#also honorable mention from when i was like 4: the 2 very first ever characters i liked: pinkie pie and rainbow dash

[schnitzelsemmerl]

yk, i just realized that in like every fandom i ever was in, my favourite character is the "fun" one. and its literally always been that way. examples

heather mcnamara (heathers)

karen smith (mean girls)

constance, misha, ricky (rtc)

beheaded cousins anne boleyn and k howard (six)

cher (clueless)

peggy schuyler, thomas jefferson (hamilton)

millie, also beelzebub (helluva boss)

etc etc you get it

[genoskissors]

My Ranking of Genocide Jack Sprites

IMPORTANT!: I love each and every sprite she has, so when I rank one low, it's still a 10/10, I just like the others more. Please do not misinterpret this as anything other than Genocide Jack appreciation.

Honorable Mention: Empty Eyes

- I cannot consider it to be an official Genocide Jack sprite, but this is most certainly her. The iconic tongue and eccentric behavior can’t be confused for anyone else but the glorious Genocide Jack.

12) Frustrated

- Looking as gorgeous as ever, it does bring some pain to my heart to see a lack of tongue. However, I understand the sacrifice. Hopefully her frustrations will be resolved soon, it’s nice to see a smile.

11) Agreement

- Nodding her head. It’s always good to see Genocide Jack coming to an understanding with her classmates. The bonds she forms allow her to open up more, revealing her complex emotions.

10) Agreement (Eyes Open)

- A step up from 11, as in this, you can see her eyes. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul. Is Genocide Jack’s soul black, often associated with death, or pink, like the blood she happily sheds?

9) Surprised

- Due to her personality, she feels more silly than surprised, but not everyone displays emotions the same. It’s important to understand that the beauty of Genocide Jack comes in more than one form.

8) Enchanted

- While she is a bit riled up, she is capable of reaching higher extremes, but this lighter excitement is just as thrilling. She can’t help but hold her face to contain her dirty comments. It’s good to be comfortable.

7) Serious

- A calm yet stern sprite. While relaxed, the feelings her demeanor gives off do not disappear. She carries herself with dignity and bravery, in both expression and stance. It’s a good choice for her default.

6) Intense

- Someone’s pissed. I hope she is able to overcome the obstacle blocking her from her goal. This sprite also shows her tongue is longer than first suspected. It adds a lot to her design and I love it.

5) Smile

- This sprite oozes with confidence. The hand she holds up has killed 37 boys and men. Even without holding scissors, you can sense her strength. While introducing herself, she presents a huge smile!

4) Throbbing

- What is Genocide Jack if not a maiden who follows her heart? Her squinted eyes full of passion look beautiful. Whether it’s yaoi, yuri, or murder, it gets Genocide Jack all excited, it’s very cute.

3)🥉 Scissors

- Genocide Jack in her element, with her trusty scissors by her side. The predatory look and the positioning of the weapons puts you in the scared perspective of her victims. Her braids flow well here.

2)🥈 Smiling Face (Refreshing)

- A warm and wholesome sprite capable of purifying even my darkest days. A face showing not only a big smile, but a satisfied individual. The hands held and the slight head tilt add to the overwhelming charm.

1)🥇 Smile (High Tension)

- An undeniable classic. It’s power is simply unmatched when it comes to the most authentic portrayal of Genocide Jack as a character. It’s impossible to look at such a big smile and feel any sorrow.

[riacte]

🥁 Welcome to the first ever "Choose an unhinged Renchanting moment" ✨ALL STARS EDITION✨!!! 🥁

In which winners of the previous nine (!!) polls and the Last Life burning tower scene will battle it out for ULTIMATE UNHINGED RENCHANTING MOMENT!! Deliberately made to cross over from 2023 to 2024 to wish for a new year full of Renchanting <3

If you don't want to read my lengthy and dramatic sports guy commentary you can skip to the poll right at the end.

Now, let's introduce our beloved competitors! With some clips sponsored by @ani-craft, thank you as always <3

Starting from Round 1, the OG, the beginning of this series in Feb 2023— congrats to "Ren calling Maidtyn "very very sexy" completely unprovoked"!. Now, fellow Tumblr users, this is a historical moment because the Maidtyn trend was the Tumblr response to Martyn being active on Tumblr, and it snowballed into the Mint Mistletoes of MCC19 wearing skins of maid dresses (and a butler suit). This is the tangible impact of the Tumblr fan community on MCC. And of course it's about maid dresses.

Round 1 was quickly followed up by Round 2, and narrowly winning by FOUR votes is... [drumroll] "r/place (2022) when Martyn helped place a pixel of blush on RK Ren"!. Truly a chaotic moment that somehow became a highlight even in the overall chaos of those few days.

But the numbers really peaked in Round 3, aka. the Limited Life edition when Martyn's lore stream repeatedly dropped bombs on us. 100% of these moments are from Martyn, by the way. But which unhinged moment was the most unhinged? Which moment will win like Martyn? Unsurprisingly, the most popular option are those two words that basically sum it up— "UNGUIDED HAND". An unhinged moment that won with a whopping 404 out of 1913 votes.

Things did not calm down after Limited Life. Some might say the moments only became more unhinged. 2.5 months after LimLife ended, Round 4 began. Most of these moments are also from Martyn. Most unhinged of all: "Martyn declaring in a low voice: 'Third Life never ended for me'." Yeah it sure didn't, buddy.

Fast forward to September 2023. Treebark Week 2023! Surely the perfect moment for a poll! Also, I need to add that I was so excited about Round 5 that I posted it before TBW ended and... let's say it immediately got worse the day after I posted the poll. My hubris for assuming it was the end... Anyways, Martyn's Tumblr shenanigans kick in once again. Congrats to "Martyn saying nothing about an ask that claims his character is in love with Ren", which also ended up being a significant post to Scurvyblr. For reasons.

Two months after TBW, the pining gets exponentially worse. And I do mean exponentially. Enter Round 6, which has a lot of insane moments, but there was one clear winner, a moment that swept with 32% of the votes— everybody clap and cheer for "Martyn's 50 word 3L AU drabble - "Luck be with ye.... Hand"!! At the time of writing, that post has 4.1k notes. Martyn's just like us. He's writing fanfiction and that's so real of him.

Merely ten days later, fires are crackling, demons are giggling— it's the Decked Out open day! And we got a Renchanting feast! Round 7 emerged from That Iconic Burning Stone Box and was dedicated to moments the stream day. With 39% of the votes, the unhinged moment that swept was "Ren to Martyn: You have very fine lips there and a wonderful neck for kissing". Honorable mentions go to Martyn's Twitch chat (for surviving), Martyn's viewers (for clipping it with varying degrees of "what did he just say??"), and of course, False (for locking them in and kickstarting whatever the improv demon roleplay was).

A few weeks later, the flames have died down— or have they? Round 8 enters with a steel chair and Ren has more unhinged moments now. Martyn's Tumblr takes home another win with "Martyn reblogging a post that calls Ren his “Minecraft boyfriend”!! This is the third win that's from Martyn's Tumblr blog. You love to see it.

Last but not the least, Round 9 from last week! It's finally Ren's turn to dominate. Our winner is.... "Ren mentions going to sleep and dreaming of Martyn’s 'beautiful, beautiful eyes'"!! Appropriately clipped with the caption "Insane".

But that's not all! In Round 1 + 2, I purposefully excluded the altar scene and the burning tower scene because I felt those two would sweep. Now, I think the altar scene is still untouchable but the burning tower seems almost normal now. (As normal as an unhinged moment could be.)

A new unhinged moment has appeared! Challenger approaching! Last Life Ren purposefully sets his tower on fire after knowing Martyn is watching him and Martyn runs to save him while screaming "Ren, what are you doing to yourself! Stop burning yourself!".

Okay, okay, my dramatic commentary is done. Hey, I'm not a Renchanting fan for nothing. Here's the poll. Have fun :D

Much love to all of you <3 here's to another year of unhinged Renchanting moments!

(Also sorry the r/place should be in 2022 not 2021)

[tanya-shiza]

Tired Gold busts (2/2) // LMK Medicinal Flower AU

Part 1: [LINK]

Yay 🎉 I was finally able to draw Wei Jian and he doesn't look ugly... It's a pity it's not full-length, but I wanted to draw something like a bust 😃☺️

About Wei Jian:

Wei Jian is an office plankton, but he is happy with it. He loves his job, despite the fact that the boss is very strict and changes workers like gloves.

Wei Jian's boss is the richest man in China. (Yes, that's Reng Zhang Ji from my Coin AU. I originally created Reng Zhang Ji for this au, but he fits better in Coin AU. In Coin AU, Reng Zhang Ji also mentions Wei Jian as the kindest person he's ever met 😉 In Coin AU, the Mystic Mayor became Shi Cheng. Shi Cheng and Wei Jian never met.)

Wei Jian was employee of the month 3 times (which is almost impossible) and accordingly his photo was hung on the wall of honor.

Wei Jian is friends with the guard at the entrance to the office building named Yu Cu. He is a bit emotionless and rather grumpy. Employees often encounter his stubbornness. However, Wei Jian has been working for quite a long time and during this time Yu Cu fell for his kindess.

Sometimes the guard even does a little help and marks Wei Jian as «here» if he is suddenly late in order to avoid him being fired for being late often. If managers find out about this, they both are fined, of course. But Yu Cu forgives Wei Jian for this.

Wei Jian is not a fan of sports, much less, beer, but Yu Cu is. Sometimes, for help with delays, the guard asks Wei Jian to go to the bar with him to watch football together. (It was in this bar that Wei Jian first noticed Shi Tiao, who had a bad habit of getting drunk after work.)

Wei Jian is earns above average, which is suprised Shi Tiao because he the one who earns more, but Wei Jian's apartment, car and clothes create the illusion that the opposite is true.

Wei Jian is a great cook and often watches cooking shows, but unlike the Demon Bull King and Pigsy, he is not a fan of Chang'e or her baking. There is a character in Nexo Knights called Gobbleton Rumble, who is a reference to a real person. Wei Jian would be a fan of him.

You might be wondering, since Wei Jian is so perfect, why doesn't he have a wife yet? He's already 36 years old! The thing is that Wei Jian is kinda cursed, but no one knows about it. Wei Jian was born under a star that destroys any chances of finding a female companion. Wei Jian tries hard, but all relationships end before they last even 2 months. His record is 3 months and 4 days.

However, the star did not say anything about male companion 😏😉 But Wei Jian never even thought that he can choose males as a partner.

