#I haven't written db on a while

[rcmclachlan]

Akira Toriyama has passed away, I truly can't believe he's gone. Thought I'd let you know, if you haven't heard already.

It was incredibly shocking and heartbreaking to read the announcement this morning. He was only 68!

Toriyama-sensei has had an indelible influence on anime and western media. For a lot of kids (like myself) who grew up watching Toonami, DBZ was the first time any of us experienced serialized storytelling. There was nothing on TV at the time quite like the sprawling Frieza saga, where the story was told over multiple episodes, and watching Goku go super saiyan for the first time is as close to a religious experience as I've ever gotten.

Until DB(Z), I'd never seen such complete villain redemption arcs (first Piccolo, then the Prince of All Saiyans™ himself) where I could pinpoint the moment they were plunked onto the path of becoming a good guy and quite clearly follow their journey. And in a world full of creative world building, Toriyama is still king.

For those of you who've been following me for a while, it won't come as a surprise when I say Akira Toriyama and his creations have left a lasting impression on me. I've written a lot for DBZ over the course of my tenure as a fic writer, and the flame of my love for those characters will probably never go out.

I'm so, so sad to hear about Toriyama's passing, but I know his legacy will live on forever. If I've learned anything from DBZ, it's that the ones we love who leave us are never really gone.

[athousandotherfaces]

kynesgrove, morthal, and markarth for the skyrim asks!

Thank you for the ask! Heads up, I've thought about some of these things for the better part of a decade so there's rambling. Enjoy the scroll!

Kynesgrove: What's your favorite non-major city/town/settlement?

Rorikstead! I think that it has such an intriguing position and a narrative that isn't explicitly explored; it's just hinted at through ambient elements and some PC/ NPC dialogue. I really love that it feels cozy, but slightly unsettling if you stop and think about it.

There's the lack of almost any grown women among the residents, aside from one elvish woman in town. It's positioned close to two known Forsworn camps/strongholds (Serpent's Bluff Redoubt and Bleakwind Bluff respectively) Which, hey, yes they could've popped up after the town was established. (which is another strange point of interest: Rorik lives in town and says he founded it: but it's also mentioned as having been founded literal ages ago in written records) The residents mention they haven't had a bad harvest in years. Years, despite war, hardly any work force to harvest things and being easily open to raids from bandits, Forsworn, what have you. Jouane, the healer, has several books on daedric worship in his home, and has an ambient dialogue with one of the young girls not to tell anyone about their 'little secret' when she asks if he can teach her magic. These facts taken together make me think there's a deal between the townsfolk of Rorikstead and the Forsworn that entails ladies of a certain age be sacrificed to ensure these unfailing harvests. Given it's location Rorikstead is isolated from a lot of the protections of Whiterun Hold and it's mentioned by some of the NPCs- they're essentially on their own. It's also pretty close to a dragon burial mound and a vampire den. Which I think is also meant to further highlight that the village is basically left to fed for itself (without much scrutiny) because it is so far from Whiterun. Dialogue from guards even mentions that Rorikstead is more susceptible to a dragon attack because of its location, low martial population and lack of defensible space. All this, plus you can find Erik the Slayer, probably my favorite follower here: Visit Rorikstead!

Morthal-Do you enjoy exploring dungeons and ruins? Why or why not?

I do! I've done so many different dragonborn builds that each time I do dungeon diving it feels fun. Now that's not to say I don't find it repetitive after a bit. I've played plenty of hours of Skyrim and Dragon age 2 (a game not gracefully noted for diverse dungeon maps); I really think, and this isn't to let things off the hook, but as a rpg fan you gotta make your own fun after a bit. I will say some ruins are more engaging than others and some feel like they are meant to break you of the impulse to get in and out quickly, while others are more of a see-if-you can-outlast atmosphere (I'm looking at Forelhost, Labyrinthian, and several Dwemer ruins). I'm a huge fan of the set dressing and narrative elements the dungeons and ruins have. I also really enjoy using followers. I have my go to followers but I do try to swap in new faces too, both vanilla and mod added followers.

Markarth-If you could rewrite one questline in Skyrim, which would it be?

Ooh, that's a tough one. Really tough.

I think if I had to pick one I would say it would be more of an additional pathway instead of a complete rewrite. But I thought for the longest time that if a few choices were made throughout the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines that there should be a hybridized questline added for a dragonborn who becomes Listener for the Brotherhood and Guildmaster for the Thieves Guild that deals with Maven Black-Briar & her hold on the DB & Thieves Guild after you get into the top spots.

If I remember correctly you can in both questlines tell or hint to Maven Black-Briar/her loyalists that your cooperation as her pawn as you go up the ranks is wearing thin/will cease once you're in sufficiently with the groups and they're restored to their proper glory. I would really love for there to have been an attempt by Maven (especially if she's made jarl through the civil war questline) to try to have you framed for a major political crime or just outright attempt to have you assassinated by the Morag Tong (or just frame the Morag Tong since they're not friendly to the DB and it could easily lead to inter-assassin guild fighting allowing Maven to attempt to take them down in a bid to extend her reach and consolidate power). Maven just never struck me as someone who tolerated the idea of power being wrested away from her, or just the appearance of losing grip on power like the guilds command. So some upstart dragonborn suggesting they'll be doing just that felt like it should have a pretty strong response from her.

[literaticat]

Hi, Jenn! Editors have been saying my Adult books seem “young.” I’m not really sure what that means. It’s just not literary enough? What makes something seem young? (Sorry, I know you’re not an Adult agent!!)

If I had to hazard a context-free guess (which might be completely wrong, I haven't read your book!) -- I'd say one or more of these might be the issue:

-- Maybe your characters read young. Like maybe you say they are 30 (or whatever), but they seem to have the concerns / mindset / voice of teenagers.

-- Especially if you are writing SF/F or something of that nature, maybe your world-building is not complex or "deep" enough seeming? Like, for example, sometimes you have a YA dystopian called ESCAPING THE DOME, and it's like "Clarizee lives in this world that is under a dome, the world outside the dome is uninhabitable, everyone in the dome is assigned a job at birth and their life partner at age 15" -- and that's basically all we need know about the world, then it's a plot about how Clarizee doesn't WANT to be a zigko farmer or to marry Baxx next week! So she's gonna escape the dome and figure it out, with the help of her mutant dog and an unlikely ally from the Forbidden Zone! -- but if it was an adult book, we'd know when and WHY the dome was put into place, what the political and societal ramifications of the dome are, how the dome even works, what medicinal properties zigko has, where the corrupt president of Dome City gets his pickled herrings, who ELSE wants to escape the dome, more about the Forbidden Zone and its people, or whatever, and while the Clarizee escaping plot might still exist, the fabric of the whole world would be more complex and Clarizee's teen angst would not be center or the driving force of the story, but rather one thread among many.

-- Maybe, as you suggest, your prose is basic or "just not literary enough" -- but a nicer way to say that is, maybe your prose is tonally more commercial than literary. That isn't to say that books for young people can't be literary, beautifully written and intricate (they often are!), or that books for adults can't be written in a commercial, straightforward and easy-to-digest way (they often are!) -- but rather, perhaps your book seems like it SHOULD be literary, but the writing feels more commercial, or vice-versa. Like Dan "DA VINCI CODE" Brown writes in a highly commercial (simple, punchy, "gettable") way for highly commercial stories -- he's not trying to win a literary award, he's trying to sell a shit-ton of books at the airport. That's not an insult! His writing is perfect for the kind of book he is writing, and his massive success is a testament to that fact. George "LINCOLN IN THE BARDO" Saunders writes highly innovative and finely crafted fiction and wins loads of literary awards -- he isn't trying to write mass market thrillers for the airport crowd. So a George Saunders type book with DB type writing OR a Dan Brown type thriller with GS type writing might be a tonal mismatch -- they wouldn't speak to the audience for which the books are aimed.

