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soyouareandrewdobson · 9 months

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Asians are all the same, right? The racism of a company cock gurgling moron

Like herpes and unlike the Dobbear, I am back baby.

At this point, deepest apology for my long absence. Personal issues over the last two years prevented me from writing anything and also destroyed for the longest time any desire to really continue the blog.

However, I don’t want to let things unfinished and seeing how the hypocricyofandrewdobson still manages to get some rise out of old Dobson related stuff, I wanted to just return, in order to properly contribute a bit more critical thinking in regard to his old comics.

And while I will not immediately return to my retrospective of SYAC, here is at least (for a start) my opinion on one comic of his, that in my opinion just proved hilarious and controversial in hindsight, and rather racist even back then.

I admit, I don’t know anymore what the title of the comic here is. All I know is, that it came out around 2018, shortly after the release of his “Black Panther” comic, another malignant piece of Dobtrash that has made the rounds online ever since. However, unlike the Black Panther comic, which became the center of a lot of discussion regarding Dobson’s racist assumptions about comic book fans while ironically trying to present himself as woke, this one was weirdly drifting off into obscurity. Which is kinda weird, cause in my opinion, it is way more racist and actually kinda insulting to the very craft Dobson supposedly “dedicated” his life to.

Let me explain.

First, over the course of three panels, Dobson comes essentially off like he is considering the medium of comics as inferior to the medium of movies. Making it look as if comics are unsuccessful because they cannot rail in the same amount of money than certain flics and calling them at best nothing more but a pitching ground for corporations to create new shallow mass product.

Now I am a bit of a realist and I know that, especially in the world of mainstream American superhero comics, this is kinda the case. Most comic book characters, stories and franchises are owned by multibillion dollar corporations, who either have a direct hand in the creation of the product (via corporate mandate for example) and/or use the likeness of the product to make profit in additional, more valuable revenues than the printed medium. Such as cartoons, merchandise and movies. One example I can think of, to show that it isn’t just an American issue: Yugioh. The card game wouldn’t have come to be if there hadn’t been a manga starring a little boy putting together an ancient Egyptian puzzle, but while the original manga ended way back in March of 2004, the card game makes millions globally still after 25 years and counting.

But that doesn’t change the fact, that comics as a medium still have value. Without the stories told within their pages, we wouldn’t have characters such as Captain America, Superman, the Mask, the Ninja Turtles and so on to begin with. Don’t get me even started on stories that aren’t falling into the American mainstream comic trend, but still succeeded in the printed comic medium partly because of genuine artistic and profound value such as Maus, Barefoot Gen, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, TinTin and a shitton of (other) stuff from Europe and Asia.

So when Dobson, who always acted like he is proud to be a cartoonist and that comics are a superior medium to others, suddenly reduces them to just being a “pitch ground for better stuff down the line” at best, I as a fan of the medium and just the art of creating stories in itself, get kinda pissed.

Additionally, the way how he compares movies to be better than comics, is severely flawed.

He brings up the fact, that “Captain America: Civil War” made over one billion dollars at the box office as an example, while pointing out the fact, that most single comic issues barely manage to sell 100.000 copies, while holding up a copypasted “Civil War” issue.

Already, Dobson essentially compares apples with bananas, while also giving both false and incomparable data, that also ignores many aspects to be considered.

For starters: He compares the earnings of both movies and comics with two different values. For movies, he goes by the monetary profit a superhero movie could possibly make, while for the comic issue, he goes by the total number of copies sold.

But here is the thing: Assuming the average selling price of a comic is at 4 dollars for a single 30 page issue, selling 100.000 copies would ring in like 400.000 dollars. And considering that producing one issue likely costs a company less than 20.000 dollars (obvious costs for mass production and distribution not withstanding) they can still make a decent profit this way from ONE issue alone. One issue. Not multiple issues of a long running, but sadly underperforming series. All of that by the way doesn’t even account for the fact, that most single issues at best tell only a quarter of a decent short story nowadays and ignores later “long term” factors, such as reprints of the issue, late term buying of the issue, tradepaperback sells of the issue, the longterm effect and cultural impact the issue may have on the actual series or plot continuity (such as Amazing Spiderman 122, aka “The Night Gwen Stacy Died”). Don’t get me even started on the fact, that many of these issues get first sold in the US and only over the course of one year or longer may then additionally be sold in other parts of the world, therefore bringing in even more money for the publisher.

Example: The Duck comics by Don Rosa, which earn more than four times more in Europe, than they ever did in America, despite the guy being from California. Finally, a a little add addendum: that example Dobson gives indirectly via the “Civil War” issue? A quick google search revealed, that Civil War issue 1 sold over 300k copies in May of 2006 alone. Sure, not necessarily the best numbers ever for a single issue (as evident by the following list: https://bookriot.com/bestselling-comics-of-all-time/ )but still nothing to be ashamed of.

And yes, I know that we live currently in a time, where comic book sells have dropped significantly for a variety of reasons, one of them being an overall lack of decent stories. But as long as other stuff still manages to run freaking circles around American superheroes (*cough* One Piece *cough*) I wouldn’t say the medium itself is dead. Just a specific branch of it is suffering from a lack of quality and the customers are jumping ship.

A superhere movie meanwhile is a completely different beast. Ever since “The Avengers” came out in 2012, most superhero movies are 150-250 million dollar behemoths, that get overhyped by advertisement campaigns that are almost equally as expensive and try to trick the audience into believing, that they all are somehow the next big mindblowing thing on the big screen. Plus there hasn’t really been a superhero movie in the last 10+ years, that didn’t release simultaneously worldwide, instead of only coming out in the USA, and then a few months later, in other parts of the world.

So is it any wonder then, if a superhero movie that got advertised like the second coming of a saint, makes 1 billion, when there are already billions of potential customers worldwide all at once when the product launches?

That number btw becomes actually less impressive, once you start to think about how it came to be. Something our blue bear obviously didn’t.

See, on average every movie theater demands like what, 12-14 dollars per movie nowdays?

If we divide the box office of Civil war (1.152 billion btw) with 12 dollars, that makes on average 100 million people worldwide who watched the movie. A bit more than one or two percent of the worlds population. Not to forget, that of the box office success we have to substract such things as production cost of the movie, advertisement, the earnings of the theaters… so suddenly the movie may at best have had only earned one quarter of its box office for Disney as actual profit.

Not to forget, Dobson made that comic in 2018, when superhero movies on average did ring in so much money, because of the hype machine. But now we have 2023 and within the last five years (and especially 2023 itself) we have seen how superhero movies can also utterly fail to make money or even earn just enough to make back the production cost. Birds of Prey, Eternals, Ant Man 3, that Secret Invasion streaming show that still cost over 200 million… Do I need to get on?

Bottom line, Dobson’s indirect jab at comics as the less profitable revenue doesn’t hold that much water really in the real world, where once the hype dies down, comics may actually prove themselves as the more valuable longterm medium. Even if it may just be for the fact, that they end up staying longer relevant in the popcultural subconscious than the current movies, which tend to lose relevance with each new hastily produced and released installment in the franchise.

But where this comic really shines and shows Dobson’s ignorance on a cultural level, is in the last panel. When all off sudden it turns “racial” by claiming that Asian people, unlike “traditional” comic readers (aka white, in Dobbear s eyes therefore instantly racist people), would eat a Marvel character like Amadeus Cho up.

Question Dobson: Why do you assume, they would eat him up? You give no real argument based on anything the character does storywise, that the “target audience” may find admirable. So I can only think, that your reasoning is, because he is ever so slightly east asian coded.

Boy, do we have to unpack not just a can of worms, but a whole package of cans now.

First, the chosen language by saying “eat it up”. When being a writer, you should know that you need at times to choose your words wisely, because of the sheer implications they can carry. And the statement “eat it up” sounds way to close to a negative statement like “suck it up”. Making it come off as if Dobson considers Asian people to be mindless cattle that will consume the grub the House of Mouse will give them without question or any desire for actual quality to it.

Second, it recks of a certain mind set I hate within the American entertainment industry and some of its creators and consumers. That mind set being, that “non-traditional” American cultures supposedly don’t know better than Americans in what is okay for the sake of representation and entertainment or not. It’s a mindset that goes beyond the necessity of e.g. localizing a foreign product to the national market, by e.g. creating a sterilized, corporately mandated and rather unrealistic depiction of another culture within their product, that will fall apart as soon as the people who are supposed to be represented get a proper look at it and realize, how pandering and often times badly researched, if not outright offensive, it is.

Only recently did we see in the world of animation how that can backfire, when Disney released the trailer for “Primos” an upcoming animated show supposedly about a half Latina girl spending her summer vacation with her annoying cousins, people calling it based on the intro (and a leaked pilot) pandering towards a latino audience in a racist manner. And guess what: currently, Disney shelves it and tries to bury its existence like Dobson his old inflation art.

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Dobson himself has actually indulged in that sort of shit kinda, back with his infamous Nintendo comic.

Essentially calling the “true”, Nintendo corporation approved depiction of his childhood Nintendo heroes disgraceful, for not falling in line with the late 80s depictions he saw in localized, made in America products such as the DiC cartoons. That and minor homophobia mixed with misogyny by calling Link “girly” for having longer blond hair since Ocarina of Time and blaming fangirls for it.

Third, and that is kinda related to my prior point, the reality of things is, that “Asians” actually did not eat up that sort of thing in the last couple of years. Sure, there is always that thing about a Chinese market. the big movie companies try to pander to and may succeed with some dumb action flics featuring big robots.

But the reality is, that not even people living in a dictatorship will eat up every trash you give to them, just because it comes from Hollywood or is supported by their glorious leadership. Disney tried to create two pandering messes of movies for Chinese people to watch, called Mulan (the live action adaptation) and that Shang Chi movie. And how did they do there? Oh right! The government did not even allow Shang Chi to be released and Mulan was released but supposedly didn’t do so well, considering (COVID not withstanding) it only made 70 million globally!

Don’t get me even started on every human right controversy in relation to the later, starting with filming in China near a concentration camp and ending with the main actress being essentially a Chinese propaganda puppet.

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So, if those movies flopped, why would Chinese people for example flock for an Asian Hulk? A hulk that is not even Chinese but Korean.

See, this is another issue that fails with the example: The actual choice of character Dobson name dropped is actually kinda terrible.

For those unaware: Amadeus Cho is a supporting character in the Marvel comics, created in 2005 by American writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa. The later, despite the name being very east Asian, sounding, actually being from Canada. Now both do have east Asian roots so to speak (Pak e.g. is the son of an Korean-american man with a Caucasian woman), but they also have grown up within a society that taught them both western social values more so than we would see in east Asian countries. So with the creators already not necessarily having the most real life experience with the average mindset of a Korean citizen, can we really say that their actual creation helps “represent” those people of a foreign, non-american culture?

