Tumgik
#always wanted to check out the transformers comics
alteredphoenix · 2 years
Text
Now that it’s over, maybe I should go and check out the Transformers IDW run.
(Or, well. The first one, because I never understood why it needed to reboot a storyline that had a clear beginning and end? Also because the second run suffered the fate as the Dreamwave run a’la got cut off midway so, uh, yeah. I don’t think that was worth taking the gamble.
At least there’s the Drift run and Last Bot Standing to look into.)
1 note · View note
vesperaink · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Friends, my necromancer!Tango/grimreaper!Jimmy, Team Rancher modern with magic apocalypse AU, Graveyard Shift, for @mcytblraufest's Reverse Big Bang is here!
But wait there's more--go read chasing crimson written by @aliferous-ly, beta'd by @dibs2win, my fantastic team for aufest. If you love enemies to lovers, unlikely partnerships, and the power of soul-bound magic weapon contracts, this hilarious + dramatic 22.9k fic kicks off from this comic!
chasing crimson
Jimmy Solidarity works for the esteemed god of Death, reaping lost souls and taking care of unsavory characters. He's recently finished his training, and is determined to do well on his first solo mission. Perhaps this "Tango" would be a good start. Only, the god of Death disappeared years ago, and Necromancer Tango Tek's long since discovered a way around dying. He can't say he enjoys Jimmy swinging through and killing him where he stands, though.
Thank you to my team for being as feral about this AU as I am, and kicking everything about it up to 110. I had so much developing this world with them!
Thanks to @onawhimsicot for helping me with the comic's dialogue, fixing my composition woes with "just add more smoke," and encouraging me to complete it in full color! Check out Cadence's aufest fic, I take it back (ill follow till I fly or till im dead), a Cult of the Lamb AU about follower!Tango and Lamb!Zedaph, the meaning of devotion, silly experiments, eldritch transformations, and...the most platonic slowburn ever?
Lastly, thank you to the aufest team for another wonderful event! I had a blast again, and was giggling kicking my feet at everyone's reactions during claims, I loved every single one of them. Graveyard Shift is definitely an AU I'm coming back to. As always, my askbox is open if you'd like to chat, and I'd love to be tagged if anyone makes anything <3
Timelapse / AU art chatter under the cut!
While Graveyard Shift is the amalgamation of many of my interests, the main premise for this AU is loosely inspired by the webcomic, I'm the Grim Reaper, in both its apocalypse themes and its aesthetics! Not a required read, but highly recommend if you enjoy this au, as well as the anime and manga, Soul Eater!
I came up with a lot of AUs for this event but necromancer!Tango and reaper!Jimmy have been rattling around in my brain in separate AUs since before I started brainstorming for aufest. So I smashed them together, naturally.
(Unfortunately I didn't record all of my process, but most of it is here! CW for flashing; song is Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier)
youtube
I could go on forever about concept art and character design if anyone's curious but here's some fun bonus details about this comic:
Originally, Tango's outfit was going to be more like his Dungeon Master outfit but I wanted the setting to be more modern and Jimmy stole the fantasy cloak vibe from him already lol
Jimmy's entrance of lightning is my nod to the Life Series final death sound
The scarf Jimmy's wearing is designed to be a boneyard shawl
The panel of strange text reads "Protection Three" in Galactic :)
+ The name "Graveyard Shift" was thrown at me by Cadence in like 3 seconds flat after i spent 2 days agonizing over a name for this au LOL
236 notes · View notes
wrencatte · 9 months
Text
Bruce didn't order an autopsy for Jason when he died. Jason didn't know that. For @dragonpyre based off this comic (ao3 link).
Jason doesn’t actually hate going to the Manor or the Batcave despite his theatrics. Those bonds are fixed. That nightmare is far, far behind him. It’s been nice, knowing he has it to fall back on if he ever needs to (and he has, once or twice throughout the years), but just because he doesn’t hate it – actually kinda loves it. Having his dad, his siblings, his family around is better than he ever imagined – doesn’t mean he always wants to be there.
Like now, for instance. Shivering cold and drenched to the literal bone, tired as all fucking get out, he’d rather be alone in his apartment under a scalding shower, taking comfort in the silence and solitude like some tragic hero from a classic novel. But nooo, Bruce just had to insist Jason come to the Cave for a full check-up. You know what’s in those waters, Hood. This is not up for discussion.
120 notes · View notes
rad-roche · 22 days
Text
talking about rebelle
Tumblr media
TLDR: it's really good
Too Long DID read: in the niche it occupies, it's the best program I've used. This isn't a sponsored post, nothing like that, no affiliate links. Just pure sweet fat of the hog.
Rebelle Paint is a painting software designed around imitating physical mediums. Watercolour, gouache, acrylic, oils, pastels, and so on. It might be better to think of it as a physics software that happens to have a bunch of art tools inside, for better or for worse. Let me give you an example.
Tumblr media
These two blobs represent an area of the canvas I've made wet through the watercolour tools. This is where the physics sim comes into it. The backgrounds aren't just static paper textures, the paint disperses and interacts with the grain of the 'paper', or the canvas, or whatever you have selected.
Tumblr media
If you're already good with watercolours, you're set. If not, like me, you're in for a steep, steep learning curve, because they're hard to control. I can't call that a fault, real watercolours aren't exactly famed for being easy to use. But if you do this across a few layers, that means Rebelle is simulating a bunch of things at once, which means that your computer is gonna CHUG. Seriously, if you have a laptop, get the demo before you even think about buying it. I'm using a solid desktop and can't go beyond five layers without my processor screaming for mercy. This is only with the watercolours, however, for things like ink/markers, I got up to about 30 layers with that comic. Deploy the pomegranate.
Tumblr media
Circling back to that canvas being a physics object thing...
Tumblr media
Here's what comes with the software, enough to cover any of the mediums you'll use in it. If you want more, however, you have to buy them in the store, and if you wanted all of them, for whatever reason, that represents about 150 dollarydoos, and individual sets (cold pressed watercolour etc) coming out to about 10 each. I might pick one up in the future if I really want one, but so far I haven't felt the need. You aren't being deprived of options, is what I'm saying.
The biggest compliment I can give the software is that it feels like they either take direct feedback from its user base, or are so good at pre-empting what you might need that it makes other software like this (Corel, CSP) seem clunky. Let me give you an example. Like most art software, there's a reference panel.
Tumblr media
Unlike most art software, that panel comes with tools already in it that are very useful. Say I just wanted to practice painting in colour, and the likeness of this model isn't what I'm focusing on. You have two options: half-assing it, or tracing and then painting yourself. Rebelle lets you place guidelines on the reference, which are then projected onto the canvas. If you toggle greyscale mode on to check your values, then colour-pick, you don't pick up the desaturated tone, you'll always pick the true colour underneath. That might sound like a small thing, but when you get used to working around that in other software, it adds up.
Pros:
One-time Purchase
Very very strong tools. They're a joy to use.
Almost no learning curve regarding the software itself, even if you're moving over from another programs
All tools are able to interact with one another. Want to drench your acrylic paint in water? Go for it! A lot of traditional imitation software locks the tools you can use to certain layer types (Corel, Realistic Paint Studio), but not here.
Liquify, transform tools, adjustment layers, all the normal stuff you'd want in digital is all here.
Brush customisation engine is excellent
Cons:
Two tiers of purchase (standard and pro). I bought standard, and honestly I'm thinking about upgrading because the image scaling is locked behind pro. Standard shakes out to about ninety bucks, pro one-fifty, and in this economy that's a big ask. Saying that, there is a sale on right now. If you just want digital tools that mimic traditional, and don't need any of the extras, consider Artrage Lite at one third the price.
Resource HUNGRY. Way, way more than any other art program I've used.
Anything involving water requires juggling in a way real watercolour doesn't. It's very very easy to keep painting, look back, and realise something 5 layers ago is still soaked and leaked into everything else.
Prone to crashing.
Overall, I'm really happy with it. I don't think it's great for anything very detailed, like that comic I did the other day, and for general use Clip Studio Paint is a better purchase, but this is a great supplement.
27 notes · View notes
racefortheironthrone · 9 months
Note
On the subject of UBI, I always ask about the MCU UBI: Tony is a billionaire who lives a life of luxury, Bruce has a serious chronic illness that requires expensive medical care, and Trevor just wants to sit round all day drinking and doing drugs. I take the UBI guys more seriously if they can say what each man gets from a UBI.
That's a somewhat odd choice of characters to think about how a UBI would function in the MCU.
So yes, Tony Stark would get a UBI. Relative to his private income, his UBI check would be totally inconsequential - and given the level of taxation needed to support a UBI, it's pretty much guaranteed that Tony would be paying far more in taxes than he would be getting back in UBI payments.
This is not an accident or a mistake or a flaw in the system; this is how a healthy social policy should function. When Social Security was established in 1936, FDR made a big deal of the fact that even John D. Rockefeller would get a Social Security check - because it hammered home the point that everyone contributes, and everyone benefits. Reciprocal solidarity would short-circuit the divisive politics of distribution and redistribution and cement a permanent majority coalition in support of a universal welfare state.
Tumblr media
Bruce Banner would also get a UBI check. Now, his financial situation is a little unclear - originally, Banner was a top research scientist at Culver University with U.S military contracts, so he would probably have been in the top 10% of incomes (affluent but not wealthy). After his transformation into the Hulk, however, Bruce was a wanted fugitive with no way of earning income.
After that, Bruce was an Avenger - and this is where things get odd. As established in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Avengers in the MCU don't get a salary: Tony gave them free housing and paid their Avengers-related expenses, but Sam Wilson notably relied on his veteran's pension and government contracts for his living (thus why his banker could justify turning him down for a small business loan rather than admitting to structural racial discrimination) and Steve Rogers even with his veteran's benefits, Social Security, and SHIELD salary couldn't afford a place in Brooklyn. This means that, while Bruce doesn't need to worry about money for his research and can save on rent, he does actually need the UBI for everything else.
