#I ended up with like three new viruses for looking for this

[thegnomelord]

feral Mage reader that sees the ropes under Price's clothing and can't help but stare at it all day, but being the cocky bastard he is, he refuses to admit how turned on it makes him when confronted by price

Price Does Shibari

CW: NSFW but no sex, shibari and rope bondage, teasing, military inaccuracies. Shitty and quick but god the brainrots are killing me. Price's chest is like this, ass like this

As a mage, you are many things, chief amongst them — Arrogant. Price is everything you aren't: calm, tactical, humble, and most of all patient. He knows just how impulsive you are and makes it a 'fun' game of riling you up and seeing how long you can go before your arrogance breaks and you're on your knees begging for him.

On the nights you spend in his room you usually wake up first, but this time when you roll over to get a final snuggle with him you find his side of the bed empty. Rolling back over you look around and your blurry eyes settle on his back. God every part of him is your favorite but his back does things to you, the strong muscle shifting beneath his skin with every motion of his arms, the way you can follow the trail of sparse dark brown hair from his shoulders and down his spine to his thick arse and thighs.

But as your vision clears you notice something else; Rope

It's the same color your eyes were before your magic gave them an unnatural glow. The ropes start at mid thigh, tied firm to make his thighs even more plush and squeezable, going up his legs to meet more rope like a garter belt. Knots are tied from his balls up his perineum to crisscross just below his tailbone, going above and along the crease where his arse meets his thighs. It hides his hole but you can't complain when the knots spread and push his cheeks out, giving them better definition that has your hands twitching for a squeeze.

"Did I die and go to heaven?" You can't help but say, shamelessly and obviously groping your cock over the bedsheets.

"Peter would never let you past the gates." He snorts and turns to you, his attention fixed on wrapping the ropes. But he smirks when you feels your eyes take him in.

The ropes wrapping along the crease of his hips come up to wrap and crisscross near his dick, making it stand out. Your eyes trail up, following the intricately tied knots up his torso, the rope bright and vibrant against the backdrop of his dark body hair. You almost swallow your tongue when your eyes arrive at his chest. The ropes tied in more knots create tight triangles around each pec until they're pushes out and perky, creating a diamond shape just bellow the start of his sternum and disappearing over his shoulders.

"Wha'd I do to deserve this?" You ask as you drink him in. You would never have the patience to do something like that, but good god does he look good in this.

"Nothing." He smirks, arms flexing so the rope strains against his muscles and pushes his chest out even more.

Your danger senses should have been triggered there and then, but then he was bending over to grab his pants off the floor and the ropes were spreading his asscheeks wide and you could just about catch a glimpse of his hole beneath the knots and your brain was leaking into your cock.

"You didn't do anything." He continues, and a disheartened noise escapes you when he hides his perfect arse in his pants that are just loose enough to hide the ropes when he stands still or doesn't bend too much. "Doin' this for me sweetheart."

"Liar." You accuse, pushing away the sheets so you can properly grope your cock — a half hearted attempt to tempt him into returning to bed. "You're not seriously going to-"

"Don't forget you have recruit duty today soldier." He cuts you off, a downright evil look in his eyes when he puts on a tight shirt and then a standard issue jacket. "Stop wastin' time with your cock in your hand and get up already."

You barely manage a response before he's going out the door, pausing only to bend over at the last second to tie his shoes and make your eyes go to his arse when the pants strain to contain it.

The day is complete hell for you and Price joins you for the majority of it. You don't take it out on the recruits. You definitely don't target any recruit that eyes Price's chest a second too long(even when you do the same), especially when Price crosses his arms and pushes his chest out and you can just imagine those ropes leaving red lines across his skin and perking his pecs up. You certainly don't throw a ball of magic at the recruit who stumbles face first into Price's chest while doing ash magic training.

It's made even worse for you when you're called for a general meeting for battle strategy and you're standing behind him. Even when you try your eyes still go down to his arse when he bends over the table to point at something and his arse fills out his pants and that has your cock filling with blood faster than anything.

"Mage, are you listening?" Price barks and throws a look over his shoulder, bringing everyone's eyes to you.

"Yeah," You grunt, trying not to draw attention to your predicament. "I'm paying attention."

"Paying real close attention." Gaz snickers next to Soap, their amusement intensifying when you glare at them.

Price continues as if nothing's wrong, going over battle tactics and terrain as if he's not wearing ropes instead of underwear under his pants, as if his chest doesn't push out more than usual when he crosses his arms, as if he can't feel your burning gaze at his back. When the meeting ends you stick around while the others leave, letting your eyes firmly fix on his backside.

"You're awfully distracted today sweetheart." He smirks, turns to rest his hip against the table and cross his arms.

"I'm attentive enough." You argue, trying to appear dismissive. Sometimes your pride is a real killer.

"Mhmm." He hums, "And your lil'lad is definitely not tenting your pants." Price is mean, knows exactly when you try to deflect and is quick to point it out.

"You're imagining." Huffing you wave him off, shifting from one leg to the other to put the pressure of your pants off your poor cock. Your cock's been half-hard for at least half a day, your body begging to feel him— to pull him by the ropes on his chest and kiss him till you're both breathless —even when you stubbornly hold on.

"I'm imagining. Is that so?" He tilts his head, a smug little smirk on his lips. "Well, then you'll be happy to know you're doing graveyard shift with me."

Fuck. A full night of just doing paperwork with him, knowing what lied beneath his clothes, sounded like hell and made heaven sing in your blood. "Lovely."

"Yeah, ah' thought so." Price smirks, turns and bends over the table to grab some documents. You swallow hard when his ass pushes out against his pants, you can just about see a bit of rope peek beneath the material. "Get back to work." He says with a smirk as he stands up, walking away with a seductive and hypnotic sway of his hips.

You're not at your breaking point just yet...

But you're close.

[sneezeshame]

the weather wizard is coming down with something. everyone can tell; the sky starts to look a bit cloudy despite the official forecast from the tower being clear skies. it gets cloudier as the day goes on, and eventually a new notice comes in the evening, issued to the kingdom, confirming what they already know-- they aren't feeling very well, it might be a touch of a cold, and the skies will be cloudy with possibly some rain over the next few days, as opposed to the scheduled three days of clear weather and preplanned light rain on thursday. they apologize for the inconvienience.

meanwhile in the tower, the wizard feels weighed down, like their head is full of sand. their throat hurts. the only way to handle getting sick is trying to control the symptoms, so the weather is impacted as little as possible. they get in their pajamas and crawl into bed, sniffling, embarassed; they always try very hard not to get sick, and they aren't sure how this bug slipped through their defences. their partner consoles them; everyone catches a cold sometimes, and people understand that. a lot of viruses have been getting passed around in the kingdom lately, and they've been working harder than normal to keep the normal rainy season weather away. the only thing they can do is get some rest.

but the night is rougher than they expected. it's normal for them to cause a couple rainstorms when they're upset or ill, but they wake up in the middle of the night with their throat hurting badly, shivering, the first sneeze of the cold tickling in their nostrils. when they sneeze, lightning strikes and thunder rumbles, so they try to stifle them; but the reflex at all makes the clouds come in denser. their head aches.

the wizard tries to sleep, but they have to juggle the symptoms and end up sleeping poorly. in the morning no sunlight comes in the window; the whole kingdom is cloudy, and they're in the bathroom taking cold medicine, trying to keep off the rain that seems inevitable. indeed it is; their nose is getting stuffy, and it's getting harder to hold back the sneezes. their partner takes their temperature, and to their suprise they're running a little fever. a stream of hot tea and soup follows them going back to bed with a second blanket, propping their head up on pillows to help keep the incoming congestion at bay. the worse they feel, the worse the weather will be, and so they need to keep themselves as comfortable as possible; unfortunately, the stress of catching a cold and sending unpredictable weather on the whole kingdom already has them upset. they take pride in having good control over the weather, but anyone with eyes can see that whatever is happening in the tower, they're feeling worse than they'd hoped.

about lunchtime, later than usual, another forecast goes out: this cold is worse than they originally anticipated, and there might be some storms coming. they don't know when or how bad. they apologize profusely.

meanwhile, they're starting to stuff up. they keep a tissue box and cold medicine close by. their fever isn't changing, but their throat throbs. they never get sick. they're breathing through their mouth by dinnertime.

"How're you feeling?" asks their partner, setting soup on their nightstand.

"Why dodd you jusd loog oudside," says the wizard miserably.

"I can do that already," their partner says. "I'm asking how you're doing, not how the weather is."

"I-- huuETCHOO!" they sneeze. thunder rumbles; a few drops of rain fall. "Drying do geep the raid frob fallig. Snnxxt."

"That still doesn't answer my question," says their partner.

"I'b sigg," they say, irritated. their voice is sounding a little hoarse. they sneeze again; thunder again in the distance; the clouds are grey and heady with everything they're holding back.

"You should just let it fall," their partner says. "They've been pampered with perfect weather for months. a little unpredictability won't hurt anyone."

the weather lets up a little when they sleep, but unfortunately that's getting harder to do. they can't breathe through their nose anymore, their head and throat both hurt, they have chills from the fever, and they just feel lousy, lousier than they usually do when they get sick. they take more cold medicine at 1am and lay there with purple-ringed eyes, sniffling, feeling themselves get worse.

a little before sunrise, the rain starts falling. they're huddled in blankets with their box of tissues in an armchair in the tower, their feet in hot water, trying to breathe. their voice is a rasp and it hurts to talk, so their partner issues the weather report: this cold is worse than they expected, and they're managing their symptoms as best as they can, but there are going to be some bad and unpredictable storms the next few days, as well as clouds and rain.

and the rain does come. the steam from the hot water unstuffs the wizard slightly, but it restuffs and hour later while they're laying in bed, sneezing and shivering, their face pale and their nose red. they're able to take a nap over lunchtime, and even though they're snoring loudly around the congestion and swelling in the tower, the rain almost goes away; but their sleep is troubled, and when they take back up with the feeling of their sinuses pounding on their face and their tonsils and larynx throbbing, they realize their partner was right: storms are coming.

they start at around dinnertime, when the wizard's fever reaches 101. the clouds darken angrily, and the rain starts to come down hard as the wizard fights the third night of what's turning out to be a massive head cold. they can't sleep, they feel too sick, and so they take pillows and blankets from their bed to the couch in the living room, watching tv and avoiding the weather channels.

the rain comes down beating against the windows that night, but their partner doesn't need to know the weather to know how sick they are. their fever rises to 102 in the early hours of the morning and stays, officially the sickest they've been in years, and they convince them to shuffle back to bed and try to get some more upset sleep. they've started to get a cough, chesty and tight, that causes the wind to stir and rush past their windows.

in the morning, the king sends his well wishes and a doctor their partner requested, who confirms, after taking their temperature, examining their throat and nose, and looking both outside and at the pile of used tissues on the bed that they've caught either a horrible cold or a miserable flu. sleeping medicine and cough syrup is all he can provide other than waiting it out; fluids, rest.

their partner sends out another weather forecast: the wizard is down with something bad, possibly the flu, and it isn't very managable. severe thunderstorms are possible, as well as high winds.

the wizard lays in a feverish daze, their body aching, their head swimming with heaviness, their sinuses pounding. they're propped up staring into the thick drapery around their four poster bed, which has been pulled tight all day-- light makes their head pound harder. whatever bug was ravishing their system, they really DO feel miserable. they take all the medication they can like clockwork every four to six hours, and yet none of it seems to make a dent. they decline any soup for dinner and lay there with a fat blue ice pack pressed to their forehead and sinuses, pressed there by their partner, listening to the storm outside.

the storm outside is as horrible as their cold. their sniffling and sneezing and coughing is constant, and when it stops, they're so ill that the rain keeps coming down just as hard. when they get into a deep, painful hacking fit, the wind outside howls and moans through the kingdom. when they manage to dose off for a bit, exhausted in bed, the thunder seems more distant, and the rain comes down not as hard-- and then they wake up with a thunderous sneeze and it returns again.

in the middle of the night, they're running a fever of 102.4, and their partner runs a warm bath in the clawfoot bathtub in the adjacent bathroom. after some coaxing they manage to get the wizard to undress and sit blearily on the side of the bed, a thick bathrobe wrapped around them, staring into space with half-opened eyes. they slip their feet into slippers and stand slowly, every joint creaking, trudge to the bathtub with their partner and slide in.

"What do you think? Cold or the flu?" their partner asks, after they've been sitting and breathing in the steam for a while.

"...I duddo..." the wizard croaks. lightning flashes in the window as they sneeze again, and thunder rumbles in the dark clouds. "...baybe the flu... snxxxt, guu-huhh..." the wizard looks blearily at the windows with a cough. "...whadd a bess..."

"You can't help it."

"Snnnnxxxtt. Ughhh..." They cough miserably again, and the wind howls. "Baybe dodd," they say. The storm outside is violent and churning, and the change in pressure alone makes their head feel even more like it might burst.