And that is not even covering stuff like the actual story of the character itself.

See, in the comics, Cho is supposed to be an American-Korean genius (wish fullfillment much, Greg?) and one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe. His parents named him after Amadeus Mozart (a pretty white motherfucker as far as I remember) and he grew up under Methodist beliefs. So basically the “Korean heritage” of the character has already been thrown out of the window. Now I don’t expect the character to act stereotypical Korean, listen to K-pop, declare bulgogi to be his favorite dish or any of that shit. But when you want to sell me the character as being in some way or another connected to his ancestral culture, shouldn’t he engage at least in some “Korean coded” things?

I mean, the character of Anne Boonchuy in Amphibia is a Thai-American who acts more like a 13 year old girl that learns to be less selfish and impulsive over the course of the show and whose “heritage” isn’t thrown at us, the viewer, most of the time. In fact, Anne herself acknowledges that she e.g. can’t really speak thai, despite her own mother being fluent in it and a season 3 episode reveals, that Anne is “begrudgingly” a part of the L.A. thai community. And yet, in connection to the shows story and as part of Anne’s characterization, her heritage is acknowledged and plays a part of who she is. Even if it simply means she knows how to cook certain thai dishes, loves her parents and their customs, helps out in their restaurant, can speak a few words thai and knows the basics of Muay Thai, a form of martial arts (and fighting sport) from Thailand.

Amadeus doesn’t even have Korean parents anymore, because they were killed as part of his tragic hero backstory. Nor has he ever visited an Asian country. Oppps.

To build further up on it, Amadeus becomes for the longest time simply a major supporting character in the Marvel universe for the likes of Hulk and Hercules, two white coded characters. Sure, he plays a major role in the defeat of some cosmic horror level villains (such as Mikaboshi in the Chaos God storyline most people forgot even existed) but it takes a long time for him to become a “A-lister” so to speak.

In fact, according to Wikipedia, it wasn’t till after “Secret Wars” in 2016 (eleven years after the character was created), that Amadeus thanks to a chain of events eventually got his chance to Hulk out. And then they still had to kill Bruce Banner to make Amadeus “stand out” initially (don’t worry, Bruce came back. I mean, characters actually staying dead in comics, so that heroes can learn there are consequences? Preposterous) In fact, Amadeus hasn’t really proven himself as a decent “solo” act. Instead he became a member of the Champions (among Miles Morales, Mrs. Marvel, Vision’s daughter Viv. Nova and Cyclops), essentially creating yet another superhero team for teenaged vigilantes. Despite the fact, Cho himself should be by now in his mid 20s.

Now look, I do not want to shit talk the character. Partly because I haven’t read everything he was in myself and partly because in the few things I did see him in (both pre- and post Hulk) he was okay. He is a decent hero and person, who tries to do good, even if he screws up here and there. That is something I can admire in a character in general. But he is not a good “representation” of another culture, because his complexion and minor physical features aside, he is NOT embodying even minor values or traditions of that foreign culture. He is simply a Korean-American (or technically Canadian), who falls more on the American side of things.

So essentially, Dobson who virtue signaled on multiple occasions how bad it is when companies he didn’t like tried to speak on behalf of other cultures, would have no problem at all to ask for Asian people to swallow this obviously “Made in American” product. The “Made in America” line actually working both on a metaphorical and a storytelling level, cause trying to google what “east Asian coded” heroes in the Marvel Universe actually come from an Asian country instead of being simply born on American soil, is pretty damn small.

After 20 minutes I only found Shang Chi, as he was born in China, and that character was created as part of kung-fu exploitation in the 70s by white dudes.

Yaiks

However, none of that tops the next two points that really sell Dobson to me as an American centralistic racist. Or at least a twat who doesn’t understand how through bad wording he comes of as ignorant of other people’s cultures.

The way he generalizes Asian people in his statement, while also ignoring the actual accomplishments in the creation of entertainment in multiple Asian countries.

If you’ve read closely what I typed, you may have seen that I used the term Asian at times in tandem with the term “east Asian” to e.g. describe Amadeus Cho.

And that had a very deliberate reason. While I was not a fan of geography in school, even I know that Asia as a continent is not “nationally” as homogenous as let’s say Australia or North America. In fact, Asia is the biggest continent on the planet, hosts more than half of earth’s population and consists of at least 47 internationally acknowledged states.

States such as Turkey, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, North- and South Korea, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Iran and so on.

Now what all these states have in common, is that they have their own unique historical, social and “racial” culture and background. Heck, religiously speaking, Asia is the cradle of the world.

As such, Dobson stating that a “Korean coded” character such as Amadeus Cho (who is only Korean on the most surface level and would technically just be a legacy character of yet another white person) would be an immediate hulk smash hit with all these different people of different backgrounds…. Yeah, it sounds like condescending, colonization inspired shit, a smooth brain would come up with.

To Dobson “Asia”, at least based on that comic, is only defined as the “yellow skinned” people from the far east, who like rice, noodles, spicy food and give us anime, Godzilla, fireworks, buddhism and communism. It does not include anyone from the middle east or of more European ancestry. And if you are even remotely familiar about history, you would also know that Japanese, Koreans and Chinese all around do not e.g. like to be thrown into a pot with the others for a variety of reasons. Many of them political.

Or to sum it up even shorter: Dobson insinuated that a very shallow, “east Asian” coded American comic character would be an immediate hit with more than 47 different countries, ignoring that not all of them share the same background despite being part of the “same” landmass. And in doing so, he simultaneously generalized and denounced entire groups of people based on their racial and cultural background, which in as far as I am aware of, is considered racist.

But the “racism” is supposedly justified, because “representation” matters, it would be giving the middle finger to “traditional” comic fans and those nations and their culture are underrepresented globally.

Which is baloney.

Don’t get me wrong, I myself think that representation does matter. But the world does not necessarily rely on the good old US-Ayy only to give it to us.

Cause a lot of the Asian nations I brought up here? They have their own entertainment industry and stories, which again, get ignored by Dobson to make a dumb and false point.

I mean, manga is currently dominating the international comic market, all while Japan has also a booming animation industry and some of the most iconic heroes in modern popculture with the likes of Son Goku, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai etc.

China has a prominent -if propaganda driven- movie industry.

India has Bollywood and delivers some of the most ridiculous but awesome musical movies on the planet.

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Russia had authors such as Tolstoy and movie directors, that redefined the “art” of filmmaking.

Korea had a few years ago one of the biggest streaming hits with Squid Game, while also earning an Oscar for a movie titled Dobs- I mean “Parasite”.

Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey… even nations that have not entertainment living up to “western standards” still produce stuff in some way or form to entertain the masses and their people. Just google up the character Kara Murat aka the avenger of Anatolia.

And don’t get me even started on the sheer ton of mythology, stories and history each of their cultures have provided the world with. Journey to the West? Baba Yaga, the entirety of the Gilgamesh epos...

And yet, there is this indirect assumption by Dobson, that all of them would be so deprived of “heroes” in their media and folklore, they would letch on second hand shop Hulk? Fuck off, Dobbear. I know you like to suck corporate cock as long as you think they are woke and you have childhood nostalgia for them, but this is pathetic. Take Amadeus before A Rama Raju comes around and roundhouse kicks him back to Canada. Then get the taste of mouse smegma of your Disney cock gobbling lips.

#adobsonartwork #syac #hypocrisyofandrewdobson #amadeus cho #racisim #mcu #tom preston #andrew dobson #i am back #back again #guess who's back #Youtube

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silent-sanctum · 1 year

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Sweet Night - Jotaro x Reader

♡ It's Aquarius season! So here's a lil birthday fic for 3taro. Enjoy! ♡

word count: 2.1k

You never thought you’d be celebrating your best friend’s birthday like this— 2 high school students who survived a long life-threatening journey and are still in the road to recovery. The trip started 2 months ago and yet it felt as if the whole mess started days ago.

Nevertheless, despite the lingering memories of what happened, you did your best in moving on and look ahead and appreciate what’s to come such as celebrating your friend’s 18th birthday at home.

Because of the shopping and personal responsibilities you had, you arrived at the Kujo manor as the sun began to set, just in time before dinner could start. You walked past the gate, passing through the well-maintained garden until you stood before the entrance.

In your hand was a bag filled with new music tapes, newest releases of his favorite manga, and a pack of beers hidden underneath the comics. Stuff you knew he liked aside from nicotine and a tiny bonus made for this specific occasion.

You rang the buzzer and waited, idly swinging the bag back and forth with gentle motions. You stopped as the front door slid open, revealing a cheerful blonde who beamed at your sudden appearance. “Oh Y/N! I was expecting you’d drop by soon~”

“Ah well, I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive earlier Holly-san. I wanted to but I had things to catch up with,” you said, embarrassed.

Holly shook her head and welcomed you in with a motherly embrace. “You don’t have to apologize dear. You dropped by and that’s all that matters.” She stepped aside and let you enter. “I’m sure Jotaro would be happy to see you for his birthday.”

“How is he?” You asked. You knew he was the type to ignore events such as his date of birth, even more so when he just survived numerous encounters with death.

“He says he’s doing fine, but I’d often hear him wake up in the middle of night cursing.” Holly clasped her hands together, her worry over her son clear as day. “Same thing happened last night, and he continued to put up his usual moody façade earlier as if nothing happened.”

“But I can assure you that he’s more than glad to have people be there for him in his life. Even if he continues to be a big grump.” You both smiled at each other. Images of Jotaro hanging out with you and the Crusaders popped into mind, all scenes depicting him enjoying every bit of it. I’m well aware of that ma’am.

The two of you stopped before another sliding door, this one leading into the delinquent’s bedroom. “He’s in here, though I got to say I’m a bit sad he wouldn’t go out of his room much today, but I understand.”

“It’s fine. We’ll be having fun in our own tiny way in that small space.”

Holly giggled. “Of course, you two will.” She turned. “I’ll be leaving you with him now. I’ll bring you guys dinner in a bit, okay?”

“That’d be lovely Holly-san,” you said with a wave of your hand as she went to the kitchen with a cheerful hum.

You faced the screen before you and knocked. “I told you I need to be alone woman.” His baritone voice replied to you, that mean edge to his tone still present though minimized.

“It’s Y/N. Your best friend?” Silence. “May I come in?”

You readied to place your gift on his doorstep, waiting for a rendition of “no” to speak back. However, the door slid open seemingly by itself. Stepping in, you saw Star Platinum holding the screen, being the one who signaled you to come in. You smiled and waved at the purple Stand, the latter waving back before returning to his user.