This is very different from in the comics, where Avengers get quite decent salaries:
Tumblr media
$4k a month in 1983 dollars works out to around $150k a year (on top of free housing at the Avengers Mansion), putting them solidly in the top 13% of U.S personal incomes.
As for Trevor Slattery, I feel like your description is unfairly characterizing a working actor. Slattery was not a major success in Hollywood - hence why he took Aldrich Killian up on his job offer and became part of a criminal conspiracy - and he does have some serious substance abuse issues, but what he does in his private life is his own business. Hell, even when he was abducted by the Ten Rings, he kept working as an actor. That being said, Trevor is going to have a hard time getting UBI, both because he's a wanted fugitive and convicted felon (which would end his eligibility in the U.S) and because he's now living in a rural village in another dimension.
72 notes · View notes
emillyverse · 7 months
Text
Production stages of the Fan Comic of "The Wish Kingdom" !!!
(written by @annymation)
And as promised, here is the "schedule" I said I was putting together for the Comic fic production process.
In the end, this isn't really a "timeline", it's more like a list of what I'll do to build the comic. I want to make all the processes very clear and described to give you an idea of how it will be done and a small idea of how long it will take.
Remembering that I am a human being, not an AI to do things quickly, I have another life beyond networks and this project.
Besides the fact that none of us are being paid to do this comic (although I really wanted to, I'm not going to lie), all of this is being done on the basis of love, affection, positivity and adoration for the initial concepts dispensed by Disney, their classic films that really made that company grow and the main messages conveyed by Walt Disney while he was still alive: "If you can dream something, you can make it happen!" and "It's fun to do the impossible!"
So please be patient and kind to me and the entire team! I already love, adore and thank everyone willing to follow our project.
<3
Well… Let's get started!
1- Rereading and Separating the text:
Starting today (02/26/2024) I will be re-reading Anny's fanfic, separating all of her text into scenes, highlighting the following points:
Atmosphere
Characters (designs made by @uva124)
Speeches and facial expressions - the message
Thus defining "who says what, how and in which place?"
Since I will be doing the setting art myself, as the story progresses, I would really appreciate a little help. I'm guessing if you're reading this you've probably already read The Kingdom of Wishes and consequently imagined the scenarios! If you find any images online that remind you of the locations of the scenes in your mind, you can send them to me as a reference! I'm always open to references for drawings!
2- Make the "Thumbnails"
I don't know what term foreigners use to define the thumbnails that make up the first drafts of comics, but here in Brazil, we call them "Doll", in reference to the fact that the sketches are a "test doll" for the comic strip .
Anyway, I digress! It is at this stage that I define the composition of the scenes through sketches. This is where I define what appears or not in the scene, what the scene will be focused on, how I will guide the reader's eye by the meaning of reading the scene, where the lines, the characters, their movements and others will be located… It's a planning phase on how to portray the scenes; the most complex I would say.
3- Review
Here I take a break for two days or three days at most, to relax and forget about the project for a bit. I come back with new energy and review everything that was done, ask for opinions and suggestions from the team, in short, I give a great evaluation and improvement in everything!
4 - Finalization and Publication
In this last step, I transform the sketches into final artwork using graphite pencils, colored pencils and pens that I have available.
When they are all finished, I will publish the comics here and on all my social networks!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally....
I would like to say that yes, I will be posting spoilers for all these stages, watch them at your own risk!
Remembering that English is not my native language, so I really hope everything was understandable! But if you have any questions, you can send questions to me or any member of the team!
And if you want to know a little more about my arts, you can check out my Instagram!
Kisses full of light and stars!
Let's work!!
55 notes · View notes
theresattrpgforthat · 5 months
Note
I’m probably gonna sound very disjointed. But I have an idea for a superhero campaign where all the P.Cs are kids cause all adults have disappeared.
I thought MASKS would be a good system for this but my friend informed me that in order for MASKS to work you kinda need mentor characters.
So in your opinion, what would be a good, easy to learn superhero based system to run this game.
THEME: Superheros, Kids - Only
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Henshin, by Cave of Monsters Games.
Henshin A Sentai RPG is a storytelling tabletop game about young heroes with transformative powers who battle both monsters and personal problems. It borrows from a Japanese superhero culture of color-coded masked teams, giant robots, and over-the-top special effects. Anyone can tell fun, collaborative stories in Henshin!, regardless of familiarity with the tropes, and the game showcases a diversity of settings and characters for every player.
This book includes instructions and actual play examples for everything needed to start playing Henshin! right away. Also included are the eleven Color playbooks, seven ready-to-play settings, original exclusive art, and references to digital downloads. Resources and information can be found at henshingame.com. Let’s Henshin!
Henshin is inspired by the Tokusatsu genre of superhero media, and reminds me intensely of Power Rangers. Your characters will wrestle with personal obstacles such as dealing with their temper, their failures, and the way they are seen by their peers. The system is inspired by No Dice, No Masters but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily GM-less, just that it doesn’t use dice. Henshin’s settings are also very flexible, so you should be able to write your own custom setting in which the kids have taken on super-powered relics in order to survive in a world without adults.
Masks: Retconned, by Sam Roberts.
You’re like most teenagers, with one small difference: You’re a superhero. Fight villains, be part of a team, save the day, and maybe, slowly figure out who you are.
Masks: Retconned is a game of teen superhero adventures, designed for 3+ players. Most of the players will take on the role of individual Heroes on a Team. Imagine these as the protagonists of your new comic book series. One player takes on the role of GM, embodying the superheroic setting, supporting characters, and villains.
If you like the basic premise of Masks but you don’t want to deal with the adult entanglements, you might want to take a look at Masks: Retconned. The game is very bare-bones, and only has the basic mechanics - your stats, your emotions, and the graded success scale and what it means for moves. The rest is meant to be designed as you need it. So if you don’t mind doing a little bit of game design before you sit down to play, you might want to check this out!
Powered by Cereal, by bismuth.
Become the Teen With Attitude you always wanted to be Inspired by tokusatsu hero teams and magical girl squads, PbC is a game about building a brightly-coloured Hero team and playing their adventures across a Series, fighting to save the world from evil!
PbC brings all players together to collaborate on crafting a Series, with its own aesthetics for heroes and villains, its own setting, and unique qualities for each hero. Play comprises the Episodes of the Series: both the Heroes' lives, and fights against Boss characters. It uses a relatively straightforward d6 system and encourages the Hero players to think about how their individual actions work towards a team strategy, bolstering allies and keeping momentum!
Characters in PbC are embodiments of different virtues, and these virtues will define your personal strengths, as represented in the Verbs and Adjectives assigned to your character. Relationships are also important in this game, and this is represented by connections that each player will have with side characters, whether that be positive or negative. Overall the game is still very lighthearted, as it’s inspired by Saturday morning cartoons.
When you try to do something in PbC, you roll a number of d6’s, and check to see how many results were unique. The more unique results you have, the more successes! This means that there’s a cap on how successful your character ca be, but I think the fact that any roll is going to have at least one success really communicates the tone of this game. This another game where the setting is build-your-own, and I don’t see any mechanics that require adults to be part of the setting.
Teens With Powers, by Unknown Dungeon.
Teens with Powers is a one-page roleplaying game about extraordinary young people, inspired by TV shows like Teen Titans and Avatar the Last Airbender, and shonen manga.  As a group, the players and GM come up with the setting, themes, and age-range of the characters. Then each player creates a character with a singular power that they can use to help solve problems and fight evil, while also traversing the trials of being young adults.
Teens with Powers uses a dice-pool system to resolve risky actions, and a back-and-forth combat system to allow of maximum expression and excitement. Also included is a back-page with GM advice and rules.
Teens with Power is a stripped-down Forged in the Dark game. There isn’t much of a setting involved in the first place, so you should be able to build your own setting to fit your preferences. The downside is that there isn’t much guidance or inspiration for powers, so it might be worth it to check out something like Supertables to help you come up with your powers.
This ruleset has a mechanic called Limit, which tracks how close your character is coming to breaking down - push too far, and you lose control of your powers, likely causing damage and hurting something or someone you care about. This might be also good for a high-tension game where the disappearance of adults is the cause of a lot of stress and fear for your characters.
Super City, by David Garrett.
One in every one hundred children in Super City is born with super powers. You are one of those children. Together with your classmates at Super City Elementary, you save helpless citizens, rescue lost pets, and eat delicious ice cream.
Utilizing the ultralight VRBS system, Super City is easy enough for a six year-old to master, but also provides the structure for anyone to generate a superhero story of their own.
Super City was designed to be able to run for small kids, so the rule-set is definitely very light. Your powers will be represented as verbs, and you’ll gain better control over your powers as you progress. The game is organized over a series of scenes, which will present you with a number of problems that you’ll have to solve. You also have a collective pool of Energy, which is meant to track how close your characters are to running out of steam. The goal is to get through the mission without running out of Energy, which depletes when you fail a roll.
This is a game without a setting or history, which means you can backfill whatever lore makes sense for your characters.
Cosmic Ray Kids, by Hedgemaze Press.
Cosmic Ray Kids is a single-page (front and back) atomic-age adventure roleplaying game for all ages. Play as superpowered youngsters who fight the forces of evil with heroics and heart!
Cosmic Ray Kids uses a push-your-luck style of gameplay, that looks very much like the PUSH system by Cezar Capacle. Rolling a 6 is the best possible result. If you roll a 4 or lower, you can choose to roll again - but roll higher than a 7 and you’ve gone too far!
This game also has a Boost resource that is communal, and can be spent to improve a roll up to a certain point. This gives the players an option in case there is something that they can’t risk a re-roll for but still need a success, and also encourages the group to work together to figure out how to solve problems. If you want a game that has a retro-cartoon feel that encourages the characters to work together, Cosmic Ray Kids might be worth checking out!
A Special Extra:
It’s not a superhero game, but Children of the Fall is a GM-less game that takes place in an apocalypse that has turned adults into bloodthirsty monsters. It’s very gritty and dark, but an interesting premise.