Due to numerous failures in dates, Wei Jian became very worried about it. He is disappointed in himself and thinks that he is bad at relationships, although in fact it is the opposite.

Shi Tiao and Wei Jian's relationship wasn't official for a long time. They just acted like a couple, but never called each other boyfriend.

Wei Jian is very afraid that his relationship with Shi Tiao will end up like all the others. This is his deep unconscious fear, which only will be find out when Hua Kan mentions that their friendship is more like a romantic relationship.

Wei Jian was born into a "female family". That's means, he has only Grandma and Mom, who love him very much. Especially Grandma. This is important because Wei Jian didn't have a "masculine" figure, so he took his mother's lead, which led to how gentle, kind and caring he became.

Wei Jian is under intense pressure from his grandma and mother towards a wife and children. They are very concerned that their only son has achieved everything except the favor of a woman.

The numerous mentions of women make Wei Jian wary. He worries that his grandma nad mother might not accept Shi Tiao because he is a man.

⚠️Triggers will be mentioned below! Be careful!⚠️

Suicide

Premature babies

Postpartum depression / Regular depression

Wei Jian was born about 2 months earlier than he should have been. He was premature. This affected his body, of course. He was born very skinny, weak, and his eyesight was poor. He has been wearing glasses since he was a baby. None of his family wore glasses before old age.

One nice day, when nothing foreshadowed trouble Wei Jian's mother returned home and find her husband hanged himself in the living room. Such a horrific shock immediately caused labor. The mother gave birth with difficulty.

The loss of the beloved husband, who never said that anything was worring him, hit the woman hard. She fell into depression and completely forgot about her newborn son, who needed a lot of attention given his premature birth.

In order for Wei Jian's young bones to grow properly, his mother often gave him massages that doctors taught her. At such moments, she felt love and care for her son, unfortunately, this was not enough to forget about the grief.

Then the grandma took care of Wei Jian's needs. Seeing how the boy grows incredibly skinny and often undernourished due to the mother's distance, the grandma moves in to live with them in order to support both: her daughter and grandson.

Grandma didn't mean to, but she accidentally overfed her grandson, and Wei Jian was quite chubby for several years in his teen age (high school). This was especially bad because his bones weren't as strong as he'd like. After entering university and receiving a doctor's note, Wei Jian immediately set about getting himself in shape. Even to this day, Wei Jian takes care of his health. He helps Shi Tiao take care of his health and eat right. It was Wei Jian who helped Shi Tiao break his habit of drinking after a hard day at the bar.

Because the massages brought Wei Jian's mother peace and relief, she continued to do it even when it was no longer needed. One day, she even taught Wei Jian some of the techniques. Wei Jian sometimes uses them because Shi Tiao often complains of joint pain.

[elphabaoftheopera]

Top 5 musicals from the last 5 years? :3

Hi, thank you so much for asking! I'll always jump at the chance to share my opinions on musical theatre so thank you for the excuse!!

Hadestown

I don't say it lightly when I say that this show is a masterpiece. I was lucky enough to see it on Broadway with Eva and Reeve and also once on tour. It's spectacular.

2. Six

It's not a perfect musical in my opinion but I think it's just so clever and for some reason the title song always makes me cry. "Heart of Stone" is damn near always playing in my car.

3. Come From Away

(technically came out 6 years ago but close enough)- I don't find myself listening to the music very much but watching it on tour was breathtaking. It just gives me hope in the goodness of every day people and was expertly written/staged.

4. Titanique

I am very biased because I saw the original cast in previews when it was still in the basement of Gristedes. I was in the front row Marla Mindelle as Celine Dion gave me a high five when she came out. I laughed so hard I cried. I've always loved the movie Titanic and it was a perfect parody. I'm glad it has continued to be successful. Also, it's the only jukebox musical I like besides Mamma Mia.

5. Schmigadoon! (Season One)

Okay so I know this isn't a "musical" in the traditional sense but HEAR me out. I think the show was across the board so perfect for me. A well crafted narrative, extremely catchy (almost too catchy) music, compelling characters to root for, and it both makes fun of and praises old timey musical theatre. I love golden age stuff and had so much fun picking out the references and themes. Cecily Strong plays a character named MELISSA (my name) who is a know-it-all about musical theatre. I have never ever ever felt more seen. If anyone needs to feel something again, or just kind of touch base with why you love theatre, watch Schmigadoon. I really loved season two as well, but most of this is about season one. Plus you can't go wrong with that cast.

Honorable mention: Beetlejuice (I just need to see it first, hopefully will see it on tour soon). I am also curious to see Kimberly Akimbo and Shucked but don't know enough about them yet to make a fully formed opinion.

What are your favorites from the last five years?

[nicomrade]

Who are your fave and least fave fkmtverse characters?

the first that came to mind was hyoudou senior i just dont enjoy seeing him on screen very much and i think hes boring & annoying as a character. hes fine in middle management blues tonegawa cause then its a comedy manga & we poke fun at him but like as an Antagonist in Best Gambling Manga Ever Made Kaiji Part One its like. i just dont want him ever having the spotlight for more than than a single plotbeat at a time. im less scared thinking about "what if the ending of kaiji ruins all of my analysis so far?" than when i read people talk about hyoudou being the final antag of part 7. this is my 1 singular fear but this being said, im fine with hyoudou existing. hes not that bad. the one in zero was worse and by "the one in zero" i do mean theres at least 3 (?) of them and theyve merged into 1 singular existence in my memory. im sick of them. can we stop? it makes me appreciate how fucking awesome washizu is when i see fkmt utterly fail at writing any other good character w this archetype. what did he put in washizu that made him awesome? mahjong?

i typed too much about hyoudou but i still wanna mention some absolute FLOPS of fkmt characters like the protagonist from RUDE 39 (the pachinko manga fkmt did) katagiri yuuji... whys he named the exact same thing as the protag of t*m*dachi game? RED FLAG. i actively rooted for his ruin the entire time i read that one. i dislike him greatly. can we kill him? in a similar vibe i just cannot like nikaido of hell golf fame. initially i wanted him put in a death game cause thats just what i like reading about but it progressively grew into a need to see him suffer horribly on screen. i need him tortured and NOT mentally the psychological torture of being a loser is NOT enough for him i need him in REAL ACTUAL HELL. im still keeping w the nikaido chapters tho

my blogging may sound like i hate miyoshi greatly also but thats all in jest & good fun hes a good antagonist and a good punching bag. its very fun and enjoyable to go "miyoshi sucks miyoshi should die me and my friends wouldve killed miyoshi with hammers" which makes him a GOOD character i enjoy. hes awesome. hes my singular favorite example of hte trope of "the protags friend betrays them in the death game" its so masterfully pulled. miyoshis awesome. & i love how they wrote him in life in tokyo ichijou LOL hes also very important for kaijis depth of character- heres a guy he saved who then backstabs him. does he still believe in trust? is he still incapable of (direct) violence? and paves the way for part 4+5. miyoshis awesome. hes not top 3 favorites tho. hes just an honorable mention i guess

as mentionned i love washizu also hes my grandpa and i love him. also i love akagi hes my one singular favorite fkmt character its not even close no elaboration needed. i enjoy & love & think about all the akagi characters, banger after banger, urabe u are so funny, and so on. one year ill remember to celebrate yukio day properly. lets move on

SAHARA i love sahara an abnormal amount ive just made up so much shit about him that is real to me n then i read part 1 again n i dont notice that theres very little supporting my vision. but im RIGHT. he begged to be in the death game. he BEGGED to be in the DEATH GAME over being a WORKER. this dude rocks. i know in my heart that he loves gorey movies and he laughs when the characters die & his favorite movie is funny games but he disagrees w everyones analysis of it he just thinks its a fun movie? its a fun time? i also love endou & have similarly made shit up about him to meeeee he got broken up w between part 1 and 2 and htis explains literally everything about him. the way he yells at kaiji in the bathroom is just him projecting his frustration & anger he had with his ex. its NOT about kaiji. it simply makes sense.

uhm this is already too long but i didnt even get to ten. i love ten dearly. i also enjoy mamiya greatly as a character shes funny & a very interesting protagonist for a psychological, hot mahjong action work. her kinda character would be more usually seen in comedy slice of lifey mahjong (like penchan!) so its interesting. its fun. its new

in conclusion i like the characters that are good and dislike the ones who are suck

[wibblewomble]

Ranking Ajins by Death Toll

Oh but count them I did.

Have you ever wanted a comprehensive list of Ajin deaths? Well, here is one anyways!

The list is based on manga events as I actually haven't seen the anime 😬

The ranking only includes Ajins (AKA revivable characters) because otherwise the list would be…even longer than it is and 90% of it would be no-name characters. They also MUST make an appearance (so ruling out mentioned Ajins, like the Chinese Ajin with 2,000+ deaths).

Without further ado, AJIN CHARACTERS RANKED FROM MOST TO LEAST DEATHS!

...under the cut (I’m sorry, it is very long)...

🚨CW for Ajin typical shenanigans (death, mutilation, suicide, the like)🚨

Ranking by onscreen/shown deaths

Satou (44 deaths)

Kei Nagai (35 deaths)

Kou Nakano (15 deaths)

Koji Tanaka (9 deaths) TIE

Izumi Shimomura (9 deaths) TIE

Takahashi (6 deaths)

Masumi Okuyama (4 deaths)

Shinya Nakamura (2 deaths)

Reiji Akiyama (firefighter) (1 death) TIE

Himeko Tachibana (diet member passing the Ajin bill) (1 death) TIE

Satou detractor (with the cross-body bag) (1 death) TIE

Satou collaborator (with the two IBMs) (1 death) TIE

Ranking by estimations

Koji Tanaka (5,892 deaths)

Satou (692 deaths)

Kei Nagai (347 deaths)

Kou Nakano (215 deaths)

Izumi Shimomura (9 deaths)

Takahashi (7 deaths)

Masumi Okuyama (5 deaths)

Shinya Nakamura (2 deaths)TIE

Reiji Akiyama (firefighter) (2 deaths) TIE

Satou detractor (with the cross-body bag) (2 deaths) TIE

Satou collaborator (with the two IBMs) (2 deaths) TIE

Himeko Tachibana (diet member passing the Ajin bill) (1 death)

Everyone gets +1 to account for their first death in the estimation rankings (except Satou, Kei, Kou, Izumi, Shinya, and Ms. Tachibana because their first deaths were shown and already counted in the initial ranking)

Ajin’s with too little information to estimate (at least one death)

Takeshi Kotobuki

Jun Suzuki

Dr. Smith

Jim

Satou detractor (with the glasses)

Satou collaborator (with the glasses)

✨Honorable mention✨

Kai (by technicality)

Let’s go into some more detail about each death and estimation calculations.