And resting on the futon across the room was Jotaro in his home wear with his arm in a sling, still recovering from his injuries from his fight with DIO. Though you could tell he appreciated you visiting for his day, based on Star opening the door for you, the averted gaze towards the adjacent wall with an almost faraway look implied he had many thoughts rushing through his mind, probably in relation to what his mother had said. In another corner, a pile of gifts lay unopened, likely coming from his grandparents and Polnareff.

“Hi,” you started off with a casual greeting, prompting him to glance at you with a responding “hey”. You took that as a signal to draw closer and sit a comfortable distance beside him on the futon. With you settled beside him, the tension in his muscles eased, soaking in your soothing presence immediately.

“You aren’t one for grand gestures, especially now, but I can’t help but get you something.” Your heart thumped in slight nervousness as you brought the bag closer. “Take it as my token of gratitude for being born.”

With hooded eyes and a small huff, Jotaro reached to take the present off your hands, mumbling a quiet yet sincere “thanks”.

The more you got to look at him, the more you could tell the sadness present in his eyes and the fatigue in his demeanor. At times such as these, you knew better than to say empty sentiments such as “it’s okay” or any of its many toxic variations.

And so, you inched closer and sat quietly by his side, reaching out to overlap his hand with yours, caressing the skin in small circles in a small way of comforting his distracting mind. “Do you want to share something?”

Your voice was quiet and careful, patient as the teenager paused in rummaging through his gift bag. Even though you were aware he wasn’t one to be open about his inner turmoil, you waited regardless, letting him know you were there to listen to him. Someone who shared the same experience and pains he’d gone through.

But with a few minutes of contemplation, he spoke in a hushed whisper. “I had hoped that everyone would be here…”

You swallowed the lump in your throat and held the tears back. It was painful to be reminded of the friends you two had made within the 50 days given to your little group—moments in between the fights where you got to bond with the guys as if the whole journey was merely an explorative vacation rather than a limited time battle with a greater evil.

From an outsider’s perspective, one would picture Jotaro to be almost unaffected by this, at most tired from the excessive amounts of fighting he had to trudge through. But you were by his side all the way, and nothing could be further than the truth.

You witnessed him go out of his way to protect his friends and indulged in whatever nonsense they suggested him doing to spend the time in the middle of traveling. He didn’t have much friends when you met him the first time, and when he did find them through this perilous path… he’d lost most them.

Combined with him nearly losing his grandfather and going into a state of anger and panic thinking you had died from DIO’s hands when he was out in the battlefield while you were recovering…

He had yet to process everything that had happened-- the lingering adrenaline from the past, the terror of his mother’s life being endangered, the nostalgia of the people he befriended, and the devastating loss of those same people.

You always knew what to say in troubling times, but for now, you remained speechless as you fully understood the dilemma he’s going through at the moment. However, even if you didn’t have the right words now, you were compelled to still help him in some way.

You slowly opened your arms to him, the latter noticing it immediately. Of course, you expected he wouldn’t be one to throw himself to you, but knowing the weight of recent events, Jotaro allowed himself to lean to you, almost slumping into your welcome embrace.

You put up a smile, leaning your head against his as you patted the back of his shoulder in a slow, repeated pattern. “I’m sure they’re with us this very moment in spirit, watching their favorite grouchy teenager spend time with someone they knew you could rely on for them.”

You could imagine another universe where things were different—Kakyoin would be here, chatting away about his love for video games. Avdol would be in the side, enjoying a drink Holly would make with Iggy sleeping on his lap. Polnareff would be making all sorts of jokes and games to liven things up. And Mr. Joestar would probably be complaining about Japanese culture with Holly to calm him down.

You quickly let the vision fade before you got too emotional, focusing on being present for your friend. He remained silent in your hold, face still burrowed on your shoulder. “I know it’s cliché and hard to believe, but trust me that no matter where they are right now, they’re still here, in heart and memory.”

Jotaro withdrew from your embrace and let out a sound of agreement as he nodded his head. You, in turn, cupped his cheeks and slowly brought his head down for you to kiss his forehead. “And for their sake, they’d want you to keep going even if you remained as the lovable grump that you are now.”

He rolled his eyes, though with a small smile gracing his formerly sullen face. “And you can start fulfilling their wants by blowing your birthday cake.”

“You bought a birthday cake?”

You nodded and reached into your bag, carefully pulling out a small navy-blue box with a candle taped on its side. “Yet again, I had to travel to city proper to find you the perfect mini cake.” You set the box down and opened its lid, grasping the edges of the cardboard and slowly lifting the dessert out onto the mat.

The teenager scooted closer. “Vanilla?”

“I figured you were a simple man so I got you something simple just to be safe. Besides,” you pulled out a matchstick and lit a tiny flame to light the candle, now placed on top of the cake. “You like vanilla ice cream. What makes a cake version different?”

“Plenty probably… but I’ll take what’s given,” he said, watching you put out the match.

You pouted. “Picky.” With the celebratory cake now ready, you lifted it to him and smiled. “Make a wish birthday boy.”

Jotaro hummed and shut his eyes, doing exactly that before opening them a few seconds later and blowing out the flame on the candle.

You set the treat down and gave the delinquent one more tight hug, the latter grunting a bit to accommodate your affections with a broken arm. “Happy 18th birthday Jotaro.” You pulled back a bit so you could plant a kiss on his cheek.

And the latter smiled as he looked at you with a mix of gratitude and adoration, cheeks reddened and warm.

Not too long after, subsequent knocking came from the door to his room. It slid open and Holly came into view with a beaming smile and a huge tray of dishes in her hands together with a cake of her own. She gasped at the sight of the round dessert you bought. “Oh! Looks like you already blew the birthday cake.”

“Who says we can’t do it again?” Star manifested once again to help the blonde set down her well-made dinner before you could get up to do so. “Right Jotaro?”

He tipped his hat and grumbled a quick “yeah”, still shy about his doting and caring mother. Holly clapped her hands in delight. “Okay! Let me just make the final adjustments and then we can blow the candles and take a picture.”

You giggled at her passionate dedication to make the perfect dinner and you turned to the delinquent to see the same amusement on his face.

Jotaro caught you looking and with your fingers interlaced with his on the mats beside you, even for a second, you shared a look of complete trust and love, one that could be felt alongside the memories of those who passed on.

It may not be the happiest nor the best birthday of his life, but with the comfort of family surrounding him in the moment and the everlasting love of everyone in the room—

It was meaningful, one that held hopes for a brighter future.

For him, for those he loved, and for the ones who’ll continue to love him until the end.

#jotaro x reader #jojos bizarre adventure #jotaro kujo

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natsukicookies · 8 months

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Embracing Digital Mysteries: Unveiling Love and Identity

Chapter 2 || love unlock

As your brother continued to play soccer in the garden, you sat on the sidelines, watching him kick the ball with a sense of admiration. His movements were fluid and confident, each kick and maneuver showcasing his skill and passion for the sport.

"Do you wanna play?" he called out, breaking my reverie. You hesitated for a moment, ready to decline his invitation. But just as the word "no" formed in your mind, a sudden interruption changed the course of events.

A holographic screen materialized before you, suspended in the air like a digital apparition. It displayed a message in bold letters, urging you to complete a task.

¹ˢᵗ ᵗᵃˢᵏ ᴱᵛᵉʳ!

[ᴷⁱᶜᵏ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵃˡˡ]

[ᴬᶜᶜᵉᵖᵗ] [ᵈᵉⁿʸ]

You furrowed your brows, puzzled by the sudden appearance of this interface. It was as if the mechanics of the game had merged with reality. Your mind raced, trying to comprehend the situation before you.

"What's this?" You mused aloud, reaching out to touch the holographic display. Before you could fully process your actions, your finger instinctively tapped the "Accept" option.

The moment your choice was registered, the screen vanished, leaving behind only a single, illuminated arrow that seemed to be pointing directly at the soccer ball yout brother was playing with.

Taking a deep breath, you stood up, your previous hesitations dissipating. A newfound determination ignited within you—a curiosity to explore this unusual scenario and discover what lay ahead. With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, you stepped onto the field, feeling a sense of unity with the avatar you was embodying.

The moment was charged with anticipation as you approached the ball, fully immersed in the realization that the lines between reality and the virtual world had blurred. The environment seemed to respond to your intentions, lending an otherworldly quality to the experience. With determination etched into your expression, you readied yoursef for the kick, determined to make it count.

Drawing in a deep breath, you swung your leg forward with a burst of energy, aiming to strike the ball with all the might you could muster. But in a surprising twist of events, your foot connected with nothing but thin air. The ball rolled untouched, and your intended triumphant moment turned into a comical mishap.

Gravity overtook you forward momentum, and you tumbled backward, landing unceremoniously on your rear end. Laughter bubbled up from your brother, the sound echoing around the garden. Your pride wounded, you felt tears prick at your eyes, threatening to spill over.

The unexpected emotional intensity took you by surprise. The sensations were overwhelming, and the child's body you now inhabited reacted in its own vivid way. Tears flowed freely, and you found youself unable to contain the rush of emotions.

Your brother's amusement dimmed as he saw the genuine distress on your face. His laughter faded, replaced by a mixture of concern and sympathy. He swiftly moved closer, his demeanor shifting from teasing older brother to a reassuring figure.

"It's okay, it's okay," he cooed, his voice gentle and soothing. "Don't cry, Y/n-chan. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You'll do better next time."

His words were a balm to your emotional turmoil. The sincerity in his tone and the comfort he offered felt genuine, tugging at your heartstrings. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, his presence and his reassurance provided a sense of solace.

As he wiped away a few stray tears, you managed a shaky smile, the corners of your lips lifting in response to his kindness. In that moment, it became clear that while you were navigating the intricacies of this digital-manga crossover, the bonds you formed and the interactions you had were as real as any other.

With a deep breath, you nodded, determined to take his words to heart. This moment of vulnerability had highlighted the very essence of your journey—a journey that encompassed challenges, growth, and the unpredictability of a world that defied the rules you once knew.

Despite your best efforts to recreate the circumstances, the holographic screen remained stubbornly absent. You twisted your fingers in strange configurations, waved your hands, and even attempted a few dramatic jumps, but nothing seemed to trigger the appearance of the mysterious interface that had guided you before.

Frustration mingled with curiosity, leaving you puzzled and a bit defeated. The sense of power and possibility that the screen had brought felt like a distant memory, leaving you yearning for a way to access its guidance once more.

Just as you was about to give up, a voice called out from beyond the bathroom door. "Y/n, how long are you gonna be in there? Is everything alright?" It was your mother's voice, and her sudden presence startled you, causing your heart to skip a beat.

