#a pack of animals. a tool like all the others. a leading force that brings a multitude of woes in its wake.

[cherubchoirs]

thinking of minos referring to v1 as "creature of steel", acknowledging its creation by mankind but how he may possibly view it as almost animalistic in nature now (he cannot judge its actions necessarily and does not blame it really for its imparted instincts, but it must be destroyed as it threatens what little is left of human souls) vs sisyphus calling it "child of man", a phrase used to either emphasize humanity's lesser status toward god/angels or as the title for the one who would usher in the end of days...and simply, purely, "weapon". it is an unthinking harbinger of destruction on any level - it will come, it will destroy, whether as an animal, as a tool, or as an entity. both a force of nature and the result of human hubris...ouughhaaa

[dancingstarsbornfromchaos]

Some random background story headcanons I have for Evil Rick, since there’s really not enough content about his character! (And since I was encouraged to share by a lovely person)

As a young kid, Rick showed all the signs what psychiatry would later label as a Conduct Disorder (which in teenagers is called Antisocial Personality Disorder): complete disregard for social norms, delinquent behaviour (mostly in the form of skipping school, stealing and destruction of property), lack of empathy, cruelty towards animals, intimidating behaviours, open aggression. So, he was damaged goods since the very start, capable of, and very willing to, destroying and twisting everything he touched.

Being as smart as he was just made it worse. He quickly learnt how not to get caught, how to act behind others’ back, how to make sure that he could get away with it, even when everyone was aware of the kind of little monster he was. But no proof, no crime, right?

He even sent several of his classmates to the hospital through his elementary and middle school years, leaving some of them deeply traumatised in the aftermath and a couple physically impaired.

His family never did anything about it. The Sanchez struggled with money and Rick’s mother was far too busy working her three job’s to care for her son...a son she hadn’t wanted to have to start with. As for his father, the man was half an alcoholic and half a criminal and, while absent in his son’s life, he was around more and the only figure Rick could learn something from. And what he learnt was that when you wanted something, the quickest way to go around the issue was to take it, rules and consent be damned.

While his parents never physically abused him, Rick grew up in a state of complete neglect (emotional, but also material), having to fend for himself since an age when he should have been too young to even just be alone in the house.

At every new school he was sent to, he attracted the attention of the local bullies, but it never lasted. Eventually, something really nasty happened to them and everyone learnt to keep their distances, kids and adults alike.

School still felt like a waste of time to him, so he chose to focus on teaching himself what he needed and wanted to learn. And that was were most of his efforts went. While he never felt the need for a connection with other people, unless it involved causing them pain or gaining something out of it, science was the one thing that made him feel more than just anger, frustration, boredom or the need to break everything around him. Where he usually lived following a primal urge for destruction, it gave him a chance to experience what it was like to create.

He left home at 16, and his family never even thought of looking for him. He made money through his inventions and crime, usually never getting fully involved and preferring to stand aside and watch the chaos his schemes and twisted games led to.

Soon, however, all that was no longer enough. Everything he did got dull faster and faster and Earth started to feel like a prison, which lead him to work obsessively on finding a way to leave that ball of dirt behind.

Diane was a convenient opportunity. She was good-looking in a way that society approved, she was easy to fall for his lone wolf act and her will too see good even where there was none made her easy to manipulate. And, more importantly, she had enough normalcy to hide away Rick’s abnormalities too. He never loved her, nor the daughter they had together. He just got her pregnant so he could marry her and use her as a walking hideout while he kept on pursuing his own interests in peace.

The very same day he finished to build his space ship, Rick packed his stuff and left in the middle of the day, while Diane was off to pick up a 5-years-old Beth out of school. He didn’t leave a note, never looked back. And forgot about them both pretty quickly too.

In that bloodied, lawless mess that space turned to be, Rick truly thrived for the first time in his life. He turned himself into a mercenary, working for whoever managed to pique his interest the most and for whoever offered him the best chance to get creative with his work. The Federation was hardly the only one to suffer from his games and whims. Some came to say that Rick Sanchez destroyed civilizations for breakfast, if he woke up in that kind of mood. Or if he had a bit too much to drink the night before.

He met the Squanchy and the Birdperson of his dimensions, but they never became friends. They were just people he had dealt with while he sold weapons to the Rebellion, two faces who stood up just a little more in a sea of a thousands more.

Of course, his lifestyle and disregard for the consequences earned him an endless list of enemy. He was hunted down and captured, tortured in all the conceivable ways. He was almost killed several times, violated in the body and the mind alike. He lost counts of all the substances that were put and that he willingly put into his body, which by now was synthetic and part machine than human. Yet, he always came out on top, covered in blood and with that insane, terrifying tingle in his eyes shining just a bit brighter each time.

Meeting other Ricks and learning about interdimensional traveling marked a new turn in his life. He moved through different realities, took a vague interest in studying the differences in the course or history (and eventually found most of them pathetic and unworthy of his time). He even spent a couple of years living on the Citadel, hidden away in its darkest corners, always under the radar.

One thing stuck with him of all his experiences among his other selves, the same thing that eventually pushed him travel back to his own Earth, something he had never even just considered doing after having left it behind for good. The boy.

Showing up at his estranged daughter’s door, Rick quickly learnt two things: one, he wasn’t welcome but they let him stay anyway because he was bringing resources they didn’t have and, especially, because Beth was smart enough to figure that there was no denying him; secondly, his daughter’s family was no different from the one he had grown up with. A house full of indifference and neglect, where the kids were left to their own devices, no matter the consequences.

His 10-years-old Morty turned out to be nothing like Rick had been as a child. He was weak, easily scared, too full of stupid hopes and dreams, craving to be nurtured and given the affection that none of the people around him was willing to offer. He was pathetic, even, a crying, shivering mess. And yet, Rick didn’t miss it, the spark of strong willpower and stubbornness that would have allowed the kid to thrive just as Rick himself had done, if properly cultivated.

Useless to say, Rick didn’t hesitate to completely take over Morty’s life. It wasn’t like there was anyone to stop him or to worry or give a damn anyway. He planned on breaking the kid into pieces, literally and figuratively, over and over and over, using his own horrifying experiences as a guide. He would have forced him to accept that there was nothing in his life, in his universe but Rick. Then he would have put him back together, shaped him and molded him into something as resilient as Rick’s own wrecked life had made him. A sharp tool, a deadly weapon, a helpful sidekick. And, perhaps, one day, a partner. Because, whether or not he was willing to admit it, Morty was the first and only person Rick was ever able and ever wished to truly connect with.

[tribbetherium]

The Middle Glaciocene: 110 million years post-establishment

Yeah, This Is Big Brain Time: Cognitive Complexity in the Middle Glaciocene

Evolution is not a stepping stone ladder with specific goals and evolutionary targets: and most certainly, its destination is certainly not increasingly smarter creatures. Whatever survives for now is its sole driving force, leading to many branches going nowhere, or some very unlikely lineages reaching levels of success despite their seemingly-absurd forms.

But one trend, as with Earth, that has also appeared in HP-02017, independently in several separate lineages, is the rise of cognitive complexity: creatures better endowed in percieving their world and manipulating events to better favor their survival. While not a guarantee for success, due to its metabolic cost, the potential for a smarter creature is great: able to take advantage of resources and out-think predators and prey to better its odds of surviving, and thus passing on its genes for bigger and more-complex brains,

Many species would convergently develop more complex behaviors and larger brains, from completely disparate branches of the evolutionary family tree. One of note are the fisshors: a group of rhinocheirid species that are predominantly predators of freshwater aquatic life, such as shrish and skwoids, though it still feeds significantly on plant matter as well. Unusually among rhinocheirids, its lower lip is elongated as well, and is able to aid the characteristic three-lobed trunk in grasping and manipulating objects. For the fisshor is no mere piscivore, but a dexterous tool-user: it taps the surface of the water to create ripples, or drops small bait like insects or flowers to lure prey within striking range. At times, some have even learned to use sticks as clubs for stunning aquatic prey, or even as self-defense against predators-- a tactic that is often learned by the clever creatures from one another in their social groups and imitated for their own benefit.

Another notably-intelligent species are the thorhorns, large megafaunal ungulopes that form tight social bonds within their families. Females travel in large herds, where they communally rear their offspring, while males go in smaller groups of two or three-- but are no less tightly bonded to one another, protecting each other, preferring their company, and showing concern for each other's well-being. Different herds of thorhorns display differing behaviors and customs, in what may be considered a simple form of culture, and social behaviors are passed down from generation to generation, such as locations of mineral-rich stone deposits, which thorhorns like to eat as a dietary supplement, or recognizing the skeletons of their own species and displaying a form of curiosity bordering on a show of grief.

Cricetaceans, especially the small, dolphin-like species known as the blippers, are another brainy beast: they are known to have a complex range of vocalizations and behaviors that they use to communicate with their own kind. They are known to cooperate to corral shoals of shrish, display problem-solving tactics such as using coral reefs or stones to crack open hard-shelled invertebrate prey, and retain a sense of playfulness and curiosity even into adulthood, with pods of these aquatic hamsters constantly exploring large territories, inquisitively inspecting new and unfamiliar objects cautiously, and even leading other members of their pods to new food sources that they have discovered.

Predators on land have also gained quite a level of sophistication, namely the lycanines : short-fanged daggarats that were displaced by their cousins the dark maulers from the plains and now thrive as sociable pack-hunters targeting smaller prey like ungulopes. These cooperative hunters form large packs of related individuals, and cooperate to bring down prey, raise their young, and share their food amicably to their packmates, even to older or injured members that have long since lost the ability to hunt for themselves and thus helping them, somewhat altruistically, survive for far longer than they otherwise would in the wild. Empathetic and sociable to a surprising level barely expected of a fearsome carnivore, their nurturing instincts have even been known to on rare occasions misfire onto small prey animals that trigger their more caring behaviors, such as ungulope calves or lemunkies such as chimpmunks, though this arrangement rarely lasts as the interloper is often eaten by other packmates or starves due to the wannabe parent unable to properly care for it.

But most remarkable of all these are a bizarre population of ripperoos that have become smaller and more cunning than their larger and more vicious kin, specializing in brains over brawn and becoming more of like the coyotes to the maniacal ripperoos' wolves. Relying on intelligence over brute force, they would gradually be pressured away from the Mesoterran badlands to search out new lands with less competition: ultimately crossing the land bridges over to Arcuterra: where their migration would backfire, instead finding themselves in a land with even more predatory competition, with zingos, carnohams, beelzeboars and treegers, all of them too willing to wipe out this new mesopredator intruder. Pressured to survive, the dwarf ripperoos would resort to breeding faster and younger to keep their populations up despite higher mortality, and from this a key feature would arise: neoteny. Retaining more infantile features into maturity as a side effect of reaching breeding age faster, they would also unlock an important tool: a brain that continues developing for far longer and remaining flexible even in maturity, allowing them to keep learning new ways to catch prey and outsmart, even actively kill, larger rival predators, thanks to pragmatic cooperation from the normally-vicious species, that would ultimately lead to more organized pack-hunting behaviors and the more complex use of tools and traps.

These species will not all reach the same developmental milestones at the same time, or even at all, as the process of cognitive development is a situational one: species that have learned to cope with an environment may not need to become even more intelligent if their current setup is sufficient for their survival. And becoming intelligent is not a guarantee to ensure a continued ascent: even the brainiest species are vulnerable to environmental changes they cannot adapt to, or changes that actively favor a decrease in intelligence given that the brain is an energy-hungry organ that would poorly suit less-active animals with less-nutritive diets. But once a certain threshold of intelligence is reached, it becomes a snowball effect of change: as the level of cognition ultimately favors a species that can control its environment to suit its needs-- for better or for worse.

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

[willwedie-justalittle]

Teen wolf and sounds

Ever since I started watching tv, I noticed that I would be more likely to recognise songs and voices instead of faces. That lead to a game in my household where I would try to remember which characters had the same voices, since the shows I watched were mostly American and needed dubbing. This means that most of the time, a single French guy would be the voice of a lot of different characters. I also spent a lot of time just singing the theme songs or trying to recognise which song was being used in a scene. And when I started TW, I watched it in English. That meant that I no longer needed to listen to the voices to see if they reminded me of another character, I could just concentrate on the sounds the makers of the show decided to use.

When making a cinematographic piece, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Not only does the cast have to be good, they also have to make sure the visual and sounds serve a purpose. A dialog can be perfectly delivered by the actors, if their surrounding aren’t made to follow along, it just becomes a pretty useless scene. And since I’ve watched a shit ton of Teen Wolf over the years, I wanted to talk in length about the sounds and noises used by the makers of the show to help move the story forward, and how much I enjoy it. I originally wanted to concentrate on the 3rd season, but I soon realised that I couldn’t limit everything to a single season. Everything that’s being said here doesn’t reflect anybody’s opinion but my own. I accept criticisms, and I also recognise that I don’t own kind of degree regarding movies and/or sounds. I’m just a 27-year old who loves cinema and music. Don’t take it too seriously. This is also a disclaimer : I’m French, so there might be some mistakes along the way, don’t hesitate to tell me and I’ll correct them.

This goes without saying, but SPOILERS.

Here’s how I organised this :

I : Introduction to sounds, for the viewers and the characters

II : Wolves and vilain, how they communicate?

III : What if we just talk?

IV : The new world within the new world

________________________________________________________________

I : Introduction to sounds, for the viewers and the characters

Where it all began

For this story to exist, there is one thing that can’t be taken away : a police scanner. We overhear that a body has been discovered in the forest during the night at the end of August/early September. Stiles, the Sheriff’s son intercept the message on his police scanner and decides to drag Scott, his best friend, deep into the woods to go and look for the body. It is made clear to the audience that listening devices are going to be important, so much so that one of the main character has one installed in his car.

After the search, and an altercation with the Sheriff’s department, Scott gets bitten. In the scene, we see him turning around because of the noises the wolf behind him is making. The scene is dark, and we hear more that we see the wolf attacking him. We hear his feral snarls, and Scott’s screams. And here starts what becomes a very TW characteristic : the presence of a wolf is mostly known because of their sounds. Whether it’s the growling, the running, or the noises that come along the reveal of their shifted form with the glistening of their eyes. It’s a very distinct sound, one that will be kept until the end of the show to signal to the audience of the changing into a wolf of one of the character, no matter their rank.

The police scanner has then been used multiple times, up until the end of the 5th season, when Stiles and Scott hear that a body had been found in the woods, again, the story going full circle when Stiles decided to leave Beacon Hills to start studying in the FBI’s training program. Of course, it wouldn’t be the last time we see Stiles, but it was pretty heart-warming to see that after they passed the torch to Liam and Mason, their story as teenagers was coming to an end.

As my mum would say : should you listen to your music so loudly?

I thought it was interesting how music was used in the series. Not the background musics, sadly I didn’t have the time to go too deep with the interpretation of why a certain song was being used in a specific scene, but rather, how music is being used in the series in regards to the character’s actions, and the sense of false security that comes along with it.

First, let’s talk about Kira. In her first scene interacting with the pack, she overhears a conversation between them; using it to approach them. Sounds here serve as an introduction to the pack for her, since she’s able to become part of it afterwards. The other interesting part is that through noises and sounds, she is able to get a few glimpses into Scott’s world without fully understanding it.

She’s actually the first character that made me realise the importance of music as a tool. In season 3, she comes close to death when William Barrow comes to the school and is ordered to kill her. She has no idea that a serial killer roams around the school and goes to the library after her classes end. When Stiles pulls the emergency alarm; a universal sounds that signifies danger when heard, to evacuate the school, she is unable to hear it due to the music in her headphones being so loud. When Coach finds her and makes her leave, Barrow is shown hiding behind the shelves next to her. If music seems to be a way for her to escape, it it used to trick her into a state of false security.

Then, it Liam’s turn. In s4, this newcomer is bitten by Scott in order to save his life. And soon enough, he begins to change into a werewolf. This is being shown to the audience through music. When being driven by Kira, the music playing in the background overwhelms him, making it as if it was being played at a loud volume, instead of the nice background noise it actually was. It’s a nice flashback to when Scott was still learning to get used to his heightens senses (more on that later). Teen wolf has a habits of making things go full circles and often uses sounds to translate this for the viewers. Even without outright saying it, we are able to reflect on what it can mean. And this sense of false security comes back too. Kira is here pretending to drive him to a party, when she is actually bringing him to the pack to help him control the shift.

Last, I’m going to talk about the bonfire, and how, once again, music was made to lure the wolves into a dangerous situation. In the bonfire scene, we are shown Liam and Malia getting drunk, something that we’ve been told was impossible due to their healing powers.

Scott ends up realising that the music playing for the crowd is being used to disable them to help the killer who came there to cross their names off the deadpool.

The makers of Teen wolf found a universal part of the life of teenagers, something that can help them go through difficult times and decided to use it against the characters, showing the audience that nothing is safe. They all have to figure out a way to navigate through this new life without the help of what was once a source of comfort, and so does the audience.

II. Wolves and vilains, how do they communicate ?

How the wolves use it

Not only are we, as spectator, made aware of their changing, but the wolves themselves gain something from being bitten. Their sense of sight, smell and hearing become heightened, to help them not only hunt, but protect themselves.

Scott is the first wolf we see who is learning how to control his senses. In the first season, Derek tries to teach Scott a way to control and survive the shift. It doesn’t go as easily as Derek hoped, and he has to resort to showing Scott what will happen if he doesn’t try harder. He helps him concentrate on the sounds of hunters approaching them one night, and makes him watch another wolf get killed. From this moment on, Scott is not only able to take this training more seriously, but also use his listening ability to protect himself.

Unfortunately, the hunters are aware of this characteristic and found a way to deprave them from it : they fabricated a device that emits a sound only wolves are able to hear and it was originally used to distract them and lead them to a trap. But as the seasons go by, Chris Argent (whose family is known for hunting werewolves) becomes an ally and helps regroup Boyd and Cora to the school using those emitters. The torture device becomes helping as the seasons progress, along with the relationship between the characters. The noises then become a tool.

Over the following seasons, Scott masters this ability, and is shown using it in a lot of different situations. It helps him when he needs to listen in to conversations in relations with a villain he’s chasing, or when it helps him get closer to Allison on her first day. Funny enough, it is also used to try to befriend Kira when she first arrives after he heard her talking to her father about her lack of friends.

