#Quite possibly my greatest meta

[rise-my-angel]

I’m such a big Targ fan but I can not stand most Targ fans because they don’t get it. The valyrians are interesting and cool because they are fucked up. I love the Targaryens because I am a horror and sci-fi fan. Like yeah dragons are cool too but they wouldn’t be nearly as cool if everything surrounding them weren’t horrifying and twisted. I love Dany because she is a flawed and complex character and it is so easy to draw lines through her narrative to understand why she is the way she is and what led her to make different mistakes and how she got to her self delusions. But most Dany fans will call me a Dany hater for being like hey let’s analyze why Dany has never second guessed her decision to kill Mirri even though every other act of violence she’s been directly or indirectly responsible for (ie the crucifixions or Viserys’s death) has weighed on her conscience to some extent despite the fact that Mirri was a slave who was punished for rising up against her master, Drogo. The cognitive dissonance is so interesting and ripe for analysis but I have been accused of only pretending to be a Dany fan for recognizing this. A lot of actual Dany haters churn out way more meaningful Dany metas because most Dany fans are just oh she’s an unambiguous good hero who will be queen and I think that’s so boring

(note I got off my couch in the middle of writing a new chapter to go to my main computer to answer this that's how much you caught my attention)

The thing is, I totally get what you mean. Theres a Targaryean I am sort of like this for in a way. The character himself has been soured by such a deluded and hostile fan base about what is allowed to be said or thought about him, but if it weren't for the way most targ stans are, I would be 1000% more into Rhaegar as a character.

It would never change I think he's a bad person who did monstrous things for questionable if not quite selfish means who I would never support, but I also love Euron Greyjoy who is 100% an irredeemable monster. Rhaegar's entire existence is fasnicating. From the Ghost of High Hart being the reason his parents were married, to his life defining birth right in the middle of the fiery tragedy of Summerhall which effected his life. How such a terrible place was the only place he was every described as being happy in, likely because his existence is tied with great tragedy. How that likely deeply influenced him into buying into the Ghost of High Harts words of the prince that was promised being born from his father and mothers blood line which led to his delusions which ended up negatively impacting every person in his life leading to their deaths including his own. He should be a fascinating character study for me, but the way targ stans talk about him has ruined any chance of discussion because any nuance I could provide is going to be taken as pro Rhaegar talking points.

Same with Valyria in general. The Valyrian people were delusional and terrifying and the world is better off without them, but I love exploring why. I don't hate Targaryeans to hate them, I hate them because they are interesting to hate. They are facsinating because of what makes them horrible. And liking them as characters isn't at all wrong.

Its the lack of willingness to engage with their favourite charatcers greatest flaws and realistic motivations. It's a disconnect. They will push back against every single argument that Dany is a horrible, selfish tyrant possible, and then cite her atrocities as why I'm wrong and it's like..they have bought so much into the propoganda that they have created a false image of this character they supposedly love. Why love a version of a character that you need to bend over backwards to justify is the real version against the facts of the actual story?

They are desperate to look as if their favourite characters make them morally righteous. When liking a morally honourable character does not say anything about you other then what particular character you enjoy more then another. I am not claiming to be better then Rhaegar stans because I love Ned Stark, but they will slander Ned Stark as much as they can to justify why they prefer Rhaegar instead of just admitting they have a preference.

I get accused of being a Sansa hater, because I am both very against jonsa (ship and shippers) and I am very critical of her post season 4 character. But in the books and the first 4 seasons, shes not my favourite but I love her. But because I go against the popular ship and I am critical of her various actions over the course of the different versions of her character, I am seen as a hater. Its the same with Dany and many Targaryeans.

Its either toe the public opinion, or keep them out of your mouth which is insane for a fandom of a story literally built upon the varying complexities of a characters grey areas.

They want asoiaf/got to be way more black and white then it ever has been. Which is such a poor way of interacting with a story you are passionate about.

Dany can be a tyrant and an interesting character. She can be a cruel and selfishly bloodthristy woman and your favourite character. But these stans are allergic to those ideas not being mutually exclusive.

I dont hate targ stans because they are targ stans, I hate targ stans because they will attack any dissenting opinons that do not fall into their perfect protagonist hero image they've conjured up.

But they got nothing on me. I love Euron Greyjoy. The most disgusting monster in the whole series who I also would rather slingshot him into the sun then let him walk around alive in the world. I will never defend his bad choices, and never condemn someone for calling him an immoral monster. His lack of humanity is what makes his choices so interesting.

These targ stans though, could not possibly be strong enough to be the same for even a minute for their favourite Targaryean.

[thesmumbo]

Smumbo's top 10 games he happened to play in 2022

Not necessarily games that were released in 2022, just my favorites that I played for the first time last year.

10: Night in the Woods (2017)

by Alec Holowka, Scott Benson, and Bethany Hockenberry

Peak fall vibes game. Night in the Woods features a compelling mystery and some great spooky moments. The setting and characters really resonated with me, so I got a lot out of it.

9: The Pedestrian (2020)

by @skookumarts

Pleasant puzzle game inspired by the signage that surrounds us in our day-to-day lives. Some of the puzzles were quite difficult, and I kind of dislike the direction the game took in its last act, but it was still a very fun and unique experience.

8: South of South Mountain (2022)

by @colorbomb

Cute & hilarious visual novel with a fantastic art style. I could not stop laughing throughout the whole experience.

7: Portal Reloaded (2021)

by PORTANIS

From a pure gameplay standpoint, this was a very satisfying sequel to Portal 2, and it's possibly the closest we'll ever get to a Portal 3. Portal Reloaded introduces a third portal which allows you to travel to the same place at a different time, so certain things have been moved/removed. It gets really complicated, and I’m amazed this was able to be created as a free standalone mod for Portal 2.

6: Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (2022)

by Grace Bruxner and Thomas Bowker

Approximately 3-4 hours of pure, unadulterated joy and whimsy. I can’t believe it took me this long to play Frog Detective, but I’m so glad I did. Everything about these games resonated with me strongly.

5: OneShot (2016)

by @girakacheezer, @nightmargin, and Eliza Vasquez

A transcendent experience. Explores the unique ways in which video games can tell stories, and the nature of free will. Features some interesting meta game mechanics which require you to interact with files outside of the game. The visuals and soundtrack are spot-on as well. Weird how there’s so many great RPG Maker games which work so well in spite of the engine.

4: Scorn (2022)

by Ebb Software

An incredible audiovisual experience. I liked the gameplay too, even though it seems like a lot of people were disappointed by it. I'm amazed that a game like this even exists. Absolutely oozing with atmosphere and symbolic meaning. The story spoke to me on an incredibly deep level despite lacking words, or even any semblance of humanity.

3: What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)

by Giant Sparrow

One of the greatest games ever made. All of the vignettes and set-pieces throughout the game are flawlessly paced, with a wide variety of gameplay and visual styles. Packed with detail, made with love, and so emotionally resonant. I loved this game.

2: Bloodborne (2015)

by From Software

For years, I would try to play Bloodborne whenever I had access to a PlayStation 4, but I wasn’t able to do a full playthrough until 2022. It lived up to the hype. This is my favorite From Software game, and it’s already one of my favorite games of all time. I really hope this gets a remaster/PC port some day. It’s a masterpiece.

1: SIGNALIS (2022)

by @rose-engine

One of the greatest horror games I’ve ever played. Amazing visuals and atmosphere, fascinating world and lore, and a captivating, mind-blowing cosmic horror sci-fi story. I especially loved the evocative UI designs throughout. Highly recommended if you like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dead Space, PS1 style games in general, or if you have even a passing interest in survival horror. This is my #1 game of 2022.

[littleplasticrat]

Writer Interview Tag

I'm grateful to have been tagged by @tellmeallaboutit, @my-favourite-zhent and @beesht. Sorry it took so long for me to get around to. Honestly I am blown away that anyone would put me in a 'writer' bucket with the other word crabs

Tellmeallaboutit's interview

My-favourite-zhent's interview

Beesht's interview

My answers below the cut for some NSFW discussion

When did you start writing?

The most recent bout of writing started in December 2023 and was prompted by being insatiably horny for Gortash. This is the first time I've written fanfiction.

I wrote a short novel from 2012-2013 and would put that in the fantasy YA category about a magician who falls in love with a phoenix.

As a kid, I wrote a lot, up until around the age of 16 or so when I realised that I didn't want to live the life of a struggling artist and so set my sights on getting work with more consistent pay than writing books.

I actually do quite a lot of writing for my current job. It's industry-specific instructional writing but I feel that some of the meta-skills are applicable between the two genres.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I really only read horror short fiction recreationally, and I've only written one horror story - which I found super challenging and wouldn't really want to tackle again. Luckily, I'm able to excise the horrors by running TTRPG games and thus don't have to deal with the difficult challenge of making something sound scary.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I haven't been compared to any writers - I simply haven't written enough stuff that isn't solid filth XD

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Up until I moved house last week, I had a dedicated home office with a large drawing tablet and my mother's boarding school desk from the 1960s. Until I can get an office set up in the guest bedroom of the new house (I'm in no rush), I'm on my laptop at the dining table downstairs or a local cafe.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I try to preach that a hobby should be treated like self-care and so not be a source of stress, but I have the heart of a procrastinator and the bones of a perfectionist; if I waited for the muse to strike me with creative stuff, I wouldn't get anything done.

So, if I'm feeling wigged out about life, I'm not going to force anything, but otherwise I have a 'smash it out' approach of breaking down the work as much as possible and going from there. Any writing I do therefore starts life as a series of bullet points of what exactly I want to happen and in what order, and I build out methodically from there.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

The thrill of fancying someone a lot? Horniness? Butt stuff? LOL

What is your reason for writing?

I want to be the freak I want to see in the world.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Any comment I get is like JAZZ HANDS. Seriously! It's so flattering to have someone slow down and look at my stuff, let alone acknowledge it.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I once read a shitty horror novel where the villain was able to destroy the protagonist's life, because she'd read all his books and so knew him. That rattled me so hard! There's no way I'm skillful enough to develop an authorial voice that isn't my own. So, like, don't think about what my disgusting fanfics say about who I am as a person please [jk]

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I'd say the action is pretty clear, and I can crack a joke at the right time. What more could a reader ask for?

How do you feel about your own writing?

I would like there to be more of it but my art will take priority for now <3

I think most people I know write on here have already been tagged several times, so I shall not tag further.

[sapphiresdumpsterfire]

meta analysis of Extraordinary Things because I have no life

Keep your words on ice

Your gaze lights the fire.

Pretty straight forward, Geralt’s cold attitude and words combined with his gold, “fiery” eyes.

They say keep on playing nice

But I have no desire

This I feel like is a reference to his bisexuality, being told to conform to the typical standards of relationships, or perhaps to accept his nobility as it reflects on his romantic affairs. Play nice and keep in line. But that’s not who he is as a person and he has no desire to pretend like he’ll ever fit that mold.

Why waste our words

When lips were made

For extraordinary things

Fairly straightforward as well, he’s tired of the fancy wordplay and the double entendres of noble life. He doesn’t want to dance around the way he feels or conceal his emotions. Why waste time with talking around how you feel when you can simply accept it. Which is very fitting as he is very open with his romantic life.

It’s not a want, it’s a need

It is paying no heed

To what others say to sing

Another reference to his orientation, however I also feel like this might be a small reference to the line in Her Sweet Kiss “I’m weak my love, and I am wanting” which could be an indicator of his feelings for Geralt adapting and evolving over time. They’ve deepened into a need to simply be around Geralt, even if his role in Geralt’s life isn’t quite was he desires. Geralt matters just that much to him.

The greatest songs are made up

Of unspoken words of love

Okay this line I feel like is the most damning, but possibly not for the reasons people might think. There’s a lot of focus on the “unspoken words of love” section of this line, but I was more focused onto this reference of his music. He’s saying that of the songs he has written, he has embedded his love for Geralt in every line. In particular, the his romantic ballads. He keeps his love songs inconspicuous, switching around pronouns and never revealing a name. Those are expressions of his “unspoken works of love”.

Of them I’ve had enough

With you I have enough

With you I am enough

I am enough

This is where we get angsty. His tone gets defeated and exhausted singing this line. He’s tired of being so desperately in love with someone who will never be able to share that love in the same capacity. He’s had enough of feeling like he’ll never be enough. Radovid has made him feel like he can be enough for someone, but that’s not quite what he needs either (with unintentional foreshadowing to Radovid’s manipulation). He wants to be enough for himself, in his own right, without relying on other people’s perception of him.

Drop the sweet disguise

Your heart’s beating too loud

The fairytale’s and little lies

Can’t drown out all the sound

So I’ve seen this be translated as foreshadowing for him and Radovid’s relationship, but considering that he would have only known Radovid for a couple of days at best, I feel like this interpretation is a little too loose and abstract. We know he writes his ballads about events he’s experienced in his own life, and he doesn’t tend to write about abstract concepts or future events. I feel it’s more likely that this is a reflection of the fact that Jaskier very much knows that Geralt is aware of his feelings. We know that Geralt can canonly hear heartbeats. Jaskier knows that no matter how many pretty ballads he sings and excuses he gives, he can’t hide his feelings, and Geralt will never address them, whether to protect Jaskier’s emotions or their friendship. It’s a feeling of defeat and almost a bit of self-flagellation. Like he’s shaming himself for daring to have these feelings, using a slightly mocking tone while singing these lines.

So take this heart

And break this heart

For extraordinary things

In this, Jaskier is tossing aside these feelings. He’s willing to let his heart be broken and his hopes be dashed to be by Geralt’s side because he sees that Geralt has a destiny and a purpose. He’s willing to go through the pain of never having Geralt in the way he needs because he knows that Geralt has a greater purpose, and he’s devoting himself to seeing this purpose play out.

It’s not a want, it’s a need

It is paying no heed to what

Others say to sing

The greatest songs are made up

Of unspoken words of love

Of them I’ve had enough

With you I have enough

With you I am enough

I am

I am enough…

In short, I feel like this song is very clearly an expression of Jaskier’s feelings of hopelessness towards his relationship with Geralt. He’s desperately in love with a man who he knows in his heart that he will never be enough for, whether due to orientation or feeling like Geralt has a far greater purpose than Jaskier could ever hope to understand or fulfill. He wants desperately to be enough for someone, and to feel like anybody could be enough to fill the hole that Geralt has left inside him. Enter Radovid, who sees this weakness and immediately exploits it to his advantage. But my rant on the cinematography of the scene indicating Radovid’s calculated manipulation and Jaskier’s emotional vulnerability will come another day.

Thank you Joey Batey for another total masterpiece of a performance and a song that will haunt me till I die. 🥹💕

[acourtofthought]

idk if you answered this already (found some of your metas and think they're really good), but how do you think mating bonds work? because mor, thesan and helion are the only non-straight characters that we know of, so they could have a mate of the same gendre, right? but how does that work with the speculation rhys gave of "mates being chosen for the strongest offspring"?

Thank you very much!!

I think that Rhys doesn't quite understand how the bond works. Because they are somewhat rare and he's only had real first hand knowledge of his own bond. He might have seen that his parents weren't completely happy together but at the same time, it doesn't sound like he ever sat down and asked his mom twenty questions on her bond and if she would have rejected it if given the choice, etc.

So he looked at what he perceived as their unhappiness and tried to fill in the blanks as to why his parents bond didn't look like his with Feyre.

He's trying to make sense of it and one possible explanation in his mind is the whole "mates being chosen for the strongest offspring" but it's evident that he doesn't really know for sure.

I think maybe what he's missing though, is what happened when his parents bond snapped versus what happened when his bond with Feyre snapped.

Rhys gave Feyre a choice. He let her get to know him and make the decision to accept their bond in her own time.

Rhys's father felt the bond snap and immediately took his mother away, giving her no choice.

