#I don't hate watch things because I would much rather watch something I'd enjoy

[matrixbearer2024]

Hi!!! I love your Get Off My Screen series so much! I was wondering if I could do a request for that?

Basically the idea is that Vox and the reader are just texting at night maybe and he lets something slip about something he misses from his old life on earth and because of that the reader remembers that the person they’ve been talking to for like over a year by now probably used to be alive and just spends the whole night learning everything they can about vox when he was alive (I imagine this would happen whilst vox was asleep and we’re just googling him) and then maybe I feel like we’d also google Alastor as a joke to see what all the fuss is about and then we find out that the person vox is ~~crushing~~ hating on is a serial killer and then just telling everything we learned when he wakes up.

Sorry if that’s really long I just fell like this is 100% what I would do in this situation

Old Times Gone By

Vox x CollegeStudent!Reader

A/N: I'm so glad you guys are requesting scenarios within the series, heck- I'm glad y'all enjoy it this much already hahaha! This is somewhat of an aftermath to the "You Could Do Better(With Me)" which is why it's not as cheery as the other chapters- but it's definitely not straight up angst. Just vulnerability and late night chatting between friends. Haha "friends"- And as always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and happy reading!

A/N: Again, I kind of deviated from the prompt a little to better fit the narrative but Reader does know about Alastor and who he is because of Vox's ranting. They're aware that her demonic crush has a weird obsession with a cannibalistic radio serial killer deer dude and it's still not the weirdest thing he's done so far HAHAHAHA

If there was one thing Vox had to say he hated about drinking-

It had to be dealing with the hellish hangovers come morning.

Especially when he'd been wasted the night before.

A sharp jab in his side caused him to wake up this time.

He grunted, nearly falling off his chair when he shifted ever so slightly.

Huh-

Wait, why was he in here???

He could feel the migraine start to pound in his head.

Vox wasn't looking forward to today already.

When he tried to stand up, a clink of a bottle made him look down by his feet.

Picking it up to give the darn thing a once over, he scoffed.

He must have been absolutely hammered to have finished this yesterday.

It was a brand he despised the taste of too.

"Vox-? Oh, you're up."

His head whipped around so quickly once he heard your voice.

When had he even connected to your TV?

Not that he complained, he managed to see you sat up on the couch and stretching.

Your hair stuck up in odd positions and you even looked to be half-awake.

Why was that fucking cute???

"I- mhm. I guess I am. Was I... drinking yesterday?"

"I don't really know, I just knew you were drunk out of your mind last night. I can only see your face remember?"

"Ah... right."

Vox couldn't really bring himself to say much this time, not while he was still trying to grab the bits and pieces of his memory on yesterday's events.

Did he really wander into the monitor room just because he missed you?

That was low, even for him.

"Good morning anyhow, not that I think it would be if you're dealing with a hangover."

Vox just chuckled, watching you get up and disappear from the TV's view.

He wasn't in any mood to work at all, especially when he had a shitty headache to deal with too.

Eh, his empire could last a day without him.

He notified his secretary to just cancel all his duties and appointments for today, just ignoring their panic as you returned back into view.

"What are you holding?"

"Coffee."

"I thought you said you hated coffee?"

"Not hate, I just don't prefer it. But I need the caffeine to function today and I'd rather drink this bean juice than those energy drinks."

Vox wouldn't admit it, but talking to you again was already starting to make him feel a little better.

Especially after your noticeable absence.

He'd rather die again that outright say he missed you, his pride wouldn't allow it.

Cracking his joints, he just watched you sleepily stare up at him from where you sat on the couch.

Granted, it was probably because your TV was probably perched higher or on a shelf.

But Vox still thought you were kind of short.

Not that he had the right to say anything-

He was a 7ft tall giant compared to you.

"Again with the bean juice thing, and what's wrong with energy drinks?"

"They taste like straight up chemicals."

Vox just gave you a weird look when you rolled your eyes at him.

Still you just kept talking to him inbetween taking sips of your hot beverage.

"I'm not surprised you enjoy them, but your palate is probably shit."

"Oh you do not wanna go there-"

"What if I do huh? Watcha gonna do about it?"

Vox just grinned, you getting up to move closer to the screen as you challenged him.

The wide mischievous grin on your face mirrored his own and you both quickly devolved into just either bragging about exotic foods you've eaten-

Or straight up going for the jugular about each other.

"You eat McDonald's daily? I can't believe you'd feed yourself garbage Vox-"

"It's not garbage, and don't act like you've never eaten fast food."

"You are what you eat, I guess!"

"Ohoho! You bitch!"

Vox didn't seem to mind the numbing headache he felt when you were back to being your animated rambunctious self.

He wondered if it was because of the caffeine that made you all hyped up but he couldn't really bring himself to give a shit.

Not when he was still pretty tired.

It seems you noticed his retorts weren't making their usual mark though, and you crossed your arms over your chest while leaning towards the TV screen.

Vox just narrowed his eyes at you in confusion, what were you doing?

"You my good sir, need a hot cup of coffee more than I do. And freshen up while you're at it, I need to go take a shower too anyways."

You-

You did not just do what he think you did.

Were you actually mothering him??

Vox just rolled his eyes at your words, not really intending to go until he realized you weren't budging an inch either.

"Didn't you just say you needed to go clean up?"

"Not leaving till you are."

"Stubborn much?"

"Not that different from you, no."

The tech overlord laughed at your insistence, eventually relenting and disconnecting himself from your devices.

He stretched again when he got up from his chair, picking up the empty alcohol bottle near his feet not intending to clutter up or dirty his workspace.

Vox perked up when his phone buzzed though.

The darn thing catching his attention before he forgot it was there.

He checked on it with his free hand, chuckling when he realized it was just a message from you.

"Go and freshen yourself up, get a cup of coffee too while you're at it. I'll be back soon, kisses!"

You almost caused him to break his phone from the grip he had on it.

Kisses???

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?!

Vox seriously stood there staring at his phone for a good ten minutes just buffering and rebooting-

Dude is actually broken the second you do literally anything with vaguely romantic undertones.

Still he stomps all over his own hopes and feelings in fear of misinterpreting your friendliness.

Yeah, both of you were fucking clueless.

You stayed true to your word and did eventually come back after you'd cleaned yourself up.

Vox had just been waiting on your TV again and the screen brightened slightly upon noticing you.

It was a subconscious reaction, don't bring it up or he'll definitely throw a hissy fit.

So that's what you both did the whole day, talking and just catching up.

While Vox did mention you skipped classes for the day, you just shot back that he threw his work to the backburner as well.

Not that he bothered to refute it, instead just moving on with the conversation like normal.

Hours passed and time flew.

Before you knew it, the both of you were talking well into the evening.

"And that's kind of the reason why I think spaghetti is superior to penne."

"Doll, they're straight up just different kinds of pasta."

"The fact there's different kinds of pasta mean that people clearly can't decide on a superior noodle shape."

Yeaaah... your conversations kind of stopped making sense an hour ago.

Not that either of you minded, even laughing about some stupid thing way into the AM.

"So like- he thought he was really some hot shit taking on the leader of the exorcists but he got his ass absolutely handed to him!"

"Bro almost got turned into demonic venison HAHAHAHA!"

Though of course, late night conversations always went deeper than those normally held within the day.

"Say... Vox?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss being alive? With, ya know- talking to me and all."

Vox paused slightly, it's been a long time since he reminisced of his living days.

When was the last time he even did?

"Not necessarily, I miss some things but not a whole lot."

"Like what? When did you die???"

"Hm... I don't remember the exact date, but sometime in the fifties?"

Vox recoiled when you just gawked at his screen, why did you react like that?

"Holy shit! You're fucking ancient!"

"Haha... very funny doll, I'm not that old! I died in my thirties."

"Ehhhh? You're not much older than I am then. How??"

"Don't remember, it was a long long time ago."

You made a weird face at him, to which Vox just smiled and chuckled.

It was the same expression you wore when trying to figure things out.

As... weird and cute as it may be.

Then you suddenly yawned, causing the tech overlord to consequently do the same.

Something you poked fun at him for since when did TVs yawn apparently.

Rolling his eyes, Vox took a glance at his internal clock.

It was four in the morning?!

How long had you both been talking????

"Vox? You good?"

Apparently his bewilderment was evident on the screen, so he just switched his attention back to you.

Vox's screen glitched slightly when he was caught off guard by how close you got to the TV.

Almost all up in his face even.

"Y-Yeah, just zZst- fine. Say... Doll, do you know what time it is?"

"Uhhhh- no, not really- why?"

"It's four in the morning."

"And?"

"You need to sleep?"

You rolled your eyes and turned your back to the TV, plopping down on the couch with a pout.

"Hey."

You ignored him.

"Heeeeeey-"

Vox couldn't help but chortle from your antics, you really seemed like a grumpy child right now.

"Look dollface, I don't want the fun to end either but we've still got tomorrow."

"I don't wanna say goodnight. You're just going to disconnect when I do."

"What, you can't expect me to fall asleep hooked up to all your stuff again can you? My chair isn't the most comfortable place to fall asleep."

"Still!"

Vox rubbed his face with a sigh, he felt the inexplicable urge to just pinch your cheeks.

He would if he could but he didn't exactly have hands as a TV.

Why did you have to be so cute?

"How about this? I'll stick around until you pass out. You won't even notice I'm gone come morning."

"Fineeeeeee."

It didn't take too long for you to fall asleep on the couch.

Similarly to yesterday, you were just haphazardly sprawled across the furniture with a thin blanket to cover you.

Despite his words, Vox still stuck around for a while to make sure you were asleep.

You looked so serene while you rested, like you didn't have any worries.

The overlord let out a tired sigh, he'll just stick around for another five minutes.

Just a little longer in this peaceful moment with you.

Vox totally fell asleep in his chair again, he woke up that morning in an awkward position feeling more sore than ever too.

"Oh for fuck's sake-"

"MORNING VOXYYY!!!"

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin vox #vox #vox x reader #hazbin hotel vox x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin vox x reader #vox x you #Get Off My Screen Series

[dogloveri23]

Past Mistakes

pairing: Lyney x reader warning: heartbreak, player behaviour A/n: SO I'm writing this because I recently joined the C.ai squad. Surprisingly, Lyney became a playboy and I have a personal dislike for them. I got the inspiration to write this. hope you all enjoy UID:627473190

Crash! The wooden chair you once sat on flew straight into a wall and shattered. "Calm down my lo-"

"Don't finish that statement Lyney', You interrupt. Your heavy breathing and hardened eyes sparked only regret in the young man. You could feel your ears burning already.

"It wasn't like that', Lyney tried to explain. Lynette could only stay quiet as she watched the scene unfold. She believed it was her fault. In a sense, it was. "So when were you planning to tell me I was just one of your many women, Lyney. After I'd given you all of me or after you'd moved on to your next victim?"

"You're not like them! I love you I would never-"

"Save it, I've heard enough of your lies", you mutter walking away from him. You couldn't believe him. You couldn't listen to your feelings either. "I'm glad that my brother has found someone he likes. I'm tired of seeing him bring multiple women into our home", you could hear Lynette's voice clearly in your head, yet you could only focus on the other part of her statement. You knew that Lyney was flirtatious but a playboy? That you couldn't deal with. You'd made the mistake before. Your heart still bore the scar.

"Please love can we just talk about it?", he asks but you ignore him. You wanted him to shut up and leave as quickly as possible. What would he do after apologizing, Go back to his other women?

"Please sis, Lyney has changed, I didn't say it to get you upset", Lynette pleads and yet your rage doesn't quell. You wouldn't believe her words even if they were true! The thought of him treating many other women the way he treated you made your blood boil. "Are you seeing others now?", You ask not meeting his gaze. "N-no, I cut everyone off as soon as things got serious between us, love", he explains but you don't react.

