#Though to be fair I'm in love with half the panels of this. Which is quite impressive if I may say so

[majorproblems77]

Hello LU fans! I'm back with another LU update analysis! :D

Are you ready cause there's so much to unpack I'm gonna be here a while. Like last time I'm gonna put a timer on lmao, see how long this takes me.

As always grab your popcorn and drink of choice, cause we need hydration in this life.

all art belongs to @linkeduniverse and Jojo, and if I pull panels from any other pages I'll let you know where it's from! :D

Obviously spoilers for Dawn 8 :D

And a note, I've not played TP or WW, you'll see why thats important later.

Let us begin, shall we!

Man, Poor wild, he's probably beating himself up like there's no tomorrow right now. He looks HORIFIED.

Probably because in technicality, he failed.

I love how he's holding his sword here too. Kinda acting as a shield to the conversation.

Same expression as wild. He also looks horrified. Infact the resemblance between these two in uncanny.

Man time really is the dad isnt he. Unimpressed dad look at 12'oclock. Jokes aside he doesn't look angry about it. He looks like he now gathering information from those who finished the fight. As we know once he left with Twilight he was the only other one to not make it back to the fight.

Thats a fair sentence, thinking about it, I think the only other game where Iron Knuckles appear is in one of Hyrule's games? I'm surprised he's not mentioned anything about it.

Most of the others do have armoured enemies though. So while the others dont have direct experience I assume they have the basics.

All but, Sky and Wars None of them fight armoured enemies like that in their games.

I assume because he's defeated this thing like it was a guardian (Stasis and then wailing on it cause that's what i would do lmao) He assumed it was defeated when it exploded into pieces. Like guardians are prone to do. tbh he was probably gonna go back to look for loot at some point.

You tell them Wind. The small hero, underestimated by everyone BUT Time. Was correct thank you.

Justice for the windy boy.

God Wild really is beating himself up about this. I love the fact that we see four's reaction to this statement. As to be honest. Over the last few nights, Four and Wild have had plenty of bonding moments. These guys are gonna become best friends.

And now we get Time.

The way he's looking over these panels. That look. He know's he's the leader of this group but something that Time isn't used to is making Permanent mistakes.

He has the Ocarina of Time, and when he was back in Termina every time something went wrong he could just play the song of Time and restart the three-day cycle with no trouble at all.

Time, as a person. Isnt technically used to failing.

This panel is stunning. It's what I assume is going on inside his head. It's so pretty. It's so detailed it's just oh man easily one of my favourite panels.

now you know i had to talk about panels with my beloved blorbo in.

first off he's so pretty. Jojo has really outdone herself with just how amazing these updates have looked. The lighting the shading its all just so incredible.

The first half of this panel with Sky's face. He, He is beating himself up about the injury. He had nothing to do with it but he cares so much about the rest of the group he feels bad. He kinda looks like he's thinking about it. Like he can see it. Like time did but we dont see inside Sky's head.

Makes me think about what exactly he saw.

And Twilight's face, he looks so sad. His little pout. Poor wolf boy, which we can now call you properly as the rest of them know now.

And to be honest I'm glad he's standing his ground. Mr, My injury isn't that bad before falling over. the stubborn ranch hand strikes again.

The parallels from this frame and the one from later have been mentioned elsewhere but I'm just gonna post the frame here as it's turned up. Run you coward lizard. Run.

Captain link is back. Poor warriors, he's still showing signs of being stressed. He's one of the only one's who hasn't been able to rest over the downtime that they've had. He's been busy being in charge of the group while Time was out.

I can only assume it's only a matter of time before this comes back to get him. Maybe he is next on the chopping block? (Pun kinda intended) Something could happen and he messes up and gets hurt of causes someone to get hurt.

oh and also

THE SCARF

THE SCARF THE SCARF

IT HAS RETURNED ALL HAIL THE BLUE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BLANKET WARRIORS NEEDED YOU.

None of us did, Hyrule.

The boys ever, I'm glad they are talking about this like this. And that it's legend who's starting to throw ideas out there like this. As the one who's got the most experience in the group, it makes sense that he would be the one to start offering ideas as to Why not just how.

Because you pissed it off Sky. Because half of you pissed it off. In fact I do believe he had a bunch of panels in Shifting Shadows pt2 where you indeed pissed it off.

The entire reason it started running from you and Twilight had to track it was because of FI's reaction to his sword.

Wait... that explains the guilt. It is actually potentially Sky's fault. Or if he's anything like I think he is. He remembers that fight with the shadow and knows.

He knows.

Also, with clenched fist Sky is ready for a fight. Next time the shadow turns up I assume he's gonna go after it when it's inevitablebly goes after Twilight/Wild. Maybe he'll jump in after being told not too because the Master sword appears to be the only thing as of right now that can fight the red stuff that comes off the shadows sword.

did you hear Warriors shiver? I did.

And you'd know all about that wouldn't you Four. :D

Also

Mandatory Sky appreciation picture

Him's my beloved blorbo. He's wonderful. Such a lil guy. Bestest bean. My beloved. /pl

Anyway moving on

Oh yeah, the amount of power that the items list contains We've seen the arsenal that they have between them (in the December art).

We saw what just Time could do.

Now add the rest of them and the enemies dont stand a chance. They've just gotta figure out how to either avoid the weapons of each other or work as a team with the arsenal in hand to fight better.

Like imagine if Twilight used his gale boomerang to send Wild into the air.

(Writer brain go brr, gonna write that down)

It's basically Revalis Gale.

This man is so damn dramatic I love him

And here's the parallel frame

the shadow running towards Warriors vs running away from Twilight.

You know thinking about it... Shadow didn't shapeshift until Twilight did. The push towards Warriors was when shadow thought they were on level footing.

But when Twilight went after Dink, he was the one who had to flee because he lost his advantage.

ANGRY SKY ANGRY SKY ANGRY SKY

The man is pissed that Shadow hurt Twilight. He is so damn mad and I think that he is saying what he would assume Fi would. (With more emotion because well, Fi)

Also that last frame.

TIME AND SKY ANGST ON THE HORIZON?

time is looking towards the master sword. And he looks angry. This will absolutely have gone unnoticed by the others because if they saw he was angry it was probably just because of the conversation topic.

god I love the dynamic here and I'm excited to see if it goes anywhere

Him's I love his simple way of agreeing its wonderful.

I approve to wind let's go blow some stuff up!

Hyrule shows the group why he is called the traveller. The man just wants to go on his adventures let him go!

Sky is so proud of himself

this face says 'Look guys I didn't give it to the weird toilet hand! :D'

I love this man a healthy amount.

One last thing before I go

I love this update as a whole, seeing the group gear up and getting to see the layers of the armour and straps and fastenings being put on while they are having this discussion is amazing.

I'd give you a collection of pictures but Tumblr is being rude and I can't post more than 30. So you can have these as all four panels show what I'm talking about.

Twilight adjusting his gauntlets warriors adjusting his scarf.

Hyrule attaching his shield to his back and putting his sword strap on.

God, I love this update so much. It was amazing and I very much enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! :D

Thank you as ever for reading my rambles i appreciate you :D

Have a wonderful day and dont forget to hydrate! See you next time!

#Corner of lu updates! #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu spoilers #lu update spoilers #ramble corner with major #lu warriors #lu sky #lu time #lu four #lu chain #lu hyrule #lu legend #lu twilight #lu wild #lu wind #dawn 8 #comic analysis with major #this update was good soup #SO MUCH TO UNPACK #THIS WAS FUN! :D #I had to split this up into two sessions its great #Yep another 4 hours deep dive into these #I've been here all morning hahaha #I love doing these #Have a great day! :D

[batbabydamian]

🦇🐥 Batman and Robin (2023) #5 rambling and a conspiracy theory lol

tbh this is the most exciting issue for me since…the first one 💀 i’m going to talk about the story and art separately because Nikola Cizmesija’s one of my favorite action focused comic artists so this issue’s a treat 😭

Alfred used to mediate during a lot of Bruce and Damian’s early relationship, so it’s refreshing to see Bruce take more initiative involving himself in Damian’s life even if it’s for a case lol

a couple instances of Alfred’s fatherly support on behalf of Bruce and Damian from Batman and Robin (2011) #2, 4, 39 and Teen Titans (2016) #1

Damian seems to take Bruce's involvement more as a sign he’s not reliable rather than Bruce finally just. being around to help him. which is fair 😭

this is complementary to Cizmesija’s art, but i love this half of the page so bad 😭 the negative space and the shaded foreground with Damian mid-run gives this feeling of time kinda stopping for us to really feel the impact of Damian’s entrance AND the effect it has on Bruce, like!! that wide eyed expression in the below panel!! 😭

Bruce’s quiet “you can do it, son” to A FULL BODY CHEER OF “GO, DAMIAN!” Bruce witnessing Damian be great outside of Robin, and on top of that it’s just another mundane moment that Bruce has wanted with Damian 😭

this is such a goofy bully line sdfgh though the whole “broken” bit might be a callback to Batman and Robin (2011) #1, in that Bruce is really trying to do his job as a father here or i'm likely reading way too into it

SO the “shocking ending” of Zach being Zsasz’s kid was definitely a surprise but then got me wondering what is up with Williamson doing reveals of new kids for villains lol otherwise, the hints in the issue were neat!

the tally marks!! at least tallying blocks is pretty innocent compared to kills 😭

and Damian would recognize how Zsasz moves, since he’s personally fought him before in Streets of Gotham (2009)!! very much not in a sport, but uh maybe it was to Zsasz

the art!! first a shoutout to the colorist Rex Lokus for giving Damian his green eyes and maybe melanin (it didn’t look consistent throughout so i say maybe)!! 😭 also a Talia by Cizmesija!! even though this panel calls her a “not great” teacher…💀

SUCH A FUN PAGE 😭 i’ve been into montage scenes lately lol and i love how quickly Cizmesija establishes Damian’s routine - Tues, Wed, and Fri are the funniest for me!! Damian grumpily getting lectured by his teacher in the foreground while his classmate’s still visibly steaming from the hit he took LOL, DAMIAN’S BUG EYED STARE WITH HIS SUNGLASSES UP, and then Damian looming. stealthily. in a tree. while some kid is blatantly pointing him out HAHA 😭

Cizmesija’s use of motion lines and effects when conveying movement is so cool!! the shonen manga vibes jumps out!! the smoke/dust trails following the movements; the limbs and soccer ball having a sort of blur effect with the motion lines. V COOL.

which leads to my favorite part of Cizmesija’s work - HIS IMPACT SHOTS!!

more motion lines and effects!! the splatter effects!! the arcs!! the jolting impacts!! GRRAAHH!! the setup to that impact shot of Zach's block is so great, and then following with Damian's reaction!! i almost wish that "???" wasn't there, just because that expression of stunned silence already feels so loud!!

last thoughts about Cizmesija's art is that i'm really hoping for a showdown between Damian and Zach next issue because i need to see a Damian fight scene in Nikola Cizmesija-fashion 😭 we get a taste of it with Orca and soccer but i NEED MORE LOL for now, dropping the moment when Damian overpowers Zsasz, in Batman: Streets of Gotham #11 since it was such an epic moment

okay SLAPPING MY CONSPIRACY BOARD!! so on another note Principal Stone being Shush is starting to feel like a red herring and Ms. Heather Hall could actually be Shush. Shush’s main point about Damian as his instructor was emphasizing how much potential he has, but the “wrong” influence could affect that