Deaths are listed chronologically by manga appearance. “S” means it was self-inflicted with intention. They have to be the ones to cause the fatal blow (aside from one exception, being Izumi throwing herself in front of a car). Assisted suicide, like Tanaka stabbing Satou as a demonstration, does not count as self-inflicted.

Koji Tanaka

Gunshot to head (chpt 1)

Crushed by hydraulic press (chpt 2)

Stabbed with rods (chpt 3)

Neurological experiments (assumed) (chpt 3)

Dismemberment by lab researchers (assumed) (chpt 3)

Collision trauma (used as a crash test dummy) (chpt 14)

Gunshot to head by Gen (chpt 33)

Gunshot to head by Satou (chpt 37)

Assumed reset (shoulder wound from Satou is gone) (chpt 43) S

+1 for first death (implied in chpt 13).

+1 assumed reset after being accidentally shot by Satou in chapter 41. His shoulder wound is gone and he (or the rest of the gang for that matter) probably wouldn’t wait for it to heal.

+1 assumed reset at some point after chapter 56. His leg wound—where he got stabbed by the minister's goons—disappears. Could have been forgotten about, could be he’s still walking around with it, but I think they would want to be in top shape when fighting Satou, so I’m counting it as a reset.

+5,880 for deaths while in captivity. Some were already included, but it pales in comparison to the total count. Tanaka was probably subject to experiments everyday. Let’s assume 3 deaths per hour (accounting for setup time and various death methods), 8 hours in a working day, and 245 working days in a year (Japanese work duration from Google). Which means in 10 years that’s 5,880 deaths. This is a very VERY general approximation, not taking into account probable overtime, lengthier experiments resulting in slower deaths, or extremely fast causes of death like getting shot. Regardless, with 10 years of captivity, Tanaka’s death toll is certainly the highest.

Tanaka’s total estimated deaths: 9 + 5,883 = 5,892

1 suicide, 2 estimated suicides

Satou

Stabbed by Tanaka (chpt 6)

Gunshot to head (chpt 9) S

Shot multiple times by Kei (chpt 10)

Stabbed and tossed around by Kei's IBM (chpt 11)

Shot by Tanaka (accidentally) (chpt 15)

Plane crash (chpt 19) S

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 20)

Shot by SAT (chpt 21)

Shot by SAT (chpt 21)

Shot by SAT (chpt 21)

Shotgun to the chest (chpt 21) S

Diced by wood-chipper (chpt 35) S

Caught in explosion (chpt 36) S

Gunshot to head (chpt38) S

Gunshot to head by Kuroki (chpt 38)

Gunshot to head by Kuroki and Suzumura (chpt 38)

Gunshot to head by Kuroki and Suzumura (chpt 38)

Gunshot to head (chpt 38) S

Gunshot to head (chpt 40) S

Impaled by own IBM (chpt 40) S

Gunshot to head (after severing arm) (chpt 42) S

Jumped off Forge Safety building (chpt 42) S

Gunshot to head by gang members (chpt 47) FIRST DEATH

Decapitation by Takahashi's IBM (chpt 52)

Gunshot to head (assumed) (chpt 54) S

Shot by soldiers (chpt 54)

Shot by soldiers (chpt 54)

Gunshot to head (chpt 54) S

Blown up by C4 (chpt 54) S

Shot by soldiers (after intended suicide detonation) (chpt 55)

Gunshot to head (chpt 57) S

Bomb vest and plance crash (chpt 60) S

Bomb vest and plance crash (chpt 61) S

Bomb vest and plance crash (assumed, offscreen) (chpt 62) S

Bomb vest and plance crash (chpt 65) S

Bomb vest and plance crash (assumed, offscreen) (chpt 65) S

Bomb vest (chpt 71) S

Gunshot to head (after severing arm, assumed) (chpt 71) S

Head trauma/snapped neck from falling from heli after being shot by Manabe (chpt 76)

+40 for deaths from organ harvesting. Satou trades 10 livers, 10 kidneys, and 10 hearts for guns in chapter 8 so that’s at least 10 deaths. I don't think he would ask Tanaka to help given him being freshly released from lab experiments. Nekozawa calls him “a valued client”, it’s implied he’s done this before. Satou needed guns to save Tanaka, but aside from that we don’t know how many times he’s done this. Let’s just add another 30 deaths on top of the 10.

+540 for deaths from repeat killings by SAT. I imagine the SAT encounter until Satou’s recovery was quite fast and lasted at most 5 minutes. Killing Satou at a rate of 2 shots per second means 600 deaths in 5 minutes. Let’s subtract 60 (half a minute of deaths) to account for moments when SAT was distracted by Takahashi’s sniping.

+15 for deaths from fighting with SAT offscreen. Satou is a power house. He takes out at least 5 people for every death of his own. Slapping on an estimated extra 15 deaths from this fight since he was still tuckered out by the end.

+3 for deaths from fighting gang members (chapter 47). Though unarmed against a group of 100+ men, Satou would probably make quick work of these guys since they seem mostly untrained. Slapping on an estimated extra 3 deaths.

+50 for deaths from fighting Iruma Air Base soldiers (chapter 55-57). I’ve had enough of this dude. Let’s just add 50 more for his fight against the army base soldiers since they are highly trained, killing him without restraint, and there are a lot of them. Satou is also visibly weary by the end of it.

Satou total estimated deaths: 44 + 648 = 693

22 suicides, at least 40 estimated suicides

Kei Nagai

Hit by a truck (severed in half yikes) (chpt 1)

Strangled (chpt 2)

Slit throat (chpt 3) S

Bike crash (chpt 6) S

Stab to chest (after torture and dismemberment) (chpt 7)

Dismemberment by lab researchers (assumed) (chpt 8)

Drowned (chpt 12)

Stabbed in the throat (chpt 17) S

Shotgun to the chest (chpt 22)

Assumed reset (head wound from car crash is gone) (chpt 22) S

Shot by Satou via attack helicopter (dream sequence, yeah buckos i'm counting these) (chpt 31)

Assumed reset (hand wound is gone) (chpt  33) S

Caught in explosion caused by Satou (chpt 36)

Gunshot to head by Kou (chpt 39)

Gunshot to head (chpt 39) S

Gunshot to head by Satou (chpt 40)

Gunshot to head by Hirasawa (chpt 41)

Gunshot to head by Hirasawa/Kou (after severing both arms) (chpt 42)

Gunshot to head by Hirasawa (chpt 42)

Fell off Forge Safety building (after being shot) (chpt 43)

Hypoxia (chpt 49) FIRST DEATH

Slit throat (after biting off fingers) (chpt 57) S

Slit throat (after biting off fingers) (chpt 57) S

Slit throat (after biting off fingers) (chpt 57) S

Slit throat (after biting off fingers) (chpt 57) S

Slit throat (after biting off fingers) (chpt 57) S

Slit throat (assumed, to heal fingers) (chpt 57) S

Gunshot to head (after poped eardrums) (chpt 60) S

Gunshot to head by Anti-Demis (chpt 61)

Plane crash and explosion caused by Satou (chpt 70)

Gunshot to head by Satou (chpt 72)

Impaled by own hostile IBM (chpt 72)

Gunshot to head (chpt 77) S

Gunshot to head (missing an arm and impaled on a rod) (chpt  78) S

HIT BY A TRUCK LMAO DUMBASS (chpt 83)

+240 for deaths while in captivity. Using the same metrics as Tanaka, in 10 days Kei died 240 times. Again, this is a very general approximation.

+72 for drowning deaths while adrift for a week (chapter 14). The stages of drowning take between 10-12 minutes. But let's be generous and say Kei either lucked out with calmer waters or manages to stay afloat for longer. So he drowns at a rate of 1 death per hour. Let’s also say Kei was confused and his estimation of being adrift for a week was off (downing consecutively will do that to a man), and he was only in the water for 3 days. I also don’t think he would be floating around for a week, especially if he didn’t make it out of Tokyo Bay.

Kei total estimated deaths: 35 + 312 = 347

15 suicides

Kou Nakano

Jumped out a window (chpt 15) S

Electrocution (chpt 16) S

Bled out (after falling from aparment building, stabbed in the stomach, run over by Tosaki) (chpt 16) S...ish...I’m counting as 0.5

Impaled by Kei's IBM (chpt 16)

Jumped off a cliff (chpt 17) S

Assumed reset (leg wounds from Kei are gone) (chpt 17)

Impaled by Kei's IBM (chpt 25)

Hanging (chpt 26) S

Shot by Satou via attack helicopter (dream sequence) (chpt 31)

Caught in explosion caused by Satou (chpt 36)

Impaled by Tanaka's IBM (chpt 37)

Gunshot to head by Kei (chpt 39)

Gunshot to head by Kei/Hirasawa (assumed) (chpt 41)

Fell off Forge Safety building (semi-accidental) (chpt 42) S, another 0.5

Head trauma (could also be eventual starvation/dehydration) (chpt 43) FIRST DEATH

+200 for deaths from hanging. We are doing a lot of assuming, so let’s continue that trend. Let’s say Kou would only hang himself for 5 hours a day after training and before bed. Let’s also say they had approximately two weeks of training. To account for extra training, rest time, and Kou generally not feeling up for dying on repeat, we’ll assume out of the two weeks, Kou only used 10 days. Where am I getting these numbers? My gut tells me so (source: trust me bro).

Short drop hanging takes 10-20 minutes for complete brain death. Let's take the middle road and say 15 minutes. So on average, 4 deaths per hour. 4 x 5 x 10 = 200 deaths.

Kou total estimated deaths: 15 + 200 = 215

5 suicides, 200 estimated suicides

Kou and Satou were really hard to estimate for, but we powered through lads.

Izumi Shimomura

Impaled by Tanaka's IBM (chpt 4)

Head trauma (chpt 27)

Untreated illness/STD (chpt 27) FIRST DEATH

Fell off a building with Satou's IBM (dream sequence) (chpt 31)

Bled out (after losing an arm fighting Tanaka) (chpt 39)

Gunshot to head by Tosaki (assumed) (chpt 41)

Hit by car (chpt 56) S

Shot in the throat (chpt 56)

Gunshot to head by Satou (chpt 78)

I’m assuming Izumi didn’t die after Tosaki hired her since she wasn’t being researched nor was it likely she needed to die for Tosaki as a bodyguard.

