner here.

I love how clearly i can hear his little song in my head.

He’s full in monke mode. Just an absolute ape.

AGAIN WITH THE CROTCH SHOTS

love that nightow definitely just got sick of drawing the bullet holes in the coat

Actually looking at this a little harder he did simplify a lot of details. Good refinement, though i do miss the belts.

Vash who the fuck are you calling old. Is the old man in the room with us right now? (Yes)

Oh fucking hell.

I wonder how vash looks at humanity specifically . Is it really something familial? Or is that changing as we progress? I do see how he could be operating from that angle.

My other real question is just how old is he, like, mentally? He really does seem to have the mindset of somebody in his 20s. Knives too? Maybe that’s a thing with them, but i’ll hold off on saying anything conclusive until later. Maybe i’m too quick to say they’re both immature.

I’m sorry it genuinely makes me happy to see characters swear like real people. Wolfwood is so much more fun here.

~~~

I hate that I'm going to get through these so much quicker now, especially now that i’m especially hooked. I’m genuinely considering reading ahead but i think i’ll explode if i do. Time will tell.

I may not get around to coloring pages in the next two weeks and just go absolutely hog wild once my class is over. I have to make my own damn comic for once lmao. Ofc i have 0 impulse control so who knows.

#trigunbookclub #cannot believe i finished that so fast im really enjoying it

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chibivesicle · 11 months

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Hey!

I know I’ve already left a few asks here(I just love your meta okay?) and I had an idea- I saw a comment on the r/Trigun subreddit that Stampede should have picked up where the 98 anime left off, and after reading your thoughts on how you would fix Stampede, here’s my idea; Trigun Stampede but instead of a “reimagining” it’s a direct sequel to the 98 series but pulls from Maximum and instead of just picking and choosing stuff it keeps MOSTLY faithful but reworks and maybe streamlines different parts so it fits in with the timeline of the 98 anime and where it ended, picking up where the last episode of the anime left off.

I just wanted to know your thoughts and how you would make it work?

Hello there,

Thanks for another question! I honestly, would have preferred a full redo of the manga, but maybe keeping the first 5 episodes of the '98 with world building "filler" episodes and then dove into a more manga accurate story. The beauty of those first 5 were it takes him until that 5th episode to draw his gun and fire. The build up and tension was perfect and matched the side story in the manga where Vash uses a target to perfectly hit people so they don't die. I however, would add in more non-canon plot points with Meryl and Milly to keep the magic sauce that was Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly. These are easy tweaks that could have been added into a refreshed version. Honestly, the quartet character dynamics was great.

The '98 anime did the best with what it could do, but a more streamlined less wandering version of Trigun Maximum would likely have resonated well with older fans. For example there were some random chapters that were action packed but really didn't serve the plot (especially around the Eye of Michael) and Wolfwood got some side chapters which did flesh out his character more but lead to further wandering. I think a major problem with this was the fact they either had to make a 12 episode series or 24 to match current broadcasting 'standards' which was not the case with the '98 anime operating on the considerably older model of the 26 episode season. Though in that case they were animating with cels and Studio Orange is 3D CG. I have no idea how the time/effort per episode compares.

With how long the manga was, I think Stampede needed at least 2 or 3 seasons (say minimum of the 12 episodes per season) or 2 seasons with the (12 + 12 combo like for Spy x Family etc. giving a total of 48 which, damn would likely get the job done).

It got the 'Cliff Notes' version of events and the weird pacing shows. The major problem is that the story never had time to breathe and it just needed to be longer so it could have a more natural progression. Too many things were blink and miss it or sure you totally got X b/c if you squint you'll understand a complex concept.

