#Henry Technologies Parts

[gunsandspaceships]

Tony Stark - Prometheus

This is the final part of the series, which unites all the separate, thematic parts (links are highlighted in blue) with evidence of the conclusion that you will find at the end of this post.

Introduction

Prophet

God of Forethought: the name Prometheus means "forethinker", "foreseer", "prophet".

Creator of intelligent life

In Greek myths, Prometheus is the creator of an artificial form of life - the humankind. "He created them looking up to the sky like gods."

"Here I will sit, forming men after my own image. It will be a race like me, to suffer, to weep, to enjoy and to rejoice" (Goethe)

Earth's Best Defender

Prometheus takes on the protection of mortals from tyrant gods who want to enslave or destroy them.

"Cover your heavens, Zeus, with gauzy clouds, and practice, like a boy who beheads thistles, on the oaks and peaks of mountains; but you must allow my world to stand, and my hut, which you did not build, and my hearth, whose glow you envy me." (Goethe)

"Beautiful is the tradition Of that flight through heavenly portals" (Longfellow)

God of Fire

He stole the fire from gods to give it to humans to protect them, keep them warm and give them light in the form of science and technology.

"All the soul in rapt suspension, All the quivering, palpitating Chords of life in utmost tension, With the fervor of invention, With the rapture of creating" (Longfellow)

The Mountains

For that, Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock in a cave and sentenced him to eternal suffering.

"First the deed of noble daring, Born of heavenward aspiration, Then the fire with mortals sharing, Then the vulture,--the despairing Cry of pain on crags Caucasian." (Longfellow)

Heart

Every day an eagle flew to Prometheus and pecked at the center of his life.

"Who helped me against the pride of the titans? Who rescued me from death - from slavery? Did you not accomplish it all yourself, my sacred, glowing heart?" (Goethe)

The Torture

For the sake of humans, Prometheus voluntarily accepted eternal pain and chose to suffer in silence.

"A silent suffering, and intense; The rock, the vulture, and the chain, All that the proud can feel of pain, The agony they do not show, The suffocating sense of woe, Which speaks but in its loneliness, And then is jealous lest the sky Should have a listener, nor will sigh Until its voice is echoless." (Lord Byron)

Chiron

Ancient Greeks had another myth - about the father of surgery, centaur Chiron, who once saved a hero betrayed and ambushed in the mountains.

Chiron was also the one who took on Prometheus' suffering and died in his place. He was shot by an arrow and to end his own pain exchanged his life for life and freedom of Prometheus.

The Sun

For humankind, Prometheus became the image of a noble fighter against oppression, and a symbol of human progress and creative freedom.

"When I was a child I did not know in from out; I turned my confused eyes to the sun, as if above it there were an ear to hear my laments - a heart like mine that would pity the oppressed." (Goethe)

Conclusion:

Taking all of this into account, I believe that Tony was not only inspired by the myth, but he himself is Marvel's Prometheus, at least in the MCU.

Excerpts from poems used: - "Prometheus, or the Poet's Forethought" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; - "Prometheus" by Lord Byron; - "Prometheus" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Bonus:

Kaos

"Prometheus brings Fire to the Cavemen"

Familiar names

Marvel and their love for Greek mythology

Prometheus, Goethe, Schubert, and RDJ

Thanatos

Life and Death

Comics

[netflix]

Spotlight: Adam Stockhausen

Production Designer, The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar

Oscar winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (not pictured above, that’s Benedict Cumberbatch), whose work you may know from Wes Anderson films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Asteroid City, The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, and Moonrise Kingdom, as well as titles like Bridge of Spies, and West Side Story (2021), took the time to answer some questions.

Which details from or aspects of The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar did you focus the most on while adapting it to the screen? How did you meld Roald Dahl and Wes’s worlds?

The details on this one started with Dahl’s writing hut! We matched the details pretty carefully and exactly. As soon as we step outside of the hut though we start to move through the world of the story and the world of the stage at the same time. Wes had the idea of how he wanted to do this from the very beginning. My main challenge was trying to figure out how to pull it off—making the parts move and getting each to have the right detail.

What’s a small change you made on a project that ended up having an unexpectedly significant impact? 

Lots of times this happens—where what seems like a small thing at the time becomes a very significant turning point. I’m in Berlin now writing this and remembering being here scouting for East Berlin for Bridge of Spies. We were struggling to find a section of town that still felt old enough to show the early 60s, and decided to take a chance on a quick search in Poland. That quick search changed the whole production plan and ultimately gave us the look of our East Berlin.

How has technology changed the way you approach your work? 

Technology has definitely changed the way we plan the work. We used to model everything in cardboard or sometimes just plan in two dimensions with pencil and paper. We can now plan in 3-dimensional space using modeling programs and see what real lenses will do.  This allows for more accurate planning and makes scenery moves like the casino set in Henry Sugar possible.

Do you have any signature easter eggs you like to leave? Any small details that you are particularly fond of? 

I wouldn’t say there are easter eggs in this one. But there are loads of special details! I think my favorite might be the levitation boxes where we painted a perspective view of the background onto a prop box. The actor sitting on the box appears to be floating in a very special and theatrical way.

Did you talk about reflecting the iconic Quentin Blake illustrations in production design? How would you go about doing that? 

Not really. They are such incredible drawings and I’d say they’ve been inspiring me since I saw them as a child! But for this the starting point was really the machine Wes devised to move us through the story—and pairing that to specific references scene by scene.

There is such an intentionality to the aesthetics of a Wes world. Is there a set or frame that took you a long time to get perfectly right? 

All of them! It’s a very labor-intensive process getting these frames right. Occasionally one will click right away, but usually it’s a process of refining and refining. The jungle for instance went from sketches to models to samples and back again several times before the final look settled.

If you had to present one frame that showcases the best of your work, what would it be? 

Oh my. Maybe the jungle? I really enjoyed making the jungle!

With all the moving sets in the trailer for The Wonderful Story Henry Sugar, it feels reminiscent of a theatre production. Are there distinct differences in approach between film and theatre and how much do you blur the lines between them in your work? 

I think the lines are blurred completely! Or maybe they aren’t even there. I love that Henry Sugar is so incredibly theatrical in its storytelling.  It allows us to show the artifice of the sets all the time which somehow makes them even more satisfying when they finally do line up and create a complete picture. I think the casino set is a perfect example—the pauses where it all lines up for a second are even more enjoyable because we get to see it broken apart and sliding away.

Thanks, Adam!

[willbyersabyss]

The Upside Down is Will's Mindscape REVISED

I've been wanting to make a revised version of this theory to fit the updated canon so here it is! Most of this is a repeat of what I said in parts one and two (and three but I'm disowning her), but there’s a lot of new stuff too!

Dimension X is the origin of the democreatures, the Mind Flayer, and the powers. Gates to this dimension have been opened since 1943 when the USS Eldridge disappeared thanks to government experiments. El opened one of those gates in 1979. Then in 1983, she opened a gate to somewhere else. A different place to the dimension already explored for decades. This caused elements and monsters from Dimension X to spill over into this new dimension. So what is the Upside Down?

I think it's Will's mindscape.

Why do I think it's a mindscape in the first place?

When El entered Billy's mind, a huge red storm was visible from the beach memory. When the Mind Flayer/Vecna is in someone's mind, his mindscape combines with theirs, leaving his red storm behind. If this storm is from Vecna's mind, why is that storm in the Upside Down?

As El goes further into Billy's mind, she ends up at the place where he got flayed. This location is like a snapshot of that night. There's also a swirling red storm above it that creates a funnel. In the UD, the bats and Vecna's red storm spin in a circular motion above his house, just like Billy's Mind Flayer storm.

In Vecna's mindscape, he has his victims strung up on the pillars. This is identical to the makeshift graveyard in the UD library. His mind is also a snapshot of the broken Creel house due to lifelong possession. Billy and Vecna's minds are stuck in their traumatic memories and so is the Upside Down. The UD is stuck on the day Will went missing, Will's most traumatic memory.

Vecna's mindscape is overrun with vines for the same reason. In TFS, we find out Henry was possessed by the Mind Flayer. The vines come from Dimension X, so his mind mirrors these characteristics because it's corrupted. This is why the Upside Down has the vines. When El opened the gate, she connected Dimension X with someone's mindscape, causing the vines to spread throughout their mind.

The spores that infest the UD are especially interesting to me. Spores are not a characteristic of Dimension X or Vecna's mind. They're only from the UD. So why do the spores appear in both Max and Billy's mindscapes when they're being attacked? Unless there's another mind combining with theirs...

And then there's the fact that psychic contact opens gates to the Upside Down. Why would that occur? So a psychic connection with someone's mind opens a gate to... a random dimension? Nuh uh. It has to be a mindscape!

The first gate to Dimension X was opened using technological equipment, not psychic contact. Even El's Dimension X gate didn't use psychic contact. There's a difference for a reason! The Upside Down needs psychic contact to reach. But wait, the Russia gate! We'll get to that later...

They literally refer to the Upside Down as a brain multiple times as well. "If the brain dies, the body dies." It would make perfect sense for the Mind Flayer to call a mindscape its home.

And my favorite piece of evidence: Music opened a gate to the Upside Down not once, but twice.

To be fair, the second gate may have been opened by El when she connected Will to the radio. The thing that makes me think otherwise, though is the thumping sound in that scene. It sounds like it started before El reached him. Will was trying to get through the gate. El contacted Will through radios several times with no gates as a result, so why is this one different? It was the music.

What was the reasoning behind music saving them from Vecna again?

