#Same with being the token optimistic person

[umilily]

i really am the definition of wasted potential.

[punkeropercyjackson]

Imma try to chill so that instead of raging,i can just explain this politely:If you're in the Batfam fandom or are interested in joining,please be respectful of the Batkids' canon characterization and stories with exception of the offensive bits because that way,you will be able to fully appreciate and enjoy them as characters and get along with long time fans too as they'll appreciate you for it since Batfanon is so overwhelmingly popular and you'll be helping combat it

You want a ray of sunshine optimist who's actually realistic instead of a cornball and has depth and layers and is beloved by everyone in the DC world?Read for Dick but avoid Tom Taylor and Devin Grayson as their writing of him is extremely ableist,misogynistic(see Babs' character regression for his sake and the 'disposable black love interest' trope times 10x towards Kory)and anti-romani with Taylor being a whole ass zionist and Devin only made Dick romani to fetishize him and wrote canon Batcest and even other pedo ships.She has since apologized for the latter so Batcels can't use her as validation

You want a goth boyloser who's a lone wolf and has an awful relathionship with Bruce where both feelings are completely justified but he himself is morally gray and treated as such rather than coddled?Read for Jason but avoid og Rhato because it's a shitfest that screws over everybody involved including Jason himself and nobody who likes it cares about him at all since it's the worst thing to ever happen to him,INCLUDING The Joker.He was also textually miserable the whole time and is way happier with his new cast on top of being better written

You want a relatable teenage boy who's a positive role model for irl ones and is canonically into dudes and can be the token normie that reacts to the weirdness of his family for jokes?Read for Tim and please don't believe anyone who tries to tell you he's a bad person or a raging misogynist because they're the same niggas who stan Jason the ex-serial killer and Slade the pedophile who's child abuse even of the non-sexual kind is his defining character trait as stated by Marv Wolfman,who MADE him.He's literally just a 17 year old boy who's not perfect and people are just ageist and generally hateful.Everybody should care about Tim Drake /ref

You want a strong female character who's genuinely super weird and real and does justice for the girls that don't fit in and are abused by men but is also really funny and feminine?Read for Stephanie and don't buy into the bullshit propaganda DC keeps trying to keep selling since her debut that she's 'just a girl' or somehow less hardcore than the Batboys or ESPECIALLY the fandom's emphasization of her blondeness when she got it from her abusive dad and has never shown pride in it and was never an 'It Girl',she was the school outcast at ALL her schools,including college.Just because Stephanie Brown is a white girl that dosen't mean she's a white feminist or a prop or basic-She's literally a pastel punk who has a Metalica poster in her room ffs

You want a wasian with gender fuckery who was raised to be a weapon and had no parents until Bruce adopted her and became super human through crazy ass means and is a mega cool edgecase?Read for Cass and keep in mind she was created with the intention of defying easian woman stereotypes,including existing for white men and nothing else and that includes not forcing her to like Jason or steal her Shiva origin to give it to him and as an afro-dominicana,Jason feels more afro-dominican than he does anything else and we HAVE an asian Jason Variant but he was south asian,specifically indian and not easian/chinese so it's even more orientalist than before with Sanjay Tawde's canonicity in mind(He is from The Doom That Came To Gotham for anyone interested)

You want a brown boy raised by a bad organization he has complex ties to because his connection comes from his family who is very much a little shit and anger filled but also a sweetheart who's truly trying his best?Read for Damian but keep in mind he's a victim of anti-arab writers,he's not a demon or a villain or an animal-He's just a hurt little boy who's almost never known anything but pain and being seen as a monster compared to white boys and that's why so many Damian stans are so grateful for Flatline/Nika because she loves him as much as we do and gives him the TLC we wish we could(platonically in our case but still)

You want a troubled but good kid who has god-like superpowers and loves to run his mouth,gives Bruce's headaches with his shenanigans and is not only an unconventional Robin but Jason's Robin and vice versa?Read for Duke and don't even look in the general direction of runs that leave him out-Which do the other Batboys dirty too every time anyway!!Duke has refered to Bruce as his dad and Bruce has refered to Duke as his son and ALL the Batkids see him as their brother and the poor guy feels left out of them because DC are a bunch of antiblack pieces of shit who baited us with the first ever black Robin just to exclude him for his blackness and act like they were being 'careful'.Nah,FUCK that-If Cass can be respectfully written as Bruce's kid,so can Duke!He don't got parents either,the ogs got Jokerized and Gnomom is emotionally abusive and he's literally a minor!

And they're just the core Batkids!!!If you're looking for another type of character,then they definitely exist and i'd be happy to tell you who fits it so i can tell you what to read/watch/play for them!Trying to switch the Batkids CAN be good depending on how you do it but 99% of the time it's just bigotry!REAL bigotry minorities can't stop dealing with just by logging off and fandom is supposed to be a safe space for weirdos-Not 'nerds',WEIRDOS.Black people and woc and mentally ill people and autistics and abusive survivors and EVERYONE,not just stupid ass kinksters that think kink is inherently anti-establishment and white people who had 'hateful ideology phases' and think it's universal and play victim when told otherwise

'All Batboys are trans and autistic!'but then they leave out the most autistic-coded and tboy swag filled Batboy just because he's black and use the 'mains' excuse when they've never read enough comics to know that became a thing,that it wasn't always a thing and that it dosen't make SENSE for it to be a thing.'All Batkids are/do [x]' but they leave out the girls even though 'Batkids' is the gender neutral term as it's meant to refer to the whole gang.Do not fall for it.They're about as gooth faith as 'Allmighty God Superman who fucks all the women' dudebros.Please be kind and be a real superhero fan by reading the comics so you can join us in dunking on them.Please,you'll be doing the comics fandom a lot of good and you might even help influence the comics industry itself because it responds to mass fan appeal way far back and that's how we got a fair amount of runs and adaptions we do today and yesterday and tommorow.I promise it'll be infinitely more fun than fanon too

[eddiediazismyhusband]

(Please don't apologize. You may call it pessimism but I see it as realism and I truly appreciate it. I've seen people SO excited to see the cast back this week and all the excitement about the new season, optimism for canon buddie, what hair/tattoos/wardrobe might look like. And I feel bad because I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. But I cannot be bothered about whether Oliver will keep his fluffy hair or have any new tattoos or Ryan's mustache because I don't want another season of boring, repetitious storylines that don't do anything to the characters, especially those of color (thinking of the cartel and Mara right now)

I'm hopeful that because season 8 will be a full 18 episodes things won't have to be as rushed or thrown together at the last minute as season 7. But yeah, please don't apologize for your opinions because you're not the only one thinking similar thoughts <3)

im moreso apologetic because i dont WANT to be a debbie downer but its like…. ive been burned by shows (this one included) far too many times to be super optimistic and excited over things that could very potentially not be good for us… like i’ve said, most of the people i know with that mustache are awful human beings and when you add in the fact that gerrard also has a mustache like that AND that tim has been showing so little care for eddie as a character/care for poc characters as a whole it doesn’t seem far fetched to me that tim could very easily commit one of the most egregious acts of character death by veering eddie so far off the natural path simply to create cheap drama

like im so glad we seem to be getting fluffy hair buck… unfortunately fluffy hair buck doesn’t negate the fact that he’s currently in a relationship with a racist and that they’re ignoring 6 years of subtext built between he and eddie to try and further reiterate their “totally platonic dude bro” relationship, on top of giving eddie a look that exudes macho straight republican man…

(and don’t get me started on the fucking cartel plot or the mara plot bc what the actual fuck is wrong with tim minear 💀💀)

i just want them to stop dragging their feet on buddie while seemingly writing everything else as this whirlwind of convoluted messy nonsense drama plots and actually decided if they’re gonna commit to just ship/queerbaiting or to the subtext and plot theyve infused into the story since eddie’s literal first episode.

like personal feelings aside for the mustache, i think we’re giving the writers too much faith in portrayal of queer characters to actually say that it’s eddie “embracing queer culture” simply bc it looks like eddie mercury… we’re talking about the same writers who gave the main wlw couple a cheating plotline, have boiled down buck’s sexuality to just sex, and have relied on playing into stereotypes of mlm/wlw side characters rather thsn actually putting time and thought into it… like it’d be one thing to say “it’s a nod to freddie mercury” if the show has actually shown any kind of care beyond using sexuality plotlines for cheap drama (henren) but the reality is that they haven’t shown us that we can trust them in that way yet.

and who knows maybe it IS a nod to freddie mercury, but we don’t know for sure and im not going to set myself uo to be disappointed yet again when its just as likely to be s nod to them making eddie an antagonistic character with gerrard… yeah, that plot wouldn’t make sense for eddie as a character but neither did the vertigo plot so who’s to say tim wouldn’t go for it?

at the end of the day, i am just not looking forward to s8. nothing yet has given me any inclination to actually watch it until we are shown that they are making strides to actually tell a meaningful story that doesn’t rely on minorities for tokenism plots or putting them through needless pain again. yes this show is a drama, but there are other ways you can create drama (hell it’s a show about first responders) than putting poc characters through the fucking wringer time and time again, profiting off their pain, while simultaneously telling lowkey racist stories that involve the fucking cartel coming out of nowhere to burn down a LA fire captain’s house???

so yeah, i’m just not feeling great about it. i also don’t wanna rain on anyone’s parade but i don’t wanna get my own hopes up when i would just be setting myself up to be let down yet again by these writers

[fantasyfantasygames]

I Made You A Thing!

