#and as optimistic as i wanted to be at this point i feel like the worst possible outcome is going to become a reality

[directdogman]

A little bit more information about Crown, Milt + Marla's leanings + role in their triumvirate

It's fair to say that while Callum Crown was just a guy, Callum Crown the leader was essentially three people acting as one. By the time Crown ran for president, three people pitched in on his speeches. I'm sure I've given bits and pieces of this away in other posts, but I believe there's a few points I haven't expressed thoroughly, so I'm gonna discuss what each contributed, what they excelled at, how they saw the world and how it shaped policy.

Crown was naturally the engine of the trio. He was the guy with the grand ideas, the boundless optimist who could never accept the way things were. He always thought bigger and was never content with anything, be it his own ideas or the ideas of others. He worked himself tirelessly and saw his whole life as something that was supposed to be led exclusively in the service of mankind.

Crown saw the world kind of like a big machine and everywhere he looked, he could see imperfections that wound up slowing the machine down and harming innocent people. He felt those in power were incompetent hacks, who were only placed in their positions by circumstance, by the same hand of fate he had to overcome. Crown, of course, was born with a disability and had to invent his own prosthetic limbs in order to leave his garage. His mother never could've bought actual working prosthetics for him, given the nail-biting poverty his household faced. Crown was keenly aware that if not for his gumption and stubbornness, he never would've left his garage.

Similarly, he saw career politicians as ignorant fools who were incapable of understanding how screwed up the world was and how far the rabbit-hole descended. The zany optimism and grandiose, sweeping ideas seen in Crown's speeches were certainly his touch.

Then, we have Marla. Marla, like Crown, also had a disability and faced hurdles in her professional journey that Crown did not, being a woman in the mid-20th century. Marla, if she had been a man, would've sought higher office for herself, but knew she never would've been elected due to gender norms. This caused her to coalesce with Crown and urge him to move further on his path, seeing him as a surrogate fighter on the political stage not just for humanity, but for herself.

Crown's mayoral victory had a lot to do with her, as she interviewed Crown and wrote scathing editorials attacking Crown's opponent for his opposition to Dialtown's saviour. Marla's main focus was the pursuit of justice, a fight which she fought with even more fervor than her husband. Her main strength when writing for Crown (and delivering speeches on his behalf) was rousing feelings of indignant anger. Righteous anger directed towards those with power who would not actively use their station to fight the system. Marla was essentially an anarchist and wanted to fight and dismantle the system, something that put her at odds with her husband's plan in the end. It's easy to see why Crown fell head over heels for her.

Marla encouraged Crown to prioritize ideas that righted systematic wrongs, continue his fight for labour rights and focus on fixing systematic mistreatment of people before seeking total efficiency and technological advances (which Crown believed would benefit humanity as much as, if not more than advancing social policy first.) Though, trusting her judgement, Crown often took her cues as gospel.

The Crown 'saviour' narrative was also Marla's invention. Indeed, Crown's political career allowed her to actively help shape a better world, something that she would never have been able to do to the same extent without him. When Crown's paranoia set in and he began confiding less in her as president, leaving her to run smaller projects of her choosing and deal with the increasingly agitated press on her own, she felt this was a personal betrayal, as her opportunity to right wrongs in the world and affect policy had vanished. At this point, Crown was now solely concerned with the 'big picture', things like technology and projects like The Dialup.

Milt, unlike Crown + Marla, did not grow up in poverty and had an upper-middle class upbringing. He was university-educated and understood the middle and upper class in a way the other two could not. He saw those in power not as evil, but rather short-sighted and ill-equipped. Milt's main skill was humanizing Crown and somewhat neutering Crown and Marla's socialist rhetoric by marketing Crown not as a left-wing pro-labour candidate, but as an independent populist who would target corruption + lobbying, tackle electoral reform and stand up for the working stiff, implementing balanced (but radical) policies that would benefit ordinary Americans.

Milt emphasized Crown's humble upbringing, the adversity he'd overcome just to leave his house, alongside his sweeping success running Crown Mechanics, which made him sound like the most competent man for the job. Milt also emphasized his patriotism, writing him as a candidate who sat between both political parties, but fought for ordinary people. This is how Crown roped voters like Norm in.

Crown and Marla had some reservations about Milt's alterations to their scripts, but the 'us vs them' populist angle appealed massively to Crown, given his view on the political elite of his time, and the emphasis on the idea of fairness and the push for electoral reform pleased Marla's sense of justice. Both knew deep down that by appealing to a wider range of voters, they had a chance at winning, so Milt's suggestions were largely used.

