#I think the fandom was biggest during the height of the anime and I joined when that died out and there was only talk of :re

[tokyo-ghoul-heritage-posts]

Heritage Post Suggestions Welcome!

Tokyo Ghoul may have a dead fandom these days, but I'd hate for the old posts to slowly become lost to the void.

I'm looking for a minimum of around 10k with exceptions for notable posts such as more obscure content or translations* from Ishida or the anime or posts that I find particularly funny (I'll admit I've been biased a few times).

*(For example, if anyone saved the fully translated episodes of the radio show, please send them my way).

Any artist who does not appreciate their old work being reblogged here is welcome to contact me and I will remove it.

[ericaportfolio]

TW: For references/mentions of abuse. You all are going to hate this character.

After some of the last crazy few weeks, I finally finished another character sheet based on the art from the Hello Puppets games with another OC I created if the show did not get canceled, no fire, and no possessed murder puppets ever happened. This character was created when the Lackadaisy Pilot came out, but I added some Helluva Boss (don't watch the show if you are under 18 kids, please wait) mafia episode influences.

On the outside, Francis Nack, Father of Nick Nack, runs an Arcade Casino in one of the cities near the town the Handeemen lives. But in reality, Francis is the French Mob Boss and uses his Arcade Casino as a coverup for a money racketeering scheme. Sadly, after years of emotional and physical abuse, when Nick was about to turn 18 in a month, he was secretly approached by a banker who was hired by his missing mother, Jancis, years ago to give Nick his inheritance from her to use if he wanted to get away from the crime family and use that money for anything he wants to pursue. Obviously, Nick took the money, went to an art college, and years later joined the newly formed Handeemen group that later became a show. Blessing or a curse, on the premiere episode of Season 3, when the Handeemen accepted an offer to help a kid win a pinball tournament, they are suddenly picked up by a mysterious luxurious travel escort transportation. To Nick's (even Virginia's) dismay, it turned out that the pinball tournament was taking place at the same Arcade Casino with Francis waiting for them. As Francis's premiere episode progresses, his intentions are made clear becoming the main antagonist for Season 3. Yep, Season 3 became a French parody of The Godfather.

Historically, the law chased the Mafia out of Las Vegas during the Mid-1980s. Whoever got the character approved by the censors must have been the many therapists at the time when PSA episodes really started to kick in the late 1980s/early 1990s to spread awareness of child abuse because the Handeemen fandom was theorizing if Nick came from an abusive home, but nobody was expecting The Godfather route. So what better way to bring awareness than by making the abuser the main antagonist for the season. Francis is literally the French version of The Godfather. Along with Lackadaisy and Helluva Boss, his biggest inspiration came from the 2003 French animated comedy, The Triplets of Belleville, which is a CLASSIC!!! Though be warned of mature content in the film since the movie is for audiences thirteen and up. The mafia in that film is similar to the Nack Mob in this AU. Like father like son, they are almost alike, except for height and Francis is commonly nicknamed Scarface for his scar. Francis originally had Brown Hair that faded over time. To get the season approved by the producers and the censors, instead of having a regular Casino as a backdrop, they instead went with an Arcade Casino with arcade games, pinballs, and fair games in a classic Las Vegas-like setting.

Nick's mom, Jancis Nack, was a mixture of Riley and Daisy with Audrey Hepburn influences. Speaking of Daisy, Jancis's hair was inspired by Daisy's blueprints from the Hello Puppets games. Nick's mom's disappearance becomes one of the biggest mysteries in the show, some thinking Francis had something to do with it. So yeah, Nick has 🎵 parent/daddy issues🎵 everybody!

[rhetorical-ink]

Haikyuu!! SPOILERS: Chapter 401, How We Connect the Dots.

**PENULTIMATE SPOILERS BELOW**

I just posted a video with my live reactions to the chapter, but here are my highlights, because FURUDATE YOU MADMAN GENIUS. This chapter connected so much together. So, let’s do:

My Top 10 Thoughts on Haikyuu!! Chapter 401:

10. Of course. In true Furudate fashion, he has Kageyama block the spike from Hinata, BUT, what Kageyama doesn’t realize is all the training on the beach Shoyo has done to prepare for such a moment. And that heel kick! *swoons* Also, someone reacting to Season 4, Episode 9 of the anime, where Hinata kicks the ball back to himself called this happening all those months ago...Furudate is next level at foreshadowing. Not that we didn’t already know that.

9. Hey, remember how in the VERY FIRST chapter of Haikyuu!! Shoyo did this crazy run across the court to score? Yeah, Furudate knows we remember. And he pulls this -- and Kageyama’s beautiful reaction, only for --

-- Only for it to all be a DECOY. Kageyama, you made this monster, you know. I love that Shoyo has come all this way from wanting to score all the points to accepting that the decoy DOES have a vital role to play, and in this instance, it’s allowing Bokuto to score the winning point for the MSBY Black Jackals. Just look at that smile! And of course, Tanaka and Asahi KNOW the power of Hinata as a Decoy...because they’ve been in Bokuto’s shoes before. 