I Made You A Thing!, UBetterHaveMyGame, 2021

I Made You A Thing (IMYAT) is one of a handful of roleplaying games that are genuinely out to make the world a better place. In their preface, the author talks about how valuable they found working together as a team in other RPGs, but how it would have been just as good - and, in fact, good - if they were doing something kind rather than murdering their way across a catacomb.

IMYAT is a 24-page game intended as a one-shot. Your characters are all friends of the same person, trying to find them the perfect gift for their birthday. Rather than competing, you're working together to figure out what to make for your pal, get the supplies, and put it together. Your assets are a laser cutter, a 3d printer, and a reasonable but not unlimited amount of cash.

Rules-wise, your characters each have a heist-type specialty. You remember the scene in Oceans 11 where they need the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever? Your archetypes named after inventors, creators, and caretakers. One of you is the Goldie (Brangman), expert caretaker. One of you is the Hedy (Lamarr), master of drones and other remote-control devices. One of you is the Alfred (Nobel), chemistry prodigy. There are about a dozen archetypes in all. Within your own arena you're unbeatable. The challenge is that you're rarely in your own arena. Outside of it, you're rolling d6s and picking up tokens that either let you roll more dice or force you closer toward the failure condition (missing the birthday party). The rules aren't anything special, but I really like the archetypes.

The book's writing is very upbeat and optimistic. Some of my friends found it a bit excessive; others weren't bothered. YMMV. The art is great - it uses bright colors and somewhat cartoonish characters against a nighttime background to convey the same kind of upbeat feel. You'll find the archetypes standing on each others' shoulders to spy on The Friend, being a human sawhorse while one of them saws a plank, pooling their cash to buy fancy thermoplastic, and more. There's an evident camaraderie between them that makes page turns enjoyable.

If there's one thing the book lacks, it's good GM advice. There's not much in terms of recommendations for how to make the scenario actually work. I can imagine it would sing in the right person's hands, but one could give some voice lessons, you know?

As you can probably guess from the author's (user)name, this game is on itch. You may already own it from one of the dozens of charity bundles that happen on Itch, which is my favorite thing about that site. Poke through and see if you own it; it's a genuinely fun way to spend an afternoon.

[dist4nt-shores]

i think the reason i enjoyed wake the dead so much is because it’s literally just a blades zombie apocalypse au?! i feel like people have brought this up before but i’m replaying rn and it just.. Slays

like the mc loses their sibling who they care about more than anything. they leave the place they’ve always called their home and befriend a group of ragtag allies along the way. though the wtd mc’s goal isn’t necessarily to save the world, it IS to save the people in the colony & the people they care about in time for the solstice. all of it builds up to the final battle against The Big Bad, with smaller battles and travels throughout.

the love interests all have their blades counterparts (other than sledge):

troy = mal (witty, comedic & nonchalant but caring beneath the cocky demeanour. also both criminals lol)

shannon = nia (more sheltered, not super physically strong but still surprises herself, one of her skills involves healing, optimistic)

eli = tyril (stoic, family-oriented, tries not to get attached and is reluctant to join the group at first, lethal in combat & has his signature weapon)

angel = imtura (more of a wildcard, impulsive, ruthless when it comes to whatever you’re fighting, the token Badass)

even the order you befriend them all in is the same: we befriend shannon first (just like we first work with nia), then troy (mal), eli (tyril), and finally angel (imtura).

obviously certain personality traits are unique and different tropes and backstories are included but ?!!?! it’s so them!

the mc collects armour and weapons along the way, reading letters and recipe books like the blades mc read lore tablets. you have specific skills(???) that you can choose to upgrade or get along the way (fortifications, research, etc) and you get benefits and specific scenes based on your skills/resources.

dirk is also kind of like an aerin parallel — always overlooked, feels under appreciated in the colony, left behind and resentful about someone else being the leader & getting all the credit.

ALSO the marcus blackstock/high priest parallels with them being supposedly good but sacrificing the innocent…

even the slowmo-action-shot character art is like the art in blades (when mal throws the dagger, tyril has his flaming sword, imtura on the ship, etc).

[valleyxrose]

valley's personality

The Meyer's Briggs Personality Test:

ENTJ-A - The Commander

People with the ENTJ personality type (Commanders) are natural-born leaders. Embodying the gifts of charisma and confidence, ENTJs project authority in a way that draws crowds together behind a common goal. However, these personalities are also characterized by an often ruthless level of rationality, using their drive, determination, and sharp mind to achieve whatever objectives they’ve set for themselves. Their intensity might sometimes rub people the wrong way, but ultimately, ENTJs take pride in both their work ethic and their impressive level of self-discipline.

The Moral Alignment Test:

Chaotic Evil

A chaotic evil character does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse. Thankfully, his plans are haphazard, and any groups he joins or forms are poorly organized.

Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him. Chaotic evil is sometimes called demonic because demons are the epitome of chaotic evil. Chaotic evil is the best alignment you can be because combines self-interest and pure freedom. However, chaotic evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.

The 5 Love Languages Test:

Receiving Gifts

Your Love Tank overflows with Receiving Gifts. You find deep connection in Receiving Gifts. Tokens of affection are a tangible expression of love. You cherish the time and effort someone put into selecting and presenting a gift to you. You'll likely remember even small gifts for years because of the emotion you attach to it.

The Enneagram Personality Test:

Eight

Eights are motivated by the desire to be independent and to take charge of themselves and others. They are assertive personalities and passionate about life, which they approach with vigor and confidence. Eights know how to look after themselves. They pursue their own destiny.

These are the qualities of natural leaders, and whatever role they find themselves in, Eights have an imposing presence. They are action people, preferring to ‘do’ rather than conceptualize, and they are ready to make the difficult decisions and accept the consequences if things go wrong. At the same time, Eights believe that people should be encouraged to help themselves rather than relying on others for assistance. ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’ is a piece of proverbial wisdom that Eights wholeheartedly buy into.

The Four Temperaments Test:

Sanguine

The sanguine personality is characterized by a cheerful disposition, lively energy, and a generally positive and optimistic outlook on life. Sanguine individuals tend to be highly social, extroverted, and enthusiastic, often possessing a contagious sense of humor that makes them the life of the party. They are usually creative, imaginative, and tend to be very entertaining.

Sanguine individuals are also spontaneous and can be seen as impulsive at times. They have a tendency to live in the moment, which often leads to them being adaptable and flexible in different situations. They tend to be more interested in the present than in future plans or consequences. This trait, however, can also lead to difficulty in maintaining focus, staying organized, and following through on tasks.

Zodiac Sign:

Leo

People born under the sign of Leo are natural born leaders. They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist, able to achieve anything they want to in any area of life they commit to. There is a specific strength to a Leo and their "king of the jungle" status. Leo often has many friends for they are generous and loyal. Self-confident and attractive, this is a Sun sign capable of uniting different groups of people and leading them as one towards a shared cause, and their healthy sense of humor makes collaboration with other people even easier.

[indigosfindings]

can you elaborate more on the joyful/optimistic art vs cynical/sad art thing?

