#and i got high on the idea of beating both of them at the 100 game

[l0v3r666]

Mc inserts x TWST characters

(basically non-yuu pairings I think about instead of my inbox :p)

Ignyhide vice!Mc x Jamil Viper

Mc is probably twisted from one of the little demon goons, and it makes your contrast with Jamil charmingly obvious. You’re both vices in the basketball club with an outside connection to your wardens (you figured a physical activity’ll ward Idia’s eye away) and you both hate your jobs to a comedic degree. The connection is actually really sweet and subtle!! Atleast until book 6 when Mc is complaining about their ego trippy boss while basically eating out of Jamil’s hand, feeding him information like the layout and hierarchy of styx,, as Idia’s super exclusive assistant it’s only fair to give your guests a full tour!

“geez! And he just gets so flippy-floppy, yknow? He’s got this thing about energy drinks now so I’ve been diluting them, it’s such a pain!”

“It might just be a defect with housewardens. Have you ever heard of the incompetency theory?”

Card soldier!Mc x Malleus Draconia

okay picture this- Mc is comepletely wasted and coming off the high from a holiday party that was totally killer. You wander into the woods past campus and find yourself at a little abandoned cottage, it’s like 100% cozy enough to chill in before stumbling back to the dorms. You continue heading there for pregames/drunken shenanigans, meeting up with some hot guy that hangs around sometimes. You’re fully blindsided when your “little buddy” is kicking heartslabyul ass during a spelldrive tourney..

“Yoooooo, Mally, you must be really fun at parties. Want ta’ go with me?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever been invited to a “rager” before, but it sounds.. enjoyable. I accept.”

Ignyhide freshman!Mc x Deuce Spade

You’re a shaking mess during your first track meet. It’s a graduation requirement to take at least one gym class before the end of freshman year, and you’d rather die than take flight class with all those scary seniors!! Your vice had enough sense to convince you into not dropping out, he’d said that “track is low stress!” And “you’ll enjoy it” >:( you can’t believe he’d lie to your face like that!! (Is this the AI revolution??) You guess it’s not too bad though, you’ve even started strength training with a new friend. He’s a little short tempered, but it could be a lot worse.

“hey, I had no idea ignyhide kids were into track! I thought it’d be too much sun,,”

“We’re not vampires. I wouldn’t clown on you for the tea in your thermos, so lay off.. heh, there’s totally a dormouse in there.”

Scarabia housewarden!Mc x Leona Kingscholar

It’s pretty rare to see Leona of all people in your reserved pool chair, but plenty of weird stuff’s happened during your senior case study. You’re this close to getting your big shiny diploma- and a little rest now and then won’t hurt anybody! Savanaclaw’s housewarden has only had his position since last year, and you’ve held yours through all four. After knowing of each other for so long, it’s only logical that you’d become good friends! (Not that he calls you that)

“So you’re graduating, huh? Hope that brat you chose’ll fill your shoes, you’ve worked pretty hard.”

“awh, you’re such a sap,, I’m sure you’ll like Kalim, he’s no idiot. I promise to visit whenever you decide to graduate, but it’ll be a lot easier if i get that job in the castle!”

Octavinelle sophmore!Mc x Jack Howl

Poor Jack has to deal with everyone else’s business on top of his own education, when does he get a break? That ramshackle prefect’s looking for leads on how to beat those twins in the water, and only one face comes to mind. You’re his coworker at his temp job, and you owe him a favour (atleast from your perspective, he doesn’t hold it over your head) because with your grades Azul’s got it out for you. He’s begging for you to help him out- and who are you to deny those puppy eyes?

“Jack you can’t tell him! The housewarden’ll make me quit, I need this job! :(((“

“woah, it’s not like I’m gonna blackmail you.. what kind of guy do you think I am?”

Savanaclaw freshman!Mc x Epel Felmier

You’re lost, stressed and so confused in your first year :( it feels like everything is going wrong all the time!! It’s probably like 10x worse because you’re very tall and so built, but nobody cares to peer up at the cute giraffe ears on your head! You’ve been challenged by so. many. seniors. (and you win against all of them, you’re no pushover) but you’re tired of the beef. Epel just thinks you’re the coolest person in the room, and is always saying he wants to get freaky fridayed with you. But he doesn’t get the struggle!! Atleast Jack cares enough to tell him you’re just not liking it at school, and it makes Epel kick into action- he’s not letting you drop out, so please wait until he transfers!!

Pomefiore Junior!Mc x Rook Hunt

You’re convinced that Rook c. Hunt is the worst guy in all of twisted wonderland (C for creep)! And it SUCKS because he went from your rebellious savanaclaw boytoy to.. whatever he is. (How’d you miss the warning signs when you were tongueing him??) You can always see his stupid bob in your peripheral- but you’ve rationalized that if you watch him, then he only sees what you want him to see! It’s keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, just until graduation. And it does work, until you realize you’ve given Rook an inch that he’s turned into a mile. You’ll probably never get rid of him now, but what’s the point anymore?

“Ah, mon cher! You always enchant me with your passionate gaze, I’m honoured to be the object of your attention!”

“uh.. sure thing, hon. Whatever you say.”

Diasomnia Senior!Mc x Idia Shroud

You’re a highly educated noble from the mysterious land of Briar Valley. You are poised, weirdly formal, and utterly incompetent with your newest area of study- contemporary technology. You’ve tried to convince yourself that it’s pointless, they don’t even use it at home! But if you want to travel anytime before the collapse of human civilization, it must be done. you’re insatiable with your thirst for knowledge, and completely enamoured with having first hand experience with every era of mortal tech. It also happens to be almost impossible to revive your “Kno-Keya” once it has decided to die. That is where Idia Shroud comes in.

“In exchange for the revival of my electronic mailing device i am willing to offer an extensive dowry befitting of your station and technological necromancy skill. Will it suffice?”

“I literally only charged your phone, uh.. WOAH, A DOWRY?? I don’t have the space for five horses!! I’m totally not prepped for the marriage route, I haven’t seen the wiki yet!”

[bookishdaze]

Noa and Mae as Romeo and Juliet in the Next Planet of the Apes Movie?

Here's why a potential "love story" between Mae and Noa, whether explicit or simply implied, may not be such a terrible idea.

Why? Because Shakespeare told me so, that's why.

"When in doubt, it's from Shakespeare....or the Bible." At least according to a book I had to read for high school, lol.

The biblical references in Caesar's trilogy have been pointed out multiple times already, and these movies have also been described as Shakespearean tragedies. So I thought, 'ok, what kind of Shakespearean tragedy will we have this time around?'

I'm first gonna start off with Hamlet in the Caesar trilogy. I'm also gonna mention other popular movies that are based on Shakespeare's plays. Not necessarily because it's concrete proof that this is what will happen in future POTA movies. This is me simply picking up certain storytelling beats and patterns I've noticed in some of my favorite movies.

It's not 100% the same, but there are some similarities. Also, this isn't anything new. Many have pointed this out before, but I love talking about this stuff!

The Lion King, Black Panther, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are loosely based on Hamlet. A king or rightful heir is killed. Usually by an evil uncle, cousin, or family member. For some reason this always results in them falling off a very high cliff.

Everyone thinks they're dead, the evil relative takes power, and everything kinda sucks. There is not enough food in the Pride Lands under Scar's rule. Killmonger burns the heart-shaped herbs. Koba leads the apes to war against the humans.

The rightful ruler spends time in exile, recovering from their wounds and trauma. They might even get a visit or have a recollection of their dead father.

Then the rightful ruler comes back from the dead, challenges the usurper, and regains their rightful place upon the throne.

Now lets take a look at their sequels.

The Lion King 2 and Wakanda Forever share some similarities. They both follow another one of Shakespeare's popular plays, Romeo and Juliet.

Like the Montagues and Capulets, we have two rival kingdoms in both movies. We got the Pridelanders and the Outsiders. We also got the Wakandans and Talokanils.

The two heirs/rulers from both kingdoms meet. They hate and don't trust each other at first, but then they start to have compassion for the other. In Kiara and Kovu's case, they fall in love. Namor and Shuri don't fall in love, but after Namor shows her his underwater kingdom and what he has to protect, she softens and begins to understand him more. (They even got the whole Hades and Persephone thing going on, who are a couple in Greek mythology, by the way).

There are losses on both sides. Kovu's brother was killed while going after Simba. One of Namor's people was killed when Shuri was rescued by Nakia, and Shuri's mother, Queen Ramonda, died after Namor's attack on Wakanda. (Starts nervously eyeing Anaya here...)

These losses make things worse, by the way.