Maybe it's not really the bond choosing anyone poorly so much as what two characters do with that bond.

If they handle it as the gift it is while still treating their mate with respect, then they probably will end up with a happy bond. But if the male basically claims the female as property, it's not really the bond that was the problem but the male not showing respect for her and that comes down to a mistake on the males part (not the bonds part).

Sort of like, I can probably have a happy marriage if I give my spouse freedom to be an individual and I don't cheat (and they do the same).

But that same marriage, being given all the same tools to succeed, is probably going to be an unhappy one if one of us turns into a controlling person who regularly has extra marital affairs. It's not the marriage that was the problem so much as what one person did with the marriage.

Fate sets them up with something that could be amazing but it's up to them what they do with it.

And in the case of a LGB character, they might decide (if given an opposite sex mate) that the bond is not something they consider a gift because their greatest gift would be finding a same sex partner to love.

Additional mating bond thoughts below:

[cappymightwrite]

hello, cappy! i've loved reading your metas, and after reading your meta about the "what do you know of my heart?" line from sense and sensibility, i can't stop thinking about the exchange between elinor or colonel brandon about marianne "becoming better acquainted with the world" in relation to sansa. she very much shares marianne's romanticism and also suffers a devastating disillusionment. do you think there could be a connection there?

Hi there!

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it (“What do you know of my heart?” in A Dance with Dragons and Sense & Sensibility) 😊

That's an interesting exchange and I can see why you've sensed a connection with Sansa there. Here it is from the 1995 film adaptation:

Colonel Brandon: Your sister seems very happy. Elinor Dashwood: Yes. Marianne does not approve of hiding her emotions. In fact, her romantic prejudices have the unfortunate tendency to set propriety at naught. Colonel Brandon: She is wholly unspoilt. Elinor Dashwood: Rather too unspoilt, in my view. The sooner she becomes acquainted with the ways of the world, the better. Colonel Brandon: I knew a lady very like your sister — the same impulsive sweetness of temper — who was forced into, as you put it, a better acquaintance with the world. The result was only ruination and despair. Do not desire it, Miss Dashwood.

And here it is in the novel, from Chapter 11:

[...] His eyes were fixed on Marianne, and, after a silence of some minutes, he said, with a faint smile, "Your sister, I understand, does not approve of second attachments." "No," replied Elinor, "her opinions are all romantic." "Or rather, as I believe, she considers them impossible to exist." "I believe she does. But how she contrives it without reflecting on the character of her own father, who had himself two wives, I know not. A few years however will settle her opinions on the reasonable basis of common sense and observation; and then they may be more easy to define and to justify than they now are, by any body but herself." "This will probably be the case," he replied; "and yet there is something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give way to the reception of more general opinions." "I cannot agree with you there," said Elinor. "There are inconveniences attending such feelings as Marianne’s, which all the charms of enthusiasm and ignorance of the world cannot atone for. Her systems have all the unfortunate tendency of setting propriety at nought; and a better acquaintance with the world is what I look forward to as her greatest possible advantage." [...] "[...] I once knew a lady who in temper and mind greatly resembled your sister" [said he], "who thought and judged like her, but who from an enforced change—from a series of unfortunate circumstances—” Here he stopped suddenly; appeared to think that he had said too much [...]

In both instances, it is Elinor who has this view that experience and maturity will temper Marianne's romanticism and that this "better acquaintance with the world" will be to her advantage. Colonel Brandon counters this by drawing a comparison between Marianne and  his father's ward, Eliza, whom he loved when he was young but was unable to wed. Eliza suffered several misfortunes, in a sense becoming better acquainted with the world but harshly so, as opposed to the gradual maturing that comes more naturally with age, i.e. what Elinor is talking about. Eliza's romanticism was utterly taken from her, "forced" out as movie Brandon says, and so he cautions against desiring experience/maturity at the cost of one's sense of romanticism and innocence — he sees these traits of Marianne's as things to be admired and protected.

So yes, Sansa is quite like Marianne, and she too goes through a disillusionment arc very much tied to her sense of romanticism. Take this exchange from the movie:

Elinor Dashwood: Poor Willoughby. He will always regret you. Marianne: But does it follow that, had he chosen me, he would have been content? He would have had a wife he loved, but no money, and might soon have learned to rank the demands of his pocketbook far above the demands of his heart. If his present regrets are half as painful as mine, he will suffer enough. Elinor Dashwood: Do you compare your conduct with his? Marianne: No, I compare it with what it ought to have been. I compare it with yours.

However, that is not to say Marianne's expressiveness and deep feeling is a bad thing. And likewise, we shouldn't make the mistake (like GoT did) of thinking that Sansa's romanticism is a thing to be wholly cynically dismantled and derided. Sansa's story can be described as falling into the bildungsroman genre (a coming of age tale), as do all the other Starklings' povs, but I would see it as a tragedy if she were to lose her romantic nature completely, just as Colonel Brandon feels with regards to Eliza and Marianne in S&S. I don't think that's the endgame for Sansa. I think too many things point towards romantic fulfilment for her... and she's encountered her rakes and rogues, to put it nicely, so what's left? Her Romantic hero ;)

Because really, S& S isn't about one way of being trumping the other — though admirable, it isn't healthy to repress or censor yourself, to take on as much as Elinor does. Instead, it is about each sister finding a balance between sense and sensibility. It is not an exchange of one for the other, but a communion between the two.

I think in my original meta, I talked about how Sansa AND Jon have elements of Elinor in the way they internalise their true wants and desires as an act of self preservation. We see this perhaps most strongly in Jon, and get the impression this has always been a facet of his character tied very much to his status as a bastard, but we also begin to see it in Sansa as part of her arc of disillusionment.

So I suppose I think there are interesting parallels between Sansa and both Elinor and Marianne. I think Sansa is on a journey of maturation, a reckoning with and resolution of her sense and sensibility. But this isn't Regency England and so Sansa's trials are heightened, or at least different, as befits asoiaf's faux-medieval setting. I can't say with any real confidence that Sense and Sensibility and the Dashwood sisters are a definite conscious influence on GRRM... but I don't know... it's certainly a fruitful thought experiment!

Thanks for the ask :)

[popculturebuffet]

Next up for Warner Bros Animation, favorite character from the 1996-2001 half of the Kids WB era of shows: Superman the Animated Series, Road Rovers, Waynehead, The New Batman Adventures, Histeria, Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, Batman Beyond, Detention, Static Shock, and The Zeta Project?

Superman TAS: Toyman. The comics still haven't been able to match this verison: creepy design, fun gimicks and a geninly unsettling nature. The show itself is great. Not quite on the same level as BTAS, but still a great distalation of one of the greatest heroes of all.

Road Rovers: Reviewed a bunch of this and honestly forgot it. No faviorite character bu ta decent fun action show

Waynehaed: Haven't seen it and still marvel that this exists The New Batman Adventures: Dont' have a faviorite only because I haven't seen enough, but serum lake (Who I mentiond last time) has my intrest piqued. That said what I have seen is pretty good: the show is diffrent from btas, from what I found out from said videos embracing the camp a bit more. A solid followup.

Histeria: I've only seen the one episode but it's one I need to seek out as hot damn is Histeria fun. Funny, eductational and jam packed it's a damn shame this series was basically abandoned by WB and has been mostly buired as it's on par with tiny tunes and animaniacs. Defentily could use a reboot.

Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain:

Yeah this is like hysteria one I only saw for a review and once was enough. It's what happens when execs don't realize this idea had already been mocked and somehow make it worst. Larry at least is funny entirely for the great meta punchline of just how little he fits. Elmyra... is an awful character already. I respect Tiny Toons Looniversity for rebooting her properly, making her just as cutesy but now a slightly unhinged animal photographer instead of an animal abuser. I didn't know it was possible and it's clear they woudln't of tried had fans not complained so much Elmyra was gone

But the orignal.. is a bad character. She just is. Cree Summer does her best but Elmyra is abusive, annoying and just not fun to watch. Pinky tormenting brain works because he's likeable.. Elmyra isn't. I'm baffled this series was on hulu but Freakazoid wasn't.

Batman Beyond: (techno music intensifies) Terry himself might just win this as a fun character who serves as a nice contrast to bruce. The series itself is one I badly need ot revisit as I don't remember how fucked up it was (Thanks again serum lake) or how spider-man it was, but I do remember liking what I saw as a kid and later in college on the hub, and I like how unique it is. From what I can tell the comics have yet to truly capture the spirit of it. All the props to Glen Murkami who thanks to said videos I keep mentoning I found out is the reason we got this: Superman and NBA were canceled abrubtly to make a teen batman show and not wanting to A) throw out continuity or B) leave the show to someone worse they came up with a new legacy batman... but it was Glen's excellent designwork that really got them excited, creating a blade runner future with fresh villians, a spider-man flair and a true succsor to the bat. This show is one of the DCAU's most unique and best.

Detention; I don't know the motherfucker

Static Shock: Yeah this block is pretty much all DCAU. Rubberband Man is the faviorite here. I love his redemption arc, romance with Static's sister and dyslexia episode. I don't have it myself but it's well done and as someone who DOES have a disablity (autisim and disgraphia), I felt seen anyway. The show itself has been awesome any time i've revisited it, giving Dwayne McDuffie room to do what the DCAU (which it got made part of eventuallys), does best: strip down the glut in the continuity (as little as static had being from milestone and all), and make the characters their best self. The result is a fun well paced action series with some well grounded moments. The seris can both have Shaq guest star and have an episodes about gun violence and racisim and both fit. I also marked out as a kid seeing the justice league crossover, but more on that soon.

The Zeta project: Haven't really seen this one , here it's good. ti's the odd man out in the dcau as it's the only one not based on anything prexisting. Still seems worth a look and I wish Zeta would show up in the main dc universe.

[kachikirby]

GranEssex Chronicles: Chapter 15 - Explosive Past

A few weeks have passed since Meta was on break. While he had slowly gotten back into the habit of doing missions, they were more errands than actual missions. More than likely, it was because his mentor wanted to protect him. He didn't truly mind this too much. He understood Kurabe's reasoning, even if he found all of those errands quite boring. However, tomorrow would make all that boredom worth it. Currently the GranEssex was on its way the planet where the junior tournament was going to take place.

"Sensei, when will we get there?" He asked as he pressed his face against the window, staring intently at the stars as they passed by.

Kurabe chuckled at her student's behavior. "Patience, Meta. Our approximate arrival time is in eight hours. Frankly, I wish we could just hold it here on the GranEssex, but Reedy wouldn't allow it, wanting no participant to have a home field advantage. Sometimes he does manage to make a good point." She said, drinking a cup of tea. That was what she said, but the youth could tell that his mentor was extremely excited.

He let out a sigh. "Can we go train, sensei?"

"Ordinarily, I would gladly take up that offer. However, tomorrow will be incredibly hard on you. I want you to save as much energy as possible."

Her student gave a pout. "Then what am I supposed to do?!"

"That's quite simple. Go and talk with your fellow students. Ask for advice or if you really want something to help pass the time, go talk to Tam. She can talk for hours without pause."

That was probably the best option at this point, minus the part where Tam would talk his ear off.

"What about you, sensei? What do you plan on doing?"

Kurabe sighed herself. "A video meeting with the other division leaders regarding the tournament. Speaking of those who can talk without pause..."

Meta already knew who she was talking about. "Do you need me to talk to him. I might be able to scare him or something."

The ice queen gave a hearty laugh. "That won't be necessary, Meta. I can handle him myself. Besides, this meeting is being hosted by Raiden. Scaring Reedy would be hilarious but ultimately pointless. At least until the meeting is over. Then you can scare him."

The youth nodded. "Ok. Well, I guess I can just go talk to Tam for now."

"A wise decision, Meta. Tam's the best of my students for you to converse with. You'll learn a lot from her... or at the very least, you'll be very entertained by her stories."

The youth nodded and was ready to leave, but stopped to ask one more question. "Sensei, did you participate in this tournament when you were a new member?"

"Of course I did! I even won!" She exclaimed proudly.

"I wouldn't expect anything else from my sensei! I'll try my best to win, just like you."

"Oh, I have no doubt that you'll win. You're my best student anyway."

Meta smiled, eager to prove his mentor right.

"That said, make sure to keep a steady head. Overconfidence is one of a warrior's greatest adversaries. Stay calm and victory will always be in sight."

"I understand, sensei." The youth replied.

For a brief moment, Kurabe stared at him, and Meta was about to leave until he was suddenly wrapped up in a hug by his mentor.

"Sensei?!"

"You're getting worked up again, I just know it. Just relax, Meta, then I'll let you go."

"I am relaxed, sensei."

"I know." She said with a grin, letting go of Meta. "Now, good luck finding Tam, Meta."

"Don't you mean good luck talking with her?"

"Well, you can't talk to her unless you find her first, can you?"

Meta groaned, realizing what she meant. Tam was notorious for being someone who was impossible to find. She found you, not the other way around.

"I suppose I can view searching for her as a type of training."

"Hmm... yes, that's the spirit. I suggest you get to searching now."

He nodded and quickly sprinted out of the room. Kurabe smiled, but not only because of her student's actions.

"When do you think he'll realize you were in here the whole time?" She asked to a seemingly empty part of the room.

At that moment, a familiar fox girl appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"I give him two to three hours." Tam smirked at her mentor. "Brilliant idea, using my illusions to make him work on his detective skills."

"He desired training, may as well teach him something he wouldn't expect that a warrior would need."

"Indeed. Thankfully, it also won't be nearly as exhaustive as training will be."

"Not physically anyway." Kurabe replied with a chuckle.

Suddenly, a familiar blue shape teleported inside the room, surprising them both.

"Back so soon?"

"It was easy figuring it out. Tam likes hiding in places that would be sure to aggravate whoever is looking for her. In this case, she knew that I'd be annoyed at having to come back to the room I started in. Secondly, the way you were talking sensei gave me the impression that you knew Tam was hiding and that you knew where at."

"Oooh? That's impressive." The warrior said as she sipped some tea. "Tell me, what about the way I was speaking tipped you off?"

"When you told me good luck finding her, you said it in your "I know something that you don't" tone."

His mentor was silent for a moment.

"I see." She then stood up and patted him on the back. "You're improving faster every day, Meta. Make sure to keep that momentum."

"I will, sensei. Thank you."

Kurabe nodded. "Well, that meeting will be starting soon. You two enjoy each other's company."

"Ok, sensei. Good luck with the meeting." The youth said before heading out of the room with Tam.

---------

As the two began walking down the hallway, he suddenly heard her speak up.

"You know Meta, the way you talked back there, it sounded like you were calling me predictable."

"You are a bit. But you're not nearly as bad as sensei."

"Care to repeat that?"

Meta heard Kurabe's voice say, but when he turned around, he saw that no one was there and that Tam was laughing to herself.

"Sensei, please stop reading my mind."

This just made Tam laugh more. "Meta, that wasn't sensei, that was me." Tam said, using magic to make her voice sound like Kurabe's.

The youth pouted in response.

"Still believe I'm predictable?" She asked, speaking in Meta's own voice this time.

"...not at all." He said with a chuckle.

"Now I know you want to talk to me, anything you're dying to know about me?"

"Um... I honestly don't know. I just want to pass the time while we head to the planet."

"So, you want a long story, do you? Well, I think I have just the story to tell."

The youth looked at her curiously. "What kind of story is it?"

"It's the very first time I went on a mission with our sensei. Back when I was around your age."

Meta nodded, looking interested in this story as he sat down on the couch in the lounge.

"Well, I suppose the best place to start with is the beginning. The mission was relatively straightforward. We were to search through a heavily populated city to find a group of criminals. While this was normally a job for the stealth division or even the intelligence division, we happened to be the closest to the planet at the time."