(re: this post)

sure, sorry in advance if this is messy.

the gist is that there's a slew of micro-discourses whose common thread is the inherent or automatic superiority of art and stories that are optimistic and centre 'joy', 'love', and other positive emotions over those that don't.

it manifests a million different ways: "x series is bad because it's pessimistic/cynical/dark", "x story is bad because it depicts SA/incest/abuse*", "horror is really about love/family", "love is a unilaterally healing and moral force", "dark/negative art is universally less authentic/earnest", "sad/disturbing art is easy to make while positive art is difficult," etc. (also seems to correlate w the internet's general attitude toward criticism--that even mild negative feedback toward any art is in essence insulting its author & audience)

one of the factors imo is that a lot of people are unwilling to interrogate their reactions to something. like the process is "i see disturbing art -> i feel disturbed -> 'disturbed' is a negative emotion -> this art has done something negative to me -> this art is bad" and then never question it further

as for why i feel frustrated: hmm where to start. it's an extremely flat heuristic that diminishes alll art with any aims other than to please or to be Fun. it denies that "to disturb", "to frighten", "to disquiet", "to sadden", "to critique", etc are worthwhile endeavours in art. it also just betrays a narrow view of what has the capacity to be Fun for someone! i'm especially frustrated because horror always gets the brunt of it. there's a sort of longstanding anxiety about the "value" of horror, about horror needing to "prove its worth", and i think a lot of people's answer to that is to say "it's not actually about Scary, it's about Happy :)"

one of the really popular takes that i still see today is "if you're writing a fantasy story where anything can happen, why incorporate homophobia, misogyny, etc?" and, i mean, it's a pretty straightforward answer--because those things exist in real life, and by incorporating them into a story you can reflect, comment on, and explore real issues that are pertinent to the audience! likewise re "love is virtuous and healing," it's just a simple fact that love is morally neutral. people do HORRIBLE things for love all the time. i used to be more idealistic about this, but now i honestly cant stand the idea that a saccharine, childlike stance on love is by default a better one

(there's a huge comparison to be made here with the reactionary pushback against modern art btw)

it also ties into a broader schema--"toxic positivity" is a popular line, but we can aim higher: there's a sort of cultural mandate toward positivity, where saying "x is bad" is worse than x being bad. think right and send thoughts and prayers. capitalism loves the idea of each person fending for themselves--you have the whole concept of "wellness" and "mindfulness", ie Positive Thinking as a vector for mental health (the corollary being that a person who is unwell is a person who is Not Trying Hard Enough To Be Positive), whereby to read a situation cynically (or pragmatically!) is the worst thing you can do. and well, by the same token, when we have a whole cavalcade of employers who LOVE seminars and videos about How To Manage Your Stress (and zero interest in inspecting what it is that makes employees excessively stressed to begin with!), im sure you can imagine why someone could get exhausted of positivity.

as i said in the previous post, the most insane part is the particular framing of this atittude as somehow counterculture, controversial, or against the grain. y'know, when we're discussing chipper upbeat art about how everything is good vs art that's grim, violent, negative, pessimistic--which of these is most likely, historically and today, to be censored, to be banned, or to arouse controversy?

*(obviously there are depictions of SA and other sensitive subjects that are callous, sexist, etc! but there are also plenty that are trenchant, edifying, powerful, evocative, etc!)

[mwolf0epsilon]

I saw your original clones post and I was curious to know more about each of them if that's ok? I really like the one with purple hair

You're the first Anon of 2023. You're also lovely for asking me about my blorbos, thank you :')

This is gonna be a little long so I'll keep it under a readmore, but like, I'm keeping batchmates together because it's easier to explain who's who if I do it like that. I'll also be addressing them each through order of appearance so it's less confusing.

Anyway, lets do some clone talk!

---

First lets start with my 104th ARCs, Bully and Jawbreaker. They were former members of Krell's Battalion and two of his favourite punching bags, which is where they got their scarring from.

They were pulled into the 104th by Maeleen Eppa, a natborn engineer that noticed their fearful and distrustful nature when Plo Koon's battalion ended up working with Krell's on the same mission.

They're the hard-ass older brothers because, back on Kamino, they lost two batchmates during training exercises, and then had two much younger cadets (Tup and Dogma) introduced into their squad to even out the numbers. It's become second nature to be protective of Shinies, and even if they don't trust very easily they are loyal to a fault (unless they feel like they've been personally betrayed).

They sadly don't make it post Order 66.

Next up we have the tragedy that are Pox and Syrup.

Pox was a clone medic trainee on Kamino that got along brilliantly with his batchmates. Despite the hardships of training, he was always kind, reliable and willing to drop everything to help someone else along the way. Syrup was no different from his batchmate, and while he was training to be a simple foot-soldier, he was going to be acting as a reserve medic as well for whatever battalion he ended up in.

They were finishing training during the last leg of the Clone Wars, when suddenly Sulu Ra called for Pox's squad to partake in some kind of a training exercise. Syrup was, at the time, in medbay for an injury he'd sustained during training, so he wasn't brought along for whatever mystery exercise they were being tasked with.

Long story short... It was a bioweapon test... One that killed several clone troopers that hadn't even graduated yet; left Pox as a carrier of a highly infectious disease that continuously mutated within him, while he went on the run; and which left Syrup essentially without his closest brothers to rely on...

While Pox eventually finds a group of vode to connect with post Order 66, Syrup isn't as lucky. His inhibitor chip was faulty and began to rot inside of him, much like Tup's had, and it obliterates his sense of self to the point where he doesn't consider himself a person. Just a tool to be used by the Empire.

Next up Hyena, a medic of the 104th.

Like with Bully and Jawbreaker, he wasn't originally with the 104th. He was assigned to the 501st with his squad from Kamino, which he never got along with because they were a bunch of unrelenting bullies that thought they were better than everyone else. The disagreements got so bad that eventually he grew fed up enough to request a transfer, and managed to get into the 104th where he felt much more at home.

There's not much to say about Hyena other than, he has quite the sense of humor and love for terrible jokes/puns.

Still unsure what happens to him post Order 66.

We're missing one of them (Goch) due to his face being a little harder to draw than your average clone due to several facial deformities, but next up comes the Long Name Squad.

Lichtenberg, Pretty Boy and Olly are in the 501st, 212th and Coruscant Guard respectively, while Hippo and Cala were never in battalions due to the two of them (and Goch) being confined in Sulu Ra's private lab.

Lich is the accident prone but often optimistic and carefree older brother of the batch, PB is the token pretty boy with a bit of a sassy mean streak, Olly is the responsible but heavily traumatized one, and Hippo and Cala are still getting used to being free at all.

Side-notes: Hippo's goggles are technically a visual aid because her cyclopsia has left her vision severely impaired. Cala needs a cane to walk due to her polymelia making her a little top heavy (she has four arms). Both used to be conjoined twins before being surgically separated.

They have a relatively happy ending post Order 66, even if getting to it is an absolute hardship that tests their bonds repeatedly.

Next up, Seafood Squad! And boy howdy these ones are such a burning trash-fire of a mess...

In order we have Geoduck, Conch, Crayfish, Jelly and Sponge. All of them were in the scuba trooper program before Sponge (who had always been a target of Kaminoan scrutiny, due to a set of circumstances that still make them very uncomfortable) was ultimately pulled from it and forced into the medical training program.

This seemed to cause a sizeable rift between Sponge and the three eldest members of their batch (one that grew overtime due to Conch's pettiness and Crayfish's indifference). Jelly, the most amicable and compassionate of the batch, stuck with them for the long run and refused to grow distant. The two of them were so inseparable to the point where Sponge begged Jelly to come with them into whatever battalion they got assigned, rather than go with the others. Jelly accepted, pulling out of the scuba trooper program and worsening the growing contempt a certain member of the batch felt towards Sponge.

Ultimately, Geoduck, Conch and Crayfish were assigned to Kit Fisto's battalion, while Jelly and Sponge were assigned to the 501st. Jelly then died in an incident that heavily traumatized Sponge, and from there on out the rest of the batch (mostly Conch) blamed them for the death of their favourite vod'ika, and stopped contacting them at all. This left Sponge alone to deal with their trauma, which they didn't do very well...

A lot happens to them throughout the war itself and, at some point (likely driven by guilt and shame of being such a poor excuse for an older brother), Geoduck decides to try to mend the relationship between the batch and Sponge. But, due to his rather unique issue (face blindness so severe that he honestly has trouble recognizing anyone), he never managed to do so during the war itself. Mostly due to Conch actively sabotaging his attempts, and Crayfish simply not caring enough to help because he'd rather not stick his nose into any drama.

Side-Notes: Geoduck, Conch and Jelly have sea creature themed names which they decided on when they first began their scuba training. Crayfish has a freshwater creature themed name instead, because he may or may have not eaten a live crayfish that he pilfered from the Kamino Kitchens during the night.

Meanwhile, Sponge is not named after sea sponges at all. They are instead named after surgical sponges due to a... Rather unfortunate incident during their training... In an ironic twist it just fits their batch's theme in a way.

What happens to the great majority of them post Order 66 is still a WIP, but I know how Sponge's story ends and I'm very pleased with it.

These three next ones are fun... Introducing Medic Canivete of the 212th, Officer Incognito of Krell's Battalion, and Ordnance Specialist 8-Ball. The one batch who can't decide which is the sane one of the group (none of them are).