You're stoic. He hates it. He hates when you get like this. He can no longer read your mind when you're this way. Your poker face had always intrigued him and yet now...it was being used against him. "Love please, I've put that behind me, I only want you. You alone", He pleaded. He was getting more and more desperate. You both knew it. You were hardly the type to believe people could change. Much less playboys. It was something that would always remain in a person. They could only suppress the urges, soon enough they would spring out and stab your heart.

"Lyney, I think we should end this."

"What? Love they are in the past! I only love you! Why can't you see that? Why can't you see I'd drop them and choose you in a heartbeat? I already have!", He says holding onto your arm. His smile was gone, all that you could see was the sadness in his eyes. "Let me go Lyney", You say. You didn't want to yell anymore, you were done.

"I'd rather die"

"Then do", you say as you yank your hand back glaring at him shortly before leaving. "Goodbye Lyney", You say leaving their home with a heavy chest. It had to be done, you couldn't repeat your past mistakes. Not now, not ever.

Part 2?

#genshin impact #genshinimagines #genshinimpactimagines #genshin impact venti #genshin impact angst #genshinoneshots #genshin x reader #lyney and lynette #lyney #lyney x reader #lyney x you #lyney x y/n

[mins-fins]

missa solemnis

&&. it's not everyday that you waltz with the prince that wants to rip out your tongue, but life is just full of surprises.

pairing: lee donghyuck x m!reader

genre: fairly random really, royalty au, enemies(?) to lovers

warnings: explicit language, reader and hyuck threaten each other the whole time, reader and hyuck both suck so bad but they both want each other so bad

word count: 1k

notes: this whole thing is just one scene from a bigger thing i wrote during the christmas break that i scrapped because i didn't think people would read it.. also because i'm not very good when it comes to writing people as enemies, also it was HORRIBLE i almost throw up every time i even glance at that mess 😞 anyway to celebrate nct dream reincarnation royal au i decided to just take this chunk and edit it so now at least it makes a little more sense 😭?? not my best writing truly but prince hyuck has not left my mind, i need to start writing more royal aus

"if i didn't know better, i'd think you wanted to kiss me right now".

there's a taunting tone in your voice that makes donghyuck glare, but he still doesn't get distracted, keeping up the same momentum he's had since you two began dancing no more than a few minutes ago.

there's a few good reasons you assumed he wanted to kiss you, mainly the direct contact he was making with your lips, he looked like he was about to move forward and connect his lips with yours with absolutely no shame, no regard for his reputation, his soon-to-be-wife, or his supposed "hatred" of you.

"you are an absolute moron".

"aren't i correct?"

donghyuck's poker face doesn't falter, no matter how much you tried to get a smile out of him with idiotic comments or jokes. "nope, wrong as always".

you hum at the princes response, somehow able to stay focused on waltzing as the two of you made your way around in a circle. donghyuck will never understand your way of easily multitasking, how you were somehow able to focus on annoying the absolute shit out of him as well as focus on not stepping on his foot at all.

he has to give it to you (begrudgingly though), it's impressive.

"so what is it then, your highness? you were just staring at my lips because you were bored? lost in your head?"

donghyuck's grip on your hand tightens at the sound of you using his title in such a mocking manner, oh he hates you, he hates you so much that if he had to choose, he'd rather kill you himself then have someone else do it.

you piss him off so much, your words piss him off so much, he wants to punch you, he wants to set you on fire and watch you burn, he wants to so badly stomp you into the ground and watch you suffer—

but holy shit you are absolutely gorgeous.

donghyuck can't even deny it, even with how much denial courses through his veins about topics such as this, anyone with two functioning eyes could see that you are just such a work of art. donghyuck can't even blame all the women that flock to the gates of your palace, hoping to score just one date with you.

"i was too busy thinking about the several torture methods that i could put you through".

"ah i am so hurt, you don't love me sweetheart?"

donghyuck has to use every single bit of patience remaining in his body to not step on your foot and leave you in pain on the dance floor.

the only reason he was dancing with you in the first place was because of a promise he made to his mother, his fiancée was off doing something else, gossiping with the servants, he assumes, she did always enjoy that, a favorite activity of hers that he's learned about from observing.

a dance like this should truly only be preserved for lovers, people who can stand each other, a pair who, with all things considered, won't bicker whilst they were supposed to be focusing on the music.

you two, with all things considered, are an example of everything opposite of that, you can't stand each other, you bicker all the time, and you are truly the furthest thing from lovers.

"call me that again and next time your head won't be attached to your body".

"i like to think you threaten me because you love me".

donghyuck snorts, finally, and you felt a surge of pride in your chest, you'd gotten a smile out of him. "your mind must be the messiest place ever.." he resorts to muttering, not knowing what other specific threats he could tell you. "an idiotic one too, do you ever think clearly? logically?"

you hum, displaying a lack of offense at the words. instead, you just lean closer, the distance between you two minimizing. "i only think about you, sweetheart".

a scoff leaves the prince's lips, he's absolutely done with you, but there's still a good minute left to the song, meaning there's still a good minute of you two waltzing in this ballroom left.

"i just cannot wait for this to be over.."

"you don't say!"

your enthusiasm pisses off donghyuck, but he doesn't step on your foot like he wanted, instead pulling you forward harshly, causing for a yelp of surprise to escape your lips. his arm remains around your waist, ensuring that you won't fall, but you two do bump foreheads.

"jesus! are you crazy!?"

there is absolutely no reason for you two to be pressed this close, your fingers still very much intertwined, just one trip up and your lips would touch.

you wonder in your head if donghyuck is slowly regretting his brash decision.

"what? you don't know how to waltz anymore?"

you always find a way to jab at him, comment on something he did, joke about a little things that you knew got under his skin.

oh lee donghyuck absolutely despises you.

that doesn't explain why he still clearly wants to kiss you, though.

"you're just—" he pauses in the middle of his sentence, suddenly very interested in your facial features, features that he could now clearly see up close. "a moron, an idiot".

"as you've said before".

donghyuck doesn't respond anymore after that, the song isn't even done, a good 25 seconds left before it's ending, but donghyuck was clearly done, as he pushed you away, taking in a breath.

"that's enough of you, have a good night your highness".

the words leave his tongue bitterly, his glare is less of a genuine one and more full of mixed emotions, but he doesn't give you any more time to stare at him, just turns around and walks in the direction of his fiancée.

you watch him walk away, and he doesn't make an effort to even save you one final glance.

the song isn't even over yet.

but he's done, very done.

#lee donghyuck #haechan #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #nct imagines #nct drabbles #nct scenarios #haechan imagines #haechan drabbles #haechan scenarios #lee donghyuck x reader #lee donghyuck x male reader #haechan x reader #haechan x male reader #𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 isa's works!

[oops-all-concrete]

I'm doing another BG3 companions headcanons dump, since I enjoyed the last one a lot! So please enjoy;

BG3 COMPANIONS REACT TO; TAV IS SCARED!

(For further context, companions reacting to Tav having to be around something they don't like, eg; water, small spaces, fire, undead etc, or they're just jumpy in general. Also, romance is not established, but implied!)

Wall of fluff below, enjoy

Lae'zel -

It depends on the fear. If it's something like a cave that's barely holding up or the group is sneaking past a hoard, she'll agree the situation is critical, but encourage focus. "I'd also like for this to be over. But it won't be if we hesitate and dally" but if it's something like heights or rivers, she doesn't understand...but she will become a githyanki barrier between Tav and whatever is causing them stress.

Shadowheart -

She's pretty understanding of most fears. She freezes at the mere howl of a distant wolf, so if Tav flinches at the crackle of fire or the smell of blood, so be it. She keeps an eye out and tries to find work arounds if the group is about to enter somewhere Tav is going to hate. If it's unavoidable, she's as gentle as possible. "We've got this. It'll be over before you know it, I promise you. Then we'll never have to do this again."

Wyll -

He'll make it as tolerable as possible, but will encourage Tav to face their fears head on. "I'm not scared. I have no reason to be and neither do you, because I won't let anything happen to you" he'll promise. Won't push, won't complain. Just keeps Tav in arms reach and stays calm. He's proudly Tavs dedicated rock. And sheild. And blade. He sasses anybody has anything to say about it.

Karlach -

"Don't worry. Mama K is the best teifling sheild around, from here to Avernus! Stick close" She smiles, confident as ever. Even if she is scared too, she'll pretty much forget about that while Tav is scared. Tav is her main priority, and she let's them know proudly. Anyone else says anything? She's reaching for the greataxe.

Gale -

Doesn't want you to be embarrassed, so he tells you about a silly fear he has. Has a knack for rambling Tav into distraction, so he takes advantage as best he can of their attention. Of course in a moment of panic he'll drop the 'I did something stupid' fake laughter and immediately stop everything. "We can go, right now. I'm sure we can find another way to do this, we always do. I don't care if it takes longer, it's got to be better than watching you shake like that"

Astarion -

He pretends not to notice. Not because he doesn't care, but comfort has never been his strong suit. He worries he's going to make it all worse if he addresses Tav about it. Instead he occupies himself with laughing about whatever situation they're in. If he knows anything, its how to be disarming, and laughter works like a charm...but if it doesn't and nobody else steps in to comfort Tav, he'll do it- granted the words are coming out before he can think too hard; "Look at me. You have survived a goblin camp of cultists, an entire githyanki creche- we met after crashing from a nautaloid ship with illithid worms in our heads. This is nothing. You're stronger than this."

Bonus! (the elders)

Halsin -

He can tell they're nervous before Tav can. He checks in regularly and asks repeatedly if there's anything else he can do to make it all easier. Once it gets to be too much, he calls it for Tav. "I understand if you'd rather myself and a few others handle this. While I'm proud of you for staying, I can promise you no disappointment if you wish to leave. Your wellbeing isn't worth sacrificing for this"

Jaheira -

Similar to Halsin, she's very quick to pick up on when something upsets Tav even if they don't say anything. She subtly keeps an ear out for how well they're holding up, and will make excuses for Tav to take breaks and get further away from the thing they're scared of. "Apologies, but this old druid needs to rest her old lady hips. Tav, it would be safer if we both went to that safe spot there, come on." Jaheira won't bring it up, but its easy to figure out what she's doing.

Minsc -

He doesn't notice for a while, even if its obvious, but once it occurs to him, he draws an obnoxious amount of attention to it. Granted he's also asking people to get between you and the source of discomfort and will tell anyone who so much as sighs to politely shut the fuck up. If he thinks it will help, he will put Boo on Tavs shoulder. "Boo is a war criminal! Everything fears Boo. He'll protect you from all the nasties, won't you Boo?"

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you guys have any prompt ideas, I'd LOVE to write more ^^

#bg3 #and sorry for the wall of text #astarion #astarion headcanons #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 headcanons #wyll ravengard #wyll headcanons #lae'zel headcanons #lae'zel #halsin #halsin headcanons #karlach headcanon #karlach bg3 #karlach #shadowheart headcanons #shadowheart #gale headcanons #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 jaheira #jaheira #bg3 minsc #minsc and boo #bg3 tav #tav romance #bg3 romance

[sauntervaguelydown]

what's interesting about Zenigata throughout the Lupin iii franchise is that he doesn't really have a core interiority. Everything about Zenigata is exterior.

Part 4 does this insane thing with him where he's locked into his role as judge/jury/executioner to such an extent that it seems pathological--he has to keep Lupin in prison even though it is making him, personally, miserable with grief. He has to make sure Lupin dies rather than let him escape. It will literally destroy the foundation of who he is as a person if he succeeds in the goal he's assigned himself, but he can't possibly do anything else. The law is the law and his job is his job, and he can't let himself be anything else even for a moment. It's fucking intense! It's Greek tragedy!

Compare that to part 5, which was made like? two years? later. And in this one, Zenigata explicitly states that he wants to put Lupin in jail because it's the only way to make Lupin understand his actions have consequences. To force him to turn over a new leaf, make him go straight, and then meet him on the other side. Literally wants to buy him a drink when he gets out of prison.