It is clear that the predominantly (American) English language fandom was expecting the FMA Brotherhood treatment. That was not this and I can honestly see how disappointing it was. For me, I rewatched it back in December and was pleasantly surprised at how well it held up and fun it was. Reading the manga filled in some gaps a but also left me confused and finding a more manga accurate anime would have made my happy. We all know this is not what happened. They went in a sci fi direction (confirmed by more than one interview of staff on the project) created a whole new world and concept. I have also really noticed but will have no stats to back this up; but there is a clear demographic divide on how Stampede was received. I hate to generalize, but it seems dudes who are mainly straight cis-het men, who watched the anime a long time ago (and are super anime watchers consuming way more than I do in short periods) seem to give it the most positive reviews. They say it seems the same, sure it looks different and they kinda sorta miss Milly but its fine otherwise. Maybe I'm wrong since those are also the people who - not surprisingly - have the loudest voices on the internet be it Youtube channels and general prominence. However, as soon as you shift to other viewers there is a lot more concern. Many women are upset at the poor female characterization across the board in Trigun where all of the women were made shadows of their former selves. None of my female friends who watched the original enjoyed what happened to the women in Stampede. Queer fans also seem to have a more negative view with so many of the gay, trans, non-binary aspects of the original cast now gone. [Legato, Elendira, Zazie] 'Cause Legato barely appeared and his huge crush on Knives is not the same as in the manga. Elendira - gone and Zazie hasn't gotten good characterization as well. I'm not saying all people of one demographic can be correlated with their feelings towards it, but it does seem to have general vibes. And it is hard to tell something like this without a statistically robust analysis but it is what I've noticed. Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm toodling around in my small patch of the web but that's what I've observed. Not many straight cis het men are like, "Oh yeah, I really noticed how the female characters are either dead mother figures or cute uwu waifus or literal children. I wonder how other viewers who miss strong female representation now feel?"

I'm not here to stoke a culture war and virtue signal or anything like that. Nor am I falling into the woke SJW whatever you call it. I've sat through enough actual [and incredibly depressing] seminars about studies on the role of diversity and representation in fields (mine specifically being STEM) and when I learned that for women to have proper representation in biology textbooks, it would take another 100 years, I cringed. When you learned at the current rate it would take 500 years for black scientists to be properly represented - it - just - well, fuck. Feel free to think about this for any group that are not cis-het white men. And then feel icky and sad.

Now, is this fair to place such high standards on a product made in a specific cultural context for entertainment? I mean, likely not, the whole point is to have fun and make money through merch.

Buuuuuuuttttt . . . .

I know that diversity in media has a long way to go and it was sad to see a diverse manga lose that diversity in the more recent version. Until media companies and production studios and teams 'get it' they won't realize that there is a market for it. Which is hilarious since the original was way more diverse and interesting than Stampede. Seriously, why are there no black people in Stampede? This leaves me scratching my head in confusion since Kekkai Sensen has an even more diverse cast! Nightow clearly writes these types of characters on purpose. It didn't get lost when Bones did the first two seasons of Kekkai Sensen. Hell, the inherent diversity of Kekkai Sensen is literally written into actual dialogue in the chapter/OVA King of the King of the Restaurants.

I didn't mean to fall into a rabbit hole, but I'm really thinking there are going to be very different responses and 'fix-it' solutions for what fans had wanted to see or hoped they'd see with this. Okay, I'm going to shut up now. But yeah, I'd do a early '98 anime with manga hybrid as my reboot for Trigun.

#trigun stampede #trigun anime #trigun maximum #ask #answered ask

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paigelts05 · 1 year

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The Appraiser doodle sheet (FNAF, Renegade AU)

https://www.deviantart.com/paigelts05/art/The-Appraiser-doodle-sheet-FNAF-Renegade-AU-939721135

Published: Dec 4, 2022

I was expecting to have a drawing done by now - I have two in the works - but I messed that deadline up badly. That's why there's two different uploads this week. Arts and OCs amino gets some IDV art I've been waiting for a rainy day to post. FNAF amino gets a doodle sheet I made back in the summer and have zero progress shots of (But I did throw in an extra doodle for the occasion to try and balance it out). DeviantArt gets both.

This doodle sheet is the Renegade AU's Millie, from the Fazbear Frights books.

In this AU, she lives, but loses a hand and half her 'soul'* in the process.

*Soul is a generic term used to refer to an electrical ghost. Can be from a living peron or the electrical remains of the dead, but more commonly used to refer to the latter.

After an officer with talent for the paranormal, from neither Burke's or Schmidt's lot shows up - an 'L-something' or someone - clearly out of his jurisdiction, hands her a glass orb, she quickly finds herself in charge of making sure those effected by Eleanor get the shreds of thier 'souls' she stole back too.

And that the orbs are actually, usually sticky, plastic ball pit balls.

Regardless, the appraiser takes her newfound duty to draw in those with parts of themselves missing incredibly seriously.

#2022 #fnaf #fnaf au #fnaf fazbear frights #fnaf renegade au #Renegade AU #fazbear frights #fnaf books #millie fitzsimmons #fnaf millie #art #artwork #artists on tumblr

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rothko-mirror · 2 years

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Father Paul seems like a very pious man- do you think his faith affected your relationship? Where are your favourite places to go with him? What do you think his love language is? When did you realize you loved him?