Cani is essentially a Swiss army knife in terms of skills. She's officially a medic on record, but she also does a lot of flight crew tasks and a spot of engineering here and there. A girl has to keep herself busy after all! And she just likes to learn new things.

Incognito is an anxiety-riddled mess that wishes he wasn't often so unlucky with what life throws his way (he cannot get a break the poor sod), and has a lot of self-doubt that plagues him during his introspection sessions. He's living with a lot of survivor's guilt due to the situation he's stuck in (pretending to be a droid while trapped in a Venator he's trying to stir away from Republic space so the seppie droids that took over don't slaughter any more of his brothers), but overall seems to be in relatively safer hands with the droids than when he was under Krell's command.

8-Ball is a bit of an enigma to most. He's a happy go lucky sort, lover of anoobas of all shapes and sizes, and also a force sensitive clone with a predisposition for precognition that he doesn't recognize as anything else other than "gut feelings". He's a fun guy who doesn't have one mean bone in his body, and who's predictions have earned him both his name and a bit of infamy among other clones, since he mostly seems more attuned to "guessing" less than positive events to come...

I'm not entirely sure what happens to them post Order 66...

[REDACTED]

Before Fox became the Marshal Commander of the Coruscant Guard, the title belonged to Sturm... His predecessor who was met with a terrible fate for caring too much and trying to investigate things he should have averted his gaze away from...

Lets just say there's more than one reason why Fox keeps his mouth shut about what goes on on Coruscant, and Sturm's unfortunate fate is one of those reasons.

Order 66 doesn't much matter in this case. Sturm was already doomed from the start.

Finally we have Mythos Squad, a squad of clone commandos who deserted the GAR after their Jedi General (Vikerius Kwinde) was killed by Grievous.

In order we have Dragon (the defacto leader), Komainu (the designated medic), Basilisk (the sniper), Gremlin (the designated technician) and Kerberus (the demolitions expert).

There's not much to say about them because unfortunately Kerberus is the last one standing post Order 66. He was deafened during torture, so while listening to the GAR radio chatter the others heard the order being called out while he could not (thus they attempted to terminate him for disobeying the order, and he had to kill them in self-defense, something that will never stop haunting them).

[lucky-dyse]

The Nice And Valid Criticisms of Dyson Bradley (bitch)

General warning for Good Omens Season 2 spoilers

Please heed this warning before reading further, thank you.

I just binged the entirety of Good Omens 2 (which I will refer to as GO2 for simplicity from now on) and I had a few thoughts about it.

First of all I want to preface this by saying I loved it. I'm not writing a long hate speech bc I enjoyed every moment of it, there are just some thinky thoughts I need to throw into the void. For example, the writing was superb. Gabriel's "Jim" character was my absolute favourite. I'm a sucker for 'scarecrow' type characters and he was my silly little guy. I wanted to pinch his cheeks. I loved how Aziraphale and Crowley inadvertently adopted him for a solid minute.

The diversity of the show in its entirety was refreshing to see (as a personal complaint, though, I wish we could've seen at least one trans man). Especially the disabled angel. There were only two slight rough spots about the disabled representation that I felt.

1. I did not like how the disabled character kept being forgotten and meant so little to the season that if you removed them nothing would change.

2. I did not like that, despite all of the representation of queer people, people of colour, we only got one visibly disabled character. It felt sort of tokenized, like "hey look at me there's a wheelchair user! Okay onto more of the other minorities that we care more about."

I liked to see the reality that is the fact that queer people can have toxic relationships or be toxic in a relationship. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. Nina having a genuinely difficult relationship with Lindsay was good for the fact that it was very real and kicked all the lesbian fetishism a bit by saying "these are people in a relationship, not sex appeal." Which was fucking amazing. So tired of seeing lesbian relationships be perfect all the time. I also absolutely loved the fact that they didn't end up together and did the mature thing. They communicated and decided it wasn't a good idea to date right after Nina got dumped.

Gabriel was a joy to watch and I loved the mystery of what happened to him. Somehow, despite how sudden it was, the relationship formed between Beelzebub and Gabriel didn't feel sudden or forced. It was actually really sweet and I was happy they got to be together. I didn't like how Gabriel's memories came back in a fly, I wish Beelzebub had taken the time to slowly remind him of who he was and ultimately make him a more optimistic and better person from the transition of Jim's experiences to Gabriel's. Though I understand it was a subplot and limited to 6 episodes of already hectic storylines. You can only do so much, especially with the strikes.

Shax was a pretty flat character, which is fine. She made a good antagonist, I just wish there was more of a sense of danger like in the first season. It felt a lot calmer and more love focused, I'd love to see aro representation here too.

Which brings me to my final criticism.

Aziraphale.

Now I have no degree in literature, I am literally [REDACTED] years old and fresh outta highschool. This is mainly just my opinion. As the rest of it has been.

But it was my interpretation that the entirety of GO season one was to represent Aziraphale finally accepting the fact that he is not on the Angels' side nor the Demons' side, but on Crowley's side. I had thought it was quite clear that he and Crowley officially made their own little corner of nice living outside of the binary.

However, this seems completely erased in GO2. It's not clear until the last episode, but Aziraphale still wants to be on the Angels' side after everything. It's like GO1 never happened. It felt like a soft reset of his personality in its entirety. Same with Crowley and the whole "nice" thing. I had thought that he was accepting his niceness enough to tolerate being called it every once in a while.

But neither of them changed. In fact they got worse. They didn't communicate with eachother about their relationship (which, I understand), and then the show ended on a cliffhanger after Aziraphale seemingly completely reverts back to when he first met Crowley. Maybe I'm not understanding something, but it just didn't feel right. I'm not Neil Gaiman at all but it wasn't in Aziraphale's character in my opinion.

That all being said, if you haven't watched it and for some reason you read this anyway knowing there would be spoilers, please go watch it if you have access to it and if you enjoyed the first season. The characters are still so very well written and they feel like real people with real experiences which you don't see often in queer media. It's good representation of real people. I can't wait to see what happens next ♡

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

NIMONA, STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE, HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE REVIEWS

Nimona: Directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno

A knight is framed for the murder of the Queen. To prove is innocence he reluctantly teams up with a scrappy, shape-shifting teen.

In Nimona, we watch the classic trope of frenemies teaming up to solve a mystery, while confronting their own demons. Yet, this take on the trope feels incredibly fresh and new as it masterfully weaves its political commentary into the story. The commentary handles themes such as political brainwashing and racism in a manner that is easily digestible and not preachy. As well as having genuine LGBT+ representation that is not boiled down to a token. The animation is stunning as Netflix continues to push animation to new limits. The voice acting is very good as we see the cast obviously having fun with their work here. However, the biggest hurdle the film faces is the main character herself, Nimona. To describe her as annoying is an understatement. For the first half of the film, she completely ignores, belittles, and completely disregards the feelings of the framed knight. Her complete lack of self-awareness is very annoying. Thankfully, in the second half, these traits are toned down as she opens up. Overall, if you are looking for a fun, and surprisingly mature animated movie, I highly recommend Nimona.

My Rating: B

*****************************************************

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Directed by David Guggenheim

A short kid from Canada becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s-only to find the course of his life altered after being diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.

Biographical documentaries about celebrities tend to be the same as we watch an actor talk about their life with friends and colleges. However, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie feels different. It's a very personal documentary that dives into the vulnerability and emotional turmoil of someone who is slowly deteriorating from Parkinson Disease. Michael J. Fox really opens up in the documentary as he discuss the anger and grief of being diagnosed with a disease such as Parkinson, while still being that optimist that he is. We see the events Fox reveals through archival and recreated footage of Fox's life. The footage is used masterfully as a storytelling tool to convey Fox's narration of his life. Yet, Still is a hard documentary to watch. It's heartbreaking to see the state that Michael J. Fox is in and knowing that his state is only going to get worse. Yet, his optimism still gives you some hope for him as he continues to raise awareness and funding to finding a cure for Parkinson's Disease. Overall, a very good doc to watch out at this years Emmy Awards.

My Rating: A

***************************************************

How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Directed by Daniel Goldhaber

A crew of young environmental activist execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline.

I can't tell if How to Blow Up a Pipeline is meant to be a serious commentary on environmental activist and the lengths they will go to achieve their message, or if it's a satire on these activist. If the movie's message is for us to care about these activist and their cause, it completely misses the mark. All this movie does is continuing to push the narrative that these environmental activist are ignorant, narcissistic, and stupid. As well as, them demanding the world to change their ways, while not providing any realistic solutions to solve these problems other than destroying public property and pissing everyone off. It was hard to care about these characters when they don't care about the consequences of their actions and how their actions effect others, especially those in poverty. All they care about was their message. With that stated I will say that the movie was well acted and the cinematography was beautiful. As well as there being some well handled moments of tension. However, this movie does not really push its cause forward. If anything, it actually pushes it backwards.

