#LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL GAY ALIEN ROBOTS

[daylesspax]

Three out of four OG Rescue Bots done!

Heatwave was super fun to do (I definitely went overboard with the colors… even if you can’t see some of them, it’s the thought that counts 😅

It has come to my attention that it is exceptionally hard to put flag colors on a none-white surface and be able to tell what they are, especially with the lighting I chose (I’ll adjust it later so you can actually see the colors and know what flags they represent)

Anyway, time for the list of flags!:

Demi-AroAce on the big flag and on his left shoulder

Bisexual flag on his left shoulder and right foot (this applies to him and Kade)

Pansexual flag on his helmet and left arm-tire

Apagender/Inersgender flag on his windshield, the upper party banner on his ladder, and his right leg-tire (I think… can’t exactly see it bc of the blending mode making it look white, but I think that’s what I put there, I could be wrong, I have bad memory… 😅) btw, apagender just means ‘gender apathy’ or literally not caring abt your gender and how others perceive your gender regardless of if you’re trans or not

Genderqueer flag on his right arm, right leg-tire, and the lower party banner on his ladder

Demiromantic flag on his right arm-wheel thingy (sorry no technical terms today-)

Demisexual flag on his left arm-wheel thingy

Polyamorous flag on his left shoulder (the newer version I’ve seen pop up, mainly because the design is easier to replicate due to the lack of literal Pi symbol. I was originally meant to put it on the big flag, but I was unsure and decided against it)

Finally, the Rainbows: the side of his helmet, his left leg, his right arm-tire, and his windshield

I used quite a few flags on this, huh? I love Heatwave and am mostly projecting my own, personal identities on him, but I do want to be inclusive to as much of the community as possible! I don’t want to come off as disingenuous by throwing flags around for the sake of representation, so just let me know if you find this in any way offensive or hurtful or if you want to let me know if a flag I’ve used is controversial, etc!

I’m always open to criticism, and once more, headcanons for Boulder and the others so I may add on!

[raddagher]

Arcane is over (😭) and I have some criticisms so here are my lists of who Won and who Lost in no particular order

LOST SEASON 2

1. Isha

Literally wasn't even mentioned after she died, like wtf was that

We couldn't have a memorial or anything? Come on

Her sacrifice was ultimately meaningless because Warwick got brought back anyway

2. Sevika

Didn't get a single line through all of Act 3

Where is my wife

At least she didn't die?

3. The entire Undercity, to be honest

Where did the independence thread go

Giving Sevika a council seat wasn't enough

I don't like that so many of them had to fight in Enforcer uniforms, that felt wrong

That was the MAIN CONFLICT for most of the show. It felt so weird to gloss over it at the end

4. Vander/Warwick

Gonna be real I wasn't super crazy about most of his presence here, I don't feel like it actually contributed much to anyone's development, except MAYBE Viktor's

We would not have lost anything if they didn't have the flashback scene with their mom

Super didn't like Jinx's ending as it pertained to him

5. Jinx

Hey I super don't like that every character who had a moment of suicide ideation or attempt ended up dead or "dead"

I don't like the way she "died" it didn't feel earned

I don't feel like the ending she got aligned well with her character at all. She spiraled and then just. stayed at the bottom of the spiral :(

They put a TON of family stuff in act 1 and 2 that didn't get resolution in 3

I think they kinda did my girl dirty I'm sorry

6. Loris

Clearly would have had more of a role if they didn't have to cut him for time

NEITHER WON NOR LOST SEASON 2

1. Vi

I want to say she won because she got to bang her cop girlfriend in a prison cell and the sex scene was good as hell but

She also was just taking massive L's the whole time

Like it never felt like she ever had any real wins other than that and that bummed me out

Didn't get enough time to be a dumbfuck with Jayce :(

Caitlyn

Didn't get enough proper resolution for her wonderful fascist arc

She felt a little dropped in Act 3 as well

Glad she got that Vussy tho, good for her

And I did like the vs Ambessa fight, that was also good

I honestly feel like Viktor and Jayce's romance was written better than her and Vi's, and as a gay woman who is constantly watching mlm relationships get so much more attention, it rubs me the wrong way

WON SEASON 2

1. Viktor (OBVIOUSLY)

The fucked up robot army. The religious imagery. The body horror. His robot alien design is scary as fuck. Absolutely incredible work

Got to be taller and stronger than Jayce hooray

They're canon. That was the gayest shit I've ever seen in my life

I do wish they had spent more time overall fleshing out more of the disability commentary, I feel like it was a little lacking in the end

Nevertheless BEAUTIFUL and HORRIFYING and TRAGIC

2. Jayce

See above

Yeah he also got to be a big hero and got to be resolved really well

Did NOT see his death coming that was crazy

They Magnus 200'd his ass, damn

He chose Viktor over everything I'm emo

They made a heart when they touched their foreheads together fuck OFF

3. Heimerdinger

Literally just living his best life

Love that he didn't tell Ekko he can't die, he just let the poor boy think he got fuckin atomized, king shit, that's hilarious

I would have stayed in that universe too tbh

4. Ambessa

The single tear over Kino. Her love for her children at direct odds with her need for control. Her arc was explored so well

Died a warrior's death at the hands of her brilliant daughter, I know that's how she would have wanted to go

Also was very hot in every scene. Good for her (and good for me)

She just got a lot of love from the writers and I'm very happy to see that effort put into an older Black woman character

5. Mel

Speaking of gorgeous Black women

I was so worried she was going to get dropped but her ending was SO good

Her glow up with the gold is fantastic, she looks amazing in the white hood

Love that they gave her abilities that would inherently change her priorities AND gave her the throne of Noxus, I have high hopes that she'll be prominent in another show in the future

They made her such a powerful badass but still let her be merciful and forgiving. Absolutely amazing. She is the wolf

6. Ekko (?)

On the fence about him

LOVED the au scene. Perfect

And I loved that our boy savior got to be the one that set off the bomb that stopped Viktor

But he was kind of dropped otherwise? Like what happened with his tree?

Generally wish he had more development and screentime in this season

But I'm happy he was so pivotal to the climax

AND I'm happy he got to kiss Powder. He and Jinx would never have worked out

7. Maddie

Haha I never liked you. Get fucked you horrible little bootlicker. Typical cop

8. Singed

How come YOU get everything you want?

Fuck you.

Basically all my criticisms boil down to it feeling rushed overall. It's clear that they intended to have more time, and that breaks my heart. We all know Netflix's reputation for cancelling stuff out of the blue, and I've heard that maybe certain parties were unhappy with the depictions of gay romance and realistic social revolution. Whatever the reasons, I wish they had a third season, because I think they could have solved every problem I have with it. Regardless, it's an incredible work of art and very likely one of if not THE best animated series ever made.

[tentacledwizard]

transformers one spoilers under cut. i went into this movie knowing nothing about the transformers and I don’t think I know a lot right now. but did i enjoy it? hell yeah

smiled really big when i saw the meat spaceship. meat spaceships how i love you. also tentacle monster alien HELL YEAH 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥 made a very brief appearance but I hope we see more of her <3

in general the planet was cool. the combo of living and mechanical was neat. but yanno the meat spaceship stole the show.

beautiful animation. the way the metal was rendered? chefs kiss.

action scenes were. impossible to understand. too much machinery whirling around. but the scene of D-16 becoming Megatron as Orion becomes Robot Jesus was wonderful (I AM A SUCKER FOR PARALLELS.)

don’t really ship megatron/optimus but yknow I can see it. gay as hell to have an archnemesis and all that. in this house we love friendships that fail and then go nuclear

in general i liked the plot, two besties becoming worsties (understatement). want to watch more stuff like that.

kinda muttered “finally!” and “that’s my girl” when d-16 screams “I AM MEGATRON.” I also did this when Max Dillon yells “IM ELECTRO” in tasm 2. im a sucker for self-actualization I guess? but also like, what’s going thru megatron’s mind? is the cog thingy corrupting him? why does he hate orion THAT MUCH

very very glad that most of the jokes in the film are pretty decent. trust me I was worried.

ok so I was getting Tom Cruise kinda vibes from Sentinel Prime if that makes sense. you know what i mean

bee r u ok. if robot jesus is real then robot therapists should also be real

feel like they could’ve done better with elita idk. but her actress did well

banger credits music too

okay yeah this movie very much appealed to my inner uncritical guy that yells “WOAH!! BADASS!!” at vaguely cool moments in films. but let me just say. WOAH this film was BADASS!

very predictable movie! but wow does it look cool! good animation! yeah!

make more animated movies!