In the end, both pairs are able to bring the fighting between their people to a stop. The Outsiders are welcomed into Simba's pride. The Wakandans and Talokanils stop fighting after seeing their leaders return together.

In the end, they realize that they're the same. That they can't let hate and fear of the other side cloud their judgement.

Kiara tells her father, "A wise king once told me we are one....Look at them. They are us. What differences do you see?"

Shuri tells Namor while she spares his life, "Vengeance has consumed us. We cannot let it consume our people."

And I think this goes well with one of the core themes of these POTA movies. The apes are a mirror to humanity. We the audience are seeing us through them, and the characters in the movies themselves must come to the realization that they're the same.

Like when Caesar tells his son, "I always think ape better than human. I see now how much like them we are."

Maybe something similar like this will happen with Noa and Mae and whatever fight will happen between apes and humans. While I'm all for a good romance, it may end up being more like Namor and Shuri's case. There's something there. The tropes are present, but they don't fall in love. (At least not yet. Please Ryan Coogler, give me Nashuri endgame in Black Panther 3, hehe).

This is just a theory, by the way. This doesn't have to happen, but I just think it'd be neat. There would be differences though. What those differences would be, idk, but whatever happens in the next one, I can't wait!

"But but.... aren't you forgetting something?"

What's that?

"Don't they...ya know...both die at the end?"

Besides, they don't have to die. Things can be a little more hopeful for our two heroes 🙈

[ghosts-bandwagon]

I can’t get this idea out of my head so here’s the boys with a musical s/o:

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley:

He loves watching you enjoy your music, seeing you bob your head, sway your hips, or bounce your leg to the rhythm of the song, he loved it all

Loves it when you introduce him to new music and holds your recommendations in high regards, he’ll give every song/band/album a good listen and give an honest critique

I personally headcanon him as a lo-fi, ambient deep house fan, maybe even enjoys movie soundtracks, just instrumentals overall (sometimes it’s a little distracting trying to focus on the lyrics)

If you have a habit of humming or singing a particular verse over and over (like I do), chances are he’ll be quietly humming that same tune later on

“Didn’t take you for the musical type, LT”

“Shut it, Johnny”

John Price:

He loves watching you dance but he’s the type to come up behind you and sway with you, head perched on top of yours

I take him as an 80s fan; Tears for Fears, A-Ha, Hall & Oates, Kate Bush (he’s def a Kate Bush fan and you can’t convince me otherwise) that kind of vibe

He’s a bit set in his tastes so he’ll be a bit reluctant to take on new music but he’ll still give your recommendations a chance, especially if you’re keeping his existing musical taste in mind when you do

My man belts out his favorite songs in the car and he absolutely melts when you join in, his cheeks sore from how hard he’s smiling, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on your thigh

John ‘Soap’ MacTavish:

100% dancing with you in the kitchen, picking you up, spinning you around, you’re way off rhythm but you couldn’t care less with how breathlessly you’re laughing

I can definitely see him vibing to grunge rock, punk, maybe even some pub rock. If it’s got a kicking drum beat, fuck yeah. Loves that shit.

Always excited for new music recommendations, even if it’s not something he’d typically vibe with it he’s still eager to give it a chance, just for you

If you’ve got a song stuck in your head, then it’s stuck in his head too. He’s humming it on base, singing it off key in the showers, even so far as humming it quietly to himself when he’s away on a mission and he’s on watch for the night. It helps him feel closer to you.

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick:

Definitely has a playlist for you, for himself, for the both of you, for hanging out together, for working out together, cooking together, my man has all the bases covered

I feel like your messages to one another include a lot of songs, links to Spotify playlists, music videos, critiques on recommendations

As far as musical taste goes, I feel like he likes a little bit of everything with an inclination to pop and neo-soul (you should give that group a listen, it’s such a vibe tbh)

Loves your recommendations and, like Ghost, he takes them very seriously, it’s always a thrill to see a song you told him about pop up in one of his playlists

I feel like he’s got a beautiful voice, if there’s a particular song you like that helps you relax, I 100% feel that he’d be humming that song to help you sleep, his arms around you, fingers running through your hair

[salvagesmha]

Altering the Final War's Battlefields

With the series done, one of the few things that took me until now to get to was basically a bit of a revamp of the Second War battlefields.

The problem with them in the long run for me is that, LOV members aside, there was just...no other major villain established in those fields to really give a shit about or really have a sense of dread about.

One of the major differences between the 1st and 2nd War is that, regardless of how you feel about the results of the 1st War, waltzing into it you understood that the Villains were very credible, established threats.

The League of Villains and their upgraded powers, the MLA top brass and knowing what havoc just one of them could do, the High End Nomus that lay in waitin production thanks to Ujiko, Gigantomachia being a living disaster, 100K soldiers who we know should be on par with regular Heroes from training and have put the LOV on the backfoot. YMMV on how the 1st War turned out, but walking in there was some solid anticaption and intrigue in how these elements would be used....

The Second War does not have that. Why? Because Horikoshi kinda just...gutted the PLF and didn't reaaaaaaallly bring suitable, built-up replacements for them?

High Ends that have personality and can think? Nope, back to just the dumbass Nomus who are just rampaging monsters...that's it.

The PLF soldiers? Literally just 100 people now and, even then, the jailbreakers they got to replace them are just...well, nothing, like I talked about here.

The top brass of the LOV/PLF? Most who could provide interesting fights or intrigue were taken away for just Skeptic...whose regulated back 'hackerman' only.

Replacing them are either AFO's Assassins or Advisors who are just ether not developed at all or just came in too late, beaten too quick and used too little to care about. Thus, it really makes them feel totally irrelevent to the other stuff going around during the war.

For all the talk of the Heroes being at a disadvantage, it certainly did not feel so with just...6 of the bad guys out of a hundred or so people would really care about.. As such, my list below is basically having major Villains take the spots of the Jailbreakers/Advisors as 'Bosses' of their fields so as to give each place a solid Villain to get invested in. In addition, also adding in more returning Villains to help make each place to feel 'alive' in a sense.

If you wanna see how I'd use the Advisors, for the most part (there's a few changes here), look here.

Central Hospital:

This is the most blatant change I feel works for the story better is Trumpet being the ‘Boss’ (or well, one of the Bosses) of Central Hospital. One of the issues in the that battle came about from Disgustus being shoved into two contradictory roles. The first, up until the midway through the battle, is an advocate of mutants that seemed to be genuinely hurt and bitter from the discrimination he’s implied to have gotten (as evidence by his scar)...except then we get to the second half. Which has his internal thoughts filled with how the PLF were just using the mob they gathered as tools and makes him just cartoonishly corrupt. 

Instead of him being forced into both, I think a good idea would have been for Trumpet to take the reigns as the corrupt leader, acting as a false sympathizer for the Heteromorphs, and Disgustus to remain as a genuine, if disdainful extremist. It gives a mook of the PLF more depth since it reminds the audience that a lot of the Villains walked down the path due to rough lives, and allows for their still to be a scummy Villain still to stop. Heck, I feel using Trumpet as the Boss also just makes some of the plot feel more coherent, since he can use his Quirk to not only boost the mob, but make them too frenzied up to really listen or notice something being off (like Spinner clearly being out of it due to the additional Quirks) or notice him clearly covering his ass.

In this case, it’s Shoji and Koda beating Trumpet that could allow for the mob splinter to really begin and stall, with the pig guy’s group merely being the final blow to crack the facade for good. As for Disgustus and the rest of Spinner’s crew, they can be defeated right before they could enter the hospital. Something that hurts Shoji and the others badly enough that the mob genuinely could have killed them if not for pig guy. Heck, to help with this option, I also raise Chimera from movie 2 to return, acting as extra muscle for the crowd and, given his own experience being discriminated against, be another pillar of change get the crowd motivated. While Shoji loses the first encounter against Chimera, this second time, he barely manages to defeat him and is in danger of being killed when help arrives.

On a minor note, more of the USJ crew returns, mainly the Heteromorphic side as well, perhaps trying to spread the idea that, from the beginning, the League of Villains was just trying to raise awareness and change…even though that was very much not the case XD

Boss: Spinner, Trumpet

Jailbreaker: Chimera

Advisors: Spinner’s Advisors

Return: Steel Bulwark, Invisible Wall, Chomper, Greedy Gaping Jaw

Okuto Island

Given this is Toga’s battlefield, there’s not quite too many changes I’d make here. I think the most blatant that could be done is make Moonfish, whose acting as the ‘Jailbreaker’ for the Okuto Villains, more prominent. If Kunieda and Gashly are allowed to wipe out or fend off multiple Heroes, than a guy whose supposed to be on par with them should really be allowed to cut loose and be more of a massive thorn for their side. Plus, since I also think League members should at least get at least a significant send-off, I think Tsu being the one to take him down would be a good way of giving her something major to do. In this case, Tsu uses her wits and camouflage to bait Moon into being more careless with his attacks. Something that leads to him leaving himself open to being stunned by her poison mucus before being knocked out.