My Rating: C

[ailtrahq]

Share Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Telegram Copy Link Link copied Chainlink (LINK) saw moderate gains in late August, while Ethereum (ETH) declined. In the meantime, Domini (DOMI), currently in its presale beta stage, was widely explored by investors. But before we delve deeper into Domini, let’s analyze Chainlink’s and Ethereum’s contrasting trajectories. Chainlink retains bullish outlook after SWIFT collaboration On Aug. 31, SWIFT announced they had successfully transferred tokenized assets between public and private blockchains. In this trial, SWIFT collaborated with Chainlink and major Financial institutions such as BNY Mellon and ANZ.  Analysts saw this news as positive and believed it would boost LINK in the coming sessions. However, LINK added 1.2%, rising from $5.94 to $6.01 between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. This drove the token’s Market cap marginally from $3.20 billion to $3.23 billion. As of Sept. 1, 2023, monthly indicators, especially MACD and SMA 10, remained bearish. As such, LINK may likely post more losses in the coming days. Ethereum falls after Bitwise’s announcement On Aug. 31, 2023, Bitwise unexpectedly retracted its exchange-traded fund (ETF) application for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This withdrawal was a few days after Grayscale’s victory over the agency. With this, experts predict ETH will post more losses in upcoming sessions. As it is, the coin dropped 3.6% from $1,706 to $1,645 between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The contraction also saw ETH’s Market cap shrink 3.4% from $205 billion to $198 billion during the same time.  Although Ethereum’s outlook remains bearish, investors are optimistic about the likelihood of a bull run in the near future. As of Sept. 1, 2023, Ethereum’s monthly technical indicators were bullish. Specifically, the coin’s EMA 50 and SMA 50 levels point to buying pressure in the coming days. While ETH struggles to contain bears, Domini is firm and is being considered by buyers. Domini set for more gains in presale Domini blends art and innovation and aims to bridge the gap between the traditional art Market and the blockchain. The platform leverages solutions like fractionalization to broaden investors’ accessibility to reputable artworks. Domini allows investors to access affordable art by owning a portion of high-end art pieces. It not only offers Investment options but also offers advisory services. They conduct thorough market analysis to provide personalized advice to artists on the most promising NFT investments. Domini tokenizes artworks for investor trust and can provide extra benefits to token holders. DOMI, Domini’s native ERC-20 token, has a deflationary feature that could help maintain its value by gradually reducing the total supply. Furthermore, holders have the option to trade NFTs backed by art. Domini offers diverse opportunities, and analysts are optimistic about its potential during the presale stage. As of Sept. 1, 2023, Domini was in the beta stage of its presale. In stage 1 of the public presale, DOMI will be available for $0.0026, up from $0.0021 to $0.0026, a 23.8% increase. Learn more about DOMI here: Visit Domini presale | Join our community Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Source

[houkusu]

@kasouu​​ || cont’d.

' dwelling for years '?                      ' gone forever '?

messy brows furrow, crease above the nose with an imperceptible twitch. the amount of information to consider has started to build ; not for lack of hawks' attempts at shoveling, either. the problems lay in where he'd been digging, only to turn and find he should've been digging somewhere else, then the same again, and again - before long, his arms had grown tired.     tired like the frayed ends of charred feathers.          tired like that same child sitting in front           of the television, hoping for the best.

                                                 「 always an optimist. 」

gradually, lingering gaze lifts the scrutiny, returning to the same unmistakable blankness. lips set, pale hues focused, seemingly bored - flat affect be damned                                ( what's the point if it's always been                                  used against him, anyways )

「...『 JUST GIVE UP ON THAT SHIT.               why the fuck do you LIE so much?! 』...」

why bother telling the truth if the result is the same as lying? even so, hawks has always been a terrible liar - he'd never been able to keep a story straight, and didn't really want to try.                       ( by that same token, if the result is same,                          then why lie? ) it sounded like a lot of additional effort for no real reward ; wasn't the payoff better if he could say ' i told you so ', anyways? well, at least to some people. not everyone deserves to hear that, but some. . hawks could name a few.

" i lied to you. "

that's what this is, right? some kind of. . penance? it is an offering, that hawks can deign, though to frame it as being one solely to himself would be brazen                                                                ( even for him. ) in the short time knowing tōya, jin, others in the league ; sure, there is a united cause, one that hawks dug around for on his own time to figure out. but it was getting to know these people, or at least those who would care to know him - that truly began to frame this as more than a simple uprising with strings pulled by a ' man-child '. a few months though it may have been, those few months may very well have been the most vividly realistic connections hawks had ever made.                                         ( tōya is not the type to waste time. )

" i lied to everyone. "

does it sound cold? ----           removed? maybe this, too, sounds like a lie.                                ( how does one detach from a concept                                  never grasped ) hawks wouldn't be surprised to hear it, nor disappointed. but if tōya wanted hawks to speak - if that is how he could come to terms with it all, assumed this of hawks, then maybe - would it be so terrible? rumi knew the things tōya had aired were true. the people, too, now knew from hawks' statement, from how he'd not bothered to shirk the responsibility ; ----            and why would he?  tōya had been right about hawks, about everything. in ripping out the wings by the root, he'd burned the tethers as well. that wasn't on purpose, he knows. it was a clever happenstance.

" have you ever heard of ' the cosmic joke '? "

                                          「 for years to come, huh? 」

" it's this thought project that says, as people,    we constantly chase what's right in front of us.    somehow, we end up back where we started,    because it's like running on a treadmill.    what you want is attainable, you just have to step    off the treadmill to grab it, but it's something never    grasped. always wanted, and so amazingly mundane. .                             ----                like a dog chasing its tail. "

the truth is, hawks could likely stumble through life never knowing what tōya wanted to hear at this moment. it's not entirely a matter of understanding him personally, though that's surely part of it - it's that he's not entirely certain tōya wants to hear anything in particular at all. maybe he just wanted to see hawks and applaud himself for a job well done ; maybe he wanted to incite vitriol somehow, see what more was left to pick at. maybe he didn't want anything at all and he really did just happen to stumble upon the hero by coincidence.                                ( maybe he even wanted to see if there                                   remained room for a vote of confidence. )

" i thought if i tried to be who all might was to the people,    they would feel safe. never been a fan, you know.    and endeavor -- hopeless.    long before you, he was hopeless, but he --    i tried to set him up for success and every step of the way    has been pushback.     he's the strongest weapon we've got, and he's so focused    on the ' personal ' part of the equation that the larger scale    gets lost. "

                                            「 does that sound familiar? 」

finally, a blink. the explanations don’t matter now. in hawks’ head, endeavor had been the only one trying to surpass all might with everything he had, and for that, he was their one true hope - understanding what he’d done was utterly unforgiveable, but if the whole world burns down, then what? erasing it all, then what’s left to be satisfied for? hawks scuffs his shoe against the pavement, the distant rumble of war not far enough for comfort. it could easily remind one of an encroaching storm, booming thunder. hawks should be there, on that battlefield. he isn't, but he would be soon, because he has to be.

                                                 『 now or never. 』

hawks wonders, vaguely, if tōya is aware of the circumstances he's in - if the irony of what he's saying is lost on him - if the villain is so busy being prepared to rush into this headlong that he doesn't even realize there is no alternative to this, in front of him. clearly, tōya is not planning to survive, to say such a thing ;                                               ----               and isn't it pathetic?                                           ( that a villain gave a chance hawks                                              could never be bothered to give )

                     「 you're more right than you could ever know. 」

" this may be what happens, when the unattainable    is obtained, yeah?    it's no longer a ' joke ' at that point, though -    it's just ' the end '. "

breath steadied with his stare, gaze lifts.  quick as one could wash it away, there's the hint of a shift in tone ; a tension wrapped around vocal cords, squeezing, clawing. tactfully, hawks chooses not to speak until it's passed                                                          ( whispered all the same )

" jin was a good person.    he wanted to help people, and he did what he could    to help them, even to his own detriment.    he's a good example. . of what heroes should want    to be. of what i want to be.                                                     ----            but, you. . "

doesn't tōya deserve that truth, then? as the sole person who'd ever seen things hawks could never ask him to unsee, some abstract idea of ' keigo ' that remained unrelatable until that titular moment. still foreign on the tongue, but real, simultaneously.                                                                 ' keigo, keigo '.         endeavor won't make it without hawks.         endeavor has never made it regardless of hawks.                                                     ( hawks won't make it. ) but -- in some other world, maybe in another situation, tōya would have called him that -- and the surprise would have felt a lot different. maybe it would've felt good, or like a real relief that wasn't just the release from shackles. maybe it would be the nice kind of ' knowing ' ; a safety, an allowance.                                                                      ( maybe then. )

