I wanted to be able to draw more than doodly versions of Glorfindel, and so now he gets a fancy outfit designed for him.

Did I go overboard? That remains to be seen.

after many years of being strong // may you have the chance to be gentle again

(they'll never understand) How could I ever understand? No, I don't have to understand. I don't wanna understand. So I will never understand. (we could have everything)

no living man may hinder me: The Gilded Wraith of Numenor

from the Reverse Gondolin AU, based on @who-needs-words's idea for Ar-Pharazon's fate! (they also wrote a ficlet for it, check it out here!)

something about mk brutally smashing his head against azures sword till it shattered. something about mei modeling her sword after azures (im insane)

I went ahead and gifed both scenes (which proves that I'm very clearly normal)

So, Mei shatters her family sword defending MK. She then models her sword after Azure's. MK later brutally smashes his head against Azure's sword, cracking it (and Azure) apart. Azure then uses that sword to stitch the universe together, losing his life in the process.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Curse's words, "Such pitiful creatures: cowardly, reckless, monstrosities; all doomed to play a roll in tearing this world apart! To cause nothing but chaos and destruction.", with 4x13 being titled "Rip and Tear" and Azure quite literally tearing the world apart. You trying to do what you think is right but that still leading to bad outcomes—to shattering and breaking and destruction.

Other bonus parallels/contrasts include:

Mei breaking her sword to defend MK, while Azure breaks his sword attacking MK

"But how am I supposed to protect everyone if I don't have my sword!" and then Azure uses his sword to save the entire world aka everyone.

Mei: "If you're not giving everything you have to protect the people you care about you are nothing!" Azure: "I would have done anything in my power to bring them back—but it wasn't in my power, it was in yours." (Using power for the people you care about) (Interesting to note however, Azure is fine with his friends as collateral ((love you 4x10 roar)) where as Mei will put a lot at risk for her friends ((she doesn't object when MK suggests going into the scroll even if it'll risk the curse being released)))

Mei: "What's the point of having power if you won't use it! [...] Inaction is careless! [...] Then maybe you don't deserve power!" Azure: "I did not sacrifice everything simply to be an idle deity! I will do what my predecessor did not!" (Aka those who deserve power are those who will use it)

Both were totally willing to sacrifice Wukong for their goals (Mei in 3x12 and Azure throughout s4, but especially in the special)

Mei: "Wukong knew the risks—that's the hard part of being a hero!" Azure: "Nothing is won without sacrifice!"

Jade Emperor Azure and Samadhi Fire Mei as containers for uncontrollable power (I talk about this one a lot)

Do we think "How could you lead us into this fight without a real plan!" applies to the Brotherhood's attack against heaven

They really did not need to have Mei model her sword after Azure's, so I wonder if this is building to an eventual "Mei V MK" fight (where Mei is most likely fighting MK to save MK) and Mei uses her sword to protect herself from one of the people she cares about.

I feel like there's more to the sword situation, but I can't put my finger on it.

I love the first time Soo-Won supports Lili.

It feels like an overreaction to burst into tears over, essentially, "Go for it," but makes sense when you realize no one takes her seriously.

Her father, Tetora, and even Yona view her as someone in need of protection. They coddle her.

And then here comes Soo-Won, telling her she's capable of making a difference.

That she did make a difference. He acknowledges her strength and believes in her with ease while people closer to her struggle to accept that she's useful.

making a collection

making another collection with a threatening aura

Frilly Friends!

Bonus doodle:

Ducks favorite ninja turtle is Michaelangelo. Fakir claims he doesn't have one but secretly he is partial to Leo. Mytho's favorite is Raph. Rue genuinely doesnt have a favorite.

Me? actually trying to do tarot cards?? sounds fake

im not good at the what-pokemon-would-your-faves-have thing but ill die saying arakawa has a honchkrow because thats obvious and honchkrow's my baby boy baby

I'm listening to the Red Dragon audiobook, and the one thing I take issue with is that the narrator gives every other southerner an accent, but not Will Graham. None of the adaptations give him an accent. The man grew up poor in rural Louisiana and spent the first part of his career in New Orleans! He's gonna have some sort of accent!

He can be brilliant profiler that Hannibal is interested in or in love with and be a southerner with a southern accent, I promise!

I think part of what makes Dark Meta Knight so much fun in Kirby Star Allies is nobody knows what he's even DOING there. The pause flavor text calls his motivations into question, and in Guest Star Allies he's referred to as the "uninvited" knight. It all sounds shady as heck, but... he's sincerely there to help. Not even in an edgy, reluctant way either. He takes part in the goofy Kirby dances. He does all the ridiculous team moves with everyone. He greets Kirby and friends with a cheery wave whenever he's summoned. In his Guest Star Allies ending portrait, he's seen drawing with Adeleine, Ribbon, and Daroach. Badly. But like. He's TRYING. He puts his own spin on things, ending the Kirby dance with a dramatic sword pose, introducing himself with the same animation he uses in Triple Deluxe, and the thing he's attempting to draw is, of course, his own sword. He's engaging with Kirby and friends in good faith and making an earnest effort to participate. That's so cute. And then you play as him and realize "Oh there's no way they just let you use these moves without a catch. Oh he's the best character in the game isn't he"

Despite all appearances otherwise, I'm still (like barely) alive. I'm actually all caught up with the anime right now and there is just so much I've been needing to scream into the electronic void talk about. (I've even got screenshots/gifs for most of it, it's just a matter of finding a time when work doesn't drain every inch of my health by the end of day.)