The morning comes with the rain less violent than it was the night before; their fever broke, and they're back in the four poster bed with the curtains pulled tight, asleep in a cocoon of blankets and quilts, tissues stuffed up their flaming nostrils. as much as they want this to be over with, their partner knows this is how they'll stay probably into the next week, and they do-- the storms ease up but the clouds and rainstorms stay for another week, as they battle a sinus infection and a touch of bronchitis.

Please excuse the cloudy skies, the forecast says. I'm still feeling under the weather from whatever knocked me off my feet last week. I appreciate the patience. Sunny skies ahead, hopefully.

[chevelleneech]

This episode of Doctor Odyssey was alright. I feel like all the episodes so far have a very very formulaic way about them, in the sense that even though we know what to expect, I do think they gotta start spicing it up a little bit to keep it going for a full season, because I found myself tuning out even though I do like all of the characters and want to see where they’re headed. I also think there has to be a twist coke the season finale, or else it’ll bottom out.

If Max isn’t in a coma and the ship isn’t his way of living in his subconscious, then what’s the point of the ship only having THREE medical professionals to cover THOUSANDS of people? And what’s the point of them seemingly hinting at Max still being traumatized by Covid, yet he’s not masking nor taking a single precaution to avoid infectious diseases or viruses?

As for my Ody3 hopes and dreams… I’m still with it. Why else would they have Tristan hold both Avery and Max’s hands, with Avery and Max looking at each other, thus ending that moment almost the same way they ended last episode after Avery was hospitalized? They’re clearly writing toward a relationship between the three of them, but wants to draw it out for anyone who I guess don’t expect throuples. At least I hope so, because otherwise it’s going to loose a lot of steam as far as the trio dynamic goes, because as nice as Laura Harrier’s character seems, her chemistry with Sean is not overtaking the chemistry he has with Phillipa and Joshua.

This episode also made a point of showing Max and Tristan on the same wavelength the entire time, and had Vivianne in a dress the same color as Avery, implying she as Tristan’s new love interest is “good enough” to take Avery’s place in his heart. Basically presenting as, “Tristian flipping out over a man being too in tune with his creativity, then choosing a woman who is on the same wavelength as the woman he spent year wanting.” Mhmm. Suspicious, if you ask me, lol.

[houseofbrat]

And in this week's edition of

On Wednesday, 02 October 2024, William did his first investiture since his last one on 04 June 2024.

Later in the day, those who were celebrating their honours had whatever minimal spotlight they get taken away when Kensington Palace released photos of Kate hugging an actual & verified cancer patient.

Kate released her end-of-"chemotherapy" video on 09 September, and only three-plus weeks later did she finally & publicly acknowledge the existence of other people's cancer via this photo op with Liz.

It's a photo op because Kate is not going to be able to count this as a work engagement in the court circular, according to Hannah Furness in The Telegraph.

Yes, it's a great story for Liz and her family, but why couldn't Kensington Palace just release the photo of Liz's family the day after the investiture? Just so those receiving their awards could enjoy their brief moment of sunshine?

I guess the KP comms team could not have waited a day because William had to spit out this bonmot the following day, when he did an engagement with actual Olympians.

But William responded: "No I was so keen to come but I have to say after reading someone’s interview about Covid [looking at Adam Peaty - who tested positive during the games] I decided, because my wife was obviously having chemo, that I didn’t want to risk bringing Covid home, so Adam very kindly reminded me that that was still a thing! But we watched the whole thing. We were glued to it every day."

Kate "was obviously having chemo," guys! That's why they couldn't attend the Olympics in Paris!

But Kate could go and sit at Wimbledon for multiple hours in the sun and hug Wimby athletes, who could be transmitters of viruses.

But Kate didn't need to separate herself from her school-age children, who are well-known germ carriers just like all other young children. No reports of that. Ever!

But also William doesn't do "work" appearances when his kids are out of school. It's not like William, who was president of the FA last year (2023), when the women's World Cup was in Australia could take the time to either a) travel to Australia for it or b) attend a public watch party to show his support. He doesn't want to cut into his copious vacation time by showing real-time support for UK athletes.

But, hey, good on William for staying on the pr message that Kate did chemo because she had CANCER! Just one day after Will & Kate's photo op with Liz's family.

But then there was the cherry on top of these pr shenanigans released by Tom Sykes of The Daily Beast yesterday. Within this article, which is kind of/sort of about assumptions regarding Charles's health, there is a lot of reframing of recent decisions by Will & Kate from the past 18 months.

William also sprang into action. Just days after the news was made public he appointed a new private secretary, Ian Patrick, an experienced former diplomat who had worked for the Foreign Office for eight years. The implication was clear: William would be stepping up to a bigger, more global role. William’s plans, however, were then brutally knocked aside by his own wife’s cancer diagnosis which forced him to retreat from public life, and international travel, for several months.

LOL!! Nice try whitewashing that hiring, Tom!

Ian Patrick was hired because Jean-Christophe Grey quit or gave notice he was resigning in September 2023, and William had to find someone else to replace him.

After all, no one picked up that CEO job that Kensington Palace put out at the same time JCG said he was leaving! Was the CEO posting even real, given how the search was "suspended" eight months later? After another private secretary was in place? Did William ever truly want a CEO? Or was this just a face-saving cover because Jean-Christophe suddenly said he was done?

And hey, let's not forget that Will & Kate haven't done a tour since 2022! They made it known after Charles's coronation in May 2023 that they weren't going to do another tour until 2024. William isn't going to do a tour solo. When will this "more global role" be happening? 2025? 2026? 2027?

Now, of course, with Kate’s recovery, William is back and has a much higher profile than his father, who has spent the last few weeks gathering and conserving his strength for the Australia tour.

William barely works and is scheduled to go on VACATION for two weeks on 18 October. And then William is going to do "work" for six more weeks until he can go on vacation for another 3.5 weeks.

William will resume long haul international travel when he travels to South Africa in early November for the Earthshot Awards. It promises to be a high-profile affair.

Is William actually going to South Africa? Is this a confirmation, Tom? Or is this statement just an assumption by you?

The king’s other brother, Prince Edward and Edward’s wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who are neither great friends nor enemies with Charles, have successfully won the trust and affection of William and Kate and they are likely to be rewarded with a promotion when William’s reign begins.

Convenient, Tom, how you don't mention that Sophie wore a new (to her) tiara in June. Or that Sophie will likely get The Order of the Garter next year, either on her birthday in January or in the honour's list. What are you going to do, Tom, if Sophie wears another new tiara by the end of the year? Are you still going to play this game of Ed & Sophie just being neutral ("neither great friends nor enemies") to Charles?

This whole article is pure, adulterated spin on The Wales family pr blunders for the year. All the moves have happened because they had a grand plan. No mention of THAT MOTHER'S DAY PHOTO or other pr disasters from the spring. No, it's all going to a grand plan.

Executive power and influence is already flowing William’s way. Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the glossy Instagram video William and Kate published last month to announce her recovery from cancer. It wasn’t signed off by the king, and featured not Charles, but Kate’s parents, Mike and Carole.

William is walking around looking like shit terrible. So terrible that KP already gave quotes to InTouch Weekly to spin his gaunt & haggard frame. There's a stark difference in how he looks today versus how he looked when he filmed interviews for his Homewards documentary just a few months ago.

Kate can only tweet or do photo ops that aren't going to count as work in the court circular. Her future schedule is blank except for Remembrance Sunday and her Christmas carol concert.

Totally examples of "executive power and influence."

LOL!!

Is David Beckham going to hold William's hand at other future engagements this fall? Sophie has her own work to do. She can't babysit William on a regular basis. She just picked up a new patronage.

A patronage that would have been right up Kate's alley, if Kate was still going to "work" in the future.

Perhaps we should be asking if parliament needs to rectify that Kate's marriage should be morganatic in the future, if she's not ever going to do regular royal duties again.

[flynncorvus]

New Species Maybe-

(Under the Cut is some Details)

This might be a Species, this might be just a story. Who knows, I'll encourage making OCs of your own either way (Read under the cut if you do want to make something) >:3

Just a Q's I think I should answer:

• What is the gold for? - Probably going to be blood, or maybe these cats have magic that'll do something with? - Might also be toe bean colour, undecided

Some (Looks) Details I can come up with Now:

• ’Mask’ is darker colour than Pelt ~The mask looks like it has a strap, but it's built into them ~It's techy! A tech mask >:3 • Pelt is almost always a dark colour ~There are certain cases where their fur is light, but I haven't figured that out yet x.x • The Marking on their chest matches their pupil ~Yes, pupils can be different shapes!!! ~Mine is like a plus sign without the middle bit :3 • The same Neon is applied to certain areas ~The neon is the colour they 'glow' in, and they also have the same 'colour' for the other details. (Ie; purple glow, purple pelt) ~I might change so they can be duotone or smth later     -Eyes+Eyebrow+Whiskers     -Tail     -Inside Ears     -Fade on Paws     -Fade on tail     -Antennae     -Symbol on Chest • Whiskers should be normal whisker rules for cats ~As in they help with determining where cats can fit in spaces n stuff ~They do regrow if they are chopped/cut! • No Mouths! They all talk with speakers or electronic connection ~Speakers might be in the mask or maybe the ears, I don't know yet ~This Species needs to do a connection on BOTH ENDS to have 'telepathy' together. It's like a constant video call, and one can 'block' the other as well. • Tail is around the same as body length, no matter the species they are based on ~Tail is pretty much always tapered, thicker at the base and pointy at the end ~The end of the tail, the fur, also glows! The entire cat is like a night light >.< ~The cat can be based on pretty much any species in real life! It doesn't really matter, it's just so we can get a large variety of body shapes, fur types, etc. • Antennae are any length and any ‘fur’ amount ~ANY length. They can be so long that they reach the floor, or so short that only some fur shows. They do have to be there though. ~The fur can be around the entire thing, at the very end, at the base, I don't care! Have fun with the fur (Until I change something) :3

Some (Lore) Details I can come up with Now:

• Meet Your Maker ~Yes, they were made by humans from the past (Humans are called The Others) ~These 'cats' don't worship The Others per say, they just have a high respect for such a species; especially since they made them. ~The Others disappeared mysteriously (I don't know how yet) • Setting/Time Era? ~Taking inspo from Final Fantasy (My dad is playing it), the time period will probably be something 'Future Past' ? ~These cats can live pretty much ANYWHERE ~Although they will need 'modifications' to their design based on where they live (IE; ocean, wider tail or rainforest more prehensile tail) ~This cat here probably lives somewhere in one of the Abandoned sectors, I'm thinking a city or a village somewhere with normal-ish weather (Basically the base setting x.x) • Why Were they Made? ~Uhhh The Others were screwing with AI ~And what better to put revolutionary no-human-required AI in, than a cat! (Who already acts like they're better than us) ~The Others are epic for choosing cats B) • Can they Die? ~Yes! They can die! ~I'm sure that they can die by bleeding out or by having all three of their antenne cut (the ones on the top of their head and their tail) ~The antenne cut cannot be solved so far. Once cut, death is certain ~Viruses are like colds and stuff to them, while not common, they do happen

[sonicasura]

In regards to your RE x Kaiju no. 8 crossover, I think it would be a very fun idea if Verdugo Leon was seen right after or during the new recruits' first mission. Especially if it's by Hoshina maybe minutes after his fight with no. 8.

Just imagine. Hoshina, down in the dumps because, one, Kaiju no. 8 just got away, and two, that fight was just weird.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, boom, he sees the tip of Leon's tail as he's sneaking into the alley.

He goes to check, and boom, another humanoid Kaiju. So, of course, because he's Hoshina, he has to make a quip and alert Leon of his presence.

Now, from Leon's POV, he's fucked. Not only was he hanging out around the battlefield and basically begging to get eaten by a kaiju, he just got spotted by a Defense Force officer, and from the confident aura this one gives off and different weapons he has, it isn't a stretch to guess it's a high ranking one too. So, unless he can get away (highly unlikely) or fight him off (impossible), he'll have to convince him not to kill him.

But before he can even open his mouth to say anything, Hoshina is already on the move. Leon barely manages to dodge in time before he's being assaulted again. Hoshina quickly realizes that Leon isn't anywhere near as powerful or dangerous as no. 8, so he lets his guard down a little. Just enough for Leon to find an opening.

A flashback is the last thing Hoshina expects. He's blinded for a second, but when the world comes into focus, he gets greeted with another surprise. The Kaiju is pointing a gun at him. And a normal, completely ordinary handgun at that. It's aimed straight at his head, he can see that much, but that doesn't matter. What does is that Hoshina can finally take a good look at the target in front of him. And the first thing he sees when he does are clothes. It's clothed. Not only that, it also has hair. Completely human looking hair, that also seems well cared for. Asymmetrical three eyes, that make it look like there was supposed to be another one and... A human hand. A completely human looking right hand.

Hoshina doesn't know what to think. The thing in front of him almost looks like a monster masquerading as a human. And not only that, it obviously knows how to use human weapons. It doesn't matter, it shouldn't matter. But it does. Because this changes everything. Still, it needs to be killed. The bullet won't be fast enough to hit him, he knows that. So he prepares to dodge and strike again when... It lifts its hands up in surrender... and then drops the gun. Just like a human would.

