#TO SAY NOTHING!! OF ANTHONY!!!! HIGGS!!!!!!

[gentle-hero-blog]

baffles me that people so often say other m's voice acting is bad. like out of everything about this game. the direction for samus is weird yes but everything else is honestly so top notch

[diloph]

I recall Adam Malkovich being an Other M character. I take it you don't like him or Other M?

Oh boy, isn’t that a can of worms?

Yeah, having played Other M all the way through more than once, the shortcomings of the game are pretty much on display from the get-go. Lackluster voice-acting, confusing and sometimes nonsensical plot-points as well as baffling story structure; its only saving grace is its gameplay and even then, I’d only really enjoyed Samus’ mobility and physical ability to grapple/finish opponents.

Of note, the characterization of Samus is all over the place. As I’m going through the E-Manga right now and have seen other characters with similar, I’m not adverse to Samus having some form of PTSD from her traumatic backstory it’s just that it’s done in such a piss-poor manner that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The Ridley confrontation is nonsensical, considering that she’s reduced him to a bloody smear several times over by now. On a ship where everything from Zebes seems to have been cloned (including the Metroids and an android emulating Mother Brain) Samus wasn’t even expecting him to appear in any capacity whatsoever?

I can understand her shock, fear and even hesitance to re-engage, but it’s never stopped her before; why did Meta Ridley not provoke the same reaction aboard the Orpheon, according to canon his first resurrection proper? Or to play into post-Other M events, such as Ridley’s return in Super/Proteus Ridley? Ridley-X?

Why does this appearance of Ridley reduce her to a frozen state?

Spoilers for when I get to it, but the E-Manga does this far better. That’s not to say that perhaps it goes too far as well, I’ve yet to have a good hard think about it, but the execution is far better than what happens in Other M and matches what had happened in the volume by that point. Samus’ life is hardship and suffering and it all comes to a head in those particular scenes.

But that confrontation in Other M is just the start of the odd decisions made that reduce Samus from the incredibly capable woman she’d been portrayed as up to that point, into a naive, shrinking character with nothing resembling her drive or will.

She becomes unable to make even the most minor decisions, especially if they fly in the face of common sense (a reoccurring theme with characters I dislike in “serious” works, as you might have noticed, so having one I like suddenly doing that almost seems like a challenge to get me to dislike them).

I’m supposed to believe that this woman left the Federation to become an independent bounty hunter? It extends beyond her character to even her design; she loses a foot and two inches of height so that she’s shorter than all these guys, all of her established muscle and tone evaporates and high-heels appear on the Zero Suit that, while skintight, was deliberately designed to NOT have them.

And, of course, her general (borderline suicidal) deference to Adam.

It’s so bad that I’ve genuinely come to believe that this version of Samus is a GF clone that was meant to act out her own Shadow Moses simulation, like Raiden did in MGS2, only for her to go rogue and save the day regardless.

As a matter of fact, the whole game feels like a bad attempt to emulate a Metal Gear game, with its rumination and navel gazing, but lacks the talent or focus to actually discuss the topics it wants to.

It’s badly done and what’s worse is, even in Metal Gear’s most nonsensical or badly written moments, they’re at least funny or tragic and Other M is neither.

Which brings me to Adam Malkovich.

Oh, Adam, Adam, Adam.

What the fuck am I meant to see in you? Samus’ dialogue tells us one thing, the actions, visual direction, the way in which he addresses Samus, orders her, controls her and ignores her tells us another.

We’re expected to root for this guy. To agree with Samus’ assessment of him. But all it does is further that idea that Samus is, in fact, an idiot who needs people more capable than her, to do everything for her.

Simply put, Samus, when not doing everything in her power to remember the Baby (another botched take on what was fondly remembered, the bond between her and the infant Metroid has now forever been tainted, even with Samus Returns’ efforts to save that whole thing) talks about Adam, how wonderful this commanding officer is, how patient and kind and caring and-

Yeah, no, he’s a dick and he acts like he can’t stand Samus’ very presence.

Without even going into the hated authorization mechanic, he never once looks at her with anything resembling warmth in his face; you could put that down to the models looking uncannily robotic to begin with, but Anthony Higgs seems to be the most expressive and can do... emotion. Even in dialogue and his VA’s recorded lines, there are no smiles, no change in inflection or in-jokes.

He comes off not as an aloof CO, but somebody who dislikes being in the same room as Samus herself.

And the big part is, for all Other M draws from previous canon and the E-Manga, now that I’ve read further ahead, guess what? Adam is a completely likable human being in it.

By that, I mean he’s an average filler manga character and not a raging asshole; he’s ranked higher than Samus, but is a bit accommodating towards her situation when they meet and later they do seem to have struck up something similar to the relationship stated in Other M.

He jokes with her, smiles, when she goes independent he goes out of his way to help her, she’s quick to remind him of her boundaries and his lack of control over her which he quickly agrees with. Samus and Adam have a much healthier working relationship there and the one in Other M is meant to reflect it? Rubbish.

In short, from what I’ve gathered, Other M was an attempt to canonize or at least further develop the E-Manga and completely shot itself in the foot by contradicting the E-Manga, prior Metroid canon, Samus’ character and archetype and ultimately, itself.

But hey, looking at it with the benefit of hindsight, at least we got a game to put up there with Hotel Mario and the CDI Zeldas that rounds out the embarrassing meme trifecta of Nintendo’s Big Three.

[doodlebug-aboo]

87 relmer

!!!! Thank you Sammy, for giving me the option to diss Cindy as much as possible in a fic!

Read it here on ao3!

Also! Tw for transphobia and just… CIndy being awful to Elmer (I really hate her.)

Anthony Edward Higgins met a boy named Eliasz Kasprzak in his first year of college. They were assigned as roommates. Race had been hoping he’d get his best friend, Albert, but no such luck. The two of them were going to be roommates, they planned on it, but they mixed up the final date to turn in the roommate request forms and missed it. They still hoped they’d get paired up, but they doubted it would happen. So Race was given his dorm number and roommate assignment, and frowned when he saw it wasn’t Albert. Instead he saw the name Eliasz. Albert told him he’d gotten some guy named Benjamin Davenport. They were both upset that they weren’t even rooming with anyone they knew. They figured it would be alright though. When Race eventually made his way to his dorm, he saw that his roommate had already gotten there, and claimed the left side of the room. Race was fine with that, and put his stuff on his side. When his roommate came back to the room it was only a few minutes later. Race had sat on his bed before starting any unpacking. When Race looked at him he decided that it really was alright that he wasn’t rooming with Albert. His roommate was cute. Race pulled up his texts with Albert immediately.

Higgs: yo al my roommate is cute as hell

Al: lucky, mine hasnt even shown up yet

Higgs: aw damn that sucks :(

Al: send me a pic, lemme see if he rlly is cute

Higgs: albert i am not going to take a picture of my roommate, thats creepy. if u wanna see for urself just come over to my dorm

Al: ugh fine, where is it?