8. UGH, the aftermath of that moment is glorious, which will detail down below -- but I love Shoyo and Kageyama’s interaction, though. How they’re still keeping track of each other’s wins and losses, exhausting Miya, hilariously, and showing that they’re on equal footing now, after all these years. This chapter is just cementing the last several chapters’ worth of character development. 

7. ARE YOU SHIPPERS READY FOR YOUR FOOD?!

Because these next few pages were healing my shipper heart. I mean, yes, the Kagehina fanbase is raving right now, but let’s talk about THESE ships below, starting with:

Tsukishima x Yamaguchi:

So, Tsukishima, of course, is not sappy about any of this and just points out how the season’s just getting started (ready the fanfics, y’all). 

And of course, Yamaguchi wants to watch Tsuki play! Yachi says she’ll come too! I LOVE how just like he was with Akiteru, he doesn’t want them to come watch (even though we all know he’ll love it when they’re there). Now, some people have commented that Yamaguchi could be with Yachi, but y’all...Yachi is in Tokyo. Yamaguchi and Tsuki both live in Miyagi. I can’t wait for all the Sendai Frog/TsukiYama fanfics!

If you’re looking for an extra Kagehina crumble, just look at the end of this adorable exchange between Romero, smol adorable Rubens, and Shoyo (who perfectly crouches down to talk to him MY HEART I CAN’T), to see Kageyama notice that Shoyo can speak multiple languages...oh, honey! If only you know about Hinata and Pedro’s marathons of DBZ in Portugese and English! ^^

Also, Furudate WE SEE YOU. We see you being meta and implying that now Haikyuu!! is over, he’s moving on...Akaashi’s line about going forward hit me hard...it’s like he’s telling us, the fandom, that going on to start something new isn’t so bad. SO YOU SAY. 

BOKUAKA NATION -- WE CANON NOW, RIGHT?!

I love that Akaashi gets to interview Bokuto (IS HE GOING TO BE THE STAR of the Volleyball manga Tenma Udai is writing?! He would be PERFECT for it!) and how happy Akaashi looks, even if he and Bokuto realize how differently they view the term “normal.” 

ALSO, it’s implied above that Akaashi, Bokuto, and Tenma were going out for drinks...which now....we know that it’s just Bokuto and Akaashi, since Tenma was going home. Uhm, FAN FIC WRITERS ASSEMBLE!

I also love that Udai joins the club, along with Fukurodani’s coach and manager, of people who realize that Bokuto and Akaashi are weirdos but they are weirdos together, so it’s fine. 

Keeping the “Ship Train” going, we get little bits of Shimizu x Yachi from the bathhouse before the Inarizaki Match, where Kiyoko finally acknowledges she is okay showing her legs...thanks to Yachi’s words. I also find Suga wanting to know “the tea” on the situation to be adorable. 

AND FINALLY, YES, Y’ALL:

I was spoiled with Kuroo’s return, but seriously, Furudate, you saved him for the end here so INTENTIONALLY. 

Because OF COURSE Kuroo would work for the JVA. As a promoter. CONNECTING people...with Volleyball...because that’s the Nekoma way.

And FURUDATE ARE YOU SUGGESTING TO US THAT KUROO AND KENMA ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS BECAUSE MY KUROKEN HEART IS SOARING -- 

-- and let it be known Atsumu Miya rightfully doesn’t trust Kuroo, and neither does Sakusa. A nice SakuAtsu crumb where we actually see Sakusa agree with Miya without sacrasm or question! Poor Shoyo is a salesman’s dream, though. I mean, Kuroo does look a little sketchy in some of those shots...BUT....

6. Kuroo’s speech about sports was SO fitting. Seriously, everything he says here is BASICALLY what makes Haikyuu!! such a great series. I DID laugh out loud at the line about “hardly anybody dies.” 

*Flashbacks to “Dead Daichi” meme*

5. It’s taken us the ENTIRE series, but Kageyama finally talks to Kindaichi and Kunimi. This was so heartwarming, seeing Kageyama wanting to play WITH THEM. AS A TEAM. This made my heart expand three sizes. The character development on Kageyama, and Kindaichi, is through the roof.

I also LOVE Kunimi the most in these panels. Kunimi is a MOOD. 

Y’ALL. I’VE WAITED 400 CHAPTERS FOR THIS PANEL OF THESE THREE HAPPY AND BECOMING FRIENDS AGAIN.

4. I love that Hoshiumi doesn’t see Hinata as a Rival, but as someone that is going to help him show the rest of the world the strength of someone who doesn’t have height. I also find it interesting that we see the Japanese Olympic Coach walking out just as Hoshiumi gives us that beautiful gaze. So...does Hoshiumi know he’s going to be on the Olympic team, with Hinata, maybe? Foreshadowing, perhaps?

3. Okay, okay, I held it together until this page. 

It wasn’t Ushijima’s panel with Washijo that got me.

It wasn’t Saeko and Akane reuniting, though that was sweet. 

It wasn’t the three “Pure Captains” reuniting, though it made my heart happy.

It honestly wasn’t the five first years together, either. They’re all so happy and having a laugh at Kageyama’s expense, and as beautiful as that panel is.

SUGAWARA IN LINE TO GET KAGEYAMA’S AUTOGRAPH.

That is what got me. 