Now this really gives Hoshina a pause. Even more so when the monster in front of him opens its mouth and says: "I don't want to fight. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Hoshina is now at a loss of words and doesn't know what to do. So he does the only thing that makes sense and calls it in.

Post in question. Btw, the design mentioned belongs to @polarspaz , not me. I'm just using it as an example.

Hoshina definitely has a shit ton of questions as things are getting too weird in his opinion. First Kaiju No. 8's strange behavior and now this. Although Leon ends up painting a different nightmare entirely when it comes to his origins.

Different world where viruses and parasites could turn innocent people into monsters but the worse thing about is that some humans have weaponized it. The items on Leon's person are proof of it than just the biological scans. His ID which bears his original human face and video footage on the different monsters this agent turned monster had unfortunately encountered.

Despite the vast difference in origins, Leon does paint a major clue towards Kaiju No. 8. What if they were once human too but had been transformed into a Kaiju instead? The reluctance to fight Hoshina would mean it's someone close, somebody in the 3rd Division.

Leon has a deal set before him. Help the Defense Force unravel the mystery of Kaiju No. 8 and Kaiju No. 9. In exchange he's given sanctuary alongside the possibility to a cure or at least a suppressor for his Infected state.

Leon takes it.

[theculturedmarxist]

This interview was conducted with a public health employee of the Hawaii State Department of Health (HIDOH), as part of the WSWS Global Workers’ Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic. The worker chose to use the pseudonym Robert to protect their identity.

Evan Blake (EB): Thank you for participating in the Global Workers’ Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, it’s a pleasure to interview you. Can you describe your background and training in public health before the pandemic?

Robert (R): My training in public health began more than 25 years ago, initially centered on women’s reproductive health. I earned a degree in Public Health. My focus soon broadened from just women’s health to everyone’s due to the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis.

Throughout my career, I collaborated with various organizations, including academic institutions and community health centers, to develop programs targeting most of the populations in the Bay Area. These initiatives encompassed health education, addiction support, and promoting healthy relationships, as well as offering HIV/AIDS and HCV [hepatitis C]testing, counseling, contact tracing, case management and patient navigation services. When I moved to Hawaii, I continued doing health education and working with those experiencing developmental disabilities, aging and chronic illnesses.

EB: What were your initial experiences when the pandemic began in early 2020? How would you characterize the initial pandemic response of DOH [Department of Health] and state officials more generally in Hawaii?

R: I noticed in December 2019, when there was talk of unusual illness in China’s news and social media. Seeing how it was being handled there made me concerned. There seemed to be more effort in hiding it than in handling it.

I waited for our government to mention it, especially on a more local level. I really thought that since, historically, the Hawaiian Kingdom has had effective quarantine and mitigation practices, that the current leadership would follow suit. My thinking was that we don’t have rabies in Hawaii, so obviously we know how to keep viruses out.

By February, I started contacting the DOH to hire me to help out any way possible. This looked like something that could easily be squashed if they rounded up all the HIV experts and put them to work. In early March, I put my disabled clients on quarantine. I bought a bunch of fabric and a serger and my family and I made hundreds of masks. Airborne transmission has always been known.

On March 4, 2020, Hawaii’s Democratic Governor David Ige declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19, granting the state greater flexibility in responding to the crisis. This is officially when the problems with disappearing COVID funds began. On March 26, Ige issued a stay-at-home order, closing nonessential businesses and implementing strict travel restrictions.

I participated in the statewide Lt. Governor’s COVID town halls. Stay-at-home orders in March and May helped keep the numbers low. I waited for the health department to do something and cranked out masks. Schools had gone online at this point. It went pretty well for us. My kid’s school was really proactive about making sure the kids had access to what or who they needed, including computers.

My partner was labeled an essential worker because he was in construction. His boss took full advantage of this allowance and I wrote several of our state’s representatives who seemed actively concerned about COVID, about what to do in this situation.

By the end of May 2020, Dr. Mark Mugiishi, the chief executive of HMSA, brokered a deal with the UH Manoa nursing school to provide students to be trained as contact tracers. They were supposed to have seven different cohorts, but they stopped at three or four. Most of the trainees were never hired to do any work in the DOH and a majority of the graduates got letters stating thanks, but no thanks. The DOH only ever brought on a couple hundred contact tracers. That was after they got in trouble for not having enough and refusing help.

All the tracers and investigators started out being hired by agencies other than the DOH. This meant that we had no rights, but we had the same responsibilities as any other employee would have. We didn’t get hazard pay, union, or PTO, couldn’t participate in any of the benefits or mental health support and other programs they regularly provided and encouraged all employees to participate in. Most of us worked from 7 a.m. to late in the evening most nights. Most tracers and investigators were not from the locally COVID-trained cohorts.

A majority of the COVID hires weren’t brought in until much later in 2020 or in 2021. More were needed and available and instead of hiring tracers or case management, a call center was contracted to bottleneck the high volume of calls and cases.

State officials are notoriously reactive to any problem, emergency-related or not. The officials in charge of HIDOH when the pandemic was officially recognized were ill-fitted for their positions. Their responses were lackluster at best, with Sarah Park (state epidemiologist, COVID response leader) coming in to the UH Manoa COVID trainings to tell us that contact tracing was ineffective, as well as other disease mitigation techniques that we were being trained on, like routine screening.

When the contact tracing program started at the DOH, the National Guard was tasked with training us and facilitating most of the COVID mitigation efforts. This was after they had only received one day of training themselves. I met not one of them who had any health background whatsoever.

It’s been a performative disaster from the very start. Our DOH and state leadership were instrumental in encouraging the spread of COVID-19. State officials were slow to respond and, when they did, it was never an appropriate response. Hawaii usually sees at least 30,000 visitors per day from all over the world. They did everything in their power to keep that going.

EB: You mentioned that DOH employees were split up into different groups, including groups working with prisoners, homeless people, sports personnel, the wealthy, etc. Can you describe this in more detail and the class divide in the pandemic response in Hawaii?

R: DOH employees as a whole are siloed and do not collaborate or even have the slightest clue what the others are doing ever. It was difficult trying to get resources or info from within when trying to access data or connect people with other services. It was deeply embarrassing to me sometimes how incompetent everyone was.

For the pandemic efforts, the entire venture was militarized and we were beholden to chain of command operations as civilians. We were not allowed to speak to our higher-ups. Many were discouraged from speaking to anyone.

The contact tracing and case investigation were separated into several different focus groups headed by epidemiologists. These epidemiologists already had a disease focus and their loads were not lightened. They were added to. Most of them are not in fact actual trained epidemiologists. They have fallen into the position often through nepotistic means and meet bare minimum educational requirements. They had a lot of weird toxic drama that affected program function overall.

For example, if your team’s epidemiologist didn’t get along with a different team’s epidemiologist and you needed a file or lab result or info about an individual in their category, they may delay the info or just never give it to you. It was the worst addition to an already extreme high-stress situation.

The main group management often fell to the inexperienced National Guard, who were under the epidemiologists. Each group’s numbers fluctuated and usually had about 7–15 people, half National Guard, half civilian. The focuses were separated into schools, food service, military, healthcare and LT facilities, travel/VIP, Pacific Islander, severe/death, correctional facilities and homeless.

We had to wait for the daily cases to be handed to the epidemiologists. They would post new cases as they were processed into the system usually via an external call center, who received the cases mostly via the department’s only fax machine.

HIDOH hired an external call center to handle what was called first contact calls. This was actually one of the biggest obstructions to actual contact tracing or any real handling of infected patients in a timely manner.

First contact call center got the first reporting of the case. The report would come in via fax (another massive problem). That person’s name and number would be taken down and someone from the call center or the National Guard would call and ask screening questions about their health and symptoms, often with not much health training. They had three days for the individual to answer before they stopped calling and threw it out.

By the time investigators or tracers got the case, it was often 5–10 days old. We never did real contact tracing in the department. Real contact tracing would involve calling the case immediately to help them trace and notify anyone who may have been exposed. It would also involve timely and actual distribution of resources, including testing, food and money. This is not what happened.

I saw hundreds of people who were overqualified for resources denied or provided the offered resources too late. Some tracers did what could be considered “guerrilla tracing” because they had their contact info passed around for those who needed help and couldn’t get through to the health department when they needed to, or they just needed resources or their results.

A majority of people who were infected did not receive a call from the DOH or any help. They also didn’t receive guidance on quarantine or health at all. Internally, there was never training or updating on variants, pathology or how to ask sensitive questions and talk to the general public. There was a lot of secrecy and internal guidance that wasn’t health-oriented or generally useful. It was often self-congratulatory and bloviated.

This all increased the class divide as those in the service industry couldn’t afford to heal or get better and many lost and are losing their jobs. Those who were able to sealed themselves away. Admin stayed in their offices and told no one to enter, and there was an increase in work-from-home jobs for those with privilege or education, like myself.

EB: Hawaii has the highest per capita number of active US military personnel of any US state and is the state’s largest income producer, yet tourism is often claimed to be the state’s dominant industry. What were the roles of the military and the tourism industry in relation to the pandemic?

R: The military has largely handled their own COVID cases, navigation, and often not sharing when they have clusters that directly impact civilians.

The tourism industry has a finger in everything. They have been extremely instrumental in helping COVID spread. Tourism interests are largely against the people of Hawaii, who are more often harmed than helped by their existence. Tourism and business degrees are what steers most of the boards of every institution in this state. You will find significantly more business degrees than Kanaka (Hawaiian person) representing leadership in the islands. Tourism is why most of those whose birthright is the islands are homeless or not in the islands.

Both industries had large roles in facilitating spread. They pushed to keep everything open and often refused to cooperate with the HIDOH in COVID mitigation efforts.

EB: How have the federal pandemic funds approved under Trump and Biden been dispersed within Hawaii? Can you describe any corruption or negligence that you’ve seen in this regard?

R: I can pretty much only describe corruption and negligence regarding the usage of funds. The HIDOH let over 30 million dollars’ worth of badly needed COVID tests go to waste and then spent over $60,000 to destroy them. The schools never saw much of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds put to use in the schools for mitigation efforts. Countless non-profits denied resources to the community. A robot dog was purchased to test homeless people for COVID, over $1 million were spent on Thanksgiving turkeys in Maui. Oahu’s police department got a bunch of new toys.

The HIDOH never upgraded their information transmission capabilities. They depended on two fax machines for the entirety of the COVID efforts, meaning that all data and case info was transmitted through these machines, slowing down any work or real efforts.

The machines ran over the weekend and whoever was on the following Monday had literal piles of data to enter into the system for reported cases, hospital data, etc. The whole venture has been performative negligence. The funding was better and more resources were distributed while Trump was president. Biden is an absolute disgrace, considering he campaigned on getting rid of COVID.

Most of the funds that could have been used to improve the community and help mitigate COVID were used irresponsibly and have been absorbed by the state. Governor Ige went out of his way to pass legislation that approved shady usage of funds and halt transparency. Governor Green is even worse. The COVID response was just a preview for how Green is handling the Lahaina fires.

EB: Schools reopened with less and less mitigation measures each year, causing repeated waves of mass viral transmission. Can you describe this process and the public health measures you advocated for them to implement? What was the response of various officials to your efforts? How are you seeing the impacts on children, including with Long COVID?

R: The 2020 school response was much better than the following years. Students were provided Chromebooks and instruction from their teachers. It wasn’t implemented in a way that made it easy for many instructors and families, but it was the safest option that was provided.

The following year, the district (the state has only 1) offered something completely different.

In-person instruction or a program for those staying home, that required the parent or caregiver to spend 4–6 hours per day implementing. With no live teachers or real support offered from the school or Department of Education (DOE). The schools who offered it didn’t even know what it was or how it functioned. They just referred parents to the program’s website or phone number if they needed any assistance.

Often parents who required more support or Special Education (SPED) services for their children were ignored, punished, had CPS called on them, or were harassed by some school’s staff and admin.

In many of the poorest areas, where much of our service industry workforce resides, the schools didn’t even offer an alternative to in-person classes. I’m in one of these areas and I removed my child from her school after they refused to provide any support or programming besides that awful program they were offering which forced the parent to provide instruction without support. I already had a job. They called CPS on me. They would send staff to my door every week to sign unnecessary paperwork. They did this for two years. Officials didn’t care. The School’s Superintendent and the super for my area was never even available and never returned calls. I called weekly. I was working on so many cases connected to our schools the whole time, it was no question about removing my kid.

None of the public schools had their air systems improved or HEPA filters added. Some were using hand sanitizer on children’s desks in between classes when they were supposed to sanitize them properly. There wasn’t any solid guidance provided to the schools. Every time I got through to a school nurse or principal about a case, they begged for info on what to do and how to handle mitigations with all the sickness.

Sickness in children and school staff wasn’t being reported accurately because contact tracers were instructed not to connect cases in the classroom with each other. This kept the cluster report low. Many teachers were punished for mentioning their own infections and they were not allowed to notify students’ parents either. This devastated our community, since it has one of the highest counts of multigenerational households in the nation.