Meta gave a frown. "...honestly, I understand why they would do something like that, but wouldn't it be better to just send the right division to take care of it?" The youth asked, remembering the reason why Reedy's crew was given that mission with the Myovam in the first place.

"That's a fair point, however there was a problem at the time. The entire stealth division was focused on handling a civil war on another planet. A planet whose government is a major ally to us so we couldn't afford to remove them from that mission. As for the intelligence division, they actually wanted us to handle it. Or more accurately, sensei "convinced" them to let us handle it." Tam explained, putting air quotes around convinced.

"Of course she would bring that stupid rivalry into this..."

"No, that wasn't actually why."

"It wasn't?"

"Nope. She wanted us to handle it, because of me. You see, and this may come as a shock, I was incredibly unsure about myself and my abilities at the time. I lacked a lot of confidence, heck I didn't even have my explosive fighting style yet. So, she wanted to take me on a mission that would force me to get out of my shell."

The youth looked surprise at that answer. "But wouldn't fighting a group of criminals be too much for you at the time?"

Tam shrugged. "You know how sensei is. Living and teaching dangerously. Though obviously her methods are incredibly efficient."

Meta knew that all too well. "Plus, in hindsight, this group was only like a C rank threat at most. Probably why the intelligence division didn't mind letting us do it."

"I see... would you like to go into detail?"

"Of course, but you better keep close attention to it." The puff nodded as they arrived at the lounge.

Tam sat down and quickly cleared her throat. "Best get comfy, this will take a while."

The puff nodded and sat down next to her.

"The story begins with sensei and me taking a star jet to Belmoore, the name of the planet."

---------

"Sensei, are you sure you want me to accompany you?" A young Tam asked her mentor.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't." The warrior replied.

"But surely there's someone better for this mission than me."

"That type of thinking is exactly why I'm bringing you with me."

"But why?"

"Tam, I won't sugarcoat this. You need to get past this fear of being a cowardly failure. You have the perfect skill set for this kind of mission. The only one better suited for this is Mercury. You want to become strong, right? Then you need to face your fears."

"But I don't know if I could..."

"It's not a matter of knowing, it's a matter of belief. I never know if I'll get through a mission unhurt, but I always believe in my abilities. You need to learn how to do the same. Who knows, you might find a strength you never knew you had. We'll never know if we don't try."

Tam couldn't disagree with that at all as much as she wanted to. "And if I get in a fight without you to back me up?"

"You have an incredibly mean roundhouse kick, Tam."

"Yeah, but that won't help me all the time, won't it?"

"You're right. If only you could become invisible, or make the enemies think the floor is lava. Wait a minute, you are capable of that and more."

"I'm happy you're that confident in me, but I don't think I could..."

"Tam, that's enough." Kurabe pushed up visor, revealing her piercing gaze. "You wished to become some strong enough to protect and care for your siblings, correct? That is why you joined my crew, right?"

"Y-yes, that's why I did."

"You'll never become the woman you want to be if you keep letting fear control you. You have what it takes to become something truly special, I know it. You need to have faith, Tam."

"...ok." The young fox wanted to believe in Kurabe's words, but she still wasn't sure on how to feel.

"If it makes you feel more at ease, I don't plan on leaving your side for the entire duration of this mission." Kurabe stated.

"Thank you, sensei." She replied with a smile.

"But don't expect me to do all the work. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Good. Now relax and when we enter the city, act like how you normally would. We don't want to possibly alert the criminals that we're looking for them."

"Shouldn't you wear some kind of disguise then? You'll stand out to any criminals with how you currently look due to how famous you are."

Kurabe smirked and snapped her fingers. Kurabe's body was enveloped in a bright flash. Once the light dissolved, Tam saw a human woman with similar features to Kurabe.

"You... turned yourself into a human?!" She uttered in surprise.

"Not exactly. It's a magic spell that causes people to see me as something else. Physically, I'm still a Star Warrior."

Still staring, Tam reached out a hand and poked her face.

"This is so cool!" Tam said, extremely interested in this magic spell. "You look so beautiful! I mean, not that you don't always look beautiful. I mean-"

Kurabe gave a chuckle. "Why, thank you, Tam. Actually, this is a spell that creates an appearance based on the user's personality."

"Oh, then no wonder you look so incredible."

"Well, thank you very much..." She uttered, looking away to hide her slowly reddening face. After a brief moment, she stood up. "Get ready, Tam, we'll be landing in five minutes." She said and then grabbed one of Tam's hands. "You can do it, Tam."

The fox girl only smiled in response.

"Now let me give a quick rundown of what we know. This is a small group, only six members. They specialize in smuggling and selling illegal drugs and weaponry. They all have a tattoo somewhere on their bodies. The tattoo looks like skulls and crossbones. With one eye hole red and the other eye hole blue."

"And my duty will be to locate them?"

"That's right. Worry not, I'll never be far away from you. Just focus on doing the best you can."

Tam looked up and down at her mentor's disguised appearance once more. "...shouldn't you also be a bit worried about yourself?"

Kurabe tilted her head. "Not particularly. The wellbeing of my student is more worthy of my attention then my own safety."

The fox girl didn't say it, but she had the feeling that Kurabe's current appearance would cause her to be the target of pickup artists or those desperate for dates.

"Oh, that's what you're worried about? I'm flattered that you're concerned about me, Tam. But trust me, I can handle myself." She said, the air around her becoming cold.

"How did you-?"

"Have you already forgotten that I can read minds?"

Tam giggled at the very straightforward answer.

"Besides, I'm quite used to it already."

"You are?" Tam asked, her ears twitching in surprise.

"Are you implying I'm not beautiful as a Star Warrior?" Kurabe pouted.

"No, of course not, I already said you're always beautiful. It's just that, well... how do you get used to people leering at you, or wanting you just for your looks? It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it."

"I don't know."

Tam looked confused. "You don't know how you got used to it?"

"More accurately, I've just never cared about the opinions of those that don't matter to me. I've had people many a time throw themselves at me for very superficial reasons. Individuals like that aren't worth my notice, or your notice either."

"That's a bit harder to do than you might think, sensei."

"I never claimed it was easy, did I? However, it's also not as hard as you may believe. Now get ready, we're about to land."

Her student gave a nod as they began to land the ship.

---------

The city, named Zteel, was a fairly big and standard city. Plenty of local businesses, a peaceful looking suburban area. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There was one thing that Tam noticed that got her interest. It seemed as if the city was preparing for a festival of some kind.

"The city is celebrating its annual celebration about the creation of this city and its people. With so many people coming to visit, it makes for the perfect cover to search around, doesn't it?" Kurabe stated.

"I think so. Maybe it'll also make it easier for the gang to walk out in the open as well."

"That's correct. Smaller criminals like this tend to blend in with the environment. They aren't physically strong enough to warrant standing out, so they stick to the shadows and hide in plain sight."

"So, I should keep the lookout for a skull and crossbones tattoo with red and blue eyes?"

"Yes. And keep in mind, some of them might be using illusions to hide it. You're perfect at sensing and dispelling illusions. Just be careful to not get hasty. Patience is key in this mission. We can't risk being found out or involving the citizens."

"Understood." The fox girl responded.

She then began to walk through the city, keeping an eye out for any suspicious characters.

"And yes, depending on how this mission goes, we'll partake in the festivities." Kurabe suddenly said.

Tam looked at her mentor in surprise. "Really? Don't we have other missions to do then?"

"Nothing that Mercury and everyone else can't handle. Besides I know you want to explore the festival. It's written all over your face."

Her student then looked shocked at that revelation.

"Oh, don't look so surprised."

Tam nodded, blushing because of how easy she was to read at times.

"Good, now you're less tense already." She then gave a small smile. "Now, shall we get to work?"

"Yes, sensei." Tam replied, her eyes focusing on everyone she could see.

She specifically was looking for anyone that looked suspicious. She was currently having no luck with that. Most of the people she saw were either families spending time together or admittedly cute couples. She was starting to get fed up with this, but then she spotted a nervous looking individual wearing a headband.

"Maybe it might be him...?" she thought as she headed towards the person. She quickly looked behind to see what Kurabe thought before she got too far. Kurabe simply nodded, showing that she was ok with this course of action. Tam nodded back and walked into an alleyway, becoming invisible using her illusion magic.

"Ok, mister, let's see what you're hiding." She thought as she sprinted up to him.

Almost immediately, the person saw the fox girl running towards him and began to sprint.

"If he can see me when I'm invisible then something is definitely up." She thought to herself and began to follow after them. "But how would they be able to see me?"

Her eyes widened and realized what was going on.

"Tattoos can sometimes be magic symbols. Red and blue eyes are associated with vision magic. If he can see through my illusions, then there's only one possibility." She thought, quickly getting close to her target. Tam reached out and grabbed the suspect by the arm and pulled out a taser.

"You can see me, but no one else can. I shock you and everyone will just think you had a seizure. If you want to avoid that, take off that headband." She demanded, surprising herself with how bold she was being. The suspect only glared at her. In response, Tam zapped him for only a second to prove she wasn't bluffing. That one second was enough to make him cry from the pain. "Now talk."

"Alright! Alright!" The man said, taking off his headband and revealing the tattoo she was looking for.

The fox girl gave a satisfied smile. "Alright, now can you guide us to where your friends are?"

"Us?" He replied confused. He then felt a cold hand touch his shoulder from behind.

"Yes, us." Kurabe stated, smiling at Tam's accomplishment.

"Wh-who the hell are you?!"

"Who I am is unimportant. But I can tell you who you will be in the next five seconds if you don't talk. Dead."

"W-what?"

"Five, four, three, two..."

"Ok, I'll tell you!"

"Good, now be quick about it."

"I will if your friend lets me go!"

"Do you want me to resume my countdown?"

"Ok, I'll guide you already!"

"Then quit complaining and get moving. Tam, keep the taser close to him." Her student nodded and kept the taser close to the person as they began to follow after him.

---------

The walk was quiet and tense, with no one wanting to say anything. Tam, while confident looking on the outside, was very nervous on the inside. She looked over at Kurabe for a brief moment to see she was carrying herself with her usual aura of elegance.

"Beautiful as always. If only I could be like that..." She thought to herself.

"You're already on your way there, Tam." She heard a voice in her head say.

The fox girl involuntarily blushed upon hearing that.

"You were the one that spotted and apprehended this criminal. You expertly figured out who he was and took him down masterfully. Be proud of yourself."

She quietly nodded in response. Before Tam could mentally respond, Kurabe drew her sword and blocked a bullet that was shot at her.

"Tam keep following our captive, I'll handle this myself. GO!" Kurabe ordered as she blocked another bullet.

The fox girl gave a worried look, but then nodded and began to run.

"You better not be leading me into a trap, or else I'll take you for much more than just a measly minute." She threatened.

"I'm not! I'm not!" The gang member shouted back. "In fact, shouldn't you be more worried about your friend?" He said with a smirk.

Tam smirked back. "Oh, I have full faith in her. She's not known as "the unkillable" for nothing."

"The unkillable? Oh no... you don't mean she's THE Unkillable?"

"She is."

"...Shit. Why did we have to get the attention of her of all people?" He groaned.

"That's a question you should be asking yourself. Now get back to guiding me to your base."

"I get it, I get it. We're getting close, we just need to take a left up at that alley."

"Ok, then show me up that way."

"I already am!"

"Then do it more quickly!"

Once more Tam was surprised by how bold she was being. Was she always like this? Was she acting like because her sensei believed in her? Those were thoughts she would have to worry about later however as she was now in front of the supposed base of operations. A run down, shady looking house with mold all over it. She glared skeptically at the captive.

"This isn't a trap, is it?"

"No, it isn't! This place was the boss's idea! Said that no one would expect us to hide in a freaking health code violation. And for the past five years he's been right. Until now I guess."

"Very well then. Take me inside."

"Yeah, yeah..."

As he was about to open the door, Tam stopped him. "Hey, what's your name anyway?"

"Mique, why?"

Tam smirked and used her magic to become an exact copy of him.

"Thanks for being gullible." She said as she knocked him out with a roundhouse kick.

---------

With that done, Tam entered the home in disguise. The inside of the house was just as horrid as it was on the outside. The stench made Tam want to gag, but she would have to put up with it.

"Hey! It's me, Mique! Anyone home!?"

"There you are, Mique. Molly saw that you were being hounded by two organization bozos. Guess you managed to get away from them?" A deep voice said from down the hall.

"Molly must be that sniper sensei is dealing with." Tam thought to herself. "Yeah, I barely did. There was this fox girl that was after me and I had to really work to give her the slip."

"And you're sure you weren't followed? The voice asked, becoming even deeper.

"Of course I'm sure! I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure!"

"...come here, Mique." The voice said with chills being sent down Tam's spine.

"Y-yes, right away!"

Tam took a deep breath and headed towards where the voice came from. Tam stepped into a dining room that was mostly empty save for the table in the middle. Sitting at the table was a large, gorilla like man with the familiar skull tattoo on his right arm.

"What do you need?"

Tam was internally freaking out. She knew she was taking a huge gamble on using a illusion. While the tattoo let them see through invisibility, she didn't know if it applied to other illusions.

"...Mique, where's your headband? You didn't let them see your tattoo, did you?"

"Oh, that's because I was nearly captured, and they forced me to remove it. Admittedly, I was trying so hard to get away that I kinda forgot about it."

"You need to quit getting careless, Mique. One more mess up and you're out."

"Got it." Tam replied with a nod.

"Good, now get to the storeroom and help the others pack. We're leaving as soon as Molly gets back here."

"Alright then." Tam said before leaving towards where she assumed was the storeroom. Admittedly, she was very nervous. Where exactly did she go from here? Is Kurabe ok?

"I'm in over my head. I should just leave and... no. I could never look sensei in the eye again if I just gave up now. Think, Tam, sensei said that this gang only had six members. She's fighting one, I took care of Mique and the boss is by himself. So there's three others. Should I try fighting them myself? ...I should probably meet up with them and judge if I could then."

---------

Tam eventually found the right location. A large storeroom filled with boxes, most likely filled with the smuggled goods. She then saw three individuals, all of them were Knuckles, a race of natural born fighters. None of them have noticed her yet, which was fortunate for her.

"So I was asked to help you all pack. Anywhere you want me to cover?"

"Huh? Oh, hey, Mique, yeah go make sure all the boxes in the back corner are secure." One of them said, half paying attention.

"Got it." Tam replied as she began to head back towards the back corner.

"Alright, now what? Should I fight them head on? They seem pretty out of it." She thought, weighing her options. "...it would probably be a good idea to attack now."

Tam closed her eyes and thought of different tactics. Obviously, illusions outside of invisibility worked on them.

"I guess I'll go with that..."

Tam walked in front of the three and snapped her fingers. Suddenly they began screaming in fear, Tam using her magic to force them so see their biggest fears.

"Huh. It seems it works."

This was a lot easier than she was expecting. Perhaps Kurabe was right about her being able to handle herself.

"Now to quickly knock them out." She pulled out her taser knocked them out cold.

After knocking out the three subordinates, she quickly tied them up.

"Alright. Next, I guess will be the boss himself..." Tam thought.

Now that was something to be concerned about. Unlike these three, she doubted the boss would drop his guard that easily.

"Still, I've made it this far."

Come to think of it...

"Why didn't he notice his subordinates screaming?"

There were three possibilities for why. One, he simply didn't care. Two, he didn't hear them. Or three.

"Maybe sensei made it."

The best option would probably be to go see what was going on.

---------

Tam slowly made her way back to the dining room. Unfortunately for her, the boss was still there, unharmed.

"No sign of sensei. No sign of any kind of fight either. I guess it's up to me..." She stepped into the dining room nervously.

"Mique, you guys done already?" The boss said, reading a newspaper.

"We were almost done, but then the others started screaming and acting strangely like they were afraid of something before passing out."