But I didn't stop by to complain! No, I just wanted to share a minor clip from one of the more recent episodes. Nothing big or spoilery or anything, promise. It's just this small, otherwise unimportant, entirely missable scene....

You know, the one with Zoro being so unbelievably sexy that I haven't once stopped thinking about it in DAYS.

Just look at him! That smirk! (Are they sure Enma is the sharpest blade because that smile could cut right through a Mihawk's cold, haki infused heart.) Actually, you don't even have to look at him, that voice alone is easily more powerful than Gears 1 through 3 (and hey, I won't claim it could take on the god-like powers of Gear 4, we don't really have enough material to judge. Oh, here's an idea! Let's put them both in front of Law, see which one destroys him faster. I don't care if Gear 4 is Buggy-Bunny-But-The-Rock, The Rock still has to wind up his punches. But that look directed right at you? The devastation is likely immediate and irreversible.)

Like, the way he starts out almost defeated, the gravity and soberness in that initial "No" as he turns to face this seemingly unbeatable force. He's put the weight of Luffy's dream and the promise he's made to his captain on winning this battle, and taken along with how serious and direct he's been with Franky so far it helps create an expectation we're going to see that determined, unemotional, unbending Zoro from Thriller Bark or his battle with Kaido. He'll probably say something somehow very self centered while appearing selfless with that grave steeliness he gets when he's resolved against all odds like, "No, I have to do this alone" or "No, what good am I as a swordsman if I can't do this for my crew and our captain?" or if he wanted to go with the typical overly dramatic swordsman tone: "No, Luffy is trusting me - to defeat this man, and make him king of the pirates!" And we'd all swoon because even though Luffy's default introduction/greeting/phrase to yell out regardless of the circumstances is, "My name is Luffy D Monkey and I'm going to be the king of the pirates!" when it's someone else saying it, fans get all emotional. Especially if it's one of the core characters who has a reputation as being more mature or is typically more reserved and private or is, I don't know, someone who tends not to waste his breath correcting stupid people who are being stupid because what does Zoro he care what these nobodies think, Zoro he knows with unshakeable certainty that what Luffy says is true and has enough confidence in both his captain and his own abilities that other's opinions aren't worth addressing.

And even though Zoro turning all seriousness and focused marks some amazing moments in battles, the way that at the last second he is staring straight ahead at this natural disaster level foe and that smile just cuts across his face, completely slicing through that more serious mask Zoro sometimes wears to reveal that bloodlust and pure unadulterated love of the challenge is so absolutely gorgeous and perfect and satisfying.

Like, yeah, of course I love when Zoro gets all Business-Only, For-My-Crew-Name-And-Captain and just doesn't back down or lose focus because he understands this is something he has to do and only he can take on this fight. It fills me with so many, many emotions all of which Zoro is doggedly ignoring because it's all about The Fight but in my heart I know it's because he feels so much for his friends that he's decided that this is his role on the crew to act as both attack and guard dog and take/deal the hits they can't. Beautiful.

But man, oh, man, can anything beat when Zoro goes full "fucking brat who thought learning to hold a katana between his teeth and stumbling his way through a handful of forgettable bounties meant that when the worldwide champion, a warlord, a man so unmatched he's become bored of the very art he master just happened to be passing by he immediately thought to himself, yeah, I'm MORE than ready to kick this asshole off his throne. Hell, just last week I was stabbed and nearly killed by some shitty clown but look how that turned out. I can take on anyone, this bastard included. For fuck's sake he's only got one sword. Fucking amateur."? And whose sole reaction to having his chest sliced in half was, "yo, captain, if you've got a fucking problem with me being fucking UNSTOPPABLE speak up while you can because after this, it's all kicking ass all the time."?

Like, man, you are one cocky little idiot. Never change.

And he didn't.

Stampede aka another episode of luffy turning haters into dick riders just with his kind and big heart

Y’know, when Lee came and found me and told me to give over any data disks and especially any weapons I find in the mines for destruction (and of course it was the fucking church who found me first and not the research center. Luckily though I found the research center soon after. The church ain’t getting shit), I thought I’d be finding old nuclear warheads down there or something. The first time I found a glowing purple dot on the scanner, I assumed it was a weapon, and when I pressed A, I thought it had taken me to the entrance or something and I couldn’t mine in that area anymore. I didn’t realize it had taken me to an unused room with a few monsters to kill and a few chests to loot (and I could go right back and keep right on mining), and I also hadn’t uncovered enough to see that it was a pipe. I realized the second time, though.

No, it’s the triple barrel snakebite, a.k.a. the poison blaster, as I like to think of it. The day after I first pieced one together and tried it out, I received a cease and desist letter from the church (and lost nonexistent favorability points w Lee and Nora lmao). lol how ‘bout no.

Anyways, fuck the church.