Another change I’d make is including Eleph from the High Ends on this battlefield. I think it’d hit the point home how much of a gamble splitting hte Villains up from each other was, as there was always a chance one Villain could have a real advantage wherever they got sent to. In this case, Eleph’s quirk allowed him to suck in water to make fierce hydro attacks at his foes. 

On a lesser note, I’m also for Hanzo Suiden/USJ water thug to add to his mayhem since it should have been high priority for that water fucker to at do something threatening given that battlefield was his advantage. Perhaps’s he’s teaming up with Eleph to help boost the Nomu’s attacks? 

Likewise, for the Advisors section, I’m all for Toga having her #1 Advisor at the scene to help add to the pressure of Okuto.

Boss: Toga

Jailbreaker: Moonfish

Return: Hanzo Suiden, Minotaurus

Nomu: Eleph

Advisors: Toga’s #1 Advisor 

Kamino Ward:

Given that the purpose of this place is that it doesn’t have any Major Jailbreakers, only real major tweak I would make for this is that Ribby replaces the NHE here. I think it’d be fitting if the High End assigned to Dabi was also an ax-crazy killer Nomu that wouldn’t give a shit to being set on fire and is just enjoying the chaos of the War. SImilar to the anime, Ida’s attacks with Ribby, alongside someone like Burnin, are what eventually gets him to go down.

Honestly, I’d probably include Starservant and Ending since both were Dabi’s grunts during the EA arc, and it’d be nice for them to assist their boss once more. Plus, both fit the theme of being crazed Villains unconcerned for their lives, like the other two above as well. Not that I think they’d be a major help, but it’d give some familiar faces the audience would recognize and help care more about the battlefields beyond just the final Boss taking up a major focus.

Boss: Dabi

Nomu: Ribby

Return: Starservant, Ending, Sharkyonara (RIP poor bastard), One-Eyed Green Dragon, Sickle Claw

Advisor: Dabi’s 1st ranker

Jaku Ruins:

To take the place of Skully of the Jaku Ruins battlefield, I raise you Geten. Honestly, I think this is the most natural choice as the Face of Jaku Ruins given how Skully shares Geten’s ‘Quirk Makes Right’ mindset and I think it’d hit more for Mina trying to reason with Geten about how both were fighting for their fallen mentors (in this case Re-Destro) than her trying to resonate with a character who hasn’t really been given his due at all. It’d especially hit harder given RD is basically Geten’s Dad too, so ice boy’s attempts at freeing Machia is coming from a placed of enraged love like Mina had.

As the Jailbreaker of Jaku, I raise Slice as being the sort, mostly to act as a villain against Mina, and would be in a similarm indset to geten about trying to avenge a loss loved one + getting payback on Mina while she was at it since it was her acid that cost her the first fight.

Likewise, in this case, all three of Geten’s Advisors + Dabi’s #2, will be at Jaku. Skully is there to work with Bindi Girl into creating gas that’ll keep their forces safe. Geten’s #3 can probably utter his mammonist line from overhearing about the Heroes plot, and be apart from the first wave of the Jaku villain forces to intercept the Heroes (before being taking out fairly easily - he’s No. 3 for a reason after all). As for Geten’s #1…well, he’’ likely just be there for Geten to bounce ideas off and defend the Commander against enemy attacks.

Now, on the returning Villain side, I’m surprised Giant Villain wasn’t brought back to rematch Mt. Lady. He’ll not be as strong as her, but he can keep her busy after she stomped through a good number of their guys. And, like in canon, Sludge Villain can stay and do his thing. Also, as apart of the first wave, Teruo’s here…to probably be one-shot immediately again, but he will be there XD

Boss: Geten

Jailbreaker: Slice

Return: Sludge Villain, Giant Villain, Teruo Hazakashi (Naked Guy), Axer, Stitched Giant

Advisors: Geten’s Advisors, Dabi’s #2 Advisor

Troy Parking Lot

Now this is one of the trickier locations since it’s pretty just one of the ‘spares’ of the battle. But, ultimately, I think it can work to be something even more meaningful than in canon. In this case, I want Mr. Compress to be left behind here. The support of the League faceing off against pretty much the spares of the Heroes trying to mop up the last of the resistance. Plus, it’s not like Compress doesn’t have a Hero of his own he has beef with. Aoyama was the reason his plan to capture both Bakugo and Tokoyami went screwy, and given Aoyama comes from a rich family that his ancestors would have likely stolen from, well…there’s a lot fun you can have between these two brawling out.

The way I see it, Kunieda makes his plants like in canon, and thanks to Compress’ mask, (alongside several other Villains still remaining that do wear masks of their own or maybe even just Kunieda has control over who he turns into plants) Compress is able to go back to his tree hopping shtick like in the training camp arc and show off his own stealth abilities again. Able to gradually whittle down the Heroes by taking advantage of the foliage to turn those who aren’t plant turned into marbles.

Since there are no Nomu here, the lesser Villains will be made of minor villain gangs, those like Cider House to Team Resvoir Dogs. Stragglers that are really only lasting as long due to Kunieda’s cover and will likely go down after Aoyama/Hagakure’s combo attack.

Boss: Mr. Compress

Jailbreaker: Kunieda

Return:Cider House, Blade Villain/Street Thieves, Reservoir Dogs, Gorilla, Spike

Advisors: Compress #3,

Takoba Stadium:

Honestly, this might sound weird, but Skeptic honestly could have taken Gashly’s place. Gashly’s whole thing is that he spawns minions to outlast others while he himself is in a safe location…

Kinda like Skeptic’s Quirk…or Twice’s…or Toga with Twice’s Quirk (Horikoshi didn’t spend much time on Gashly’s power, let’s be real…). If the main boss of Takoba is just a summoner, than just let Skeptic be badass and not only hack UA’s systems, but also fuck people up via his henchmen too? Heck, you don’t even have to do much to explain how he can do both without issue.

Have him hide somewhere during the chaos…or alternatively? Bring back the Shie Hassaikai guy, Tengai, Barrier and allow Skeptic to camp with in. As for how he can use his set-up at all, have AFO’s spies implant a virus that allows Skeptic access to UA’s systems so that he can safely work his magic in peace…at least up until La Brava stops him. As for how he can fight so well, perhaps have a chapter detailing Skeptic actually bothering to improve his Quirk so that he doesn’t need to use much to create puppets thats can do simple commands, and with access to Detnerat support items, he can effectively spawn more infinitely.

That’s how you can explain Skeptic outlasting the others for so long. At least, up until Tengai is knocked out by Tokage and Kamikiri via the Warp Gate. Thus, shutting down the barrier to allow Skeptic and any remaining Villains to be wiped out. 

Of course, there’s also the issue of the likes of Ketsubutsu’s deal with Skeptic being overturned, though I think a good way to handle that is to have them also at Takoba trying to take Skeptic’s forces down. In this case, a good midtier Villain that can give them a challenge is Deidoro Sakaki and Katsukame. Sakaki’s Sloshed and Katsukame’s energy drain are being a real nuisance in preventing the Heroes from getting to Skeptic, so it’s up to Ketsubetsu to stop them. In this case, Shindo and Nakagame take down Sakaki, while Ms. Joke and those other two guys beat Katsukame. Thus, freeing up more space to focus on the nerdy fuck who needs to get out of the barrier. 

As for any other side Villains to go along with Skeptic, I’m all for including the likes of the Carmine Advisors that made it out, beyond Toga’s 1st ranker. So Toga #3 and Skeptic’s #3. As for Gashly, he can still work as the main muscle, albeit with a revamped Quirk? Perhaps his Baby Tree quirk is more on the psychological side of things that make Skeptic’s puppets even more of a hassle to fight against? Nomu for Takoba will be Chubs to add to the whole theme of ‘this place is chalk full of tanky, long-distance, support fuckers who won’t fight directly’ which is just bound to get on the Takoba Heroes nervesXD

Main Boss: Skeptic

Jailbreaker: Gashly (with a revamped Quirk, probably something rhyme-based to help Skeptic’s puppets out)

Return: Tengai, Katsukame, Sakaki - Shie Hassaikai. Needle Hair, Martial Hair

PLF:  Skeptic #3/Toga’s #3

Nomu: Chubs

UA Shelters

Always thought this was more of a shame that there wasn’t really any proper fights here. Yeah, I know the idea is ‘oh, we can’t let the Villains in’ but c’moooon! It’s the final fight - let them be more of a threat by a few breaking in, causing the Heroes on the inside to try to stop them.