The boss looked at her suspiciously. "Take me to them."

Tam nodded and began to lead him.

"Um... boss, would you mind opening the door?" She asked.

"Yeah, whatever, just get out of my way." Boss replied, getting in front of her.

Tam smirked as she dropped her disguise. "Thanks, boss~!" With that she tased his back with full power. The boss didn't say anything, as if he was heavily paralyzed by the taser.

"Well, time to tie him up." Tam smiled to herself, slowly processing what she just did. "...I took down this gang, all on my own. I actually did it..."

"Didn't I tell you that you could do it?" A familiar voice asked.

Tam turned around and saw Kurabe, still in her human form, holding onto someone, presumably that Molly, and smiling at her student.

"What took you so long!?"

"Oh, I've been here for the last ten minutes. I was just curious about how you would have handled this situation on your own. As expected, you did a perfect job."

"Well... um... thank you..."

"Tam kick behind you now!" Kurabe suddenly commanded.

Doing as she was told Tam kicked backwards, hitting a now conscious boss in the stomach.

"Hm... you ought to be a bit more careful..." Her mentor sighed.

"...sorry, sensei."

"Enough of that. This mission is a complete success all because of you. Don't let one oversight blind you from success."

"Ok, sensei."

"And wipe that look off your face."

"What look?"

"The "I'm disappointed in myself" look."

"But-"

"But nothing. You won, end of story. You're too beautiful to have such a sad expression."

It was at that point that Tam finally smiled. "Thank you, sensei."

"Now let's get these guys tied up and locked away. And then, we can enjoy the festival."

"Ok!" The fox girl exclaimed as she picked up two of the subordinates.

---------

After dropping the gang at the local prison, Kurabe and Tam were walking around, looking at all the various stands set up.

"Sensei, our mission is over, why do you still have your disguise up?"

"Because I look nice in it!"

"Well, I suppose I can't argue with that without lying."

"Exactly!" Kurabe replied with her usual amount of confidence.

"Do you prefer being in that form, sensei?"

"I like both my forms, actually. This one is just easier to use to mess with people or at least make them flustered." Her mentor replied with a chuckle.

"Making people flustered." Tam repeated, thinking back to the dumbfounded faces on the criminals she tricked. "I think I get it."

"Oh, so you understand now?"

"I guess I do. Sensei, be honest with me, do you think my fighting style needs improvements?"

The warrior took a moment to think. "Honestly, yes. You need a bit more variety in your combat skill to be ready for any scenario. You won't always be able to do hand to hand combat, you know."

The young fox nodded, clearly not upset by the honest answer. "Do you have any ideas sensei?"

"Hm... well, I can't entirely come up with that decision, can I?"

"Well, no, but it's my decision if I want to listen to any idea you have right?"

"I can't deny that." The woman uttered before she began to think. "What would you think of smoke bombs?"

"Smoke bombs? I think something like that could work. Especially if I can combine real smoke with fake smoke."

Her mentor nodded happily. "Indeed. It would work well with your illusions."

"Then maybe some kind of gun?" Tam wondered.

"I don't know, what do you think?"

"I am thinking, sensei. Honestly guns aren't my thing. I have a cousin who loves them though."

"No need to rush then. Take your time, Tam. An idea is bound to explode in that head of yours."

"...explode?"

Suddenly, Tam looked like an idea came to mind.

"Oh, have you thought of something?"

"Perhaps. I'm thinking about how well grenades would work."

"Well, if you ask me, I think they might."

Tam was smiling, something that pleased Kurabe immensely.

"Looks like this mission was the confidence boost she needed." She then gave a smile. "Now, shall we enjoy the festival?"

"Yes, please!" Tam said, her tail wagging in excitement.

"Then let's go." Her mentor said, taking her hand.

"Hey, sensei, did you know there was a festival on this planet or is it a coincidence?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." She replied cryptically.

"So, you did know."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I do actually. Earlier you said that the festival would make for good cover. That and you weren't surprised by the festival existing. Then again I suppose nothing really surprises you."

"Indeed. Now come on." She replied as she began to drag her.

"So, since you did know, did you come here because of the cover it would provide or was it to help me relax?"

"That's up to you to decide."

"So, it's both. Am I right or am I right?"

"I'd say you need to be quiet and enjoy the festival."

"So, I am right then!"

The warrior only replied with a sigh.

"Well, missy, care for a test of strength?" Kurabe asked, pointing at a arm wrestling booth.

"That seems more of a you thing, sensei."

She smirked. "Then would you care to watch me destroy the competition?"

"Ok then!"

---------

The duo walked inside the booth, noticing three different tables. Each had one other person sitting there and judging by the difference in muscle mass, the tables were separated by difficulty.

"Well, I know which one I'm challenging." Kurabe said as she sat down at the table with the strongest one there.

The man at the table scoffed. "A woman like you challenging me? Don't you think you're in over your head, missy?"

"No, I'm quite sure my head is perfectly fine. I believe I should be asking you that instead."

The man laughed. "When you look like I can snap you in half like a twig? I doubt it!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" She replied, holding out her hand.

"And make that pretty face of yours cry?"

"Then only one crying will be you."

Suddenly, another of the arm wrestlers spoke up.

"Don't you have to be picking up your kids from school, lady?"

Tam winced, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. Almost immediately, Kurabe's eyes lost any shine they previously had and practically transformed into dull red voids.

"What was that?"

"You heard me, granny." The wrestler said, not sensing the danger he was in.

"Put your arm down now."

"Ah, do you think you have a chance against me? OK, let's go then!"

The other wrestler put his arm down. Within one second Kurabe immediately put his arm, using enough force to put a small crack on the table. Not only that, but she pushed on to the point where a loud crack could be heard. There was no doubt what it was. The man screamed in pain, making everyone in the vicinity wince.

"Anyone else care to challenge me?"

Everyone only stared awkwardly in shock, not knowing whether to accept the proposal or not.

"Sensei, let's just go to a different booth before we attract any unwanted attention." Tam whispered to her still angry mentor.

"No, I think I rather take on all the competitors who laughed at me."

"Considering how they look like they are about to pass out from fear, I think you've proven your point already."

"No, no, I think they need to be taught a lesson."

"Sensei, you've already did that. Look, that one guy is literally on his knees. Let's just get out of here. We are supposed to be peacekeepers, right?"

Kurabe only glared at her with void-like eyes.

"Stare at me all you want. You know I'm right." Tam said, surprising herself with how brave she was being. She only continued to remain silent. "Sensei, you need to calm down, please."

"How do you expect me to after something like that?"

"After what, a petty insult? You're better than thar. You've taught me and many others to better than that. What happened to the woman who doesn't care what others think?"

"This has to do with my pride, Tam! It's completely different!"

"And you've already proven your strength. Look at everyone here, they are absolutely terrified of you. Terrified of what you're capable of. Isn't that more than enough?"

"...not enough."

Tam gave a sigh. Her mentor was always this stubborn when she was angry. "Hey, broken arm dude, apologize for calling her old. The rest of you better apologize as well. I certainly can't stop her."

Everyone there seemed too afraid to say anything.

"Fine. Sensei, I'll take you on." Tam said surprising everyone, including Kurabe.

"Tam? Why would you do such a thing?"

"To hopefully get you to see reason."

Her mentor was completely silent.

"Well? Are you going to take me on and break my arm like you did with that guy? Or will you finally calm down?"

"Are you really sure you want to fight me otherwise?"

"I'm sure. I'm terrified, but I'd rather get my own arm broken then let you turn yourself into public enemy number 1."

Silence once more. Kurabe raised her hand and to everyone's confusion, snapped her finger. The man's arm flashed, and all of the pain was gone.

"Magic seal. Reverses any damage done to that body part. What? I wasn't going to leave it broken forever." She then glared towards him. "As long as you don't give me a reason to."

"No, no, we're good! I apologize for what I said!"

Kurabe gave a nod in reply.

"So now are you finally calm, sensei?"

"Oh please, I'm always calm. And good job, I'm impressed with how you handled yourself."

Her student stared doubtfully.

"Now don't look at me like that. Now come on, let's keep going."

Tam stared at her questioningly. "...Sensei, were you actually angry or were you pretending in order to make me stand my ground?"

"...who knows?"

"You really love being cryptic don't you, sensei?"

"I do." She replied bluntly without elaborating.

Tam sighed, the irony of an illusionist getting annoyed at crypticness not being lost on her.

"Now come on, this is a rare opportunity to indulge of carnival and festival food." Kurabe said, dragging Tam by her arm.

"Really? I wouldn't expect you to be interested in food like that."

"I love cooking, Tam. Would you expect otherwise?"

"I know you love cooking. But wouldn't carnival food be too low class for you?"

"Food is food. Even the simplest of creations have something to be admired."

Tam herself couldn't deny that.

"Besides, while I may carry myself like a high-class woman, do I really seem like the type to care about the difference in social classes?"

"You don't..."

"Exactly. If I really cared about maintaining a high-class image, I would barely have any students. Most, if not all of my students come from low to mid class upbringings. Yourself included. Things might be different for me now, but I was once the lowest of low class. I've simply learned that trying to separate people or objects by class, is a foolish endeavor."

"...you were once low class?" Her student asked in surprise.

"Oh, have I not explained this before? Yes, I was once an orphan, moving from shelter to shelter, feeding on scraps just to get by each day."

"And eventually the general found you and took you in?"

"In short, yes."

"Is that why you seem to take in students with rough upbringings?"

Kurabe gave a small smile. "Exactly."

Tam smiled, remembering how Kurabe instantly accepted her as a student when she told her how she wanted to provide for her poor family.

"Now which booth do you think we should check out first?"

The girl looked around, not really sure as to what she wanted. That's when she saw one booth with a peculiar item being advertised. "Pizza...on a stick?"

"Is that what you would like to look at?"

"Well, it sounds interesting at least."

"Indeed. I might as well try it." She uttered.

---------

The two made their way to the booth, looking at other booths along the way to see if they could anything interesting.

"Hmm... is there anything sweet?" Kurabe muttered aloud.

"Maybe you can ask that ice cream booth over there."

"Let's go there after we grab pizza."

"Yes, mam. Dumb question incoming, have you eaten pizza, sensei?"

"Of course I have."

"Is there anything you haven't eaten?"

"That's a good question..."

"Well, I'm sure you've probably eaten a lot in any case. Seeing as you travel often."

"Of course! I've even learned how to make some of it myself!"

"Perhaps one way we can have a cook off. While I might not be as good as you, I've learned a lot myself while looking after my siblings."

"You're on."

"Alright! Well, obviously, not now." Tam replied with a giggle.

"We'll do it the moment we return to the ship."

"The very minute, huh? Alright, I'm game."

"Well, maybe not the very minute. It'll depend on how tired you are when we get back." She then looked away. "Besides, Mercury will probably force me not to anyway..." .

"Why's that? I don't see why she would."

"Because we just got back from a mission."

"Ahh. Then yeah I guess I can understand why now."

"It's quite rude since I'd have more than enough energy for that if we did." Kurabe pouted.

"Considering you can last ten full days with no sleep, that doesn't surprise me."

"Well, if I have a full nap the next day, of course!"

"Soooo, we'll just have to have that competition another day."

"Fine, fine, I guess."

Tam giggled as she ordered the pizza for herself.

"Here you go, enjoy 'em." The vendor said as he handed over the pizzas on sticks.

"Wow, it really is pizza on a stick."

"Well, I'm not sure what you expected, Tam. Still, this is good at least."

The fox girl then took a bite herself. "It is!"

Kurabe finished hers quickly, most likely just wanting to get to the ice cream as soon as possible. This was apparent from her next action as well.

"Come on, Tam, let's go get ice cream." She said, grabbing her student and dragging her towards that line as well.

"But I'm not done eating yet!"

"Eat as you walk."

"Sensei, I take it you love sweets?"

"Absolutely. While not necessarily my favorite thing to eat, I do have quite the sweet tooth."

"What are your favorite kind of sweets?"

"Chocolate. Anything with chocolate in it and especially chocolate-based drinks."

"Any particular reason, sensei?"

Kurabe took a moment to think about her answer. "Not exactly. I remember chocolate was one of the first things I tried after my father took me in. I don't know if that's why or if I just naturally recall like chocolate."

"Is he also how you developed a love of cooking?"

"No, actually. I learned how to cook back at one of the homeless shelters I lived at. The cooks showed me how to cook and once my father took me in and I learned more about cooking I began to love it even more."

"How was the general's cooking? Was it good?"

"Father's? Oh yes, he's quite the competent cook. Very few can make waffles quite like he can."

Tam tilted her head. "I assume you're one of them?"

"Nope. I've surpassed him in everything else, but he is still the king of waffles." She said with a straight face.

"Seriously?"

"I don't see what's so shocking. My father has had homemade waffles every day. Ever since he was twenty."

"It's suprising because you're one of the best chefs in the galaxy, aren't you?"

"So? Being the best doesn't mean being better at every single thing. My father is better with waffles, but I'm better with everything else. It's no different then fighting. I'm the second strongest warrior in the galaxy, yet my father who is 3rd is better than me when it comes to fighting with a staff."

"That does make sense, but I'm surprised you don't mind admitting that there's some things you aren't the best at."

"Please, I like to think I'm not that arrogant Tam."

"...you can be." She mumbled.

"I heard that. I swear what is it with people confusing confidence with arrogance. If I truly was arrogant then I wouldn't be content with being the second-best warrior now would I?"

"Good point..."

"Keep this in mind, Tam, the moment you believe you are perfect is when you become truly arrogant."

"You don't consider yourself perfect, sensei?"

"Of course not. There's always room for growth, never forget that."

Her student gave a smile. "Ok then."

"Glad that you understand. I've seen way too many promising fighters lose their lives due to arrogance. This is a dangerous profession we're in Tam. But that's also why we need to enjoy the peaceful times whenever we can. Now come along, there's ice cream that needs bought."

Tam nodded and followed her.

---------

As the teacher and student stepped up to the counter, the fox girl spoke. "Hey, sensei I have a question. Are all strong people eccentric?"

Kurabe stared at her. "Now what brought this question about? One choice scoop, please." She replied while also asking for ice cream.

"Well, you seem very eccentric. And the general seems eccentric from what you told me."

The woman chuckled at the answer. "Well, to put it simply, yes. We need to be eccentric, or else we wouldn't be who we are." She answered.

"...So, what you're saying is that you present yourself in such a way to remind yourself of who you are?" Tam asked, remembering reading about soldiers who lost all sense of individuality by letting the profession consume them. Something she never wanted to happen.

"Perceptive as always, Tam. Don't worry, though, I promise not to let you lose yourself. The galaxy would lose out on a priceless treasure if you did."

Tam looked surprised by the compliment but decided to take it graciously. Suddenly, a voice could be heard over the intercoms.

"Attention all residents and guests. The festival fireworks will begin in fifteen minutes. I repeat the fireworks will begin in fifteen minutes. That is all."

"Fireworks?" Tam repeated, starting to wish she had ear plugs right now. As if she was prepared for this very situation, Kurabe handed her a pair. "Oh... thank you, sensei."

"No thanks necessary. From this point forward though make sure to always carry some on you. You never know when it will come in handy."

"Even in combat?" Tam asked as she started to put them in.

"Especially in combat. There's many fighters and species that fight using sound as a weapon."

The fox could understand what Kurabe was saying. With so many different types of abilities out in the galaxy, it was probably a good idea to be prepared for any situation.

"Now here, eat your ice cream, Tam. Never let ice cream melt, that's an order." Kurabe said telepathically while handing her a vanilla cone.

"Oh, using telepathy because I have my ears plugged? You really do think of everything sensei."

"Of course I do!" She replied with a viable huff.

Tam raised a brow. "Sensei, why do you sometimes huff when you get complimented? Are you embarrassed?" She teased.