[this-is-lightning]

Supercorp FicRec P.27

Sooo its been a hot minute! I will start up with this series again and expand on the others. I will also start fic rec series for other ships (gonna make a master-master post lol) so look out for that if ur interested. Here we go!

As usual 5 fics after the cut.  Masterpost

A Wordless Song by NikiFrost

Leaving her manipulative and infamous family behind, Lena Luthor escapes to the quaint little town of Midvale to live in a cabin that once belonged to her biological mother. In need of a handyman for far too many repairs, she hires a recommended local. Enter Kara Danvers, a gentle soul who hasn't spoken a word since she lost her parents at a young age, yet hums the most beautiful wordless songs that will turn Lena's life upside down.

w: 25,439

r: general audiences

So soft and heartwarming! There's art too! Kara is mute in this and the incorporation of ASL was done so so well! Truly a joy to read! Mostly fluff with a little angst (as per their trauma). Bit of James bashing. Some very fun easter-eggs and callbacks to other ships.

K2 by MyCatIsMyEditor

Lena Luthor loves working with her best friend. Granted her best friend is an android her brother made but she still loves working with her. Not that she'd ever tell anyone. Her life is already pathetic enough without everyone knowing she works 100 hour weeks because her closest relationship is with a robot. Not that K2 is the main factor in her hours, no she and her team make revolutionary medical technology for Luthor Corp. She's there because she loves her job, not because sometimes K2 hugs her and it makes her crushing loneliness disappear for a moment.

Kara Zor-El was kidnapped by Lex Luthor when she first landed on Earth and has been kept hidden from the world disguised as a robot ever since. It's not so bad though, his sister found her and brought her to work with her and her team and despite believing she's a robot they treat her as one of their own. It's a little awkward that she has a teeny tiny crush on Lena and Lena thinks she's a robot. But Kara can deal with that. It's not like Lena could do anything even if she did know Kara was a person, Lex made sure of that.

w: 47,441

r: mature

Such an interesting and creative concept and its done so so so well. There's longing and loneliness and connection, fluff and sadness. And a happy ending. (Also pls yall read her other stuff, shes great!)

i don't know you, not really by LavenderMandarin

Set in season 3.

Lena doesn't know Kara is Supergirl and they recently had the argument about kryptonite. Supergirl comes to Lena's balcony one evening, but she doesn't bring up the kryptonite.

or

Supergirl reveals that she's Kara, but she reveals her name last

w: 4,284

r: teen and up

Quite possibly my favorite identity reveal. It digs into Karas feelings and psyche a lot. Feels soft and sad but there's also a deep feeling of connection. Angst meter medium - Lena is mad and its sad so yanno. But happy ending.

A legal loophole by MyCatIsMyEditor

When Kara and Lena left on their weekend trip to Vegas the plan was to spend a few days having fun and posting pictures for Catco Travel to keep Andrea off Kara's back. The plan most definitely didn't include getting drunk and getting married. It also didn't include consumating said marriage and waking up the next morning with their memories intact... mostly.

So what are two best friends to do but get a quick divorce and pretend they didn't have sex or actually mean it when they said they loved each other. Finding out they can't get a quick divorce because of some poor wording in a clause of the Alien Amnesty Act really doesn't help with this new plan.

w: 62,499

r: mature

Its funny and fun and a bit salacious. They are absolutely atrociously insufferable about it. Then they get a little dumb about it for a hot second. Gay hi-jinks and shenanigans of the 'just friends' variety ensue. A little good smut. Lex is being his usual charming self about this - so some badass action too.

A Christmas Princess by AsprinForest

Just before Christmas, an aspiring journalist, Kara Danvers, is sent to the foreign nation of Thorul to cover a press conference given by Princess Lena, who is set to take the throne following her brother's arrest. With all the press surrounding the scandal of the Thorulian Royal family, Kara hopes this could be her big break, but upon her arrival, there is a mix up and Kara finds herself assigned the role of the palace tutor for Lady Ruby. With only two weeks before the real tutor arrives, Kara scrambles to find an exclusive for Catco as well as help Lady Ruby deal with her recent family trauma, but the dark haired princess proves to be quite a distraction

w: 70,137

r: general audiences

Kara accidentally fumbles her way into the inner circle of a royal family and develops a crush on the ruling monarch - as you do. Ruby is a little genius with one leg, Lena is her lovely brilliant self, Kara gets space to reconnect with her East European heritage and gets to be smart. Sweet with a little angst and a happy ending.

Happy reading and don't forget to leave a little love on ao3 for the writers!

[e1dritchqueer]

hi!!! id love to hear all about ur xcom characters:3 especially your rangers! ... I don't know what that is but id love if you told me!

okay okay okay my xcom sillies!!!! So context for xcom 2, after the first game the like... xcom program lost and this fascist alien organization takes over and xcom 2 takes the perspective of a resistance origination fighting against the aliens rather than like... a weird government project in xcom 1

So the big appeal for xcom 2 (TO ME) is dressing up all the characters and making them all cool and silly and seeing them grow (and sometimes die :( but this is my first playthough so I'm MEGA savescumming) and making them gay and making propaganda about it

All xcom characters are randomly generated so I try not to change much about their name and appearance UNLESS I want to transgender them

ANYWAYS

my rangers

Rangers are a really fun class in xcom bc they're like the melee guys and ugh they have a lot of cool mechanics, and unlike my other guys (like generic grenadier, generic grenadier. generic grenadier)

here they are (xcom has some very cool post making features :))) )

I realized this post is REAL long bc of photos so all of their details are below !!!

anyways, going by each one by one, starting with Sergio "Pathfinder" Valdéz

He was my first ranger and it def shows!!! He started off a bit silly but slowly he becomes swaggier

my favorite thing about him (apart from him being literally one of the most experienced fighters in my run) is that he's gay married to his alien bestie, Mox. Xcom 2 has a mechanic where soldiers can bond and do teamwork stuff but I was like nah they're gay now

anyways this is their beautiful evolution, I love them so much. Mox is an alien catman now I love him (bonus mox pic as a treat). Those two were also part of the group that took out one of the big bosses permanantly (chosen assasin) and now Pathfinder rocks their cool ass shotgun

also ugh I have so many screen shots of him

Kong "Jetstream" Guo

I only got another ranger till I was DEEP in the campaign but that was Jetstream!

I think I mostly sent him on covert missions until Pathfinder got REALLY taken out for a bit and like now gah I love him. Covert missions increase soldiers' stats and it really showed for him How he started out: (also if the poster tags aren't silly goofy that's bc xcom makes an automatic poster for each mission and sometimes I don't have a joke but the posters look nice/have good pics of the xcom guys)

Anyways I call him Jetstream bc while making his armor look all cool I realized I had accidentally made Jetstream Sam's armor so like????? slay!!! I literally just went with that. He specs really well into mele enow and has a special blade (the chosen assasin katana) that is REALLY good against armored mechanical enemies. Also like gah he's so good with that weapon, he took out like... three armored enemies in a single overwatch turn with that blade so like yeah... jetstream sam type guy.

I love that second image bc it was one of those auto generated ones bc it has this spooky quote and he's just like :)

Jane "CATastrophe" Kelly

Actually my first character but I never used her bc she's like... the only pregenerated character you have so for a while I didn't know what to do with her till I got this cat armor mod and was like "I know what I'm gonna do with her". Anyways she's an axe wielding catgirl for the resistance.

anyways she's slay I love her she wields two fusion axes and throws them at big robots she's really fun :>>>>

Anyways here's her throwing an axe at a sectopod

also I love her lil tail :3

Raine "Spectre" Elliot

Okay she was a weird little cis guy when I got her but I since turned her into a cool transgender half alien gal :>>>>

I gave her that cool lil mask and also gave her the Apex/Titanfall Ash voicelines bc like... idk felt with the vibe of that mask

She also has the WRAITH suit which allows her to phase through stuff so like she's very cool and ghost coded. Idk much else abt her yet but her bondmate is a cool sharpshooter lady and when that happened I was like "yeah slay okay they're girlfriends"

I have a lot of other xcom sillies (including literally ottacon) but this post is getting waay long. Thank you for the ask!!! I love my xcom sillies and love talking about them

[foxy-voxy]

@vampvitya tagged me in a 10 best movies challenge! Thank you bby! In no particular order, here are my 10 favorite movies.

