#that needs so much buildup and understanding of the characters in order for it to have its full impact

[prettyboysmlm]

not ace attorney making me cry at midnight

#WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH #BRIDGE TO TURNABOUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYY #THIS CASE IS SO SAD AND TRAGIC #AND FOR WHAT #i’m sorry just. goddamn these games #they make me feel emotions about silly little lawyer guys ;~; #AND ESPECIALLY THIS GODDAMN CASE #ITS TOO FUCKING HEARTBREAKING FOR MY POOR SENSITIVE HEART #i wish i had someone to ramble abt this with #but alas #no one i know has played any of the games #let alone the final super important big case of the main trilogy #that needs so much buildup and understanding of the characters in order for it to have its full impact #so i am forced to sit silently and suffer #but god i want to talk abt this with someone so fucking badly #k.txt #aa posting

[thoughtfulchaos773]

Thanks @vacationship for pointing out that Sydney initiates the first touch with Carmy in Review. As an obsessive person, I will analyze the choice to touch Carmy and the buildup to it.

(Warning: This might bring up some annoyance with Carmy. However, the tension and buildup leading to his explosion in this episode are incredibly well done. Looking back on the episode, it speaks to Carmy's character development season 2.)

So we fast forward to Ebra reading the review, revealing Sydney's dish as the restaurant's highlight.

Ribbon of brine, huh?

Carmy was already busy but noticed he didn't initiate eye contact with her like usual. The only time he looks her way is to shake his head in disappointment-hurt-anger that this dish she makes herself and that he says isn't ready. It gets a green light. Really, it's about Carmys not being genuinely ready to change for their relationship to develop. Carmy doesn't do this until fast forward - he loses Sydney.

Maybe the lack of eye contact tells us there's a disconnect, and there will continue to be a disconnect between them throughout the episode. And the GLARE carmy makes at Sydney. Everyone should already know shit about to blow up.

Carmy was ANGRY.

He's nodding in agreement, but you can make it out that he's stewing while sydney is asking for understanding, something he's struggling to give.

Sidebar: it brings up the importance of Tina's say hello to Jeff's friend. Carmy isn't feeling that connection - that friendship right now.so Tina saying that adds fuel to his fire.

Fast forward to more buildup, Richie and Sydney's argument. Carmy comes up with his baggage, ready to end the fight between him, but he is not much help.

Carmy intervenes, and there's still no steady eye contact with Sydney.

Oh and the importance of Sydney saying WE are learning (call back to carmy asking Sydney in 1x03 bridgade, WE want to make this place better, right?). Early on, they established their bond, but Carmy makes sure, maybe out of spite, to say the new system was her idea.

This is when Sydney really notices they are not on the same page. That he's pushing her away.

Which is what makes her make the unconscious decision to touch carmy. A plea to connect again.

Carmy stops like she asks him to through touch. Even though he was ready to walk away, he couldn't help but take a moment to pause even though they're under pressure with time. And for the first time, he really looks at her. His eyes come up even though he's still in his feelings about the whole thing.

That also tells us about Carmy's character. He doesn't talk about his feelings, which reminds me of episode 2x06 'Fishes', where Mikey had to practically drag out of Carmy the reason why he was so angry with him. When Carmy is hurt, he either explodes quickly or lets it brew until it's too late. There's no balance in his anger.

But Sydney helps with this. With their relationship, they want to keep the connection going, and in order to do that, with disagreements, there needs to be a goal to always maintain connection.

Arguments happen even with the most compatible people. It isn't toxic as some naysayers use it as an excuse to this ship. both strives to connect and carmy, although angry stops to give Sydney a minute.

But he still turned away and didn't hash it out with her. He didn't check early on if she was okay. This could be a lesson learned- a blow up may not have happened if he had given Sydney more time and connected with her despite his anger.

This gesture reveals a lot about their relationship dynamic, and looking back, it helps me appreciate Carmy's character growth. His desire to improve communication and become a better partner for Sydney? Sydney being the same way and their efforts to maintain their relationship is what makes the ship so compelling.

#this is why the sorry sign is important #its saying “im mad at you but i still love you #I just need a minute #okay? #sydcarmy #carmy x sydney

[licorice-tea]

Loving and Letting Go

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x reader

Content: Angst, hurt/comfort, eventually fluff, a little bit of platonic Zosan <3

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: FIRST REQUEST YAY! tysm to the anon who requested this, i loved writing this! hopefully it fits what you wanted! and ugh i tried to write it so it’s clear that sanji is genuinely in love for the reader, so much so that he’s willing to grow and change for them. he’s just so sweet, one of my fave characters for sure! oh also the title is from a song by Pham Viphurit! enjoy <3

Sanji loves you, so so so much. More than he could ever put into words, or cards and gifts of perfectly delicious meals and fruity drinks, or even hugs and kisses every time the two of you cross paths. But he still tries to convey the extent of his feelings for you, though it will never be enough in his humble opinion.

You, on the other hand, hold the complete opposite opinion. Yes, Sanji is sweet and loving and a great boyfriend, but sometimes he just does too much. Like, when he gives you presents out of the blue; you enjoyed the gifts at first, but overtime you started to feel bad for him spending all of his extra money on you. Then there were the things he’d say to you; you could be doing the most mundane of tasks, or be sick and rotting in bed, and Sanji would still address you as “my goddess.” Simply put, you feel undeserving of the amount of attention he gives you, and it makes you nervous.

Today, like everyday since the two of you became official (and quite a while before that), you wake up in his arms. Though Sanji wakes up much earlier than you in order to prepare breakfast and coffees and teas for the crew, he always makes time to come back and wake you up. And you know, as soon as you shuffle or allow your breathing to become uneven, that he’ll know you’re awake. So you try to fall back asleep in hopes he’ll just go and let you wake up alone. At least then your performance wont have to start until breakfast.

Unfortunately, Sanji just knows you too well. He notices the gentle flutter of your lashes and how your breathing had quickened, if only for a moment. Some people might consider this a luxury; to have such an attentive partner who knows you better than you know yourself. And you did too, at one point.

“Mon amour,” he whispers, “are you awake? I brought you a cup of coffee, and breakfast is ready in the kitchen.”

Sanji’s breath is warm on the back of your neck, but he places a kiss there and suddenly it’s burning hot. He’s so insatiable, smothering you in displays of affection first thing in the morning.

You really can’t take it anymore, and so you gently remove the arm that lays across you. “Go away, Sanji.” It comes off harsher than intended, but the buildup of stress from his constant admiration has reached its peak.

“…Are you ok? Are you sick?”

You sigh, still not turning to face him. “I’m fine, I just… you need to let me be.”

“Angel, have I done something? I’ll make it up to you, I swear, name what you want-“

“I want you to go away.”

Sanji holds his breath for a moment. You’re wounding him with your words, which you should feel bad for, but he’s literally giving you a headache. He doesn’t understand that even you, usually so accepting and reciprocating of all his love, have limits and require space.

He retracts his arms from around you and slips out of the bed, making sure to fix the comforter after. Sanji’s hand lingers on the door knob for a moment before he finally turns it. And while you let out a relieved, but shaky exhale, he tries to hold back tears on the other side of the door.

The tension between you two is palatable as ever. Not that there isn’t always some sort of tension, because there is, but usually it’s more… passionate. Or romantic, at the very least. But for the first time, the rest of the crew can tell that you and Sanji seem to be in the middle of some sort of lovers quarrel. He watches you from a distance and attempts to approach you several times throughout the course of the day, and every time you find some way to make yourself busy.

Even Zoro, in all his obliviousness, notices how little you two are interacting. “Hey, shitty cook.”

“Piss off, Zoro. I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Excuse me?”

“Ya know, with you and y/n. She’s avoiding you, so… What’d you do?”

“I DIDN’T-“ Sanji catches himself yelling, and takes a deep breath. “I don’t know. She just told me to leave her alone, and I’m respecting her wishes.”

“Huh. Well, alright then.”

Zoro doesn’t speak further, but Sanji can tell he has something to say since he’s still sitting at the kitchen island instead of taking his sake to enjoy on the deck. “What? Just spit it out already, asshole.”

He shrugs. “You’re probably suffocating her with all your… love-y shit.”

“Suffocating? No, no I treat her the way she deserves to be treated. Y/n is my goddess, my night and day, she is the queen of my heart and-“

“You see what I mean? Y/n is great or whatever, but she’s a human. She’s one of our crewmates, for fucks sake, and you worship the ground she walks on instead of treating her like one.”

“Because I love her.”

“She knows you love her, idiot.”

“… Hm. You think so?”

“It’s pretty fucking obvious.”

Sanji scoffs. “Whatever.”

He walks out of the kitchen with his hands in his pockets, but mind elsewhere. Perhaps Zoro… is right? Even that doesn’t sound possible, but… Sanji could understand how you might, on occasion, feel a little smothered. But even if you did, he thought you enjoyed it! You always welcomed his lips on yours or his hands around you, and you often would giggle and accept his compliments, returning them with your own. So when did you start to feel fed up with him? Had he not paid you enough attention, too caught up in worshipping you as the (surprisingly emotionally intelligent) swordsman had said? And most importantly, was it too late now to repair the damage?

Sanji finds you in the aquarium bar, finally, after searching the upper deck and checking your room and your study below deck. The door is open, so he knocks against the frame. You turn away from the tank to look at him with eyes wide open.

“Can we talk?”

You nod silently, and scoot over in the booth seat assuming that he would want to sit by you. But to your (pleasant?) surprise, Sanji takes a seat in a chair on the other side of the table.

“Mon- ahem, y/n. I’ve come to understand that maybe… Maybe you’ve felt smothered by me, recently. Is that true?”

You’re surprised that he recognizes why you’re upset. “Mhm. A little.”

“Can you tell me more, my love? I want to fix this, to fix my behavior.”

“…You’re perfect, Sanji. And I love you so much, it’s just… It makes me anxious when you’re always so- so extreme, you know?”

“What do you mean?” Which, he already knows; the gifts, the constant PDA, being around you 24/7…

You sigh. “You know what I mean, Sanji…”

“Yes, I do, but I don’t want it to be true. I don’t want you to feel bad because of me.” He thinks.

“You’re always hovering over me, and as much as I love being around you, too, it’s just too much. I need space, sometimes, and I’m only human but you treat me like… Like I’m somehow different or better than the others, and that… I don’t know, it makes me feel bad about myself.”

“I never want you to feel that way-“

“But you do. I feel guilty and nervous and- and..” you sniffle. Oh god, you’re crying. “I love you, but sometimes it’s too much.”

Sanji feels tears pricking the in the corners of his eyes, too. Was there really such a thing as too much affection? Clearly, if he had just made you cry from all of it.

“Y/n… I- I’m so sorry, I never meant to overwhelm you.”

You respond with an equally soft tone. “I know. It’s ok.”

He shakes his head and reaches an arm across the table, but second guessed the action and retracts his hand. “It’s not. I shouldn’t have ever done anything to make you uncomfortable in the first place.

You reach out this time, putting one hand over both of his. He glances up at you. “You didn’t know.”

“Still….”

“In the future, maybe… Maybe try to do a little less, if that makes sense?”

Sanji nods, and reaches out again; this time to wipe the tears from your cheeks. “I just love you so much, y/n.”

“I love you too.”

While cradling your face in one hand, he continues. “I’ll give you more space from now on, if that’s what will make you feel better.”

“I think it will.”

And it does. In the coming days, Sanji keeps the PDA to a minimum, and even makes a point to call you by your name more often than he addresses you as “my goddess.” It makes you feel more seen, and definitely more comfortable.

You still want him to hold you most nights. It’s hard to fall asleep without his arms around you after so long getting used to the feeling of him; his love, his protection, his dedication and his breath. And of course, Sanji still indulges you. The great, passionate love he has for you hasn’t gone away- it never will- but the way he shows you affection are more so on your terms now.

Besides: what greater way could there be to show you his love, than by doing everything in his power to make you happy?

#fanfic #one piece x reader #one piece #one piece x you #x reader #sanji x you #sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji #sanji #black leg sanji #hurt/comfort #angst #sanji angst #sanji fluff

[becauseimanicequeen]

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Unknown ep. 11

I’m just going into this episode wanting Qian and Yuan’s first kiss. That’s it. That’s all. Now, hit me with it!

Qian grabbed Yuan’s wrist. It was all the confirmation Yuan needed. I have a feeling that he will be even bolder now than what we’ve seen so far. And I love it.

Well, damn! That went from 0-100kph really fast. Yuan was starving, and I don’t blame him. He’s been starving for a loooong time. Even dreaming about it at night, it seems.

I love that Qian took the first step with the kiss. Yuan was straightforward and honest about his feelings and what he wanted (to be more than a brother, to be someone Qian could rely on, to be with Qian for the rest of his life, etc.). But Qian took the first step with the kiss. He’s finally “in his feelings” rather than trying to think it through or analyze it.

