#First the truth is killed then the people

[foone]

So, Bashir and Garak from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, won't you?

Bashir is the man who has one big secret and it's his entire life, and he has always assumed it will destroy him if it gets out.

Garak is a man made of fractal secrets. The cast-out student (and secret son) of the head of an empire-wide spy agency. He's stolen secrets from every power in the alpha quadrant. His own personal history is nothing but lies, possibly even to himself. He lies so completely it took Bashir visiting GARAK'S DAD to figure out that "Elim" is his first name.

If truth was a river, Bashir's is wide and free-flowing, with a real big meander where it goes kilometers out of its way to avoid a huge rock that we don't ever talk about.

Garak has dammed his river with endless pebbles of lies. There's no truth there, only more lies. This is a man who lies reflexively, who once claimed (in one of the few true things he ever said) that lying is a skill you must practice constantly.

Garak is such a liar I don't think he really understands how to tell the truth. When he was dying from his addictions, instead of admitting the problem he made of stories to try and scare his doctor off, to let him die. When an assassin showed up to kill him, he got the local police involved by attempting to (almost) assassinate himself first. Garak carries a big hammer labeled "lying" and every problem is a juicy nail.

These are not two different people, this is the same person at different scales. Bashir is one big lie in a Star Fleet uniform, Garak is a multitude of tiny lies in a lizard suit and a very fashionable outfit of his own design.

In Ancient Greek Mythology*, humans were single souls split into two bodies, male and female, forever searching for their other half so they can be whole again.

They may have been wrong about the gender and species, but Bashir and Garak are definitely two parts of the same original material. They were chiseled from the same piece of marble, cut from the same cloth, split from the same soul. They deserve to be together, not because they'd be good for each other (dear God, no. They are terrible for each other in many ways!) but because they're incomplete without each other.

* not to be confused with Star Trek, which is Ancient Geek Mythology.

[pickingupmymercedes]

Agora Hills - Lewis Hamilton

Part of 1K Jukebox Event

song: Agora Hills - Doja Cat - @greedyjudge2

pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Reader!

genre: fluff, bits of angst

wordcount: +1k

As always, I'm open for feedback, come say hi!

______________________________________________________________

Y/n sat on the balcony of Lewis’s Monaco apartment, the soft hum of the city below blending with the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore. The yachts floating in the harbor cast glowing reflections on the water, the sea shimmering under the moonlight like it didn’t care that the entire world now knew she was with Lewis.

The view was breathtaking, but her mind was elsewhere—trapped in the chaos that followed her latest Instagram post.

Her fingers absently scrolled through the comments, her feed flooded with reactions. Some were congratulatory, filled with heart emojis and well wishes. Others, not so much—there was shock, skepticism, those who’d convinced themselves this day would never come, and, of course, the inevitable chatter about their age difference.

She sensed Lewis before she saw him, the familiar sound of the sliding door breaking the quiet of the night.

He stepped onto the balcony, barefoot and shirtless, the sea breeze tousling his loose curls. He wore only a pair of workout shorts, his skin still humid from a shower.

Without a word, he dropped into the chair beside her, his body naturally leaning into hers as if they’d done this a hundred times before.

And they had, in private, away from prying eyes.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten this many comments on a post on my personal profile,” she quipped, handing him her phone. There was a slight edge to her voice, but her expression stayed neutral, calm.

Lewis took the phone, scanning through the flood of responses. His lips curled into a familiar grin. “People love a good scandal.”

She raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. “Oh, we’re a scandal now?”

He gave her a playful side-eye. “A prominent young interior designer from LA and an old F1 driver? Babe, we’ve been a scandal since that first photo of us on the beach leaked.”

She let out a laugh, the sound light, but laced with the weight of the truth. “They don’t even know half of it.”

“And they don’t need to,” he said simply, lowering her phone onto the small table between them. His voice was calm, but the meaning was firm. “What we have? It’s ours. No one else.”

Y/n sighed, tilting her head back to look at the stars—ones she could never see clearly in LA, hidden behind the glare of city lights. “It’s just... It’s always about how everyone things we’re in different stages of life. Like I’m not supposed to have my life together because I’m younger.”

Lewis shifted, facing her more directly, his eyes catching the moonlight. “You know what you want and you stated that to me, very clearly, from the start. We’ve always been on the same page.”

“I know,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “But sometimes the noise gets loud. I mean, I’m 25, Lewis. They act like I’m some kid figuring things out, but I’m not. I’ve worked for everything I have.”

He smiled gently. “You’re killing it. You’ve got major projects lined up, your business is growing, I don’t think there’s anyone out there who could say you don’t have your shit together... and” he added with a grin “I don’t care what they think. I care about us.”

Y/n reached out, running her fingers along his jaw. “And we’re good. We’ve always been good. There’s just something about seeing it all out there now. No more guessing, no more rumors. It feels big.”

“It is” he said, taking both of her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “But I truly I want to show you off. Brag about us.”

“Now you sound like a boomer” She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk forming on her lips.

“Yeah? Well, I am. And I want to be the guy who brags about his girl to the whole world.” He laughed, a deep sound as his eyes softened. “I mean it, Y/n. I want the world to know how lucky I am.”

Her teasing smile faltered as his words sunk in. There was a sincerity in his voice that made her heart swell, a reminder of just how long they’d been dancing around this moment.

The nights spent apart while she worked late and he traveled for races, the quiet dinners in hidden corners of different cities, the whispered phone calls in hotel rooms where they’d talk about everything except the world waiting outside the door.

And yet, through it all, they had been steady. Solid.

“I want that too” she admitted quietly. “I want everyone to know I’m with you. That I’m happy with you.”

Lewis smiled; his thumb tracing circles on her hand. “And if people don’t get it, they don’t have to. I’m not looking for validation from anyone but you.”

She leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a slow, deliberate kiss. The kind that made everything else—the comments, the headlines, the opinions—fade away.

When she pulled back, there was a mischievous glint in her eye.

“You always know just what to say, don’t you?” she teased.

“I’ve had practice,” he replied with a grin. “But you’re going to have to get used to this. Especially if you keep dropping hints like that caption.”

She raised an eyebrow, her smirk deepening. “You mean ‘tie the knot’?”

Lewis laughed, shaking his head. “They’ve been asking me that since I started racing. At this point, I’ve got answers for every version of the question.”

“Do you?” she asked, her tone shifting, becoming more serious. Her gaze searched his face, looking for the truth behind his casual words.

His expression softened, the playful tone giving way to something more genuine. “You know I do. But only when you’re ready. We’ve got time, Y/n. I’m not in a rush.”

She let out a breath, feeling the tension ease out of her shoulders. “Good. Because I want it to be on our terms. Not anyone else’s.”

“It will” he promised, pulling her closer. His arm wrapped around her waist, warm and solid, the weight of it a comfort. “Everything we do, it will always be on our terms.”

They sat wrapped in each other for a while, the quiet of the night wrapping around them. The lights from the yachts flickered on the water, the city humming in the background, but it all felt distant—like the world could wait just a little longer.

Eventually, her phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up with notifications. Y/n glanced at it, her expression an amused smile.

“Yeah” she said, holding the phone out for him to see. “I too would be losing my mind if I found out you were taken”

Lewis took the phone, scrolling through the latest flood of comments. He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Good. They’ll figure out eventually that we’re not going anywhere.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder, her voice calm and certain. “They will.”

______________________________________________________________

TAGLIST - @saturnssunflower @xoscar03 @chocolatediplomatdreamerzonk @itsmrshamilton @vicurious28

@0710khj @thecubanator2 @neilakk @bigratbitchsworld @adriswrld

@fearfam69691 @cmleitora @goldenroutledge @timmychalametsstuff @jpgnsf

@priopp123 @strqirlhrts @hmmmmm-01 @bisexual-babygirl-mj @bebesobrielo

@hiireadstuff @f1-football-fiend

If you’d like to be added to my taglist you can leave a comment or send me a dm/ask.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Canada, Truth & Reconciliation, & Indigenous Games

Hello friends,

Today (September 30th) is the National Day of Truth & Reconciliation in Canada. It is a very recent holiday in this country, and it’s also very important to me. I want to spend some time today telling you about it, and then (since this is a ttrpg blog) directing you to some indigenous storytellers and designers that deserve a spotlight for various reasons.

I am not Indigenous. This information is a collection of knowledge that I have gained through university coursework, personal research I've undertaken, and relationships I've cultivated with indigenous friends who have taken pains to educate me and highlight how these issues have personally affected them. I am aware that the summary I'm providing is incomplete, and there may be elements that I don't fully understand the implications of.