Alphas and packs

Since the beginning of the show, it was showed that wolves can communicate differently. To signal their position, they can howl and while it might not mean anything to humans, other wolves/animals are able to understand it. It is also used to bring someone back from their headspace. Scott first uses it in the first season to bring the alpha to the school. Later, in season 3, when he and Lydia enter Stile’s mind, he howls on Lydia’s advice to help Stiles overcome the Nogistune’s power in his mind. Stiles being part of Scott’s pack is able to hear it and regains control of his mind despite being human. Over the course of the show, we see wolves of Scott packs using it with each other, but they’re not the only one.

In the first half on the 3rd season, we are introduced to the Alpha Deucalion. Leader of the pack Scott fights against, he uses his voice to force terror and submission to those around him. He shatters his glasses when he proclaims himself Destroyer of worlds and tries later on to force Scott to kill Jennifer, making Scott fall to his knees ; his wolf unable to resist the command of an Alpha.

Sounds in this case becomes a way to rally someone to a cause or a pack. But it is a very grounding sound, used to bring either peace of mind, or terror. The viewers are then able to choose a fighter.

III. What if we just talked ?

Phones, man’s greatest invention

Scott realises quickly that something’s happening to him when he hears Allison (on the other side of the school ground) saying to the mother on the phone that she forgot to bring a pen. It helps him get on her radar since he is able to give her one, making him the first person/student Allison talks to when she arrives in BH.

As the story goes on, I’ve always thought that Allison’s relationship with sounds was a pretty important on. As a foreshadow, she gets some mysterious voicemails of a man speaking Japanese when her phone is turned off the night Stiles goes missing in s3. It is revealed that the man is telling instruction to a group of prisoners in a Japanese camp named Oak Creek during WW2. It ends up being relevant, since Kira’s mother summoned the Nogitsune while being a prisoner in this camp. Sadly, it also happens to be the place where Allison is killed.

Still with the Argents, when Kate is brought back to life, Scott says that since he doesn’t have the money to call France where Chris is staying since his daughter’s death, he thought he could text him the bad news. Stiles tells him that it might not be such a good idea to announce something like that over a text. And with money being a big part of the 4th season, the foreshadowing is once again strong in this scene.

Then we have the case of Jennifer Blake, the English teacher/antagonist in s3a. We are first introduced to her through her voice. She sent a text to all of her students, quoting the end of a book they’re going to study, and she reads the last sentence out loud coming into the classroom. And if it can be shocking to see teachers texting their students, it is later used to set up a meeting between her, Derek, Scott and Deucalion. This time, instead of the tool bringing people closer, it is used to put a plan in motion, one that involves death and pain.

Words aren’t just words, they’re tools

I talked about a lot of sounds a wolf can make, but another important thing in a series are the words themselves, the dialogues. In this story, we are faced with a lot of teenagers, and it isn’t wrong to say that at 16/17, it is hard to voice everything that’s going on in the head of a teenager. Everyone relies on a different method, and it builds their characters. Where Scott can be a little shy, Stiles is the loud one. When Lydia is making sure nobody knows how high her grades are, her boyfriend Jackson likes to brag about his successes. We have a lot of paradoxes here, and there are a lot more comparison to do.

Spoken words are loud in this series. Stiles is the sarcastic one, using it to defend himself, and it is quite interesting that Lydia is doing the same thing with her screams. But sadly, the unspoken things are louder. They can break a family apart. Scott is once again a good example. After his drunk father came home after a night out drinking, his mother told him to get out. She then went to Noah Stilinski to talk about it. Stiles overheard everything but never said a word to Scott. But so did Scott’s mother who felt like Scott would resent her if she told him that she was the one how asked his father to leave. Secret are hard to keep and live with, and they gain so much power as time goes by. There is also something to be said about misunderstandings. In that case, Melissa admits to Scott’s father in the 3rd season that he misunderstood her words, saying that she wished that he would still be a part of their son’s life.

Then, we have Stiles trying to get the biggest secret of all off his chest and tell his dad about the supernatural at the hospital. His father has a very specific answer :« I’m listening, I've been listening ». Meaning that as much as he is used to his son antics, he doesn’t want to admit that he is telling the truth. He hears what his son is saying, but he doesn’t want to listen, despite what he’s saying. Listening and hearing are two very different things. Listening means taking into account the words that are being spoken. And when the things he hears go against everything he believed his entire life, and he can’t listen to it any longer. We then find out that he had a moment when his wife died and a young woman told him to go be with his wife, and he didn’t want to obey. As much as he tells himself that he doesn’t believe, he just doesn’t want to face the fact that he missed his wife’s last moments. And it is heartbreaking to see that he needs to be himself close to dying to admit that his son was right. Stiles’ words were true, and not just the rambling of a teenager. He finally listened, after days, even years of dismissing what he refused to believe.

But some words can help bring closure. It is always a regret people have when they can’t say goodbye to their loved ones. But Allison isn’t one of them. On the contrary, her last words are probably the most important ones of the series. Just before her final battle, she made a point of telling her dad that she loved him. She needed to voice it, making sure that no matter what happened, her words would always resonate in her father’s mind. Then, she tells Scott how he’ll always be her first love, and finishes by saying that she has to tell something to her dad. When Chris hears it, he first think of his last conversation with his daughter, but it turns out that Allison needed to tell him something else : she realised how to kill the Onis, and she wants to make sure the pack and her dad are able to use her arrow heads to defeat them. Allison was a powerful young woman, fierce and strong, and as much as she values her relationship with the people around her, she also made sure to voice what was important to her.

Spoken words are on of the most effective ways to bring a story to life, but not everyone is able to speak. The show doesn’t let it stop them, and it brings us to the next subject.

Different kinds of voices

Over the course of the series, we see the pack facing all kinds of villains. Some like to talk and be heard, like Kate, or Peter, but some others use another way to be understood and deeply feared.

Let’s start with the Mute. He is a man (?) without a mouth, a professional killer who decides to kill supernatural beings from the deadpool. He uses a wrist keyboard with a computer generated voice to communicate with his victims. And the fact that he can’t talk but still has a voice coming out of him makes for a great villain, but a scary one at the same time. Because he only uses his voice to invoke fear ; with Sean Walcott to tell him that he killed his family and will kill him too, and with Peter when he tells him that Derek will be the next to die. The sounds coming from him are haunting, and likely resonate in the head of the people lucky enough to survive him.

The Anuk-Ite, who doesn’t use his own voice, found a way to inflict fear as well, with a difference: he uses other’s people voice to make his victims suffer. In the series finale, he uses the pack’s weaknesses’s voices against them to make them open their eyes and freeze them. Most of them give in and open their eyes, but Scott finds a way to go around it. If the Anuk-Ite uses voices, he will use his eyes. And it is such a great power move, because it shows us that while powerful enough to create illusion of the pack’s loved ones or fears, Scott decided to exploit the villain’s weakness against him.

Then we have the Oni, the « Japanese ninjas » from season 3. They don’t need a voice to be feared. The sound effects used to signal their presence is the only thing we need; a weird sound that comes out every time they appear, making the viewers and the character scared for what’s about to happen. And we have to recognise the talent of the people behind those sound effects, because without them, we would need words, and threats from the villains. But given that the only introduction they need is this sound, the scenes come across perfectly. And, except the few information given by Katashi, we don’t need anything else to understand that anyone standing in their way will be killed. Similar to them, are the Rider’s in the 6th season. They are some of the biggest villains the pack has faced, erasing dozens of people from existence without uttering a single word.

Finally, we have one of the most human killers of the show ; Brunski, the Head Orderly at Eichen House. He was a serial killer who killed patients because he believed he was helping them with their pain and recorded it on a tape recorder to listen to it later. In the fourth season, we found out that he murdered Lydia’s grandmother and uses this to torture her by made her and Stiles listen to the young woman's grandmother pleading for her life. And it must have been excruciating for Lydia to know that the last thing she will ever hear of her grandmother was her last moment alive. Once again, sounds and voices are being used against Lydia to torture her further, showing us that this human serial killer doesn’t need any super power to be heard and have his voice used to kill. Worst than this, his use of sounds is so disturbing. He finds happiness in listening to his victims suffer, going even further by recording it to relieve it all over again. He uses the last defences his patients have against them, even beyond their death.

Now that we saw the importance of sounds coming from humans and wolves alike, let’s see who else needs more than words to express themselves.

IV : The new world within the new world

Lydia and other Banshees

When we first meet Lydia, she is as far from the supernatural as one can be. But as time progresses, she encounters Peter who bites her and turns her into… Well something. She starts by following blindly his orders in season 2, but the real progress happens in season 3. Being held captive by Jennifer Blake, she ends up screaming, signalling every supernatural creatures around that something is happening to her. In the previous season, her screams were made to believe she was just screaming out of fear, as humans sometimes do when faced with a gigantic black form sprinting out of a store window. Blake then realises that she’s a Banshee ; the wailing woman, shading lights on so many events in the seasons : why she ended up finding a lot of the bodies in the beginning of the season, or why she would end up at certain key locations. But once again, the makers of the show decided to use sounds to express not only how she felt, but what it meant.

After she sees Peter talking to her mother about hearing, she decides to go to him to learn more about her power. He tells her that the screams don’t give her her powers. They help her calm down enough to quiet her mind. That explains how she was able to find out what was hidden in Talia Hale’s claws ; she screamed and threw them at the wall, allowing her to understand the voices inside it. That’s also how she was able to understand that the flies she was hearing in the William Barrow episodes were actually electricity, which helped the pack realise that Kira was being held at the power plant. After spending an entire day thinking there were flies around her, she finally screamed when Stiles told her to. Lydia has a special relationship with sounds, but they are sadly too overwhelming at first, thus stopping her to understand what’s going on.

During this time, a possessed version of Stiles was taking some medical tests in an MRI machine. Lydia, being so scared for his friend, spent the entire day being hyper sensitive to sounds. She was hearing lockers and doors closing at a higher rate and heard the sound of the machine loud and clear, as if she was the one inside it. She tried to put the music louder but the sounds were all she could hear, and she finally screamed. But no sound were heard in the scene. We only saw her despair and fear. She wasn’t screaming as a Banshee, but as someone who didn’t want her friend to die. The torture wasn’t over though, because Void Stiles took her in Oak Creek and there, she was able to hear every single person who died during the riot. She appears in total distress, not being able to shut her mind from all the pain that roamed around the corridor. The saddest moment however came when Allison was killed. Not being able to stop herself, or help a passed out Stiles, she just screams for the life of her best friend, and it no doubt will be added to cries of the other victims of this place.

Next comes the study in the Lake House. During the party in season 4, she realises that once the door was closed, no noise was able to come through. And as hard as it to make a scene with the proper music and sounds, it is even harder to do when there aren’t any sounds. Here we see how important the absence of noise is. And it becomes so much more relevant when we learn that her grandmother was also a Banshee who was able to predict one death because she heard rain when it wasn’t raining outside. Sadly, it didn’t help, since her girlfriend ended up dying, not able to understand where this warning was coming from. Her grandmother then decided to look for other people like her and here came Meredith. This young woman wasn’t able to understand the voices in her head. The Lake House served as some kind of experiment for her, and here, the sounds are used to show how mad they drove her. If Lydia was able to understand more of her family’s heritage and her power, Meredith bled from her ears in this room. Once again, foreshadowed when the wine bottle breaks on the ground, spreading red everywhere.

As for Meredith, she goes through some rough times during the end of the season when we discover that she was the one who created the deadpool in response of Peter’s thoughts that she was able to hear when he was in a coma after the fire. He kept going on and on about how there should be a list of supernatural people, and that professional killers should be the first one to cross names off that list. Lydia explained that for Meredith, all the time he spent in a coma, it was like she was only hearing his thoughts, like a radio. And so the deadpool was born. And once again, the study in the Lake House was a crucial part of the story since it was there that the deadpool was able to be active, and ended up being destroyed. When the truth comes out, Lydia is the only one able to understand Meredith. And it prompted the saying « Not all monsters do monstrous things ». Lydia is finally able to understand the world around her and herself, recognising that sounds and screams can be used for the greater good.

And it is also Meredith who ends up teaching a lot to Lydia, showing her that her screams can be as powerful as a bullet. From then on, Lydia is able to save Stiles from the Hunt-version of his mother in season 6 for example, help him break free of his imprisonment of the Hunt, or break Mason from The Beast’s possession in season 5. Her screams no longer come from a place of fear, but power.

But it also shows us something important : when the pack was trying to destroy the Beast of Gevaudan, Lydia is attacked by Sebastian Valet and, when she attacked him, he clawed at her throat, making her unable to use her voice, making her powerless. Over time, her screams became a defense, something that she was able to channel to protect herself. And the inability to produce them showed us once again that while it is hard to voice our thoughts and make sense of things while talking, it is even harder to deal with them without the ability to be loud or even just heard.

Eichen House & Echo House

We are first introduced to this place in season 3 when Stiles believes he is trapped there by the Nogistune. He finally decides a few episodes later to stay there to ensure the safety of the pack. And from the moment he walks in, we are surrounded creepy music. The woman tells Stiles that he won’t have any spoken contacts with the outside world for 72 hours, making sure that the isolation is complete. It also means that he won’t be able to be reassured by his loved ones. And as soon as the Sheriff begins to doubt his decision to leave Stiles there, he hears sounds louder, like Lydia earlier ; doors closing, buzzing sounds like in a prison when a cell opens and closes, etc… His mind is unable to concentrate on anything else but the sounds telling him that his son isn’t safe there. And as soon as he leaves, we have proof of that : a man hangs himself from the stairs. Right before that happens, we hear him talking, without anybody paying attention to him, even when Stiles points it out to the nurse. And when he voices his need to talk to someone outside, his request is denied. In this place, there are so many voices and levels of insanity that the few clear sentences that come out of the patients’ mouth are taken as white noise.

Stiles' roommate Oliver then tells him that he is aware of the suicide without having to leave his bed. The other name for this institution is Echo House, because according to him, everything echos there. Which means that the pain and suffering that one patient can experience is voiced and shared with all the other patients. Voices here are a sign of insanity and unsafe environment.

Sadly, all of this was perceived by Lydia earlier in the season. When Stiles went missing, she went to his room to find an intricate bundle of rope all over his bed. When Aiden pinched a string, Lydia heard voices telling her that Stiles was trapped in Eichen house.

The story then comes full circle with Lydia being a patient at Eichen House in the 5th season where she learns all about the strength of her powers. As patients are often physically restricted or tied to their beds, it is significant that Lydia was able to finally scream out her pain. So loud in fact, that she was able to break windows and free herself.

_____________________________________________________________

In the eighth episode of season 6, Blitzkrieg, Noah Stilinski says that they are gathered together (minus Stiles) because his « goofball son » decided to drag his greatest friend in the world out in the wood to see a dead body a few years ago. And this call was the beginning of everything. If Stiles hadn’t been listening, he wouldn’t have led Scott outside, Scott wouldn’t have been bitten, and none of this would have happened. And that’s the most important thing in this show. Without sounds, there wouldn’t be any kind of story.

Rare are the shows and movies who are able to make a complete work without any sounds, or spoken words. But as astonishing as those body of work are, it makes even more important the ones that feature sounds as a tool. Because that’s what they are, in the end. Tools to move a story, tools to understand the characters. Show runners talk through their characters, bring life to words that only existed in their minds. Some put more thoughts into it than others, but I think that we can learn a lot from the person behind a show if we listen closely to the sounds they choose to include in a story. Each character is a representation of a specific idea, and each one of their words represents an important notion a show runner wants the audience to grasp. Are we all willing to listen, though?

[tiredassmage]

Character Profile ❅ Astor Caulfield

But the AU one. Also yes, I just took a bunch of pics in one set, shhh, am lazy atm.

BASICS ---

Name: Astor Monroe Caulfield

Age: 28 years (By approximately Heavensward)

Nameday: 17th sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon

Race: Midlander Hyur

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Martial Status: Single, though still mourning

OC Tags: ch: astor caulfield, vs: dragonsong (the first being his overall character tag, the second being specifically for our lovingly dubbed heretic au x,D, which this sheet is for!)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ---

Hair: Dark brown, usually pulled back into a single, neat braid, though occasionally simply done up in a ponytail. When free, full length hangs roughly about his mid-shoulders down his back. He somehow manages to keep it relatively neat, despite the relatively frequent travel - part of why it’s usually tied up.

Eyes: A pale crystal blue, almost gray if you catch him in the right (or wrong) lighting.

Height: 5 fulms, 10 ilms.

Build: Average, with broad shoulders.

Distinguishing Marks: Little physically that isn’t covered by general physical descriptions. The stark contrast of his dark hair and pale eyes is usually enough to stick to people, if they’re trying, and the way his hair is always braided back.

Common Accessories: Generally carries a full deck of arcanima, regardless of current job. Generally wears a relatively simple band with a small design of blue gems set into it resembling ice or crystal. A simple leather necklace with an aged, once silver (at least in color, if not partially in material) charm usually worn freely over robes and other clothing - an inheritance from his mother.

PERSONAL ---

Profession: Scion of the Seventh Dawn, he supposes, if you’d want to be technical. Generally speaking, just an adventuring companion to the Warrior of Light. Previously, a high-ranking member of Iceheart’s band, and something of an unofficial keeper of their knowledge.

Main Job: Astrologian and, later, Summoner, learned in the course of helping the Scions and Warriors of Light combat the persistent primal threat.

Hobbies: Gardening, a light and quiet enthusiast for drawing (he keeps a small journal of sketches of various landmarks and such from his adventures that he also keeps little scribbles of notes in, don’t perceive him, especially if he didn’t tell you). Let him hear of animals in need of rescue or adoption at your own risk because he’ll probably at least really consider taking them on himself. Occasionally indulges in a little fortune telling with his deck. Not that he’d admit it. And not that he’d do it for just anyone. Usually for his own peace (or opposite) of mind.

Languages: Possessed of the Echo, but native to the Eorzean Common Tongue, both spoken and written.

Residence: He hasn’t really felt settled anywhere since he left Tailfeather and Anyx Trine behind, but likely has a small retreat of a residence either somewhere in Gridania or Revenant’s Toll, so as not to be too far from Scion operations when necessary.