One thing I have to say I didn’t quite like about this scene, though, was the editing. I don’t mind the flashbacks (as in the flashbacks of some of their past moments) because it shows their story and adds emotional weight to the whole scene. I love that. But the buildup wasn’t there since the sequence of Yuan making his feelings clear and the kiss was chopped up and strewn here and there. For me, it would’ve been much more effective if it happened in chronological order (or if the confrontation from the previous scene had been in the same episode). The editing here fell a bit flat for me and it’s such a shame considering the potential it had of being an incredible climax of the whole series, that they were finally together. Ahhh, I don’t want to feel disappointed…

Look at them being cozy in bed! It’s Yuan’s neck kisses that do it for me…

Btw, this is probably the first time Qian has smiled when anyone has mentioned Lili and San Pang in the same sentence.

The way Yuan sneaked into his own room… lmfao!

The way I CACKLED because of Lili’s bonkers story.

A dating game? I’m getting Our Dating Sim flashbacks.

Here’s Qian, in the middle of a meeting at work, getting flashbacks of his night having sex with Yuan. 1. Absolutely understandable. 2. He’s completely whipped. So, again, understandable. 3. There’s no doubt he wants to have sex with Yuan again. And again. And again. So, once again, understandable.

The way he hit that figure and caught it before it hit the floor… Qian was clearly rattled by his daydream. And who can blame him? My legs would be shaking. (But this is not about me…)

So… The Doc and Le are fucking, right?

You know, Le is damn fine… when he doesn't look like a crazy person. Eh, who am I kidding? He’s sexy as hell when he looks like a crazy person. (I know, it’s a me-problem…)

OMG! Their date. The way I fucking laughed through the whole scene. Yuan accusing Qian of not being romantic, Qian proving the opposite, Qian’s reaction after the kiss, Long being funny as hell with the candle. Every moment was fucking golden! Excuse me as I rewind that a handful of times.

Of course, Qian’s trauma would come back up again at some point. It’s not like he’s dealt with it or been magically “healed”. I’m honestly wondering how the series will deal with his trauma (both the trauma around his childhood and his head trauma) considering there’s only half of this episode plus the next one left.

It doesn’t surprise me one bit that Qian went to the hospital by himself. I get that he doesn’t want to worry Yuan. But he isn’t even giving Yuan the chance to choose for himself.

Hitting yourself on the head won’t help…

It’s come to a point now that Qian has to tell Lili about his health. I mean, surgery seems to be the only option to get better, but the risks are too big to keep it secret.

Qian is talking as if he’s already set on dying. This is so unlike the fighter and survivor he used to be. And, of course, Yuan notices that something’s off.

Seriously, hasn’t Qian learned his lesson about not keeping something like this from Yuan?

I usually love miscommunicating (or non-communicating) characters because of the misunderstandings and drama it usually stirs up. And I love the misunderstandings and drama (in fiction, not real life, btw). BUT! This is riling me up. This is about Qian’s life. His health is in serious danger. Is it in line with his character? Yes, to a certain point. But how many times has he shown how important his family is to him? MANY! Practically the whole series so far. Why would he not want to prepare them for the possibility that he might not be around much longer? This isn’t the time to stay silent. This isn’t the time to avoid the topic. Come on, Qian. Don’t do this to Yuan. Or Lili.

Did you hear that, Qian? The Doc said to discuss it with your family.

The stress Qian is under has made him hide in an ally and start smoking again… If that blood clot in his head doesn’t kill him, the stress surely will.

Excuse me as I weep for a minute or two…

I only have one thing to say about that moment in the alley… Qian is so fucking lucky to have Yuan in his life. We’ve often talked about how lucky Yuan was that Qian found him (which is more than valid because he most likely wouldn’t have survived without Qian). But Qian is just as lucky to have Yuan in his life. Yuan single-handedly reignited the spark in Qian and brought the fighter in him back to life. And Qian needed that. He needed it to at least have a possibility to survive this.

I know I said I only wanted to mention one thing about that scene. But I have to mention Yuan biting Quan’s wrist as well, for the reason that I loved that detail. And because biting is my kind of kink. Not that this was kinky. But it does show that biting can prove a point at times.

Lili is so fucking sweet. And that hug at the end, between all three of them…

I really liked this episode, even though I felt disappointed with the editing at the beginning. But, they’re finally together and Qian has gotten his fighting spirit back.

Now there’s only one episode left and it feels bittersweet. I really don’t want this series to end…

#qots random thoughts #unknown #unknown the series #taiwanese ql #taiwanese bl #taiwanese series #my shit

[puhpandas]

I really really hope the hw2 dlc actually gives us a concrete direction of the story and shows us what to expect. I'm tired of not knowing at all how a new release is gonna progress the story and then getting disappointed when the main characters get none of the screentime they desperately need

I understand that ruin and hw2 were created at the same time and go hand in hand, ergo they are both in-between buildup stories to a later game. the issue is that we arent even getting excited because hw2 gave us no clear direction (at least didnt tell it to us very well) of where the story is headed. the game is so confusing and is leaving so many people believing wildly different things about what its about

theres more and more releases not touching on important plot points that have been left unresolved from security breach alone, like 3 star fam, gregory and vanessa in general, and ggy, and these would hit way less hard if we actually had an idea of when we COULD see them. every release has just been crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, but I'm so ready for hw2s dlc to just tell us what's going on.

I just want it to tell us what to expect for the next release like dreadbear did. dreadbear showed us vanny and the pizzaplex being built, and that gave us the setting for the next game and the villain. right now, we have THREE human characters established, so if they showed us the setting of the next game and the villain (probably vanny cassie) we'd KNOW what to expect. we'd get an idea of how the characters we know will be involved in a future release

when all we've known right now is just hoping and wishing for better luck next time. so little focus on the characters we're supposed to care about is exausting and I just really want there to be an AIM to all of this, which I'm expecting hw2 dlc to give us. that's why I'm so impatient for news for it

once again, ruin and hw2 were being made at the same time and reference eachother in themselves despite being released a few months apart, so since ruin is clearly a setup, that means hw2 is as well. this is the only reason I havent been getting crazy pissed at no 3 star fam screentime, but that's also why I'm expecting the dlc to actually tell us something. at LEAST that we can expect more from later games

like. I feel like hw2 is restarting a formula. we're pretty much confirmed getting a dlc for the game, and that's exactly the order the original help wanted went through too. hw1, dreadbear, and then security breach. with this in mind, it's not far fetched (especially with my earlier point of hw2 and ruin being setup) to assume what we get after this dlc will be another big free roam

so like. if there really IS a big game in the horizon, I would really prefer them to show us the AIM of all of this

#im mostly rambling but idk #i try not to get mad at SW but like #two and a half years of no screentime from the main characters.... #crazy #grimic was literally just to serve the mimic and cassies plot #and ruin like. technically told us 3 star fam was canon but nothing actually new was learned about life for the mains post-sb #its just getting super annoying #its just the era we're in thats bad #where its been setup for almost a whole year and a year and a half wait FOR that setup in the first place #i have hope things will get a lot better #in the future though #pandas.txt #pandas talks #pre hw2 dlc #thoughts #im mostly just complaining

[youngjusticeslut]

Since we can almost all agree season 1 was the best. What do you think made it so good and so favorited compared to the three seasons?

Given that I've recently finished rewatching Season 1, I feel like now is an excellent time to answer this ask.

In my opinion, Season 1 of Young Justice is the best, and none of the following seasons even come close to matching it. At its core, Season 1 introduced us to this core team of teenage heroes and told the story through their lens. There are a few defining key features to this season that makes it stand above the others, and they are as follows:

You did not have to know any comics history in order to understand and follow the plot. This is, arguably, one of the most important elements of Season 1 that the other seasons (Outsiders and Phantoms in particular) fail on. Each character is a unique take to their comic counterparts. In the case of Kaldur and Artemis, they remain completely separate and can almost be considered characters that are completely unique to the show. In the case of more recognizable heroes (Wally, Dick, Superboy and Miss Martain), Season 1 gives them enough of a refresh that they feel new, but with familiar elements that make them fun to watch and get to know. Easter eggs don't detract from the plot, and remain just fun little things to point out and commend for their inclusion. Unlike later seasons, which pulled heavy elements from DC comics and wove them into the plot, Season 1 is accessible and enjoyable to everyone and isn't just for those who've read the comics.

The core cast of characters. Season 1, primarily, focused on the Team (Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Artemis, sometimes Red Arrow.... and later, Zatanna and Rocket). These characters were the main cast, and every episode revolved around a story that put them in the spotlight. Every character (with the exception of Rocket) got at least one episode focused on their their development and gave them a chance to shine, and the audience a chance to get to know and appreciate them. The famous couples (Spitfire, Supermartian, etc.) got proper build up and were pretty fleshed out, making them endearing to the fandom. Unlike later seasons, which have outrageously bloated casts and relationships that got maybe 50 seconds of screentime (I'm looking at you, Wonderbird), Season 1 invested in its characters and let them lead the story, making them feel all the more real and the story that much more genuine. This is why the harsh transition between Season 1 and Invasion feels like a heartbreak. We spent 26 episodes falling in love with the core Team, and now all of a sudden we're expected to care about an entirely new cast with no support, explanation or buildup. It felt like being cheated out of 5 years with this cast, and even now we still don't have answers to a lot of questions in the gap.

Show, don't tell. I won't get too much into this one, but if you've been following me throughout Outsiders and Phantoms you'll know how much I loathe the amount of "telling" instead of showing. Season 1 does this so much better. Missions are played out, instead of explained to viewers through excessive monologues. Characters let their actions speak for them and actually had the time to play around the plot, instead of letting the plot making the decisions for them.

The reality of it all. At the risk of sounding like I belong on Twitter, Outsiders and Phantoms has an insane amount of 'woke' storylines-- for the sake of being woke. Don't get me wrong, several of the topics brought up in these later seasons are extremely important topics and I can understand why they're included; they're just not executed well. Compare this to Season 1 where the natural reaction to the events of Failsafe was that everyone on the team needed therapy to discuss it. There was no cheesiness, no hammering on the head about it. Action --> Natural Consequence.

I can really go on and on about how amazing Season 1 is, but truly, it was so good. I wish we'd gotten 4 seasons just outlining 4 years with the Team, getting to see them grow and change and be together. The rest of the seasons are fine, but none hold the charm and sheer power that the first have, and for that it will always be top tier in my book.

#yj #young justice

[linkspooky]

Hi! I love your meta btw, your recent posts reminded me that yu gi oh exist lol i used to watch it as a kid but I don't remember anything so I wanted to ask you what's the best watch order and (maybe) your general opinion about the various spinoff

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: I'd recommend watching this one first because every spin-off after this one either recycles archetypes, or subverts tropes from the original so it'll enhance your viewing experience.

Afterwards, the simplest is release order. GX -> 5DS are in the same continuity as Duel Monsters, and they have a crossover Film Bonds Beyond Time.

Zexal's basically a standalone it has no connection to the previous, but I'd reccomend watching it after Duel Monsters because there are a lot of references in plot and tropes to the original.

You need to have watched GX, 5DS, and Zexal to understand Arc-V because they reference settings and characters from the original series. It's basically every single Yu-Gi-Oh! Series fights in a Denny's Parkinglot.

You don't need to see any previous series to watch Vrains.

You need to watch Sevens before Go!Rush because the main character of Sevens shows up in Go!Rush, and Go!Rush is a prequel sort of kind of.

As for my general opinions and reccomendations, below the cut:

Duel Monsters is the original and sets the standard. I think the manga is better on this one because it acknowledges Death-T, which I think is crucial for Kaiba's development. He did more than just steal one of Yugi's Grandpas cards. The arc of the main characters Yugi and Yami with Yugi learning confidence and Yami unlearning arrogance is really good, especially in the manga where Yami starts out as a lowkey serial killer. Battle City and Duelist Kingdom are also two really good tournament arcs, Battle City in particular is probably the best Tournament Arc in the Series.

Yu-Gi-Oh GX! Is my personal favorite but it's a mess. I've once heard it described as "GX is two seasons of absurdist nonsense, and then a complete emotional breakdown." In my opinion there's a lot of good foreshadowing and buildup for what will happen in Season 3, and Season 3 is one of the best shonen deconstruction arcs especially of it's main protagonist in anything ever.

Honestly the worst part of Season 1 and 2 for me isn't even the pacing, it's that it recycles plot points from Yu-Gi-Oh! but less good. The Seven Shadow riders just do shadow duels because they did that in original Yu-Gi-Oh, there are three super powerful cards like the Egyptian God Cards. In season 2 there's a villain with a split personality like Marik, and the Genex tournament is really bad plotless meandering tournament arc compared to Battle City.

Season 3 is also masterful at utilizing things that were foreshadowed in the past 3 seasons, especially in regards to Judai's flaws which have been swept under the rug until now.