Higgs: the C dormitory, 248

Al: oh alright thats like right next door to the A dormitory be there in a bit

Race looked up from his phone at his roommate, who currently had his back to him. He should probably introduce himself. “Hey, so you’re Eliasz?”

He jumped and spun around. “What? Oh, right, yeah, that’s me. Sorry. So you must be Anthony then?”

Race leaned back on his elbows. “Yeah, you can call me Race, though.”

Eliasz raised an eyebrow. “Race? Why Race?”

Race grinned. “It’s my nickname. Got it back when I was in first grade. It’s stuck with me since.”

Eliasz looked at Race quizzically. “Okay? Race it is, then.”

Race sat up again. “What, don’t you got a nickname?”

Eliasz shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

Race looked him up and down. “I’ll give you one, then. Not sure what, though. I got my nickname because I was a fast runner. I got a friend named Specs because he has glasses, one named Crutchie because he uses crutches, Jack is Cowboy but he doesn’t go by that much, it’s because he was in love with the idea of Santa Fe growing up. So our nicknames are simple and sometimes obvious. You got anything like that I can go off of?”

Eliasz shrugged. “Not that I can think of. Your group seems to be rather interesting, though.”

Race laughed. “Yeah, we are. Here, let me see if I can figure out a nickname for you. You can’t be my roommate without a nickname.” Race stood up and moved closer to Eliasz.

Eliasz eyed Race warily. “Um, what are you doing?”

Race shrugged. “Like I said, some of my friends got their nicknames over something obvious, I’m trying to see if there’s something about you that stands out that we can use. Might just have to end up calling you cutie.” Race emphasized the last statement with a wink.

Eliasz blushed furiously. “What?” He squeaked out.

Race laughed. “Hah, sorry I- Jesus dude, do you style your hair with glue?” Eliasz’ hair had been styled with hair gel, but it looked like a shit ton was used. It looked stiff as a brick. Race lit up. “I got it! That’ll be your nickname.”

Eliasz looked at him confused. “Wait, what will?”

Race beamed. “Elmer! Like Elmer’s Glue!”

Eliasz chuckled. “Alright, I guess that works. Elmer it is.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Race ran to get it. “Albert! Hey!” He greeted as he opened the door to his familiar face. “Here, meet Elmer, my roommate.”

Albert looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he walked into the room. “Elmer? You gave him a nickname already?”

Race smiled. “Yup!”

Albert then turned to look at Elmer. “Hey Race you were right, he is cute.” He then turned to Race with a smirk. Race made an angry noise and started flushing a slight shade of red.

Elmer smirked at that too. “So you told him I was cute?” Race tried stuttering out an answer. It wasn’t working. “Well hey, you’re pretty cute too.”

Elmer and Race started dating not too long into the year, which wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone. They got along really well, and they acted like old friends already. Race had eventually learned of Elmer’s ex from high school, a girl named Cindy, and he immediately wanted to fight her.

Race had been talking about some bad ex’s he had had, so Elmer spoke up about his. “Yeah, I had a girlfriend in high school, her name was Cindy. She was… she was really awful. One of the worst things she did was she dead named me a lot.” At this point Race had already known Elmer was trans. Elmer had been a little afraid to tell him, but Race was nothing but supportive. After that Elmer sort of spilled about all the bad things Cindy did while they dated. Race was furious, and rightfully so. Elmer reminded him that he was out of that now though, and now he had Race. Race had smiled at that. He was glad he didn’t have to deal with her anymore.

Or so he thought. Elmer and Race had gone on a sort of coffee date. They woke up a little too early for a Saturday and couldn’t go back to sleep so they decided to get coffee together. They walked to a little cafe off campus and looked at the menu before ordering. Elmer ordered a hot chocolate, he wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. Race ordered a salted caramel latte. When they were handed their drinks, Race paid, and sat down. Elmer had argued that he could pay for his own drink, but Race didn’t listen. They had been sitting down next to each other on one of the couches in the cafe, drinks already gone, when Elmer stiffened next to Race.

Race turned to see him staring at something, wide-eyed. He quickly turned to see what he was looking at, and saw a blonde girl. “Elm? Who is that.”

Elmer blinked a few times and turned back to Race. “That’s my ex-girlfriend. That’s Cindy.”

Race’s blood boiled just at the name alone. When he turned back to look at her, she was looking at Elmer and walking over. “Well, kiss me so she sees.”

Elmer looked at him confused. “What?”

Race looked at Elmer like it was obvious. “Kiss me so she sees, and realizes that you’ve found someone much better.” Elmer laughed at him and quickly leaned in to kiss him. It wasn’t anything knew, they’d kissed plenty of times before. When they pulled apart Race saw that CIndy had stopped, and was staring at them. She had a dirty look on her face that Race did not appreciate.

When she noticed Race looking she put on a fake smile and finished walking over. “Oh my gosh! Eliasz, is that you?”

Elmer looked away from her. “Hey… Cindy.”

She turned her gaze over to Race. “Who’s this? A new friend of yours?” Race couldn’t help but notice just how degrading her voice sounded.

Elmer looked her in the face now. “This is my boyfriend, Anthony.”

Her smile turned sour and, if possibly, her voice got sharper. “Oh, isn’t that nice. I didn’t think you’d be able to trick someone into liking you enough after I broke up with you.”

Elmer took a deep breath, but Race could see his hand was shaking slightly. He grabbed it in his own. “You mean when I broke up with you, Cindy?”

Cindy’s jaw clenched. “No, I broke up with you because you’re whiny and needy and annoying and I was tired of putting up with you and all of your bullshit.”

Race stood up now to be on level with Cindy, though he was actually taller. “Listen, Cindy, I really don’t appreciate how you’re talking to my boyfriend. I think it’s best that you leave.” His voice was laced with venom.

Cindy scoffed. “You know he isn’t a real boy, right? Pathetic, isn’t it?”

Race glared at her. “What’s pathetic is that you insist on trying to bring harm to my boyfriend after he broke up with you almost a year ago. You should leave and consider reevaluating your priorities. Oh, and one more thing. He is a real boy, and you’re a real piece of shit.” Cindy looked as if she was going to say something else, but instead she turned and stormed off to another corner of the cafe. Race turned back to look at Elmer. He was shaking a little more than before, and he was staring off into space. “Hey, hey, Elmer. Elm. Eliasz. Hey. I’m here, okay? I’m right here. She’s gone. She’s gone and you’re okay. Come on, let’s go back to the dorm, okay?” Elmer nodded slowly and Race helped him off of the couch and they walked together back to their dorm. Once inside, they laid down in Race’s bed, and Race pulled them both under the covers and wrapped his arms around Elmer. “She’s gone. She isn’t going to hurt you anymore, I won’t let her. What she did to you was awful, Eliasz. You aren’t any of those things she said. You aren’t whiny or needy. You’re amazing and wonderful and the most handsome boy I know. Never forget that, okay?” Elmer nodded. Race kissed his forehead, then placed kisses all over his face. They fell back to sleep together, wrapped in each other’s arms.

