#would've been a far more satisfying ending - even if it was the series ending - for him and they then wouldn't have to walk it back now

[littlespoonevan]

To your tags about wishing Marisol had gone away offscreen rather than Natalia, because there had been a bit more there with Buck and Natalia. I agree. To see more explanation of why Buck and Natalia didn't work out could have been interesting/more satisfying. With Marisol, she's still a nothing of a character, and I don't know how much we'll ever see? At most and at best we'll get an interesting breakup w/ Eddie and Marisol (like w/ Ana), but not sure much else? I guess we'll see.

yeah that's it! because nothing had really happened with marisol i feel like it would've been very easy to say, "oh yeah we had a couple of dates and it didn't work out" and it wouldn't feel like retconning or anything. whereas with natalia, because they were more established, there is a little part of me that would've liked to have seen the breakup and/or buck delving into the realisation that she didn't see him the way he initially believed she did. (though i appreciate the little mention it got regardless!)

having said all that, i do respect the fact that the attitude from tptb seems to be 'yeah we didn't like that storyline so it's gone now, don't worry' lmao

[the-whispers-of-death]

Hello there! I am the Dilf requester anon :D. Can I ask you to continue the series?? OFC IT'S UP TO YOU!! (it can be anything really)

Btw looove your works!!!

It's been a month, but I've finally gotten to this ask, thanks to @3amfanfiction giving me suggestions on the next part for this. (Godsend, I tell ya.)

Anyways, I hope this still satisfies you even though it's a month late. Thank you for your kind words.

Ghost was a man who could follow orders. It was something that was ingrained in him after years of being in the military.

The thing was, he didn't follow just anyone's orders. They had to have his respect and more often than not, he clashed with his superiors when thinking their orders were bullshit. Price was the only one whose orders Ghost happily followed.

That was until he met you. You became the second person whose orders he could happily follow.

He's now in your kitchen, your kids quietly playing and doing their own things in the living room. He's dutifully waiting for your orders, his back straight like he's not a veteran but rather still the hardened soldier he used to be.

As you order him around the kitchen while you both make dinner for you, Ghost, and the kids, he finds himself thinking of how warm your orders are.

Everyone who has ever ordered him around has always been more rough than gentle, yet here you were. You're authoritative, but soft. Your voice doesn't harden with annoyance when he doesn't cut the vegetables the way you told him to.

No, instead, you walk over and gently place your hands on his, showing him how to cute the vegetables exactly the way you want him to. The gentle touch sends a shiver down his spine and your warm smile makes his heart skip a beat.

It's so easy to for him to fall into a rhythm with you despite this being the first time you two have cooked together. You lead him so well and he follows you so well. Like you two were made to do this together.

And when dinner is all done and finished, Ghost sets up the table as you call your kids to eat. He watches with his softened brown eyes as you walk back into the kitchen with a victorious smile, your kids shuffling in behind you.

He feels so warm and cozy as he sits with you and the kids, listening to the kids talk about their day as if he had always been a part of the family. Like this is his home, like he's right where he's meant to be.

Ghost follows orders, but only when he trusts and respects the person giving the orders. And he trusts you so much.

So much so that he has to take a sip of his drink just to stop himself from asking you to marry him right then and there.

Separator made by @une-femme-de-lettres

Okay, so this is short, far too short despite the fact that I took too long to get to this request. However, I'm not going to tear myself down for it.

I got it done and I'm relatively happy with it. And I hope you're happy with it too.

Between you and me, Ghost wanted to propose to DILF!Reader right then and there, but I managed to stop him. If he had his way, this would've ended with him popping the question. 😂

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and request something! (Check the rules in "Rules for Requesting NSFW" before requesting.)

[iaure]

𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁; 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟthe dearest collection - part one/beloved 𓆩♡𓆪 part two/prized 𓆩♡𓆪 part three/devoted 𓆩♡𓆪 part four/desperate 𓆩♡𓆪 part five/blind 𓆩♡𓆪 part six/watcher 𓆩♡𓆪 part seven/ardor 𓆩♡𓆪 part eight/fervor this is very heavily inspired by @//clusterfuck-yandere's yandere leon headcanons; please check out their works. this is something of a love letter to their puppy obsession series.

yandere leon s. kennedy headcanons; reader is a survivor of raccoon city. tw: general yandere behaviour, stalking, harassment, ptsd, mentions of panic attacks, entrapment

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ wait a week, muerte...a week off...but i am apparently incapable of that. i'm certainly not complaining. these next two chapters are going to be much shorter, as there's more plot as well as giving your coworker a name, but leon's perspective is coming next!! i've also been getting into welcome home arg; it looks very fun!!

things had been dying down.

♡ your life had been smoothing itself out after that night with Leon, and he'd been taking it upon himself to walk you home when you close.

♡ you've been more relaxed, especially if he stays the night. he doesn't sleep in your bed, sure, but it's nice just having him around.

♡ the eyes on you seemed to have gone away, and things in your house stopped moving.

♡ or, at least, you wanted to tell yourself that.

♡ but some pieces are clicking, forming one horrible, ugly puzzle.

♡ you figured Leon had always been a bit focus on you. that much was obvious.

♡ but you began actually seeing how he treats you.

♡ he's clingy, dedicated; it's almost like worship.

♡ his eyes are always on you, no matter what.

♡ if you weren't in his line of sight, he'd evidently freak, or at least be upset-the bed incident was a great example.

♡ he knew everything about you, but you knew next to nothing about him.

♡ his birthday? his favourite colour? family? nothing.

♡ all you knew was his name, and that he survived raccoon city, which you weren't even sure of at this point.

♡ how much of what he said was a lie to get close to you?

♡ and his name! it took you far, far longer than you would've liked to put together what K meant - K for Kennedy.

and it broke your heart.

♡ because Leon was just so sweet.

♡ he was so caring to you, carrying groceries and hanging out with you and at one point even attempting to cook you dinner, which ended up burnt beyond belief.

♡ you didn't want to accept the idea that it was him doing all of this.

♡ but everything only made sense if it was him.

♡ maybe he used to sneak into your house, but your superintendent changed your locks and you'd been inviting him into your apartment.

♡ maybe he'd been satisfied from that.

♡ either way, you weren't sure how to handle it.

♡ lately, you've been trying to avoid him.

♡ you haven't been able to make him not walk you home, not yet, but for different shifts you've had some peace.

♡ he hasn't been watching you the way he did before-not lately.

♡ but he has been mopey.

♡ about half of the time, if he tries coming into your work, you hide in the back.

♡ your coworker, bless her, always covered for you.

♡ if Leon asked where you were, she'd respond that you were were working in the back, smooth as butter.

♡ Leon would mope, and ask to see you, but your coworker would make up a smooth lie. your favourite had been that your boss had gotten upset with how distracted Leon had been making you, so you'd been placed in the back to be more 'efficient'.

♡ Leon would leave with his tail between his legs.

♡ speaking of your coworker, you'd be confiding in her more!

♡ her name was Selia, and she was a sorely needed ally.

♡ she was much taller than you, and younger by about a year; but she acted mature, and had a sharp tongue and quick wit, so working with her was always pleasant.

♡ she was the only other employee at the bakery aside from the owner, and she often was in charge of the baking itself.

♡ you confessed to her about your suspicions with Leon, and she took it upon herself to try and help you.

♡ she acted as though he'd committed something far more vicious, accusing him of capital crimes.

♡ and as much as the situation sucked, it made you laugh.

♡ you knew Leon was picking up on it, too.

♡ he'd been more irritable to Selia and other people that hung around you, and far more clingy to you specifically.