33 notes · View notes
multiisketch · 2 days
Text
Multi's Ramblings: A Warped Perspective
Given the attention my Mini-Comic has gotten and the fact that I've had people asking about a full AU and such, I thought I would collect my thoughts on it here.
As of right now, I don't have plans to make an extensive comic for A Warped Perspective as I am focused on Sonic Boom: Revisited currently (please check it out if you haven't! I plan to play around with Sonic's morality and transformations in that as well!) but will write and draw stuff for Warped as I have the inclination to do so.
This is going to be a long one, so I will be placing it all under the cut!
The Personality of Fleetway Super Sonic
I like to imagine if Fleetway Super Sonic ever did come to the mainline comics, he'd be a sort of... manifestation and release of Sonic's normally tempered rage. If Sonic is the wind, then Fleetway is a hurricane of unchallengeable and intense emotion. Even the smallest infraction on his person would result in an explosive response. He's not necessarily evil at first. After all, he's still Sonic. He still desires the same things, he's just incapable of gauging how severe his actions are.
For example:
Sonic likes destroying Badniks. He likes the rush fighting gives him, but he doesn't let himself relish in the destruction or defeat. He reaches down and offers his hand at the first sign of reluctance. Fleetway doesn't have the luxury of restraint. He's too blinded by his anger. He'd fight a rival like Knuckles or Shadow to the brink of death simply for standing in his way.
Sonic likes making jokes at the expense of his foes and rivals. He chuckles when he manages to throw someone off balance, but he's not cruel. It's all in good fun. Fleetway finds it all hysterical. The more appalled they look the better. He's seeking the same high, but is unable to get it without pushing boundaries well beyond their limit.
Fleetway would be Sonic's entire personality and morality weaponized until it looses all sense and becomes madness.
Eggman's 9th symphony
I think back to that line in IDW Issue #50 where Sonic says something to the effect of, "That's the problem with giving people a choice. You can't stop them from making the wrong ones." This line always stuck out to me because it almost seems like a prelude to a potential breaking point for Sonic. While Issue #50 comes long after the warp topaz is dealt with (for the most part), I think it makes for an interesting moral quandary to touch on with Fleetway. Eggman poisoned the world with the Metal Virus and some part of Sonic blames himself for that. Shadow and Espio's words did not help.
Now... Sonic, normally, is not one to let that type of talk keep him down for long. He always keeps moving. Live and Learn. But even as he moves on some part of him must still linger on what he could have done differently.
As Fleetway, Sonic's emotional dissonance is heightened. That ounce of doubt he has in his actions grows out of control along with all his other emotions. He's tired of giving people a choice only for them to make the wrong ones. And now? Now they don't get a choice. If they want to resist--if they want to stand in his way--FINE. But he's not holding back, anymore. For anyone. And he's gonna enjoy it.
How Does This Fit into IDW?
AKA the AU part
Note: this is just a general overview of what I personally think would be interesting to see. Feel free to speculate further!
Remember issue #30-32? So, take that plot, but instead of Sonic incidentally warping into Blaze's dimension with amnesia, he crashes back onto his planet in the middle of nowhere (some nice lake area). Strangely, he's still in his super form, but the Chaos Emeralds are nowhere to be found. Instead, the Warp Topaz, imbued with chaos energy has become entangled with Sonic's form. This would not be visibly on his person, but its energy effects are evident in his glowey bits and the red rings around Sonic's eyes (tbh I didn't think about the design connections between Fleetway and the Warp Topaz until just now, but it's weirdly there). Imagine how the Shadow Crystal in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess sinks into Link. That's the imagery I've got in my head as Sonic lays in his self-made crater, unconscious. Maybe I'll draw this initial crash eventually, idk.
I think it would be cool for Dr. Starline to find him. At first, Sonic wouldn't remember anything, falling back on the original amnesia plot. Except something about his behavior is noticeably different. He's more... prone to his negative emotions and extremely skittish for the normally laid back hedgehog. His... awareness is dialed up to 11.
Starline would take care of him for a few days to analyze the effects the Warp Topaz is having on him. He would conclude that the Warp Topaz is somehow managing to maintain Sonic's super form through latent Chaos Energy while granting Sonic the abilities of the Topaz itself. This means Sonic can create portals to warp around at will. However, it has also effected Sonic's personality, intensifying all his worse aspects. Satisfied with this version of Sonic, Starline would try to manipulate him emotionally against Eggman, conveniently playing himself out to be a victim as he explains the Metal Virus, the Zeti rampage, and all the harm Eggman caused.
But... Sonic's not stupid, he's just got amnesia. As soon as he realizes Starline is conveniently leaving out his own involvement, it's game over. He doesn't kill Starline--he says it wouldn't be any fun if he did--but he does leave him with a crippled hand before rushing out to find Eggman. Because at the end of the day he's still Sonic. He still wants to stop bad people.
From there, Sonic would tear through cities looking for Eggman, calling the attention of his friends. They'd track him down. Try to talk him; remind him of who he really is. And, oh, yes, he'd remember, eventually. He'd remember everything. There'd be a soft moment for that unescapable second--a chance. But, in the end, it doesn't change anything. And that's where the real pain is. You see, he's had time to think now. He realizes why he's been so angry even without his memories. And it's because Espio and Shadow were right. He was being too soft. Not just on Eggman, but on everyone. He can see it all now though the Warp Topaz's power. The pain and suffering Eggman's caused the world over. And not just Eggman, but the everyday people. The vagabonds like Rough and Tumble or the Zeti. All the evil in the world that just eats at his planet like its nothing but a tool to be used up. He's ashamed of how blinded he was to it all. And he can fix it, now. Nobody will disturb their peace again. They won't be allowed too.
But...
But now his friends are telling him his clarity is blindness. That everyone deserves to be able to make choices for themselves. Even if they're wrong because how else are we supposed to grow and learn?
And this angers him. His hands shake. His teeth grind. They're saying this isn't him. That Sonic wouldn't do this. Their Sonic. They think he needs to be stopped. Whatever he is.
Well, who needs them? Who needs anyone? They deserve to be stepped on if that's what they think. He's so powerful now. They can see it. Are they scared? Are they scared of him? Are they all scared? They should be. They should be terrified of what he could do. Because it's frightening. It's... It's...
Is he scared, too?
Eggman attacks with his Omega Robot. Sonic rips through it like it's nothing.
Eggman's collar is wrapped tightly around his fist. He's so close to ending it all.
But... Oh man. Why is he hesitating?
Because Eggman's not scared. He just looks... disappointed?
And Sonic's laughing now. He's laughing like a madman. He can't do it. Why can't he do it? What is this? What is this?
Sonic doubles over in pain. His chest is hurting. The Warp Topaz. It wasn't built for this. The Chaos Energy fueling it is quickly beginning to dissipate. It's going to kill him. It's killing everyone. He's...
Sonic plunges his hand into his chest. It phases through, gripping the Warp Topaz inside of him. Screaming, he pulls it out.
It clatters on the pavement as Sonic slumps over. His blue hue returns. His friends gather around, checking him over. Eggman watches from a far.
That would be the end of it, right? The hurricane. It's dissipated. Sonic's... okay. Shaken, but okay. He can think straight. He can--
We're so pathetic, you know that?
There's a voice--right in Sonic's head.
The power to right all that's wrong with the world, to stop Eggman once and for all and what do you do with it? You throw it away! Just to feel better about yourself!
You might be in control, now, but next time?
Next time, I won't let you stop us.
The voice cackles as it fades with the flow of the wind. Everyone else thinks its over now because the Warp Topaz and Sonic are separated. But Sonic knows it's power created a wound inside his heart. Who know what could tear it open, again?
Couldn't be when Sonic almost gets electrocuted to death or when there's a bunch of chaos fueled crystalline structures causing havoc, could it? :)
ANYHOO
That's what I got for yah! I've been agonizing over posting this for a while, so I hope it makes sense.
Thanks for reading this far, too! I don't exactly know what to call this AU-thingy yet. If anyone has any ideas please let me know in the comments! I read every single one I get! And if you have any further questions about it, my ask box is open!
13 notes · View notes
furrytalebeard · 11 months
Text
From super fan to super fat
Tumblr media
Dave had just been given the best job. He had worked his body to a perfect physique and now he got to play as Superman at a popular park.
He enjoyed taking photos with people especially the ladies who all admired his muscles. He’d always been a Superman fan and now he got to feel like him.
Then some nerd walked up. Probably a comic fan, but he also seemed kinda gay… the way he looked at Dave’s muscles was all Dave needed to conclude so.
"e-excuse me sir. Mind if I get a picture with you?" The nerd asked. Dave rolled his eyes and flexed his arm.
"sure get in here nerd" he scoffed. the nerd got close and put his arms around Dave’s arm and smiled, as the camera took a photo. Dave was uncomfortable and tried to shake the nerd off from touching him but he kept his grip around Dave’s arm.
"alright that’s enough get out of here and enjoy your photo weirdo." Dave said. The nerd didn’t look so happy though and he looked the photo confused.
"excuse me but I think there’s something wrong with the picture. You’re not nearly as big enough as you are in real life. And you look uncomfortable but I know for a fact you were checking me out a second ago."
what? Dave thought confused what was this nerd on about. He hadn’t found the nerd hot or cute at all had he? And of course he was big he spent years building these muscles? Or was it that he spent years eating to get his stomach so big. Dave’s head filled with new thoughts and he looked down at his expanding suit. His brain fogged and he couldn’t think. Then he looked up at the sexy twink and smiled.
"want another photo with this fat man?" He said and smirked pulling the cutie into a hug for another photo.
Tumblr media
#weightgain #straight to gay #gay #tf #transformation #weight gain #hypnosis #reality change
96 notes · View notes
swindle-comic · 1 year
Text
As Swindle comes off of hiatus, I (Artsy) would just like to say a few things.
I firstly just want to say a big personal thank you to everyone who’s been so patient during this hiatus. I’ve been dealing with a lot over the months that this comic hasn’t been updating and I’m still just keeping my head above water as it is. To those who are so empathetic, so kind, so understanding, thank you. You guys are a big reason why I continue working on this comic, and I am really excited for you to see where the story goes.