These could not be more different--I mean it's Antigone vs A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Are either of them more true to the spirit of the character than the other? Well. It's really hard to say, because we just don't know these things about Zenigata in Part One!

What's his relationship to justice? How does he feel about The Law? Is he a corrupt cop, is he noble? Is his chasing Lupin driven by career aspirations or personal passion?

EDIT: I have now read the manga translations, and uhhh well. Apparently they met in college and Zenigata hated his vibe SO bad he spent the rest of his life trying to kill the guy. Not sure that helps us much here.

As it stands, here's a rough list of the stuff I've watched and what its take on Zenigata is

Part One: in the first episode, Zenigata gives a brief explanation of their dynamic (for the sake of the audience) which is already WELL established in-universe. Here he says something like, "Lupin, if you weren't the Grandson of Arsene Lupin, and I wasn't the descendant of the famous Zenigata..." implying that something about this dynamic would change if it wasn't for their Cosmically Assigned Destinies as products of their Two Houses Alike in Dignity etc. What would be different? Would they be friends? I don't know! But Zenigata definitely seems to be beholden to the legacy of his own family here.

there's also an ep where Zenigata has Lupin in jail successfully. Zenigata stays on site guarding the jail the whole 6 months, and eventually one of the other guards says if I didn't know any better I'd think you were looking forward to seeing him escape.

later episodes led by Miyazaki lean more heavily on the context of his career; his relationship to his boss, a conference he wants to attend in his field, the fear of one's job being outmoded by technology etc.

The Mystery of Mamo: Zenigata has so much personal passion! When they tell him to drop the case, he literally quits the force to chase Lupin as a private citizen! This is the one where he swears he'll follow Lupin to the gates of Hell because they are fated rivals. This is also the one where he literally tries to stake Lupin in case he's turned into a vampire. so. I don't know man. He's fucking unhinged in this movie, it's pretty great.

Mamo is known to be closer in tone to the manga than anything else, but Zenigata is not this rabid in the manga. Manga Zenigata is more contemptuous and put-upon.

The Castle of Cagliostro: this is a neutral good Zenigata at his most admirable. When he can't get justice through the law, he teams up with criminals in order to circumvent corrupt government officials. He's also headstrong and fully willing to risk his own career, but not ready to throw it away at the first inconvenience. He is "very fond" of Lupin. He enjoys the chase, but he can put it aside in order to fry bigger fish. You get the impression that he cares about correcting injustice more than the letter of the law.

Part Two: Lupin fakes his death twice that I can remember and BOTH times Zenigata cries about it. On the first occasion, Zenigata shakes the corpse, begs it to wake up, then wonders tearfully what he's going to do with himself now that Lupin is dead. On the second occasion, Zenigata first tries to KILL himself rather than allow Lupin to rescue him (out of a sense of pride) and then cries and calls Lupin a "great man" after Lupin fakes a fatal crash. The resentment IMMEDIATELY gives way to mourning. He's very cavalier with his own life, but precious about Lupin's.

By the way, I love how much this man cries. I ALSO love crying in public and being homoerotically obsessed with my enemies. He's so relatable

the other thing is that this Zenigata is VERY binary about roles; he refuses to jailbreak from extralegal imprisonment because "cops don't escape jail". Doesn't matter that the jail is run by terrorists who are going to kill him, that's Not What Cops Do.

The Fuma Conspiracy: Lupin has faked his death yet again, and Zenigata has--in direct response to this--quit the force and BECOME A MONK, and explicitly says he is busy praying for Lupin's soul so that Lupin can be reincarnated as a law abiding citizen in his next life. What the fuck does this say about Zenigata? Buddy we don't have time to unpack that whole suitcase. In brief: Zenigata is prescriptive about law and legality as equaling goodness/dharma/morality etc. But he also changed his entire life so that he could remain dedicated to THE SOUL OF HIS DEAD NEMESIS. So this is clearly very personal, and has nothing to do with his career.

Part Three: limited familiarity with this one but I HAVE seen the episode where Zenigata gets fired due to his boss's embezzlement scheme and subsequently uncovers the scheme--there's a bit where Lupin pretends to mug him in an alley so they can have a private conversation, and Zenigata IS pretty quick to jump on the trail of this embezzlement scheme instead of chasing Lupin, once he's been tipped off. Perhaps more career driven in this one.

Lupin First Contact: some combination of career-based ambition and, like, Unrequited Rivalry At First Sight. He came here to chase Fujiko and got so distracted by this other idiot that he nearly forgot about her. To be fair, this story is narrated by Lupin so it may not even be an accurate representation of Zenigata within its own canon.

Ten Thousand Movies other from 1990-2005: girl most of these are so bad they are so SO bad. Most of the time Zenigata is not a major player. I can't remember anything he did in these except--oh, in Burning Memories, he uses the jute he keeps in a shinto shrine in his apartment after it survives a major fire. Loved that.

Also, he dresses in drag at the beginning of Farewell Nostradamus. This has nothing to do with anything I just loved it.

The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: corrupt cop. dirtbag. full stop.

okay, no, really. Here he is explicitly concerned with his career; he laments that he had to take grunt work to get by, talks about being busted down the chain after reporting his dirty boss, is extremely defensive of anyone muscling in on his Case even someone he has every reason to trust... this is a man who only cares about his career

he does fuck Fujiko and it IS a corrupt move. He seems to imply he's done this before with other thieves. He KNOWS she faked an orgasm and he doesn't care. He's mean as hell.

He cares about his pride. He seems to think Having Personal Pride is incompatible with participating in corruption. Does not explain why he exploited Fujiko Mine for sex. Maybe corruption doesn't count if you don't respect the person you're violating the rights of.

So, overall, have I got a thesis?

Basically, everyone who writes Zenigata has a different take on what his core motivation is. All the stuff that is core to Zenigata is in his affect, in his actions. He's enthusiastic, emotional, hotheaded, stubborn, prone to cackling, smart but not quite smart enough. What he thinks and what he feels, what he does in his private life, remains surprisingly mysterious.

Several of these takes are mutually exclusive. Mamo and Cagliostro simply do not overlap, just like Part 4 and Part 5 are at odds with each other. You can't put Mamo and Cagliostro and Part 1 in a blender without creating some new third thing inaccurate to all three.

For my money, here's what I think the core points would be, if I was starting out to write a fresh series or something:

the Shinto angle; his duty to the family legacy, especially with a famous ancestor like the OG Zenigata, looms large over the current inspector. He has a lot to live up to.

although they met through his job, he's very specifically attached to Lupin in a way that has nothing to do with his job; in fact, his desire to be close to Lupin is at odds with his career

he started out being ambitious and career oriented--this is why he started chasing Lupin, hoping to make a name for himself.

his career has fully stalled out and he's in conflict with himself about the joy his gets from chasing Lupin vs the expectations he set for himself ten years ago

ACAB; if he's actually ethical and cares about civil rights, he's got to be Insanely Unpopular with other cops. The only reason he might be able to get away with this and still have a job is that he's A) an accidental celebrity now with a weird amount of public clout B) he's got insane tunnel vision and doesn't notice major violations of human rights unless they are Directly In his Line of Vision. Nonetheless, this is unsustainable in the long term.

*I'm also a proponent of "Zenigata used to be more ruthless and corrupt, but he's actually picked up ethics somehow from being around criminals all the time" simply because. it is funny.

In conclusion: probably the reason we don't have solid answers to these questions is because Zenigata is like a dog chasing cars. He doesn't know what he'd do with one if he caught it. Nonetheless, he's gotta chase that goddamn fiat.

#lupin iii #meta #zenigata

[supercorpkid]

Ace Reporter - part 3

Supergirl, Kara Danvers x Reader, Lena Luthor x Reader

Word Count: 2350

Part 1, Part 2

Your editor is thrilled with the situation you just got yourself into. Flying to Kaznia to find Lex's secrets, with another Luthor and a CatCo reporter is like a dream come true. To him. 

To you, this is probably high on the list of your worst nightmares. Anything Lex Luthor related would easily be up on your list, but with Kara's words hanging over your head since you last saw her, this situation is easily number one.

‘I'd make out in a closet too if you were my Lois’, keeps haunting you in your sleep. How dare she say something like that? It's not even like you were being nice to her all this time. Polite, maybe. Sometimes not even that. What would make Kara think that in a week or so of you being polite at best, you had any interest in making out with her?

Or is it a tactic to throw you off your game? You two are getting on a plane to fucking Kaznia with Lena Luthor. Maybe she is trying to destabilize you, so she can ask the best questions. Yes, this should be it. But you won’t fall for that. 

Kara Danvers will not distract you!

“Lena, hey!” She waves at Lena like two best friends would and you furrow your brows at the interaction. “Look who I brought with me! The best investigative journalist in the business!”

Kara turns to you and flashes the brightest smile you’ve ever seen, capable of lighting up the whole world. You bite your lip to keep you from smiling too.

Yep. You’re screwed.

"You remember Y/N, right?"

And then Lena comes closer, a big smile on her face as well, showing you her hand. “We’ve met. I’m familiar with her approach.” She raises an eyebrow at you while you shake her hand strongly. “Flattery and flirting.”

“Flirting?” Kara mumbles under her breath, shocked.

“It’s not usual, mostly circumstantial depending on who I'm interviewing." You match Lena's smirk. 

"See, I am flattered." Lena smiles, pointing to the private jet, and you follow her leaving a dumbfounded Kara Danvers behind.

"Are you coming, Danvers?" You add a little smirk, and watch her cheeks going a dark shade of red. You don't understand why you're flirting with both women, and enjoying it so much. But you're finding it hard to stop.

Kara Danvers is a good reporter. Knows her facts and asks the right questions. Her little notes are already worth the front page of the stupid magazine she works for. And yet, you find it hard to admit she deserves all the prizes in the world just for being herself. Strip her out of all her journalist qualities and she would still deserve all the prizes and all the best. There's also something else you've been thinking about stripping her out from.

You would rather die than tell her that.

Lena Luthor is a good… What is Lena's job description, anyway? CEO? Scientist? Hottest woman alive? She is good at everything. Creating a plane that flies itself, transforming her brother's evil company into something for good, having one of the sharpest minds you've ever seen. Those are some of the things that she can do, while looking extremely hot.

You might die if you can't tell her that.

But you're at a job. You can't go around thinking about Kara's muscular arms, and Lena's perfect eyes. Can't picture yourself with one or the other, or even between both sometimes. No matter how many times you find yourself in that exact position.

And it's weird, because you're quick to find that not only they have a good work relationship but they are also best friends. Lena goes to game nights and dinner dates with Kara and her friends. Has worked alongside Kara's sister and Supergirl (What? Nice!) several times to help save the world. They are all extremely connected, and you're the odd one out.

Usually you'd hate that feeling. But while you're at a job you actually enjoy that. You like that they are somewhat careless to talk about their everyday life and how much intel that gives you.

At least you were enjoying it, until the plane got hit with a lightning strike and you let out an embarrassing shriek in shock.

"Don't worry, it's just a lightning storm." But Lena's chuckle is not one that makes you calmer, instead, it makes you more nervous when you look out the window.

"Is lightning usually purple?" Kara asks the question right out your lips.

The airplane loses power. A bad sign. Really bad one. Especially when it starts dropping a few meters high, and Lena runs to the cockpit saying she is going to land the plane.

"We need to make an emergency landing, and I need an extra pair of hands." Lena yells from up front and you're up on your feet before Kara even has a chance to think about it. If you're going to die, you're going to fight for your life first, and not depend on other people to save you.

"We need to get the power back on." Lena points to the electric wires. "I have to believe you know how to hotwire something."

"What, do I look too much like a bad girl?" You snark, but your hands are already making quick work on the wires, and Lena celebrates with an excited 'yes!' when you get the engine back on.