♡ he never got mad, but you hated to think just what his version of mad would look like.

slowly, you began replacing Leon with Selia.

♡ it was Selia walking you home, Selia was your pizza buddy, Selia stayed up with you on the phone when you were having a panic attack; Selia was your friend.

♡ there were a handful of times where Leon would go out of his way to catch you.

♡ he'd show up during another (surprisingly frequent) power outage, geared with his wonder bag and board games, only to discover that you had invited Selia instead.

♡ he'd come literally running down the block, trying to catch up to you during a closing shift

♡ but he'd stop dead in his tracks - literally skidding to a stop - a yard away from the door when he'd see Selia holding the lock for you so you could get your things together.

♡ and you knew it hurt him.

♡ but how else were you going to cut him and his creepy antics off unless it was cold turkey?

♡ but sometimes, through the backdoor, during those power outages, during those moments after closing, you'd catch his eye.

♡ and the look he gave was haunting.

♡ it's as though the soul was sucked out of him, every time.

the guilt was going to eat you whole.

♡ there was the off chance that it wasn't Leon - that it was some other creep doing this. that little chance that you were just putting him through emotional torture, for no reason.

♡ but who else could it possibly be?

♡ who else would fit the profile so well?

♡ and were you willing to take that chance? were you willing to bet that it wasn't Leon, only for him to do something drastic? like kidnap you?

♡ no, you thought not.

♡ after a week of your forcible separation, you thought Leon got the message.

♡ you didn't feel him on you anymore; he didn't show up to your shifts. he was...gone.

♡ you walked home alone for the first time in forever, and all was well.

♡ you eventually got to the point, after three or four days, that you assumed he simply gave up.

♡ he'd find some other person who was pretty and smart and just the fit for him, you were sure.

♡ you began walking home more and more, against Selia's advice. But you didn't listen.

♡ it was a warm spring evening that you got home, and off-beat, everything was fine.

♡ you set your bag down, hoping to simply change out of your work clothes and then melt into your couch.

♡ in the middle of you changing, though, you heard a weird noise.

♡ it was by your door; a weird sort of 'thunk'. you wondered if some dipshit kids outside had thrown something against it.

♡ you huffed.

♡ once you finished changing, you stepped out of your room, ready to call some parents.

♡ but your heart stopped cold.

♡ Leon was in your living room.

♡ immediately, you looked to your front door, but he'd apparently already thought of that.

♡ he had put his wonder bag in front of it, and you could see inside several, at least dozens, of weights-the fabric of the bag was fraying the seams, several weights spilling over onto the floor. it was something that Leon would have trouble with, let alone you.

♡ it took a second for you to look back at Leon.

♡ and he looked...good.

♡ he'd done his hair, dressed in nice clothes, and had a set of flowers on the coffee table. if the situation was so nauseating, then it'd be almost cute how nervous he looked.

♡ he rose, playing with his hands

"we need to talk."

𓂋

ʚ♡ɞ taglist

@theybotomy ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @kujosuke ⸜❤︎⸝‍  @je-suis-argent-miel ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @xxacademy

[cursedvibes]

Really bums me out that JJK is ending in 5 chapter but what hurts more is not knowing if the ending will be bad because of something out of Gege's hands (editors wanting something changed, not letting him rest, etc) or if Gege just wouldn't be capable of writing a satisfying ending.

I lean more towards option 1 but it still irks me knowing how much potential will be lost.

Well, Gege at least said they are able to end the series the way they want, while acknowledging that many probably won't like it. I think the series ending as Gege planned might even be true, at least if you only look at Sukuna, Yuuji and Megumi. They will probably get the ending Gege has intended for them and I think it will even be good if you merely look at them in isolation, it's just that some plot points and characters will be left in the dust along the way (like for example: Yuuji being the child of the other major antagonist, everything surrounding Tengen, the invasion of Japan by foreign countries, the building of a new society, cursed energy or no cursed energy, any larger scale threat that was established through Kenjaku). Similar situation to when Sukuna jumped into Megumi. It was a plot point long in the making, it was as shocking as intended, good payoff, but things like Tsumiki being an actual character beforehand and Megumi's struggle with seeing her die were cut (and thanks to the exhibition Q&A we know Gege did plan to do more with them, but for some reason didn't get around to it).

As far as I know the ending of a series is planned months to a year in advance. The mangaka says how many more chapters they will likely need and then they have to stick to that number, it can't be changed even if they suddenly notice that some plot points take more time to develop or they want to include something else. That's why the endings in WSJ often feel more or less rushed. It's only natural that a story won't develop exactly as you planned and with manga you also have to take into account that you only have 19 pages per chapter and if you do a lot of double spreads for example or long fight scenes, you take up space without necessarily advancing the plot (which is fine that's impossible to do with every single page, especially in action scenes).

I think based on interviews and the fact that jjk is the most popular animanga series in the world at the moment, Gege doesn't have too many restrictions as far as the content of chapters is concerned. It seems to me more like they miscalculated how much time they need to end the series. If we had shortened the Gojo vs Sukuna fight and cut down on things like Geto's cult or Kusakabe or Yuutajo uselessly throwing themselves against Sukuna there would've been more space for chapters like 265 and 266 which develop the main characters and relationships...but oh well, it's too late for that now. Being sick for so long likely didn't help matters and only made planning even more difficult.

My guess is that Gege will try to focus on what they deem most important now aka Sukuna, Yuuji and Megumi and finish that at least, while everything else gets merely a tease at best. We might still get glimpses of the Heian era, Sukuna's childhood, his relationship with his twin, his interactions with Kenjaku, Angel, Uraume and Tengen, or Yuuji's parentage, but it won't be explored because there's just not enough time. I also considered that the other announcement might be for a spin-off of the Heian era, so Gege can finish everything pertaining to the present time now and save backstories for later. Doesn't even have to be a particularly long spin-off, oneshot would be enough. But I don't want to get my hopes up.

[markantonys]

thoughts on the people of falme cheering over learning that the dragon has been reborn

1) their city was just getting blown up and now it's not. they're happy about this.

2) their city had been occupied by the seanchan for weeks (months?) and now it's not. they're happy about this.

3) the average layperson may not even recognize the dragon symbol; maybe they're just thinking someone's putting on a nice fireworks show to celebrate the attack being over.

4) but assuming they do recognize it, this is not unlike the immediate reaction to rand declaring himself in the stone in TDR. all the onlookers kneel before him and take up chanting "the dragon has been reborn!" it's not a celebratory moment, exactly, but it's far from a fearful one. it's only in the little coda afterwards that mat tells us the news is being met with both awe and fright as it's being spread; in the immediate moment, "awe" is definitely the main emotion.

5) there is book precedent for rand being welcomed into a city for whom he did a good deed, rather than being met with hatred or fear (illian). maybe the people of falme, in this immediate post-battle moment, care less about the vague future notion of the last battle and more about the fact that whoever's up on that tower did them a solid by helping get rid of the seanchan and the whitecloaks.

6) elayne noted that the people of falme act like they've been seanchan all their lives. perhaps their cheering for the dragon reborn who's just conquered their conquerors is meant to show a Series Theme about how the average layperson doesn't care about who's in charge or about what's going on in the world at large as long as their own individual life isn't affected too badly.

7) in the books, the idea that the general populace is afraid of rand/the dragon reborn really doesn't emerge strongly until TSR, after he's been publicly out as the dragon for more than 5 seconds. no reason to assume the show will never get to this idea just because it hasn't yet. this series has 1 million Themes and not all of them can fit in the first 2 seasons of the show. since everybody was going to be split up for most of this season, they chose "the vulnerability of isolation vs. the strength of togtherness" as the Focal Theme for the season and the big moment of togetherness in the final scene is the conclusion of this Theme. (and this was all necessitated in part by barney's departure; rafe said that the changes to mat's story are what made them decide to double down on the isolation theme for season 2.)