Let Mustard return to spray his gas to help weaken the Heroes defenses, which allows him to get a rematch with Kendo and Tetsu again! Let Mimic get smuggled into UA to take control of the damn thing after Skeptic failed! Have the remaining yakuza work with the saboteurs, acting as their guardsman while they try to bring UA down and it’s a race against time to really stop them. Hell, let Mummy return to use his powers to turn the machinery against the Heroes and have them work hard as Hell to stop him!!

How did they get in? IDK, let one of the saboteurs have a Quirk that let’s them be dollar tree version of Mr. Compress, or maybe they snuck in, if only barely. Heck, maybe after Kurogiri is freed, AFO placed the data for inside of UA and the team meant to rampage in it (thanks to the spies) inside of Shiggy’s mask and Kurogiri warped the taskforce in after the factl There are ways to go about it to make it work. Just allow people like Kaminari and Momo to get more to do than off-screen deal with Twice copies!!! 

But, with that in mind, every location needs a boss of some sort, right?...So why not have the one in charge of such operations be Giran? Have him sneak into UA via his muddle Quirk and make him the director of sabotage for the Villain forces, something he’d be proud to do since he’d want revenge for Twice's death. As for how he doesn’t get folded instantly when found out, if you don’t want to have him unguarded, you can have him use his/Detenerat’s support items to hold off Heroes long enough to make some play happen for his side. I just think it’d be a fitting way to end his story trying to payback the man who saved his life instead of just…not existing after a while.

Boss: Giran

League: Mustard

Jailbreaker: Mummy

Shie Hassaikai: Chronostasis, Mimic, Nemoto, Garbage Trio

PLF: Saboteurs (Tajima, Mihaera, and three people no one cares about)

Gunga Villa

Last, but not least, we got the Gunga battlefield…which is very much due for an uplift. Seriously, the battlefield against the Demon Lord should not have been so damn barren like in canon. Even the Nomus that got sent with him, who were giving everyone else so much trouble, went down likes chumps. So…how to correct it?

Simple! Make it the powerhouse buffet with all the heaviest of hitters being sent there. Woman and her analytical skills mixed with her bloodlust? She’s there to kick ass like the rampaging beast queen that she is, and ensure that the the Heroes really don’t get that much of a break while AFO is wrapped up fighting Team Endeavor in the skies.

Rappa of the Eight Bullets rampaging through the battlefield, knocking out people clean up until Kirishima arrives on Machia - then the rematch of a lifetime could occur!!! I will never stop harping on this, I truly believe we should have gotten a Kirishima and Rappa rematch in the Final War, and its a WASTE Rappa/none of the yakuza besides Overhaul returned!!!

Toxic Chainsaw, the name-dropped foe that All Might whooped back in the 1st chapter and could have probably been a neat callback? Add in Dreadlock Jailbreaker having a spike quirk and the threat from a living pincushion and toxic waste shoots the threat level way up. These guys I’ld probably leave as a deal opponents for the Shiketsu side of things, to give them some form of meaningful foe to clear out before taking on AFO.

Finally, the name-dropped Sanctum and the rest of the Twice Squad serving as, well not really AFO back-up, but general mook rallying nonetheless so the battlefield for this affair is a bit more of semi-organized affair for the Villains instead of a huge mosh pit where they got wiped out so easily.

Boss: AFO

Jailbreaker: Toxic Chainsaw, Dreadlock Jailbreaker

Nomu: Woman

Advisors: Sanctum & other Twice Advisors

Return: Rappa, Habit Headgear, Tesla, Victor

-

Ultimately, this was how I'd split them up! I tried to give each battlefield someone related to the League or who we have seen could be a credible match for the Heroes.

ALso saw fit to give an expalnation as to why some are here and others elsewhere...or not here at all.

Why isn't Re-Destro here?

Because I think the idea of Redestro going down fighting allow the PLF to escape is actually a good idea and could have lead to more development for his top brass, with the post-war showing how each of them are trying to carry on the organization's will. Geten's furious and preparing his Quirk more, Skeptic is actually training to defend himself and other better, Trumpet is channeling his inner Usopp and just lying to every straggler he finds to bolster their forces.

Why is the Shie Hassakai helping AFO?

Mutual benefit. The SH wants Overhaul back, AFO can free him if they win. Also, in Rappa's case, he just wants to brawl so he's imediately on board.

Why only Movie 2 villains on-board?

Because they're the only movie villains that are both in Japan, and not arrested internationally. I mean, I could have tried to incldue Wolfram and his dudes, if I wanted? But if I do ever make a pitch for a new Dark Deku Jailbreaker arc, I'd rather save him for that.

Aaaaaand, that's that?

Regardless, this is pretty much just a thought experiment on my part so hope you got some enjoyment from it!! Think I could have done any of these battlefields better?

[transfemzedaph]

idea that definitely hasnt been living in my brain:

joel totally, 100%, does NOT have a massive crush on zedaph. zedaph, who he's heard a lot of things about but, but nothing could've prepared him for how blummin' cute he is, for goodness sake-- what. what? don't look at him like that. it's nothing. shut up.

(hope u like this even if u dont write smth for it DJBDJD)

i fucking loved this ask so much <3. i transed joel & zeds genders. bc im me. also the end is meh & i dont know what grians base looks like and i do not care

-

Of course Joel had heard about Zedaph, how could they not have. There was the rest of ZITS in the life series, Skizz specifically when he found out the both of them were joining, and of course Grians run down of all of the hermits. The basic gist of it was she's weird in a cool way and makes creative and useless but fun machines, which honestly, Joel thought sounded really awesome. Redstone was fine and all but they did tend to think most redstoners were way too serious about the whole thing.

So when Joel was invited over to be the first person to test Zeds newest thing, they were excited!

What none of any of his friends had told them, was how flippin cute she was. And yeah maybe Joel ended up stumbling over their words more than usual whilst hanging out, and yeah maybe they were a little bit distracted from the game? activity? workout? whatever it was, Joel was a bit distracted because they kept watching Zed.

Joel rushes their goodbyes and runs off back home, laying face down on the floor of their newly built home, void they should have put some furniture in already.

Grian wanders over and lets out a little snort at the sight of Joel, who just groans and rolls over, propping themself up a bit,

"This is all your fault."

Grian just stares.

Joel locks eyes with him face scrunching, "You didn't tell me she was cute."

Grian, promptly bursts out laughing.

"Gri, no, this isn't funny. This is serious. And she's gonna think I'm an idiot now and it's all your fault!"

Grian's still laughing.

Joel sits then self up and crosses their arms indignantly, "Are you done?"

Grian's giggling a bit when he replies, "You've got it so bad! For a blonde! Again! You have a type sooo bad."

Joel kicks their leg out towards Grian, grumbling slightly, "Yeah well, you're blonde but you're ugly and I hate you. So there."

Grian sits himself down next to Joel, bumping their shoulder with his own as he does.

"Honestly I bet Zed loved hanging out with you. Don't worry yeah? And at least next time you can compose yourself before you hang out."

Joel leans their head on Grians shoulder.

"Yeah." They sigh, picking at their fingernails, before mumbling "Think 'm just overthinking it cause of being new 'n all that. Just dont wanna make anyone hate me."

Grian scoffs, "No one is going to hate you, and you know Skizz, and probably Tango and Impulse as well, have all talked to Zed about you? Why do you think she invited you to hang out?"

Joel hums.

"To me it seems like she was also trying to impress you too, showing off what she made?"

Joel blushes, halfheartedly giving Grian a little shove, "Shut up."

-

It's a couple of days later when Joel barges into Grians house, "I have an excuse to go visit Zed!"

Grian sighs, "And you had to come and tell me about this? Right now?"

Joel takes in the scene, Mumbo, standing next to a coffee machine, his moustache looking very lackluster, Grian almost curled up on his stool, hands clasped around a mug.

Joel winces, "Uh, what time is it?"

"Too early for this nonsense, shoo." Grian lazily waves one hand in Joels general direction to usher them away.

Joel grumbles to themself as they walk away, "Whatever, Grian doesn't get to know my really cool and awesome plan of going over and saying that we need to beat Impulse and Tangos high score without being a bit cheaty like they were. Which is the best plan ever."

[he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle]

2024 Tumblr Top 10

I was tagged by @my-rose-tinted-glasses​. Thanks, Rose!

go here to see your top 10 posts of 2024, share them and tag people!