Him in line, so meekly, to get the autograph of his kouhai, the man Suga joked would have to tell about how much he learned from HIM when he was giving out interviews and autographs...I just...Sugawara made me cry. That is all. 

2. Then there’s this last page. 2021. 

"We overcame difficulties and stand here.”

Furudate really said “screw you” to Covid messing up the timeline.

Yes, seeing Kageyama and Hinata in their original jersey numbers was amazing, but I think we all saw that coming if these two happened to get on the Olympic team. 

What I want to focus on are the two countries we see included in the bottom corner here. We see: 

Brazil -- and some fluffy haired man carrying the flag for the team.

And we see the United States -- there’s several American Flags and stars and stripes on the shirts of the crowd, there.

SO, HEADCANON TIME: 

* Oikawa was on the Argentinean League, so could he play for Brazil? It’s not likely, but not impossible....BUT, I don’t think that’s it.

I don’t think Oikawa is on Japan’s National Team for the Olympics.

If he is on the Olympic Team, I think he’ll be on America’s. 

Why? Because, and this could be because I’m the biggest IwaOi shipper, but Iwaizumi was still in the United States with Ushijima’s father at the end of Chapter 395. And if he’s still there, there is no reason why Iwaizumi couldn’t be a physical trainer alongside Ushijima’s father for the U.S. Olympic team. And why wouldn’t Oikawa trek over to the States to be on the same team as Iwa-Chan’s working with? I’m probably wrong, BUT -- 

We also still need to see Seijoh’s banner, and as others have theorized, how fitting would it be to see Hinata, Kageyama, and (probably) Ushijima on the team facing Oikawa? I just....I’m betting money that Oikawa shows up in 402. I hope we at least see him on the Olympic Stage. OIKAWA DESERVES IT. 

1. So, who are we missing that hasn’t been shown yet?

We still need to see the rest of Nekoma (Lev, Yaku, Yamamoto, Kai....could they be in the stands or on the Japan team? I guess we’ll find out!)

We haven’t seen Daishou and Mika -- I would love to see them watching or narrating in the audience during the Olympic game.

And finally, yes, we’ve seen Tendo in the Chapter 395 flashback, but we’ve never seen what he’s DOING. Furudate has shown us with every character what they’ve been doing since the timeskip....EXCEPT TENDO. I’m calling it that he’ll appear one more time next chapter, too.

So....guys....I’m staying off of Social Media from Wednesday to Sunday next week, to prep for the last chapter and not be spoiled. I’m going to do a live reaction for YouTube, and I’ll post it here. You can see the one I did for 401 now. 

Furudate, this series has been immaculate. Time for one more round.

Let’s all cry together next week.

[overwatch-does-stuff]

The Torbjorn vs. Mina Liao rant.

Mina Liao was introduced to Overwatch to lampshade out Torbjorn’s intended role in the greater lore. Here’s the deal:

(Obligatory disclaimer, since I know how this fandom can get sometimes: I don’t hate women. I don’t hate people of color. Me hating Mina Liao and defending Torbjorn is not because I hate women of color and worship white men. There, we good?)

In Torbjorn’s comic Destroyer, Torbjorn is making it his business to take down an Omnic titan that’s currently in the process of razing a city to the ground. While he sneaks onboard the titan, he gives us a very compelling monologue about why he’s here. 

“I helped design the beast. I weighed in on a ton of research and development during my days in the Ironclad guild. The initial vision behind the titan was to create a mech that could build high rises, not destroy them.”

This comic, the comic that establishes Torbjorn into the lore of Overwatch, leans very heavily into the idea that Torbjorn feels personal guilt over his role in designing the Omnics. It sets up this guilt as Torbjorn’s character arc, his personal mission. The writing makes it clear that this was his motivation to join Overwatch from day one. The man learned about this Omnic attack a day ago, for heaven’s sake, and he had already traveled to the scene to take it down. That’s dedication!

And now, in 2020, we’re introduced to Mina Liao.

Who is Mina Liao? Why, she worked directly for Omnica! None of this middle-man Ironclad nonsense! She helped develop the Omnics. She felt guilty that her work on the Omnics was used for evil. She joined Overwatch because of this guilt. 

Boy, doesn’t that all sound awful familiar?

Even worse, we’re told this in a cinematic that isn’t even supposed to be about her. Liao is supposed to be just a footnote in Echo’s story. But instead, almost the entire animated origin short is dedicated to giving us Liao’s story. Why?

Look, it’s no secret that Torbjorn is not a fan favorite character. He’s gruff, doesn’t like Omnics, and the worst sin of all: he’s short. Because of his height, he isn’t taken seriously by the fanbase. He’s a meme character, the butt of all the jokes. He’s considered ‘pervy’.

What’s even worse is that Blizzard is leaning into the joke. Every voiceline that they’ve given him last year has been some variation of “too hot for you?” or “try my meatballs!”. And I get it- characters get joke voice lines from time to time, but with Torbjorn, they’re a constant.

I think what Blizzard has learned is that no one takes Torbjorn seriously. As a result, they don’t treat him seriously. But because they need that essential figure in the lore- the regretful builder of Omnics -they made a new character who they thought would be taken seriously, copy-pasted the backstory, and let it run.