Birthplace: Tailfeather, the Dravanian Forelands. A little north of it, technically. But it’s the closest town, and that’ll do.

Religion: Though not exactly practicing, had offered his beliefs to the Twelve, and selected patron in Nymeia, the Spinner, though adventures since would have made him question a fair bit of things.

Fears: Disinclined to be totally alone, abandoned. Wildfires. Being manipulated and used as a tool or weapon, particularly against the few he does cherish. Not being fast enough to save someone else he loves - and, worse, not being able to do a damn thing even if he was there.

RELATIONSHIPS ---

Spouse: Ysayle. No, he’s never quite recovered, even by Shadowbringers, though he has learned to live with it, to carry his grief and move forward, instead of being held back.

Children: None, currently. Though he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.

Parents: A father he didn’t know too well, lost to bandits on the roads when he was sixteen, and his mother, Gaia, lost when he was eighteen to illness.

Siblings: None

Other Relatives: None by blood, though the Scions are something of a found family, with time. He has also endeared himself to several of the dravanian residents of Anyx Trine, and got no small amount of delight in working with the younglings.

Pets: A hunting hawk named Zephira he nursed back to health from a broken wing.

TRAITS ---

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

HABITS ---

Smoking: Never

Drugs: Never

Alcohol: Occasionally, and only lightly. Usually socially.

ABOUT ---

Born and raised in the Dravanian Wilds to a humble hunter and trader and healer who had spent some time studying in New Sharlayan before she had left, Astor would see little of his father in his youth, though he’d know him to be a decent and loyal man. He was closest with his mother - almost insparable, they were just as much friends and as family. From her, he soaked up as much of her knowledge as she could share, eagerly taking after her in learning healing arts from conjury to the art of the astrologians. The young boy was particularly entranced with the art of drawing magic from the heavens and their representative cards. Together, him and his mother ran a small clinic from their home just north of Tailfeather, occasionally traveling into town to trade and work with the hunters there.

On one of his hunting and trading trips, his father was killed by bandits and thieves when he was sixteen, leaving just him and his mother with little closure on the who of the deed - not that it mattered. Knowing wouldn’t bring him home, and they still had lives to lead for themselves, and patients to tend to, so they carried on. Sadly, one might have said it was the first strike of tragedy, as his mother feel ill no more than two years later, and, despite his best efforts both physical and magical, her condition refused to improve until she passed shortly after his eighteenth nameday. Though the boy struggled to grieve the loss of his closest friend, he persisted their work in the clinic for two more years before the Calamity struck and changed everything as all had known it.

In the cold and snows that followed, Astor met Ysayle, and the pair of dreamers quickly grew close. Astor packed up to follow her where her dreams would lead them - into revolution, change for a better future, and an end to a war that had mired so many lives for far too long.

Over time, he became one of her most trusted comrades, filling a role akin to a second-in-command, often tending to their forces himself in the wake of skirmishes and conflict with Ishgardian forces and otherwise. When finally the Scions and the Warriors of Light entered the fray, it was with wariness and caution he met these would-be heroes. His trust would not be so easy to earn; he would not risk all they had worked for thus far - beloved, just hero of the realm or just some overzealous knights filled with lies and duty. Though, if Ysayle deemed them worthy of trust and cooperation... he would concede, for now. But he’d be keeping a very close eye on them.

Ysayle’s eventual death struck him hard and shook him to the core. He was quick to withdraw from their new would-be companions in his struggle to process the loss, though he ultimately agreed to see the battles through to the end - their vision, their dreams, could not end here. As Ishgard entered a period of reform and unrest in the wake of Thordan’s defeat and demise, Astor withdrew further to Anyx Trine, preferring to spend his time with the dragons - the better to perhaps find his own footing in the new unstable ground the nation tread upon.

Eventually, the mage would re-approach the Scions and Warriors of Light and ask, if they would permit it, something of a second try... He... had not exactly been warm with them before then, but... they had helped, when it wasn’t their fight, really... And Ysayle had believed in them. Trusted them. And this was all real... it was really happening... And he couldn’t stay.

He needed a new purpose, a new direction. One he could, perhaps, call more of his own. He would join them in their battles and adventures, if they would be amicable to it... For those they had lost. For those they could yet save.

[i-drink-and-i-write-fics]

Family Man

Chapter 3: The New Family

Summary: Reader is hit by an important holiday.

Your room was getting darker by the hour, but you made no move to turn on a light. It almost seemed fitting to sit in the dark. Matched your mood.

How did you not know? You were always so good at tracking time. Always so careful. The holidays had been your job when it was just you and Josh. He would work like crazy and you would do the shopping and cooking. You preferred it that way. When your parents were alive, your mom always had tried to help you in the kitchen. And while you love her and missed her, it had always felt claustrophobic having someone else in there with you. As if they were always in your way no matter how hard they tried.

So Josh would work and you would cook.

You sighed as you leaned against your bed, your butt slowly becoming numb from sitting on the floor. It was the missions that had done it: made you lost track of the days. And sure, you were slowly starting to see the Avengers as friends. But holidays were different. The holidays were family affairs.

“No need to rush with the equipment, kid.” Tony had told you earlier that day. “Evil may not take a day off, but we do.”

“What are you talking about? We always have a few days off between missions, Stark.”

He stopped and blinked at you. “Are you- are you serious?”

You paused in your actions, taking in Tony’s shocked look. “What?”

Sam had popped up behind you and stuck a balloon to your head. This had been a running gag for the Three Stooges every since you had confessed to helping Nat and Clint that one fateful night.

“It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, Balloon Bandit!” He said with his signature laugh.

“Wait, it is?” Your jaw dropped.

“Yeah, didn’t you get the email?” Bucky joked as he walked in with Steve.

With that small exchange came the tightness in your chest. You put your equipment bag down and excused yourself, running to your room.

And there you had hidden since that morning, trying not to cry over your first holiday without Josh.

There was a knock on the door followed by the voice of your best friend. “Hey, Kiddo. We’re almost done here. Do you need a ride into town?”

You forced yourself to keep a steady voice. “No thanks, Hawkbutt. I’m staying here.”

There was a long pause. “You’re going to what?”

A sigh. “Stay here. I got rid of my apartment once your circus convinced me to stay.”

“Oh hell no. Nat!” His footsteps quickly ran from your door. You had no idea what thoughts sprouted in Clint’s head, but you didn’t think anything good would come from it.

You weren’t given long to contemplate before there was angry pounding on your door. “Get packed, Kiddo! We’re leaving in five!”

“Nat, I already told Birdbrain I’m staying here.”

“Like hell you are. Be out here in five minutes or I’m breaking the door down! And I won’t need Tin Man’s tools! So get packed! And bring a jacket!”

Of course, you weren’t stupid enough to argue with Nat once she got in one of these moods. So you quickly packed a weekend bag and grabbed your brown leather jacket. You had no idea where you were going, but you guessed it beat sitting in an empty compound for the rest of the week.

In the common room, it was clear everyone else on the team had left except Nat and Clint. “Alright, what’s this all about?”

Nat ignored your question. “Nice jacket. Very Indian Jones vibe.”

“Thanks. It was Josh’s.”

Clint and Nat exchanged a look before Clint spoke up. “Yup, this is the right choice. Let’s go, Kiddo. The Quinjet awaits.”

“Wait, what?”

No further explanation was given as the two dragged you onto the jet. The two remained cryptic during the entire flight, asking what types of food and drinks you liked, ignoring any questions you had on where you were going. And outside the jet, the scenery changed from busy cities to smaller towns, until finally giving away to farmlands.

Clint landed the plane in a field by a farmhouse that seemed cut off from everything else. “Ok, all you hitchhikers. We’re here!”

“And where the hell is here, Barton?” You stood up from your seat and grabbed your bag.

“You’ll see,” he winked as he and Nat exited the jet.

Sighing, you followed after them. Outside the air was crisp with the promise of autumn air, the trees surrounding the field halfway between orange, brown, red leaves, and some completely bare of any leaves. There was a barn off to one side where you could hear a few animals stirring, no doubt being kept inside to keep warm. The farmhouse was a faded yellow with a huge wrap around porch, with a porch swing on one end.

Clint was already at the door and Nat looked back at you from the porch steps. “Better hurry up, ____. Or there won’t be any food left.”

You furrowed your eyes in confusion but followed after. Inside the house was a chaos of kids running up to greet Clint and Nat as they stepped further into the house. You hung back as they got their hugs in before a woman stepped in to hug Nat and kiss Clint. This must be his wife, Laura. Which would make the brood his.

The room became awkwardly quiet as everyone finally noticed your presence. You cleared your throat and waved. “Hi. Sorry to intrude. I had no idea where I was being dragged to.”

Recognition flashed in Laura’s eyes. “Oh, you must be ____! I’m glad you were able to join us after all!”

You looked at Clint and raised an eyebrow. He looked away sheepishly. “They, uh, weren’t given an option. But I couldn’t leave them to spend the week alone.”

Laura just nodded her head and came over, her hand reaching out. “I’m Laura. I usually hug when I greet people, but Clint told me you may not be ready yet.”

You shook her hand as your face grew warm. “Um, yeah. Sorry again to intrude on your family time.”

Laura smiled. “Honey, you are family now. Nat comes to every holiday since she also doesn’t have any family and now you’ve been welcomed in. Clint told me everything and I can’t stand the idea of someone not enjoying any homemade food or family time.”

Your face grew hot and your eyes shot down to your shoes. “Uh, thanks. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Laura gently reached over and placed a hand on your shoulder. “Why don’t you come with me into the kitchen? We’ll get you a drink and maybe you can lend a hand with dessert?”

“Uh, yeah. That would be great.” In the kitchen, she handed you a glass of wine. “Thank you. What, uh, what did you need help with?”

Laura blushed. “I’m embarrassed to say, but I forgot to make dessert. Would you possibly make something?”

“Yeah, sure. I love to cook. Is there anything I should know?”

“Only one thing. Our youngest, Nathan, is allergic to pumpkin so as long as it doesn’t have that you’re fine.”

You smiled at Laura. “I think I have an idea.”

As you slowly moved around the Barton’s kitchen taking inventory and grabbing equipment, Clint sat at the table to have a quiet conversation with Nat and Laura.

“Sorry this was so last minute, Laura. We had no idea they didn’t have any plans until today. They still has a hard time opening up about Josh in regards to certain things.”

“It’s quite alright, Clint. With what you’ve told me about them, they needs all the love we can give.”

Nat smiled over her glass of wine. “Whatcha making over there, KIddo?”

You glanced up with a smile. “Sorry, you’ll have to wait for Thanksgiving tomorrow to find out.”

Clint’s jaw dropped. “Oh, that’s just cruel.”

That night, Laura lead you upstairs and into one of the bedrooms. “Sorry, we don’t have more guest rooms, but I promise the bed is very comfortable.”

The room was nice with one bed in the middle and a dresser across the room. A rocker sat next to the closet. It was very quaint.

“Where will Nat sleep?”

“In Cooper’s room. We’re having the boys double up.”

“Oh,” you put your bag down by the bed and felt embarrassed that you had caused one of the kids to move rooms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to misplace anyone by being here.”

Laura looked at you, her eyes softening. She slowly approached and placed her hands on your shoulders. “It’s nothing the boys can’t handle for one weekend. You’re family now and we want to give you the space you need to feel comfortable here at your own pace. Because this home is yours as well. Anytime you need space from the team, our door is open. No questions asked.”

Your face cracked and Laura instantly pulled you in as you cried. “But why? You don’t even know me.”

“I do. Because Clint does. He told me everything and if you hadn’t been an adult, I would have told him we were adopting you. I will not have a sweet person like you out there on your own. We can’t ever be Josh, but we hope we can fill the hole a little bit.”

You pulled back and Laura gently wiped your tears away. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now get some rest. We have a big day of eating tomorrow.”

You laughed and then sniffed away the last of your tears. “Will do.”

The next day, Laura was busy in the kitchen and wouldn’t let you help, insisting you had done enough by making the dessert for later. So you wandered around the house until you ended up outside where Clint was teaching his daughter how to use a bow and arrow while his boys were chasing each other all over the vast field.

“Sleep well?”

You looked over to find Nat on the porch swing. Nodding your head, you sat down next to her. “Laura was right: that bed was really comfortable.”

Nat handed you a glass. “Eggnog?”

You raised an eyebrow but took the glass. “Isn’t it a little early?”

She laughed quietly. “First of all, there are no rules on a holiday. Second, this is the kid-friendly kind. We safe the bourbon one for after the kids go down.”

“Good call.”

Clint looked over to watch you both laugh. “Hey, is that the glass Laura brought out for me?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” You took a deliberate sip as you looked at him.

He narrowed his eyes as you and Nat busted out laughing.

The morning went quickly and soon you were back inside gathering around the kitchen and the dining table. You made your way over to Clint and handing him a glass of eggnog.

“Peace offering.”

He chuckled. “Accepted.”

“Thanks for dragging me out of the compound. I’d probably be sulking in my room right now, wondering if it was worth it to steal Bucky’s snacks.”

Clint belly laughed at that. “Not gonna lie, that would have been hilarious to hear about from Nat. And see the pictures of you running from him.”

“Traitor.”

“Seriously though, kid. I’m glad you came. You’ve become like a sibling to me and Nat and I would never forgive myself if we had left you alone.”

There was a pause from you. “I’m still not telling you what the dessert is.”

“Damnit!”

The meal went quicker than you expected and soon you were bringing out your contribution.

“A pie?” Clint looked at you incredulously. “You hid a pie from us?”

“Not just any pie.” You plopped a slice onto a plate and handed it to him. “Caramel apple. Our mother’s recipe. She would make this every year for us.”

It was quiet around the table before Clint spoke up. “Thank you for sharing this with us.”

You gave him a soft smile. “It’s like you said: we’re family now.”

[metalgearkong]

Ghost of Tsushima - Review (PS4)

9/21/20

Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, released July 2020

Let’s not beat around the bush: Ghost of Tsushima may be my favorite game of this console generation, and one of my favorite games of all time. This is a massive samurai tale crammed with unforgettable moments, characters, and environments. After finishing this game, I felt like I had been through no less than the peak samurai experience in any entertainment medium. Never before have I stood up and given a standing ovation for a video game upon the credits rolling. While feeling complete and filled to the brim, there are small technical aspects that do have room for improvement in the potential sequel. Sucker Punch came out of nowhere and knocked the world on its ass with a fantastic stylized epic feudal Japanese journey, one I can never forget. 

Ghost of Tushima is open-world, easily comparable to The Witcher 3 or a modern Ubisoft title. What Ghost of Tsushima brings to the table is its incredibly realized medieval Japanese world, to the same extent Red Dead Redemption brought the mythic American Wild West to life. Authenticity can be found in every corner, and I set the game for Japanese voices and English subtitles to extend the immersion (something I can’t recommend enough). The Mongols have invaded Japan, and their first stop is Tsushima island. The samurai here are all that stops the massive army from reaching the mainland. The details themselves might not be perfectly accurate to 1274 Japan, but the world itself is consistent, which is what’s most important. 

The game begins with a huge battle, as we take control of our main character Jin Sakai (Daisuke Tsuji / Kazuya Tsuji) right away. An orphan raised to be a samurai by his uncle Lord Shimura (Eric Steinberg / Akio Otsuka), Jin holds guilt and shame for not being able to save his father in battle when he was young, and strives to be the best warrior possible. The explosive intro gives us a quick intro to the open combat, and leads in to a fairly typical tutorial, adding in brief lessons on stealth, and using evasive tactics & tools. I remember how panful the combat first felt, as each strike looked like something akin to a samurai film. The main villain and leader of the Mongols Khotun Khan (Patrick Gallagher / Tsutomu Isobe) establishes himself as a despicable person, and someone totally opposite to the samurai honor-bound code of combat. He wants to conquer Tushima by any means necessary, and Jin is the only one willing to adapt his fighting style to combat this new  dishonorable and overwhelming threat.

Jin Sakai is closer to a Geralt, rather than a blank slate avatar character of a Fallout or Elder Scrolls game; He has a specific personality, background, and motivation. Part of the overarching story is Jin learning to rely on tactics he would normally frown upon in order to stand a change against the Mongol forces. This is something his uncle highly detests and forbids Jin to do, leading to a secondary conflict in the story. This is useful for also explaining in the gameplay why the player can either face enemies out in the open, or scurry around and stabbing them in the neck. Of course, most players will do a bit of both, and whatever suits the situation of how you’re feeling in the moment. The best part is, it’s not an binary dilemma, as open combat and stealth can be used completely intermixed at any time.

Personally, one of my favorite parts about the game was unlocking and finding new apparel and color schemes for my outfits. This game (eventually) allows you to dress anywhere from humble peasant, to shinobi of the night, to fully armored samurai warrior. My only nit pick is I wish the game gave you more cosmetic options to buy or find earlier in the game, as I felt limited to just a few outfits and accessories at first. There’s nothing more awesome than manually sheathing your sword after slicing up a dozen grunts, all the while your cape and robes aggressively blowing in the wind. The game allows you to manually bow and play a flute as well, adding the immersion of every moment of the game. You travel the huge island via horseback, and can summon your horse at any instance with the push of the button. I also love how quickly you pick up items, by merely pushing R2. No needless animations or time spend slowing the momentum for the sake or grit or realism.

One of the most unique aspects of the game is using the wind as your guide. If you really wanted to, you’d never have to open your map to know how to get to your current quest. Simply swipe up on the touch pad, and the wind blows in the direction you need to go (the game doesn’t even feature an in-game minimap or radar). This kicks up leaves, twigs, sand, and other particles which add greatly to the visual appeal of the game, and help make you feel closer to the environment itself. Adding to this is how foxes and birds can lead you to hidden secrets, upgrades, or new gear. With so few HUD elements, focus on paying attention to the environment, and the gorgeous lighting and scenery, Ghost of Tsushima gave me to many moments where I felt spiritually uplifted in its world. Despite not having the budget of a super high end Naughty Dog or Rockstar game, Ghost of Tsushima remains one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played, and much of that leans on the art style and environmental effects alone.