Music can reach parts of the brain that words can't... right. So why would music open gates to the Upside Down? Music is reaching into someone's brain! That dimension is a mindscape. But whose?

Will! Will! Will! The music need to have significant meaning to the listener. Should I Stay or Should I Go is consistently shown to have significant meaning to Will. They give us an entire flashback emphasizing it's importance! So a meaningful song to Will just happens to open a random gate? Unlikely. It was Will's lifeline out of his mindscape.

Vecna's red mind storm didn't appear in the UD in s1. It wasn't until Will's possession that the UD was taken over by this storm. Why is there a correlation between the storm forming in the UD and Will's possession? The UD is his mind. Will still feels the Mind Flayer and the storm haunts the UD after the particles were exorcised from him. This is because the Mind Flayer resides in his mind.

Multiple movies the writers named as inspiration support that the UD is a mindscape:

Peter Pan: In the original Peter Pan novel, Neverland is a map of a child's mind, or a dreamland

The Neverending Story: Fantasia is a physical manifestation of imagination

Alice in Wonderland: Wonderland is a dreamland

The Wizard of Oz: Oz is a dream

There are probably more movies with similar concepts on the inspo boards, but these are just the ones I've seen! Maybe these dreamlands clue us into the origin of the UD. The Neverending Story has been inspiration for ST since s1, with Will being a direct reference to Bastian, the creator of Fantasia. Why compare these characters at all? Will has also made a world through his imagination.

This fits extremely well with Will's characterization. We constantly see Will trying to hang onto DnD because he uses the game as escapism. DnD is literally an imagination game! In s3, we never really see the UD. This is the same season where Will fails to use his imagination because his friends deem it childish. It's connected! We don't see Will's imagination land because he's losing grasp of it.

This also explains how Will was able to shadow walk in s2. It's easy for him to slip into the UD because it's his mindscape. If now-memories and shadow walking were symptoms of possession, Billy would have experienced it too, but he didn’t. Will is special. Will even felt the Mind Flayer in his neck BEFORE it possessed him. Why would he feel it before possession? It was already in his mind.

I haven't seen TFS myself so this is based on what other people said happened, but when Henry was controlled by the Mind Flayer, the smoke would be spinning around in the void. Weird how Will's Mind Flayer influence was shown in the UD, not the void.

Yeah, you could say that Will’s visions in s2 were just visions, not the real UD, but I beg to differ.

And Owens would agree with me. He asked if Will felt cold to the touch when he was in his episode. Why would he feel cold during a vision? It was pretty obvious Will meant that he felt scared... unless Owens knows more than he lets on. He knows that the Upside Down is Will's mind. That's why he asked. That's also why after watching his men fix the UD communication, he went to rewatch Will's tapes.

Speaking of other people in the UD, wouldn't Will be able to tell when people venture there if it's his mind? Nope! Max couldn't tell El was in her mind until she flung Vecna across the room. Will probably can't feel them either. Ok but wouldn't Will feel the burn? Also nope! The vines in the UD are not from there, they're from Dimension X, so Will needs to be connected to the hive mind to feel their pain. The UD is just the background, not the hive mind. Oh and that whole hive mind thing is another UD-mind comparison.

Back to Owens, he said that the anniversary of Will's disappearance opens up neurological floodgates. Gates? Meanwhile, the giant gate downstairs is getting bigger and leaking out into the world. Yeah. He knew.

Now I need to talk about the VR game for a second. I'm not sure how canon this game is to the show, but I'm going to cover it just to be safe. Considering Jamie Campbell Bower did voice acting for it, I'm guessing a good chunk is canon. It has A LOT of proof for this theory. Like a lot. But still take it with a grain of salt since the game doesn't align 100% with the show.

Here's a link to the gameplay I watched (I skipped around but still)

The VR game is about Vecna wandering around mindscapes. Creatures from Dimension X seem to be infesting these mindscapes and the player has to fight them off. Interesting. So democreatures can go into minds? Dimension X critters wandered into the UD when El made the connection! The UD could very well be a mindscape.

There's a point in the game where Vecna reaches at Will's head and claims him as his own. This transitions into Vecna being inside the UD version of the Wheeler house. It's implied that he went into Will's mind. So he went into Will's mind and ended up in the UD. Which could mean nothing.

Then he goes even further into Will's mind to possess him. There, he sees Castle Byers with spores around it. Not the UD Castle Byers, the real world one. Will's void is the only one that has spores. A few other minds like Alice Creel and the demogorgon have floaty things, but they're more green and glowy, so I don't think they're the same thing. Spores are the staple of Will's mind.

As I said before, the spores are not present in Dimension X or Vecna's mind, so these are solely Will's. And they're in the UD. But why would Will have spores in his mindscape?

Joyce mentioned in s1 that Will loves Christmas. This is important enough that the season ended with the Byers celebrating the holiday. So what if Will tried to imitate Christmas by making it snow? Even Holly mixed the two up! Vecna may have taken this and put a dark twist on it, making the snow into diseased spores. This would tie into the stigma around gay men at the time because of the AIDS crisis. Vecna made Will's mind diseased to reflect his internalized homophobia.

Vecna's first glance at Will in this game prompts him to believe Will is the key. Alexei described the machine that opens gates as the key. Will is the key, he is related to the gates.

Will is the one to say they're going to miss the opening. The opening of the gate! The Russians just happened to open the gate once Will got to the mall. Were they waiting for him? They passed through a huge crowd of people, it's possible that one of the Russian spies were watching. They knew they had to be in Hawkins for the gate to properly open. Will being near was the key. The scene Will is watching here is a dream sequence, yet another Upside Down dream link. Later on when Alexei says that the door is opening, they cut to this scene of Will. Will is an important piece of the equation.

So while there was a gate opened using technological equipment, they still needed Will for this to be done.

That begs the question, why does the Upside Down only sit beneath Hawkins? Why couldn't they open a gate in Russia? A gate to Dimension X was accessed in the middle of the ocean in 1943 and was also opened in Nevada. The Upside Down is different... they need Hawkins. Why? Let's ask Mike.

Right... Hawkins isn't the same without Will!

Will's mindscape is bound to Hawkins. When El opened the gate, it altered his mind and made it stuck there. This is why Will doesn't feel Vecna until he gets to Hawkins. The giant gates didn't rain spores for two days, but when Will is there, they suddenly start. He's even warned before it happens!

I think Will's distance from his Hawkins-bound mindscape is the reason for his forgotten memories (birthdaygate). He's losing himself and the others are losing him too. He goes fairly unnoticed in Lenora. No new friends, Jonathan drifts away, Joyce is less protective, Mike never calls. He didn't even become a target for bullying even though he's visibly gay and friends with El (the new "weird" girl). It's like he's invisible. This may be symbolizing how a piece of him is missing.

There was a scene in TFS where Brenner was able to use equipment to see into Henry’s mind and from there, he could see Dimension X. Since I haven’t seen the scene myself I’m not sure how exactly it went down, but if it means what I think it means, Brenner used Henry’s mind as a bridge to reach Dimension X. It doesn’t feel crazy to assume the UD works the same way!

And I think that's what the whole “blue meets yellow” thing was about. Dimension X is the yellow dimension, the Upside Down is blue. There's probably a border where these dimensions meet. They meet in the west! The west is where Will is (California) and where a Dimension X gate was previously opened (Nevada). The UD is spreading to Will.

This is what Dustin says on the other side when they're messing with the lights (a Will creation btw). Interesting how he compares the mind attacks to crossing dimensions. Mindscapes are other dimensions!

There's emphasis on this being just like Mother Gate... but is it really? El wasn't in the demogorgon's mind, she just poked it from the outside. Unless it was the same and El entered someone's mind.

The name Mother Gate has a lot of implications, one being El's mother. Terry Ives' mind is stuck in a memory loop. Perhaps the Mother Gate title hints at the owner of the Upside Down suffering the same fate. Very convenient that Will's kidnapping parallels Terry's entire memory sequence (see here).

Speaking of stuck memories, this relates to my theory that Will has creation powers and time traveled through memories (read here). Why would Will have the power to create objects in the UD? Where did it come from? Well if the UD is his mind, we have our answer. There's clearly some form of creation power in these mindscapes and Will harnessed this power by memory hopping in s1. Now it's stuck in his memories. And because of an incident, his mindscape is physical, so these creations are real.

So what happened exactly? How did El open a gate to Will's mind?

We're led to believe that contact with the demogorgon is what opened the gate to the Upside Down, but did it really? In that scene, El touches the demogorgon, it roars at her, she's pulled out of the void, and THAT'S when the gate opens. There's a few seconds between the contact and the gate. So what if something else happened that we didn't see?

The demogorgon was eating an egg when El touched it. This egg is found right outside of Castle Byers in the UD. Coincidence? When Hopper finds this egg, it’s almost like he's in a trance. Then he gets interrupted by Joyce screaming Will's name over a destroyed Castle Byers. El was in a trance-like state, then the demogorgon screamed at her, much like this scene of Hopper and Joyce. What if this is hinting at El connecting with Will after touching the demogorgon?

Maybe when the demogorgon screamed, it startled El, and she overshot her contact. Will could have been inside Castle Byers in the real world, next to the demogorgon on the other side. El ripped a tear through the real world, Will's mind, all the way to Dimension X where the demogorgon was. This made Will's mindscape a physical location. (I made a longer post about El thumping Will’s head here!)

Will was then targeted by Vecna because of this connection. Think about it! Why are there such heavy implications that Will was in a Vecna vision that night, only for him to be taken to the UD? That place is his mind.

So there you have it, all the reasons why I think the UD is Will’s mindscape. If you want to read more little tidbits about this theory, check out the Will's Mind Theory tag!