Izumi total estimated deaths: 9

1 suicide

Takahashi

Sniper shot to the head (chpt 21)

Sniper shot to the head (chpt 21)

Sniper shot to the head (chpt 21)

Gunshot to head by Gen (chpt 33)

Assumed reset (shot by Satou) (chpt 37)

Gunshot to head by Anti-Demis (chpt 66)

Takahashi total estimated deaths: 6 + 1 = 7

Masumi Okuyama

Carbon dioxide poisoning (chpt 32) S

Electrocution (chpt 32) S

Assumed reset (shot by Satou) (chpt 37)

Improvised explosive device (chpt 58) S

Okuyama total estimated deaths: 4 + 1 = 5

3 suicides

Shinya Nakamura

Motorcycle crash (accidental beheading) (chpt 9.5) FIRST DEATH

Gunshot to head (chpt 9.5)

Shinya total estimated deaths: 2

Reiji Akiyama

Bled out (after being harpooned and fighting Tanaka's IBM) (chpt 15)

Akiyama total estimated deaths: 1 + 1 = 2

Satou detractor (with the cross-body bag)

Bled out (shot in spleen by Tanaka) (chpt 15)

Total estimated deaths: 1 + 1 = 2

Satou collaborator (with the two IBMs)

Sliced in half after pushed off building by Izumi (chpt 63)

Total estimated deaths: 1 + 1 = 2

Himeko Tachibana

Satou's plane crash (chpt 65) FIRST DEATH

Total estimated deaths: 1

Kai

Gunshot through throat by Satou (chpt 72)

Total estimated deaths: 1

[i-heart-hxh]

Hi,.....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Hunter x Hunter? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

I'm happy to answer, thank you very much for asking! I'm indecisive and overflowing with love for HxH, so doing rankings is a challenge for me, but I put some thought into it and here are my answers for now!

Top 5 Characters:

5. Biscuit Krueger -- It's fun how Bisky isn't at all what you'd assume when we meet her character (in a few different ways), and I love her sassy attitude! She has a lot of different sides to her, and I find her very entertaining. Her strong personality makes how she plays off other characters especially amusing. I like that she can be somewhat cranky, self-serving, and rude at times, but she also has a softer and caring side to her. I look forward to seeing more of her role in the current arc!

4. Neferpitou -- I adore Pitou's design, and the combination of how sinister and also cute they are simultaneously, which is fitting of a very powerful cat (ant). I enjoy their mischievous and playful side as well! Their growth as a character throughout Chimera Ant Arc is so moving to me, and such a vital part of the arc and the message of the series as a whole.

3. Kurapika -- He's a great second protagonist for the series! The dichotomy of the brutality and darkness of his revenge/recovery mission and what succeeding at that requires from him, and his underlying gentle and polite demeanor are interesting to watch play out. I'm both excited and nervous to see what Togashi has in store for the rest of his arc...

2. Gon Freecss -- He's only very, very narrowly in second place, I adore him deeply and he and Killua are undoubtedly my two favorite characters of all time (from anything). I love how he initially seems to be a normal, cheerful, and strong-willed shounen protagonist, but as you go further in the story and look deeper into his character it becomes increasingly clear how unique and well-written he is. There's so much nuance to him and he's such a fulfilling character to explore and think about, I never get tired of it. Plus, of course he's adorable!

1. Killua Zoldyck -- I mean, who doesn't love him? He's such an incredibly multidimensional, fun, heartwrenching, fantastic character. His emotional growth throughout the series is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in a piece of fiction. His character design is so simple and yet so precious and iconic. There are tons of little touches to his character that contribute to making him feel so well-rounded and genuine. He and Gon utterly captured my heart my first time through the series and haven't let go even slightly.

Honorable mentions: Leorio, Alluka, Senritsu, I could go on and on... Togashi is a master at writing characters!

Top 5 Series Moments:

5. Gon and Killua on Whale Island -- I absolutely love the Whale Island episodes/chapters, they're such a reprieve from the many harrowing things going in the series otherwise, and it's wonderful to see Gon and Killua becoming closer. Their talk under the stars is such an important moment for them, setting the tone for their relationship going forward. I love thinking about all the fun they must have had that we don't see when they're on Whale Island, because they were there for a while and we only see a bit of it. These episodes/chapters are something I come back to a lot for comfort, and in the future I'm hoping we'll get another scene that echoes the scene under the stars...

4. "It has to be Killua." (From the dodgeball match.) -- There are so many layers to this scene, I love the complexity of it. From Gon's romantic-coded words towards Killua, Killua's very non-platonic response, and the contrast with Killua getting hurt on Gon's behalf, but it's because of Gon's respect for Killua's desire to help him at all costs... It's difficult to even summarize all the layers of what's going on without going deep into meta, it's a great microcosm of both the love and trust between the two, and some of the issues between them beginning to pop up, too.

3. The initial confrontation between Gon and Pitou/"It has nothing to do with you." -- The intensity of this scene is off the charts, both in the manga's incredible inked portrayal and the 2011 anime (with some of the absolute best voice acting I've ever seen in the hundreds of anime I've watched). Watching Gon lose control the way he does is chilling, and meanwhile we witness Pitou's growth as a character and the deep pain and conflict Killua faces. It's a difficult read/watch for sure, but an absolute turning point in the series and for the characters involved, and it's brilliantly executed and tragic.

2. Meruem and Komugi's lover's suicide -- This scene has made me cry hard so many times, it's beautiful and iconic and the absolute perfect climax to the Chimera Ant arc. One of the best and most heartwarming/heartbreaking scenes simultaneously I've ever seen.

1. "Gon, you are light." -- This scene was a major turning point for me when I watched the series the first time, and I still think it's an incredibly amazing and painful scene that says so much with so little. It's not just about Killua's increasingly hard to deny love for Gon, but also his self-esteem issues and how he sees himself in comparison to Gon, Killua's guilt over what happened to Kite, his denial of the cruel reality of what's happening because he deeply wants to see the optimistic way Gon does... And then of course with the scene going straight to Pitou holding Kite's decapitated head, it's really a gut punch.

This was difficult for me because there are SO many fantastic moments in HxH, I could easily make a top 20 or 30 and still not run out of scenes I adore. Of course, loving Gon and Killua's dynamic as much as I do, I go back to their scenes over and over again, and so that's what I'm focusing on here in my ranking. But there are tons of scenes not centered around them at all or only centered on one or the other that I also deeply love, and it's hard to leave all those out!

Thank you for asking my opinion! As hard as it is deciding on rankings, it was fun to think this over and write out some of my reasons why.

[briar-ffxiv]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

Tagged by: @miqojak

This isn't in any particular order and I honestly had to think really hard of fandoms because I don't tend to be a 'loud' fan about the things. I just kind of enjoy taking in the movies/books/whatever and definitely have my favorites.

So long story short, I had to eyeball my Steam, think about my favorite games, and some of my favorite books that are actually fandoms and not stand-alone. Also, because I can't ever pick just one, I did include an honorable mention (or two) in each of the fandoms. And I will try not to gush too much about each character.

Tagging (so you don't have to scroll all the way down): @actualanxiousswampwitch @ainyan @calico-heart @seasaltandcopper @ythealleycat @airis-ray @valdiis @avashnea @starrysnowdrop @lost-harts @mimble-sparklepudding @pinxli

1. Haurchefant Greystone, Final Fantasy 14 - Probably no surprise to anyone who knows me, but I've always had a soft spot for Haurchefant. He was one of the first characters in the game who really felt like a friend to my character in a 'pure' sort of way and who never asked the Warrior to do anything he wouldn't do. He was brave, honest, loyal, and full of heart despite a very difficult childhood and upbringing. And he died protecting someone he cared about. Whether or not he's considered romantic about the person's particular Warrior, he was always their friend and someone who supported them when few would.

Honorable Mentions from FFXVI: Thancred Water, Emet-Selch, Tataru, Estinien, and probably a bunch of others. Lots of good characters!

2. Kaladin Stormblessed, Stormlight Archives - Love or hate Brandon Sanderson, it has to be admitted, that he puts out a lot of books that are interesting and full of diverse characters and worlds. One of my personal favorites is definitely Kaladin from the Stormlight Archives. Kaladin is someone who battles openly with depression and PTSD (like actually acknowledged and mentioned in the story) but is also kind, caring, determined, brave and does his best. He's flawed, moody, and damaged, but also battles to help both himself and others. He is one of the few people who is an advocate for veterans like him to get proper, kind care in the stories as well, which is a rarity in fantasy novels.

Honorable Mentions from the Stormlight Archives: Adolin, Dalanar,, Szeth, and Shallan.

3. Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings - I don't know how anyone can not at least like Samwise. Yes, he's not always the brightest but he's the bravest in my opinion. He's constantly afraid, yes, but he never lets it stop him from doing what he knows in his heart is right. He loves deeply and unconditionally and without him, they would never have succeeded. He takes the worst moment and finds some good, some reason to push past. He's, to me, the kind of person I hope I can be in life. Sam is just a really great character in the movies (the books are not quite the same, but he's still pretty dang good).

Honorable Mentions from Lord of the Rings: Legolas, Aragorn, Eowyn, and others.

4. Reth, Palia - Palia is a fairly new little "cozy" MMO and has its flaws, but the characters are pretty good! So since I've been playing, I'll mention some of my favorites. Reth is a chef who is kind of bad at cooking, but he's funny, sassy, flirty, and charming. He also hides a lot of issues due to the story (that I can't really spill without so many spoilers). The more you get to know him, the deeper he gets and he's actually a really sweet person who values you a lot the more you get to know him.

Honorable Mentions from Palia: Hassian, Jel, Eshe, Ashura, and Delaila and others!

5. Rolan, Baldur's Gate 3 - Look, I know he's barely more than a side character, but I really love Rolan. He's grumpy, he's brash, and he's an absolute jerk...but he deeply loves his siblings, he's very loyal, he's brave, and he has some deep self-worth issues. In short, he is a delight and I love him and I would throw a certain someone off a tower a hundred times for this tiefling.

Honorable Mention from Baldur's Gate 3: Halsin (no surprise), Astarion (look, he's damaged and I love him), Dammon, Karlach, Wyll, and...oh my goodness, so many others. I don't have one SUPER FAVORITE, but I wanted to pick a slightly unusual favorite for my list.

6. Shane, Stardew Valley - Again, no shocker that depressed chicken-man is my favorite. Granted, I think the mods that give him more help him so, so, so much to be a better character, but even at his 'vanilla' version, I find Shane a sympathetic character and one that touched my heart quite a bit. I very much can understand Shane's feelings toward his depression, his life, and how hard things can be. And mods certainly help your story with him to help him become a somewhat healthier person. And I really like that.