"Coming!" You replied, your voice a mixture of surprise and urgency. You quickly turned on the water tap, the sound masking any potential suspicion on her part. "I'm washing my hands!"

The brief exchange was a reminder of the delicate balancing act you had to maintain—juggling your true understanding with the persona of a 5-year-old. The necessity of maintaining appearances clashed with your desire for privacy and your pursuit of understanding this strange digital world.

As you stepped out of the bathroom, your mother's concern was palpable. Her eyes scanned you for any signs of distress, and you mustered a reassuring smile, hoping to alleviate her worry. She nodded in approval before turning back to whatever she had been occupied with.

The confines of constant supervision were suffocating, a reminder that you existed in a world where your true identity was veiled. Every step you took, every thought you had, was subject to scrutiny, and this limitation fueled your determination to uncover the nature of this new reality.

Resolute, you retreated to your room later that evening, your curiosity once again pulling you towards the enigmatic experience of the holographic screen. In the privacy of your own space, you closed the door and took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's try this again," you muttered under your breath. With a sense of hope, you attempted various gestures and movements, as if trying to communicate with an elusive spirit. And then, just as you was about to give up, a flicker caught your eye.

A faint glow materialized before you, gradually forming into the familiar holographic screen.

[ ᵀᵃˢᵏ ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ:

¹ˢᵗ ᵀᵃˢᵏ ⁻ ᴷⁱᶜᵏ ᵗʰᵉ ᴮᵃˡˡ]

it read, along with a few other lines of text that seemed to outline your achievements.

Yoi couldn't suppress the rush of excitement that surged within you. It was as if you had cracked a code, unlocked a hidden door, and revealed a portal to a world of possibilities. The screen was back, its presence validating my attempts to interact with this unique reality.

With a newfound determination, you focused on the screen, eager to see what new tasks or insights it might provide. It was clear that this screen was more than just a game mechanic—it was a bridge between your past and present, a tool that would help you navigate the intricacies of this manga-inspired world.

As the text on the screen changed, you felt a sense of anticipation building within you. The challenges, the opportunities, and the secrets this digital interface held were all part of the tapestry of your journey—one that was still unfolding, one interaction at a time.

The holographic main screen flickered into view once again, its virtual presence captivating your attention. The arrangement of options

ᴹᵃⁱⁿ ˢᶜʳᵉᵉⁿ:

ᴾʳᵒᶠⁱˡᵉ

ᴸᵒᵛᵉ ⁱⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗ

Qᵘᵉˢᵗˢ

mirrored the structure of a video game, confirming your realization that this world you inhabited was like a living, interactive digital realm.

"This is just like a game..." you muttered, you words carrying a mix of wonder and bemusement. The boundaries between fiction and reality were blurred in ways you had never imagined.

Among the options, the text "Love Interests" stood out, beckoning you with intrigue. With a decisive tap, you delved into this category, eager to learn more about the concept of romantic connections within this world.

As the interface for "Love Interests" loaded, the text presented an enigma that left me puzzled:

ᴸᵒᵛᵉ ⁱⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗ

???

ᴺᵒⁿᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ⁱⁿᵗᵉʳᵉˢᵗ ⁱˢ ᵘⁿˡᵒᶜᵏ ʸᵉᵗ ⁱᵗ ˢᵉᵉᵐˢ.

Confusion tugged at you. What did it mean by "unlocked"? And why was the category shrouded in mystery? Was there a way for you to unlock these "love interests"? You pondered these questions, your curiosity piqued.

Frowning, you decided to go back to the main screen and investigate further. You clicked on the "Profile" option, hoping to gain insight into the character you had become.

The information that appeared was both revealing and puzzling:

ˢᵏⁱˡˡˢ:

ᴹᵃᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ qᵘⁱᶜᵏ ˡⁱᵉˢ

???

The bizarre skill intrigued you. What kind of world was this, where making up lies was considered a skill? It was a talent that seemed more suitable for a spy or a trickster, rather than a young child. You couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it all.

But it was the profile information that truly held your attention:

ᴾʳᵒᶠⁱˡᵉ:

ᴺᵃᵐᵉ: ᵉᵍᵒ ʸ/ⁿ

ᴬᵍᵉ: ⁵

ᴴᵉⁱᵍʰᵗ: ³'⁵

You stared at the screen, a mixture of emotions churning within you. The name "Ego" felt like a title you had been assigned rather than a reflection of your true self. And the age—it was a stark reminder of the incongruity between your mind and the body you inhabited.

The information about your height seemed to further emphasize the dissonance. At 5 years old, you was significantly shorter than what you had been accustomed to. These details were a testament to the intricacies of the world you was navigating, one where identity was malleable and reality was a tapestry of elements drawn from manga and gaming.

As you contemplated your newfound profile, a mix of determination and curiosity swelled within you. The journey ahead was filled with unknowns, from the mysterious love interests that had yet to be unlocked to the peculiar skills that defined you. With a sense of purpose, you closed the holographic interface and turned yout gaze toward the future—a future that promised adventure, discovery, and the unraveling of the mysteries that had led you to this extraordinary juncture.

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xyoonx · 16 days

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𝐎𝐂 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 # 🍒

Featuring: my OC, Desmond. (The Dealmaker)

Fandom: Lovebrush Chronicles.

Warning: Might contain slight spoilers of Ayn's story / other NPC stories.

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Name: Desmond Anderson.

Age: 20

Pronouns: he/him.

Sexuality: pansexual.

Appearance: tall, well-built, intimidating, tough, laid-back. (like your typical delinquent lol)

Personality: introverted, cold, rebellious, bad-mouthed, smart, sarcastic, sassy, caring towards his close friends, frugal.

Major: Business.

Hobbies: reading comics and books (and webnovels), playing sudoku on newspapers, playing video games, doing some math.

Likes: Games, books, mangas and comics, math, money.

Dislikes: nosy people, loud people, inconsiderate spending, wasting.

birthday : March 15

MBTI: INTP.

Pets: None. Unless you count the cactus on his desk named Brad, then, yes.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬

MC: friend. He once helped MC get new paints 10 minutes before an exam when she realized they ran out (MC had to pay him 5 bucks for that).

Ayn: Cousin from the mother's side. Desmond stopped seeing Ayn after Quinn died; they had grown apart from then. They started getting along once again after joining St. Shelter.

Sebastian: Desmond finds Sebastian annoying; his tactics of promoting his club is horrible and he is also known to be a scammer. Despite all that, Desmond can't help but constantly tease and push Sebastian around. (They're besties, your honor.)

Clarence: childhood best friend. Clarence used to be online friends with Desmond when they were kids; they were close then, but they stopped contacting each other after Clarence got busy with his studies. Desmond’s change in personality made himself a stranger to Clarence; he has a hard time believing Desmond is a delinquent now.

William: Desmond calls William a mosquito.

Because he always buzzes around his ears. (William doesn't suck blood tho-)

Cael: Unknown. Desmond only knows him as a professor.

Alkaid: hostile. Alkaid is nice to Desmond, but he doesn't like him.

Lars: That cool manga enthusiast who drops by the school once a year. He's also like an uncle figure to him.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

Backstory: Desmond grew up in a strict household. He was well-mannered and polite as a kid. However, he began to change during his freshman year at St. Shelter.

Academy life: He is a business major in his third year. He has quite an infamous reputation around the campus. Students say he's rude and careless, and doesn't give a damn about the rules – however, he's the top student in his class.

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

Gavin’s pain in the ass™. Desmond tried to sneak into the oractice room several times and got caught.

Delinquent on the outside, absolute math nerd on the inside.

His father is David Anderson. He’s a part of the Feinz group.

(here, Anderson is inspired by the Inquisitor Anderson seen in Godheim.)

Desmond said that his mother is Quinn's sister. His mother works as a banker.

Desmond met Ayn’s father once. And he never wishes to see him again.

He is actually close to O'Connor. He helped O'Connor run the Student Council when he was still president.

Desmond is good friends with Gerald, Finn, and Derek.

He's the roommate of Gerald.

He's also known to get the first prize in a math competition; students contact him to help with their homeworks. (Of course, Desmond asks them to pay for his services)

Desmond was once caught sneaking out to smoke during a camping trip where he was paired with Clarence.

Desmond is interested in learning how to play the guitar. He even tried to sneak into the practice room without permission; which made Sebastian furious, but Desmond continued to fiddle around with the guitar.

His favorite dish is chazuke.

“I won't join any clubs.” “Hey, I heard Sebastian is holding another meeting for their upcoming concert-” “real shit?👀”

Takes Gerald out to treat him hotpot.

Hangs out with Dominic. Tries to make Dominic think that Desmond doesn't know Gerald at all.

"And Gerald said he liked hotpot," Dominic complained. "Like, can you believe it?"

"Yep... Gerald, haha..." Desmond chuckled nervously, avoiding Dominic's gaze. "Don't even know who he is."

Has a huge manga collection. Often chats with Lars about it too.

He has a pet dog named Dallas at home. And at school, his pet cactus is named Brad.

Affection Items: Fermat's Last Theorem, game CD, soda can, comic book.

#its me and my lbc ocs against the world #lovebrush chronicles #desmond anderson (oc)#lbc ocs #lovebrush chronicles ocs #oc chronicles

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spidercookie18 · 6 months

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Which of the Lost Boys do you think is the most likely to…

Be mistaken for a celebrity?

Have visited the most states or even countries?

Have a collection of books that they may or may not have read entirely?

Speak a foreign language fluently?

Identify types of flowers?

Have the most body count?

Be a sadist?

Be the best at math?

Give someone the wrong directions (intentionally)?

Be an extra in a zombie movie?

Have read a Harlequin book?

Win at trivia?

Give the best hugs?

Fall from the tree?

Enjoy pineapple on their pizza?

My babies!

ALSO: I mention 'adult topics'. So kids, fuck off okay?

Aightttt let's get this shit staaarteeddd

Which of the Lost Boys do you think is the most likely to…

Be mistaken for a celebrity?

I actually know fuck all about celebrities. But I’d think that Paul and Dwayne would get mistaken for celebrities, or rock stars, just because they look so rocker. Mostly Paul, but when he’s flustered he doesn’t know what to do, so the others have to come and save him like, “yeahhh we’re in a band. A rock band. Wanna come rock out with us?” Of course they’re gonna eat the groupies, but why not have fun with it?

Have visited the most states or even countries?

David- he is old as balls, he's been in at least the US and Canada, and he's gone through most of the contiguous states with Max. Least is Paul, he’s kinda like Charlie from IASIP when they try to leave Philly and he does everything in his power to stay there, lol. Gripping the cave walls while all the boys pull on his legs trying to get him to leave, sweet baby loves his new home and doesn’t wanna go anywhere, “you can’t make me!” type stuff when they’re just going down the road.