[isisdreamweaver]

I Have Too Many Metroid FCs: Hope Bradford

Hope is a Galactic Federation Trooper. She’s on the frontlines, fighting Space Pirates, the encroaching Kriken Empire, plus all the horrifying critters that pop up (such as Metroids).

She’s also way more bubbly than you’d expect from a soldier, but really, that’s just her way of coping with the bloodshed and horrors she sees so often.

She was friends with most of the GF Troopers who died in Prime 2, and their loss is something she tries not to think about daily. To say nothing of the other people who have entered her life and then died. The Galactic Federation’s military is a lot less glamourous than her childhood had led her to believe.

She’s among the soldiers tasked to defend Norion during the Phazon Crisis, and will get an appearance or two in the Prime 3 fanfic I hope to one day write (whether or not she’ll be named in those appearances, I don’t know).

In the future, she ends up defecting from the Galactic Federation following the events of fanon Fusion, per the request of Anthony Higgs, who trusts her to find Samus and assist her. Along the way she ends up befriending Ventus, R-Cie, and Tripley.

Hope is named Hope purely because I wanted a scene where a villain would declare that hope was dead and then in walks Hope who insists she’s just fine.

Her last name is an XCOM reference.

[jontheredrc]

what she says: i'm okay

what she means: In Metroid: Other M, after the first boss,

Adam Malkovich says he'll let Anthony Higgs decide "whether plasma guns are called for", even though plasma in Metroid is a dangerous, highly destructive force. Samus, on the other hand, has to wait for Adam's authorization on everything, including non-combat capabilities of her armor like the fireproofing of the Varia Suit. The reasoning given is that some of her ordnance (Power Bombs) may cause too much collateral damage, but the Varia Suit does nothing but protect Samus. And yet she doesn't get to decide for herself whether it's "called for".

[beholdthepowerofyuri]

Characters I’d Like To See In Smash Bros - Part 2

 A new Smash Bros has been announced, and there’s already implications that it isn’t just a port of the WiiU/3DS games, but rather an entirely new entry. I’ve already given my thoughts on that matter, as that’s not what this is about.

This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this. There’s a random post I made where I talked about having a mental image of Frisk being playable (I know everyone is clamoring for Sans, but personally I think Frisk would be more fun and a better overall rep for Undertale), and here’s part 1 of this list, which I did more recently.

So yeah. Same as last time, I won’t be talking about any super-obvious fan favorites like Lyn, Shantae, Shovel Knight or King K. Rool. Again, I’d love for them to appear in the game, but everyone talks about them, so I won’t be.

Zero - Megaman Zero series

Okay so, first I want to emphasize that this is the Megaman Zero, version of him; not the one from the X series. I’ve got nothing against the X version, but, overall, I feel like the Zero version would be a better overall fit for Smash Bros, especially since all of the games were on the GBA and NDS.

Now then; before anyone throttles me out the nearest window because it’s another sword fighter, hear me out. I’ll spare you my usual sarcastic response to the criticism and go straight to how I picture them playing. Basically, he’d be about what one would expect; fast, hard-hitting sword combos for A attacks, but a bit of a glass cannon. He’d dish out a lot of damage, but his small and slender frame would make him a little easy to knock around.

As for Special Attacks, he’d utilize the various weapons he gains throughout the series. A major gimmick I picture him having is that all of his attacks (even his A Attacks) can be charged by holding down either the A or B button after the initial command input, similar to how they could be charged in the actual games. After a few seconds, some sort of visual cue will signify he’s done charging, and releasing the button will have him unleashed a powered-up attack. With the A button, it’ll be a single, powerful sword slash.

Neutral B - Buster Shot: Zero brandishes his pistol and fires a small shot. The attack doesn’t do a lot of damage, but can stun the opponent for a second or two. When changed, the blast is much larger, is faster and hits a lot harder, but lack the stunning effect of the uncharged shot.

Up + B - Recoil Rod: He uses the the tonfa-like Recoil Rod to leap high in the air. If used on he ground, it creates a shock wave that damages anyone directly next to him, while using it in the air has him do a downward strike that will result in a meteor smash if it hits anyone. When charged, Zero goes up much higher, and the shock wave when it’s used on the ground is larger and hits harder.

Side + B - Triple Rod: A simple and straight-forward attack where Zero brandishes the spear-like Triple Rod and thrusts it outwards; by repeatedly pressing the button, the rod extends further outwards twice, resulting in a three hit combo. When charged, Zero instead spins the rod around, striking anyone immediately next to him. 

Down + B - Shield Boomerang: Zero pulls out a round shield and holds it in front of him, which can be used to easily block all projectile-based attacks, though it does nothing against melee attacks. As long as the button is held down, it will stay out, though Zero will be unable to move while it’s out, even if it’s used in the air. When charged, he will throw it like a boomerang, damaging whoever it hits.

Final Smash - Rekkoha: Okay so...technically, this version of Zero never learns this attack in the actual games. But let’s be real...Smash Bros has taken much bigger liberties when it comes to character’s movesets. *glances at Ness*...anyway...yeah.

As far as Final Smashes go, this one’s fairly straightforward. Upon activating it, Zero slams his fist into the ground, upon which multiple lasers shoot down from the sky, traveling across the arena and inflicting a butt-load of damage to anyone who gets hit by them before sending them flying. Has a wide range, but a well-timed dodge would allow someone to avoid it. 

In addition to the above, his grab would utilize the Chain Rod in a similar fashion to Link’s Hookshot or Samus’ Grapple Beam, and would also be able to grab ledges as well. --- Rundas - Metroid Prime 3

Let’s face it; we’ll never see Ridley as a playable character. But it’s not as though there aren’t other characters in the Metroid series who could work as a fighter in Smash Bros. Hell, the Metroid Prime games alone introduced several other bounty hunters aside from Samus herself. My favorite out of the bunch is Rundus, an alien hunter with icy powers.

Overall, he’d be a lot similar to Samus; a fairly balanced character with quick but effective A attacks, fairly good mobility, and long-ranged specials. No long-ranged grab tho. I’m not saying he would be a clone of Samus, just that I picture him playing similarly overall. For his Specials, here’s what I’m picturing

Neutral B - An icy blast that would have a relatively good chance chance of briefly encasing opponents in ice, leaving them open for a follow-up attack. The damage would be pretty “meh”, but it’d still be an effect attack for its combo potential. 

Up + B - He quickly flies through the air Iceman style, damaging anyone he hits in the process and potentially sending them flying if they’d racked up enough damage. Would also leave a small trail of ice behind him that would freeze anyone who touches it, though it’d only remain for a couple seconds before disappearing. Covers a fairly good distance as well, making it a reliable recovery.

Side + B - Forms multiple round ice projectiles, which hover near him for a second before being immediately launched in whatever direction he’s facing. Would be good as a quick defensive move; not quite as effective as Megaman’s Leaf Shield, but enough to make melee-oriented characters think twice about running up to him without a plan. The projectiles themselves would do a decent amount of damage, but have a surprising amount of knock-back. If more than one hits a single opponent, they’d be knocked back quite far.