Lord knows that I’ve dedicated more than enough time complaining about the small but vocal group of people who have been rude - sometimes excessively so - to both Lolly and I as we work on this comic, and I’d like to not spend a terribly long time dwelling on it, here. I probably won’t mention if for a long while after this post. At the same time, it’s worth noting that we’ve done a lot to try to discourage and manage this behavior with... mixed results. We’ve blocked people for repeated rude behavior, we’ve banned people from our Discord server for rude behavior, we’ve closed our askbox during the hiatus, we’ve introduced an FAQ - and people have evaded being blocked by making throwaway accounts, and we’ve had an incident of an individual making a new Discord account to evade a ban, and people don’t read our FAQ. It’s all really frustrating.
I think, for now, at least, we’re going to only open our askbox to non-anons - though this won’t do too much to prevent throwaways, it’ll at least convolute the means through which people can harass us. So apologies to the shy but kind individuals who had been using anon peacefully, maybe sometime we’ll open it back up again.
Additionally, I’ll like to just once again ask for anyone who hasn’t to check out FAQ, please. It’s in our pinned post for a reason.
Somewhat related to that - mostly that it’s something that’s been covered in the FAQ, is that I’ve noticed an increasing number of people who have been saying they discovered the comic via re-uploads on tiktok and pintrest.
And. Wow. That hurts. It hurts to know, to think about. I know it’s inevitable, trust me, I know this is just the inevitable result of posting anything on the internet, but god, it sucks.
I don’t know how many of you following this blog are artists, but it’s a big long topic that I don’t really have the space or patience to lay out for all of you in this post - this is art theft. We do not allow, we say it right in our FAQ point-blank, we do not allow people to reupload the comic elsewhere. Dubs are fine, again, we’ve covered this, they’re transformative, they offer an experience unique to just reading the comic. But un-voiced reuploads that do nothing but present the comic in a slideshow? That’s stealing. It’s hurtful, and it’s wrong. Both Lolly and I have dealt many times with our work being stolen and we’ve made our stances on reuploads of our work pretty clear on our own blogs.
Please, if you see someone doing this, report them. The only “official” accounts for the comic are this blog and our promotional Instagram page, swindle.comic. If an account is uploading the comic, un-dubbed, they do no have permission to do so, and they need to be reported.
I really don’t expect this to be the last time I have to say something like this or about this, because I know that this comic is going to take a long time to complete and so we’ll always have newcomers who can’t reasonably be asked to sift through the entire blog for posts like these. But for now, I hope it helps keep the interaction with this comic more respectful. I don’t think the people who do this stuff even realize that their behavior literally makes this comic more draining to work on than it should be (which leads to more burnout and hiatuses) - or I wouldn’t be making posts like this at all, because if they did know, they therefore wouldn’t care, and telling them would be pointless. So I hope this serves as a decent reminder that we’re human beings, and we and our work deserves to be respected.
172 notes · View notes
cupcakeslushie · 2 years
Note
So the latest comic (the one with Donnie and Leo where Leo is having issues of hurting his brothers while controlled by the Shredder), Donnie mentioned that Leo was under the influence of empyrean. Does that mean that Shredder's mystic armor is made of/from empyrean? If so, does that mean that Shredder used to be a good person and was corrupted by the empyrean (like Draxum)? Was he an asshole that they empyrean made worse? Or has he always been an absolute bastard?
So I’ve vaguely mentioned this a little bit, but to expand a bit more. Oroku Saki was not the original Shredder—his ancestor was. But basically, yes, that guy was the one to make the deal with the Kraang and become possessed by the empyrean infused armor, and over time it cased to him be transformed into an evil, rampaging demon that had to be slain and banished. The armor was still passed down, but it’s just armor.
Now in present day, Saki recalls that tale and wants the power that comes with controlling a beast like that, but he isn’t stupid enough to try and do it to himself. It just so happens that Kitsune’s magic that’s been fogging up Leo’s mind for years, seems to be losing its effectiveness, so Saki has the idea to combine the power of empyrean with Kitsune’s magic, in order to trap Leo in a new armor, so Saki can basically control a demon without losing his mind like his ancestor did.
For even more on Saki’s past and his feud with Splinter you can check out the timeline on my pinned post!
193 notes · View notes
citylighten · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
character/story inspiration tag
rules: write up a blurb or make a visual collage of the people or characters (from books, TV shows, movies, etc.) that inspired your story and/or OC, either visually, personality wise, or just a general vibe
Snatched from @wavvi Tagging @crimewriter/@neonoirland, @digital-deluxe, @havemercymusic, @joannebernice, @armoricaroyalty, @swiftviolets and if you have a story consider yourself tagged!
So because I can't update Sink or Swim like I want to, I decided to whip this up.
For Rosaria
Starting from the left side, we have the actress Marisa Abela who originally served as a means of inspiration for Rosaria’s facial features. Peggy Olson from Mad Men, Retsuko from Aggretsuko, and the movie Secretary.
On the right side we have lyrics from the song "Bad Girls" by Tennis, American Crime Story: Impeachment, Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada, Waylon Smithers from The Simpsons and the film Funny Girl. I watched Secretary before writing Sink or Swim because I knew it had the tone I wanted with its lead character essentially having a 'sexual awakening' through her boss. A narrative element that connects Aggretsuko and Secretary, beyond its office setting, is how its lead female characters find themselves in relationships with subpar men (sorry to any Haida fans, but that relationship wasn't developed well) which represents how Rosaria began Sink or Swim in a relationship with Ben. Something that connects Secretary, Funny Girl, and The Devil Wears Prada is how its female protagonist undergoes a transformation in terms of presenting herself through the attire she wears. Additionally, in the case of Funny Girl, I took inspiration in how Barbra Streisand's character defied idealized female beauty standards. Fanny Brice found a role at the Follie’s for her comedy, not her appearance, but as she accumulates wealth we see her become a glamorous woman who gains the attention of a traditionally handsome gambler. Beyond portraying a deeply inappropriate workplace relationship, Impeachment provided me a lot of inspiration in how her voice should sound and the various ways she wears her hair.
FOR PIETRO
Starting from the left side, we have Mad Men, The Sopranos, Henry Tomasino of Mafia II, and Michael De Santa of GTA V. On the right side we have lyrics from “Count Me Out” by Kendrick Lamar, Benny of Fallout New Vegas, Hades from Lore Olympus, and the musical Company.
Video games played a bigger role in Pietro's characterization than I realized. Benny was my first source of inspiration from Pietro, as he is the protege of a powerful man (Mr. House) who has ambitions of his own. I always felt Benny was someone who felt he could do better and be better than the man he followed. This is exactly how we'll eventually come to see Pietro's dynamic with Raphael whereas Henry Tomasino is a character I modeled Pietro's voice on and Michael De Santa? Well, when it came to dressing Pietro I always think about the clothes that are available for his character to wear. I checked out Lore Olympus before writing Sink or Swim because I wasn't sure how I wanted to characterize Pietro when it came to his relationship with Rosaria. He isn't necessarily like the boss from Secretary, he isn't Christian Gray, and while I saw LO had its critics I wanted to look over the comic and see what worked or, if there was anything I liked about Hades' characterization that could be incorporated into Pietro. Turns out there were a few things (relationship issues, therapy, a soft spot for dogs). On the subject of therapy, Pietro's sessions with Dr. Bracco are inspired by Tony's reoccurring sessions with Dr. Melfi in The Sopranos. I liked how they provided a gateway into what Tony's character is thinking, and I also thought it would be the best for readers to get to know Pietro, a quiet, vague guy, that way, but Mad Men was ultimately more of a inspiration for Pietro than Sopranos was. Inspiration from the musical Company would come a little later once I decided that Pietro was a guy with relationship troubles as the musical depicts a stable, successful man who is seemingly fine with being alone, but actually craves to receive romance and 'be alive.'
47 notes · View notes
noodlebro · 7 months
Text
TL:DR, local porn star snorts pepper. - 🐈‍⬛/🐕
Word count: 1915
“Grnngh.. another fuckin’ day with Val I might just fuckin’ kill myself.” Angel whines, getting back to the hotel after work, sitting down in front of the bartender.
He takes the cocktail he always finds made for him on the counter of the bar and starts chugging it before he starts telling the bartender about how shitty Valentino is when he looks over to him and realizes he’s asleep.
“Whiskas?” He pokes and prods at the sleeping chimera-like cat demon before getting his hand swatted away by a half-asleep Husk.
*Sndrff*
“Mmmmhhhhmmm fuck do you want.” The cat says with a slightly congested sounding voice
“You uh- you good?”
Husk groggily looks up at Angel, turns around and inhales comically deeply, quickly realizing that was a bad decision, the sudden rush of cold air irritating his nose. He quickly turns around to stifle a few sneezes.
“hIH-XGNT- TSHH- HEHH-hh.” he internally groans, losing the last one and aggressively rubs his nose before turning back around to the spider.
“Fugck d’you mbeand by thadt.” The bartender says in an extremely agitated tone.
Cringing at the sound of the congestion rapidly seeping into his voice, the spider sheepishly responds “Uh.. nothin’ uh, jus’.. forget I said anything.”
“..glaldy.” 
“h-h-*hhHH* *sdnff* fuuuuu… hhHATCHH-uh. Thdere idt is! Mby god!”
The jumping spider looks at him with concern for a moment before quickly looking away, not wanting to get shouted at by a grouchy, sick Husk.
Angel goes back to his room after drinking a few more glasses and lies down on his bed with Fat Nuggets for a few minutes, before a he hears a knock on his door.
“Charlie, I am not doing trust exercises at fucking 12:05 in the morning”
“Uh, itd’s ndot Charlie-.”
“Oh shit- Whiskas, that you?” realizing it’s him, Angel quickly puts on a seductive tone after hearing his voice.
“Come to see me babycakes? Why ya visiting me in my bedroom, hm?~ Wanna come a bit closer?~..”