Josh Green, who is now Hawaii’s governor, was the head of the COVID Task Force. His main messaging has only ever been regarding vaccines. He spent a significant amount of time pointing the finger at many of our Pasifika communities in regard to their vaccine hesitancy instead of working with them to mitigate COVID in other ways.

When the 2021–22 school year started, the district was ill-prepared and kids weren’t approved for vaccines yet. The school’s superintendent, Christina Kishimoto, was completely useless at getting any mitigations in the schools at all. She ignored the entire community, including so many teachers and parents who tried to keep or make the schools, or at least education, safe and accessible to all.

Senator Brian Schatz and others who had been previously notified about in-school spread and the actual numbers present instead of the falsely low reported ones, maintained the script that children needed to learn in-person. Even after in-person learning saw children being shoved together in cafeterias all day without proper instruction due to sick staff, those in charge maintained that the children needed to be in schools. This was supposedly for their mental health and education, which had never been prioritized previously.

Hawaii has had a major deficit in adequate and accessible education, as well as mental health care providers and services, for a very long time. Additionally, we don’t have school nurses in each school like many contiguous states offer. Many of our schools share a nurse and may not have an area for children to be sick or wait for someone to get them from school.

In-school cases often fell to vice principals and other staff. By the 2022–23 school year, schools had removed any guidance that was useful. They never upgraded or improved the air systems. Many of our schools have had problems with lack of proper air conditioning for a long time before the pandemic. The pandemic just made it worse.

There was a program created at the start of the 2022–23 school year to make the DOH, DOE and CDCF work together to improve the conditions in the schools. The HIDOE refused to meet or participate in any improvements to their school’s systems, provide resources such as testing, PPE or pandemic guidance.

Our state leadership has met with many COVID experts, DOH employees and medical staff who have told them what is happening in their districts, classrooms, hospitals and the community throughout the official pandemic and even now. They all have given lip-service and often have reacted appropriately in those meetings but nothing ever comes of it.

At first, children were just getting cold-like symptoms like everyone else. Those who had existing health issues usually suffered more. Not many children’s cases were followed past the initial call. Over time, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) became a focus as the children’s symptoms didn’t always go away.

Since Omicron emerged in November 2021, kids have had an increase in seizures and a lot of problems with focus and memory. My child has had several friends die from COVID. Long COVID in kids is terrifying, and the impact is already noticeable. Mine just stated that what everyone needs to know is that it’s harder for kids to learn now. She notices so much brain damage in her peers already. Before she got COVID, it was easier for her to process information. Things take much longer now.

To be honest, I’ve rarely seen an actual full recovery. People move benchmarks and brain damage is extremely hard to self-identify. COVID is long and lasting. Nearly every infection shows damage whether it’s noticed or not. For those who don’t have immediate consequences, it’s playing the long game.

EB: How else are you seeing the ongoing impacts of the pandemic associated with COVID-19 infection, including Long COVID?

R: I noticed very early on that regardless of how mild the cases were, there were often residual issues with the person’s ability to handle and process information. The one symptom that should be tracked more than temperature is cognitive ability—confusion, disorientation, odd and unusual thoughts and behaviors. The ongoing impact of any COVID infection is a significant amount of unchecked and untracked brain damage. It’s very difficult to self-diagnose and most of our medical providers are still unaware of COVID and how it presents.

Getting infected with COVID can reduce the immune system’s ability to function. Each reinfection can reduce immune function even more, inviting opportunistic infections to eventually kill us. This is how HIV functions, but at least there is treatment for that. There’s no treatment for Long COVID and there’s even less treatment or care for those under 12 years old. The impact I see right now is immense. Children and young adults are exhibiting Alzheimer’s and dementia-like symptoms, and there are huge increases of cancer, diabetes and heart problems at the population level.

EB: What have been your experiences advocating for Long COVID patients, and what are some of your greatest concerns with the “mass disabling event” of Long COVID associated with the pandemic? What do doctors know or not know, and what do you think needs to be done to address this?

R: While documenting cases in 2020, some had symptoms that just wouldn’t resolve. A few threatened to commit suicide and were in constant and severe pain. Many of their doctors didn’t believe them. I would contact their doctors and explain what Long COVID was. I would send them studies if they requested and would tell them what labs or referrals to order for their patients.

Many doctors were receptive at first. Some would gaslight the patients, saying that they were experiencing anxiety and not their actual ongoing COVID symptoms. I made an extra effort to contact those ones because they were making the patients worse and confused. I spent hundreds of hours on social media spaces giving talks about COVID, Long COVID and what I was seeing. Other Long COVID sufferers and advocates would join.

None of this data was being collected or distributed by our DOH, regardless of how the variants mutated or the community was being impacted. Any attempts to send information up the chain of command to the top were ignored and sometimes punished.

Over time, the doctors I was working with were getting Long COVID themselves. It led to a significant reduction in care for their patients. Some would brush the issue off because they had it and they were working, which they thought meant they were fine.

Doctors need to have proper information and guidance. Without it, many people are being told COVID isn’t really a problem. They trust their doctors to know about COVID. Their doctors are unknowingly feeding them to the fire. Vaccines are only one layer of a many-layered solution, and at this point vaccines aren’t very effective at preventing infection as the virus continues to rapidly mutate and new variants continue to evolve.

In terms of public health as a whole, the CDC is looked at as the main guidance for all these institutions. They need to be putting out clear messaging about COVID being airborne, the fact that an infection commonly lasts anywhere from 14–20 days, each reinfection can reduce immune function, and COVID is a vascular disaster that can wreck any and all organs of the body. These are things that scientists have known since 2020. There is absolutely no reason Drs. Rochelle Walensky and Anthony Fauci didn’t know the correct protocols for handling this pandemic. They both have HIV backgrounds.

My greatest concern about this mass disabling event is that I live in Hawaii. Disabled people were hidden, ignored and underserved here before the pandemic. It was nearly impossible to find mental and behavioral health services and they were often insufficient at best.

When everyone keeps getting reinfected, they will not be able to function. There’s low availability for services now and it’s already getting pretty noticeable. My friends working in the hospital are reporting incredibly low staff numbers and extreme burnout. We only had nine ambulances in circulation a couple weeks ago due to callouts.

Suicides, mental hospital stays and inability to function are becoming increasingly common and we’re just getting started. Since the pandemic began, there’s been an increase in car and plane accidents, heart attacks, diabetes, cancers, previously rare disorders and sudden deaths. Currently, COVID is listed as the third leading cause for death in the US, but if data were properly collected, COVID would be number one.

I took someone to the doctor for a head wound to be stitched and the doctor didn’t even mention concussion protocol. He said strange things that hadn’t been relevant regarding COVID since 2021. He behaved odd and childlike.

This mass disabling event is largely invisible. Many cannot self-diagnose the brain damage that a significant percentage of infections cause to some degree. It changes moods, thoughts, function, and can make people confused or angry.

My biggest concern is that with mass infection and reinfection, everyone is getting their brains melted. Who will take care of anyone when no one is left healthy and functional? Who will grow our food, participate in society, or even be able to get out of bed after we’ve all had multiple infections? Who will be left?

EB: Those are critical points, and concerns that should be more widely shared. The propaganda of the corporate media and political establishment has had a real impact, and prevented masses of people from understanding the dangers of COVID-19 and Long COVID.

Changing topics somewhat, when we spoke before you said that “Lahaina is an active crime scene, just like the COVID situation here is also an active crime scene.” Can you elaborate more on this and the criminal negligence that you believe caused this catastrophic fire? What other connections do you see between this fire and the COVID-19 pandemic?

R: Just the fact that there’s such a focus from those in charge on reopening and getting back to work tells me everything I need to know. The community just experienced a life-altering trauma and instead of really taking care of them and helping them get situated and time and resources to heal, it’s full-steam ahead. Open up, get back to work, go to school. Don’t worry about how you’re going to pay that mortgage on the burn pile where you used to live.

Just like with the COVID pandemic, the Emergency Management Agency lead didn’t have experience. They didn’t sound any alarm, and clearly weren’t well versed on emergency response protocols, otherwise they would have correctly used the emergency alarm system. Instead, Herman Andaya reasoned with everyone about why he didn’t think they were necessary.

For COVID, Josh Green facilitated thousands of tourists freely and consistently infecting our community with almost no guidance other than to get vaccinated. He gaslit us for years from his whiteboard and scrubs. He got even worse after he got COVID. The brain damage is real.

Why didn’t Maui sound the emergency system that is used for emergencies including wildfires? Why didn’t HIDOH enact their public health police powers to protect the community from COVID? Why do they both consistently report false numbers? Why do they both tell the community about resources that exist, but in reality are not actually available? Why is the community being forced to bear the brunt of the outcome of both disasters alone? Why does our leadership refuse to work with the community to solve either issue?

I know how greedy and careless this government is first-hand. Especially when local people are involved. Both disasters have resulted in very high losses to our Filipino and Pasifika communities.

How are we the only state without a fire marshal? Why is there never anyone held accountable? How do all these incredibly incompetent folks keep getting replaced by more incompetence? Nepotism. It has led to incredible incompetence and I have to assume it’s why there’s no accountability or oversight anywhere or for anything.

EB: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the WSWS has advocated for the full deployment of all available public health measures to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 throughout the world. Multiple countries proved that such a Zero-COVID strategy was possible, and we now know even more about viral transmission.

We have stressed that the fundamental reason this global elimination strategy has not been implemented is due to the division of the world into rival nation-states and the refusal of the capitalist ruling elites to accept any impingement on their ability to exploit workers and generate profits. What are your thoughts on this, and do you agree that we need to fight for a global elimination strategy?

R: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exposed the challenges associated with the division of the world into nation-states, each pursuing its own approach to pandemic management. It’s been an absolute disaster.

When the virus first hit and people began seeing consequences and acting accordingly, I thought we had a chance at stopping the virus. Then the countries with more behaved greedily. They hoarded and wasted resources in the face of the countries who couldn’t get access to resources from the global market.

We are all in this together and no one is getting off this rock alive. Working together is the only way to get rid of this virus and all the others that have been popping up in the past few years.

Unfortunately, such an approach seeks to prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities over economic interests as Cuba has done. They developed their own COVID-19 vaccines. They consistently have the lowest reported COVID cases and deaths globally. Often close to zero. Their vaccines work much better than ours have been.

This reflects true commitment to public health and an ability to leverage existing medical and scientific infrastructure to respond to the pandemic independently.

EB: Thank you for this invaluable interview and contribution to the Global Workers’ Inquest.

R: Thank you.

[duckapus]

So one of the major gameplay features of the Kingdom Hearts series is that Sora gets new Keyblade Charms (those little keychains that let him change the Kingdom Key's appearance, name and attributes) by making connections with people from other worlds, right? Well, there's some Charms that he gets through other means like as gifts or via synthesis or just finding them somewhere, but usually it's the end-of-World reward and meant to represent his bond with the local party member(s). So, obviously Avatar Sora would get new Keyblades from the new friends he's made since getting Meme'd.

The other Avatars would be the most obvious, but I haven't actually figured out good concepts for any of them yet. What I have come up with is Guardian Angel, a Keyblade based on Abyssal that he got at the end of Unveiled Secrets.

It's a Dark-aligned average-length Keyblade, and it's mostly made of what looks like pink glass molded into an array of feathers in the general Keyblade shape, with an open wing making up the "teeth" and a simple jet-black internal framework to give it structure. The charm is a small black gem, connected to the 'blade's pommel by a miniature version of a length of Abyssal's chains and with three of Abyssal's actual feathers sticking out of it.

It increases the power of attacks while airborne at the cost of slightly higher Magic cost, and can Formchange (because KH3 is the specific one that got SMG'd) into a replica of Abyssal's chain weapon. The key form's Shotlock is Flying Feather, which shoots a bunch of feathers point-first at the targets that do Wind damage, while the chain form's is Grapple-Link, which drags up to five targets towards Sora so he can start comboing them.

Abyssal only finds out about this when she's tracking down one of the viruses Worm released during the Legacy Arc and the trail led to the Kingdom Hearts universe. It turns out to be one of the smart ones, has managed to get control of a bunch of Heartless, and they're actually giving her some trouble, and then some of what look like her own chains fly in out of nowhere and save her from a nasty blow, and when she looks to see where the hell that came from she finds Sora Donald and Goofy have shown up to provide backup and that Sora's current Keyblade is somehow closely emulating her unique combination of Admin-and-Abyss-Code without any complications.

[forthedancingandthethriving]

(Remembered Duckapus's ask a while back about how Garyboy and Ozzy could be equals if Garyboy had ambition. I feel like Ozzy would still actually consider him someone trustworthy.)

"Why do you want that Offshoot back so badly?"

It was the first time Garyboy had actually asked that. From where Ozymandias is lying on the cold ground of the cave, he lifts his body to merely drape it over some stones to look at the other. He'd gained two new forms in this world; something called a Kirin and a more serpentine dragon form. The other was absolute hell to get used to, but it had its advantages. Meanwhile, this dragon form? It was far more familiar.

"You've seen the patch of missing scales on the area near my 'neck' area, yes?" Ozymandias asks. At Garyboy's nod, he continues. "You see, Offshoots aren't exactly like you. You were made with existing code of something else. Meanwhile, that little brat of an Offshoot came from my code. That Offshoot, as much as I loathe to admit it, is me."