Down + B - Rundus activates an inherent ability of his species’, creating a layer of ice on his body to act as armor. Basically, think Shulk’s Shield Mode and that’s more or less what you get with this. Increased defense and reduced knockback from enemy attacks, but his speed and jumping ability takes a hit. Additionally, while it would still be an effective recovery method, the range of his Up + B would still be reduced a bit. The ice armor will break away after so many hits, and the ability itself will require a cooldown before it can be used again, that way players can’t just spam it.

Final Smash - Rundus sends a large wave of ice spikes that travels across the screen directly in front of him. Anyone hit by said spiky ice wave will then be treated to a short cutscene where he forms a giant ice pillar and immediately brings it crashing down on top of them.

Also say would you will about Other M, but Anthony Higgs would make a great assist trophy. He’d make sure all of his opponents remember him with a giant plasma cannon and it would be great. --- Tharja - Fire Emblem

I know there’s already like...six Fire Emblem characters, but there aren’t any who are pure mages, and I think it’d make for an interesting way to mix things up. Besides, at least then no one will be bitching about more sword fighters. Also yandere stalker waifu is best waifu.

So yeah. Tharja would be your typical “squishy wizard” type. A lot of powerful mid-to-long range spells, but unable to take hits very well. Her A attacks would be rather simple, but nothing special, with the exception of her Smash Attacks. They would pack quite a punch, taking the form of point-blank elemental spells.

Forward Smash - Arcthunder (a large orb of electricity flashes in front of her)

Up Smash - Elfire (a pillar of flames shoots up from the ground; makes a great anti-air attack)

Down Smash - Arcwind (a powerful burst of wind suddenly erupts around her, hitting anyone next to her on both sides)

As for her Specials and Final Smash, all of them will involve her casting Dark Magic. Like with Robin, all of her specials and Smash attacks will have a limited number of uses, meaning one must be careful with how they go about using them. Once they’re used up, they’ll replenish on their own, but you’ll have to wait a bit.

Neutral B - Flux; a simple but effective mid-range projectile where she hurls a small blast of dark energy. If it hits an opponent, it will take on whatever visual effects it has in Awakening (it’s been a while since I’ve played, so I don’t quite remember what the spell looked like). Otherwise, it just poofs upon hitting the floor or a wall.

Up + B - Ruin; functionally similar to Robin’s Elwind, this attack will have Tharja leap high into the air and cast a spell downwards that will propel her up even higher. However, rather than wind-based projectiles, she will instead release clouds of dark energy that float around for a several seconds. They don’t directly inflict any damage upon hitting someone like most attacks; rather, anyone caught inside said clouds will slowly-but-steadily take damage until they get away from it. Great for playing keep-away and slowly whittling away at the opponent.

Side + B - Mire; another projectile-based attack, Tharja launches a small green blob-like mass. It doesn’t hit as hard as Flux, but it’s quicker and has ridiculous range, able to hit enemies on the other side of even the largest of stages.

Down + B - Nosferatu; had to borrow at least one attack from Robin, and given that she’s actually capable of casting it in the real game this seemed like a good one. May or may not be slightly more potent than Robin’s version, and will help to offset her being a squishy wizard.

Final Smash - Goetia; A simple and straight-forward Final Smash. Tharja summons a giant mass of lightning and darkness that quickly expands outwards. Inflicts major damage to anyone caught inside then sends them flying. --- Incineroar - Pokemon Sun/Moon

Okay so...real talk. Incineroar is my favorite Gen VII starter, and given that he has the whole “wrestler” thing going, he’d be absolutely perfect for a game like Smash Bros. I picture him being a slow-but-powerful type like DK or Bowswer; can dish out a lot of damage and take a fair bit as well, but isn’t exactly going to win any awards for speed.

His A attacks would involve a lot of flashy attacks, with his Smash Attacks being especially grandiose. They’d be a little showy and easy to read, but extremely effective if they hit. He’d be a bit better on the ground than he would be in their air, but not to the extent of Little Mac. As for his special attacks...

Neutral B - Fire Fang; a simple, fast-moving attack where he lunges forward and tries to grab an opponent. If he succeeds, flames erupt from his mouth as he bites the hell out of them, before tossing them aside. Basically, it’s kinda like Wario’s, only you won’t be able to keep chomping on them once you get a hold of them. Note that only the bite itself will inflict damage.

Up + B - Darkest Lariat; it’d more or less be a copy/paste of D.K.’s Spinning Kong. More effective when executed on the ground, and covers a surprisingly good distance when used in the air, making it an reliable recovery move. To reflect its in-game effect of ignoring changes to the opponent’s Defense, could make it so that the ground version does heavy damage to opponents’ shield.

Side + B - Outrage; engulfing himself in bright green and blue flames, Incineroar charges forward for a powerful ramming attack. It would inflict a large amount of damage and have a huge knockback effect. However, if used repeatedly, Incineroar will become dizzy and unable to move for a few seconds, so spamming it will be very risky.

Down + B - Roar; Incineroar will let loose with a powerful roar, which creates a small blast of wind directly in front of him. The range is fairly short and it doesn’t inflict any damage. However, if someone does get hit by it, they’ll be launched rather far. Is less effective when used on airborne opponents.

Final Smash -  Malicious Moonsault; as if it would be anything else. Basically, a large wrestling ring pops up from the ground in front of Incinerar. Anyone who gets hit by or otherwise falls onto said ring will then be treated to a glorious death-from-above attack, just like the actual Z-Move from the game.

---

And there we have it. More characters I’d love to see in Smash Bros. As with the first list, I’m not holding my breath on any of this actually happening. Just something I thought would be quite nice. Gonna stop for now, but later on, I might throw up a less detailed lists of “honorable mentions”; i.e.; characters I’d like to see in the game, but I’m not quite sure how their movesets would work.

As always, feel free to lemme know what you think, so long as you keep it civil.

[kayla1993-world]

Coronavirus: What's happening Saturday in Canada and around the world

 With just over 12,500 instances of COVID-19 identified across Canada, including 219 casualties, it is predicted that PM Justin Trudeau may provide new funding aid Saturday to help the most disadvantaged Canadians coping with the pandemic.

The latest statement follows Friday's $100 million pledge to groups to help carry food to Canadians unable to afford food, or who have unclear links to food and other basic needs in rural western regions.

People who are actually food deprived will only see their circumstance worsening because of a predicted spike in supply shortages, said Elaine Power, a Queen's University food safety advisor.

Global cases of the novel coronavirus flew past one million with more than 54,000 fatalities, a count of Reuters on Friday shows.

The pandemic has pushed the global economy to a stand and pushed the planet into a "far deeper" recession than the global financial crisis a century ago, the manager of the International Monetary Fund said Friday.

Corporate bond markets plunged on Friday following another signal that somehow the pandemic could take a huge toll on development. In March, the US economy shed 701,000 employment, breaking a remarkable 113 successive months of growth in employment, while the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress is focusing solely on a reform plan, with health care on list.

Ontario also issued its outbreak-related political prediction and simulation data on Friday, with Minister Doug Ford suggesting he requires the citizens of the province to think "what I assume."