"No, because the complements are quite obvious."

"That's...fair, I guess? Anyway, do you want to see the fireworks?"

"Of course I would!"

Kurabe grabbed Tam's hand and guided her to a quieter, less crowded spot. "I know a place. We'll have a perfect view of the sky."

Her student nodded. "Then lead the way."

She lead Tam towards the ship they took to the planet, immediately Tam knew her plan. "Are we going to be sitting on the top of our ship?"

"Exactly. What better place could there be?"

"I have no idea. I've honestly never seen fireworks except for one time, but I was so young I barely remember it."

Kurabe gave a small smile. "Well, you're going to see them again now."

"What about you, sensei? Have you seen a lot of fireworks?"

"I have, but not as often as I used to. When I was a little girl, my father liked taking me to festivals."

"I'm surprised, I would think the general would be too busy for something like that."

"If he was, he never told me. He always said he had time for me."

Tam smiled, remembering her own parents that sacrificed a lot just to make her happy while growing up. "Your father must really love you, huh?"

Her mentor nodded. "He does. He calls me whenever he can and always takes a day off for my birthday no matter how much work he has to do."

"Sensei, do you think becoming strong for the sake of protecting family is a good reason to become strong?"

"A good reason? It's honestly one of the best reasons you could have."

"Then I'll keep going. Honestly for a while I've been doubting if I could actually become as strong as you think I can be. But after today, I've decided to continue staying on this path I chosen."

Her mentor nodded. "A good decision."

Before the conversation could continue, a loud cracking sound could be heard. The fireworks were starting. Kurabe picked Tam up and jumped onto the top of the ship.

"Get ready for the show of a lifetime Tam. And make sure those earplugs are secure."

"Ok, sensei!" She exclaimed.

---------

After a few minutes, the lights died down and the show began. Right before Tam's very eyes, beautiful explosions appeared in the sky, taking various shapes and various colors. Many were of basic shapes, flags, orbs, but some even took the shape of people, most likely notable residents of this city.

"How interesting, the shapes seem to be becoming more complex..."

"Is that not normal for firework shows?"

"It is, but these are actually more complex than normal."

"Complex, I see." Tam commented, wandering what kind of grenades she could create, using these fireworks as inspiration.

Kurabe gave a smile, noting her student's thought process.

"A piece of advice that my father gave me. Inspiration can be found anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places."

"I see...well. thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me yet." Kurabe said. "Keep watching." She added, seeing Tam's confused face. She didn't stay confused for long as the next firework was in the shape of a girl's face with two fox like ears. Instantly, Tam looked surprised.

"Sensei... was that..."

"I may have commissioned a custom-made firework ahead of time."

"...you planned on this trip the whole time, didn't you?"

"That's...a secret." She replied with a wink.

"She did..." Tam thought.

"Why do this all just for me, sensei?"

"Do I need a reason for all of this?"

"I guess you don't, but still. I'm just one fox..."

"Just accept it, Tam." Her mentor replied with a sigh.

"Alright. Were you as stubborn as I am when you were a trainee?"

"Admittedly, I was."

"Did you ever doubt yourself?"

"Oh, all the time."

"But you're so confident now? It's hard to imagine you ever lacking confidence."

Kurabe chuckled. "Well, I didn't when I was younger. When I was a trainee, I trained extremely often and became frustrated when I wouldn't improve as quickly as I wanted. Honestly, there was just so many times where I went to bed in tears because of how upset I was."

"And how did you overcome it?"

"I didn't do it alone. I spoke to my mentor about it, and he helped me get through it."

"So, in other words, I need to come to you whenever I need help?"

"Not just that, Tam. While I'll definitely help you, you need to help yourself as well. You made amazing progress today. Remember the feeling of a successful mission, Tam."

"I will, sensei."

"You better. You have boundless potential. And I will help you reach it."

The fox girl smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. And congratulations Tam, I'm sure if they were here to see you, your family would be proud."

Tam only nodded as she looked at the fireworks.

---------

"And that's pretty much it." Modern day Tam said to Meta, who was incredibly engaged with the story.

"That was an interesting story, Tam." The puff replied.

"I'm glad you thought so. It's not every day that I tell anyone about it."

"Really? I think you should tell more people about it."

"Nah. I only tell this story to family."

"So, I assume that means that you consider me family?"

"Well, duh. You're like a little brother I never had. I have a few little sisters, though."

The youth gave a small smile. "...thank you, Tam."

"You're welcome~ Now, any questions about the story?"

"Let me think... why did those tattoos let them see through invisibility but not any other illusion?"

"Oh, that's simple. The tattoos were made specifically for seeing through invisibility and only invisibility. Magic seals can be very specific."

"I see..." The youth uttered.

"Yeah, when it comes to magic that counters other magic, you have to get super specific. Magic is either easy or complicated, there's no real middle ground."

Admittedly, Meta understood that too well. There was one too many times where his mentor had lectured him over complicated magic and his head felt like it was spinning.

"Weren't you scared taking a gang all by yourself?"

"Of course I was! Anyone would be scared!" She paused as if remembering something. "Correction, most would be. But I learned a valuable lesson that day. You can't let fear hold you back."

"I understand. That's something sensei taught me as well."

"Yes, but there's a difference between being taught and experiencing it first-hand. Though considering what you've been through, I think you'll be fine."

"I hope so..." he gave a sigh.

"You'll need to do more than just that. You need to tackle any threat head on. You need to be brave. I would probably be dead if I gave into fear. Always remember, caution is a great asset, but don't let it stop you from what needs doing."

"Ok..." He seemed to grumble, as if he was somewhat annoyed by something.

"... I know that tone well, Meta. You're young, but you're certainly not dumb. Hard-headed and brash certainly, but definitely not dumb."

"Thank you...?" He responded, unsure if he was being complimented or not.

"Just accept it as a complement. Like you should just accept this hug." She said before picking him up in one.

"I thought I said I hate being treated like a kid."

"You're never too old to hug someone you care for. Besides, it's obvious you like it."

"I don't!"

"You know one way to stop people from treating you like a kid is to not deny the obvious. If you were a fox your tail would be wagging right now."

"No, it wouldn't!"

"Do you want to test that theory? I know a spell that can temporarily give you a fox's tail."

"I rather you not!"

"Why? Afraid that I'm right?"

"No!"

Tam giggled at his clear embarrassment. "Alright, I'll drop the subject, for now anyway."

Meta gave a sigh of relief as he was placed on the floor.

The fox girl spoke up again. "Now that my stories all wrapped up, do you have any questions about the tournament? I actually won the one I was a part of so I should be able to help."

"How exactly does the tournament work?"

"It's a pretty straightforward bracket styled one. The fight match ups are randomized in order to make the whole thing fair and that no one can accuse any of the fights being rigged. As for the fights themselves there's three ways to win. One, knock them out of the ring. Two, knock them out or at least make it impossible for them to continue, like say putting someone to sleep. Third, making your opponent forfeit the match. The only rules are no killing and no attacking an opponent who has forfeited."

Meta nodded in response. "How exactly are fighters determined? Like how do they pick who can and can't participate?"

"The fighters are all determined by two factors. The teacher or commander recommendation and the soldiers own willingness. If neither of these parties feel comfortable with participating, then they simply won't compete."

The youth nodded in response. "How big of a crowd is there and generally how many people participate?"

"Oh there's no crowd except the other participants and those in charge. As for the number of participants, it depends. There's no way of knowing. But generally, I'd expect at least thirty two."

"No crowd?"

"Well, yeah, don't want any potential enemies learning any secrets, do we?"

"I understand, but not even from within the Organization?"

"I said those in charge, didn't I?"

The youth pouted. "You should explain yourself better. It sounded like you only meant the Big Four."

"Well, sorry for assuming you'd understand that. Those in charge means Organization personnel. Other soldiers, medics, etcetera."

"Alright, that makes sense. But from the way sensei described it, I thought it would be bigger than just a handful of non-combatants."

"Well, you know how sensei is. She tends to go overboard even with mundane tasks like explanations."

"That's true..."

"Don't worry about it, Meta. Sensei made me believe I'd be competing in front of a huge audience. I wouldn't really consider twenty staff members to be huge."

"That isn't huge at all..."

"Tell me about it. I spent the whole time fearing messing up in front of hundreds of people. I don't want to think sensei did it on purpose, but you never really know with her."

"Yeah..." The youth replied with a sigh.

"Now, anything else you'd like to know?"

"Yeah, what's the ring like? Is it straightforward or is there some kind of gimmick to it like booby traps?"

"I'm glad you asked. You see before each fight a wheel is spun. On that wheel are various battlefield types. Stuff like a normal ring, inside a volcano, underwater. Then using magic, the ring changes to what the wheel decided. The only exception to this is the final fight, that always takes place on a normal ring."

"I think I understand. That's to see if we can adapt to any environment right?"

"Essentially. I warn you now, some of those battlefields are down right diabolical. I still get shivers thinking about fighting on a floor of lava."

"...I see..." The youth uttered, hoping he wouldn't have to encounter such a thing. "Are the commanders the one's who come up with these terrains?"

"Yup."

"And sensei was the one who came up with all the dangerous one's right?"

"Actually no."

"Then who did?"

"Each of the Big Four made four arenas. Our sensei chose a standard arena, a field of pure ice, a forest with trees as obstacles and a field surrounded by fog. Difficult hazards to deal with for sure, but nothing too bad. No, it's commander Bio Raiden that made the most dangerous ones. Lava floors, a field littered with land mines, fighting underwater with blood thirsty piranhas and the most annoying one, a desert with the sun super close."

"The head of the Stealth Division? It was him?"

"Yeah. Raiden thinks being put in tense situations like that is perfect training. For ninjas like him, it absolutely is, but for warriors like you and me."

"It's less so..."

"Exactly. Our sensei's thought process was "We're having them fight one on one. There's no need to go too overboard. At the end of the day, this is still training for them." So, she chose areas that would make you adapt but not worry about being randomly blown up."

"That's probably what their meeting right now is about..."

"I'd say that's a safe bet. Hopefully sensei can convince him to not go overboard this time."

"What about the other two? Reedy and Momo?"

"Reedy is actually of a similar opinion as sensei. He values battlefields with interesting layouts instead of just being dangerous. His were a narrow bridge, forcing people to fight with limited space. A field with large pillars, perfect for jumping and hiding. A swamp. And a ballroom. You never know when a fight might break out during a party."

"And what about Momo's?"

"Her's are...bizarre. One arena is made entirely out of sponge. Then one where you're fighting inside a hourglass and you have to win before being buried. One where the entire arena is a giant mattress. Then one where you are fighting in a canyon with boulders falling down."

Meta silently stared for a moment. "I don't even want to begin thinking about how she thought up of those ideas..."

Kurabe's and Reedy's made complete sense to him. All of those seemed like real locations a fight could take place in. Raiden's while extreme, he could see the logic. With Momo's, he just had no idea what to think. The canyon was reasonable, but the other three just seemed nonsensical.

"Then again, I guess expecting the unexpected is an important skill to have." He thought. "Just because I'm curious, what kind of arenas did Kurabe choose? Like I know they're more based on adaptations, but I'd like to know more."

"Well, the easiest to explain is the normal arena. It's just a simple, square fighting ring. The ice arena is based on ice planet she visited. It's a wide open space, no obstacles besides for the slippery floor. On this arena there's no ring outs so you'll have to knock your opponent out or make them quit. The forest I believe is based off a forest on a planet called Dreamland. There's plenty of trees and tall grass. You can ring out an opponent here, if you knock them out of the forest and right to where the sun is shining, it's a ring out. The misty arena is based on a city she visited once. It's perpetually covered by fog. Even if you get rid of it, it'll just come back in seconds. There's no ring outs on this one either. You'll have buildings and street cars to use to your advantage, if you so choose anyway."

The youth nodded in understanding, but there was something the stood out. "...Dreamland?"

"Some country that's on a planet called Popstar. It's way out in the backwater part of the galaxy. I've never been there myself. All sensei has told me about it was that it's a magical place with pretty landscapes."

"...well, if that's what she thinks, it must be a nice place. Hopefully I can go there someday."

"Probably as part of a vacation or a training journey. Nothing really happens in that part of the galaxy, at least nothing important enough for the Organization to have a outpost near it."

"I'll have to ask sensei about it at some point then." He replied.

"She's really the only one you can. I don't know anyone besides her that's been there. Except for the general and Bio Raiden. Apparently that old ninja has family there or something like that."

The puff nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to her about it at some point." He then looked down, trying hard to think of another subject to discuss.

Tam chuckled. "Well, how about we get up and walk around for a bit?" She asked, taking his hand and doing so.

---------

After a few minutes, he was able to ask another question. "How difficult was the tournament you participated in?"

"It was quite difficult, actually." The fox lady quickly responded.

"You won, so I assume you had to really work for it. Were all of your fights difficult?"

"A large majority of them were."

Meta smiled. "So I'm going to get a challenge, maybe even multiple challenges. I can't wait!"

"And I can't wait to watch you!" Tam replied happily.

"So, any advice for the fights to come?"

"First and maybe the most important, always be mindful of where the edge of the ring is. It doesn't matter how strong you are if your opponent can make you leave the ring."

The puff nodded in response. "Anything else?"

"Don't use more energy than you need to. While you'll get time to rest in-between matches, the shorter the wait time is the less time you'll have to regain any spent energy."

"Well, I think that's a bit obvious. Anything else?"

"Look out for the magic division competitors. Some of their magic can seem borderline unfair at times. You might fight someone that can reverse your sense of direction. Make you think left is right, up is down. That sort of thing."

"I assume they don't have any restrictions?"

"Outside of no killing magic or magic that will leave you comatose, no. Same applies to you of course. You can do anything as long as you don't go overboard."

"Even then they still have magic that can be unfair?"

"Yup. But, there's no rule saying you can't apply magic seals to yourself that prevents that kind of magic from affecting you." Tam said, handing Meta a book.

"What's this?"

"A book filled with magic seals. Take a look through and take whichever ones you think will be useful. Be warned, these are only temporary. The effect wears off after an hour of being applied."

"So in other words, I have to apply one during a fight?"

"That's right. Also I totally get why you think it's unfair that the mages have access to unfair abilities. But keep this in mind, you'll have to fight against annoying magic as a soldier anyway. It's unfair, which is why you need to knock em out as fast as possible."

"Right, this is a test of everyone's skills, not just mine. I can't worry about what's unfair." He said as he looked through the book. "What do you recommend, Tam?"

"Get one that prevents you from getting forcibly put to sleep. Sleep spells are very common among the magic division."

"Somehow I'm not surprised... anything else?"

"Turn to page six, there one that prevents you from being frozen solid. Then on page nine is one that prevents poison."

"I assume those are also common?" He then blinked for a moment. "Wait a minute, isn't poison dangerous? Then by that logic, shouldn't it be banned?"

"Normally, yes. But there's plenty of non lethal types of poisons. Like poison that slows down your reaction speed. That seal will prevent any kind of poison from effecting you."

"Ok, thank you. Do you have any other tips?"

"Yeah, if you find yourself stuck in a illusion or hallucination, shock yourself. The shock should snap yourself out of it."

"It's that easy? But I've tried it before on your illusions and it's never worked before?"

"I'm glad you pointed that out. That's because fox illusions are inherently stronger than average illusions."

"That makes a lot of sense..."

"Yup. That's why most of the best illusionists are foxes like myself. Against average illusions a simple shock should be enough. But against advance ones you might need to use more power to snap out of it."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing you don't know yourself. Actually there is one thing. There's a time limit of thirty minutes for every match except for the finals. The final match has a time limit of 60 minutes. Honestly though I've never seen a fight reach or exceed the time limit. The closest would be my own finals match which took forty minutes."