Missions are equally entertaining whether they come from a main character or minor character you happen upon. Most quests may involve (but aren’t limited to) tracking, fighting, sneaking, climbing, riding, and spying. I especially enjoyed quests with specific limitations, such as having to remain undetected and not to kill any guards. Eventually, however, due to the game’s long length, some of the missions do start to show their repetitiveness, and I don’t think it would have been horrible if the overall run time was 10-15% shorter. I also enjoyed the fact that so much effort was put into side activities that feel serene and peaceful, akin to the Buhddist and Shinto side of being a samurai. Composing haikus and bathing in hot springs to increase your total health felt very much in the spirit of a Bushido lifestyle; always a calm in between the storms of violence. The fact that not all side content is action oriented was a very neat and authentic detail.

Samurai duels were some of my favorite parts of the game. Occasionally Jin would come across an opponent or rival with legitimate swordsmanship skills, and has to face them in an arena. These locations where the duels would take place never failed to be more epic than the next. Duels act like boss fights in the game, and incorporate similar combat to the regular open world combat--only Jin can’t use secondary items such as kunai, his bow, or smoke bombs. These moments were ripe for the photo mode, something I used throughout this game constantly, as its packed with incredible environmental design and lighting effects to make almost every moment and location feel like a living painting. Samurai duels were usually never very difficult, including the ending boss fights, but they always looked awesome and felt damned satisfying.

The game does suffer from some minor technical glitches, but these small drawbacks mean next to nothing compared to how impressively the rest of the game was designed and executed. Frequently I would approach an enemy group and want to initiate a stand off (the samurai version of a high noon cowboy duel) but the game either didn’t give me the option or the option blinked on screen for only a moment and I was unable to do it. Something similar would happen for stealth kills, as sometimes instead of doing the assassination animation when prompted, Jin just did a regular slash attack instead, blowing my cover. Situations like this didn’t happen often, but were consistent enough to notice. I give Sucker Punch a huge pass on these small technical details, as they never ruined my experience of the game, remaining small frustrations on occasion.

Ghost of Tsushima is a greatest hits of iconic feudal Japanese visuals, sounds, tropes, settings, and themes. Countless details build upon this heightened version of Japanese history, making this game an all in one interactive Kurosawa film. Everything from the sword duel boss fights, to the multiple fighting stances, to the stealth, to the nature surrounding you, everything has been executed with extreme skill and thoughtfulness. It can have its small moments showing a lack of polish either in the visuals or mechanics, but Sucker Punch more than accomplished what they set out to do. Ghost of Tsushima is the best PlayStation 4 exclusive, and by far one of my favorite games of all time. If you have any interest in the open world genre, and love the Japanese culture and art style, Ghost of Tsushima likely won’t let you down. An amazing adventure wreathed in katanas, honor, blood, wind, and cute foxes. 

9.5/10

[imaginedanganronpa]

Hello may I please request Drv3's cast as remnants of despair? thank you ^-^

I love Remnant of Despair AUs :) Thank you for the fun Request, I hope you like it!Also, I’m going to shamelessly self-plug here because I also did a DR1 Version of the Remnants of Despair, too! If you like this, check that one out, too!

Again, obvious Warnings for Su*cide Mentions, D*pression/Violence/Murder, etc. and Spoilers for V3!

NDRV3 Cast As The Remnants of Despair!

Kaede Akamatsu

Kaede would be one of the hardestpeople to bring onto the side of Despair and puts up a valiant fight againstJunko’s tactics, but even she can’t stay immune forever. After hours of picking her brain, she finally succumbed to the feeling.

Like Ibuki and Hiyoko, Kaede would hold Despair inducing concerts thatbrainwashed her audience, preaching about how they should all spread Despair. Her songs also encouraged murder and suicide and the music notes would be fine-tuned into high-pitched sounds that diminish your brain into mush and physically hurt to listen to.

Those notes are modified by Miu to infect others with Despair, like an auditory brainwashing technique.

Although Kaede would pretend to be a sweetheart and maintain her innocent personality, she would have great influence over her fans. As a very prominent musician, she would start preaching to her fans to follow Despair and do the unthinkable. Most of her younger followers were turned into minions of the Warriors of Hope, while her older audience succumbed to Despair and committed unimaginable crimes.

Kaede now wears her hair in double ponytails, like Junko, and wears Monokuma hairpins as well.

Saihara Shuichi

Saihara would resist the Despair for as long as possible, but would break when shown falsified videos of Kaede’s death.

In retaliation, his first act as a Remnant would be murdering the uncle he was so close to and complicating his death so that it would never be solved. He would do so in such a disturbingly violent and brutal fashion that it sends chills down the Forensic Investigator’s spines. Complicating other’s deaths is something he continues to do as well.

Saihara’s next course of action was to set the violent criminals he put in prison free and kill the guards who watched over them, laughing maniacally as he did so and spreading Despair to the inmates.

This lead to the criminals rampaging through the city, destroying it in Junko’s name. They would set the courthouse on fire and he would stand on top of the rubble, overlooking the destruction with a satisfied grin.

He would encourage them to vandalize Japan and actively force them to commit crimes like breaking into people’s homes and murder. Saihara directly caused the crime-rates in the city to skyrocket.

He would be much more violent as a Remnant. Where Saihara used to be frailer and weak, he would now be hostile and lash out as he showed little remorse for the justice system.

Maki Harukawa

Maki would be more resilienttowards the Despair and wouldn’t succumb as easily as her classmates, butultimately even she can’t escape its clutches. She would spew threats at Junko as she picked at her brain, and would become a valuable ally on her side.

Maki would use her true talent as the Ultimate Assassin to battle against themembers of the Future Foundation. Her mass amounts of assault weaponry wouldcome in handy as she sits in a tank driven by the other minions of Junko and mows down the Future Foundation’s army with a military-grade assault rifle and machine gun.

But she is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat and directly gets involved in the battle. Maki would likely infiltrate the Future Foundation Killing Game if it goes on for too long and assassinate the members participating, giving them no hope of ever finding the Traitor among them.

She would spread Despair to adults by masking as the Ultimate Child Caregiver andmurdering their children in front of them, driving most of the adults to suicide or madness.

Maki’s personality wouldn’t change very much, though. She would still be cold and distant, only a bit more unstable mentally.

Ouma Kokichi

He would be much easier tosway onto their side. Although, he would still be extremely sarcastic in theprocess, Ouma would be more open to Despair since he finds it intriguing. He would be one of the only Ultimates to willingly side with Junko out of boredom.

Ouma would then bring the rest of the members of DICE onto the side of Despair,enslaving them while forcing them to do the unthinkable and kill their families.

DICE already participated in heinous acts, but their crimes would only increase in severity as Remnant Ouma leads them, and anyone who tried to leave his organization or fight against the Despair would get publicly executed to set an example.

They would wreak havoc on the streets of Japan, vandalizing and destroying the city and physically lashing out against both the innocent bystanders and the law enforcement trying to stop them.

Ouma would lead a horde of Monokuma through the streets as their self-proclaimed leader, and command them to participate in countless crimes alongside DICE. He becomes a Supreme Leader over the Drones and Exisals, marching in the front of the pack and telling them what to do.

Himiko Yumeno

Obviously, Himiko wouldbring others onto the side of Despair through hypnosis and her magic. She would hold Despair-inducing Magic Shows where she used both her talent and a video that Junko and Miu created to brainwash her massive audience.

Her Show would be held in the Central Park of the city to reach a large number of people. Many families, including young children, would unknowingly attend, believing it to be a normal Magic Show. Her hypnosis would convince the younger children to join the Warriors of Hope, and the older audience to fall in line behind Junko, jumping on the vandalizing and violence bandwagon.

As a Remnant, Himiko would be much more cruel and cold, although her laziness would disappear. She would also use Tenko and string her along, abusing the poor girl, who actually wouldn’t mind.

Himiko would further herself into Despair, killing the ‘useless’ animals she had raised for her Shows. Her doves, rabbits - animals of that nature would be slaughtered and fed to her larger animals.

And the tigers, pythons, and other dangerous animals used in her acts would be set free after being put under hypnosis to kill anyone in their path.

Rantaro Amami

Rantaro wouldn’t be as easy tobrainwash: he is the Ultimate Survivor after all, and has powered through this once before; but even he can’t hold on forever. Even his determination wouldn’t be strong enough to resist the Despair.

The first thing he would do after becoming a Remnant is sacrifice all twelve ofhis sisters, murdering and mutilating them in violent ways and offering them up as sacrificesto Junko. Rantaro would feel no remorse as he did this, a sick grin forming on his face.

He is a naturally calm and relaxed person, but his personality twists into something much more chilling and disturbing. Rantaro has a way of smooth-talking others, which he could use when trying to lure the others onto the side of Despair. He could easily beckon people onto his side with his natural charm.

Normally, he doesn’t like to use his sexuality or good-looks and is uncomfortable with romance, but he would seduce others only to kill them and watch the life drain from their eyes, similar to Mikan.

And he would use his talent to travel around the world and spread Despair to other cultures, gaining a massive following in the process.

Tenko Chabashira

Tenko would snap very quickly since her will-power isn’t as strong as she would like to admit. After becoming a Remnant, she would starve herself until she was thin and frail, but still wouldn’t lose her physical strength.

She would mainly be used as a tool to fight against the Future Foundation, like Junko’s personal attack dog. Tenko would be used against the Future Foundation but also against innocent civilians who refused to succumb to Despair. Anyone who tried resisting would get ruthlessly slaughtered by the Aikido Master.

She would fall madly in love with Junko and do anything for her, seeing her in a God-like status.

Tenko would also obsess over Himiko more than she already did, though her personality would be much more outwardly perverted. To fuel her own Despair, she would try to strangle the small Magician, ultimately failing.

She makes it her goal to kill any degenerate male who refuses to bow down to Junko; men are the main group that she kills in acts of Despair.

And to further herself even more, she burns down the Neo-Aikido Temple that she trained and grew up in, slaughtering her former Masters in the process. Tenko drives herself crazy as she stands among the rubble of what used to be the Temple she loved so much.

Kiibo

All Junko had to do to turn Kiibointo a Remnant is reprogram him, so his transition was immediate and his personality completely flipped. Afterbecoming Remnants, Miu would also upgrade him to become a full-fledged killingmachine.

Kiibo becomes ruthless, no longer caring about anyone else and feeling little to no emotion. The voices he heard in his head would be reprogrammed, so rather than the public controlling him, he was only controlled by Junko and would be forced to do anything she wanted.

He would use his guns and weapons as an unstoppable force against the Future Foundation. He becomes the main weapon used against them, like a tool, unable to be destroyed. Kiibo’s eyes turn red and he is much more sinister as he flies above their heads and rains bullets upon them, going on a full blown rampage.

In an act of Despair, he also murders Professor Idabashi, since he was unsuccessful the first time he lashed out. Killing the man who created him brought an overwhelming amout of Despair to Kiibo, which is the only thing he can feel anymore.

And he uses his bombs to blow up buildings, as well as dropping grenades and fire-bombs onto the Future Foundation’s Army and Hope’s Peak’s building, completely destroying them.

Miu Iruma

She absolutely falls in love withDespair and starves herself into a husk to satisfy Junko; she very easily joins the side of Despair, almost willingly.

Miu would create inventions to bring people onto the side of Despair, taking great influence and inspiration from Junko.

She becomes the Head of the Robotics Department and would be the one in charge of creating all of the Monokuma and Exisals that rampage through the streets. She’s the one who created all of the Drones that invaded Towa City as well, her machines are programmed to invade the streets and kill as many people as possible. 

Miu would often sit inside the Exisals or have her Drones carry her so she could watch their destruction up close and personal, laughing evilly as they burn the city to the ground and take countless innocent lives.

With her knowledge of technology and the way it messes with the human mind, Miu creates a Despair inducing video similar to the one that brainwashed her; it’s the same one Kaede uses in her performances. She designed it to bring anyone who watches it onto the Remnant’s side.

She would still be a loudmouth, who preaches about Despair from inside her Exisals and screams insults belittling the people of Japan.

Kaito Momota

Before entering his Killing Game, Kaito auditioned with the intentions of killing as many people as possible for fame. After becoming a Remnant, his true psychopathic personality would take over and he would once again be fueled by the desire to earn fame and success.

Kaito would lash out against his fellow Remnants, especially Maki, but when that ultimately fails, he would turn towards slaughtering innocent civilians for seemingly no reason.

He becomes power-hungry and wants to conquer the world. He kills others just for the fun of it all, finding enjoyment out of watching others suffer at his mercy.

Using his talent as the Ultimate Astronaut, Kaito invades the Japanese Space Station and sends nuclear missiles to other countries to take as many lives as possible and start a war between nations. Afterwards, he would blow up the remaining missiles and kill his fellow Astronauts and scientists in the Station.

And Kaito would spread the Disease that he was infected with in the Killing Game, trying to make as many people ill as possible. With one of Miu’s inventions, he would launch the airborne Disease into Japan, which causes a countless number of people to become sick and hopeless.

Angie Yonaga

As a Remnant of Despair, Angiewould abandon Atua since it was the only thing that used to give her Hope and faith in the world, but she doesn’t need that anymore…

She goes on to destroy her former places of worship and delve herself deeper into Despair,laughing as she did so. Angie would go back to her home-island and destroy Atua’s Shrine and Temple, spreading Despair to her people and bringing them onto her side.

Anyone who refused to cooperate would be sacrificed and killed. Angie would recreate her religion to worship not Atua, but Junko, and lead her followers to sinful, Despairing acts. They would all follow her orders and abandon their religion for Despair, with Angie as their spokesperson.

Using her talent as the Ultimate Artist, Angie would also create dark, large, disturbing pieces depicting murder, death, and suicide, among other unsettling concepts and ideas. She would display them in public places where they would be seen often to strike a chord with viewers.

Her unsettling artwork would only further people into depression and emphasize that they had nothing left other than Despair. Angie would also create a large statue of Junko representing her as the nation’s new leader, which also influenced viewers to follow in her footsteps.

Korekiyo Shinguuji

If his sister was still alive, he would kill her and use her as a sacrifice to Junko. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have that option, so he continues with his quest to send ‘friends’ to her in the afterlife. Those friends also become sacrifices to satisfy Junko.

As a Remnant, Korekiyo would be more outwardly perverted and hostile than normal. He would be very easily brainwashed and would fall in love with the feeling of Despair, doing anything in his power to deepen his own mindset.

He would slowly lose his mind and his grip on reality. Korekiyo would become unstable and his moves will be unpredictable, likely becoming a  killer who murders others for the sake of entertainment. He is much less compassionate, but now cold and heartless. The only thing he can think of anymore is Despair.

But he uses his talent to travel to other places and spread Despair to other societies, preaching about how beautiful Despair is. Korekiyo continues leaving a trail of bodies in his path for not only his sister, but also for Junko, and uses his status as an Anthropologist to convince others to join him in Despair. Anyone who didn’t listen would become one of his sister’s friends.

He gains a large following, almost like a cult. He travels from country to country, bringing more people onto his side and becoming a prominent figure in many cultures.

Kirumi Tojo

Being the firecracker that she is, she would try to run away and fight against the brainwashing tactics, but it wouldn’t work.

As the Prime Minister of her country, Kirumi hasgreat power over others and would convince her people to commit suicide andwreak havoc among the streets in the name of Despair.

She would order her people to follow in hers and Junko’s footsteps or be killed, commanding her Army to kill anyone who tries to refuse or escape, which is ironic since that was exactly what she did in the Killing Game.

Kirumi has great influence over others and directs her people to commit suicide to fuel their Despair, and watching her followers drop like flies only dragged her down even more. She holds large public meetings and events where she tries to persuade others to join her, and this works since she is so powerful.

But Kirumi also becomes the Head over the fight against the FutureFoundation. Since she is so persuasive, she becomes a leader alongside Tsumugi, militarily commanding her friends like Maki, Tenko and Gonta, as well as Junko’s average minions, telling them how to fight and creating strategies to defeat the Future Foundation.

She is like the Remnant’s voice of reason, speaking on their behalf as the other Remnants worship her as their parental figure. She loses her own sanity and gains a power-trip, her ego skyrocketing.

Gonta Gokuhara

Gonta would be very resilient, not wanting to give into the brainwashing techniques, but he isn’t the strongest man mentally so he easily breaks and succumbs to Despair.

With that said, he completely ditches his gentlemanly persona and becomes an evil, cruel person. Gonta couldn’t care less about anyone else and becomes increasingly violent and hostile; due to his size and strength he becomes a terrifying, unstoppable force.

He would still be quite gullible, so he’s easy to boss around and does anything Junko tells him to do, like a mindless servant. She is the only person he cares for and respects: the only one he is a gentleman towards.

In relation to his talent, Gonta would infest people’s homes with insects in an attempt to force them to love bugs, but these aren’t just any ordinary insects: they are artificial Monokuma-bugs created by Miu.

Their purpose is to infect others with Despair through bug-bites and they are commanded by Gonta, doing what he says and going where he wants them to go. After being bitten by one of his bugs, you will fall into a deep, dark Despair and can be controlled by Junko.

He has an entire Army of these revolting insects that he can use on a whim. They crawl down the streets in a sea of insects, infecting others with Despair and spreading pathogens; they help spread Kaito’s illness.

Gonta also uses his brute strength as a weapon against the members of the Future Foundation, under Junko’s orders. He will be used as a killing machine, directly jumping into the battle and using physical force to combat them.

Tsumugi Shirogane

Tsumugi would become similar toMukuro and serve under Junko, helping brainwash others and pick at their brains. She would also be Junko’s test-subject for new torture methods and hypnosis videos.

Tsumugi was already overcome with Despair before her Killing Game and likely was the one who helped brainwash her classmates, so she’s been a Remnant this entire time. It was her idea to offer her classmates up as sacrifices, manipulating their talents to spread Despair to the rest of the world.

And she loved watching them all fall like dominoes, it only drove her deeper into her own madness. Tsumugi loved watching the chaos her classmates were responsible for, feeling a sense of pride knowing that she helped create this.

She would also use her talent to Cosplay as, or essentially disguise, herself as others to frame them for the Remnant’s crimes. She could disguise herself as certain Future Foundation members and incriminate them by planting fake ‘evidence’ of their involvement with the Remnants, causing many of them to be executed by the Foundation or thrown into prison. In reality, it was just Tsumugi pinning everything on them to prevent them from stopping the true Remnants crimes.