If you are Indigenous, please keep in mind that this post may recall some painful and personal moments of history for you. Proceed with caution. The shout-outs to indigenous creators can be found after the heading “The Storytellers.”

The Truth.

Canada has been engaged in a cultural genocide of its indigenous peoples since European settlers started the colonization of the country. This genocide had many avenues, including the creation of the Indian Act, the relocation of many Indigenous peoples to restricted Reserves, and a disturbing trend of missing and murdered Indigenous women. For the purposes of today however, I’m going to stick to just talking about Residential Schools, and the impact they had on Indigenous families and their children.

Residential schools were designed to “kill the Indian” and “save the child”, in the words of John A Macdonald, the prime minister who authorized their creation. They were designed to sever Indigenous children from their culture and raise them in a Christian, colonial context. These residential schools were harsh, forbidding Indigenous children to speak their mother tongues, cutting their hair, and forcing them to learn skills considered “useful”, in the language of the colonizer, away from their parents. The schools were also hotbeds of abuse. Alarming numbers of children fell ill and died at these schools - the death toll to this day is unknown. From April 1, 1920 to some time in the 1990’s, residential school attendance was mandatory for Indigenous children from the ages of 7 to 16.

The Sixties’ Scoop is a reference to a mass kidnapping of Indigenous children in the 1950’s and 60’s, who were forcibly removed from their homes and “adopted” into non-Indigenous families. While the last residential school in Canada closed in 1997, Indigenous children still make up over 50% of all children in private foster care, despite only accounting for just over 7% of all children under age 15 in Canada.

The Reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a goal prompted by Indigenous groups and elders. It is a choice that promotes "balance and harmony," a way of life that encourages coexistence, according to the words of one residential school survivor, Hereditary Chief, Dr. Robert Joseph.

In 2007, The Indian Residential Schools Settlement came into effect, offering compensation to survivors of many residential schools.

In 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was officially launched, intended to be a guide for the Canadian government to help establish lasting reconciliation. This commission was a way to formalize a method of collecting data, and it also had the responsibility of developing a list of recommendations for the country of Canada to follow, in the goal of pursuing a relationship between the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the government of Canada.

In 2007, Cindy Blackstock, a First Nations (Gitxsan) activist launched a court case against the Canadian government, for under-funding social services provided to children living on First Nations reservations. This was in regards to Jordan’s Principle, a child-first Canadian policy that is meant to ensure that First Nations children have equal access to all government funded public services as other Canadian children. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made the respect of Jordan’s Principle one of its 94 Calls to Action for the Canadian government.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal became involved in 2016, when they found more alleged breaches of the Canadian Human Rights Act in regards to Jordan’s Principle. As of September this year, the Federal Government is still attempting to dismiss human rights complaints regarding the use (or, in fact, neglect) of Jordan’s Principle.

Canada’s history of residential schools and use of the foster care system has grievously wounded Indigenous families and children. The disruption of family life and the forcible removal of children from their culture has created legacies of loneliness, pain, and suicide. Indigenous people today can trace their own familial wounds to the legacy of residential schools and the lack of resources provided to them from the government. The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is a day to remember this legacy and provide a space for education, but it isn’t enough.

You can learn more about this day and the history behind it by visiting the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Website.

You can also watch this 18-minute Youtube video about Residential Schools, or We Can’t Make the Same Mistake Twice, a free 2 & 1/2 hour documentary about Blackstock's continuous fight regarding caring for children using Jordan’s Principle.

I also recommend 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act, by Mary-Ellen Kelm and Keith D. Smith, which breaks down some of the key elements of the Indian Act for everyday person.

So, how do we connect this to ttrpgs?

When it comes to the milestones that have been achieved in Canadian history, those milestones have been made because we listened to Indigenous voices. The recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that have been followed are having real and positive effects for Indigenous peoples in Canada. Listening to the stories of Residential School survivors has been integral to the processes recommended and undertaken by the Canadian government.

We need Indigenous stories. We need Indigenous storytellers.

The Storytellers

Coyote & Crow.

Coyote & Crow Games is a tabletop games publisher, primarily focused on the tabletop roleplaying game, Coyote & Crow. This is a world and game whose design team is fully Indigenous, from various First Nations people groups across North America. Coyote & Crow is a futuristic game about a land untouched by colonization, a land changed by a series of climate events that have changed the geographical and social landscape. It involves supernatural powers, a completely unique form of civil organization, and a unique d12 dice pool system

In a recent update, Connor Alexander, as the face of Coyote & Crow, announced some business decisions that include a creation of a consultant branch of the company, to provide professional consultation services for other creative endeavours that are looking to include Indigenous Representation in games.

What I love most about Coyote and Crow is that it’s a world where Indigenous creators have been given full reign over the ways they are represented in the fiction, and it provides a unique social and political imagining of society that pulls from many First Nations cultures. It’s refreshing, it’s exciting, and it provides a lot of guidance for non-Indigenous players so that they can engage with the world in a way that’s respectful.

Wendigo Workshop

This is a small team based in Quebec, Canada. I’m not entirely sure whether the team is fully Indigenous, but there are Indigenous creators as part of the team.

Currently the Workshop is working on a number of different games, including… Anomaly Hunters; a monster hunting ttrpg built on the Breathless SRD. Arkelon Chronicles; a science-fantasy ttrpg surrounding the discovery of an Alien ruin. Last Hope; a Caltrop Core game about magical girls fighting to protect the world while balancing their student lives.

Bramble Wolf Games

@sahonithereadwolf is an Indigenous creator based in Appalachia looking to make games that mean something. I found out about him through his game Exceptionals, a game about community, activism and kinetic eye beams. It’s inspired heavily by X-Men, but instead of telling superhero stories, it’s more about the fostering of a community outside of the systems created and enforced by colonial governments.

Sahoni is also currently working on a game called Protect the Sacred, a game inspired by Indiana Jones, but focused on the protection and preservation of monsters and artifacts in the interests of the cultures that have been stolen from by colonial powers. The game is about your relationship to your culture, and resistance to fascism - and you can get sneak peeks to this game through Sahoni’s Patreon.

Both Protect the Sacred and Exceptionals involve character creation that requires players to answer questions about who they are, what they do, and how they affect the community around them. They both recognize the community around you as integral to your success, and I think that this point of view is such an important concept to consider when using games as an art form that can expand your social imagination.

Also...

There is a consultancy service in Alberta, Canada called Pe Matawe Consulting, which is not focused specifically on ttrpgs, but does provide consulting for various creative endeavours. They provide consulting services as well as workshops, with the goal of providing a broader understanding of Indigenous culture and folklore.

[thekillermaretwinz]

(Warning long ass post)

Lunar: So the mod wanted me to rate the Main Characters of TSAMS. So that's what ill be doing. Disclaimer these reviews will be biased as its my opinion on them. Im rating off of looks and personality.

Sun: 7/10

Lunar: A kind, sweet fella who has been through so much yet still manages to keep a mostly positive outlook. That's something i gotta give him credits for, his design is mostly bland ill give him a 7/10

Moon: 7/10 @the-old-moondrop

Lunar: A smart and respectable animatronic. He has also been through a lot and he likes helping his family, he is not afraid to say the truth even if it hurts. Although he may have not been the best person in the past he has changed and he does not expect Sun to forgive him. His design is more interesting than Sun's but ill give him the same rating as his brother, a 7/10

Eclipse: 7.5/10 @aftonparttwo

Lunar: He is smart and manipulative, although he blew up his brother and caused trauma to many, he has recently been less evil as he used to be but he still can be annoying. His design is interesting so 7.5/10

Bloodmoon: 4/10

Lunar: @escapetheslaughter dont get mad at me for this rating dad. Their character is interesting but he is stubborn and pushes people away, he has literally killed innocent children and families, he's probably killed thousands. He is a ruthless killer and is very blunt. His first design was mildly interesting, his second design in my opinion suited his behavior more. You can easily tell he is a sick twisted animatronic. I will give him a 4/10

Ruin: 10/10 @sillytwofaceboi @ruin-loves-tea

Lunar: A very intellgent and a master manipulator, he knows how to play an act well. He is a patient and calm fella, he was a great "villian" in my opinion. I would say Ruin is more of an anti-hero rather than a villian. His design is also very good, i love how he has red eyes and arm sleeves on one side and blue on the other, it suits his 2 faced personality. He gets a 10/10

Jack-o-Moon: 9.5/10 @gremlininthedark

Lunar: He has a good heart but is also very blunt he doesnt sugarcoat and he protects the ones he loves, i gotta respect that. I do love his halloween - esquie design it really suits him. He gets a 9.5

Earth: 7/10

Lunar: She is a sweetheart and cares about her family, it is tragic to see what shes been through and the fact that her father is an evil being. Her design is pretty. She gets a 7/10

The Creator: -infinity/10

Lunar: He is a pure evil bastard. His design is also bland. -infinity/10.