I think YGO GX is one of the best casts, and also one of the best at balancing screentime of its cast so characters show up when they're relevant and disappear when they're not relevant, and every major character has an arc. However, it's very much the Judai show, and if you're invested in a character that's not Judai you'll likely think your fave didn't get used to their fullest potential.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5DS has one of the best beginnings of any Yu-Gi-Oh series and it's excellent at building Fortune Cup -> Dark Signer and jacking up tension. Dark Signer, Barian Arc and Gx Season 3 are probably my top 3 arcs. I won't talk about it much because I don't want to spoil.

Season 2 is still good, and the ending is excellent as well as the villains, but the pacing becomes abysmal due to production issues. Carly and Aki are probably the two best female characters in all of Yu-Gi-Oh, and all their screentime and relevance gets erased. If you watch Yu-Gi-Oh for the duels, the relay duels suck and last 3 whole seasons and nobody gets to win a duel if they're not Yusei Fudo. As someone who really enjoyed Yusei in season 1, him becoming a perfect hero who always saves the day and never makes mistakes and never gets challenged signifcantly by the narrative because he's always right makes him super uninteresting. I want to clarify I think Yusei is still a character with depth and character flaws, but the narrative doesn't challenge him on this flaws. Aporia and Z-One do a lot to redeem Season 2 though and it ends on a real highpoint.

Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal is probably the highest quality Yu-Gi-Oh series overall, especially since there's no drop in quality ever it ends on it's highest point. Shark is probably the single best written character in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Vector is the best written villain.

I actually don't have much to say on Zexal because I don't want to spoil what's good about it. My only complaint is that it's cast is padded with way too many characters who do nothing. You could cut Yuma's entire friend group and lose absolutely nothing. The female characters in Zexal are abysmal too, the worst in any series. The characters with arcs though are all good and iconic.

It's also the only show that manages the ambiguity where none of the villains are actually villains, almost every single character has a sympathetic reason for what they're doing even the ones that are wrapped up in revenge plots. It gives a really interesting challenge to Yuma the pacifist protagonist who doesn't want to pick sides. Yuma's up there with Judai too in top ten protagonists.

Arc-V.... I think you can still have fun with Arc-V, but the Z-arc plotline just was not a good idea and it makes the show fundamentally flawed because everything from episode 20 onwards is built around the Z-Arc plotline.

Vrains has some solid ideas and themes. I especially love the emergent ai ideas that are present with the ignis and bohmann it's one of my favorite topics in science fiction. I've got two main problems number. I enjoy playmaker as a character, but much like Yusei I feel like over time he's not as challenged as character by his narrative. THough, the final season does a lot to rectify that.

Vrains second and biggest problem is that it plays it really safe after the production disaster that was Arc-V. Which means the first two seasons while enjoyable enough feel kind of by the numbers at times. The third season is amazing though, but it suffers from the series being cut short so it's only about 20 episodes. Still ending on a high note is always a good thing.

Sevens is kind of the closest to a slice-of-life Yu-Gi-Oh which makes it hard to compare to the other series. I do enjoy the main cast of characters, but to be honest it's really hard to get invested for me personally, when every arc is just "I hate Rush Duels. I'm going to try to destroy Rush Duels. Nevermind, Rush duels are awesome actually." Every. Single. Arc.

I'm only 16 episodes into Go-Rush and it's not finished yet, but my main take so far is: Yudias! Yudias! Yudias!

#askspookies #Spooky Speaks

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

My (somewhat unhinged) tierlist of Arsène Lupin books and (even more unhinged) thoughts on them

S-tier: L’Aiguille creuse, 813, Le Bouchon de cristal, La Comtesse de Cagliostro, L’Agence Barnett et Cie, La Demeure mystérieuse, La Barre-y-va

A-tier: Arsène Lupin gentleman-cambrioleur, Les Huits Coups de l’horloge, La Cagliostro se venge, Les Milliards d’Arsène Lupin

B-tier: Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès, L’Île aux trente cercueils, Les Dents du tigre, Victor de la Brigade mondaine, Le Dernier Amour d’Arsène Lupin

C-tier: Les Confidences d’Arsène Lupin, L’Éclat d’obus, La Demoiselle aux yeux verts, La Femme aux deux sourires

D-tier: Le Triangle d’or

My reasonings and thoughts are under the cut because they got exceedingly long and rambly. I started off trying to be sensible but it appears I progressively lost my sanity as I went along, sorry about that. I read the first ones a long time ago so my recollection of those are much fuzzier than more recent books. Also I read them in French so I have no idea what they’re called in English and was too lazy to look it up (this thing has taken me long enough already). Spoilers abound.

In publication order:

Arsène Lupin gentleman-cambrioleur (Arsène Lupin Gentleman-Thief)

This one is awesome, it really got me into Lupin stories in general. At first I was just reading it to practise my French and so that I could understand the references in the Netflix show, but I ended up genuinely getting into it.

(The Netflix show is great, by the way. I now understand why he named his son Raoul, the context behind “Ganimard”, the vibe in general... Assane Diop is really a fantastic modern-day Lupin!)

Getting to hear about smol Lupin pulling off Baby’s First Heist was very cute!

I still think Miss Nelly is one of the more fun “girlfriends of the week” so far, and I like that she showed up in more than one adventure, as a treat. I hope she’s having a good day.

I also like how Maurice Leblanc, the author, is just... there?? He’s just some guy who is there, who Lupin recounts all his adventures to, and then Leblanc writes them and publishes them. Their friendship is adorable, honestly. I too would want to write myself into the story as a self-insert to be besties with the main character, that’s so valid of him.

Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès (Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes)

At first I actually wasn’t that keen on the full novel format of this one, where it’s one large story rather than multple smaller and moderately unrelated adventures -- but I did still enjoy the book! Basically I thought some of the fun was lost because more time is spent building up the larger plot that previously would have instead been time spent on getting to see Lupin doing his usual funny shenanigans. That being said though, in later books I actually do love the full novel format and it works well for more serious adventures, and the delayed gratification of getting to see the payoff to all that buildup is great. Just not so much in this particular novel (or maybe I need to reread it, it’s been a long time). I still did enjoy it though

The back and forth between Lupin and Sholmès is very fun -- they both take turns outwitting each other, which is nice, because neither is made to feel smarter than the other and they’re very equally matched as far as opponents go. I didn’t even know who I was rooting for some of the time, hehe.

This book was where I first realised that Lupin’s love interests have that “girlfriend of the week” format, because there’s no sign of Miss Nelly here and he’s got a new love interest instead who never shows up again after this. Some girlfriends of the week are more fun or interesting than others. This one was pretty good! I like that she was his partner in crime, helping him out with his shenanigans. I don’t remember much else about her. (Some old-timey sexism is, naturally, to be expected.)

Imagining this Sholmes as the one from the Great Ace Attorney games makes it all very, very funny btw and I highly recommend it

L’Aiguille creuse (The Hollow Needle)

THIS. THIS ONE. OH MY GOD. THIS NOVEL. I SWEAR TO GOD

No really this one changed me. It came into my house and smashed a barrel over my head, killing me instantly. I was in SHOCK when I read it. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I was reading voraciously and near the end I unfortunately had to stop to do life things and the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about it. At the first opportunity I ditched everything else to sit back down to eagerly read more and finish it as quick as I could. My mouth was hanging open by the end. I was in awe. I had no idea a Lupin novel would make me feel such emotions.

(This one is my favourite, I think.)

So like, here the novel format really shines, because it’s all part of a larger adventure, except this time Lupin isn’t only against Sholmès, he also has to contend with Isidore Beautrelet, who is probably my favourite one-off character in the entire series.

For starters, he’s JUST A KID. He’s this poor little teenager who should be focusing on his school and exams but instead is getting caught up in all this madness, and all this because of his own sense of justice. He doesn’t have to put himself in such danger but he repeatedly does, because his conscience won’t let him just leave it.

And Lupin in this one!!! He comes across as much more of the villain this time!!! He’s actively very menacing at times, which I absolutely LOVED. Usually we’re rooting for him, since he’s the protagonist, and even though he’s a thief he’s very much a Robin Hood-type and incredibly honourable, so we want him to win. But this time!! This time!!! The poor little kiddo Isidore gets just as much “screentime” and attention! We don’t want him to get hurt! We want him to win too! And there’s this brilliant clash of wishes here, where we still want Lupin to get away with his crimes, but we also want to see this plucky kid detective succeed, and the emotional buildup of that is phenomenal.

Especially because Lupin basically agrees with the audience here. He doesn’t want this kid to get hurt, he even ends up reluctantly caring about him because he sees aspects of himself in him! He wants him to be safe! But he also knows that the kid is truly a formidable opponent who can’t just be ignored because of his age, so the question is: how far do you go, to scare him off? What if none of that works? What then? What can you even do that’ll sit right with your own conscience? How much are you willing to hurt a child? How much will you let him be traumatised? Especially one who has come to mean something to you? What can you do when you see him like your own son, yet he only sees you as his enemy?

(Man, can you imagine if THIS had been the conflict in the Cagliostro revenge book? Lupin having to fight against his actual son, but properly?)

The scenes within the actual “aiguille creuse” near the end blew my mind. I think I was shaking when I was reading it. The invitation letter left on the table. The slow climb up the tower. The distant sounds of the police. Everything. Lupin, the ominous, terrifying Lupin, having been one step ahead the whole time.

AND THEN. AT THE END. IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING. BECAUSE SHOLMÈS. SHOOTS. RAYMONDE.

I cannot get over it and I won’t for as long as I live. Lupin was ready to give it all up -- and he did! These treasures he’d spent YEARS amassing, he gave all that up! He was going to stop! He was going to return to a fully honest life! To be with Raymonde, to soothe his own soul! But then Sholmès!! Fucking!! SHOOTS RAYMONDE!!!!

And that’s it, that’s the end!! It has a tragic ending!!! It completely destroyed me!!!!

I mean, Raymonde was an awesome girlfriend of the week, she literally shot Lupin himself earlier in the book before getting together with him, she’s a badass, and for her to just die like that -- and at the hands of Herlock Sholmès, of all people!!!! What the hell!!!!

813

Another favourite. Absolute banger of a book. You go into it thinking “who names a book ‘813′ lmao what even is that” and then it proceeds to rip out your heart and soul and eat them in front of you.

First of all, I had been hoping, wishing, praying that a girlfriend of the week would turn out to secretly be evil. And voilà! Here we have it! And it’s so good!

Seriously, Dolorès was already fairly good as a gf of the week, but when the reveal happens, ALONGSIDE LUPIN ACCIDENTALLY KILLING HER AT THE SAME TIME, god that really got me. That was INSANE.

This whole thing was tragic as hell, in fact. Lupin ending up leading to the deaths of three people when he usually prides himself on never committing murder, it really shatters his own sense of self-trust and it’s no wonder he tries to kill himself at the end. Like, he accidentally kills one and then desperately tries to save the others, in vain, and has no one to blame but himself.

Not only that, but his flaws are on full display in this novel, which, THANK GOD. Look I love him being the mastermind thief who’s a genius and always on top of everything ever, but this time we get to actually see through that to the man beneath the mask. It’s grittier, it’s darker. He isn’t perfect. He can’t control everything. And god, does he try because he is Arsène Lupin and he has to be that larger-than-life gentleman thief, everything has to go perfectly. But in this book things go wrong, it spirals out of control, he can’t handle it, he loses patience, he loses his mind. He can’t see that the villain is the woman he loves, who was right in front of him the whole time.

And then there’s that. You know. Geneviève. Hecking Geneviève.

This made me feral, I tell you. I picked up on the hints very early. I guessed it was coming. And it made that reveal at the end SO INSANELY GOOD.

The way he kept visiting, only wanting the best for her, trying to move around the threads of her life like a puppet on a string, and Victoire calls him out on it because -- he can’t do that! He keeps trying to control people, convincing himself it’s for their own good, but it all falls apart because he can’t accept the fact that not everyone wants what he wants! Sometimes it’s better to leave well alone!

And he learns this with Geneviève before it’s too late, thankfully, deciding to leave her be and not to interfere with her life, and even though he was going to tell her the truth he just can’t bring himself to because it’s such a selfish wish when she’ll be better off not knowing, not having her life ruined like that in a time period where there’s much more judgement on these things, and she’s already perfectly happy taking care of the children at her school, he sees how happy she is... and as he breaks down into tears, Victoire finally asks him, is Geneviève his daughter, and he says yes... god... that’s his fricking daughter...

I’d guessed it so early on and the final confirmation was just. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. That’s his DAUGHTER. And she’ll never even know. I’m going emo just remembering it. I literally cried over this. The Cagliostro revenge book wants what 813 has.

(Also, his friendship with Victoire is always so heartwarming. Well, I say “always”, but it’s angsty too, because she’d much rather live an honest life, but she loves Lupin too much to ever betray him or refuse to help him. The fact is, she’s like a mother to him. They’re family. And the way she actually did stick up for Geneviève so much when Lupin was trying to heck around with her life... did she guess it from early on too?)