Milt's leanings were less justice oriented than Marla's, he believed that systematic change would heal people, create a world where people were more free. This angle helped massively in winning over certain states. Like Crown (and unlike Marla), Milt too was massively interested in technology over social reform and he encouraged Crown to escalate the space race once he gained office and even helped Crown pick researchers for a project from fellow university alumnus.

Of course, Milt wound up being eventually relegated to the sidelines during Crown's presidency just as Marla was, namely over his repeated opposition to the idea of the Dialup. Crown took his inability to sell the idea to Milt as a personal failing, one he was internally hard on himself over. He was convinced that the Dialup was the ONLY way to ensure the world could be renewed, the only way to make sure that all people could be free. He felt that if he could somehow figure out the right words, find the right evidence, get the ball rolling on his own so Milt could 'see' his vision, he could convince Milt that the plan was the right call.

He didn't confide in Marla about the Dialup, fearing his enemies could torture information out of her. Given Milt's military experience, he didn't feel it could happen. It's the same reason Marla was never told the recovery code for Crown's memory deletion feature. Crown chose very poorly by not confiding more in her.

Crown's time at the UN is something I haven't talked about much, but many of his speeches during that time (one I may show off soon enough) were erratic and frankly, sounded crazy. This is due to Crown's overwork, mental strain (+ guilt) from losing Milt/Marla and naturally, losing their input from his speeches. Marla's focused indignation at the injustices of the world and Milt's humanization of Crown were now missing. There was no longer any voice other than Crown's, explaining his sweeping ideas in a way others could understand. And so, he explained his grandiose vision, depicting himself as a man who would split the heavens just as mankind had split the atoms, with no idea of how he sounded. The human element was gone. Crown was back to being the zany salesman, peddling wares that nobody else could understand the value of. Alone again, except this time, the whole world could see it.

Hope this was insightful :)

[projectfreefall]

…does Freefall know where he came from? If so what does he think about the fact he was “abandoned” as a newspark?

Freefall: As for what I think about being "abandoned," I well...I don't KNOW how I feel, really. I mean... like obviously Bee and CJ say they believe I was abandoned 'cause you know why else would I have been there to be found. But Arcee always pointed out how pristine of shape I was found in, and says clearly someone cared a whole awful lot about me.

Freefall: One time, I joked with Bee, Ironhide, and CJ about not caring about my real creators or birth faction, cause why care about bots who didn't want me? But I noticed saying that made Optimus REALLY uncomfortable. The others didn't pick up on it...but there was something in the way he looked at me that told me he didn't like what I said. Maybe cause he's more of an optimist and maybe doesn't like us jumping to conclusions about why I was left behind. I don't know I try not to think about it.

[ghosty-zero]

Sonadow one shot number #26: Dear Faker

Dear Faker,

I...this may be the most ridiculous mode of communication, but somehow it feels like the only way to get this off my chest without turning into a blubbering mess. I'm only assuming you know how to read, but if you don't, well, you've got a couple of smart pals that could help with that. Anyway, let's get to the point before I lose my patience with this pencil and paper.

I always thought you could never understand me. But somehow, you've managed to surprise me by knowing everything about me. To the smallest details, like how I prefer my coffee made and the secret spot where I hide my rings so you, in particular, don't get your sticky paws on them. You even managed to hold onto that one thing I said to you once—about wanting to be like you. How does that stupid brain of yours even remember that?

You're an idiot, but I'm sure I've told you that a thousand times before. Yet here I am, writing like a lovesick puppy to the very person who'd laugh in my face if he knew the truth. But what's a little humiliation when it comes to the blue blur? Right? The truth is, I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember. It's like a never-ending loop in my head—seeing you save the day, hearing that cocky laugh, feeling that electric rush when we race. It's all so...infatuating. And maybe it's because of our history, or the fact that we're opposites, but something about you just makes me...feel.

I hate how you do this without even trying. Me, the stoic and solitary Shadow, brought to my knees by the mere thought of your smug grin. But here I am, spilling my guts onto these pages like some kind of emotional wreck. It's a good thing you can't hear me, because I'd never live this down if you did.

I highly doubt you can reciprocate these feelings, and that's okay. I mean, why would you? You've got a whole world to save, a bunch of friends who actually like you, and a fan club that spans across dimensions. But for the sake of my sanity, I had to get it out. I can't keep pretending to be the brooding anti-hero when all I want to do is hold your hand and tell you that you're not so bad—for a hedgehog, at least.

I suppose this makes me a coward for not saying it to your face, but that's a risk I'm not willing to take. You see, I've seen the way you look at me, like I'm some kind of puzzle you need to solve. It's like you're waiting for the moment I crack and reveal my true colors, which, spoiler alert, are probably just going to be more black and red. I have secrets, but just because I like you doesn't mean I'm going to spill them all. You're not that special.