“Shudt the fuck ubp. Do you have adny tissues ind here or ndot?”
“Uh.. and.. Why do you need them?” He asks, concerned, dropping the seductiveness and remembering the state the bartender was previously in.
“..there was a spbill odn the bar”
“Mm.. uh-huh. Sure kitty, whateva you say” He mumbles handing him the box of tissues, his concern for him rising with every moment.
There’s a short bit of silence after, only the sound of the slight hitching of breath from Husk and the straight radiation of suspicion and worry coming from Angel.
“..thangks.”
“Uh-huh.”
Right as Husk starts walking out of the room, he’s interrupted by a series of sneezes
“hh-.HETSHH-uh- HEPSHH-ehh.. fuckging hell..”
“..bless. D’you- uh- need anything? I think I probably have medicine somewhere around here..”
“..ndo. ‘m fidne, thangks.” He says quietly, speed walking out the door.
After the door slams shut, Angel hears more muffled coughs and sneezes from outside his room.
“Okay, yeah, he is definitely sick.” He mutters to himself.
Angel hears knocks on his door.
“Hm?”
“Hey Angel! We’re doing more exercises today!” The puppy-like-princess chirps at his door.
“Alright, fine. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Okay! See you then!”
Angel slumps down onto his bed before breathing in deeply through his nose and getting out of bed.
After he finished his comically long morning routine, he walked downstairs and instinctively looked at the bar. It was empty. Now he needed to do the trust exercises without getting to even check up on Husk.
fuck.
After another long day at the studio, Angel came back to the hotel and slumped over at the bar.
“I needa drink.”
“Whiskers?”
“Uh, Angel? Are you gonna go to your room or are you just gonna… uh. Sit here?” Vaggie side-eyed him.
“Bitch, don’t you fuckin’ side eye ME.”
“I’m not the one who was fucking slumped at the bar waiting for someone who wasn’t even here for the ENTIRE. DAY.” She said, subconsciously flaring her wings out with her arms.
“Oh shut the fuck up, bitch, it was a long shoot, aight?... hold on, gone for the whole day? Where was he?”
“I don’t know. In his room?”
“Okay. Can I atleast still get a drink?”
Vaggie sighed and walked behind the bar counter and poured him a drink before sliding it over to him.
“Thanks, vagina.”
Just as Angel was about to grab the neck of the glass, Vaggie snatched it away from him and downed it in two seconds flat.
“FUCK YOU. IN THE BAD WAY.”
“Slow.” 
“Ugh, whateva. I’m gonna go check up on Husk.” He says walking up the stairs to the chimera’s room.
Vaggie snorted.
“Bitch, what now?”
“Someone’s down bad.”
“FUCK YOU YOU FUCKIN’ BITCH, I’LL KILL YOU AND YOUR FUCKIN’ DEMON BITCH, YOU KNOW FUCKIN’ NOTHIN’ ABOUT ME, I WILL FU-
“You never denied it,” Vaggie said with the most smug face known to the Pentagram.
“AGHH.” Angel shouts, storming off.
“Hey, before you go.”“WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW, MY FUCKING GOD.”
“Y’know, you’re not doing a great job of hiding the fact you’re concerned about  your little Husky-poo.” Vaggie taunted. (“VAGINA I SWEAR-”)  If you want him to take care of himself, you could, I don’t know, also pretend to also be sick?”
”That’s!-... actually a good idea. Damn, bitch, that's a sentence I thought I'd never say to you.”
“Okay, fuck you, now go away”
“fine.”
The spider starts thinking about Vaggie’s words. “How the fuck would I pretend to be sick anyway? Should’ve known vagina couldn’t have an actual good ideaaaa…?” His voice trails of as he walks past the kitchen, spotting a shaker full of pepper.
“Hmmmm.” Angel grins as he walks slowly towards the shaker. He makes a pile of the pepper and mentally prepares himself.
“Eh, I've done this before for my films, how bad could this even be?” He mumbles the last part “haven’t done it in a while though.” 
“Whatever, ya only live- uh- die? Once!”
He starts inhaling the pepper.
“*COUGH COUGH* DAMN BITCH HOLY FUCKIN’ SHIT*COUGH*AUUH WHY IS IT SPICY ITS BURNING MY NOSTRILS”
“Vaggie, why is Angel running around the lobby screaming?”  Charlie concerningly looks at Angel.  
“He snorted pepper.”
“HE WHAT”
Vaggie sips her coffee.
“He snorted pepper.”
“Uh- okay.”
“This is so hilarious I’ve been recording him for 30 minutes now”
“…sweetie I really love you but…” Charlie points at Angel
Finally composing himself, he puts on some blush to make it look convincing.
“HUSKYYY~”  Angel yells obnoxiously 2 octaves higher then his usual voice, making it half-sound like a moan. 
“WHADT THE FUGCK DO YOU-” Angel listens to him shouting, before he gets cut off by something, which by what he can hear are muffled coughs. 
He starts walking towards Husk’s room and knocks. “Can I come in pleaseee~ I-”
He cuts himself off with a few coughs. (eh, convincing enough.) he thinks to himself.
He hears a quiet growl from inside. “..sure.”
He slumps his shoulders before going in and puts a tired look on his face and goes into Husk’s room. Feathers and used tissues cover the floor, with empty booze bottles stacked in the corner. Oh my satan, the feathers. They were piled up, some in clumps and some in groups of only one or two. Same with the tissues. “sheesh, that’s a lot,”Angel thinks, hiding a sympathetic cringe for the cat. 
Husk’s fur is matted and unclean, the fur on his tail is bent and his wings have uneven clumps of feathers. The fur around his nose has thinned, probably from rubbing too hard with tissues.
“Whadt hapbened tdo you? You look like shidt.”
“Ndot pbossible,” Husk says mockingly in a higher octave, wincing at the effort it took.
“Ha-ha. Very fudny. You sure you dond’t need anything? Ya look this close frobm collabpsing.”
“Could say the sabme for you.”
Angel internally cheers. He remembers to maybe thank Vaggie later.
“Adnyways, I feel like shidt. (“you loogk ligke shidt”) cadn I pblease lay dowdn with youu~?”
“..fidne.”
“YESSSS” He internally screams.
He pounces on the cat, launching him onto the bed.
“Stay here, I’m gonna go get Nuggs~!” 
Husk pinches his nose and acts annoyed. That is, until Angel leaves. After the spider left his room, he smiled. (Well, the closest thing he could to smile in his current condition) 
Angel comes back holding the pig and placing him softly on Husk’s lap
“Ookay! Now I’m gonna go get some medicine for you okay??”
“Arend’t you also *sdnnf* sigck? Where’d all’f this ednergy combe frobm? Odne secgond you’re coughigg nd sdneezing and a segcond away frobm crumbling, and ndow you’re agctig ligke a lil’ *snddddddfff* kid who found a dollar odn the sidewalk.”
“Uhhh. Allergies?” Angel shrugged. “Anyways, you need medicine. Be right back!”
“AW COBME THE FU-” the door slams shut and he hears the quick footsteps of the spider running
The spider comes back, panting. “Huhh.. I got some medicine, here.” He says, laying out all of it and placing 3 full boxes of tissues beside him. 
“Here, wear one of these, it’ll be more comfortable.” He says, throwing one of his robes and sweaters at Husk. 
“I- whadt- agh, combe odn. Itd’s ndot *SNDDFFFF* that bad.”
“Ah, shut the fuck up and put it on Whiskas, what, you too pussy (pun intended -authors) to be seen in somethin’ a’ mine?” 
“Oh fugck you, fidne.”
“Ha.”
“Shudt ubp.” He throws on the robe and Angel overdramatically falls onto the bed next to him
“Now take your medicine. I have water if you need it.
“Mmhfff… thangks..”
“Don’t mention it.”
“…”
“…”
“Hey, do your wings normally shed that much?” Angel’s the first to speak.
“I dodn’t kndow, I dond’t really *COUGH COUGH* (Angel winces at the sound) pbay attentiodn to thebm.”
“Aren’t you supposed to like, preen them or sumn’?” He asks, handing a cup of water over to him.
“Yeah I thingk so. Ndever really bothered tdo, though.”
“I don’t know, that looks really uncomfortable to me.”
Husk’s wings subconsciously twitched, scattering some loose feathers on the bed, causing Angel to sharply suck it with his teeth bared at the sight.
“Itd’s ndot thadt bad…”
“Oh, no, no, this is a mess, I gotta fix this up. How, exactly, are you supposed to do this?” The spider mutters, taking out all his 6 arms and grabbing a comb with one hand, running the other through the cat’s fur and using the others to get him into a position that he could work on with that was still comfortable for Husk.
“I dodn’t kndow, just pbick out adny loose feathers, I guess. I thingk you’re also s’pbosed to oil themb.”
“Do you have anything for that?”
“Yeah, I thingk idt’s idn mby drawer.”
Turns out, having 6 hands was pretty convenient for something like this. Angel used the sweater as something to put all the loose feathers and oil his wings, and after a surprisingly short time, other than the occasional interruptions from him having to sneeze (the feathers everywhere weren’t helping), but afterwards, Husk’s wings were practically unrecognizable to the mess of feathers that it was earlier today. Just as Angel was admiring his work, he noticed a slight hitch in the chimera’s breath.
“hh..hHH-”
“..ohh shit.” he mutters, just as the other demon started sneezing again, scattering the feathers everywhere.
23 notes · View notes
wits-writing · 1 year
Text
“A Wonderful Experience”: Why Transformers: EarthSpark and Nightshade Matter
Tumblr media
I’ve been a Transformers fan to one degree or another for as long as I can remember. Whether it’s early memories of watching Beast Wars, renting the G1 animated film on VHS from Blockbuster, or reading the numerous excellent comics that have come over the years, I’ve always found something to love about this franchise. So, I was probably going to find time to check out the 2022 CGI animated series Transformers: EarthSpark eventually no matter what. But one little bird changed that from an “I’ll get around to it eventually” to “I need to make watching this show a priority.”