Garyboy contemplats that. "But why is that such a big deal? Your Offshoot hasn't sought you out or anything."

Ozymandias sighs. "If I was still my old self, I'd normally go on a rant about how it doesn't matter regardless. But.." He drags a wing down his face. "Well, it still does, but as you know, Leto and I are the only ones who can hurt each other. Now, if there's an Offshoot of either her or I.."

The other Virus quickly fills in the rest. "They'd be able to defeat you."

"Exactly." The older Virus nods. "That, and it annoys me to no end that I've only discovered this annoyance recently. Meaning that the Offshoot has probably gotten strong already."

Garyboy lets out a hum of acknowledgment. After a few more moments, he asks another question, "did you know Worm? Or the Hydra Virus?"

Ozymandias narrows his eyes as he thinks. "Worm? I didn't know him personally, but I knew of him. The Hydra Virus? I was acquainted with it. I'd seen it before my first imprisonment, and I have to admit.. it was something interesting."

"And Worm?"

His face falls flat. "I'd say he was a good Virus in terms of the destruction he caused, but how the fuck do you lose control of one of the viruses you created and it ends up being your downfall?"

"You knew about that?" Garyboy looks surprised.

"It less me knowing about it and more me figuring it out during one of my little outings." Ozymandias shrugs his wings. Then, he raises a 'brow'. "But why are you so curious?"

"You seem to hold a lot more contempt for your Offshoot than the trio who locked you up." Garyboy gestures with one of his one wings.

He pauses to think about that before grimacing. "Those three are pests. They can't actually hurt me. But that Offshot.. whereever it is, it can hurt me. Ruin everything I have."

He 'tsks'. "Which is why we need to find it as soon as possible."

Ozymandias flicks his tail. "The sooner that Offshoot is reabsorbed, the better."

[odysseywritings]

Interviewing the Sorceress

@flashfictionfridayofficial

She caught my eye with her colorful purple clothes, half her hair jet black and half white, and a collection of gold trinkets that had no obvious origin, such as a cyclops and a three headed alien. For privacy, her real name and location have been omitted, yet her van had an elaborate painting of a wizard surrounded by trees. She appears to be born in the 50s yet her energy is youthful and loose.

My dad fought in the Second World War, and he never shook that off, so I grew up a military brat. I went across the states but also Germany. And everywhere I went, I saw premonitions coming from anything at any time. I didn't think about them a lot until they came true. It started off small with what food would be in school or what buildings I'd see. You couldn't say this stuff out loud or you'd be labeled insane so I kept it inside like a good little patriot.

Then bombs showed up nearly every week, us being the "Duck and Cover" generation, and I had this growing anxiety that the world would end. It made me cold and violent toward anything and anyone, small or big. Why bother being good if the world would turn to fire and rubble before I could drive or get my first kiss?

My teenage years had me running away a lot, meeting outcasts, smoking, bussing with rock stars, joining protests, all that. I dabbled in tarot and psychedelics, but what I saw was different, more real. By the 70s, I'd go through these invisible doors that would open up.

When did you realize you were entering these doors?

They would be around corners: alleys, woods, interiors. I didn't feel anything change on my body, but I felt I was in a transient state. Like a caterpillar turning into mush in a chrysalis. Suddenly, I was no longer in my world. It was like being in an alien planet in those hokey B-movies. (laughs)

People looked the same, but the fashion was radical, people were teleporting in these phone booth things, and robots were much more life-like. And before I knew it, I'd flip back to the world of tie dye and an energy crisis.

Some people claim to be abducted by aliens. Do you think you experienced a similar fate?

Oh, goodness, no. I didn't see any little green or gray men. I always felt like I stayed on Earth. The free love movement and sexual revolution made the culture shock easier to absorb, but it was overwhelming at first. As the 80s went on, and progress was slowing down, I felt a longing to go back. I was so tired of people being cruel and dumb, getting obsessed with yuppie greed, settling down in unhappy marriages and jobs. Things were becoming hazy and I wondered if there was any optimism.

It took a few years before another door opened and I couldn't wait! Everything was even more futuristic. There was no smog, no poverty, no real divisions. People had magic, or some kind of advanced technology, where they could just create things out of thin air!

I spent so much time in that future, I left my old one for... I think, 8 years. In that time, I could feel the universe and grab all the atoms. They could be weaved and crafted like a sewing kit for any problem. Viruses, fuel shortages, broken bones, hunger, all gone. I didn't worry about survival like I used to, and I studied and traveled with all the time in the world. I even trained to be an astronaut!

I could see so much of the galaxy and beyond. Even in space, the most terrifying and lonely place, I felt secure knowing I was closer to knowing life in its entirety.

What made you decide to return here?

I didn't want to learn everything while I was still healthy. What else would I do besides get bored to death? I'm over 70 but I haven't felt this young before. All the regrets, shame, anger, confusion, and pessimism in my youth are so distant that they belong to someone who doesn't exist anymore.

What matters is that I keep doing new things, making the impossible happen, and delivering the truth to others. I know I seem like a crazy old lady, but you can find doors to enter if you turn your head around the corner, and discover a new way to live life when everything seems to drag you down.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview.

My pleasure, dear!

[howlingday]

Here Comes...

A Review

(Part 1 of 2) [Part 2]

Let me start this off by explaining a couple things.

First, the topic of this review is a comic series rated M for explicit content intended for an audience of 17+ years. If you happen upon this, please be aware that the contents of this review are not intended for a younger audience, so your viewer/reader discretion is advised. Also, I will be going over all eight issues, so if you wish to read this yourself, be aware that there will be spoilers.

Second, I, in no way, condone animal abuse in any way, shape, or form. Such content is discussed in this comic, so again, discretion advised, and I will also provide a link here for the organization advertised in this series, www.americanhumane.org.

Third, I don't like over-the-top violence. This comic was personally advertised to me as, "Like The Punisher, but way harder and for animals." I am not a fan of The Punisher, but the proceeds go to animal shelter charity, likely the one advertised in the comic and referenced above. Also, I am a fan of comic books, I love animals, so I'm curious enough to give this series a read.

Without further ado...

Here Comes Calico is a series written and created by H.H. German, working with artist/letterer Javier Orabich for the first four issues, then Renato Pinto for the last four. It is an eight-issue series following the crusade of one Hector Gil, the titular Calico, who is a former burglar now vigilante who donates his money to animal-based charities.

#1 - SAFHARI-KARI

The first issue opens with a dog being beaten brutally on a kitchen counter while a little girl screams, "Please, no" in Mandarin. The next page reveals this is happening on a video screen with dialogue from an online call. Our protagonist sheds a tear watching this and says, "THIS MAN ENDS." before going to his double-ended bag and inner monologues about animal abusers being the worst before transitioning to more conflict occurring, including viruses and blood cells, two ants, two lions, and a man being shot, ending the page with "Non-stop, fight to the death... violence 24/7. Fucking life."

We then cut to Hector's childhood in San Francisco de Macoris, which I had to look up is in the Dominican Republic, despite every other location for the rest of the series specifying New York. He is bullied by the "rich kid," Guillermito. Then we cut to his local gym, where he trains, "Chino's Gym," and explains his workout routine and the philosophy he holds for his MMA training. Then he's in the shower, explaining how he's still thinking about the dog he watched being beaten. Another flashback cut to him and his friends being attacked by Guillermito's dog, before both the boy and his dog are chased off by a cat.

Finally, he suits up for the first time, explaining he keeps it hanging next to his jeans and how it's technology "worth millions of dollars" and how the government will never get their hands on it, much as they'd like to, before calling for his robot aide, Bumble. It's a silly name, but believe me, it makes sense later, I promise. For now, I'll leave it at this little guy does literally everything you could ever want. Except shoot, but it's pretty much solid on everything. Kinda reminds me of Jarvis, just less chatty.

One last cut to Hector being racially harassed ("Dominican York! Go back to America!") before he ends it like anyone with the sense and stones to do so; he punches his bully and runs away before taking the consequences.

After all this, we finally arrive at the first villain victim of this issue, a family of safari poachers. Despite lions being classified as critically endangered in West Africa, this family of father (William), mother (Janine), and daughter (Annette), murder a lioness in front of her three cubs. One cub is kept in the safari camp as "a future victim... of an entitled westerner, or an unscrupulous easterner", another sold to a "wealthy Eastern European businessman", and the third sold to "a cramped zoo... where it will loive out its days in abusive conditions". The mother's headless body is sold to "the Asian wet market" while the head is mailed home to the family's trophy room. The page on this ends with Hector explaining, "Micropenises and dried up vaginas congregate to share their 'brave' hunting stories. Match made in heaven. SHIT BAGS."

The husband and wife enjoy an ostrich meat meal, talking about how delicious it is before talking down about "nerve" of "Rosita" asking to take some home. Their horrible conversation is prevented from being any more horrible by the doorbell, where Hector delivers a package for the couple from their daughter. There is a letter attached from their daughter, explaining how she can't take the murder of animals anymore, feelings that are disregarded by both of her parents right before the second envelope is opened, which is filled with photos of her being brutally murdered. Calico then enters with her head, "And you forgot this! All those big cats you've killed, ever wonder how you'd fare without a gun? Here's your chance!" He then proceeds to chop off the father's arm before knocking him into a chair. Janine is tied up, somehow, then William has his wound taped shut before his other arm is lopped off. As this wound is taped off, Janine awakes to find her husband bent over a chair with his pants ripped open in the back. Calico hammers a pipe in William's ass, then pours hot wax from a candle down the tube. He then shoves the candle in, explaining that it's "in celebration of your family's heroic achievement of murdering a lioness right in front of her cubs". William then dies, soon followed by Janine who sees her daughter's head held in a lioness' jaws. Calico says, "Oh yeah, we were bobbing for Annettes while you were out. I see we got a lucky winnah!"

The triple homicide comes to an end when a message comes in explaining how the family died by triple cardiac arrest from blood loss and tachycardia. The comic then ends with two pages, the first explaining how Calico believes that "people are selfish and self-absorbed" while we get a flashback to him saving a cat taped to a skateboard and sent rolling into oncoming traffic. "Fuck 'em. Hard. In the ass. With no Vaseline." The final page is him exchanging with a retainer codenamed "DOGMOMMA" who explains his next mission to off a man who beats baby seals to death.

First issue, and I will say that my first impression is that, yes, this is definitely as hardcore as an issue of The Punisher. That said, I'd like to explain that I don't like The Punisher. I find him too brutal, and I'm not a fan of how brutal he can get. And no, if it wasn't obvious, I'm not a fan of the brutality here, either. Heads up, because it's only going to get more brutal from here.

Oh, I made a pun! Oh! Double pun! Because- Because the Pun-ish

#2 - SA-WING BATTA BATTA

We open this story with Hector coming across a cat with a garbage bag tied around his legs "he can't stand." He nurses the animal in his apartment, commenting "fuck people" before working the double-ended bag and explaining its use as a training tool before he's messaged by DOGMOMMA again talking about one of the big bads of the series, "Bigmman's Meat Plant" with a group of protestors shown picketing and DM explains "they mean well, but they can't do what you can do" to which Hector replies, "No... They can't."

We're then given more insight into Bigmman's evil by butchering animals alive before cutting to the next file on Milo E. Barnes, who gets a kick out of murdering baby seals by clubbing them, while Hector explains "seal killing is an abomination" and you "gotta be a complete A-list piece of shit to justify it" before he explains how it's justified by "surviving off the land and feeding your family" as "litany of bullshit excuses" ending the thought by explaining that it's not about survival for commercial hunting; it's about "greedy fucks lining pockets" and "ending innocent lives for profit".

He then goes on to explain how he doesn't like killing, BUT "most humans are a cancer on this planet". He then explains this further while looking for someone to buy the loot he pinched from the family he murdered last issue, getting his appraisal from an associate he refers to as "primo," who is helping a guy body-shame a woman in Spanish, lying to her and falsely translating to her as "the finest lady in town". Hector then gets pizza before luring a stray, abused cat into his car, taking him to a veterinarian clinic run by a woman that just feels... odd for some reason to me. Like, maybe she's oversexualized or something, but I can't put my finger on it.

Hector then goes to meet June, an old woman who lives in his apartment, who signals him that she knows something by placing a blue elephant in her window. She explains that she saw a landlord kicking a dog so hard that he's limping. He explains that he'll "ask him to stop". We already know how this story is going to end.

Hector returns to his apartment to drink, noting that some intel he's waiting on is almost fully uploaded before noticing that Barnes, the next man on his list, is finally in town. He goes to the impound, getting a van from a man named Dusty who "hooks him up 24/7. No questions asked." It feels like he's got an in with his neighborhood, real hometown hero stuff. Networking is everything, right?

He finds where Barnes is drinking, tracking him as he blabs about all the money he's got from gambling with complete strangers in the bar. They jump him as he's leaving, to which Calico saves him by having Bumble use magnets to disarm the thugs of their pistol before punching them all in their stomachs to make them vomit. I'll have to add that to my list of self-defense skills they don't teach you about. He then helps Barnes up, asking him to help "writing a birthday card".