Killcode Moon: 9/10

Lunar: He definitely had the biggest redemption arc, he went from a murderer to an actually kind being. He is like that 1 grandpa who is a sweetheart. Design wise pretty good. 9/10

Dark Sun: 4.5/10 @dark-sundrop

Lunar: Also a master manipulator and incredibly smart lad. He is definitely the most threatening villian in the show so far. His character is unique and he is rather charasmatic. His design is boring. He gets a 4.5/10

Nexus: 5/10 @insane-nexus

Lunar: His villian arc felt rushed in my opinion, his personality- hes a piece of shit. Design wise, very goofy looking but him in the thumbnails it is interesting, i like the mouth. He gets a 5/10

Solar: 9.5/10 @solar-the-mechanic

Lunar: The nice Eclipse, I do not have to say much abt him. He is a good soul and did not deserve what hes been through. I can see why he is so loved. His design is also loveable. He gets a 9.5/10

Lunar: 6/10 @lunarlovesbeanbags

Lunar: Basically the personification of trauma. Design is mid. He gets a 6/10

Moots

@animatronic-assistant @liminal---nightmare-aliza @coastxlwaters @librarian-computer @multifandomcutie13 @silly-a-777

[thefirstlioveyou]

"i didn't want to tell you because the last time i was sick, you made me go to school anyway."

this is a subtle indicator that mike's emotional and physical needs can go ignored. although yes he's lying about being sick in this scene, the fact he saw that as an excuse his mom would buy shows you this may be insight on how he actually feels. he doesn't say things because he knows what will be said, and it's never helpful. it explains why he bottles up his emotions and hides them throughout the rest of the show. and the times he does open up, he's reminded of why he didn't want to in the first place. (and actually, the only person he can tell things without being rejected has been will)

let's explore more instances like this.

-

"i've been bullied my entire life, i understand."

"no you don't."

i get it. i don't hold this against el by any means. but it DOES still carry the theme of mike's issues being ignored. although it's not the POINT of the scene, it's still there. you can put down your pitchforks now.

this boy has been threatened to jump off a cliff and ultimately kill himself, physically bullied, verbally bullied, socially rejected. that had to have stung to hear her say that.

mike hasn't had a proper scene of how he feels about the bullying he's experienced all his life. the moment he does bring it up, it's denied.

-

"these [toys] have emotional value to me."

"don't care. throw it away. also why are you suddenly so rebellious recently? why are your grades lacking? actually, i don't care why. i won't actually bother to ask. just stop doing that."

-

"i know your dnd club is tonight -"

"hellfire."

"why don't you just call it the club for high school dropouts?"

karen not remembering the name to the club is an indication that mike probably doesn't bring the club up or his interests with his parents much. makes sense. they've made it explicitly clear they don't care about the emotional value his interests have to him. and ted's comment directly after yet again reminds him why he never brings it up in the first place.

-

"i want you feel like you can talk to me. i'm here for you."

"no more secrets. from now on we tell each other everything."

such sweet support right? now.. where are they? karen has made no effort to understand mike the way she has for nancy. and although what nancy said is technically something that goes two ways, she's the one that initiated that promise.

i still understand why she and karen are this way to him, and i don't hold it against them! mike is just as emotionally distant to nancy. the wheelers are a very complex family and i can't wait for them to be dissected like bugs in s5.

-

and as i'm typing this, i realize all this makes the subtext in the junkyard make even more sense.

"sometimes it's hard to say what you really feel, especially to the people you care about the most, because what if they don't like the truth?"

anytime mike tells someone what he really feels or thinks, it's been denied, rejected or undermined. it scares him even more that this truth has to do with his sexuality. it puts him at more risk. he's seen how people treat gay people, how brutal they can be. he's internalized all of it despite it not being targeted towards him. it pushes him further into the closet and denial.

if his parents can't even see him more than a rebellious kid with failing grades that is in a "club for high school dropouts," what makes him believe they would accept him for being gay?

if his sister and mom truly are there for him, they truly care, then why didn't they mean what they said? where are they?

obviously, they do. but in mike's perspective, what else is he meant to think from this? what conclusion should he draw? my mom and sister just told me they'll be here for me and we'll be closer, just for them to act otherwise, just for us to be even farther apart. what the hell?

[toreii]

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Review

Let me just preface this post by saying I’m still on the fence about sharing my thoughts. Like many, I am highly disappointed with the direction this DLC went. I would have never imagined this was in store for me last year during the summer when I first watched the Lin Kuei trailer. Khaos Reigns provoked two days of awful headaches followed by days of disillusion. Yes, NRS played me for a fool (thank god I did not purchase this). I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and it came to bite me in the ass. If I had a physical copy of the game, I’d chuck it in the trash. I’m finding it difficult to proceed forward which is hard because I like to see things through even if it sucks. All I can do is protect my vision of Bi-Han and staying true to the old lore as I try and move on.

That being said, to address my take on this expansion:

To begin, the elephant in the freaking room--Sektor and Cyrax.

I am a Lin Kuei fan overall. Not a big fan of him in general, but there has been appreciation for him and Cyrax throughout the years. When I learned that both were going to be genderbent, I had a little bit of misgivings suddenly changing things drastically. But, again, I gave NRS the benefit of the doubt. Since this is a new era, I was on board with it until the rumors started circulating about both being love interests for the brothers. I was like "That makes no sense whatsoever." To me, the Lin Kuei has always been like a brotherhood. In no given time, has there ever been any indication of personal relationships outside of camaraderie. For example, Cyrax and Smoke being vehemently upset over Bi-Han's death in MK9, and not just Kuai Liang.

The argument can be constantly made that this is a new timeline, and it's Liu Kang's creation over and over. But, when you have that man (Dominic) constantly saying the timelines are canon, but not really. But, still are. It's incredibly hard to take anything seriously right now especially with the constant flip flopping that man does for the sake of the current script. Which is another point, but back to the bastardization of our two Lin Kuei girls.

I wanted to believe in a strong, female Sektor, who has her own ideals which we can all clearly see. Like her past iterations, she lives, breathes, and bleeds Lin Kuei. I wanted to see a Sektor who slowly, but surely descended into her own madness of corruption as she pursued her goals for the Cyber Initiative. Sektor has always been known for his technological genius, and she would be no different. To see her potential constantly get staunched for her adulation and obsession for Bi-Han was hard to witness. I can understand that this may be a flaw for her, but it is a very shitty flaw. Because this one trait absolutely negates everything she stands for. I can see that both she and Bi-Han use each other to a certain extent where it seems fit. I know her horrible romance is the center of focus right now, but if you listen to her intros with Bi-Han, it seems to be all business between them. There is barely any indication that their relationship goes beyond the realm of the clan and into a personal tryst. Sektor calls it love, but it's not quite there. I mean, there's love for the grandmaster, but the love that seems to be implied between the two is not quite there. At least, in my view.

I don't know about Sektor yet, but I already deduced that Bi-Han isn't someone who's desperate to correct anyone on the spot. He doesn't have to. He doesn't owe anyone an explanation, so of course he runs with whatever people say about him. He's unbothered by anyone's opinions of him. When Kuai Liang told Cyrax the truth about Bi-Han letting their father die, Bi-Han could have stepped in at any given moment and contradicted Kuai Liang. Instead, he chose to own every word Kuai said. I've had this feeling since the end of the base campaign that Kuai Liang simply took pieces of what Bi-Han said, and spun them to fit his own narrative. (Killing your father and letting him die because of an accident are two completely different things.)