"Well, if no fight was ever decided by a time out, it makes sense that it would slip your mind. But in the case a time out does happen, what decides who wins?"

"The general and two of the big four will vote for who they think performed the best."

"So the best thing to do would be to perform my best?"

"Yup. And if you're wondering why only two of the four vote, it's to prevent bias. Say you and one of Raiden's ninjas tie. Sensei and Raiden aren't allowed to vote just to keep everything as fair as possible."

"Ah, so that means that they aren't allowed to vote if they're from the same division." He then tilted his head. "But what about if it's two people from the same division fighting? Surely, that's happened."

"You're right about that. When that happens the general allows the three other Big Four members to vote. He believes a tie breaker should always be settled with judges. No more, no less."

The puff nodded. "Is there any other way to get disqualified? Other than killing your opponent, of course."

"If you get caught cheating. In this case, cheating is doing something to sabotage your opponent before the fight begins."

"I assume that's happened before?"

"A few times. I can only think of three cases of this happening. Most know better to try anything when some of the most skilled people in the galaxy are watching." She then gave a bitter chuckle. "Especially because that's the fastest way to piss them off in this setting. It'll not only make them look bad, but their entire division as well."

Meta gulped, realizing how serious that kind of situation is. "Do you know who they were?"

"I don't remember their names, but I do remember what divisions they came from. Two from the stealth and one from the intelligence. These happened before I even joined the combat division so admittedly, I don't have a lot of the details."

Strangely, Meta wasn't surprised one was from Reedy's division. No, it was that not just one, but two members of the stealth division that cheated was what surprised him. While he didn't know Raiden that well, he knew he was incredibly strict.

"Those two must of have either been very sure of their skills, or very stupid."

"More than likely. For some reason, the stealth division seems to be bait for some of the most arrogant people in the universe."

"That's bizarre. Bio Raiden seems to be a very humble, if very strict man."

"Indeed. It's quite strange, even to me."

"...So that means no one from our division or the magic division has cheated. Given how sensei has taught us to tackle any challenge head on I'm not surprised by there being no cheaters from our division."

Tam nodded. "As for the magecraft division... well, some of them are too confident with their magic to even consider it."

"I see. Hey Tam, what division has won the most tournaments?"

"That would be ours! The one whose won the second most is the stealth division."

"I assume the Intelligence hasn't won much because they don't specialize in combat and the mage division can get too confident?"

"Yeah, the intelligence hasn't won a single one. But that's mostly because they don't have many competitors. And for the reasons you already said."

For some reason, this was quite interesting to Meta, as he would think that Reedy would take any chance to one-up his mentor.

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Believe it or not, Reedy's not always trying to one up sensei. In fact, he never nominates any of his soldiers. If someone from his division participates, it's because they want to. Plus, for Reedy, he doesn't care who wins. The tournament is really just one huge training session. As long as his soldiers learn a valuable lesson, he doesn't care what happens."

"Really?" Meta had a hard time believing that he could ignore their rivalry at all.

"Look, I get you have your problems with him, we all do. But his first priority is to his crew. Not everything he does revolves around sensei."

"It sometimes feels like it does..." he mumbled.

"Yes, it does. But that doesn't make it fact. Tell me, when you were with his crew for that short time period, how many times did he actually bring up Kurabe in a negative way?"

"Counting the times he was clearly trying to one up her?"

"Sure. You can't really think of much can you though?"

"...at least 40."

"Ok, now without you exaggerating."

"...4."

"Exactly. Don't get me wrong, Reedy's an ass, but he's not a complete ass. Besides this tournament is for the competitors, not for the commanders to gloat. If this was a tournament between the commanders then yes, he would try his best to beat sensei."

"Alright, maybe I am being unfair towards Reedy. Anyway I at least know one possible opponent." Meta said, thinking of his friend Fettuccine.

"Really? Is it a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, the newest member of Reedy's Task Force. Her name is Fettuccine."

"Ohhhh, her! Is she your new girlfriend?"

"Please don't tease me like that. She's simply a good friend."

Tam only giggled. "Do you think you could beat her if you had to fight? Or let me rephrase that question. Will you be willing to hit her?"

"I... I think so..."

"Well, you better become sure real soon. I'm sure Fettuccine wouldn't want you to hold back or even forfeit for her sake. Just remember, there's always ring outs."

"I know... I'm just worried about going too far..."

"That's good. Controlling yourself is incredibly important. But for now, don't worry about it. There's no guarantee you'll even fight her."

He nodded. "Speaking of which, can we go see how far we are? I'm just wondering how long it'll be until we get there."

"Well three hours have already passed, so it shouldn't be much longer."

"So, about five hours left. Wait, it's already been three hours?"

"Yup!"

"How? I didn't think that story was that long?"

"Have you heard the phrase "time flies when you're having fun"? That's your answer!" Tam replied with a wink.

"...That's a better explanation than just nothing I suppose. So, what am I supposed to do for five hours? I'm not allowed to train so I can't do that."

"Hmm... how tired are you feeling? Do you need a nap?"

"I'm not tired in the slightest." He said. Given how he hasn't properly used much energy today, that made sense.

Tam then gave her usual smile. "How about now?"

Suddenly, he felt an intense wave of exhaustion flow over him. "Tam... what did you...?"

"Just a little sleep spell. Don't worry, you'll be wide awake by the time we arrive."

"But I-" He uttered in an absent-minded fashion, feeling the exhaustion become stronger. He then let out a grumble. "What is you people's obsession with putting me to sleep?"

"Oh, is it really that common for you?"

"Yes! Always putting me to sleep when I don't want to." He said before falling asleep.

Tam blinked for a moment before giving a giggle as she picked him up and began to carry him to his room.

"Maybe this was unnecessary, but you do need your rest, Meta. Trust me, tomorrow will be taxing on you."

For a moment, she noticed a small smile on his face, as if he understood what she said.

---------

Four and a half hours had passed since then and the planet they were headed to was finally in sight.

"Quite the sight, huh, Meta?" Tam asked the now awake puff, only to get no response. "Oh, come on, I already apologized for that spell, didn't I?"

"...Please just don't do that again without my permission."

"Alright, alright..." She uttered with a sigh.

"Or mine for that matter." Kurabe said. "I appreciate what you did Tam, but I'd rather you not go around and put people to sleep." She said with a chuckle.

"Fiiiine..." She sighed again.

"Not to mention that the tournament starts tomorrow, so Meta is just going to have sleep again anyway." Mercury added.

"Alright I get it! No more Sheep Sleep unless given permission."

"...I do feel more relaxed, so thank you for that, Tam." Meta said quietly.

The fox girl gave a smile. "You're welcome, Meta."

He then turned to his mentor. "So, sensei, do you know how many competitors will be there?"

"Not entirely, I only know how many from my division will be participating. Which is... eight."

"I know one of them is me, but who are the others?"

"Those two misfits that think they can still beat you. Three of the newer recruits we got while you were out on that mission with Reedy. And the other two are Buru and Buri. Two of the more recent Bukisets to join us."

"...new people joined us?"

"Right, I suppose you never got a chance to meet them yet given what's been going on. You three, get in here and introduce yourselves!"

Meta turned around to see three individuals walk up to him. The first one to catch his eye was a bird with a crossbow on his side.

"My name is Vul, and I aspire to be a great captain." He said in a scratchy yet strangely pleasant voice. "Good to meet you, Meta, the captain and vice captain told me a lot about you."

"It's... good to meet you to." The puff replied hesitantly, still clearly not used to talking to strangers.

Next to Vul was a fairly large dog with ears for arms. If he remembered correctly, this was a Boxer.

"...My name is Crate." She replied in a quiet voice.

"It's good to meet you." He replied.

The last one was a person in red armor, commonly worn by those of the Blade species. "Nice to meet you. I'm Blade, or if you want my actual name, I'm Carter."

"Nice to meet you." Awkwardly replied. He wasn't sure what to think of these three, but they seemed friendly enough. Meta decided he may as well try to get to know them, considering they would be comrades. "So Vul, why do you want to be a great captain?"

Vul's eyes softened. "Well, my grandpappy was a great captain himself. He was a major inspiration to me while growing up and I want to become a captain he would be proud of."

"I see... that's quite admirable..." The puff replied, honestly not really knowing what to say to that. However, he then had a question. "Why join this division? Wouldn't something like the intelligence division make more sense for your goal?"

"They just don't fit my style." The bird replied with a smirk.

"Well, alright, that's a better reason then no reason at all. What about you, Crate?"

The dog seemed to jump for a moment before responding. "...fighting is the best I can do. I'm the strongest of my village and I wanted to use my strength for something positive."

Meta nodded. He honestly understood that. Then he turned to the last one. "What about you?"

"Who me? Two reasons, I suppose. I want to become stronger, but more importantly, I want to be useful to my family."

"I see... that's respectable."

Secretly, Meta used his ability to sense emotions. While he had no reason to be distrustful of any of them, he couldn't help but be cautious. To his relief none of them seemed to be hiding anything. For a moment, he noticed his mentor looking at him, as if she knew what he had done.

"Well, it's nice to meet you three." Meta said, not really knowing what else to say. Kurabe let out a giggle, as if she was amused by how shy her student was acting.

"So, you're strong right?" asked Carter. "Wanna fight!?"

As much as Meta wanted to say yes, he knew Kurabe would tell them no.

"We need to conserve our energy for tomorrow. But hopefully we'll get to fight each other in it."

"Sweet, I'll hope to fight you as well."

"Alright, that's enough talk about fighting. I don't want you all getting too excited." Kurabe said.

"Ok, sensei." The puff replied.

"Now when we arrive, we go straight to our room. Each division has a set of rooms for themselves. None of you are allowed to leave the room or see other competitors. This is to prevent spying or any kind of sabotage. Tomorrow after the opening ceremony you'll be allowed to walk around freely."

The entire group nodded in response.

"So, I'll be able to see Fettuccine after the ceremony tomorrow..." Meta thought.

"Now here's some important advice. The people you'll be facing are still our comrades. They are opponents, not enemies. I trust you all know the distinction."

"Understood!" Was the collective response.

"Good. Now I trust you all not to, but I'm still obligated to say this. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. If I catch any of you cheating, you'll be thrown out of my division. But I doubt that will happen."

"It won't." Was the collective reply.

"Good. No one from my division has ever cheated in the history of this tournament. It would be truly shameful if one of you broke that streak." She said, her voice becoming dangerous and cold.

Everyone, except Meta, started to shiver in fear. Other than simply being used to it, he knew already that she wasn't talking to him in particular.

"And remember, it's not about winning. It's about testing yourself. If you lose, learn from it and work towards improving your weaknesses. There's victory in defeat sometimes. That said, I expect all of you to give it your best effort."

"Understood." Everyone replied.

Meta, while understanding her words, still wanted to win. What better way to prove that he's becoming strong enough to protect everyone by proving he's the strongest of the rookies? He then noted that his mentor was once more looking at him.

"...all of you, return to your rooms for now. Except for you, Meta."

With several nods in response, the other rookies left, leaving only Meta.

"...sensei, what's this abou-"

He was suddenly pulled into a hug by Kurabe.

"Sensei, what are you doing?"

"Meta... I can already feel you're becoming worked up again."

"I'm not. I appreciate that you're concerned about me, but I'm fine. I'm not getting worked up, I'm excited. You can tell when someone's lying right? Then tell me, am I lying right now?"

"I know but..." She hugged him tighter.

"Sensei, please, I'm perfectly fine."

Reluctantly, Kurabe let go. "Maybe I am just worrying over nothing." She said.

For some reason, when his mentor let go, a part of the youth wanted her to continue.

Despite this, he let out a sigh. "Sensei, I'll be fine. I know you're still worried about me because of what happened a few weeks ago, but don't worry."

"You're right. I have to remember that you're fully recovered. Just promise me one thing."

He tilted his head in questioning, causing Kurabe to suppress a giggle at how cute he looked.

"What is it?"

"It's fine if you're focused on winning but promise me that you'll have fun while doing so."

"But isn't the purpose of the tournaments to win with the best of my ability?"

His mentor let out the heaviest sigh he had heard her given this entire day. "No, the purpose is for you to test yourself. If you win, I'd be incredibly proud of you, of course, and I'll be rooting for you the entire time, as you probably already know. I'm just saying to not let yourself be blinded by the promise of victory. Just focus on doing your best and having fun. It's not every day you get to fight warriors around your strength level. The same could be said for seeing so many of your co-workers all in one place."

"I see..." Was all that he could utter.

"You enjoy a good fight, right? You always have such a bright smile during sparring sessions."

"I do."

His mentor then gave a smile in response. "Then as long as you understand, you can leave. Go to the docking station, we'll be landing shortly."

"Got it."

Just as he was about to walk off, he heard Kurabe speak up again.

"Oh, one more thing, Meta."

He quickly turned back. "What is it, sensei?"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "...I'm sorry, but..."

Before he could even question, his mentor hugged him once more.

"...Sensei, don't take this the wrong way, but are you on edge?"

"I... honestly don't know, Meta."

Admittedly, the youth was slightly surprised by that kind of statement. "I see. I suppose I'll stay here until you do know."

"...thank you, Meta." She uttered, but then she let out a sigh, as if she was bothered by something. "It's strange... I should be the one helping you..."

"Don't worry about it, sensei." He replied with a comforting smile.

For the rest of the trip to their destination, the two remained together in silence.

-

-

-

Crate and Vul

[acacia-may]

It's time to talk about the greatest love confession in all of literature (courtesy of David Copperfield) 💘

(A/N: Look at them folks! True love right there!💕)

Hello friends, I am working on an ask in which this suddenly became relevant (I promise it's not just completely random😅) so I feel that the time has come to discuss the greatest, most romantic, and most swoon-worthy love confession in all of literary history! (In my personal opinion anyway).

It is from a very old and criminally underrated book titled The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery most commonly referred to as just David Copperfield which was published in 1850 and written by classic novelist Charles Dickens (who is probably most famous for writing A Christmas Carol). It is not a romance novel (but it does have a romance subplot), so it is generally not discussed when talking about the greatest love confessions in literature. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to make a big long meta post about it. Ramblings below the cut!

(Warnings: Spoilers ahead for David Copperfield which was published in 1850. It also has a few great filmed adaptations including an excellent BBC one from 1999 with Maggie Smith, and a new one (2019) with Dev Patel that gets so many extra kudos for cutting out most of the infuriating love triangle and making David Copperfield less oblivious. Power move! But that did change this confession sequence in the movie so I suppose that's a downside but I digress...Some spoilers for the 2019 movie below as well)

David Copperfield is not a romance novel by any means, but there is a romance subplot and a positively swoon-worthy love confession at the end of this book in which the main character, David Copperfield, finally expresses his love to Agnes Wickfield who has been his best friend and has stood by his side since childhood and who we (as the reader) know has always been obviously, desperately in love with him. Unfortunately, David Copperfield is a dumbbell (I say with the utmost affection) and one of the most oblivious fictional men of all time (My sisters and I like to call him the "OG Oblivious Fictional Man," and he is the standard to which we compare all other oblivious fictional men. To this day we have only found nine (9) fictional men we consider more oblivious than him but that is another story).

David doesn't know how he feels about Agnes for literally around 700 pages which span decades of his life, and then when finally confronted with the possibility that he could have romantic feelings for her, he freaks out and runs away to go on a soul-searching journey in the mountains. He eventually comes to terms to with the fact that he loves her and then proceeds to freak out that she could never return his affections...

Anyway...bless David--he goes to visit her several times trying to pluck up the nerve to confess. Agnes meanwhile is trying to guard her heart from yet from another rejection. David, for his credit, picks up on her hesitation (progress!) and believes she has "a secret" though he doesn't quite put all the pieces together. He has some really incredible lines here one of my favorites of which is:

"My dearest girl, dearer to me than anything in life, if you are unhappy, let me share your unhappiness. If you are in need of help or counsel, let me try to give it to you. If you have indeed a burden on your heart, let me try to lighten in."