" you were my friend --     maybe the only one i've ever truly had.                                                                and--. . "

                                                「 first and last time for everything 」

----                 " . . i'm satisfied with that. "

[depressing-debbie]

Are you still doing the fluff alphabet? If so, could you do Levi?? Thank you 😘

Absolutely! Fluff alphabet masterlist is here

School may be crashing and burning but at least I’ve got time to write :) lmao

I wrote this at 3 AM and I refuse to edit, so enjoy <3

Fluff Alphabet: Levi

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

I honestly don’t think the activity matters to him. He likes to stay home a lot because it’s easier, and because he feels more comfortable somewhere private. Big fancy dates aren’t super common because he views expensive romantic dinners and such as a cliche that he’s too old and mature for, but if it’s something his s/o would be excited about, he’d be secretly excited to indulge sometimes. He’d also probably enjoy museums and art galleries. But again, for the most part, he just wants to spend time with them, it doesn’t matter where.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Levi’s definitely not an appearance-oriented person. Don’t get me wrong, he thinks his s/o is stunning, and he makes sure they know it. But that’s not what he admires about them, their connection is so much deeper than that. He genuinely sees them for who they are and not what they look like, which is why they’re just so beautiful to him, if that makes sense. 

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

He probably panicked the first time he saw his s/o struggling. He’s not the most in tune with his emotions, so he especially doesn’t know how to help others with this kind of thing. But I feel like his protective instincts would kick in and he would actually be really comforting. Most likely, he’d just sit by his s/o’s side silently and make his presence known until they were feeling well enough to talk. At which point he hears them out and offers some advice, of course with the perfect amount of sarcasm and shit jokes to cheer them up a bit. And he’d probably ask them later what they would prefer he do in that situation if it happens again, which of course he would remember in the future.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

This is a point of internal conflict for Levi, for sure. After everything he’s been through, again, he’s become pretty emotionally closed off. He can’t really depend on anything or anyone staying in his life for too long because they never have. So it would really take a while before Levi can really start to picture his future with his s/o. Even then, he would feel a bit guilty for allowing himself to indulge in those dreams. But at the end of the day, he just dreams about some sort of stability with his s/o some day. He doesn’t really care about the details, he just wants to know that they’re going to be together, and that they can develop some kind of routine and stability that he never really had in the past.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

It’s definitely equal. Levi shares any decision-making with his s/o, and he’d definitely prefer that they do the same, just because that makes their partnership stronger. Because they are very much a team.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Levi does tend to have a bit of a temper, but it’s not something that he would ever want to bring into his relationship. He doesn’t let either of them fight over something petty just because it’s not worth it. And with a more serious disagreement, he’d try hard to start a genuine discussion about it. Things happen, though, so they obviously get in fights sometimes. Levi can be kind of rude when he gets really frustrated, which is why he tries to avoid it. But he’d never actually say something to hurt his s/o, even when they’re both upset. Usually, even the rare argument calms down enough to be settled rationally.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He is so incredibly grateful for his s/o; he sees and appreciates everything they do for him, and he makes sure it’s known. Explicitly saying something like that makes him a bit uncomfortable, so he finds other ways to silently show his gratitude. He makes sure his s/o’s favorite mug is always clean, and he makes them his favorite blend of tea whenever he sees that they’re stressed out. Just little things that he does to make sure they know he’s thinking about them.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

There are pretty much no secrets in the relationship. The past is a little complicated; there are a few stories that Levi probably will never be able to share (or at least, it will take a very long time), and his s/o is more than entitled to keep secrets about their past that they just cannot share. But other than that, it’s an open book. Levi wouldn’t see any reason to lie about most things, unless it’s about keeping his s/o safe, and it would make him really uncomfortable to know that his s/o keeps secrets. Not that there are no boundaries, it’s just that he wouldn’t want to pour his heart out and be vulnerable just to find out that the other person doesn’t trust him as much.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

I think Levi’s s/o probably helps him a lot, actually. He’s been emotionally closed off for a long time, and being in a relationship with trust and a deep connection would help him to open up a bit and be more vulnerable. He also just lets himself be a bit happier and more optimistic with his s/o, so his life is just a bit easier in general.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

He’d never admit it out loud, but he actually does get pretty jealous. It’s mostly just self esteem issues, not a lack of trust at all. He trusts them more than enough to know that they’re not going to secretly abandon him, so of course he’d never make a big deal out of it (although I think it goes without saying that if someone is hitting on his s/o or something in public and they look remotely uncomfortable, he would go absolutely batshit) But, still, sometimes he can’t help feeling sometimes like he’s not enough for them. He tries to hide it, but it’s pretty obvious that he’s sulking when he’s upset, so his s/o would most likely spot it immediately. And all he would really need is a gentle reminder that he IS enough for them.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Alright I’m conflicted on this one. I’m just gonna say it, his first kiss with his s/o was kind of just not that great. He wouldn’t DARE not ask for proper consent, HOWEVER he ended up asking like three times just to make sure it was alright, which made it a teensy bit awkward. Once he finally gave in, he just gave them the teensiest little kiss and that was it for like two weeks. He’s not really great with physical touch so it takes a while for him to get comfortable. His s/o would probably have to take over from there or else they’d never kiss again, but once he gets comfortable, he does fine.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

It’s during something incredibly mundane, probably just a car drive or a regular movie night. He’s going about his day when he realizes he loves them, and he’ll be damned if he’s gonna stew on that knowledge for another two weeks just because he’s too nervous. So in the middle of a movie or just like halfway home from the store, he just blurts out “hey, I love you”. It’s completely by surprise, but it’s not like it’s particularly early or far into the relationship, so it makes sense. From then on, he wouldn’t be the type of person to say it all the time (I mean, come on, his s/o should know by now, it’d just be stupid). But he also wouldn’t hold himself back from saying it when he’s feeling particularly grateful for his s/o one day. And hearing them say it back would definitely make him blush just the slightest bit every time.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Levi would be absolutely terrified to get married. BUT that’s not to say that he wouldn’t want to. It would take some considering, sure, but especially if it’s something he knows his s/o wants, he’s all in. He’d probably propose in a similar way to how he first said he loves them, except at least just a bit more planned out. It wouldn’t be a cliche grand proposal with doves and rose petals and champagne, that would drive him crazy. Most likely, he surprises them with a homemade dinner, sets the table with candles, and hands them the ring. He’d put on a confident face, but he’s panicking for sure. He’s not really a marriage-y person, so he’s not going to be buying those matching couple towels that have like “mr ackerman” and his s/o’s name on them, and he’s most definitely not giving in to those cheesy weird nicknames (”hubby” makes him glare so hard). But he would love the perceived sense of stability, commitment, and routine that go along with marriage.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Just their name, for the most part. Maybe “love” or “sweetheart”, but he always says that most nicknames are just too cliche. I mean, only lovestruck 20 year olds call each other “babe”, and that is most certainly not their relationship. But, honestly he wouldn’t mind if his s/o gave him one of those cheesy names... not that he’d ever let on to that, of course, but if they happen to figure it out one day... he wouldn’t be mad. Mostly he just loves to hear his name in their voice, so they call each other by their names. 

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

The token stoic expression Levi keeps in public isn’t going away just because he’s in love. To an outside eye, absolutely nothing is different. But even in public, his s/o can probably tell. Maybe it’s something about the way his eyes are just slightly warmer, slightly brighter. Maybe it’s because he’s just the slightest bit more willing to talk and hold a conversation when they’re by his side. But when they’re alone, he finally lets down that stone expression, and he’s like a whole different person. It doesn’t happen often, but on days where he’s just absolutely lovestruck, he walks around his house smiling, holding his s/o’s hand, maybe even curling up on the sofa together to nap. On those days, he just kind of lets himself be happy. 

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Levi’s definitely not a fan of PDA. The relationship isn’t a secret by any means, but he’s also not broadcasting it for the entire world to see. The people close to him know, and that’s plenty. He doesn’t like PDA partly because it’s too vulnerable, but also just because it’s kind of gross and unnecessary to him.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

This man has the best memory of anyone you’ll ever meet. It’s honestly a bit unsettling, but he remembers everything his s/o says, and he’ll find a way to bring it up like months later. Sometimes it’s as simple as remembering their favorite food and bringing it to them when they’re stressed out. But it could even be so crazy as them saying in a random conversation in July that they hate when mashed potatoes aren’t totally mashed, and boom, at Thanksgiving that year, they find him mashing the potatoes a little extra just to make sure. (Don’t ask how I came up with that example, my brain is weird.) His mind is a steel trap, and he uses it to his advantage.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Cliche romance irritates him so much, he avoids it at all costs, so he’s mostly creative in that sense. He has an eye for picking out ways to make his s/o happy, and even though he doesn’t consider himself particularly romantic, he actually really is.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Absolutely! Levi wants nothing more than to help his s/o achieve whatever they’re working towards, and he’s completely supportive. Anything he can do, any help or emotional support he can offer them, he’s more than willing. 