[sweetescapeartist]

Why aren't you a huge fan of MasakoX's What Ifs?

At 9:09 - 9:33 of the video above, MasakoX states that "The Legacy of Goku" games had its own interpretation of the DB lore, just as he does on his channel & says it's relatable to some of his what-ifs.

So, that's why I don't like his what-ifs. MasakoX's what-ifs loosely follow DB & follow DBZA closer. So they are fanfics of a parody.

And tbh, most what-ifs that many YouTubers do are pretty lame imo. Mainly due to the lack of DB knowledge. Many ppl change too much to the point that the characters act OOC or aren't even themselves anymore. Likey due to the fact that most of the popular DB YouTubers don't really understand the non-Saiyan characters. Heck, most don't even understand the Saiyan characters like Gohan, Vegeta, Bardock, nor Trunks.

The way many of the what-ifs are written to appease to Saiyan fans & fans of female characters. Also, they often coddle overly sensitive Vegeta fans who claim Vegeta has the most character development, yet refuse to believe he was once evil. (Vegeta is one of the most innacuately depicted characters in what-if stories.)

MasakoX's videos that I enjoy are his color theory videos, chakra videos, and videos where he talks about obscure things in DB that most fans don't know about. Those are far more entertaining.

Most what-ifs like "What If Bulma Married Goku?" have been done to death & 95% of the time are done poorly by the fandom. Its simply a sexual thing and the real relationship is forced and doesn't work.

Same goes for turning a character into a Saiyan. Earthlings don't need to be a Saiyan to be cool. Besides, turning an Earthling into a Saiyan takes away what makes the humans unique and how they compete above their weight bracket. EARTHLINGS ARE THE UNDERDOGS. Turning Earthlings into Saiyans takes that away from them. There are ways to write Earthlings becoming Saiyans, but I haven't seen anyone do it in a way that catches my attention.

How I would do a "What-If XYZ Was A Saiyan?" is this...

After Bulma found out Goku was a Saiyan, she used Raditz DNA to create something called "Saiya-Pills." It temporarily gives the Earthlings the abilites of Saiyans while keeping their Earthling potential & humanity. So, in a sense, they would be similar to Gohan; Saiyan ability, Earthling potential.

(Idea came from the Super-Pills from the Injustice game.)

Also, the popular Raditz what-if stuff is super boring to me. He becomes discount Vegeta. Talks about Saiyan pride, gets with a woman that one of the Earthlings had a relationship with, ect. Just becomes a Vegeta 2.0. Or even worse... becomes the extremely inaccurate fan interpretation of Vegeta. The interpretation where he's a nice guy with a tough side who takes pride in his Saiyan ppl & is a better husband/father than Goku despite Goku being more human than they are. Its not the character. I like the actual characters, not the husk of them.

[muchalucha91]

I made a list for webtoons, might as well make a list for manga/anime! I wasn't really allowed to watch too much cartoons TV growing up, so for the past few years, I've been "catching up" so to speak on the anime I missed out on aaand also watching newer ones lol Anyhoo, here's what I've seen/read so far (in alphabetical order):

Arte (Hulu) Manga continues

Black Butler (Hulu) ((full disclosure, I wasn't super paying attention when I watched this, so I have to watch it again lol))

Blue Exorcist (Hulu) ((I haven't finished it yet))

Cardcaptor Sakura/Clear Card Arc (Netflix) ((One of my faves as a kid, I had a board game for it, even! It has since been lost to time, though. T_T))

Cells at Work (Netflix) ((Also haven't finished yet lol))

Corpse Princess (Hulu) ((See Black Butler lol))

Dance with Devils (Hulu)

Demon Slayer (Hulu) ((haven't seen a lot yet, please don't come for me, I'm trying lol))

Devil is a Part-Timer! (Hulu)

Diabolik Lovers (Hulu)

Dragonball/DBZ/DBS (Funimation) ((I got Funimation just so I could watch Dragonball, then I figured I might as well get a refresher of DBZ since I hadn't seen it since it was on Toonami, all while my BF and I were watching DBS on Toonami/Adult Swim lol)

Fairy Tail/100 Years Quest (all the seasons were on Hulu, but they took all but 2 down, so I've been watching it on Funimation) I am SO excited to see 100YQ animated! It's been fun to read.

Food Wars! (Hulu)

Fruits Basket (both runs are on Hulu)

Fushigi Yuugi (Hulu) ((I actually don't know if I finished this...after a while I was just waiting for it to be over and it just. wasn't. ending.

Horimiya (Hulu)

Inuyasha/Final Act (Hulu/Netflix has the movies) ((another fave from my childhood))

Itazura na Kiss (Hulu) ((I'm not sure why people like this))

Jujustu Kaisen (Hulu) ((I think I started reading this after I finished watching it, but I've been super busy and forgot lol))

Kaguya-sama: Love is War (Hulu)

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (Funimation)

Kamisama Kiss (Hulu) ((ugh...I love this and it's criminal that the anime didn't finish with the manga))

Kimi ni Todoke (Hulu)

Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life (Hulu)

Little Witch Academia (Netflix)

Magic-Kyu! Renaissance (Funimation)

Mahoutsukai no Yome [The Ancient Magus' Bride] (Funimation) ((I love this, too, but I had to take a break from the manga because I was getting irritated with the FL and the choices she was making lmao I've been meaning to pick it back up, though, it really is very good!))

Maid Sama! (Hulu)

My Love Story! (Hulu)

Noragami (Hulu) ((made me cry in a way that my BF asked me what was wrong lol))

Ouran High School Host Club (Hulu) ((I'm sorry, I don't get the love for this, but I also haven't been able to read it yet, so maybe I will once I do))

Pokemon [Kanto-beginning of Hoenn] (Hulu) ((I have not kept up with it over the years and the only reason why I know of any of the newer Pokemon is because of PokemonGo and the new Pokemon Snap--which has been really fun so far--lol))

Ranma 1/2 (Hulu)

Rurouni Kenshin (HBO Max) ((I liked this, but I thought the story was super choppy))

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (manga only for now, but I think I just saw that an anime is coming soon!!) ((this is so beautifully drawn and sooo well written! It made me audibly react sometimes)

Sailor Moon [OG] (Hulu) ((My absolute favorite when I was a kid! My mom even watched it with me lol I wanted to be Sailor Mars sooooo bad I always kept my hair long just like her! I've got her as a keychain right now lol))

Say "I Love You" (Hulu)

School Rumble: 1st-3rd Semesters (Hulu) ((I didn't even watch the last episode. Literally nothing happened and I just felt bad for the guy. I couldn't watch it anymore lol)

Snow White with the Red Hair (Hulu) ((I hope it gets more seasons, but I also hope it gets better animation. I know people worked hard on it, but it does not do the manga justice. It's so beautifully drawn and written, this is for sure one of my favorites!))

Spice ad Wolf (Hulu)

Spy x Family (Hulu) ((It was popping up so much on my tumblr around ep 4 that I had to know what people were talking about and I'm so glad I did!))