1. Watch Tracy Chapman Start a Quiet Revolution. 11,874 notes - Feb 5 2024

After watching Tracy Chapman perform with Luke Combs at the Grammys I thought: SHE’S STILL GOT IT. So I dug out a video of the first time I’d ever seen her (which also happened to be the first time I’d heard Fast Car) -- a live performance at Wembley Stadium in 1988. It’s life-altering. No joke.

2. Re: Love in the Air (Japanese Version) First impressions. 273 notes - Nov 2 2024

I am enjoying how the tighter script in the Japanese version is making it even more obvious that Payu/Arashi really did have...

3. In which I lose my mind over the current state of QL and Asian Gay Dramas. 194 notes - Jan 10 2024

There's so much diversity on our screens right now! My currently airing favorite queer dramas include a hot af trans chic and...

4. Unknown - Ep 11 - That Scene 187 notes - May 11 2024

The opening scene of episode 11 landed differently for me than it did for others. I was going to just keep it to myself since I have a minority opinion, but when I rewatched it last night I fell even more in love with it!

The structure!! It’s so good! Let me explain...  (gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul​)

5. Re: The main characters’ names in A Killer Paradox. 169 notes - Feb 10 2024

THEY BOTH HAVE SUCH CUTE NAMES!

당 = Tang = Nickname for Sugar and used at the end of words to cute-ify them.

난감 = Nan Gam = Embarrassed. Impossible. Awkward. Because you’re at a loss, in a sticky situation, or facing a conundrum, a paradox. His full name Jang Nan Gam means Toy, and can sometimes be slang for ‘Are you playing with me?“....

6. In Defense of Dee’s choices in Wandee Goodday as the fandom got progressively more and more frustrated with him. 162 notes - Jun 1 2024

I 100% understand Dee’s behavior this episode. He’s aware of his own feelings, aware that they’re growing, and sometimes he can’t help himself. He crosses the line because of those feelings. Yet every time Yak says or does something that seems a little over the line in return (like introducing himself to Dee’s parents as his boyfriend), Dee feels like...

7. On the nifty Korean wordplay in the opening and closing credits of Love Next Door. 145 notes - Aug 24 2024 THE THIN LINE BETWEEN HATE AND LOVE. Just putting this out there because it was a cute visual! At the end of episode 2, we see the episode title written in the stars... (This ended up being something I posted about for at least half the episodes, but I never did collect the posts into an easy-to-find series. Hmmm....)

8. In which I got my hopes up after watching the first 2 episodes of Wedding Impossible (before they were dashed against the rocks later...) 145 notes - Feb 27 2024

It’s probably too early to be putting this out there, but Wedding Impossible has a gay male lead, a lavender marriage plot between said gay lead and his high school bestie who beats up homophobic bullies and acts as his beard during their school years, and said bestie falling in love with the gay lead’s younger brother (so a noona romance?)...

9. Just another day of simping for Gun Attaphan and sharing a host of his pics. 140 notes - Feb 5 2024 THE SERVE! My favorite flavor of Gun Atthaphan looks is when he dresses like a U-haul Lesbian.JUST LOOK AT THE MAN!...

10. A 4 Minutes Theory that was only kinda right. 135 notes - Jul 27 2024

4 MINUTES - DEATHBED REGRET THEORY

So @biochemjess put forth the idea that both times that we have seen Great see 4 minutes into the future were times he failed to take responsibility for his actions.

We also have the account of the cardiac arrest survivor that Dr Den is interviewing who says that she did not know she was having a cardiac event, but instead experienced it like living her past memories again, and....

Tagging @bengiyo​ @absolutebl @telomeke​ @usertoxicyaoi​ @spicyvampire​

[toska-writes]

“Back into Place”

Summary: A quite night full of fun sparring and wrestling activities a certain commander comes to teach their young padawan a thing or two.

Pairing: Wolffe x g!n padawan reader (if You don’t know by now Platonic!!)

Warning: None really. Not proof read 100%. Massive big brother vibes I can’t-

Word count: 1680

Notes: clearly I’ve never wrestled before but it was really fun to write! It you want to suggest an idea or pairing please please please do!

“Oh come on don’t give up on me yet” Ahsoka loomed just over your head. Currently shoving your face into the training mat that desperately needed to be washed.

“I’m not out yet.” You breathed out, trying someway to loosen the torgutas grip around you.

You shuffled a little bit under her before trying to swing a leg around her own.

The clones watching cheered loudly, the high celling of the training room enhanced the noise even more.

Your brothers were different when you went against them previously. Sure they were bigger in size but knowing each of them well gave you hints of where to strike first.

Wrestling matches have become the hot topic for those who found downtime and a training mat.

Fives was tough enough- distracted easily with quick moves, sure he was fast but if you could anticipate his next move it went smoother. Comet was the wild card of the group, him being young you expected him to strike quickly but he was more calculated. The only way you got him down was the moves that he couldn’t register quick enough.

Ashoka was calm and closed off, nothing of what she did at the start of the match gave away what she planned. You couldn’t calculate or anticipate her next move, the force couldn’t even help you either.

She knew what she was doing, keeping you in the dark like that was how she got to you so quickly.

Another attempt you finally flipped from the awkward position on your side to your stomach.

She pushed up giving a gap between the two of you, this was the split second you need to flip once again and use your hip to extend into her.

She fell not expecting the new contact, you were on her in a second pinning her legs with your own and her chest with your hands.

Fives flew to the floor with the two of you getting a better look, clearly loving the action he was seeing.

Ahsoka squired from where she was pinned under you, for a moment you thought she’d break through once again but Rex called out to stop the match.

“Sorry Soka, Y/N got you in that one.” Rex held out a hand for the both of you to take and pulling you up.

You laughed at Ahsokas fake pout. “Hey I’m sure you’ll get me in the next one.”

“I’ll keep you to that.” She grabbed your shoulder, breaths coming in as deep as yours.

Boost gripped your free shoulder. “Commander I think we found you a new opponent, one of the men.”

You raised an eyebrow at this, it became a running joke in your battalion that beating you in a silly wrestling match was what they really trained for on Kamino. Sure some clones have but it’s always a fun challenge for all.

“Oh yea?” You questioned.

Before the soldier in front of you could get his second sentence out the training room doors opened.

“Somebody commed?” Wolffe questioned looking around the room. “This better be worth my time.”

You rolled your eyes at the man that entered, you could hear the light tone in his voice which made you relax a little.

“We just need someone to put the commander back into place.” Boost joked looking down at you slinging more of his weight into you.

You rolled your eyes again as a smiled grew on your own face.

“Is that so?” Wolffe smirked himself already unclipping the armor that hung off of him.

You didn’t want to say you were scared, but seeming Wolffe loom in front of you now you started to sweat.

You were too proud to back down now in front of all your friends, but in your head you already knew who you would bet on to win.

“You can skip this fight commander. If your not ready yet.” Wolffe quipped sizing you up from the other side of the mat.

“I think I’ll try my hand at it.” You stared right back at him, trying to do that death stare he always had when about to fight clankers, oh maker that was the face of nightmares

You looked over at Ahsoka as she stood next to Fives, clearly the man was betting on who would win. Ahsoka flashed you a quick shrug pretty much saying ‘yeah your on your own’

Rex’s hand came between you. He looked from one to the other. You saw Wolffe flash a cocky smile at you, trying any way he can to get under your skin.

Focus, you had to focus.

“Ready.” Rex announced “Set, Fight.” His arm flashed back to his side as he got out of the way.

Cheering ensued but all you focused on was Wolffe. What did you know about Wolffe. Calculated, strong, well trained, Tactical, scrappy, patient.

The first moment the two of you stared down the other, Wolffe hopped back and forth on his feet pretty much taunting you to make the first strike.

He knew you would, Wolffe fought beside you for too long to know that when facing an enemy it was easier for you to control the first move leading to controlling the out come of the fight.

He would never let that happen this time.

You lunge at him, the blacks that were draped over him weren’t the best fabric to try and grab onto. Your hands slipped from his torso while trying to get one of his legs out from under him.

Wolffe having no problem himself also went for your legs after you made the first contact. His grip was better than your own.

You stepped around his hands once, now on your knees. You swatted his hands away now once again putting your head down and lunging for him with any contact you could muster

Wolffe couldn’t blink before your were trying at him again. He knew you were fast but was still mildly surprised. The one mistake he did see though was your momentum.

He maneuvered to the side at the last posssible second trapping your upper body between his left arm and his own. He let out a gruff laugh trying to pin you into place.

You squirmed trying to break his iron hold but he, let’s face it was really strong. Your free hand wrapped around his back while you tried to extend your legs to get the commander onto his back.

Wolffe having the upper hand now and mapping all the possible moves you were most likely to try next took it upon himself to bring you to the ground himself.

You stayed on your back now still caught in his arms, you flipped once to your side so Rex couldn’t call the fight over yet.