Stone and Hall have made the same observation about Damian’s potential, but the difference is how they address that - one wants Bruce to be more involved while the other wants Bruce to back off

Stone acknowledged Damian can take care of himself but still wants Bruce to step up in Damian’s life; Hall says it’s okay to be a helicopter parent BUT implies giving Damian space (which we already know Bruce has given so much of after Alfred’s death to the point of neglect 😭)

Hall even suggests moving Damian on to college, which would estrange Damian further. also idk how Damian kicking his teammates/bullies asses at soccer is really “making friends” lol

and of all the subjects she’s teaching, it’s AP Biology - according to the current case Batman and Robin are working on, which is centered around DNA-sequencing, it makes Hall the perfect accomplice to Langstrom

this is where my brain started reaching because i laughed at first at how specific that comparison is, but then it just made me think of how Shush’s first introduction was sniping Bruce LOL anyway, Bruce’s reaction is me 😭

one more Cizmesija appreciation panel - the lil running effects behind Damian :)

#rambling #CONTINUING CONSPIRACY THOUGHTS adding an anomaly like Zach to the soccer team would justify Damian joining them #otherwise he’d join and then he would find nothing but soccer if Stone really isn’t Shush #if im wrong then WHOOPS LOL i do find Ms. Hall's support for Damian sweet so i wouldnt mind tho Damian being wrong would suck asdfg #now that i think about it Damian going to college would be a neat development. let him study to be a veterinarian or artist or smth lol #the other action focused artist i would LOVE to see give Damian a fight scene is Daniele Di Nicuolo 😭 #I EAT HIS ART UPPP #where Cizmesija is heavily shonen manga influenced Nicuolo is heavily shonen anime influenced esp like Trigger studio artists YUM

[stillwintering]

All's Fair in Love and Politics (a modern Nessian AU - where Rhys is running for president)

Summary: In the ruthless arena of politics, victory demands risking everything, even one's own heart. Rhysand has his eyes on the presidency. Feyre convinces her estranged sister, Nesta, to join the political campaign. Nesta and Cassian find themselves forging an unexpected bond as the campaign intensifies. But can their budding romance survive the treacherous waters of modern political warfare?

Read on AO3

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Cassian spent the rest of his evening at the River House, which had turned into an impromptu campaign headquarters of sorts. After all the official business was settled and Amren had left to take the last flight back to DC, Cassian found himself lingering in the company of Rhys and Azriel. They gathered in Rhys's expansive wood-paneled study for a nightcap.

It had been too long since the three of them had the chance to simply exist together as brothers in arms without the weight of duty or the shadow of danger looming over them.

The day's activities had visibly taken a toll on Rhys, understandable given how many media appearances he completed. By all accounts, the speech had been a resounding success, yet Rhys seemed lost in thought, gazing pensively at the drink in his hand, almost sad.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet." Cassian's voice broke the silence. He leaned in, trying to catch Rhys's eye, giving him a teasing nudge on the elbow. Azriel, seated in an armchair on Rhys's other side, only observed silently.

Rhys raised his head, a faint smile on his lips, though his eyes remained somber. "Something like that."

Cassian sucked in a breath. "I'm afraid it's too late to turn back now, brother." He held up his crystal glass, the amber liquid inside glinting in the lamplight, before taking a sip. "The horse is out of the barn."

"What if..." Rhys looked away to the moonlit sky out the window of his study and the Sidra sparkling under the stars.

"It will be a tough fight for the nomination and a even tougher fight in the general election." Cassian smiled at him reassuringly. "It's going to be hard and chances are, we'll lose. But no one will fault you for that."

Rhys shook his head, his expression turning resolute. "No, I mean what if I actually win?"

A moment of realization washed over Cassian. "There's no one else I'd trust more with such power and responsibility," he told him.

"I don't trust myself," Rhys murmured, his voice tinged with a vulnerability rare for him.

"I know you." Azriel knocked his knee gently against Rhys's. "You're the one," he stated firmly.

Rhys's gaze drifted away again, his doubts still clinging to him like shadows.

Cassian turned to Azriel. "They say a good man can't get elected President these days," he mused with a half-smile. "I refuse to believe that. Do you, Az?"

"Absolutely not," he responded without hesitation.

"And you think I'm that man?" Rhys interjected, his face still dark, "Does it matter that I'm not as sure?"

"Do you remember that operation outside of Kabul? The one that went sideways real fast?" Cassian reclined back in his armchair, his demeanor thoughtful. "Our first hot zone and we were completely outgunned, stuck in a crossfire with enemy combatants all around. I’ll be honest, I thought we were done for. We were just rookies back then. But you, Rhys, you just took over like you were born to do it. Directing our moves, calling out targets, staying cool under that kind of heat. You got us out of there with zero civilian casualties. It’s a rare thing, Rhys."

Cassian stopped to catch his eye. "I knew from that moment that I would follow you into the Mist of Avalon."

Azriel only chuckled while Rhys let out a dry laugh. "Cass, please, you're the one with the natural aptitude for strategic combat." Rhys waved his hand. "But I do find, somehow, urban warfare easier to navigate than politics."

Cassian raised his glass in a toast, prompting the others to do the same. "To fighting the good fight then," he announced with a wink. "Political or otherwise."

Azriel joined in, his glass meeting theirs with a gentle chime. "To making a difference," he added.

Rhys looked at his friends -- his brothers -- their faces unflinching. "To the future," he said, his eyes clear and focused. "May it be brighter than we dare to hope."

---

By the time Cassian and Azriel returned to the House of the Wind, the inky night had draped its silent shroud over the building. They expected the grand lobby to be completely deserted at this late hour. Yet, to Cassian's wonder, Nesta was there.

Lost in a world of her own, Nesta walked under the dim glow of the ornate chandelier, her figure casting long, fluid shadows across the polished marble floor. From the way she was dressed, it looked like she was about to go on a late-night run.

It wasn't until Cassian stepped into her space, closing the distance to a mere foot, that she snapped out of her thoughts. Her gaze, sharp and piercing, lifted to meet his and then to Azriel's. A flicker of surprise darted across her features before she veiled it with a practiced air of indifference.

"Going on another evening run?" Cassian asked her as a way of greeting.

Nesta's response was terse, her lips pursing slightly as she uttered a succinct "Yes." She looked over the both of them again. "Anything happen at the meeting at the River House?"

"You didn't miss much," Azriel responded. "Amren will send out a memo first thing tomorrow."

Cassian studied her for a beat longer, noting the slight clench of her jaw and the way her eyes darted to the lobby doors. An idea sparked in him.

"If you give me ten minutes," he offered, gesturing towards the elevators with a hopeful tilt of his head, "I can join you."

The words hung in the air, a delicate offer. He saw it then -- the imperceptible stiffening of her posture, ready to refuse. So he quickly added, a playful note in his voice, "I know all the good running routes around here."

Nesta hesitated, but her expression wavered. "I would rather run on my own."

"I don't blame you," Azriel teased, unable to stop himself. "Cassian is terrible company."

Cassian scowled at his brother. "It's dark out, Nes," he tried again. "Let me come with you."

Nesta looked away to the pitch-blackness that lay outside the lobby doors, calculating. Although Velaris was generally a very safe city, she had never tried to navigate it in the dead of night. Finally, she looked back at him, her expression unreadable.

"Fine," Nesta acquiesced. "Ten minutes."

She gracefully sidestepped, allowing Cassian and Azriel access to the elevators. She then glided to a nearby sofa, settling into its plush cushions to wait.

Cassian burst into the elevator and jabbed at the buttons for their respective floors, his foot tapping impatiently. Azriel leaned back against the elevator wall, his arms folded casually across his chest, with a mischievous grin on his lips as he observed Cassian's barely veiled agitation.

"Easy there, big guy," he remarked affectionately. "She's not going to disappear."

Cassian shot him a quick, frustrated glance. "I just don't want to keep her waiting longer than necessary," he muttered.

"Oh, is that so?" Azriel's eyebrow arched in amusement. "Or could it be that you're just eager to spend time with her under the starry sky?"

As the elevator finally dinged at Cassian's floor, he practically leaped out. "You don't know what you're talking about, Az," he retorted over his shoulder.

Azriel laughed, shaking his head as the elevator doors slid shut. "Good luck!" he called after Cassian.

---

Cassian led the way, his stride confident and familiar as they ran up the winding road that hugged the contours of the mountain behind the House of the Wind. The path, bathed in the soft glow of well-placed lights, carved a serpentine trail through the dense pine forest and upwards into the heart of the mountainside. A delicate mist had descended, settling into the treetops like cobwebs.

"There's a lookout a few miles up with an amazing view of the city," Cassian said, his voice a gentle rumble in the quiet night.

Nesta only nodded, allowing him to set a moderate pace. The scent of pine and earth filled her senses, and she found herself leaning into the night air, into his steadfast strength beside her.

Their heavy breaths, synchronized and rhythmic, filled the silent space between them.

As they ascended, the forest around them began to change. The trees grew taller, their branches interlocking above to create a natural cathedral, their needles whispering secrets. She let all the noise of her mind recede into the thickening mist, let it wrap around her like a soothing embrace.

When they finally reached the lookout, Nesta stopped, her breath labored from the climb, and gazed out at the glittering city below, beyond the mist of the forest, sprawled like a jeweled tapestry, the lights flickering like distant stars caught in an earthly web. The world seemed to pause -- the only sounds were their heartbeats and the distant hum of Velaris.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

Cassian turned towards her, his expression soft yet intense. His hazel eyes, reflecting the city's lights, narrowed on Nesta as if she were the only object in this vast, sparkling expanse. "Yes," he breathed.

Nesta could feel the blood rushing through her head. A breeze tousled Cassian's hair, setting it dancing wild under the silver glow of the moon.

"Tell me why you're here," Nesta asked, her words floating on the night air.

He bowed his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me why you left a promising military career to work on a long shot political campaign."

He studied her face intently, sensing the urgency in her question. He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Because I care about who gets to be in the room where it happens," he finally said.

Nesta's brow furrowed, her eyes searching his for more.

"I was a good soldier," Cassian continued. "But in the military, I was a cog in the machine. Being on the ground, seeing the consequences of following orders... it changes you."

He paused, his gaze growing distant. Cassian remembered his lover during the war -- Tanwyn, with a smile like a storm, who was a surgeon with Doctors Without Borders. She chose to work at a hospital in the middle of a conflict zone and chose to stay even when the town came under siege. After the bombing started, Cassian disputed his commander's decision to engage the enemy so close to a civilian-occupied area. When that went nowhere, he had begged, begged her to get to safety. But Tanwyn had refused, "I didn't go through 14 years of medical training to abandon my patients." Her last words to him.

It took Cassian a very long time to get over her death.

He cleared his throat and looked away.

"I've experienced the fallout of strategic miscalculations, witnessed the collateral damage of executive decisions made in far-off offices," Cassian concluded. "No more senseless wars. That's why I'm here."

Nesta listened, absorbing his words. She tried to understand the rollercoaster of emotions that had swept through his face.

"And you think Rhysand Starborn is the right person to be in the room where it happens?"

Cassian gave her a wry grin. "Funny you should ask."

"Why?"

He dismissed the moment with a shake of his head.

When he faced her again, Cassian's expression was one of unwavering conviction. "I am certain he is the right person for the job."

Nesta took a long moment to study him, taking in the firm set of his jaw and the gentle curves of his lips -- the lines crinkling around his eyes seemed to tell stories of bravery and compassion.