8) simple storytelling and Making Emotionally Satisfying Television reasons. season 2 was a very heavy season of isolation, despair, and loss (and i saw more than one mid-season critic review & show-only comment begging for some light because things had been so painful for so long). thus, they wanted to end the season on a note of unity, hope, and triumph, to give the audience some much-needed positive catharsis. the final scene being everybody screaming in horror and recoiling in terror from rand would've been, you know, kind of a downer.

9) even if the people are celebrating, rand himself is CLEARLY not happy. rest assured that the show is aware of the "it sucks to be the chosen one" Theme and is not going to make being the dragon reborn any less of a burden for rand than it is in the books (just in case the whole thing where he spent the entire season hating himself and having nightmares about killing everyone he loves didn't already give you that impression).

plus, just like in TGH&TDR, this season rand's inner struggle was only about being a male channeler because he had no idea his dragon reborn duties weren't over until the last few episodes. only now that he has officially taken up the mantle of the dragon reborn will it be time for us to see how much being the chosen one weighs on him. so, just the same timing as it was in the books. (and frankly, i think season 1's emphasis on rand having concrete plans for a future in emond's field which he now has to abandon already sold this idea more than the first 2 or 3 books alone did; as a show-only for s1 i was so upset about rand not getting to be a stay-at-home cottagecore dad, my show-only mom was so upset about it, and i've seen plenty of other show-onlys being upset about it too.)

[a-confused-spoon]

⚠️ WARNING: HEAVY DOSE OF SARCASM! DON'T TAKE ANY OF THIS TOO SERIOUSLY! ⚠️

...I- okay, so-

Let me get this straight:

You make a show about cycles of violence and establish it as the main cause of suffering

You establish the main villains as victims of the different levels of said cycle (Claudia - interpersonal / Viren - historical / Aaravos - cosmical)

You also give each and one of them a sob story as to why they are in the place they're in, one that the audience is very obviously supposed to empathize with

You ALSO also make the cosmic council child murderers as well as apathetic assholes and basically imply they are the cause of everything

...and we're supposed to root for said council to stay intact and face no consequences? There's no one above them, so unless they punish themselves there'd be no repercussions on them for what they did and eventually caused

It's been a while since my post about Viren in s6 and I recognize that most of it was typed as an immediate reaction to it, as in I could verbalize it better or whatnot. Yet I still stan with what I ultimately said, and while Viren is gone I'd like to reiterate that he was deemed unredeemable by the very creators and (to add a very important something) the fact that everything he does from s2 ep9 'till the end of s3 mostly stems from Aaravos's manipulation doesn't matter- cause yeah, after the pentarchy thing he would've been done if Aaravos didn't persuade him into going forward.

Taking this into account, plus the fact that they confirmed someone else might die, how am I supposed to think there's going to be a satisfying and rewarding ending to this series?

It'll go in 1 of 3 ways:

OPTION 1: Miraculous Ladybug style

Ezran talks it out with the Star Council (don't pay attention to the fact that Viren did far less demage and Ezran still gave him the "you don't deserve any [mercy]" treatment) because that's how he solves everything and everybody is supposed to take his "but love!" speeches seriously because hey that's the moral of the story so he's right! (don't pay attention to the fact that literally everytime he does this he never actually tries to get the person he's talking to to reason, he's just "but don't you want peace and love too?🥺" as if the show didn't try to make a whole deal about the weight of history's influence, it's just either you're a naturally loving person or fuck you) and they end up agreeing for some forsaken reason called 'convenience' and not only they change their ways but they also grant some big miracle like repearing Katolis's Castle, Harrow being freed from the bird (even though I remember vividly they said that was the plan at first and then changed it because it was unfair to Callum and Ezran's grief, but this was before the saga was greenlit) and/or the lava river being replaced with a garden or something.

OPTION 2: if you're manipulated you're still compliant therefore every villain is unredeemable

Aaravos gets killed by the Nova Blade and Claudia either kills herself because something happens to Terry or she gets killed in the process, maybe by Soren- not because it makes any sense obviously, but they already had him kill Viren that one time and we had no kind of repercussions of it (PTSD, conversations about it etc.) so they might as well pull another shocker that results in absolutely nothing narrative-wise, and since the brother-sister relationship that was oh so important in the first act now counts less than the baby glowtoads surely they wouldn't have a problem giving them more angst (aka the only thing the magefam is allowed to get out of each other apparently).

OPTION 3: the best case scenario still doesn't solve the problem

Claudia gets redeemed, Aaravos doesn't. Turns out Aaravos lied or only shared a fraction of the truth but Claudia will not find out about it (only the main heroes will) and the reason for her flipping won't even be about her character finally finding guidance in herself instead of always relying on what other people may or may not suggest- it'll be EXACTLY that by Soren or Terry (hence no actual character development, just a change of circumstances) or alternatively she does it to save one of them (hence no actual character development because literally everything this girl ever did was already out of love); the Star Council that still killed an innocent autistic child stays intact and we all just pretend it's fine because it's what the heroes wanted.

(...these are exaggerations of course, I am joking... but I wouldn't be too surprised, y'know?)

I hope book 7 proves me wrong. Truthfully.

[animelga]

I saw a post on the Bleach subreddit which asked about which parts of the series people found most disappointing. And a lot of people there obviously said Chad, and I agree - But I want to be more specific. Chad in the Lost Agent arc is some of the most blatant missed potential I've ever seen.

I think its pretty easy to infer that each of Bleach's five arcs focuses on one of its five originally-introduced main characters. This is something my librarian-coded brain adores!! Our lineup, as introduced in Substitute Shinigami, is Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Chad and Uryu (Renji gets added to that group later, but ignore that for now). The first two are pretty obvious - Substitute Shinigami introduces us to Ichigo's character and his moral code, what he fights for, what potential he has. Rukia, or more specifically the Shinigami as a whole, are of course the focus of the Soul Society arc - even though she's trapped in a cell for lots of it, characters like Renji, Ganju and Byakuya specifically serve to explore the different sides of her character. Both her and Ichigo are of course important throughout Bleach in its entirety, but these two first arcs put them and their relationships with those close to them in the focus far more than atany point later in the series.

Arrancar arc and TYBW are pretty self-explanatorily Orihime and Uryu-focused, if arguably a bit misguided with TYBW in particular. Even though, again, Orihime spends most of Arrancar stuck in a cell, she shows tremendous growth and maturity, and the entire arc's theming of what it means to have a heart is centered entirely on her. And Uyru...well, Uryu is the center of the conflict in TYBW, despite it definitely feeling underwritten in the Manga. I think thats mainly a result of its rushed pacing by the back half though, and it seems to be getting resolved with the adaptation now. So I'll hold off on Uryu for now - his treatment is salvageable and if nothing else he's always gotten at least one golden moment to shine in all other arcs.

That only leaves Chad and Lost Agent - a perfect fit for one another, and something Kubo himself was pretty clearly going for at the start. Its Chad's disappearance that instigates the drama, he's there with Xcution to help Ichigo regain his powers, and the existence of Fullbring in general elegantly explains where Chad's powers came from in a way that's true to his character (the "pride in the color of my skin" line is still one of his best character moments imo). It is, effectively, an arc built entirely around answering the questions Chad himself asked about his powers back in the Arrancar arc.