Honorable Mention from Stardew Valley: Abigail, Elliot, Marlon, and a bunch of others!

7. Arcade Gannon, Fallout: New Vegas - He's a sassy gay nerd that I'm totally into. He's brilliant, he's witty, he's charming, he's a bit of an ass, but he's also vulnerable, surprisingly deep, and very kind when he can be. So he's definitely one of my favorite New Vegas characters.

Honorable Mentions in Fallout: New Vegas: ED-E, Boone, and Rex!

8. Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption 2 - I understand that the player's choices have a big effect on what kind of character Arthur Morgan is, of course. That said, I found him really well-written, full of depth, and the story overall very moving, especially if you go for high honor.

Honorable Mentions from Red Dead Redemption 2: Dutch, Abigail, John Marston, and others.

9. Zenith, Star Wars: The Old Republic - People think I'm nuts, but I actually love the Jedi Consular storyline. And my favorite companion is Zenith. He's an interesting balance to the Jedi Consular (at least if you play the Light side), and I always enjoyed that he had a strong personality and wasn't easy to budge. He wasn't completely unreasonable in most cases, but I liked that he didn't always let himself be swayed by the player character. He was a deeply damaged, but incredibly loyal and strong-willed person. Also, Troy Baker does amazing voices.

Honorable Mentions from Star Wars: The Old Republic: Theron Shan, Koth Vortena, Lana Beniko, Corso Riggs, and a lot more!

10. Dogmeat, Fallout 4 - So I did two Fallouts. Because I love Dogmeat that much. Dogmeat is the goodest boy and my best friend in the game. Yes, occasionally, Dogmeat blows me up...or ruins something entirely. But he is adorable and precious and my good friend. He makes the wastelands bearable.

Honorable Mentions from Fallout 4: Nick Valentine, Preston Garvery, Piper Write, John Hannock, and more!

If you read all this, thank you for doing so. I tried not to make it too long or include a bunch of spoilers.

[hovercraft79]

Writer Asks

I love doing these! They hardly ever come around anymore and I miss these. Thank you @bitchbrisket for sending this my way.

How many works do you have on AO3?

36

What’s your total AO3 word count?

664,309

What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly The Worst Witch 2017, but there’s also a couple of Bletchley Circle fics on there, as well as an unpublished Xena and a Rosemary and Thyme wip.

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Divine

Into the Great Wide Open

One Thing Leads to Another

Ghost

Winter Song

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to always comment. Comments are a gift and I want to recognize the time someone took tell me they liked my work. Plus, I love talking about writing and stories and all that.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Life has enough angst already, I don’t need to add to it with my fics. I much prefer a happy ending. That said, since I’ve left everyone hanging on Stella Caeli for 6 months (I’m so sorry!) and it’s at a disaster cliffhanger, it would be that. I am almost done with the next installment, though, so hopefully soon it won’t be angsty either.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Maybe Divine? That’s the last part of Hecate’s Summer Playlist. Either that or An Uncertain Spring

Do you get hate on fic?

I haven’t yet.

Do you write smut?

It probably comes as a surprise to most of my readers, but yes. Just not in any of the stuff I’ve written for TWW or posted on AO3

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not really, though I do enjoy letting Rosemary and Thyme make a cameo every now and then. I’m not against them, just haven’t done it.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don’t think so.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I’m aware.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but Sparky probably deserves a co-writing credit for all of the work she’s put in to my fics.

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

This is a toughie. Certainly, Hecate Hardbroom and Pippa Pentangle – or Hecate and Ada Cackle – or Hecate and Julie Hubble. Honorable mentions include Jean McBride and Millie Harcourt, Xena and Gabrielle, Jenny Flint and Madame Vastra, Rosemary and Thyme, Lady Hardcastle and Flo, SuperCorp, Laventon and Cyllene… The list really could go on.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

Probably my first fic – a massive crossover with characters from everywhere, a healthy dose of Mary Sue-manship, a bizarre premise that turned out to be not so bizarre when six months or a year after I started it, Galaxy Quest sort of had the main plot point.

What are your writing strengths?

I feel like dialogue is what I do best, followed by plotting.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action sequences. They feel very stilted to me.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Sure, write it. I've had bilingual characters.

First fandom you wrote for?

Not counting that first atrocity, Xena and Gabrielle – though technically it’s a Mel & Janice one.

Favourite fic you’ve written?

That is like picking a favorite child, isn’t it? Well, I shan’t be in denial about it. Hecate’s Summer Playlist holds a special place in my heart, closely followed by An Uncertain Spring and All Roads Lead to Home.

If you'd like to play, I'll tag @emiline-northeto @curlywitch14 @hydr0phius @cassiopeiasara and anyone else who'd like to join in.

Questions to respond to:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fic?

9. Do you write smut?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but probably won’t?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

[mareenavee]

Fic Authors Self Rec!

Tagged by the indominable @kookaburra1701! Rules:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

I love this. OKAY LET'S GO. Tell me about how proud you are of your work, friends. You've come so far <3

Tagging: @paraparadigm, @polypolymorph, @changelingsandothernonsense, @thana-topsy, @dirty-bosmer, @thequeenofthewinter, @gilgamish, @archangelsunited, @throughtrialbyfire, @expended-sleeper, @ladytanithia and YOU yes if you see this, talk kindly about your writing journey and TAG ME BACK <3

Below the cut because I do be ramblin' (: They're not really in any particular order, I just love them all for different reasons.

1) If We Knew Anything At All

This one was a hell ship prompted by a list that Topsy shared with a bunch of us and I had a brainwyrm, then ended up crying while I wrote the end of it. Quite possibly one of my favorite ever pieces. This one is both the inevitable end to my fic universe and something completely outside time. How did I manage this? Via Sheogorath's voicing. I don't think it gets more unreliable than that.

2) Metempsychosis

A very dear friend and fantastic teammate I met through Skywind sent me this prompt and it gave me such an excellent challenge not only to flex on weird god voice stuff again, but also to bust out some spoken word poetry tricks. I did end up recording myself reading this one too and it felt like old times. I loved all the layers of references I shoved into 1,000 words. It is also my first Morrowfic. And also one that reminded me what I am capable of even more strongly than some of my other projects did. 🥰

3) Serpens Caput

This one is newer, yes BUT OH MY GODS what a flex it was. ANOTHER Morrowfic but it's set in Ceth's fic universe featuring not only major character death but the mindset of a villain in his final moments. And we get to see Danger!Josh through his eyes. It was WEIRD. WEIRD WEIRD but so much fun. I don't think I've yelled so much about a fic whilst writing before. Ceth threw me this prompt, but I don't think was expecting this to end up...being this way (: Borrowed the description of Teldryn and Nerevar from her universe and just RAN WITH IT.

4) Little Dragon

This was written as part of my cute, happy LDB!Athis polycule AU where nothing is quite as horrifically messy as my main fic universe. It is a different kind of catharsis to write, often fun and humorous and a flex in that direction, since I didn't know what i was capable of—I always write pining and heartbreak lol. This came about as part of a fic writer's duel with AU (judged by Poly) which was honestly one of the coolest fandom experiences I've ever been in. It has become its own thing now with multiple other stories and I've been in yet another fandom duel since then. So it's all cute fuzzy feelings and happy memories and I love it to bits.

and last but certainly not least:

5) The World on Our Shoulders

My longfic which throws characters into extremely tough situations, handles horribly difficult themes and topics, shows people being messy and still finds ways to show it all with grace. It's what got me out of my multi-year writing slump and truly, truly brought me back to myself. So yes maybe some of the characters have some of my irl nonsense. Some scenes are far too relatable and it's a little scary sometimes how horrible that is, but it's a different kind of Catharsis. I love also the support its gotten so far for its specific type of storytelling structure as well as all the weird details that sprawl into other stories (Like my honorable mention written for Para, Recurse) and sequels and spin offs. It's been a great joy to be writing this and it's continued to inspire me. From draft one, which I wrote in challenge mode, posting every day this last February to now, where I am mid-ground-up-edit, I love this project to bits and will do all I can to see it through to the end. I see how much I can accomplish in this project. I see what can be done with common tropes and themes and even Fic in general. It's unalienated labor that I do for the sheer hell of it because I can and it's mine and I don't have to follow The Rules. There's something beautiful about that. It's one reason I get up at the crack of dawn every day -- to write for the sake of writing. Out of spite sometimes for all the ways the world tries to crush this kind of self expression out of us. This is my gem of a project. And I am proud of it and how far I've come since I started it. (:

So now it's your turn, if you got this far. Why do you write? How have your favorite fics you've written changed your perspective on the craft so far?

[daffelreign]

Macbeth commentary. Because I’m bored. And judgmental. (Pt. 4)

(Act IV: ) (We’re off to see the witches, the wonderful witches of OZ--- I mean Scotland)

Act IV (scene 1:)

All I can say about the first part of the scene is that it continually got more and more concerning as the list of ingredients went on. How exactly did they get a Jew’s liver and the finger of a strangled baby??? And why do they just randomly have it?? I feel like questioning the witches is just not a battle I’m ever going to win.

Anyways, Macbeth arrives to question the witches and boy was that the wrong call. They start showing him different aberrations that tell him contradicting things, going as far as to say ‘You’ll die when the forest gets up to kill you’ and now I’m left questioning if they’re just gaslighting him, or if the forest is about to start walking in Act 5. They also mention something we already know, of course--- Macduff will be a problem. But how Macbeth responds was not something I was prepared for at all.

We knew from the beginning that Macbeth was a ruthless warrior when it came to the battle field. Then, after killing Duncan, we realized he has that capability off of the battlefield--- but at least he felt some guilt for it. Now he’s just killing people on a whim, assuming that will fix his problem. Because killing tons of people for some self-perceived notion of an ultimate downfall has always ended well for kings.

Now, I don’t really like the fact that I understand Macbeth’s reasoning. Is there any sympathy towards him? Absolutely not. Do I think he’s making the right choice? Not even close. But, his reasoning does make sense to be. Going after Macduff’s family is a good option for what he wants to achieve, and it’s a very understandable call after what he’s already done these past few acts. I just don’t like it at all, and I know, for certain, that this will not end well. Authors who make understandable, but dislikeable villains have my utmost respect and hate.

At this point, it’s purely insanity doing the talking for Macbeth. He has spiraled past the point of return and there is no stopping him until he’s six feet under. So while it would be neat for the antagonist to show up and kill Macbeth in a grand, dramatic scene, I think it would be a whole lot more interesting if Macbeth was the one that killed himself. I’m sure there'll be a point where he just can’t take it anymore--- one could even argue that he’s already hit that point in his paranoia--- but the real kicker will be how strong his perseverance is, even after the madness takes over. Just something I’m musing about.