Have a collection of books that they may or may not have read entirely?

Collection of books? Dwayne, but he reads them for Laddie; they’re a combination of children’s books, philosophy and romantic nationalism. Books for themselves, David. He's a hoarder, and secretly looooves romance books, especially the dirty kind of dramatic ones. Paul probably has some comics or manga’s, just cause he likes looking at the pictures. And Marko has a few books on different species of birds and flowers.

Speak a foreign language fluently?

All the boys do! Marko and Dwayne’s mother tongue is not English. David and Paul were bilingual from childhood. David speaks French, Marko Italian, Dwayne Russian and Spanish, and Paul speaks German. But of course, they’re all teaching each other how to speak their language. Kinda like duolingo, except if you don’t practice it’s not an owl coming for you, it’s a big scary ass vampire.

Identify types of flowers?

Marko, David and Dwayne because of their mothers, and Paul because boyscouts.

Have the most body count?

Before death? Close call between David and Marko, but I'd say Marko. AD? Between Marko and Paul, or maybe Paul and Dwayne? They all b fuckin, and honestly when you get old enough you stop counting. Buuuuut David is the least promiscuous, just cause it's hard for him to find a compatible partner. He likes to flirt, but he usually turns them into a capris sun before he even gets his pants off.

Be a sadist?

Sadist??? In a vampire??? Naaaaaah. Lol. From most sadistic to least is Marko, David, Dwayne, and Paul. Sweet baby Paul is more sub than dom, Marko is dom/sub but you have to drag it out of him. ALSO, depending on how someone fucks with the boys (like pisses em off) they can be 0 to 100. They all have the capacity for it, just mostly Marko and Dwayne stay ready to fuck someone up for their family.

Be the best at math?

Best at math?...... Paul, but only because he thinks it's a "party trick."

Give someone the wrong directions (intentionally)?

All of them?? lmao. They're assholes, love. Depending on their mood it can be not as bad, but also who would ask these specific boys for directions???? Not me, and I am obsessed with them.

Be an extra in a zombie movie?

Marko and Paul would love the attention, but they might get too into character so David and Dwayne would have to tag along to make sure they didn't actually eat someone alive on film. They'd have sooooo much fun with it, and the boys would steal soooooooooo much shit from set lmao.

Have read a Harlequin book?

*Googling what this means* ooh, you mean smut? Yeah, no all of them have. Dwayne started it. He’s got a solid stash hidden somewhere, then Paul found it, blushed and Marko saw him. Paul, sweet thing was giggling and then got embarrassed, so Marko went to investigate. Marko got bricked up, then started keeping a stash. Then he became a problem with it, David had to confiscate it and then HE got bricked up. Anyways, the boys share books now 😂😂 it's a group effort to maintain and add to the collection.

Win at trivia?

(Technically they all could bc telepathy, and you KNOW they would cheat) but id still have to go with David. But only when he is belligerent levels of drunk. This fucker is so gd old he knows everything. Yes, even the nerd stuff. Then the boys have to leave early because he'll start saying some, "back in my day it was actually..." shit, talking about the 1800s.

Scaring the hoes type behavior, smh.

Give the best hugs?

I gotta skip this one, thinking of the kinds of hugs they would give made me giggle like a bitxh in heat. I'll come back to it later. Probably Marko, because he secretly loves giving hugs. He will pretend he doesn’t but if you ask him for a hug when you’re crying or something he will never let you go. Then Dwayne, just cause hes so big, like it would be a bear hug. Then David, because he is so warm with those damn jackets. Last is Paul because he'd accidently stab you with his safety pins.

Fall from the tree?

Paul. My hc for Paul is that he is a MAGNET for bad luck. Sweet baby would be dead if he was still alive. He’s fallen out of the sky while flying, like he thought it would be funny to freefall and then forgot to stop before he got to the bottom. He broke a SHIT TON of bones when he hit the ocean surface. David told him not too, and he didn't listen. Also fallen off his bike quite a few times, also Marko’s bike and Dwayne’s bike. Got thrown through a window and ate glass, like he just got it in his mouth and swallowed it. Got hit by a train, bus, multiple cars, David’s ran him over on the bike too lol, and almost sucked into a jet engine. Tried to do the Houdini escape thing and fucking drowned. David just sat back and told the guys not to free him, said he "had to learn to stop doing shit like that" and they just watched him drown. After a few minutes Paul just stared at them and pouted, David half contemplated leaving him there, but Paul started crying. Got Attacked by wolves, a flock of seagulls, one time a rat bit him, and he got bubonic plague. So yeah, he’s definitely fallen out of the damn tree. I can see him bouncing up and down in excitement before feeding time and slip and fall like 10 feet lmaoooo, the guys all got caught sitting in the tree because they busted out laughing. This poor baby has full-blown bad luck.

Enjoy pineapple on their pizza?

Dwayne lolllll. Marko would give him shit for it and Dwayne would be like "shut up and eat your pizza before I throw you in the ocean."

#i was cleaning out my drafts and found this #whoops #my b #anyways #ask answered #the lost boys #the lost boys 1987 #tlb #tlb 1987 #david the lost boys #marko the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #paul the lost boys #minors dni

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steve0discusses · 9 months

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Ep 46 Pt 1: Zorc’s Massive Low Hanging Fruit

We are getting very close! I don’t actually...remember how many episodes there were in this season but listen, It can’t possibly be more than 50 right?

Right?

Anyway, we’re starting off in the battle basement in Yami’s tomb. Who, of course has a battle basement installed right outside of his final resting place, just like how he would have wanted.

And it’s here that the form of Bakura that the dub is telling me is Ryou wants to kill his own classmate. Which, I’ll just point it out since a couple people mentioned it, apparently the manga did not do this nor did the original Japanese version. The dub just made this Ryou for giggles. We already know Bakura can split into evil pieces, this was not necessary. We also know that Ryou is sleeping on those painful steppies, so this doesn’t make much logical sense.

But like we’re watching the dub right now, so sorry, everybody, this is Ryou. Ryou on a bad day, I guess. Dark Ryou. Not to be confused with Shadow Ryou, who is...that other freaking guy.

Yugi just upset that he forgot to bring his dueling disk to a dream universe in the past or whatever. Must feel naked without that thing stinking up his left arm and making that school blazer all wrinkly. Bro is telling me that Yugi should have one really big arm, kind of like trogdor.

(read more under the cut)

the one thing that does make sense with making this Ryou is a little bit of symbolic imagery. Ryou talks about how he doesn’t have friends anymore in the beginning of this arc, and we can assume it’s because he’s decided to step away from other people because of the ghost in his bean. In contrast, Yugi has all these friends he cursed to like him (woops), and for whom he just risked his whole life for, and for whom he didn’t learn the Pharaoh’s name that he needed in order to save all of mankind.

Which, for reals, Tea and Joey are such good buds, that he really did just end the world to save their ass, and that is pretty anime of him.

But Tea gets very nervous over whether or not Yugi was going to perma-die. It would be very awkward if he died, since he’s also the host of this puzzle which is she is currently stuck inside of. Though I’m not 100% on if it’s even possible for him to die here. Little bit of a chicken or the egg situation, which I may have brought up before.

But still, she’s worried about it.

Which is when Joey does a quick head count and go “WAIT WAIT"

(the show does not show us where Tristan is)

Back at Kul Elna, everything is very quickly falling apart. Rocks are falling from the sky, Pharaoh is back at the capital with Seto and the other Seto, and Karim helllllllllllllla died last episode (or 2 episodes ago? I have such bad memory nowadays) so we’re just gonna leave his corpse in the barn and go.

sorry I just took in the incredible abs on this oversized chess piece that is Hassad.

Why bother? Like for reals why bother?

I have so many questions about this random guy and his character design and they will not get answered. Apparently Dark Side of Dimensions dives into it as well as other unresolved issues from this season but like, that’s for another time. We will be watching that later, and at my rate it’ll be like 5 years from now but I swear...unless I caught covid a second (third?) time we will eventually get there and find out the deal of this...this freakin guy.

Meanwhile, our story boarders are not finished flexing. I think they really enjoyed this particular episode, with this really fun composition around Bakura here. They LOVE to shred scenery with Bakura on this carving, and there are so many good shots where it’s like a comic cover. I mean, look at this:

Damn that’s a good idea. This composition is fun. You got the curves from this...pokemon that I forgot the name of... you got him dead center all strong and rigid to contrast the curves. You got purple and green clouds. It’s fun. If y’all ever want to do the “draw this anime still but in your style” this is a good still. Good stuff.

And then Bakura peaces off--no idea where, and it doesn’t really matter since we have like so many Bakura’s at this point. Lets just assume he’s everywhere.

And with that, the ground gives way to the ZORC within.

This ultimate being, Zorc, who we’ve been talking up for so many episodes.

And that’s when we find out Isis also left out another crucial detail about Zorc:

So listen. We can say that the...neck...of the snake is coming out of his lower stomach. But also, they left it in shadow for a reason.

The reason is, this episode is getting me flagged.

It occurred to me I don’t have to go for the low hanging fruit. I don’t have to. I can find a way around this. And I struggled. And I did whatever I, a full grown adult, could think to do. I thought to myself, I am a creative person, and I am inventive and I can write comedy well enough so it’s not just about poops and butts and dicks.

And then I gave up because of the number of times this thing is dead center on screen. And really, truly, I make a lot of low hanging jokes on this blog anyway so we’re just going to embrace Zorc for who he really is, both inside and outside.

And he is a slowly growing talking dragon shaped penis with legs.

Covered up by my joke towel in this scene I want you to know the snake just had it’s maws wide open to shout them down. It literally does only talk out of the dragon head on the bottom part of him.

Anyway, then Hassan jumps in front of the missiles zorc shoots from his crotch and well...he dies that way.

Death by firecrotch. This is like an immortal God meant to be the protector of the Pharaohs but you can kill him and the way how is disgusting.

There they go, back to the palace, which like, I guess is VERY close to Kul Elna, since Yami and Seto are currently vibing there right now.

Back at fight club, these two are still at it.

and then back at the funeral of the most romantic anime death of all time, Seto is still at it.

Seto, despite probably having to throw just SO MANY funerals for his tragic backstory is not very good at them. So right now he’s just distancing himself emotionally from literally everything going on around him by convincing himself this is all a very vivid hallucination.

Which it is. For once he is correct, this entire arc is a hallucination, but a hallucination with consequences. Which he is not used to. Hell he doesn’t see consequences when he’s not in a hallucination half the time. He’s like super rich.

Yami decides he did what he can, but he’s done with this freakin guy. I guess trying to reach through to Seto is a skill that only Yugi possesses, cuz Yami is just clear out of patience for this sociopath. Which is a shame, he usually loves this sociopath.