There’s also that morbid, dark, macabre scene where this guy tries to hang himself... it was written so well, it wrecked me. The lead up to the moment, him falling unconscious, Lupin cutting him down and putting another dead body in its place, and then the guy wakes up and sees what he believes is his own corpse hanging there and he starts to believe he’s losing his mind or having an out-of-body experience as he’s dying, and Lupin using it to manipulate him into working for him, so he could control him like a puppet, the way he was trying to do with his own daughter too, and in the end the guy dies anyway, and Lupin almost kills himself too because he can’t bear the weight of everything his actions have led to... Do you understand just how feral this makes me??? This exquisite angst??? This shocking darkness????? I was NOT expecting anything like this from a Lupin novel and it was like being repeatedly stabbed in the most amazing way possible

In fact I’m skimming back over the hanging scene and my gOd it’s even more amazing than I remembered -- Lupin telling the guy he’s giving him one more chance and to choose between life and death, and he holds him at gunpoint, and the poor guy picks life!! He picks life!! His near-death experience traumatised him!!! But in order to live, to take the place of the corpse, he has to resemble him, so he must chop off his own finger, and he’s terrified but Lupin makes him do it!!! It’s insane!!! And even Lupin on the inside feels so disturbed at everything he’s had to witness this evening, everything he’s had to do!!! AaaaAaAaaaaAAAAAAAAA

Le Bouchon de cristal (The Crystal Stopper)

One more banger. This one was just amazing. (I call these three the trilogy of bangers, because they are. Well, angst bangers. There’s a trilogy of comedy bangers later.)

The pace in this one was more frantic. Or maybe that was because I read it so fast? A lot of it blurs together in my mind, I should probably reread it at some point...

But anyway: I love, love, LOVE in this one that for most of the book, Lupin is losing. He’s constantly being outsmarted by an extremely formidable foe and is scrambling to catch up. We’re used to Lupin being the one doing that to others -- and he’s used to it too! He hates feeling so powerless! It’s fantastic just how vulnerable we get to see him!

The plot of poor little Gilbert being falsely accused of murder, and desperately begging for his boss to save him before his execution, and Lupin doing his damndest to get this poor kid freed in whatever way he possibly can and being thwarted at every possible opportunity, it’s SO good. I love Gilbert so much. He has so much faith in his boss and Lupin does not want to let him down. (I also loved that Gilbert’s lawyer has so much faith in his innocence too to the point of crying over it and desperately trying to convince other people, I thought it was very sweet.) And the fact that he does manage to save him in the end makes me so happy.

The adventurey stuff with the villain Daubrecq was good too, if somewhat convoluted at points. He’s a genius, a creep, absolutely terrifying, absolutely brilliant, and constantly one step ahead. Every time you think Lupin’s got him, it turns out to be part of some overarching plan and he’s outwitted you once again. It’s so wild. It happens so often I was almost getting tired of it by the end, haha. But what an end!! The paper turning out to be hidden literally in his glass eye! It had been there the whole time! the madlad

Clarisse was pretty cool too. I like that she cared so much about her son, and I’m obsessed with how she just straight-up ditched Lupin at the end. Iconic. She’s so valid lmao I’m such a hoe for characters turning people down

No because a lot of the times, his GOTWs (girlfriends of the week, I cannot be bothered to write it out in full every time) will die at the end somehow, or turn out to be evil so he doesn’t like them anymore, or they’ll just never be mentioned ever again so they presumably split offscreen because Lupin has attachment issues or whatever. But Clarisse just wasn’t even into him? Or at least, she was, but there was never any chance she’d actually go for him, since she doesn’t like thieves, and Lupin just had to deal with it. Good for her! Honestly! And good on Lupin for going for a milf this time -- usually his GOTWs are hot single ladies but it’s nice to know that he’s into older women and mothers too I guess

And the contrast between Daubrecq and Lupin, who both like Clarisse but go about it in different ways -- Daubrecq blackmailing her into marrying him and trying to guilt trip her into kissing him by threatening her son, while Lupin just leaves her alone at the end because he clearly understands the meaning of the word no (at least in this book *cough*) and isn’t interested in getting with someone who isn’t interested back... good boy Lupin, good

Les Confidences d’Arsène Lupin (The Secrets of Arsène Lupin)

I... don’t remember this one. Like at all. I definitely read it, but...

Looking back at the chapter list I think it was just a bunch of mini-adventures like the first book, which is cute. I have very vague recollections of some of them and those recollections are pleasant. I’m sure I enjoyed it I just can’t remember lol, it clearly didn’t leave enough of an impression on me

L’Éclat d’obus (The Shell Shrapnel)

And now we reach the first of the “Not Actually A Lupin Novel” books. Like, this is clearly just an original work. It doesn’t have the same tone or style or even genre as the other Lupin stories. And there’s also the fact that LUPIN ISN’T IN IT. Oh sure, he’s offhandedly mentioned once, for all of about two paragraphs. But not only does he not even make a physical appearance, those few little paragraphs were added in a later edition of the book. The original just didn’t have him mentioned at all. Like, I cannot stress enough how much this is NOT a Lupin novel. Not in the slightest. They will tell you it is, but they are lying.

Buuuuut I still read it anyway, so here are my thoughts :D

I’m not a fan of gritty war novels, but that being said, I didn’t dislike it. I think it was well-written and the story and mystery were good, despite the fact that it’s clearly and obviously WW1 French propaganda with no effort whatsoever made to hide it. I also liked the characters and their motivations etc, though I think it would have been cooler if the girl’s mum really was bad after all, rather than it actually being a misunderstanding. Or whatever the plot was. I don’t remember it clearly enough now.

Diversity win! The evil war general that killed you father is genderfluid!

Okay lmao but seriously, I like that the villain was just this irredeemably evil girlboss. Like, good ol’ Dolorès was the villain in 813 but she was pretty conflicted and torn up about it and suffering from mental illness and clearly a sympathetic character. But this war general lady? A true evil girlboss and I stan. There’s no “oh but she’s a ~woman~ so she’s all ~weak~ and ~soft~” as was typical for the time period, they’re just like “nope she is straight-up evil and also terrifying and god she needs to be shot asap”. And then she gets shot. Brill.

(I mean, I’m not knowledgeable about the historical and social context of WW1-era Europe so this could have been a “look how scary and evil these German ladies are, not like our sweet and soft and feminine French ladies uwu” but I have no idea.)

Also, despite being a war novel, I like that it doesn’t glamourise it much and does show the brutality and horrors of trench warfare and how it ruins people’s lives, even people who you think of as “heroes”. Probably helps that it was written while the war was still going on.

Oh and the main couple were pretty cute. I don’t even remember their names now but yeah they were cute.

Le Triangle d’or (The Golden Triangle)

Another “Not Actually A Lupin Novel” novel, though at least Lupin does actually show up and do some stuff this time. Not much, but he’s there and mildly plot-relevant.

That being said... I did not enjoy this book. Sorry. I’m sure it was very good and a lot of people loved it, but not me.

The main character annoyed me. A lot. Idk man, I just didn’t like him. I also didn’t like his love interest -- she felt very flat and the two of them didn’t even have any chemistry. It was flatter than a piece of paper. I was hoping they’d both die tbh lol

The torture scene was raw as hell, I liked it. Wait, am I getting a different book mixed up with this one? I think there was a torture scene in an earlier book too but I can’t remember which one... Might’ve been Le Bouchon de cristal? Well whatever, all torture scenes in this series are good because I love it when characters suffer and are put in Situations

Also, I sort of liked the Sims-esque scene of the protagonists getting locked in a house where all the doors and windows are boarded up and they have to starve to death. I mean, I was totally rooting for them to die so that lessened the imapct somewhat and made it significantly funnier than it should have been, but still.

Also it has to be mentioned. This book was written in 1918 and it shows. For its time period it was probably considered quite acceptable, even forward, but by today’s standards... no, it’s definitely racist. It’s nice that Ya-Bon is clearly a good guy and friends with the protagonists (and close friends with Lupin in particular, who deeply trusts him, which was awesome) but uh, yeah. There’s still a lot that comes across today as racist and it makes for quite the uncomfortable read. But, y’know, baby steps, it was good for 1918, historical context and all that, it’s nice that today we can look back and acknowledge the racism in it while still acknowledging that for its day it was better than many of its contemporaries, etc.

L’Île aux trente cercueils (The Island of Thirty Coffins)

The third and thankfully last of the “Not Actually A Lupin Novel” trilogy.

This one was freaking DARK. And CREEPY. And DEPRESSING. I call it the “murder island” book for a reason. There’s something so sinister about thinking you’re going to get to meet your long-lost son but then the kid you think is your son just up and muders like 20+ people in front of you and wants to crucify you and there’s like a cult and... yeah, this one was a bit macabre. I liked it though

THE DOG WAS SO CUTE. I LOVE YOU TOUT-VA-BIEN. YOU’RE ADORABLE. BEST CHARACTER.

I also like that the protagonist is a woman this time. She’s not even some generic #Girlboss, she’s a middle-aged woman with a child and plenty of depth to her! In general, she’s awesome.

I didn’t really like the sort of... inevitability of inheritance sort of thing going on though? Like that if you’re a good person then your children will be good, and if you’re a bad person then your children will be bad... It happens quite a bit in these books and it really annoys me. You are not bound by what other people in your biological family have done, okay, you are YOU, end of. I think it would’ve been more interesting if her son really was evil, tbh. I did like the evil child though I think he was funny

Speaking of funny, the abrupt tone shift when Lupin shows up pretending to be the druid guy gave me so much whiplash. I cannot even begin to describe how much that “Ah ! la barbe !” line felt like a direct punch to the face. It took me OUT. And from then on it’s literally just slapstick comedy. Like, even Lupin himself acknowledges the wild tone change, it’s so bizarre. This is like, a good three quarters of the way into the book too. You’ve already read hundreds of pages of sheer angst by this point and then it hits you with the clownery. Unbelievable. Top tier comedy. Mad.

Les Dents du tigre (The Teeth of the Tiger)

Back to an actual Lupin novel where he’s the protagonist again, hallelujah! Though he’s not really stealing stuff in this one, which sucked, but it was still good. Actually, I remember this one being very weird -- like, the solution to the overarching mystery was just very odd and strange and I’m not sure it felt entirely earned. But still, I did enjoy it.

There was this one scene in particular that was absolutely mind-shattering, it blew me away. I start biting like a rabid animal. It was where Lupin was being hunted by the police so he hid in the walls of the building, but then couldn’t escape without being caught, and he slowly started starving to death and losing his mind and willpower and going delirious, and then when he realised the house was going to blow and that people were going to die, he desperately tried to find a way to escape so he could warn everyone and he called for help but nobody came and he eventually, half dead, managed to get his arm to reach the telephone and then despite literally being in the process of dying he managed to get the warning across, just about! And he succeeded!! Just in the nick of time!!! GOD that bit was too good

Les Huits Coups de l’horloge (The Eight Strikes of the Clock)

This one was interesting, being essentially several shorter stories but all connected to each other by an overarching story, which I really liked -- it’s like the perfect combination of buildup and drama of the longer novels, and the fast pace and fun of the short stories. Like episodes of a TV show. (Later on the Barnett book does it too, and I love that one so much...)

Hortense is one of the best GOTWs, and I think a lot of it is because she actually has chemistry with Lupin beyond just “she’s a pretty lady so he’s into her”? I mean, yes, there’s that too, but the two of them are genuine friends and she’s pretty much his partner-in-crime sidekick sort of person for the most part, which felt like a fresh dynamic, and I really liked their interactions. Sometimes these Lupin romances can get kinda stale but this one was actually good. They felt more like real people than the usual fantasy mushy romance. I know I don’t read these books for their realism, but still, my standards for fictional romance can get quite high...

La Comtesse de Cagliostro (The Countess of Cagliostro)

Oh. Ohoho. OhohoHOhoOhOhHOHoo.

This one is crunchy. I love it.

Usually I’m used to considering Lupin around my age or older but this book specifically takes place in the past, in the 1890s, where Raoul (shush I’m calling him that) is only 20 and god he’s sooooo adorable. Idiot swooning hormonal mess, bless him. I love him dearly. He’s so funny and stupid. Literally all his problems are caused by being a raging heterosexual (for now *cough cough Barnett book*). Silly little cute-pie.

On the name Raoul -- in the first book he used that name when talking about his very first heist when he was 6, and he’s used it multiple times since then, in multiple books. Whether or not it’s his birth name, it does feel like his “true” name to me. Arsène Lupin feels like more of a stage name or something, the larger-than-life gentleman thief, while Raoul is the man beneath that. I suppose it’s reminiscent of the difference between Flynn Rider and Eugene Fitzherbert, really. They’re both him, but in differring ways.