She would be Junko’s punching bag and servant, working endlessly to please her Master. She does anything Junko tells her to do and falls madly in love with the blonde, becoming her new second-in-command.

Ryoma Hoshi

It was very easy to brainwash Ryoma into becoming a Remnant of Despair; he was already depressed enough, so it didn’t take a lot to finally break him.

Remnant Ryoma would still be depressed, but more outwardly hostile and violent towards others. He is much more cruel and corrupted and this feeling of Despair becomes his reason to live.

He doesn’t have a lot of influence over others and his loved ones are already dead, so in order to spread Despair, Ryoma would work towards slaughtering the remaining Mafia members who took his loved one’s lives.

This strikes fear into the Mafia members who managed to escape his wrath, but those who did escape would be turned towards Despair, becoming very valuable allies with ties to a larger Army.

And Ryoma would become their new leader. He becomes a very prominent, deadly figure as he is the new leader of an entire Mafia organization, all of which are ready to aid the Remnants in the fight against the Future Foundation. He commands them to join in the fight, adding another complicated layer to the battle.

Using his talent, Ryoma would persuade and challenge others to unwinnable Tennis matches where they would work so hard that they dropped from exhaustion, pushing others to their absolute limits. Once they were down for the count, he would hypnotize them into joining Despair and add his colleagues to his own Army.

- Mod Rantaro

[lyendith]

Ciconia no Naku Koro ni Phase 1 : To You, The Replaceable Ones

I had planned to write this… review? analysis? of Ciconia Phase 1 right after finishing the game about two weeks after its release, but since then I've had trouble organizing my thoughts. The reason is that this first installment alone tackles a lot of themes: war, nationalism, technoscientism, media consumption and manipulation, the blurring limits between physical and virtual reality, education systems, generational gaps induced by technology, artificial procreation, old people robbing the youth of their dreams, the meaning of family and interpersonal bonds, and even transidentity (albeit briefly). And it is quite remarkable that almost all of those themes are represented by one object: the Gauntlet and the idea of “parallel processing” associated with it.

It's gonna be a long and messy review, I'll probably forget to mention some aspects of the story or overlook others, and I won't talk about every single character, but I'll try to cover the essential parts. Not easy considering how densely-packed the story is, but let's go!

So to start, I should probably focus on this VN's protagonist, Mitake Miyao. On a surface level, he's a bit of what you'd call a “tsundere”: harsh, a little irritable and sarcastic with his pals, but always well-meaning and easy to befriend in the end. One of the running threads of the story so far is that he's too well-meaning in fact, idealistic to a fault, which contributes to his odd charisma but also makes the increasing realization of his powerlessness all the more depressing. You don't want to see this guy fail, but because of the way the story is framed, you know he inevitably will.

For a while, the narration and dialogue like to repeat that “youngsters are each generation's main characters”, but that's a sentiment I couldn't quite share − in our real world, youngsters may be the ones will all the dreams, but they sure as hell aren't the ones making the decisions. The climate change crisis, for example, wouldn't be left unaddressed if that was the case. And sure enough, Ciconia isn't so naïve as to ignore that reality. Every single step of the way, Miyao thinks he can use his power to overturn the situation. Every single step of the way, he's reminded that in the end he's just a pawn moving however his higher-ups or other nebulous forces wish him to. That's a really powerful and relatable theme in this day and age, which raises the question of how far you can oppose a system you're an essential part of.

One thing that makes Miyao special, at least compared to his pals from the AOU, is that he's “ciconia-born” − born from natural procreation. Which means that unlike Jayden or Gunhild, he has bilogical family bonds but also hasn't been subjected to a genetic selection that would predetermine his path in life. At least supposedly, but we gradually learn that that may not quite be the case. In fact, that biological link to Toujirou ends up acting as a tether that robs Miyao of even more control on his own life than he thought, leading to the final tragedy of this first Phase.

There also lies this story's commentary on technology and man's increasing dependence on it − technology makes the kids' life easier, but it's also their undoing. One technology prevented an apocalypse that another caused, and the loss of the former brings about a new apocalypse. Humans created the 8MS but only a handful of scientists have a full understanding of how it works, just like today's technology are only fully understood by a small elite of technicians. We are increasingly dependent on tools whose principles are increasingly out of our grasp. Again, the Gauntlet is another reflection of that.

But back to Miyao and the Gauntlet Knights. In retrospect, it is clear that the way both the characters and readers learn about most dramatic developments through disincarnated news reports (with a goofy “news flash” alert by the frog AI Keropoyo to make it worse) is meant to build up that feeling of powerlessness, and also of disconnect. We should be alarmed that war is approaching, that terrible things are happening… but it all feels distant. After all, do you cry or tremble in fear when you learn that an eathquake killed a thousand people on the other side of the globe? No, you'll think “it's terrible” for a minute and then move on, because what can you do about it? Reading the second half of Ciconia felt a lot like that. And while that's part of the message, it is also to the detriment of the reading experience a lot of the time.

For a while (around the 60-to-80% portion of the game, roughly) we get a lot of redundant dialogue about commenting the news and Miyao rambling on about how they're all COMRADES MAINTAINING THE WALLS OF PEACE, again and again and again, to the point it becomes annoying. That's my only real gripe with the game − the feeling that, at times, Ryukishi forgot he was writing a story and went into political or philosophical essays about its themes instead. Maybe a manga or anime adaptation could help make these parts more… show-don't-telly. But as it is, it could have used some serious trimming down. That's hardly something entirely new − who can forget Krauss' tangent about 1986 Japan's economic situation or Beatrice's explanation of Hempel's crow? But in Ciconia the narration doesn't seem to come from any specific point of view except that of the author (and even on that front, the opening disclaimer warns us that the views expressed don't necessarily reflect the author's opinions), so those parts become all the more conspicuous. Unless this all turns out to be part of a Witch's game, which wouldn't be surprising.

Where Ciconia shines however, is at weaving a web of connections between the characters, one by one, to make you care about some and suspicious of others, sometimes both, and deliberately confuse you about who really controls whom. First we have the kids, with Warcat and Grave Mole which instantly grew on me (the slice-of-life TIPS focused on them had some of my favorite scenes actually), then the other kette with their own quirky charms… then the “villains”, with Toujirou and Seshat, then the Three Kings and Jestress who has a delightful dynamic with Toujirou, and then Toujirou is revealed to be Miyao's father, etc... It's a testament to how well all of those characters are established that I could remember almost all of them very quickly despite their massive number. Save for the Cairo Squad maybe. They're just kinda there. The (mostly) gorgeous character designs certainly help, even if Ryukishi still has a somewhat loose grasp of body proportions and of the… number of fingers on human hands. There's some improvement even in that department though.

While Miyao is for the most part the center of the cast, at least on the kids' side, that doesn't mean the others aren't interesting in their own right. Jayden is your classic “best buddy dudebro” whose easygoingness lets him bounce off Miyao's more strait-laced personality in a fun way, but his relationship with Meow, Miyao's “little sister” who shares the same body, allows him to show more sensitivity and shyness he would otherwise have. Speaking of Meow, she brings about another interesting element of worldbuilding − the existence of “Congenital Parallel Processors”, or CPPs, i.e. people born with multiple personalities, who are not considered mentally ill but a full-fledged minority with its own issues and “coming outs”. Although that aspect isn't developped much (Meow herself kind of disappears from the radar in the second half), we do get other examples of how it can manifest, notably with the character of Naima, whose unnamed alter-ego is violently protective of her, or Rukshana who's prone to abrupt personality changes when she laughs. The way Jayden kinda walks on eggs but genuinely tris to to treat Meow as her as her own person while respecting her and Miyao's privacy is frankly adorable, and I almost wish we got more of that at least in the TIPs!

The kette I found the most interesting, though, was Grave Mole, composed of Chloe, Lilja and Koshka. While a lot of characters have issues, all three of these girls are complete mental wrecks to some degree. Koshka spends her time between grumpily taking part in Kizuna chat rooms and horrific body experiments (usually simultaneously) when she's not training, Lilja has to take drugs to pretend like she's a happy, cute and mischievous cat-girl for the sake of making Koshka a more-or-less functional human being, and Chloe has to constantly deal with unfair punishments and a constantly battered self-esteem. As comedic as Okonogi's angry rants and karate-chops are played (and as much as I like this version of Okonogi, strangely enough), that scene where she gleefully lets Lilja be killed in battle makes it clear that her mental state is just as unstable as the other two's.

On the antagonists' side, things are a lot more blurry: a lot of them utter the arc phrase “All is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path.” However, what the right path is seems to vary depending on who says it. That's where a lot of the mystery lies − be it with Jestress, Seshat or Toushirou, their goals seem contradictory, and Tak… I mean Vier Dreissig doesn't even seem to have a goal beyond SCIENCE. But a big part of Phase 1's hook is that constant uncertainty as to who is playing whom and for what purpose. Even the Three Kings, who seem like your bog standard Illuminati knock-offs, might not be as much in control as they seem − hell, one of the big catastrophes (the fatal damage to the atmospheric 8MS) happens completely outside of their control, in an almost comically sudden way.

Speaking of comical… let's get to what I found personally fascinating but what other readers might have gripes with: the brutal tonal shifts and dissonances throughout the story. A cheery scene to announce the big success of a plan for the Order of the Public Bath? Keropoyo pops up to gleefully announce… an avalanche of terrible news that make the success from a minute ago meaningless. A big conference for peace where World War IV will most certainly be stopped? All of its participant die in an “accidental” explosion. Not to mention characters that are walking balls of tone dissonance like Chloe (who has many comical scenes but is clearly broken beyond repair) or the Yeladot Shavit girls (who by the end are forced to spew out fanatical bullshit with the same sparkly smile they sport when gushing about yuri ships).

This is of course embodied by the incredible climax where all the Gauntlet Knights celebrate their comraderie together in a virtual room… while their real selves are busy killing each other lest they're court-martialed for treason. The moment where all of Miyao's ideals are brutally trashed and scattered in a battle we don't even know the purpose of. The moment where the kids' taent for “parallel processing” becomes their sole mean of escaping the horror of their situation. The moment where all the absurdity, all the unfairness explodes in a depressing flourish. The moment also where the thematic resonance with Umineko becomes fully apparent − how can we not be reminded of Sayo and Maria escaping their shitty lives through their magic? Though of course Rose Guns Days also constantly came to mind, with the focus on war and nationalism, Japan being divided between a union led by the US and one led by China, and two of Miyao's closest friends being the American Jayden and the Chinese Lingji; as well as Miyao being an idealistic and charismatic leader-by-circumstance whose dreams crash into a wall much like Rose's in RGD.

So…

All in all, Ciconia might not entirely be what I expected from a When They Cry game, but it is certainly what I expect from a 07th Expansion game: a thought-provoking experience. Again, I finished my reading shocked and confused. Although it might seem like it shows its cards more explicitly than the openers of Higurashi and Umineko, deception still plays a big part in the story, even if the interaction with the reader is less direct.

Now there might be no murder mystery for the reader to solve, but that won't stop me from speculating! The invisible turning point to me is the “Proof of a Program” chapter, where Blue Miyao tells Miyao that he'll show him someone's face, and that that will activate Miyao's murder program instantly. Miyao first laughs it off, but then the scene brutally cuts to something that might be a flashback, a flash-forward or a nightmare, maybe all of that at once… The most graphically horrifying scene of the entire game, to the point it's almost at odds with the rest. And then… it's never mentioned again. Not even when Miyao meets again with Blue Miyao. Like it never happened. My theory is that everything Miyao experiences from that point onward is some kind of simulation, and that's where the obligatory When They Cry time loop will come from this time. See you in May for the answer?

That is all for today, folks!

[majornelson]

Coming Soon To Xbox Game Pass For Console: Jump Force, Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night, And More

Watching my favorite cartoons after school as a kid was the best! I couldn’t stop thinking how utterly cool it would be if all my favorite characters were in one spot for a battle royale to see just who the best really was. And I loved inventing my own stories and bringing the heroes to life with my toy cars and LEGO. If you were anything like me as a kid, past-you is going to thank present-you for downloading the games that future-you is going to play soon with Xbox Game Pass.

Games Coming to Console:

September 19

Jump Force – Xbox One X Enhanced

Some of the most famous Manga heroes are thrown into a whole new battleground: our world. Uniting to fight the most dangerous threat, the Jump Force will bear the fate of humankind. Create your avatar to fight alongside powerful Manga heroes in an original story mode, or head to the online lobby to challenge other players and discover tons of additional modes and activities.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox One X Enhanced

An exploration-focused, side-scroller action RPG packing all the best features you’ve come to know and love from the metroidvania genre into a single, content-packed game. Play as Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist’s curse which slowly crystallizes her body. In order to save herself, and indeed, all of humanity, she must battle her way through a demon-infested castle summoned by Gebel, her old friend whose body and mind has become more crystal than flesh.

September 26

Bad North – Xbox One X Enhanced

Bad North is a charming but brutal real-time tactics roguelite. Defend your idyllic island kingdom against a horde of Viking invaders as you lead the desperate exodus of your people. Command your loyal subjects to take full tactical advantage of the unique shape of each island. Everything is at stake: fail, and watch the blood of your subjects stain the ground red.

DiRT Rally 2.0 – Xbox One X Enhanced

Carve your way through a selection of iconic rally locations from across the globe, in the most powerful off-road vehicles ever made, knowing that the smallest mistake could end your stage. Rely on your instincts with the most immersive and focused off-road experience yet, and power your rally car through real-life off-road environments in New Zealand, Argentina, Spain, Poland, Australia and the USA, with only your co-driver and instincts to guide you.

LEGO Worlds

An open environment of procedurally generated worlds made entirely of LEGO bricks which you can freely manipulate and dynamically populate with LEGO models. Create anything you can imagine, one brick at a time or use large-scale landscaping tools. Drop in prefabricated structures to build and customize any world to your liking then watch your creations come to life through characters and creatures that interact with you and each other in unexpected ways.

Xbox Game Pass Member Benefits

Speaking of perks, here are some tips to get in on now so you get the cool stuff:

*Thank past-you for getting an Xbox Game Pass membership, because you’ll be able to play with even more of your friends during the Dead by Daylight and Just Cause 4 Free Play Days, where Xbox Live Gold members play free – and isn’t it handy that Xbox Live Gold is part of your Ultimate membership? Crazy. And Xbox Game Pass members can keep the party going after the weekend is over, since both titles are already included with Xbox Game Pass.

*Reward future-you by doing some of these Quests in Xbox Game Pass:

Devil May Cry 5 – 100 points Earn one achievement

Sea of Thieves – 100 points Earn any achievement

Increase Your Gamerscore in 10 Days (September 19 – September 28) – Up to 10,000 points Earn one Microsoft Rewards point per Gamerscore point increase

Visit the Xbox Game Pass Quest page to see all quests and remember to check your console for details. Spend your Microsoft Rewards points on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, gift cards and more.

Game Updates

*In case you missed it, the Sea of Thieves Smuggler’s Fortune update dropped last week and is free to all Xbox Game Pass members. It brings players a host of fresh content including new Voyages to complete and loot to claim, unique pirate and ship cosmetics, and adorable animal sidekicks now available for purchase.

*And don’t forget, all Xbox Game Pass members can now play Gears 5, which had the biggest launch for any Xbox Game Studios game this generation. This latest entry in the award-winning Gears of War franchise is bigger than ever, and has been dubbed “The Total Package” by IGN. If you haven’t already played, now’s the time, because you can suit up as WWE Superstar Batista for free by playing Gears 5 before October 28.

We’re not done yet! For our mouse and keyboard warriors, more PC games are coming soon. We’ll keep you updated on all things Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) here on our new Twitter account and you should tune in to Inside Xbox on Tuesday, September 24 for even more news.

Speaking of social, you can always find our spicy memes on Instagram and Twitter. Extra kudos for downloading the mobile app for Xbox Game Pass, so you can remotely install the games to play later. Win-win if you ask me.

We know you’ll have more fun playing these games with friends, so don’t forget to tell everyone that they can get their first two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $2!

via Xbox Live's Major Nelson https://ift.tt/2Lz0I6i

[antiquechampagne]

Antique Champagne -CH32-Gone Fishing

Payne suspected a herd of elephants stomping around might make less noise than whatever was parading past the closed office door. She was content ignore everything and bury her head under the cushions until she heard the voices in the hallway filter through.

“… you see it?..” “What the hell…?” “It’s gotta be huge!”

Payne pulled herself upright, her head pounding. She swore her brain was trying to crawl its way out the back of her skull. Stumbling to the door, she cracked it open. A wall of sound and light buffeted her, forcing her to take a step back to steady herself. A gaggle of people appeared to be cramming into Hancock’s room, while others ran up the stairs to the third floor.. Payne grabbed the shoulder of a Watchman as he passed by.

“What’s going on?”

The ghoul turned to her. “There’s some kind of thing, a ship, in the sky. Damnedest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

Payne’s mind tried to latch onto the new information, to categorize it in some meaningful fashion.

A ship? Like a hot air balloon? Dirigible? It was a harder task than she would have like.

“Where’s Hancock?”

“Up top, I think.” he continued on, trying to push past the throng to crane his neck on the balcony Hancock normally would use to address his adoring fans when he gave public addresses.

She trudged up to the third floor. the room was empty except for the ladder leading up into a blazing bright hole. Payne looked up with dread. She didn’t feel like climbing. Not only was she missing her helmet (she must have misplaced it sometime last night). The ladder looked like it stretched about four stories tall, growing as she stared up at it. She closed her eyes and pressing her temples with her palms. Grabbing a Boston Bugle to shade her eyes and headed up. Keeping to the shadow of the cupula, Payne shifted through the small crowd perched on the roof. Everyone was pointing and gawking. Payne found the afternoon sky nauseatingly bright, but all she managed to steal was a few choice glances at the oblong blot on the horizon.

"You're late." grunted a familiar voice next to her. Payne hadn't noticed she had lumbered up next to Fahrenheit.

Payne managed a grunt and nod. "Any idea what it is?"

Before Fahr could answer, Payne felt a hand on her head, tussling her hair.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" Hancock's smile was nearly as brilliant at the sun. "The Brotherhood of Steel knows how to make a entrance, I'll give'em that."