I laughed out loud at this cut to this horse’s ass and Seto’s reaction to being left behind from getting a ride the one time he was the one who needed a ride.

LMAO at the dub for adding that suspicious soil clump where a dead girlfriend probably was laying before.

but being real, this is another very nice shot, I didn’t cap it for vibes, and I really should have. Again, if you’re looking for a “draw this in your style” anime still challenge, this is another fun one. You got a juxtaposition of old and new. You got the storytelling of the dead girlfriend and trying to understand feelings you don’t understand because you were taught to never love. You got lovely ancient pillars. You got a clump of dirt that used to be a girl...

Like we may have dragged Seto’s ass back here, just to make him look cool and out of place in that coat as the wind sweeps by him. And that’s fine, I’ll accept that Seto this season may only be here for some vibes.

As he admires her slowly breathing (yes, breathing, thanks dub) he flashes back to that only time he every had a single conversation with this woman (a conversation they had, only because she thought he was someone else)

And off he goes, to look cool and probably do little else.

And as always, here is the link to read these from the beginning in chrono order.

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

#YGO #Yugioh #Yu-gi-oh #photo recap #episode recap #yugi muto #seto kaiba #bakura #ryou bakura #Theif King Bakura #bewd #blue eyes white dragon #joey wheeler #tea gardner #yami muto #pharaoh #Episode 46 #season 5

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eleni-cherie · 1 year

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among thieves ✨ || bts • pjm

- chapter 1.4

"what even am I to you? your rival, your lover, an obstacle or am I supposed to be your coffin?"

about two thieves who can't live with nor without each other. and a joint past that comes back to threaten them.

»»»

masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, very flirty jimin, friends/rivals/exes to lovers (it's complicated, ok?!) f2l e2l ex2l all members play a role in this story!

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

»»»

Monaco

Monte Carlo, the biggest district of Manaco, had always been infamous for its luxurious casinos. An international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth. Where was it easier to get money without stealing than this place? Of course, some would still consider it stealing the way they tended to win at the casinos.

Arabella stepped into the palast-like building of the Casino of Monte Carlo. Her long silver-shining gown flowing along with her every move.

The golden main hall already looking like a hall of Versailles. Tourists and even some famous figures, all dressed-up, strolling through the different parts.

After the employees checked her and Yoongi's perfectly-made fake ID's and exchanged their money into two cases full of chips, Arabella side-eyed the entrance to Salle Europe, heading straight to the roulette tables, that were placed in the middle. Between lavish surroundings with their sculptures, bas-reliefs and eight Bohemian crystal chandeliers fade into the background as the players held their breath.

"Remember, nothing over 50k," Yoongi's voice suddenly rang from behind her. Making her roll her eyes.

"I know, I know," she sighed, remembering their deal. It was saver to only win up to 50,000 euros, while pretending losing a bit here and there in between, not to gain any unwanted attention from the security. She had already counted ten around the tables.

"I hope so," Yoongi said with an arched brow, adjusting his tie, "Try staying out of their radar. I know, it's not always easy for you." He gave her dress a brief glance before focusing back on his tie. He was referring to her already gaining some attention and looks, which she brushed off quickly. Her ego enjoying it more than anything. However, she knew that sometimes this kind of attention wasn't helpful during heists.

"I promise I'll try my best," she smirked then as she swung one end of the silk stole, that was slung over her arms, over her shoulder and stepped forward then. Taking the tie from his hands and adjusting it herself. "Will you be alright, though?"

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "I know how to stay unseen."

"But in case not? You can defend yourself without your precious little sword?"

He had to leave his sword in his hotel room as weapons were obviously forbidden in places like this and in order to disguise it as a cane, he'd have had to disguise himself, too. Which he didn't feel like doing tonight. The previous evenings were enough. It got way too hot under those masks and wigs.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I don't need it to kick some ass."

Arabella giggled, turning around. "Fine, see ya later then," she waved and headed to the british roulette table.

There were two empty seats, her taking one of them. Seeing one of the older ladies with her diamonds scrunching her nose when seeing Arabella's absurdly deep décoleté before shooting her husband, who was looking at it for a bit longer than necessary, a dead glare.

Arabella bit back a content smile. What Yoongi didn't consider was that this appearance might not be unobtrusive, however, it surely could distract some people enough to let her slide with things.

She took out 20,000 in chips, stacking them on the table in front of her, getting herself comfortable in the seat while purposely letting her stole slide down a little. Pressing her arms lightly against her body to highlight her décoleté.

The coupier asked for everyone to place their bets then and she took a 1,000 chip between her fingers. Sliding it to her favourite number 13 black with a smirk.

»»»

At the same time a few streets away in the Casino Café de Paris, Jimin and Taehyung entered the dazingly flashing room with bright blinking slot machines in their black smokings.

Passing by the celebrating tourists who had won a few hundred euros and obnoxiously loud winning melodies, they made their way to the back area where the poker tables were located at.

"Man, how did I lose at rock-paper-scissors again?" Jimin whined, dodging a drunk guy who was swaying far too much in his seat.

"You do suck at it," Taehyung chuckled, patting his shoulder, "But stop complaining. Otherwise I might think you don't like spending time alone with me."

It was true, every evening Jimin lost the only game he couldn't manipulate. Not with three others who knew how to manipulate it as well, so none of them even tried doing it. And every evening he had to see Arabella go heisting with one of his friends instead of him. Much to his annoyance, as if she had found a way to cheat after all and did it on purpose.

"Sorry, I'll stop moping around," he sighed, realising he was acting childish again. His eyes wandered then to the room with the poker tables in front if them. Taehyung following behind until suddenly coming to an halt in front of a souvenir shop that was in between the two areas.

His brown eyes falling onto the postcards, all from different famous places around town. Even from this casino and the one Yoongi and Arabella were in.

He picked up one card, looking at it. His forehead ceasing as he got lost in thoughts.

"You think of sending her one?" Startled, he placed it back. Looking over his shoulder to see Jimin smiling widely at him. "I liked that one, you should send it to her."

Taehyung sighed, peeking at the card on the stack. Of course Jimin had figured him out. "I.. I don't know if I should."

"Didn't she tell you not to disappear from the scene again?" Jimin inquired with a raised brow. "That'd be a perfect sign that you're actually keeping the promise."

Pursing his lips, Taehyung looked at the postcard again. He knew his friend was right. And he knew Cassandra would be happy about a postcard from him, from the place he was currently at. Showing a sign of life. Showing that he had actually meant it, that he wouldn't just disappear from her life again. However, he was still not convinced of that being a good idea.

Jimin groaned then, getting impatient. He grabbed the card himself then, heading to the register before Taehyung could even protest.

"Wait, I don't even know what to write her!"

"Just think of something nice later and send it."

Taehyung hummed as Jimin pressed the postcard against his chest, looking at it. It had the famous view of Monaco's blue coastline in front of the town, with the mountains in the background. He smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Jimin shrugged while paying for it, "Just promise me you'll write her."

Laughing under his breath, Taehyung put the postcard into his blazer's inner pocket. "Since when are you so invested in mine and Cassandra's relationship?" he asked then with a curious smile as they continued their way to the card game area.

A quite supressing atmosphere suddenly hitting them compared to the happy and noisy one at the slot machines in the front. All players in the dimlit room putting on their best poker faces while peeking at the cards in their hands.

"Well," Jimin said then in a lower tone, grinning over his shoulder as they spotted two empty seats at some tables in the back. "I always liked you two together. But she also saved my life, so I kinda owe her now. I've got to make sure you don't mess this up again."

»»»

"Yeahie!" Arabella exclaimed happily, clapping her hands like her innocent dumb-girlie role would.

"7,000 for the lady in silver," the croupier said. Pushing her won chips towards her.

She had already several stacks of chips piling up in front of her. Her initial 20,000 along with 45,000 that she had won over the course of the evening.

"Please place your bets," the croupier said then, preparing to roll the ball in the anew spinning roulette.

Arabella decided it was time to lose a little again. As the small white ball rolled around the spinning bowl, it began getting slower. Her eyes falling on the nearest security guy, who didn't seem suspicious of her. Staring sternly into the distance. Good, he didn't suspect anything. Neither did the coupier. She placed a thousand euro chip on 1 red this time.

Her random bet having the wished effect, she lost.

"Oh no," she pouted earning a sympathetic look from one of the older guys.

Now she was at 44,000.

"How's it going?"

Yoongi had suddenly appeared beside her, placing a hand on the chair behind her while the other was firmly holding his own briefcase filled with chips.

"Aw, babe, I just lost!" Her fake-whiny voice was so convincing, it made Yoongi internally flinch and almost forget they had to pretend being a couple. He cleared his throat then.

"Oh, I see. Then perhaps it's time for you to end it here?" he asked with a raised brow. Actually intending to know if she had already reached the fifty thousand mark or not yet.

"What? No! One more round!" Her big puppy-eyes and pouty lips almost tricked him into thinking she was indeed as naive like this. He shuddered at what great of an actress she could be.

"Fine. One more round," he agreed. Not having much choice. Seeing a wide happy smile appear on her lips, when the croupier asked for the new bets. And she slid 6,000 euros in chips on black.

As they watched the ball roll around and becoming slower, she crossed her legs under the table. Heaving her bullion only to click it down on the floor again. The hidden transmitter in the front part of her highheel influencing the ball's track. Giving her a 44% advantage towards the house. And indeed it landed on a black number this time. 4 black.

"Babe, you're such a lucky charm!" she chirped happily, collecting her initial 6,000 and the additional 6,000 win and stuffing all her chips into her case. Slinging her arms around Yoongi then and kissing him on the cheek. She didn't necessarily have to for the act, but she liked messing with that guy who always pretended being unfazed by everything and seeing him becoming all flustered instead.

"Haha, yeah. Let's go now," he awkwardly chuckled and grabbed her arm, tugging on it. Her waving a last time at the one overly-friendly man at the table who had treated her to two drinks, before facing Yoongi again.

"No need to play the over-protective boyfriend, you know?"

"I'm not keen about it either," he mumbled, "But your boyfriend asked me to keep all men away from you. And those guys at the table seemed a little bit too eager by the looks of it."

"My boyfriend?" she huffed and pulled her arm from his grip, crossing them both. "He isn't my boyfriend."

Yoongi rolled his eyes as they made their way towards the main hall to exchange their chips into money. "Whatever he is to you, he asked me to. Okay?"

"And you just obey to everything he says?" she smirked teasingly, pinching his cheek, "How cute!"

He slapped her hand away, ignoring her giggles as he collected their cases filled with banknotes from the cash out, signing a paper and sliding it back to the cashier behind the bars.