But Agnes has literally been "sister-zoned" (as in "you're like a sister to me" which is beyond friend-zoned) for 700 pages and even completely rejected for another woman, the nice but completely airheaded Dora who has since died (A/N: in the 2019 movie, Dora lives but David dumps her because they are incompatible and he actually loves Agnes which is what he should have done in the book). Anyway, after all of that, Agnes can't even allow herself to hope that her romantic feelings for David are finally being returned. She says, "If I have any secret, it is--no new one; and is--not what you suppose. I cannot reveal it or divide it. It has long been mine and must remain mine."

David starts to connect the dots (FINALLY) and confesses his love to her even though he swears up and down that he "thought that nothing could have wrestled this confession from [him]." He has quite the speech (which I won't type out completely here), but it ends:

"I went away, dear Agnes, loving you. I stayed away, loving you. I returned home, loving you!"

I am sorry to have to tell you all that even after all of that, hopelessly oblivious David is still beyond nervous and concerned that Agnes does not return his affections. But this, my friends, is where we get to the pinnacle, the end-all-be-all moment of the most swoony-worthy confession in all of literary history. Agnes who has quietly, unquestioningly, and unrequitedly loved David from their childhood sees all of his fears and insecurities in having confessed to her and tells him there is "one thing [she] must say." David is so nervous that he is about to get rejected and timidly asks her what it is not even daring to hope that she is about to return his affections but...

"She laid her gentle hands upon [his] shoulders, and looked calmly in [his] eyes.

'Do you know, yet what it is?'

'I am afraid to speculate on what it is. Tell me, my dear.'

'I have loved you all my life!'"

And that is how it is done, friends! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

(A/N: I found all these great gifs from the 2019 movie, and I got so excited about including them😅)

[gofancyninjaworld]

Can you make Saitama and Reigen comparison as mentor figures? I find it interesting how One has teacher-student pair and their dynamics in center of both of his main stories. Maybe trow in Mob and Genos comparison as students.

Merry Christmas my dude!

I am sorry this has taken so many months to write. It's a great ask and I sat down many a time to draft it and kept getting interrupted. Now that I've caught up with the last of Mob Psycho 100 anime (sob), I may as well put down my thoughts before I get distracted yet again.

I think the single greatest similarity between Reigen and Saitama as mentors is that each feels hopelessly inadequate to the task of actually mentoring his trusting charge. The reasons differ, of course: Reigen has absolutely no clue what a psychic's experiences are like, and Saitama's internal consternation at what he could possibly tell a cyborg, given that muscle training was all he knew is one for the ages.

It's interesting that each decided to go for general principles rather than specific advice. However, their approaches differ so much in that: for much of the story, Reigen pretended to be more worldly-wise and full of powers beyond what even Mob could sense. Saitama, although he has lied to Genos on occasion, has been much more straightforward about what he knows. The adoration they receive despite (or maybe because) of their non-specific advice has been quite something. With the benefit of a complete story, we've watched how Mob's view of Reigen has matured and become more clear-eyed without his ever losing respect for his mentor. It's still very much a work in progress when it comes to Genos, where some searing clarity is admixed with some of the most extreme hero-worship depicted in fiction. No idea how that's going to resolve, nor the unacknowledged sexual tension between them (something rightly not present in Mob Psycho 100).

I like that in their own ways, both would do anything for their mentees when things go wrong in a major way... but aren't quite so scrupulous on the small stuff.

Given who their mentees are, it's remarkable that each has emphasised normality. Reigen always told Mob to regard psychic powers as just an aspect of who he was, no different from some people being characterized by being tall or having strong body odour. It's been helpful to Mob in putting into perspective what his powers could and could not do for him. And it has been great that Reigen was instrumental in helping Mob understand and accept all of himself. Saitama's precondition for Genos was that the latter get a job already.

The very different goals Reigen and Saitama have colour what advice they give. Reigen's goal for Mob has been in keeping with his philosophy. He doesn't actually have to do any particular job as his parents aren't badly off, so Spirits and Such has been his way of finding something interesting to do. He may con people, but he always aims to leave them better off. Mob is no different in this regard. Even as trouble comes their way, Reigen has always been mindful of Mob's psychological well-being. Saitama is a hero: it's literally what he lives for and his disciple had better be one too. The percepts he outlines for Genos are murderous in their uncompromising stance: a hero must always make progress, regardless. Must never retreat. Must never refuse to take on an enemy, no matter how dire.

As for student-teacher relationships more widely, ONE writes quite a few of them. I've explored them somewhat in these two meta, if you've not already seen them. Sensei! and Sensei, pt 2. I will probably do a third at some point.

[scruffyplayssonic]

Are the ArchieSonic comics actually an 80's/90's syndicated cartoon? Episode 56: The Writer's Barely-Disguised Fetish (part 2)

Welcome back to my look at the ArchieSonic comic series, and how it shared a lot of the same story tropes as a typical ‘80s or ‘90s syndicated cartoon! Yesterday I went over some of the bizarre fetish-y type stuff that appeared throughout the series, and tried very hard not to kink-shame everyone. I also covered the more vanilla stuff that might not be typically considered fetishes, but were written enough by Ken Penders to at least be worthy of discussion. Today I’m going to continue to go over some of the tamer stuff, but this time looking at the two other guys who wrote the most for ArchieSonic: Karl Bollers and Ian Flynn. Hopefully today's discussion will not leave you wanting a shower like yesterday. xD

Episode 56: The Writer's Barely-Disguised Fetish (part 2)

Moving on from Ken Penders, our next writer is Karl Bollers, who wrote for the comics from 1997 - 2005. Bollers was a little harder to pin down any fetishes or writing habits for. A lot of people criticise him for the romance triangle between Sonic, Sally and Mina that made up a large chunk of his time on the book, but that apparently came from editorial mandate. I asked for some help with this one too, and the only real suggestion I got was once again from Aleah Baker (thanks Aleah): “90’s slang, especially overuse of the word, 'like.'”

This makes sense given that Karl was actually writing for the comics during the 90’s, and back then Sonic was very much a character who frequently used that kind of slang and had a bunch of catchphrases. Have you ever watched Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, or the fan-named SatAM cartoon? Those versions of Sonic had a barrage of cool-guy-90’s-slang. “Let’s go, bro! Let’s speed, keed! Let’s buzz, cuz! Let’s do it to it! It’s juice time! It’s juice and jam time! It’s jelly and jam time!”

…you get the idea. So yeah, it fit the time. Mostly. There were instances where that kind of language didn’t quite fit right, and one example Aleah pointed out was Eggman referring to his brother Colin Kintobor as “See-Kay.”

Again, this wasn’t entirely uncommon in the 90’s - there were any number of “hip” or “cool” characters in 90’s media who’d refer to a character by their initial or initials. Faith the Vampire Slayer comes to mind, who often called Buffy “B.” Or one-shot character Roy on The Simpsons, who called Homer “Mr. S.” I think in this case it might have been less noticeable had this been printed as “C.K.” rather than “See–Kay.” Printed as it was, I’d say it’s possible some readers had no idea what it meant (it certainly took 2001-me a few reads to figure it out). So yeah, this one isn’t entirely a bad thing and I think it was appropriate enough for the time it came out, but looking back at it sometimes it feels like Bollers was channelling...

That just leaves Ian Flynn, who wrote for ArchieSonic from 2006 all the way up to the series’ cancellation in 2017. And we all know the sick, twisted stuff that guy is into… 

…that’s right. References. So. Many. References! Truly, Ian is the greatest monster of them all. :P Some of these references are extremely obvious...

…while some are more obscure, such as Bean calling out moves from Sonic Riders...

...or Sonic asking Tails and Amy to do their “spinny thing” attacks from Sonic Adventure.

One particular type of reference Ian is known for is sneaking song lyrics from Sonic music into the dialogue. He’s done this A LOT more frequently in IDW Sonic, but he snuck it into ArchieSonic occasionally too.

Another “fetish” that Ian had while writing for ArchieSonic was reintroducing old, long-forgotten characters and finding new purposes for them. Some of these were from the old ArchieSonic days, such as the former Substitute Freedom Fighters...

...Monkey Khan...

...the Iron King and Queen...

...and pretty much everyone on the Secret Freedom Fighters team, including Shard the Metal Sonic.

Shard was an extremely interesting case, as he was reintroduced with a different design - that of Metal Sonic from Sonic Rivals 2. Another neat reference! Ian also introduced characters from Sonic’s past that had never been seen before in the comics, such as Bean and Bark from Sonic the Fighters...

...the Battlebird Armada from Tails Adventure..

...and even Breezie from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog!

And each time Ian brought back any of these long-forgotten characters the readers responded with delight, because we’re all just as sick and twisted as he is. 😀

(Also, the cojones on that man for being nerdy enough to dare to put a Sonic the Fighters adaptation inside a Sonic Unleashed adaptation? Mad respect, my man!)

Alright, I think we’ve covered more than enough on this topic. Were there any other fetishes (or "fetishes") I missed? Let me know in the comments! Thanks again to Aleah Baker for her suggestions on this one - I honestly had nothing for Karl Bollers. I hope I haven’t traumatised all of you too much with this episode, because it was a lot. And unfortunately I’m not entirely finished with it either, as I’ll be bringing back one of the previously mentioned fetishes for the next episode: “Can’t eat favourite food.” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions from that.

[inventors-fair]

Basically, here are our winners this week! ~

Congratulations to @helloijustreadyourpost, @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes, and @snugz for winning this week's contest!

@helloijustreadyourpost — Urborg’s Descent

There are a lot of great cards to talk about this week, and this one is just plain elegant. I agonized a little near the end of my selection process, but thinking about the world, about the way that these cards play out, and the limited/constructed applications, I had to conclude that this card is just pretty darn great. Milling and losing life isn’t the greatest four-drop ETB you could ask for, but the eventual downfall being super-Mutilate is just about worth it. This card’s worded spectacularly, which is good to see, and it’s for sure a control-oriented and slower card.

I do really enjoy the flavor progression that’s both straightforward, sensible, and powerful. You have the sinking into the mire, the flooding of black mana and death, and the necromancy that arose from its sinking. Selective exile is great, untapped Zombies is great, and you know what, this card could be fantastically annoying in a mono-black deck or a deck with swamp types, so I’m all for it. DMU duals especially make this one a fun little treat in that meta, heh. So you know what? Well-won. I especially appreciate the attention to wording on a fairly complicated card.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes — Waves’ Rising

This card, man. I feel some sense of modernity that’s hard to explain here, but this is quite a powerful card and I would hate to be on the other side of the table. Looking at it more, I wish it would work just as well as a sorcery, but you and I both know that it doesn’t. This is an instant-speed horror that is a game blowout if anyone can use it. Limited-wise, I don’t think anyone’s going to be forcing it, but you never know. Constructed-wise, whoof, someone will have fun with their duals here. What a card.

Your art direction and flavor text are pretty spot-on, too. These sailors are lost at sea, and perhaps they were lost at sea to the people waiting for them, too, and this card serves as a warning. The camera angle of the art direction implies a really awesome piece too! It’s worldless and that’s totally fine—krakens are everywhere. All in all, the bounce and potential 6/6 is a swell idea, the limits are reasonable, the late-game style is great, and I just really love this card’s vibe! Good power sensibility here.

@snugz — Necromancer’s Apotheosis

I grok this card. Does everyone? Perhaps not, but that’s fine. The limits here are intended to be a little convoluted and I totally feel that. Once you get it, though—for anyone reading this that’s not there, really imagine the game state and the balance you can make from this. It’s a fantastically head-scratching card that asks the most from MTG players that they could possibly put into it. Limited all-star, constructed...maybe, commander self-mill for sure. And weirdos will try to make it happen because it’s fun to do so.

Once you make the deck right, it’s definitely a get-rid-of-this-or-I-win card. A few Swamps and a lotta self-mill means that this baby regulates itself. But things have to die to make sure the triggers still happen, and you have to watch your drops, and this is a tricky tricky card that can really gum up the board if you’re not careful. I would have LOVED to play this card last night at FNM. All that aside, I do want to point out that the name’s a bit of a bugbear. “Necropotheosis” would be fun but somehow worse. Still, who am I to judge double-turn possible-amazing reanimation? I’m gonna get eight swamps, nine creatures in the graveyard, and reanimate Atraxa.

Runners and more soon!

[daggersandarrows]

hey ik i only followed you like a day ago but i'm sorry you're dealing with this, i hope things ease up soon and suck as minimally as possible in the meantime

ah, fuck, that's sweet ;_; thank you so much. truly truly i don't want anyone to worry about me too much, i have been running the gambit of aggressively bettering my mental health since i was 14, and i am infinitely more prepared now that i was then. i have an incredible partner and a meta who's the greatest friend i could ask for, a great surrounding community, a loving cat, and four long distance but incredibly dear friends who for some reason are solidly refusing to give up on me.

for the first time in my life, the awful that is happening to me is, quite literally, all in my head. and that can be fixed. i'm gonna get it fixed.

thank you <3

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

(Part 1) Hello! I don't know if you've already read this but another thing to add to your "Why would John Oliver return to british television"-box. According to the Guardian "...Oliver’s The Last Week Tonight host’s presence on the show is one the band members are still in disbelief about (at one point he even stands in for Collier on bass, and looks quite a natural)." Persuading other people to appear was not so easy, and the sheer silliness of what they might be asked to do... put off a few".

(Part 2) which seem to suggest that the reason he chose to take part in the show have nothing to do with a personal connection to the Horne Section, as they seem as mystified as anyone else as to why he agreed to do their show. Anyway, being a frequent lurker on your tumblr I thought you might find it interesting! :)

So I was planning just briefly glance at Tumblr before returning to the work I'm supposed to be doing, but obviously I can't read a message like that without finding and reading the article in question. So here that is, for anyone else who wants to read it:

There's a lot in there, including a much clearer picture of what the show actually is than I had before. It makes me look forward to this show overall more than I was before. I wasn't sure if it was sort of semi-scripted or not, but this confirms that it's completely scripted, a sitcom with a meta premise rather than a chat show with some fictionalized bits. I'm pleased about that, because I'm not hugely interested in a variety show or chat show with mainly non-comedian celebrities talking about whatever, but I do love a good sitcom with a meta premise. So it looks like of all my initial guesses as to what it is, the closest was Knowing Me Knowing You but we also see behind the scenes of how it got made and commissioned. I like it.

On the specific issue discussed in this message and of interest to me... absolutely baffling. I mean, I realize most people who do TV shows do them for many reasons that don't involve some personal connection to the people who made it. But John Oliver doesn't, not for years. So that was my best guess as to why he'd signed on to this, maybe he had some connection to Alex and wanted to help. Because he doesn't seem to have the time or inclination to do much of anything besides Last Week Tonight these days, and he's made it clear for fifteen years that impressing British audiences went very badly for him the first time and he never wants to try it again (I did recently find an old bit of internet that confirms this, he's not kidding, they didn't like him). And he's in a position where he has no financial or just career advancement-based need to do anything he doesn't want to do.

So the mystery continues. Possibly not the greatest mystery of our entire age, but it's the one keeping me awake at night because all the reality-based ones are terrible. Having said that, thank you so much for the message! I didn't know an article on the show had come out today, it was an interesting read and I appreciate you drawing my attention to it! Also, I continue to appreciate the fact that some people in the world see John Oliver + Britcom news and think, "I must inform Tumblr user Tellthemeerkatsitsfine, these are Things She Wants To Know." You're right, I do want to know this.

I remain baffled, and distracted, as I have to actually go work now. I hope you're very well!