Vampire Knight (Hulu) ((Didn't/Couldn't finish it))

Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (Hulu)

Yashahime (Hulu) ((It's not what I was expecting/hoping for, but I've had fun watching it))

Yona of the Dawn (Hulu) ((this NEEDS more seasons, the manga gets SO INTENSE))

You're Lie in April (HBO Max is where I watched it, but I think it's on Hulu, too) ((ugly cried))

Yu Yu Hakusho (Hulu) ((I only saw a few episodes as a kid, but I remember really loving the art style and the voices. It's still one of my faves))

Yu-Gi-Oh! (Hulu) ((I watched this every time it came on Toonami, I had a whole deck that I lost--which I'm still sad about--but I have a new deck and sometimes my BF and I play each other lol))

I've got an excel spreadsheet with these and others that I want to watch, but haven't yet, totaling 126 lmao As of right now (1/2023) I have no desire to watch Attack on Titan, One Piece, or Naruto (again, please don't come for me and PLEASE don't try to convince me), but I welcome any other recommendations and/or discussions/chats about any I listed!

[bladedwoe]

I'm trying to post less ooc stuff here, but this thought occured in my mind that I want to get written down. I'll likely expand on this more later when my mind is cooperating with me.

I saw in this one fic that the Dark Brotherhood's leader mysteriously disappeared before Astrid took on the leader role. Assuming Astrid killed the Dark Brotherhood leader. While Astrid tend to run on a no rule system for the Dark Brotherhood, she does have the rule of respecting your family. We can debate if Astrid truly followed this rule when dealing with Cicero, but she only seemed to want Cicero dead when he directly disobeyed this rule and attacked Veezara and later Arnbjorn. I would say that Astrid would not kill anyone in the Dark Brotherhood unless she had evidence that they were a traitor. So, in my portrayal, she wouldn't kill the previous leader.

Anyways onto what I wanted to say: Astrid has been a leader of the Dark Brotherhood for a while. It's partly why she's so respected and doesn't take kindly to the idea of her leadership being overtaken by the Listener. What happened to the previous Dark Brotherhood leader before Astrid took on this position is a bit of a nasty tale: the previous leader was trying to betray the DB. I haven't worked out the details, but if the previous leader was treacherous and it was dealt with before the Dark Brotherhood fell into further despair, it would make sense for why Astrid would be so worried about conspirators (other than her leader title being taken away and her leadership being questioned) and why Astrid would be so respected in the group because she saved the Dark Brotherhood from further ruin by finding out about the betrayal and bringing it to light.

[bumblingbriars]

ALL OF THE NUMBERS -- I'm kidding, I couldn't resist. 1, 12, 16, 35 💜

1) Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Anything romantic! A rare canon x canon I like, I dabble in readers, and def oc x canon hehe. Despite being into a lot of action media I am very bad at writing it... born to write romcom forced to write sweaty men screaming at each other sigh

12) Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Episode... episode of what, I wonder? Hm, well, for One Piece 1015 is def up there in terms of just being everything perfect. DB I can't say yet... (I'm probably misunderstanding this I got da autism sob)

16) If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

DON'T ASK ME THIS HANDS ON KNEES. Looks at all my oc x canon pairings I DO NOT KNOW!!! Writing canon x canon is rare too, so while I do got some ships in the tank I haven't really written them KDJKDJ

35) Would you ever kill off a canon character?

Yes! I have actually sort of before--back in the height of my ahit sideblog's @snatchersnatched most famous au, family au, I killed off Hat Kid (or as she's known, Harriet) in a sort of exploration of Snatcher's grief, as he is her (adoptive) father in that au. I also did it canonically, where she passes away on her home planet but comes back to Subcon to haunt everyone lol. I guess I haven't done it in a dramatic way otherwise, but I do like explorations of grief.

(Also, I mean, I am writing a fic for DB... everyone be dying in that show fr)

[blackenchanting]

Welcome to Ravens Borough episode 20 season finale part 1

Somewhere in the unheard of town of Ravens Borough

The contents of this story are nsfw therefore not for children

The humming of an engine came as an Aston Martin Db eleven pulled up beside the now closed detectives office. The door opened as Robin stepped out dressed in a grey crop top blue booty shorts white socks and pink boots as he made his way up towards the door holding a file

"Knock knock bitches I'm here" Robin said closing the door behind him

"Oh good. Whatcha need?" Rob asked from the office space while on his laptop.

"Pack your shit we're going to New York" Robin said placing the file on the desk

"Again? Uh alright here I was looking for a new place because this is definitely… not great." Rob said getting up.

"But it has Chacacter" Robin said pushing a pillar as it collapsed

"It's also liable to collapse on us. I'd rather have a place not do that." Eva said.

"Whats the problem you don't wanna turn your two story into a single story?" Robin asked opening the file

"I'd rather not die due to shoddy building maintenance. Thank you very much." Eva said as Rob went upstairs to grab his stuff.

"I'll keep him safe" Robin said pulling the top of his gun back which was a pastel blue with 'heavy iron two point o' written on the barrel

"I know you will. Though now, I'm probably going to sleep in the car because I don't know if that pillar was important or not. I'll probably have found a place by the time you get back." Eva said as Rob came back down with a suitcase in hand.

"Signs point to yes" robin said quoting the magic eight ball

"Alright what's the job?" Rob asked.

"We're going to get Salein" Robin said as they exited the building passing a sexy looking dodge viper that was silver with two red pinstripes and a single black line between them.

"Well alright then let's get to it." Rob said before kissing Eva.

They continued walking towards the Aston Martin Db eleven waiting at the end of the sidewalk

"Interesting choice. Anyway let's go." Rob said.

"It's as I always say. If you're going to New York you better go in style" Robin said opening the trunk and placing his empty gun in a container next to his suitcase

"Fair enough." Rob said, placing his suitcase in the trunk.

In no time at all the boys hit the road driving in style as Robin sat behind the wheel of the beautiful silver Aston Martin and drove past the now leaving ravens borough sign and sliding on the interstate as they made their way towards the crowded city of New York. Robin grabbed the hand crank on the door and rolled his window down as they drove with the radio on.

"So how'd you find out she was in New York anyway?" Rob asked. As Robin handed him the large yellow envelope

"Alright." Rob said opening the envelope.

"Have fun" Robin said

He pulled out photos of Salein walking with two people her blonde hair and blue eyes setting her apart from the two people she was walking with

"I see." Rob said.

"We're gonna bring her back. Even if I have to shoot a few people to do it" Robin said focused on the road

"Well you're lucky I have some connections in New York. Given that they haven't been killed." Rob said. They drove with the hot beating sun on them as Rob turned in horror to hear Robin singing

"Na na na na na na Na na na na na na na na na Bup budupadup ooh" he sang tapping his fingers in the door as he drove with one hand

"Oh dear God.." Rob said

"Going off to save a child.. I've got a cramp.. in my back.. and And another cramp in my right.. rump cheek" he sang to himself

Rob slowly looked away in embarrassment

"Look it's some circling birds.. I bet you they're going to eat our corpses!!" Robin said

As Rob looked at him in horror

Na na na na Na na na na Na na na na na Haa na na na na na" Robin finished as they continued driving as the hawks flew over them in the burning son

"Don't look at me like that" Robin said

"Your… talking to your self in the mirror" Rob said

"Na nah nah nah nah everything gonna end.. in tragedy. Yeah nah nah na na" Robin sang

They felt like they were being backed alive in the silver frying pan as Robin had clearly lost himself

"You and I will have separate grandchildren and we will say to them… oooo look Rob I'm playing the guitar upside down…" Robin said his voice dry from the heat

"Alright. That's it. We're stopping at the next motel and waiting out the heat." Rob said

"Nah… nah… na na na nah.. the Birbs are.. gonna.. eat our… corpses" Robin sang through the heat as the Day would soon become dusk as they pulled into a shitty roadside motel of which they couldn't read what the name was. only words hell's motel was lit up as they pulled into a parking spot. Outside different letters would flicker every few minutes reminding Rob of Lucy's as they both got out and made their way towards the check in seeing a guy running towards them

"Aliens are real…I fucken saw them!. I saw them!" He said

"And I thought Katelyn was on crack" Robin said watching the guy run away

"I'm curious what he was on. And what he actually saw." Rob said.