The only reason they got away with this was by killing her off in the origin short.

But that’s not the end to Torbjorn’s erasure from future intended storylines. No, it gets worse. Much worse. Why is it so much worse? Because it robs the story from not only Torbjorn, but Bastion as well.

Enter the comic Binary. It’s the first time we’ve seen Bastion since their animated short. They’ve wound up in Sweden. Torbjorn sets out to deactivate them permanently. But along the way, he remarks about how odd Bastion seems,

“Never heard of a rust bucket running. They’re programmed to fight against any odds until they get shut down. Something’s not right.”

Torbjorn then directly confronts Bastion and is confused when Bastion doesn’t try to defend themself. However, interrupting the perfect moment is a bunch of other humans. Torbjorn shouts at them,

“I’m asking you as someone who’s spent many long years fighting these things. This Bastion is different. And if it can change. . .”

Again and again, the narrative hammers the point home about how the Last Bastion is different. They are not like other Omnics. Why? Because their programming changed. When Torbjorn realizes this, the idea alone is enough to cause him to betray the local law enforcement to protect Bastion. 

The law enforcement agents try to protest against his actions, saying, “Don’t you have enough blood on your hands?”

And Torbjorn replies, “Enough for a lifetime.”

In this line, Torbjorn is implying that he thinks Bastion could be the solution to Omnic troubles. By not dismissing the question, he’s addressing what he’s done. So what other reason would he help Bastion go free if he didn’t think that they could help solve his ‘lifetime’ of guilt?

This sets up Torbjorn and Bastion to be the keystone to the entire Overwatch narrative. One of the biggest mysteries in the Overwatch universe is what caused the Omnic Crisis and what still causes Omnics in Russia and Korea to be violent. Through Bastion, an old Crisis Omnic who learned how to change, Torbjorn could have figured out!

But then, but then. . . Echo comes along.

She’s a specially built Omnic built by Mina Liao, our newer and cooler Regretful Builder Of Omnics. Echo is not like other Omnics- she’s special! All of these other Omnics are just pretending to have a learning AI. She’s the only one who actually has it. She’s a super uber top secret project that’s the key to reversing the legacy (yes, the legacy, it’s clearly mentioned in her origin short) of all other Omnics. She’s so important, the McCree and Ashe short got hijacked to introduce her into the narrative!

Okay, enough snide comments. But Echo’s introduction in the Reunion animated short places a lot of narrative weight on her. The fact that it was her introduction, instead of her origin story, tells us that Blizzard intends for her to be a serious player. 3D animation ain’t cheap, fellas, and they wouldn’t have wasted the eight minute animated build-up on some minor character. 

It isn’t just the narrative similarities either. Even her character feels like a copy. She’s portrayed as naive and curious about the world, just like Bastion is. She is thought of as a ‘dangerous’ Omnic by the more anti-Omnic characters, just like Bastion is. The only difference is that she has a direct relationship with McCree, a known fan favorite, as her way in to the rest of the grander narrative. That’s the equivalent of rolling out the red carpet for her arrival. Oh, and she can talk. That’s another difference. Because mute characters are just too much effort to portray in visual media, apparently.

We had Bastion built up as a unique Omnic, only for that to be swept aside by our showstopper Echo. We had Torbjorn set up as the face of the inventors of the Omnics in the lore, only for that to be swept aside by Dr. Liao. Is this really just a coincidence? Two sets of characters that fill the exact same narrative role?

I don’t think so. And I’m going to die mad about it.

[tonystarkbingo]

TSB MIV Week 4 Roundup!

If you haven’t seen, we got further news on Mod Tisfan, which you can see here.

Title: All that’s best of dark and bright Collaborator: cami-chats Card Number: 4049 Link: AO3 Square Filled: A4 - Tower Ship: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier Rating: Mature Major Tags: Some bad polyamory etiquette in the beginning, Non-con kiss, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier Are Separate Personalities, Polyamory, Established Winter Soldier/Tony Stark, Getting Together, Bad Polyamory Etiquette, Insecurity, Communication, First Kiss Summary: Bucky thought it would feel great when Tony and Winter agreed to date him. Mostly he's confused and second-guessing himself at every turn. Word Count: 4148

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Title: Broken Wings Collaborator: starktrekkingaroundasgard Card Number: 4048 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: A5 - Wing fic Ship: IronHusbands Rating: Teen Major Tags: None Summary: After he is injured in battle, Tony does all he can to rebuild Rhodey’s wings and help him regain his confidence. Word Count: N/A

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Title: Just Don’t Bite Me, Okay? Collaborator: Riot Card Number: 4052 Link: Tumblr Square Filled:  K1 - Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: moodboard and tiny fic, non-graphic injury, vaguely post-AoU, animal transformation, Bucky Barnes on the run, Tony Stark has always been a cat but now it’s official Summary: Tony hates magic. He hates it for a lot of reasons, not least of all his current predicament. Bucky on the other hand is much too busy struggling to stay alive to worry about anything else, much less magic. Right up until he finds an injured cat in an alley. Word Count: 404