Pacific Rim - I just love those big ol robots, the theme of saving the world, and the golden retriever puppy that is Raleigh Becket.

Arrival - Usually I am a big "no thank you" to movies about aliens, but this one made my brain break and I haven't quite gotten it put back together yet after five? years.

Lilo and Stitch - watched this a lot with my kids when they were little. So many quotable lines, and a beautiful found family ending.

The Cutting Edge - bickering as flirting! Wordplay! Ice skating!

Kingsman: The Secret Service - IDK why I like this dumb spy movie as much as I do. Quoteable lines, delicious eye candy.

Little Women (1994) - Winona Ryder is incandescent as Jo March. The costumes are great. It's well-acted. It's comforting. I was about 14 or 15 the first time I saw it and getting to see bookish Jo find a love that was good for her and understood her gave my awkward, bookish ass hope that I wouldn't be alone forever.

The Sound of Music - look, what's not to like here? Saying Fuck You to nazis, lots of musical numbers, Julie Andrews, and that scene where they dance the Laendler. Be. Still. My. Heart.

Much Ado About Nothing - specifically, the stage recording of the David Tennant and Catherine Tate version. If you've never seen it look it up on youtube. They have SUCH great chemistry together, it's so worth the watch. This is my favorite Shakespeare, I have a tattoo of one of the lines.

Rocky Horror Picture Show - look, I was a queer baby child in the 90's in a conservative town. I took what I could get and what I could get was Rocky Horror rented from the video store. It still has a place in my heart.

Evita - Madonna's best acting work, IMO. Antonio Banderas as Che. The inimitable Johnathan Pryce as Peron. Two hours of mostly musical numbers, watched this the first time with my gay boyfriend Devan so it always reminds me of him.

Tagging: @shipfishwrites @tiger-in-the-flightdeck @potentiallydead

@avocadosfromfigaro @stronglyobsessed and anyone else who'd like to do it!

[galaxysharks]

Much like the proverbial boomerang, my love of beautiful women who scare me has once again returned to the one being in this world that should have made even my asexual ass realize the gay thoughts weren't going to go away: Samus Aran.

And because I am the way I am, and am also thoroughly unmedicated, I have developed a game story three sections deep within the span of a few minutes. Full disclosure, it's been a hot second, like Metroid: Corruption era-ish and I have forgotten a lot, so don't come at me for canonical discrepancies.

I mean do, cause I want to know, but don't be an ass about it.

Anyway, onto the 'theory'?

Prologue:

Tutorial has player as classic fully upgraded Samus making tar out of a massive flood of enemies. Learn basic maneuvers, basic puzzle features, possible crafting, ect.

Tutorial ends with epic boss fight with some alien/robot that has ice/cold based attacks, because I remember that due to freaky alien DNA splicing, Samus doesn't handle cold very well. Samus technically wins but appears to be killed in the process as her suit is entangled in debris and flooded with coolant.

Some time jump later

Act 1

Cut scene opens to landing crew of a research ship docking at the remains of the 'final resting place' of the legendary Samus Aran. There are three people. They are talking to an admiral about the mission to research Arans power suit, as a way to combat the now growing issue of the alien/robot forces that she died fighting.

Admiral: just look for any remains of the suit, we can figure out funeral details once your back at the main ship.

Crew 1 (Doctor/Medic) : Understood. I will stay with the drop ship and coordinate while Lighter and Slip search the facility. Slip, take the upper floors, Lighter, bottom floors, move out.

Now the player controls Lighter, he is a thin man,5'6, and probably a little bit too excited to see the famous suit up close. His whole thing is fire and plasma weapons, but he is very weak compared to Tutorial! Samus, kind of to simulate Metroids whole, 'loose your gear and backtrack' thing.

Players go through a very destroyed facility, but are clearly taking a different path onto the building than in the tutorial, so there are still enemies to deal with.

Makes it into the boss chamber, and to his utter glee, the suit is more or less fully together, suspended in wires and debris. He has been lighting oil puddles on fire to provide light, and also warming up the room which is frigid from rampant coolant leaks. Very carefully cuts the chest plate and helmet in half, but halfway through the chest plate, he notices that the dead legend is staring at him, and not in the dead way.

Proceeds to nearly shit himself, as 6'3 Aran slowly shakes off dust and collapses out of the suit. Now in heavily damaged Zero suit, Samus growls at him and uses Lighter's torch to cut off the handcannon from her suit and it's power box.

While this is happening, Lighter is panic-calling Medic to help him.

Lighter: wholly shit, Medic, Shit shit shit shit....

Medic: is Aran functional? Does she recognize who she is?

Lighter: I don't know, I havent gotten to that just yet.

Medic: you didn't talk to the woman whose armor you cut to pieces?

Lighter: I did! But she doesnt seem to want to chat. She's hissed at me twice though. I told her we could get her off this planet.

Medic: So a giant genetically enhance soldier who is possibly incoherent and definitely feral now is alone with you and has your weapon? Brilliant, look just get her here, and I'll take over, I need to recall Slip. And call the admiral.

This part of the game is almost like a reverse escort mission. Since the objectives come from medic, they lead back the way Lighter came, but Samus has decided to ignore that entirely and starts limping back her way. Lighter tries unsuccessfully to get her to go towards the ship. Citing her extensive injuries and the prospect of a shower.

Samus does pause at that one, but then notices a waterfall nearby and stands under that instead.

They make it back to Samus's ship but set off alarms in the process. Samus throws on a back up suit prototype and glares at Lighter before tossing the upper body of a different one at him, as he does not exactly have the legs needed to wear the full thing.

Players now control Samus as the two fight their way back to the drop ship. Solving two-person puzzles and beating back the hoards of aliens/robots that have now woken up.

They teach the ship, Medic helps them aboard while Slip pilots.

Slip (turning around): soooo, what do we do with the demon nest we disturbed.

Samus looks at her armor, and presses a button, causing her ship in the facility to explode massively, taking the place with it.

Slip: I guess that works. Setting a course for Main ship.

[anonymoosen]

SCREAMING AND SQUEALING AND SQUAWKING AND KDKING MY FEET RN AHHDHSHDJSJJ IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MY WHOLE LIFE SCREEEEEEEEE IM JUST GONNA SAY- THANK U SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS TRYING UR BEST TO UPLOAD ON TIME! LIKE THIS WHOLE THING WLD TAKE ME A SHMILLION YEARS TO DO- ANYWAY, REACTION TIMEMEMEEMEEE- (IM PUTTING A READ MORE CUZ ITS SO LONG AND CRAZY HELP-)

(U DONT HAVE TO READ IT- ITS JUST ME SPILLING ALL MY CRAZY FANGIRLING NOISES FOR THIS COMIC DISJJDJ)

*ZIMHALES* THEY. ARE. SO. GAY. KDKSKKSKS IM SCREAMING LIKE STAHPPPP THEYRE TOO PRECIOUS FOR ME AND THEYRE SUCH ADORABLE BABIESSSS RAAAAHHHH THE LIL HEART ON THE WAFFLES LIKE- STAHPPP I LOVE THAT DETAIL SO MUCHHH IT RLLY SHOWS HOW IN LOVE DIB IS DKSKKDKSMD THEIR BLUSHING FACES NEVER EVER GET OLD TO ME

LIKEKEKE THE EXPRESSIONS ON THEIR FACES WITH THE SWEAT DROPS ARE SO CUTE AND ACCURATE FOR HOW SOME PPL FEEL NERVOUS AROUND THEIR CRUSHES- DIB IS AVOIDING EYE CONTACT FROM ZIMMY BOI AND THATS AN ADORABLE DETAIL!! AND LIKE I LOVE ZIMS EYES SO FRIGGIN MUCH THEYRE SO BEAUTIFUL AND SHINY DJSMSMS ALSO I LOVE HOW SORTA COMFUSED ZIM LOOKS WHEN DIB PASSES THE WAFFLES TO HIM LIKE- HES LIKE “WHYS HE DOING THIS?? *CONFUSED GAY NOISES*”

DIB IS SUCH BF MATERIAL FOR CONSIDERING ZIMS “ALLERGY”-

AND ALSO TOMATO DIB MY BELOVED RAAAHHHHH HES SUCH A CUTE NERVOUS DORKY BOIII!!