Obviously, he didn't just blindly obey to him. However, considering Jimin was his close friend and one of his partners and he had asked him for this favour with big puppy eyes, almost pleading him to prevent some multi-millionaire swooing her over -again- what else could he do? Because Yoongi believed if this woman smelled the opportunity for more money and maybe some jewels, she might take it. Like she had already done countless of times in the past. And he couldn't have Jimin moping around and whining about her being with some rich guy on another mediterranean island again. So he had unwillingly agreed.

"Excuse me, Miss," a security guard called for her then, nearing the two. A stern look on his face. Shit, had they raised any suspicion after all? Both of them stopped in their tracks, exchanging a look. It was time for their plan b.

Yoongi faced her with his best angry face on, grabbing her hand rather harshly. "I said we need to go! You're obviously drunk!"

"I'm not drunk!" Arabella theatrically threw her hands in the air.

"You spilled your drink on that poor lady!"

"You- you ain't my dad, okay? S-stop," she almost yelled, intentionally slurred, making her drunkness more believable. Even wobbling a bit on her legs. "I hate you!"

He shook his head disappointingly. "You're embarrassing, really.. Look at you." He peeked at the security guy behind her then, seeing him looking all confused at them. Seemingly caught off-guard by intervening in a couple's argument.

"N-no, you're emba-embaras-singg me," she whined, lightly hitting his arm.

"Shh, just get in the car. We'll go home." Yoongi began pulling her towards the exit before it got too dragged out and the security guard decided to get involved after all.

And they quickly made their way down the stairs at the entrance, the big water fontaine shining brightly in front of them with the beautiful palms spreading behind it. They looked over their shoulders, making sure they hadn't been followed out. No sight of the security guy. They both almost simultaneously heaved a sigh and he let go of her as they passed by all the parked luxury lamborghinis and porsches.

"Nice acting."

"Thanks."

"By the way, how did blackjack go?"

"Good," he nodded, patting his case, "Had to hold myself back from winning more than fifty."

She snorted, pushing her stole over her shoulder. "I still don't believe you're so good at it without cheating at all."

He simply shrugged, smirking smugly. "It's not hard. It's all probability calculation."

Arabella glanced at him with wide eyes, not buying it. Causing him to let out a dry laugh. "And maybe a little card counting.." he added to which she laughed out loudly. "Ha, I knew it!"

»»»

"Full house - house wins."

The croupier collected their chips.

"Aw, are you losing?" Jimin perked up at Arabella's voice.

He glanced up, a smile creeping up his lips as he watched her placing a hand on his shoulder. He cleared his throat then when seeing Yoongi also appearing at the other table where Taehyung was seated. "I'm sure with you here now, I'll win the next round."

She laughed under her breath, not even surprised anymore about him always finding a smooth way to flirt with her. She hoped her cheeks wouldn't betray her by blushing and feeding his ego.

"Hope you have some more aces up your sleeve than that," she smirked then and took the empty seat next to him. Usually not allowed as the seats were reserved for players only, but when the croupier was about to say something, she just batted her eyelashes on him with her most innocent lip-biting, making him gulp and close his mouth again.

Jimin internally groaning at the sight of it. He leaned over to her then, his lips close to her ear.

"Stop driving all the guys crazy, am I not enough?" He retreated with a smirk, seeing her giving him an unimpressed glance.

He straightened himself again as a new game started. "Last one for tonight," the croupier announced as his watch was telling him it was almost 1am, deadline. He swiped his arm over the table, dealing two cards face down to all players and himself.

Jimin glanced over to the other table. Taehyung also had a new pair of cards in front of him, showing them to Yoongi who was looking over his shoulder. The older guy whispering something to him, to which Taehyung nodded and placed two 4,000 chips then.

He either had a good one or he was just bluffing. His poker-face was extraordinary after all. A few rounds before he had won 10,000 with a simple Flush.

Jimin's eyes fell to his own cards. Arabella leaning over to also take a peek.

Two Queens. Not bad. His gaze wandered to his opponents then who seemed a little distracted by Arabella's neckholder slipdress. He frowned for a moment, then glanced at her. She had noticed as well. Facing him with a small smile and a wink. His eyes widening.

Did she do it on purpose to help him?

He was at 36,000 euros winnings right now. 14,000 more were left for their limit. He looked down on his cards again as the other players started placing bets. Should he take it slow or risk it and bet high?

He smiled at Arabella then. "I'm gonna do whatever you tell me to."

She blinked, taken aback before contemplating for a moment then, eyeing everyone and their bet. They ranged from one to four thousand. She nodded then, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Call for now and raise later."

He licked over his lips as he looked down at her, eventually nodding. "Alright." He placed two 2,000 chips into the pot, holding the previous players raise. The croupier drew three more cards face up onto the table.

Another Queen appeared on the table along with an 8. Three of a Kind so far. He needed another Queen for Four of a Kind.

The other two players checked, meaning they neither placed bets nor gave up. The third one, a woman in her fourties with a pearl-necklace on her neck, did put out a bet. The fourth one, a younger guy folded, meaning he gave up. Leaving Jimin as the last one now. He also raised, placing another two 2,000 chips. The pot was at 18,000 now. Sure, more than he needed. But he didn't think it'd raise any suspicion considering he had lost 15,000 in the previous two rounds.

A fourth card was placed in the middle. A 5.

Dammit. He needed a Queen. There should be another one coming up soon if his calculations were right.Again, some players checked, some placed bets. Now, Jimin's poker face was also quite good, similar to the others'. And if it wasn't for Arabella sitting next to him and feeling his leg bounce, brushing against hers, she wouldn't have been able to tell he was nervous. It was quite nerve-wrecking after all.

Without thinking much, she placed her hand over his knee under the table. Squeezing it lightly, causing him to pause. He glanced at her with a raised brow. She was avoiding his glare, simply looking ahead and pretending nothing was going on. However, her gesture was saying enough.

And he couldn't help but drop his poker face for a second and give her a fond smile.

He placed another 1,000 chip as bet then. Holding his breath and trying concentrating on Arabella's hand wandering up his thigh, calming him down, when the fifth and last card was revealed.

Queen of diamonds.

His eyes widened.

If no one had a Royal or Straight flush or a Four of a Kind with King or Ace, he would win.

Everyone revealed their two closed cards.

A full house. A three of a Kind. Two Flushes.

"'Four of a Kind, Queens' wins."

"I won," he whispered and Arabella's head instantly shot towards him. Eyes round as she watched the dealer giving him all the chips from the pot while the rest of the players stood up and left with disappointed expressions. "Oh my god!"

He threw his arms around her, pulling her into a hug with a laugh. "Told you you're my lucky charm," he whispered into her hair. Smelling her perfume on it. They were now the last people left at the table, but they didn't care. The adrenaline rush being too high.

Arabella giggled then, pulling back a little. His arms still around her. "You need to properly thank your lucky charm then," she grinned then.

"I can think of a thing or two."

"Does that include a pair of diamond earrings?"

He rolled his eyes. Pulling her closer than. "Something much better."

"Better than diamond earrings?" she asked with a sly smile, "I doubt it."

"You'll see."

He was about to lean into her when a loud cough made them both perk up.

"Can you continue that at the hotel, please? I'm kinda tired," Taehyung said with a disgusted expression on his face. Rubbing his stiff neck as sitting there for hours had been exhausting. Arabella immediately frowned, pushing Jimin away. "There isn't anything to be continued," she quickly huffed and got up. Heading straight to the exit.

Jimin sighed, shaking his head as he grabbed his suitcase with the chips and they followed her out. "So close.."

"Seriously, you act like horny teenagers. Get a grip on yourselves," Yoongi said in a similar annoyed tone as Taehyung.

"What can I say? I'm still young at heart."

"And in the brain."

»»»

next chapter: 1.5 here

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dbfandom · 1 year

Text

Hey, I'm back!!

I wanted to show you guys how the ship or character centric stuff can be signaled, and how to read adverts by doujinshi people.

Here's an ad for nijidama's available books for this week's event.

How to read: Top: date, name of the event, booth number (aka where this person will be selling their books)

Title of the book (the words between those strange brackets, those are Japanese quotation marks); here it roughly says "Get together! Goten's day" (Goten is written in Hiragana and not with his kanji)

Format, page count, media, medium. Japan, like the rest of the civilized world ( ;-) ), uses international paper systems. (A5 is roughly half an US Letter and B5 is roughly comic book size)

By "media", I mean whether it's a manga, a novel, an illustration book / artbook of sorts... (in this case they're all manga).

By "medium", I mean the type of physical good. They're all Ondema except for the last one which is Copy. Ondema means on demand, which means ordered through a printer with a special binding (aka this was printed offset). Copy means it's stappled (copy magazine).

Characters and restrictions.

Here it's "Goten centric" (literally: Goten (kanji) - middle/center - heart) and it's "all ages" (all of these are all ages. Other otherwise see R15 or R18)

Price (in yen of course) + a little blurb about what's inside (this one in particular is about Xeno Goten yeeting across timelines to grab other Gotens lol I can't wait to buy it)

You can check previews of that book here if you want.

Now let's focus on these on the bottom row:

This is Trunks & Goten (non ship)

This is Trunks x Goten (ship, i mean, they're holding hands!!! )

This is Tapion & Minoshia (transcribed as Minotia) (non ship)

If you get to follow people who sell their doujins, you'll sometimes see "there's no CP element". CP in this case means Coupling (aka ships), not child pornography XD

Cat for scale:

Like what I do? Consider buying me a ko-fi! One kofi buys me one or two doujinshi actually!

#goten #trunks #truten #tapion #minotia #doujinshi #japanese to english

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crunchy-multi-fan-one-9 · 2 months

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thank you toriyama sensei.

Thank you Toriyama sensei.

Thank you for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, and by extension Super and even GT, as i loved all of these and count them as one. I have a great deal of respect for you, flaws and all. To me you are one of greatest creators of the 20th and 21st century.

dragon ball franchise as a whole was my number 1 anime, cartoon, manga, comic, graphic novel. Tv show. I count every series as one.

Watching ocean dub dragon ball z was in the late 90s was my introduction to anime and later manga, I got into sailor moon, ronin warriors, tenchi muyo, gundam, outlaw star and others soon after. thanks primarily to Toonami. i consider Dragon ball franchise as a whole and its toonami neighbors and other cartoon network shows and animes aired, to all be a family.

You and your editors who helped you along the way, have also shown me that a great mangaka or any other writer and their editors can make a truly splendid story. As well as a mangakas and writers other team members too of course.

Infact, you are why such great manga like one piece, bleach, yu yu hakusho and naruto and so on exist. I feel proud of being a fan of those works and yours, even doctor slump and your one shots that I have been able to read, mean a lot to me.