[capybaracorn]

Demands for Canada to stop supplying weapons to Israel grow louder

But loopholes and a lack of transparency stall efforts to hold government accountable for its role in arming Israel.

Montreal, Canada – Human rights advocates are accusing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government of misleading the public over weapons sales to Israel, which have come under greater scrutiny amid the deadly Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

At issue is legislation that prohibits the government from exporting military equipment to foreign actors if there is a risk it can be used in human rights abuses.

But regulatory loopholes, combined with a lack of clarity over what Canada sends to Israel, have complicated efforts to end the transfers.

Dozens of Canadian civil society groups this month urged Trudeau to end arms exports to Israel, arguing they violate Canadian and international law because the weapons could be used in the Gaza Strip.

But in the face of mounting pressure since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, Canada’s foreign affairs ministry has tried to downplay the state’s role in helping Israel build its arsenal.

“Global Affairs Canada can confirm that Canada has not received any requests, and therefore not issued any permits, for full weapon systems for major conventional arms or light weapons to Israel for over 30 years,” the department told Al Jazeera in an email on Friday.

“The permits which have been granted since October 7, 2023, are for the export of non-lethal equipment.”

But advocates say this misrepresents the total volume of Canada’s military exports to Israel, which totalled more than $15m ($21.3m Canadian) in 2022, according to the government’s own figures.

It also shines a spotlight on the nation’s longstanding lack of transparency around these transfers.

“Canadian companies have exported over [$84m, $114m Canadian] in military goods to Israel since 2015 when the Trudeau government was elected,” said Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, an advocacy group.

“And they have continued to approve arms exports since October 7 despite the clear risk of genocide in Gaza,” Bueckert told Al Jazeera.

“Unable to defend its own policy, this government is misleading Canadians into thinking that we aren’t exporting weapons to Israel at all. As Canadians increasingly demand that their government impose an arms embargo on Israel, politicians are trying to pretend that the arms trade doesn’t exist.”

Lack of information

While Canada may not transfer full weapons systems to Israel, the two countries enjoy “a consistent arms trade relationship”, said Kelsey Gallagher, a researcher at Project Ploughshares, a peace research institute.

The vast majority of Canada’s military exports to Israel come in the form of parts and components. These typically fall into three categories, Gallagher explained: electronics and space equipment; military aerospace exports and components; and finally, bombs, missiles, rockets and general military explosives and components.

But beyond these broad categories, which were gleaned by examining Canada’s own domestic and international reports on weapons exports, Gallagher said it remains unclear “what these actual pieces of technology are”.

“We don’t know what companies are exporting them. We don’t know exactly what their end use is,” he told Al Jazeera.

Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s question about what “non-lethal equipment” the government has approved for export to Israel since October 7.

“What does this mean? No one knows because there’s no definition of that and it really could be quite a number of things,” said Henry Off, a Toronto-based lawyer and board member of the group Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR).

Human rights lawyers and activists also suspect that Canadian military components are reaching Israel via the United States, including for installation in fighter jets such as the F-35 aircraft.

But these transfers are difficult to track because a decades-old deal between Canada and the US – 1956’s Defence Production Sharing Agreement – has created “a unique and comprehensive set of loopholes that are afforded to Canadian arms transfers to the US”, said Gallagher.

“These exports are treated with zero transparency. There is no regulation of, or reporting of, the transfer of Canadian-made military components to the US, including those that could be re-transferred to Israel,” he said.

The result, he added, is that “it is very difficult to challenge what are problematic transfers if we do not have the information with which to do so”.

Domestic, international law

Despite these hurdles, Canadian human rights advocates are pressuring the government to end its weapons sales to Israel, particularly in light of the Israeli military’s continued assault on Gaza.

Nearly 28,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past four months and rights advocates have meticulously documented the impact on the ground of Israel’s indiscriminate bombing, and its vast destruction of the enclave. The world’s top court, the International Court of Justice, also determined last month that Palestinians in Gaza face a plausible risk of genocide.

Against that backdrop, eliminating weapons transfers to Israel is effectively a demand for “Canada [to] abide by its own laws”, said Off, the Toronto lawyer.

That’s because Canada’s Export and Import Permits Act obliges the foreign minister to “deny exports and brokering permit applications for military goods and technology … if there is a substantial risk that the items would undermine peace and security”.

The minister should also deny exports if they “could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws” or in “serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children”, the law states.

Meanwhile, Canada is also party to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a United Nations pact that bans transfers if states have knowledge the arms could be used in genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other violations of international law.

But according to Off, despite a growing list of Israeli human rights violations since October 7, Canada “has been approving the transfer of military goods and technology that might fuel” them.

Late last month, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights wrote a letter to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly demanding an immediate end to the transfers. The group said it would consider next steps, including possible legal action, if action is not taken.

‘It takes a village’

Still, Canada insists that it maintains one of the strongest arms export control regimes in the world.

Asked whether his government intends to end arms transfers to Israel, Trudeau said in Parliament on January 31 that Canada “puts human rights and protection of human rights at the centre of all our decision-making”.

“It has always been the case and we have been consistent in making sure that we are responsible in the way we do that. We will continue to be so,” the prime minister said.

Gallagher, at Project Ploughshares, told Al Jazeera, however, that Canada maintains “a level of permissibility” in choosing which countries it chooses to arm, including Israel.

And while Canadian weapons exports to the Israeli government pale in comparison to other countries – notably the US, which sends billions of dollars in military aid to Israel annually – Off said, “Any difference is a difference.”

“It takes a village to make these instruments of death and it should make a difference if we cut off Canada’s contributions,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that the pressure on Canada also sends a message to other countries “potentially aiding and abetting Israel’s slaughter of Gaza”.

“If you send arms to countries committing serious violations of international humanitarian law, you will be held to account.”

[peachymilkandcream]

My Husband, My Monster|Part 1|William Afton x Wife!Reader

(A/N: So this is the fandom that won the poll! I'll try and keep these and Break Me Slowly regular, but still feel free to give me requests for both in my inbox, I do oneshots and headcanons as well as I'll answer your questions and comments! (Please just read the rules first) I think I have a general timeline and idea of the lore [It's FNAF lore it's complicated as fuck] so I'm going with my best guess on things. Hope you guys enjoy!)

WARNINGS: noncon, dubcon, power imbalance, age difference, manipulation, mind breaking, yandere themes, yandere behaviours, domestic violence, misogyny, violence, William's a warning himself, etc.

=============================================

Who knew that a bit of twisted words and cash made all of your problems go away? William had struggled to stay open with Henry Emily's company showing such strides in mechanical technology. He was still wearing homemade cloth suits while his rival had dancing puppets that children adored. His dreams and ideas were being stolen right out from under him in his eyes, rolling in mountains of debt and the threat of closing down looming over his head. They were his characters, his dream, his business idea, and the bastard had to steal it and make it better. Even though he had bought William out of debt all those years back, it didn't change the sting of defeat when the two businesses merged.

Now he didn't regret it, Fredbear's Family Diner was just starting out but it was already projected to be a success. His characters took centre stage and had never been more alive, delighting young and old alike, his legacy started now.

Which is when he noticed the girl sitting at a table with her friend, they were giggling and laughing together over some inside joke. William had always had a soft spot for pretty girls, his more reckless years spent taking what women offered him freely, now he didn't have the time.

However for this girl he might just be able to make the time.

Casually he walks over, pretending to just be passing by, when he spies the job application she's filling out on the table and catching snippets of their conversation.

"I'm just saying, you're not going to have time for school while getting even a part time job." The friend was saying this, a slightly concerned expression on her face. "And now offence, you're not the brightest bulb, you need all the time to study that you can get."

"Well thanks." She mutters, giggling slightly. "But I can't afford college with my situation now. Mom and Dad agreed to pay for most of it, but-" She hesitates with a blush. "I want the full college experience."

"Ooh~" Her friend seems intrigued. "My best friend finally loosing her innocence? Scandalous."

She scoffs. "Look I just haven't found the right guy yet, it'll happen when it happens."

At this William can't help but interject. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but glance over your shoulder and see you're applying for a job here."

She meets his eyes, and man was he a sucker for a pretty face. "Yeah I am, are you a manager here?"

He chuckles a little. "No actually, I'm the owner." While co-owner was technically true he liked to tell people he owned it solely to give himself an ego boost. "If you wanted, I could do the interview right here."

"Wait really?"

"Actually, she's fine, thanks, she's going to get a job with my mom or something. Come on let's go-" Her friend slides out of the booth, trying to drag the woman with her.

"Well I'm going to be brutally honest with you here ma'am, for a girl your age your options are going to be extremely limited. And even though the pay isn't great it's a great experience."

She stops, considering his words before waving off her friend. "Go ahead, I think I'll still fill it out, never hurts."

"If you'd like I can interview you right now, save some time."

"Oh wow that would be awesome-"

"Seriously? Listen, this guy gives me a weird feeling, let's just go okay? And I'll find you something better." The friend again reaches for her to come along, but the girl refuses.

"I'm serious, go on and I'll tell you how it went later."

With a huff her friend leaves, a clearly annoyed expression evident on her face.

William regains his composure before sitting across from her. "So, a job. Tell me what you can do." He crosses his hands on the table in front of her, a smile easily coming to his face.

"Well, I was thinking I would be a good server, I'm good with people, especially kids, and I love to clean. I can cook pretty well too but I think something at this scale would be too much for me." She laughs a little, clearly trying to ease a little nervousness.