"Brotherhood?" That wasn't the answer Payne was expecting. "Are you sure?"

Fahr crossed her arms. "That's what they were blaring across the 'Wealth. You could have heard it yourself, if you had gotten your ass up here earlier." Great. Fahr was still pissed.

"Give it a break, Fahr." Hancock squeezed Payne's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Payne was pretty sure she looked like shit, too. "If it looks like Goodneighbor isn't going to be immediately invaded by these guys..."

Hancock waved her off. "Go get some rest. I'll get you if a bunch of brothers come-a-knocking."

Payne didn't waste any more time. She excused herself, found her things and returned to her own bed.

After a few days, they once again settled back into their old routines, only it was clear to Payne that Hancock was stewing over the new player in the field. He paid handsomely for intel, even sending out scouts to scope out the areas surrounding the Brotherhood's apparent base of operations; the Boston Airport. So far, it appeared they were sending out exploration parties of their own, mostly to tech heavy locales. Payne didn't have all that much experience with them. If she had happened to come across the odd band of them out west, she avoided them. What annoyed her the most was the drone of their vertibirds as they briskly buzzed past town. Luckily, it seemed like Goodneighbor was low on their list of priorities.

One afternoon, a surprise knock on her hotel door startled Payne as she dressed for the day. A watchman told her curtly that the mayor needed to talk to her.

“The Mayor also said to make sure to bring your rifle and extra… um…. juice boxes?”

Confused, Payne rushed through her afternoon routine to arrive at the Old State House a few hours before her shift officially started. On the step, she ran into Hancock and Fahr quarrelling. A backpack lay on the ground next to Hancock’s feet.

“Come on, Fahr! It’ll be fun! When was the last time you let your hair down?” Hancock was trying hard to spread his exuberant attitude to Fahr. From what Payne saw, it was not working.

“This is stupid, Hancock, and you know it.” Fahr’s face was stone-set.

Payne's presence finally registering, Hancock bounded over to her, his eyes twinkling. “See, Payne’s all ready to go! Aren't ya, Sport?”

“What exactly is going on? Where are we going? And don't call me 'Sport'.”

“Spoilsport!" That got him a look. "You’re in for a real treat! We’re going to go for a nice little walk down by the beach. Got the fixin’s for a mirelurk bake, a little booze…” Fahr huffed. “Quit being a party pooper! Payne’s never seen where I grew up. This’ll be a good chance for her to see it!”

Suddenly, Payne’s helmet suddenly felt uncomfortably warm. Hancock wanted to show her his childhood home?

“You only want to stomp around out there to get a closer look at that flying Brotherhood ship!” Fahr sniped back.

Hancock’s smile grew wider. “You wound me, Fahr,” he sassed back.

“And,” Fahr added, “You don’t need all of us to go to sneak a peek. Someone should stay…”

“The town isn’t gonna burn down if we skip out for a night. We're not going to start a freaking settlement out there. You need to relax.” And with that, Hancock grabbed his bag and headed towards the gate, ending the argument. Fahr grumbled, cursing under her breath as she passed, nodding her head to press Payne to follow. Payne just shrugged and took up the rear.

The trio picked their way through the city, careful to avoid raiders and nests of super mutants. They made pretty good time until the buildings started to thin out. There, they started to follow the crumbling highways, the lack of cover making them cautious. Hancock stopped several times to gauge his bearings, the dank sewage smelling sea breeze blew in from the waterfront.

“5 caps says he never finds the place,” scoffed Fahr during one of the pit stops. The giant metal airship loomed in the distance.

“You’re on.” Payne quipped back.

Hancock cocked his head. “I heard you! And it’s this way!” He pointed farther down the beach, his bodyguards shaking their heads, snickering behind him.

Payne found herself focusing on picking her way around the fetid seaweed and rotting animal carcasses when Fahr’s hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Hancock had stopped and was digging through his pack.

“Figured those nasty bastards would move in…” he mumbled as he rummaged around. “They were becoming quite the persistent pests before we moved to the city.”

“What?” asked Payne.

“See that shack over there? Around that little alcove?” Payne squinted, trying to see the structure. “Well, that’s it… but it looks like we are going to have to work up a little sweat to get there.”

Sure enough, several clutches of eggs dotted the sand between them and the shack. Hancock pulled a couple of handfuls of frag grenades from the bag, handing a bunch to each of his companions.

With a wink, he took a few of his own. “Light’em up!” Pulling a pin, he let the first one fly. It landed square in the center of the nearest nest. The eggs splattered spectacularly in flames. Payne readied her rifle, while Fahr took aim with more grenades. Like clockwork, the ground started to vibrate and lurch. In a barrage of shrapnel and bullets, the three of them ended up taking down four mirelurks. They dragged the largest one towards the ramshackle assemblage of sheet metal walls. The single room shack had seen better days. Two of the four walls had collapsed, leaving the roof barely attached.

"I know it's not much to look at, but it was home for the three of us for a long time." Hancock hung his hat on a nearby stray nail on the corrugated metal wall. He grabbed a crowbar he had brought along and smiled. Jamming it in between the joints of the mirelurks' carapace, he strained to crack the creatures shell open.

"Give me that. You're just going to destroy the shell, then we won't have anything to cook it in." Fahrenheit shooed him away. Moving the tool along the seam, she started to deftly split the shell with a satisfying series of snaps.

Payne smiled. "Guess that means we're on fire duty." They quickly found enough drift wood and old bits of lumber to have a sizeable fire going by the time Fahr had opened the beast. Payne watched as Hancock and Fahrenheit worked together to clean and carve up the useable meat. They tasked her with filling the bowl of the shell with some water, flavoring it with some of the wine and salty sea water. After that, she set it over the fire to boil. Soon, they sat down to a ample spread of boiled mirelurk, butter and more wine. Payne made sure to stay under the remainder of the roof as she ate, watching the sunset from the shadows. Hancock talked a little bit about his childhood, his favorite pranks and exploits. Conversation soon turned to the Brotherhood and it's looming implications.

"Seems like they have been picking over tech heavy targets." Fahrenheit said between bites. "They have the muscle to take on just about any nasties they find. Mutants, synths, ferals... you name it."

Payne wiped her mouth. "You think they are here because of the Institute? I mean, they have a shit ton of crazy tech."

"Maybe? Wouldn't it be nice if they just went and took care of each other?" Hancock leaned back on his elbows.

"And who do you think would pay the price in that war? Ordinary people." Payne shook her head. "They always do."

"True enough," agreed Fahr.

The night had started to cool off as dusk turned into nearly clear night. Payne moved out to enjoy the warm fire. The airship lit up the sky, a strangely out of place light show. They watched and talked as vertibirds occasionally buzzed to and fro. It seemed to take up most of the sky. The engine noise brought back prewar memories for Payne, like nostalgic music track backing their conversation. Between the presence of the Brotherhood and their clearing of the beach earlier, the area seemed to be blessedly free of hostiles. Against all odds, it was turning out to be a pleasant excursion. Even Fahr seemed to be relaxing a bit. Maybe this trip wouldn't be such a waste of their time after all.

[autumnpawtribe]

Complications Part 7

((TW: Abuse etc)) Vol finally got Tarja to calm down and sleep, many lullabies and a bottle later.  He had a harder time getting the one he called his Flower and his young sister to be responsive.  No smoking around Tarja, so he was digging in his pack looking for any remnants of his chocolate.  He found a small peice, wrapped in foil and unfortunately, Kit'raka's recipe.

"Better than nothing...". He snapped the piece in half, putting one part under Janaret's tonuge.  "When I get you back to calm, sweetheart, well figure out if your sister can tolerate this shit.". He put Aret's head on his shoulder, waiting for the candy to melt, peering through Xiao's eyes.  "Xiao.  Tonight we both serve Bwonsamdi."

Xiao sent back through the link. "I am more open to that than I expected. You said you wanted to watch... will the connection suffice or should I wait for you? His attention, however, remained on Pahre now. He barely understood her, his face scrunching up as he tried to scrounge words together. "Janaret... my Lok'dim... Bal'a... Wassa'dim." It seemed Xiao had been listening, using all of those terms before smiling gently at her. "I bring safe for you, I am safe." He extended his hand down to her, hoping to help her up. "Behind..." He pointed over at the two paralyzed Trolls, hoping she didn't panic. "P-... ah..." He grumbled, muttering 'Paralyzed' in Orcish a few times as he tried to think of how to translate. "Body... like stone, from... small sharp." He then reached over for the pouch to pull out a dart and the hollow tube, showing her the tool in hopes of her understanding what he meant.

Pahre stared at him almost blind and blank.  She was as if waking up from a deep sleep, staring up at her home, mouth agape.

"Talking to her is gonna be useless.  Do what you will.  If you can get the hearts...  I’ll give mouth presents?" He needed to cut the seriousness of the whole thing.  Aret was snoring on his shoulder and Nielka was asleep in the corner.  "I'll watch, you'll have to bring her here...  Somehow.  This is a loa damn mess."

Xiao just sighed and nodded at Vol's words. "You wanted... tusks too?" He asked a tad nervously, his edge fading a bit after healing Pahre. He needed more energy, pulling a small vial from his pouch and drinking it to make himself less exhausted. It wasn't a super potion like the other, this one just rejuvenating the Chi he already had rather than overpowering him with it. He knelt down in front of Jansevet first, carefully but forcefully jamming a finger DEEP into the side of the man's neck, almost near the back. It would hurt a fair bit, but not as much as the next. He went behind him and lined up his fingers, placing a sharp jab backed by a burst of Chi that would render Jansevet a quadriplegic. This wasn't a temporary nerve block through pressure points, he severed the spinal cord permanently. He reached for a small vial of herbs and shoved the man's immobile mouth. After a moment, he'd find he could move again, at least from the neck up. His other limbs loosened, no longer like stone, but instead he now just laid on the floor, limp and unable to feel or move a muscle. That was one plus, he couldn't feel anything below the neck anymore. "Vol I want you to translate for me. I am going to tell you what I want to say, you are going to repeat it back in Zandali. When he speaks, you repeat back to me what he says, no matter how cruel or vile. Now..." He paused, giving Vol his first line. "What do you have to say for yourself, Jansevet. You are a father, a husband, and a grandfather. You bring shame upon all three titles. You are not worthy of the ground you lay on. What do you have to say for the atrocities you have committed?"

"Yes, tusks and heart"

Vol watched and listened, translating slowly so that the words would work correctly, making the syllables flow as they should to be understood.

"I have no grandchildren, filthy Pandaren.  My son is a worthless cunt and those three bitches are useless.  That old bitch is dead, so who cares.  I have done nothing wrong save let them all live.". Xiao would feel Vol'raka cringe before he spoke again.  " Especially since that useless fuck is screwing a Darkspear man.  He can rot with Rastakhan."

Xiao actually chuckled a little, moving to repeat the process of crippling Aket now and force feeding him the herbs to reverse the toxin so he could speak while being numb and permanently paralyzed from the neck down. "You are a fool... you are  a grandfather twice over. Naddja did not crush her daughter's head with a rock. Those ashes were as false as the supremacy you think you hold. Her daughter is living with her real father... all three of them." He grinned now. "Also, your son is not screwing a Darkspear." He crouched, grinning down at Jansevet. "He is being screwed by a Darkspear..." He then reached to pull his mask off to reveal his face and thus his furry self and his race being made apparent. "AND and a Pandaren... and that is OUR daughter. Naddja, our daughter, and even her first born... the Frost Troll you despised so much... all of them are safe in our home, protected and far beyond your reach." He leaned down close, almost face to face with Jansevet as he spoke in a low and nearly dominant whisper. "Your grandchildren will grow up in a world where they not only do not know you exist... but in a world where you CEASE to exist... and they will be all the better for it." He stood up and looked over at Aket now. "You are just as pathetic. It is only fitting that nature deemed you too little of a man to be able to procreate. Ironic, is it not? How it was your infertility that lead to Naddja finding my Lok'dim... which lead to this very moment. Life can be funny that way sometimes. I suppose it has to make up somehow for putting monsters like you into existence. You are not a man for hitting your lover, your wife, your son, your daughter... you are not strong, big, important... it makes you WEAK." He then grinned, letting his tail flick almost tauntingly from side to side. "Otherwise how would a Pandaren not even five and a half feet tall manage to do away with both of you without even breaking a sweat."

Of course Vol had to translate all of this, but Xiao repeated it back as he said it, enunciating and putting emphasis where he needed. These men would know their place in this world before they left it, that much he would ensure.

"you know...  That was oddly sexy.".

There was a smile on his face and in his voice as he added to it.  "Tell them... " He gave the words, a hint of evil in his voice as he said it in Zandali.  "Darkspear never die, and the Pandaren drove you back.  The greatest among you shares our bed and will forever shown love, something you will never truly experience."

Xiao grinned at Vol's addition, eagerly mirroring it word for word with just as much edge to it. This was going to be delicious to watch unfold.

Jansevet tried to roar in anger and move desperately.  Aket looked absolutely shamed, the attack on his very manhood and his secret being out to the world.  Not even Jansevet knew of his inability to father children.  The Old mon growled at the younger troll, spitting his words.  "You buffoon, you told me your wife, that i had exiled for you, could not bear for you,  It was YOU who could not get it up.  I could have sent her to a better family, with more power than a mere priest!"  His words were narcissistic in their tone and accusation.  "You are just as much of a waste!  As for your fucking children, I don't care if those half-breeds rot in hell!  If I could I would kill them myself!"

Xiao seemed entirely unphased by the yelling, smiling down at him almost smugly. He crouched down, just inches out of his reach since all he could do was thrash his head around, Xiao making sure to stay out of tusk-reach too. "If you could? Hm, that is a shame... since it seems you are just as limp and useless as your son in law's manhood." He grinned widely now, looking over at Aket. "That is even funnier, hm? You cannot bear children, but the one you two deem to be worthless, under you because of who he loves... the one who loves other men, is going to be a father when you never can." He then looked down at Jansevet again, eyes narrowing. "Guess who is going to have his baby?" Oh man, Xiao was really letting them have it and Celestials he was enjoying it.

"I do not care if he does or not!  Should castrate the lot of you, then feed you to the spiders!  Quashi Nejho!"  He devolved into a slew of Zandalari words, Vol having a hard time translating fast enough.

"Yeah.. short version. on that one... You are Dirty gutter whore, I am a dickless wonder and Aret is a cum guzzling slut who should have a spear shoved up his ass..."

"There is no way for you to give him a child, you piece of Jani shit!  I wouldn't want my blood marred by animals as it is  I disown that rotten meat that used to be my son!"  The prelate was hissing and spitting his hatred.

Xiao just laughed now, shaking his head. "You cannot castrate anyone, you cannot even touch your own anymore." He then swayed his tail as he swayed his hips, the gesture almost playful, remaining entire indifferent to the words of hatred, knowing it'd piss him off even more. "There is this wonderful thing called magic. Your son? He is going to become an 'animal' for nine months, I am going to become a woman for the same... and he is going to have a child with me along with our other mate, the 'lesser' Darkspear who will also be an 'animal'. Your mighty Zandalari son has opted to forgo his own blood to have fuzzy little love children with the men he is happy with. How is that racial superiority treating you now, hm? The 'animal' has made you nothing more than a spitting writhing head who cannot even hold his own stool or urine." He then sniffed. "Come to think of it, I think you voided your bowels when I severed your spine. As you spew shit, you are literally stewing in your own. How incredibly fitting." He had such venom in that last sentence, his dominant aura really coming out now.

That head spit in Xiao's face before cursing at him again.  Spiders began coming from the woodwork, but strangely ignoring the pandaren.  All were tiny, smaller than Tarja's thumb, covering the prelate of Spiders.  They began biting him, the old male unable to feel any of them until they began radiating to his face.

Aket began screaming, seeing what Jansevet could not feel.  He was unable to move as the same began happening to him.  Pahre, slowly coming back to herself, backed up into a corner, crying.  Vol watched between the two through Xiao's eyes, sighing.  He pet his mate as he was passed out in his lap, letting Xiao get a glimpse of him with a sleeping Nielka, Tarja, and Jararet.  "I think I'm the animal in this family..."

Xiao merely wiped the spit off, though his attention was pulled away when the spiders came. "Uh oh, Vol I think I may have-... wait..." He trailed off when he saw what they were doing, brows furrowed now. "... What are they doing? Is he... killing himself and his son in law so I do not get to? I am confused..." He simply watched, letting them writhe and scream, unsure how to move forward.

"I dont speak spider...  I serve the Loa of Graves.."

It was Pahre who spoke up, a bare whisper.  "His Loa is displeased.  He shows weakness.  She does not like weakness."  Vol translated for him, scowling.  The woman kept going, hiding her face.  "Torcali forgive me.  I have failed."

"I gotta get Aret awake and come get her before you slice them up, Xiao love."

Xiao ignored the two men now, turning to Pahre. "You have not failed, Pahre..." He shook his head. "You are safe now. I am Janaret's Lok'dim, or... I will be eventually. He is my Ba'la, my Wassa'dim. He makes me happy and we make him happy. We know...we know what these two have been doing to you, your daughters... you do not deserve it and you cannot fail because of the actions of others. Your son is on his way, he has your other daughter with him at his old apartment. Nielka is safe, Naddja is safe at our home in Pandaria... your grand children, Pahre... they are safe. You will be too, I promise. I was not going to let you meet Bwonsamdi, not tonight. It is not your time." He spoke through the link now. "Vol, get him up and get him here fast, she needs to be with her family."

Xiao would only hear Vol trying to wake Aret up, it taking a bit more work than it should have with Kit's chocolate in his system.  Once he got the younger prelate to his feet and mostly awake, he bundled up Tarja in her sling and wandered out with them both.  the girl was asleep in a corner, locked safely in the apartment.  "Give us some time.  I don't want them seeing Tarja...  Understand?"

Aket was screaming louder as tiny spiders moved into the orifices of his face and no matter how much he shook his head, he could not rid himself of them.  Jansevet was shaking in anger, his body unmoving, but his tucks scratching on the floor and teeth chattering.  "Shut up you cunt!  Torcali will not help you!  No one can help you!  Mother of sluts!"