[accretivetechnologygroup]

Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton quits Google

Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton quits Google https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/01/1072478/deep-learning-pioneer-geoffrey-hinton-quits-google/ Geoffrey Hinton, a VP and Engineering Fellow at Google, and a pioneer of deep learning who developed some of the most important techniques at the heart of modern AI, is leaving the company after 10 years, the New York Times reported today. Hinton, who will be speaking live to MIT Technology Review in his first post-resignation interview at EmTech Digital on Wednesday, was a joint recipient with Yann Lecun and Yoshua Bengio of the 2018 Turing Award—computing’s equivalent of the Nobel.  “Geoff’s contributions to AI are tremendous,” says Lecun, who is chief AI scientist at Meta.  The 75-year-old computer scientist has divided his time between the University of Toronto and Google since 2013, when the tech giant acquired Hinton’s AI startup DNNresearch. Hinton’s company was a spin-out from his research group, which was doing cutting edge work with machine learning for image recognition at the time. Google used that technology to boost photo search and more.   Hinton has long called out ethical questions around AI, especially its co-option for military purposes. He has said that one reason he chose to spend much of his career in Canada is that it is easier to get research funding that does not have ties to the U.S. Department of Defense.  Hinton is best known for an algorithm called backpropagation, which he first proposed with two colleagues in the 1980s. The technique, which allows artificial neural networks to learn, underpins nearly all today’s machine learning models. In a nutshell, backpropagation is a way to adjust the connections between artificial neurons over and over until a neural network produces the desired output.  Hinton believed that backpropagation mimicked how biological brains learn. He has been looking for even better approximations since, but never improved on it. “In my numerous discussions with Geoff, I was always the proponent of backpropagation and he was always looking for another learning procedure, one that he thought would be more biologically plausible, and perhaps a better model of how learning works in the brain,” says Lecun.   “Geoff Hinton certainly deserves the greatest credit for many of the ideas that have made current deep learning possible,” says Yoshua Bengio, who is a professor at the University of Montreal and scientific director of the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms. “I assume this also makes him feel a particularly strong sense of responsibility in alerting the public about potential risks of the ensuing advances in AI.” MIT Technology Review will have more on Hinton throughout the week. Be sure to tune in to Will Douglas Heaven’s live interview with Hinton at EmTech Digital on Wednesday, May 3 at 13.30 ET. Tickets are available from the event website. via MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com May 01, 2023 at 05:25AM

[alynnl]

Iroh’s Backstory (Part 1 of 4)

This is a very large meta-post, almost world-building involving Avatar the Last Airbender. It covers my head-canons surrounding Iroh, who is one of my favorite characters in the series and starts off already completing his redemption arc. These posts, which will be in several parts go into detail as far as what happened during one of Iroh's great battles for the Fire Nation, and the long journey he took around the world before arriving home. A great deal of these posts will contain spoilers, as well as heavy amounts of speculation. I am going solely off animated show canon, so any information from comics or additional wiki pages will be left out!

With that out of the way, let’s delve into Book 1!

Book 1: The 600 Day Siege

The Great Stalemate The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom were in a stalemate ever since the days of Sozin. Both Fire Lord Sozin and his son Azulon haven’t been able to break through the earthbenders’ defenses, and the Earth King (grandfather of Kuei) hasn’t been able to mount a successful invasion of the Fire Nation. The two nations remained in an extremely tight arms race, each one determined to come out on top. As years passed, heirs were born to both sides and the stakes were raised.

At this point in time, the Air Nomads were wiped out, the Southern Water Tribe was decimated, and the Northern Water Tribe has chosen to live in strict isolation. The Avatar is still nowhere to be found. It’s become clear that this battle between two great nations would decide the fate of the world.

General Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation made a name for himself in many battles. He was a powerful bender, but also a fearsome strategist. His ability to breathe a great amount of fire and keep it controlled earned him the nickname “Dragon of the West.”

Eventually, Iroh’s son, Lu Ten joined him in the war when he was age to serve. Lu Ten proved to be just as fearsome on the battlefield, clearly inheriting Iroh’s natural talents and charisma that inspired their enlisted men to train and fight. Together, they claimed many lands for the Fire Nation. Many of their battles were sweeping victories, but there was one day where they had to retreat.

It was the Autumnal Equinox, the first day in which the leaves turn colors and fall from the trees, and life begins to return to the earth. On this day, the earthbenders were empowered, and successfully repelled the Fire Nation army during a border skirmish. While his forces withdrew, General Iroh was already planning his next move. He knew that if his armies were to make landfall and storm the Earth Kingdom capital, he would have to avoid fighting during the Equinox.

Preparations and Departure Iroh returned to the Fire Nation briefly to gather his forces, take more warships and assemble those who were able to bend lightning. The plan was to pierce the earth army’s defenses with lightning, and then allow the other firebenders to land and march forward.  His plan was met in the War Room with astounding approval. Colonel Lu Ten pledged to fight at his father’s side and help him win the war. Iroh’s brother, Prince Ozai was ordered by Fire Lord Azulon not to join the offensive, since he’d never seen actual combat, and the mission was crucial.

Just before they departed, Iroh and Lu Ten had the rest of their family see them off. Prince Ozai remained quiet and aloof, Princess Ursa urged them to write home, Azula was thrilled at the idea of the Fire Nation winning for good, and Zuko tried (and failed) to keep a straight face.

“Uncle Iroh, do you really have to go now? You just got here.”

“You do not have to worry, Prince Zuko. I will not be gone for long.”

“That’s what you said last time. You were out at sea for a whole year.”

“This time will be different! I have a plan that will take the Earth Kingdom by surprise. If it all works out in our favor, I will be back in time for the New Year’s Festival.”

“Do you really mean that, Uncle? ...but what if something goes wrong? What if you don’t make it here for the new year? It’s only a few months away.”

“Time moves very differently on the battlefield, and has a way of getting away from us. But do not fear, my nephew. Even if I am delayed, I promise I will return. I will overcome any obstacle that stands in my way.”

“I just wish I could go with you, I want to help.”

Iroh chuckles. “You are not quite old enough to join me yet, Prince Zuko. The best thing you can do now is continue your training.”

“Of course, I’ll work hard! And when you get back, I’ll show you everything I’ve practiced!”

“I look forward to seeing your progress. You have much to learn, but I know you will catch on.”

A whistle blows, signaling that it’s time to depart.

“It sounds like it’s time for me to go now. Everyone! Take care, and I will see you in the new year!”

Iroh entered the ship, and it started pulling out of the harbor.

Various civilians, reserve troops, Ursa and Zuko all waved the ships off as they departed, while Azula watched quietly and Ozai already started to leave the docks. Only Zuko watched until his uncle’s ship completely disappeared into the horizon. He was not aware that Iroh was about to enter a very long battle.

The Siege Begins General Iroh and Colonel Lu Ten set sail, with hundreds of Fire Navy ships and thousands of firebending troops. They were both confident in their chances for a quick, decisive end to the war, because of their sheer numbers and firepower.  It wasn’t long before they were spotted, and the Earth Kingdom sentries alerted each other of the oncoming invasion. It was about to be the greatest test of their soldiers and the walls of Ba Sing Se.

The first shots were fired from both sides.  While the lightning offensive from the Fire Nation appeared to be breaking through, the Earth Kingdom soldiers weren’t giving up without a fight. They managed to hold the line far longer than Iroh anticipated. At this point in time, the battle could go either way.  The Earth Kingdom sent a message to the nearby city-state of Omashu requesting their aid, as the Fire Nation’s second and third wave of reinforcements were coming from the rear. Slowly but surely, the Fire Nation’s forces gained the upper hand and had their opponents on the run.

Prolonged Battles Months went by. The Fire Nation made landfall, but the earthbenders dug in their heels and were holding steady. By now, Bumi and his reinforcements arrived. The troops from Omashu were wild and unpredictable, just like their leader, giving the Earth Kingdom a valuable offense. Iroh personally took to the front lines, striking with all his might. The new year came and went, and there were no signs that either side was ready to surrender.

Seasons went by. Winter, spring and summer passed, and each day brought more fighting. Fatigue, restlessness and lower morale started to set in, even among the top brass. Everyone on the battlefield was looking for a sign that would turn the tables in their favor.

Much to Iroh’s horror, the Earth Kingdom soldiers held out long enough for another Autumn Equinox. Their combined might and enhanced bending drove their opponents from the outer wall, which was in plain sight. The Fire Nation rallied to hold its position. They gathered whichever metal scraps they could find to use as cover. The idea was simple: to hold out against the earthbenders and prove that even at their most powerful, they could not force the Fire Nation into surrender.

While they walled themselves in to weather the earthbenders’ storm of power, Iroh and his soldiers saved their strength and waited for just the right moment to strike back. Although some of  their catapults, land tanks and ships were destroyed, the Fire Nation felt their second wind when the sun came up the next day. Coming out of hiding, General Iroh, the lightning benders, and Colonel Lu Ten began a furious onslaught. After a week of pushing forward, a combination of lightning, fire and the remaining siege engines hammered into Ba Sing Se’s Great Wall.

Breaching the Wall On day 586 of the siege of Ba Sing Se, the outer wall on the southern side of the city was broken through. Iroh ambushed an enemy camp, taking a knife from a general who surrendered as soon as the doors were burst open. The first Fire Nation troops inside the city went through houses that were abandoned by fleeing civilians for anything that might be useful to them.

Iroh wrote an optimistic letter home, as a well as sending gifts for Zuko and Azula form the pile of stolen goods. He also sent special blends of tea for Ursa and Ozai. For Azulon, he pledged to get him the Earth Kingdom Palace as his personal gift by next spring.

Inside the walled city of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li was planning to join the war effort, while keeping it a secret from the young Earth King, Kuei. He ordered his agents to join the battlefield against the Fire Nation, telling them to drive back the enemy troops by any means necessary.

“By now you have heard the news. The Fire Nation is invading our city. The army and the palace guard have not been able to stop them, so the outcome of this fight is up to us. If we are to defeat them, we must act swiftly. Our enemy is ruthless. They have scorched our land, killed many of our soldiers and now they have broken the outer wall. We must show them no mercy. Today, we take no prisoners. When you encounter the enemy, you must strike to kill. That is all.”

Ambush and Aftermath The Dai Li moved out, each of them picking a crucial target.

As soon as the sun set, they began their surprise attacks.

One by one, the Dai Li picked off lightning benders or higher ranking officers. One lucky messenger escaped to sound the alarm, prompting the survivors to retreat. Iroh and Lu Ten stayed together as the wide scale ambush continued, watching each other’s backs and giving frantic orders for their soldiers to remain calm and get to safety.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the agents followed them from the shadows as they headed quickly towards the southern shore, where the Fire Navy ships waited. The agent then dropped out of the trees, sending a pillar of earth towards Iroh. Hearing the earthbender’s footsteps, Lu Ten leaped to his father’s defense. He took a critical blow from the earthbending strike, and fell instantly. In a mix of panic, sadness, and anger, Iroh released a powerful wave of fire, taking down their attacker.

In desperation, and with a small hope that his son was alive, Iroh rushed him aboard one of the ships, practically begging the medics to save him.

A Light Extinguished Unfortunately, Iroh received the news he doesn’t want to hear.

“General Iroh, I’m so sorry.  Colonel Lu Ten has passed.  He was already gone when you brought him in, there was nothing we could do.”

Iroh’s answer seemed to be drained of all emotion. “I understand.  … Leave us.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he was left alone, Iroh began to say his final farewell.

“Lu Ten, my only son, words cannot express exactly how I feel. This entire world feels so wrong now that you’re no longer here. Now that your flame has gone out, I feel as if mine has too. I should do and say so many things. I should be angry, I should fight to avenge you, but I cannot.

It was my arrogance that led us down this path. I have no one to blame but myself. I was wrong to think we could have conquered Ba Sing Se. I was too proud and foolish to see that the earthbenders fought for something far more important than honor, duty or glory. And now, my mistakes have cost us everything.

You will be reborn, Lu Ten, hopefully to a life that treats you kindly. And I will have to live with my regrets. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I cannot stay and continue this battle. I must go now, and do what needs to be done.”

There was a long hesitation before Iroh stood up, turned away, and hid his face.

“Goodbye, Lu Ten.”

He shut the door behind him with tears in his eyes. To his surprise, the eyes of many soldiers were looking to him when he stepped out onto the deck. They were wondering what their orders were, now that they’ve made their tactical retreat.

Some of the soldiers were passionate and angry.

“They attacked us from behind, we should give it right back to them!”

“We ought to break through the wall a second time just to show them what we're made of!”

“We should make them pay for what they’ve done to us!”

Others were hesitant.

“I don’t know… those guys in the black robes were the stuff of nightmares!”

“They took out my entire squad, I’m the only one who survived…”

“The intelligence officers didn’t warn us about them! They’re too fast, we need more time to study them!”

Iroh silenced them with one word.

“Enough.”

“General Iroh?”

“I’ve had enough. This fight is over.”

“What do you mean, ‘over’, we haven’t won yet—!”

Iroh grows angry and impatient, still with tears in his eyes. “Take a look around! How many of us returned from that ambush?! And how many of us are truly ready to return to the battlefield?! We must face reality. We’ve been beaten. The only option left is to surrender.”

“Surrender?!”

“We’ve never lost a battle since we’ve followed your lead! We can’t give up now!”

“We can’t sail home under a white flag. We’ll be a disgrace to the Fire Nation!”

Iroh sighed, and shook his head. “None of you will have to bear the shame for our defeat. You were just following my orders. Whatever the Fire Lord has to say to you, he will say it to me. It’s my responsibility, and mine alone.”

The rest of the soldiers went quiet. A heavy atmosphere loomed over the ship, and dark clouds began to hover over it. The Fire Nation banner was lowered, and the white flag of surrender was hoisted. After receiving messenger hawks, the remaining ships did the same.

A funeral ceremony was held aboard the ships for the fallen soldiers. Their bodies were each cremated with the ashes being placed in an urn. Each soldier’s name, rank and great deeds were painted on the delicate glasswork. Although they have abandoned many spiritual traditions in favor of warfare, the people of of the Fire Nation still believed in returning their bodies to the great flame, so that their spirits will transition from this life to the next.

That night, Iroh placed Lu Ten’s urn on a writing desk, where he would pen the final letter he would give to Ursa. The letter spoke of the very serious, solemn news. He sent the letter off with a messenger hawk headed to the capital, and then put out the candles so he could try and rest.

The Storm The next morning, Iroh packed both keepsakes (the urn, royal portraits, pai sho tiles) and necessities in a bag for travelling, while preparing one of the smaller boats aboard the warship. When asked where he’s going by some of the soldiers, Iroh explained that this ship, and others like it simply held too many memories, and that he’d like to travel alone ahead of the fleet to face Fire Lord Azulon.

They let him pass, and he departs.

Just as the fleet of warships are in the far back horizon, the seas became choppy and the clouds grew darker.  The sprinkle of raindrops soon became a shower, and the ocean waves grew taller and more powerful.  The waves tossed Iroh’s boat into the air, and the strong winds pointed him far off-course.

Iroh clung to his small pack of belongings as the raging storm continued, and lightning flashed close by.  The dark clouds, fierce rains, and howling winds continued well into the night, the waves taking the boat wherever they pleased.

As the hours went by, the waves began to calm. There was now a shoreline within sight.  Although he was exhausted from the storm and what came before it, Iroh managed to steer the boat onto land, and step out.

He didn’t see them, but a figure was watching from the nearby bushes.

With the last of his waking strength, Iroh tried to call out to see if anyone was around. When he received no answer, he tried to bend a signal flare, only to discover that something has gone terribly wrong. He has lost his firebending.

Overcome by his fatigue, Iroh collapsed into the sand. He heard the faint sound of footsteps heading towards him, and then this entire world faded to black.

End of Book 1