And then...nothing. He explains his powers, helps Ichigo, he trains to get stronger in a video game, and...then falls under Tsukishima's mind powers and gets knocked unconscious. Only for the Soul Reapers to show up and do all the fighting again - even characters like Byakuya and Kenpachi, who clearly don't have any material for growth when pit against the Fullbringers, show up just to clean house. To me it reeks of Kubo deciding to include fan-favorite characters toward the end of the arc just to make people happier with it, since Lost Agent in general was so divisive. Though it was obviously earned for Rukia to return in order to give Ichigo his powers back, having everyone else also show up to do the work of other characters for them felt kind of like a slap in the face.

It feels so obvious in hindsight, but Chad and Tsukishima would have been a borderline perfect matchup for a fight to move the arc to a satisfying conclusion. Out of the entire core cast, Chad is the one who feels most motivated by his past to act - he remembers his Abuelo's words, he remembers his times in turmoil with Ichigo, he remembers just how hard he's had it in life and fights to make sure nobody else has to suffer like him. Pitting him against the character able to alter memories would've been a genuinely fantastic challenge of character, and would've made for the most satisfying Chad victory the series could've pulled. Even though Tsukishima isn't Bleach's strongest villain, he's certainly one of its scariest and most potentially dangerous, and Chad's entire personality and design is built around protecting others from such harm.

Instead, Kubo just kind of... procrastinated with Chad, always hinting at more to come, hoping maybe anotber matchup as good as Tsukishima would roll around eventually. Only for him to still gst nothing to do for all of TYBW, and his send-off being to fight some stone statues off-screen.

It's such a shame, imagining what could've been, and remembering just how damn cool Chad is when he actually gets to play with the cool kids.

[ultraviolet-psyche]

One last Yorukura episode review thing from me. Spoilers under the cut.

Well... that was kind of disappointing.

I don't think the finale was bad, per se. We got some nice moments, like Kano's anxiety persisting even as she goes on stage to perform, and Kiui's big smile as they end their stream with their usual sign-off. Overall, I think Kiui and Mei got some pretty solid conclusions to their character arcs.

Everything else about this finale, though... it all feels very fairytale-like. It feels a lot like everything just got magically resolved with a song and some smiles. If this was a typical happy-go-lucky idol or CGDCT anime, that'd be fine, but Yorukura's first half gave me the impression that its conflict resolution was going to be more grounded. The pacing has been seriously off throughout the last few episodes, and while I certainly appreciate Mei and Kiui getting more development, I'm not sure if they each needed an entire episode dedicated to them so late in the anime. I don't even think the low episode count is necessarily the problem; I feel like 12 episodes could've worked fine for the scope of this series if they allocated their time more wisely and maybe cut out some parts that weren't entirely necessary (the Koharu episode for example didn't really add much to the overall plot; nor did the Shizue episode for that matter, and I say this as someone who really enjoyed that one.)

And yes, sadly, we all got baited. There's no confirmation, or even any sort of strong implication, that Kano/Mahiru is canon. I wasn't expecting them to start making out on screen or anything like that, but come on... even just a super brief scene with Kano or Mahiru saying something like "I want you by my side, for the rest of my life" while they're smiling and blushing at each other would've been enough for me. And I think it would've been enough to clearly communicate that yes, Kano and Mahiru are in love. As far as LGBT+ rep goes, I can at least say that we have the trans(-coded?) Kiui, and Mei very clearly having romantic feelings for Kano and liking girls in general (though she does unfortunately fall into the "predatory lesbian" stereotype), but Kano/Mahiru feels like a missed opportunity. We were getting some great relationship development that genuinely seemed like it was going to lead to a sapphic love story, then episode 9 happened and it all went downhill from there. I struggled to even care all that much for their relationship in these last few episodes because there was so little focus on it, and when they do finally see each other again, they're just hugging and giggling like besties as though nothing happened. (Well, they each acknowledge that they said/did some shitty things, but that's about it really.)

Make no mistake: I really enjoyed Yorukura. I love the JELEE members and even some of the side characters. The art, animation and direction is fantastic, and overall I think it's a fairly solid coming-of-age story that emphasises the importance of loving yourself for who you are. However, I do wish that the second half of this anime was better. I wish it had better pacing. I wish we had a more satisfying payoff to the major conflicts introduced, and Mahiru and Kano's relationship in general. I wish the antagonists – Yukine and Mero – got further development and perhaps more serious consequences for their actions. I just wish the last few episodes held up as strongly as the first few. I suppose I'll just go check out Girls Band Cry for the Yorukura I'd hoped that Yorukura would be.

So, yeah, that's about it. I may end up writing some fanfics down the line to "fix" some of these issues I have with the ending haha

[patrocles]

What are your thoughts on the Martells and Starks and a potential North/dornish alliance ? I must admit I'm biased as those two are my favorites houses, yes there are no "good guys" but that who we would should be rooting for imo. For me they both represent the struggle of indigenous people and a satisfying end for both of them should be their freedom. They're far from being friends but as a reader it's so frustrating to see because they have no actual reasons to not work together, quite the opposite. A lot of their goals align, and they have for a while and it's even more obvious with the Stark/Lannister war. And I must admit I love Preston Jacobs dornish master plan videos. I might not agree with all of it but I love the depth and importance it gives dorne and the Martells, one that should've been Central in the series imo. I can't help but think of an alternative version where Robb survives and somewhat ends up alone in Dorne. A Robb x Arianne relationship/alliance would've been amazing to see, they would learn so much from each other.

And ofc he/him lesbian older sister Robb otherwise it's not fun skskskskks

A stark/martell alliance is literally my AU of AUs. like will it plausibly ever happen in the story, no but it's something I've always wanted!

i think one of the big failings of GRRM is not significantly establishing the North/First Men as essentially an indigenous culture, because... they are! They're meant to be wholly different than the rest of the country and that's how they're codified in the text both in how their culture differs from the rest of Westeros and how they're perceived. But no, the most that we get is Fur and York Accents.

I think also it matters to the Starks in how they individually relate to their culture; you have Catelyn as the outsider, they way in which the kids all take after her, except for Arya. I think for Sansa as well, the one who embraces her mother's culture the most, who would essentially "pass" as Southron yet still feel so othered and pushed back to her Northern heritage-- I think there would be so much to explore by really fleshing First Men culture as more than just ideals about honor and justice.

The opportunity to draw from Central Asian influences was RIGHT THERE george. THE EASTERN SLAVS ARE RIGHT THERE GEORGE. 

Not to mention, the Red Wedding should really be regarded as genocide, not just war crimes. I mean, EYE personally view it as a such, as the point of it was to break the power of the North, wipe out its next generation and humiliate them beyond repair. Not to mention the desecration of Robb Stark was meant to mock the entire identity of the North, not just a specific family

And then you think of the history the Dornish conquests, which blows an entire hole in the "Targaryen Imperialism is Good Actually".

But yeah, I really wish the Dornish have more cultural details besides just hair and skin colors and how they’re just saurrrr excotique and sexy~ (I want regional accents and languages George, I want region-specific clothing, food, music, all of it!!) But I think the Dornish and Northern code of ethics compliment each other well despite how fundamentally different they still are! I would love to see how these two groups would interact. Actually, put Dacey and Obara together in a locked room and lets see what happens

It is interesting to think about how the Starks and Martells suffer very personal losses at the hands of the Lannisters and never being able to have vindication for it. My dream AU is an Alliance of “You Hate the Lannisters, We Also Hate the Lannisters, Lets Have a Pact of Mutually Hating the Lannisters Together”. And then Oberyn rescues Sansa before she can marry Tyrion, just SOMETHING. 