(I've heard really good things about Midnight Mass. I should really get around to seeing it)

Hi, thanks for reaching out! First of all, you should definitely watch Midnight Mass - it is SO good! Father Paul is not only my F/O but also my favorite fictional character ever. He's so complex, and that's what draws me to him.

I think his faith is part of what attracts me to him, even though I do not share the same. He is entirely sincere in his beliefs and is a truly kind and generous person. You so rarely meet a TRUE Christian, meaning someone following the teachings of Christ: love, compassion, empathy, active service for those who need help...loving your neighbor as yourself, even if they are different from you in any number of ways. Being respectful of who people are and meeting them where they are. Father Paul seems to be a broad-minded, genuinely caring person who only wants to help those in his parish and beyond. He has also experienced delusion and false divinity and wants to redeem himself from the egregious actions he has taken in the guise of righteousness.

He is accepting of other belief systems and would never deny me the right to my own beliefs (or not) regarding the divine. I find divinity and beauty in art and poetry and this is how I express my highest state, and he fully supports this.

Because of all he's been through, the veil has been lifted and he has even more compassion and empathy for others. He is Christ-like in his understanding of the lives and choices of people unlike himself, and he refrains from judgment. Who is he to judge when he believes so strongly in a God that will hold final sway upon one's soul? He knows he is imperfectly human and would never deign to judge another.

He understands that love, above all things, is the pinnacle of human experience - therefore, he feels it is a gift from God that he should not deny himself. How could love between consenting adults ever be wrong? In this sense, he is progressive in his faith, and it allows our love to exist within his beliefs. He understands the love I have for him and how I express it, via poetry and art and touch and gentleness. There is room in his mind and heart for broader expressions of love and affection.

Our favorite places to go are the beach, museums, and bookstores. He is enraptured by the spiritual abstraction of Rothko & Kandinsky and appreciates the sublime beauty of Vermeer and Manet. We mostly love being together at home, nesting, cuddling while reading and drinking coffee & tea.

Father Paul's love language is tenderness. He's all about gentle kisses and embraces, the sweetest words and caresses. He likes to quote poetry, whether it's from Psalms or Song of Solomon, or something secular like e.e. cummings, Richard Siken, or Pablo Neruda. His love language is kindness and warmth, and every touch is a prayer.

I realized I loved him when he visited Millie to perform Mass and give her communion right after he came back as a younger man...he was so tender and reverent and full of unconditional love that it warmed my heart. And his gentle, compassionate approach with Riley and Leeza was so kind. So much kindness in this man, that's what shined through, always. Respect and kindness and tenderness - that's what I feel from Paul and why I love him.

#father paul #monsignor pruitt #hot vampire priest #midnight mass #self ship #imagine your f/o #f/o comfort

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soundbulb · 5 days

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damn you listen to the rnb coming out in the 90s and 00s and it's like full instrumentation, 5 minute run time, three verses, a bridge, and a reprise chorus and I'm like oh that's what people mean when they say songs are over trimmed now. some of it isn't all tiktok, I think rnb's move away from it's more theatrical side in the 90s-00s came from the experimental rnb of the early to mid 2010s, where it intentionally became more atmospheric and the attitude of it is less persona driven. like frank ocean obviously has gigantic impact on current day rnb but I remember when channel orange came out a huge draw was the realness of the stories: songs about addiction, disappointing love, social isolation, oblivious people etc. and that kind of requires a sense of sonic "normalcy" like it can't sound like a red carpet rolling out and cameras flashing, it can't sound famous or larger than life, it has to sound to scale. so to make the music still dynamic and interesting we have this atmospheric move, something that evokes the bigness of your interior life and your feelings. intangible but undoubtedly vast. on blond you can hear things like cars passing, wind chimes, planes, those things are peripheral as this spacey intricate production plays out in the area between you and those "real" sounds, literally imitating how we'd characterize thought and feeling as this thing that happens not just in us, but in the empty air between us and the world. a lot of rnb went in this direction which I love both forms, but I started capital L Loving rnb because of frank ocean, so you can imagine my bias. there are still those larger than life rnb arists, but they're not as ubiquitous as they once were.