The coronavirus epidemic forecasting studies could last 18 months to two years, murdering 3,000 to 15,000 lives, even with public security measures in action.

"Have we acheived nothing, Ontario may have endured 100,000 casualties," said Peter Donnelly, CEO for Public Health Ontario, leading to the physical distancing and other initiatives undertaken by the province.

Three of the four provinces in Atlantic Canada say they will attempt to also have forecasts of COVID-19 modeling late next week. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and P.E.I. each claim so they will offer statistics, if Newfoundland and Labrador said they wouldn't get enough information to do so.

Trudeau would probably address additional concerns the U.S. in his weekly briefing on the pandemic. Demand of 3 M headquartered in Minnesota to continue selling N95 respirator masks to Canada and Latin America via President Donald Trump. Congress needs the masks held solely for American use, which are crucial for securing frontline medical-care staff.

Trudeau said the federal government found the Trump administration's message "absolutely clear" that it's essential not to disturb the two-way stream of critical services and products — including Canadian healthcare workers operating in American hospitals — that cross the border every day.

Trudeau also confirmed Friday, at the invitation of the provincial government, that the Canadian Armed Forces should support in northern Quebec to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in remote areas. The Rangers, whom are part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve and also have a presence of the Canadian Armed Forces in northern and rural areas, will help by having to put up tents and other supplies, as the societies request.

The coronavirus was producing mild to moderate signs for most people, such as fever and cough. But it could cause serious effects, including pneumonia, to some, particularly older adults and people with health conditions. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says the situation is developing each day but that the COVID-19 threat to Canadians is "considered to have been high."

That is a glance at what's happening on within Canada, in the U.S. and around the planet.

As of Friday's midnight EST, Canada also recorded 12,549 and probable events, and 219 casualties. The provinces and territories that report the recovery details identified 2,296 cases as resolved or retrieved. Two COVID-19-related deaths of Canadians internationally have also been recorded -- one in Japan and one in Brazil.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Friday in British Columbia that the numbers of people infected with the novel coronavirus has decreased by three to 146. Four COVID-19 people were killed in the same period, increasing the province's maximum to 35 so far. Learn further about what's happening on within B.C.

BC Ferries confirms schedule changes will occur on many 60-day ferry routes beginning Saturday such as the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay path between West Vancouver and Nanaimo, B.C.

Alberta has recorded outbreaks in coronavirus at the facilities with nine seniors. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief health officer of the province, said that there are already 74 reported cases of COVID-19 in continuing care facilities "and I anticipate that more will be reported in the coming days." Five more patients have died in the province. That raises the death toll to 18, and a total of 1,075 instances. Learn more about what's happening on within Alberta.

In Saskatchewan, the province's leader of nurses union says authorities are striving for "fresh and exciting ways" to using face masks for medical personnel. Tracy Zambory said the Saskatchewan Health Authority had to undertake tests first to guarantee that somehow the policy is effective in facilities where EPP (personal protective equipment) is still rationed. Write all about what's happening on in Saskatchewan, and the stories of a Long Island-based Saskatchewan person who helped to bring N95 masks into the hands of health care workers in that city.

In Manitoba, organizations covering staff at the Health Sciences Facility estimate this after COVID-19 exposures at least 70 members of the team — namely nurses, clerks and security guards — body-isolate.

On Friday 462 new cases of COVID-19 was identified throughout Ontario. There have been still 3,255 recorded cases in the province, of which 1,023 are classified as resolved. The incident total for the province brings the death toll in COVID-19 at 67. And CBC News has recorded 97 casualties in the province based on its own research, after collecting information from local public authorities.

The release of the recent estimates came just hours before health experts published estimates as to how the COVID-19 crisis in the province could unfold.

Premier for Quebec said health-care staff who were in connection with COVID-19 events should earn wage increases. "I don't feel there's a team that has ever been more deserving of a pay increase," said Premier François Legault, who also reported a smaller raise for health staff not in close contact with the disease, as well as an increase in long-term care centers for the employees.

A probable scarcity of COVID-19 sample resources alarms authorities in New Brunswick. Premier Blaine Higgs told CBC's Power & Politics if the province "ramped up just a bit we may be in maybe a week of sample materials running out."

Nova Scotia expanded the state of emergency for another two weeks on Thursday. The province further reported support for small companies and a special system to help staff who may not be authorized for employment benefits.

Prince Edward Island recently established a $1-million fund to support anyone not protected by some initiatives with aid launched until the end of the COVID-19 crisis.

That health minister in Newfoundland and Labrador is encouraging citizens to plan itself for an spike in cases. "From the knowledge of our other jurisdictions, we are not yet entering our estimated time of increase.

Authorities in the Northwest Territories recorded two COVID-19 cases connected to transport and another in a town. The reported cases put the number of cases in the place up to four.

The American Medical Association (AMA) encourages all US governors to implement citizenship-at-home instructions to stop COVID-19 spread.

"It is essential that states maintain people back home to stop undermining our health facilities and depleting the facilities, assets and manpower willing to care for the flood of patients," said the AMA in a letter by the group's President, Dr. James Madara, to the governors.

The AMA also needs policymakers to grant statutory regulations to reopen non-essential companies, limit non-essential practices and prohibit events.

Physical distancing is the only useful tool which can prevent the virus form  growing, the team said.

Elsewhere, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday because of COVID-19, the state also documented the biggest single-day spike in accidents and hospitalizations. The number of deaths grew to 2,935, an improvement of 562 citizens, whereas 1,427 new hospitalizations brought the figure to nearly 15,000 worldwide.

Cuomo has informed in less than a week that New York may run out of breathing machines. He often expressed frustration that states bargain with private vendors for safety devices and breathing equipment against each other, or that the federal government outbid states.

"For the near future, citizens may perish whether they're going into a hospital because there's no ventilators," he said Friday.

President Donald Trump said his policy is requiring several men to wear facial masks in public in Washington, D.C. on Friday, though he stresses that the advice is mandatory and states that he doesn’t really obey.

The latest guidance indicates that Americans use makeshift covers such as T-shirts, scarves, or bandanas to cover their mouths and noses. Medical-grade masks should also to be reserved for those on the front lines trying to control the pandemic, specifically N95 masks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading official on infectious disease in the Americas, said Friday physical distancing is the best strategy to minimize coronavirus dissemination where necessary. The Los Angeles mayor has suggested wear masks or shielding their heads whilst out in public to the residents there.

Spain saw its coronavirus cases grow Saturday to 124,736, up from 117,710 the week before, the Spanish Department of Health stated. The death toll affiliated with virus grew to 11,744 in the nation, a leap from 10,935 on Friday.

In Italy, more than 11,000 health care workers have been contaminated — just under 10 percent of the official figure — and some 73 doctors have died, according to the National Institutes of Health and the surgeons' group, which has kept a continuous list of the missing.

The number of voters who perish through COVID-19 is likely to still be undercounted, reports the manager of Germany's prevention organization. The Robert Koch Institute's Lothar Wieler said Friday that he assumes "we have more accidents than are formally recorded."