FInal thoughts? No change to the murder board--- actually, maybe I should add Macduff’s family, but they’re not exactly main characters. I’m still wondering at what point Lady Macbeth will get fed up with her husband's homicidal tendencies, but I think that point is coming shortly. And, finally, another chapter without mention of Fleance. I don’t think the boy’s coming back. I might have overstated when I said he would be our antagonist. I think he’s alive simply because he needs to be so that Banquo’s part of the prophecy can come true--- so plot convenience for prophecy fulfilling reasons.

Act IV (scene 2:)

I despise how quickly I got attached to Lady Macduff, only for her to die immediately after. I love her personality right off the bat, and I 100% agree with her hatred for her husband. People keep saying he’s an honorable, noble man--- one who you might think was at least a little intelligent. But no, let’s leave my wife and kids at home while I go commit treason. I’m sure that’ll end well.

I adore baby Macduff--- the little boy--- more than I can describe. I love the conversation he has with his mother, and the childish logic shining through. It’s always fun to see an exchange between a child, who thinks they have a good grasp of a situation, and an adult who humors their logic despite it being incorrect. Probably one of my favorite scenes in the whole play, if I’m being honest. It’s a shame they got murdered right after.

Act IV (scene 3:)

Not gonna lie, I was lost for the first half of scene 3. I understood what Macduff and Malcom were saying to each other, but I didn’t really understand why Malcom was being so insistent that he was the worst guy ever?? And then he suddenly turned the tables?? I thought he was gaslighting Macduff just for the heck of it, I did not catch that it was a test to make sure Macduff wasn’t there to kill him (thank you class discussions).

Aside from the initial confusion, my favorite line in the entire scene (possibly the entire play) is “Fit to govern? No, not to live.” which basically means ‘you aren’t fit to govern? No, you aren’t fit to be alive.’ The amount of exasperation in that statement alone is amazing, and the entire speech after it shows just how fed up Macduff has become. And honestly, if I was trying to convince the crowned heir to help for the greater good of an entire kingdom, and he kept trying to gaslight me into thinking he was the worst man in the world, I would get fed up, too.

Ross shows up again just in time to drop the bomb that Macduff’s family was slaughtered. That’s fun. The ‘be a man’ speech returns, this time from Malcolm. I’m starting to think that’s the theme behind the whole play--- being a man, and how that means different things to different people. Needless to say, Macduff is having a bad day.

After going through all 5 stages of grief in less than two minutes, Macduff decides that revenge is the best (and only) option. I would say he’s set up to be our antagonist, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself again. At this point, everyone is Macbeth’s antagonist--- even mother nature. Those horses didn’t eat each other for nothing. That aside, Macduff mentioned something interesting--- he can’t inflict the same pain he feels on Macbeth because Macbeth doesn’t have children. But Macduff’s children weren’t the only thing killed--- his wife was killed as well. And you know what Macbeth has? A wife.

The murder board isn’t going to change, but my predictions behind it will. I think Lady Macbeth will die, but I’m not so sure it will be by Macbeth’s hands anymore. I think it’s far more likely that she’s killed by either Macduff or Malcom during the war, and I’m rooting for Macduff.

Still no Fleance… uh… I don’t think he’s coming back. Unless they decide to drag a child into war, that is. (Wait, how are Banquo's children going to be kings if Malcom is taking over??? Oh, Malcolm is so going back on the murder board) (I think he’ll be killed at war and Fleance will end up as his successor.)

Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macbeth, Malcom (the boy who lived, come to die), Macbeth

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Top 10 Choices books

This time, I actually managed to rank my favorite books. But don't expect this to happen again 😅

1. The Crown & The Flame: fierce female MC who's not only a queen but also a warrior, male MC that turns into a dragon, intricate adventure with lots of action, great characters (including LIs, side characters and villains) and didn't even need CG art to make the story compelling. Oh, how I miss PB's early years...

2. Ride or Die: I expected the worst from a book which MC is a nerdy teen getting involved with illegal car dealers and car races, but PB went there and made me eat my words. The outstanding plot, the amazing LIs and side characters, actual character development for MC and a beautiful open ending. All of that in one single book? Damn, PB ❤️

3. Hero: I'm not of big fan of super heroes stories, but this one has my heart with its interesting LIs and friends to MC, engaging plot and a villain that looks like he stepped out of Spiderman universe to enter Choicesverse.

4. Bloodbound: even though the two last chapters were absolutely traumatizing (and I will NEVER forgive what the writing team did to Jax and Lily), Bloodbound lore is really engaging, has some great action scenes, most likely the best NSFW scenes and wonderful LIs.

5. Perfect Match: I genuinely thought it was just a romance book. I was so wrong! PM has adventure, sci-fi, drama, comedy and gorgeous LIs. I love it!

6. The Heist Monaco: Smart and cunning MC, interesting and gorgeous LIs, awesome adventure/action/comedy plot and great side characters with some of the best group scenes.

7. It Lives Beneath: best horror book PB has ever written with choices that can drastically affect the ending. Plus, Tom is romanceable 😍

8. A Courtesan of Rome: because it's based on Ancient Roman History (and I love History), the storyline has some inconsistencies that bugged me sometimes, but MC is so awesome, and the LIs were so good that it was hard to choose and I nearly forgot Cassius wasn't this sweet, intellectual and idealistic guy the book makes him look like lol.

9. Mother of The Year: another book PB made me eat my words. I love a book with a fierce MC, wonderful LIs and a daughter so adorable and smart that even this millennial terrified of having kids was all heart eyes in the very first chapter;

10. High School Story: did I expect to be so invested in a story about a teenager having cheesy teenager problems during high school? No. But I was so freaking invested on this drama-free teen trilogy I was pissed when I found out the fourth book was actually a new story without my beloved MC and their hilarious dad and the original HSS LIs had very little relevance to the plot (But I forgive the writing team because of Skye ❤️)

Honorable mentions:

- Distant Shores: Pirate book, time travel and a heartbreaking ending. What's not to like?

- Blades of Light and Shadow: I have to admit I like the plot more than its characters, but also like playing with as an orc (even though the storyline didn't do justice to Orc MC on book one)

- Crimes of Passion: even tho I haven't finished playing it, I looooove a good mystery/thriller/horror book, it's great to play as an adult MC who's actually good at what they do and it's the only single LI book I played in which the LI is worth all the hype;

- Guinevere: also haven't finished playing it, but I love a good period book with a good dose of fantasy. Plus, Arthur is the sweetest;

- Desire & Decorum: NGL after book one, there were so many filler scenes on books two and three, but I was* too madly in love with my Ottoman Prince and liked 90% of the characters to give up on the story ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

*"was..." I said, as if Hamid doesn't live in my mind rent free since 2018... 😏

Tagging @choicesfandomappreciation

[dailycass-cain]

Cassandra Cain Reading Guide Part 4: Alternate Universe Cass

We've had DCU Cass. We've had Rebirth Cass. But what of Cass from another reality? Well, here's Part IV, a reading list of Alternate Universe Versions of Cassandra Cain!

Part I reading guide you can find here.

Part II reading guide (Modern) you can find here.

Part III reading guide (Random) you can find here. 

Part V reading guide (PAIN) you can find here.

Teen Titans #52-53

- Honorable mention to Titans Tomorrow Cass aka Batwoman, but-- she only shows up in three panels. She is Starroed like many Tomorrow Titans but does cry out to "Huntress" aka an older Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe who gets possessed first).

The curious thing about Titans Tomorrow Universe it is always in flux. Originally, her death (along with others by the hand of Duela Dent) caused the "bad tomorrow". Then the sequel well, cloning happened and Cass came back or the future still happened but now she was alive.

A further "revised" Tomorrow timeline shows up in Detective Comics #979 right after Titans Tomorrow Tim escape Jor-El alongside our Tim and then the two battle for a lengthy period in the present day DCU. #979 shows us the current variant of that future with Cass dying to Ra Al Ghul's hand. But-- we're told this by an unreliable narrator in General and Brother Eye.  As they say, Steph died too, but when we are reintroduced to this timeline (showing how Tomorrow Tim is snatched by Jor-El) she is very much alive.

-DC Bombshells Black Bat-

DC Bombshells United #8, #18-19

- We don't really get a feel for Cassandra's character in this. Other than we see her for a few panels and learn both she and Katana overthrew their corrupt governments and rebuilt them from scratch. Cass leads a group called the "Bats of Blood and Iron" and goes by the Black Bat moniker. 

She's not much a character in this, more a footnote in this story. I feel like if there ever was a spinoff series. We really should get to see Cassandra/Katana more do these things that are mentioned. But.. I probably doubt we ever will. Or amazing variant covers by Ant Lucia.

-DCeased- 

DCeased: Unkillables #1-3 

 DCeased: Dead Planet #1-7

DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #1-8

-  Though Cass doesn't appear in #1 and #4 of Dead Planet. Because the survivors don't come back to Gotham until #2 (when we see Cass again), and #4 (the journey to New Genesis). Cass shows up in #1 and #4 (War of the Undead Gods) so far. 

Unkillables features the first full-on return of Cass's Batgirl costume in over ten years (2009 was the last time she wore it). It also explores the complicated mother/daughter relationship of Shiva/Cass.

Something big happens to Cassandra in Dead Planet. No spoilers (save Stephanie, who's over in DCeased: Hope at World's End), you're just gonna have to enjoy the moment like we did.

A curious little fact is this is the first DC Comic that has a universe that has Cass and Babs both as Batgirl (An infected Batgirl Babs is shown in the original DCeased), and her body is found by Cass and Jim Gordon in Unkillables #1 with both mourning the loss of her.

DCeased: War of the Undead Gods has Cass in the issues throughout but unlike the prior series doesn’t have a key role. Save for two noteworthy things in #1 and #7. That and has an AMAZINGLY gorgeous cover in #6 (a 1:50 variant and good luck finding one of those).

Interestingly, Cass is one out of two Bat-Family members to survive DCeased. Sadly, there could’ve been ONE MORE survivor if only writer Tom Taylor could give us the answer to that. Perhaps one day he will answer that subplot since he hasn’t SPOILED it.  

- Amanda Conner Universe

Wonder Woman #600

Harley Quinn & the Birds of Prey (Black Label) #1-4

   - A DCU similar but different as husband/wife team of Amanda Conner/Jim  Palmiotti various DC books (Power Girl, Harley Quinn, Terra, Starfire, and suggestions related). 

