#" backstory

[unkstaarwysbr]

Unveiling Perspectives: Reflecting on Television and the Rap Industry

In TSDS 278, El Uno and TraB engage in a thought-provoking discussion, exploring the television show “Secret Invasion” and the rap icon Lil Wayne. Their conversation unveils intriguing perspectives on the intricacies of storytelling, character representation, and the evolving landscape of the rap industry. The hosts kick-start their dialogue by delving into the television show “Secret Invasion,”…

[lizardpersonyknow]

Tim Drake is responsible for the majority of Gotham's streams of the song skater boy by Avril Lavigne. This is because he keeps captivating people with his autistic goblin rizz. They play this song while daydreaming about wooing him by bringing the bedraggled rat boy at the skate park a zesti like they're y/n herself. Sometimes they don't even realise that That's Tim Drake Wayne. He's a cute, skrungly Thing™ that you could either fix or make worse depending on your romantic daydreams.

[blorbologist]

Y'know, I think I figured out why the Hells still feel like a new low-level party to me, even though they're level 13 and almost 100 episodes in.

I don't quite think it's the lack of conversations, or the fact half the party's plot hooks are big ties to past campaigns - though that definitely plays a part.

... Bell's Hells still primarily rely on quest givers.

Most of their goals are given to them and do not feel organic to the party, and constantly remind us that the Hells are pretty much never the most powerful people in the room. Which is usually something you see with a low-level party.

NPCs offering jobs is not a bad thing; it's a very common plot hook. Matt has been extremely skilled with using NPC quest givers in those two campaigns. Not only do they provide an obvious plot thread, but they can put the party in the path of others (say, the Nein running into the Iron Shepherds while doing a job for the Gentleman and everything that came of that). And the Hells had a solid start with it too - Eshteross was an excellent quest giver!

The problem is that Bell's Hells have never really not had a quest giver.

Maybe it's a byproduct of the more plot-heavy structure of this campaign? But while prior parties have felt like they decided on their course of action and what they prioritized, Bell's Hells feels less like level 13 (13! Level 13!) experienced adventurers and more like an MMO group clicking on the exclamation point over an NPC's head. Where does the plot demand we go next? Who do we report back to?

They're level 13.

At level 13, Vox Machina had just defeated a necromantic city-state to clear their name and Percy's conscience. And, you know, the Conclave just destroyed Emon. No one was explicitly telling the group to gather Vestiges and save the world (though Matt guided them there), and they were usually among the most powerful people in the room. They chose which Vestiges to prioritize, which dragons to tackle when, even if the over-all plot was pretty clear.

At level 13, the Mighty Nein were celebrating Traveler Con (another PC goal, I'll note) after brokering peace between two nations, accidentally becoming pirates and heroes of the Dynasty. The Nein regularly chose what to do based on personal goals, not grand ones. Though definitely smaller fish than Vox Machina at this level, they were very independent and gaining solid political clout.

While we're at it: level 13 is one level lower than the Ring of Brass, who had a huge amount of sway over Avalir. They ended the world, and also saved it, while in the grand scheme of things being only a smidge more powerful than Bell's Hells are now.

Can you really see the Hells wielding that amount of influence, when they're constantly being told what to do next?

The god-eater might be unleashed, so Bell's Hells have no time to do anything but what is asked of them. No time for therapy unless stolen from Feywild time, no travel on foot and late-night watches. They haven't even had time to grieve FCG. Percy was grieved in the middle of the Conclave arc. Molly was grieved when half the party was still in irons.

Matt is in the very unfortunate spot of not being able to give the Hells the same agency as the other two parties. Not only because of the world-ending plot introduced so early on; they are surrounded by characters they know (and the cast knows) are stronger and wiser than them - the familiarity of the past PCs and NPCs is to their disadvantage.

Why would the party reasonably ignore Keyleth's task that will help save the world and go off on a romp? Why would the cast when they know well Keyleth has to be sensible and with the best intentions in mind? The stakes are just too high.

It means that the Hells still feel like they're running errands instead of pursuing their own destiny. Their accomplishments are diminished as just being parts of a to-do list, and any stakes feel padded by several level 20 PCs/NPCs standing 5 steps away ready to catch them.

This isn't Bell's Hell's fault, nor is it Matt's. It could be amended, I think, if the Hells are really left to their own devices for a long period of time without support and shortcuts (like during the party split)... which would be really tricky to pull off at this point in the campaign.

They're level 13. They're big fish, but they're stuck in a pond full of friendly sharks, so they don't feel big at all.

[poppy5991]

Dabi: You’re a strange, ugly little man.

Garaki: I should have just let you burn to death when you were thirteen.

Twice: Hey YO WHAT

[incorrect-green-lantern-quotes]

A funny side effect of the Corps generally recruiting only adults is that the Green Lanterns of Earth are probably on average the most well-educated of all of DC’s hero legacies*

Like, Hal was a fighter pilot in the USAF, for which a bachelor’s degree is a requirement. Guy in his original backstory got two degrees in education and psychology at the same time. John’s an architect, so he would’ve gone to college for at least five years.