BONNIE. U MADE THE GIRLS LOOK SO FRIGGIN PRETTY AND COOL AND PRECIOUS AT THE SAME TIME LIKE DKEJEJJEMS THEYRE SO FRIGGIN COOL KSWKKSSKSK I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE GAZ’S HAIR SO MUCH LIKE I THINK UR GAZ DESIGN MIGHT BE ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITES IF NOT THEEEE MOST FAVOURED ONE EVER

AND ALSO TAKKKK AHDHSHJS SHES SO ELEGANT AND COOL AND ADORABLE STILL WEARING THE CAT HOODIE PAJAMA AHSJSJJSJSMS I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- HER EYE SHAPE AND SHARP EYE LASHES ARE ALWAYS SO COOL TO ME

JDJSJSJSJS HAHAHAHA HE DIEDED I LOVE THIS SO MUCH- U ADD SO MANY DETAILS TO UR COMICS AND ART ITS SO ADMIRABLE!! THE DEATH POSE IS SO CUTE AND FUNNY HERE HEEHEE

TSUNDERE GRASSHOPPER MOMENTTTT #9929283828282!! JDJSJSJSJSMS OKAY SRSLY THO I LOVE HOW TAK WOULDNT ADMIT THAT SHE HAS GROWN FOND OF THE MEMBRANES AND MAYBEEEE EVEN ZIM AND OF COURSE, GREW POSSIBLE FEELINGS FOR GAZ! THIS IS SUCH A WHOLESOME AND PRECIOUS COMIC AHHDHSJDJSJD (OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE ROBOT DIEDED- IM STILL CURIOUS ABT THAT!!)

AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE MEMBRANE SIBLINGS BEING GAY AND MESMERISED BY THEIR ALIEN CRUSHES JDJSJDJ THIS IS SO CUTEEEEE- THEY DEFINITELY WLD BOND OVER THEIR SHARED INTERESTS FOR THEIR CRUSHES IN THE FUTURE!!

ANYWAY AHDHSHSJ THEYRE SO PRECIOUSSS- AGAIN, I LOVE THE BLUSHY FACES SO MUCH- AND HOW GAZ OPENS AND WIDENS HER EYES AT THIS LIKE-

AND ALSO ZIM AND TAK BEING FERAL IS SO CUTE AND FUNNY DHSJDJEJJD

PART 25 pages 112 - 115

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Ko-Fi ❤️

[akkrosu]

My Favorite Books of 2023

After seeing everyone’s end-of-the-year QL posts and having a look at my meticulous list of books I read this year, I was a little inspired to write up something myself, just not about QLs but books. I’ve been trying to be more vocal about things I like, and post things for myself, and only myself. So I don’t even care how long this is, and just have fun with it.

In terms of literature, this year was pretty slow for me (with only 48 finished books, about half of what it used to be, probably because I’ve been watching so many QLs) and fairly limited to the YA genre because I got stuck with high-school and college stories and haven’t really moved on since. But still I managed to put together the 10 I enjoyed most. Books (like shows) are very subjective to me in that it takes the right one at the right time for me to fall in love with it, so take every one of these with a grain of salt, I guess.

I’m not including any danmei I’m reading because they are so separate from other books to me in what they are and how they work that I can’t be objective with them. Also, I don’t care when any of these books came out, all that matters to me is that I read them for the first time this year.

1. The Inexplicable Logic of my Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This might be my favorite book out of those on this list. I knew I loved Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s poetic and reflective writing after I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, but this one hit all the right spots for me in a way I can’t compare to any other book I’ve read. It tells the story of a 17-year-old boy named Salvador, his close friends, and his gay father, who go through a million setbacks and tragedies and learn the meaning of life—in its essence, it’s a book about growing up and grieving and living. This author has a way of being painfully real while also wrapping everything in a beautiful language that makes it all even more real and touching. Two of my favorite quotes:

“I wanted to tell (my father) that all the awful things that happened in the old world were dead. And the new world, the world we lived in now, the world we were creating, that world would be better. But I didn’t say it, because I wasn’t sure it was true.”

“I realized that Sam wasn’t angry at all. She was hurt. At that moment I heard all the hurt she’d ever held. And it seemed to me that the whole house had quieted down to listen to her pain.”

2. If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

I read this around the beginning of the year, so my memory isn’t the best, but I still love it like I did back then. In the story, Alice, the only scholarship student at a Chinese school for the Rich and Powerful, suddenly starts turning invisible and, due to financial and other pressures on her, decides to turn these new ‘powers’ into profit by obtaining information for classmates and selling it to them. The whole thing starts out pretty innocent, but the requests become more and more severe and dangerous, and Alice essentially has to decide where she draws the line and caves in to all the pressures surrounding her. It’s essentially critical commentary about Chinese society while taking a look at the blurry lines between good and bad, all wrapped in a modern story with fantastical elements.

3. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

I finished this book only a few days ago, so I’m still in my feels about it. Even though it’s a little sci-fi and not at all like the books I usually read—what with the army of powerful heroes using giant transforming robots to fight a war against mechatron aliens that eerily remind me of insects—, it absolutely grabbed me with its narration full of incredibly precise and succinct descriptions, balanced out by lines so funny that they had me cackling, and incredible character depth (which, to me, is often the most important thing). Wu Zetian as a main character was compelling to follow, because she is so strong and true to what she wants, rising to power while killing everyone in her path. And the poly storyline brought a lot of joy to my heart, because we get so little of it in YA literature. Plus, it was really nice to read a book examining gender roles without feeling dysphoric even once, which I think was only possible because it was written by a fellow enby person. Some more favorite quotes:

“Where does jealousy come from, if not an insecurity that I’ll lose you because of him? But that’s not how it works, no matter how many people believe it so. You’re not something to be kept or taken, and love isn’t some scarce resource to battle over. Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can be open.”

“Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who’d welcome you back with pastries after.”

“It’s as if I’ve got a cocoon shriveled too tightly around my whole being. If I had my way, I’d exist like that butterfly, giving onlookers no easy way to bind me with a simple label.”

4. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

I hit this phase around the middle of the year where I was craving some sapphic romance novels, and this one fell right into my hands. I remember I started this on the 12-hour flight back from China, and it gripped me so hard I finished it in about a day, even though I guess nothing about it is super unique. It’s just a love story about a soon-to-be college student falling for her childhood friend’s new college friend while visiting campus, even though said childhood friend told everyone they are exes. I guess what I really liked about it is the exploration of community, especially queer community, because the protagonist often feels at war between starting to have feelings for a girl and not thinking she fits into what she believes queer people are or should be, causing her to repeatedly deny the possibility of her being queer. Plus, I love deeper thoughts and reflections under the guise of a simple romance plot, and this book is quintessential Becky Albertalli in that regard.

5. El fabuloso mundo de las letras [The Fabulous World of the Letters] by Jordi Sierra i Fabra

Okay, so this is technically a children’s book written by a well-known Spanish author that was given to me while staying with a friend’s family in Spain, but regardless of the target group, I still absolutely loved it and ate it up. It’s a wonderful look at language and writing and creatively tries to spark enthusiasm for reading in children through fun little games, stories in which letters coming alive and form things like huge forests, crossword puzzles, and more. The frame for it is a story about a boy who hates reading sucked into the world of letters, where he gets to know them and how they work and learns how beautiful language is, which is 100% my thing as a linguist. I will forever grieve all the H’s in the hospital.

6. Tokioregen [Tokyo Rain] by Yasmin Shakarami

One of the few German books I still read, English has just taken over by now. It’s about a German high school student who spends a semester abroad in Japan, falls in love with the country and a classmate who shows her the hidden parts of Tokyo, and has to witness an earthquake that destroys most of the city. Somehow the author managed to convey Tokyo’s magic in a way I never expected, even though I’ve never been all that interested in Japan, so it sucked me in.