the move from the melodramatic rnb to the interior rnb didn't come with shorter songs though, or even bearer songs. I wouldn't call the atmospheric sound actually anymore sparse, it only attempts to leave a layer open so you feel like you can reach outward into it. it sounds more open, but it's not actually less textured. so it's not blinged out in it's layers (love blinged out layers give it to me), but you see the combination of that spacious production and the blinged layer in this current new era bling hip hop, in songs like flo milli's never lose. if I go a day without talking about it I self immolate btw. darker trap sound + early 00s bling + progressive rnb type ethos in the production.

another example of that interior rnb, other than frank ocean: sza, arguably the most famous rnb artist from that switch up, goes with that spacious sonic vision and real life rnb. kali uchis is a tried and true melodrama rnb artist, though she's inspired by some of the production of progressive rnb. then in the late 2010s trap comes in, and it is sparse, and a lot of rnb gets trap production, which means it's waaaaaaaay stripped back, relying on the voice alone to carry the melody for the most part, which I think works well in trap, but I don't think works in rnb all that well. even though I definitely love some of the trappy rnb songs. who doesn't. though 7/11 is a true trap song, people call it rnb because it's on an rnb album but that's pure trap and it's a banger for it. unrelated. rnb has gotten both more atmospheric (progressive rnb from early 2010s) and more sparse (trap influence from late 2010s), which isn't bad, but I think it's what contributes to mediocre tiktok rnb sounding more and more like they're just releasing incomplete tracks. that and they're literally releasing incomplete tracks. come to think of it, that's probably the biggest culprit

#t #ht #music

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thtfailedartist · 4 months

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Merry Christmas bread lovers!

Remind me not to draw so many people ever again holy crap-

Here are some of my main characters! (I'm excluding some of my more "controversial" ones from my history novel)

In order:

Alexei "Pripyat" Kazakov (he/him):

Alexei: humankind's defender, warrior

Kazakov: "cossack"

Alexei is a Soviet man, born in Russia and raised in Ukraine. He's serious and reserved, but has warmed up a bit more after the incident.

He was a worker in the Chernobyl powerplant, which left him greatly disabled. He's covered in scars, has an artificial lung and his left leg is replaced by a prosthetic one.

Nikolai Kazakov (he/her):

Nikolai:people of victory

Alexei's sibling. She was born intersex and, due to the time, never understood it fully. She was teased for it at school but, with Alexei's help, she has learned to feel comfortable to lean into his feminine side.

He has been the one to take care of his brother after the incident.

He's very extroverted and friendly, but maybe a bit gullible.

⚠️This is absolutely not meant to insult or make a mock of the survivors of the Chernobyl incident. I hold the utmost respect to everyone who's gone through it and would gladly hear what you have to say. If this is considered offensive I'll take it down immediately.⚠️

------------------------------------

The two following Characters have nothing to do with my novel, but I like them anyway :)

They are very new characters and their story is still under heavy work.

Emily "Millie" Williams (she/her):

I've already made a post about her

Michelle Evans (she/her):

Michelle: "who is like God?"

Evans: "son of Evan"

Isaiah's foster child. She was raised Mormon but jumped from foster house to foster house. She's autistic and a barely out of the closet trans girl. She's a shy and quiet person due to her always being treated as a problem by her former caretakers.

Isaiah Xu-Dai (he/him):

Isaiah: "Salvation of the Lord"

Xu-Dai: xu; "promise, agree' or 'location'", Dai; "to respect, to bear, to support"

(I am not Chinese so please correct me if I got anything wrong)

Chinese-American catholic priest. He's a very bubbly guy who loves his job as a preacher. For being a priest, he's rather progressive (maybe a bit of the cringe type too) but takes at heart the needs of the people around him. Before becoming a priest, he broke things off with a very important relationship because of him being infertile, which left him feeling really insecure about it. He fulfilled his dreams of becoming a parent by getting into a foster program and taking care of Michelle.

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Pose reference (Pinterest):

Sweaters reference (Pinterest):

#Alexei and Nikolai are from a book I'm writing set in the 1980's/1990's #Alexei Kazakov oc #Nikolai Kazakov oc #Emily Williams oc #Michelle Evans oc #Isaiah Xu-Dai oc #my art #pripyat oc

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miss-kittyy · 3 years

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Rewriting Briarlight and Longtail’s Deaths

So I am disabled, like very disabled, I am %50 of the teenagers ever diagnosed with my special combination of pain disorders, and I also unfortunately hyper fixated on warrior cats, which is bad news for me because warrior cats is super ableist, and to add insult to injury, the fandom can also be pretty ableist.