Pahre turned to look at the pandaren, sniffing him.  "You know my son..."   Her brain was starting to figure it out.

Xiao ignored the two men, smiling and nodding. "I more than know your son, Pahre. He is my love. I know your poor excuse for a husband knows your son is laying with a Darkspear... well he is also laying with a Pandaren. All three of us are a family. I know it is not traditional, but we love him and he loves us. We keep him safe and happy. The man Naddja was pregnant with... it was not Aket, it was my mate, the Darkspear. I will not go into the details how it happened, but that child is not dead. Those ashes were not hears. Your grandchild is alive... and she is our daughter. Naddja's first child lives as well. Your entire family is safe, Pahre. You are, too. Your son is on his way now, we will take you to safety. You do not need to see what happens next, what these two deserve." He said with a look back toward the two writhing men, letting the spiders do his work for him.

"Naddja's baby?"  That woke her up, letting the blue eyes that her children had inherited look up into the emerald ones of her son's lover.  She became distracted as her son came in, accompanied by his taller mate and a little baby who was making happy little noises and wiggling.  It was a stark difference between an infant's giggles and the priest's screams.

"Muuka..."  Aret moved to sit next to his mother as she cried, holding her and tending to the hysterical woman.  Vol stood above the pandaren, squatting down to kiss him on the nose, just to see the look of disgust on the old man's face, then the rage as he figured out that there was a child in the Darkspear's arms.

"Tarja, dis be ja Chaadoi, Grandfathah.  He gonna not exist in about.. fifteen minutes ef Ba an Papa got anytin ta say bout et."

Xiao smiled up at Vol as he came in, leaning in to kiss him gently. "I thought we did not want them seeing her?" He asked in Orcish now, knowing they couldn't speak it. He looked to Aret and moved beside him, nuzzling the man gently on the cheek and murmuring in Pandaren. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help? I tried telling your mother she would be safe, be with her family, her grandchildren, but it seems to be too much for her to process all at once..."

"No choice"  the words were in broken pandaren before he stuck to the link.  *"Let them see a tiny beautiful girl before they die.  Let them suffer, one from never knowing his grandchildren, the other the child he wanted to torture to death."

Aret turned tired and crying eyes to Xiao and Vol, whining, but not freaking out.  "We can't leave them here...  I can't leave them alone."

"Ok with a few more in the house until that guest house is built, Xiao Chun?"

[bangalorepuppyfarm]

6 puppy tips for early training success

Introduction

If you're a dog owner, you're probably excited about bringing your new puppy home. But if you're also a first-time dog owner, you might be worried about how to raise and train your puppy to be the best dog ever. Don't worry! We've got some tips for getting started with training that will help make sure that your pup grows up happy and healthy.

Start potty training at 6 weeks.

6 Dog Training Tips for Early Success: Start potty training at 6 weeks. It's important to start potty training early, and the earlier you start, the better. Learn how to potty train a puppy by following this guide.

It is possible to teach your dog basic commands such as “sit” and “stay” from an early age if he or she is properly trained over time with patience. The same goes for potty-training puppies: it can be done by following some simple steps outlined below!

Identify in advance where the puppy will be spending most of their time outside so that they become familiar with this space even before they leave their crate or pen later on down the road when they're old enough not only physically but also mentally ready too;

Clean up any messes immediately after they happen because otherwise they'll become conditioned into thinking that it's okay not just socially but also environmentally speaking too; 3

Crate train your puppy using positive reinforcement.

Crate training your puppy is one of the best things you can do for his or her long-term health and well-being. By giving your puppy a safe place to sleep and relieve himself, you're helping him develop into a well-behaved dog who's not afraid of new situations, people or places.

Crate training is ideal for puppies because it gives them a safe space to go when they need time alone or feel stressed out. It also makes potty training easier because your puppy will be less likely to mark his territory inside the crate when he has access outside of it.

The first step in crate training is getting your pup used to the idea of having his own space away from everyone else in the house. Start by putting treats such as pieces of kibble or chewy treats inside while he's watching television then closing him in after he's eaten them all up (the same principle as teaching children not to touch counters when Mom isn't looking). Then move on to letting him spend time in there without any distractions until finally adding those distractions back in slowly over time until finishing up with just sitting still calmly together at night before bedtime!

Teach your puppy that you're the boss.

Your puppy needs to know that you're the boss. Puppies have a "pack mentality," so they need someone to follow and look up to. Because they are so young and young animals are impressionable, they will learn from their parents how things should be done in life. If your dog doesn't have any leadership training when he's younger, then he'll likely start following other dogs instead of you once he gets older; this can lead to behavior problems down the line.

To prevent this from happening, it’s important that your puppy understands who is in charge during his first few weeks at home with you. You can do this by showing him through actions and body language that you're the one who makes decisions around here—not him!

Use a leash to teach good behavior.

A leash can be a useful tool for establishing control and keeping your puppy safe, but it's also important not to use your leash as an instrument of punishment or force. If you have a young puppy who is still learning to walk on a leash, start with one that's light and easy to handle. This will help prevent any jerking or pulling that might hurt the dog or cause them to run away in fright. Additionally, it's important not to jerk the leash when training your puppy: this could cause him or her injury and make him wary of walking on leashes in the future. Instead, try holding the end of the leash loosely between your thumb and index finger so that if he pulls back from something he sees (like another animal), you can easily give him some slack by relaxing these muscles without jerking harshly at all.

Train your dog for safety around people, cars, and other animals.

Training your dog to be on a leash is an important step in keeping him safe. When you take him for walks, he can explore the world around him without getting into trouble. Your dog will also be less likely to run off after other dogs or people if he's on a leash—and if his behavior does become aggressive, it's easier for you to handle it when he's leashed.

Leashing your dog also helps keep him from wandering into traffic when you're out walking on busy streets or sidewalks. Dogs are naturally attracted by car tires, which makes them prone to crossing streets when cars come near—especially if there are interesting smells nearby! Leash training helps prevent this problem by giving your pooch something else interesting and fun (like interacting with other dogs) instead of allowing them free rein over their environment.

Encourage good behavior with treats or praise.

When you see your puppy doing something good, it's important to give them positive reinforcement. This can be done in a number of ways:

Treats. Everyone likes treats! But if your puppy has a sensitive stomach or if they're on a very specific diet, it might not be possible for you to use treats as an effective reward. In that case, try using praise or toy play instead—but don't forget about their food bowl!

Praise alone is another option for rewarding behavior—and it's important to remember that dogs respond well when we speak their language (body language) through vocalization. However, keep in mind that sometimes just the act of giving them attention will suffice as positive reinforcement; if they're doing something right and then stop what they're doing because they know someone is watching them? That counts as praise too!

You can start training your puppy as soon as you take them home

You can start training your puppy as soon as you take them home.

You should start potty training at six weeks of age, and crate train your puppy using positive reinforcement.

Teach your puppy that you're the boss.

Conclusion

Puppies are an exciting addition to any family. While they can be a lot of work, the effort is worth it in the end. With proper training and care, your puppy will become a well-behaved member of your household who enjoys spending time with you and your family.

[italicwatches]

Animal Sentai Zyuohger - Episode 29

It, has been a long day. Not a bad day, necessarily, but a long one. So let’s get this going. It’s Animal Sentai Zyuohger, episode 29! Here we GO!

-PREVIOUSLY ON Animal Sentai Zyuohger, we got Captain Marvelous and everything was better. Also I guess some stuff happened with the actual cast of this show.

-PRESENTLY ON Animal Sentai Zyuohger, Eagle and GokaiRed are in a ferocious dogfight that returns to the ground…While The World catches up to the rest of the crew to find them fighting a bunch of crazy looking Sentai members! And also, that he has nobody to fight…He falls into despair.

-But then, there is another man of silver and gold. …No purple, though. GokaiSilver has appeared!

-Meanwhile, GokaIRed has Eagle on the backstep…And right when Eagle manages to flip it around, Gokai Change! GOOOORANGER! With his whip of the first ranger against the Eagle Riser, it becomes a vicious lashing duel…Until Eagle manages to cut that whip apart, and come at GokaiRed with sheer speed and ferocity, barely managing to rip him out of his armor while holding his own…

-But Marvelous, when Eagle hesitates, puts three rounds from his space-flintlock right into the idiot’s chest, enough to make his armor fail.

-Back at the big fight, The World knows how this works, and is ready to fight GokaiSilver…But Silver isn’t here for a big fight, he’s here to really all you stupid idiots. They don’t need to have a big fight! …Marvelous said to keep these guys busy, though. Marvelous says lots of shit! Listen do you all even realize they’re in a crossover episode?!

-Marvelous has his gun to Yamato’s head. Too slow, too gentle…But Yamato sees the injury on Marvelous’s hand…

-Opening!

-Episode 29! The Champion of Champions

-So with everything able to calm down at last, the space pirates end up getting brought to the cabin, and our heroes get to learn the legend of the Super Sentai. There have been 39 teams, up to this point, making you all the 40th…Also Leo sees two cute girls and is immediately ready to flirt, until Sela hauls him back.

-All of that leads to the question of Marvelous, and why he’s seeking the Grand Champion Symbol. And speaking of Marvelous, back with him, Yamato’s bandaging up his wounds, and apologizing that it got so rough, that he had to go all out. …You were holding back, kid? Well of course he was. He saw Marvelous make a point of getting Bunglay and his summon’s attention instead of just slipping off…You had a reason for it. And there aren’t a lot of dishonest reasons to make that kind of show.

-You fight with honor, Marvelous. You’re willing for things to be harder, so long as they’re done right. Yamato can see an honest core to you. And so, he asks, honestly and earnestly, to return this relic of the zyuman people.

-Marvelous promptly pulls his gun, instead.

-While back at the cabin, the core four explain how that Symbol powers the Link Cube. Their only way home. It’s not just a weapon, or a tool, or a historical relic…It’s their only hope of getting to see their families again.

-And for these four pirates, who lost family to a great battle…They can understand and respect that…

-As Yamato calls Marvelous’s bluff, ice cold. You don’t have the eyes of a killer, captain. …And you’ve got stones bigger than your brain, kid. But then, what Red hasn’t, over these forty years?

-Aaand that’s when Bunglay finds the pair. Instincts Awakened! Gokai Change! The fight is on…

-While the others get vibes! Bungay’s got to be on the move…And neither crew i going to let him just have their leaders!

-While Bunglay manages to rip some memories out of GokaiRed’s skull…And though Eagle hauls him off, he’s on the ragged edge, running half empty…

-When Bunglay calls up a bunch of GokaiRed’s best foes! …Shit, those are some rough foes…They’re up against the edge of the cliff, with few options and fewer ideas…As the gun barrage begins!

-They’re sent to the dirt below, their armors failing…It’s a damn good thing the teams find them at that point, or they could’ve died.

-And while they have time…Marvelous presents the Zyuohgers with a simple dilemma. Bunglay’s after this Symbol of yours, and the Whale connected to it. He and his crew take it back into space, and Bunglay follows. You still want this thing, even knowing it brings that much danger?

-…Of course. By their honor and their pride, they’re going to set this right. Bungled needs to be stopped, not lured away like a dog after a bone.

-…Then good luck with it, kids. Have fun. He shoves the Symbol right into Yamato’s hands, and the thing activates, unfolding from a projector into a cannon…And that’s about when Bunglay and his pack of summons find them. Well then, one quick round along with the new kids…All together?

-They stand, twelve strong! Gokai Change! Instincts Awakened! GOOOKAIGER! And Yamato Instincts Awakened with the Grand Symbol, bringing upon the power of the WHALE! It showers upon him, forging a new helm and longboat….!

-Gokai Red! Gokai Blue. Gokai Yellow! Gokai Green! Gokai Pink. Goooookai SILVER! Pirate Sentai, GOKAIGER! Champion of the surging waves, ZYUOH SHARK! Champion of the savannah, ZYUOH LION! Champion of the forest, ZYUOH ELEPHANT! Champion of the snowy drifts, ZYUOH TIGER! Champion of the world, ZYUOH THE WORLD! Champion of champions…ZYUOH WHALE! Animal Sentai, ZYUOHGER!

-This planet, is under the Super Sentai’s protection! And all twelve of them charge forth full of fury and grand heroism, weapons at the ready, as they face a ferocious mix of historical villainy! Foes of all different eras that Captain Marvelous and his crew helped face down…But they stand united, bringing a ZYUOH SLASH down on one, and (All) Beast Unleashing on another to chew him to nothing!

-While Gokai Pink and Green polish up their weapons a little before being forced to get in, and stand with their crew!

-Gokai Change! ALL RED! FLASHGUN! BOUKENGER! CARRANGER! MAGIRUANGER! SHINKENGER! Gokai Change! ALL RED! SUN VULCAN! GOSSIPER! GINGAMAN! GEKIRANGER! ZYURANGER! FINAL WAVE! The strengths of ten years of history unite, taking down two more…!

-While GokaiRed and Whale face down Bunglay himself, and the few tricks he still has up his sleeve! But as fierce as these foes are, they’re not able to stop Whale’s sheer speed and power, or the Megaman-ass cannon strapped to his arm…!

-Which, when he gives it a charge, pulls so much more than he thought possible…Excess energy showers off the barrel, as he lines up a single shot…ZYUOH FINAL! One rip of the trigger, and it’s enough to send him nearly flat on his ass, as the beam arcs into the sky…. skirting around the moon’s gravitational field…And coming down onto them in a single mighty explosion! God. Damn. Even GokaiRed is boggled, and a little scared of that thing…

-And Eagle promptly puts it away, letting that new armor fall…While Bunglay, who survived the mess, calls up one last big monster to give himself an escape plan!

-Pulling in a movie villain…One who nearly handed the Gokaigers their ass!

-Well then, only one option. Animal Kingdom Combination! WILD TOUSAI KING! …Why are the Gokaigers here?! So how’s this one work, you spin the boxes right? Please, just, let the Zyuohgers do their job! You have to spin with PURPOSE!

-Yeah well there’s somewhere to shove keys in this thing, right? Because they’ve got a plan. DENJIMAN! Draw upon the strength of history…With the Electron Full Moon SLASH!

-And LINEMAN! Super Big Burst! The finishing blows, one after another, start to put this huge monster on the ground…

-But bring it all into one. Four decades of heroism. All to the center…! ZYUOH FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY! Two thousand battles worth of power come together, cutting the beast apart! It is done.

-And when all is said and done, the Gokaigers have to take their exit…They’ve got another haul to seek, another battle to fight. They’re pirates, after all. Ignore their grand heroism. Anchors UP! Thus are these six off, Gai joining them properly on the battle this time…And nobody entirely realizing they left their robot bird behind.

-When Mario gets back into the cabin and why is there a robot in his house? A TALKING ROBOT PARROT?! Tell him your secrets, mechanical marvel!

-Credits!

HELL YEAH

[sending-the-message]

It'll be back tonight by jesswhatineeded

The drilling started around 3 a.m.

I opened my eyes with a jolt, instantly awake and confused in the pitch black humidity of the room. My room, although it was still unfamiliar. As I let the shape of my nightstand and the books piled on top of it form in the darkness, the muffled mechanic whirring continued below me.

I kicked the sweaty sheets off my body in a tangled heap and heaved myself off the mattress, immediately stubbing my toe on an unpacked box of picture frames. Of course I hadn’t plugged in a lamp yet.

“Shit,” I hissed and tiptoed to the door around more boxes and bins, a landmine of my procrastination.

I made my way downstairs and peered into the living room. It was blindingly bright with all of the lights turned on - the overhead fan, both lamps on either side of the couch, even the glow of the quiet TV showing a rerun of Family Feud. My dad was crouched down by the front door, drill in hand, installing what looked like a military-grade padlock beneath the knob. His toolbox was open on the floor, its contents scattered around him, and his face was scrunched up in concentration. He was mumbling something to himself.

“Dad?” I whispered.

He jumped, dropping the drill onto the toolbox with a loud clattering, his mouth open in horror. When he turned and saw me, he exhaled and clutched his chest.

“Jesus, Sarah, you scared me half to death,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “What’s going on? You should be in bed.”

“I could say the same thing,” I said. “You’re the one using power tools at 3:00 in the morning.”

“Is it that late?” He laughed again - that same weird, nervous tittering that was so unlike him - and looked down at his watch. “Must have lost track of time. I’ll keep it down. Sorry, sweetie.”

“Dad, what are you doing?” I asked, crossing my arms over the baggy t-shirt I wore to bed.

“We didn’t have a decent lock on this door,” he said simply. “You know, this house hasn’t had any updates since the ‘70s. Anyone could come breaking in here and steal something. For all we know, a couple of hobos could have been using this place as a crack den before we moved in.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A crack den in a cul-de-sac?”

“You know what I mean,” he muttered. He ran a shaky hand through his thinning hair. I spotted two empty beer bottles on the coffee table, a third one half-full next to the toolbox. “I’m sorry I woke you. You should really get to bed.”

“Dad, try and get some sleep,” I said, leaning down to kiss his forehead, clammy and cold on my lips despite the heat. “And then maybe I can get some sleep. No more drilling, okay?”

“Okay,” he answered, without looking at me, his bloodshot eyes focused on the wall behind me. “Love you, bug.”

I stumbled sleepily back upstairs when my parents’ bedroom door opened a crack. My mom poked her head out into the hallway, her hair a mess of matted curls. “Again?” She asked me in a strained voice. I nodded and we shared a look of concern.

Dad had never been an insomniac, but ever since we moved to our new house a little over a week ago, he stayed awake all hours of the night. The first night was normal enough; he was up late unpacking. But Mom and I found him sitting upright in the armchair the next morning, wide awake and trembling. The next night I heard him pacing when I got up to use the bathroom, peering down the stairs to see him walking back and forth in the living room, the floorboards creaking gently beneath him as he muttered to himself. The following nights had followed a similar pattern. I would wake to hear him trudging up the stairs after the sun had come up.

He was a writer - mostly of personal essays and nonfiction pieces - but he was never this secretive or consumed with his work. Now whenever we found him bent over his laptop or scribbling furiously into his notebook, he would pack up his belongings and shuffle into the next empty room. This was the first night he had incorporated light home construction and, as far as I knew, beer into his routine. Dad had never been a drinker, either.

The next afternoon, while my dad snoozed the day away in his room, my mom rehashed the same conversation we’d been having for days.