That Wieler implied accidents are being undercounted only in Germany or globally, that it is not entirely evident, and reporters were unable to answer follow-up questions during his online news conference. The high fatality rate from coronavirus in Germany has drawn foreign investment.

In the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pregnant fiancé, Carrie Symonds, said she had spent the past week in bed with effects of the novel coronavirus but felt much better since seven days of rest, and was on the mend.

Minister of the British Cabinet, Michael Gove, said his thoughts went out to the parents of a five-year-old woman who died in hospital after illness.

The casualties amount in the UK. It is anticipated it will continue strong for at least another week or two, although residents adhere with stringent isolation steps, health experts said on Saturday as the death toll of the nation soared to 4,313.

That number contains five bus staff in London — three were drivers, and two were controllers. Around 75 percent of the passengers have plunged, but the drivers who die may have been compromised before the shutdown.

Imperial College London epidemiologist Neil Ferguson informed the BBC that if the number of cases continued to declined in the future, the country is focused less on screening and becoming "somewhat more confident in terms of social separation."

As of Saturday morning, there have been 183,190 citizens surveyed, 41,903 of whom were positive, the UK. Safety and social care department posted. To those treaated in the UK, as of Friday evening. 4,313 lived to COVID-19.

Britain is holding about 4,000 inmates gradually to alleviate crowding and to seek and prevent the spread of the latest disease in prison. The justice ministry says "low-risk" criminals must be published with electronic tags.

In Portugal, cases reported of coronavirus grew above 10,000 level on Saturday with 266 incidents, although health minister Marta Temido encouraged citizens to step up their war against the epidemic as "no hope for the rest of the tunnel" was still there.

"This fight is not a 100-meter sprint, it's a long marathon," stated Temido. Since 20 asylum seekers screened positive, Greece has quarantined a migrant camp, the country's first such center since the disease struck. Police in Greece claim they have given 17,358 penalties during a shutdown ended on March 23 for individuals breaching the latest limits on leaving home.

The death counts in France has already stayed at 7,560 since March 1. The Netherlands is not in a total shutdown, but there are closed restaurants, cafes, galleries, and universities, and the government is allowing citizens to keep home and maintain isolation.

People are holding a three-minute brief pause for most of China on Saturday to commemorate those who died in COVID-19.

The city was brought under total lockdown on Jan. 23 in an attempt to quell the spread of the virus and was praised by the communist leadership of the nation for the sacrifices produced by its 11 million people as a "heroic town."

Under strict conditions residents was progressively capable of moving in and out of Wuhan.

China also documented a total of 81,639 cases and 3,326 casualties, but these statistics are commonly regarded understated due to lack of screening and a unwillingness to document the actual disease level.

Thailand may immediately prfohibit all passenger flights from landing in the nation, effective Saturday, to stem the spread of the disease.

South Korea has prolonged government recommendations encouraging residents to conduct emotional distance to stop the spread of coronavirus for two weeks as infections in the highly populated metropolis of Seoul start to rise.

Officials, including coworkers and tourists at the downtown Somerset Palace hotel, have screened 138 of her interactions and verified an American actor's infection on Thursday.

Earlier Friday, South Korea recorded 86 new coronavirus cases raising its statewide total to 10,062.

Singapore will shut schools and most places of work for a month as it seeks to stem the country's increase in COVID-19 transmissions.

"Looking at the development, I'm worried that things will progressively get worse, or another large cluster will force things off of the edge, unless we take some action," said Legislator Lee Hsien Loong.

In the previous two weeks, the world has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases and has recorded more than 50 new cases on such a routine basis.

"We won't discourage people from the masks anymore.” Indonesia's coronavirus death toll goes upward to 170, passing South Korea as the state with the highest number of fatalities recorded after China in Asia.

More than half of the 54 countries in Africa have closed their borders on land, air and sea, as fears rise that the restrictions connected to coronavirus delay access to critical aid.

India will also be pulling out of a three-week phase lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as officials battle to contain New Delhi's biggest cluster of infections.

Well over 85,000 cases of the virus and much more over 3,700 deaths were confirmed by Middle East, most in Iran.

With 2,450 confirmed cases and 35 deaths, Pakistan has been highly criticised for moving too quickly to prevent large gatherings, including a gathering of tens of thousands of Muslims from several Islamic countries in March.

Australian officials closed Friday's internal borders and warned people to stay home over the upcoming Easter holiday as the country seeks to profit on a further fall in the rate of new cases of coronavirus.

Turkey's number of confirmed cases of coronavirus rose to 23,934 on Saturday, with the death count rising to 501, Heath Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

Cuban officials say the six-decade US embargo on the island has blocked a shipment of coronavirus aid.

Cuba was one of 24 countries in the region intended to obtain the donations announced on March 21 by a foundation launched by China's richest person, Jack Ma, but officials say Avianca Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Colombia, refused to fly the aid to Cuba because its main shareholder is a U.S .- based company subject to the trade embargo toward Cuba.

The embargo has exceptions for food and medical assistance, but companies often fear related financing or transportation because of risk of fines or prosecution.

Sentient-rights organizations have been calling for the U.S. to lift sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba and Iran during the pandemic and allow more aid and flow.

[nofomoartworld]

Art F City: This Week’s Must-See Art Events: Anxiety on High

Let’s face it—the bulk of this week’s chatter in the art world isn’t going to be about Donald Trump’s Inauguration, but Marilyn Minter and Madonna’s talk Thursday evening at the Brooklyn Museum lamenting it. And that’s as it should be. Resistance to this new presidency is essential.

Friday, we’ll be participating in the #J20 Art Strike, so no content on our website will be available but for a livestream of Rachel Mason lip synching the inauguration as FutureClown. Those seeking to participate in the art protests can head to the Whitney where Occupy Museums will be hosting a “Speak Out”.

Other than that, we’re recommending a show about soul crushing anxiety and despair at LUBOV, and a show called “Infected Foot” at Greene Naftali, because sickness also seems like an appropriate theme for the week. Sorry to be depressing. Unfortunately, there’s no other honest way to paint the events.

  M

T

W

T

F

S

S

Mon

Orgy Park

237 Jefferson Street, 1B Brooklyn, NY 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Website

Boning of the Thrownes

What is this show? We’re not exactly sure… but I clicked on it because I thought it might involve an even more-sex-filled (or spookier) parody of Game of Thrones. No such luck, but the brief, cryptic description also sounds enticing: “Thrown’ Bones for the pot, soup’s on and we’re gone veggie.”

At any rate, the list of participating artists looks extremely promising:

Liz Ainslie, Andrea Arrubla, Katherine Aungier, Rory Baron, Joshua Bienko, Tess Bilhartz, Kate M. Blomquist, Lauren Collings Schwarz, Corydon Cowansage, Nicholas Cueva, Julie Curtiss, Emily Davidson, Sonya Derman, Rachel Fainter, Elise Ferguson, Angelina Gualdoni, Yuhi Hasegawa, Clinton King, Jenny Lee, Stuart Lorimer, Ioana Manolache, Anthony Miler, Patrick Carlin Mohundro, Dominic Musa, Steve Mykietyn, Dan Oglander, Maria Stabio, Adam Sipe, Tracy Thomason, Charles Tisa, Zuriel Waters, Lindsay Wraga

Tue

Greene Naftali Gallery

508 W 26th St New York, NY 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Website

Infected Foot

Another contender for this week’s best “Mystery Exhibition with a Weird Name.” We’re not sure what the works in Infected Foot have in common, if anything at all, but Mathieu Malouf’s paintings are always a treat, just like this strange and lovely one above.