Robb ending up in Dorne would also be insane because it would be the third time a Stark was there-- Rickon, son of Cregan who died. Jon who was born, and now (girl) Robb who lives. Things would probably get just a wee bit messy with the Young Griff alliance BUT ARIANNE HAS TWO HANDS. And also Robb and Sansa can reunite there and that could be rly sweet too. 

god im sorry this went so off topic but STARK/MARTELL ALLIANCE, I LIKE IT!! 

[banzaiblaster]

Beacon Pines Thoughts

Cause I just finished the game after playing 95% of it today

First and foremost: I did really enjoy and would recommend the game. It's an incredibly visually stunning and creative furry visual novel, where the branching paths and multiple endings that are part of visual novel gameplay are interwoven into the story itself. I think how it's done is comparable to the Zero Escape series? Where you have to to back to earlier points on the timeline using information gathered from bad endings in order to get the good/true ending. It even has a fishing minigame, as all games should (silly)

That said, I managed to 100% the game (all endings, all achievements) in just about 6 hours, with minimal help from guides. I got the game during the summer sale, but the game's standard price of $20 feels a tad steep for only 6 hours of content personally. I would definitely recommend getting the game if it interests you, but probably wait for a sale as well.

A few story nitpicks under the cut, as they involve spoilers

My biggest nitpick is that the ending itself didn't feel all that satisfying. Sharper is a baby now. Ok, certainly fascinating implications to chew on, but it doesn't really get reacted to besides Heiress saying she'll take care of him and everything. Then things just kind of end. The epilogue helps a little, and it feels satisfying enough, but I still wish the ending itself had been more climatic I suppose.

The second small issue I have is with the character of Natt. His presence is never explained; he just... knows things. Since he's only seen down one path, and is never brought up or relevant anywhere else as far as I recall, he winds up just feeling out of place. I honestly forgot he existed when I finished until I saw another post being like 'hey so what was the deal with Natt?' I think his role probably could've been either written out or replaced with another character.

I dont think any other part of the story lacks, and honestly I was really impressed with how cleanly everything came together overall. I personally wish the Valentine family was explored a little more, just because I would've loved to see more of Sharper and Heiress mainly, but that's just my own preferences. Fantastic game, will probably play again in a few years when I dont really remember how it went anymore

[ko11ok]

Just wanna say ty for being some of the chosen Kollok people that carried the hashtag and are still around

hahaha yeah ofc!!

honestly i still need to like. actually finish series 2 (cannot call it kollok because kollok 1991 is always just kollok in my heart) i got maybe three episodes in because personally I wasn't enjoying the direction they went with it. i think it would've been better as an independent series, it just didn't have the heart and soul kollok 1991 had.

okay. i was like. i don't need to go on a rant....but i want to >:)

one of the things I liked about kollok 1991 was how messy it was, it was messy and fun and dark at the same time, there was a lot of cool stuff about it, and it felt like watching someone's beloved homegame with their unhinged dm, where not everything got wrapped up neatly and you never quite knew what was going to happen next.

the second series felt to clean to me, everything was put together, very streamline, very neat. it didn't have the edges or the humor 1991 had that was integral to [of course], my personal enjoyment of it. i feel like the ascended in general felt flat to me as well, like they were trying so hard to get us invested and interested in them that they wrapped back around to myself feeling like i didn't know them at all.

i think they tried really hard to do a little bit of everything, trying to let old fans see the legacy cast and their story, bring in a new audience with the ascended and the new story. it just all felt like? too much? like by catering to everyone and anyone they catered to no one. I remember zac saying that he wanted the second series to be something that anyone who'd never heard of kollok before could pick up and start watching, but to me that was so incredibly flawed. 1991 by its nature is a complex story, even if you created something new in the universe, the deeper lore and characters are still there, especially with how it was written.

my only pet peeve with zac's gaming style is that it's clear he almost always bites off more than he can chew, and when he needs to reconcile what he's bitten off, he almost always just spits it out (retcons) rather than just tries to swallow it (improvise, shift). he has extremely rich backstories and background written, and he likes to drop hints and ideas, but he never reveals any answers that are truly satisfying. (which maybe I missed because i didn't watch the second series). he likes to tease his audience, but never truly satisfy, in my opinion the most satisfying moments almost always came from the players.

imo legacy and the ascended should've been two different shows. they could've had the same format, they even could've existed in the same universe! [BIG BIG, "this is coming from someone who watched only like the first few episodes"], they could've just broken them up into separate shows at separate times. they could've given the old fans a satisfying ending, and given the new fans something to chew on with the ascended.

in my like. dream scenario, legacy's timeline instead takes place in 2002. (i've mentioned how i think a "kollok 2002" would be really cool, another palindrome year, most of the cast would be 11 years older, and in their late twenties/early thirties) they could still have mallory having gone into the black rock, tibby wracked with guilt, and the others sort of far flung. i think they could've pulled the same stuff and gotten a good result!! they could've even kept the timeline!! the ascended would rebel shortly after, the could've even done a series about that, which would've felt very similar, and ended where the show eventually got to, with the disillusioned ascended trying to figure out what the fuck they were going to do

idk! just my ten cents on it. sorry for taking your message and doing a lil rant lmao hope you don't mind

maybe i should do a sweet kollok rewatch in the future soon....like 1991 is pretty long but maybe i could swing it again >:)

[egg-emperor]

What are your detailed thoughts on the Mario movie?

I appreciate your interest! ^^

Gonna preface by saying I've only been interested in the Mario series for a few years (beyond the Mario & Sonic Olympics if that counts) for about 5-6, compared to 16-17 years of Sonic and still can't say I'm the biggest fan as I haven't played many games and don't have a lot of knowledge. So I feel I'm not equipped to speak much on some parts but I can share my thoughts based on what I do know and saw! And don't be surprised that I compare it to the Sonic movies quite a bit XD

Not gonna go heavy with spoilers by getting too much into specific moments but might mark as such just in case.

I'll start with the summary of my overall feelings and that I think it's simple, cute, and fun and that's been my impression of every Mario game I have played and seen so far, so it's along the lines of what I expected and I'm satisfied with it, I'm not sure what else people were expecting. It made me smile and feel joy the most I have from any movie I've seen in a while. And it's not quite as generic as a lot of other movies of the genre because they care about capturing a lot of the game's essence.

The visuals and atmosphere were gorgeous, I love how they took great advantage of some of the beautiful colorful worlds they've already created for the series and utilized them well, as well as how they merged them all together creatively. That's exactly what all movie adaptions could and should do, it'll always be so much more beautiful and appreciated than anything you can do in boring dull live action landscapes lol

I like all the references and callbacks, I noticed many despite not being the most knowledgeable Mario fan, compared to both Sonic movies where I didn't even notice a lot despite all my knowledge and years of enjoying it because I couldn't even see them. The Mario movie managed to include tons of noticable ones AND has more subtle easter eggs and background details.

The actual Nintendo games music being involved so much more instead of just outside licensed music was really good. The visuals of the returning environments are fantastic. The tons of characters they already managed to include in such a short but sweet movie and handle so well is amazing. The tons of game aspects, references, and easter eggs to find are a delight.

I like the implementation of the power ups and how they didn't turn them into some magical thing and change it drastically. I like how they know that the game mechanic can work for a movie story and cared to add all the things that people actually know and enjoy about the games. Unlike the Sonic movie not doing that and giving him completely different abilities.

The faithfulness to the series capturing the magic and fun all around makes me smile. Despite not knowing Mario for long I can appreciate all of these things too and it feels like they care about what the fans actually want and enjoy about the games. Every video game adaption movie ever needs to take notes from this because it has all the main most important fundamentals.

I like how Mario was silly but still brave and heroic. I like how he determined he is and doesn't know when to give up. I love how it's a good thing and one of his biggest strengths and the important theme throughout. He's told he can't do something or the odds seem against him and he still fights and believes in himself and protects what he cares about. A simple but good message.