The point of this stupid letter is to tell you that I like you. I don't know why, to be honest. Maybe that smile you flash when you beat me in a race or the way your spikes bounce when you run. It's like you're living in a perpetual state of happiness, and it's infectious. Even when I'm grumbling about how much I hate everything, you still find a way to make me crack a smile. And it's not fair. I'm not built to handle this kind of...whatever this is.

But Maria always used to tell me to hold on to what makes me happy, even if it's just a fleeting moment. So here I am, holding onto this feeling, hoping it'll be more than just a fleeting moment. Maybe I'm delusional, but I can't shake the thought that we could be something more than just rivals. That maybe you feel the same way.

I expect you to laugh at this and not take it seriously, as you do everything else. But let's pretend for a moment that you do. What then, Sonic? Would you run away from me? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd like to think you'd at least acknowledge it—that you'd look at me with those piercing green eyes and maybe, just maybe, see that I'm not the heartless monster everyone thinks I am.

You're different. You must know that by now. Annoyingly optimistic and oblivious to everything but your own goals. Yet somehow, you've managed to wiggle your way into my heart. It's like you have some kind of homing device for emotional landmines, and you've stepped right on the one I've been trying to avoid my whole life. But, as much as it pains me to admit, I don't hate it.

Do you recall that time you had me over to watch some movie I really didn't enjoy but sat through because I knew you'd be there? That was the first time I realized I could tolerate you for longer than five minutes without wanting to throw you into a pit of lava. The way your laugh echoed through the room, how your eyes lit up when you talked about something that excited you, it was all so...human. I've never felt more like a robot in my life, trying to understand the complexities of your emotions. I was built for war and destruction, yet here I am, swooning over a hedgehog who can't sit still for more than ten seconds.

The day that I met you, the world had just spit me out like a rotten fruit. You looked at me and didn't see the weapon that I was. You saw a friend—maybe even a little bit of yourself. And for once, I didn't feel like the outcast that everyone feared. You made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I could be a hero too. But I was too stubborn to let it show. I had to be the cool, mysterious one. The one who didn't need anyone. But you saw me for me, Sonic. And that's what makes this whole situation even more pathetic.

I can vividly remember that one time you begged me to teach you how to skate like I do. It was like watching a tornado trying to glide on roller skates—utter chaos. It was embarrassing for you, sure, but the way you kept getting back up, with a grin on your face, it was something. Something that made me feel...less lonely. Less like the monster I was created to be. And every time you stumbled, I found myself reaching out to catch you, not because I felt pity, but because I didn't want the moment to end. Or the time I was swallowed in my misery for Maria and you came to my room and just went on and on about your adventures in the city. I didn't want to listen, but you didn't care. You talked and talked until I felt...better? Or somewhat better. Or the time we adopted that little Chao that had mistook me for its mother, and you were so eager for us to be its parents. It was ridiculous, but the way you looked at me, with those hopeful eyes, I couldn't say no.

And I did lie to you that time you made me try a chili dog, saying I was uncultured for not liking it. I told you it was delicious...but really, I felt like throwing up. I'm not apologizing for it. Yet, I didn't want to disappoint you. Because somehow, your approval had started to matter. Maybe it was because no one else saw past the surface, or maybe it was because I knew deep down that you didn't care if I liked chili dogs or not—you just wanted me to experience something new. To live a little. And that was more than anyone had ever given me before.

Don't go spewing all of this to your little friends, okay? I don't need Knuckles teasing me for eternity or Tails trying to play Cupid with his inventions. This is between us. Or, well, it's not even between us since you're not actually here. But you know what I mean. I...adore you, yet I don't want anyone else to know. I can't have them looking at me with those pitying glances or treating me differently. I need to keep my edge. It's all I've got.

I still think you're stupid for always running headfirst into danger without a plan, but I admire it too. You've got a heart made of pure gold, Sonic, even if it is buried under that smug exterior. And maybe, I'd like to explore what it's like to be a part of that world you live in—where the sun is always shining and the air is filled with the scent of adventure. To not be feared, but liked. To not be the shadow, but to stand in the light. Ugh, that sounded way too mushy, even for me. But I really would like to know what it's like to hold your hand, to hear you laugh without the sound of explosions in the background, to just...be with you.

Don't think this is some love confession or a cry for help. It's just me acknowledging the ridiculousness of my own heart. You're a moron, for crying out loud, and here I am, a being created for war, confessing my feelings like a teenager in a melodrama. But you know what? I don't care. Because maybe you'll read this and understand. Maybe you'll get a glimpse of the mess that's going on in my head—a place no one else has ever cared to look.