Artists: Monika Baer, Thomas Bayrle, Merlin Carpenter, Tony Conrad, Michaela Eichwald, Jana Euler, Genoveva Filipovic, Andrea Fourchy, Sergej Jensen, Michael Krebber, Mathieu Malouf, Laura Owens, Paul Sharits, Reena Spaulings, Josef Strau, Stefan Tcherepnin, Amelie von Wulffen

Wed

The Noguchi Museum

9-01 33rd Road Queens, NY 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Website

Self-Interned, 1942: Noguchi in Poston War Relocation Center

February 17th, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the United States’ inconceivable decision to forcibly relocate Japanese-Americans to internment camps during the second World War. Remarkably, Isamu Noguchi volunteered to leave New York (where Japanese-Americans weren’t subject to the order) and become interned in an Arizona desert camp.

This exhibition features work from the years immediately before, during, and after the sculptor’s internment, and traces the impact of that atrocity on his practice. It’s a timely exhibition not just because of the upcoming anniversary—it seems appropriate this show would just before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who proposed registering Muslim Americans and has plans for mass deportations.

Baxter St at The Camera Club of New York

126 Baxter St New York, NY 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Website

Sadie Barnette: Do Not Destroy

Here’s another timely exhibition about the US government’s repression and bullying of minorities. Sadie Barnette has been mining a 500 page FBI document about her father—labelled “Historical Value/Do Not Destroy”—as source material for artworks. Her father, Rodney Barnette, founded the Compton chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968, and was of course the subject of an extensive surveillance program on the part of the state. The younger Barnette has reclaimed this invasive archive—bedazzling pages like a child’s family scrapbook and enlarging photos to fine-art scale. So good.

El Cortez

17 Ingraham St. Brooklyn, NY 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.Website

Happy Anniversary Roe V Wade

Happy 44th Birthday, Roe v. Wade! We wish we had a better gift for you than a Supreme Court vacancy in the hands of sociopaths, but at least you’re getting a kick-ass party!

The evening is a fundraiser for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, and features performances from artist Viva Ruiz (with special guest Bjorn Majestik, drag innovator Matty Horrorchata, comediennes Adrienne Truscott & Suni Reyes, and music from DJ Eli Escobar.

TICKET DETAILS: Advance $15 At the door $20 VIP $50 VIP Admission includes: booth seating, free beverage sponsor drinks, $20 of raffle tickets & fun feminist swag

Thu

The FLAG Art Foundation

545 West 25th Street New York, NY 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Website

Cynthia Daignault: There is nothing I could say that I haven't thought before

Painter Cynthia Daignault collaborates with artists by asking them if she can paint one of their works. Specifically, she approaches artists whose own practices deal with issues of appropriation. The resulting images look a bit like images from a catalog of a show she’s curated about complicated notions of authorship. Yes, this is a pretty “fish-meets-barrel” conceit, but the paintings look pretty darn good. The works she’s depicted come from a pretty impressive list of artists:

Cory Arcangel, Sadie Barnette, Carol Bove, Sara Cwynar, Andy Coolquitt, Peter Dreher, Jessica Eaton, Awol Erizku, Roe Ethridge, Robert Gober, Josephine Halvorson, Anthea Hamilton, Peter Harkawik, Matthew Higgs, Jim Hodges, John Houck, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Louise Lawler, Margaret Lee, Allan McCollum, Josephine Meckseper, Jonathan Monk, Roula Partheniou, Richard Phillips, Charles Ray, Magali Reus, Jenna Rosenberg, Ed Ruscha, Tom Sachs, Erin Shirreff, Lorna Simpson, Julia Wachtel, Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, Fred Wilson, and Letha Wilson

Two other series on view, “MoMA, 2017” and “The Certainty of Others” similarly play with authorship. In the latter, she’s asked a series of representational painters to recreate one of her still lives, the original of which was destroyed. Those painters include Conor Backman, Jason Bereswill, Todd Bienvenu, Canyon Castator, TM Davy, Gregory Edwards, Matt Hansel, Daniel Heidkamp, Paul Jacobsen, Chason Matthams, Tristan Unrau, and Dylan Vandenhoeck

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.Website

Brooklyn Talks: Madonna X Marilyn Minter

Be still my heart! As part of the Brooklyn Museum’s A Year of Yes: Reimagining Feminism, Marilyn Minter and Madonna (yes, really) will be talking shop on the eve of the inauguration. This is a no-brainer must-see, if you can find a way to get tickets to this thing. They’re sold out.

Fri

Whitney Museum

99 Gansevoort St 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.Website

Occupy Museum Hosts A Speak Out on Inauguration Day

As concerned citizens we need to make it our job to speak out against the new Trump government. That job starts Friday so we need to show up in whatever capacity we can.

Occupy Museums is beginning by hosting a “speak out” at the Whitney, which will be followed by a day of assemblies and actions led by the #J20 Art Strike organizers and Sense of Emergency.  Many of the details have not yet been released, but know that the speak out begins at 11:00 a.m. and runs through 2:00 p.m. and the days activities will culminate at Foley Park at 5:00 p.m. for a protest.

Confirmed: Martha Rosler, Kalup Linzy, Noah Fischer, Naeem Mohaiemen, Tracy Morris, Amy Sillman, Mira Schor, Paddy Johnson (yours truly) and more.

Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and Art F City

6522 Hollywood Blvd 11:30 a.m. ESTWebsite

Rachel Mason, FutureClown

FutureClown, the Internet Avatar of Rachel Mason, will lip synch the swearing in ceremony of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. The performance will take place in real-time and will be streamed online via YouTube.

From our perspective, clowning the entire event is pretty much the only reaction a sane person could have to the inauguration. As a result, the content of our entire site will be inaccessible but for a popup of Mason’s live stream. It’s the only sensible thing to do.

Sat

Trestle Projects

400 3rd Ave Brooklyn, NY 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Website

Through a Honeycomb

The debut exhibition from Trestle Projects’ Curator-in-Residence for 2017, Jesse Bandler Firestone, Through a Honeycomb looks to be a great start to the year. The exhibition brings together artists, designers, and landscape architects to consider aspects of the built environment from agriculture and sustainability to surveillance and labor. It’s nice to see at least one event thinking utopian in these dark days.

Artists: Katie Torn, JaNae Contag, Juan Camilo Rodelo Vargas, Janne Höltermann, EcoAge (Emmaline Payette + Paula Pino), Laurencia Strauss, Sean Donovan, and Blue Planet Consulting

Sun

LUBOV

373 Broadway New York, NY 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Website

Hard Cry

Another timely show, this one about soul-crushing despair and anxiety.