The next three pages are about how how "baseball is sacred to Dominicans." He drives his van back into the impound where- WHOA! I guess that's Dusty on her knees, tending to his "big stick". The issue ends with the party where Milo Barnes birthday is being celebrated without him. On the card is a bunch of cartoon seals tied to party balloons, and the card is on a box, and inside the box is Milo's severed head with a baseball bat lodged into him. We end the final page with the landlord from before wheeling around in a wheelchair with a leg missing.

There's also an ad for the Animal Welfare Institue, which is another nice charity for you to donate to. It's just a bit sad that I learn about these kind organizations after reading about some of the most violent acts a human being can perform on another human being. Two issues in and it's only going to get worse from here. I can assure you.

#3 - DOGGY STYLE!

We open this issue with The Abandoned Ones, an animal rescue organization located in Fort Worth, Texas. We also open this issue the landlord from before getting his leg hacked off by Calico, who decides to spare his life after promising to tell about a tenant who runs a dog-fighting ring. We then cut to said tenant being spied on by Bumble, who openly admits to the cashier that he runs a dog-fighting ring and that he beats the losers. There's also a guy in a green hoodie who just robbed a liquor store wearing a Doctor Doom mask, which I'm assuming is a tribute to MF Doom, who was honored by Sigma Comics in the previous issue.

We then cut to the gym, more Hector philosophy about "how every gym has an alpha" and he's... white? I thought Hector was a person of color, but for this one page, he's white with black hair. Must be a printing error, I guess. He then gets his sparring gear and skin color back on to test a new kid for the gym, and we get a look what kind of relationship Hector has with the owner, Chino.

Jump to DOGMOMMA, who is looking over the footage from issue one for some clue as to who this dog abuser is. She's struggling until her husky, Chloe, comes over to give kisses. She then finds a lead, something that'll take a while to confirm, but it's a start. The detective work continues as Bumble spies on the villain of this issue starts harassing the dogs, mocking them while he beheads a chicken in his hands, before taking a bunch of phone calls for scheduling the fight. His dialogue reminds me a lot of the Boondocks, like shit that Thugnificent or Riley would say. Not a critique, just painting the scene.

We then cut to Hector being attacked by a large man before he's called off by a much shorter man known as "Kingman," a former employer of Hector. Something to note before going forward is his condition, in that he has Down Syndrome. I know little, if anything at all about the condition, but Hector makes it clear that he's "one of the most dangerous men in New York," which we will learn is a 100% accurate statement. Also, for a villain, he's a pretty decent crime boss, as Hector states "his only redeeming quality is that he only hires people with his condition". I'm not an expert of representation, but this is pretty interesting angle, and I say this with no sarcasm or ill intent.

As he exits, he's harassed by a gang of bikers known as "The Rats," all of whom stand at about his mid-section. He explains that one is trouble, but six is a death sentence. He's saved from the biker gang by legless war veteran, Colonel Eugene Byers, A.K.A "Mean Gene". The two escape on one The Rat's dirt bikes and discuss the hit new drug targeted towards kids called "B-Side," which is described as "Molly's bigger, meaner older sister". This explanation is then cut short as DOGMOMMA gets in touch with more information about the keychain in the video, or rather that she'll get info soon.

Cut to Bumble floating above a dog fighting ring going on right now, gathering as much intel on the attendees and the dogs being forced to fight. The ringleader, Marcus Meechum, says goodbye to his patrons and shouts at his dogs to shut up. Calico then arrives and proceeds to use MM's aggression to his advantage by goading his anger. Punching him in the gut, he takes the keys and the gun on him. Calico then proceeds to walk around the cages, trying to find the right dog to use to punish his victim. Finally, he finds two dogs that keep snarling at Marcus. "Will he attack me? Or... Here goes nothing!"

For a moment of peace, we cut to DM getting a message that the keychain has been deciphered! "Easy Chow" which is a dog food company based in China. Unfortunately, there's hundreds of businesses in China with that name, so it'll take time to pin down. And even then, they explain, "could just be a free keychain he got from some dog food he bought". Her contacts promise to keep in touch while Chloe starts freaking out at the window.

Cut back to the last page of the issue, where Marcus is getting attacked by his dogs. The dialogue from Calico that follows is... just read it.

"Now that's love. His twin brother loves you, too."

"Bumble's been sprinkling your clothes every night with a powerful aphrodisiac. They've had a hard-on for you all week."

"You won't need this. Enjoy your honeymoon."

Calico then takes the money Marcus got from the dogfighting as he's torn apart by his dogs with... with erect dog dicks, with one tear off his pants. I just... This is awful. Plain and simple. This is just awful. I'm starting to see a pattern in this, but I'll leave that for the next issue, since this one ends with someone getting the jump on Calico.

#4 - OFF THE TOP ROPE!

Now this is an exciting cover! And we follow this excitement with some background on how Calico got his start as an animal crusader, with him being recruited by "The Fourth Order of Saint Francis of Assisi" which is an eight-hundred-year-old organization dedicated to "keeping humanity from destroying the dilcate eco-balance of this planet". The woman speaking to him is Sister Kathryn Jane Sparrows, though she lets Hector and the audience know that we can just call her "Scout". She then proceeds to exposit Hector's background of having a six-figure income from the apartment buildings he owns, paid for from his years as a burglar, but donates every cent to animal rights charities with "no eating out, no vacations, no purchases, not even pets". And The Fourth Order wants to recruit Hector.

Cut to Calico being surprised by Scout, who asks him about his suit's latest upgrade and warns him that she's been following him all night. She notes that he's like a cat, which includes their weakness of having "amazing concentration" that gives them tunnel vision. Their conversation ends with DOGMOMMA messaging him.

Cut to the big bads talking about how, in all the eight years of video footage of Calico, they only have two clear clips because of his scrambling technology. One of the bosses, "Dogpound," screams this while the man across from him with a "Stash" tattoo on his upper lip comments that this is Dogpounds problem and how "we don't do problems". If you don't hate them yet, don't worry, they get worse, I promise you.

The next few pages are about a former professional wrestler getting kicked off the bus while a woman comments from her window, leading to a game a telephone across the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Calico tracks down the dog food company and narrowed it down to one located in Brooklyn, noting the son of the company's owner lives close by. Meanwhile, the wrestling gets more intense as another former professional wrestler gets a call to take care of the other guy, making odd comments about the woman from the window and "gravy". All I gotta say is wrestling is weird, man.

Cut to an explanation of Calico's suit and... I can't explain it well enough. Just look at what The Fourth Order hooked this man up with.

I don't think even Batman's suit is this hard-wired! Then again, it's been a while since we got a full explanation of Batman's Batsuit... Anyways, there's really only two important features of this suit you should note, and that's its abilities to knock people out with a single touch and to be resistant to anything that hits with a force equivalent to traveling 40mph, but anything that hits less than that will transfer through the suit. There's even an explanation that says, "if you fall from a ten-story height, you'll live, but if you fall from a seven-story building, you'll be dead". Neat little give-and-take there.

Anyway, the next couple pages are Calico knocking out the son mentioned earlier and putting him in a bathtub filled with concrete, leaving one arm free to call for daddy. Next pages are explaining the suit further, cut back to the wrestlers fighting, cut to calling daddy, and WHOA! Calico is falling off a building!

He lands safely, thanks to his landing gear, but is pursued by a huge mass of muscle covered in chains and got dang he looks so damn cool! Remember the guy from the cover? Yeah, that's him, and he is a BEAST! He's easily picking up Calico because he's easily picking up cars! Calico tries to sever the traverse cervical artery, which he explains will halt upper body movement... in humans, which judging by this thing still chucking cars around, it is not.

Calico is then tossed into the side of the truck while the two former pro wrestlers are fighting, distracting them from their rumble. They move to help him, but are hefted up by their necks by the monster. Calico notes "whatever the thing is, it smells and feels human," which leads to him punching it in the dick, stunning the creature. The two wrestlers toss the thing to the curb, and the woman from the window starts painting her cheeks.

Calico makes his escape, getting a message about his next target, before getting knocked off a bridge by two of the mobsters from earlier. The last page is Kingman hiring Primo and his friend, warning that "failure means death" and their target is Stash and Dogpound, who is referred to from now on as ODB, ONE DOLLAR BOSS.

I like this issue since we get some background on how Hector got into this messy business of crusading with a suit, we look into the side-plot involving Kingman, and we also get a sick introduction for the cover villain. Which is more than I can say for the next issue...

#5 PAY THE MILKMAN!

Ugh... This is probably one of the worst issues of the set, and I think I'll get into why I'm not digging Calico as a superhero, let alone as a superhero comic. But for now, let's just start by opening the issue to the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, which is a proclaimed "150-acre refuge for 11 species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect, and abandonment". Go show them some love.

We open the story to Calico waking with a throbbing headache to... a woman pleasuring herself in front of him. She explains she was "fixing her pants" and how he landed on her tour bus, commenting that she loves how sexy the cosplay folks are. She then explains that they've traveled from Brooklyn to Soho before asking him if he's single. Hector gets back to Brooklyn where his landlord barks at him for the rent, to which he explains he'll have it by tomorrow. He then goes into his apartment and passes out.

Waking up to the sounds of screaming and gunfire, courtesy of our cover villain, Tim Alberts, AKA The Jiggler, who is a diabetic paranoid schizophrenic who goes on a rampage every six months, exclaiming that everyone looks like french fries and how "These fries need ketchup!!!" Hector explains he can't use the suit without raising suspicion, so he goes downstairs and asks June for her cookies. Taking a smokebomb, he then throws it at Alberts, shouting "Tits ahoy, muthafucka!" before he slides under a car and throw June's cookies at his feet. Immediately stopping his rampage, he sits down and gobbles cookies. Afterwards, Tim is placed on a stretcher and taken back to the psychiatric hospital he broke out of, while the police make snide remarks about his weight and mental condition, except for one man, who comments that June deserves a medal for her heroism. The next page, the company owner of Easy Chow arrives with his mother.

Hector and DOGMOMMA discuss this along with his next target, Peter Opunui, a 24-year-old Hawaiian man who murders kittens then posts them online for views, making money off the literal worst fucking thing you can do on the internet. Hector comments, "Humanity is garbage" which is probably the only time I will ever agree with him. While waiting for Bumble to show up with pictures of the kitten-killer's house-keys so he can make copies, Hector meets a girl on the doorstep. He mentions he's a retired thief, to which she responds "Get off my property" before stopping him and giving him her number.

Cut over to Kingman, who shoots at Primo and his friend, making the latter piss himself, and explains that their test mission was a success. I dunno what it is, but I'm picturing him with the puppet dictator voice from Team America, but a lot less screaming... and racism. He then asks his large friend from earlier, Gong, how much money they made from their job. Gong answers, "One puh... point six million bucks, boss." At this, Kingman replies, "That is correct, Gong. You are very smart." He then looks to Primo and his friend, asking,

"I've found that criminals don't like to work with retards. Does that word make you feel uncomfortable?"

"It should. If I hear you saying it to one of my employes, you die. U, however, can use it as I desire."

Dude's evil, but... points to him for being upfront about his expectations and standards. Anyway, Mean Gene meets with Primo and his friend as they comment it being dangerous to work with Kingman, but he also pays really well. He tells the boys to cut ties with Kingman, saying he thought "Hec was keepin' an eye on you!" At this, Primo explains that Hector moved to Brooklyn months ago, much to Mean Gene's shock.

Cut to the villains, ODB and Stash, who are racially berating an Indian scientist who created the hulking monstrosity from the previous issue. The scientist, Doctor A, explains that "The Pound" is similar to Frankenstein's monster, a creature made of human parts operated by a computer brain. The failure that happened before won't happen again thanks to the computer brain. ODB then asks about Calico, to which one of the mobsters explain that he hit him with a van and sent him over the bridge. ODB spares Doctor A and... Ugh... asks for hoes, specifying "the one with the milky tits and the one with the fat ass". A woman, fully clothed, arrives with a plate of fried chicken. Two less clothed women arrive and are objectified, much to the disgust of the first woman. ODB punches her and then proceeds to pee on her, much to the delight of the other gang bosses. And yes, they get worse later on.

Cut to Hector waxing poetically at Chino's Gym again, sparring with a regular at Chino's request. It's a tough fight that goes on for two pages, but Hector wins out, much to the chuckling delight of the "alpha" from before. Cut to Mean Gene getting tossed in a dumpster and Bumble getting kidnapped outside Dog Chow?! What?! Yup, the plot just got thicker...

And then it goes downhill from there. Calico sneaks into the kitten-killer's apartment, breaking in using the key he copied, noting how odd it is that Bumble didn't come back yet, before knocking out his target. He then drags the large man out of his apartment, into a van, and taken to a secondary location. Once there, Peter Opunui wakes up to pictures of the kittens he's murdered, going into detail about how he murdered each of them. He then pulls out a knife and proceeds to... use his "poorest quality knives" to carve up his victim. The next page is Hector arriving with a "heavy load" of "Hawaiian ham" for a butcher, who, let's be honest, is carving up human meat. Hector just murdered a man, carved him up, and sold his meat to a literal human butcher. Which brings us to the worst part of the issue: its ending.