"Bad girl or not, I believe you're my savior." Lena smiles, but it soon turns into a frown when she realizes she is going to have to land the plane. "Go check on Kara while I land this."

"On it." You get up from your place next to Lena, and go back to where Kara was seated. "Danvers?"

She emerges from the bathroom, looking flustered. "I wouldn't have eaten all that sushi if I knew this was going to happen. God, I hate flying." 

You hold back a laugh and the wish to say, she shouldn't have eaten all that sushi anyway. Lena safely lands the plane and appears next to you in a blink.

"That lightning wasn't natural, someone brought us down on purpose." 

Shocking. You're in Kaznia to find out Lex's secrets and someone tries to take down your airplane. Yeah, truly shocking.

You might have ruined the element of surprise, but there's nothing you can do now, except to go in and try to gather as much information as possible. You three make your way inside a military facility. 

Lena sounds completely shocked he would have an army behind him, you and Kara do nothing but share a look, not surprised and not comfortable in this place.

DEO, test subject, cloning, aliens, desert facility. They throw out words that mean something to them, but to you this is all pretty much new. You're not stupid though, you're quick to understand what Lex Luthor was trying to do by gathering aliens and trying to harvest their powers.

But obviously all this information wouldn't just be lying around with no one to guard them. You're lost and confused and definitely way out of place here. Lena realizes someone named Eve was working with Lex behind her back, and she can clone herself! Like, how is this real life, and why are you tangled in this web when it has literally nothing to do with you at all?

And yet, you're here in fucking Kaznia, running from a psychopath and trying to protect your physical integrity while Lena uses a electric shock thing to fight the clones off and Kara uses her fist. Oh, and to top it all off, there's also a loud alarm saying the whole place is going to explode in a few minutes. Great. Just great.

Again, how did you end up here?

You duck from a fist almost a second too late, but luckily Eve hits the wall behind you, and you can't help but yell.

"Shit! I don't get paid enough for this!" You say, while Lena knocks the clone you were supposed to be fighting out of the way. What the fuck is happening here, and why do the both of them know how to defend and fight and you look extremely stupid running and yelling for your life?

When you suggested you and Kara found out something about Lex, this entire situation never once crossed your mind.

Another clone comes at you while Lena is distracted and Kara is knocking one down. Ok, then. You turn your hands into fists, ready to fight. Before you have the chance to even move, she punches your face and you stumble back, hitting the wall. Ouch, and also, goddamn it! 

Kara is holding the clone by the collar of her jumpsuit, and tossing her away from you the very next second. How did she show up in front of you so fast? 

She touches your face gently, one eye blinking a tear of worrisome away. "You ok?"

There's a sharp pain on your face. You are not ok! Why the fucking hell are you getting punch here, just to find out Lex Luthor's fucking secrets just so Lena can give you a fucking ass quote about her brother, so you can come back home? This is not worth it!

"Find the way out. Get out of here." Kara instructs, after you slightly nod at her. 

Even though you are dying to do what she just said, you are stubborn enough to not let Kara Danvers get all the credit for this crusade.

"No! I'm in this until the end!"

But then a new clone comes running at you and Kara has to defend you once again.

"I'm not letting you get hurt for an article." She growls, impatient. "Get to safety, please. We're in this together. I'm not going to keep anything away from you. You have to trust me."

You squeeze your eyes shut, indecision crossing your mind. How can she ask you that? You don't trust her! You don't believe she is not going to keep something from you just so she can have the upper hand in this. But then again, why would she be protecting you with so much intent? Why would Kara Danvers shed a tear for your pain?

"Go, Y/N!" Lena yells from the other side as well. "We're right behind you! Find the way out, we don't have much time."

Your feet finally detach from the ground and you run out of there, trying to find the exit with the loud alarm clogging up your every move and your thoughts. 

Splitting up was probably the stupidest idea ever, though. Is not like you can fight the evil Eve's clone by yourself if you are met with one. You're still shocked Kara was able to fight so many with nothing but her hands.  

Actually, somehow, deep down, you're not shocked. Girl has those rock solid biceps, insatiable hunger, and behind that sweet dweeb face she looks so… so… Strong. Powerful. Super.

“Sometimes I think you have a secret.”

You hear your own voice, replaying a conversation you once had with her.

Kara Danvers just seems to think that clues and information fall on her lap.

But what if they don't fall on her lap because she is good at it. What if she just sees more than anyone?

Kara: What's up with Y/N?

Clark: Best reporter I know. Great at finding people's secrets.

What if Clark saying you're great at finding other people's secrets wasn't a compliment? What if Kara Danvers not wanting to work with you had nothing to do with sharing the byline but you finding out her secret, the one you're so sure she has?

You stop in front of a door, eyes inadvertently zooming in inside. It's a bedroom. There's a bed, a nightstand, and the awful green wallpaper is peeling off in several places but none of that catches your attention. What grabs your attention is the absurd amount of pictures on the walls. Most of them are of Kara and Lena together, but Kara is in every single one of them. Why is this? Who would have such a weird obsession with that nerdy dork?

Your eyes travel fast between all the pictures. The alarm is going off loudly in the background, mixed with distant voices and there's this somber atmosphere embracing you, making you just want to get the hell out of this creepy room.

But your eyes keep going, scamming the room for everything it has. Until your stomach drops. Blood runs cold. There are two pictures right next to each other that make your heart beat so fast, you can feel it up in your throat.  

Kara Danvers in one, hands on her waist. That nerdy looking face, glasses, crinkle, thin lips, that just makes you wanna punch it sometimes. And then kiss her right after to make it all better. It's an inexplicable feeling, really. 

And right next to it, there's one of Supergirl. Hands on her waist. Looking all mighty and powerful and strong. Looking like a freaking goddess, and yet. The feeling is the same. The same need of kissing her face with an uppercut, and then, well, a real kiss.

It's really embarrassing how obvious it is. And you know how shocked you're supposed to be right now, but you're not. Not even the slightest.

Kara Danvers is Supergirl. 

The loud alarm and countdown in a foreign language disappear in the background and even though you’re sure it’s still there, you can’t hear a thing. Your head spins out of control because you knew that. Knew there was a secret, knew there was more to Kara than stupid cardigans and dweeb face. You absolutely knew that.

And then, like clockwork:

"You are exactly like Clark. Disappears, comes back all disheveled…"

"Clark told me his cousin works for CatCo. Her name is Kara Danvers."

Clark Kent is Superman.

Fuck. Shit. Fucking shit. 

These certainly weren't the secrets you thought you'd stumble upon while in Kaznia.

#supergirl #kara danvers #lena luthor #kara x reader #lena x reader #reader insert

[justa-smalltown-gargoyle]

Hey batman/batfam people, I wanted to talk about something. I know this might not be received well, but...this is my blog. So if you disagree with me, feel free to block me! Literally that's what's great about this site. (I've been trying to do so on my end, but I thought I'd reach out a bit.....idk maybe try to form some understanding?)

I have been a batman fan since like...age 13 or something. Batman as a character means so fucking much to me, as does all his kids and massive extended family. (can't forget Alfred, Kate, Lucius, and Jeff Gordon!!) And I know that they mean a lot to you guys too.

In comic book and fandom spaces we talk a lot about misrepresentation of characters in fandom, but even in "canon" or rather published/produced content. I have beef with a lot of live action adaptions of Batman for example.

The thing with comic book characters, even more than some fandoms/pieces of media, is that there is SO MUCH content out there, that two people can say they like this one character but those two versions might be in total contradiction. But does that make one right over the other? does that make one superior?

Now, I hate Ben Affleck's Batman. And to fans of his, I'd say, you want the punisher, not Batman, because to me, that goes against who Batman is fundamentally. I read the comics, watch a lot of the animated stuff, and formed my own opinion and version of Batman. However, and this seems to be a controversial take, i really enjoy Wayne Family Adventures.

I see a lot of hate on here for WFA (and on tiktok but they're another beast), which, it's not for everyone, that's okay! Not everyone has to like what I like. But what I don't agree with, is that people who like WFA are seen as "not true batman fans", "they haven't ever read a comic". "they only like the flat fanon versions of the characters", etc.

These comments I would like to rebut- some comic readers such as myself might enjoy WFA. There might be people that have never read a comic or even watched anything batman related but like WFA. Are they not valid to enjoy that and have their own fandom for that? Are they not allowed to be fans of Batman?

I also would ask, how much of WFA did you actually read? In it's nature, it's suppose to be the bat family on their time off, or more light stories, but it actually addresses things like Jason's trauma, Duke moving in to the Manor, Damian struggling to fit in at school, things like that. Now if you read pretty far and still didn't like the portrayal of the characters, that's fine, I'm not asking you to change your opinion, however I am asking you to make space for those who do enjoy it, or that WFA is their first introduction or only experience with the Batman and co.

WFA isn't perfect, but it holds a special place in my heart, and gives me more content for Not Perfect but Trying and Cares Dad Bruce Wayne which I am grateful for. And tbh I feel like it just shows other sides to the characters we don't see that often!

And again, obvi people have their opinions, I guess I'm just asking for us to be more aware and create a space where people can feel free and excited to talk about these characters that we all love. I enjoy content and discussions I see in the tags and different blogs but then I see the hate for WFA fans and it just puts a real damper on otherwise really good content.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

#maddy if you see this i know this is dumb but i had to talk about it #batfam #batman #dc #fandom #and like we all agree we don't like male fantasy batman right? #i mean maybe some do #idk #also again yeah i could block everyone that disagrees and i do that sometimes but i dont want to do that all the time #and yakno #im gonna say it #getting mad at people for only reading wfa and not the comics its giving dude bro #do you really want to be that way #so do we think this was how the ancient greeks were about their gods or no #because tbh comics and mythology are very similar #anyways

[horse-girl-anthy]

beneath the cut is an essay I've titled "Ikuhara Fandom, Shoujo Manga, and Eroticism." it discusses potentially upsetting subject matter.

when I first encountered RGU in 2014, I was largely baffled, though I thought the ending was very good. after that, I didn't rewatch more than an episode or two of the show again until 2020. Ikuhara was inaccessible to me as a teenager, but I spent years studying media, so when I returned to RGU, it was like discovering a goldmine. by the end of 2020, I'd watched all of Ikuhara's original shows.

the thing is, I still found Ikuhara challenging. there were things about his works which were seemingly contrary to my value system. I would read interviews of his and he would say things which sounded alarming--to use cliche terminology, he wasn't very politically correct.

if we're being honest, there is a party line in a lot of left-leaning fandom spaces. I used to be a part of that more than I am now; I had rigid ideas of right and wrong. today in the Ikuhara fandom, I often feel like the elephant in the room is that his works aren't the kind of "queer feminist masterpieces" that people portray them as. now, by that, I don't mean that those words don't apply to his works: what I mean is that the way people frame them, the way they discuss their meaning, doesn't bear that much relation to Ikuhara and his oevre.

RGU gets this treatment more than his other works. in fact, certain fans want to claim it as the work which truly aligns with their values, while Penguindrum, YKA, and Sarazanmai actively subvert RGU's message. a lot of other fans just stick with RGU, claiming it as a work without critiquing it. by critique, I don't mean negative criticism: I mean critique as in actual engagement with the text.