Curator Gabriel H. Sanchez has brought together five artists from famously-neurotic NYC to “revel in the emotional sludge of contemporary living”. That includes social media fatigue, political horror, and so much more. Yay!

Artists: Ian Swanson, Cristina de Miguel, Tariku Shiferaw, Ryan Oskin, Kyle Haddad Welch

from Art F City http://ift.tt/2izr4Ue via IFTTT

[isisdreamweaver]

Couldn’t decide whether this fit on my OC/FC blog or writing blog but I’m writing it here.

Back in 2015, I wrote a Metroid novel for my first ever NaNoWriMo. It was a fun time. I still have yet to upload it to anywhere (probably AO3 first because I’ve got a history on FanFiction I’m trying to distance myself from + a lot of embarrassing works with gross crap I wasn’t even okay with at the time but wrote because it got me reviews and crap), but I will... eventually. I want to have most of my Zero Mission fanfic finished and that’s been slow going.

I predict... Late 2017/early 2018 maybe? Hard to tell given things are proving so. freaking. difficult. this year.

Anyways, this is really long and ramble-y so I’m gonna put a keep reading ‘ere. Nice and neat. Mmmm yeeeeasssssss. There will also be Hatchling spoilers, so if for whatever reason you actually want to read the crap I wrote when I edit it enough, you’ve been warned (actually, I’ll warn you exactly when the spoilery stuff comes up).

Being an ‘origin story’ for Samus, this pretty much lays the groundwork for my Metroid fanon and offers worldbuilding and other stuff. But mostly just Samus growing up and trying (often failing) to fight against the pain of loss as she tries to carve out her place in the universe.

As previous posts on this blog show, my version of Samus isn’t like the usual fandom interpretation, nor is she like any of her canon portrayals with the possible exception of the Metroid Prime (nothing she does in those games contradict my interpretation).

Where the popular personality for Samus tends to be cold and aloof (as Fusion and Zero Mission, both canon, seem to roll with) or cold and cruel, my version of her is emotional and kind, wanting to be the hero in spite of the terror she feels when confronted with, well... everything she meets. She’s scared a lot in Hatchling, and from what I’ve written of my Zero Mission, she spends most of that fanfic scared out of her mind.

The reason for her fear is simply that I find courage more interesting to write than fearlessness. To me, courage is knowing that when you take the leap and try to be the hero, you may not be coming back. Fearlessness is... certainly a trait, one I will write other characters as having, but a fearless protagonist just isn’t interesting to write or read to me. Personal preference ahoy.

Samus knows she’s ultimately just one woman against the horrors of the universe. She knows that each time she fights Ridley or some other threat, that fight may well be her last. She knows that every day presents new and interesting ways for her to completely frak up and die an undignified death. But she presses on, using her fear of death/desire to live to strengthen herself and win the day. And then she’ll do it all over again the next day. Why? Because she’s Samus Aran, and there are people out there who look up to her as a symbol of hope.

Hatchling, so far when I compare it to what I’ve written of my Zero Mission fanfic and the outlines of my fanfic series as a whole, really serves as the springboard for Samus’ character like it was meant to. But it also introduces a lot of other things, both related and unrelated to her, and I’d like to ramble about ‘em, however random they may seem.

To start with, I’ve completely gone against the usual depiction of Samus’ life before the Pirates attacked the colony and killed her parents. The general accepted canon/fanon is that she lived a fairly normal/perfect life, her parents loved her very much, etc etc etc, then everything changed when the Fire Nation Space Pirates attacked. And here’s where the spoilery crap comes in hide your unspoiled eyes while you can, folks. Note this is mostly backstory stuff that I’m not sure I’ll be able to fully address in my rewrite/edit of Hatchling but I will try.

In my fanon, Virginia is the captain of the security force on K2-L. She loves Samus and Solomon (yes I somehow discovered this obscure little brother in only appeared in some comic story thing during the 90′s and decided to add him) very much, but her work makes it very difficult for her to give them the time and attention they need.

Rodney, the chief engineer and leader of the mining operation at the planet, absolutely despises Samus and is only slightly less dismissive of Solomon. The stress of his job has of course made him very bitter but it’s worth noting he was already kinda sorta short-tempered and bitter to begin with. And he definitely wasn’t keen on having kids, but Virginia assured him they could make it work.

Rodney’s main issue, the big thing that creates a huge chasm between him and Virginia and quickly sets their relationship downhill, is Samus herself.

Namely, Rodney believes Samus isn’t his and even refused a DNA test because he was in ‘Get mad, stay mad’ mode and wanted to continue believing his wife cheated on him almost immediately after they got married. Why? Reasons known only to him really, but I’d say a large chunk of it is he simply wasn’t ready for this (as stated he wasn’t keen on having kids) and it was easier to deny he had any responsibility.

So who’s the unlucky chap Rodney thinks is Samus’ real father?

He’s some dork called Adam Malkovich. Last anyone heard, he dropped out of college and joined the Galactic Federation military because his family (consisting of only him and his kid brother, Ian) was dirt poor and he didn’t see any other way to help them. Occasionally you’ll hear talk about him from some of the other soldiers. Something about him having it really bad for some guy named Anthony Higgs? Who knows.

He was also, as it happened, Virginia’s best friend since childhood.

Shortly after Virginia and Rodney got married, their jobs pointed them in the direction of K2-L. A new life, a new planet, not a bad way to start.

Virginia, however, wasn’t quite ready to leave Adam behind and while Rodney was busy working things out with Federation officials, Virginia spent a weekend with Adam before the military took him out of her life and she lost her chance to say goodbye. Absolutely nothing happened between the two, because at the end of the day their relationship was purely platonic, but this was enough to make Rodney assume...

It’s a miracle Rodney and Virginia’s marriage didn’t immediately crumble.

So, needless to say, Samus’ brief childhood with her birth family was... rocky. Rodney didn’t like her and didn’t bother to hide it, and she also had a tendency to get in fights at school because let’s face it, she’s a wannabe hero running to everyone’s aid.

Also worth noting that Adam eventually becomes aware of what his time with Virginia did with her marriage and feels like the worst person ever for helping make it happen. Hurting his best friend was never his intention, and he desperately wants to make it up to her, and even try to get in Rodney’s good graces despite him personally disliking the man. But he’ll never be able to do any of these things, because Virginia and Rodney are dead.

Anyways, this has gone on way too long and I need to sleep so I’m gonna end it like this...

Hatchling is quite different from its sequel and the other fanfics I will write, and if I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ll ever write a Metroid fanfic quite like it ever again. It’s an origin story for Samus Aran, or at least that’s its sales pitch.

At the end of the day, what it really is, is a story about people making choices both good and bad, the consequences of those choices, the pain of loss and the struggle to cope with it, denial and acceptance of things you absolutely cannot change, and how relationships of any kind are complicated and often impossible to make sense of, but you don’t let any of this keep you down.

Hatchling is about rising from the ashes and carving one’s own path, wherever it may lead.

And that’s why I’m not ready to post it. So much work needs to be done to make it closer to my vision.