My biggest problem with the majority of “anti-ableist” AUs is that they “fix” the ableism stemming from the narrative and able bodied characters by making the disabled character less disabled, this so bad for many reasons. I’ve talked more about in other posts. The justification that real life disabled cats are less doesn’t make it not ableist, since when was warrior cats meant to be realistic? If you’re making an au where the disabled cats function like actual disabled cats you also have to make all the cats genetically accurate, and retcon Lionblaze lifting a tree.

My problem with warrior cats is not that the disabled characters cannot become full conventional warriors, I’d like it if they got to choose what duties the perform instead of being crammed into the medicine den, but I don’t care about Cinderpelt not being able to complete a marathon. Most of the fandom seems to think the issue is that the disabled character are not useful enough, instead of the way that able bodied characters deny of them agency and make remarks like “you wouldn’t want to return to a life like her’s would you?”. Disabled people do not need to be “useful” to be worthy and empowering.

It’s very obvious that most of the fandom just wants the disabled cats to be more palatable to abled bodied people, so I’ve decided to make my own rewrite instead to hopefully make myself feel better. A lot of these things are inspired by my own experiences and not every disabled person is looking for the same things in representation, this is totally self indulgent.

The goal of this AU is to highlight the many unique and valuable aspects disability and how being disabled does not infringe upon anyone’s worth, ever.

- Longtail doesn’t die in the storm, Briarpaw is still injured, but he’s found besides her, trying his best to help her cling to life.

- after Briarpaw begins to recover he stands up to Millie and other cats insulting her quality of life, he says her journey will be hard, but it is one worth taking.

- She asks him why he’s an elder, and he decides to request to have his warrior ship restored as Briarpaw is dreading the life of an elder.

- On his first patrol the cats accompanying him insist on speaking to him in an incredibly infantilism tone, and whispering amongst themselves over what he can or can’t do, without consulting him,

- He initially gives up on patrolling after that insufferable experience.

- Briarlight begins to create marks and blobs on the wall of the medicine den using crushed up dead herbs she asks him to retrieve some berries for her, and he complies.

- Jayfeather shows him how he navigates the territory with the help of some of the sighted cats, and Mousefur is quick to volunteer as his guide. He finds her company surprisingly empowering. He realizes that it was not his blindness which was limiting his abilities, but the other cats attitudes.

- Mousefur and Longtail return with mouthful of berries and herbs, Briarlight describes to him what she’s drawing on the side of the den and he helps he mound the materials into paint.

- The cats begin to pop into the medicine den to see Briarlights painting and soon Jayfeather has to kick her out occasionally so they’d stop crowding him, she’s given the walls of camp to decorate instead.

- She begins to illustrate Longtails stories of the old territory and Bloodclan, and this new form of storytelling becomes a tradition amongst Thunderclan.

- because more young cats are aware of the clans history it becomes harder for the dark forest to recruit them, unfortunately, Blossomfall’s resentment towards her sister means she never cared to listen.

- Ivypool is still recruited and trained like in canon, given her relationship with the dark forest was much more emotionally charged and manipulative than just plain lies.

- at a gathering Longtail meets Grasspelt who inquires about Briarlight, Longtail is surprised about how little he knows as the she-cat had mentioned how well they got along as apprentices. Despite Millie nagging him not to tell him the truth about her daughter he does anyways, but puts much more emphasis on how well she’s doing than Millie expected. Grasspelt thinks this sounds really cool and decides that he is going to see her and her paintings, and that nobody can stop him. Longtail makes sure to put any opposing cat in their place, but Briarlight is a very respected Clanmate, so most warriors don’t say anything.

- Briarlight is nervous and doesn’t want to come out of the medicine den at first, but when Grassheart darts into the den holding berries and flowers for her to paint with she quickly warms up to her visitor.

- Grassheart is happy to tell Briarlight that he’s never been able to be a “functioning” warrior, and that he has always imagined that his spirit is shaped different, the medicine cat says his body is normal, but he’s never been able to keep focus in a fight or react as quickly as he should be able to while hunting. (He’s autistic because I say so)

- As dusk nears he’s visually hesitant to return to Riverclan and when Longtail inquires on why he says that he hasn’t felt so “here” for a long time. On the way back he wanders off and comes back with a chipmunk, when returning to Riverclan territory his father, Mintfur, is shocked to see his catch. After talking with his family a bit he realizes that it was the noise from the river that was making him so tense and dissociated, Brackenfur, who was escorting him, notices that he keeps rubbing himself on the ground and wincing.

