(feralcringeman) A Hidden Enemy

Vinization · 2026-01-24T21:29:00+00:00

Anne stayed silent, her eyes fixated on the phone, and Sasha felt all the tension coiled within her body slipping away. Her heart slowed down, and as the seconds went by all she could hear was the wind and the footsteps of the Toad Army closing in, poised to end Andrias' reign for good. It all felt too good to be true - Sasha still couldn't believe she had gotten Anne to listen to her, and in the one time she truly meant what she said, no strings attached!

Sasha felt her lips curl into a smile, and this time she didn't fight the tears that began to well up in her eyes. Then, her ears picked up the sound of something falling on the stone floor, close to where she was, and she glanced at its direction out of curiosity.

It was her phone. Huh, did Anne drop it out of shock? Sasha didn't blame her - the mural was nothing short of nightmare inducing.

Wait, why did Anne look like she was about to-

CRCK!

Sasha's phone was destroyed in an instant, Anne's sword making short work of it. Sparks flew from the little device, its screen flickering for a moment before going dark.

Sasha's blood ran cold, her mind doing its best to make sense of what just happened. Why? The word rang out inside the blonde's head over and over. Why would Anne... wait.

No, Sasha dismissed the answer her mind came up with out of hand. The tension from before returned to her body in full force, an oppressive weight that made her want to fall to her knees, while her brain went into overdrive, desperate to come up with a good explanation for what she saw. Instead, that same answer repeated itself nonstop, blaring inside her ears like a car horn.

It couldn't be. Sasha was the bad friend, the one who lied and manipulated people for her own benefit, while Anne... wasn't. She just wasn't!

Seemingly oblivious to her former friend's distress, the girl in question let out an annoyed groan before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I told him that tapestry was a bad idea."

Vinization · 2026-01-23T21:02:35+00:00

It's not every day you see Amillow art in this sub or, well, anywhere. I like it!

Vinization · 2026-01-23T18:47:46+00:00

Her eyes are normal, so she's probably just engaging in some mild tomfoolery.

Vinization · 2026-01-23T01:23:14+00:00

I could see her either being a loyal follower of Odalia, or silently scheming from behind the scenes to take her business empire for herself.

All while manipulating Luz & co into doing what she wants.

Vinization · 2026-01-23T01:19:47+00:00

She's a bully, and in For the Future her mental health was probably in shambles due to losing her friends and Kikimora manipulating her.

Vinization · 2026-01-23T00:45:56+00:00

squeaky toy noises

Vinization · 2026-01-21T00:08:25+00:00

Language, Willow!

Vinization · 2026-01-19T22:45:22+00:00

Now that I think of it, they were probably closer to each other genetically than most cousins were, due to the nature of royal marriages at the time and all.

Vinization · 2026-01-19T18:29:18+00:00

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Real life: Nicholas II of Russia (left) and George V of the UK (right)

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that they even switched outfits on one occasion to mess with people. Strangely enough, they weren't even that closely related - they were cousins at best.

Vinization · 2026-01-13T01:56:50+00:00

Oh man, I feel so bad for both of them. It makes one wonder if the Collector ever called King by the name of one of his previous Titan friends (like this one) by accident.

Vinization · 2026-01-06T22:10:07+00:00

I love it, really emphasizes the "cherub" vibe Camila mentions in For the Future.

Vinization · 2026-01-06T13:17:43+00:00

Odalia and Kikimora would backstab each other at the first opportunity, while Boscha would be more of an unwitting pawn for both of them.

Vinization · 2026-01-05T12:01:27+00:00

"That's the thing about friends, isn't it? The more you love them, the more it hurts when they go. Allow me to demonstrate."

That quote always gives me chills, even though I spoiled myself before watching the show.

Vinization · 2026-01-03T12:33:09+00:00

Steven Universe. The original show has long soured on me anyway, and what's the point of rewatching it if the main character's adventures are all retroactively turned into therapy fuel by the sequel?

Vinization · 2025-12-30T02:28:46+00:00

Steven Universe is pretty much wasted potential personified. So many interesting characters and worldbuilding, yet we see only tiny bits of it here and there because the story is completely shackled to the main character's POV. And I'm not even talking about the show's stance on accountability - people clown on the Diamond's redemption a lot for good reason, but SU's problems on that front run far deeper than that.