I remember that there was a point when I was afraid to engage with more Ikuhara interviews/works, since I thought I would find something out about him that made it so that I couldn't enjoy RGU. after all, when I would hang around in RGU spaces, every so often I'd see someone say that Ikuhara was super problematic. then I realized I was ignoring one of RGU's main themes, facing the truth rather than trying to stay in an idyllic past, so I took the dive. I had my ideas challenged, my values changed, and my entire approach to media shifted by doing so.

it's been strange to be in the English-speaking fandom, where everything is taken very seriously and there's certain universal assumptions about RGU's meaning, when many of the things held as absolutes are simply not so in the Japanese fandom. equally, the creative minds behind RGU are often in conflict with the Western fandom as well. once or twice, I've seen someone point this out and say that RGU is actually problematic/patriarchal, but mostly, it is ignored.

for instance, the character Ruka is massively hated in the western fandom, while as far as I understand, Juri/Ruka is one of the most common Japanese doujin pairings. Mamoru Hosoda, who storyboarded many Juri episodes, claimed that Ruka was in love with Juri. turning to Ikuhara, he often phrases things in a way that could leave you wondering if he's as much of a "feminist ally" as people want to paint him as. of the women's liberation movement, Ikuhara said, "On the one hand you had this social movement, but then in their heads I think almost everyone was thinking: this is lame (laugh), I don't wanna do this (laugh)."

consider this exchange from the same interview for a demonstration of just how differently people in the western fandom approach media compared to Ikuhara and a contemporary of his, art critic Mari Kotani:

Ikuhara: Speaking of sexuality, after Utena I wrote a novel which features lots of hermaphroditic characters. It's a collaborative work, a book called Schell Bullet. Kotani: It is a fantasy world? Ikuhara: It's a future world. Humanity has divided into roughly two groups, Majors and Minors. Because of gene manipulation the Majors are hermaphrodites without male/female sexes, and they have a monopoly on good genetic material. The Minors are humans who have fallen away from the monopolized gene material, they look basically the same are present-day humans, and have two sexes. Kotani: Sounds interesting! Are the Minors kind of like slaves, like in The Human Livestock Yapū?

later:

Ikuhara: The boss is visually female, a Major with a very bold beauty. From the start I wanted the main character's boss to be a hermaphroditic woman. That's because, the way I see it, even the Major women in the real world, that is to say women who are competent workers, seem to have an intense male side. 

what I find most interesting in this exchange is how Kotani casually brings up the idea of sexual slavery as a fun angle for Ikuhara's hermaphrodite novel. it's not to say that this kind of attitude is universal in Japan, just as leftist fandom spaces aren't universal here in America. however, there is obviously a huge difference in values between these two worlds.

so, what world is Ikuhara occupying? where did he come from and what are his influences? exploring these questions is what helped me to come to peace with his works, and in the process, I changed my own thinking.

I'm not really qualified to speak in depth on Japan, its history, culture, or values. however, I have looked into specific trends which I know were influences on Ikuhara specifically, so that's what I'll focus on here.

Ikuhara was born in 1964 and became a teenager in the 1970s. it was a period marked by a lot of social movements. he describes in many interviews feeling completely disillusioned when, rather than change society, the movements were crushed or simply collapsed in on themselves. "oh, maybe there's no way to change the world after all." however, one way or another, he seems to have pulled himself out of that despair. his works are all designed to give modern people a way out of the end of history brought on by the failure of radical change and the onset of the neoliberal global order.

as a young creative, he was into the dramatist/director Shuji Terayama and other artists who were pushing boundaries. in the Kotani interview, he stated:

Ikuhara: Terayama's words are interesting too, but what I find the most kitschy and cool is his theatre. Suddenly a completely naked actress would appear, without even a genital cover, and this was in Kinokuniya Hall! The police might barge in saying "Hey, wait a second". I guess this is why they say it's a fine line between a hero and a criminal (laugh), but until then I had never thought that showing your panties or showing your willy could be anything but shamelessness, and now the Asahi Shimbun was treating it as superb culture. I found that gap extremely mysterious and fascinating, and personally I felt a cultural nuance there.

clearly, the libertine values of 20th century countercultures left their mark on him. more than that, he is interested in the conflict between sexual repression and sexual expression, which has only escalated in Japan and in the West up until today.

turning to the anime/manga sphere, I know that RGU has a reputation as being very triggering, but to be honest, compared to its predecessors, RGU is mild and restrained. J.A. Seazer, a musician who Tereyama collaborated with, wrote songs for both RGU and the the 1992 anime film Midori. the story is old, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, and it's been adapted as recently as 2016. Midori is an exploitation film: full of child rape, set in a freak show, featuring countless horrors in its 40-minute run. I've watched it and would not recommend it unless you're interested in the ero guro genre.

I bring up Midori as an example of the media landscape Ikuhara began his career in. he was working on Sailor Moon, so obviously, there was less heavy content in the world of anime and manga, but Sailor Moon is represents only one side of shoujo. Ikuhara is more aligned with the Year 24 Group, who revolutionized shoujo in the 1970s. the group produced a wide range of works, many of which had obvious influences on Ikuhara.

I know that Ikuhara is often associated with lesbians, but in fact, I would say that shoujo BL is one of his largest anime/manga influences. the early work Kaze to Ki no Uta is an acknowledged influence on RGU, and Ikuhara did an interview with its mangaka, Takemiya Keiko.

many of the early BL mangaka were inspired by western literature. Demian is not only referenced in RGU but also in Kaze to Ki no Uta. most important for BL is the 1912 German novel Death in Venice, as well as its 1971 film adaptation. for those unfamiliar, the novel is about a man in his 50s stalking a young teenage boy, becoming completely obsessed with him and other underage kids. it is a sexual obsession, but there are other angles to it, and the story has been analyzed in various ways. the fascination seen in shoujo and BL with beautiful young boys, as well as pedophilia, can be in part traced back to this story.

taking inspiration from Death in Venice, shoujo's fundamental character dynamic was established, one that can also be seen in a film such as Midori: innocence versus experience. the ever-present theme is corruption, how abuse and exploitation corrode personalities and create societal damage.

how this is handled can vary from work to work. I understand that grotesque depictions of child abuse or failure to condemn pedophilia hard enough make some people not want to engage with these works at all. I will say, whatever one thinks of Death in Venice, Kaze to Ki no Uta, along with the BL manga of Takemiya's contemporary Moto Hagio, are certainly not child porn. I think there is no excuse for CP, and even if there are things in Kaze to Ki no Uta that I question, it is overall a work of artistic merit, beyond holding interest to me as an early work in the genre.

as I've said, RGU is mild compared to much of what came before it, as well as a contemporary manga like A Cruel God Reigns. however, the core of its character dynamics are in line with shoujo/BL. the twist is that the work focuses on relationships between women.

Kotani: ...Watching it, the relationships between women, including the dialogue, were very sexual, very vivid, right? Ikuhara: But I think what it is expressing is simply yaoi. To do that using shōjo "royal road"-like characters, and with two women, is somewhat rare I think.

Utena and Anthy are easy to compare to BL couples who came before them, like Serge and Gilbert or Ash and Eiji. rather than approach gender issues through projection on to pretty boys, Be-Papas chose to use women, creating their own version of a gendered social system. of course, other Year 24 Group members used lesbians or GNC women to explore similar themes, with Rose of Versailles being another major influence on RGU. however, Ikuhara claiming that RGU is essentially yaoi has fascinated me for years.

Anthy and Akio are experience, knowledge, and corruption, while Utena is innocence, youth, and purity. like many predatory shoujo characters, Akio is obsessed with innocence and purity while also seeking to destroy them. the drama centers on Utena's struggle with corruption, as well as Anthy's conflicted feelings towards her friend's naivety, as she both identifies her past self with Utena and resents her for her ignorance. the story also features intense power dynamics, which, over the course of the narrative, are upset. all of these elements are standard for BL and shoujo.

to dig deeper into the value sense behind these works, here is a passage from the Takemiya/Ikuhara interview:

Takemiya: What I wanted to ask is about “crossing the line” for a girl [implicitly losing one's virginity/sexual purity]. I thought Utena crossed it unexpectedly easily. Ikuhara: Ah, I’m not thinking very deeply, right? Actually, I just wanted to suggest that it doesn’t matter. Because a lot of people seem to get caught up in issues of purity, I wanted to show that it didn’t matter. Takemiya: But doesn’t it seem like more kids these days don’t care about those things? Ikuhara: Yes, and that’s another reason I did it. But I think there are still many people who would try to put it in a box and say purity is important because it is an animation. Takemiya: Actually I think it’s more likely a lot of people will try to use the purity as an index of understanding. I guess you are an adult if you can overcome that. Ikuhara: That’s true, there are a lot of people that want to put a line between justice and absolute evil based on purity. I didn’t want them to do that. Whether manga or anime, I think it can become a motivation for the viewers and the readers in real life. I don’t like when people draw lines, out in society, equating absolute evil with impurity - in an animation which is nothing more than fiction, drawing a line between those that are carnally pure and those that are not.

I think we can all agree that Akio was in the wrong for trying to make Utena feel guilty for sleeping with him in episode 38 of RGU. but going further, Ikuhara and Takemiya say that they want to reject purity as an index of understanding altogether. to me, what this means is not jumping to immediate judgments, not treating issues of sexuality as if they are so deep as to sully the soul.

this is NOT to make some kind of excuse for pedophilia or child porn. I know from my own life how harmful those things are. to close out this discussion, I am going to try to explain what I mean by touching on the use of eroticism in art.

years ago, I was watching Naoki Urasawa's Manben, a show which gives space to mangaka to show off their process. Junji Ito went on it, and I was troubled by the following moment from the episode:

before I got into Ikuhara, I didn't have a grasp on the erotic. when I watched this, my thought was, why are they talking about a toddler being erotic?

after having gained an appreciation for eros's place in art, I understand what they were saying here. eros is hard to define, but it relates to sensuality: a way of interacting with the world which is beyond the intellect. the erotic is not pornographic: it is evocative, a way to make any work of art touch its audience on a deeper level. it is related to sexuality but is not the same thing as it. for Ito, exaggerating the erotic aspect of this character helps him to create even greater horror. the point is not to make a toddler sexy.

RGU relies heavily on this kind of eroticism for different purposes, both within the series and in the promotional art. whenever I see someone trying to ban a specific kind of fan art, I roll my eyes for this very reason. it's not as if there's any significant numbers of people making RGU exploitation porn or anything; most of it is in line with the show itself. for instance:

official art of characters all 13 and younger

Anthy having sex with her brother in the series proper (episode 31)

I have seen RGU called exploitative and fetishized, though not as often as I've seen the same criticism leveled at later Ikuhara works. however, more often than not, the disturbing eroticism of RGU is left uncommented on.

to come full circle, the reason that I now have a lot of admiration for Ikuhara is that I've come to see that the "problematic" aspects of his work help him to tell meaningful stories. all of his anime are designed to spark self-revelation/self-transformation in their audiences. additionally, I now appreciate erotics for what they are, feeling them on the sensual level rather than intellectualizing about them. viewing the above images, various readings can be drawn, arguments made about the impact of their eroticism on the themes they express. however, there is a more primal appeal to them, something which draws the eye. that aesthetic quality, by itself, deserves to be defended. those who dislike it should probably not engage with Ikuhara works. from RGU commentary, episode 38:

Hideki Mori: Are you always trying to work in this type of erotic undertone? Ikuhara: Yes, well... if it doesn't have that kind of stuff... it's not very interesting! Either I'm doing it to make it interesting or maybe I just wanted to see that.

I will finish with two final points. firstly, I think that letting go of one's automatic response of moral judgment is essential when approaching Ikuhara anime. this is not the same thing as advocating for a laissez-faire, anything-goes approach; it is simply saying, before applying preconcieved notions, let the work's textual, aesthetic, erotic, and sensual levels wash over you. if you give the work time and find some aspect of it offensive, that's one thing, but I am glad that I didn't let my kneejerk reactions turn me off of Ikuhara. along with that, don't immediately apply some kind of feminist, queer, or leftist lens to explain everything either. just let the work breathe.

lastly, I want to share Ikuhara's words on what affect he thought RGU had on its audience:

Ikuhara: I didn’t want 'Utena' to become a nice story. A story can be pretty, but it feels like a lie. From the beginning, the story was going to be about saving a friend, so in that sense that was the goal, but it can easily become a nice story, so to break away from that I made sure that it was a foolish story. I think it’s this foolishness that makes ‘Utena’ so popular with adults. Not in a sexual way, but more that watching it at that point makes it more relatable. 

to re-emphasize, my point with this discussion was that much of Ikuhara's artistry is ignored because his approach and influences are considered problematic. that being said, it was never his intention to make a work about "sexy teenagers" who adult viewers can masturbate over. none of his works are that: they feature students because anime often features students, and because he has an interest in the threshold between childhood and adulthood. although I am now 26, I can see myself in all of his casts, and the eroticization of the art makes me more invested in the story and themes, not titillated.