He joins in on her laughter, hoping to make her comfortable around him, since that's what he wanted. "I suppose that's fair. Out of curiosity, why is it you want this job?" She was hired already, that he knew, a pretty face with a nice ass? What more could you want from an employee?

"Well I'm in college, and I want to be able to afford just some extras to really experience that life before it's too late."

"College?" He feigns interest, in his opinion all she was doing was wasting her most fertile years and her money. If she's halfway decent at any of her qualifications then she'd easily find a rich enough man like him, pop out a few kids and have a truly fulfilling life. "Can I ask what for?"

"Psychology, the human mind has always fascinated me."

"Oh yes definitely." He suppresses an eye roll, even more of a useless degree, maybe he could help this girl from throwing her life away because she thinks deep thoughts will make her money. "Then I should ask for your class schedule for hours."

"Right, I always keep it with me because I'm always forgetting." She giggles again, pulling it out of her purse and handing it to him. "I cannot work these times but anything else I'm there."

Wanting these hours to know when not to schedule this girl was the last thing on William's mind. "Well I'll do what I can, but it's not that easy, you have to be flexible in the real world."

"Of course, I understand that sir."

"William, call me William. My grandfather was sir and my father was Mr. Afton, so I'm just William." He flashes another smile, coaxing one from her lips as well.

"Alright, William." She tests his name out on her tongue with a soft smile and a subtle blush, the poor girl clearly hasn't been within five feet of a man before.

"Now Miss, have you had any work experience prior to this?"

"No, I haven't, this sounds entitled but I've never really had the need to up until now?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, although I'll need to teach you the proper dynamic between employee and employer. But I trust that won't be a problem, right?"

"Not at all sir-er-William. I'm more than happy to learn."

"Good, all you need to know is that I'm your friend, but I have authority over you so you need to follow what I say without question."

"Why without question?"

Oh she was so naive. "Insubordination, it's grounds with which you can be fired. So best not to stray too far towards that right?" He winks.

"Absolutely-" She shivers slightly.

"Then if that's it..." He draws the moment out for it to seem authentic. "Welcome to Fredbear's Family Diner and we're happy to have you on the team." He extends a hand to shake, which she grasps eagerly, her rows of white teeth on full display.

"Oh thank you so much! When do I start?"

"We'll have you start next week, let's say, Monday."

"That's perfect, that's so perfect-" She glances at the door. "I really should go, I think I've pissed her off enough as it is, thank you for your time." She shakes his hand and hurries out the door.

"Oh trust me, don't worry about it." He watches her go, a small smile coming to his face.

This was just the beginning.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Cadillac was founded in 1902 by Henry Leland, who named the company after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who happens to be the founder of Detroit. Just 6 short years later Cadillac brought the idea of interchangeable parts to the automotive industry and laid the ground work for modern mass production of automobiles. As a result, Cadillac became the first American car to win the prestigious Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of England. After earning such high praise Cadillac adopted the slogan "Standard of the World."

In 1910, Cadillac became the first company to offer a passenger car with a fully enclosed cabin, a major change from the vehicles of the time. Two years after that, in 1912, the company released the Model Thirty, the car with no crank, which was the first production car to feature an electronic self-starter, ignition, and lighting. By dropping the crank starter, Cadillac opened the door to women drivers, and was able to bring the prestigious Dewar trophy back to Detroit, making Cadillac the only car manufacturer to claim the award twice. Nearly three years later, Cadillac brought the world the V-type, water-cooled, eight cylinder (V8) engine, which would become the signature of the Cadillac brand.

The Roaring 20's was not only a big decade for the country but was also important for Cadillac. In 1926, Cadillac branched out and offered customers more than 500 color combinations to choose from. As the famous Henry Ford saying goes, you can have any color you want, as long as it's black. Cadillac changed this mentality. That same year, the company brought in designer Harley Earl to design the 1927 LaSalle convertible coupe, which made the car the first to be designed from a designer's perspective rather than an engineering one. What Earl created was elegant, with flowing lines, chrome-plate fixtures, and an overarching design philosophy, that made the Cadillac brand known for beauty and luxury.

In the middle of the 1930's a midst The Great Depression, while most companies and families were struggling Cadillac created the first V-type 16-cylinder engine for use in a passenger car. This engine would go on to be one of the most iconic engines in Cadillac history. Shortly thereafter, Cadillac released a V12 version to give buyers something between the already popular V8 and new V16 engines.

Cadillac went quiet in the 1941's when they suspended automobile production to help produce planes for the war. After the war ended Cadillac adapted some of the aircraft technology and created the first ever tailfin on a vehicle. This feature is now found on almost every car and was one of the biggest reasons that Cadillac was given the first ever Car of the Year award in 1949.

The tailfin took off rather quickly and by the mid to late 1950's it was being featured heavily in the design of nearly every vehicle. Also in the 50's Cadillac began developing power steering, which helped the automaker take third, tenth, and eleventh places at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After Cadillac's stunning "victories" power steering quickly became the new standard of the industry.

Small but meaningful innovations filled the 1960's for Cadillac. In 1963, the company made front seatbelts standard in their vehicles, which lead to the eventual passing of a federal law requiring front seatbelts in all vehicles just one year later. Then, in 1964, Cadillac brought to market automatically controlled headlamps and redefines luxury with Comfort Control, the industry's first thermostatically controlled heating, venting, and air-conditioning system. Over the next few years, Cadillac introduced variable-ratio power steering, electric seat warmers, and stereo radio.

While the 1960's were fairly quiet, with only some smaller, luxury items being introduced, Cadillac started out 1970 with a major bang. Cadillac opened the decade by unveiling the 400 horsepower, 8.2-liter engine Eldorado. With its completely redesigned axle this model boasted the highest torque capacity of any passenger car available at the time. Closing out the decade, Cadillac brought to market the 1978 Seville which used onboard microprocessors in its digital display. This started the era of the computerized automobile.

Throughout the 1980's Cadillac laid low, working on some new technologies that would come to market in the early parts of the 1990's. The first feature to debut was an electronic traction control system on front-wheel drive vehicles. Cadillac began offering this as a standard feature on the 1990 Cadillac Allante. This same year Cadillac would go on to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Two years later, in 1992, the company developed a feature that allowed the engine to run for up to 50 miles without coolant, and a unique induction system for near-perfect fuel distribution. The Seville Touring Sedan of that year would become known as the "Cadillac of the Year" thanks to features such as an all electronically controlled Powertrain, traction control, anti-lock brakes and speed-sensitive suspension. Closing out the decade, Cadillac introduced the, now iconic, Escalade SUV.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS AS 'THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD'

Coming up on the 100th anniversary of the Cadillac brand, the company had to do something big or the decade, and they did not disappoint. Cadillac started off the 200's by introducing the F-22 stealth aircraft inspired Cien Concept, which ended up winning a few design awards. Later in the decade, in 2008, Cadillac expanded the Escalade SUV by making it the world's first full-size luxury hybrid SUV. In the same year, the company redeveloped the CTS Sedan. This redesign has been incredibly popular and even won the coveted 2008 Car of the Year award. A short year later, the performance edition CTS-V, becomes the fasted V8 production sedan in the world, establishing a record lap time of 7:59:32 on Germany's famed Nürburgring.

[sid-the-sandwich]

'Obey Me!' character hobby mechanic

This is my second time writing this because I lost the first draft even though I saved multiple times.

Anyways, this is (Maybe) part 2 of stealing features from other games and incorporating it into the mechanics of 'Obey Me!' While writing the shops for each character, my mind wandered and I had a thought, what if there were hobbies like in 'Blush Blush'. Leveling up these hobbies would give rewards such as intimacy multiplier, icons, bonuses, and cards.

I'm a yapper, so this is going to be long. Not proof-read

--------------

firstly, i'll talk about the hobbies mechanics and what it would do:

There should be 4 types of hobbies:

Common- hobbies that almost every character has.

Uncommon- Hobbies that 5 or more characters have

Rare- Hobbies that 2, 3 or 4 characters have

Character specific- A hobby distinct to each character

the rewards for these would be:

Common/Uncommon- Grimm, AP

Rare- Grimm, AP, DP, DV, Character lines

Character specific- Grimm, AP, DP, DV, Character lines, Card pieces

NOTE: all four will add an intimacy multiplier that will apply to only characters who have that hobby

the rewards for the level max for these would be:

Common/Uncommon- an icon of Sheep MC doing the hobby

Rare- icon, Memory card of the characters with that hobby

Character specific- Icon, UR card of that character

The Hobbies:

Common:

Reading

Running

Bowling

Music

Watching TV

Board games

Uncommon:

Art

Cooking

Swimming

Sports

Dancing

Nature

Sleeping

Animal lover

Card games

Rare:

Horse riding

Gaming

Modelling

Partying

Piano

Calligraphy

Knitting

Marine Biology

Demonus tasting

Shopping

Working out

Technology

Character Specific:

Cursed Record collector

Gambling

Cosplay

Cat Enthusiast

Self-care

Competitive Eating

Stargazing

Chess

Tea tasting

Baking

Writing

Magic tricks

Trap making

Sewing

Journalism

There are a lot of hobbies listed above, however considering how long the game is running, and the amount of characters, a wide variety of hobbies make sense.

----------------

Now onto the characters:

Lucifer:

Common:

Bowling

Music

Board Games

Uncommon:

Cooking

Reading

Card games

Rare:

Demonus Tasting:

"I'd love to share a glass with you. Meet me in my study in 20 minutes" "Careful, i wouldn't want to drink too much, who knows what I might do"

Horse Riding:

"Hold on tight to my waist, I'll keep you safe" "Let's take a trip together, far from my brothers"

Piano:

"There's a piano in the music room, you're the only one i trust to use it" "Lets play a duet, naturally I'll take the lead"

Character Specific:

Cursed Record Collector:

"Come to my room, i want to show you a new record I acquired" "I used to have more records but Mammon is holding some hostage for money"

UR Card: Lucifer looking at a record player with Sheep MC on top of the record spinning.