If you were disappointed with the way Cassandra was handled in the live-action Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey movie this comic gives us a more traditional Cass.

Not only does she steal the series from everyone, but there are exceptionally sweet moments in the final issue. A highly recommended mini to pick up! Cass embarrassing the Joker is worth the price alone!

It’s possible this story takes place either probably after Wonder Woman #600 (which also features Cass by Conner).

Future State 

Future State: The Next Batman #2, 4

Batman: Urban Legends #7

- Alternate future Gotham City where it is ruled tyrannically by a group known as the Magistrate. Rogues and Vigilantes alike are outlawed and hunted by the Magistrate’s chosen deputies and soldiers. Cass is the lone warrior who still follows Bruce’s ideology but is broken with Barbara missing and Stephanie breaking her heart (it is HEAVILY suggested the two had a relationship in this reality).To be entirely truthful, I was massively disappointed with this story. It was like being thrown into the middle of a story. 

Once again, we get Dick acting like a dick to boot.  “Hunter.. or Hunted...” on the other hand features Cass hunted by the Magistrate with exceptional art. Of the two stories THIS IS THE ONE TO READ. Even if it throws you again of not knowing what’s going on. At the very least “Hunter... or Hunted...” gives Cass more pathos and a better overall showing.

There are TWO more tales with this version of Cass in Future State: Gotham. But.. the only important things of those to note is the gorgeous variant cover #6). But please do avoid the other tale that involves FS Cass at the tail end of Future State Gotham. Unless you want PAIN.

Shadow of the Batgirl 

- Literally this comic other than the OG Puckett/Scott run is a remarkable tale that nails the character of Cassandra Cain perfectly. Like literally, you just want a complete origin and character study of Cass/ Why... why is it suddenly raining in my room again? This graphic novel is that good for long time fans of the character. Newbie fans might be interested as it is a one and done (so far). 

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures

Episode 1 "Moving In" (mentioned and acknowledges her adoption)

Episode 2 "The Last Cookie" (first appearance in the series)

Episode 5 "Arm Day"

Episode 7 "Vigilante Bingo" (mentions she's been Batgirl, Black Bat, and Orphan in this universe)

Episode 10 "Crush 3/3" 

Episode 13 "Stupid Traditions" 

Episode 14 "Unaccompanied"

Episode 15-16 "Family Ties"

- First Cass-centric arc in the series. Focuses on Cassandra's love for ballet, and Bruce trying to balance his life as a father and vigilante.

Episode 17 "Top Chef" (Thanksgiving episode)

Episode 19 "Bat-Cow's Day Out"

Episode 21 "Holiday Spirit" (Christmas episode)

Episode 22 "The Tournament"

Episode 32-33 "All Seeing"

- Second major arc focuses solely on Cass. The episodes showcase the many qualities of the character on why are a fan of the character. A good starting point for new readers on the character.

Episode 36-37 "Belonging"

Episode 48 "Shovel Talk"

- Cass and Duke centric episode with the family dealing with the possibility she has a boyfriend. Wackiness ensues.

Episodes 49-50 "One More" (mentioned only) 

Episode 51 "Night In" (Season 1 finale)

Episode 52 Assassin (Season 2 Premiere)

Episode 56 “Why We Fight Part 2″

Episode 57 “Picture Day”

Episode 61 “What Matters Most Part 2″

Episode 66 “No Doors Allowed”

Episode 67 “Branching Out” (Cass/Steph meet Harley/Ivy wackiness ensues)

Episode 68 “Thankful”

Episode 70 “Hunted Part 2″

Episode 72 “Snowfall Part 1″ (part one of Holiday episode)

Episode 73 “Snowfall Part 2″ (part two of Holiday episode)

Episode 78 “Outlaws” (slight tie-in to Red Hood: Outlaw spinoff webtoon comic)

Episode 82 “Sneak Attack”

Episode 90 “What I Want Part 1″

Episode 91 “What I Want Part 2″ (first appearance of David Cain in series, first full appearance of Cass’s Batgirl costume, origin of Cass in this universe.) 

Episode 93 ”Alarm Bells”

Episode 98 “Power Outage”

- Episodes 66-67, and 70 are the Cass-related episodes (so far). We get some amusing sister/brother antics in Episode 66 with Jason/Cass trying to impart their “wisdom” of dramatic entrances to Duke. Only for the later to give his own inclusion how make an entrance. 

Episode 67 has Cass/Steph are watching over a bedridden Harley Quinn and meet Poison Ivy. Amusing adorable hijinks ensue.

Episode 70 reveals Babs making sure Cass/Steph are in on her mission. Showing the trust and bonds the three have with one another. 

- Cass is mentioned in the spinoff series to WFA, Red Hood: Outlaws in episode 46.5 Like Son Part II, Damian records Bruce confessing and then hugging Jason that “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” To save himself, Damian says if Bruce does anything to him, he’ll tell Cass. Bruce relents. 

- Episode 90-91 is Cass’s first central dramatic story in Season 2. She and Damian run afoul of Mad Hatter who brainwashes her to attack her sibling. In part 2 we see Cass’s origin in WFA, as it uses Pre-New 52 David Cain (in his first appearance in the series). Cass breaks free and Damian/her share a cute brother/sister moment afterward.  

DC Vs. Vampires

DC vs. Vampires #2, #4-6

DC vs. Vampires: Hunter #1 (one panel)

DC vs. Vampires #10-11, #12 (in shadow)

- Cass is one of the few heroes in the DCU not taken over or killed by the vampires in this elseworlds story. Problematic art though for the main series sadly given the artist turned out to be very icky.

The writing is a mixed bag as well as Cass was a main character of the plot in the first half of the comic, before being dropped and randomly showing up in the latest issue.

One interesting tidbit of this version of Cass is that she moonlights as both Batgirl and Orphan (but only donning this identity with the Outsiders) in this universe.

Second interesting note is at the end of DC vs. Vampires #12, Cass is one of two people in the Bat-Family in #2 (the other being Alfred) to not have been killed or become a vampire. 

Steph and Helena are also the only other Bat-Family members to have survived as well being human. 

Young Justice

Young Justice: Targets #2-3

- Expands on the Cass introduced in Young Justice cartoon by revealing she knows ASL (I wish this was introduced in the main series). She has a few kickass moments in the comic as well.

However, she only appears in these two issues and that’s it. Only recommended if you enjoyed this version of Cass, and desire to see her storyline somewhat continued. 

Dark Multiverse

Tales of the Dark Multiverse: Hush #1

Batman/Superman Authority Special #1

Dark Knights Death Metal: Robin King #1

In the “Dark Multiverse” there have been three variants of Cass that have appeared. The most “prominent” one among them is the one in Hush. Cass, Tim, and Barbara go down a darker path as they openly rebel against Thomas Elliot and his iron grip over Gotham with not Batman or Bruce Wayne to stop him.

Cass’s costume is a mixture of her Orphan and Kasumi costume. We never get much of her codename as she’s quickly killed by the Gray Son (Dick Grayson who’s been recruited by the Court of Owls). It is implied that this version of her and Tim had a relationship as his name is the last word she utters before collapsing dead.

We’re teased another evil Cass (along with the rest of the Bat-Family) who is part of the Empire of Shadows. Lead by Ra’s Al Ghul (Bruce Wayne) the Empire has taken over their respective Earth and learns of the multiverse. We see this version of Cass once near the end as her silhouette is quite clear in the shadows.

The final Dark Multiverse Cass is the one shown briefly in Dark Knights Death Metal Robin King #1. As the Batman Who Laughs gives Robin King a tour of an Earth where he “tortures” numerous Dark Multiverse Batmen and the survivors become his minions. One of those shown bears a strikingly resemblance to Cass, but the appearance has never been confirmed. 

Injustice

Injustice: Year Zero #2

Though not fully appearing, Cass is namedropped in the prequel story to Injustice comics. It isn’t really known what became of this version of the character. But from the dialogue suggested by Superman to Batman, Bruce/Barbara having mentored her presumably as Batgirl (Babs is Oracle at the start of Injustice).

 Batman: Last Knight on Earth

Batman: Last Knight on Earth Book Three

- Cassandra was originally one of the survivors of Omega’s original assault on the world. She (along with the rest of the Bat-Family) changed their personas to resemble Owls with Cass taking a more Talon-esque costume as shown here (they believed Omega had tainted the Bat mantle/symbol at this point). 

We don’t know much else about this variant of Cass as she along with Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, and Kate Kate all perish by Omega’s hand right before a revived Bruce Wayne shows up. 

But hey! Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon survive. 

..... 

Look I get it they live because they have a kid (who also lives). But it just feels so darn cheap to have the most of the “Bat Family” to die right before Bruce shows up.

It feels so wrong to me and just like a certain someone high up above this creative team had this wet dream to kill them all off to tick off fans. Well, congrats! It worked! 

Dark Knights of Steel

Dark Knights of Steel #6, 9

- No I didn’t forget this alternate Cass. It’s just that well.. we don’t know much fully about her yet save three things. #1 She’s the only Cass who was ever a Robin (a Robin in this universe are the “agents” who serve under Bruce Wayne (aka the Bat Knight) around this world. #2 She’s different then the rest of the Robins (as detailed in Dark Knights of Steel: Tales of the Three Kingdoms #1 they were all a crew of thieves until they caught the attention of Bruce but there was 0 Cass among them) in that we know next to nothing about her connection to Bruce here. #3 She’s placed in a position to free Prince Ka-El as she is the medical professional addressing his wounds but also keeping an eye on him.

Sure enough, she freed Ka-El to prevent the war between the three kingdoms. 

Batman: Knightwatch

Batman: Knightwatch #5

- This one just feels more like an Easter Egg than an actual reference. Though not with the Bat-Family, this Cass is just a normal little girl, who just happens to really like Batman and the Bat-Family. Probably the only normal Cass of them all. But the sass is still there with this one.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series

Harley Quinn & the Legion of Bats #4-6

- So far recently introduced only in the comics. This Cass is unique among other variants being she’s the same age as Damian. There’s not much know about her yet. Save we know Vixen/Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) were working on a case together that involved Cass.

She bonds with Damian, who in turn opens up being ACTUALLY friendly toward her. This Cass also makes friends with Tiffany Fox (who was targeted in the series by Black Mask). 

Cass adopts her Orphan persona joining Dick, Damian, and Babs on a mission to stop Black Mask from taking over the Gotham Underworld while also having to deal with Poison Ivy and the Legion of Doom. 