Anyways, going back to Sektor, that scene where Bi-Han's mind was being restored seems to be the only shoehorned indication that there is more to them than meets the eye. But, again, it was badly placed, badly presented as well. First of all, Sektor really should not have been there in that room at all. From a storytelling perspective, I'm supposed to believe that both Sektor and Bi-Han have this obsessive romance and codependency between each other in a few seconds of frames, than the brotherhood between Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas??? And this was my worst fear for Bi-Han too. I did not want him to be "saved" by romance. I wanted his salvation to come from within himself as he reflected on his poor decisions and the tragedy of his downfall which sadly we were robbed and negated from. If the scene only involved Liu Kang, Bi-Han, and Kuai Liang, it would have been more poignant. There has always been that story between the two brothers. I understand, this is not the same Kuai of two timelines ago. But, why is MK: Onslaught's ScorpKuai a lot more wholesome than our MK1 iteration??? He was absolutely horrified meeting MK11 Noob. He couldn't understand why Bi-Han became Noob (and how). But, Kuai's first instinct in the DLC is to be absolutely pissed and disgusted? "Your new attire suits you. It is as black as your heart." Darling, no. I would have been more pleased seeing Kuai approach the table and have this conflicting expression. The hatred can still be there, but the concern and sorrow for whom was once family to him, and his eldest brother needed to be portrayed. I mean, we sort of got it with the whole coffin scene at the end. But, in that scene, in that moment, that more than Bi-Han reaching for Sektor and touching foreheads with her is a lot more powerful in terms of storytelling. I don't know why NRS is so against these two hashing it out and resolving their issues.

Now to Cyrax...oh my god...

According to Kuai Liang in the main story, Cyrax and Sektor were supposed to be absolutely loyal to Bi-Han and would abet his corruption than follow him. We obviously see that in Sektor, but what the hell happened to Cyrax? It leads me to believe that Dominic and others suddenly decided to change the script. Mind you, I firmly believe that they did so. Sektor and Cyrax being women in this game must've been a decision that came after everything was said and done for the base campaign. I'm a bit skeptical on Bi-Han suddenly turning on Cyrax because I do recall some time ago listening to some leaked audio in which Bi-Han says "Kuai Liang was supposed to give Cyrax back." It made me think "Oh shit. Does Cyrax get held hostage or something?" Like, what the hell happened? And, I'm realizing, are we missing dialogue now? There is so much that does not make sense!!! Why would they turn on her all of a sudden?!

She's supposed to be close to Bi-Han just as much as Sektor. And suddenly, Cyrax is presented as a free thinking individual who abides by her own ideals and tradition. The moment that is threatened, she feels like she can no longer follow Bi-Han and his ambitions. To make it worse, she feels so much remorse with Kuai Liang that she's ready to give up her life in penance to make up for it. It just makes no sense. And to make it worse, she spends the rest of the DLC following Kuai Liang like a little puppy ready to serve her new grandmaster. Why was she even presented as a strong individual when all she wants is Kuai Liang's adoration as well? Not to mention, it was a really gross line to include in the intros where Noob threatens to spill her relationship with Kuai Liang to Harumi. We're seriously cheapening these two women to typical high school romance tropes? Like others have expressed, this is fanfiction levels of madness.

Kuai Liang is all levels of messed up too. I am so sick and tired of him prancing around like he does no wrong, and everyone believes every word he says. Suddenly, he's the self appointed grand hero of the story when you have Liu Kang's champions sitting around and twiddling their thumbs? Why not place faith in them and send them with Kuai to resolve the current threat. I understand Kuai's Shirai Ryu is now the new protectors, but you also have these other people and beings who are preparing themselves as well for these upcoming threats. I hate that they just suddenly bled into the background, and disappeared completely. Somebody needs to not only knock Bi-Han but Kuai Liang as well a few pegs down. He too is not without his own flaws and they need to be addressed. And Liu Kang's line "Trust your wife. Avail yourself of her wisdom." The same thing with Sektor and Bi-Han. Here too. This fucking trope cannot be it. Love cannot only be the thing that saves the day. His anger, his vengeance, is no where near the levels of Hanzo. Hanzo legit had a reason to be like that. Kuai is literally throwing a bitch fit at Bi-Han, and pointing fingers anywhere but himself. Seriously, his anger and disgust against Cyrax was so unwarranted. And every time she was flustered and tried to explain, he barely gave her time to say a word. Always cutting her off, and rejecting her apologies until the end because it is implied Harumi stepped in. And he seems to just completely simmer down a bit in the presence of Noob. Where was the you who tried to take him on earlier in Chaosrealm? Suddenly, you don't feel like butting heads with your brother? Kuai Liang is such a hypocrite, and I'm tired of seeing it.

Liu Kang was also another that just got dragged through the mud. A lot of his words and actions did not make sense. He's content with disposing of Titan Shang Sung and Titan Quan Chi, but he won't let Bi-Han finish off Titan Havik because he isn't sure how he's tied to his timeline, and doesn't want to kill innocent lives? What about the timelines tied to the other two? Liu Kang had no problem ending those. Why is Titan Havik's timeline any different? Bi-Han is right. Why does that timeline matter when the most important one is theirs, Liu Kang's timeline? He tells Raiden and Kung Lao to do their best and pray they make it out alive, when Liu Kang could have better prepared them. Gets his ass handed to him, can't even go save Geras himself. Sends Kuai, Cyrax, and Sektor to Chaosrealm in blindly. And, snaps at Bi-Han for the most part towards the end instead of having a meaningful talk with him. Not just simply telling him "This is what you are meant to do. Defend Earthrealm." Well, geez, why not elaborate on that, Liu Kang? Can't you give Bi-Han a few minutes of your time to air out grievances and come to a consensus?

And what the hell happened to Titan Havik? Is he dead? Does he still live? Trapped in the void? The Kamidogu were briefly mentioned, and then dropped. They were hyped to be of importance in this DLC. I'm certain they'll make their return eventually if NRS continues the story involving Onaga when the time comes. But, Havik had plans for them as well. And we only see him fusing with the Kamidogu. That final fight with him felt pretty lackluster. Just a regular match like any other.

We are definitely missing script, and scenes. We were supposed to have gotten a whole lot more. Ed Boon said this was their project for the next few years. I suppose they felt compelled not just to omit certain things, but cut out others for future DLCs. This was setup to be more than what we got. The bar absolutely fell short of what the end product was. To charge full price is absolutely heinous. I'm sorry, but I do not have $50 on hand for each DLC that they plan to release. They charged full price for the main game, and now they plan to do so for every little story line that comes after? I can't in good conscious support this kind of marketing. I'm devastated with the story. Like, I could work and make sense and justify every decision made with the main story to a degree. I can't do the same with Khaos Reigns.

I know I was making gifs of Bi-Han last week, but after KR...my heart right now really isn't in MK1. Every time I come across posts and remotely start thinking about it, I get headaches. They are not as bad as they initially were, but this is how horribly this DLC affects me. It keeps giving me headaches. I know I probably regurgitated the same sentiments and ideas as many others have already. But, a friend told me it would be cathartic to do this. So, instead of my journal, I am here expunging these thoughts and emotions. I don't know what my future with the brand will entail, but godspeed NRS. I wish you well on your future endeavors, and that's really saying a lot on my end. I can't even hope anymore. They massacred my heart and left me to die just like papa Lin Kuei (I wish we had a name for him).

[diminuel]

Thoughts on Crocodile formerly being one of Whitebeard's children (either biological or adopted). I know the current rule is no women other than nurses, but it doesn't look like that was always the rule. We know of two women who were non-nurse Whitebeards in the past (Whitey Bay and Kouzuki Toki) so that wasn't always the rule. What if that rule was put into place because of what happened with Crocodile?

Then there's the question of what happened with Crocodile. We know that the one unforgivable offense is attacking (killing) a brother, but what if Crocodile had done so in legitimate self defense? Does Whitebeard do any vetting of those he names his sons?

Ah, you know I didn't realize that Whitey Bay was a member of the WB pirates, I just thought she was a captain that followed him as all Emperors seem to have.

Just for personal reasons I would say that if Crocodile was one of WB's kids then he would have been kicked off the ship at a very young age (before the Oden joined, before Blackbeard joined) because I feel the complete lack of reaction the WB pirates have to Crocodile makes it feel that there's absolutely no story there. Which might of course not be true.

But I don't know why he would have been kicked off the ship if being a girl wasn't the problem. It might just have been that WB needs his kids to follow his orders, especially his own biological child, and Crocodile just wouldn't. He would always want to prove himself, fight fights that were way above his league, potentially endangering people who would have to come save him. Maybe even getting someone killed this way? The "carelessness" and "selfishness" Crocodile exhibited along with his constantly questioning WB's orders might be enough for WB to leave him behind. As a Captain he has to make choices for the well being of his entire crew.

And maybe WB wrongly assumes that the reason Crocodile was like this is because he was a girl, trying to prove herself in a crew of men (and maybe there's some truth in that). Whitey Bay seems to have already been an adult 30 odd years ago (how old is this woman...?) who had already proven her worth and could fend off patronizing comments with a sharp tongue and weapon of choice. But Crocodile was a child/ teen and couldn't.