You had to have another trick up your sleeve. What would Wolffe try next? Knowing him he’s trying to wait you out, until you tire yourself for him.

You froze for a second, without seeing his face his presence in the force wavered for a second in confusion.

“Giving up commander, I thought you were better than this.” His breath betrayed from his voice how this fight wore him. Even if it was the slightest difference.

You started to move again instantly, trying to take the surprise route. Before he knew what happened you were out of his grip now closing the gap between him and the floor for him.

You struggled for a second before pinning on of his arms down.

Cheers from the brothers all around you filled your ears, victory was so close maybes you could pull through.

Wolffe flashed a smirk at you bringing your attention back to him. “You know your masters told me.” He breathed. What was he on about.

You struggled trying to get him off his side. “That pride and lust for victory is something you need to watch.”

His distraction worked. In a moment you felt the ground go out from under you, soon met with the heavy weight of the trooper now really pinning you down.

You knew this is where he wanted you, you could practically see the wheels turning in his head and the plan he created for this flashed across him. It was hopeless now.

You squirmed for what felt like forever, the commander now toying with you. He gave another laugh.

Rex waved his hands in the air calling to stop the fight.

The weight was lifted off your chest as you sucked in the cold air above you.

Wolffe rolled to the side now sitting above you. Some of his brothers taping him on the shoulder.

“You had me worried there for a second cyare.” He taunted in an unusually light voice. You twisted from the spot on the ground to look at him.

“Oh sureeee.” You laughed “I’ll need a rematch ori’vod.” He pulled you up from the mat so you stood pressed against him.

He playfully put you into a headlock ruffling your hair. “Of course you do. We’ll see how that goes” The cares seemed to slip off of his face, just for a moment surrounded by his brothers and padawan he cared about a lot more than he wished to admit.

The spectators gathered around now. The chatter was light and sweet. “I lost a few credits to Jeese here but I thought you had it.” Ahsoka came beside you while still in the grasp of Wolffe.

“Glad to see who’s Jeese’s loyal too.” You joked flashing a smile at the trooper.

“Had to make the credits somehow.” He defended “I wouldn’t mind loosing a few credit to Soka here if it means you beating Wolffe.”

Wolffe let a deep laugh from beside you. “You both can keep dreaming.”

You rolled your eyes once again looking up at Wolffe, the once in a lifetime smile decorated his face. Maybe getting beaten into the floor wasn’t so bad if it made you vod look like that.

“Remind me to show you a few tricks tomorrow at training.” Wolffe said to you. “Maybe next time you’ll actually have a shot.”

You laughed squishing in closer to his side. Maybe next time you would.

[aestariiwilderness]

BB Season 3 Thoughts, Part II, since this is apparently a thing I'm doing at the moment *SPOILERS*

For the new episode. I have already forgotten what it's called. Aside from "The One Where Omega & Crosshair Become Hustlers"

So, from what I'm seeing from this, Crosshair is most relaxed and content (a) in an inversely proportional relationship to the aggravation of the people around him; bonus points if he is causing the aggravation and (b) when someone else -- ANYONE ELSE -- is in charge. Up to and including small blond civilian. That's when he can snark the most at the people soldiering on under the actual responsibility (see: Hunter, Rex), footloose and fancy-free in the knowledge that even when the plan goes wrong, it won't be His Fault. This is, objectively, hilarious. ("Smoker-Coded Angst Man Manifesting As the Physical Representation of a Hard-Bitten Hedgehog Perfectly Happy Being Smoker-Coded Angst Man: Film at Eleven"; "Younger Sibling Most Fulfilled In Life When Criticizing Older Siblings' Plans While Bringing Absolutely Nothing to the Table").

The extent to which he is taking this in "Life Changing Field Trip with Little Sister Less Than Half My Height" is both hilarious and concerning. (Seriously. Is there brain damage here? Is he just that determined to Not Be Making the Decisions? No wonder he identified so hard with the Empire, the man can't seem to function without an overlord to be bitter about).

Omega is setting her sights too low. JUST letting all the animals free? JUST helping Gregor? JUST helping Hera's parents? With a squad of elite commandos (who were also, when they met her, cocky nine-year-old morons with blasters and mild superpowers, I will grant you that) wrapped around her little finger against their better judgment, she could have pointed them at the Emperor by now and BANG. The next thing you know, through the power of plot, family, and completely unhinged clone shenanigans? Palpatine is a smoking pile of nerf nuggets, someone's lost a limb, Omega's hanging from the Senate Dome, and we're still retrieving Hunter after he accidentally grappled onto a passing speeder and got dragged three planetary blocks downtown.

Omega, having just survived prison, a prison escape, and a violent crashlanding into a planet that actually seems to be the geographical equivalent of Crosshair himself, flying high on step 45.7a of this escape "plan": wait we need the navicomputer so we can go back and rescue all the other prisoners! Crosshair (who was on step 2: survive?? Maybe?? Why is there a dog behind my seat??): what

Crosshair's biggest complaint with Omega's leadership: you're wasting my murder skills! Rampart wouldn't do this to me

Omega's first idea for a moral, peaceful resolution: um. Gambling. I've done it before and earned lots! (Crosshair, frantically rearranging everything he knows about his brothers in his head: you've what)

Omega's second idea for a moral, semi-peaceful resolution: RELEASE THE KRAKEN

Baby Goggles Victorian Street Urchin Child (which Crosshair was totally 100% down with beating into the ground at the slightest provocation, which is also 100% in character)

Omega, morphing into Hunter after five minutes with Crosshair in a mildly snarky mood: STOW IT

Omega, ship thief master. Han Solo wishes he had what she has

Scottish?? Imperial Officer??

All the clones. They're all so homeschooled

Crosshair, wearing a soft quilted jacket instead of the black gothic armor caked with blood his soul naturally craves: ugh mom why

Oh, don't even with this ominous music and Wrecker not smiling. Please. Pull the other one, it's got bells on. Is being miffed at Crosshair a rational reaction? Absolutely. Would they be in this mess without his, uh, everything? No, they wouldn't. Is being suspicious of Crosshair a rational reaction? Yes, and VERY HEALTHY TOO. Do I want them to be mad at him? 100% with this garbage man. Which is why it will be very hard to convince me that in the next episode, actual marshmallow Wrecker and currently-held-together-with-string-and-duct-tape Hunter aren't going to take one look at Crosshair, missing-stray-cat-with-one-ear-and-no-redeeming-qualities, and burst into tears.

[foxoftheninetails]

So, I have to brag just a bit. As previously mentioned, I haven't ever been great at fighting games. Moreover, I was a notorious button masher.

But with the release of my beloved Elphelt on Strive, I am here to stay. I've been playing since about mid-December, and I am a slow learner as it is.

In the beginning, with my friends patented school, I learned a lot in a short amount of time. Then I practiced on my own, ran the arcade mode, and worked on tower. I of course grabbed fights with friends when I could. But about 5 weeks ago, I hit what felt like a plateau. Admittedly, getting my ass handed to me constantly was very disheartening as well. And I still wasn't very good.

I stepped away from it for a couple of weeks, proceeded to lose whatever edge I had developed, and lost interest. I bought Bridget in an attempt to reawaken the fighting spirit, and spent a very lovely afternoon fighting her computer on very hard. Then I stopped and didn't pick it up.

When they dropped A.B.A on Tuesday, I was very excited. I thought a new character to try out would help, and everyone else would be trying her as well, so I might have a chance to win a little bit while they learn the new controls.

With the new patch, suddenly I couldn't boot the game. I spent over a day trying to figure it out. I tried everything from verifying files to reinstalling to getting third party software. Nothing worked, I just couldn't get on the network. I missed out on pre practice, I missed out on hours of playing with friends. Finally, working with everyone, we figured out the problem. One stupid, simple fix (disabling my antivirus software, yes I know I'm an idiot) and it booted first try.

By the time I joined the lobby, I was shaking from being hungry and angry and frustrated. Everyone else was warmed up, and I was cold for three weeks. I sorta kinda held my own, got my ass kicked again and again, but it didnt feel oppressive. Instead, it was invigorating. Some of the techniques and combos I had practiced worked, and I even got complimented.

Then tonight, we had another Strive lobby night. And something clicked. I was playing. I didn't win every match, but I didn't lose every match either. I stood my ground against players far better than me. I won multiple rounds in a row, and most importantly learned a few new techniques and ideas. I implemented on the fly. Tonight felt good.

We had a random come into the lobby, who is high level with all characters, and coaches. They run tourneys, and was top 100 with a couple of their mains. I warned them before our match that I wouldn't stand a chance, but like everyone in this community, they were more interested in playing and helping than beating me down. I managed to take them down below half health in a couple matches.