"you can fuck around and find out if you want just remember we're not here to solve every single problem" Robin said

"Oh no, I'm not gonna go find out. I'm curious but I ain't ending up like the fuckin cat." Rob said.

"Which cat?" Robin asked his mind clearly wondering

"Curiosity killed the cat. You alright?" Rob asked.

"So the nearest bar is two miles down the road.. data's shit and theres a phone booth right there if you need to call Eva" Robin explained

"That doesn't answer the question. But noted." Rob said.

"Single bed to two beds" Robin said looking at the prices on the outside of the check in

"Two. As much as I hate sleeping alone, we're not together anymore." Rob said.

"Fair enough" Robin said the two got their room as they headed up to it finding room one six seven

"I'm starting to see this number everywhere" Robin said

"Eh, that's just pattern recognition being a little fucky." Rob said.

"If you say so" Robin said opening the door as they both went in. And Robin immediately dropped his shorts and slid into bed

"Yeah. Definitely the better option. Otherwise I'd be cheating." Rob said entering the room, closing the door and flopping onto the other bed and taking a nap.

The silence opened up on a communication tower. A large warning sign stated 'ravens burrough cellar communication tower. A large red light flashed on top of it that was swallowed by the fog plunging the communications tower into absolutely zero the and then with a clack the lights went out in the town one by one until it was plunged into darkness

….

"The number you are trying to reach is unavailable or is outside communication range" a voice said from Rob's phone

"Oh for the love of… goddamn backwater cell tower." Rob said, hanging up. As the Aston Martin hit a bump next to him driving past him as it turned into the parking spot it was in before as yhe door opened and Robin got out

"Every breath you take.. every move you make. Every bond you break. Every step you take… i'll be watching you…" Robin said in a creepy tone as he handed Rob a breakfast sandwich

"Thanks. I think the cell tower might be fucked back home." Rob said as he took a bite of the sandwich.

"I'm sure they'll have it fixed in no time" Robin said looking up at the hawks flying above them

"Look it's some circling birds.. I bet you they're going to eat our corpses!!" Robin said

"No." Rob said lightly bopping robin on the head with his free hand.

"Na na na na na na Na na na na na na na na na Bup budupadup ooh" Robin sang walking back towards the room

"Why the FUCK! is there so much SAND!" Robin yelled at the top of his lungs as their Motel was smack dab in the middle of the desert

"Why the fuck are we even in a desert? We're up north!" Rob said.

"Fuck you Idaho!" Robin said

"Fuck you too!" someone yelled

"Kill yourself!" Robin shouted back

********

The Aston Martin hit the road again driving past a sign for twin falls and turning right.

A"Nah.. nah na na nah going off to see a thing" Robin sang

"I still got a cramp in my ass.. but the one in my back.. has gone away" he added

"What even… I'd be singing no sleep till Brooklyn but alright." Rob said.

"We're being cooked alive in a metal frying pan.. I am sorry if my choice of music isn't working for you" Robin said

"Turn the flipping ac on!" Rob said

"Yeah about that" Robin said

****

"And this cable goes here.. and this one goes.." Robin was cut off by it exploding in his face

***

"Oh for the love of fuck." Rob said.

Three hours later.

"Well here it is" Robin said gesturing to a big sign that said 'Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve'

"Interesting." Rob said

"Yep… that was entirely worth the three hour drive" Robin said standing on the edge looking down at all of it

********

"Foot on the pedal, never ever false metal Engine running hotter than a boiling kettle….. na na nah nah nah.. I'm gonna put a bullet.. through my skull" Robin Sang as they drove back towards the Motel

"You know I'll do whatever I can to make sure we all come back alive, right?" Rob said.

"Idaho fuckin sucks" Robin said smacking his fist down on the dash as the air-conditioning kicked in

"Holy…. Fuck… it's an Idaho miracle" he said

"Yes. It is." Rob said.

"Till death do us part or whatever you wanna call it" Robin said

"Not if I can help it." Rob said..

They later pulled back into the Motel

"Why are we back here?" Rob asked.

"I spent over ten hours in this car I am not ready to hit the road again" Robin said

[kewltie]

contains: collar, slight choking 

Silver and gold bands line the wall, leather on lace, d-rings and bells, buckles and precious stones scattered throughout. The collars on display at Wicked Delights are pretty, ornate, and delicate—none of which would aptly describe Donghae at all.

They’re too tasteful for someone like him. These are meant for the most precious subs, the treasured ones, the ones that are well behaved and good.

Donghae is none of these. He hasn’t been one in a long time, but one of his hands is already tracing the curve of a silver thin band in front of him, looking as fragile as glass, and he fights back a biting shiver.  

His other hand instinctively reaches toward his own neck, his fingers trailing across the bare skin as though stroking memories of the past, the collar that had adorned there and the him that once belonged to someone. But Donghae's neck had been naked for so long that he doesn't know if it's can bear the weight of a collar anymore, let alone Hyukjae's.

Once upon a time Donghae was someone’s. He could be again if he let it but the thought of carrying the heavy burdensome expectations of a collar again makes his stomach turn and he hastily drops both of his hands as though burn by the idea of it.

What once had given him a sense of belonging soon became something suffocating, restricting, and binding till he couldn’t breath without wanting to explode from the pretense of it all. The day Donghae had cut off his own collar and thrown it at his master’s feet, he knew he won’t ever look at a collar without thinking how he’ll never be good enough for it because Donghae couldn’t get on his knees without the quaking, without the nagging thought that this doesn’t feel right to him.

Since then it has been years since Donghae had been close to a collar, few would even think of offering collar to a unruly sub like him, but Donghae doesn’t think he miss it at all.

Now though it’s different story, Donghae doesn’t much of a choice on the matter. Hyukjae hadn’t said anything specifically about collars to him and Donghae doesn’t know Hyukjae well enough to even have an idea on how he feel about that either, but he can pretend. He can fool Hyukjae. He can’t be good but he can play it up as long as Hyukjae doesn’t figure it out first.

Donghae’s anxious musing is broken by the foot steps behind him but he doesn’t have too look to know who it is. “How long?” Hyukjae asks, standing beside him now.

Donghae shrugs. “It’s been a while,” he answers, dismissively. He thinks there’s no one as unfitting of a collar than him. “Long enough that I think I forgot that it’s like to wear one.”

His eyes go wide for a moment and he quickly snaps his jaw shut. That slip of a confession wasn’t intended at all but it’s too late to take it back now as Hyukjae turns his body toward him and Donghae can’t break the gaze as their eyes meet.

Hyukjae’s eyes are dark and near indecipherable, as though it could cut right through him and pierce Donghae’s soul. He extends an arm out and Donghae’s stomach crawls as he sees it intended destination. Hyukjae’s hand wraps around Donghae’s throat and Donghae breath hitches, knees locked in place and shoulders tense up, as Hyukjae gives it a squeeze.

Donghae can feel the pressure of Hyukjae’s grip on him, the constriction of his throat and how with each swallow his trachea pushes up against the palm of Hyukjae’s hand. His grip on Donghae is firm enough that Donghae has to fight to get each breath through but light enough that Donghae can break it any moment with a step back.