7. When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Oof, this one challenged my mental health, but I guess that’s exactly what it was trying to do. We have here a story about a group of close friends who are the most important people to each other, but when they find out one of them, Jason, is abused at home and he tries to kill himself, they all spiral and friendships start to fall apart. It basically takes you along for the ride as the protagonist Beth’s mental health and her friendships go through one of the most terrible experiences of their lives, and that makes you think about a lot of things in your life.

8. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

I’ve been a huge fan of Casey McQuiston since Red, White & Royal Blue, because they write incredible queer stories with some of the best characterization I’ve ever seen. In this one, Chloe, held hostage by a Southern Christian small town with her moms, has made it her mission to beat child prodigy and good girl Shara as valedictorian, but instead Shara ends up kissing her (and two other classmates) before disappearing, leaving behind only a series of clues for the three to follow. Let’s just say I didn’t expect the plot to unfold like it did at all: it turns everything upside down and, once again, in the way Casey McQuiston does, ends up with the most compelling characters I’ve ever read about.

9. A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Ugh, I love fantasy stories based on Chinese culture and mythology (see Iron Widow and If You Could See the Sun). This one makes use of the art of tea-brewing, which the protagonist Ning uses to create fantastical illusions and to participate in a competition looking for the new palace tea master, hoping to save her sister’s life by winning. The writing was great, and I really liked Ning, the protagonist. But to quote from my little book diary: “I’m rooting for the straights with the tea-induced magical connection, but I might be rooting a lot more for the princess-and-her-ferocious-handmaiden side couple.”

10. XOXO by Axie Oh

Okay, the last one, which I never expected to be good or original at all, and it’s a bit cliché even for me. But something about the story stuck with me, and so it made this list. It’s a bit of a typical k-pop (which is a genre I don’t even listen to) idol romance, in which Jenny, a cello player, spends an evening with (unbenownst to her) k-pop star Jaewoo in LA, only to reunite with him at a music conservatory in Seoul a few months later when Jenny moves to Korea. I guess you can sort of figure out the plot from there, but the characters are written very well (I think you can see the pattern here), and it’s a really nice read when you want something simple and sweet.

[karatam]

Read this month (early 2022)

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler. It's "flintlock fantasy" aka set in a fantasy world with magic with technology/politics similar to the early 1700's, particularly French society. Mainly follows two characters in a colonial army, who think they're just following orders to help a (corrupt) prince retake his throne, but really the colonel in charge has a very different goal (which involves lost magic). One of the main characters is a lesbian who cross-dressed as a man to join the army and escape her former life, which was a fun surprise. Definitely a setup novel for the rest of the series (it's #1 of 5) bc there's a LOT of unanswered questions right now.

The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler (sequel to above). It got gay! Also added in my new fave character in Raesinia, whom I adore. Moved the centre of action away from the "frontier" to basically fantasy Paris, where we get a lot more politics and rebellions. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (reread). Still the best way to get into Sanderson's work, which I do sincerely think is some of the best fantasy written in the last 20 years. This is a stand-alone set in a world where the magical city at the pinnacle of the world collapsed about 20 years ago. And instead of people suddenly being imbued with magic and heading to that city, they're struck by a plague and thrown in against their will. Full or political manoeuvring, incredibly inventive magic, an invading nation, and enemies-to-lovers. Love this book.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (reread). First of the Mistborn trilogy and one of my fave books ever. Set in a world ruled by an immortal, magical, powerful God King, we meet Vin, a street urchin who has the ability to 'burn' metal to access magic. She gets swept up in a rebellion and attempts to both understand her magic and stay alive. Super inventive magic, heist hijinks, found family, and yet another super inventive magic system.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. What if Pacific Rim jaegers required a boy-girl pair, and the boy pilot killed every girl he piloted with, absorbing her soul's energy to pilot his giant robot? And then what if one day, one of those girls killed the boy instead? Set in an alternate world where an bug-like alien species has nearly taken over the world, these giant robots are the last defense, and Zetian has no patience for the bureaucracy that wants to put her back in her place. (tw for sexual assault, ptsd) As advertised, it includes an f/m/m thruple :)

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Holy shit this book is amazing. This is a book meant to be slowly and deliberately read, focused on and analyzed as you go. An new ambassador from a small space station arrives at the planetary capital of the Teixcalaanli Empire, only to discover that her predecessor has died and there are multiple factions all gunning for the throne. This is a world that venerates poets and language, and that comes through in the prose of the book. It's beautiful. I'm eagerly waiting for my copy of the sequel to arrive from the library.

[dameronology]

questioning {natasha romanoff x wlw reader}

summary: natasha had always been able to appreciate women. once she meets you, it becomes clear why {for @stephanieromanoff​ - for some reason i can’t answer your ask but i hope u enjoy this}

warnings; probably swearing?? and mentions of the usual mcu canon typical violence

this is actually my first natasha imagine on this blog which is...wild. because - and i’m sure many people relate - she was my bisexual awakening and i still would let her top me. enjoyy!

-jazz

Sexuality was fluid - Natasha knew that.

She’d just never considered her sexuality to be fluid.

It was funny, really. Natasha had witnessed many forms of beauty in her time as a SHIELD agent; beautiful men, beautiful women, beautiful people. She could appreciate a good-looking human when she saw one but it never extended beyond admiration. Most of her Red Room training had been centred around seducing men. Her friends had always set her up with men. It wasn’t so much that she’d rejected the idea of anything other than heterosexuality but she’d always just kind of...assumed. 

Besides, it wasn’t like Natasha’d ever even been in a position where she’d been close enough to a woman (or anyone, for that matter) to ever consider them in a romantic way. Her job didn’t allow for it - not unless the person she was with was also in her line of work. And, with all due respect to her colleagues, she knew them far, far too well to ever consider the notion of dating one of them. 

Life has a funny way of working out though, doesn’t it? 

You were dropped into Natasha’s lap when she least expected it. It was a cold, rainy Monday afternoon and she was in the staff room at the Compound with Steve. They were sat in comfortable silence, scrolling through their phones. The peace was disrupted by the sound of a crash, followed by a string of curse words.

‘What the...’ Steve stood up, approaching the hallway outside. 

That was the first Nat saw you: with coffee halt spilt down yourself, your bag strewn across the floor and cheeks bright red. It was quite on brand, really. 

‘I am so sorry!’ You dropped to your knees, quickly scrambling to pick the papers up. ‘I was too busy trying to find my office and I went straight into the door frame.’

The first thing Natasha noted was that you were pretty. Not pretty like the girls she’d seen in windows in Amsterdam, or pretty like the slender models she’d seen in London. You were...sparky. Talkative, and bright. There was an energy about you that she was yet to see in anyone else.

You were terrifying too. Not a single person at SHIELD had witnessed someone telling a dad joke whilst throttling a man twice their size, but there was a first time for everything. 

At first, Natasha was convinced that her feelings towards you were simply admiration...for a friend. Because you were friends, right? It was hard not to become close to someone when you spent every second of every day with them. She never thought much of it, though - you were also close with Steve, Sam, Wanda and Bucky. Nothing about your relationship with Nat was different from your others. 

There were a few notable exceptions on her part. She could tolerate you more than anyone else - and that was just the way she worded it in her head, to convince herself that it didn’t mean anything. In actuality, she found herself seeking you out, trying to spend to time with you. She’d do paperwork in your office until the small hours of the morning, and she’d bring you coffee when you both returned to work a few hours later. Natasha had never had a best friend before and it felt good.

‘Do you ever think about relationships in our line of work?’

You looked up from your paperwork, glancing over at Nat. She was sat across from you at your desk, the dim glow of your spotlight illuminating her face. It wasn’t unusual for her to bring up deep subjects when it was late (in this, case it was 1AM). You ponded for a moment, tapping your pen against the edge of your desk. 

‘Sometimes.’ You said. ‘I mean...I wasn’t an Avenger until five months ago, give or take. If I did get into one now, I imagine it would be much more complicated than when I was normal.’

‘You are normal.’ Nat reached across the desk to whack your shoulder, smiling to herself. ‘At least by Avenger standards.’

You chuckled. ‘Honestly, I barely have time to think about relationships now, let alone get into one. My ex-girlfriend asked me if I wanted to grab a coffee and the earliest date I could do was in four months.’

That was the first time Natasha realised that whatever chemistry and easiness was between you, it could have been something more than friends. The sound of the word girlfriend coming out your mouth? It...well, it made her mind go places. No-where drastic, or revealing. It just made her think; the idea of you casually referring to her as your girlfriend in conversation gave her butterflies.