I've watched you from afar for so long, Sonic. Your boundless energy and endless optimism are like a siren's call, luring me into a world I never thought I could be a part of. But every time I start to feel like I belong, reality crashes down, reminding me of who and what I am. The Ultimate Lifeform. The Shadow of your existence. The one who's always there but never truly seen. But when we're together, racing side by side, I feel like I can shed that heavy cloak of darkness and just be...me.

But what is me? A copy, a weapon, a rival? Or is there more to Shadow than what everyone sees on the surface? Can I be more than just a shadow? Can I be...loved? It's a concept that's so foreign to me, yet every time I'm with you, it feels like it's the most natural thing in the world. And that scares me. Because if I let myself believe that, then what happens when you find out the truth? The real truth, not the one I've constructed to keep people at bay. The one where I'm not just a hero with a tragic backstory, but a monster with a heart that's been torn to shreds.

Maria was all I had, but I lost her. What if, the second I get attached to you, the same happens? Can you imagine the destruction I'd cause then? It's not just me I'd be dragging down, but the whole world with me. Maybe that's why I've held back, why I've kept you at arm's length. But it's getting harder, Sonic. Every time you save the day, every time you make me laugh, every time you touch me, it's like you're carving out a piece of the ice around my heart and leaving a warmth in its place. It's terrifying, but it's also...comforting.

This pencil is irritating me, so let me cut to the chase. If, by some miracle, you do feel something for me, I'd like to know. Maybe we could, I don't know, go on a date or something? Just the two of us, no rings to save, no Eggman to thwart, no existential crises to deal with. Just a simple day out. It doesn't have to be grand. We could just grab some chili dogs—though I'm never eating one again—and go to the park. Or maybe we could visit that place where we had our first race, the one before you knew who I was. Before the world painted us as enemies.

I don't love you...I like you. There has to be a difference, right? I mean, love is for those sappy romance comics that Rose reads. This isn't love. It's just a weird kind of like. But if it is love, I guess I'm in uncharted waters here. I don't do love. I don't even know if I'm capable of it. But I can't help the way my heart races when you're near, or how I feel when you win a race and I'm stuck in second place. It's like a knife to the chest, but a knife made of pure lightning. And it doesn't hurt, it just...electrifies me.

I need to stop writing, my damn hand is cramping up, but there's one last thing I need to say before I seal this envelope with all the dignity I can muster. I know what you're thinking—what's the point of all this? Why bother with the brooding Shadow when you have a whole cast of eager admirers? Well, I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired of being the side character in everyone else's story. Maybe I want to be the hero for once. But the only way I can do that is if you know the truth. If you understand that I'm more than just a shadow, that I have feelings, that I'm...human. Well, close enough to one.

Take this however you want, Faker. Throw it away, laugh at it, or keep it as a trophy. It doesn't matter to me. But just know that I've said it. The mask is off, the walls are down, and I'm laying it all out there for you to see. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not is entirely up to you. But remember, I've been watching you from the sidelines for years, and I've learned one thing from all those battles and adventures: the bravest thing you can do is face your fears.

Or just not be a wimp in the first place.

Sincerely...no, not sincerely, because that's not who we are, right? We're rivals, not lovebirds.

You know what....

Love, Shadow.

No...just Shadow.

From Shadow.

Sonic smiled, his tail wagging.

[t-u-i-t-c]

with every episode i do find myself liking rikuo more and more. i've said it before, but it's very clear that performing is so important to him and who he is as a person. it may seem like not a big deal to others, but to rikuo it's something so precious.

[makotonaegiunderstander]