"Okay," she said at last, as though settling an internal debate.

"Okay?"

Nesta nodded, this time with a certainty that seemed to anchor her. "Yes, okay," she repeated, giving him an assured smile.

They stood together for a moment longer, time seemingly stretching out as they surveyed the panoramic view of Velaris. The night breeze caressed Nesta's skin and sent a shiver down her spine as her body cooled from their earlier ascent to the overlook.

"Shall we head back?" she suggested, her arms instinctively wrapping around herself for warmth.

Cassian agreed with a dip of his chin, but his curiosity piqued. "These evening runs of yours, are they a regular thing?"

Nesta hesitated, her words tangling slightly. "Yes -- no, well, sort of. I'm actually training for the National Women's Half Marathon," she clarified. "I've committed to running it with some friends."

"If you want, I could help -- I could train with you."

Nesta mulled over his offer again, the sincerity in his voice apparent. "That might be nice," she said, giving in to the tug in her heart. "I'll let you know when I'm planning my next run."

Cassian's answering smile was so bright, so full of warmth, that Nesta felt momentarily dazed -- a radiance that rivaled the moon above.

"Come on then." He turned from the outlook, and Nesta followed, falling into step beside him as they began their descent.

---

Nesta inhaled deeply, trying to stifle the swell of emotions in her chest. She stood on the meticulously groomed lawns of the River House, where Feyre was hosting a luncheon for the League of Women Voters of Velaris.

In front of her, the Starborn's grand conservatory was bustling with guests -- their conversations a steady buzz against the clinking of fine china. The large glass structure was situated in the back of the house, hidden from view from the street. Sunlight poured in through the expansive glass panels, bathing the interior space in a golden, dappled light. The conservatory itself was an oasis of botanical beauty, brimming with an array of vibrant flowers and delicate greenery. Nesta knew immediately that Elain must love it here.

Feyre weaved through the crowd with grace and charm, playing the part of hostess perfectly, but Nesta knew her sister was still adjusting to the relentless glare of the public eye. That was why she agreed to drop into the luncheon to make sure that the reporter the local paper sent to cover the event was on their best behavior.

Nesta had never been to the River House before. Every Christmas, a perfunctory invitation to visit from Feyre would arrive, and each time, Nesta found a convenient excuse to decline, preferring to maintain a distance from the life that Feyre had carved out for herself. Standing before the River House, with its stately charm and the Sidra flowing majestically in the background, Nesta couldn't help but feel a pang of regret mingled with a deep urge to flee.

When Feyre's eyes found hers through the glass panels, Feyre's relief was evident as she beckoned Nesta inside.

"I'm so glad you're here," Feyre murmured.

Nesta, feeling a rare surge of sisterly affection, reached out and gave Feyre's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're doing great," she offered, her voice softer than usual.

Feyre's smile wavered. "I've been so nervous about this event," she confessed. "And talking to that reporter later. I've never done any press without Rhys before."

"I've already vetted the interview questions. There won't be any curveballs," Nesta reassured her. "It's a simple society piece for the local paper, nothing too intense. Just steer clear of any policy talk. You'll be fine."

Feyre bit her lip. "Can you stay until after I talk to the reporter?"

"Of course, I'll stay."

With a nod of gratitude, Feyre turned and glided gracefully back to mingling with her guests.

Left to herself, Nesta pulled out her phone to go through the emails that inevitably crowd her inbox. She glanced around and noticed a large door that led into the quieter recesses of the River House. The luncheon was in full swing, but she couldn't find it in herself to work the room the way Feyre or Rhys would.

Nesta crossed the threshold, finding herself in a peaceful hallway. She took in the grand space around her: the high ceiling, intricate moldings, and silk curtains framing the windows. As she looked down the corridor, her eyes followed the row of oil paintings lining the walls. Something about them seemed deeply familiar -- the impressionistic brushwork and open, airy compositions bore the unmistakable touch of Feyre's hand.

Nesta made her way down the hallway, her steps soft and nearly silent on the plush carpet, looking for a quiet space away from the party to focus on her inbox. Eventually, she found herself in a cozy sitting room, its wide walls lined with books.

Her eyes immediately fell to the shelves full of framed photographs. Nesta stepped closer to study the pictures.

There were several of Rhys, Azriel, and Cassian together, chronicling different chapters of their lives -- from their college days to their military service to ski trips that appeared suspiciously like snowball fights.

In each image, Cassian's smile was wide and unrestrained, his arms invariably slung around his brothers, his hair noticeably longer in his younger years. Azriel, by contrast, looked stern, though his eyes were warm. Rhys appeared relaxed and completely at ease among his friends and family -- a side of him she had never witnessed.

There were photos of Mor exuding her usual glamour and confidence. In one snapshot, Mor stood between Azriel and Cassian. They were dressed to the nines. Azriel looked at Mor with something like total adoration on his face, while Mor was laughing with her head thrown back, leaning into Cassian. But Cassian was grinning at the camera.

An old photograph tucked in the back was of the Starborns -- Rhys's father and mother. Beside it was a portrait of Rhys's mother sitting by the fire on what looked like Christmas morning.

Then Nesta recognized an image that must have been taken the night Rhys had first won his congressional seat -- even Amren was smiling in that one. Feyre, joyous, was in the middle of leaning into a hug from Rhys. He looked only at Feyre even as the dozen faces in the photos were turned towards him.

Scattered in between the memories of their "inner circle" were many photos chronicling Nyx's young life -- a teary-eyed Rhys holding an ultrasound with Feyre behind him; a portrait of Feyre with a swollen belly; Feyre holding Nyx for the first time on a hospital bed with Rhys next to her; Rhys lifting a toddler Nyx into the air. There was a blurry image of Nyx at his third birthday party, white frosting all over his face, with Cassian and Mor fussing over him and Azriel standing to the side laughing, clumps of frosting in his dark hair.

The most recent photo was one of Elain and Nyx together, surrounded by flowers in a field.

Nesta felt her pulse quicken in dread. These photographs were windows into the vibrant life Feyre had lived, yet, Nesta found no trace of herself in these frozen moments.

Finally, she noticed a large photo in a corner -- Feyre was wearing a simple white slip-dress, her arms interlocked with Rhys, dashing in a blue linen suit. They were standing barefoot on a beach, waves crashing behind them. Feyre held a large bouquet of hydrangeas and roses in her other hand. Surrounding the smiling couple on either side were Cassian, Mor, Azriel, and Amren. They were all beaming, although Mor had clearly been crying. It was plainly a wedding photo.

It suddenly struck Nesta that there were no images from the grand Velrais wedding at the House of the Wind. Rather just another portrait of Feyre and Rhys -- taken on the same day on the beach -- looking adoringly at each other. Their hands were joined, prominently displaying their golden wedding bands.

Nesta realized that she hadn’t encountered Cassian, Azriel, or Mor at the ceremony she attended. She was certain she would have remembered someone like Cassian with his distinct presence. The Velaris wedding was a formal event attended by hundreds of guests, a high-society wedding. But the pictures on the shelf displayed a private, intimate celebration for only those closest to the couple.

She didn't know how much time had passed as she stood there, taking in the evidence of the chasm that had grown between her and her sister. The pictures showcased a version of Feyre's life that Nesta had never been part of, a narrative woven from experiences and bonds she hadn’t shared.

Nesta felt like a stranger looking in, witnessing a parallel world where laughter and joy flowed freely, a stark contrast to the guardedness that marked her own interactions with Feyre.

"Aunt Nesta!" A child's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Nesta turned swiftly at the call. "Nyx?" she asked in surprise, her eyes landing on her young nephew. His round cheeks were just visible as he peered around the edge of a nearby armchair.

"Hi Nesta." Elain emerged behind him with Mr. Carrot in tow.

Nesta felt every muscle in her body tense. "Hi Elain," she returned, keeping her voice neutral.

"Feyre mentioned you might drop by today." Elain smoothed her skirts, almost nervous, but smiled tentatively. "I hear things are going well with the campaign."

Nesta bristled at the comments. She hated that her sisters seemed to treat her like a problem to be handled -- managed.

"The campaign is going as expected," she replied curtly.

Elain hesitated, her lips parting as if to say more, but her gaze shifted to Nyx. "Are you hungry, dear?" she asked him softly.

Nyx, his attention still fixed on Nesta, shook his head, his curiosity about his aunt undiminished.

Feeling the need to escape the conversation, Nesta made a move to leave. "I should get back to -- "

"Nesta, wait," Elain interjected quickly, her expression turning earnest. "Won't you stay for tea? It's been a while since we all sat down together." Her hand dropped to rest on Nyx's shoulder. "We really should catch up."

Nesta's eyes swept the room -- this house with its layers of memories, the shelves lined with snapshots that narrated a life where everyone was content, perhaps even better off, in her absence.

With a dry chuckle, Nesta gestured at their surroundings. "I think I'm all caught up, thanks."

Elain's expression faltered. "Nesta, that's not fair," she said as a flicker of hurt crossed her features. “I’m sorry I never got around to returning your calls. But -- ”

Nesta's gaze hardened. "Are you?" she countered, her voice low but sharp. "Everyone here seems quite happy have their entire lives subsumed by Rhysand Starborn."

Elain frowned. "Please Nesta, it's not like that," she began, but Nesta cut her off.

"I can't have this conversation right now." Nesta turned towards the hallway, her movements brisk.

She needed space, air -- something to clear the tightness building in her chest.

"Where is Aunt Nesta going?" She heard Nyx ask behind her.

But Nesta didn't stop. She looked for the nearest exit -- a pair of French doors that took her back onto the house's sweeping lawns.

She walked towards the water's edge, taking in the midday light, calming her thundering heart. She did not understand herself, why she couldn't bear the hurt in Elain's eyes, why she always felt the need to retreat into herself whenever her sisters were around.

---

Eventually, Nesta took the long way around the grounds of the River House, back towards the conservatory. Feyre was already speaking with a young female reporter when Nesta found them sitting on a pair of Adirondack chairs on the crest of a gentle hill overlooking the Sidra.

She gave them some space as they finished the interview.

"We corresponded over email earlier," Nesta said as she introduced herself to the reporter, reaching out to shake her outreached hand.

The young woman beamed in recognition. "Ms. Archeron," she said.

"Do you have everything you need?"

The reporter nodded. "It's been an absolute pleasure, Mrs. Starborn," she said to Feyre, putting away her voice recorder.

"Do you mind sending us a copy of the story before it goes to print?" Nesta asked.

The reporter's smile never faltered. "Of course," she replied and picked up her bag. "Someone from the paper may reach out later for fact checking."

"You have my contact information," Nesta answered as the reporter shook Feyre's hand goodbye.

When they were alone, Nesta asked, "How did it go?"

"Fine, I think," Feyre replied, her voice wary. "I am just relieved it's over."

"Don't worry," Nesta said. "We'll get a chance to correct the article before it comes out."

Feyre reclined in her chair. "Can you sit with me for a while?"

Nesta flinched. "Feyre," she answered, feeling the tightness building in her chest again. "I have to get back to work."

Feyre looked up at her, her blue-gray eyes shuttered. "Oh," she breathed. "Of course. Sorry to keep you," her voice turning oddly formal, "Thank you for coming today."

---

Nesta threw herself into her work for the rest of the afternoon, finding a quiet refuge in the familiar demands of her tasks. By the time she returned to the House of the Wind, the sun was a fiery orb hovering low in the sky. The majestic sight of the House, silhouetted against the orange and pink sky, was strangely comforting. But the solitude that awaited her in her room felt overwhelming -- for the first time that day, she did not want to be alone.