(It is rather telling that one of the first things Crocodile did when he became a Warlord was go after WB. Like a "see how poweful I am now" move. And of course the impulsiveness and misjudgment of his powers cost him dearly. Maybe he partially also expected that WB's sentimentality over seeing what his child had achieved could still lead to a defeat but at least an acknowledgment of his strength instead of the soul crushing potential near death experience it was. WB had no mercy. Maybe WB didn't even know who he was and Crocodile's pride would not let him ask "why don't you recognize your own child? did you even look at me before you destroyed me?")

[missmarveledsblog]

It's just pretend right? ( Bucky barnes x reader ) part 6

summary : revelations and secrets are finally revealed as kitty comes to terms with everything she thought she knew and was about to know and well once one avenger is attack well it's an attack on them all as the team visit the ranch .

warnings : this is a happier part sad but happy and sort of goofy

previous part

“ she not the only one , gonna need a little more than that terminator “ tony called his eyes locked on screen as friday was running it’s test on the dart . 

“ jessie , he was like her only he knows he’s adopted just not all of it ,  but her dad he said he was the same as her , it’s not what it looks like he’s not hydra not fully he’s a double agent  look it hard to explain either he or fury can explain the dynamics but we’re going to have to run some test make sure he doesn’t burst into flames” bucky explained placing her on the cot .

“ or shooting vines … oh yeah she does that too  so i guess we’re going to have to see what else our girl body is hiding from her and us “ tony said as their heads shot in his direction . 

“ why couldn’t she be just be the normal one , healthy family life but nope it’s like become an avenger and the trauma follows “ nat mumbled checking over her once more ignoring bucky. “ oh give it over “ she pushed him away .

“ stop fighting over me it gonna give me big ego like stark” she groaned 

“ hey Look she ok “ tony rolled his eyes . 

“ other than my life was a lie and my brother could be whatever i am what is going on and who is after me  “ she sat up as nat and Bucky helped her .

“ well hydra is after You , you brother well who might be your brother is from same lab rest i don't know fury kept his lips tight on this one and well  seems as they want you back” tony explained .  

“ that is just magical no seriously this fan fucking tastic” she scoffed. 

“ maybe let your dad explain “ nat smiled sadly .

 “ i will, you wanna Test My blood right ?” She looked to to tony who nodded . “ well lets do this first “ she pulled her sleeve up  looking down at her  arms  remembering what it was that came from them . 

“ how did you get your abilities how did they start” tony asked pulling the kit out from . 

“ you Dont have to tell him doll” bucky squeezed her should he could feel her tense , could hear the breath that got  caught In her throat . 

“ no its fine erm my cousin , terror twins we call them well they told me jessie was hurt climbing Into a water tower, they said It was accident but they pushed me in and  i thought i was going to drowned … no one was going to find me  then it came Like i just felt this feeling like building and building i thought  It … It was me dying  then boom fire to point all the water turned into steam that steam well   Actually did nearly kill me no oxygen And  i was in a coma for like a month , they laughed when i cried now everytime I see their stupid faces i remember like im trapped in that water tower “ she sniffled . “ nat and fury only people after family to know that well tony And steve cause a file that wasn't suppose to exist “ she laughed dryly Wiping  tears from her eyes . 

“ kitty” she turned To see her Dad and maybe he didn't expect it but she ran into his arms . She could see it , see that guilt and yet That Unconditional love in his Eyes . 

“ papa you need to tell me the truth The whole truth please”  she looked up at him and suddenly it was like looking down at the little girl he put to bed so many times after nightmares  or scared of monsters under the bed .

“ best sit down , please know this before i tell you this kitty none of it was fake for me  not one second did i think of you any different then my daughter” he smiled sadly . 

“ maybe we should give them space to do this “ nat winced , she knew  , steve knew and bucky knew . 

“ but i wanna … fine” tony pouted following the widow out while bucky squeezed her shoulders . 

“ i was in the military that part was true and i was good  , so good i caught the attention of shield who wanted me to work for them  , it was no brainer  whether to take the job or not really it was probably one of quickest yes  i said in my life first  they told me a baby was found little boy taking out of lab would we care for him and we said yes actually your mother said it  we got jessie then a few years later actually jessie was eight and the twin well were 6 and then nick fury came to me a mission so classified that not even the director alexander pierce knew it was going down , he said they found a lab pierce didn’t wanna bother with it but fury well couldn’t let it go so i went undercover pretended i wanted to be hydra said it was the future shit like that , they believed me  i’d send in the intel to fury and work in some lab one night they got this woman i and she had most beautiful baby girl i ever seen  , the lady fought she said she couldn’t do it again but they killed her so i called fury the raid happened and he slipped me out the back told me take this baby and not to stop for anyone he would come when he could so i did i brought you home and your mama she fell in love with you i went back and we told pierce everything and left out the part of you fury burned the place down so they would think you went with it  we got promoted i stayed for couple of years then i retired said i would help with the kids and ranch wanted to watch you grow up and that wasn’t a lie” he looked at her she could see it all in his eyes  . 

“ why didn’t you tell me , why didn’t fury tell me  was that how he found me in new york? “ she asked . 

“ i called him new places and that gift of your never did work so i asked him make sure you weren’t locked in a lab somewhere like .. “ 

“ E.T” She chuckled. 

“ jessie mom i don’t know if you both got same mama , she was pretty like you “ he held her face. 

“ then how come they won’t accept me ? they accepted jessie ? “ she asked softly . 

“ because your grandfather left everything in your name and their vultures …. Thanks  young man “ she turned to see tony letting her grandmother in . 

“ i like her … shit sorry i leave you too it … touching stuff really sorry for doubting you “ tony waved as he left . 

“ stop listening you over grown toddler” she yelled. 

“ couldn’t hear you “ his voice rang out over intercom of the jet . 

“ this is weird airplane” her grandmother looked around . 

“ ok back to it  the old guy left everything to her “ 

“ TONY “ 

“ Fine i’ll stop listening “ not that she believed that. 

“ yes as voice said he left it to you  most of it all is a bit of exaggeration some for jess and the twin not the horrible ones   cause you guys cared even still you write me every week telling me of your stories although i don’t like the gods part there’s only one of him “ she sat down . 

“ maybe wait before bring loki and thor here?” she whispered to her dad who nodded in agreement. 

 “ that’s why they pushed me in that water tower” she gasped . 

“ they heard  your grandpa talking with his lawyer “ her dad confirmed . 

“ you know no matter what they say your our kitty right? “ her grandmother asked . 

“ i do i’m sorry i ran off earlier  i mean it’s a lot still in tbh “ she winced . 

“ good now go say sorry your poor mother is beside herself in there “ her grandmother swatted her arm sending her to her feet  and kept swatting as she walked out the door to the house . 

“ hey stop .. can’t get around my ass  OWWW … sorry ma’am “ she yelped after the woman pinched her arm . “ stop laughing stank” she grumbled . 

She walked into the kitchen and seen her mama sitting and she felt instant guilt yes they did keep a lot from her  and yeah she was still right to feel  betrayed but giving the other outcome she did really have a great childhood and they didn’t treat her differently even with her gift they still treated her with same love and care  probably more so .

“ mama “ she smiled as the woman looked up rushing toward her honestly kitty was surprise how she still had tears left .

“ i’m sorry really baby we just wanted to keep you safe” she cried . 

“ i know now , i’m sorry for scaring you … also think your moms more lively then she letting on “ she whispered last part . 

“ hey pyro on the prairie your gonna wanna here this “ tony called . 

“ jesus what now is my birth parent actually aliens “ she scoffed  as she , izzy and her mom walked in just as jack and jessie walked in carrying cassies things . 

“ hey good timing this concerns you to  … bruce let them have it ?” tony called. 

“ hey kiddo you ok “ bruce voice came out the phone . 

“ i mean as well as i can come on lay it on me are me and jessie ET” she sighed . 

“ actually no  your from earth but hey wouldn’t be surprising giving it all really ..” 

“ today big little guy “ tony huffed. 

“ well you and jessie are sibling  you share the same dad , his mom died giving birth  and well your actually related to another member of the team “ bruce explained . 

“ please don’t say it bucky .. i mean i may be from south but not that far down south “ she grimaced . 

“ no it’s not bucky or steve actually it’s nat it would appear you two share same mother “ . 

“ holy shit i had dirty dreams about my little sisters sister “ jack blurted out .

“ please say i’m adopted too “ izzy face scrunched up in disgust as she stood away from her twin . 

“ your birth father well he was also part of nats life” bruce  went more quietly . 

“ shit bruce are you my dad” she gasped. 

“ do i look old enough to be your…. Nevermind actually turns out alexei shostakov is who your birth father “ bruce called . 