And Natasha Romanoff did not get butterflies. At least not until now. Not until you.

‘How did you know that you liked girls?’ She asked. It was a casual question - one you’d been asked plenty of times.

‘I just knew.’ You shrugged. ‘It’s not the same for everyone, though. Sometimes it takes meeting the right person.’

That was the statement that got Natasha thinking. She’d never even considered the idea of liking girls, not until you’d come along. 

She couldn’t help but let herself day dream - it was a guilty please, in a sense. What would life be like if you were together? What would it be like to call you her girlfriend? To live with you? Natasha was so vehemently against the idea of domesticity...but with you? Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad. She didn’t even realise how (for lack of a better word) gay her thoughts were. And when she did? It hit her like a train. 

Natasha had dealt with a lot in her life - aliens, nazis, gods, genocidal robots, evil super spies. It made the situation seem so mundane; she’d become so exceptionally aware of her mortality that things like questioning her sexuality or pondering on her attraction for her best friend just seemed like a waste of time. She’d always been fearless, after all. It had kind of been forced into her nature at the Red Room, and even more so after becoming an Avenger.

It was during another late night conversation that Nat realised her feelings might have been deeper than she realised. She knew that she liked you in a way that ran far deeper than just being best friends; it was just the extent that she was unsure of, and she didn’t want to make a move until she understood it properly. It was like being on a mission really: do some recon, get a better gauge of what’s going on and make a move. 

She hadn’t expected it - it had been nine words. One completely casual sentence. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a conversation. 

‘I saw a TikTok that reminded me of you.’

It was in that moment that Natasha realised, whilst staring at you across your desk with wide-eyes, that she was in love with you. It was a brand new (and not entirely surprising) discovery but it didn’t feel like a shock. The feelings had always been there - it was just the sudden comprehension of them that came as a revelation.

It didn’t have to be complicated. Missions to Russia to take out HYDRA bases were complicated. Teaching Steve and Bucky how to use an iPhone was complicated. This was....well, it was simple, wasn’t it? She loved you. And maybe, just maybe, you loved her too.

Aside from the fact you were just friends, you might as well have been a couple already. You ordered take out together every night and ate it together on the sofa. You drove to work together, and you had a thousand and one inside jokes. The foundations were there but neither of you had ever been all that good at architecture. 

‘It reminded you of me?’ Natasha quickly regained her posture, offering you her signature smirk. ‘I didn’t realise you thought of me outside of work.’

‘Nat.’ You snorted. ‘We hang out after work every night.’

‘I know, I just...’ She trailed off. 

‘You just what?’

‘We should get dinner tonight.’ Nat cleared her throat.

‘Wasn’t that the plan?’ You raised an eyebrow at her. 

‘No, I mean...dinner.’ She sat up a little straighter (ironic). ‘Like a date.’

‘Are you asking me out?’

‘Yeah. Why?’

‘I...’ it was your turn to be a little speechless. ‘Yeah, okay. Let’s do it.’ 

[thewhovianperson]

Damn it's the 10th post in my post series pairing companions with each Doctor, this is fun! It also means that today we are going to cover Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. This will be interesting mainly because he has met so many of the doctors, so we know how he bounces off many of them already. I'll do my best to make it a little more unique though.

One: "Now Now Now Alistair please can you pop along and make me tea while I talk to the nice alien in the middle of your head quarters. Yes there's a good chap." I think this sums up how I think it would go pretty well.

Two: Chaos. Two is a gremlin who would absolutely vandalise the UNIT HQ in a day, by accident, on purpose. If Zoe was with him she would massively contribute to fast female empowerment in the organisation however.

Three: I can't say anything that hasn't been shown on the show already, it's wonderful. The Doctor is a gay man in a smoking jacket, Mike Yeets is a gay man in a uniform, Benton is also a gay man in a uniform... wait I'm meant to be talking about Alastair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. Well these two get along like a controlled house fire, in which AGLS is the house, and The Doctor is the fire, and the 3-year old who turned the stove on.

Four: Four's irreverence for the military mind would definitely have put these two at loggerheads had Four stuck around after Robot or Terror of the Zygons. However with a cooler headed companion (read: someone who doesn't use Janis Thorns as a method of first response) around, I think Four would 100% get the respect of the Brig, and vice versa. Hell, they'd respect and love each other while they debated about outdated military tactics.

Five: By this point they're drinking buddies. Five and the Brig don't go on adventures, unless the adventure is a cricket stadium and the local pub afterwards for a beer. It's great.

Six: TV Six and the Brig kill one another within three seconds of being in the same room. Big Finish Six and the Brig go and solve cool mysteries together and are generally one of the more intelligently minded teams.

Seven: The Doctor always has the greatest respect for the Brig, but Seven had a lot of respect for Ace and look what happened there. If Seven and the Brig had a working relationship, Alistair would find himself in a lot of situations where the Doctor seemed completely comfortable with the swift and precise application of UNIT military force. Of course, this was all engineered from the get-go, and the Brig would realise this after the tenth time or so that UNIT only ever found out about these threats when the Doctor let them.

Eight: If there was a Doctor that could convince the Brigadier to move UNIT away from military matters almost entirely, and bring about the Kate Stewart revolution a little early, it would be Eight. So that's what I'd think would happen there, and it would be beautiful.

War: The Brigadier would be horrified. There's a difference between Three's snark but acceptance of force and Seven's surgical precision strikes with War's... War. That being said, when he realised the stakes, the Brig would most likely be an invaluable ally.

Nine: The Brigadier is a soldier - he has seen PTSD, and knows the signs. The second Nine turns up on his doorstep, everg single well known therapist finds themselves with a job offer marked CLASSIFIED. This would be very healthy, and Nine would probably be able to curb UNIT's military force too in favour of diplomacy.

Ten: Ten gets excited, meets new aliens, and then the Brigadier blows them up because orders from on high. The relationship ends there. Alternatively the Brigadier leaves UNIT, refuses to blow up the aliens, and travels with Ten. They become best friends.

Eleven: This is the Doctor who teaches the Brigadier how to dance. I headcanon that Eleven got so sad over missing the passing of the Brigadier that after the Battle of Demon's Run they travelled back in time and taught him to dance and maybe suggested a couple of lottery numbers.

Twelve: Unfortunately this goes badly. Twelve couldn't deal with Kate and let's be real here she is a toned down version of what her father was in military respects. This would end in a shouting match that both lost, only one of them has a time machine that can go back in time and stop UNIT from being created in the first place.

Thirteen: Same for Nine, therapists suddenly find themselves in with a job. Aside from that, I honestly think that this would be a lot like 3's relationship with the Brigadier - antagonistic at times, but loving and with a lot of respect.

Ruth: Both do what they have to do to get the job done. Both respect the other. This is a very professional relationship, with the exception of Friday Nights where they go out and have a drink and play chess together. Ruth wins 9/10 times, and lets Alistair win the other time. He knows this.

[vreedleedleedle]

Am I the only one who was initially bothered by the way Argit's voice sounded in Omniverse?

Argit always had a Jersey accent (Or is that a Boston or New York accent?) But Omniverse really layed it on thick.

(Also speaking of which, why does he even have an Accent? He's an Alien lol Same with the Vreedles)

Idk why but it bothered me more than the design change. Granted it eventually grew on me but I thought his voice in UAF sounded far more pleasant to listen to

Tbh I thought of his uaf accent as SoCal “valley girl” and I really liked it- in Andreas fault his line that was like “lemme get this straight, you want me to go live in a dungeon? Imma have to say no thanks” is such a great delivery. That’s how he sounds in my head lol.

The script/storyboards spells out his accent in uaf very stereotypical New Yorker, like in omniverse, but Alexander Polinsky does a killer job making him distinct- it seems like in Ben 10 aliens having accents is shorthand for something, like w/ clockwork and vreedles, but the little LA tone Argit has is such a nice subtle way to convey his sellout nature. And then omniverse came in being allergic to subtlety and was like “no he’s a rat he has to be from Chicago or whatever” and got rid of the gay little punk I had a crush on as a kid and just… he’s too shiny in omniverse. I don’t like it.