After stream, I went back and watched some older videos of my gameplay, then some from last night and tonight and the level of improvement I've made is astounding.

I react faster, my combos are cleaner, there's less wasted space/time/movement, and I'm starting to feel which move is the right defense, allowing me to be proactive in defense and getting out of neutral. And I can see when to be aggreasive and when to wait more easily.

I was at a precipice, and I honestly felt stuck. The combination of time away, solo practice, and a more relaxed and patient attitude the last couple of nights has broken through. I feel positive about future sessions, and I'm looking forward to playing rather than dreading it.

I'm very pleased with myself, and I feel positive. Playing games with such skilled people is kind of dampening for both my confidence and my pride, so this was pretty great. Okay, no more bragging. K thx byeeeeeeee

[cloudycaffeinatedcryptid]

How do you think the counselors would be as drivers? What kind of cars do you think they would own?

oooh this is fun to think about!! i also don't know anything about cars so prepare for unfiltered, no context nonsense! but srsly thank you so much for the ask, i love to Brainrot <3 sorry this took so long, i needed to chew on it

Jacob - as much as i love ragging on our beefy boy, i do think he's a good driver. i don't think he would've been trusted to drive the van if he wasn't & i can see him having a pickup truck. maybe he gets it from his dad/parents on his 18th birthday? i have. Theories 👀 maybe got like,,, a couple speeding tickets in high school & his truck is probably old & beat up & red for sure. otherwise, he gets a subaru & no i won't explain

Kaitlyn - everyone on the road is stupid & in her way & "why is this even a 30 mph speed limit when it goes up to 45 in like a mile???" it's not so much that she's a bad driver, she's just impatient & pissed off by everyone else. when she's in a bad mood, unfortunately she sometimes parks like an asshole :( & she's jumped a curb or two when she's in a rush. a fistful of parking tickets & half as many speeding tickets have made her a tad more cautious but she still doesn't like driving. she would 100% have a Jeep, but i would LOVE to see her on a motorbike

Ryan - public transportation boy. he has a subway pass, he doesn't have to deal with traffic, it's perfect. he prolly could drive if he had to but he'd really rather not & he's a bit hesitant when he does. buick verano, one of the most car-looking cars ever

Dylan - also prolly a public transportation boy, he tends to be an anxious driver. if he has/had a car, it's an early 2000s, obnoxiously red, chevy cavalier

Nick - i know dunking on Nick is my brand & i very much enjoy it, he's a Slimy Boi, but begrudgingly, i think he's an okay driver. he's not anyone's first choice to drive when they go out but it's not a big deal if he ends up behind the wheel. i think he got one of his parents' old vehicles after they got a new one, so maybe either an old, small truck, or an old hatchback

Emma - the darling love of my life is a Woman In A Hurry. she should prolly have more speeding tickets than she does & she WILL make it thru the yellow light before it turns red, no matter how impossible that is. her turns are usually sharp, she doesn't slow down enough for speed bumps, & if there's no one around, she usually rolls thru stop signs. it makes everyone in the vehicle very nervous so she usually doesn't drive. she also can't drive on ice. she has a kia rio or similar style car

Abi - she's actually a really good driver. she has good reflexes, she's attentive, & obeys all traffic laws. she needs her maps app to get anywhere but her ability to leave in time to get places five minutes early no matter the road conditions is uncanny. she's never gotten a ticket & she wants to keep it that way. she isn't comfortable driving big vehicles & she for sure has a volkswagen beetle

Laura & Max - maybe cheating a bit here to combine them, but i have my reasons. i think they're both good drivers, honestly. i think they swap out the driver's seat pretty often - Max is better at night driving & long distance, but Laura usually drives during the day, around town, & for any daily errands. Laura's more likely to have gotten a ticket or two for not paying attention to the parking or going over the speed limit without really meaning to have gone so fast, but Max has definitely accidentally blown a couple stop signs bc he didn't notice them until the last second. his vehicle is the one they're in during the prologue - i'll be honest, i have no idea what kind it is, i've been googling cars this entire time. i think Laura has some type of sedan from around 2009

sorry this was so long - i only put pictures for vehicles i was rlly specific on, incase you're like me & don't know ✨anything✨ about vehiculars. please enjoy my headcannons

thank you again!!

[darkenforcer]

「 GET TO KNOW YOUR RP PARTNER! 」 ( repost, please don’t reblog )

「BASICS」

▐ NAME: luke ▐ PRONOUNS: he/him, they/them every once in a blue moon ▐ SEXUALITY: bi 👍 ▐ TAKEN OR SINGLE: single ▐ FIVE FACTS:

sonic and tales are my two longest-running hyperfixations. no idea what that says about me aside from proving i'm a giant dweeb.

i lived in europe while i was in university (~4 years)! back in the US since last summer tho and chilling (i.e., working & also not getting my driver's license)

i can and will beat anyone who challenges me to a race in mario kart. this is a threat.

my high school didn't have an official drama club so i never got the true theater exp, but i reaaally like acting and starred in leading roles before! i miss it a lot </3

i've been self-dyeing my hair different colors since i was 14! the best color combo i've ever done (imo) was a vibrant red that faded into yellow back when i had super long hair. it lasted only 2 washes lmao.

「EXPERIENCE」

▐ HOW LONG (YEARS/MONTHS): at least 12 years on-and-off! ▐ PLATFORMS USED: email, deviantart, skype, and tumblr obviously ▐ BEST EXPERIENCE: IDK!!!! i've had so many fun moments here (especially since app'ing yuri) that it'd be impossible to choose just one. can i be corny and say getting to befriend other muns or will i get mauled

「MUSE PREFERENCES」

▐ MALE/FEMALE/OTHER: i tend to lean toward canon male muses that i hit with the transmasc or nonbinary beam, but if i look at my entire history it's been an even split ▐ FAVORITE FACECLAIM: don't have one!! use ur imagination if you've never seen a selfie of mine ▐ FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT: that's tough... it depends on my mood but i'll always go for anything that'll. ahem. hit me in the feels, as they say. for smut tho idk i've only ever written it in fanfic form so ▐ PLOTS OR MEMES: both!! i think memes are good for squeezing in smaller interactions you can't fit into long ass threads, but i also rly like planning and working toward a certain point with other muns, too! ▐ LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: i'm totally fine with either but i am Not immune to accidentally making replies longer than needed lol ▐ BEST TIME TO WRITE: i draft a lot of my replies at work then finish them up in the evening / morning... whenever i have time and motivation tbh ▐ ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSES: IDK.. i feel like i'd be hyping myself up too much if i said i was "like yuri" considering he's won the character popularity poll every time he's been allowed on there. i do relate to certain aspects of his character, though, 100%! it's hard for me to rp characters i can't tap into to some extent.

[novasiri]

Yeah, definitely making this one my 'Commander' character. I have some vague ideas on how the whole story with him goes as I play him through EVERY story beat.. But yeah.

Details under the read more.

Pmuch his pre-story stuff stays the same for both Commander Verse and Non-Verse. Awoke 5 years prior to the main story taking place. The diversion comes with his Wyld Hunt.

For the Commander, he leaves the Grove to travel the world and learn from other races to better learn about potentially HOW to go about his Wyld Hunt. Which for a Sylvari Commander is to 'Kill an Elder Dragon'. Tho I have tweaked said 'Dream' into that he saw MULTIPLE dragons looming beyond the first one, but never told anyone that little 'detail'.

In Non-Commander verse, he still leaves the Grove, but not because of a Wyld Hunt, but that he meets with a Charr traveler and becomes fascinated by the Charr and their culture.

Both verses, he winds up in the Black Citadel, enamored with their machinery, their methodologies, and culture. Thinking that if any race had the 'tools' to deal with the Dragons, it was the Charr.

In both verses, he trains extensively with them for 5 years leading up to 1325 AE. He formally joins the Iron Legion was an engineer in 1322 AE, and is often put on patrols and deployed to branded zones in Iron Marches and Blazeridge Steppes for the.. obvious reason.

For the Commander Verse, he actually follows the 'Charr Personal Story' specifically the Route of Iron Legion with the Ghost Bore Musket before branching into joining the Order of Whispers and reuniting with Trahearne after 5 years since his awakening.

For Non-Commander verse, he remains as a high ranking engineer for the Iron Legion up until the formation of the Pact, and chooses to at least offer them some aid in the coming battles against the Dragons. Yet his loyalty remains closely tied to the Black Citadel.

As for his build, due to the fact he basically lived, ate and fought amongst the Charr for 5 years after his awakening, he's got a very tall, and heavy build. His body has hardened bark around his face, arms and torso that are resistant against heat and some parts are even stained black from the oil he often found himself elbow deep in when tearing apart machinery.