I like how Luigi is the cute silly shy scaredy cat he is but how he manages to step up to help his bro at the end. Would've been nice to see him get to do more but his moment of saving Mario and teaming up with him at the end was great. Their bond and moments together was sweet and I like how much it motivates them and how they want to stick together and protect each other.

Bowser was great because he's funny and wants to marry Peach and is also genuinely really threatening. It makes you understand why he's the villain and why it's such a serious dire situation for him to take over, he's fucked up and mean and evil and destructive and that's what I love in my villains!!! And Jack Black did an awesome job and didn't just use his own voice like hey I'm Jack Black lol Very unlike Carrey just being Carrey instead of Robotnik, especially in the first movie.

If I got a movie Eggman anything like this I would've gone insane and died from joy went to heaven ahsjsbfjsnfb it's not faaaair. I'm happy for anyone that feels the way I do about Eggman but for Bowser because I'm sure y'all would've been especially losing it for this. I do love him too and he is hot but you know my ultimate preferred fucked up dilf of the two lol. Bowser got such better treatment in my eyes. Happy for him as a fellow bf of Eggman's XD

Bowser, Mario and Luigi were my favorites so they're the ones I'll bring up here but I think every other character was handled pretty well too based on my limited knowledge of them outside of the movie and I didn't have any issues, they added to the entertainment a lot too. I like how they pretty much all have a good balance between humor and seriousness when the scenes call for it, nothing felt really annoying or forced, handled with respect.

The humor in itself was actually fine too, my brother and I tend to cringe at certain jokes and humor in kids movies these days some stuff being in the Sonic movies ngl but there was nothing of the sort in this movie that made us feel that way, we both noted to each other right way. Very inoffensive, not super obnoxious or hip and just generally enjoyable for all ages, which is a cool pleasant surprise coming out of a movie by Illumination especially lol

The animation is fantastic too, really putting all the character's tooniness to it's full advantage so they're lively and bouncy and expressive in ways that really helps bring out their personality. Again, that's why cartoony characters will always be best in CG no matter how exaggerated and expressive you think your live actors can be. Every character was charming and pleasing to the eye, a ton of love was clearly put into capturing them visually.

I'm surprised it's rated so low by actual reviewers last time I saw, not that I care about their opinions but I'm with the audience more than usual. I don't know what I'm missing about it not being likable because I haven't read the reviews and don't plan to lol. I think this is practically everything a video game adaption should be, though in a perfect world I'd want all the characters to have all the same actors behind them too.

I liked this way more than both Sonic movies combined, though I'm biased as of course I'll love full CG over live action hybrid for toony series like Sonic and Mario any day. But man, Mario is genuinely better and more likable to me than both Sonic movies in every way because I'm not really a fan of those at all in comparison. Even without the comparison as I hardly even thought about the Sonic movie throughout, it was enjoyable and made me really happy.

But then it's funny because I've been a Sonic fan for near my whole life while Mario for a mere 5 minutes in comparison so you think I'd be biased and saying that the Sonic movies are better or just as good but they really didn't do it for me. It felt like both Sonic movies were too concerned about appealing to non Sonic fans with generic Hollywood plot lines taking up huge chunks of the stories than giving them more of what we all actually love about the game series in the first place.

The Mario movie went all out in almost every way it could right from the first movie and THAT'S how it's done, I have so much respect and appreciation for it. They knew they didn't need to appeal to non fans specifically and can hold up great as is. I think that should always be expected out of any video game adaption, especially cartoony kids ones that have existed as long as Mario and Sonic. They did a great job and there's a lot of video game heart in it bravely and unapologetically.

The voice cast is still their most bizarre choice but it's honestly okay once I'm watching it and I don't have major issues with it, I stopped thinking about it after the first few minutes and it wasn't annoying as it was random and unnecessary. But of course I still think it's really sad and not fair that Charles Martinet didn't get to at least have the main role of voicing Mario, despite him literally being right there and more than willing to do so because nobody deserved it more than him.

I wish they'd honor legacy actors by letting them shine in their role on the big screen instead of bigger names for audience and money. Same happened for the Sonic movie and it raises my fear that even if we did get the CG Sonic movie of my dreams, Eggman might not even be voiced by Mike Pollock then either :( But I love what Charles get to do, I'm glad he had some part in it! Hearing him as Giuseppe/Jumpman and Mario's dad was a delight, his performance is always pure joy.

Though he still deserved way more of course and I'll always be really sad that most actors in the Sonic series didn't even get any cameos or side roles at all.

Something also funny to me is there were TONS more people in the cinema than both Sonic movies, both on the first day when we almost went as it was sold out and there were actually a lot of people in there when I went yesterday too. I haven't been amongst an audience for a movie for so long. For both Sonic movies the cinema was near empty for all those, so everyone around here has a big preference! XD

So yeah, I had a great time with it! I recommend it to everyone and this is a movie I want to watch again and own on blu-ray. This has helped me appreciate the Mario series even more because of how much fun it has with things that are in the games and don't stray from using it for the sake of wider appeal. And it's a gorgeously animated and designed movie with a simple but sweet story and sometimes it's all a great movie needs! I loved it 🥰❤️💚🐢⭐🍄🪠

[mycomicbox]

Random Thoughts on Persona 5 Royal - Part 1

[Progress: May 2nd, 1st Palace conquered]

First, I want to explain my history with Persona 5. I tried playing the vanilla version the summer of 2019 on a PS3 emulator. It was mildly enjoyable, but the emulator had issues (lag spikes, graphical glitches, etc.). I didn't even make it halfway through the first Palace. So, I shelved it... until Persona 5 Royal got ported to Nintendo Switch in 2022. I bought it as soon as possible, but I was busy with other long-form RPGs, and I kept putting it off later and later. I played through Bravely Default II, Pokémon Violet, Final Fantasy VII, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and more. Now, that all changes.

I would also like to confess that I have been exposed to a few endgame spoilers in the last few years. Luckily, not too much, and I don't know jack shit about Royal's exclusive content (other than the important Confidants).

I've seen the opening to the vanilla game, but not Royal. It's pretty cool, though I do kind of miss Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There.

EVERYTHING IS RED.

I like how the game starts off with a media literacy check. "If you don't understand that this is fictional, then you're not allowed to play."

Flash-forward sequences, huh? That's a first for the series.

It's a bit jarring to go from PS2-era models to this.

Persona 4 Golden was a bit easy for my tastes, so I'll be playing on Hard mode, at least for bosses.

I'm liking Ryuji so far. Then again, I guess that was kind of expected, since he fills a similar "best bro" role to Yosuke and Junpei.

I want Ann's hoodie. I would wear that hoodie.

As I found out, Morgana has the same English VA as Edea from Bravely Default, so I can't help but hear Edea when Morgana speaks.

I do feel a bit of kinship with the small town of Inaba from Persona 4, but I've always been a sucker for that big city aesthetic.

Speaking of aesthetic, this game has been praised up and down for it, and it's easy to see why. Is there a name for this kind of style?

I like the chatter that you hear while walking around. It helps breathe some life into the overworld.

The controller vibrating when receiving messages is a really nice touch.

I don't remember buying any DLC... but I won't say no to extra stuff.

The gameplay is so much more fun than in the last two games. Palaces are super fun to sneak around in, and combat offers some new toys to play with (guns, Baton Passes, Hold Ups, new damage types, Technicals, etc.)

GUNS REFILL AFTER EVERY BATTLE. I don't remember much from my first try with the vanilla game, but I do remember being frustrated with how quickly you run out of ammo. This is such a nice change.