Mammon:

Common:

Running

Watching TV

Music

Uncommon:

Card Games

Sports

Dancing

Rare:

Partying:

"YOOO! THE GREAT Mammon wants to hang out with you! lets go paint the town" "WHA! I CANT HEAR YA OVER THE MUSIC FROM YESTERDAY"

Modelling:

"You can look but ya cant touch... well, i g-guess i wouldnt complain if ya did" "Did ya see the new edition of Devucci? Top cover baby"

Shopping:

"Hey my favourite human, my first, my number one... ya really wanna pay for me today, don't ya?" "YES! I just stole Goldie back from Lucifer! let's go before he finds us!"

Character Specific:

Gambling

"Hey MC... whats your favourite number? thats gonna be my lucky number today" "MC you have to come to the casino with me! you're my good luck charm"

UR Card: Mammon holding Sheep MC running out the Casino

Leviathan:

Common:

Art

Watching TV

Music

Uncommon:

Card Games

Sleeping

Swimming

Rare:

Gaming:

"Luke befriended me in Mononoke Land... who knew he was so good" "Can you come to my room later? i brought a new game"

Marine Biology:

"Henry 2.0 is my friend... sometimes i think i should get him some siblings" "Once Belphie drifted out to sea... we didn't see him for a week"

Knitting:

"Wanna make a Ruri-chan doll with me? It's n-not like i wanna hang out with you or anything" "I'm just a Yucky otaku who likes knitting"

Character Specific:

Cosplay

"H-Henry? y-your dressed as Henry? E-eh d-dont taunt me like that" "Can you be the Azuki-tan to my Ruri-chan? BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!!!"

UR Card: A picture of Levi in a Ruri-chan costume and Sheep MC dressed as Azuki-tan

Satan:

Common:

Art

Board games

Bowling

Uncommon:

Reading

Pottery

Animal Lover

Rare:

Calligraphy:

"Don't talk, im concentrating... okay, now continue." "I wrote your name on your book for you... i know you'll enjoy it"

Piano:

"whats your favourite song? ill play it for you" "My heart is fluttering... your notes are really doing something to me"

Knitting:

"I learnt how to knit from Raphael... he's a good teacher... maybe i can teach you some tricks" "Want to knit some scarfs for each other?"

Character Specific:

Cat Enthusiasm:

"MEOW" "Sorry about that- i accidentally cursed myself again"

UR Card: Satan and Sheep MC with a cat filter

Asmodeous:

Common:

Running

Art

Music

Uncommon:

Nature

Pottery

Dancing

Rare:

Partying:

"hi <3 lets go out tonight!" "I can dance all night long! join me?"

Modelling:

"Why does Mammon have to be attractive? he's an idiot" "I'm ready for my close-up <3"

Shopping:

"You should wear an outfit i choose for you" "Lets go to the new lovers' Cafe, my treat"

Character Specific:

Self-care:

"Hehe! i have the cutest face-mask for us to try" "You have soft hands, lets join them..."

UR Card:

Beelzebub:

Common:

Running

Watching TV

Bowling

Uncommon:

Nature

Sports

Cooking

Rare:

Working Out:

"Lets play Fangol together... you remember the rules, right?" "Here... hold the stick like this... good, thats good."

Horse Riding:

"We could both ride on one horse... I'll hold you tight, I promise." "I'm not letting you ride a horse until you wear a helmet"

Gaming:

"You, me, Levi and Belphie should all play a game together sometime; its more fun with more people" "Lets play an easy game this time..."

Character Specific:

Competitive Eating:

"Woah! There's a human world sport that involves eating?" "MC, lets eat a whole pile of hot dogs together! I'll let you have the first bite"

UR Card: Beel eating from a plateful of hotdogs and Sheep MC cheering him on

Belphegor:

Common:

Board Games

Watching TV

Music

Uncommon:

Reading

Sleeping

Animal Lover

Rare:

Gaming:

"The last time i played with Simeon, i slept through 'DevilKart' and still won when i woke up" "Sleep is like life's pause button"

Knitting:

"I only started knitting because i wanted a new blanket, but its actually fun" "I can knitt in my sleep y'know... maybe i can trap you in one of my knitted blankets... heh."

Piano:

"Can you play me a lullaby?" "You really have a lot of time- huh?"

Character Specific:

Stargazing:

"You remember THOSE stars? Those are the one's Beel and I gave you" "I wonder if you think about me when you look at the stars... just like how i think of you"

UR Card: Belphie stargazing with Sheep MC on his chest looking up at the stars

Diavolo:

Common:

Running

Art

Music

Uncommon:

Pottery

Nature

Animal lover

Rare:

Horse riding:

"Lucifer, Mephistopheles, and I like to take leisurely strolls on the Horse ranches... those two are like best friends" "I wonder if Barbatos will allow me to take the day off to entertain you with a ride on my horse?"

Piano:

"Lets have a contest! Who can play better?" "I'll play a tune for you at the next Devildom festival... as our guest of honour"

Demonus tasting:

"Lucifer says the funniest things when he's drunk" "'I love you, now clean your room' such fun! Do i sound like Lucifer?"

Character Specific:

Chess:

"I've never been beat before... you really want to play against me" "If you win, I'll be your 'pawn' for the night"

UR Card: Diavolo playing Chess against Sheep MC

Barbatos:

Common:

Art

Board Games

Music

Uncommon:

Reading

Pottery

Animal Lover

Rare:

Caligraphy:

"The Young Master is lazy when it comes to learning calligraphy" "Its refreshing to see someone so young taking an interest in calligraphy"

Knitting:

"Knitting was something i didn't pick up for thousands of years, who knew it was so... amusing." "I created a quilt, a patchwork of human history as a side project"

Marine Biology:

"It's only logical to learn about the human world sea-life," "In another timeline, we are all fish."

Character Specific:

Tea Enthusiast

"It's piping hot... be careful." "Does it taste familiar? it contains ingredients from your home country"

UR Card: Barbatos and Sheep MC having a tea party

Luke:

Common:

Bowling

Watching TV

Board games

Uncommon:

Swimming

Nature

Animal Lover

Rare:

Marine Biology:

"I LOVE ALL THE CUTE FISHIES" "Barbatos likes teaching me about fish when we cook together"

Knitting:

"Simeon made me a sweater! its so cute! i wear it when i go to the human world!" "MC, can you help me start the row for my knitting?"

Gaming:

"I just sent Levi a friend request on Mononoke Land! he accepted immediately" "Simeon said I'm no longer allowed any more time on my DDD today!"

Character Specific:

Baking:

"Someone get Solomon out the kitchen. PLEASE!" "Can you reach the mixer for me? Simeon put it on the top shelf to hide it from Solomon."

UR Card: Luke and Sheep MC with chef hats and aprons mixing a batch of dough.

Simeon:

Common:

Bowling

Board games

Art

Uncommon:

Pottery

Nature

Reading

Rare:

Working out:

"Being an angel means i have to be in top shape!" "Lets do some exercises together... i'll help you do some stretches."

Modelling:

"A company called 'Majolish' asked me to be their model." "Mammon and Asmodeous gave me tips on how to pose; i could show you later if you want."

Knitting:

"I made Luke a little sweater... Raphael helped me with the design" "Solomon took a picture of me knitting... I'm hunched over."

Character Specific:

Writing:

"Leviathan keeps begging me for a new TSL novel... he really is an avid fan, huh?" "Luke said i should use a computer... i kept pressing the wrong keys..."

UR Card: Simeon typing on a computer, squinting with glasses with a Sheep MC (Also with glasses) doing the same on his shoulder

Solomon:

Common:

Art

Board games

Music

Uncommon:

Card Games

Animal lover

Sleeping

Rare:

Calligraphy:

"This is how we used to write in 'ye olden days'" "Hmm... who else can i taunt with my writing?"

Piano:

"Let me dream a little dream of you ♩" "I wonder what the others would say if i played your faverouite song?"

Marine Biology:

"I still cant believe I'm exiled from the sea" "do you think if i put Leviathan and Barbatos in a tank, they'd fight?"

Character Specific:

Magic Tricks:

"Get ready for the elusive Solomon-dini" "And for this trick, I will take your heart."

UR Card: Solomon in a magician hat with a magician wand, he points the wand at Sheep MC

Thirteen:

Common:

Art

Running

Music

Uncommon:

Sports

Nature

Swimming

Rare:

Modelling:

"I only model so that Solomon has to see my face everywhere!" "Do you... want to do a photoshoot with me?"

Partying:

"Yoooo! Lets go party, i'll sneak you outta RAD" "Lets set fireworks! hahaha!"

Demonus Tasting:

"When i first came to the Devildom, i didnt understand Demonus, now i totally get it!" "I wonder how a drunk Barbatos acts like..."

Character Specific:

Trap Making:

"If you ever need help, just text me... I'll send one of my traps over" "This is 'Spider-squid v4', i made it for you..."

UR Card: Thirteen shooting a net-trap from her contraption with Sheep MC ontop of the trap

Raphael:

Common:

Art

Board games

Music

Uncommon:

Pottery

Animal lover

Sleeping

Rare:

Calligraphy:

"You want to see my writing, why?" "I could write you a poem, I guess..."