“ i did not see that coming “ nat mouth fell open 

“ wait the dude that pretended to be your dad then … you have got to be shitting me really?  Can we not pretend it was an alien “ she whined. 

“ sorry kiddo we’ll see you guys soon “ he hung up . 

“ what do he mean see you soon” she turned to tony. “ who’s we “ . 

“ the team hey your one of us mean priority is to stop whoever’s after you “ tony shrugged. 

“ i knew we had a sisterly bond” nat smirked . 

“ so my dad is guy that sold you?” jessie finally spoke up as nat nodded .” what the shit “ he sighed . 

“ i know right but you got two adoptive sister lets hope you didn’t have dirty thoughts about nat too “ she winced. 

“ nah i like that wanda chick we ain’t related to her in anyway are we?” he asked. 

“ ok moving on from that how the hell is alexei my dad?” she asked  . 

“ i’ll see if yelena can find out” nat pulled out her phone . “ hey lena we got more siblings “ she called walking out the room . 

 “ really no sign of being et “ she asked . 

“ sorry kitty cat “ tony patted her shoulder .  

Honestly she couldn’t believe one simple trip home well would result in all of this , nat being her sister  and the widows host/adoptive dad being her birth father and her being a lab experiment for hydra just tied it all in a neat bow serious how she wasn’t in a padded room albeit there was still time for that . she also had the team coming to the ranch in matter of hours and now she was hiding in her room trying to make sense of it all . 

“ come in “ she called as the knock on her door snapped her from her thoughts 

“ just wanted to check see you were ok “ bucky poke his head in .

“  i’m ok i think it still doesn’t feel real like this is so crazy all in a day i find out i’m adopted , nats my sister  so is yelena in a way which also mean i’m not even american right?  Oh god  what is my life” she fell on her bed staring at the ceiling. 

“ an your not an alien “ he pointed out . 

“ i was kinda hoping for that” she sighed . 

“ well turned out alexei volunteered for some red room / hydra thing back in the day before they severed ties  now he’s gushing about how his boy and his girls are well you know ” . 

“ yeah i think jessie would actually shoot him “ she laughed . 

“ he does want to meet you but nat told him that was up to you and to give you time  but yelena is on her way “ he said. “ she heard someone attacked and well “ 

“ she is very all for family “ she nodded. 

“ yeah jacks currently have a identity crisis asking is nat his sister too “  he lay beside her. 

“ bet you didn’t think this was going to happen when you agree to be my fake boyfriend “ she snorted honestly it had to be a joke right . 

“ i was thinking alien too cause doll you are out of this world “ he smirked as she broke out into laughter. 

“ oh my god you did not just say that  and steve said you were a ladies man sure you weren’t the dork back then “ .

“ you doubting my skills “ he sat up leaning over her . 

“ yes after that yess” she laughed alittle and yet she leaned up . 

They were mere inches apart before a banging on the door . 

“ hey teams here” nat yelled as bucky fell back . 

“ COME ON “ she yelled so close and yet so far . 

“ we could pretend to be asleep “ bucky groaned getting off the floor . 

“ nah nats waiting” she huffed. 

“ she’s right i am come onnn” nat sang . 

“ to be continued “ she winked before heading out the door .  

“ thanks natalia “ bucky groaned as the widow snorted . 

“ sorry barnes maybe  you can woo my little sister… so fun to say “ she smirked .

taglist : @vicmc624 @babble28 @scott-loki-barnes @ozwriterchick

[men-written-by-women]

I’ve seen a few posts talking about how it’s such a tragedy that Sirius never got to know his brother died a hero.

But what if Sirius did know.

What if Sirius found out right before he died that Regulus tried to fix things. Tried to make things right.

And if the day Sirius found out also happened to be the day that he died, then doesn’t that hurt a little bit more?

Maybe he had woken up that morning, not yet ready to start the day, sleep still calling to him.

And maybe that sleep was rudely interrupted.

Because the incessant noise downstairs was too loud to ignore, and the tenth or so time Sirius heard it he had to go investigate.

When he found the source of the noise, he quickly went from annoyed to confused. Kreacher doing everything he could to spite him wasn’t anything new, but the strange object in his hand certainly was. It didn’t look anything like the other old family heirlooms lying around the house.

And when Kreacher quickly tried to hide the…the something, Sirius knew he wasn’t going to let up until he knew what it was.

A verbal game of chess was started then. Anyone else most likely would have given up after the many insults and vague responses. Not Sirius. He despised anything that connected him to his relatives, but he couldn’t deny the stubbornness was a Black trait through and through. Every time a question was evaded, he found a new way to make it so that he got the answers he wanted.

Or, the ones he thought he wanted.

Because as his questions started to be answered and the truth began to unfold, he started to regret ever prodding in the first place.

The thing, which Sirius discovered to be an enchanted locket, couldn’t have really been the reason his brother died.

Regulus would never sacrifice himself for something so ugly. He liked pretty things, Regulus, and would always collect them. Rocks. Seashells. Coins.

Sirius used to think it was adorable. And he had been sad when Regulus eventually stopped the habit. How strange it was that people change so much you could barely recognize them.

So, of course Sirius didn’t believe the elf at first.

Why would he?

It was ridiculous. How could his brother, who used to cry when it stormed outside, have had the guts to defy the most evil wizard of their time?

No, Regulus was much too soft to ever do something insane like that.

Wasn’t he?

But then Sirius found out his Godson had snuck into the ministry and was in danger…and he didn’t have time to think about the past.

Then there was a lot of fighting. And his only priority was keeping Harry safe.

Harry, who was about the same age Reggie was when…

No, he couldn’t think about that.

Harry was nothing like that traitor.

Maybe they both had a sarcastic demeanor and were fiercely loyal to those they believed deserved it. Not afraid to tell someone what they thought of them.

They both liked to add honey and lemon to their tea.

But they were very different.

In the most important ways, anyway.

Harry was much more similar Sirius’ real brother. James. The only one who mattered in the end.

Or rather, the only one who should matter.

Regulus made his choice. And idiotic one. One that got him killed.

Harry still had a chance. He could be better than all of them, if he got the opportunity.

Harry was only a child. Fifteen and still figuring out the highs and lows of life. He still had time.

Time.

Something that not many people had a lot of. Almost everyone Sirius ever loved ran out of theirs much too quickly.

Even, he begrudgingly had to admit, his little brother.

It was a bit strange when he thought about it too much. Whether Regulus deserved his fate or not didn’t really cross his mind sometimes. Because Sirius was older it only made sense that he would be the first to go. First one of the two of them into the world, first one gone from it.

Funny, that.

Even more strange was that Sirius’ anger at Regulus had somehow fizzled away into something else. Something a little softer in nature but much more painful. Because the truth was, he knew he would never truly understand how he and his brother turned into what they became. He would never know what truly happened. But the fact that maybe, just maybe, his little brother died doing the right thing healed something within him he knew was broken but didn’t know could be fixed.

But dwelling on the ghosts of strangers he knew too much about wasn’t going to help him now.

And even though Harry might have reminded him of Regulus, there was one thing that made all the difference.

Sirius knew he could still save Harry. He hadn’t lost him, not yet. He was alive. He had his whole life ahead of him. Harry was another chance for Sirius to prove that he was capable of saving someone he loved.

Harry, with his glasses a little too big on a his face, a slightly crooked grin, and perpetually messy hair.

Harry, who looked just like…

Like…

“Nice one, James!”

[canmom]

Animation Night 191 - Yuzuru Tachikawa

this is what it's like to play jazz.

OK, so, you know Mob Psycho 100? Maybe I don't even need to say more than that...

Yuzuru Tachikawa! If you're a sakuga type, perhaps a familiar name... if not, let's take a moment to rewind the clock to the strange ancient times of 2013, where there was a certain something called the Young Animators Training Project. Which was a project to train young animators. More substantially, as kvin writes here, it was a project designed to address the collapsing training processes of the anime industry... a project which fell rather short of its aims in many ways.

But in its earlier days, it did fund a couple of very interesting, unique short films. One of them was the original Little Witch Academia, which went on to expand into one of Trigger's flagship series. And the other... was Death Billiards, directed and written by a certain Yuzuru Tachikawa, rising episode director star, at Madhouse.