After Black Mask is defeated, Wonder Woman is called in to escort this Cass to Themyscira. This Cass is second to one other variant that is raised by the Amazons (the other being the Dark Knights of Steel version).

[mychoombatheroomba]

Things I Love About the Shitty Live Action Resident Evil Movies

So, it was my birthday recently and my roommates asked if I wanted to do anything fun. My response, of course, was to suggest getting drunk and watching the live action Resident Evil movies and like, damn, I love those stupid ass movies so much. So I wanted to make a really dumb (and lengthy) post about the goofy things I like, whether for legit or meme reasons.

Y'all, I know they're bad, that is, in fact, why I love them.

1 - The opening is genuinely kinda freaky, like, the elevator scene? Oof, well done suspense

2 - Michelle Rodriguez. That's it, that's the post.

3- The LASER ROOM - so iconic they used it in the games. The first movie came out in 2002, RE4 then used the laser room in 2005, like, y'all, they took that from the goddamn movie, that's how much of a vibe it was

(And honestly, just the Red Queen in general, what an absolute icon, love that her appearance changes in every movie she's in)

4 - Alice is the most fanfic Mary Sue character I've perhaps ever seen on-screen, and I love that for her. Look at her kicking this zombie dog in the face, it's hilarious

5 - Pretty game-accurate costuming? I can dig it

6 - They're gay, your honor

7 - Bad CGI on the Licker, I would expect nothing less

8 - Alice is at her most powerful when she finds a white bathrobe just lying around somewhere

9 - Raccoon City gets destroyed in the course of, like, a day if I'm understanding the timeline right. Like, first infection to nuking the city seems to be about 24 hours. Incredible.

10 - Leon fucking wishes he was Alice, miss ma'am out here driving motorcycles into buildings and then launching them at a monster just to shoot it and blow it up.

(Special mention for another "they're gay, your honor"

11 - You'd think the kid they have to rescue from Raccoon City is Sherry, wouldn't you? An Umbrella scientist's daughter who the gang have to save? NOPE it's Angela Ashford. Not to be confused with the game's Alexia Ashford. Is it an easter egg? A botched cameo? IDK bro, you think they know the lore?

12 - "GTA MOTHERFUCKER" - LJ, before running over a zombie

13 - THEY GAVE NEMESIS A REDEMPTION ARC??? Incredible (not before making him and Alice fist-fight each other)

14 - Keeping with RE tradition, the helicopter almost always crashes.

15 - They just decided, fuck it, let's give Alice superpowers. Also the stupid Umbrella eyes, literally whenever they come up.

16 - The third movie is just Mad Max and Fallout: New Vegas merged together. Also the way they say the whole earth withered and died but later movies very clearly show flora still alive

17 - Why is Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones here? WHY IS JOHNNY CAGE FROM MORTAL KOMBAT 1995 HERE???

Also why does Wesker look a little like Eminem to me in the third movie?

18 - The amount of just, like, "hey, this monster/character was in the games, let's just put them in the movie anywhere!"

19 - Carlos gets one of the only satisfying death scenes for a named character from the games. And by that I mean he gets one of the only on-screen death scenes for a named character from the games. Slay, king.

20 - Why does the Tyrant look like that?

21 - The army of Alice clones were blonde originally, but all went out and dyed their hair together between movies and I think that's cute.

22 - The timeline is so fucked up, I don't think they even knew how long was supposed to pass between the movies

23 - The way they shoehorned Chris in so bad that, as a kid, I thought he had no importance and they just wanted to give Claire a character to help her with her amnesia (also, Claire having amnesia). The Redfields do get to shoot the shit out of Wesker at the end though, good for them.

24 - THEY'RE GAY, YOUR HONOR

25 - The Executioner from RE5 just like, is in Los Angeles for some reason?

26 - This shot of Wesker.

27 - Wesker takes Alice's powers away in the beginning of the 4th movie, then at the end of the 5th movie he reinfects her with the T-Virus so she can be a superhuman again and just like, bud, you're wildin'. Also it's mentioned in the 3rd movie that Alice's blood could be the cure, and that she could synthesize it once the Tyrant is dealt with? But she doesn't? She just takes the clones of her in the facility instead of using the equipment to make a cure? I know they cure it in the last movie but like, girlie, you could have tried earlier idk. Fascinating.

28 - The opening credits scene for the 5th movie is actually pretty cool

29 - The rest of the fifth movie . . . whatever those writers were smoking, I want some. I know there's literally an Umbrella base in Antarctica in the game but like, idk, having an underwater base where you have multiple city simulations running for BOW production is so funny to me. They've got clones of Carlos and the whole team from the first movie, a random child Alice adopts, Las Plagas lads on motorcycles, more Executioners, Barry (oh, hi Barry!) and damn I love every terrible minute of it.

30 - "The Leon you ordered from AliExpress"

31 - Li Bingbing as Ada, my beloved

32 - Whatever the hell this fight scene is (I am obsessed with it). The sapphic energy of Jill v Alice. Las Plagas giving you instant superpowers. Michelle Rodriguez beating the shit out of Leon Kennedy (mans draws his knife and immediately gets disarmed, Krauser would be so disappointed). Ada just snoozing in the snow the whole time. Cinema.

The music kinda slaps though.

The second half of this where Michelle gets clocked in the face with a fire extinguisher and just looks offended? Immaculate.

33 - Wesker saying that he, Alice, Jill, Leon and Ada are the last hope for humanity from the roof of the White House. What a team.

34 - AND THEN LEON, ADA AND JILL FUCKING DIE OFF SCREEN BETWEEN MOVIES ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Peak writing right there.

35 - I have never seen the Final Chapter, but I do know that Claire is the only (known) surviving original RE character. Chris is MIA and everyone else is dead. The lesbians win again.

36 - Also there's a character named K-Mart. No notes.

37 - WESKER GETS KILLED BY A DOOR LMFAO

I cannot say I would recommend these movies without the consumption of alcohol involved. Once that's in the mix? They're a great time.

[terresdebrume]

Fic writer interview

Merci pour le tag, @almost-a-class-act ! :D

How many works do you have on AO3?

372 :D

Most are fics, but I do have a little under 30 fic covers hanging around there 😊

What's your total AO3 word count?

988 968 words! My goal this year is to crack the million xD

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Fun fact, this top has not changed in years and my more recent writing habits mean it's unlikely to ever change at this point xD

S.O.S. Ecrits Avec De L’Air (aka SEADLA) an unfinished Tony Stark/Loki fic in which everything starts because Loki stops Tony from commiting suicide.

 We Shall Have Peace, a fic in which Steve Rogers comes out of an 80+ years long captivity to discover Loki turned the earth into a utopia.

Dots: 2-4, 1-2-3, 1-3-6. A fic in which Tony Stark is a university student, and Loki is his blind teacher, and they fall in love.

Wooer Wooed. A fic in which Tony Stark tries to teach Loki how to woo someone and ends up surprised by the results.

Corny Lines For Thanksgiving A fic in which Tony Stark sees Loki iand Thor interact from his office window and mistakes them for a couple.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I like showing my appreciation and it feels more polite :D

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Say it three times and it will be done, in which Loki sends Tony Stark a very sad letter to tell him he's giving up on him and their not-relationship.

What the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Oh shit, I've written so many of these xD But I guess I'll go with a top 3:

Clark Kent, of Krypton because it's one of the ones where the protagonist's situation changes the most drastically.

Once more, with kissing because the protag ends in what would probably be my dream configuration for any kind of romantic relationship.

All on my own because it's probably one of the more hopeful endings I have.

Honorable mention to A summer evening in Philly. for being the most recent :P

Do you write crossovers?

Rarely. I did write a Battlestar Galactica x The Walking Dead crossover once for a friend, but that's about it. When I mix fandom, I gravitate more towards fusions :P

The fic is called Killing zombies (and other fun activities), if you're curious.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I think I got maybe...three angry comments on AO3 so far? One was pissed because the protag hated his stepmother, another was angry that I'd posted negative meta on a ship, and iirc the last one accused me of making a character stupid because they didn't understand a word as a little kid who was communicating in a language that wasn't his first language.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I try my hand at it on occasion x) It's probably not the greatest but so far no one told me it sucked so we'll see how it goes in the future xD

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

If I rememeber correctly there were projects of translation into Chinese and Russian for some of my fics, but I can't recall if they were completed or not xD

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I toyed at the idea but it fizzled out, mostly because of me.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

I honestly have never thought of it that way tbh xD

But my two oldest ships are Taichi/Yamato from Digimon Adventure and Hyoga/Shun from Saint Seiya. I've liked those since I was a kid. As in, I first discovered Hyoga/Shun when I was under 10 so.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I'm not going to answer that one, I don't want to jinx it xD

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at dialogue and worldbuilding.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I struggle a little more with description, and also The Doing Of The Sex. Also I sometimes worry that I do the writing equivalent of same-facing my characters, but I guess it might also be because I have A Type.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

More often than not, saying "[x] said in German" or "[x] switched to Italian" is more than enough. It's clear, concise and avoids the two main risks of foreign dialogues: losing the readers who don't understand the target language and (if you're not fluent yourself) making a grammar mistake that takes readers who are more fluent than you out of the story. (Example: I've recently stumbled across a Band of Brothers fic where Liebgott used Sie to address Webster. Sie is a formal form of address, which I guarantee Lieb wouldn't use for his fellow soldiers, especially not Web, and so seeing it made be tick hard even if I didn't spontaneously understand the rest of the sentence.)

That being said! All rules are made to be broken, and I've written a fic that was intentionally in 3 different languages and another where a significant chunk of the dialogue is just em dashes with footnotes. In the first case, I used the script format and the language juxtaposition to mimick the sort of humor you'd get from a more fast-pace, visual medium like a movie or show (and also because I enjoyed the idea of a fic that was a bit of an in-joke with readers who mostly understood all three languages).

In the second case, I used the em-dashes (intersped with the few words the POV character understands) to force the reader into the protagonist' shoes, because the whole plot revolves around her distress and frustration about being unable to understand the language her family speak.

So, you know. Do what you want x)

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It was a very, very intense plagiaristic fic for Lord of the Rings but with Harry Potter style wizards. I don't think it was very good, but I rememeber having fun with it.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

For a long time, that fandom was Digimon Adventure but I've done it now so... non, for now, I think x)

What's your favorite fic you've written?

... I'm gonna cheat and link you to my AO3 porfolio for my top 11 :P

Tagging : @takingoffmyshoes, @kyttwrites, @nemainofthewater, @ghostinthelibrarywrites, @liesmyth and @talysalankil :)