Piano:

"I remember playing this tune in the Celestial Realm" "Could you do me a favour? Could you gather Lucifer and his brothers... i wanted to play a song for them"

Knitting:

"I made you a sweater... i heard this design was 'hip' with the humans" "Knitting is easy and repetitive, its addictive that way"

Character Specific:

Sewing:

"I remember sewing the brother's clothes in the Celestial Realm" "You know some new sowing techniques? You humans are incredible"

UR Card: Raphael sowing some clothes with Sheep MC's help

Mephistopheles:

Common:

Art

Board games

Running

Uncommon:

Sports

Pottery

Nature

Rare:

Calligraphy:

"Calligraphy is a forgotten art" "I wish to write your name in as many fonts as i can"

Piano:

"I can play a multitude of human songs I heard from the past" "Lord Diavolo once told me a story of a young boy, but he expressed it through the medium of piano... that was a long hour."

Horse Riding:

"Lord Diavolo takes Lucifer and I to ride horses sometimes, its always so... awkward" "I like racing horses, I've known how to ride horses since i was a mere boy"

Character Specific:

Journalism

"i think you should be on the front page of the school newspaper" "You enjoy spending time with me?"

UR Card: Mephisto and Sheep MC with magnifying glasses

[cybertron-after-dark]

oooo kimmie, can you tell us about the tfa and rb overlap?

Everyone prepare yourselves bc the floodgates are opened and now I'm never going to shut up about this

In a meta context, there's SO much overlap between the shows. A lot of the same people worked on it, especially the writers, and it 100% shows. Mr. Marty Isenberg you are not slick.

In terms of the actual content of the shows though, the similarities are overflowing.

First and foremost, the emphasis on cultural differences and exchanges with the human-bot relationships. TFA had a good bit of it and it was very very fun every time it happened (bots not really knowing what level of self defense is appropriate to teach a child, being very confused about what exactly humans eat, bee picking up video games, bulkhead picking up art, ALL that good shit), but you don't always get to focus on it with all the action and political intrigue going on. And while rescue bots has its share of intensity, there's a lot more space for the mundane interactions. Blades being tv obsessed, the bots celebrating Allspark day, boulder's love of just Everything on earth. They had a whole episode just about teaching the bots to fish.

There's also the fact that everyone on griffin rock is a little bit Unhinged in a lot of the same ways the humans kicking around Detroit are. Just. Vaguely Weird Vibes in very funny ways. And the same tendency to switch from revering the emergency services which they may or may not know the bots are part of to wildly distrusting them on a dime. Optimus would not leave an encounter with Mrs Nederlander unscathed bro. I don't know if any of the bots could.

Speaking of humans, the villains in rescue bots feel like what the tfa human villains could have been if not for being wildly overshadowed by the decepticons. Evan and Myles? I think you mean Henry Masterson's shitty cousins he only interacts with through the CoD lobby. Madelyne Pynch? That's just girlboss Porter C. Powell. Quint Quarry? Sir that is Master Disaster if he existed for more than like two minutes of a singular episode and bagged more than one bot. Dr. Morocco? Meltdown but better at, like, everything (especially lab safety).

Then there's the constant state of both teams grilling the hell out of each other All The Time. Chaotic. Absolute Creechurs. They love each other so much but they also all live in close contact and see each other all the time and thus they are So Mean To Each Other (though they're a bit meaner in tfa just bc older audience)

The Sumdacs and the Greenes being two duos of an absentminded but well meaning technological genius and his intelligent and Highly Cool pigtailed daughter who both have to deal with the dad's tech going completely out of control is pretty on the nose too. (Oh God now I'm just imagining an au where tfp starscream successfully gets rid of Megatron after the space bridge explosion and sends him hurtling towards earth and crashlanding right on griffin rock whee doc green finds his head. Can you imagine. The misery of tfp Megatron having to deal with a human. He's having several mental breakdowns, 100%)

Even Cody and Sari have a lot of similarity as characters. Cody is a lot more mild mannered compared to the absolute Gremlin that is Sari, but they both still struggle a lot with wanting to help but feeling too small to make an impact, even though they matter so much more than they could ever know. They're surrounded by heros, giants, and it's hard for them not to feel like they're fading into the background. And when both their families realize how they've been making those kids feel they put so much effort to make sure they're loved and feel like their efforts matter. It's the same arc in different forms. And it's so good both ways.

Overall they're both shows that feel like they're trying to say similar things to different audiences. That Earth is wonderful and worth protecting. That any effort can make massive differences, even if you don't feel like you can do enough. That a hero can come from somewhere humble, and the best ones usually do. That people deserve kindness and a genuine effort at understanding. That nobody is without value.

And honestly? That what I love most about both of them.

[weyounpussyindulgence]

Here, have some Dr East headcanons I came up with over the years

💚💚💚💚

- I have no clue how real Zoanoid names work, but I feel like he’d use the name Henry as a part of his nom de plume. Something like Henry B. East

- He collects bizarre/silly neckties. The more peculiar and novelty the design, the better

- Even though he’s the head of CHRONOS’ Genetics Department, he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from Balcus or the other Zoanoids. Lisker, Ramsey, Striker and Weber have shoved him into a locker and stuck his head in a toilet many times

- He’s bisexual. Look at his interaction with Dr. Gordon and tell me that they haven’t explored each other’s bodies at least once

- He’s primarily a carnivore, but eats a lot of pre-made salad kits and fruits. His favorite mixes are chicken ceaser, avocado ranch with bacon, and his favorite fruits are apples, dragonfruit and nectarines

- Speaking of carnivorous, I have no clue if this is canon in the manga or not, but I feel like Zoanoids eat humans. So when he’s getting his apartment broken into or something, he turns into his goat monster form and will eat the burglar

- I feel like he listens to a lot of classical music because it helps him relax and focus. He also listens to old science fiction radio dramas like the Twilight Zone radio dramas, X Minus One and Ray Bradbury Theatre.

- He keeps a goldfish as a pet since they don’t have a huge attention span, so it won’t pay any attention if he changes form

- Sometimes when he laughs, he bleats like a goat. He gets very insecure about it though because he’s been mocked for it

- He’s lactose intolerant. Idk how else to elaborate, it just makes sense to me. It’s not life threatening or anything, but it does cause him a lot of tummy trouble

- Also speaking of tummy trouble, I firmly believe that with the superior technology the Zoanoids have at CHRONOS, he never died from being gutted from the inside. Dr Gordon was able to patch him up and do some organ transplants. Then they kept him on life support until he woke up from a 30 day coma/recovery period (he has a big scar on his lower chest and stomach from it though). He then resigned and collected a severance package and now lives a happy semi normal life somewhere off the grid safe from the Guyver

[the-irken-pony]

THSC Meta Voice Potential Backstory + Additional headcanons

Because my first post about them was long enough and also because there's a lot more headcanon than actual lore meat this time around.

Edit:

[ID: The "So that was a fucking lie" meme. End ID.]

I do go a bit in-depth with explaining some of them at the end, but I'm starting with the headcanons themselves. I want to focus on the headcanons rather than having the long explanations dominate the entire post. It's a bit of a different format than I usually do, but it's one I want to try out. (That and not all of them have explanations beyond "vibes" so I'm giving myself some leeway there.)

Starting with the "shock twist" headcanon: I do genuinely believe them to have once been a stick figure who lived in the THSCverse like Henry, Charles, Dave, etc., rather than having always been a disembodied string of text.

They were most likely a superpowered stick figure like Henry, but they probably had weaker, downgraded versions of their current timeline-stopping abilities (the FAILs).

Their other abilities (eg conjuration) arose as a result of their integration into the fabric of their reality, rather than being part of their default abilities.

They used to be a gadgeteer, and still engage with gadgetry off to the side.

Said gadgetry profession may be directly related to their disappearance, or their merging with their reality. No solid headcanon on what caused whatever happened to them but I do have a potential idea.

They had a criminal history before Henry, and have a kleptomania problem of their own.

They don't age, at least not anymore. They stopped after they integrated into the game.

Their attachment to Henry is in part because Henry is the only one who can actually see them anymore.

Road rage

As for explanations behind them, I’m breaking it into sections since it’s. long.

Gadgetry

First off, I wanna discuss their affinity for gadgetry (smth that @/stickthinks brought up in their THSC live blog that I've been fixated on ever since).

While the meta voice knows more about the various people and locales seen throughout the game than any one person in the universe feasibly could, their knowledge isn't limitless. Many of their comments seem to be guesswork rather than actual knowledge. Furthermore, for how much they seem to know, their attitude toward people in general is rather... blasé, and doesn't seem to be too partial to who Henry aligns himself with.

What they DO show a vested interest in is the various gadgets that Henry uses. The first example is actually the first two instances of the Teleporter in the remastered Breaking the Bank and in Escaping the Prison. In Breaking the Bank, they state that the teleporter uses new technology and is optimistic about its potential, and assume the fail in EtP is Henry not knowing how to use it.

[ID: Fail screen for Breaking the Bank’s teleporter option which reads “it’s emergent technology. I’m sure it will get better!”]

Their first hint of actually knowing how stuff works comes from the Opacitator, in which they mention a Beta Testing phase; both words are specifically capitalized, implying that this is a formally named stage of development (I mean I would hope so).

[ID: fail screen for the opacitator fail which reads: “you’d think something like that would come up in the beta testing.” The words beta testing are capitalized. End id.]

Where it's really revealed to have in depth knowledge is in the Wormhole Rifle fail, where we get its iconic info dump moment, where it gives a detailed run-down of the mechanics and makeup of the gun.