It just reoccurred to me the contrast apparent in argits uaf design that was lost in omniverse: he was simultaneously a punk and a sellout. Alien force did a really good job with using contrast to make interesting characters- octagon vreedle had his southern accent combined with loquaciousity, Rhomboid his cheerful disposition with his love of violence, Baz-l was a living robot who was also a hedonist and didn’t plan ahead, Michael Morningstar was a beautiful incel, cooper was a tech nerd and he dressed in basketball clothes, paradox is kind and casual and familiar with our main characters but his powers and life history are the closest thing our universe has to a god… the characters created in alien force were so fucking good, and it took major tampering in omniverse to get them messed up (cough cough Gwen.)

Argit by all means is a punk in uaf- he’s clearly poor, for starters, always in debt and just scrounging by, and never on the side of the law. His hair needs no explanation for its punk inspiration, rats are a common punk idea so the fact that he looks like one fits the theme. His colors are nice and dingy, and his voice actor uses an almost ‘metal growl’ delivery, so to speak. Just, everything about his design makes me think of the punk scene, and to be fair it’s clear he doesn’t like the plumbers, so when you imagine how he might act you’d think he’d be someone to go down fighting, kicking and screaming- but instead he runs away or grovels to whoever threatens him! It’s something subconsciously unexpected and makes him entertaining to watch! When he’s sarcastic, he uses uptalk (“live in a dungeon? … no thanks?”) which was something exclusively associated with prissy teenage girls at the time the show aired.

I don’t like how omniverse got rid of the subtlety of uaf, and it put characters into stupid archetypes while removing the subcultures they probably identified with. I feel like a lot of the times when omniverse wanted to get something across, it smacked you upside the head with it, taking away any immersion and over magnifying the tiny details you’d normally have been proud to find. What a bummer.

[terapsina]

So, my favorite books of 2020

To be clear, it's books I read this year not books that came out this year.

Let us begin.

1. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - The story follows Mahit Dzmare, an ambassador from a small mining Station that's been sent to the heart of Teixcalaanli Empire (which encompasses hundreds of thousands of planets) to replace her predecessor. And oh wow is the world building amazing in this book. And all she was sent to do is make sure that the Empire interferes as little as possible in her home, but of course stuff hits the fan the moment she gets there. And she has to somehow protect Station secrets, solve a murder, stop a civil war and like ten other things all at once and do it all alone even though that had NOT been the plan when she was chosen for this. And the book makes us both love and be repulsed by Teixcalaan all at once and it's beautiful. Also there's queer women main characters in a story centered around surviving space politics and do you KNOW how rarely I find that in a book?

2. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - Lesbian Space Necromancers. And their buff lesbian knights in skull face-paint with SWORDS (who hate them, really, hate is totally the right word (this is only like 20% sarcasm, it's complicated)). I can't even describe this book, it's like a mishmash of every genre imaginable, it's both fantasy AND science fiction AND buddy cop comedy (where they hate each other) AND the princess and the loyal knight (who hate each other).

3. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - you know I didn't know how much I needed an omniscient rock as the main character from whose point of view to see the story, until I read this book. I have never been so invested in a literal rock (who is also a god). Basically book for people with soft spots for non-human characters with soft spots for humans. One such human being Eolo, who is unfortunately stuck in a story that was inspired by Hamlet (and is the bff of the Hamlet character, also he's trans, and awesome). I want to say more but everything else feels like a spoiler.

4. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - One of the most feel-good books I've ever read and I loved it so much. Main character is Maya and he's a half elven/half goblin prince that was never supposed to be emperor. And then his father and all his older brothers die in an accident and what do you know, he's emperor. And he's SUCH a fish out of water but he's also so KIND, and he inspires loyalty because he just. won't. change. that. And he keeps doing the right thing, the good thing instead of following in the expected footsteps of the emperors who came before. But he also grows so much, and learns to stand up for himself. And just, this book is like a warm hug okay? But like, with court politics.

5. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett - I love this book. You know what one of my favorite genres is? Other than fantasy and science fiction? THIEVES PULLING THE IMPOSSIBLE JOB with a good smidgen of found family trope. This is one of those. Plus set in a fantasy setting with a FANTASTIC magical world building. The main character is Sancia Grado who is hired to pull a job, and then she finds out she might have not been given QUITE all the information. So she ends up needing to save... basically everyone. Also they might end up destroying capitalism, it's everything I've ever wanted. Plus gay girls having crushes.

---

P.S. Also with honorary mentions to some other books I loved just as much but I got tired of trying to describe but yeah seriously look those up too, they're awesome:

Network Effect by Martha Wells (more Murderbot and more ART and more robot friendship where both of them are assholes who love each other a lot), Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson, Provenance by Ann Leckie, the entire Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie (I might have read a lot of Ann Leckie this year), The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (basically Firefly but better, and gayer and with more aliens and less sexism), The Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (I can't believe it's over but I loved the end so much), The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (short and sweet and sad and basically magic).

[catherdrashepard]

Tell me your Mass Effect blorbos. Or Helluva Boss.

I'll attempt to do both but I FEEL like my Helluva Boss ones are gonna be 90% Moxxie

Blorbo: Garrus Vakarian for Mass Effect. I love him. I'm demisexual so the relationship he and FemShep have just ticks my boxes. Also, his voice is gorgeous. Also he looks like a dinosaur, bird, alien. As for Helluva Boss, it's Moxxie. He's one of my comfort characters. The scene where he pulled out all these random drugs at the theme park for Loona just spoke to me on a spiritual level.

Scunkly: This was hard......it's a tie between Grunt and Legion in Mass Effect. My beautiful Krogan son whom I love and the angel robot child who I want to protect from everything. There's also Mordin but in a weird uncle kind of way. In Helluva Boss....it's Moxxie. I can’t help it, I love him so much. But also, Blitzo it some instances. They both need love and hugs.

Scrimblo: My biggest problem with picking this one is I don’t know how fandoms feel about anything at any given time. But I would say Kaidan for Mass Effect. Romance issues aside (which were fixed thankfully), I really like his character development throughout all the games. Also you can be gay with him which is always a bonus. My Helluva Boss one is.....Moxxie. He's underappreciated by the other characters but he tries his best without changing himself and I love him.

Glup Shitto: OK SO. Story time, Pinnacle Station was a DLC that I never played because it wasn’t available for the PS3 and THEN for the legendary edition it got corrupted so......BUT I have seen screenshots and I've taken it upon myself to steal a design to make into an OC and he's now my Turian husband. For Helluva Boss it's....robot Fizzarolli but also regular Fizzarolli. Idk I just really like his design a lot.

Poor Little Meow Meow: For Mass Effect, I'm actually gonna go with Miranda. She gets a lot of hate because she’s kinda bitchy and also her screen time is full of fanservice. BUT, I find the constant focus on her....assets to be really funny in context of the game. Also, her backstory is super interesting to me and her character development is also great. As for Helluva Boss....I mean....all the characters could fit into this slot depending who you like best so again I'll go with Moxxie. I sound like a broken record but he fills me with such JOY.

Horse Plinko: Partly Garrus, because if you romance him the entire conversation leading up to it is just making everything extremely awkward. But also, the Turian Councillor in the first game. He's an idiot and constantly makes everything difficult for Shepard but he's not like.....evil. Helluva Boss I would probably pick Blitzo because I think that would be the funniest but also Moxxie because it would be so EASY.

Eeby Deeby: There's a few contenders in Mass Effect for this. The Illusive Man because he's an idiot and while he was very helpful against the Collectors....he sucks. Also Udina because he, much like the Illusive Man, only cares about human interests. ALSO, Kai Leng. He's a thorn in your side the ENTIRE third game and to top off, he kills Thane who is one of my best buds. Like....not COOL. I actually don’t have one for Helluva Boss. I was thinking about Norman Reedus lizard (Jake) but I feel like he could be really good character development for Moxxie.

[frecklef0x]

Mass Effect 1: Playthrough Masterpost

At last, I have finished Mass Effect 1!

I have heard some mutuals say they wish they could play it again for the first time, and you kind of can--through me! I’ve been posting little “episodes” of live-tweet-stream-of-consciousness as I play, and now I’ve compiled them into one post to make my life easier.

Anyway, here’s the first one, the rest are under the cut. :)

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode one

My ass looks great in this uniform, first of all

Impaled robo zombies, yikes

Cheap shot, Saren, smh. How will I pass my spectre test now?!