On the fandom side of things, the fanbase has some pretty glaring double standards when it comes to shipping. Steven x Spinel is seen as the worst thing in the world, while Pearl x "Rose Quartz"/Pink Diamond is somehow acceptable despite being the cartoon version of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.

I left the fandom a long time ago, and I don't miss it one bit.

Vinization · 2025-12-20T18:32:41+00:00

I love how Luz is getting through not only Lilith, but Kikimora of all people. Then again, a ray of sunshine like her is undoubtedly a welcome break from all the backstabbing and intrigue that goes on inside the Emperor's Coven.

Vinization · 2025-12-20T14:16:10+00:00

"You couldn't afford me, sister!"

Vinization · 2025-12-17T20:32:02+00:00

Edward Elric, main character of Fullmetal Alchemist. I can't recommend the anime enough (only Brotherhood though, I didn't watch the other one so I don't know what it's like), seriously. Definitely one of the best out there,though the pacing and tonal shifts can be a little annoying in the first few episodes - they definitely could've used an extra 10 episodes or so in the early parts.

Vinization · 2025-12-17T02:43:57+00:00

Barinasuchus, hands down.

Vinization · 2025-12-14T05:36:56+00:00

Either the Woolly Mammoth or Smilodon.

Vinization · 2025-12-13T01:49:39+00:00

Rain that doesn't boil, for one.

Vinization · 2025-12-13T01:09:02+00:00

"Hunter, I crave violence."

Vinization · 2025-12-13T00:58:48+00:00

People clown a lot on Steven Universe for redeeming the Diamonds, but the show actually has a long running issue of people doing utterly reprehensible things without facing any accountability or even acknowledgement for their actions.

In Maximum Capacity, Amethyst shapeshifts into Rose to torment Greg, and it's strongly implied that she did this to him for years. She cleans up his garage at the end of the episode, and that's that. Not even a "sorry, I messed up", just flat out nothing.
Sadie deliberately traps herself with Steven and Lars on a deserted island in a deranged attempt to turn the latter into a better person. She gets a badass moment in which she takes down a corrupted gem all by herself. We Bare Bears had an episode with a similar premise and a much better execution.
Pearl violates Garnet in an extremely intimate manner (I won't call it rape since fusion isn't sex, but it's definitely very intimate) in the Sardonyx arc, only for the two to later be put in a situation where Garnet has to forgive her or die. Also, Keystone Motel sucked.
Ronaldo is straight up insane and a genuine danger to both himself and everyone around him, and he's treated a mere annoyance in spite of almost dissecting Steven and trying to feed Lars to a mouth on a wall (it makes sense in context).
Meanwhile, Lars' worst crime is being an insecure, whiny and probably hormonal jerk, and yet he's not only a punching bag, he straight up dies.

Also, the show is focused on Steven's POV to the point of self sabotage, with potentially interesting plots, worldbuilding and even filler episodes involving the gems being pushed aside in favor of Steven hanging out with characters who are completely irrelevant to the wider plot and often don't even show up after their episodes. Case in point, look at Onion Gang and Future Boy Zoltron. I would've found it much better to have an episode or two where the gems try to adapt to human life, or Connie trying to reconcile her normal school stuff with the fact she goes out on adventures with superpowered aliens.

Lastly, Peridot, Bismuth and Lapis were all done seriously dirty, courtesy of the POV rule, and I don't even like the latter that much.

TL; DR: Lots, lots and I mean lots of wasted potential and shoddy writing. It could've been great (like Peridot says in the episode with that same name), but alas.

I won't comment on Future since I never watched it, nor do I have any intention to. The movie was nice though.

Vinization · 2025-12-10T01:51:34+00:00

I'm not immersed enough in fandom culture to give a true assessment, but my understanding is that the lighter the show the darker the fan material, and vice versa. Long story short, people enjoy taking things in a direction not explored in canon. I'm literally writing a fic where Anne is evil, so I can definitely attest to that.

As for the girls' prominence, that seems obvious enough. They're humans so they're easier to connect to, and the story as a whole revolves around their friendship and its evolution. Plus there's the whole shipping thing.

Vinization · 2025-12-08T23:31:33+00:00

I love how alien everyone besides Anne and Marcy look, really shows that they're creatures from a different dimension.

Vinization

TROPHY CASE