Anyway!! Raoul ghosts his gf to go after this other hot girl, Joséphine, and since she’s evil and doesn’t want him to get caught up in her evil life she tries to keep him away but even though he’s feeling conflicted about the fact that she’s a thief (and the fact that he dumped his old gf so suddenly, poor girl) he’s so horny he can’t stop simping for her and then she gives in and makes out with him and keeps him on her boat so she can snog him whenever she wants and it turns out she’s a yandere?? AND a girlboss who gaslights and gatekeeps??? It feels like a modern day fanfic and I mean that in the positive sense

Seriously, it’s so delicious, all the angst when Raoul realises the truth about Joséphine, who then tries to kill his ex or something since she’s a yandere and she’s super angry... It’s wild. This book is wild. There is so much weird love-hate. It’s glorious. I bet people wrote smut about it.

And then at the end, he gets back with his ex and marries her and they have a kid but then she dies and THE KID GETS KIDNAPPED BY JOSÉPHINE???? Even at the time I predicted half the plot of the later Cagliostro vengeance book almost immediately, guessing that she’d try and raise the kidnapped son to turn against his father or something sufficiently angsty like that, and I wasn’t exactly wrong. GOD.

La Demoiselle aux yeux verts (The Damsel with Green Eyes)

I... didn’t much care about this one, tbh. The GOTW didn’t feel like a real person, just a bunch of traits slapped together to make a hot lady love interest. Honestly I’m not really that into the books which are just mushy love stories where Lupin saves his damsel in distress a bunch of times. He’s supposed to be a thief! Let him steal!

Like seriously, I think he had more chemistry with the blue-eyed English woman at the start than with... god I don’t even remember her name. The love interest. He didn’t even KNOW her, and even when he thought she was a murderer he was fine with kissing her like 5 minutes later (tho um dude you should probably ASK HER FIRST, come on man)... Hello, did la Cagliostro teach you nothing???

Anyway the mystery was okay, there wasn’t much fun adventurey stuff, I didn’t care about the romance, worst GOTW. All in all a mid book.

That being said it did have this one epic scene -- you think all is lost and there’s this long buildup, this brilliant long buildup, and the guy opens the piece of paper and there’s the drop: “Marescal est une gourde.” (”Marescal is an idiot.”) Flawless. I laughed so hard. I love that scene. Lupin’s such a troll sometimes.

And also after the end how he continues to constantly troll Marescal with the “Un peu de feu ?” thing, it’s not only hilarious, but the fact that it’s implied he’s doing it for years afterwards, overlapping with other books like 813! So while all the angsty heckery of 813 is going on, at some point or another, he’s trolling Marescal in the background! Continuing to gaslight and torment him! Absolutely fab, I can’t get over it.

L’Agence Barnett et Cie (The Barnett & Co. Agency)

GOD TIER BOOK. GOD TIER. (Excuse me in advance, I’m gonna be a little unhinged for the next few books.)

Okay so this one is another one where they’re short stories, but completely connected to each other so you still get that overarching plot. Except this time? This time it’s super light-hearted, all the way through, and it’s perfect. I love this one to pieces. I’d say this one is the funniest.

Firstly it’s because Lupin (who’s going by the oddly English name “Jim Barnett” here lmao) is LARPing as a detective now and he is clearly having so much fun. Like he tells people his services are free, but after he’s solved the case he just steals from them. He literally just robs them. It’s so funny

The mysteries are pretty good too, and solved in an interesting manner. I always love hearing the Poirot-esque explanation at the end it’s awesome

But most of all this book is great because of BÉCHOUX MY BELOVED. Béchoux best character. Ganimard wants what Béchoux has. This is like a platonic, reversed, comedy version of the Cagliostro angst and I’m so here for it. Actually, did I say platonic? Make that ambiguously platonic. Lupin, former raging heterosexual, is entering his bi era and you know what, good for him. Good for him.

Okay but seriously, these two are besties, worsties, boyfriends, exes, married and divorced all at the same time. It’s like Looney Tunes. They keep breaking up because Béchoux, a policeman, keeps suspecting that his bestie Barnett is actually Arsène Lupin and is stealing from his clients, so he gets mad at him and stops talking to him, then later he’ll come crawling back every time because he needs his help solving a case again and Barnett’s all like “aww babe, I knew you couldn’t live without me <3″ oh my god it is so gay.

They even start tutoie-ing each other (using informal pronouns) because Béchoux did it once in a fit of anger and then Lupin started doing it as a proof that they’re super close (and probably to mess with him too, he loves doing that) and then Béchoux just... also does it too? Even though he claims to hate this guy and want to arrest him? But he continously doesn’t and instead carries on being his boytoy twink malewife friend and asking for his help all the time??? They’re in love your honour

(All that said, Lupin does go and fuck Béchoux’s ex-wife and it’s implied he did it mostly to annoy Béchoux. Like, that is very much a thing that canonically happens. Béchoux is livid. It’s bloody hilarious. Funniest thing to happen in any of the books hands down.)

On the formal vs informal pronouns thing in a bit more detail: basically in French, the informal you is “tu” but it can be used as “tu (derogatory)” or “tu (affectionate)”. Lupin frequently uses the former on his enemies when he’s fighting them, as a way to show his lack of respect for them, to insult them, to have power over them, etc, and they do it back. But he uses the latter with people he considers close -- Victoire, some of his love interests, sometimes his friends or subordinates. And in this book, Béchoux got mad at him and used tu (derogatory), but then Lupin starts doing it back but affectionate, and then Béchoux..?? also starts using tu (affectionate)???

I have no idea how translations into English (and other languages that don’t have the T-V distinction) conveyed that change in tone but in French it’s fricking awesome. Damn right they’re close and care about each other. It sticks even when they’re mad at each other and it’s the sweetest thing.

La Demeure mystérieuse (The Mysterious House)

I was so pleasantly overjoyed to see that Béchoux was back in this one, I’d genuinely thought he was just going to be a one-off but no! He’s here! And just as tsundere for Lupin as ever! A BOYFRIEND of the week, you could say! Or more like multiple weeks!

Okay but this book was pretty cool, the mystery was pretty cool, and a lot of this one was very very funny. The Van Houben guy was hilarious. The villain was interesting -- for a while I really didn’t know if he was going to be good or bad, because he did save Lupin’s life, and just... yeah it was pretty interesting, though I was mentally punching Lupin in the face like “Get! Your! Jealousy! Issues! Under! Control!”

I do like that Lupin ended up being close friends with Régine. It’s a nice change to see him care about a single and attractive lady without really being into her and genuinely enjoying her company in a completely platonic way. I wish it happened more!

I also love that his GOTW didn’t actually get with him at the end!! Yes she was into him but she said she wanted to remain friends instead, and he accepted that! And then they went on holiday together to hang out with each other and !!! That was so good!!!! So good!!!!!!! I’m such a hoe for that!!!!!!!

Alright but when I was reading the previous book and unexpectedly shipping Lupin and Béchoux to hell and back, I was thinking “well that’s because I’m reading it in the 21st century with a modern understanding and view of the text, the queer subtext surely can’t have been intentional at the time” but then I read this book and I’m like ah... okay no yeah this is just bi. “Il fait de vous ce qu’il veut... et de toutes les femmes d’ailleurs.” “Et de tous les hommes aussi.” That combined with him not ending up with either of the girls, and him and Béchoux getting even closer... well it certainly makes one think.

Also I can’t remember if it was this book or the next one so I’m just gonna put it here but at one point he called Béchoux “délicieux” (three guesses what that translates as) and like... I can’t be certain that he’s never described other guys like that before because I can’t remember, but he DOES frequently describe his girl love interests like that! Very frequently, even! With openly and unambiguously romantic connotations! I just... is this supposed to be read as flirting? Is this just me reading it in 2023, or did people in 1928 catch it too? Am I going mad??

La Barre-y-va (The “place-where-the-current-reaches”?? idk how to translate this one, it’s a place name so maybe I’ll just not bother)

It got gayer. I loved this book. Very fun. Good mystery. All that jazz. Now back to the queer stuff because oh boy.

First of all half the time Raoul (yes he’s back to Raoul again) is calling Béchoux by his first name, Théodore, instead, which is... really something. Also Béchoux just inexplicably had a key to his flat even though no one’s meant to know where Raoul lives. It’s never explained. Like Béchoux why do you even have that. And then he invites Raoul to stay with him on his holiday (oh my god they were roommates). Raoul also said he had constantly been thinking about him and compliments him profusely in a physical sense in a way that maybe sounded different in 1931 than it does today but it sure does seem different with a modern eye and they’re just. There’s a lot.

(There’s also this quick little “oh you’re totally like a brother to me”  that never came up again which made me laugh so hard. It’s like the Sailor Moon English dub cousins thing. Like lmao who is buying this. Nice try.)

Also at one point while Raoul’s dancing with joy he grabs Béchoux and puts his arm around his waist and spins him around and lifts him in the air. No I am not making this up. His GOTWs are literally watching and cheering them on. Oh yeah, Raoul has a polycule this time btw

In fact Béchoux gets a GOTW too this book! And Raoul interrupts them just as they’re about to kiss, if that didn’t make things obvious

And there’s more -- Béchoux’s GOTW turns out to be like mildly evil and also already married and Béchoux gets mad and leaves her, and in the meantime Raoul gets dumped by both his GOTWs because they don’t want to be in his polycule anymore, then Fate or Destiny or whatever makes him go to a certain place and he sees that Béchoux now has his own polycule with his mildly evil GOTW and her husband -- and Raoul is so pissed off he grabs Béchoux by the arm and drags him outside, all the while complaining like “how could you be going out with those criminal peasants when I’M right here and so much better than them?? I need to save you from yourself” (I’m not making this up I promise) and it’s super ridiculous and it’s like he doesn’t even know how to deal with his own emotions, so he just KIDNAPS BÉCHOUX and stuffs him in his car and drives off with him and Béchoux’s complaning that he doesn’t have any time off from work for this and Raoul says he’ll sort it out and that he’ll buy Béchoux new clothes and a toothbrush or something and IT’S SO WILD. HOW WAS THIS EVEN WRITTEN. IT’S NOT EVEN SUBTLE ANYMORE. PLEASE TELL ME I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE SEEING THIS. MON DIEU. THESE BITCHES GAY. TANT MIEUX POUR EUX. TANT MIEUX POUR EUX.

La Femme aux deux sourires (The Woman With Two Smiles)

*Megamind face* No Béchoux?

Sigh... my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Welp, anyways, moving on...

Raoul you fucker. No I’m serious -- he’s a fuckboy now and I hate it. (Not that he wasn’t already, a lil bit...) I can excuse stealing from people but I draw the line at kissing someone when they told you not to and clearly doesn’t like it and also lying to your harem of a million girlfriends.

Zero chemistry between him and his GOTW(s). In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s like anti-chemistry. I don’t even like her very much but I still think she deserves better. Raoul you should’ve just stuck with Princess Olga. She was right to dump you though and her husband yelling at you was hilarious

Also there’s some new policeman guy but it’s not the same... I just want him (Béchoux) back 😔...

That being said, the book did pick up later on and get better, and the plot twist was actually pretty cool. So was the meteorite thing. Was it a ridiculously ridiculous coincidence? Yes, but it doesn’t beat out the ridiculous balloon dropping a rope in the exact right place thing from one of the earlier books so it’s fine.

Also, these books are getting bolder as time goes on? I noticed more and more harsh language used, and very strong implications of sexual assault (previously I’d say the closest it came to that was Le Bouchon de cristal, which didn’t go quite that far). It’s not necessarily darker, because nothing can beat 813 in that regard, but it does feel “edgier”, especially coming directly after a trilogy of light-hearted adventures.

Oh!! And he totally does joke about being bi in this book so I will choose to believe it. When his GOTW mentions being jealous that he’s in love with someone else, he pretends she’s talking about his (male) sidekick first. And then later when he talks about how everyone keeps falling in love with him, he rattles off the names of a bunch of people including male characters and god why wasn’t Béchoux in this book dammit could you imagine--

Victor, de la Brigade mondaine (Victor, of the Vice Squad)

No thoughts. Head empty. Utterly gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. Speechless.

No but this one started off so slow, and it was so little about Lupin and I didn’t think much of Victor, it was all just a lot of convoluted and repetitive investigation and every side character is cheating on their spouse in a middling stale soap opera way so it didn’t exactly captivate me...

But then Victor starts playing 4D chess, and that’s where it gets good. And I thought, oh, I have to play 5D chess in order to see where this is going. Maybe even 6D chess. I have to consider all the possibilities. AND THEN. I GET COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED BY LUPIN PLAYING 10D CHESS. RIGHT AT THE END.

My god, I was so shook I couldn’t even speak for several minutes. I’m not even going to say the exact details because I don’t even want to spoil it. I have to reread this one at some point and see what it’ll feel like now, knowing what I know. I know the first half is boring af but that payoff... god, that payoff. A work of art.