The premise of Death Billiards, and the later expanded esries Death Parade, is that the dead find their way into bars whose bartenders judge whether they should be reincarnated based on 'death games'. What's a death game? Well, standard bar stuff: billiards, darts... the title is in fact very literal. And it slapped. kVin writes:

Death Billiards was nothing short of a passion project for Tachikawa, who wrote, directed, and storyboarded it all. It was his opportunity to make a stance. To prove he wasn’t just a great ally for other creators, or even a suitable second in command, but rather someone deserving of helming his own titles as he pleased. In his second showing as director—the one fan of the 2012 multimedia project Arata-naru Sekai happens to be a friend of mine and he’ll kill me if I don’t mention it—Tachikawa held nothing back. Death Billiards’ exploration of ambiguity and moral failings that had always intrigued Tachikawa stuck with people all around the world too, and its presentation was so stylish that not even Yoh Yoshinari’s dazzling LWA managed to overshadow it. The OVA immediately put Tachikawa on the map, but truth to the told, that’s far from the extent of its success.

And indeed, Tachikawa - and producer Takuya Tsunoki - went on to do many great things, building up a strong gang of animators around them, many of them associated with the young Studio NUT. Of course, their best known project is Mob Psycho 100, a popular comedy-shōnen manga by One (same mangaka as One Punch Man) which plays around with chuunibyou (in the original sense) ideas of psychic powers in, ultimately, a very grounded, affirming way - and to this Tachikawa et al. brought a slightly sketchy, experimental style which led to some pretty crazy action animation. Mob was a crazy hit; later came their long-term passion project DECA-DENCE, a very fun scifi piece about humans trapped in an elaborate physicalised game, rebelling against the system and staging prison breaks, full of slick zero-g action sequences...

Course while we're talking about NUT, we gotta mention their first work Youjo Senki, perhaps the most outright loathsome anime I've ever seen. Not to beat this dead horse. I can only imagine that the staff working on it were like... somehow oblivious to the blatant nazi barely-even-subtext of what they were adapting? (In keeping with the unfortunate ways that otaku culture plays with nazi imagery.) I just can't square it with any of the other stuff they've made, Deca-Dence in particular. Tachikawa at least was only peripherally involved in that hot mess.

We're not actually here to talk about Mob or Deca-Dence though - they're both way too long for Animation Night. Instead we'll be rolling the clock forward to Tachikawa's most recent project at NUT: an adaptation of Blue Giant, about boys playing jaazzzzzz.

also eating burger.

Blue Giant follows Dai, an aspiring saxophonist, as he grows up and toots despite the hostility of the patrons of his local music shop. The film adapts some of the later volumes of the manga, in which Dai has already made some progress in his playing. Dai falls in with two other jazz players: the experienced and arrogant Yukinori and novice drummer Shunji as they form a band. Before long, conflict brews over just how hardcore you should go.

The film is, naturally, a celebration of jazz, full of elaborate scenes of performance, described as being like "a full-blown music video" to really sell you on how moving and awesome jazz movie can be. Jazz and anime can be a great combo (just ask anyone who's seen Cowboy Bebop or Gundam Thunderbolt) and I am pretty curious to see what they come up with here.

Honestly, while I've enjoyed Mob and Deca-Dence, I definitely feel like I'm sleeping a bit on Tachikawa - so tonight I hope to remedy it by checking out where he came from and where he's currently going, with a night of Death Billiards and Blue Giant! NUT's animation is always lively and stylish - they're also the studio where the master of anime-industry animation tutorials, Dong Chang, works - so I think we'll surely see something cool.

Animation Night 191 will be going live shortly at twitch.tv/canmom, I hope to see you there! And apologies for the late start - without going into too much of what's happening behind the scenes here, we should (touch wood) soon be able to get back to an earlier schedule, but for now we're still on witching hours.

[rayyyzz]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼

≪𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝔀𝓸.≫

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

The cold air hit your face as you walked into your college , hands buried deep in your coat pockets. The streets, covered in a blanket of snow from the night before, sparkled under the morning light. Everything around you was a blur—students rushing past, the sound of cars humming in the distance—but inside your head, it was chaos.

You couldn't stop thinking about him.

The guy that tried to attack you last night..

His face—well, what little you had seen of it—his orange goggles, the sharp reflection of the hatchet he'd gripped in his hand. The way he chased you through the woods when you were going back to your house from a friend's house , the sound of his loud footsteps behind you, closing in. No matter how hard you tried to shake it off, his image remained like a shadow over your thoughts.

You didn't know what to make of it. It was like something out of a nightmare—except you knew it was real and not some fictional story. You had heard the crunch of snow, felt the cold panic hitting at your chest as you barely escaped him last night. Every time your mind went off track, it immediately went back to him, to the woods, to the feeling of being hunted like a lost deer.

You arrived at college, walking through the entrance doors with your head down, lost in thought. Normally, the busyness of campus would pull you out of whatever mood you were in—the noise of people chatting, rushing to class, laughing. But today, it all seemed muffled, like you were walking through a fog. Your focus get away, and all you could think about was last night. That face...those eyes behind the orange goggles.

Your first class began, but your mind was anywhere but the lecture. The professor's voice faded in and out, like a distant echo. You stared at the chalkboard, pretending to take notes, but the words swam in front of your eyes, turning into images of that forest—the snow, the trees, and him lurking behind them. What was he? you thought. A psychopath? A killer? A  drug addict? And why you? Of all the people in the world, why had he fixated on you?

You barely made it through class, and as soon as the professor dismissed the class, you found yourself wandering toward the food court. Maybe some food would help, though your appetite had long since vanished. You bought yourself food from the food court, picking up something simple, and sat down at with your friends, hoping to distract yourself with your friends laughing about embarrassing high school moments would help clear your head.You tried to focus on the conversation but yet, they couldn't distract you.

The memory of him crept back in, his figure getting closer and closer in the night. You could still feel the terror you had felt as you ran to your door, praying to reach it before he reached you. You hadn't even told your parents the truth. If you had, they'd probably think you were crazy—or worse, they'd never let you out of the house again and lock you up, because you were their only child which they cherished so my h that they didn't want anything bad to happen to you. You were so lost in thought that you didn't even notice the news heading that came on one of the TVs in the corner of the food court.

"Breaking news..."

Your head and your friends heads snapped up. The TV screen had switched to a local news channel. A stern-looking reporter filled the screen, her voice laced with tension.

"We have an update on the string of violent murders that have been plaguing the area. Local authorities are warning the public about a dangerous individual believed to be behind the killings. He is described as a young man with a disheveled appearance, often seen wearing a mouth guard and orange goggles, and is armed with a hatchet."

Your blood ran cold. No way...

"This man, known to some as Ticci Toby,' or Tobias Erin Rogers ' is believed to be involved in several brutal slayings. His victims were found with multiple deep wounds, consistent with the use of a bladed weapon or even chopped up into little pieces. Officials are urging residents to avoid going out at night and to report any suspicious activity immediately."

Images flashed on the screen—crime scenes cordoned off with yellow tape, police cars parked outside houses, a body bag being loaded into the back of an ambulance, but they also showed how chopped up the victims were. Then, they showed sketches of Toby: the messy hair, the goggles, the massive gash on his cheek , behind the mouth guard. It was him.

Images flashed on the screen—crime scenes cordoned off with yellow tape, police cars parked outside houses, a body bag being loaded into the back of an ambulance, but they also showed how chopped up the victims were. Then, they showed sketches of Toby: the messy hair, the goggles, the massive gash on his cheek , behind the mouth guard. It was him.Your breath caught in your throat, and the room seemed to freeze around you. This wasn't just a one-off encounter. Toby was real, and he was killing people. "He almost got me", you thought, feeling the full weight of the reality crash over you.

The report continued, showing clips of detectives speaking to the press, but you couldn't hear it anymore. You were too busy staring at those victim photos, at the scenes of violence left in his presence. How many others had tried to escape him and failed?

The report continued, showing clips of detectives speaking to the press, but you couldn't hear it anymore. You were too busy staring at those victim photos, at the scenes of violence left in his presence. How many others had tried to escape him and failed?Your mind raced, racing with questions. Why hadn't the police caught him yet? Why was he still out there? And more importantly, why had he targeted you?

The food you bought in front of you now seemed disgusting. You pushed it away, your appetite gone. The room felt too crowded, too loud all of a sudden. You stood up abruptly, drawing a few curious looks from students around you, but you didn't care. You needed to get out. You needed air. You're friends were asking you if you were okay and you said "I'm fine I'm okay." They tried to figure out what was wrong but,

You pushed your way through the food court's front doors and stepped outside. The cold air hit your face, sharp and biting, but it did little to calm the panic rising in your chest. The college campus, once bustling with activity, now felt wrong. The shadows under the trees seemed darker, and every passing stranger felt like a threat.

You couldn't stop looking over your shoulder, half-expecting to see Toby lurking behind you, watching from the shadows, waiting for another chance. Your heart pounded in your chest, and you hugged your arms tighter around yourself as if that could somehow keep him away.