We never spoke or met, but through your manga volumes i have come to know you, through your short stories about yourself. Bless you sir. I will miss you.

Thank you, for having been you.

#Akira toriyama #dragon ball z #dragon ball #dragon ball super #dragon ball gt #dragon ball kai #bleach #naruto #one piece #sailor moon #gundam #Toonami

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pain-in-the-butler · 10 months

Note

May seem like a random question, but do you have any favorite official manga art for kuro? Yana's kuro sketches and arts count too...Personally, i love the one with Devil!Ciel holding a contract for Sebastian. It was very funny, plus the sonboy was slaying the outfit, like usual. Another one I'm partial too is Soma and Ciel hugging while resting on eachother, or Lizzie giving Ciel ponytails. I also love that easter cover art with Lizzie and Ciel with bunny ears! Wholesome content.

Hi, anon! Of COURSE I have some favorite official art, I am in super deep after all! 😊 I love most of the ones you mentioned, though I don't think I'm familiar with the one of Ciel holding a contract for Seb? Maybe I have seen it but it's not coming to mind. It sounds quite funny though Never mind I found it while I was going through my pictures, it's a cool one! (Edit: this art was meant for the ponytails picture)

I love the comic Yana did near the 100th chapter, of Ciel getting his tooth pulled by Sebastian, as well as the sketches (actually, I kind of like the sketches more). Speaking of the 100th chapter, this spread is still one of my faves:

And it probably goes without saying that I'm a big fan of these two:

And the babies playing with shoes:

And what could be more iconic than the lesbian thigh touch ever:

And then I agree that the chapter covers can be really fun, and the ones that are manga-only are great as well. Like, god bless the Ciel Phantomhive protection squad

This went on long enough, but there is indeed a lot of official art out there to keep us fed through these hungry days without Yana bringing us any new food to eat... which is probably a good reminder to look at her old stuff more often. It's still a hit!

#long post #ask

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recurring-polynya · 1 year

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Ok stupid ask but like how do you think the story of ichigo and his friends will be perceived in like the soul reaper/ academy, ichihime and renruki parts of it as well….because like those 4 have to be in the history books by now right?.

I don't think it's a stupid question at all! The nature of history and remembrance in Soul Society is actually one of my favorite things to talk about.

What I love about Soul Society is that it's ancient and continuous and time is sort of made up in the sense that you can have two people who are 900 years old and one looks like a teen and the other looks 90. It's sort of immune to a lot of the historical events and trends that create distinct eras in the World of the Living, things just sort of mash together instead, like a garage where you keep throwing stuff. You might think that they care very deeply about record-keeping and history, but in fact, it is an afterlife. There is such a natural tendency toward forgetting and revisionism. There are archives, but they are difficult to traverse and have a tendency to eat information rather than retain it. Probably the number one source of actual information about the Soul Society in canon Bleach is the shady guy who got kicked out and runs a candy store in the Living World. (Does anyone else think constantly about how Rukia didn't know what a Quincy was before she met Uryuu??)

So onto the question of Ichigo and his legacy. One thing to keep in mind is that while Ichigo and his nakama have done a tremendous service to Soul Society, telling those stories truthfully does not exactly paint anyone in the Seireitei power structure in a particularly good light. In fact, just about every good thing Ichigo ever did would have been completely unnecessary if the Gotei 13 could find its ass with both hands and a flashlight.

What parts of the Soul Society Arc, for example, would Soul Society consider worthy of enshrining in a text book, for the edification of future shinigami? Well, there was Aizen's betrayal, of course, which would need to be a cautionary tale. Soul Society loves to heap blame on people, heaping blame is fun, so there would probably be significant page count devoted to how evil and corrupt Aizen was, detailing his horrible deeds. You definitely don't want any young people coming to their own conclusions about Aizen or any of the points he was trying to make. Now we, the readers know that this came to light because of Ichigo storming the Seireitei, but he wasn't the one who discovered the bodies or uncovered the conspiracy, was he? No, that was Captains Hitsugaya and Unohana. I'm not sure they would necessarily merit a mention either. I feel like Soul Society history texts are very fond of the passive voice. "The bodies were discovered." When you think about it, even as it's happening, Ichigo is erased from the narrative of Rukia's execution. My memory of it was that her specific crimes were (1) staying in the Human World too long and (2) giving her powers to a human, but when I tried to look up all the places in the manga where I expected her crimes to be spelled out, it was just like "for your crimes." I think if you asked a good half the captains what she was being executed for, they wouldn't be able to answer. Further, Soul Society couldn't have cared all that much about (2) given that Byakuya just left Ichigo for dead without even checking for a pulse or anything, and I'm not sure anyone (aside from Renji and Byakuya, who didn't seem to care) made the connection that the ryouka coming to rescue Rukia was the same human she gave her powers to. There isn't even a tendency to list Ichigo and his friends by name. They are simply the ryouka, which, as Yoruichi points out is the same thing they call anyone who makes trouble in Soul Society.

If you aren't familiar with it, Color Bleach+ is sort of a databook, but it's really half omake comics and the conceit of the other half is that it's the special edition of the Seireitei Communication that was published after ryouka invasion, the issue Shuuhei is passing out to Ukitake while Rukia and Orihime are training together [Note: It is wonderful and hilarious and I recommend that everyone buy a copy, it is my prized possession]. Overall, it's a pretty lighthearted book and not meant to be taken seriously, but I do want to point out that the Seireitei Comm absolutely paints Ichigo and the gang as Serious Criminals, whose motivations are unknowable and sinister. I mean, look at the entry on Orihime, the most precious flower in the universe:

Her offenses are odious.

In other words, we're not starting out well here, but Ichigo is the one who defeats Aizen, right? And he saves the Soul Society from the Quincy War, right?

Well, you and I know that's true, of course, but if you were writing a history book, think about all the other stuff that was going on. Moving Karakura Town to Soul Society and vice versa! Guarding pillars! The Head Captain releasing his sword! I feel like it would be very easy to fill up a lot of text book space with troop movements and Central 46 debates, and to really gloss over the unflattering fact that Soul Society had to rely on the kindness of some kid that they had no actual control over to save their bacon.

But everyone knew him, right? Surely, people would talk about his deeds, right? Well, maybe. For starters, how many shinigami really do know him? The filler arcs tend to make it seem like Ichigo is pals with most of the captain class, but I think that's pretty exaggerated. Obviously, Renji and Rukia know the whole Karakura gang well. The Advance Team lived in Karakura for a month, except that Ichigo, Uryuu and then Orihime all made themselves scarce during that time, and I'm not even sure how much, say, Captain Hitsugaya got to know Chad. Obviously, Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Yachiru, and Ukitake know Ichigo decently well. Chad taught Shuuhei to play the guitar. Orihime and Rangiku are close. But for most of the other captains/vice-captains, they may know about the events that happened, but only second-hand. And also, how much do the rank-and-file troops socialize with these folks? Also, a ton of shinigami died in the war. Just a metric assload. According to We Do (Knot) Always Love You, half the Gotei was lost and two-thirds of the Academy instructors. There was a huge recruiting and rebuilding effort afterwards, and we see that ten years later, things are starting to get back to normal, but at this point, there's a lot of new people who simply weren't there.

So here's my take on it. I think Ichigo et al's contributions are greatly diminished in the official texts. I think that most of the decisions and actions that were taken was attributed to Yamamoto (or later Kyouraku) and the Central 46 (even when they did nothing). The captains probably get about the right amount of credit. The vice-captains get about 1/10 of the credit they deserve. Kurosaki Ichigo and his pals are a footnote.

That being said, the guys still exists. Most people who serve in Squad 13 have probably seen him walking around and said hi to him and have probably seen him spar with their captain or her husband, likewise Squad 11, and know that this guy is for real and that his power level is horrifying, even when he's just goofing around with his pals. I think he takes on sort of a cryptid state actually: everyone knows he was a real guy who was involved to some degree in the wars, but was he really a human-shinigami-Hollow-Quincy hybrid? Sounds fake to me. Lost son of the banished clan? If you say so. I think there are a ton of Kurosaki Ichigo stories, and some are very real and some are very fake and I think after a few dozen years, it's hard to remember which are which, even for the people who were there. His friends likewise take on slightly legendary status: Orihime, his beautiful and kind lady-love with her otherworldly healing gifts. Chad, his lion-hearted, faithful companion, of unparalleled physical strength. And of course, Uryuu, Ichigo's narrative foil, brought back from the side of evil by their bonds of companionship. It really does have the ring of a folktale, doesn't it?

70 or 80 years from current time, when Ichigo makes the permanent move to Soul Society, I feel like he's going to introduce himself and people will be like "Oh, you must have been named after the Great Hero of Soul Society, eh? There were three Kurosaki Ichigos in my middle school" and Ichigo is just like "yes, that's it exactly."

You mentioned Rukia and Renji, and of course, they are there and exist, with all the concomitant weirdness that shinigami captains who don't hold themselves completely apart from normal people have. Ukitake was thousands of years old, and on one hand, he liked to send everyone he knew cardso on their birthdays, but on the other, I feel like sometimes he would drop some casual allusion to how much work there was during the smallpox epidemic of 735, or perhaps mention one of the dozens of times he had to face down some ultra-powerful opponent who would have collapsed all of reality, except he can't actually remember the guy's name, there have been so many. Renji and Rukia are very very young in comparison, but I feel like they are very much on their way to becoming that guy. They have seen some shit. I think Renji, in particular, will be running a drill and launch into some aside about the time he killed 17 Menos who happened to be standing in a row in the Forest of Menos in the depths of Hueco Mundo, back when he had his worse bankai, anyway, guys, don't line up like that, it makes you vulnerable. Hey, is it lunchtime yet? It's not necessarily that no one believes the stories they tell, it's that the stories they tell are simply unbelievable. Unreconcilable with your daily experience. They're heroes of the Winter War and the Thousand-Year Blood War, because of course there are, but there will surely be more wars and more dimensional collapses and more Valleys of Screams and at some point, they're just Old Shinigami Captains, because that's just what you turn into if you manage to not die enough times.

I think there actually is one accurate account of the Karakura Kids' contributions to Soul Society and that only exists because it is the duty of the Kuchiki to compile and guard the history of Soul Society and Byakuya is autistic enough to want to record the actual truth and not the official version. Rukia and Renji actually wrote down most of it, and then Byakuya translated it into over-flowery, formal academic language, and it sits on a shelf in his library somewhere, gathering dust. In case someone ever wanted to read it.

#bleach meta #soul society worldbuilding #i have read plenty of fanfics where ichigo is sort of a celebrity in soul society and to me this is much more fun #this was a fun question! thanks for the ask!

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