A little bird by the name of Nightshade (voiced by Z Infante)!
Tumblr media
I’d already heard from people I trust about EarthSpark’s quality as a series, but finding out about the franchise’s first prominent, explicitly nonbinary Transformer got me eager to dive in. I’ve discussed characters I relate to and read nonbinary themes into in the past, but getting a chance to see a show in a franchise I love feature that kind of representation with intent was exciting. Given the fact I’ve written 3000 words analyzing the character of Nightshade now, it’s easy to say I wasn’t disappointed!
The topic of gender and how it relates to the Transformers as characters has been one of many long, exhausting fandom debates over the franchise’s nearly four decade history. I’m not here to relitigate any of that, so take it as read from here on out that the Transformers as characters do have and express gendered identities throughout the history of all its incarnations. 
To give a quick primer on EarthSpark as a whole (and why it’s great) before digging into Nightshade’s character in specific:
The series is set fifteen years after the end of the Autobot/Decepticon War. The bots that managed to survive the fighting and remain on Earth are presumed to be the last of their species. All of them are stuck in a holding pattern where the only options currently viable are a life in hiding or working alongside the government-funded alien threat detection/response agency GHOST. Optimus Prime and Megatron head up the latter efforts, in the hope of finding some peaceful balance between humans and Transformers going into the future (though neither of them are fully at ease with the situation, as GHOST clearly has ulterior motives of their own.)
The grim outlook for the Cybertronians takes a turn for the better with the birth of two new Transformers. The Earth-sparks of the show’s title (called “Terrans” throughout the series), Twitch and Thrash, who are bonded to the human children Robby and Mo Malto. Helped by Optimus, Megatron, and the Malto kids’ parents, GHOST agent Dot and her husband Alex, the decision is made to keep the Terrans a secret until the extent of what their existence could mean for the Transformers future as a species is fully understood. The Terrans become an official part of the Malto Family (lovingly referred to as “Malto-bots” by the other characters.) At the halfway point of the first season, in the episode “Age of Evolution”, this unconventional family unit expands further with the birth of three more Terrans, including Nightshade.
Between puzzling out the Terrans’ existence, hiding from GHOST, and fighting threats like the human mad scientist Mandroid, there’s a lot of thematic meat on the bone of this series’ setup. The main one I’m interested in digging into through the lens of Nightshade’s characterization is how the Terrans are written to feel like kids figuring out who they want to be as they grow up. Transformers has a history of designating one or more bots in its series central casts as the rookie/kid character, not insignificantly the Terrans’ primary mentor, Bumblebee, has been traditionally positioned as that very rookie. EarthSpark adding the narrative weight of representing a potential for all Transformers, particularly in how they’ll relate to humans while living on Earth, onto these characters gives more meaning to them being under that role.
The Terrans learn lessons about who they want to be and who they can/can’t trust (not always determined by old alliances like Autobot/Decepticon) from the older Transformers and humans alike. Also proving through their actions everything new they’ll have to offer the world they call home through the gift of their existence. Each Terran has been given the appropriate space so far to have their characters develop, each in their own directions, through this theme. 
Nightshade is exemplary of this, best understood through looking at how they’re characterized before/after their first focus episode “Missed Connection”, about them forming a bond with Decepticon scientist Tarantulas.
[SPOILERS for EarthSpark beyond this point]
Before “Missed Connection”
Something that genuinely impressed me going back through EarthSpark for the sake of writing this piece is how immediately Nightshade is fully themself from their earliest bits of screentime in “Age of Evolution.” While the other two members of the second batch of Terran Transformers, Hashtag and Jawbreaker, have their names confirmed upon them by their connection to Robby and Mo, Nightshade actively introduces themself with a bow and a flourish (“It is a delight and a surprise to meet you all!”) This beat quickly establishes their self-assuredness in their identity and that, while they’re later shown to have occasional introverted tendencies, they are anything but shy. I’m also fond of how the scene establishing their pronouns as Optimus lays out their plan of attack also foreshadows their eventual alt-mode, since they ask to be represented by an owl-bobblehead during the planning. The one scene serving as a contrast to their outgoing demeanor, as they recoil at the sight of Mandroid’s cruelty, gives the first hint towards their eventual desire to protect those in need.
There’s only two episodes between Nightshade’s debut in “Age of Evolution” and their first focus episode; “Hashtag: Oops” and “Outtakes.” Since neither is their focus episode, there’s not much to say about how they’re portrayed in either one (in fact, Nightshade’s entirely absent from “Outtakes” as anything but a brief visual cameo.) “Hashtag: Oops” does still manage to establish some key parts of Nightshade’s personality. Firstly, their comfort in themselves as they proclaim they don’t need an alt-mode (“I like who I am as I am.”) Secondly, their inclination towards tech and engineering as they secretly build a new underground base to surprise their family and give everyone more room to operate within. The latter also indicates their “better to ask forgiveness than permission” approach to their tinkering and scientific work. Which comes back around in a big way during “Missed Connection.”
Which finally brings us to the episode that’s the primary reason I’m writing this piece at all!
“Missed Connection”
Being Nightshade’s first proper focus episode in the series, their current state as part of the ensemble cast gets reestablished in short order. Namely, how they feel out of place around their siblings. Their affinity for science and technology leads to them making their own fun separate from the rest of the family. A pattern that gets highlighted by Nightshade working to perfect a new training drone while the rest of their siblings are playing a game of tag outdoors in celebration of Robby and Mo having the day off school. When later questioned by Alex and Dot about why they don’t spend more time with the rest of the family, Nightshade says it feels like their siblings treat them like they’re “speaking another language.”
This sense of isolation informs why Nightshade is so eager later in the episode when they find a connection with Tarantulas’ own work with tech. Simultaneously providing an opportunity for Alex to offer them something they can connect with while trying to figure out how to connect with others. Like any good nerdy dad, he does it through the magic of reading. He offers Nightshade a copy of his favorite book from when he was growing up, “Winged Sentinel”, an in-universe fantasy/sci-fi series they immediately connect with and find new aspirations. Which we hear as they repeatedly call back to the books like about its hero “protecting those in need.” Their connection to this book quickly leads to the one they find working with Tarantulas, as they were in the local cemetery since it was the “last known address” of Winged Sentinel’s author.
(Quick aside: First time I watched this episode, that detail had me thinking the show was going to do a “Nightshade learns about mortality” type of story. I was relieved when not only did Nightshade grok what happened to the author pretty fast, but the episode in turn swiftly shifted to the dynamic between Tarantulas and them.)
Tumblr media
“Missed Connection” finds its central theme in Nightshade and Tarantulas’ discussions on identity and finding one’s place within that world rife with conflict that can be directly hostile to those like them. There’s a recurrent motif in the dialogue of Tarantulas’ cynicism born from eons of experience and Nightshade’s youthful enthusiasm. Though cynicism is far from all the elder Transformer has to offer, as he also provides Nightshade with a new perspective on alt-modes they hadn’t considered and ultimately guides them to their choice.
Nightshade: Aren’t I sufficient as I am? Tarantulas: Alt-forms aren’t meant to complete you, as though you have a missing part, they further express who you already are.
Combining that with Tarantulas’ frustration at the “constrictive labels” of Autobot/Decepticon adds to the resonance this episode has with the nonbinary experience. The concept of “passing” gets explicitly evoked by him while discussing his plan to create a hard-light hologram projector so he can live freely as a human while evading GHOST’s forces. Which is the first proper disguise Tarantulas has taken in his life. While his giant spider alt-mode may provide plenty of utility, it’s anything but discreet.
His plan and attitude informing on it connects back to the broader central theme of EarthSpark as a series of the Transformers finding a new way to live on Earth among humanity with the Terrans representing the way forward. He can’t see a way forward besides hiding who he is and the only safety he can think to offer Nightshade is to join him in that life of discretion. His outlook’s best emphasized by his assuredness that the Autobot/Decepticon War resuming is inevitable, alongside that eventuality dragging him out of whatever peace he does find.
However, cracks in Tarantulas’ bleak worldview show as he begins to admire Nightshade’s exuberant demeanor and determination to be a protector. That admiration for a Transformer with the potential to live unburdened by all the hardships he’s seen leads to him delivering the best, most resonant line in the episode:
“It is a gift to know yourself so well, so young. Take pride in that.”
A beautiful sentiment aimed directly at members of EarthSpark’s target demographic on their own journeys to express their identities.
Unfortunately, the bond these characters have found can’t last. When Tarantulas recognizes Dot as an agent of GHOST, he acts rashly under the assumption that she’s holding Nightshade prisoner. He kidnaps Alex and her, planning to erase Nightshade from their memories so they can go into hiding with him. As a fight between the bots eventually breaks out, Nightshade commits to acting like the protector they aspire to be and chooses the alt-mode of a green armored owl, based on the hero of Winged Sentinel. (Alex’s proud declaration of “You read the book!” while witnessing this is great.) A form that isn’t a disguise but expresses themself as they are and what they want to be going forward.
Tumblr media
Nightshade and Tarantulas’ conflict has grown intense enough by this point that the elder Transformer’s admiration for the young bot doesn’t come through in his reaction. Rather he flips it into an insult providing Nightshade their opportunity for a sharp, direct retort (and other best line in the episode):
Tarantulas: You’re still just the lost protoform I first met! Nightshade: You’ve just proven you don’t really know me, because I was never lost!
When the fight ends with Tarantulas’ hologram projector destroyed in the skirmish, Nightshade reflects on words Dot offered them earlier about how everyone deserves a second chance and convinces their family not to hurt Tarantulas any further. However, it seems to be a decision out of their hands as GHOST is drawn to their location by the fight. Tarantulas, finally understanding Nightshade’s situation as well as who they are, offers himself up as bait to lure GHOST away from the Maltos. Running off into the forest as Nightshade reflects on the broken hologram projector the two of them made.
Multiple rewatches of this episode, as well as the first season of EarthSpark as a whole, has reaffirmed it as my favorite episode of the show so far. The tight focus of the dynamic between Nightshade and Tarantulas, alongside the deeper meaning that can be taken from pretty much every exchange between the two, is exemplary of what makes this series standout wonderfully as part of the vast Transformers canon.