It was just a coincidence, you tried to tell yourself. "He doesn't know who am I" . He just happened to be there...right? It wasn't on purpose right..?But even as you thought it, you knew it wasn't true. He had seen you. He had chosen you. And the worst part? You had no idea why. And why he made himself known to you. Why didn't ye come into your house and kill you and your parents? Like how they always said he leaves no spare victims he comes into their houses and kills everybody in there. Why didn't he do that to you?

The rest of the day passed quite quickly . You tried to make it through your classes, but your thoughts kept going back to that news report, to the images of those victims, and the idea that you could have been one of them, torn apart, and chopped up into pieces. By the time your last class ended, you were mentally exhausted, the weight of it all pressing down on you like a heavy load.

As you left campus, walking toward the bus stop, you couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching you. Every step felt like a countdown, every sound like the echo of those footsteps in the snow.You looked over your shoulder one last time before boarding the bus, but there was nothing there. Just the empty street. You took a deep breath, trying to pull yourself together. Toby may have found you once, but it wouldn't happen again. Right?

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

Hey ray here, I just wanna apologize for the long ass wait for chapter two, I had 0 motivation to write during the few months but I plan on working and posting chapters 3 and 4 later in October because I’m found to do little one shots of Creepypasta characters x the reader since I have a lot of ideas in mind!

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

[anemicjellyfish]

So I've been going over the likely possibilities of why Blitzø's gun heated up suddenly in Mission: Chupacabra.

My first thoughts were torn between it being interference from either Stolas or Asmodeus.

Stolas has used his magic to assist Blitzø's missions on Earth before.

Eagle-eyed viewers noticed a red glow of magic surrounding Stolas' hand in the bathtub, matched by a red glow around Martha's bullet in Murder Family. So he can use his magic to effect objects on Earth while being in Hell.

Stolas also interfered much more heavily in Truth Seekers, showing up in person when Blitzø & IMP were cornered and locked down by Agents 1 & 2. He had no issue with his possession of Agent 2 or controlling the unnamed agents to paint a summoning circle for him.

Personally, I think that despite the... "breakup," Stolas is the most likely culprit for the Hot Gun thing. But I'd like to give consideration to Asmodeus, because I think it's only fair to consider all possibilities.

I will tend to use the nickname Ozzie, because my phone's autocorrect hates when I type Asmodeus. Sorry.

While we don't know the rules and regulations of Ozzie and his Crystals, we do have to remember Stolas' line to Blitzø in The Full Moon: "You'll be under his [Asmodeus'] jurisdiction..."

I don't think they'd specify that to us without it being important later. Ozzie has also been a prominent figure since his introduction, and his relationship with Fizzarolli only deepens his importance to the story.

I could reasonably guess that either Ozzie himself has the ability to monitor the crystals & their location and use, or that he has people/a person to do that for him.

While I still prefer Stolas here, I could understand an interference from Ozzie. For whatever reason the show has, the existence of Hell needs to be kept away from humans until after they die. If one of Ozzie's Crystals is being used by someone as irresponsible as our beloved Blitzø, who gets caught by humans sometimes, it could put Ozzie at risk. It was ultimately his choice to give the Crystal to Blitzø (through Stolas), so the responsibility for any mistakes could fall onto Ozzie.

The main reason I don't think the Hot Gun is Ozzie? There didn't seem to be any interference in Unhappy Campers. Not only was Blitzø not in a disguise from the start, but Barbie also ditched her disguise in front of that human guy. Blitzø didn't have a Crystal of his own yet, and the one he used to get to Earth wasn't his.

I doubt the firework that killed the camp counselor was from Ozzie, but like I said, I'm open to the possibility that he keeps tabs on his Crystals & their use. Or, at the bare minimum, he knows when a user is in danger/fucking up, and interferes minimally to get them to safety.

Finally, I'm aware of the theories that Blitzø has had a previous relationship with a currently unknown Sin. I believe the fan theories mainly go with Leviathan? I'm not fully into this theory myself, but I've really only ever heard about it from Tiktok.

Since Blitzø's gun has that slight Pirate look to it, one of the aquatic-themed rings of Hell could be its origin. It could have an enchantment or powers we don't know of yet.

It could also just be a magic gun. Blitzø may have some mental connection with it that makes it respond to his needs.

Can't say for sure right now. But I like the idea of Stolas helping out. Especially since th assistance came shortly after Blitzø's line about sucking cloaca.

[technically-human]

St. Hilarion's ghost story

[tsireyast]

I feel like we dont talk about one of the main reasons nico was ostracized at camp, not just because hes a son of hades.

Camp half blood is small enough so that rumors and information spread fast, but that doesn't mean they are always right. So imagine you're a random camper, and you're told nico, one of the new campers, gets in a big fight with Percy. During which he makes skeletons appear and somehow opens a huge crack in the floor. But percy wins and nico leaves camp.

Don't you think it would've rang a bell?

Don't you think it would've reminded them too much of two summers ago, with luke?

Dont you think everyone would've been even more scared, because now they know nico is a child of hades, one of the big three, and therefore very powerful?

There must have been so many rumors that summer of nico being part of the kronos army. Betraying camp just like luke did.

Of course after the battle of manhattan many people would've changed their minds. Hes in their side now, after all. But there are probably still many campers who think nico left them to join luke, before he changed their mind and helped them win against luke and kronos. People who still hold a grudge against him for joining the "enemy".

[cordyceph]

went to bed and woke up in a cold sweat realizing that claudia's play, the birdie one, is both a direct analogy for her story and also foreshadowing of her death WHILE ALSO nodding to pauls death

claudia'a single minded, desperate drive for freedom eventually lead her directly to her death. she was "nailed down" by lestat (by LOUIS, actually- lestat only kept her for him.), and tore herself free at the loss of her 'foot,' being a stand in for the personal pain she suffered for freedom

no matter what she or anyone did, she was going to die painfully, because she was so desperate to be free that everything was suffocating. lestat, louis, romania, the coven. the only thing that didnt rot in her mind was madeline, because... there simply wasnt time. madeline was fresh and new and, given time, would have probably suffered the same heel-turn claudia gave to everything.

of course thats because she shared louis' hopeful outlook. being free of her parents? would fix everything. when it didn't? maybe if she had louis, it would be worth it. but its not, lestats still here, louis is still in love with him... killing lestat, thatll fix it, and she and louis will be happy in romania, right, the homeland for vampirekind? not quite, so better try paris, the city of love. that doesnt work. the coven, though, will give her what she wants, right? she'll be happy with other vampires?

the only person who makes her happy is? a modern version of lestat? a weird white woman she met on happenstance, who has little to no care for societal norms or faux pas. a blunt, kind of funny, kind of sad woman who lost her family but has a capacity for enduring because what else is she going to do? die? no, she cant do that. she had no friends because she was weird and offputting and had dangerous rumors, no hangups on loving claudia, no hangups on dying or being a killer.

that's... just lestat. without the immortality and the specific traumas, of course, but like. claudia's most beloved person was a funhouse mirror of her most hated. which really speaks volumes for what they could have had, because it wasnt just a clash of personalities. it was lestats bpd clashing with hers and both of their attachment to louis clashing. if lestat had been better at sharing, if louis had been better at loving both of them, if claudia had been less angry at the world for nothing but existing? maybe they could have been a good family. a happy one forever, just like they all wanted, but were unable to give each other

[dayurno]

i'm always so gobsmacked baffled confused when kevin is blamed for not telling wymack that he's his dad???? like???)! of course he would be scared he literally has no family and the "family" that he does have is extremely violent and abusive why would he assume other people aren't!!!! and the foxes involving themselves in it and saying it's unfair is soooo irritating! kevin my princess

SO UNSERIOUS!!!! i genuinely find it nonsensical to worry about the man who, while receiving hard news, is otherwise fine and entirely safe and not the child that up until this point had been Human Trafficked and Kept Captive in a Cult and only shared this life-changing piece of information because it would help neil. like first of all. it is never the child's job to fix the relationship with the parent so jot that down, but even with that put aside, kevin had so much to lose!!!!!!!!!!!!! he could be sent back to the nest for once, could be accused of lying, could be hated by his only living family member, could be blamed for kayleigh's mistakes, and that's all without taking in consideration kevin's only experience with men coach wymack's age has been tetsuji moriyama, FAMOUS child beater and the reason kevin was human trafficked at all in the first place

coach wymack will be fine anyway! can we worry about kevin. even just a little bit. can someone please be nice to kevin. thanks