Kyle’s run in the 90s mentions that he went to college, probably for art. Simon is stated to have a degree in automotive engineering. Jo went to freaking Princeton University. No idea what she studied but I assume it was something like criminal justice since she became a cop afterward.

The only reason Jessica didn’t get to finish her forestry degree was because she was hiding in her apartment for three years after her friends got murdered. But she would’ve if not for that horrifically traumatic event!!

No wonder Bats don’t like Lanterns. They’re all bright and colorful and college educated, like many of the most infamous Gotham rogues.

*I’d like to point out that this is more so because the other superhero families tend to include multiple kids, who are statistically unlikely to have graduated high school yet (and if they haven’t by now they likely never will thanks to DC’s sliding time scale)

Legit, I’m pretty sure the Earth GLs are the absolute last hero legacy to get a kid in main continuity (Keli’s first appearance was in 2019!)

And bc reading comprehension on this site is piss poor, this isn’t me saying that the Green Lanterns are smarter than all your hero blorbos. Just that the majority of them went to school long enough to get their diplomas.

[sskk-manifesto]

Kenji and thinking that plant is really fucking neat

[sergeantwoods]

ghost : why don't emo kids like high fives?

soap : why?

ghost : 'cause they're always left hanging.

soap : nice.

soap : I made a website for orphans. it doesn't have a home page.

ghost : haha.

ghost : why'd my dad go to jail?

soap : why?

ghost : beats me.

soap : simon --

[incorrect-upon-a-witchlight]

Lethica: when I say I have a priest kink, I mean I want to be so sexy that I turn a man away from god

Virgil: aim higher

Virgil: be his new god

Lethica: fuck, you are so right

[thelaundryghost]

Descent.

The first of hopefully a couple fancomics for Hades! I love this game dearly, and I wanted to explore one of the in-game quotes a bit with this. This took me about a month or so of inconsistent work, and I'm pretty happy with it!!

Hope you enjoy :D Explanation in the tags

[purrassicjet]

Sklonda knowing Sandra Lynn's backstory makes me want to cry because it means she told somebody. Sandra Lynn "Your mother's been very private about it" Faeth told a friend about her traumatic past!

[presiding]

While browsing Vogue magazine, Sébastien Mitton found a photograph of Ruby Aldridge from the Céline Fall 2011 fashion show. He said, “Boom! We have the direction!” Her beauty and her unsettling gaze drove the first concept art for Emily.

[captain-krow-drozdov]

Movie!Shadow: Ok.

Game!Shadow: What Are You Doing?

Movie!Shadow: Talking To God?

Game!Shadow: Is He Telling You To Kill Everyone?

Movie!Shadow: Yeah

Game!Shadow: Oh That's Black Doom... *Loads Gun* Hello Father.

Black Doom: Hi Boys

[incorrect-gravescest]

🩷: Merry Christmas, handsome! I know it's not till next week, but I've had this gift for a month now and I can't wait any longer!

💚: Heh, you always were impatient. And uh, interesting wrapping job.

🩷: The tape dispenser put up a fight but I won in the end!

💚: Uh, Ashley? Why does my gift stink really bad?

🩷: Huh? There's no reason why it should sti-

🩷: SATAN'S FIERY BUTTHOLE! I forgot to put air holes for the pet hamster!

💚: God dammit, Ashley.

[blue-rose-soul]

Vaggie: Alastor, what the hell!?

Charlie: You can't hit a kid!

Alastor: That child was acting like an insufferable brat. Someone had to set it straight.

Charlie: It doesn't matter! You don't hit kids, that's no way to teach them to behave!

Alastor: Well, that's how I was raised.

Vaggie: Who the hell raised you?

Alastor: My mother's murderer.

Charlie: ...

Vaggie: ...

Everyone else in the hotel: ...

Husk: ...Yup, that tracks.

Alastor: ??? :)

[cheekynoz]

WARLORD WORKPLACE

Part 3

Wandering through Marine HQ, in restricted areas, at midnight.

Crocodile: Down the hall, quietly talking into a transponder. "And I don't want to hear from you again. It's over Dragon."

Mihawk: Wandering over having watched the entire scene. "Having troubles?"

Crocodile: "You could say that. A difficult ex that refuses to let go."

Mihawk: "Ah. I have one of those. Mine comes in red. Is that why you joined this... Warlord affair?"

Crocodile: "In part... I just, needed a moment to rebuild myself. And you?"

Mihawk: "The Marines slaughtered my people and destroyed my home as a child and as far as I know I'm the only one alive so I am slowly hunting down each and every single one of them that did me wrong. But mostly because I saw you involved, and I do precisely what I want."

Crocodile: "You just come right out and say whatever don't you. Come on. Let's find some good alcohol and you can tell me more about your home."

Pt 2 -> Pt 3 -> Pt 4

(Masterlist)

[braxix]

Elrond: And this was Elros's.

Aragorn: Why are you giving me this?

Elrond: Estel, my darling child, it's literally already yours.