But even with his heart pounding against his ribcage, that Donghae is so sure Hyukjae could hear it, and the rising panic that make him hot and heavy he remains still as his entire world is narrow down and all he see and feel is the the hand around his neck, the warmth of Hyukjae’s skin on him, and the force of Hyukjae grounding him in place. 

He counts each breath, slow and steady till it even out and everything is a dull hum in the back of his mind and he finally relaxes into Hyukjae’s grip, melting into his touch.

And then without a single word, Hyukjae lets him go and steps back.

Donghae nearly drops down on his knees as though Hyukjae had cut the strings holding him up. The pulsating beat of his heart still ring in his ears, the hot flush rises to his cheek and his breath is shallow and stagnant and Donghae feels like he’s lost at sea searching for an anchor to hold him down once again.

“Do you remember it now?” Hyukjae asks quietly, voice colored by something hard and too confusing for Donghae to figure out right now.

Donghae thinks of Hyukjae’s hand, the impression of his fingers digging into his flesh, the inescapable feeling of being locked in and held down and that’s when the realization hits him like a wave crushing down on him.

He was wrong, he was so wrong. The erratic jump in his pulse, the hot flushed of what he had mistakenly thought as shamed, and the way he finally yield to Hyukjae in the end. It wasn’t fear, it was longing, it was comfort in security.

[sternbagel]

🤝🏻💔🤨

WIP Excerpts Ask Game

ALL RIGHT it's past midnight as I'm posting this cause work took some time so thank you for your patience 💙

🤝🏻 Share a line (or dialogue exchange) that shows the relationship between two characters.

Okay so this is literally just in like chat/script form because I couldn't be bothered to do otherwise when it came to me... a while back lol.

Lita, calling Bulma: Good afternoon, Bulma darling. I love you. Bulma: Well. This sounds ominous. Lita: Possibly. Can I talk to your husband for a quick sec? Bulma: Oh Kami, this oughta be good. Lita: We’ll see about that. Bulma: Can I ask what this is about? Lita: Well, how much I hate your husband will either go down a little or up a lot depending on his answer to my question. Bulma: O...kay….. again, ominous. Just know, that even though I love you too, I will only pick his side because the sex is so good. Lita: More info than I needed to know, thank you Bulma. Thanks for your support. Bulma: You want unwavering loyalty against my husband, go ask Yamcha.

💔 Share your most heartbreaking line.

This is from Fields of Belonging and is from a part I haven't written yet, but just know it's Al talking.

“He knows I can’t stay. And he deserves someone who isn’t gone weeks at a time. Whose work isn’t… I’m ready to die. I’ll still put up a fight, and I want to live, to keep helping people how I can, but if I die… I think I’m ready. He deserves better, everything he’s been through.”

🤨 Share a line that makes no sense out of context.

I mean I have several that I feel I've shared before, but this is a relatively new one, and is also from Fields of Belonging.

“And this here beauty is for you, Al." Al nods, then does a double take. “What?” Bonnie repeats with a small smile, “This here beauty is for you.”

[raifuujin]

I love Ran so much but im sad that she is taking the backseat and that has been going on for years now. What would be the best way to involve Ran more and engage her into the plot (even if she doesn't know his identity, there has to be a way right?) or do you think she will remain as a love interest until the end and won't have anything else to do? (I don't mean some random karate moments which are already absent for the longest time)

I think she could be involved in the BO plot again. We’ve had hints, like her noticing Vermouth was disguised as Azusa. ...And that’s pretty much it, but it’s reminding us that she did encounter Vermouth back in that arc, and isn’t entirely separated from the BO like Shinichi would want her to be. But it might also just stick to romance, since our current BO suspects aren’t involved with Ran in any way. Shinichi’s identity is definitely more the focus for the BO plot this time, and since Ran isn’t privy to his secret yet, it means she has to be sidelined or there are more risks to her finding out herself.

I think Gosho’s going to keep her as romance only right now, since that’s the major development with her and Shinichi. Maybe once the plot moves on, she can be allowed to get more involved.

[aotopmha]

Dragon Ball Super Episode 27-104 Thoughts

It hit the big 100, so I thought I’d actually write a Dragon Ball Super post because it has grown on me. 

First, though, I haven’t seen all of the first 27 episodes of the series, but I have seen Battle Of Gods and Ressurection F, along with a couple of the slice-of-life episodes at the start of the series.

Battle Of Gods is a great DB(Z) movie mostly because it’s generally well-animated and just having a lot of fun. What it does with Goku’s character and what could come from it down the line is interesting (and if it doesn’t we have his character explored in a different light than before). Beerus and Whis are in general great characters.

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Ressurection F has some good action scenes and I like how it highlights Goku’s and Vegeta’s rivarly and weaknesses, which also could ultimately lead to some great payoff (and looking at episode 98 we are seemingly getting some of that with them actually teaming up). Overall it’s okay, though - I didn’t hate it or find it straight-up boring, but I also do have problems with the lack of tension it had for being a movie about bringing back one of the series’ most iconic villains and the mess of an ending it had. 

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I like the U6 arc because it introduced characters with strange powers again like Hit, Botamo and Magetta. Beamspam has been a dominant thing since Freeza, even more so Cell. It’s nothing big or amazing (and it’s not meant to be), but seeing Vegeta trying to reserve his energy for possible strong opponents and struggle against Magetta with the constraits put in the match was interesting and something we hadn’t seen for a while.

The Cabba fight did a great job highlighting Vegeta’s character development.

For being a stoic rival archetype, Hit’s simple personality was made likeable by just making him eager to push his limits and giving him cool time manipluation powers. Hit vs. Goku is one of my favorite DB fights just for the “keeping up step-by-step” element of it.

The U6 arc ended pretty satisfactorly, but it was very much the Goku and Vegeta show, just like BoG and RoF. Piccolo lost in his match (even if he did hold his own and I do appreciate that it was shown that way) and Buu was just thrown aside. I also actually thought making Frost an actual good guy would’ve been more interesting, but at the same time I like it for essentially being an acknowledgement that Freeza will always be evil.

I liked the U6 arc! It was low stakes, but it was never meant to be something huge, just a set-up arc and introduction to other universes. What it aimed to be, it did well enough. The most questionable story part of it was in my eyes Cabba’s transformation, but even that has a basis in the fact that U6 Saiyans are different. (Would be nice if that would be explained)

The U6 arc ends with episode 42, the summoning of Super Shenron.

I love the Pan-centric episode after that because it showcases Goku actually genuinely caring for his family. It’s sweet, but also genuinely funny and charming. It’s still probably one of my favorite Super episodes. 

The Copy Vegeta arc is the worst Super has been for me, though. While it further shows Vegeta’s care for his family (which is why I don’t understand the dislike of him getting these goofy moments - a part of his character growth, as Whis says, is that he needs to chill), but that’s the only thing worth anything in these 3 episodes, not even Trunks and Goten get anything interesting. It’s what I had the most problem with in GT: it was boring and the only part I genuinely had trouble sitting through in my marathon. As much as I dislike the execution of Ressurection of F, that had some interesting elements going for it. This one? Only one thing at most and that’s done better prior and after. But at least it’s only 3 episodes.

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Next up was the Future Trunks arc!

Black was an entertaining villain. I like that his name is actually so cliché because Bulma is bad at naming. More importantly, though, his nature and personality are actually pretty interesting takes on the “Evil Goku” trope that we have seen several times at this point. He’s not Goku, but he’s also not Zamasu. So that results in the unsettling “politeness” Freeza has and the potential for brutality that Saiyans are capable of. He takes great joy out of being cruel. It’s a good, entertaining basis for a villain.