I'm gonna say it: Take Over > Last Surprise. Both slap though, as does the rest of the OST (as expected from a Persona game).

The contrast between Persona 4's introduction and Persona 5's is kind of hilarious? Like, Dojima is all friendly with Yu, and the Yasogami students talk about his good looks. Sojiro threatens to toss out Ren multiple times, and the Shujin students keep talking shit.

In this series, we've had themes of death, truth, and now rebellion. This game makes me want to buy a leather jacket and shove a boot up someone's ass.

Ann was the MVP in that boss fight. I would've been in a tight spot if not for her Tarunda.

Goddamn, the ending to the first arc was SO satisfying, and even a little bit therapeutic. In grade school, I've had some bad blood with awful teachers (granted, nowhere near as awful as Kamoshida, but still awful). Little me could've only dreamed of stealing hearts.

Mementos is coming soon, right? It's basically this game's equivalent to Persona 3's Tartarus.

[theuntitledblog]

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS

John Wick returns to wage war against the High Table.

This is a movie I've been looking forward to since the end credits rolled in Parabellum and it doesn't disappoint. Each entry in the series has progressed and escalated since the first John Wick with the set pieces becoming more complex and elaborate all the while the lore of this world is expanded even further. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum introduced a sense of urgency into the series and with Chapter 4 we do retain parts of that urgency as the All Out War between Wick and the shadowy High Table commences. Chapter 4 is filled with everything that you would expect from a John Wick film; new lore, fresh characters, new villains plus bigger hard hitting and bone crunching action set pieces. What does stand out for better or worse is the size of it all; Chapter 4 is nearly 3 hours long with near constant action that only stops for just a few minutes or so. With such an action heavy focus, those near 3 hours absolutely fly by and you've got to admire the craft on display but none the less this is movie where at times I felt that less would've been more.

Chapter 4 is unquestionably an action epic with many extended set pieces of complexity and variation that each of whom could've been the finale of any action film. John Wick Chapter 4 is filled with several of these sort of set pieces in just one film and when you consider that this chapter is depicting the war between Wick the all powerful High Table; it is suitably epic. Action fans have more action here than they could ever have dreamed of to enjoy in one sitting but for me this can be a case of having too much of a good thing. I think the runtime could be trimmed as a few of the set pieces go on for a bit too long. While the card table scene is superb, the set piece in Berlin for instance felt a little much and the steps to Sacré-Coeur in Paris went on slightly too long for me. Having said that, the Shanghai and Paris set pieces are genuinely spectacular with sequences involving Nunchucks, a sword fight and an extended overhead point of view camera angle being absolute highlights.

One area in which more is more in Chapter 4 are the new and interesting characters it introduces with varying degrees of complexity. Chief among them is Donnie Yen's blind assassin Caine, Shamier Anderson's Tracker Mr. Nobody and Bill Skarsgard's villainous Marquis Vincent de Gramont. There a few others who make fleeting appearances but it is this new trio who are consistently at the forefront of the story and have one thing in common; killing John Wick. For Caine it's about safeguarding his daughter whom Skarsgard's Marquis has placed under threat while for Mr. Nobody it's about the price. Yen's Caine is the most complex of the three as his reluctance to participate in the hunt makes him a far more sympathetic character despite some of his actions. But there's never a question of who the real MVP of the movie is and that's Keanu Reeves who just oozes charisma and possesses such presence as this character. To put it simply; John Wick wouldn't work to the degree it does without Reeves' presence and Chapter 4 is no exception.

VERDICT

This may not be the best John Wick film (for me that goes to Parabellum), but this is a series that has maintained consistent quality and Chapter 4 is another satisfying addition.

4/5

[pieroulette]

Man not to spread hate or disrespect you but the best constructive criticism that you need to hear is that you should complete what you started and if you aren't able to atleast say it

Because it's been months and I'm a writer myself and for sure it does not take that long to write one last chapter of a fic

Like it's okay we do understand you have your problems but then atleast don't keep giving people hopes everytime when they ask for it yk?

I just hope you don't take it as hate , I'm just letting you know as a reader's point of view that it makes us readers very frustrated because we have been patient and still would be but you need to own up as a writer yourself

"but then atleast don't keep giving people hopes everytime they ask for it yk?"

: if you're talking about R1, then i'm sure i've answered an anon ask previously about that right?

it's not hate, i understand. you've been far more polite than those anons i've received that day but please do remember that writing a fic or an episode is never easy. although, i have to give my piece of my mind for these specific sentences you've said.

"you should complete what you started and if you aren't able to then atleast say it."

: since you're a writer yourself, you should've known that it differs from every each writer but in my case; some can update fast and some can and in my case it's a no. if you read the posts that i've edited on my pinned, if you've stayed quite long enough to have read R1 then you've certainly should have known what type of a writer i am, the rules i've written, and what is the purpose of this blog. i would've said it from the start if i was not able to, but i didn't bc i was working on it every single day and there are times that i am not in the mood for a specific wip, so i'm editing another one. i appreciate your interests and patience and all of you for the love you gave me for my stories, but in the end it was never meant to satisfy readers or catch up w/ deadlines. it was meant to be a practice blog. i've made it clear from the start that i am a slow updater.

and I'm sure i said before that i only asked constructive criticism about my writing and grammar, not how or when i update a story.

"it's been months — and for sure it does not take that long to write one last chapter of a fic."

: even if it take me years, you still don't have the right to tell me i should update that story. if it doesn't take that long for you, then great! but it doesn't for me, i told you I'm a perfectionist in my craft and it takes me a hundred edits to polish it, and for me writing isn't simply something to rush; it is my passion, it's something i picked up when i was having this hollow void in myself, r1 is the series that i first wrote to keep myself alive every day.

yet writing is mentally exhausting yk? i love it with all my heart, but that doesn't make it any less tiring. editing an entire fic with these grammars, character development, pacing, checking which mf scene is important or not, etc. — is extremely exhausting.

"but you need to own up as a writer yourself."

: this is a practice blog, i repeat. and i am not even getting paid or asking for any donation since i am not fitted enough yet to ask for one. please do not tell other writers in tumblr like this, this kind of message only do nothing but demotivate them.

"like it's okay we do understand you have your problems."

: problems. i wonder what kind of 'problems' you are referring to. if we're going to only talk about problems as a writer then sure, you have no idea how i am struggling so hard with impostor syndrome, and losing the love for writing for the past few months. but despite that, i didn't stop! i keep writing everyday even when i hate it! it may not mean anything to you, but for me i was dying inside but i never give up! okay, if we're going to talk about problems outside of a writers life, then sure.

i am not only a writer for your information; i am a student, i am someone's daughter, i have schedules and deadlines to catch up to, i am a person outside of this online world, i have dreams i am trying so hard to reach and achieve. you telling me "to own up as a writer" have no fckng idea how i take writing lessons, reading and studying a thousand writing tips out there, improving a second language, reading books when i've barely read before! and yet, writing is not the only thing i do, how surprising. i'm a self taught artist which is nothing new, art school is fckng expensive so i gotta own up and teach myself how to draw and learn every single things there's to know. and hey, i'm a computer science major and even tho i hate maths to my core, but bc i have a dream to become a game developer; i still do it.

balancing all of these should be easy right? when there's only 24 hours in a day.

"i'm just letting you know as a reader's point of view that it makes us readers very frustrated because we have been patient and still would be."