ID: the fail screen for the wormhole rifle, which is a wall of text in a small font. It reads:

“I'm surprised you weren't able to get down there with that amazing portal technology. It's pretty strange how those portal guns work. I mean it combines the top scientific processes of our time. the portal gun contains a flux quantum generator which propels energy blasts with energy volumes of 4.23 GW with an average speed of 25 m/s. this speed is most effective because it allows the energy to be conserved while still maintaining a speed that is appropriate. The external plastic coating on the portal gun is constructed of a high polymer fireproof carbon fiber. this prevents the intense energy of the portal gun from burning the hands of the user. The intense energy causes intense heat. Oh by the way if you want a medal/achievement click here. I've heard that scientists still do not know what happens if two portals are placed on top of one another. The last time that was attempted... Well I'm sure you heard about it on the news.” End ID.]

What's interesting is that it mentions that there actually WAS an attempt to place two portals on top of each other, but doesn't go into detail about what. This could either imply that they simply consider it common knowledge not worth repeating, or it could imply that the subject is uncomfortable enough that they'd rather avoid it. The latter option could be an indication that they were actually present for the attempt.

Going further, they may have even directly worked on the Jetboots. The fail message is specifically a production note.

ID: fail screen for the jetboots option, which reads “jetboots production notes: find lighter material to construct boots out of.” End ID.]

Their Original Form, And Why They Changed

The reason I wanted to go over that one first is because it ties into some other stuff. For instance, it proves that they’re more tied to the THSCverse than to our world. Especially given that, in the wormhole rifle info dump, they specifically say “it combines the top scientific processes of our time,” when the concept of a portal gun is still completely fictional in our world.

Additionally, they question our apparent inability to distinguish visually near-identical stick figures (indirectly acknowledging the player as not a stick figure by proxy).

[ID: fail screen for the Toppy option which reads “they could tell you don’t look like Henry. What, you think all stick figures look the same??” End id.]

Thus, it’s reasonable to conclude that the meta is not only originally part of the THSCverse, but also that it is, itself, a stick figure (unless it became something else after their “ascension”.

As for other arguments proving their mortality, or pseudo mortality, they allude to three very notably organic behaviors:

1) they take a bathroom break during the calculator fail in std, suggesting a need, or at least the capacity, to eat food and drink fluids.

[id: fail screen for the calculator option, which reads “sorry, I was in the bathroom. What’d I mi— Where’d… Where is everyone?” End id.]

2) they mention having a nightmare similar to the g-inverter effects, proving that they used to sleep, if they don’t continue to do so.

[id: fail screen for the g-inverter option which reads “pretty sure I had a nightmare like this.” End id.]

3) they complain about their ears hurting from the Sonic pulse fail—direct proof that they can feel pain, even if they can’t die from injury.

[id: fail screen for the sonic pulse option, which reads “That hurt my ears! >:C” The “>:C” is a drawn, angry frown that is right side up. End id.]

As for what happened to turn them into what they are now, I don’t have any solid ideas, just a possible suggestion. It ends off its info dump by mentioning an experimental attempt at putting two portals on top of each other, but trails off and dismisses itself with an assumption that Henry “heard about it on the news.” This could be its usual nonchalance, or it could be the exact opposite: discomfort. It's possible that they were there for the attempt, and the incident was traumatic in some way (either through the process of changing into what we know them as now, or the change itself).

Adjusting to New Powers

Even with the notion that they weren't always in this form, it's worth noting that they seem fairly competent with actually triggering a fail. We don't get any fails triggered on accident (the fake fail in EtP is deliberate as they directly reference the fact that you won't be able to read it all at once), nor do we get particularly awkward cutoffs (the closest being the Shovel fail, which is only there to give you enough time to stop the car). However, the specific style of the fail screens changes with each game, implying some amount of experimentation. This is amplified in the Breaking the Bank remake, in which the fail screen sound effect changes for each fail, which could suggest unfamiliarity on their part.

Furthermore, their ability to interact with the world and the game itself is slim to nothing until Fleeing the Complex, in which they access a command line. They also learn to interact directly with the player via pop ups. They do get a little carried away, though.

[id: the fail screen for the slingshot option. The text has been replaced with a blue pop-up window reading “whoa! How did this happen?” The button is labeled “shrug”. The pop up window is split in half, with its left half on the right edge of the screen and its right half on the left edge of the screen, as though wrapping around to the other side. End ID.]

Their abilities get more advanced in Completing the Mission, in which they access a transform menu, have a voice clip, speak in text outside of a fail screen, and even summon objects into the world.

[ID: Henry Stickmin trapped within a holding cell on the Toppat clan orbital station, holding a Bobby pin. Henry stares at an out-of-place lock on the metal cell door. Narration text reads “> Fine!? You want a lock? >THERE! There’s your lock!” End ID.]

Criminal History + Kleptomania

The fail screen in Midnight Surprise alludes to some past that we don’t actually see. The closest we get are the Explosives fail in BtB and C4 fail in ItA.

[id: fail screen for the midnight surprise fail. First line reads “ah, just like old times.” Second line, in smaller text, reads “that was a poorly thought out plan…” end id.]

In general, they’re nonchalant about Henry’s crimes and sometimes try to give pointers to help out. Its comment on Henry’s failed bribery attempt even suggests they’ve committed briberies before, and multiple times.

[ID: the fail screen for the bribe option. Text reads “Strange… That usually works.” End ID.]

As for their kleptomania, the multiple collectible-based achievements in the series aren’t just collectibles found in isolation of one another, they’re usually things that belong to someone else (Assemble the Crew may be an exception depending on interpretation, but a crewmate is seen in the Toppats’ vault so it could count as stealing). Additionally, they don’t serve any benefit beyond ticking up the achievement progression.

It’s worth noting that this is all done through the player’s hand and is entirely optional, but given that various fails give achievements, including via interactions with the fail screen text itself, we can most likely assume that the meta voice is at least partially responsible for divvying out achievements. Weak evidence? Perhaps, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

There’s also the pickpocket fail in which they cheer on Henry’s decision to take all of Isaac Binderson’s “loot”—immediately after questioning whether he really needed to.

[ID: fail screen for the pickpocket option. First line reads “did you really need all that?” Second line, which is written with much smaller text, reads “No loot left behind!” End id.]

Road rage

Half joke

[ID: The fail screen for the Hijack option, which reads: “AND you forgot to signal. Sheesh!” End ID.]

But also not

[id: fail screen for the shoot option, which reads “eyes on the road man!” End ID.]

[qqueenofhades]

Dare you to, on the second-last day of Pride Month, write a big effortpost about all the people that Pride Month either moved to the Find Out stage or proceedings or flat-out assassinated. A necessary part of this post would be bemoaning that Pride Month missed Kissinger or some other monster. The reason would be to dare the universe to render your effortpost out of date by sniping someone just before the end of the month, after you post. Please, I beg of you, goad the universe into taking out one or two more than it intended!

Oh, I will do that right now for free!

JUNE 2023: Great month for justice, bad month for assholes!

Pat Robertson, notorious conservative Christian activist and long-time hate preacher: dies on June 8

Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, conducted a decades-long campaign of mail bombings and domestic terrorism in the name of protesting technology: dies on June 10

Silvio Berlusconi, notorious far-right ex-Italian PM and general fantastically corrupt shitheel: dies on June 12

Stockton Rush, billionaire libertarian businessman who actively ignored 1000 safety warnings about his crappy product and fired a whistleblower for saying so, notably got himself and 4 other people killed on June 18 and joins the hallowed Wikipedia list of inventors killed by their own invention

Honorable-not-quite-June-but-close mention: James G. Watt, Ronald Reagan's secretary of the interior and a rabid anti-environmentalist, died on May 27

John Eastman: conservative lawyer who actively advised and encouraged Trump to stage a coup: facing disbarment hearings in California

Oh yeah, that guy Trump: on June 8, was charged with 31 federal criminal counts under the Espionage Act, relating to his crimes with classified documents; 37 charges overall, which takes his felony haul to 71 (and counting);

Vladimir Putin: is not gonna have a fun time over the next few days over the fallout from the Wagner mercenary rebellion;

Andrew Tate, flagrant misogynist asshole: officially charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania;

Ron DeSantis: lost literally THREE different lawsuits over his terrible anti-LGBTQ laws; collapsed in the polls and his campaign is allegedly "close to being over" because he's so bad at it;

State of Arkansas: likewise had its attempted ban on gender-affirming care for minors permanently struck down

Marjorie Taylor Greene: the crazy House Freedom Caucus doesn't like her anymore, apparently, and wants to "purge" its members, including her (lolololol)

Man, that's all well and good, but it's really a shame that Pride Month 2023: This Time It's Personal didn't put a cherry on top by offing Henry Kissinger, or like, Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito (or both, both, both is good)

Come on, Pride Month 2023.

What are you, a PUSSY?

[doks-aux]

The springlock suits were Henry's idea. William resisted at first, not because of the safety concerns--they were always more excited by what they could do than troubled by what they shouldn't do--but because he was very attached to the cloth mascot suits and the performances they were able to do in them. But Henry insisted it was important to have more visual consistency between the human performances and the animatronic ones, and it was hard to argue with the logic. The only other option would be to remove the animatronics entirely--absurdly counterproductive and antithetical to the entire endeavor--or to eliminate the live performances--so devastating a possibility that it didn't even occur to William.

(Even if Will did have wistful feelings about the pre-animatronic days, it just wasn't sensible now, and proving what they could do with the technology was the whole point, wasn't it?)