I love what is done with Vegeta in this arc. He took on a mentor role for Cabba in the U6 arc and this is further shown with his moments with Trunks and encouraging him. He beats up Goku Black while expressing the respect he has gained for Goku and unlike being wholly against it, this time around actually accepts to fuse with Goku fairly easily. It’s good, solid character writing that makes sense. The relationship between Vegeta and Trunks brings some cool moments like the Father-Son Gallick Gun.

While Goku has a couple of clumsily written moments of incompetency, like forgetting the Mafuba seal and the Senzu Beans, I liked his moment of anger when he learned Chichi and Goten were killed. It goes back to the Pan episode and we see more depth from him beyond just “wanting to fight strong guys”.

I like the focus on Kid Trunks becoming more serious and actually meeting Future Trunks. I like the episode where Future Trunks meets Gohan and eventually comes to the conclusion that Gohan doesn’t have to be the Gohan he knew because he′s happy and that’s what truly matters.

Future Mai isn’t half-bad of a character - she’s just a normal human, but manages to keep the surviving groups of humans alive and save Trunks at points. Bulma’s efforts ultimately do save Future Trunks and Mai, I liked that she played a major part in the arc.

The character building blocks for the arc are solid and that’s the reason why I actually genuinely like it.

Unlike the U6 arc, it has some notable problems, though. Zamasu alone is a pretty one-dimensional and dull villain, but could’ve been great would he have been built up and presented better. The time travel aspect is badly written - mostly because it’s so complicated. I have no problems with Trunks’ rage and spirit sword, though, because ultimately they had the balance of effectiveness: Trunks ultimately failed and I actually also don’t mind Goku Black being Zamasu because it was made clear that he wasn’t entirely Zamasu prior to it, which is the most interesting part of his character - at the same time, it’s the execution that really annoyed me - why keep juggling his identity?

The ending of the arc is infamous, but I do like the idea that it wasn’t entirely happy. My problem lies in the incompetent execution of it. If you don’t do the payoff right, the whole arc suffers greatly.

I don’t really care about the power level stuff, which has been a mess since Freeza. In fact, it’s probably always been more of a narrative convinience rather than anything consistent, but they always make sense on a basic level. Trunks keeps getting beaten down and getting Senzu beans? Of course he’s stronger now. Goku Black gets used to his body? Of course he’ll be able to use more of Goku’s power. Trunks got the finisher because he’s been the one fighting the most in the arc and that’s after Vegito wore Zamasu down. It’s all about what feels satisfying, looks cool or seems interesting story-wise. Goku got to Super Saiyan in 6 days, but him defeating Freeza was extremely satisfying because it all felt right narrative-wise.

So, the Future Trunks arc is a flawed arc, but I was generally entertained by it and it was a pretty big improvement in terms of animation quality. A lot of the problems it has are similar to other Z arcs. Time travel was a problem in the Cell arc. Power levels and sudden power ups were a problem in the Buu arc and these problems really aren’t in any worse forms here considering the outcome to it all. In fact, I probably find it more entertaining than a big portion of the Buu saga, which had it’s great moments, but really wasn’t worth the 100 episodes it took, while the previous sagas generally were worth their time in some fashion. In the end, the Future Trunks arc was only 20 episodes, but unlike every DB arc ever, the problem wasn’t that it was too slow, the problem was the pacing was too uneven. 

The Future Trunks arc ends with episode 67 and there is about 10 breather episodes between this and the Tournament Of Power arc. The Shenlong episode was cute, but the Arale and baseball episodes were pure old DB fun. Arale is a fun character, but the baseball episode gave more time to the U6 characters and Yamcha of all characters - it was an absolute blast. The Hit two-parter did the same for Hit - it was cool to see Goku finally figure some of Hit’s techniques out on his own. It felt like the story was getting it’s stuff together and settled on a steady pacing instead of just rushing through everything or being really slow in the worst ways.

The Gohan and Krillin two-parters did some wonderful favors to their characters by giving them direction again and even Roshi gets to be the mentor again. When was the last time we saw that? When was the last time Gohan sparred with Goku? When was the last time we saw anything of Krillin? It’s nostalgic, but also puts their characters back on track in the most logical way it possibly could. This is where I started to disagree with the criticism thrown at Super. They were actually trying and it actually made sense. Prior I got the criticisms better, but now I disagree. It’s competent enough direction and writing for what this series is going for, and.. it no longer looks like crap, either.

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So we move on to episode 77, where the current arc starts. The Tournament Of Power... and it takes about 20 episodes to get there.

I’m actually rewtaching original DBZ right now and this pacing is nothing compared to how the Saiyan Saga was paced - this time around, all the characters actually get their focus episodes, instead of the 20 episodes being just split up between Goku and Gohan and barely focusing on anyone else.

Buu and Gohan get cool fights in the Zen Exhibition Match episodes (Goku’s aren’t anything that special, but have a couple of interesting character things going on and I do like Toppo). Gohan’s and Krillin’s characters are given further focus, same goes any of the 10 fighters. Roshi’s and Tenshinhan’s contributions are the weakest of the bunch (I’m so sick of pervert Roshi, more mentor/cool old man Roshi please), but they actually get something for once. Every member of the major cast at least gets one or two nice moments in these 20 or so episodes. That’s a considerable improvement to a lot of DBZ which was all about the Saiyans for a large majority. Add to that, most of it is substantial in some way, even if sometimes takes too long, but that’s DB in general for you. Pacing is something in DB that has always been annoying and at this point, after consuming roughly 500~ episodes of this story, I’m very patient with it. All I want from an arc is some sort of payoff that is satisfying. BoG and U6 were good with that RoF and FT not so much.

They also do their best to patch up the plot holes. They went out of their way to make sure Vegeta destroyed the Time Chamber and Buu fell asleep when there wasn’t enough time to get in there. Goku chose Freeza because they needed another strong fighter to replace Buu and he was apparently the only one who hadn’t moved on from the afterlife yet (it’s not as solid explanation as it could be, but I think it can be overlooked because his reintroduction was really entertaining and opened some interesting story possibilities). The time limit also sets up a possiblity that not all the fighters are the best of what the universe has to offer because the gods of all the universes have varying levels of competency and priorities. Gowasu had trouble because he was doubting himself, U9 and U4 were plotting against U7, Beerus and Shin are lazy and incompetent respectively and nobody listened to U11′s Kai to actually try and  convince Zeno to not destroy the universes because they were too busy arguing amongst themselves and worrying about their survival. 

My biggest problem with this portion is that some of the episodes also really do feel like a waste of time - 87 (the second part of the 17 two-parter) and 89 (the Roshi and Tenshinhan episode) were the weakest of the bunch. There is a lot of fluff here.

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Moving on to the actual Tournament Of Power, it’s introduced in episode 97, but starts proper with episode 98. Here’s my rundown of the past 7 episodes.

98 was cool for the Vegeta and Goku team-up because they actually never really have genuinely done that without messing up in some way. It wasn’t delibarate, but it also didn’t end up with them being dropped out, so I’d say that’s an improvement. I also disagree with Vegeta’s character being regressed because he’s still Vegeta. When the group left for the tournament, he glanced back at Bulma, but he still has the rivalry going on with Goku and he still has a sense of pride. The whole point is that at this point, when things really get serious, he’ll put his pride aside. Being more caring is not the same as being prideful. It’ll be a reasonable criticism if he doesn’t deliver when it matters, though and if his scenes remain limited to a few lines (also if he doesn’t get to do much substantial).