Hector returns to his apartment to his landlord screaming for his rent. Suddenly, the girl from before arrives in, I shit you not, a fucking string bikini and calls it "her cosplay costume". The landlord is clearly not pleased, telling the girl, his daughter, to "put some clothes on, you little whore!" And next is the worst part, which I will explain after this dialogue.

"Listen to your dad, kid."

"I'm not a kid. I turned seventeen yesterday. That's the age of consent..."

"And I consent to you tearing my ass up... ALL NIGHT LONG! Nite, daddy. Don't wait up!"

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

I'll call it here for now and call this Part 1. Before I leave you, let me give you my final thoughts on Calico. Notably WHY I DON'T LIKE IT. Hector Gil, which we learn later is a pretty nuanced character, is not a hero. At all. He's murdering people; scummy people, sure; scum of the earth, sure; but he has this weird juxtaposition between hating humanity and getting his rocks off with sex and murder!

I said before I didn't like The Punisher, but at least Frank Castle has a reason to be angry! He goes out and murders people because of a mix of PTSD from serving in the topically applicable war and as a means of avenging his murdered wife and child. And even after reading this eight-issue series, which I've only shared FIVE of so far, we have NOTHING except his hatred for humanity to justify his actions!

AND HE KEEPS BEING REWARDED FOR IT! That's the biggest fucking issue I have with Calico! He goes out, murders people in the most gruesome ways, which includes, but is not limited to, human butchering, dog rape, skull penetration by blunt trauma, heart attack by fear, has sex with SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLDS and I'M supposed to expect he's the GOOD GUY in all of this?! FUCK YOU!

...The only good thing about this comic is that... it cares. It cares about the animals that are being mistreated. I also care, which is why included the links above to the charities. But for all the caring that this comic does, it lacks any humanity to make me care about this story five issues in.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

[saucedxlls]

Rant about aesthetics ig

ok pls tell me i'm not the only one who love aesthetics that are either a: pretty much any aesthetic that's like:

like how do i explain this? it's like a bad message + ★·.·´¯`·.·★ 𝑰'𝒎 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 ★·.·´¯`·.·★ like:

idk how to explain this just. look at this. it's weirdly pleasing to look at, b: Gissy, pommi or the old green bathroom in ur dreams, okay so if you don't know what i mean by "gissy" or "pommi", gissy=GIS=girl interrupted syndrome so any aesthetic like

pommi is any aesthetic w/ pomegranates and using cannibalism as a metaphor for love, like if ur one pinterest like me you've prolly seen quotes like "i would've bled out if you told me you liked the colour red" or "i would've grown flowers in my lungs if you told me you like daisies" y'know like this:

i know, it's weird, but it's cool

anyways the last one kinda explains itself, like y'know that weird fever dream-ish aesthetic where it's kinda like:

y'know those dreams you have that are kinda like lucid dreams where you're aware this is a dream but can't wake up (or don't want to) they kinda look like those images above and it has it's normal dream elements like things being in places they don't belong or one second ur in ur bedroom the next ur at a beach, things of that nature

those dreams that feel so incredibility real but when you wake up you can hardly remember anything, normally just key moments or one moments and it's details, a example of this could be like a dream i recently had where i don't remember much but in order this is what i could scoundrel together

1: this weird moment where i'm in my school hallway and i'm running from something and the whole thing looks exactly like my school except this dead-end where there's this mid-size gap in the roof that's goes up into complete darkness and i (somehow because that goddamn hallway is like 10ft wide) get up into the gap and climb for like a minutes before i just fall up like (spoilers if ur just getting into stranger things) the upsidedown in stranger things where one characters finds this black hole in the ground (not a literal blackhole like a hole with black gunk around it) and the character goes in and falls into this other version of where they found this hole, anyways kinda like that but i fall into *smug laugh* my house

2: idk when tf this happened in the dream but i'm stuck in this gas station bathroom, like greenish lighting, slurs are written on the walls, the toilet itself looks like if you touched it you'd contract 7 different new viruses, y'know, a gas station bathroom, and i KNOW this shit was a dream because my dumbass was just calmly sitting there like i'm not trapped in one of the nastiest places in the northern hemisphere, also rap was just blasting one the radio, it sound like some teenagers came in the gas station w/ one of those hand-held speakers turned to full volume on 103.7 kiss FM (some1 plsss help me because i can't get the ♪one 'o three point seven *insert music here* kiss FM♪ beat outta my head it's burned into my mind helpppppp)

3: i was in a classroom (my 7th grade one even tho im in 8th) and my teacher turned on the news to the political debate and what showed up was a video of joe bidan questioning the country and it's root, how "great" america is and said ᵖᵃᵖᵉʳ before a shit ton of post-it-notes started crashing through own windows, like a tornado of pink, yellow and green post-it-notes (individually not the pack).

anyways, dreams where you can only remember a few details and thats it

and finally c: hear me out, 2014 tumblr, now im like 95% sure that the moment ya'll read "hear me out" you thought i was gonna say something dirty, well ur not entirely wrong about thinking that >:), like any aesthetic that came about or rose in popularity during 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓽 y'know the "it's 2014, ur 6 y/o again and a happy tree friends video caught your eye the age of the internet full of cat videos and shitty adult parodies of beloved kids shows/movies, when you were like 8 and found a creepypasta iceberg video and had a shot full of dopamine shoot through you prepubescence body, ur 7 y/o again with way too much freedom on the internet and you find a lil niche site call bestgore.com", ok but on a real note i know the shit i saw in the era probably warrants therapy but i 'd take runthegauntlet.org & racist mario (if ykyk) anyday over skibidi toilet or fvcking max design pro, anyways aesthetics like emo, scene/scenecore, furries, etc, i find cool, now this may just be the desperate little 6 y/o in me clinging onto anything that looks remotely similar to what i grew up on talking, but things like bronies and ___ meets ___ series never fail to give me a weird sense of fucked up nostalgia, ok yea that's definitely the traumatized 6 y/o in me talking for sure but still they look cool, also i am LIVING for the resurgence in early 2000s/2010s style of animation it is BEAUTIFUL even if it looks kinda shitty

anyways thanks for reading my rant

[diinferi]

ORIGINS

[PIRATE] Pirates, Buccaneers, Scallywags, whatever you want to call them. This option covers not only pirates, but anyone who can be said to work in opposition to the World Government and the established order. This means you could be a pirate, a mountain bandit, or even a revolutionary. Whatever you are, you’re luckily still under the radar of the Marines, as you haven’t made any waves just yet.

RACE

[HUMAN] Humans, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, I assume you know what these are. Due to their close relation to normal humans, picking this option will also allow you to be any of the number of near-human tribes from this world, like long-arms or skypieans, though you get no notable benefit, so choosing the three-eyed tribe won’t let you hear the Voice of All Things for example. Honestly, you can add pretty much any number of purely cosmetic traits, as there are some weird looking humans ‘round here. Also, humans have been seen from normal sizes to 6+ meters tall. You can choose any size within that range, maxing out at Whitebeard's tremendous 666cm height.

LOCATION

[DOUBLE TROUBLE] Well, at least it isn’t Impel Down? Flip a coin, it’ll determine which of two terrible locations you’re showing up on. Tails is instead the island of Little Garden, an extremely isolated ecosystem that seems to have never left the prehistoric age. Within the vast canopy you’ll find all manner of dinosaurs that didn’t get the memo that their time has passed, but that’s actually the least dangerous part of it. The diseases found here have never left the island, so foreign creatures, including people, will have no response ready from their immune system, not helped by the fact that all the diseases and viruses seem to be doping, with even diseases that exist in the wider world being far worse here. Doesn’t really matter if you can punch hard enough to reduce a mountain to rubble if you get so sick your organs liquify and leak out your every orifice.

PERKS

[GODA’S BLESSING] Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the average looks of people here, at least people of importance, is quite a few notches higher than you might be used to, and we can’t have you looking like some kind of side character, now can we? You’re sitting at a solid 8/10 now kid, enough to not look out of place standing beside a bunch of gorgeous protagonists. And considering how rough this world can be, you get the extra benefit of never looking worse, no matter how scuffed up and covered in mud and blood you are. Frankly, some ‘round here might say it adds to your charm.

[SMILE THROUGH THE PAIN] Y’know, for as idyllic as sailing the high seas with your friends might seem, there’s a depressing amount of darkness in this world. Slavery, murder, and more are not exactly uncommon sights ‘round here. But you find yourself able to grin through it all. You are utterly incapable of being permanently scarred or traumatized by your experiences. You could watch your home and all you cared for burnt to the ground, and still find it in you to joke and laugh with new friends, though only after some time. You can still be extremely sad, angry, and anything else, but you’ll never end up a broken, drunken wreck in a bar somewhere, no matter what you come upon. Even in the short term, you rarely give into despair, letting you focus less on the village burning behind you, and more on putting your fist through the face of the bastard who did it. It’d take seeing your brother die in front of you to really shake you.

[FAKE PIRATE] At least as far as Luffy is concerned. You’re exactly the kind of pirate the marines say you are, or at least you could be. You are scarily good at the whole looting and pillaging business. You’ve got an eye for value that lets you roughly estimate the selling price of anything you can lay eyes on. You’re great at finding the hidden stashes and vaults where people hide their true valuables. You’re fantastic at casing a target, whether that’s a bank on land or a merchant ship at sea. You’re even a fairly good negotiator, often able to rob people blind without having to fire a shot, just by convincing them that fighting will just make everything worse. Hell, you even seem to get a bit more out of the whole business than others. Nothing crazy, but enough to make sure you and your crew are all a very happy bunch if you play it smart.

[LOOK, MA! NO HANDS!] Not sure if you’ve realized yet, but this world is pretty damn dangerous. You can’t expect to solve every conflict by holding hands and singing a silly song. Instead, you should learn to use those hands to beat your opponents face in, it’s very therapeutic. By taking this, you gain skill in some form of martial art, roughly equal to Sanji at the beginning of the series. This can be anything from strict karate, to being a naturally skilled brawler, to even something like Fishman Karate. The martial art you learn is specifically centered around using your body, and won’t include much if any skill with weaponry. You have a natural talent for martial arts, enough to become legendarily strong just with this, should you train hard enough.

[WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY] Y’know, normally the endless willpower of a shonen protagonist is limited to just keeping them from dying or giving up, they usually can’t use it to see the future. You are both capable of, and fairly talented in, the uses of all three types of Haki: Observation, Armament, and Conqueror’s. You don’t start out very powerful in any respect, but we all have to start somewhere, and this is a better headstart than most get. With Armament, you start out capable of the simple invisible version of hardening, which while weaker than the coating form is still an impressive defense in the weaker parts of the world. With Observation you can sense the presence of people around you, even if you could not see them naturally, whether due to distance or an obstruction. With Conqueror’s Haki, you’re currently only capable of Domination, the act of dominating an individual's will to intimidate them. This is most effective against non-sapient species, who you can usually cow into submission easily. Humans are trickier, as with sufficient power, or generally high will of their own, can outright ignore this. There are plenty more techniques that you can eventually achieve, potentially including applications never shown in the series.

[CANDLEWICK BEARD] You know what’s just as important as strength? Reputation. Having strength without reputation means, at best, that you’ll have to deal with every wannabe pirate king or admiral throwing themselves at you until you get the reputation you deserve. At worse, it means that if you do get injured or otherwise weakened and word gets out, you can’t draw on an impressive reputation to ward away your enemies. Now, having reputation without strength is a whole other issue, but one that’s usually easier to solve. As far as the former is concerned, this should have you covered. You have a startling talent and propensity for developing an impressive reputation. Within just a few months you could have people watching you as an up and coming legend, assuming you went out and raised hell in that time. While your reputation tends to be a bit embellished, it’s rarely so much so that you can’t mostly meet expectations when necessary. Beyond just developing a reputation, something mostly facilitated through rumours after the fact, you also have an impressive capacity for being absolutely pants-shittingly terrifying. Just watching you get in a brawl with someone could leave their buddies shaking like a leaf, and should you actually commit acts of brutality or that would normally be considered scary, you could cause people to faint from sheer terror. This works in conjunction with abilities that work to scare, dominate, or otherwise crush another’s will with one’s own, such as Conqueror’s Haki.

DEVIL FRUIT

[ANCIENT ZOAN - ANKYLOSAURUS]

ITEMS

None

DRAWBACKS

None

FUTURE

[MOVE ON]

[stjohnsjim]

Enkidu and Dog Tits

And yes,Friend, I really did say “dog tits.”

Southwick left the house of the three wise men this morning while the TV played to an empty room. It showed “Big Taunt,” one of the animated characters on The Children’s Trauma Workshop over at the Violence Learning Channel — part of the basic cable package in Tommy, OR. The Children’s Trauma Workshop is the most popular unwatched TV in most households — It keeps the kids amused for hours while mom gets a new tattoo for the dog.

We like dogs here in St. John’s. No, correction, dogs are more than revered here in St. John’s — These are the lesser angels that we have so that we may learn love.