For his part, Henry was quietly hoping to phase out the live performances entirely. He'd never say that, of course. It would break Will's heart, and he couldn't stomach the thought of it. Better to let things happen naturally. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy them--not as much as Will, but who could?--it was just that now that the twins were here, he wanted to make sure he had plenty of time for them and for the real work of designing and building new robots.

No one could blame him for that.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Who is the meddling monk?

Who is the Meddling Monk?

Have you ever thought, 'what would the Master be like if they were a bit more stupid, a lot more childish, and even more hilarious'? Enter the Meddling Monk, a renegade Time Lord with a sitcom coming out soon, I'm sure.

Mortimus, better known as "the Monk" or "the Nun", is a renegade Time Lord who loves to interfere with history just for kicks.

🪐 Origin and Early Life

Along with all the other Academy initiates, the Monk stared into the Untempered Schism as a child, which some say drove them slightly mad. The Monk and the Doctor were part of the same crew, known as the Deca, at the Time Lord Academy. However, the Monk found the Academy and Gallifrey very boring, so got a Mark IV TARDIS and decided that meddling in history was way more fun than following the rules.

💥 The Meddling

The Monk’s idea of fun is changing historical events, often without thinking about the consequences. Picture someone who thinks it's a great idea to prevent the Battle of Hastings or to give advanced technology to medieval peasants just to see what happens.

🤔 Personality and Motivations

The Monk meddles with history purely for good-time vibes, like a frat boy looking for a good party. They change their look frequently with various identities and 'cosplays' and have been everything from a nun to Henry VIII. They can also be very petulant and childish when things don't go their way.

Despite their slightly villainous tendencies, the Monk genuinely believes that their meddling might improve history. Unfortunately, the Monk doesn't think about the implications of their actions, which usually results in chronological chaos that the Doctor has to clean up.

🏫 So ...

If the Master is the final boss, the Meddling Monk is an amusing side quest miniboss. Pick your dialogue options right and you might be able to avoid the fight altogether. Despite all the chaos they cause, it’s hard not to see the Monk as a bit of a wannabe. They dream big but often fail spectacularly, like trying to be the Doctor but without all that pesky moral responsibility. They're the Time Lord equivalent of a kid with a magnifying glass, burning ants for fun and then wondering why everyone’s so upset.

Here, we also have an audio extract from an encounter:

(Link to Big Finish Page)

Related:

Why is Rassilon everywhere?: Who Rassilon is and why he’s so important.

Who/What is Lord Burner?: Looking at the entirely fictional role of the entirely fictional Lord Burner.

What does the Web of Time look like?: Overview on the Web of Time and its relevance.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any purple text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired😴

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hii!

So I'm trying to write a historical fanfiction, the plot revolving around the royals and servants living in the castle and I have their roles and some main plot elements, but I have trouble figuring out in which age this is set, the technological advancement and style of the world and the situation of the royalties with the political situation. (I've been thinking about the 19th century) Do you have any tips regarding any of these?

Writing a Historical Fan-Fiction Set in Castle

I'm a little confused by the notion of writing fan-fiction but not knowing the canon time period. Unless you mean that you're taking canon characters and moving them to a historical setting?

If you're having trouble figuring out the canon time period, you can Google "what year does ___canon title___ take place?" Or, "what year is ______ set during?" This will give you a year, or at the very least an era. From there, you can do specific research on that year/era in the location where your story will be set. (see: Researching an Historical Topic)

If you're moving canon characters to a new time and setting, and you're having trouble choosing an era, it honestly depends on the needs of your story.

The first thing it might help you to understand is that a palace is the official residence of a chief of state (such as a king and/or queen), and that castles are fortified palaces. Prior to the 1500s, kings and queens needed to live in fortified palaces (castles) so that they could be defended in case of attack. However, changes in weapons and warfare in the 1500s made the heavy fortification of castles less and less necessary. That is when we start to see the building of non-fortified palaces, such as St. James and Lambeth palaces in England, Versailles in France, and the Winter Palace in Russia. Having said that, royal castles tended to stay in royal hands and continued to be used as royal residences, and sometimes the king and/or queen would take up residence in a castle palace for a change of scenery or because they had business in that part of the kingdom.

So, if you're imagining an ancient castle with gloomy, austere interiors, torch lit passages, brazier-lit throne rooms, massive dining halls, and dismal dungeons, you'll probably want to set this story prior to the 1500s and maybe even as far back as the 1100s or 1200s. After the 1400s, castles are going to be secondary residences with a grand palace being the primary residence. You might find it helpful to think of a king and/or queen who fit into the era you're imagining. For example, if you're imagining something like Prince John in Robin Hood or something like Game of Thrones, you're looking at 1100s to maybe 1300s. If you want something more Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, you are looking at early 1500s to early 1600s. Or, if you're imagining something more like Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton or Queen Victoria in Victoria, you're looking at the early to late 1800s.

Once you know the time period/era it will be much easier to target the specific details of technology, politics, and world. Here are some other posts that might help:

“King” Doesn’t Mean “Husband of the Queen” Forms of Address for Royals and Nobility Guide: Writing About Fictional Royals Creating a Fictional Kingdom Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Writing About Difficult to Research Topics

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[ld-666]

Good dad William Afton au where he adopts ghosts

William and Henry accidentally build the diner (which includes the Pizzeria and the Funtime animatronics for lore reasons) on a site where three kids were murdered by their own parents.

They only notice that something supernatural is happening when upon an adult yelling angrily the Fredbear animatronic started leaking a black substance from the eyes and the Foxy animatronic would stare at the adult intensely.

Then on the security cameras Fredbear, Foxy, and Circus Baby started pulling out the bolts keeping them on their respective stages.

William goes to investigate and finds them huddled together in the daycare part of the diner coloring.

Of course he was quite surprised because there is no form of programming that would allow them to be creative.

He realizes that they are possessed when a transparent boy covered in blood aka Michael comes out of Foxy's mouth yelling at him to not touch his siblings.

Henry starts researching ghosts while William tries to communicate with them, which is mostly him convincing Michael that he's not a threat.

Henry finds out about what happened to them and William makes animatronics that look more like they did when they were alive so they can actually leave the diner if they want to.

Evan and Elizabeth warm up to him though Michael is still a bit wary of him though he's wary of all adults.

Charlie becomes friends with Elizabeth while Henry shows Evan current technology and events.

William makes rooms for them after Evan asked if he could be their new dad.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics on this awful week?

Absolute Superman #1 - I had a grim foreboding leading up to this week that this book was going to hit hard in part because of the result of the election. I take no joy in having been correct, even though I did love this. Maybe it's the aftermath of the election, but starting this off with a clear cut Champion of the Oppressed Superman makes me extremely happy. He's willing to fight and mess those Peacemakers up, but he retains the compassion we expect from heroic Supermen. Right now all I want to read is a power fantasy story about an underdog immigrant alien going up against an evil megacorp, and this book is delivering that in spades. I like how Aaron has flipped all the major foundational pieces of Superman and positioned them in the AU as weaknesses at first. Kal's farming upbringing on Krypton was the opposite of the idealized life he had in the mainstream universe. His shield, which was a symbol of hope for Krypton in the mainline, is instead a mark of shame on Krypton in the AU. But Aaron takes that and manages to make it a source of strength regardless for Superman. Clearly his low class status on Krypton is where he gets his affinity for outcasts on Earth. He wears the symbol of laborers proudly and gives it a new meaning. It's all great stuff, and clearly Aaron has something to say about our modern reality that I think is only going to get more hard hitting with Trump's re-election.

Cool to see Lois start off as an enemy as I expected. If you're going to take all of Superman's comforts, you can't leave his iconic love interest untouched! I'm betting Absolute Lois is a daddy's girl, that older guy might even be Sam Lane, and I don't think it will be love at first sight for Supes and her. I'm freaking hyped for Brainiac to be the first villain, Brainiac desperately needs stories that do more with him beyond having him try to bottle Metropolis, and Brainiac working for a megacorp is so unlike his mainline counterpart that I want to see where this goes. Glad he has the bottles, and one of them even appears to be Kryptonian as per norm. If Brainiac is *merely* working for R&D, who is the CEO of Lazarus? Could it be Kobra as I have speculated? Ultra-Humanite? Either one would be a cool choice. Absolute DC is now 3/3, I'm totally invested in seeing where this universe goes.

My Adventures With Superman #6 - A nice heartwarming wrap up to a sadly totally overlooked mini. My guy Bloodsport makes it through alive which gives me hope he could show up in future seasons of MAWS. This ends with Clark salvaging Amazo's core and teases that Amazo might get rebuilt in a new body. S2 ended with them likewise having an intact Brainiac core. I'm thinking this mini is foreshadowing that we will have a similar situation in S3 where Lex gets his hands on the core and builds Brainiac a new body (hopefully one more like his comic or DCAU appearance).

Action Comics #1074 - Henry's art improved! I liked his depiction of Krypton anyway. I'm warming up more and more to the main plotline. While I don't love Waid's take on the Phantom Zone, his take on Krypton is closely in line with what I think Krypton should be: technologically advanced while socially regressive. I loved that Kal was acknowledged as older than his own father, really adds to the tragedy of Krypton's death to have Jor and Lara die young. Kara's backup is good too, her new found robot friend makes me smile. No clue what's going on still!

Aliens vs. Avengers #2 - Not as full of twists as the first issue, but still prime Hickman.

Ultimates #6 - Wow I was completely wrong about who gets killed. Tony?!? I don't buy that he will stay dead mind you, but I did not see that coming. Alright my guess is either we're going to get an "Ultimate Vision" based on Tony's brainwaves, or that DoomReed is going to use the Immortus Engine to change Tony's fate.