99 was cool for everything involving Krillin and 18 and I can’t help but feel that because Krillin is out so early he might become relevant later on in a different way. This might not be the case, but his moment didn’t seem like a “big moment”. Maybe this’ll be another Yamcha case of buildup not being equal to payoff, but at least it was still cool.

100 was the weakest so far, but Caulifla has a great personality, which I think saved that episode in hindsight. I didn’t mind the Kale stuff as much as some seemed to have, her character in general seemed the type to be set up for growth. The case in point being that 101 did a alright job at giving Kale a character direction and did a good job with writing the Kale and Caulifla relationship. Their relationship is probably the strongest part of their characters.

102 had the great magical girl parody stuff, which was genuinely funny and Android 17 shining, even if it was really slow.

103 had a good character moment for Gohan and actually the first genuinely solid fight that seemed to push a character with Obuni vs. Gohan.

104 had the great Hit vs. Dyspo fight in the first half. Again, it’s one of the first fights that genuinely seemed to push the characters we knew. Hit actually had to struggle against Dyspo somewhat.

I like that the pacing didn’t go to overdrive and they take the time to build stuff up. It’s probably going to be frustrating when following it weekly, but in hindsight might work out for the better. DB has always been a series that has emphasized the story coming together as a whole rather than something big happening every episode. It emphasizes build-up through smaller moments and the reward for that build-up. Which means if the reward is underwhelming, it hurts the arc a lot overall.

I mentioned it above, but the Tournament Of Power reminds me a lot of the Saiyan arc - everything up to the fight with Nappa was kind of a series of small moments for each fighter. The contestants of the Tournament Of Power are essentially Saibamen, except some have more distinct powers.

I like it so far, but the fight with the less significant characters can’t go on for too long without getting boring at this point. I think if they play their cards right and put effort into the big battles, along with rewarding character development, this will be a solid arc. Right now, it really isn’t meant to do something big yet because it’s still in the beginning stages of setting everything up action-wise. Some of the moments in the Future Trunks arc are some of the best in DBS so far, but I have much more confidence in this arc coming together as a whole because they do take their time.

At the very least, I don’t see how you could call the story genuinely horrible at this point myself. Not amazing or flawless, but it is at least competent for what it’s trying to do.

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So yeah, I think the good outweighs the bad with Super. It’s a good shounen for knowing exactly what it is. DB was never meant to be anything complex and the fact that DBS is so self-aware helps with it a bunch. I don’t go into DB looking for the most consistent or complex storytelling, I’m looking to have some moderate fun with maybe some great moment shere and there. It’s not great, but at this point I do keep coming back to Super because I care, mostly for the characters, but also where it ends up.

[atariaction]

10-Line Poker Machine

My first entry for the 2020 10-line BASIC contest is a poker machine simulator written in TurboBASIC XL for the Atari 8-bit computer. At ten 120-character lines, it qualifies for the PUR-120 category. It is based on the common “Jacks Or Better” poker machine, although I changed the payouts to make it more fun and to conserve space.

The game deals a hand of five playing cards. You can choose to “hold” any or all of the cards by pressing 1 though 5, then press any other key to replace the cards that you did not hold. (Held cards are not replaced.) It then calculates whether you’ve won, based on standard poker hands.

Here are the payouts:

royal flush +650 (real game: 1250) royal straight +500 (not in real game) straight flush +350 (real game: 250) 4 of a kind +225 (real game: 125) full house +150 (real game: 30) flush +150 (real game: 25) straight +200 (real game: 20) 3 of a kind +150 (real game: 15) 2 pair +50 (real game: 10) pair of Jacks or better +5 (real game: 10)

With all the logic for calculating poker hands, there wasn’t room for card graphics. I did make a custom character set with just one special character: a "10" for the only two-digit card. I am proud of squeezing in money though. You start with $50 in your wallet, and the game costs $5 per hand. The game remembers your wallet by poking it into unused memory ($600, the top of Page 6) then peeking it back after it re-RUNs. Because RUN clears all the variables, this uses much less program space than resetting all the variables by hand.

Here’s the code:

GR.0:POKE 752,1:REM SET UP SCREEN DIM D(9),U(53),C(13),W$(29),I$(1),H(5),F$(8),SUIT$(4),N$(13) F$="\00\CE\DB\DB\DB\DB\CE\00" B=DPEEK($600)-5:'money. minus 5 builds in the cost of the round. B=B+(45*(B<0)):'that is, IF(B<0) THEN B=50-5. 'Since there's not enough space to zero-out necessary variables if 'we were to loop to play again, and we lose all variables at re-RUN: 'we save user's money in page 6 where it's safe from BASIC. 'On first run, cross our fingers that $600 is seeded 'at 0, otherwise \_(ツ)_/ ?"$";B:? REM D - cards in shuffled order. This game only deals max 10 cards REM U - tracks whether card number in subscript has been shuffled in REM C - Counts number of each card in suit REM W$ - Win/loss text REM I$ - storage for INKEY$ REM H - tracks which of the 5 card slots are Held REM F$ - custom character ("10") REM SUIT$ - control characters for suits REM N$(13) - card name characters (A thru K) SUIT$="\00\10\60\7B":'heart club diamond spade N$="A23456789#JQK":'one-character card names. '10' replaces # 'Replace '#' with "10" character CH=(PEEK(106)-16)*256:MOVE 57344,CH,1024 MOVE ADR(F$),CH+24,8:POKE 756,CH/256 'SHUFFLE FOR X=0 TO 9:'Fill slots. Only slotting 10 cards is faster than 52. N=0 WHILE N=0:'while we haven't found a card for this slot NN=RAND(52):'which card might go in this slot? IF (U(NN)=0):'if we haven't slotted this card yet D(X)=NN:'slot now contains this card U(NN)=1:'mark card as used in a slot N=1:'move on to next card ENDIF WEND NEXT X REM FORCE CARDS FOR TESTING 'D(0)=12 'D(1)=12+13 'D(2)=13+6 'D(3)=13+13+6 'D(4)=15 FOR GO=1 TO 2:'Do the next part twice 'SHOW CARDS FOR X=0 TO 4 'Show card name, suit, and the slot number N=D(X) MOD 13+1:M=D(X) DIV 13+1:?N$(N,N);SUIT$(M,M);" \1B\7F";X+1 'D(X) MOD 13+1 is the card number 1-13 'D(X) DIV 13+1 is the suit 1-4 'This is very clever. NEXT X IF(GO=1):'Choose hold cards, first time though only WHILE QQ=0 POKE 764,255 WHILE I$="" I$=INKEY$ WEND POKE 764,255:I$="" I=ASC(I$)-49 IF(I>=0 AND I<5) H(I)=NOT H(I):'Toggle hold status for chosen slot POS.9,I+2 IF(H(I)):?"HOLD":ELSE:?" ":ENDIF ELSE QQ=1 ENDIF WEND 'Replace cards that were not held. 'Every card has one potential replacement FOR X=0 TO 4 D(X)=D(X+5*(1-H(X))) 'if held, D(X)=D(X), unchanged. if not, D(X)=D(X)+5 'or, more readably: IF(H(X)=0):D(X)=D(X+5):ENDIF NEXT X ENDIF POS.2,8*GO:'Show new cards under old cards NEXT GO 'Game is over, now see if it's a wining hand 'Count each card type in the hand F=(D(0) DIV 13)+1:'F="is there a flush?" seed with 0th card suit FOR X=0 TO 4 N=D(X) MOD 13 C(N)=C(N)+1:'C(N) is how many of that card in the hand 'T is the maximum number of similar cards we've found T=T+(C(N)-T)*(C(N)>T) 'or, more readably: IF (C(N)>T):T=C(N):ENDIF F=((D(X) DIV 13)+1=F)*F:'if suit is not the same, set F to 0. I feel clever. NEXT X 'Count pairs - how many sets of exactly 2 are in the hand? FOR X=0 TO 12 P=P+(C(X)=2) 'Or, IF (C(X)=2):P=P+1:ENDIF NEXT X 'FULL HOUSE OR 3 OF A KIND OR 4 OF A KIND IF T>2:'really this is: IF T=3 OR T=4 becasue it can't be more IF P:'If there's also a pair W$="FULL HOUSE" B=B+150 ELSE W$=STR$(T) W$(2)=" OF A KIND":'msg is 3 or 4 of a kind B=B+(T-1)*75 ENDIF ELSE:'max same cards T <= 2 IF ((C(10)=2) OR (C(11)=2) OR (C(12)=2) OR (C(0)=2)) W$="JACKS OR BETTER" B=B+5 ENDIF IF(P=2) W$="2 PAIR" B=B+50 ENDIF ENDIF C(13)=C(0):'Kludge to copy Ace to above King FOR X=0 TO 9 IF (C(X) AND C(X+1) AND C(X+2) AND C(X+3) AND C(X+4)) W$="STRAIGHT " B=B+200 IF (X=9) W$="ROYAL " B=B+250 ENDIF ENDIF NEXT X 'Print win/loss message IF(W$="" AND F=0) ?"LOSE"; ELSE ?W$; IF F ?"FLUSH"; B=B+150 ENDIF ENDIF ?:?"$";B DPOKE $600,B 'Save $ on page 6 for next round 'WAIT FOR KEYPRESS, PLAY AGAIN WHILE INKEY$="":WEND RUN