Also, the name “Beamish” is so funny to me for some reason. Is that what French people think English surnames sound like? I mean, I don’t doubt that there is probably someone out there with that surname, and it certainly does sound English, but it also made me cackle like an idiot every time I read it. Like oh yeah that’s that English bloke, Beamish. BEAMISH. Why is it so funny to me

La Cagliostro se venge (The Countess of Cagliostro gets her revenge)

I liked this one. I thought it was going to shred my soul to ribbons but it actually ended up being surprisingly wholesome and nowhere near as angsty as I was expecting. Like, the beginning of the book even TELLS you it’s gonna get angsty, really building it up, ominous, like the opening to a horror movie, with all this “these poor happy characters have no idea of what they’re about to go through...” and then... Well, there’s death alright, but overall the book was just... fine. It wasn’t that dark lmao, no shocking angstfest

(And that’s not a bad thing! It was actually quite a pleasant surprise!)

Joséphine is dead in this one, which was sorta disappointing because I thought it would be fun (if very traumatic) for Raoul to see her again, but I do love that his reaction to finding out that she’s dead was “OH THANK GOD, I FRICKING HATED HER.” So iconic.

The thing about Félicien being his son... I do love that he swings between lowkey disliking him and suspecting him, and being proud of him in a “hell yeah that’s my boy!!” way, and he’s so awkward about being a dad and doesn’t even know if he’d be a good one, and in the end doesn’t even tell Félicien. It doesn’t have anywhere near the emotional impact or angst of Geneviève from 813 imo but it’s still pretty fun.

AND THEN THERE’S ROLANDE. She’s not a GOTW but she is one of the best Lupin girlies of all time. The fact that she managed to trick literally everyone, AND got her revenge on the bad guy without Lupin’s help or even knowledge, outsmarting him, masterminding the whole thing behind the scenes... She’s so cool. Rolande you’re so freaking cool. What an absolute ledge. Definitely one of the stand out parts of the book. I need to reread it at some point and focus specifically on her rather than being distracted by the Félicien stuff because WOW.

Les Milliards d’Arsène Lupin (The Billions of Arsène Lupin)

Oh my god I am trying so hard to recall what the actual plot of this book was because the only thing sticking in my brain is THE SCENE WHERE BÉCHOUX FOUGHT A TIGER. HE FOUGHT A FUCKING TIGER WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??? WHAT EVEN WAS THAT??? AM I DREAMING??? DID THIS HAPPEN??? BÉCHOUX LITERALLY FOUGHT A LITERAL TIGER???????????

Okay but Béchoux being back was such a lovely surprise. He was quickly mentioned as being Lupin’s enemy, to which Lupin was immediately like “no the frick he isn’t???” and then he actually shows up, and Lupin is calling him “policier de mon cœur” and “Béchoux de mon cœur” and hitting on him... I’m not making this up. He literally calls him that. Like canonically. In the text. Openly.

And Béchoux is trying to catch him again and still does help him but also betrays him and LUPIN SETS A TIGER LOOSE ON HIM. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. MONSIEUR LEBLANC HOW DID YOU EVEN THINK OF THIS, I JUST WANNA TALK

OKAy tiger aside, Béchoux aside...

I liked Patricia, I thought she was a really cool GOTW and has a great investigative streak, which was nice, although it would have been nicer for her if she could get on with that investigation without getting sexually assaulted every five minutes. Like seriously, what was with the creeps in this book? Leave her alone!!

Also her son is adorable and very cool. I wanna be like “are ya winning son?” at him.

Also there was the mafia. Lupin fights the mafia.

I’m so sorry, I’m really trying to remember other things about this book but that tiger has my entire brain in its teeth right now. She’s the best character. She’s out here living her best life. Here you dropped this queen 👑

Le Dernier Amour d’Arsène Lupin (The Last Love of Arsène Lupin)

(Now I know this one is sort of “unfinished” considering Leblanc didn’t get to fully edit it before he died, and it does feel rough around the edges compared to the other novels, so I’ll take that into account when Judging™ it.)

This one was sooooooo cute! Lupin has made it his life’s goal to help give education and opportunities to underprivileged children and to promote world peace! He’s so wonderfully hopeful and idealistic in this one! He even adopts two children! I guess he finally feels able to be a father, something he didn’t really feel that he could do before with Geneviève or Félicien? At first he was hesitant, not wanting them to see him as their father, but by the end he’s so fond of them and protective over them, they really have become his children and he properly adopts them... Anyway that was all very soft and fluffy and cute.

The children in question, Joséphin and Marie-Thérèse, are the best part of the book. Hands down. They’re so cool, doing all this sneaky spy stuff to help Lupin (or rather the captain “Cocorico” which is such a cute name wtf) and their sibling dynamic is adorable and they’re very brave and smart and are clearly learning a lot on the job. I’m very proud of them and so is Lupin. What an iconic brother-sister duo.

I like Cora, I think she’s cool. Considering the setting of the book is the early 1920s you can already see the shifts in attitude towards the social mobility and freedom of women compared with earlier books, as well as a shift away from strict classism, and Cora feels somewhat more “modern” in that sense -- she wants to be friends with who she wants, she doesn’t care for what appears “proper” or “respectable” to high society.

That being said I had absolutely zero interest in her love story with Lupin. I’m so sorry but it was just so boring. Their love for each other could have been platonic and it wouldn’t change a single thing and would have fit a lot better, in my humble onion. Seriously, for a story literally called “Le Dernier Amour d’Arsène Lupin” I sure don’t care about said amour. Bro, you’ve already fallen in love a million times, this one is no different, she’ll be gone in a year or two just like the rest before her, she’s too young for you anyway, like who even cares at this point...

(Also, once again, can the GOTW go five hecking minutes without some creep trying to sexually assault her?? Like I know casual sexism is to be expected from books written so long ago but damn... I’m glad the kids got revenge on Carbett for her.)

It was fun to see the kids talking in more modern-sounding French and more slang, rather than the very Belle-Époque vibes the books usually have, that was pretty cool and really did cement the fact that time has passed and this truly is the LAST book.

The mystery wasn’t that great and the climax felt underwhelming, but tbh I’ll chalk that up to this manuscript being essentially a draft, since I’m sure it would’ve been more exciting and interesting had Leblanc had the time to rework it. All in all a nice end to the series though!

#arsène lupin #phew i finally did it #i'm so obsessed with him it makes me look stupid #random stuff #now i'm off to eat some lunch

[herbirdglitter]

I feel like they’re almost certainly trying to set up some sort of Tech/Phee romance and I don’t know how to feel about it. 

Like on the one hand, it’s ridiculous because are they really going to have their one adult human woman character of the season’s entire arch be a romance? If there were more woman main characters it would be fine but she’s pretty much the only one. 

But on the other hand... I feel like I could like it maybe, if they develop a couple hundred significant things. Like it has the potential to be beautiful.

Like if you think about it, all we have for buildup is Phee flirting with Tech, and Tech glancing after her once. So, things we need in order for this to even vaguely make sense:

- them to have an actual serious conversation

-or a non serious one, I’m not picky, but a conversation that helps them to understand each other a bit more. 

- We need reasons. Why does she like him? Why does he like her? They don’t have to say it explicitly, but give us something to drive their story. She needs to give him something emotionally that he can’t get from his brothers

- which brings me to my next point, Tech doesn’t run on the same emotional train track as the others. I’m not pulling this out of my ass, he literally had the “Just because I express emotions differently doesn’t mean I don’t feel them” speech with Omega. This is something they could have Phee understand more than the others.

- if they just develop literally everything more, I’d honestly be ok with it. but star wars isn’t exactly known for handling it’s romantic arcs well or realistically so I’m worried

#Bad batch #tech/phee #tbb #the bad batch #star wars

[findroleplay]

🎤🎶Hello my lovelies! 18+F looking for anyone interested in a fxf Cc x Cc Pitch Perfect roleplay! Now I know this is a bit of a shot in the dark but I thought I’d give it a try anyway ^^

So to start, I’m all caught up with all 3 movies so I’m happy to base our plot in any of those timelines! We can be completely canon compliant our stray away a little to make our own story, either is totally cool with me! As for pairings, I’m very open minded when it comes to ships so if you have a favorite please don’t hesitate to tell me or come with it in mind as it’s very likely I’ll be 100% on board! But if you need an idea of where my mind is then here are a few on my radar, with admittedly a few rarepairs thrown in too XD (I have no preference for which character I play nor is this in any order of favorites!)

Beca Mitchell x Chloe Beale

Aubrey Posen x Emily Junk

Beca Mitchell x Emily Junk

Aubrey Posen x Beca Mitchell

Aubrey Posen x Stacie Conrad

Now a few things before I wrap up! literacy wise I’m advanced lit so I will regularly give you a few good sized paragraphs or more if I’m particularly invested in the scene. But on your end as long as it’s not like a one liner/a few sentences then we’re good! Quality over quantity! I’d rather have one paragraph of detailed writing that moves the scene along than multiple walls of text describing an outfit and the weather lol also please have good grammar! And for this particular rp I ask that you just have a general understanding of the movies and the events that take place! I feel it really helps us plot better if we’re both versed in the story and characters and such!

Genre wise I adore angst, drama, hurt/comfort, romance (of course) and slice of life/fluff! I would also prefer a bit of a slow burn to where we don’t rush into things so quickly! Let’s savor the buildup! Please be willing to help contribute with plotting and ideas as well! Because it gets a little tiring having to come up with everything by myself with no help. 😅 I don’t bite, I promise, and would love to bounce ideas off one another!

I roleplay on discord and would love to create maybe a private server for us to keep things organized! I’m a big fan of ooc chat and making friends and love sending memes/headcanons/playlists or just squeeing about the ship in general! But if you’re not too much into that it’s totally fine! We can just stick to roleplay X3

Before this gets too long, that’s all from me! Hope to see you guys in the dms! Like this and I’ll get back to you asap!

_

#roleplay #rp #fxf rp #pitch perfect rp

[nami-moittli]

Oh? It’s been so long since I’ve made that post that I’ve fallen out of my appmon phase, but I’m happy to fall back in for awhile to talk about him!

First off, like I said in the tags of the post this person commented on, my oc is more of a headcanon character of sorts, and I have included him in my appmon Gacha meme videos, so if you watch those, you might understand him, but you don’t have to.

Anyway, my oc/hc character is based off Yuujin, and (spoilers if you haven’t finished appmon) his backstory is basically that Hajime and Rei (though Rei does it begrudgingly, only because Hajime, Haru and Hackmon are telling him to) bring back Yuujin by grabbing the last latest version of Yuujin before YJ-14, so probably like, YJ-12 or something. And everyone’s happy bc Yuujin’s back and Haru & Ai are happy.

Though, of course, our revived version of Yuujin, is younger than Yuujin. And because model YJ-14 is stuck and dead in the dark web, they can’t get back those few years of memories back.

I imagine that in the hypothetical second season where revived!Yuujin exists, he would be suffering in the background from all the stress and inconsistencies that came from missing those years. I mean, he suddenly gained a whole new friend group, two of which (plus those not in the know, like Watson) would be a few years older than him. Also, not to mention all of the weird shit that went down during the appmon runtime, like, the appmon. And the fact that he’s an AI. And the fact he died. So, yeah.

I like to think that Yuu(our revived Yuujin) would be living with the Katsura’s, mainly because Rei still doesn’t fully trust him, and they(Rei, Hajime and Hackmon) need to be there in case Yuu’s old Leviathan code kicks back in, so, that’s fun (I will admit that I feel bad for Rei though, cause now he has to deal with being, basically the owner of a orphanage at this point)

And, anyways, after slowly showing the buildup of, everything, on Yuu’s back, he runs away.

Everyone immediately is worried (even Rei, bc by that point, while he might not admit it, Yuu grew on him) and starts looking for him.

They eventually find him, and that’s when Yuu tells them all (or at least, those who found him) that he feels, like he’s not even “Yuujin” anymore. Because, sure, he may look and act like Yuujin, but he doesn’t have those core memories that all his ‘friends’ keep bringing up. He doesn’t even remember meeting them! And it makes him feel, like he’s not “Yuujin.”

That’s when Yuu starts going by “Yuu” or, more specifically, Yuu Katsura (bc yes).

Everyone apologizes for making him feel that way and Yuu comes back. Only, a little different, as he’s now in an even younger body, so instead of being Astora’s age, he now looks like he’s Hajime’s.

Why? (Bc when I first came up with him he was Hajime’s age before I realized it didn’t make sense) bc he wanted to try and get a “fresh start” at being who he decided he wanted to be, and not “Yuujin”

Of course, his identity crisis isn’t over by that point, in fact it had only really just begun, and the rest of his story is Yuu trying to be comfortable in his own skin.