: there was never a day that i didn't think about my readers, or how they have waited for so long. that's why i put in that daily increments, the daily effort. but have you ever stop to think about writers' point of view too, since you're a writer yourself? or how you might have failed to think that a writer can feel frustrated just like you do. or have you ever stop to think that i need rest too or have you ever think that there was a day i wanted to die so bad bc i feel so lost and empty but i still keep up w my daily routine, trying to stay alive. but i couldn't tell anyone bc my feelings don't matter and i might be just exaggerating, and that i will always think that everyone had it worser than me, so i just opened my pc and write all my feelings out in a fictional world i've created while having those little doses of joy.

and it's all going to repeat again and again.

i'm a human too, you know.

thank you though, i was actually going to post r1 this november since i alrd posted a new fic today but you really ruin it for me. bc some of y'all, even with this spectrum from being rude to being polite. you still don't understand a writer, after all.

[ma-lark-ey]

Ranking Harry Potter books as I read them for the first time. This post took five weeks to write.

1. The Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone, 5/10 (12/24/22) - Good first book! Hermione is. The actual worst but that's okay she’s eleven. I binged it in two days and I was very satisfied. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad. It was just a pretty good book all around, so it’s get a middle ground rating to provide room for others. (post mortum (thoughts after reading all of the books): I think Sorcerer's Stone is deffo on the weaker side of the series, but it's VERY fun to think about what the fuck these kids were getting into at eleven years old with their fucking Wizard Chess, knowing all the trauma they're going to endure by the time they're seventeen. )

2. Chamber of Secrets, 2/10 (12/29/22) - LITERALLY TRASH. i had to force myself through this book. It was awful. It was so. I think the only part I liked was Fawkes. (post mortum: No yeah all of my thoughts on this book remain the same. I do like the call back to the basilisk corpse just vibing down there, and I like Myrtle a lot and wish she was more of a character in later books since she was (presumably??) Tom's first murder, even if accidental.)

3. Prisoner of Azkaban, 9/10 (1/05/23) - GOOD book. Dragged a bit at times, but was MUCH better than Chamber of Secrets. Obsessed with Sirius, obsessed with the map, obsessed with everyone. (post mortum: I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK SO MUCH. SO VERY MUCH. i am haunted by the fact that Remus Lupin lived all those years thinking the only people to ever love him unconditionally and adapted to his illness and went out of their way to make his life better all either died or suffered fates worse than death at this point, and he fucking comes back to Hogwarts and elects to pretend he doesn't know Harry??? PROBABLY TO PROTECT HIM?? DEVASTATING dude. Devastating. And he probably thinks that it has something to do with HIM that all of his friends are dead and it's NOT, REMUS. IT'S NOT. and also just. the fact he became close with Harry anyway, and the way he hugs Sirius the second he sees him and the way, the way, the way. I think about the line "DIE! DIE RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS!" Daily because that says so much about both Sirius and Remus, known outcasts and loathed, disowned children. The blood of the covenant, you guys. The blood of the fucking covenant.)

4. Goblet of Fire, 8/10 (1/11/23) - LOVED this. Best so far fr. I still. Dont understand the hype around Draco. Its deffo because of his actor, I’d put money at it. I laugh at his silly ass every time he enters the screen. I’m obsessed with Cedric and I’m obsessed with him and Harry’s dynamics. This is also the first point to make me SOB so extra points. I’m just leaving space for something to be better though I DOUBT IT. (post mortum: I spend everyday understanding why and loathing the fact Cedric died. "kill the spare." what haunting words. What a devastating blow. I think it would've been more devastating if he was one of the people Harry brought back with the stone in that brief period at the end of Deathly Hallows, but also the way he's just left, forgotten.) 5. Order of the Phoenix, 4/10 (1/18/23) - this book could have been my favorite, if it was like, four hundred pages shorter? I think a lot of the issues I have with this book is that is should have been split into two different books or something. I see why it couldn't have been and following the whole 'seven years of school' thing, but this book does have a lot going on all at once making it overly long. I do think it was good, though. (post mortum: WHY DID I NOT TALK ABOUT THE FIRST USAGE OF HARRY'S UNFORGIVABLE CURSES HERE??? No let's go back. I think I just couldn't get over how long it was, but Sirius' death did fully fuck me up really bad, and the fucking way. The way Harry chases down Bellatrix after that, the way his first Unforgivable Curse is in agony because his father figure was just killed right before him. The way Remus drags him away. The way it all goes down is soooooo much to unpack. ALSO THE IMPLICATIONS THIS HAS FOR REMUS. I think he and Tonks had something going on in this scene, but seeing Sirius die like this caused him to backtrack and then we get the whole little background arc with them we see in book six.)

6. The Half-Blood Prince, 7/10 (1/23/23) - This was really good!! i know in the fanbase it's a very disliked book?? Because a lot of my friends are hp fans and say the fandom hated this one, but i think it was really good !! I see where the Drarry popularity came from in this one (*cough* train car and bathroom scenes *cough*) and I do think that final scene with Dumbledore added SOME sympathy to Draco's character, so that's good. i still don't like him thought. I'm intensely in afeared of the Deathly Hallows, though. During that final fight I was SO scared my boy Remus was gonna bite the dust and I cannot have that. I can't. They already took Sirius they have to let me keep the wolfboy he's whats holding me together (post mortum: so, after reading this book I sent my friend a list off characters I didn't think I'd emotionallly handle very well dying in Deathly Hallows, which was, quote, in ranked order "Lupin, Tonks, Fred, George, Mad-Eye Moody, Neville, Luna." and y'all. But, back to the Half-Blood Prince. The scene at the end with Bill and Fleur and Tonks and Lupin.... Tonks using Fleur as a jumping off point to call Remus on his bullshit,,,, Remus trying to get Molly and Arthur to back him up and they both just 'no, dude, you're fucking in love and we all see it, you just have unsolved issues because you've never been loved like this before and anyone you have loved has died tragically.' Like SHIT MAN. I should talk about someone who is not Remus fucking Lupin but I really have no thoughts not about Remus Lupin, my favorite plush is literally named Moony and I have another named Prongs. Like. Unwell behavior.)

7. Deathly Hallows, 6/10 (1/30/23) I think this book is a fairly good conclusion the Harry Potter narrative, but it also suffers from the same issue every book in this series has of taking fucking forever to kick in with the drama and cramming it all in the last third of the book, so points off. Points off again for orphaning Teddy Lupin OFF SCREEN like that. Points back for Percy trying to protect Fred’s body like that what the FUCK. Points off for only killing one Weasley twin what a cruel and unusual punishment for George specifically. Points back for the entire existence of Molly Weasley Points off for Harry doing the MOST out of character thing and apparently not fulfilling his only promise to Lupin of raising Teddy if anything happened to him? Like yeah Harry was like, 17/18 but also this is HARRY “keep my promises to people I trust and admire even if it means burning bridges” POTTER. he would’ve fistfought anyone to keep that promise to Remus and when he realized he’s Bad at Babies™️ he would’ve employed the help of Molly and Arthur. I die on this hill. More points off for Harry not naming his daughter after Minerva McGonagall? Like. Sure his mom is important to him or whatever but Minerva was like, the female Dumbledore to Harry? Like, she constantly put her ass on the line for him and he always recognized this and he leaned on her MORE than Dumbledore. What. The fuck. Even like, Lily Minerva Potter would’ve been fine by me. Give this woman SOMETHING. Christ on a cracker. And that’s Harry Potter thoughts in summary. I don’t accept the epilogue, nor do I accept the Cursed Child in the first act I’ve read. Except Scorpius Malfoy, I fucking love this little dude he’s so wild. Good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.

Oh also, James Potter infected my brain within the four scenes or whatever that he had and I'm apologizing in advance to my followers for the coming Marauders Era Lark Era we're about to enter. Sorry Mutuals, I'm subjecting you to Remus Lupin and James Potter thoughts.