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Title: “Hey Tony” Collaborator: Riot Card Number: 4052 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R4 - All’s Well that Ends Well Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: vague non-powered college AU, Steve as the very sick of this best friend. Summary: Steve points out that Bucky never calls Tony by his actual name. Bucky doesn’t believe him, until he does. Word Count: 811

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Title: By Scent Collaborator: camichats Card Number: 4049 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K5 - “You Did What?” Ship: Tony Stark/Winter Soldier Rating: E Major Tags: A/B/O smut, Accidental Bonding Summary: Tony was twenty and unmated, so his parents threw an old-style masquerade for him. He hadn’t liked the idea from the moment he heard it, but he liked it even less after hooking up with an alpha at the party that he couldn’t find again afterwards. Word Count: 11,880

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Title: Falling With Style Collaborator: iam93percentstardust Card Number: 4012 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Flying Ship: IronBros Rating: Gen Major Tags: Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Avengers (2012) compliant, Gen Fic Summary: When Tony was a little boy, his favorite thing to do was go to the airport so he could watch the planes take off. Word Count: 839

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Title: Get What You Paid For Collaborator: camichats Card Number: 4049 Link: AO3 Square Filled: S2 - Kink: Public/Semi-Public Sex Ship: Tony Stark/Winter Soldier Rating: E Major Tags: PWP, Semi-Public Sex Summary: Winter and Tony sneak down to a hall that's off the main room and have to keep quiet. Word Count: 698

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Title: ThunderIron Rec List Collaborator: SierraNovembr Card Number: 4033 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: T5 - Tony Stark/Thor Ship: ThunderIron Rating: N/A Major Tags: N/A Summary: A rec list of my top five favorite thunderiron fics. for @tonystarkbingo Word Count: N/A

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Title: Something Sweet Collaborator: newnewyorker93 Card Number: 4042 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R4 - Happily Ever After Ship: Pepperony Rating: Gen Major Tags: Fluff Summary: Tony livens up Pepper's day with some sweet treats. Word Count: 963

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Title: Cookie Avengers Say Vote! Collaborator: Gavilan Card Number: 4092 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: T5 - Election Day Ship: Tony Stark & Steve Rogers Rating: Gen Major Tags: Food, fandom baking project, US politics Summary: Iron Man and Captain America gingerbread cookies with a Florida “I Voted” sticker. Word Count: N/A

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Title: Dancing Around the Subject Collaborator: PoliZ Card Number: 4007 Link: AO3 Square Filled: T5 - Resolve Ship: Pepperony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Minor canon divergence, Pepper POV Summary: Pepper knows better than to dance with her boss, but she does it anyways. Word Count: 727

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Title: The Start of Something New - Chapter 1: This “Us” Thing Collaborator: rebelmeg Card Number: 4034 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K2 - First Date Ship: Pepperony Rating: Teen Major Tags: missing scenes, developing relationship, first date, self-esteem issues, vacation Summary: After their first kiss on the rooftop, Pepper and Tony arrange a way to figure out this new thing they’ve got started between them. Word Count: 2362

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Title: Height Restriction Collaborator: Magica Card Number: 4019 Link: AO3 Square Filled: T1 - Animal Transformation Ship: WinterIronStrange Rating: Teen Major Tags: Humor, animal transformation, magic Summary: Hit by a stray spell of Loki's during battle, Tony discovers it has a rather unusual effect. The penthouse was not made for this. Word Count: 2256

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Title: You Give Me Reason to Live Collaborator: PoliZ Card Number: 4007 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R3 - Kink: Lingerie  Ship: Pepperony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Striptease, semi-public semi-nudity, exhibitionism Summary: Pepper has a very special (and not-so-private) gift planned for Tony. Word Count: 1885

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Title: i come as a woman, dark and open - Chapter 8 Collaborator: deathsweetqueen Card Number: 4066 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R1 - Kink: Candles Ship: Stuckony Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Female Tony Stark, Regency AU, Misogyny, Racism, Explicit Sexual Content, Emotional Infidelity, Slurs, Marital Dissatisfaction Summary: When Toni first meets Captain Steve Rogers at one of the biggest gatherings of the season, she is not impressed. On the other hand, his best friend, the charming James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, was an utter delight. Unfortunately for her, after a series of misunderstandings at said party, she is forced to accept Steve’s hand in marriage in order to save her family’s reputation. And while Toni never expected a fairy tale, she had always hoped that companionship would one day turn into something more. How was she to know that Steve was just as charmed by Bucky as she was? a.k.a. Steve and Toni get married to each other; there are more misunderstandings; Bucky is an absolute delight and possibly the saving grace for their marriage; and somehow, all three end up falling in love with each other in the process. Word Count: 33,313

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Title: i die with variety - Chapter 1 Collaborator: deathsweetqueen Card Number: 4066 Link: AO3 Square Filled:  A1 - WTF Ship: IronHusbands Rating: Mature Major Tags: major character death, immortality in a way but it will end at some time, explicit sexual content. Warnings for this Chapter: deaths in various, graphic circumstances, violence, alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related death, domestic violence. Summary: The first time that Tony dies, he is four and he’s building his very first circuit board from scratch. He’s connecting the finished product to the multimeter to check the voltage, the current and resistance, when a lead slips, a shock ricochets up through his spine, and he sees black. He’s on his back, when his eyes flutter open, and he’s staring up at the ceiling. He gets up, frowning, rubbing at his eyes, and then, he sees the frayed wire on the end of the multimeter. Huh, he thinks and moves on almost immediately. Word Count: 3992