She stopped at the front desk to ask for Cassian's room number. With a kind of new-found courage, Nesta took the elevator to his floor.

Cassian opened the door on her third knock.

"Azriel, I thought --," he began, before his voice trailed off, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight of Nesta standing before him.

"Hey," she said, taking him in. Cassian's crisp white dress shirt was casually half unbuttoned, giving a glimpse of the defined muscles of his chest and the intricate whorls of black tattoos that contrasted against his golden skin.

Cassian quickly recovered from his initial shock. "Nesta, I wasn't expecting you," he said, holding his door open wider. "What can I do you for?"

Nesta immediately felt the knot in her chest loosen at the humor in his voice. His eyes were studying her gently. The corners of her lips twitched upwards.

"Run with me?"

---

---

---

Please let me know if you want to be added/removed from the tag list.

Tag list: @acourtofladydeath @fwiggle @swifti-ed

---

#a court of silver flames #nesta archeron #nesta x cassian #fanfic #a court of thorns and roses #cassian #nessian #acosf #acotar #nesta #nessian fanfiction #archeron sisters #acotar fanfiction #all's fair in love and politics #political au #modern au #archive of our own

[mcl-ng-hr]

Hello!

I finally decided to write my thoughts about the game down! So here is my own "little" review, which is in fact quite long, and segmented in three parts, beginning with a general review, then my personal opinions on the LIs, and finally some more specific likes and dislikes.

Thanks in advance for reading 😘️

General Opinion

First off, the interface is refreshing, and I appreciate all the efforts put into it, although I admit it can be quite heavy, and therefore buggy (even without anything else running, on a good laptop). For this reason I'd like being able to disable some features (the animation of the transition between pages, for example, gives me a lot of troubles).

I like that Candy can have a more defined personality, and I also like how we can better understand the intention behind the answers now. No more "what? but that was not what I meant by choosing this"! For the new AP and gems system… I am still wary of it for now, and will see later if it is really as manageable as it seems. I also like sending hearts to other players, so even if they don't end up useful I'm still happy to have them I personally like the idle mini-games, and am quite curious about how the other game will be. I also think the calendar is a nice touch. And lastly, the jokers seem nice and promising, though I would have preferred having a stock-limit instead of them being temporary.

Story-wise, I like that things are going rather quickly for the beginning, and I trust they'll know when to slow things down later. I saw a few reviews saying these two first episodes felt punitive, and let me tell you… Yes. Amanda disliking me right of the bat on my first play was unexpected. So was Roy. And Devon. But I think it is kind of the point of starting a new game, we don't know their personalities yet, so it's quite normal to screw up when not using guides. But yeah, it was frustrating and Devenmentiel broke my heart.

The Love Interests

Jason is my favorite so far. Why you may ask? … I find him funny. The man is just having fun being an annoying bitch, and I absolutely love that for him! He also was one I had a quite good Lo'M with at my first play without even trying (rip Roy and Devon who did not appreciate), and it felt quite nice since things did not go so well with most of the other characters. And of course being the antagonist has its own ring, and in my taste the white streaks of hair too.

Amanda comes in the second place with Thomas. Even though my first play did not go well with her, I managed better on my second, and I quite like the relaxed Amanda.

For Thomas, he is the one I had the easiest time with on my first play, everything went smoothly and I found him pretty nice and relatable, though I do not plan on following his route.

Devon is the one I am the most neutral about I think, I don't particularly like or dislike him yet, though his route does intrigue me in a "Ah shit, here we go again" kind of way.

… Now, listen. I do not dislike Roy. He honestly seems like a great dolphin-loving guy who likes to be half-naked a lot and decided to dislike me when I was trying hard for him not to! He is just not my type. This is nothing personal, I swear! Joke aside, Roy is the one I like the least for now. And honestly, it is a shame, because I totally see why other people appreciate him. But the warningless half-nakedness happening twice summed to his for now unexplained short-patience with Jason really did not woo me, quite the opposite in fact.

Other things I like:

I find Candy's customization quite good! Whether it is for the illustrations, where you can choose between different skin colors, or for our profiles. Candy can also have disability aids (though no mobility aids yet) and a panel of skin features for really cheap, and you can not know how happy it makes me! There also are so much outfits from the beginning, and though many of them have to be paid with real money, Beemoov needs to be profitable, so I think it's rather fair (and hopefully, we'll be able to get those outfits through mini-games).

The music and the animation. I said it before and I'll say it again, I absolutely adored the theme switch when Jason appeared, and I also liked the creativity in the animation very much too. I can not wait for other such things to happen again.

Things I find too bad:

So far there has only been one character that is not thin (two if you count Danica who will show up later), and I regret that all of the men Love Interests are so fit. I can not tell you how down bad I would have been for a fat Devon or Roy (I get that Roy is the athletic type here, but you can be incredibly strong and not be skinny).

Amanda being rich was really emphasized, too much for my taste, on my first play it made me feel like being rich was her main personality trait, which made me uncomfortable. I would have preferred a more subtle way to express it (show don't tell amiright?).

I would have loved to see more not-conventionally-thought-as-attractive features in the LIs, like visible disabilities for example, or different noses, or scars, the kind of things that make the characters feel more real.

What I hope for later:

For the characters of color to be written like ones, with at least their cultures included in some aspects of the game. I understand Beemoov's wish to keep the game lighthearted, so I'd personally understand if they choose not to show racism in the game, but I would also hate that to be an excuse for ignoring the characters' cultures when addressing them would actually be relevant. Here is a better post about the matter.

More non-skinny characters.

Hopefully some in-game disability representation.

#my candy love new gen #mcl new gen #mcl ng #beemoov #critic

[fumblingmusings]

francis and matthews relationship is so interesting cause in the show at least francis is more supportive than arthur for the most part but he still frames himself as the cool older brother you can get advice from and absolutely NOT a father.

It's really hard to say because we have so little 1 on 1 panel time of Francis and Matthew versus him and Arthur.

I tried to find the original strips but I think most of the Birz ones have been wiped from online so orz if I have missed any important Arthur/Matthew/Francis ones apologies...

But I remember that the earlier strips which was all mini Canada tales were so hilariously mean spirited - everyone forgets him, people sit on him, Alfred is just glib and pushy and awful, and Kuma is also just like... ragging on the poor guy. But at least Arthur apologises to him (rare show of an Englishman admitting he was wrong) whilst Francis implies that everything that sucks about Matthew is the bits that ties him to Arthur. And also in another strip Arthur is the only one who notices he's not there????

Like okay fine in the early ones he can't remember who's missing but at least he feels Mattie's not there. However, yeah, Francis another time does remember him and quite sharply chides Arthur for it, even though in the G8 one Francis didn't have a clue.

I do love the arguments between the brother's though, fucking brutal.

The modern strips are a bit different, with Francis paying lip service to being Canada’s protector only to give up after 15 minutes. Compared to Arthur who immediately proclaims himself to he Matthew's family, gets in a right messy state fighting for him, asks after his emotional welfare during the War of 1812, makes Matthew homemade marmalade, and is apparently very content to have the baby sleep on his lap to pass the afternoon. And its sort of like, no wonder Matthew stays with Arthur. The guy who is the first person to see him as a baby and not a set of resources. Not historically accurate perhaps but the nations aren't mean to represent their governments or politics really. The way Arthur treats Alfred and Matthew does not match up with English Imperial Policy in the slightest.

Babies...

This is versus Francis, who says, if I win, I will let you be my little brother. I don't know. I think there's a distinction there. Arthur goes from now on you're mine. Francis is just a smidge more conditional. Though to be fair to Francis, Arthur had won when he made that pronouncement half dead on the floor so... pedantry.

I like the comparison between Arthur proclaiming to be Alfred's family - which he almost immediately rejects even as a baby and then again upon independence and again in WWII - versus Matthew where Matthew is like yep. I'm your family. Ride or die. Becoming the man who looms over Arthur's back like a spectre. And he sticks with Arthur enough where Arthur thinks of him as his only comfort following Alfred leaving (wooft more apologies from the Englishman... when it rains it pours, eh), and enough to try and bring Alfred home for Arthur's sake (I cannot find this one... but it's the box of food he sends to tempt Alfred... it must have been in the published volumes) and enough to kick Alfred out again for Arthur's sake.

He's not like Oz and NZ who still refers to Arthur as a big brother, but he's always been more formal. But it's pretty much confirmed that Arthur loves Matthew just as (almost?) as much as Alfred, it's just Alfred will not be ignored so it comes across as if Arthur doesn't.

This may just be a bias - Arthur and Matthew have more strips together by a country mile so you know what his relationship is like with Arthur, and... it's pretty good. And with things like in modern day NZ still calling Canada big brother even though that imperial connection isn't really there anymore... I think he got a lot more validation and a social net with Arthur then he did with Francis.

But I suppose it's like... how much do you say the old strips are still in play, since no-one has forgotten about Matthew in like... ten years at this point. Also, to be fair to Francis, Arthur also is explicitly not a father in canon either. It's just fun to drag out these threads right?

I need more Francis and Matthew interactions, is what I'm saying.

#hetalia #hws england #hws america #hws canada #hws france #arthur's parenting #francis' parenting #canon #op #q&a #headcanon #this is all over the place apologies

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 134

Chapter 134: "Lost Boy"

I assume this moment happens sometime in-between the later half of ch136 but with the way Ray speaks here, it makes me wonder how much time really passed during those two pages he spent alone, I think. Did the Seven Walls just mess with his head in true tsukuyomi fashion or has it only been the short amount of time it took Emma to disappear, figure out how the Seven Walls works, and then return? Who knows.

Seeing him age definitely leads ya to believe a severe amount of time has indeed passed and that caused me to worry more the first time. All those moments making fun of Yuugo and calling him a geezer came back to haunt Ray.

I was about to say, "oh, just be happy you don't encounter Goldy Pond again," til I remember that they do actually revisit that place in the upcoming chapters. It's far less dangerous without the poachers around for sure, but still remains a challenge while inside the Seven Walls.

Man, I dunno how I'm only thinking of this now, but I'm so bummed how the duo don't encounter a fake Yuugo here like they did with Isabella at GF house. I guess season two took inspiration from this and said "yeah, let's also make the monitor room empty."

I believe I rambled on about this during my physical reread a few years back but shelter itself is constantly changing right in front of their eyes, as if the Seven Walls are distorting their memories and causing their perception of reality to glitch in real time. That's gotta be so stressful for them to deal with but I'd would've loved to see this entire arc animated darn it.

The Seven Walls really landed a critical hit on Ray's mind. He went from having a fair amount of determination to losing all hope, which is understandable with the mental roller coaster we soon see him experience. Can't deny his thoughts sound rather poetic though.

Favorite panel/moment:

Would it be repetitive if I made another stupid comment about the disappointing second season with this? Because yeah.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

[ystrike1]

DEAR HIGHNESS - By Qiaoqiao/Manmew (6/10)

Stories about obsession sometimes like to rely on taboo topics to be interesting. Newer yandere fans tend to be more tolerant of this, but I have a library full of better options. The toxic combination of actual incest, crossdressing, and princes does have flavor. However, that flavor has no depth. It's like a $5 burger, with no cheese.