#ikuhara #commentary #it's 5am #ive been writing this for 4+ hours lol

[ayeforscotland]

Did you see that youtuber RealLifeLore's latest video, 'Why NATO's Biggest Weakness is Scotland'? It starts out as a pretty fair retelling of Scottish Independence's recent history and then quickly turns into a huge hit piece on the idea of Scottish Independence, claiming that doing so would lead to NATO losing it's edge in the North Atlantic, and letting Russia encroach.

Normally I'd just brush this off but this guy has like 7 million subscribers. idk it's just disheartening to see from someone w such a huge following.

Hey, just watched it - thanks for flagging it in. I almost want to make a video in response! I'm going to start by saying I don't like this video and I don't like most videos done in this infographic style. I think the fancy graphics often help mask how disjointed the video actually is. The video starts off strong with a retelling of the political situation of the UK. Scottish referendum in 2014, Brexit etc. It's also a good summary of why Scottish independence is a threat to the UK with regards to Oil fields and the like. The problem is that around the halfway mark the video descends into a complete reductive mess with wild assumptions portrayed as likely outcomes. For a start, the assumption that Scotland would copy Ireland and maintain military neutrality. Most people in Scotland passively or actively support membership of NATO, even unionists who hate the idea of Scottish independence would want an independent Scotland to be in NATO.

In Scotland we're well aware of our strategic position in the North Atlantic. The video assumes that Scotland will 'pick up our ball and go home' rather than work with strategic partners. I can't imagine a world where it would be in Scotland's interests to allow Russian nuclear submarines into the North Atlantic. The video also gets more than a few things wrong. Oil and Gas fields are marked incorrectly. Faslane Naval Base is not located in a 'sparsely, remote area' - it is 30 minutes from our largest population centre. The US Naval Bases in his graphic are marked as being in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. There's also no mention of the strategic position of the Faroe islands which is conveniently left out for some reason. I think the creator was struggling to fill space and needed more graphics to draw on screen. I think that's why he starts talking about the Catholic/Protestant demographic split in Northern Ireland. I enjoyed the bit about Trans-Atlantic, Cross-Border Dataflows - that's something I know a fair but about! It should have been its own video because it's actually super interesting. However, when it's tacked onto to a point about Scotland allowing Russian subs to enter the North Atlantic so they can start destroying the cables - it stretches the video into an over-dramatisation of an absurd outcome. I don't know much about the creator of the video - but I'm getting a whiff of arm-chair general with some slight masturbatory inclinations towards a full-scale global conflict. At the end, it gets to the point where he draws a battle-plan for Russian submarines coming from Murmansk and says Scottish independence will dramatically increase the likelihood of the event. I hate to say it, but it's a very 'American who likes to think they know a lot about geopolitics' video.

[occulthours]

out of curiosity, are you a hosie or a hizzie? you're pretty loud about your dislike for handon, but i rarely see you post either hosie or hizzie.

Honestly, I had to think hard to answer this because I really did enjoy aspects of both ships. Short answer, I like both but don't love either. If I had to choose I would likely say Hizzie.

With Hosie I feel like they lacked a lot of the depth despite them being the most popular ship in the show. Ironically enough, they followed in KC's footsteps in that sense. They never really had enough build-up for them to start a relationship at any point in the show and it didn't help that the writers seemingly put a ban on them in s3. After being called out for queerbaiting the audience they just decided to completely cut Hope and Josie off from each other, even in situations that would've called for them to interact (s2 literally ended with them having an episode heavily centric on their dynamic, yet there was no follow up in s3?).

Their dynamic for the most part bored me, even as someone who enjoys the friends-to-lovers trope. Often times their scenes felt a bit empty, which definitely could’ve been intentional on the writers part to dissuade people from shipping them to be fair! They just didn’t get enough content for me to fully jump on board. I do think that out of Hope's popular ships, they had the best chemistry. They felt very natural in the scenes they shared and could've been great in canon. Had DRR and Kaylee been given the chance, Hosie would’ve been one of the few canon Legacies ships that had real romantic chemistry.

Hope and Lizzie’s relationship very clearly the star of the show. The best elements of the show were jumpstarted by their relationship (their rivals-to-friends era in s1, their hilarious scenes in s2 and 3, and their tribrid/heretic, sirebond, and enemies era in s4). The writers put more effort into Hizzie than any other aspect of the show, including Hope and Lizzie's canon relationships with their boring boyfriends. Typically, Hizzie is the thing the Legacies writers are praised for the most, and the praise is deserved.

Based on the writing alone Hizzie would've gone down as one of my favorite TVDU ships, maybe even one of my favorite ships period. But I don’t think DRR and Jenny have much romantic chemistry. Very close friends and platonic soulmates, yes. Girlfriends... I'd have to actually see it to believe it. They had the potential to start something, especially in season 4, but I’m not sure how it would feel to actually watch them have romantic scene.

It’s hard to say which I'd rather have been canon because of this. I can't see how Hope and Josie’s relationship being entertaining to watch (assuming that I can't go back and rewrite their relationship) and unless DRR and Jenny were specifically toning down whatever romantic chemistry they may have, I can't see myself rooting for them to kiss on screen. If I absolutely had to choose? Before s4 I would’ve said Hizzie by a long shot, but s4 gave Hosie an edge (I love ships where one or both of them are obsessively down bad and s4 Josie fit that to a T. Josie caring more about the girl that beat her father nearly to death, threatened to kill her mother, and actually killed her sister? EAT EAT EAT!), but also the sirebond gave Hizzie a bit of an edge (how could you not get even a little buzz from “I hate you for making me love you”?)… Hizzie was the first Legacies ship I fell for so I feel like I’m always gonna be a bit bias towards them.

I’d choose either one of these ships over the train wreck that was Hope and Landon in a heartbeat though! Both had potential to be excellent in their own ways if H.ndon wasn’t shoved down our throats.

#hope mikaelson #hosie for ts #hizzie for ts #legacies #not an anti post for either ships. just my thoughts. both ships had a lot of potential despite my complaints lol. #anti handon

[lestappenforever]

Hi. Someone just posted how they were watching Team Redline yesterday and people were spamming the comments section with “Lestappen” and mentioning Max’s lisps. I don’t know how to feel about all this because allegedly someone who was posting about Lestappen got blocked from the comment section after 20 minutes.

What scares me is that of course Max knows what Lestappen is now if he didn’t before, thanks to his team posting it. And of course, Redbull would never post something their golden boy hasn’t approved but that doesn’t give anyone else the right to ask Max about it. Max is not Charles tbh (not that Charles should be asked about it either) but Max is the kind of person who never talks about these kind of things. If he gets pissed, he’ll just stop streaming altogether or ask his team to shut it down (by it I mean Lestappen) because it’s getting out of hand. Charles faces issues head on (like that time he asked fans to stop camping outside his home because it was making him uncomfortable).

I would also like to point out it is not necessarily Lestappen girlies in the comments but rather people who have no boundaries whatsoever or people who want Lestappen girlies to look bad. I was once in a fandom that had no boundaries whatsoever and it ended badly and the ship can’t be mentioned without people wanting to pull out their hair. It’s just sad that Max has to deal with all the bullshit and that’s why he hates social media and being in the spotlight. Can we just enjoy what he and Charles offer us and in extension Redbull and F1 (sometimes even Ferrari) without making it weird? Thanks.

Hi anon!

I didn't watch the stream yesterday, but I can't say I'm surprised at what you're sharing. Now, I am absolutely certain that Max knows very well what Lestappen is, and has known for years. And even though I also believe that Max is also the type of person who doesn't let things like that really get to him, I am still of the opinion that it's a line you shouldn't cross.

Shipping is a thing that belongs in fandom. Sure, the social media teams of their teams see the appeal and know they can make a huge profit from using certain parts of shipping in their own channels, but that is something very different to people spamming comment sections with those types of things.

It should be (and for the most part, it is) common knowledge that you don't bring up those parts of fandom to the real-life people involved in those ships. The way I see it, there is absolutely no reason to try and shove those parts of fandom down the throats of the people involved, which is unfortunately exactly what is being done when you spam a stream, a comment section or anywhere else with shipping content, etc.

The majority of Lestappies are without a doubt reasonable, respectable people who would never even consider bringing those things to Max and Charles. But, as it sadly is with every fandom, there are going to be a minority of people who don't understand, care about or respect those boundaries. And then there are people who aren't even part of the fandom who just take some weird pleasure in being cringe and disrespectful towards drivers, and for some reason try to make it their life's mission to try and expose drivers to parts of fandom they shouldn't be exposed to. And as much as we wish it wasn't the case, those people are always going to exist. And they are always going to be loud about it.

Now, I personally don't think we need to worry about Max getting upset by any of this at all - he is notorious for not giving a shit, and I highly doubt Lestappen would be the thing to change that. I'd honestly be more worried about Charles being affected by it than Max, but I don't see it becoming a big deal for either of them. But that doesn't mean that people should try to shove Lestappen down their throats, either on social media or in real life. It's just a matter of common decency and being respectful towards other human beings, which unfortunately seems to be a bit too complicated a concept to grasp for a select few individuals.

Keep shipping and those parts of fandom away from the drivers, and enjoy it where it's meant to be enjoyed - such as in our delulu world of Tumblr. It's that simple. Nothing good is going to come from trying to force the two together.

#Asks #Anon asks #Lestappen asks

[kaisarionn]

Can I ask for some fluff? I'd love to see Secondo with and angel reader, where at first Secondo HATES the reader because they bother him often but they end up becoming friends?

A/n: thank you for the request! Sorry for taking so long, I hope you enjoy this!

Word count: 571. GN angel!reader. Pure fluff!!

Angelo 💚

When you first arrived at the ministry you got on a lot of peoples nerves despite- or perhaps even because of your sunny disposition and overall kind attitude. It took a while for everyone to get used to you, but eventually they did, except for Secondo, he has been a little bit of a tough nut to crack since he is weary of angels such as yourself.

It took a lot of effort and some coaxing on your end to get him to like you, but after much persistence and many baked goods, you finally managed to get through to him. He was a little hesitant to let you in at first since he assumed you had an ulterior motive or something of that nature, but once he realized you meant no harm everything was smooth sailing from there.

“Buona notte, caro. Are you ready to watch our movie?” Earlier in the week you had somehow convinced Secondo to watch your favorite movie together, with the promise that you would watch his favorite movie sometime. “Yeah! I have everything ready for us, so come sit.” You gently pat the spot next to you on the couch, that has a nice soft blanket for him to use.

“Ah good, good. I brought the poppy corn like you asked.” Secondo is embarrassed about saying ‘poppy’ rather than ‘pop’ though he seems to be a bit relieved when you don't tease him about his little mistake. “Oh good! I had forgotten all about that.” You smile and cuddle up closer to him since he is practically radiating warmth and the ministry is always so cold.

“Well good thing I remembered it then.” He chuckles as he wraps an arm around you to keep you close to his side, knowing you tend to get cold easily. You turn on the movie and start snacking on the various assortment of foods you brought. Some of them are your favorites, but most of them are things that Secondo told you he liked eating as a kid.

“I hope you like this, it’s one of my favorites.” Secondo almost doesn’t catch your words since he is already engrossed in the movie, but fortunately he does. “I like it so far, it is very nice” You feel just a tad giddy hearing that he likes the movie thus far, but you keep it to yourself so he can enjoy the movie in its entirety.