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

I don’t think he’s AGAINST trying new things, but he really just prefers a routine. Again, it makes him happy to have that connection of stability with his s/o, and he feels so much more comfortable knowing he can depend on that.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

He’s very empathetic. He might struggle sometimes with understanding, just because it’s not very likely that he and his s/o have had similar experiences in life, but he knows them like the back of his hand. What he lacks in immediate understanding, he makes up for in conversations about any issues and an ability to read their expressions really really well.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Honestly, if Levi is in a long term relationship with someone, they’re one of the most important parts of his life. He doesn’t make superficial connections, and he especially doesn’t open up to people he doesn’t care deeply about, so it’s safe to say that he values his s/o greatly. 

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

He buys his s/o flowers once a week. It’s just a little tradition that makes him happy, and he likes seeing that it makes his s/o happy, so he’s kept it going. If they don’t like flowers, then maybe it’s a little trinket they collect, or a cookie from their favorite bakery. But regardless, he hasn’t missed a week since they’ve been together, it’s really important to him.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He’s not necessarily an overly affectionate person. There are occasional days where it really just hits him how lucky he is, and he just wants to hold his s/o for a while and not go do anything that day. But for the most part, he’s not clingy in any means, and his s/o would have to initiate most cuddling. He’ll let them know if he’s really not in the mood, but he usually doesn’t mind (because let’s face it he’s a teensy bit touch starved). But yeah, he shows his affection in different ways for the most part.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

It’s not really an issue for him. He’s always been an independent person, so even after he lets himself trust that his s/o isn’t leaving him, he’s not going to be that level of dependent on their presence. He probably would have to fill up his schedule a bit more, though, just so he didn’t have too much down time to get all sad and miss them. He’d also probably clean everything in his sight to calm down until they return.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He’s zealous for sure, he isn’t about to let go of a relationship that means this much to him just because he wasn’t willing to put in the work. He’d do as much as he could to make it work. 

[thevindicativevordan]

With Priest's first issue out, what do you think of Black Adam as a character? And are you excited for this new series?

Overall really dug the first issue of Priest's Black Adam. Absolutely adored his Deathstroke run, so having him back at DC and writing a villain book had me stoked, I hope it's a success and he gets to keep going beyond the first 12 issues.

Now when it comes to Adam himself I've never had strong feelings about him. Knew him from the 52 series and I thought that did a decent job of establishing what his modern deal is. Like Namor, Dr. Doom, and Magneto, Black Adam is a sympathetic villain who at times operates in a murky area where he might even be called an anti-hero. Then he wipes a country off the map out of revenge, or tries to kill a group of children so he can obtain the full power of Shazam, and you're forcibly reminded what the true nature of this guy is. No noble goals can ever really excuse the acts he's performed, and Priest has emphasized that there is no redemption for Black Adam in his mind. How that's going to work in a world where he's played by The Rock, who seemingly is going down the anti-hero route with his portrayal judging by the trailer, remains to be seen. I personally have no interest in an "anti-hero" Black Adam, I'm here for a guy on Superman's level with zero qualms about ripping people in half or dictating Khandaq's affairs from his throne.

Which actually just gives me a bit of a revelation: modern Black Adam is essentially DC's Miracleman. He's the dark "realistic" reflection of Shazam, who overthrows the former government of Khandaq to govern through "enlightened" fascism, who admittedly does improve the living conditions in his world, but has no time or patience for anyone's voice but his own. Godhood is a state Adam has no problem embracing because it affords him the chance to cast aside the chains of normal human morality and assert his will upon society through force. Only problem is that unlike Miracleman, Adam doesn't have all the superhumans in his corner, so he's forced to engage with the international system despite holding it in contempt. Priest being the one to finally focus on fleshing out Khandaq as a setting is optimistically going to give us a country that evokes the same uneasiness as the utopia that Miracleman created, where it just feels wrong even though it clearly has advantages compared to our society.

Black Adam is being set up to be a major player in the shared universe going forward, if that push succeeds it's going to be a state of affairs that the comics will likely try to copy. Tasking Priest with revamping Adam into a character who can feasibly stand on the same level as the Trinity is a tall order, but this is the guy who made the token Black Panther into Marvel's Batman. If anyone can pull it off, it's him.

[sokkastyles]

Before I even watched atla and got into this fandom I resented all the posts about how Zuko's redemption arc was the only valid redemption arc, not because I doubted that it was good, but because it was often used to target other characters and the fans of those characters, and to enforce moral purity standards on the way people engage with fiction. Kylo Ren is the most recent big target, but several years ago it was Loki or whoever the most popular sympathetic villain was in fandom at the time. I'm starting to see it now aimed at Sesshomaru, because these opinions are less about the characters themselves and more about what is popular. And there was one post I saw that stuck with me talking about this phenomenon that said "If Zuko is the lowest you can sink, what hope do ANY of us have?" And I thought of that again when I actually watched the show.

Because the thing is, Zuko IS more sympathetic than most of these characters, his redemption arc is rare for actually following through with what it promises, and he started from a place of being more sympathetic than any of these characters to begin with. But using that to virtue signal really rubs me the wrong way because it's true, if you believe that redemption has to look a certain way, then do you really believe in redemption at all? Atla, despite dealing with complex and mature topics, sometimes better than shows written for an adult audience, is still a show aimed at kids that has always been on the lighter and more optimistic side of the spectrum, and it's unfair to hold up Zuko - an abused child whose narrative is largely about regaining agency - as the only way redemption can happen. I don't care about Kylo Ren, I shipped Finn and Rey in episode one and lost interest after episode two, but even as a Zutara shipper the posts saying Zutara is better than Reylo and Zuko is a much better person than Kylo Ren annoy me, because even though I agree, I fundamentally disagree with the message that all characters have to be Zuko to be worthy of redemption.

By the same token, this is also what bugs me about people who insist that Zuko is or was grimdark to begin with and that there's no difference between him and all the other villains in the show, or between Zuko and X villain from X piece of dark and gritty media. But of course, if you believe that the only morally pure and unproblematic redemption is based on a fight over a banana - to reference another popular post - then it makes sense that you would believe this.

That post I saw about Zuko before I even knew anything about his character was right. If that's the lowest you can go, what hope do any of us have?

[quazartranslates]

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH62

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

-----

Chapter 62: The Queen’s Inheritance (I)

"Here, this is the ancient lake." A guide brought the two men to a huge underground lake and said, "The buildings near here were built during the first generation of Dragon Ant Queens, and by now most of them have become damaged and collapsed. It’s said that most of them were in the architectural styles of the demon world. Later, with the entry of human beings, some later Dragon Ant Queens were of human origins, and the style gradually moved closer to that of the human world."

Qi Leren and Ning Zhou stood in front of the ruins of ancient buildings, watching the vast underground lake ahead. The rich water vapor formed a dense fog that hovered over the underground lake. With a burst of wind coming from underground caves, the fog was blown away only to reform.

The wonderful thing was that there were a lot of fluorescent plankton floating in the lake, which were a deep fluorescent blue amidst the smokey fog. This huge underground lake was like a night sky with thin clouds, with bright stars in its vast expanse.

"The scenery here is good, yet it seems that there aren’t many people?" Qi Leren asked.

The guide mused: "In the early years, there were still people living here, but I don't know when it started: there were frequent violent conflicts here, and the chaos was even worse than that in the lower city. With the water monster incident, the residents who were here moved."

"Water monster?" Qi Leren looked back at the fluorescent underground lake again. "Is there a water monster in it?"

"Yes, there was a monster attack on the nearby residents, which caused thousands of deaths. It alarmed the Dragon Ant Queen, and she then ordered for all of them to be relocated," the guide said.

Qi Leren whispered to Ning Zhou, "What does a water monster look like?"

Ning Zhou thought about it: "A strange shape."

This is equal to saying nothing. Qi Leren blinked in confusion. On second thought, the monster was also a kind of monster. Of course, there were all kinds of monsters, some of which were serious and some of which were casual.

"Is this monster a devil? Or a demon?" Qi Leren asked again.

Although devils and demons had similar names, there were obvious differences. There were many races with rational minds and human features among devils, but no matter how powerful demons were, their bodies were obviously non-human, and they had no rational and normal cognitive ability.