Lyonel and Theodore Bolton are half brothers. Lyonel is the heir to the throne, but he doesn't know he's a bastard. He has been a dutiful prince all his life. His life was set in stone from his birth. The secret of his birth kind of makes him act crazy. He is gay, but he was willing to marry a woman for the kingdom. Now he knows why his father doesn't love him. Now he knows why he doesn't feel like part of the family. It's not because his father remarried. It's because he is the son of a cheater. It's implied that Theodore will be getting the crown because of his fathers favouritism too. So, there goes an entire life of hard work.

That sucks...

I do feel bad for Lyonel. The author dedicates alot of panels to his shitty life. He's a responsible, reasonable character. His half brother is not, but his brother slowly takes over everything just because he is the legitimate son.

Their relationship is summed up well by this panel. Lyonel puts up with Theodore. They are somewhat close, but Theodore uses a diary of evidence to ruin his future anyway. Lyonel's mother admitted her cheating sins before her death. Theodore has all the proof. He doesn't care about being king. He wants to use the diary as leverage. He wants Lyonel to be his. The other prince is also gay and obsessed with poor Lyonel.

Theodore puts on a show. It's a trap. Lyonel's fiance gives up on him after she sees him in bed with Theodore. Lyonel does willingly sleep with Theodore before the bribe, which is weird but whatever they're secretly gay noblemen times are though. Theodore uses the diary because sex with Lyonel isn't enough. He doesn't want Lyonel to ever marry.

Theodore is lsn't brain dead, but he's a pretty dumb yandere. He doesn't...get it. He's not smart like Lyonel. Lyonel understands that ruling comes with sacrifice, and he'll have to keep his hook ups with men quiet. Theodore seems to think that he can take over and basically have Lyonel as his queen...which is crazy. Theodore is just regular jealous most of the time, but his desire to control Lyonel and his future is what makes him scary.

Lyonel is genuinely hurt by the shit he says. He loved his mother. Trusted her. Hearing that he is a bastard and she was disloyal...makes him weaker. Lyonel starts to act out. He basically agrees to date Theodore to get the diary back ....but he questions his worth. If the evidence is true he'll really always be alone. He's watched Theodore receive love for years. It's just not fair.

The current Queen and King love Theodore. I'm 95% sure they're going to put Theodore on the throne and leave Lyonel with nothing. Which is extremely cruel because Lyonel sacrificed his childhood to learn how to be king. He's not perfect. He did sleep with Theodore because he couldn't pass up an opportunity to sleep with a man, but he wasn't in love with Theodore. He just wanted to fool around before marriage.

Lyonel likes the opera. Theodore gets a secret ticket. Lyonel crossdresses to disguise himself and it looks horrible. This is one of the worst haircuts I've ever seen. Lyonel in drag is apparently more beautiful than an angel though.

Joseph the side love interest appears and Theodore gets jealous. When he gets jealous it's brushed off as cute, but please remember that Theodore sabotaged Lyonel's marriage. He is probably going to steal the throne so he can keep Lyonel as a pet. He only acts cute. He's a very brash and unreasonable yandere.

Joseph meets Lyonel and he figures out the truth. Things get more complicated. Theodore is crazy. Lyonel deserves to be king. Everybody else is incompetent....but the dialogue isn't good. The story flow isn't there and incest is just a no go for me. I can't heartily recommend this to anyone. Or talk about it in public. It's just forbidden fruit edgy junk food.

#yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #webtoon #yaoi #DEAR HIGHNESS

[kinopioa]

Woah, Issue 62 was out since the 5th? How'd I miss that!?

Alright, lemme tear into it @randomthefox @darklightheart

For recap...

"Even though one villain's relevancy was literally over 10 issues ago, and the other is a char that never was introduced in mainline IDW till now"

Lovely start, and the art this issue by Roth. Admittedly I don't dislike his stuff like current ABT and Evan, but I'm expecting meme faces

For the story...

Ian, not every racing game is continuity tied to main games like Riders. This also laughably makes events in Zombot MORE avoidable if everyone had transforming vehicles that fly outside Tails!

Ian also shows he misunderstands why Knux is on Angel Island. Or that Eggman legit has no interest after Adventure 2

In fairness, this is partially cuz Sonic Team is aware fandom is too tied to the idea of him being a guardian for title, even though the reasoning (Angel Island's landmass is risen from survivors of the Chaos incident, to ensure Chaos trapped in the ME isn't accessed), though said reasoning sadly is limited to Japan guides in noting survivors existing (though in game for the Mystic Ruins shows that survivors did indeed depict Chaos, so fans pls)

Regardless, I'm getting too agitated for a small remark from Amy

As she falls in the pit trap-

Oh, it's just...unstable ground? She wasn't in Marble Garden. Knux's patrols also seem poorly done given the ME is still open. Whatever

Amy shows the statu- hey

Wait wait wait (issue 61)

Also Amy oddly is taking credit for this, but Roth is misreading emotions this scene. Also Knux oddly has 2 cheek creases, but meh

Anyway, he teases her for falling through a hole (why is there one), and deduces that the relic that I doubt will be explained why Eggman has it is from Marble Garden mashed with Mystic Ruins. When the latter is literally on Earth...

I love mislabeled geography

Anyway, we cut to this

So first off, when and how do you guys know each other? A phone call to a secretive merc traitor makes sense if Mimic was bounty hunting or an assassin, even had Starline erase records. He's legit been trying to lay low after Bad Guys

Second, Ian, you established that Clutch also wanted to lie low. Why start a public company (which he definitely did not have in the Chaotix issue 48 story)? And why do one that legit was just doing what the Resistence/Restoration was doing? This is genuinely stupid for both time and competition in business

Like salvaging and recycling in an underground market maybe, or for ulterior reasons like a scrap mecha army, but a public company that cleans up? That's stupid

Alright so bar my rant, Mimic doesn't want to infiltrate the Restoration at first, but then Clutch tells him that the lesbians are there

Because clearly, Mimic can't simply bug off rationally, we apparently need backstab drama

Back to Knux-oh come on! (See last panel)

You really expect people to search for the Free Comic day issue? That's bad planning! Same with relying on alt spinoffs!

Worse, they resolved the issue of the burrowing mechs last year (our time) in said Free Comic Day issue! So that's not even an excuse here

That said, half of this page makes me laugh

At least Ian is partially aware no one gives a cent for Jewel. Which is kinda sad

Part 2 cuz image limits: https://www.tumblr.com/kinopioa/723682040470487040/part-1-continuing-on-so-anyway-we-have-amy?source=share

#idw sonic

[chibivesicle]

Gokinjo Monogatari got an English release. I am just - feeling like I got my wish from 1998.

That's right, I'm alive but not very active on the meta for the time being. 2023 sped up for the second half; work got crazy busy for Q4. I worked up to Dec 18th through several weekends so yeah, needed some recharge time.

I don't know how I missed this, but thanks to watching Coleen's Manga Recs, I discovered that the one shoujo manga title that I had been wanting an English release for has finally arrived. Gokinjo Monogatari by Ai Yazawa!

I discovered Gokinjo Monogatari in '98. One of the local comic stores had the first three tankobons and I bought them based on the cover artwork alone.

It wasn't until undergrad I was able to meet a few more people and figure out more than just the name and artist. I tried to find the translation of the manga online, but was unsuccessful. I have to remind people that before scanlations, you had to buy a tankobon and hope you found the text based translation which would have the text according to page number and what panel location. I read a fair bit of Kenshin that way, but sadly, this series was not that popular with readers in the States. I've been moving my entire adult life hauling my three precious volumes of the manga hoping that someday I would first, collect volume 4-7 to complete the picture and that I'd have my matching English version. Granted, I haven't done a good job of looking for volumes 4-7 when I've been in Japan . . . or using the internet either.

As if to spite me, the follow up manga, Paradise Kiss, did get a translation in 2002 from Tokyo Pop which exists in the same universe as Gokinjo Monogatari. Note that a previous manga's characters show up at the Flea Market in Monogatari as well and Yazawa likes to keep a lot of her series tied together. Eventually, the scanlation of the series appeared and I read it around 2011. I'd only found an episode or two of the anime during the golden age of file sharing, but didn't follow through on it. I wanted to read the manga before watching the anime. In 2017, I visited the Manga Museum in Kyoto, got to see a cool display about Ribon magazine and of course they had Gokinjo Monogatari merch! I bought the file folder set and stickers! I bought the Gokinjo Monogatari UT shirt from Uniqlo featuring Ribon series. Yet each time I found more stuff, the universe got the last laugh. Japan released the collectors set with four volumes, there was a French translation, German etc and never one for English. So, you have to realize how I absolutely lost my mind when the thing I'd figured would never happen, happened! Not only was it a thing, I'd even missed the December 2023 release date -at least I didn't have to wait for a pre-order to get volume 1.

I'm happy to see that this version included some of the original color pages!

It has a few more at the end with a photo wall of Mikako's outfits. Everything about the style of this manga, I absolutely love. The fashion goes so hard even now. I get nostalgic with all of the mid-90s Japanese street fashion which has a mix of 60s mod and 70s flare. I think the series also does a good job of capturing that awkward time in your teenage life when you are trying to figure out how to act with people you are interested in. But failing to sort things out. Unlike a lot of other high school manga series, this one stands out with the much more "normal" appearance of the students. I remember picking it up and thinking that the characters looked like they could be my peers; though there is no way Mikako's outfits would pass my high school's own liberal dress code where dyed hair and piercings were permitted. Her bare midriff would get her in trouble . . . Funny how now when I look at it, this is a very unusual high school set up for a Japanese reader likely coming from a more regimented school environment with a uniform and strict dress code. I never thought about it at the time. More that I was plotting my own hair dying plans for when I moved out of the house for undergrad just like the characters had - while still in high school. I did read Parakiss back when it came out from 2002-2005; however, it never really resonated with me the same way a series that I couldn't even find a decent translation for. I started to watch Nana but couldn't get into it at all. Maybe it was my mindset or the fact that I wasn't the mood for young twenty-somethings figuring their shit out.

Yet, here I am in the winter of 2024, and I have volume 1 of the collectors edition format of Gokinjo Monogatari and I'm still loving every little bit of the story as I read it. Perhaps, Parakiss and Nana were more edgier/grittier than something like this which is why they never quite clicked with me. I wanted my fashionable shoujo drama but not over the top. I'm not sure what I'll write about it. It isn't a well known series both due to the fact it is from the 90s and that it is shoujo but perhaps I can reflect on what I was drawn to it all those years ago and what I think about it now.