But in St. John’s the wuppies have doggy daycare playgrounds, four pet perfumeries, two dentists and a store that sells writing supplies for doggerel. (Yeah, that’s the kind of crap I do inside a sentence. I can do it with one phrase behind my back in the dark — trust me, it’s good for the brain, keeps you flexible, like fleas for a hound.)

Like last night’s Thanksgiving Feast in my friends garage. Lots of wild animal shows:

Enkidu is wandering aimlessly with a dog’s head poking out of the neck of the sweater — the dog’s hind legs stretch the sweater into a bizarre parady. Both are clearly at ease. Everybody is looking at him in amusement.

I pass by and say: “That’s the only way you can get anybody to look at your tits!” — The dog laughs.

Over on the side, I see young children painting on papers on the floor. That’s nice. No Children’s Trauma Workshop for these kids. Mommy skills are strong in this one: she talks to the kids as if they matter (they do) and keeps both hemispheres active in the kids.

That’s great neuro-biological learning strategy, mom: and I’m a board member of the NeuroBiological Learning Society ready to fill out 127 forms and wait 36 months for the rejection of a grant to study it.

A little of this and a little of that, and not too much of anything. That’s the way a friend’s garage should be.

I walk over where a dog is yelping, it’s medium sized dog. The young man cradling the dog and speaking in cooing tones while the dog howled. He said: “Amber is nervous or something. She acts that way sometimes.” All through this, he was cooing musically to her.

I once did the same for a pup that had a broken back from on the side of an Oklahoma highway. We got it to a vet who did the inevitable.

This dog, however, was not in dire need, but was being rewarded verbally. That’s not right. Encouraging bad behavior isn’t pretty.

The guy went on: “My girl is really a drama queen, I’m thankful she went to visit her family tonight.” This guy had a sign on his back that read: “Please steal myMana“

Friend, let’s stroll to the other end of the garage where Chewbacca wants to give thanks by sharing his chew. The subject changes to hygiene of shared pipes. Southwick prefers wood pipes for wood’s natural antibacterial properties. When challenged, Southwick launches into a hip-pumping rant of how “The POWer of TANin CONquers the unHOly VIruses and GERMS!” Southwick gets 86ed as the bouncer’s antlers scoop him up and dump him into the gutter. Southwick gives thanks that Sandy is already there to break his fall.

Southwick really wants to be a stand-up comic. Dream on. Don’t give up your day job. Hell, be careful about giving up ANY job.

For their part, Nobrow’s Heroin Hooker brigade had a Thanksgiving epiphany when they found the giant amoebas over at the food courts. They taste good! With a little werm-tea chaser, Throntle says they are delicious. Surprising, isn’t it? The hookers are the ones to turn to when you really want to

– Keep St. John’s Amoeba Free!

[akumanoken]

(REverse) The next letter would arrive the following day, this one attached to a strange cube, which appeared to have red-white-and-black panels, like a strange kind of 5-by-5 rubik's cube.

"Then let's begin. Your first challenge is deceptively simple; solve the cube. The rest will follow. -W."

Will Souji be able to solve it on his own?

If he does, he will find that it solves so that the panels all form the Umbrella symbol, and the cube then pops one side open to reveal a flash drive within.

It would be best to clear the drive for any viruses before proceeding, which might take some time. There appears to be quite a bit of data on it...

It has been at least two nights... or three? It was hard to tell.. Wake up, work, come home, mess with the cube. Rubik cubes weren't his strong suit, but he wasn't one to pull away from a challenge... and it was one he had to solve on his own. A glass of wine nearby, and guitars playing behind him playing heavy riffs, Souji pressed his lips thin.

His phone rang and he put it on speaker. "Souji..."

"Hey, it's me did you want to grab a drink??"

"Sorry, Emi I'm still working on the cube..."

"....Souji maybe you shouldn't solve it.. we don't know what it has, or if it will lead to anything at all. What if it's a bomb??"

"He doesn't want to kill me, Emilio. He wants to test me. He knows where I am. If he wanted me dead I wouldn't see it coming." He started moving the cube as the other talked. It was nice to hear Emilio's voice... if only as background noise. It kept him out of his own thoughts. Kept him from thinking about the why, and simply focus on the task at hand.

It was fifteen minutes of Emilio talking about his new game that Souji stopped and gasped. A pattern.... it was two shapes, but he suddenly understood it. "I got it..."

"W-wait you solved it???"

"No...but I know what I'm trying to make now... I need to concentrate. I'll call you later, Emi.." He didn't hang up, knowing the other would leave him alone as he furiously twisted the cube back and forth, cursing at each false end.

It was dawn when he finished, and it was solved. The umbrella corp logo... and as the final twist clicked into place it popped open up top. A compartment... and a usb drive inside.

He rushed to the lab, calling Emilio on the way.

"...God, Sou you look like death warmed over..."

"This was in the cube," he said placing the usb at Emilio's reach. He was going to ignore the comment about his appearance. He couldn't sleep. Not when he finally did it... Not when he finally was making progress. Fuck that guy, Souji was a clever fox indeed.

Emilio took it in his hand and stared intently. "I'll look into it. I'll have to make sure it's not going to mess with our system. Come on, sit down..." he said pulling a chair for Souji before plugging it in and starting the scans. "This thing is full up with data... I fucking can't believe you're playing this game... even if you're making progress, we have no guarantee this guy is going to give you anything at the end. What makes you so sure he's just playing with you because he knows he can? Souji???"

He was out cold. He hadn't really been able to sleep as long as that cube remained unsolved... it all seemed to crash on him now. Emilio smiled, taking his jacket and wrapping it around the other's shoulders. "...night, Sou."

[surveillance-0011]

More. More headcanon

Human AU: Harper, Sweezy, Gus all dye their hair often. Kenny, Douglas and Giblets do so occasionally. Mona bleaches his hair.

Lizzie’s hair is also bleached but. Liek. Duh!!

BH has gotten into the habit of swaddling the gatlians up in blankets (with permission/on their request ofc) and pampering them on days off between bounties n shit

They are a little worried every now and then about what exactly is respectful to the gatlians and they don't wanna get into the habit of treating them more like pets or anything like that but. Hand made to cherish friends and treat them right. and in the end the gats would certainly let BH know if anything was too much

BH and Lizzie used to play flash games on their parents’ computer and get viruses trying to download cartoons and music when they were younger

They also played video games and generally spent a lot more time together when they were younger.

Lizzie’s friend Jen is still alive and ok I’m coping I’m seething I’m malding

Jorb becomes one of Globo’s biggest fans

Blorto has killed a man. Or two or three. He is not proud of this but he is not against killing again if need be.

Douglas likes shaved ice. He’s also fond of freeze dried candies + treats but everyone else at the cartel does the thing parents do where you say you like something like once offhand and then all the sudden to them this is all you’ve ever known. And he just doesn’t get it. At least that’s a good thing to have stocked up if need be?

If there anything he does rlly like like that it’s 1) alcohol and partying and 2) torturing people and 3) (older usually) sci fi movies. Also likes to take notes from horror and thriller movies. Guy Who Has Watched Every Saw Movie.

Douglas is probably not his birth name, I think he’s changed his name a couple of times in his life before he settled down with the cartel. Settled down is such a gentle way to say that idk. Idk. Shrug shrug shrug. Idk

The officers meet when they can, usually bimonthly probably? Monthly? Depends on who is available? But will convene for important events and anything that comes up. They’ve also celebrated important business milestones and some holidays together. I am visualizing a hella rad New Year’s party but considering every planet’s probably in another year it’s probably some other standard annual thing. Anniversary of their founding? Sure. I like that.

Otherwise? Garm and Nips spend a lot of time together, p much daily. Skrendels r always down to chill outside of work if things r going good. And likewise Douglas can and will party down so he’s out with them like half the time. (The other half he's wherever doing god knows what) Krubis used to do the same but has gradually just kinda been bogged down with work though they’ve all dragged him out with em a couple times.

Krubis also tends to cross paths with the Skrendels every now and then when his operations get close ish to the laboratories. And sometimes Giblets is unavoidable. unfortunately

But giblets rlly is a hermit. Used to be a bit more sociable but he only really does what he has to do then fucks right off to do. Whatever he does. Shrug.

Gurgula is also off doing his own thing outside of any crucial contact bc he can’t afford to be caught red handed. But he’s been to at least one party/night out/etc etc etc and. Well. What happens in Dreg Town stays in Dreg Town.

Garmantuous’s vision is best in the eye on the stalk.

Gatlian mouth perfect shape for ice cream I am going to feed them all ice cream. and other assorted snacks

Kenny is the sort of guy to have a thousand half finished water bottles by his bed

I think he likes salty snacks also. Chips. And I think he’d like straight up dry ramen crushed up with the seasoning on top. And gummies sour gummies but he also looks like a big gummy to me so maybe that’s just me

Gus and Sweezy are pretty damn close and generally get along well. Gus gets she's just a tougher person and also has had 2 be more callous to survive but still calls her out on any total bullshit and meanwhile she's glad to have someone who's a lot more chill in her corner after so much time w/ douglas and they generally just. rlly understand each other and understand what the other has experienced. and theyre a lil like. when mr krabs and squidward are kind of bitchy together. they get to be a lil mean as a treat they've earned it.

I mean Gus. is chill very chill and i think he's a pretty nice guy but he's not one to stand for any bullshit. Don't try to trick him or push him around or anything like that. And he can get pretty annoyed by lots of general inconveniences but sometimes he does hold his tongue a lil.

And Sweezy is sweezy and encourages him to be a bit more "up front" about any grievances.

you'll usually hear em both riffing on / making fun of and complaining about different bounty targets once the work is all said and done and they'll do the same for any annoying people they gotta deal with

May be too early to say anything but I think they both get a long w/ harper well too. so far <_< ... >_> don't let me jinx this. They're both supportive and relatively welcoming even though it took her a while to get acclimated and though creature is also as nice as he can be he tends to make her accidentally feel worse by bringing up kenny + her just kinda being here so she's generally more comfortable around the two of them as she feels they see her for who she really is or at least give her an easier time. though some of that is bc even after working on forgiving Kenny and rebuilding their bond things were still a bit uneasy.

Though I am sure Harper and Creature eventually sort out their issues bc in the end it's mostly creature genuinely struggling with social stuff and it just so happens what he does way is stuff that is still a sensitive spot for Harper and eventually they'll reach that middle ground. Eventually. But Harper doesn't hate him or anything she just gets frustrated with him easily and feels bad abt it bc she knows he's just kind of Like This and that's really the G3's fault.

Gus Sweezy and Creature have filled in each other (mainly the former two remind the latter about stuff and in turn he says little details he remembers) and the other Gatlians in on a lot of G3 officer drama.

BH really wishes everything on Earth clears up soon and things are relatively easy to rebuild n shit bc they really want to show the Gatlians Knifey and Gene cool stuff from home.

Im under the impression dead tweeg is canon path?

Idk if Ranchy is still alive after being warped into the middle of wherever the fuck on Zephyr but I. I think it would be so awesome it would be so cool if he came back to give us hell ✨

Other misc HOL hcs that im just putting in the same post bc why not

Douglas is capable of driving and has a motorbike. Probably wrecked it some time before the game's events and it's in the shop or something. Not like he should be allowed on the road considering he's usually. Well. Yknow. Decent driver when he's sober though.

Also his lil fins flop down when he is sad tired or sick

Angela wears colored contacts. His actual eye color is purple (like in the concept art + model in the art book).

Krubis did try to crash the wedding between his wife and Giblets. it was a whole thing within the g3 for like a month or so

Mux owns the space versions of twitter and tiktok alongside Muxxalon. Muxxalon also has a streaming service full of very, very trashy and unoriginal content.

Moplets and Furgles share a common ancestor and are part of the same order. It's like humans in comparison to lemurs.

Furgles are often used in experiments not just by the G3 but in the scientific world as a whole for the same reasons animals like rats and fruit flies are used (simple, still adjacent/similar enough to sapient species, shorter lives which means more generations to be studied in a shorter amount of time)

Krubis skateboarded as a teen/young adult.

Giblets would kill a man for a white chocolate mocha. He has killed for a white chocolate mocha. He will kill again. Posthumously, even. Don’t fucking test him

Garmantuous’s species starts off as aquatic nymphs that resemble joints. They’re very small but grow to the huge size they are in game.

Gene deals with chronic pain from overexertion during his line of work and phantom + growing pains in his legs.

Knifey, pre-DLC, felt distant from the others. Initially it was all just work but seeing the bond between the Bounty Hunter and the Gatlians form + Gene start caring for other people again made him feel a lil left out

Granted it was not like he talked much to others and for a while he didn’t gaf at all but ig when he saw it all he eventually took a chance for a change of scene. He didn’t realize everyone else kinda counted him in, in the end

Either way he’s usually the type not to talk unless someone talks to him first or if it’s about stabbing and maiming killing etc etc etc or something he needs. Gradually opening up more but he’s actually pretty quiet on a day to day basis

Helen ends up working with Gurgula as a secretary/record keeper (squanch games please keep this gag running I beg of you)