The guide shook his head and said, "We don't know. The monster appeared once and then disappeared. Maybe the Dragon Ant Queen took the shot to clean it up."

"Then there would be no need to move," Ning Zhou hit the nail on the head.

"That’s also true." The guide smiled bitterly. "We aren’t qualified to know the inside story of this confidential matter."

"Where did Mrs Kathleen say she saw the person she thought was Ashley?" Qi Leren asked.

"In the area over here, please come with me." The guide pointed to a palace-style building complex that had been submerged by the lake, and walked there with the two people.

There was almost no light source from the sun in the Underground Ant City, but the creatures here naturally developed methods to see. Both humans and demons would eat foods that enhanced night vision. In addition, there were fluorescent fungi and vegetation everywhere, and the demand for light here had dropped dramatically over time. If you suddenly returned to the surface, it would be difficult to adapt because of the strong light.

After Qi Leren broke his shell, his eyesight had improved a lot. Along with eating the food suggested by Celia, walking in the dim underground world didn't hinder him now, but occasionally he would stumble on the uneven ground because of carelessness. After all, there wasn’t very good infrastructure in the Nightmare World, and few places had flat cement or asphalt roads except the Twilight Township.

Ning Zhou walked half a step slower than him, which proved to be very important, because when Qi Leren stumbled, he reacted very quickly to catch him with one hand.

He wouldn't say "I'll carry you", but in fact he did.

When the guide looked back and was about to speak, his open mouth got stuck in his face when he saw the hands being held between the two men, and his voice became a cough.

Ning Zhou deadpanned, as if two men walking hand in hand was a matter of course. Qi Leren pretended to look at the scenery: "The scenery here is really good. It would be nice to walk around nearby when we have time."

Ning Zhou also responded to him: "Hmm."

The guide doesn't quite understand what was worth going on a date for in a place where there were water monsters and people often went missing and were killed... He would want to leave, but he strongly wore an awkward but polite smile: "Yes, but pay attention to safety."

Qi Leren had discovered that Ning Zhou was very shy in some aspects, but very "calm" in other aspects. For example, if he thought that two people who were engaged could hold hands, he wouldn’t care about the situation or feel embarrassed to be seen.

But by the same token, he decided that what he couldn't do before getting married was impossible without getting married.

Qi Leren, like an infatuated teenager, was stirring under the influence of hormones. At the same time, he felt that he was a dirty adult compared to the pure Ning Zhou. He had just fallen in love and he had already begun to think about their sex life.

At this moment, Qi Leren was very optimistic and confident that he should be able to push Ning Zhou down. After all, Ning Zhou was so pure, how could he be the more dominant one? But he couldn't be in such a hurry. It wasn’t good to intimidate Ning Zhou. He should start teaching at the primary level. For example, he should find a chance to teach him how to kiss at the right time, in the right place, and with the right atmosphere.

A little excited inside, a little expectant, and a little shy, Qi Leren couldn't help but show an excessively happy smile.

Guide: I don't know why, but I feel like an eyesore, so I should hurry away…

After taking them to their destination, the guide left for his other tasks, leaving only Qi Leren and Ning Zhou walking slowly in the ruins of this palace.

The surrounding buildings had indeed been seriously damaged, but they can vaguely see the distinctive style. For example, there were only a few rows of scattered columns left in this building that were similar to a Greek temple. The height of the complete columns was more than 40 meters, which was already magnificent from a distance. When you looked closer, it would take seven or eight people to hug each column. Standing under the column and looking up, this amazing height was awe-inspiring. Because the foundation had fallen and the lake’s water had risen, the temple had become tilted altogether. The north half had been submerged in the lake and only showed slightly above the water, while the south part had not been swallowed up by the lake water at all.

"The buildings in the underworld are usually much taller than those in the human world," Ning Zhou said.

"Why?" Qi Leren asked.

Ning Zhou looked at the rows of neat but damaged columns in front and said slowly, "Because many demons don't like to maintain human form."

Qi Leren immediately thought of the huge black dragon in the lake of fire. With its size, it could only move in such a huge building. He didn't know if the dragon-shaped devils had some special hobbies, such as collecting gold coins and treasures…

"There are traces of fighting here." Ning Zhou's voice awakened Qi Leren who was still sleepwalking.

Qi Leren quickly recovered and observed it carefully. The damage caused by natural collapse was different from that caused by fighting. Qi Leren was inexperienced, but Ning Zhou could see it at a glance and even recover some details of the battle in his mind. For example, the column in front of him was broken by fighting, and the blood at his foot was left by severe scratches when the person was hit and flew to the ground.

"They were two masters, at least one was injured," Ning Zhou said.

"In my impression, although Mrs Kathleen's subordinate had the seed of slaughter, his strength was average," Qi Leren recalled.

"Someone’s here!" Ning Zhou pulled Qi Leren behind the column.

Both of them were silent, regulating their breathing and heartbeats.

In the distance, there came a group of people's slight footsteps, the sound of cloth dragging on the ground, and even light.

A mysterious group passed through the hall, carrying bone lamps in their hands, and wearing heavy long cloaks with hoods covering their faces. This group of people, with their heads down, recited words like spells in a low voice, and when he listened attentively, he could tell they were hypnotized.

Qi Leren gave himself a quick pinch, and Ning Zhou looked at him with concern. Qi Leren pointed to his lips and pointed to the mysterious cloaked figures, beckoning to be careful of their spells. Seeing that Ning Zhou wasn’t affected, Qi Leren was a little reassured.

The front row of the group consisted of cloaks carrying bone lamps, but the rear was a group of ragged human beings. Their eyes were closed, and everyone's face showed a look of intoxication and a trance-like state, with strange smiles. Like a group of docile sheep, they walked forward under the guidance of the cloaks.

Qi Leren felt bad at once. What were these cloaked people doing?

Ning Zhou suddenly felt something, and his eyes stared straight at one of the people moving forward. The man looked as unarmed and smiling as the people around him, but when Ning Zhou looked at him, he also turned his head, grinned at him with great interest, and then continued walking before the cloaked people found out.

There was no road ahead, and the northern part of this temple had been submerged in the underground lake. If they went further, there would be only the lake water filled with fluorescent algae. However, as if they could not see the road, these people walked towards the lake with their bone lamps and vague spells.

As they approached, the fluorescence on the lake became more and more bright. At once, the stars converged into a dazzling blue, which made people’s eyesight white out!

A wonderful voice sounded in the light, and it was difficult to describe whether it was a song or a spell. It was like a devout prayer of the devout and a desperate cry of the dying, which made Qi Leren shiver all over. In the void, there seemed to be a huge eyeball watching everyone in this land, including the two people hiding behind the column.

Qi Leren's eyes widened, his heart thumped, and his whole body seemed to be petrified under the spell.

Under this strange sound, this group of mysterious cloaked people walked into the blue light, and were quickly swallowed by the light.

The blue light gradually went out, and the fluorescent plants on the lake faded again, but the cloaked and human figures could no longer be seen in the temple. Everything was silent, absurd, and terrifying.

"What was that...?" Qi Leren woke up from the fear of being shocked just now and leaned in Ning Zhou’s direction.

"A cult sacrifice." Ning Zhou was more experienced than he was, so it wasn’t difficult to see what this group of people were going to do. He was more concerned about the person who had smiled at him from the crowd just now. That person had obviously noticed the two people hiding behind the column, but didn’t expose their existence. And he himself, for whatever reason, seemed to be playing the role of cult sacrifice.

"Where did they go?" Qi Leren asked again.

"They should have entered a fixed half-field. You remember that the members of the Slaughter Secret Society entered a half-field enchantment like this for secret ceremonies," Ning Zhou said.

Qi Leren suddenly realized that a similar situation had happened with the Slaughter Secret Society before, but this group of people were even more bizarre. He didn't know what they were.

"Which devil are these people going to sacrifice to?" Qi Leren asked.

"Not sure." Ning Zhou shook his head.

There were too many devils, and this was the Underground Ant City. Besides the worship of the Devil Kings, the worship of lower devils was also endless, and the situation was more complicated than any other place. However, the spells recited by this group of people were a little familiar, like a group of Utopia worshippers that Ning Zhou had once handled. That is, worshippers of the Lord of Power.

"Let’s hurry up and go back to Celia to see if there’s any way to get in. If we delay too long, this group of people will be in danger," Ning Zhou said.

-----

Editor’s Notes:

Ning Zhou: [taking his job very seriously]

Qi Leren: “Ning Zhou’s a bottom, right? He’s totally a bottom.”

Guide: “Please let me leave before you test your theory.”

-----

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]