Why does he have robot eyes? Is he like, Geth-Turian? Why? Is he a robo zombie also? Was it the beacon???

Cool beacon nightmares, I'm sure this is fine

This Kaiden guy has implants? ORTEGA?!??!?

"Call me princess again and you'll be picking your teeth up off the floor" lol obliterated

The citadel elevators are very realistic, five minutes of tense silence huh

Ya girl got a PROMOTION and a DOPE SQUAD time to catch a TRAITOR

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode two

First things first, gotta go find the blue scientist to join the gang

This galaxy is HUGE! How many of these places will I actually be able to go?!

Only two friends at a time????? D:

Ah, a distress signal, let's see wha--A DESERT CENTIPEDE NOPE ABORT ABORT

Robo aliens? In MY Theronian mining facility? Its more likely than you think

Running over dudes in my Mako is extremely satisfying tbh

*runs over geth troopers* *runs over geth armature* *runs over geth colossus* ... *backs over geth colossus*

Working elevators in the ancient ruins ✔

Oooooooh man hope this nerd is gay

Wrex, a friend of yours? Nope, not a friend, too murdery

"ShAaaAame about the ruins Shep, sOooOo much collatoral damage, SHEP" stfu Council, "ruthless" was in the resume when you promoted us, 10/10 would shoot lasers through archeological digs again

When Kaiden calls us "ma'am" I am, uh, into it

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode three

Time to talk to the gang! Gotta meet the fam proper

Oh dear seems we got a shmee of racism on board, compatriots

Wow Raina, good foot-in-mouth moment with Wrex there huh...sorry about the eventual extinction of your race, lost this round of Pain Olympics

OH SHIT OH SHIT BLUE HOTTIE BIGENDER? THIS IS NOT A DRILL???

“hi I’m Kaiden wanna hear about my last crush ;)” “hi I’m Liara wanna hear about Asari mating rituals? ;)))” damn we really slidin right into the DMs no chill

Garrus: fuck rules and red tape amiright Raina: oh u right ;)

Guess I’ll actually do a mission now LETS GO LESBIANS LETS GO

Honestly rolling out with Tali and Liara is a mood, squad goals

Raina @ every corporation on Noveria: I would sell you to satan for one(1) corn chip

This reactivation puzzle is some shit

I see some Mistakes were made

We already killing moms at this stage damn BioWare

FUCK FUCK BENEZIA KILLED ME AND I LOST A FUCKTON OF PLAYTIME

THERES LIKE NO AUTOSAVE IN THIS BITCH FUUUUUUUUU

fuck fuck fuck god damn it gotta shoot a bunch of deranged baby bug people again god DAMN IT

Okay we killed Liara’s mom in front of her hope that’s fine

And we let mama bug go free because after talking to Wrex, Raina’s like “this galaxy is a little trigger happy with the genocide, good luck out there bug mama ❤️ be cool please”

I have literally watched the scientist in the hot labs get killed three times now

So far the debreifs with the council have not gone very well

“You let bug mama go?! How many generations until they take over everything???” “My money’s on two :D Place your bets now assholes or stfu :DDD”

Asked Liara if she was okay and she seems pretty Cool With It

I hope to one day return to Noveria and Death Star it into oblivion

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode four

Talked with Tali and this situation with the Geth and the Quarians is giving me an existential crisis

You “inspect” my beautiful ship? You got somethin’ to say about my crew??? Talk shit get hit, bitch I will kill you

Yoooo my old earth gang, yeah what the hell, I’ll help ou—oh nope nvm he’s a xenophobe, you hang him and I’ll shoot his friend in the face, thx for your time

Went to the citadel to finish some assignments, left tasked with twice as many

“dOn’T cUt CoRneRs” fear not dear Kaiden, I have a permit: this piece of paper that says I do what I want

Still with the elevators, I really cannot with this

“You make it all sound so...dangerous...” ;) ;))))))

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode five

Headin’ to Virmire to rendezvous with the Salarian team

A cure for the genophase?!?!?! :D

Oh wait oh no are we for real gonna talk about destroying the cure like Wrex isn’t standing right here omg

SHIT GUYS NO NOT LIKE THIS WREX PLEASE

Phew for a conversation that basically started with guns drawn, it went pretty well... “What Saren has isn’t even a proper cure, he’s just fucking with the Krogans at this point. Are we gonna stand for that? Or are we gonna murder?” “Damn Shep, you right, we gon’ murder”

Okay Ashley, go join the aliens, try not to die

Shadow Team!🎵 tearing through the base 🎶 disabling all the     defenses 🎵 (you gotta sing it to the tune of the Trogdor song)

We free the prisoners!!! :)

We shoot the prisoners??? :(

“Raina? How can you shoot them where they stand?” So it’s more merciful to let them explode? NAH FAM

This scientist is responsible for the mind control stuff? For Benezia? Fine     I’ll let her go but I hope she explodes

We did not learn our lesson concerning beacons I see

Wait if even Saren is worried about his mind control ship does that mean there are larger forces involved here?

Oh. Oh fuck

Ugh Ashley I EXPLICITLY TOLD YOU NOT TO DIE

(so we really never found any info about that genophase cure huh? disappointing)

Oh Seren, you dumb dumb. You absolute fool. Clown man.

When Raina slings Kaiden over her shoulder to carry him to the ship—mmmmmmmmwoooow I am very bisexual

Bruh Raina takes every council call and she disconnects pissed off every time

WAIT I literally just hung up with the council, ASHLEY is DEAD, and Kaiden needs a DTR RIGHT NOW?!?!? Boy, NO, READ THE ROOM

This has been a stressful day

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode six

Shepard will avoid her feelings and go to Faros instead

Seeing Ashley’s figure greyed out and her locker inaccessible makes me sad

Wrex and Garrus, let’s go shoot some geth 💪 

A mind controlling planet—of course!

Shep gets all her renegade points shooting capitalists

Saved, uh, about half the colonists

If I have one more bad acid trip I stg

Oh nope here’s another one

Shep needs a nap

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode seven

Ah, the council. Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal.

At least Liara is good at pep talks ;)

Joker, you cockblock

Haha DUDE we airborne, you THOUGHT

Now that I am exiled from the Citadel, guess I’ll run some galactic errands:

o   Killed corporate scientists who though we would rescue them lol

o   Destroyed a bunch of geth camps helping Tali on her pilgrimage

o   Disabled a nuke and killed some pirates

o   Shut down some evil Cerberus experiments

o   And illegally traded information!

Okay time to get back on track

So we may or may not be flying to our doom

OH GOD LIARA LOVES ME!!! RAINA, YOU DISASTER, YOU DID IT AAAAAH ❤️❤️❤️

frecklef0x plays mass effect: (ME1) episode eight

You know what I love? Being murdered by geth armatures

All these Ilos ruins be looking the same

Security panel is only kinda helpful

Oh, luckily I know Prothean now!

“CANNOT BE STOPPED” wow very encouraging, thanks

After that super motivating message and disabling security, its time to go down, down to goblin town

Vigil? Oh word?

My girlfriend is GEEKING out

I knew something what wrong with that fucking Citadel

Vigil: information is power. Also Vigil: What does it matter why they do what they do? All that matters is you stop them

“non-essential” personnel die first, huh? GROSS, VIGIL (gotta be honest that hits different in 2020)

Garrus gets it, I knew we liked that guy

Okay, find conduit, save galaxy, break millennium-old genocide cyle, nbd

Ugh Mako you gotta do me dirty one last time I see, I hate this thing

THE CONDUIT STRAIGHT YEETED MAKO

The citadel robot says we’re doomed : )

This shootout is SO fun, seriously

Saren get it toGETHER

Renegade Raina can kill with a conversation apparently, well done then

Concentrate on the Sovereign—why am I gonna save a council that hates my guts, sorry, but I have a JOB to DO that you ACTIVELY HINDERED

Great, zombie husk Saren, just what I needed as I mull over the possible consequences of my galaxy-altering decision

GO JOKER GO

Humanity-only council seems…questionable. Raina didn’t love the council but this sits wrong. Couldn’t we just appoint a more diverse council, including a human?

Anderson seems like a good enough dude, so…we’ll see.

TIME FOR WAR BOYS, GODDAMN WHAT A GAME