#gokinjo monogatari #neighborhood story #ai yazawa #mikako kouda

[eyedelater]

ace attorney spirit of justice post

i was going to play the whole game without bothering to post about it, but now i've had enough thoughts that i have to put them somewhere. they are disorganized and out of order and include full spoilers.

the game would have been $30 on switch but it was like $16 on iOS. what did i miss out on for saving my $14? i don't care. there's only so much you can miss out on when it's a visual novel. also, i remembered the reason i didn't play this game when it came out on iOS several years ago. it's because the app is very careful to list which iOS versions and devices the game will work on, and it will warn you not to purchase content if you're on any other version or device. and that was before i had gotten my first job, so i didn't have ~$16 to spare on a game that might not work. so i forgot about it. anyway i took the plunge this time and it worked fine on my ipad whose iOS version is not on the supported list.

i didn't start writing this post until the middle of the 5th and final case. i think we're about to defend dhurke in court and i have to note that i love that idea. and there's the fact that the justice minister was such an evil son of a bitch and now he's dead and that's kind of objectively good. also, the character designs in this game are quite good, especially the outfits.

red flag: when mere bailiffs in your "peaceful" country are carrying assault rifles at all times. they don't even do that in america. as of 2023.

i liked apollo's near-drowning cave adventure. and dhurke saved him with his left arm, which seems to be fine and only lives in a makeshift sling for stylistic reasons. on a gut level i'm displeased that the solution to the puzzle box requires one of the panels to be half-turned, even though i know puzzle boxes don't have strict rules any more than any other kind of brain teaser.

datz is so cute for a 46-year-old insurgent. he has the biggest mouth ever. that one face he makes strongly evokes enel one piece's big moment, but that's fair. now listen closely to me. up until recently, an important personal policy of mine has been as follows: "NO HOT DADS!" it's a hard-and-fast rule related to my personal taste/distaste and nothing else. but i think a really fun and good ship would be the dilf x dilf ship of datz x dhurke. so i can make a small exception. they can have a revolutionary ossan love that is perfectly righteous, true, and appropriate. maybe. (i do know that datz is no one's dad.)

i love apollo justice. he's the best and the cutest. i love his forehead and his vest and his antennae. but in real life, people with naturally very loud voices are unpleasant to be around <3 tone it down <3

when we see that photo of dhurke looking like apollo's spitting image with little apollo and little nahyuta and datz is like "yeah there he is with his Biological son nahyuta (Zero resemblance Whatsoever) and his Foster son apollo (clone)" it's like (everyone in the audience side-eyes each other) uh-huh… that being said, i don't remember anything that was said about apollo's family history in previous games apart from lamiroir being his and trucy's mother. also dhurke's eyebrows are trifurcated while apollo's are only bifurcated. that's plausible deniability. maybe jove justice is dhurke's brother or something? [he's not.] and if queen amara was dhurke's wife, was she nahyuta's mother, and then, were her genes 100% dominant so that nahyuta looks like a clone of her and not like dhurke at all? [note added in later: it seems that was the case.]

ace attorney games sure do include characters' ancestry as twists a lot of the time. maybe it's unavoidable in a human drama?

i think 35-year-old miles edgeworth has glasses because they couldn't think of any fun talky animations to give him so they had to give him some glasses-adjusting poses

how much taxpayer money is nahyuta spending on international flights for ema skye every 2 days

the idea of channeling an ancient figure like the founder or kee'ra is so fun and cool. i can't help but feel like it probably won't come to that, though. also, the fact that they preserved her true face not on any flat painting but on a mini sculpture in the round inside a tricky snowglobe thing was really cool. now they just need her name and maya could totally channel her. or i guess the queen could. [note added in later: of course they didn't channel her. ace attorney always has to step right up to the plate and not even swing.]

the high priestess carries on the rich tradition of being a smug know-nothing, a tried-and-true charming character archetype. i can get behind it. she's doing her best. her english voice actor was no good, though. are there no little girl voices available?

it's very interesting to have a revolution subplot (or rather, underlying main plot) where we the audience can and should eventually be like, "oh. the revolutionaries are very clearly and obviously the ones who are correct." though in the end, even after the revolution succeeded, it's still a monarchy.

i wonder how people with dissociative identity disorder feel about uendo in the fourth case. the story didn't go into the fact that in order to end up with DID, someone generally has to go through a staggeringly traumatic childhood. though you could kind of get that impression from owen… i don't know. i heard about a case where a victim with DID testified as many of her different alters in a court of law, in real life. is it disrespectful to portray DID in fiction at all? it's fair to say that in most cases, they do a shit job. i didn't feel like it was really played as a joke in this case... except for the way he used it conveniently for his rakugo characters... i guess that does count as playing it as a joke.

the 4th case must have been fun to localize, huh? you can't pretend rakugo is anything but rakugo.

you know, i thought that maybe i had been imagining it and that i was longing for something i shouldn't have expected, but after comparing nahyuta's reactions in court, i really do think van zieks's reactions in DGS were not as satisfying as they could have been. it's like, he's the most stoic prosecutor we've ever gone up against and there was absolutely nothing silly about his reactions (except throwing glasses of wine all over the place, which, like i said, gets old. and it's not that funny in the first place. it's more... aggressive.) like at least nahyuta's most drastic reactions are a little bit humbling, a little bit humiliating, you know? he loses his composure. van zieks doesn't lose his composure in that way.

they certainly did a good job of making nahyuta a lovably aggravating opponent.

is any ace attorney case NOT a locked-room mystery? good grief

nahyuta says, "Her Eminence thinks highly of my prosecutorial skills." but didn't you lose 3 or 4 cases in this game already? and one guilty verdict you got was nullified the next day?

when we were opposing phoenix in court and he got really upset and put his head in his hands… that was so alarming! it's like, we're not him! ah! we can't go over there and be him to fix it! for once, we don't know what he's thinking when he's breaking down like that! though it was easy enough to figure out.

the fact that khura'in is totally a theocracy is glossed right over. like check it out! we're a deeply religious ethnostate where there is no line between church and state! but don't worry— everyone in the whole country agrees that it's ideal… right? like even if they bring back defense lawyers, there still might be some problems worth addressing.

edgeworth let out a Nghoooooooooh! and it was cravat-related! it was all worth it just for this.

i have to kick phoenix wright's ass and also apollo justice's ass because they climbed into a manhole and cave respectively without thinking to bring a light source with them. you can't tell me you didn't expect it to be dark. you can see that it is dark from the outside.

"Founder's Orb left with Datz." とても嫌な予感がする…

the way armie became agoraphobic as a result of a different phobia (in her case, fire)… that really hit hard for personal reasons… huegh

oh so datz brought us back the Orb after all. i am honestly shocked.

dhurke's tit shadow

ok so they had to kill off dhurke so he can't live happily with datz. and they had to go on and on about his everlasting het love with amara. maybe that dilf x dilf ship was a pipe dream in the first place. but what else am i supposed to do when i come across not one but two characters who make me want to bend my no hot dads rule?? give me a break.

i cried when apollo left the nest to start his own musty law office. make all your dads proud, apollo...!

in the great ace attorney, there was the sad ex-jailer who was wearing an implausibly perfect facial disguise in which even the shape of his nose was greatly altered, and that pissed me off due to its implausibility. in this game, there was another implausibly perfect disguise, which was queen amara posing as nayna, wherein her facial structure, eye color, nose, body type, posture, and weight were all perfectly disguised. there's a limit to how good disguises can be before it becomes BS. narratively.

now i'm in the bonus story and we're up against edgeworth and he took his glasses off for the trial. (slams table) what? why did they do that? what is the logic behind this? glasses aren't only a leisure time thing. glasses are an all the time thing if you need them. and whether you're near-sighted or far-sighted, you need them in the courtroom, as important objects and people appear at both near and middle distance. does this imply that edgeworth's glasses are cosmetic only? even then, there's no reason to take them off before a trial! if you're going to change his character design, commit to it! ahh but the edgeworth shrug, smile, and shake head movement is wonderful as always. ok, could it be that the glasses did not render nicely in a 3/4 view so they gave up and excluded them completely? i think that has to be it. they couldn't get glasses to work in a 3/4 view so they gave up. weak...

(you have unlocked: minor pet peeve: when characters with glasses take their glasses off without good reason. no one who wears glasses in real life would do that.)

edgeworth told the judge that he doesn't plan on getting married. of course this is because it's still illegal to get gay married in japanifornia :( so he can't officially get gay married to his common law husband of many years, phoenix wright.

i don't have any large overarching opinions to sum up about the game except that it's an ace attorney game as good as any other, and as such, it was worth playing. it felt a lot more similar to the older games than the great ace attorney chronicles did.

#ace attorney spirit of justice spoilers #ace attorney

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 014: Let's get Morb'd! (ASM 100-102, Ann 8)

MASTERPOST

Dear readers,

as I'm writing these lines, the 13th part of this read-through (specifically, its first half) has been liked by 5 accounts. What happened? Did people like my gay jokes? Did they like the improved presentation? Did I just get lucky?

How mysterious.

What's also mysterious is the promise of a twist ending in issue 100, although if you've read the title, you probably can see where this is going.

In this set of issues, Peter gets himself in a peculiar threesome admist dubious facial surgery, improved dexterity, and a series of yeetings.

Yeah, join in on the fun, Peter!

Gil Kane is once again the pencil artist for the issue, and it shows.

What happened to Peter's face? What happened to his silhouette? This is truly saddening.

The issue is very simple. Peter has apparently been working on a serum for years to kill his spider powers, and he tests it on himself. Ensues a lengthy dream/hallucination about him battling his old foes...

What really matters is the final page, of course.

You know, Stan Lee is often very fair. A few issues ago, he teased that Spidey's identity would be revealed to someone. Not only did it get revealed to most major character, but even though Peter managed to convince everyone that it was a mistake, it did have big consequences down the line. So you've got to give the man props: he's honest about it.

Kane's called "artist as usual" in issue #101, which I'm not happy about. Gwen calls Peter to invite him to watch the R-rated flick of his choice, and she name-drops Love Story and I Am Curious (Yellow). I'm actually stumped that Stan would name drop these (or accept them), but go off I guess.

I guess this is reflective of how Gwen wants their relationship to become physical.

The layout is confusing in this issue, I often read the bubbles out of order. You might consider it a testimony on Peter's state of mind, but it doesn't mean that it's fun to actually read.

The geographical layout is just as confusing, by the way.

Peter himself is kind of annoying, actually. His self-hatred reaches new heights here.

Not far from there, Morbius is in a boat and is very thirsty. And when a vampire thirsts, he sucks.

...I wanted this to rhyme. Oh well.

So Morbius arrived at Connors's lab and established it as his new home, and I'm thoroughly confused by the total unhinged vibes from this issue. It feels like the team tried to be creative, poetic perhaps, but it's so different from what came before, that it ends up being pretty tedious.

So the girls are fighting, and Spidey says this.

I thought this couldn't get any gayer, but then Connors arrives, sees Morbius, gets stressed, and you know what happens when he's stressed...

So fun times ahead!

It is at this point that I notice that the reason why my scans don't include readers letters is that they're from recent reissues.

Cue me screaming at the heavens.

HOWEVER, FEAR NOT, DEAR READERS. I have Alternate Sources(TM).

The drugs storyline has been very-well received overall.

In issue #101, there's this gem:

Honey, you've got a big storm coming :-)

The GG would yet again have a case of amnesia, and of course, we all know what happens in a few dozens issues... In the answer, Stan teases a future plot with the GG in the coming months. Color me intrigued...

Anyway, what really matters is that in issue #102, the Lizard has shojo eyes.

So anyway, Morbius yeets himself.

See what I mean by the confusing nature of the layout? A lot of text, and the bubbles keep going over panels. This is too much, Gil Kane. Far too much!!!

While they prepare a serum, Connors thinks that the name of Morbius reminds him of something...

Surely, it couldn't be...

But could it?

Let's spare the thought. Connors would prefer not to remember this whole debacle.

The Marvel editors must have been really fond of flashbacks, because after #100's 90% of recollection and hallucinations, we get dreams that are in fact Morbius's past. He remembers how his colleague thought he was gay with his lab partner.

Let it be known that Morbius hateth harlots

So Spidey's on his way to find Morbius, but Connors gets his Lizard persona back and proceeds to yeet himself off from Spidey's arms. This is becoming a thing.