“He needs medication,” she said, matter-of-factly. “Ambien or something. Do you see what he did to the door? It’s not natural to be up all night like that. He’s teaching freshmen at 8 a.m. in a few weeks!”

Both of my parents were English professors at the local college, part of the reason for our move. While my mom had taken on teaching afternoon and evening summer courses, my dad had the season off, fortunately for him given his current predicament. But the fall semester was rapidly approaching. I chalked most of his antics up to anxiety over living so far from the city; he was used to noise, people, chaos. Now we were the only house on a small, dead-end street a few miles from campus, shrouded by trees.

After my mom left for class through the garage (“I can’t even figure out to open my own goddamn front door,” she had snapped) I examined the living room, looking for any signs of remaining bottles. Our front door was now armed with a heavy deadbolt towards the top, as well as a chain at eye level. I balked at the level of security my dad had taken and unlocked each one. I turned the knob, but it wouldn’t budge. I had missed the heavy padlock at the bottom. I tugged it to no avail, then stood to run my fingers on the top of the doorframe searching for a key. Nothing.

“Jesus, Dad,” I whispered to myself, bending down to examine the lock. He must have dropped quite a few things in the process, too - long white scratches marred the floor, disappearing underneath the door.

Fueled by annoyance and concern, I jogged upstairs and quietly entered my parents’ room. Dad was still snoring soundly as I unplugged the MacBook from its charging place on the bureau and snuck back out. Downstairs, I typed in my middle name and birthday at the password prompt and began my search. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but I was hoping to find some clues for his odd behavior.

The desktop was littered with folders holding files from old student essays, photos from family vacations, and other miscellaneous crap, all labeled accordingly, but I couldn’t find any new projects. When I checked his internet browser history, something caught my attention. I clicked the link and pulled up an article published in a newspaper only a few months before: “Family of four found butchered inside home.” A red-haired couple, each holding red-headed toddler boys in their laps in what looked like a Christmas portrait, smiled out at me from the grainy featured photograph.

The details were chilling. The father was found in the bedroom, decapitated, his head only a few feet from the body. The mother was found in the children’s room, her body splayed on top of one of the beds in what police determined was a protective move. One of the boys was found underneath her, both bodies hacked to bits. The younger boy was found in the bedroom...and the hallway...and the bathroom. His body parts were strewn throughout the house. I shook my head in disgust and clicked back into the browser history.

A much less graphic story about the family had been published to another news site, this time with a video. The reporter interviewed shocked neighbors who all repeated the same mantra: they seemed like such a nice family, nobody knew them well, they had just moved in, and terrible things like this never, never happened in their town. The police chief looked stricken as he disclosed that there were no leads, no suspects, no signs of forced entry. I clicked back again.

To my horror, there were more articles. Not just about this red-haired family and their smiling boys. There were others, too.

A mother and daughter disemboweled in their country home. A man found dead in his duplex, the lower half of his body torn away. Three brothers hacked to bits in a locked room. A young couple eviscerated in their own bed in what police thought looked like an animal attack… only they lived on the 22nd floor of their apartment building.

The stories were from all over the country, but the only thing the gruesome murders had in common was that all the victims were new residents. After only a few days of moving into new homes, apartments, wherever... they were found dead. No known suspects. No explanation.

I must have been reading for hours, paralyzed with fear as shadows stretched across the room, the brightest light coming from the laptop screen. I had clicked through so much carnage, my stomach was rolling. Even though I tried to explain to myself that this was just essay material, just fodder for my dad’s next big writing gig, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong with him.

“It’ll be back tonight.”

I jumped at the sound of my dad’s voice. I strained to see him, blue circles dancing in front of my eyes in the darkness. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he turned the overhead light on with a click and I squinted from the sudden brightness. He was wearing the same disheveled clothes from the night before.

“Wh-what?”

Wordlessly, my dad moved slowly into the kitchen. I put down the laptop and followed him, watching as he opened the fridge and leaned down for a beer bottle, twisting off the cap and guzzling down half before wiping his mouth. He turned to me with tired, bloodshot eyes.

“I’m sorry, bug,” he said, sadly. “I didn’t want to bring you into this. Not yet.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in a shaky voice. “What will be back tonight?”

“I don’t know what it is,” he admitted. “And, frankly, I don’t want to know. But I think I figured out how it works, I guess. I’m not sure. There are still...questions.”

“How what works? What the hell are you talking about?” I practically shouted. “You’re really scaring me.”

He sighed and leaned on the kitchen counter, bracing himself with one hand and closing his eyes.

“Since we got here, I’ve been hearing these...these horrible voices,” he said. “Inhuman voices. Animal. And...not. I know them. But they still say awful things. Terrible things. Sometimes they’re not just voices. Sometimes I see them.”

“What do you see, Dad?” I asked, my heart in my throat.

He opened his mouth to speak, his face contorting with his struggle. But he was at a loss. He shrugged helplessly and shook his head, closing his eyes.

If this was a joke, it wasn’t my dad’s style. He was blunt and honest, almost to a fault, and he wouldn’t indulge in a prank like this. Whatever was happening, he truly believed it was real.

“Dad, are you…,” I started, unsure if I could finish the question. “Are you… drinking when you hear these voices?”

He looked up at me with a furrowed brow and laughed gruffly, without humor. “You’ll see for yourself, Sarah. Soon.”

He finished the rest of the bottle and placed it on the counter, heading back into the living room, leaving me alone, my body shivering from a sudden cold.

It was almost midnight. Dad and I were sitting in the living room, our hands wrapped around mugs of coffee. I don’t think he needed any help staying awake anymore, like I did, but I was just thankful he had put his beer away at my request.

Mom had brought home burgers for dinner from the campus diner around 7. She tried to strike up a conversation with Dad and me, but we were pretty quiet, only murmuring in response to her story about an embarrassing typo in her PowerPoint slides. Eventually, she grew frustrated and declared she was going to bed early since we were “positively boring her to death” and “maybe we all needed more sleep.” I was glad for her absence; I still hadn’t decided what I was going to say to her. I mean, how do you tell someone that her husband is clearly unstable?

Now it was just me and Dad, sitting and waiting. Waiting for what, I didn’t know. But I owed him at least one night to buy into his delusions before figuring out what to do about it. I checked my phone a few times, scrolling through my Facebook feed without absorbing anything. The TV was off and all I could hear was the ticking of the clock.

“How...much longer?” I asked.

“Depends,” he answered.

“On what?”

“Don’t know,” he said.

“Oh,” I said, dumbly.

And back to silence.

I must have dozed off in my chair because it was nearly 2 a.m. when I felt my dad shaking me awake.

“Sarah,” he whispered. “Sarah, wake up. It’s here”

“What’s he - “ I almost asked, before remembering with an unpleasant sinking feeling this little game I was indulging. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw he was holding a shotgun in both hands.

“What - when the hell did you get a gun?” I nearly shrieked with a voice hoarse from sleep. “Put that down!”

Dad crouched by the door, setting the gun across his knees and putting his ear against the wood in deep concentration. “It’s here,” he whispered again, to himself more than to me. He looked at me with wide, wild eyes. “Do you believe me now?”

I sat up in my chair and strained to hear, well, anything. But it was just the ticking of the clock and my own heartbeat thudding in my ears. I waited nearly a minute before sighing and standing.

“Dad, I don’t hear - “

“Come outside, Daddy,” a voice hissed.

I froze, icy fear spreading through my veins. It sounded like a little girl. I looked to my dad in panic.

“Daddy, I’m so cold. Please come outside,” the voice called again.

It sounded like a young girl, but off. Like something was mimicking her voice. Underneath the high-pitched trill, I could hear a faint, gravelly echo. And there was something so, so familiar about it. I had heard this girl before.

“D-dad,” I whispered, drawing closer and kneeling to join him on the floor. “Who is that? Who’s talking to you?”

He looked at me, sadly. “It’s...it’s you, bug.”

“Daddy, please, I’m scared,” the hollow voice grew louder, like she had her mouth pressed right up against the door.

I realized with horror that it was my voice. Or at least, my younger voice, something I had only heard in the shaky audio of VHS home movies my parents had recorded with handheld cameras. Once I recognized it - the slight, childish lisp I carried at six years old after I lost my two front teeth - it was uncanny.

“How is that possible?” I asked my dad, but he didn’t answer, listening intently to whatever was on the other side of the door.

“I know you’re in there, Daddy. Why won’t you come outside?”

“I don’t know,” my dad whispered back. “But it’ll get worse.”

“Sarah? Sarah, is that you? I need you, sweetie!”

I nearly choked at the sound of my name. It was my mother’s voice, which was impossible because she was upstairs and sleeping, blissfully unaware, like I had been the past week.

“Sarah, come outside right now. I won’t ask again.” It was the stern voice my mother only used when I was a child and I was in trouble.

“It knows you’re here,” my dad whispered. “It always knows everything. I-I don’t know how.”

“Sarah, listen to your mother. Come outSIDE, NOW.” The voice changed and dropped, morphing into a deep growl as something pounded forcefully on the door. “COME OUTSIDE. COME OUTSIDE. COME OUTSIDE NOW.”

I leapt back in fear, scrambling back away from the door with tears brimming in my eyes. My dad slowly stood, pumping the shotgun with a loud pop. The door was shaking, the locks rattling nearly off the hinges.

“Come outside, Sarah,” the gnarled voice nearly sang. Something was tapping on the door now - no longer banging full-force, but like fingernails tapping down and back up in quick succession, light as rain. “Come outside or we’ll come in.”

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself. “Make it stop,” I pleaded. “Dad, please, make it stop.”

My dad aimed the gun at the door as it continued. Suddenly, after what felt like an eternity, it stopped altogether.

My dad lowered his gun and took a step closer to the door. He peered through the peephole, then inexplicably, lifted his hand and slid the chain lock to the left, letting it swing undone.

“Stop!” I called. “What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry,” he told me, sounding less confident than he looked. “Everything is going to be okay.”

I watched in abject terror as he undid the deadbolt and unlocked the doorknob, fishing in his pocket for a key to the padlock before kneeling to unlock that as well. Every single millimeter of metallic protection we just had was gone. I wanted to beg “no,” but I couldn’t speak. He turned the knob and pulled the door open.

The porch light only cast a small halo of light in the inky black night and wind blew the warm evening air inside. Nobody was standing there, but I could feel it watching. I peered around my dad and blinked into the darkness. Something was moving in the black, slipping soundlessly through the trees, almost completely camouflaged by the cover of night. But I could see the tiniest pinpricks of light moving, pacing back and forth, disappearing quickly and then reappearing. They were eyes; eyes reflecting the porch light and blinking.

And from the shadows, it began to scream.

I covered my ears and cried, shutting out the pained howl. I closed my eyes as I waited for some unknown creature to gallop into the house and devour us whole. But instead, I heard the door slam shut.

“It’s okay,” Dad assured me, crouching down next to me, placing the gun on the floor. He grabbed my hands away from my ears and held them with his own. “It can’t come inside. I know that now. It can’t get us. Shh, it’s okay, honey.”

“We have to call the police,” I sobbed. “We have to get Mom and leave here now. It’s going to kill us.”

“We can’t, Sarah.”

“What? Why?”

“That’s what it wants,” he said. “It wants us to go. It wants us to flee. That’s how it works.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I said. Everything felt like the climax of a nightmare when you’re waiting to wake up and worrying that all of these horrible things are really happening. “How do you know all of this?”

My dad sat back, keeping a firm hand on my arm. “After that first night here, I did some research and found out about the last family. Then I found the rest through property records. Everyone who lived here before us is dead. I don’t know how or why, but I know that - that thing, whatever it is, has to be responsible. This house… it’s both a curse and protection. As long as we’re here, I - I think we’re safe. But if we leave…”

He trailed off, glancing at the door. I didn’t need him to finish. I had read about those families. I knew what would happen to us. And I knew I wasn’t waking up.

That was a few months ago. We told Mom soon after that night. She didn’t believe us until we showed her; I don’t think it’s something you can accept until you experience it yourself. Now she understands.

We take shifts, switching off who keeps watch each night. Last Tuesday, we felt safe enough to forego assigning a guard and fell asleep in our rooms. It didn’t like that. It needed an audience. We woke up in the middle of the night to its shrieks, the door pounding off the hinges, slamming open and shut in heavy blows, broken locks scattered on the floor. Every picture frame on the wall was broken, swinging precariously from their nails. We’ll never make that mistake again.

I ask Dad why he bothered replacing the locks when he knows they won’t make a difference either way. He says it’s more symbolic than anything, maintaining this idea of peace in the face of something so helpless. I guess I know what he means. After all, I locked them in place a few minutes ago myself.

It’s my turn. I grab a book and put on a rerun of a show I’ve seen a thousand times. It makes me feel less alone for some reason. On a good night, I can get a few hours of sleep. I can ignore it when I hear my own voice, but it’s hard when it’s Mom and Dad. It’s worse when it’s something else. Sometimes, not often, I see it, too. Just glimpses - a silhouette in the window, shadows passing under the door, and (just once) black claws sneaking in from under the door. I don’t know if it’s possible to look at it straight on, but I know I’ll never, ever try.

It’s quiet now. No crickets, no birds, no wind. Even the TV seems muted somehow. That’s how I know it’s coming.

It’ll be back tonight. And every night. But so will we.

“I know you’re in there, Sarah. I can hear you breathing.”

[aion-rsa]

Nintendo Holiday Gift Guide: Best Consoles and Games to Buy

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article is presented by Nintendo.

Got a video game fan in your life and want to treat them to something special? Luckily, with the holidays just around the corner and the 35th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros. is currently in full swing, there are plenty of Nintendo-themed gifts to choose from. But if you need some guidance on the latest and greatest from the House of Mario, we’ve created a helpful guide for you!

The following is a curated list of products we think would be ideal for both dedicated Nintendo players and those ready to have their first Nintendo experience. From exciting first-party exclusives and the best games for the Nintendo Switch to mixed reality playsets ready to take over your home, here is Den of Geek’s ultimate Nintendo holiday buyer’s guide:

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in various ways throughout 2020, and the biggest anniversary release is definitely the return of the classic Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. handheld. This special golden handheld boasts a sleek and clean look that also stays true to the portable device’s iconic design, especially the legendary Widescreen Game & Watch line. 

Not only does this new version of the handheld have a full-color LED screen but it comes pre-loaded with the full version of Super Mario Bros. as well as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and a new Mario-themed take on the first Game & Watch title, Ball. Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. releases on Nov. 13.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch is a system that represents all the Japanese company’s best ideas rolled into one, seamlessly combining the joys of both handheld and home console gaming to deliver the ultimate experience. Because of the Switch’s home/handheld console design, players can easily take their games on the go or sit down in their living room and plug into their big-screen TVs. This is a feature unique to the standard Nintendo Switch, which is jam-packed full of exclusive games that can’t be played anywhere else – and now boasting improved battery life. It’s the ultimate gift for Nintendo players!

Need some Switch game recommendations? We’d suggest starting with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a few other games we’ll recommend below.

Nintendo Switch Lite

Nintendo Switch Lite is a slimmer, lighter, and more budget-friendly version of the standard hybrid system. While you can’t plug the Switch Lite into your TV, players can still enjoy one of the most robust and diverse video game libraries on a beautiful LCD screen while on the go. 

The Lite is currently available in four distinct colours — Coral, Turquoise, Yellow, and Grey — allowing players to customize their Switch Lite experience to fit them. Despite not being dockable, the Lite is the Switch of choice for players wanting an easy and affordable entry point into the wonderful world of Nintendo.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

After years of wondering when fans would be able to play Mario’s greatest classic adventures on Switch, Nintendo finally announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars. This collection brings together Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy in one neat package, ideal for players who may have missed these 3D platformers the first time around as well as those keen to play them again! All three games benefit from improved resolutions and modern controls, ensuring that Super Mario 3D All-Stars is now the best way to play these gems.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit

Just when you thought you’d seen it all from Nintendo’s trademark racing series, the aptly named Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit brings the colorful karting action directly to your home, thanks to augmented reality. This game’s design is incredible: you set up gates and arrow markers on your floor, which can then be tracked by the physical Mario or Luigi toy cart that comes equipped with a camera. 

After setting up your own personalized home circuit, you can race through your home through the Switch screen, dodging, drifting, and boosting your way to victory. With Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, the racing possibilities are endless.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is widely considered to be one of the best Nintendo games ever released, transporting players to the most fully realized version of the Hyrule Kingdom yet. While not a mainline entry, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a standalone prequel spin-off that will let players live and fight through the events that led to Breath of the Wild. 

Hyrule Warriors plays differently to other Zelda releases in that it emphasizes hack and slash combat over exploration and puzzle-solving, but anyone craving more reasons to return to this universe will find it in Age of Calamity. The game is out on Nov. 20.

Ring Fit Adventure

External forces have made it incredibly difficult to stay fit and healthy during most of 2020, leading the exercise-driven Ring Fit Adventure for Nintendo Switch to surge in popularity. This Wii Fit successor gets you up on your feet and working out by gaming the system, challenging you to battle an evil dragon by way of squats, jogging, and crunches. In fact, Ring Fit Adventure is more than just an exercise game and has quite a few things in common with a traditional RPG. You’ll battle your way through obstacles and enemies using the unique Ring-Con controller, staying fit and healthy at the same time.

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

One of the year’s most surprising Nintendo Switch hits is Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, a charming compilation of familiar board games, card games, and sports games that everyone can play together. It’s by far the most convenient way to play timeless games like Chess, Four-In-a-Row, and Texas Hold’em, all of which boast various difficulty levels and modes to always keep things interesting. 51 Worldwide Classics is an ideal gift for solo players and families alike, and a good example of how video games can bring people of all ages together.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the game that saved many gamers from the woes of lockdown in 2020, giving everyone their own personal private island getaway to tweak, improve, and customise. It’s a cutesy life simulation game suitable for players of all ages, granting you the tools to create a character and then live out a full virtual life. Become friends with neighbors, spend the nights catching bugs, and spend time with your real world friends on your island or theirs! After all that, you can return to your island in real-time during seasonal events, which ensure there’s always something new to see and do!

The post Nintendo Holiday Gift Guide: Best Consoles and Games to Buy appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2TwL8LT