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Title: You Never Stop Counting Collaborator: BennyBatch Card Number:  4005 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R1 - Damsels (and others) in distress Ship: FrostIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: Frigga feels, mourning Summary: Tony didn’t ask about Loki’s mother; he knew better than that. Word Count: 871

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Title: gatekeeper of an endless war - Chapter 1 Collaborator: deathsweetqueen Card Number: 4066 Link: AO3 Square Filled: R3 - Meet Ugly Ship: Stony Rating: Mature Major Tags: Raiders of the Lost Ark AU, Violence, Nazis. Summary: In 1939, Tony Stark's bar in Bangalore goes up in flames when his ex-lover, Steve Rogers, comes looking for an artefact that belonged to his father, and before he knows what is happening, he finds himself joining forces with Steve to foil a Nazi plot to find the fabled Syamantaka Gem, rumoured to ensure that its bearer would never encounter any calamities and would always be full of prosperity and plenitude, before they can use the gem's unbelievable powers to turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favour. Word Count: 4603

[aion-rsa]

Why Pokémon Has Endured For 25 Years

https://ift.tt/3aGzdnP

This article is presented by:

In 1996, Joseph Tobin was a professor of early education at the University of Hawaii when he decided to walk into a hobby store in Kaimuki for field research.

“They had some Pokémon stuff—the Japanese versions of the cartridges,” Tobin recalls. “People could buy them in this store before they were even available elsewhere. We interviewed the owner and decided that Pokémon would be a really interesting thing to study.”

Tobin had a pre-existing interest in Japanese culture from time spent in Japan as an exchange student and therefore continued his research in other hobby shops and toy stores throughout Honolulu. As the years progressed, he traded Pokémon cards with children who were adamant that he would not get ripped off in lopsided swaps. He followed as a colleague’s six-year-old son spent 90-plus hours with his Pokémon Blue cartridge for the Nintendo Game Boy, learning to read, understanding maps, and calculating sums in the process.

The years of Poké studies culminated in Tobin hosting an academic conference in 2000, where educators, anthropologists, and other cultural experts gathered in Honolulu to discuss this massive, yet certainly fleeting, Pokémon phenomenon. The findings and arguments of the conference were collected in the insightful and thoroughly-researched, yet tragically named, Pikachu’s Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon.

“We thought we better hurry and get this out before the craze is over,” Tobin says.

25 years later and the Pokémon craze is nowhere near over. 

Today, Pokémon is one of the most successful, if not the most successful entertainment entities in human history. Pokémon is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, having taken in an estimated $88 billion in revenue. According to eBay, there were 160 million searches on the platform for Pokémon cards last year, and they outsold even baseball cards. In December of last year, a Base set 1st edition PSA-graded 10 “shadowless” Charizard card sold on eBay for a staggering $350,100. The Pokémon games are now in their eighth generation and have sold over 340 million units. The long-running anime is in its 24th year and features more than 1,100 episodes. 

In defense of Tobin and The Rise and Fall of Pokémon’s title, the franchise, created by Game Freak and Nintendo, did seem like it was on the ropes in the early 2000s. “Pokémania” had largely died out and financial markers like the Pokémon card market had cooled. But Pokémon didn’t need a lengthy Pokémania to become one of the most successful entertainment franchises ever. To find success, all Pokémon needed was a consistent track record of innovative creators behind the scenes and a dedicated fan base of children—and eventually adults—willing to catch them all. 

“This will probably be something you hear from me and the rest of the team at Pokémon a lot. But Pokémon really is for everyone,” says Daniel Benkwitt, Senior Manager, Communications & Public Relations for The Pokémon Company International. “As long time fans will tell you, Pokémon has always been around throughout many iterations. The fans have been dedicated to Pokémon for 25 years, no matter when they came in.”

Benkwitt has a unique perspective on the nature of Pokémon’s ebbs and flows. Now working on the franchise’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, Benkwitt joined the Pokémon Company during Pokémon’s 20th anniversary—the same year that the massively popular augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go debuted.

“I was excited to work on an exciting franchise, but who knew what it was actually going to be once Pokémon Go had launched?” he says. “Truly, Pokémon Go on the 20th anniversary brought Pokémon back into the zeitgeist.”

In many ways, Pokémon Go served as a reminder of what the Poké die-hards already knew: this is Pikachu’s world and we’re just living in it. Whether it be through the series of beloved games, a highly successful card game, long-running anime, or sheer power of brand alone, Pokémon is one of the last quarter century’s big pop culture winners. 

The reasons why Pokémon survived its early fad status to blossom into a titan of entertainment are varied and innumerable, but it all starts with accessibility.

“There’s a variety of different ways and different touchpoints that fans can enter into Pokémon. My personal story is the anime,” Benkwitt says. “For a lot of folks, it was the video games, because that truly is the core of the franchise. Everything emanates out from there.”