On page 26 (what the hell, what's happening?), the artists suddenly remember that there's an audience for the soap part of these comics, and this part has been severely lacking in this arc, so we get one page of Gwangst (Gwen angst).

Meanwhile, J.J. Jameson declares that the Daily Bugle is in trouble. I wonder if it's reflective of the team's fear of ASM becoming obsolete. If only they knew! (Let's not tell them about Paul.)

Roy Thomas, your urge to bask in dubious poetry doesn't make this set of issue any better.

The issue ends with Peter losing his additional arms and Morbius "dying" (hahaha).

Stan explains that the magazine became more expensive due to inflation, but that they also made it bigger to justify the price.

Well, I personally prefer a shorter format. This was far too much, far too uninteresting (not for a lack of trying!), and outright unpleasant to read.

Annual #8 is a reprint of #46 so I'm not interested in re-reading it.

The next issue... Uh. Well.

Ka-Zar is back? Yay...?

*cries* Give me back Romita...!!!!

#spider-man #comics #morbius #the lizard #that's pretty much it

[ramu-ego]

mind sharing your other fandom favs then? you have me sort of curious if ego is tots ur type LMFAOA .. omg aftwr u-20 win ego was such a proud dad the face he made was honestly sort of emotional ..!!

NEVVER APOLOGIZE 4 WRITING ANOTHER FIC IDEA HEL i think with my pussy half the time and i read ANYTHINGGG as long as it’s dom!reader (can you tell i’m desperate ORR WHATT?) ngl your “pussy dragging on the keyboard” comment made my ass giggle for a full minute LMFOAO i’ll be using that as well thanks!

personally 4 me i never was really into nikko ASSS MUCHH.. but i can see the hype .. cant stop thinking how sweaty and greasy his forehead must be after those thick ass bangs though.!.!?!

WOAH our timezones r so different HELLPP.. by the time you said it was 6:40 am, it was at least night for me, polar opposites in a way sorta! godd you’re a chronic coffee drinker?? i’m more of a tea person myself but coffee does power through most things with ur day anyways, don’t overdose on it or something!! (unless u alrdy do LOL)

i’ve been doing great as ever, taking my time to relax before i’ve got to get back to that tiring education life again.. 🥲 your blogs has been a good way to pass the time though so a win win for me!! for the blue lock anime last week, episode 10 was surprisingly good considering i was scared shitless of animation budgeting and if they would butcher it, sometimes the cgi makes me giggle but hell i’m such a blue lock supporter that i just move on from all of the questionable moments with the animation!

i’m a sub watcher for all animes (which, i haven’t touched a lot of animes .. if you’re an avid anime watcher, any recs?)

for me, u-20 match was an INSANE ride for me, def my fav and i always reread it in a way, i think everything leading up to it like the 3v3 or 4v4 matches were great too, but u-20 match was hype like no other !! whiichhh brings me to my next point, i need to see more of hiori as his design was just too cute for me to pass up, just the hair and the eyes were so ?!? eye catching imo..

oh jeez and there was this one panel with this blue lock player with the most nicest hair but he just. NEVER APPEARED LMFAOO? i haven’t seen him ever since — don’t even think we got a name

ah jeez i’m SOOOO SORRY if my messages get a bit too long, I HATE JUST RESPONDING INSTEAD OF. CONTINUING A CONVERSATION (if this makes sense?) .. so i tend to ramble ^^’ don’t feel pressured to mirror the length though!! i’d be heading off to bed as i send this message in, so this is sort of my goodnight :P - 💌

OH GOD THE OTHERS-

-this will be a dead give a way to some of my very very old followers who've accidentally re found me after I achieved my last blog and took a long hiatus. I have very specific...qualities...to a lot of them that overlap...

in order from top left to right; Kurono Yuichiro (Fire Force absolute love of my life and a near 1:1 character match to Ego honestly), Hanma Shuji (TokyoRev), Sir Nighteye (MHA), Asagiri Gen (Dr Stone), Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ginoza Nobuchika (Psycho Pass) ...three out of the six are played by the same English VA so you could say I have a type 😂

To be fair my other categories for favs are literally all copy and print similar too. My "These are my babies I'm breastfeeding them and enabling them" favs are near identical copies in every anime I watch 😂 then the third less talked about group...the dreaded libra group 😒

SOMETIMES YOU JUST WRITE WITH YOUR PUSSY AND NOT YOUR BRAIN AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS STUPID NIKO FIC THAT'S GOING WELL OVER SIX PAGES FOR NO STUPID REASON BESIDES THE PUSSY DESERVES IT UGH

ok but to gush a moment before forgetting the Ego during the U-20 match...that panel!!! Oh god that panel!!! Of him telling Isagi that what happened to him and his career didn't matter, that he was fine to be blacklisted from the sport he loved bc he assured all 22 of them had a career in soccer after this game, win or loose, OH GOD THAT PART. I will literally fist fight anyone at this point who wants to shit talk Ego and say he "doesn't care" bc that man was ready to throw away his livelihood for them to succeed on a world stage in the sport they love. Man's got protective dilf energy and I'm giving him a child this uterus is open for business rn

Niko is....Ok I'm blaming it on his VA actually (sorry I watch dubbed I just literally can't focus on subbed) and his English VA is a well known one but did a creepy high pitched voice with it and I mean I'm willingly fucking Ego like I'm advertising I'll kiss that weird man's ankles but Niko- Niko is just too fucking weird for me. But apparently the pussy wants to challenge that bc fuck me with a six plus page story over god damn nipples! Niko is still....too ugly for me RIP

My time zone is fucked at the butt end of everything so I am WAY use to being the last one up and last one to go to bed in every fandom I've ever been in 🤣 Learned that as a teen when literally no one was ever awake when I was RIP. But yes I'm a chronic coffee drinker I've always have been the bean it calls to me I must have it (given I don't drink enough to like NEED it or get a headache I just enjoy the taste but love tea too) Drank it thru my pregnancy and drank it breastfeeding no one's pulling the beautiful bean from my mouth. Love me a good tea though I won't deny good green, black and other teas hit different. Just no herbal shit stuff makes me wretch istg

Glad to hear I started this blog in good timing then! Ain't nothing like relaxing with some good pegging when you're trying to forget that book bullshit 💅 And honestly even though I picked up the manga right after like episode two (needed Ego I wasn't waiting lololol) I've been very happy with the animation cuz like the manga is illegally beautiful. Holy shit is the manga just so well done and the drawings are top tier throughout the entire thing (coming from tokyorev and jujutsu god I miss manga artists that don't just scribble on things like a coke addict) Questionable animation or not they keep slut drawing Ego's hands so damn fine and that man's watch I'll forgive any animation doozie long as my weird looking stick man looks fine as hell

I don't watch sub (I just can't take in the actual show and read plus I got a mad voice kink so....dubbed it is for me) But I've watch a fair share of anime. Don't really watch it for like...the sake of just watching anime (prefer western cartoons a little more) but I've watched some really good ones though. First on the list, Fire Force. I've single handedly convinced like two dozen people to watch this. It's my favorite of all time and will be tattooing the weird looking man in the collage on my body at some point bc of how much I love that series. Mob Psycho 100 is amazing as always for so many reasons and it has a bit of everything for everyone. The Case Study of Vanitas was better than it was aloud to be and I hate vampires. Dr. Stone fucking nerdy funny and entertaining. Psycho Pass is a good like murder mystery book. Sonny Boy and Space Dandy done by the same studio and will make you question your existence. Kekkaishi is old but still one of my favorites ever. And Blue Exoricst I wrote a 60+ chapter fan fic on it for a reason and its still going strong and written by a woman! Don't know about any of their sub versions but their stories and characters are so good they're worth it.

That entire block from the five round selection to the U-20 game was just- Fucking illegally good for a sports anime?? A sports anime for crying out loud?? Even the way they introduce so many new characters is so smooth and not even clunky and you genuinely take an interest in everyone even if you only see them for one game?? Hiori is cute...a little more feral than I expected when we first saw him being cute with Isagi and Nanase. But Hiori, Otoya, Karasu and Kurona haven't like wowed me yet. I'm invested but I'm still going real fucking soft on Yukimiya right now like. God. The eye thing. LET ME BABY YOU AND HAVE THAT SAD MAN. God he's gonna be so fucking pretty when he's animated I'm screaming already

Was that the panel of the dude with Gagamaru and Raichi? The one that's shown on the blue lock screen but we never have an actual manga cap of him?

PLS DON'T APOLOGIZE I TALK TOO MUCH I WAS A HAIRDRESSER FOR FIVE YEARS I TALK WAY TOO MUCH PLS NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR TALKING TO MUCH AS YOU CAN SEE I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL I'M SORRY I'M THE ONE RAMBLE. PLS HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY SINCE WE'RE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SUNNY TIME. RAMBLE ALL YOU WANT I ADORE IT <3

#pls im sorry i talk so much #and i have so many feelings about blue lock holy shit #didnt feel this way about haikyuu like it was ok but blue lock hits different #helps i played soccer a lot as a kid so it hits home #but also it has ego #so bonus #anyways my types are all pretty strong....all my husbands are simliar for the most part #all my babies i wanna smoother are VERY similar #and then a god awful third thing...libras #im a predictable idiot and assume if i call someone ugly...i'll eventually end up liking them #:: thanks for the ask~! ✩ #:: 💌.anon~! ☆

[demonandthedogstar]

meta writing asks: all odds!

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it? Currently editing my upcoming werewolf novel, We Are the Beast in The Woods. Progress is....fine. Editing is always the part where I'm just looking at it in pieces, adding some stuff, taking some stuff out, re-arranging stuff, and hoping I can fit it back together as a cohesive narrative. I love that I've actually finished a draft of it when I thought I would.

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway) I have a very specific, like, the heroes are fighting against a villain who has gained the power to rewrite all of reality to fit their (terrible) vision of a utopia, and they begin the process while blaring Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlyle. I will never be able to come up with a good reason why the villain would be doing that, though. So.

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with? I have been noodling around with something new recently, and the MC of that is so far the one I've put the most of myself into. By a fair amount.

What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree? Hmm... I honestly don't know. @graysongraysoff What do you think?

Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other? Longfic. I had to look up what Pantser meant just now, but that one for sure.

What do you envy in other writers? Their way of putting together sentences and paragraphs in such a beautiful, flowing way that it just feels satisfying to read.

Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself? Yeah, I've published one (1) novel so far, with more to come this year. It is Desert Witch by Nicholas Todd on Amazon, available as an e-book and paperback. I have many projects that will never see the light of day, that I wrote and edited and read again and decided to shelve it forever.

Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)? Titles are so hard for me.

Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations? Maybe? I'm not sure what would surprise them? Maybe that I've never written a real outline for anything. I generally have a list of characters and important places in a doc, and then I just start writing in a separate doc.

Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?) Every story I've ever written has a really tall queer woman in it. I will never stop.

What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?) Comic books, probably. I feel like half the time I think about scenes in my head as I'm writing as comic panels and splash pages. So I think it would translate well.

What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest? An Urban Fantasy about three friends gaining powers from an eldritch monster and using them to protect the Earth while grappling with the fact that the powers originated from a thing that was pure evil.

What part of writing is the most fun? Writing the one scene in the story that made me want to start writing said story in the first place. I love getting there.

#writing #me #desert witch #antique romantic #graysongraysoff

[deadgiants]

I'll hand it to "the Hound," it gave me a lot to think about.

This has been bouncing around my skull for a few days, though it's not really something that I mentioned in the posts while reading it.