As the movie progresses you start to get very sleepy and slump against Secondo in your slumber. At first he tenses up feeling you go limp at his side, but looking down to see such a peaceful and angelic look on your face instantly makes him relax. He gingerly picks you up to carry you to bed, making sure to tuck you in tightly under the covers.

Just as Secondo is about to leave he feels you reach out to grab his hand. He assumed that maybe you were doing this subconsciously, but when he feels your grip tighten and he hears you mumble something under your breath he knows you want him to stay. “Okay mio angelo, I will stay.”

He quietly laughs as he crawls into the bed next to you, getting under the covers and pulling you close. “Mm.. thank you..” You mumble drearily as you cuddle into him, but Secondo doesn’t catch any of it as he is already fast asleep.

#the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost the band #papa emeritus #x y/n #x reader #x you fluff #papa secondo #secondo #papa 2 #writing #secondo emeritus #ghost secondo #secondo x reader

[itsclydebitches]

We can agree that the tonal dissonance is the worst part yes because why did they come out of that good ass smoke confront yourself scene with Ruby making a hilarious meme face at us 😭 can they decide if they want serious or slapstick or at least make said slapstick feel more cruel/surreal, like go for a tone where the characters are suffering but the inherently ridiculous world is constantly fucking with them. I feel like that'd land better than 'hehe Weiss is going grrr and making anime bubbles! Ignore Ruby having a panic attack! This is irrelevant!'

Thanks for responding to the other thing as politely as you did and I hope it didn't come off as a personal attack. You do seem nice and you make a good point I just kind of feel bad for you slogging through this show you hate KSHSKSHS

Nah don't worry about it, anon. Idk how to really explain it, but for me a "bad" show isn't necessarily a "slog" show. I like waking up Saturday morning to watch RWBY, knowing I'll get to write a recap later, engage with other fans throughout the week, etc. It could feel overwhelming at times given the previous one day pace I had set, but not a slog (no matter how much it might sound that way in recaps because, as established, there's A Lot of problems to cover that obviously color my tone). But the moment this project actually becomes an uninspiring slog I'd just... drop it? I mean, no offense to anyone here who likes keeping up with these posts, but I'm not a Content Creator℠ in the sense of this being a job. Tumblr doesn't pay me lol. Whenever/if ever it's no longer enjoyable, it's no longer something I'll do. Simple as that.

Anyway, YEAH. Tone. I had the same sort of, "Wait, huh?" reaction to Ruby's exaggerated panic over losing the Cat (complete with more stylized, manga-esque animation cues) immediately after she's reminded that Salem is two steps away from destroying the whole world and they have no plan to stop her. It's truly jarring. You know what I was thinking about the other day though? How although it's obviously weird, frustrating, and sometimes dangerous, Ever After should also be beautiful. Creative. Inspiring. An astounding, impossible experience! We got a little bit of that with Ruby walking through the garden, but leaning into the girls' amazement could be a good way of lightening the otherwise dark Volume. I mean, they haven't just landed in a fairy tale, but a beloved childhood classic complete with favorite characters, gorgeous scenery, unlimited magic where before they've only seen bits in combat... Do you have any idea how fucking STOKED I would be if I suddenly found myself in Narnia? The Shire? Hogwarts? Or yeah, Wonderland? Even if I knew that there was danger here and even if I had something traumatically important to get back to in the real world, there would still be a part of myself simply giddy at the prospect of exploring my favorite story. If Blake spent more time gushing over meeting her favorite characters, if Weiss stood in awe at the architecture, if Yang was Ooo-ing over the cool creatures here, if Ruby took a breather to look at sentient toys and go, "That's awesome" we could add a lot of lightheartedness without interrupting the primary tone. Right now, the girls' attitude is primarily "Wow, this world is the worst" rather than "Wow, this world is a wonderland." And true, that is (mostly) accurate to Alice's experiences, but it's not helping me enjoy the setting when the girls so clearly hate being there.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

[rowanwithaz]

The Comparison Problem.

I usually go over characters and small story arcs when I address and speak of Bnha,but I wanted to go over it in retrospect,and explain the reason why people think it's trash. The answer is just an educated guess;though I think it will cover the majority of the haters' mindsets.

(⚠Now,I am no psychologist,I just read and watch things about it. I'm just relating things I see with my knowledge on psychology. Which,again,I'm not an expert,I just find it an interesting subject and enjoy comparing contesting with it. I also would say it's more of a tool that makes analyzing more fun and gives you something to reference to when stating a point.⚠)

The Familiarity/Nostalgia effect.

Now,a lot of the hate bnha gets is because people compare it to you average shonen,and this seems to be what the main problem is.

At first look,bnha looks like the usual shonen,but as the manga goes on it drifts and drifts away from that formula. And that's when the problem arises. People went into it with an expectation; said expectation is it being like every shonen. Then,it pulled a one eighty. I'd say it was around the Katsuki kidnapping arc or Dk & BK V.S. AM.

This is when people were like, "huhhh?" Then it just kept GOING with it. It made Izuku and Katsuki super close, even in shonen rival standards,it didn't kill of charters like crazy,it became a much more emotional manga than a kick ass one,ect. This is not what they're used to,and when some people aren't used to/don't understand something,they blame the manga (or anything really.Comic,show,movie,ect.) rather than their own incomprehension.

And here's when we see a pattern. They compare anything Horikoshi does with another big mainstream manga.Such as;DBZ,pretty much any manga that followed/ended with that formula. Or,will predict how an arc will end using the mindset "This is what usually happens in shonen," Instead of seeing the manga for what it is,then get mad that they were wrong.

This can be seen as the "Mere Exposure Effect." This is a term used for people who are typically biased of what their familiar with,and often have trouble comprehending/enjoying things out of their comfort zone,so to speak. I think we can see that with the hate Hori is getting. I think most bnha antis know for a fact Horikoshi is a good author,but their so closed minded that they get mad they don't understand,then blame Horikoshi instead of trying to understand.

Since they've fooled themselves into thinking Hori's writing is the problem and not their preferences,they don't want to understand. They get so upset because they don't understand,and are too upset to want to.

The biggest problem I see is they don't look at a manga and its story as its own art,what makes it good to the individual manga's story. They see it as a genre and only that. They don't see it as a story,more of something that needs to go in the whole,"This is how Shonen has been forever now," shelf. Which plays into the familiarity effect. They want everything in a genre to be the same,which is stupid. When something is put into a genre,that genre is not meant to dictate how it goes.

Genre is only meant to be a tool,not the material.

That kinda got away form me,but,uh,yeah. I like psychology :0

It's fun to look and find how almost everything can relate to psychology. (It makes debates and analyses much easier.)

#anime talk #manga talk #Bnha #Mha #Analysis inspired by psychology #kohei horikoshi

[ytatr]

would you be the right person?

pairing; Hyunjin x fem reader.

summary; The moment you met Hyunjin in a completely random place, what you didn't imagine was that he could make a big difference in your life in any way possible. It is that at every moment Hyunjin proved to be the right person for you.

genre; fluff, soulmates, strangers to lovers, anguish(it's light thing).

words; 2812.

a/c; (Yeah, I don't even know where to start. But I'm finally back, I'm back to shake you guys up lol, but that's literally it. I've been planning to start a series for almost a month now. I finally posted the first part, the idea of starting this was because of a thought I had in the middle of the night. I just kept thinking about it, I was dying to write something about it. I'm excited for it, just writing this first part already made me a little bit excited lol. You'll understand me... That's all I wanted to make clear, I just thank you for living the same era as Hyunjin 🥰👌🏻.

Ok, I've stopped fooling around, I hope you guys like this beginning. I swear things will only get better (hopefully). Well, when you're done reading please give me your feedback, I need to know if I'm going to continue with this. I'll thank you in advance. (If you have a suggestion, tell me, I'd love to know what you think) )

You cursed softly, trying to get past the people who occupied most of the small venue.

"Oh, excuse me. Please" You tried to speak loudly, to the girl in front of you, since the music playing in the place was extremely loud, you were going to try again. Then you saw the girl looking at you. Soon she was giving you some room to pass. You nodded your head in thanks. It was hard to walk through a place full of people, oh how you hated parties.

You left the main room trying to find a quieter place. Or rather, you were trying to find your friend, Minho.

It had been a while since he had left you there alone, the only thing he said to you at the moment was that he was going to get a drink, but he would be back soon. But it had been minutes since he had left... where was he? You thought to yourself.

You kept walking around the house still looking for a place where you feel at least "comfortable. Yeah, maybe you're sorry you ever agreed to go out with him. You swear that if regret could kill you, you'd be lying unconscious on the floor.

But Minho had a part in it, he insisted so much that you ended up going, if it wasn't for him, you surely wouldn't have set foot here. It was always like this, ever since you started your friendship with Minho, he has been dragging you to all the parties in town.

You had nothing against that, he was always trying to fit you into that vibe. But the thing is that you're not always interested in that. You would like to go out with him, but your vibe is something calmer and more peaceful.

The party was just as you imagined, drunk people, people kissing, random challenges, upbeat music. You tried to enjoy it, but no, it was just your vibe, you really preferred to stay at home, enjoying your only downtime. Watching a movie, a series, or even a dorama.

The only thing you wanted at the moment was to go home, take off the uncomfortable clothes you were wearing, take off your high heels, and lie down on your bed. You kept walking through the house, until you reached another part of the place, where you spotted a large sign written "drinks here".

You moved closer to the place, your eyes soon spotted a person with blue hair, the person was leaning on the bar counter. You wondered who it was, there was your chance to ask about Minho.

You hastened your steps, making your way over to the boy. "Hey, Jisung" You called to the boy, lightly touching his shoulder. At the same instant, he turned in the direction you were standing. He looked slightly surprised, immediately arching his eyebrow.

"Hi, Y/n. Did something happen?" Jisung asked, he tilted his head, trying to show you a slight smile.

"No, no" You immediately denied it by shaking your head. "I just wanted to ask, have you seen Minho around here?" You questioned, looking around the place again trying to find any sign of Minho.

Your gaze returned to the boy in front of you. You could clearly see Jisung's expression.

He bit his lower lip, bowing his head gently. "Look, I had seen him a few minutes ago. I think he might still be here, near the bar." He explained, using his hand, pointing to a random part of the bar.

You blinked slowly, it would be hard to find Minho at this party. He was so excited, but oh well. Now you're lost, and you really hope you find him quickly.

"Thanks, I'll look for him later. I think I'll have a drink" You pointed with your head directly at the bar, smiling softly.

"Sure, make yourself at home, we have drinks to brighten our lives a bit" Jisung laughed, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, do you want to accompany me?" You asked, still looking at the boy. You didn't even expect to do this, but somehow you wanted to keep the conversation going Or try to distract yourself.

"I really would accept, but unfortunately I can't. I have to sort some things out" Jisung said. "But if you want, then you can stop by the karaoke room afterwards. I'll be there later." Jisung explained, flashing a pleasant smile.

"Thanks, I'll see if I'll go over there later. That is if I find Minho" You smiled disguisedly, leaning on the counter. Wondering if you would actually go to karaoke, but nothing was confirmed.

As Jisung walked away, you called the bartender to order a drink. Since you were there, right. It turned out that you ordered a simple drink, a margarita. You didn't want to wake up the next day with a headache making your life hell. Not least because you had to work tomorrow.

You expected your drink to be ready quickly, you decided to take a closer look at the place, and luckily there weren't many people around. Most of the people were in the clubbing part. Scattered around the other parts of the house.

That was until his eyes stopped on a scene, or rather. On a boy, who was on the other side of the room. But it wasn't even that he caught your attention, what caught your attention was his looks, the clothes he was wearing. Especially his red hair, oh how you loved red. It could be a "simple" color. But on him, it looked so good, it was a color that stood out.