[that-trunks-girl]

Happy self insert positivity day!!

I saw this beautiful post going around to celebrate January 15th as self insert positivity day and I wanted to chime in! (Thanks @robotarmjokes for setting this up 🤗)

I haven't been in the self ship community long. Not even an entire year actually. But, I've been self-inserting and self-shipping for over 18 years.

I didn't have many friends growing up. I went through a lot of bullying and abuse both at school and in my own home. I wasn't very good at anything either. Yeah, I had good grades and I was a model student, but it wasn't special. I've been watching anime for as long as I can remember. You can clearly see that Dragonball is my favorite. Well, it wasn't always the case! I actually disliked it very much. But, my brother and cousins would watch it, so I followed the crowd despite being annoyed by it. Fast forward 2 years. I was 12 years old. I was even more socially awkward, even more bullied, my anxiety and depression started to take control of my thoughts. One day, I was searching for something to watch in the evening. DBZ was on. I kept looking. After a few moments without success, I sighed heavily and turned it back to the show I disliked just 2 years prior. But, something was different. There was a character, someone I wasn't familiar with. I was glued to my TV, glued to know more about this mysterious character. What was it about him? What was going on in my head at that time? When the episode ended, he was gone. But, my curiosity was still there. I had to watch more. I had to see him again. Would I ever see him again?

Episodes went by. But no luck. However, my opinion had completely changed about this show and I was growing to enjoy it. After many episodes, many days of hoping and waiting, he was back. My heart raced, I hadn't felt that happy in such a long time. I still didn't understand what my heart was trying to tell me. Why I was so drawn to this character. Honestly, I don't think I've ever fully figured that out!

Soon after, I began to write stories. I imagined a moment where I would fall through the television and end up in this make believe world I grew to love. Where I had friends who cared about me, where I had him. I taught myself to draw because I wanted to draw these characters and draw myself together with them. I finally found something I was good at.

In the beginning, we weren't meant to be together. I was meant to be there for just a short while and then return to my own universe. But, as the years went on, my attraction grew stronger. 2 years after the first time I saw his face, I started to draw a comic based on the first stories I had written. Except, we would be together. But, I didn't want it to be one of those "fall in love at first sight" types of stories. I wanted it to be believable. I wanted our relationship to grow through hardships and challenges. Through all of that, I was really starting to notice I had a deeper connection to this character than I had realized.

Through all of my bullying, through my heartbreaks, through more challenges than I can remember, he's always been there. It wasn't until maybe 10 years ago that it really hit me. I love him. There was no question about it. I love him with everything that I am. I went through greater challenges with it. DeviantART was not very friendly to self shippers. I met some of my best friends through the fandom(especially @nessie-noodlez whom was the first I found in the DB fandom that shared the same feelings as me but towards a different character) and it was my first taste of knowing there are others like me. But, there was still so much hate. I stopped being open about self shipping because I couldn't take the comments. Until last year. I became close with a wonderful person, @emperatrizdereiji , and it was because of her that I said "fuck it" to all of the backlash. I rejoined Tumblr and I found this amazing community full of so many self shippers!! It was such an eye-opener. To know how big this community truly is, to see how welcoming and supportive you all are!! I love so much that I've been able to be myself here without feeling ashamed of it. I love hearing about all of your self inserts and self ships. And I look forward to hearing more!

I am currently 30 years old. I've self shipped more than half my life. I'm also a married woman with a 4 year old son, an amazing job, and a home of my own. I continue to self ship and self insert because it makes me happy. Because at the end of the day, it's something I can always look forward to. I always have someone by my side, cheering me on. And I'm here, cheering all of you on as well 🤗

I've made some wonderful friends in this community. Even if we don't speak regularly, I do look forward to seeing your new posts ❤️❤️❤️

[autobot2001]

Trying to figure out a fanfiction timeline is rough

Add trying to figure out how 20 years of ideas work with each other + attempting to follow the show/ movie duration the best I can. It's not going to be perfect. One con of not writing these stories for 18 years. For some reason I was thinking no time while in school but I wasn't loaded with homework, no friends, a couple years of after school activities but not all my school years. 🤷‍♀️

I managed to write a few short stories ( I no longer have) and what I thought would be one story in the series but I HATE it. Good idea but I'm rewriting when I get to that fandom. I started writing a story that had the chance to get published I think last four months of my senior year of HS. One character is based on a friend in the life skills class. Sadly she died. I wasn't motivated to write. Also this sounds silly but it's the years since I started thinking about ideas for this series and......I found out fanfiction is illegal to get published and there's a debate if fabrication is illegal. I don't think that made me not want to write but I didn't until randomly in 2018. Watching Transformers: The Last Knight, and got an idea I decided to actually write which ended up being The Nightmare.

Perhaps a good thing; more time to get better at writing, and think of more ideas, but....

I'm writing out of order. I do my best to write a complete story so the reader isn't lost. I lightly mention events in the timeline that I haven't written about. Maybe it gets people interested.

Another good thing about not writing these stories all this time; easier to add new ideas. For example; The Girl He Didn't Know He Loved, Her Savior and Sunstreaker's Charge.

A possible downside is all the ideas I keep coming up with. So rather than getting to the stories that take place from the beginning or even middle of the timeline, I'm adding 😆 and of course want to write those stories. They say write what you want, but when you're dealing with a timeline 🤔

So I'm trying to figure out part of the timeline. The Dragon Ball Super portion because I believe the end of CiTL will be Jamie needs to leave to fight in the tournament of universal survival ( DBS) but I need to make sure. That's not a spoiler.

It looks like while in the show, three years pass from the first episode to the last, a little more will pass in the story(ies). Perhaps four years.

Hopefully I figure it out so CITL will finish this week and I can plan a holiday book for this year. Though it's annoying a few OCs still need to be excluded.