After “Missed Connection”
Since there’s not that much of the first season left after “Missed Connection”, Nightshade’s once again mostly off to the side doing their own thing. But there are small bits that show how their experiences in that episode have changed them. They actively spend more time around the rest of the Malto Family, like helping Bumblebee train for an upcoming race and showing that they’ve formed a bond built on mutual tech-obsession with their sister, Hashtag, as they work together to further upgrade the underground headquarters. 
We also get a fun minor bit of their “better to ask forgiveness…” way of operating when they add some high tech bells and whistles to Dot’s prosthetic leg as a Mother’s Day present in the episode “Bear Necessities.” A plot point that later gives the show an opportunity for Dot and Nightshade to have a nice mother-child bonding moment as she explains to them why she liked her leg the way it was in terms they can understand (“something like this is personal”) while not completely shutting them down over it (“I’m open to some small changes, but they’ll have to be ones we come up with together.”)
Though the biggest moment post “Missed Connection” moment for the character, as well as my personal favorite single scene in EarthSpark so far, comes from their subplot in the season 1 two-parter episode “Home.” As the Malto kids and the Terrans go into Philadelphia to see more of the wider world, we get to see Nightshade continue acting as a protector for those in need as they save a young person named Sam from getting mugged in an alley. Nightshade notices a pin that says “SHE/THEY” on Sam’s handbag and tells her their pronouns in return. The two end up having a conversation about how the things that make them who they are can also make them targets for intolerantly minded people. This interaction ends with Sam affirming they feel safe around Nightshade and giving the young Transformer a simple but effective explanation of what being nonbinary means.
Tumblr media
This not only gives Nightshade further context to understand themself, but also has the important touch from a metaperspective of having a human character be the one to explain the concept. An effective dodge of what’s frequently cited as a pitfall of using aliens/robots to explore these facets of human identity, making it as clear as possible for anyone watching (especially the target demographic of kids) that Nightshade’s nonbinary identity is in no way just a product of their being an alien robot. Rather, it's an identity that simply feels right for some people living in the world. One that people who identify with it and explore their connections to it can find immensely fulfilling. 
Or, as Nightshade puts it at the end of this conversation:
“What a wonderful word, for a wonderful experience.”
(Before I dive into my conclusion, I want to say I deeply hope this isn’t the last we see of Sam in the series. Both for representation’s sake and because I like seeing the Terrans bond with humans outside of their immediate family circle.)
It would feel wrong to end this look at Nightshade’s character and how that reflects on the best qualities of EarthSpark as a series without giving proper credit to the creative voices involved in bringing them to life. Namely, writer Mae Catt (she/they) who wrote the episode “Missed Connection” and one of the three writers on “Home”, the other two being showrunners Nicole Dubuc and Dale Malinkowski. While fundamentally I believe anyone could write any kind of story, authenticity comes through stronger when writers from the same background are involved. Catt’s passion for writing this show comes through beautifully in these episodes and in how they’ve discussed the show on social media.
Tumblr media
Her understanding for what these characters and stories can mean to the young people watching gets clearly reflected in recurrent elements of EarthSpark’s story. Aside from Nightshade’s admiration for the main character of the Winged Sentinel novels, we also see moments in other episodes of their siblings trying to figure out what being a Transformers means through in-universe Transformers comic books telling the story of the Autobot/Decepticon War. 
It’s also what drove me to write this piece. I see Nightshade in all their creative, expressive glory and it makes me happy for the kids watching Transformers: EarthSpark, seeing them, and relating to them. Every story has the potential to be a guide someone out there can use to move closer to their heart. Nightshade’s being that guide to nonbinary kids now in a way I never could’ve dreamed of growing up is, simply put, wonderful.
Happy Pride! 💛🤍💜🖤
If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”
130 notes · View notes
deemsterrr · 13 days
Text
Hi! I’m Sterrr,
I’m kind of new to all this but I offer the Gravity Falls Fandom a fanfic! (More like sh!tty cobbled together comic ideas)
It’s kind of my personal interpretation of Stanford and Stanley’s childhood and how their dynamic was and changed. (Very sorry if my HC’s change them completely I tried)
I would appreciate it if you checked it out and I will try to update as fast as I can! Thank you 🫶
Tumblr Ver. Under the cut
Tw: old offensive dated word used to describe autism and implied abuse (they will never make me like you Filbrick Pines)
I was born first; fifteen minutes before Stanley to be exact. My mother would often tell me she wished she made me cry more. Not in a malicious way, for I was as quiet as a mouse, from my birth to my sixth birthday.
Stanley could never; it’s honestly amazing how he got enough air to his lungs to be able to speak for as long as he could. I liked that about him. I foolishly used to think he would do all the talking for the both of us, he was capable of that. We were twins after all.
Now we never had twin telepathy, but he would often know what I wanted with just a look. Our Mother found it endearing and would exclaim that Stanley was her little telepath. Our father did not. Often scolding our mother for celebrating insignificant achievements.
Once Stan and I were old enough to go to kindergarten, that’s when father started disciplining me for being mute helping me speak. In his own tough guy way. Father would ignore me whenever I was in his presence, I do not see the vision as he usually did anyway. which did not change much. So he made my mother give me less attention. She stopped waiting for us at the door when we came back from school, with our fresh scrapes and bruises from either rough housing or bullies. I did not react much to the change, as I thought mom had better, more important things to attend to. Stanley did not take the change well. He would always proclaim his entrance, something along the lines of ‘Your bundles of joy are home!’ or ‘Your entertainment is back!’
Mother would be by the window with her back facing us and would wince when Stan would jump and hug her real tight. Usually she and Stanley would start engaging in conversation, while I would just take in their colorful stories, but she, more often than not, started giving excuses to Stan, and told him to chat with me in our room for a while. I wonder if Stanley ever saw the bruises that she hid.
Mother would still make dinner though, but would eat in her room as ‘she wasn’t feeling well’. So it ended up being my father, Stan and I at the dinner table, most nights. One particular night, we ended up eating chicken. I never liked the feeling of chicken skin and as usual, I’d give my brother all the food I could not stomach. Father did not like that, slamming his fork on the table, making me and my brother flinch, dropping the skin on the floor.
“Stanford! I’ve dealt with your idiotic habits long enough! First you don’t speak, then your mother spouts some nonsense about ‘Asperger’s’ and now you're wasting your food! Pick that skin up and eat it, now!”
Stan started to defend me, “Pa, I don’t mi-”
Father slammed his hand on the table again, cutting off my brother, “God, you’re just like your mother. Do you want to be hit too? Now stop rocking that chair before I give you something to talk about. ” Stan flinched, stilling and started to chew his lip.
I ended up eating the skin, we ate in silence and I ate the most chicken skin I have ever had before. After dinner, I threw up all that I ate while Stan sat on the rim of the bathtub, kicking his feet and being uncharacteristically quiet. Stanley ended up in my bunk that night. In the darkness, I whispered, “Thank you.”
short ik but u should see the other two im letting collect dust,,
be good ppl, lots of luvv <3
wzr Erbv dqg d prwkhu
vwrub wrog eb odwwhu
rqh erb lv mrbrxv
dqrwkhu frqwhqw
d whpsrudub kdsslqhvv
l plvv brx prwkhu.
8 notes · View notes
Text
Death Shroud Q&A (submitted by @completely-legit)
completely-legit submitted:
10h ago
Death Shroud Q&A!
Writing Questions
Q: 1. "You only ever took one of us." – Paladin Danse, Death Shroud Meta jokes aside, it's obvious you enjoyed playing some of the best of Fallout 4's cast off of each other in ways that we weren't able to get in the game due to the mechanical restrictions of the gameplay.  Which was your favorite dynamic between characters to write?
A: Honestly I loved writing all of it. By the time you're well into the story the Red Rocket is filled with the strangest assortment of people/not people in the entire Wasteland. The conflict, ball busting, unexpected friendships that would be blossom out of that is really fertile soil for writing. Moreover, on a shared journey 2 years later they have a comfortable familiarity with each other they just slip back into. I also love Jefferson/Silver Shroud's dynamic, because you have a superhero level character who starts off 2 dimensional ripped out of a comic book and is suddenly REAL in a way that doesn't fit with reality. As a result he's kind of bumbling and awkward. Jefferson is the embodiment of him "not fitting in" outside of the page where he's idolized as well as stylized. It's just great stuff.
2. I believe you mentioned you turned to Dick Tracy for inspiration while writing this picturesque slice of noir life – what's the most important thing you've learned about writing a radio drama?  What was the most difficult thing about resurrecting a much older style of media that you didn't appreciate until you were deep in it?
A: I looked at a lot of inspirations to get the feel right in the beginning acts. Relistened to old school Sam Spade radio dramas, rewatched The Maltese Falcon (Bogart's version of Spade inspired the character of Valentine in development), as well as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" and "Dick Tracy". Since I've been writing radio drama for almost 5 years now, I think the biggest thing I've learned over time is getting the rhythm right. I write in a way that I want to take people on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey in pretty much everything I do. Because that's life. We laugh, we get anxious and tense, we pine for people, cheer them out, mourn their losses and feel their pain. I always try to recreate that ride in any story we've done whether it's this or other productions we do. Lastly, always give people what they want: a satisfying ending. As far as resurrecting an older style of media...that was really easy as I've been listening to Old Time Radio since I was a teenager.
3. Did you do everything in one take or have any rehearsals/direction?  It seemed like all the VAs were in one call together, which is some incredible coordination and effort!
A: Nope! All recorded one night in one take with no rehearsal. Mostly because I was sweating over the script and didn't finish polishing it until 3 hours before recording. We did it all on Zoom and not 5 minutes in, a lightning bolt hit a transformer down the street, knocking out my power. Wes had to continue recording for me (it's why there's a big grid of people at the start as opposed to the single actor view later on. I was crushed I wasn't there live while they were recording.