Let the Poké Games Begin!

Pokémon Red and Green first premiered in Japan on Feb. 27, 1996. Its English counterparts, Red and Blue, would arrive in North America in 1998. Just about everything that’s appealing about the Pokémon franchise is apparent in those first two installments: exploration, training, trading, battling. The games capture creator Satoshi Tajiri’s experience of collecting insects as a boy in Japan, scaled up and fine-tuned for a larger, and eventually more Western audience. 

The games have evolved over the years, moving from a Matrix-green original Game Boy sprite display to the gorgeous, full-color three dimensions of Nintendo Switch. Along the way, new generations of fans have found their respective access points into the games and the franchise at large.

Pokémon content creator Ron Sroor is part of the next wave of Pokémon fandom, having been born after Red and Blue even debuted. He knows as well as anyone that the appeal of Pokémon has been constant, even if the heights of the franchise have waxed and waned. 

“To the people who were around at the beginning of Pokémania, it seemed like it was dying down, and it definitely was,” Sroor says. “But it never stopped being big. It was going from the biggest thing ever to just a normal, big thing.”

Like Benkwitt, Sroor came to Pokémon through the anime before coming to appreciate the larger tapestry of the franchise through the Pokémon Black and White games, which are set in a world approximating his native New York City. Now Sroor interacts with Pokémon fans via a variety of creative YouTube videos in which he discusses elements of the games like tier lists for powerful Pokémon, and shares his own artistic Pokémon renditions.

“I think the Pokémon are the draw of the franchise. They’re the perfect formula for creating creatures that aren’t too monstrous, but also not too childish or too cute,” he says. “Every single Pokémon is based on something, whether it be an animal or myth, and every location in the game or in the show or whatever is based on places in the real world.”

Cardboard Craze

Though the Pokémon series of games were the progenitor of the franchise, Pikachu and friends quickly proved too big to be contained by only one medium. The Pokémon Trading Card Game was first published by Wizards of the Coast in October 1996, just eight months after Red and Blue’s debut. These days, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (now under the auspices of The Pokémon Company) is considered one of the “Big Three” TCGs, alongside Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!. 

Competitive Pokémon TCG player Andrew Mahone recalls experiencing the first wave of Pokemania when he was in fourth grade. 

“1999—it was everywhere. Kids were playing the cards at recess, at the pool, wherever we went. I got captivated by the initial craze as it was the cultural phenomenon happening at the time. And being 10 years old, you’re the same age as the hero in the Pokémon franchise. So it really hit home with me there.”

Like many other kids of his generation, Mahone set Pokémon aside throughout his high school years and picked up a diverse array of other interests like soccer, skateboarding, and competitive running. It was during college, however, that Mahone met back up with the franchise that never truly went away, playing Pokémon Diamond and Pearl on the bus to and from track meets.

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“I fell in love with the franchise all over again doing that, and I played the DS game for hundreds of hours throughout my college career. When I graduated college, that’s when I was like, ‘Okay. Well, now I want something else that’s competitive to do now that I’m done with sports.’ That’s where I got into competitive Pokémon.”

Mahone attended his first competitive TCG event in 2012 and won his first regional championship in 2015. By 2017, he was making YouTube videos about the competitive Pokémon TCG scene. That channel has now evolved into his multimedia enterprise Tricky Gym, supported by Full Grip Games.

As part of the Pokémon TCG diaspora, Mahone has had a front-row seat to the game’s latest renaissance, this time likely driven by young adults looking to connect with their past while stuck indoors due to COVID lockdowns.

“We see a lot of young adults now in their mid-20s and 30s revisiting Pokémon because they have such strong nostalgic feelings for it. It came out in this very impactful time in their early childhood.”

I Wanna Be the Very Best…

One of the reasons that so many adults have warm fuzzies for the franchise is the storytelling around it. Premiering in 1997, the anime story of Ash Ketchum and his quest to become a Pokémon master has been a constant companion of the franchise through 24 years and hundreds of episodes. It also had a tremendous impact on the woman who would one day voice the young hero of Pallet Town.

“It was hard for me even as a kid to see it as a fad, because of the show,” Sarah Natochenny says. “It had heart, relatable characters, and adorable, unique creatures. This wasn’t just a game or set of toys. Pokémon had a story.”

Natochenny is an artist with eclectic talents and interests. After winning a bronze medal at the Junior Olympics in rhythmic gymnastics in 1999, she studied at the Strasberg Theater Institute for four years while also doing improv at UCB, and taking voice and dance classes on the side. In 2006, she auditioned for the role of Ash Ketchum in the Pokémon anime’s English dub, taking over for the role’s progenitor, Veronica Taylor.

“Pokémon was the biggest job I booked. It was only my second voiceover job, after a medical industrial,” Natochenny says. “I was the perfect age when Pokémon first came to America, and I loved the show and remember begging my parents for the cards. I had one deck. I have no idea where it is or whether or not there was a million-dollar card in there.”

Since 2006, Natochenny has voiced Ash, his mom Delia, along with a host of other human and Pokémon characters (Buneary being a particular favorite because it’s very cute). As part of the Pokémon 25th anniversary, Natochenny is most looking forward to wrapping up work on Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, along with some of the other planned festivities. 