- For the next couple moons Grasspelt returned to Thunderclan to bring Briarlight plants that only grow in Riverclan territory, he begins trying to fish from the quite lazy stream in their territory and soon both him and Briarlight have got it down.

- Longtail notices the sadness present whenever Grasspelt left and exclaims that it’s rather stupid that he’s living somewhere so unsuited for him just because of words long repeated.

- Grasspelt confesses that he feels the same, but knew he wasn’t supposed to say anything. Briarlight tells Longtail that her and the Riverclan warrior had been thinking of each other as mates for moons.

- Longtail accompanies Jayfeather to the next half moon meeting where he proposes his addition to the warrior code, “no cat should be confined to laws which harm them due to an inherent physical or spiritual difference.” (Cats don’t really know how brains work, so they see mental disabilities as a difference within a cats spirit)

- A moon later the leaders meet to discuss this proposition, it is accepted and Grasspelt makes the journey to Thunderclan for the final time.

- Grasspelt is renamed Grassspirit when becoming a Thunderclan warrior, unlike prior renaming of disabled cats this is a celebration.

- Grassspirit spends most of his time taking care of the elders and kits, he’s incredibly compassionate especially with kits and is able to solve many problems within the nursery.

- When twigkit and Violetkit arrive in Thunderclan Briarlight and Grassspirit help raise them, after Violetkit is taken Briarlight and Twigkit paint her on the side of Thunderclan camp.

- Briarlight still gets sick and her illness progresses without any treatment, Grassspirit notices her trying to hide it and when Longtail finds out he’s very upset. Jayfeather frantically treats her, expressing his frustration that she didn’t tell them sooner, the second Millie steps out she breaks down and explains that she just wanted to deal with it herself, and perhaps if she were successful Millie would finally treat her like an adult.

- Longtail gives Millie a stern talking to, he tells her that Briarlight is a warrior of Thunderclan and as her clanmate she should show her some respect.

- Millie is inherently very reactionary, as she had not realized the full extent of her suffocation, but eventually after a couple moons her and Briarlight begin to rekindle their relationship, like adults.

- Blossomfall sees how Brairlight wasn’t basking in their mother’s attention like she imagined, and feels the urge to seek out an actual sisterhood after ignoring Briarlight for moons and moons.

- Briarlight isn’t really mad at her sister, and understands why she felt the way she did. Jayfeather suggests that Blossomfall help Briarlight with her painting, Blossomfall seems put off with the suggestion of being her sister’s assistant.

- The interactions that follow are less than ideal, Blossomfall commends Briarlight’s able friends (Thornclaw, Poppyfrost, Alderheart, etc) for being so nice to her, as if that’s not what friends do. She seems very sad the entire time, sighing when her sister dragged her legs around with her mouth to sit more comfortably, even though she was completely fine. When watching her paint she comments that it’s good she has “something to keep her busy”, and finally she expresses her view, of Briarlight’s injury and her (Blossomfall’s) suffering being all worth it because of her talents, as if her life was not worth living to begin with.

- Briarlight tells her that if that’s truly what she wants she’s going to have to put more effort into understanding and respecting her way of life, and that she won’t apologize for their mother’s actions.

- When Blossomfall has her kits they take a liking to Auntie Briarlight, and Blossomfall seems to have reflected on their past interactions, trusting her sister to watch her kits. Briarlight teases a bit, a subtle way of telling her not to rush things, but they do begin to feel like something close to sisters.

- Right before Briarlight’s Nieces and Nephews are made warriors Longtail dies of Greencough. Throughout the entirety of his sickness he kept his sense of humour, his mean streak, and his immense love for what he had made of his clan.

- At his vigil Grassspirit began whaling like a bird in new-leaf, he insists that the vigil is too sad, and that Longtail wouldn’t want everyone moping around, for Starclan’s sake, his life was good. Standing amongst them, Longtail’s spirit can feel every cat in Thunderclan standing around him, singing the song of a life well lived.

#I imagine grasspelt as a chill stoner dude #next I’m gonna revamp my Ivypool PTSD headcanons cause I also have that lmao #warrior cats #warrior cats ableism #ableism #disability #warriors #briarlight #Grasspelt #briargrass #was #Longtail #warriors au #autism #warrior cats au #wa riot cats rewrite

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