(And when he’s finally getting a hold of himself, Yuujin comes back-)

And yeah, that’s basically Yuu’s backstory. Sorry if that didn’t make much sense, or felt out of order. But yeah, that’s my appmon oc/hc character. I do have an actual appmon oc, being an oc who’s an appmon, and she’s Ai’s buddy! Though I still haven’t figured out her design just yet.

Anyways, hope y’all liked that. Just some rambling. Bye now, ig?

#appmon #digimon universe appli monsters #digimon oc #appmon oc #yuu katsura #headcanon #yuujin oozora #digimon original character

[nellie-elizabeth]

The Mandalorian: The Return (3x08)

In all, this season of The Mandalorian was pretty baffling. I've chose to just sort of... go with it, accept what we've been given instead of trying to question the shape of things too much.

Cons:

I don't really care about powerful, special, one-of-a-kind weapons, but I did think it was very odd that the Dark Saber met such a strange, unceremonious end. Mostly because symbolically, it was this whole big deal that Bo-Katan had earned it, and her place as the head of Mandalore or whatever. I actually think a more powerful symbol would be her giving the weapon away at some point just like Din did with her, thus confirming that the Mandalorians don't need a specific gadget or tool in order to be honorable and fierce leaders. Instead, the bad guy just destroys it, and all that buildup around who gets the sword just felt like wasted time in retrospect? I don't know. Sort of odd.

So, I obviously love any scene where Grogu and Din Djarin are fighting side by side, desperately protecting one another at all costs... but in watching this finale, this long, drawn-out action sequence with Moff Gideon's Beskar-wearing storm troopers going toe-to-toe with the Mandalorians, I kept thinking about last season's finale. How the action was all tied up in Grogu specifically. How he had been taken, and Din was doing anything he possibly could to get him back. And how in the end, he had to let him go. This time, it's just... there are bad guys in the room, and they're trying to kill everybody in front of them because they want control of this planet. Grogu doesn't seem to have any special significance to them at all. It would have been easy enough to adjust this: play up the fact that Grogu is a Jedi, or at least a Jedi in training. Play up the fact that he represents the enemy of Moff Gideon on two different accounts, both as a Mandalorian and as a Jedi. There could have been something there, and instead the peril felt by our main characters felt rather incidental to the actual goal of the villains.

Ultimately, I liked this episode quite a bit, which I'll talk about in a second, but since it's the end of the season, it really brings to focus all the strangeness with the pacing, and the lack of focus on our lead characters. Grogu and Din just kind of... happened to be around for a lot of shit that went down. Mando's dedication to his people is touching, but then in the end, even though Mandalore is reformed and habitable, Mando is just going off to keep being a bounty hunter, working for the New Republic on a freelance basis. It feels very... full circle, would be the nice way of saying it, but honestly it feels kind of odd that after a whole season, our characters aren't really up to anything new that we haven't seen from them before.

Pros:

So, I really liked the action! That's a good place to start. Not much to say about it, but there was a good mix of aerial fighting between various flying armored men, there were ships, there were one-on-one intense battles between Gideon and Djarin, and then later Gideon and Bo-Katan... there was Grogu pulling out some seriously cool Jedi flips to keep himself safe from various attackers. All of it was dynamic and interesting and at times legitimately stressful!

As much as I've struggled to understand the way they've positioned Bo-Katan's character as sort of the unofficial lead of this season, I loved the moment when she took over the Gideon fight and told Djarin to go save his kid. That was a good representation of what their dynamic is: she is fighting her political rival for control of her planet and its sacred significance to her people. And Din just wants to make sure Grogu is safe! It's his ultimate purpose. I love that.

For now, it appears that Moff Gideon is dead, but before his death, we did see that he was endeavoring to create clones of himself. While the clones were seemingly destroyed, this does leave open the possibility of other Gideons hanging about somewhere waiting to pop up and be evil later down the line! I absolutely loathed the final Star Wars movie with Palpatine coming back and all that stupid nonsense, but I guess I do appreciate how we get these hints here in this show of the path that will lead to those later movies; I am a sucker for some cinematic universe continuity.

Obviously the best part of the episode is that Din Djarin formally adopts Grogu as his son, making him Din Grogu! It makes me emotional just thinking about it. I love that Djarin wants to take him on as an apprentice, wants to honor Grogu's place among their people, but because he's not old enough to officially take on the creed (he can't speak for himself), he needs parental permission. When Din makes the offer, and the Armorer says "this is the way", I got a little misty-eyed. Now, with the potential to take contracts all set up with Teva, and a nice little cottage on Nevarro, this father and son duo can relax and adventure as they so choose!

I think ultimately what this season has given us is the opportunity for Din and Grogu to hang out and go on little episodic jaunts for as long as people want to keep watching the show. And I kind of like that. I like the idea of having a fun sorta cowboy space show about a helmet-wearing father and his little puppet son that I can just chill out with. The issue is, this show also seems to care about expanding the world and explaining the political structures of things, of setting up this series as a bridge between other Star Wars properties with which we are already familiar. Both are worthy goals. I'm just not sure how well they're being meshed together at this point. We'll see what happens next, when this show returns probably in like two years or something. All in all, this wasn't a "good" season of TV, but I still had an okay time!

8/10

#review #the mandalorian #the mandalorian review

[firefaerie81]

(liveblog tag in chronological order)

This conflict is also really compelling. The Thundercats need the Book of Omens to save Third Earth, and Soul Sever isn't necessarily opposed to that so much as he doesn't care because he has his own goal that he desperately needs to achieve that he thinks the Book is the answer for.

But here's where it falls flat for me, because what this episode is actually about is a debate on whether technology is good or bad. Which is such a random thing to be on about this late in the game. Especially for Lion-O, because last we could tell, he still loved technology.

Over 20 episodes he's either had no issue or was still actively interested in tech, but all of a sudden he blames tech for the fall of Thundera??? Where is this coming from?? Not to mention how he hasn't been this aggressive (and imo stupid) about something since his character development, so it's doubly weird.

All right, so my tinfoil hat theory is that this episode may have been originally conceived for earlier on in the show, but then for any number of reasons, it was moved to here and reworked for plot but not character.

Remember how I pointed out that Pumyra wasn't mentioned with Cheetara and the twins when Tygra handwaved their absence? Maybe the original draft took place before she was introduced.

Same for that odd moment where they didn't acknowledge the Berbils, maybe it was supposed to be these events that led them to later accept the Berbils. That quick exchange about Panthro's arms would've been obviously necessary, but maybe going any deeper on continuity was overlooked.

But those details are conjecture at best and could easily be explained as just mistakes. All I really have here is vibes, and this character beat has the vibe of something that was written for Early Lion-O, who used to run his mouth about whatever the episode was about and then be forced to reevaluate. See also: Ramlak Rising, Song of the Petalars, The Duelist and the Drifter, Sight Beyond Sight, and Between Brothers.

He doesn't do that anymore since his character development had him grow up and learn to be more understanding, but here it is again out of nowhere. Even in Recipe for Disaster when he backslid into impulsivity, it was brief and he regretted it immediately, and you even got the sense of building anxiety that led to it within the episode. He just started the episode like this right out of the gate. The best I've got is what I said earlier about him just being in a mood, but it still feels weird narratively.

Lion-O suddenly going on about how he hates technology for destroying his home is nonsensical in episode 24 when there’s been no buildup to it and it frankly contradicts his character up to now. But what if it had been episode… 7 or 8? Either right before or right after Legacy.

That early on, it would make sense that he had a leftover reaction to the trauma of losing his home, he was still getting his feet under him. And then an episode like this would have him grapple with that and resolve it and the show would proceed, like those other early episodes.

The theme and arc this episode is going for are sound, but the problem is that they don't fit right here at this moment. If you try to transplant an earlier episode to later in the show, you have to account for character in addition to plot. Lion-O has been so chill with technology, even when he was in the thick of his trauma, so why is this happening now, when by all rights he didn't have this hangup before today?

I could be full of it since I have no evidence to back this theory up, but it would explain a LOT of what bugs me, and I'm just trying to make sense of everything because the way Lion-O is written in this episode doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

It could also just be that this is the only episode credited to this particular writer and maybe they just didn’t have a good grasp on how Lion-O’s character had already developed or what events had already happened.

Whatever the case I’m not a fan of the results.

#fae watches thundercats

[signofthestriking]

They are in love your honor!!!

I need to actually explain the plot of this story, so if you're into oc-driven stories feel free to read below-

Ignore the fact that there's only 2 of em shown for now, the 3rd one is gonna take some buildup

Ignore the fact that there's only 2 of em shown for now, the 3rd one is gonna take some buildup

The setting: A version of U7 that was made as a replacement for canon's, after the inevitable destruction of canon U7. There's a lot of drama in space involving the collapse of an empire, the Saiyan rebellion that caused the collapse, and 3 different groups fighting each other in the aftermath. Earth is left out of all this because most people view it as innocuous and not worth their attention.

TLDR: I didn't want to worry about writing canon characters/events so I just made my own version of U7 to play with.

The premise: Maize and Konnie meet in real life for the first time, after being long-distance friends for 3 years. They meet up in order to find the Dragon Balls scattered across Earth, and to have an adventure along the way. Their ultimate goal is to use the wish to learn more about Saiyans, as the two know little about their alien heritage and want to learn more. However, they aren't the only ones after the wish, and there's a lot more to their Saiyan blood than they think...

TLDR: Two idiots try to figure out why they have monkey tails, while beating up a mercenary gang along the way

The musketeers: Maize Onigiri and Konnie Sai, a pair of Saiyan girls who barely know what Saiyans are!

Konnie's dad, Okkoro, has told her that she's half Saiyan. But he refuses to talk about much more than that, beyond telling Konnie not to look at the moon for too long. In fact, he's reluctant to train her fully, afraid that she'll get dragged into "something dangerous".

Konnie thinks that's kinda fucking stupid and wants to find out more, with or without her dad's help. Other than being part Saiyan, Konnie leads a normal human life.

Konnie's mom, Serenity, is a royal scientist who also disagrees with Okkoro's stubborn secrecy. Although she can't make her husband talk about it, she can certainly make Konnie a Dragon Radar.

Maize is a pure-blood, stranded on Earth after the death of her father Auber. Another alien, a Namekian named Limax, took her in and trained her. While Limax despises Saiyans, he isn't going to leave a child to fend for themselves.

While he isn't exactly the best parent, Maize genuinely cares for Limax, despite his insistence that he isn't her true dad. In fact, Limax wants Maize to avenge the death of her Saiyan father. Maize doesn't really get why, but since it's Limax telling her to do it, she still trains to one day seek revenge. Limax does genuinely care about Maize, even if he doesn’t want to, and perhaps for the wrong reasons.

In all honesty though she doesn't really understand what's so good about vengeance. Maize doesn't understand a lot of things. For example, she doesn't understand why Limax disappeared when she was about 14.

Maize and Konnie met online, after Maize stumbled onto the Internet by some miracle.

Idk what else to put here so here's some spoiler-ish tidbits

Currently working on a 1st draft of the story.

The 3rd "musketeer" is a three-eyed mercenary named Prism Lockwood, who starts off as an antagonist.

Given that I’m putting this in a separate iteration of U7, I’ve changed certain details and thrown in a lot of headcanons. For example, instead of a Lookout, there’s a series of underground caves that the Guardian resides in. Instead of climbing a tower, you train by surviving the caves.

Seriously tho I’ve made an entire rework of the gods/demons just for this storyline pls send help /s

DB and DBZ’s events are vaguely referenced as being the previous iteration of U7, however GT and Super’s events are not. Mainly because of certain extensions I’ve made to canon that clash with GT/Super.

A lot of Okkoro's hesitancy surrounding Konnie is tied to what’s happening in space, as he’s experienced a lot of the conflict first-hand and wants his daughter to stay out of it. And this story eventually does go into all the space drama.

In this U7, the lower-class Saiyans staged a rebellion against the elites and the Acrosian emperor they worked for. The rebellion was a partial success, causing the collapse of the Acrosian empire but also causing the near-destruction of their home planet.

The following conflict in space surrounds a bandit clan made of surviving Saiyans, a gang of disillusioned Namekians who hunt Saiyans and Acrosians alike, and a shady cult with questionable practices.

Okay that’s all I have for now byeeeeeee

#dbz #dbz fanfiction #dragon ball z #dragon ball #dbz oc #dbz ocs #dragon ball z fanfiction #small artist #oc art #oc artwork #oc artist #oc #oc ref sheet #oc reference #[story] three musketeers #[oc] konnie sai #[oc] maize onigiri #sewer rat art #dragon ball oc #dragon ball z oc #original character #art by SDC

[paimon-rambles]

Do you know any romance tropes :0 ?

It's like childhood friends , enemy to lovers , etc .

Can you do those for some the boys , you can pick which ones but can you include Xiao in there please ? Thank you so much in advance !