The boy's hair was close to his neck, and it was beautiful. The red was already vibrant, but it was made even more so by the contrast of the lights.

Your eyes went to the shirt he was wearing, you forced your gaze to try to read what was written. "Hotter than your ex, better than your next". Well, you certainly don't expect that. Better than your next? You don't know that for sure. But you are sure that he is hotter than your ex.

You shook your head while mentally scolding yourself. You shouldn't be thinking that about a stranger, it was something that wouldn't make sense. You had seen many people, but nothing had shaken you as much as he had.

Her eyes returned to their main focus, on the boy's face. That was until his gaze met yours, damn it. His eyes meet yours, you could see clearly. Their eyes were deep, there was a mystery in them.

You were caught looking at him, you didn't know where to put your face, how to disguise it? You felt your face turning red, you knew he might notice your nervousness. It was at the moment, he smiled at you. You expected everything but that.

When he smiled, you noticed something. There was something shining on his lower lip, was it a jewel? Or rather, a piercing. Even if you think it is unnecessary to kiss a stranger, you would definitely kiss him. No matter if it is a stranger, you would do anything to feel his lips against yours.

Just to feel the cold metal on his skin as he kissed your neck.

What the hell was happening to you?

You shivered when you felt an arm around your shoulder." Hey, kitten, were you looking for me?" Minho spoke as he smiled at you. You could tell just by his voice that he was a little altered.

"Minho..., I was worried about you" You explained, straightening your posture by turning towards the direction he was standing. Trying to smile disguisedly.

"You didn't have to stay, angel. I'm here now" Minho spoke sweetly, leaving a quiet kiss on your forehead. At the same instant he turned away from you, quickly taking your hand. Pulling you out of that place.

The sun was beating against his window curtain, but to his bad luck. You had a part of your window that was without the protection of the curtain, a small gap. It made the sunlight beat against your face. Groaning, you turn to the other side of the bed, trying to deflect the light.

You ran your hand over your eyes, opening them calmly, trying to accustom your vision against the lights that lightly illuminated your room.

The first image that comes to your eyes are of your clock hanging on your wall. You hurriedly raised your body, sitting up in bed, you were totally late for your work.

You place your hand on your forehead, remembering yesterday's moments at the party. Oh, how you regret certain things, your actions. But the image of the boy with the red hair comes to your mind. You ask yourself, who is he? What does he do with his life? Does he have someone? Is it because just the thought of this possibility makes you anxious?

You grumble, while making circular movements on your temples, trying to reduce your headache. Maybe you hate Minho, because he made you come home at two o'clock in the morning.

You walked quickly through the streets, trying to get to the flower store where you worked, arriving at the place, you pushed the door causing the store bell to ring. You walked through the small space, finding it strange how silent it was.

You stopped in front of the counter, sighing. Immediately, the smells of the flowers present there. They came to your nose, the smell soothing to you, the sweet, soft smell. Oh, how you loved flowers. You felt good, in this place. It was something you always loved.

Your attention returned to the scene, you arched an eyebrow, slightly confused, as you made your way to the back room. You approached by opening the door, soon entering the small room. It was empty, but Sana had probably been here before.

You looked around you for some paper, leaving your bag on the table next to you. Immediately your eyes identified a pink sticky paper, which was taped to the wall.

You picked up the paper right away reading what was written.

"Hey, I'm probably taking a chance, in leaving the store empty, haha. But I know when you arrive I won't be there anymore, so this is just as a warning. I went to buy a coffee, and I'll be right back." -Sana

You nodded in agreement, thinking to yourself, she was probably already on her way back to the store. The cafeteria was not far from the flower shop, it was only a matter of minutes.

You blew the coffee, that was in the cup, then brought the cup to your mouth. Taking a small amount of the liquid.

"I told you, nothing much happened at that party"

You justified yourself, superficially shaking the glass that was in your hand. Distracted by the mixed liquid.

Sana leaned on the counter" Yes, of course. I know, but now tell me. Did Minho do anything? Did he have any movement?"

" What? No, no, what are you talking about?" You questioned.

You knew exactly what she was talking about, Sana had been saying for ages that Minho was into you, but you always denied it, it was something that made no sense to you. It was just a good friendship, you would bet on it.

" Y/n, you know very well what I am talking about, he may have even made a move. But the way you are, you didn't even notice." Sana explained, moving her head negatively.

You wouldn't deny, Minho was very handsome, it was something you could easily tell. He was a lovely person, deserving of everything good. But he wasn't your type, in fact, you don't even know what your type is.

"Sana, I don't even know where you see that. Never would Minho have feelings for me" You said, as you drank some more of your coffee.

"He can feel horny, every time I am with the two of you at a party. I can tell that he always eats you by your eyes." Sana stared at you, she said this with such certainty. That's when you started to question everything.

You laughed while pretending to be convinced. "Lucky for me, I'll pretend to believe you." You said ironically.

Sana shrugged when she realized his irony. " Well, then don't tell me I didn't warn you. When he comes at you with everything..." Sana's voice was interrupted, as the sound of the bell spread through the store. Realizing the company of another person, it was a middle-aged password. You looked at Sana tilting your head slightly, as you arranged your position.

"You can take care of it for me, Please?" Sana whispered, as she gave him a smile.

" Oh, sure. No problem" You shook your head, returning a friendly smile. Sana looked up quickly, nodding to you in appreciation. Then, walking away from you, heading to the back room.

You threw your empty plastic cup into the trash next to the counter. Then you approached the lady.

" Excuse me, how can I help you?" You said quietly, with your hands behind your back.

The lady turned toward you, nodding positively. "Do you have a flower called peony? It is a pink flower. It's a very delicate flower, and beautiful." The lady described the flower, while looking at the other flowers in the store.

" I believe we do, let me see" You murmured, walking around a part of the place. In the same instant, your eyes recognized the flower. You picked up a branch of peony.

" Look here it is, ma'am" You showed the flower that was in your hand, speaking louder as you approach her.

The lady's gaze went to her hand, looking intently at the peony. "Oh, that's the flower I've been wanting. Thank you, dear" The lady hummed taking the flower, giving you a smile.

"Oh, that's nice, that's a very beautiful flower indeed..." You commented excitedly, you spoke to yourself. Since your voice was low.

" Yes, really. But, like this. Can I look at your hand? It's a quick one." The lady threw the question out of nowhere, looking at you. You could see her eyes shining.

You arched your eyebrow, slightly unsure and confused about the lady's question. But with much insistence, you ended up showing the palm of your hand.

"Of course, no problem." You showed the palm of your hand. You tried, but your voice came out shaky, what was going on? Is it because this is all so strange to you? You were curious and afraid at the same time, it was a mixture of feelings.

Even you yourself didn't understand why you had accepted so easily to show your hand. You could deny it, it was a normal thing to deny it. Exactly in these situations.

His attention returned to the moment, when the lady cleared her throat. "Oh, girl. Do you see that? You're an amazing person, you're going to have an interesting future." The lady analyzed every trace of her hand, as if she knew what she was doing.

" Can you continue?" You asked.

The lady arched her eyebrow, slightly. The expression on her face was different, you couldn't tell if it was something good or something bad.

" Hmm, there is something that is going to happen in your love life. Something that will really change your life. I can tell that's even soul mate stuff, even from past lives. But take it easy, there may be people who will try to interfere. But in the end it will all work out, love is stronger than anything. " The lady continued to spit out the words, while you were trying to process all that. It was a lot of information for one person.

" Who is he? Do I know him? " You had so many questions, for just one subject. No, you didn't really believe in such things. But still the curiosity was in you.

The lady looked pitifully at you, while denying with her head.

" I really can't speak, but I feel that you have "seen" him. He may be a stranger now, but when you see him. You'll feel like you know him. But that's because you had already met him in the past, rest assured. He is already on your path, he will arrive with everything, it is an infinite and intense love. You will feel something you've never felt before in this life. " The lady spoke, stroking your hand, trying to comfort you.

You blinked slowly, swallowing dryly. Is it because you feel emotional? Is it with longing for something you haven't even experienced yet?

Is it again, what the hell just happened?

#hyunjin #skz imagines #hyunjin drabbles #skz scenarios #hyunjin fluff #hyunjin fics #hyunjin imagine #hyunjin scenarios #skz fanfic #skz #minho x reader #han jisung #jisung imagines #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin fanfic #hyunjin x y/n #hyunjin x you #hyunjin imagines

[scarfacemarston]

please do a fluff prompt for abigail roberts marston, my beloved <3

I rp Abigail so I'm ALWAYS happy to indulge. Prompt here if you want anymore. L: I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)- I don't know if Abigail would say I love you first if it's a new relationship. It depends actually on how it ended with John. It would be more likely be a conscious decision on her part rather than it being blurted out - but in a high stakes situation, you never know! It just depends on how safe she feels and at that point, but I think she'd show it in every way she could without saying it first. I think she'd hope the reader would say it first so she wouldn't have to because I hc and believe that Abigail said it first to John and so that makes it scarier for her to be "in charge" again but, if the moment is right she'll do it. Does she say it all the time? I don't know. I think she might say "love you" kind of quickly and quietly instead , or keep them for more quiet moments at first. Definitely night time before sleep. It overall depends on how safe she feels with you/John. If she's with Sadie, there is a lot of guilt involved at first because she doesn't want to push her into anything she doesn't want, but I think it would happen relatively quickly once the dust has settled in the gang.

Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every detail in passing, or do they kind of forget? ) Abigail remembers everything, including things you wouldn't want her to remember. She is meticulous in remembering things like dates and coordinates , directions to travel somewhere or orders to take on a heist. Drink orders at the dive bar she works at in a Modern Au , details about patrons like who will grab asses, who tips well, who tips like shit. When a sex worker, she'd remember who to avoid servicing if she could, when she needed to avoid someone, if someone had a particular fetish, etc. She'll remember everything down to the littlest detail because it's her perfectionism. She does not have a photographic memory, but this is something she strives for. She lived in a time where someone had to be quiet and bide their time just in case their safety called on it. (Ex: knowing dirt on someone, knowing when to be quiet, knowing where to be, how to avoid something) Modern au: But on a lighter sense, she won't forget a birthday, or a dance recital, a baseball game, Jack's projects or tests, and if you have university or a job, she'd help you as well. If It's Sadie, this includes her contracts and her borderline outlaw activities. Unfortunately Abigail hates remembering those because it reminds her of the danger Sadie could be in. She wishes Sadie could just put the guns away and help out on the ranch, but she knows it's not that easy. Now, she does need to look at agendas and sheets every once in a while to refresh her mind, especially if things get chaotic, but she has a huge memory bank R: Remember (What is their favourite moment in your relationship?) She would love for John or a reader to take her out of home, out of town and they drive somewhere to get a nice view. I was thinking as sappy as it might sound - a sunrise because Abigail is usually up for those, but if the reader or John aren't usually morning people, that's a bonus as it would would show they're sacrificing her sleep for Abigail. (Of course, Abigail isn't always happy to be woken up at that time and it's dark, but she's perfectly fine - if not tired - afterwards. Something like getting coffee and breakfast afterward would make it even better.

But she'd also enjoy a sunset in a flower meadow and a meal whether it's a picnic or somewhere cute to eat where she can enjoy her meal and people watch.

U: Ugly (What would be a bad habit of theirs?) She worries and paces so much I bet she could make a mark on a wood floor. I'd also say maybe checking in on people too much. Some people like Jack and John think it's bossy and nosy, but she's trying to help for the most part. If it's Jack or John.........or Uncle, she's trying to make sure they're behaving..

On a lesser scale, she either seems to have great posture, or really bad posture, no in between, it seems. Finally, her squinting at the sun really damages her eyes, causing her a pain.

#red dead redemption 2 #van der linde gang #rdr 2 #abigail marston #rdr #abigail roberts #john marston #abigail roberts x reader #abigail marston x reader #abigail marston x john marston #sadie adler #sadigail