“I’m looking forward to celebrating with fans and continuing to bring joy to people who grew up with my portrayal of their favorite character. I’ll also probably dance to the music that comes out, so tune in to my social media to see if those dance classes paid off,” she says. 

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25 Years of Pokémon

As Natochenny suggests, The Pokémon Company indeed has big plans—musical and otherwise—for the franchise’s 25th anniversary.

The team has been working on the celebration for over a year and has partnered with UMG and Katy Perry for a year-long musical campaign called P25 Music. Other corporate partners include Build-A-Bear Workshop, General Mills, Levi’s, McDonald’s, Jazwares, Scholastic, Mattel, Funko, PowerA, and The Wand Company (which is manufacturing a lifelike Poké Ball). And there are still more announcements to come.

“All I can say is, stay tuned because the rest of the year is going to be quite exciting with more surprises. Pokémon likes to surprise its fans,” Benkwitt says.

One thing that wouldn’t surprise its fans is if Pokémon one day observed a 50th- anniversary celebration, or even a centennial. It certainly wouldn’t surprise Tobin, who is still an early education professor, now at the University of Georgia.

“I’m not surprised that [Pokémon] has lasted this long in the sense that I think it’s really good,” he says. “It was really cleverly designed and it has a really rich narrative. I’m happy to see that it’s made it.”

Shop Pokémon on eBay today!

The post Why Pokémon Has Endured For 25 Years appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[kingsman-zed-blog]

Character Questionnaire. 

Basics

Full Name: Zachary Michael Kingsman

Age: 26

Date of Birth: December 17, 1990

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, NY

Parents: Michael and Laura.

Siblings: Andrew and Kaden.

Offspring: None.

Pet(s): None.

Occupation: Editor.

Relationship/Marital Status: Single.

Education: BA in Journalism and a minor in English.

Height: 5'10’’

Heritage: TBA (Witches and Warlocks)

Languages Spoken: English, French, tiny bit of Latin.

Hobbies/Interests: Urban exploration, underground parties, reading, writing.

Fears/Phobias: Atychiphobia (the fear of failure).

Strengths: Creative, Intelligent.

Weaknesses: Sarcastic, Guarded, Envious.

Favorites

Movie(s): The Princess Bride, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Gattaca, The Way He Looks.

Book(s): The Night Circus, Animal Farm, The Giver.

TV Show(s): Atlanta, The Get Down, Eyewitness, Misfits, Prison Break. 

Bands/Singer(s): Gorillaz, The xx, Loïc Nottet, Daft Punk, Stromae, Son Lux,etc.

Color: Green.

Animal: Dog. Or cat. (Don’t make him pick.)

Food: Almonds.

Author(s): N/A (He’s an editor. That’s like asking him to pick a favorite cloud.)

Season: Spring.

Drink (alcoholic and/or non): White Russian.

School Subject: English / literature.

Historical Figure(s): TBD.

Misc.

What did you want to be when you were little?: A hunter or a school teacher.

Who was your childhood hero?: Batman. 

Who was your best friend growing up?: Kaden, tbh. 

What fictional character do you most identify with?: Bilbo Baggins, I guess.

If you were sorted at Hogwarts, which house would you end up in?: Ravenclaw.

What is a quote that has stuck with you?: “I’ve lived too long with pain. I don’t know who I am without it.” – Ender Wiggins, Ender’s Game.

Which A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones house would you be in?: (a complete list of houses) House Martell.

What is your biggest regret?: Not returning to my family when I knew they needed me.

What is one of your happiest memories?: Training and practice-dueling with Andrew. 

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?: Telekinesis.

What Disney character would you be?: The Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland.

The apocalypse is upon us, and you’re a rookie Jaeger pilot. What other Elysium character would you be most Drift Compatible with and your co-pilot?: Probably my sister, since I don’t think I could trust someone else like that (yet).

What is your biggest secret?: I never really told anyone (besides my parents) about the witch-hunting incident. I don’t know how much my siblings know. 

What Tumblr fandom would you be involved in?: Urban photography.

What is one random fact about you?: I didn’t try any ‘recreational drugs’ till I moved to Seattle and my west-coast friends would probably enjoy telling those stories too much.

Who was your first crush? Who is your current crush?: A neighbor who’d wash his car shirtless. I dunno, kinda moving around too much to be interested in someone right now.

If you could time travel to any time period in history, when would it be?: The future. Who wants to go back to segregation and hate crimes against POC and the LGBTQ community? Gross. 

Did you play any sports or were you involved in any extracurricular activities growing up? If so, which ones?: Definitely had a lot of extracurricular activities with my family, training to be a hunter. That took up too much time to join in school sports or anything like that. 

If you could have anyone in the world write the first chapter of your biography, who would it be?: (Thanks to Dazed Magazine for that one) Honestly don’t know...

What Mean Girls character would you be?: Cady.

How would you die in a horror film?: Probably get run over by a car. Or train.

Can you play any musical instruments? If so, which ones?: The radio. 

You’ve been selected in your District’s reaping to participate in the annual Hunger Games. What weapon would you wield during the Games?: Battle axe.