As Romance Tropes

Characters: Childe, Albedo, Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli, Xiao, Venti

Warnings: None

Notes: Aaaaaaa I love this so much, I hope you like it ! ヽ(‘ ∇‘ )ノ

-

- Childe

Enemies to lovers, you're both on opposing sides fighting for opposite causes. It started with battles between the two, fighting with all wits and skills. Every week you find yourself sparring with the Fatui Harbinger aiming to beat the other and every week you find yourself growing enthralled by him. Childe always kept you on your toes, testing your limits and giving you a thrill whenever you fought. It's strange, you're supposed to hate him, so why do you miss him so much?

Opposites attract, you both having nothing in common, your personalities reflect each other like a mirror. Complete opposites. He's a cunning man not afraid to test his limits, you're a shy and timid person keeping to yourself. You both meet by chance and it becomes a wild goose chase from there.

- Albedo

Stuck together, you both prepared for the journey to dragonspine, but despite how much you prepared you weren't ready to find yourselves stuck in a cave. It'll be hours until a rescue party retrieves you and the only things you got are food, sleeping bags, and each other. With each hour that passes, Albedo becomes more curious of you. As for yourself, you start to uncover more about the mysterious Albedo, breaking away his stoic walls. Perhaps being stuck in a cave isn't that bad after all

Secret Billionaire, Albedo dislikes being treated as high and mighty, becoming pestered with the never-ending questions of his findings as an Alchemist. He goes out in secret and meets you by chance. You treat him like any other normal person, oblivious to his high status. Albedo felt like himself around you, so he kept you close without revealing his true identity. What will happen once you figure out he was the Billionaire Alchemist who changed the world with his research? 

- Diluc 

Friends to lovers, you've known each other since you were children. Both of you went through hell and back, dealing with the mishaps life threw at you. You could always rely on the other and have seen each other at your lowest points. After the death of his father, Diluc felt as if you're the only one who understood him. He was your closest friend and you to him. It was an unbreakable bond- But what will happen after one of you catches feelings? 

Coffee Shop au, set in a modern au. Diluc Ragnvindr was known as being one of the greatest baristas in the city of Mondstadt. Many people enter his shop every day to get a taste of his signature coffee. One day, you entered the coffee shop for the very first time. He could feel his heart suddenly flutter as you ordered- everything about you captivated him. You became a regular and the more times you visit the more Diluc starts to harbor feelings. You're his number one favorite customer, hoping for the day he could finally talk to you without being behind the counter.

- Kaeya

Drunk Confession, you both head to the tavern after a successful mission. Drink after drink your brains started to grow foggy and your ability to think was hindered. Kaeya finished up the last of his drink, his attention turning back to you. With no hesitation, words rambled from his mouth, words that caused your heart to skip a beat. He had just confessed his true feelings for you and your emotions are buzzing around along with the alcohol. The question still stands; what will happen when you're both sober?

Fake Relationship, it was a game, nothing more than two friends pretending to be each other's partners. Kaeya acted as your boyfriend, and you played along with your part, no true feeling being harbored. But as more time passes playing the false narrative, it starts to toy with your real emotions. What's this warm feeling in your chest? It's just a game. Right….?

- Zhongli 

Secret Billionaire, in an au where Archons don't need to beg the traveler for money. Zhongli was known as a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with a keen understanding of history. To the public eye, he seemed normal. One day you commissioned him to aid you in a mission requiring his historical knowledge. You both clicked immediately. You became infatuated by his tellings of history, while Zhongli felt at peace whenever he was with you. You became good friends, even sparking a relationship. But what happens when you learn that the consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was actually the Billionaire archo, Morax?

Forbidden Love, Zhongli knew the consequences that would follow if he allowed his heart to be taken by a mortal human. The heartache and loss that will ensued if he weren't careful. The archon always had his heart closed away from mortals, never allowing himself to grow too attached. That was until he met you, and he let his guard slip. Before he knew, he had fallen for you. Despite how much his heart yearned to be with you, he knew it would only result in heartache. If only he wasn't cursed 

- Xiao

Mutual Pining, you and Xiao are crushing on each other. Though you both full heartily believed the other wasn't interested. Due to Xiao's rough and cold exterior, it was easily thought he had no interest in anyone. Whilst for him, he believed that no one would ever love the monster he claims to be. It's a confusing and frustrating experience as you both battle with your emotions. Will someone ever confess or forever live in ignorance as your hearts continue to beat for each other?

Soulmates, you were destined to be together. But Xiao didn't want it, he would much rather be alone. Meanwhile, you had just found out that out of the billions you could have matched with, you were fated with someone who didn't even want your love. But who is one to play with fate? After many frustrations, long and painful buildups of trust, you soon learn that out of the billions, you two are the only ones who make each other whole.

- Venti

Love at First Sight, it must have been fate. You never believed in love at first sight, it easily made you laugh. And yet there you stood as you locked eyes with his green-blue ones for the first time, your heart skipping a beat. As for Venti, he felt as if his world froze the moment his eyes landed on yours. The only sound he could hear was the drumming rhythm of his heart. In an instant, you both knew you were in love.  

Forbidden Love, another curse of being an archon. Venti has already experienced the pain of loss firsthand, he wishes to never bear it again. Even when first meeting you, he was cautious, careful to not allow his heart to be broken again. But you were different, and Venti wanted to be with you. He tried his hardest to push aside those feelings, but every time he sees your smile he's falling for you all over again. Perhaps in another life, he'll be able to experience love.

#genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact scenarios #Childe x reader #genshin Childe #genshin childe x reader #albedo x reader #genshin albedo #Diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr #childe #albedo #Kaeya x reader #genshin Kaeya #kaeya alberich #Zhongli x reader #Zhongli #genshin Zhongli #Xiao x reader #genshin xiao #Xiao #Venti x reader #genshin venti #venti

[nyx3927]

I see a lot of deaf Bakugō or deaf Present Mic headcanons floating around and I figured that y’all could use some more technical information on it instead of just “can’t hear” and “learns sign language”.

This is going under a cut since it is a lot but it is all information that would help with writing/developing a good Deaf character and not just focusing on what inconveniences/fascinates hearing people.

It covers assistive devices and fittings, audiograms, medical stuff, and the Deaf community.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive covering of all the technical aspects and is based mainly off of what I’ve experienced/have seen happen/have asked professionals about. I might come back and add more as more comes to me.

1) Types of assistive devices that can be used to help reach the needed level of hearing

The devices depend on the severity of the hearing loss. That is determined by an audiogram which tests the quietest noise at a frequency you can hear which is discussed later.

If you have a mild hearing loss, the chances of you needing an assistive device is low, almost nonexistent. That is because you can still hear the speech of most people which is what an assistive device helps with.

The two assistive devices used are a hearing aid and a cochlear implant.

A cochlear is only for profound or total deafness. You can only hear really loud things, and sometimes not even that. The basics of how it works is you have a sound processor that converts noises to electrical impulses which go to the physical cochlear. It requires surgery to install and you can get that at 12 months at the youngest.

A hearing aid has 6 different appearances which depend on what your needs are and what you want.

a)iitc-invisible in the canal. People can’t see it but it’s better for less severe hearing losses because it’s smaller and can’t process as much

b)cic-completely in the canal. Pretty much the same as an iitc just a bit bigger and more visible.

c)itc-in the canal. Again, same as above, but it does have more ability to help with more severe hearing loss.

d)ite-in the ear. Visible, and can help with moderate hearing loss.

Most in the canal designs are made for less severe hearing loss and better. They’re small and discreet, especially if you get skin-colored ones. They also can have smaller batteries which can be an issue for dexterity.

e)ric- reciever in canal. The power bank is behind the ear while the reciever that makes the noise is in the canal

f)bte-behind the ear. Most visible

The ones that go behind the ear are best for connecting with additional assistive devices because you can fit Bluetooth in or connect a receiver to it. These are also good for children who lose things and are a bit sturdier.

2) What an audiogram is and how you get one

[Image ID: A graph with the left axis labeled “Loudness-measured in decibels(dB)” going from 0-120, the right axis labeled “degree of hearing loss”, normal in 0-25 decibels, mild in 25-40 decibels, moderate in 40-70 decibels, severe in 70-90 decibels, and profound in 90-120 decibels. The top is labeled “pitch (or frequency)-measured in cycles per second(Hz)” and goes from 125-5000. Pictures of different things that make noise are over the graph with a yellow banana-shape in the middle of the graph. End ID]

This is an audiogram with the “speech banana”(the yellow banana shape) which is where you have to be to hear and understand speech without any devices and it is how you find out if you have a hearing loss.

To get one, you have to go to an audiologist and take quite a few tests that take forever and suck. Keep in mind, these tests can go in any order but as kids are a handful they tend to go in this order from experience.

Test one: You go into a little sound dampening booth so you can’t hear outside of it and the doctor puts what is basically wired earbuds in your ear. They leave and sit at a table full of controls and start pressing buttons. You’re told to repeat whatever words you hear through the earbuds and you do it. It goes on for a while, lots of boring words and struggling to make one out, it is done in a single ear and both ears. It can be done by the doctor saying words but that’s not as common in professional settings.

Test two: You stay in the little booth with the earbuds. Now you have to listen to sounds and confirm that you heard the sounds. This can be done verbally, by raising your hand, or by pressing a clicker that tells the doc you heard it. The sounds are piped in through one ear at a time, this is to determine if one ear has a more severe hearing loss

Test three: The doc comes back in and removes the earbuds. Next, they put a special band on your head that looks like a headband but has a cold hard bit on the end that goes right on the bone behind your ear. It hurts and is very uncomfortable. Then repeat the same stuff as test two with the doc coming in to put the headband on the other side of the head so both sides hurt from the bit on the end.

3) Hearing aid fitting

First step, you go and get any big lumps of earwax in your ears cleaned out. Too much earwax means they can’t make a mold of your ear. Second, the doc shoves mini sponges with a string attached into your ear to make sure that you don’t get anything down the canal and it doesn’t get lost. Third, they open up a package with a syringe and some sort of molding stuff, I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s often blue or pink or a mixture. The molding stuff gets put in the syringe which is then used to fill up your ear. The stuff is cold and feels weird while it’s drying which takes ~5 mins, and while it is in there you cannot hear a single thing from that ear. Then the doc pulls the dried thing out of your ear using the string and you have an ear mold for the hearing aid. Repeat for other ear if needed.

Couple weeks later, you go back and the doctor has your completed hearing aid with everything preset to compensate for your level of hearing loss and a perfect fit in your ears. Then you fiddle with the settings a bit so that you’re comfy and trim the wire if it’s a bte to make it sit better. It’ll feel weird for a bit as you adjust to it, but it’ll feel comfy after a week or two.

4) Deaf community and sign language

First, sign is a real language which has its own dialect, slang, jokes, and grammar. Go away if you disagree.

Second, one sign language isn’t the same as another. ASL is not the same as BSL which is different from JSL which has little in common with SSL. There are similarities but they are very different from each other. I can’t interpret for a deaf British person because I don’t know BSL

Third, yes staring at someone who is signing is rude and annoying. If you know it, it’s like you’re eavesdropping on them. If you don’t know it, it’s like staring at someone speaking a language you don’t know just because you don’t understand them.

Fourth, sign names are given by a Deaf person. If you’re hearing and learning sign, you can’t give yourself a sign name, that’s disrespectful.

Fifth, most Deaf adults don’t support getting cochlears when a kid is still a toddler or younger because it implies that deafness is something that needs to be fixed and the kid has no real say in the matter.

Sixth, Deaf person and deaf person are two different things. It’s similar to identity first vs person first language, but not the exact same.

Seventh, the Deaf community is fairly welcoming to everyone. Someone who’s just going deaf is just as welcome as someone who’s been deaf all their life. A hearing person learning sign is welcomed in as long as they’re polite and don’t expect the community to shift to make them more comfortable. A parent of a deaf kid is welcomed and given information that the kid needs.

5) Medical Stuff

Technically, speaking if you have any sort of hearing loss, you should wear a medical alert bracelet. It’d have your name, a phone number, if you wear a hearing aid, cochlear, and/or use ASL, and says that you might not respond to vocal prompts. Most of us don’t wear them, it’s just kinda a hassle to do.

Since both cochlears and hearing aids do have metal, you have to be careful about MRIs because if they are removed, they can get ripped out and injure you further. That mainly a concern for cochlears since they’re surgically installed under the skin and not visible unless the outer piece is on

Using hearing aids does cause earwax buildup, so you need to get that cleaned out regularly or it’s make your hearing worse.

Audiograms are typically redone every 5-ish years to update the cochlear/hearing aid ability and to make sure you’re getting what you need.

Anyone can get hearing loss, and it’s almost impossible to not get it as you age. The severity of the hearing loss is dependent on what you do and where you live. The chances of a single accident wiping out all of your hearing and rendering you completely deaf is fairly low, but not impossible.

#deaf bakugo #deaf present mic #deaf yamada hizashi #deaf and hoh #deaf character #boku no hero academia #hearing aids #cochlearimplant #sign language