Connla's conception and death are all told in the Hound, but they're also very much changed. I do want to preface that this post is more musing than argument against the book, though I do think it shows a kinda gross through line of a very modern sexism in the story.

So in this, the moment when Connla is conceived is depicted in two tiny panels following Eva (Aife, the angicizations are awful) invading Scáthach's school because... she thinks she could teach better than Scáthach? But then she's welcomed back, so everything is cool, and her and Cú have barely implied sex. Cú leaves to go home from exile early on the next page I think (not sure that's how exile works) with the knowledge that Eva (Aife) is pregnant. Importantly though, when he leaves, all he does is give her a ring for Connla to be identified by, and instruction to send him to Ireland at some point.

The key difference here is that in the original telling (or oldest we have) CúChulainn gives these full instructions, framed as geassa;

Connla cannot turn back once he starts his journey, he must not refuse a challenge, and must never tell anyone his name.

I dont Know Bogan's mind, but it's here that I can see where he may have thought "well that makes no sense, why would he do that?" Which is fair if you don't think too long, it is a mythological telling from a culture we don'thave the full context for, but the solution he settles on is to make Eva (Aife) be the one who insists that Connla not tell his name, and that he should come to Ireland and act as aggressor, rather than simply not be able to turn down a challange. The framing makes this read as some malicious act on her part, as though making CúChulainn kill his own son is an act of vengeance for his unceremonious departure unrelated to her.

It also serves again to remove agency from CúChulainn while I think trying to humanize him. In the original he: willingly couples with her, instructs her to send Connla to him in the future, and puts these geassa on him. It gives Aife in the original test less agency for him to make these choices, but to only give women characters agency to make them temptresses, or malicious and calloused feels like a zero sum at best.

This was supposed to be a shorter post, but I haven't gotten to the thing I even really meant to yet because any analysis of this comic cascades into a half-dozen other things.

The thing I wanted to get to is, in a nutshell, CúChulainn needs to know who he's killing when he fights Connla. It may be my interpretation of the story, but from my repeated readings I think CúChulainn and Emer know who Connla is basically from the moment they arrive on the scene, and are trapped by their own laws and mores to play out the scene as if written ahead of time. This created a much more tragic scene of people who know what they are doing, and must continue to do it anyway. It also createds a much more poignant foreshadowing for CúChulainn's battle at the ford with Ferdiad where CúChulainn is in some ways put in Connla's place, knowing that he must move forward, but knowing ahead of time what it means, while Ferdiad is trapped by his society to try to kill one of his greatest loves.

If CúChulainn doesn't know at all who this random 10 year old is, then it's still a setup for the battle, but only in a thematic framing, without as much emotion.

I said before this post isn't as much about the Comic being bad as the others. And while there is something I'm going to say i. Another post following this that IS. The reason this one isn't is that I totally get these choices, or the motivation for them, I still think theyre badly thought out, because the internal logic of the story is damaged by having these characters do the same actions for different reasons, both internal and external. I can see the problem here especially of "how do you adapt this narrative for a modern audience?"

I think the answer is, don't.

Adapting the characters and changing the reasons for events that need to happen in the story in the way they did here, full of (I don't like that I keep saying modern, because it implies a fundamental difference between then and now in people hearts that I don't think exists) contemporary sensibilities, stemming from a neo-liberal society, started in the late 90's, makes the story flow naturally only if you dont think at all about how events connect. It's building a lego set but the top hald are mega bloks.

All adaptations have an element of authorship and will by their nature be personal to the time and place they are made, adaptations that try to be the exact thing are almost without fail boring and somewhat sterile. This seems to be an intentional overwrite of the original, like they were going to "fix" parts if it, and honestly if you feel like you need to fix something like folklore and mythology in order to make it good, maybe you're not the person to do that adaptation.

#comic review #irish mythology #mythology #folk #comics #cuchullainn #cu chulainn #the hound #not art #thoughts

[mischief-lies-and-stories]

10 (Vaguely) Loki-Related Facts About Me

It's my birthday month! In honor of my birthday month, here are 10 facts about me that in some way relate to Loki. Some things I've already alluded too, though.

I've already said this, but I'm also genderfluid and bisexual (I personally consider Loki to be pan, but they're somewhat similar sexualities and MCU Loki is apparently bi.)

When Thor said, "I love snakes," I felt that on a personal level. I inherited my love of snakes from my dad, and I love lizards, too. And I have Alligator Loki/Croki merch and comics, but while I love most reptiles and won't hesitate to reach for one if it's close enough to touch, I'm actually terrified of alligators and crocodiles. No matter how small. I love Croki because he's Loki and I love all Lokis except President Loki who can choke. Kid Loki in the show and Thor in the comics holding Croki like a baby is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. But I wouldn't ever go near him, Loki or not. (And unlike most things I'm afraid of, I can pinpoint the exact moment that caused me to fear alligators.)

According to Al Ewing, Loki's birthday is December 17, making Loki and me both Sagittarius. I think the sign fits Loki more than it fits me, though.

My favorite author is Neil Gaiman, because his book Norse Mythology I've read four or five times. I also love Good Omens and The Graveyard Book. I'm still trying to get through The Sandman, American Gods, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

My favorite Loki fic by me is Like the Dawn (thorki), with Phantom Limb (Theo/Loki) taking a very close second. My favorite Loki fic not by me is the To Know You Anywhere series by triedunture (thorki) and Our Way, No Takebacks by dinosuns (lokius). I have a list on my phone notes app of the fics I've read since February 2020 (no reason behind the date, that's just when I started listing them), and typically all I include is the title and the pairing (which makes it hard when I'm trying to find it again). But this fic is one of the few (I think there might be one other entry) that has actual reaction commentary beside it.

My all-time favorite movie is Thor Ragnarok. Since this is on-brand and unsurprising for me, my second and third favorites are Cyrano and Howl's Moving Castle.

Unlike Loki, I am the oldest in my family (and I'm not adopted, as far as I know). But like (MCU) Loki, I have a brother and a sister.

I have dressed up as Loki once for Halloween and once for an event at a Renaissance Faire. I'm on an eternal quest to find a version of the Coat that fits me, so I can finally be AoA Loki.

I narrowly missed the off-the-walls Loki craze of 2012. I didn't start watching Marvel movies until mid-college, 2013/2014. I didn't read comics until after Ragnarok came out and I learned Thor and Loki had a sister in the comics who wasn't Hela and I saw panels from Original Sin showing Loki's canon genderfluidity. But I'll be honest. I know who I was in 2012 (*cough* destiel shipper *cough* Seriously, the only reason I personally was not involved in the OG Mishapocalypse was because 1. I still have no idea how they pulled some of it off, and 2. I'm afraid of April Fool's Day, and used to avoid the internet for the duration of the holiday so I missed the entire thing.) So if I'd been a Loki fan in 2012, I would have for sure been insufferably cringe and eleven years later would be at least a little embarrassed by my antics. (I learned how to write sonnets in high school English and proceeded to write dozens from the perspectives of Dean and Cas, guys. I wrote a 50+ page self-insert spn fic pairing myself with Balthazar that I thankfully never posted to AO3. I was wild in 2010-2012. Which is not to say I'm not wild now, but it was a different Time.)

I legitimately think about the failure of the half-hearted representation of Loki's genderfluidity in the show, and why it's such a problem, at least once a week. This mental rant has been happening since at least 1x03 aired.

#loki #loki tv show #loki comics #loki fanfction #about me #alligator loki #genderfluid loki

[pyroreadscomics]

how does catwoman v2 compare to what came before it? you seem to be comparing it mostly with later stuff (especially v3), so maybe the reason people enjoy it so much is just that it's the best out of what existed up until then

That's an entirely reasonable hypothesis. So, to test it, what Catwoman comics existed prior to Volume 2 and how do they compare? (Read More because I refuse to be concise about Catwoman) (The TL;DR is I disagree, though)

Well, there's her appearances in other characters' (mostly batman's) comics, her brief run in Showcase '93, the one-shot Catwoman Defiant, and of course Catwoman Vol 1.

Her appearances in other comics are the most mixed bag, and also the area I'm least familiar with. I've read all her golden age appearances, and I'm making good progress on reading all her post crisis appearances, but everything from '66 to '86 is a mystery to me, and even getting past Crisis, I haven't read everything between 87 and 93, but I've read some. Specifically Detective Comics 612 and Batman 460-1 (and the Action Comics story but that's it's own thing).

The Detective Comics story is honestly more a Catman story then a Catwoman story, Selina doesn’t really add anything to the story which is a shame. The Batman story "Sisters in Arms" is honestly a good showing for Selina considering it's a Batman book, and basically gave her a new Holly which is weird but I'm not going to complain, though Joe Potato is a character I could have done without knowing existed.

In all, they're... fine, I could see arguments for Catwoman Vol 2 being better on average (certainly the art's nicer).

Showcase '93's first four issues were headlined by Catwoman: Sorrow Street, which is honestly a solid little miniseries. In it Catwoman ends up getting snaked on a job and ends up toppling a large drug operation trying to get her paycheck. The art's solid. I personally like it a bit more than Balent's but I could see a group of a 100 people saying Balent's Catwoman has better art. Also I'd say that story does morally grey Selina better then most of Volume 2.

(Random Note: If anything that story feels like a halfway point between Volume 1 and Volume 2 both characterization wise, and costume wise)

I'm of the opinion that if you slotted Sorrow Street into Volume 2, it would fit right in (unsurprising given that Moench wrote for both) and probably be considered one of the better stories.

Catwoman Defiant is a... weird little one-shot. Personally I always find myself hesitating, wondering whether the story's theme is hypocritical, but a) it's rare enough that Catwoman stories have coherent themes at all and b) otherwise, it's an excellent story.

The art's nothing exceptional and does have some meh moments but it has that good 80s style despite being from 92 and also there's some great expressions. The writing has theme, has a shockingly good one-off villian, and Selina's just great in this if like your Selina being very catty (and by that I do mean a dick)

To me, I like it way more than anything Volume 2 had to offer, even her No Man's Land issues (though those, in fairness, come damn close.)

At lastly (and I will try to be brief) Catwoman Vol 1. aka Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper (1989) And I'm not going to beat around the bush:

I love that miniseries. It has great characterization and development for Selina. It introduces Maggie as a fully realized character right out the gate. Has enough depth as a story that I've got four different half written essays on it sitting on my drive. It is, to me, The Catwoman origin story.

My avatar is from a bi lighting edit of the cover of the first issue (that DC made themselves helpfully). That's how much I like this story.

In fact I'm only willing to entertain two criticisms of it, 1) it's an after the fact side story, up to lifting panels from it, to Batman: Year One, a story that draws a lot of ire from sections of the Catwoman fanbase (and that personally am meh about) and 2) The art's bad. Like... worst thing I've mentioned so far, worst post crisis story I've read so far bad. Made even more noticeable when it lifts panels from Year One and then you can directly compare the two and see that... yeah Year One has much better art.

(Also, the reason I compared Vol 2 to 3 and not 1 is because Vol 3 is the safe uncontroversial really good Catwoman run, and Vol 1 is a bit more decisive. Just a little.)

The writing is still excellent though.

Conclusion/TL;DR:

While on the art front, there's good arguments to be made that Jim Balent was the best artist to draw for the Catwoman stories to date, Vol 1 and Defiant (and detestably Sorrow Street) all had much better writing both in general and when it comes to Selina's characterization.

#catwoman #selina kyle #catwoman 1993 #catwoman volume 2