something I’ve been thinking abt is how many people think Makoto is immune to despair. I don’t think he is. I think becoming the ultimate Hope was BECAUSE he felt despair. He wouldn’t have fully reached that point without Junko. Makoto becoming such a beacon was his last attempt to avoid completely falling and it wasn’t because he didn’t feel despair, it was because he was too damn stubborn to allow everything to go to waste and he refused to sacrifice his beliefs for someone else’s. His inner monologue tells me he DID experience the same new low the other suvivors did in the final trial, but at the point where he had the choice to give up and die, he looked at the others and he looked at Junko and he couldn’t allow it to happen, not out of self preservation, but because the idea that Junko would have control over their lives made him FURIOUS. and that utter refusal to die kicked in, wether luck or otherwise, and he made the concious effort for one last push while something in him was breaking. He had to be broken in order for the Ultimate Hope to come through so aggressively, bc it could only exist in the face of the Ultimate Despair. He snapped the same way she did, but in the other direction. In what could have been his final moments he chose to embody everything Junko wasn’t, and every single optimistic and luck fueled ideal in him suddenly charged forward and pushed him. It was a combination of the final straw and a choice. Makoto isn’t immune to feeling despair, he’s just too stubborn to fall into it of his own volition. I think that’s why I like that scene in DR3 so much. People were SO SHOCKED Makoto actually fell for the tape, that he actually became despair for a moment. I saw people getting mad or disappointed, saying it was pathetic and Makoto seemed to fall from some sort of pedestal for them. Honestly part of me wonders if that sort of mentality, which clearly people had in universe, affected Makoto a bit. Like he started to see himself as less of a person, subconsciously. Prompting him to take more risks, less self preservation, act way more bold. It seems he has to be reminded a lot not to put himself in danger by his friends, to not do something too reckless. All over the place I would see in regards to that scene either this frivolous ‘oh this was just angst drama with no meaning behind it’ or ‘he can do better than that. he’s so weak’ or ‘come on, there’s no way he’d fall into despair, he’s the Ultimate Hope!’ This kind of mentality, which was kind of ironic considering Ryota was there the entire time saying the same thing and treating Makoto the same way. Like Makoto was superhuman. Like Makoto didn’t feel despair the same way ‘normal people’ did. In a way that was also how Munakata saw Makoto. Makoto stopped being a PERSON to the world when he became Ultimate Hope, he became a concept, a belief system, much the same way Junko ascended beyond herself. But the difference is that treating Makoto that way is the opposite of the reason Makoto became such a representative for hope. He wasn’t doing something no one else could. He was doing something everyone had the chance to, he just… was a little more optimistic, a little more stubborn, a little more ‘gung-ho’ about things. He just took the lead where no one else did, where no one else knew they even COULD in the face of Junko’s unstoppable force. She had overcome the biggest threats and obstacles in the world, what could one person do? And the answer Makoto found was, anything. Everything. It doesn’t all rest on Makoto, he’s just the one that was inspired to try to do what seemed like the impossible. But as evidenced by the change in his friends after that trial, it’s clearly not something only Makoto is capable of. The others pulled out of despair thanks to Makoto, but it was their choice to do so.

“But… this world is so huge, and we’re so small. What can we do…? No, we can probably do anything. Yeah! We can do anything!”

[racke7]

cant believe youre playing ffxiv and you HAVENT posted a pic of your WoL, smh. thats like half the point of playing squeenix's pretty princess dressup simulator disguised as an MMO

I'm still very much in the middle of leveling things, so it feels annoyingly wasteful to try and glamour outfits (excepting the actively embarrassing ones), but also kind of blegh to show those outfits off (since they're just "default").

That said, I did manage two outfits.

WAR, in pure pvp-gear:

MNK, an old idea from my Free-Trial days:

But yeah. I definitely have ideas for outfits. I just also feel like simply buying them at the marketplace (instead of making them myself) to be a bit like cheating, and you don't get good stuff for a very long time. (I'm also way too much of a cheapskate for it)

[violet-jessop]

if i could stop crying that'd be fuckin sick

[glitterghost]

-☆-

[callixton]

WEIRD OLDER QUEERS I LOVE YOUUU

[losttoliterature]

.

[plzu]

might do something insane (restart my og bg3 playthrough despite being deep into act 3)

[thefabelmans2022]

honestly. honestly. honestly. i'm very worried about the referendum.

[bitchthefuck1]

have you watched the pjo show?

I saw the first 2 episodes when they came out at a watch party one of my friends threw, and as soon as they ended I realized I didn't particularly care to keep going. It wasn't like, outrageously bad by any means, I just don't think it gripped me enough to want to continue, and there were enough odd adaptational choices that I thought weakened the story that I lost interest. I might have tuned back in if the changes actually built to something interesting in the later episodes, but from everything I've seen it kinda seems like they just took the teeth out of the story, which was what I was worried about.

That being said, the cast seems really great and well suited to their roles, so like, if they improve the writing and pacing in the later seasons and stop sanding down all the rough edges, I might pick it back up. But otherwise, pass.

[arolesbianism]

Thinks oh so hard abt the spiraling upwards clan founders, especially the birchclan founders. Silly lil kitties who's pasts are drenched in blood with the primary regret of not drawing it sooner

[mitamicah]

💛💪🏻

💛: i just think you’re cute!

💪: id fight someone if they talked shit about you

Thank you so much, anon ^V^ <3

[bunny-heels]

i hate how obsessed ive become to this show but god i cannot help it