4. The amount of voice (and writing) talent in this production is incredible for something so unofficial!  How long did it take you to bring this 3 hour noir tour of the Commonwealth to fruition?  How many times did you have to replay/reload Fallout 4 to fact check your details? :)
A: Thank you! We started asking people a few months ago. I had a brainstorming meeting with Wes and Emil from Bethesda who offered some helpful notes as I wrote on their characters. It took me 26 hours or so to edit and design the media elements, add effects and music scoring. It took 14 hours to render in 4k and only finished rendering at 10am the morning of airing. I was sweating over night that it would finish rendering in time. lol I didn't have to replay Fallout 4 as I have a really good memory of it, but looked to the Wiki on some key details and transcripts of how the characters talked in the main game.
5. Obviously, the plot had to wrap a bit around which VAs were available; were there any specific plot changes you had to make based on availability, or did you only seriously bend to writing after you already had a list of actors available for participation?  Anything extremely fun you had to cut?
A: At the last moment sadly Lynda Carter couldn't join us otherwise I wouldn't have written in Magnolia without her. Shari Elliker came in clutch and did a great job voicing her! I really and truly wanted MacCready a part of it, but Matt Mercer is INSANELY busy and was taking a much-needed vacation. Despite that he was kind enough to record for us. I wanted to try and bring EVERYONE back but between not being able to reach some people, others just able to wrangle their schedule...I think we did a good job getting as many people as we did. There was a bunch of stuff I had to cut for time (because this thing was already 3 hours). There was going to be an attack by the Mechanist on Diamond City, following the events at the Lombardo's with the Mechanist taking out the Detective Agency in retribution for meddling in their plans, but felt that was unnecessary and we'd already put listeners through enough torture. lol I was going to bring back Scribe Haylen as a link to investigate some of the Brotherhood's Black Market dealings in salvaged synth tech as part of the surprise return of Kellogg. But honestly the most fun scene would've been a trap in which they're lured to a train station thinking Harold is coming in by rail from the Capital Wasteland only to be chased by an Endritch "modded into the Universe" version of Thomas the Tank Engine. It would've resulted in a car chase with the Shroud realizing Jefferson has used all his James Bond-like car gadgets already so the most they can do is throw bottles at it that Hancock has emptied. lol
Plot questions:
1. "You started something two years ago you never finished."  - Boss Lombardo, Death Shroud
In my opinion, one of the biggest successes of Death Shroud was fans were of course hungry for the answers about what comes after a "happy ending".  In Death Shroud it's apparent that Nora chose to assist the Brotherhood of Steel along to a victory against the Institute - but it becomes clear that the ending wasn't perfect for everyone. There's been a lot of discussion over the years about how every faction ending to Fallout 4 has its own unique drawbacks.  In this case it seems like even beyond sacrificing the Railroad (and a lot of synths) the Brotherhood left a power vacuum in the Commonwealth which is allowing for raiders and the like to take back over in the absence of both the Institute and an effective Minute Men alliance. What was the most important part of this "ending" and its consequences for you to address?  What made it the best backdrop to set Death Shroud in?  The play mentions more than once that poor Nick is running out of spare parts with the source of synthetic limbs destroyed!
A: I picked that ending for our story because honestly it's one of the most dire from which to grow the story from. The rise of raiders and Triggermen (mafia control of parts of the city) is very Film Noir. I also needed Nora to have dipped out of the spotlight and honestly trying to just go live a quiet life and come to terms with what they did to the railroad was necessary plot wise. The Cabot storyline was also essential...she needed to have let him loose in order for the pieces of the story to come together. I also think it's important to remember that the Brotherhood REALLY aren't their for altruistic reasons. Once they take out the Institute they don't give a crap about rebuilding Boston. They salvage tech, hoard it and that's kind of it. By the time our story begins Nick and our former companions are doing their best just to keep things in some kind of order. Even Hancock needs to go back to run Goodneighbor to prevent it from falling apart.
 2. The biggest breakout original character was Charlie, Nick Valentine's protege turned traitor; wonderfully played by Aeric Azana.  I actually experienced several double takes during the first airing of the play and had to google to make sure I hadn’t completely forgotten the character somehow, he fit so well with the rest of the cast.  What was the inspiration for his character?  Care to give us some more loose backstory about how he wound up in the Valentine detective agency?
A: Aeric Azana is BRILLIANT and really completely lost himself in that character and brought it to life. I think the character fit in and felt so natural because it felt like a character that would be there. Following the events of Fallout 4, I think Nick would learn the importance of friends and family and in chasing down Nora's son, a set of continuity of beliefs and ideals. Seeing the Institute destroyed and most of the synths wiped out...there's no backup, no spare parts. Nick can be killed and destroyed and all that he was would be lost. Not only does Nick need help at the agency I think he wanted to have something he could never have: a sense of family. Taking in Charlie off the streets, raising him, teaching him would make sense for him. I have some thoughts on his background and how Nick found him...but that may end up being a story, so I'll keep quiet about that for now. Suffice to say, missing people is not all that Nick finds on cases.
3. No noir sleuth story is complete without organized crime!  Fallout players are intimately familiar with a lot of the gangs of the commonwealth, be it the Khans, the Forged, or even the Gourmands – but Ma Lombardo, played by the lovely Ellen McLain & her rabid dog son Carmen (the Boss) played by the equally talented Zack Ward - represent a newer type of evil in the Commonwealth.
In your opinion how does organized crime fit within the wasteland societal structure that already... lacks organization as it were?  Are they essentially just raiders who will monologue at you before gunning you down for your caps? Who is even standing up to them at this point?  Prosecuting them for their perceived crimes?  It’s funny to consider that these crime families are essentially more organized than most of the remaining political structures in place!
A: Say what you want about crime families, but they do hold up a semblance of order where there is needed one. If you take a look at the arc of the Godfather, in the beginning there is a balance of justice, deep seated respect of an order...a code of honor. Ma and Carmen Lombardo return because we've broken what little of that was left with the Triggermen by the time we were done in the Commonwealth. The hierarchy peaking order has been obliterated, so it leaves both a structural opportunity for them to return and also a true need to try and BE the stabilizing force after the power vacuum that was left by our choices. Nora and the gang basically fuck up the Commonwealth in one way or another and I honestly think it would be out of character for her to WANT to be a ruler. So who's left? The Triggermen under Lombardo aren't just raiders...they were forced inline in a way they hadn't been in a long time. Raiders wouldn't have stood a chance against them.
4. "If I’ve learned anything, people are what they believe" – Nick Valentine, Death Shroud
Nick Valentine is a character who has struggled with his identity in the past but came to some degree of closure about it by choosing to believe in/focus on the goodness of his deeds despite being a perceived copy of another man.  In Death Shroud we see him brush up against a much more literal (and meta) manifestation of the power of belief in ideas - it's a pretty poignant juxtaposition of the character's much-deliberated ideology vs a rather wild plot.  Is that the reason Nick was the only man left standing at the end?  The manufactured man who was both someone else's idea but how he defines himself, who he is, is his own choice as well?
A: Honestly the reason it was him still standing in the end is because this ultimately is HIS story, a Nick Valentine Mystery. What Nick misses completely is that like Nora, he is a keystone event. Unlike any other synth out there he is aware of who he is, who he wasn't, can't hide in plain sight like others can. Because of his journey, his actions, the people he helps, saves, draws to him, a tapestry of ripples of his existence, choices and actions forever ripple throughout the Commonwealth. Magnolia's comments in the end both speak to his position in their reality and also direct speak to us as players, "in the end we're not just stories".
5.  Follow up:  I also found it to be an incredibly fascinating character arc for Nick as well.  He was offered the keys to Diamond City, albeit by notorious criminal Ma Lombardo, but then later essentially by Charlie as well - but our synthetic hero turns both of them down since he's a “just a detective, not a politician”.
A: It's more than that also. Nick isn't motivated by power, has lived long enough to see how power corrupts and creates the illusion of choice. What Charlie misses is the EXPERIENCE Nick has as part of his journey. Could having that kind of power mean no more missing people? No more broken hearts? Yes...but it also means denying people the choices and lessons they've learned as a result of actions they take. He wasn't born. He was made. He was built to replace people. He was given memories, a life and story he didn't earn, didn't choose. He made the CHOICE to to throw all of that away and do the most human thing real humans often don't do: help people without reservation.
Over the course of the play it becomes clearer as characters reminisce over the events of Fallout 4, Nick's not entirely satisfied with some of the choices Nora made along the way and more notably some of the ramifications.  This is followed by the very end where Nick takes control to reset reality to a ‘previous save’ far in the past before the entirety of Nora’s adventure - rather than say, just before everything involving the events of Death Shroud went to hell in a handbasket.  Any particular reason that was Nick’s chosen reload point?  Do you think Nick has reached a point from his experiences where he would take a more active role in guiding Nora's decision making going forward?
A: Nick didn't have a choice there. There is only the current state or as teased in the commercial in the very beginning the only saved state available to you. "Safe equals saved" wasn't just a funny commercial, it was a promise that going back means returning to the start of the tapestry of choices, actions and impacts that began when Nora's keystone moment began. The day she was woken up and became something other than Nora. If you pay attention, throughout Fallout 4 Nick offers very specific guidance in some areas and specific wisdom. Knowing full well how important choice is to the causal nexus and maintaining the tapestry of reality he would walk that line very carefully in the choices made vs. influenced.
Last Question:
I’m very curious what the three sentence pitch was to get most of these VAs on board with this amazing project - and even Pete Hines and Emil Pagliarulo as well – if you can share that with us!
A: There really wasn't one. I've become really good friends with Wes these past few years and the other voice actors, Pete Hines, etc. are also people I've gotten to know through Fallout For Hope. So I think our track record as far as fundraising goes, trust in me/Fallout For Hope, etc. from working together on both unofficial Fallout community projects, causes and events and official NDA ones we've done the past few years created a unique situation this thing could even happen. This was our 3rd production this scale, but the one I'm most proud of.
82 notes · View notes