He 100% could pick up and throw most people shorter than him.

Will likely update this more as I progress him through the full story + living world seasons.. ect.

[person25]

so i’ve already talked about my feelings for daminette, now i thinks it’s time for the other maribat ship (that i’ve read for) (skip the first two ships if you actually want to read interesting words)

dick x marinette:

honestly, i haven’t read much and have only seen it where they knew each other in the circus. the least popular out of the (male) robins. i think it could be adorable if executed well but yk i haven’t really put my heart into it so i can’t say much.

tim x marinette:

definitely cute, both usually a mess, also addicted to coffee?? i mean whatever helps you through the day. i like the dynamic a lot. i feel like marinette would be most likely to get in a relationship with tim out of the others, based on what? what my brain tells me. they deserve to live happily ever after with each other. also don’t have much to say about them, i enjoy it👍

jason x marinette:

now this is where it gets interesting, jason and marinette would make a very good couple imo. balance each other out and all that. mari is always a badass in these which is definitely a slay. honestly these do everything right that i have a problem with in daminette fics, probably bc most people writing these have a stronger understanding of the characters than daminette writers (respectfully)

almost always talks about jason’s trauma aswell as marinettes which i personally want more of in daminette fics. more explicit fics than any of the other (i’m pretty sure anyways) so if that’s what you’re into, this is probably the one. also quite a bit of soulmate aus (again my fav if done right)

usually older than 20 so more mature and not in high school. high school is fine until you’re tired of it and don’t want to read it ever again, iykyk.

honestly my 2nd fav (as much as i tear daminette down it’ll always be #1 in my heart fr) they just have that special something the others don’t

other things about maribat as a whole i haven’t talked about yet:

i really don’t like when mari can beat any of the boys in a fight out of her suit unless it explicitly states how she’s so strong. these boys have been training their whole lives and i don’t think marinette could beat them with little training out of the suit. like don’t make her strong bc you want her to be strong do it to further the story or have a good explanation as to why

i may have said i don’t like salt but i definitely do, as long as it makes sense at least a little bit. i think any ship other than daminette (depends on the fic ofc) does salt well, honestly like adrien as a bestie more than an enabler but if you don’t like adrien definitely read a maribat salt fic

i have talked abt this but i’m gonna say it again bc it also happens with these ships, marinette does not have more trauma than any of these people and unless you specifically make it that way (which would take a lot of work and a lot of trauma considering what they’ve been through) i don’t like people writing it as if she does when the most they say she’s been through is losing a couple friends and them being slightly mean ( i am NOT talking abt when they physically harass/assault her)

another thing about daminette is that he has green eyes and a tanner complexion so they don’t look too alike but with the rest of the ships they look like siblings and it’s not a deal breaker or anything just a siblings or dating situation

things i’m willing to talk abt if you give me time to read fics:

bruce x marinette:

honestly never thought abt it but if i put enough will power in it i’ll read some, even if it’s a tad bit weird

maribat f/f ships:

i will 100% do this, i just need time to finish a tim x mari fic (i read for this post) bc while i can read multiple fics at a time k cannot read multiple maribats at a time and i’ll read some bc i love the idea just never got around to it

also i’m still new to (posting on) tumblr so bare with me🙏

@fallenkingsvale

[oneatlatime]

The Winter Solstice part 2: Avatar Roku

This episode opens with a complete cul de sac of a conversation. I guess it was for character development? We already know Sokka and Katara are ride or die, but I like the idea of Appa getting to express opinions and be understood and listened to.

My thanks to this guy for moving the plot along.

Zuko is back to being an asshole. And he was so much more interesting last episode.

Zuko is only 16? I thought he was at least mid-twenties. He's in charge of a whole ship at 16. That's an alarming notion.

You know I haven't even met this firelord guy yet but something tells me that Iroh is right and Zuko is giving him too much credit. I'm kind of impressed by how much of a shadow the firelord character is casting over the show without even being introduced yet.

I don't get Katara's point here. It's too dangerous is exactly the reason they're there? It's a killer line but I don't think it makes sense? Also what is with their faces here? Sokka's poor teeth.

This asshole. I was hoping he was a single episode character. He's so good at being a villain that he undermines Zuko as the main villain. Although judging by the reaction of the guy on the left, Zhao's villainy is not typical of fire nation military. He's unusually evil. Also since when is Zuko a traitor? And why does Zhao wear a toga outside of his armour?

Going above the cloud ceiling actually made it worse. Did not see that coming. I have no knowledge of meteorology or whatever the relevant science is, but if they're high enough up to be above the cloud ceiling, shouldn't it be getting hard to breathe?

How. You know it's a good thing that airbenders were all monkly before they disappeared because I think they're all secretly one man armies.

Zhao is a butt, but he's a clever butt. Zuko probably would know more, although in this instance I don't know that he does? Unless that villager he kicked through the door told him. Actually that's probably why Zuko was so close on their tail. So yeah, Zhao is a clever butt.

I know the feeling buddy.

I know that feeling too.

Sokka very solidly being relegated to comic relief in this episode.

Surely if the temple was abandoned it wouldn't be so well swept? Or lit?

Airbenders once again being a one man army.

I was about to point out that there was no way they could know where they were going, but the show beat me to it. Points for self-deprecation.

Avatars can bend magma? Would that be earth bending? Or firebending because of the heat? Or waterbending because it's liquid? Actually, can water bending bend all liquids, or only water based ones? Could waterbenders bend oil? Can anyone?

I know as little about vulcanology as I know about meteorology, but wouldn't it be kind of hot walking there?

This sage's speech here is really well done. Worldbuilding, plus one hundred years of historical context, plus real world consequences to both the Avatar's disappearance and the firelords who took advantage of it. Of course the avatar never appearing would have consequences. Things have gotten warped. Also interesting that the sage uses the word 'hope.' What were they hoping for the next Avatar to do? Were the sages originally against a fire nation war? Were they hoping the avatar would appear and defeat the fire lord who started the war before it really got started? Has this 'Aang defeats the firelord' plan been in place for 100 years?

Sokka not being relegated to comic relief after all! I'd love to know the context of Sokka's dad inventing fake firebending and then feeling the need to pass it on to his son too. A party trick? Actually that would be pretty tasteless (or pretty gallows humour) given that they're southern water tribe.

How is this bridge still standing. Also pretty.

Sokka and Katara proving that they share a brain. Both a good plan, and a good save. Seeing them bounce off each other is always fun.

Momo has the most adorable sneeze!

"What took you so long?" Never has a rebuke been delivered in a more friendly way.

What is with the stairs in this temple? First Zuko can sneak up unheard, then Zhao and a whole crew/platoon/brigade/whatever shows up without anyone noticing? Is this temple carpeted?

So Aang has a maximum of about seven months to learn three other elements to a high enough standard to be able to defeat the firelord and whatever armies he brings with him. No pressure.

BADASS!!!!! You guys are screwed!!!!!!

Lava bending! Magma bending? Badass bending!

Momo saves the day! Did not see that coming!

This whole sequence is so good.

Zhao does not see nuance. Kind of satisfying to see that all the Fire sages are royally screwed. That's frankly quite realistic. Remember in school when one kid misbehaved so the whole class had to miss recess? Same energy from Zhao. Makes sense too: dictatorial empires are not interested in mercy or fairness.

I love the lighting on Zuko's boat. Very yummy textures.

And just like the southern air temple, this one also makes the correct decision and ends on silence.

Credits tell me that one of the voices this episode was done by someone with the abominably badass name of Clement von Frankenstein.

Can you believe these two shots are from the same episode? So pretty.

Final thoughts

I honestly forgot that this was part two of a two part episode. It was pretty much 1000% standalone.

This episode is also good. I think I preferred part 1, because the fire nation in general does get on my nerves a little. Part 1 had Zuko and Iroh being alternatively stupid and badass, which was fun to see. But I'm finding increasingly that Zuko and Iroh are not at all representative of the fire nation in general, and the fire nation in general annoys me. This episode is still really good, and it set up a whole lot for the rest of the season, but it also had Zhao the butt, so points off for that.

Sokka fell hundreds, if not thousands, of feet and is totally fine with it to the point where it never gets brought up again. As Sokka, or as Sokka's sister, I would have had to lie down for a bit after that.

Seeing Aang and company with the addition of the fire sage work as a team is fun, and I like how much understated yet important work Appa and Momo had to do this episode. Appa got them there safely through a hail of flaming whatever-those-were, Momo played Aang's shadow behind the firebending door and retrieved Appa when the temple was sinking, and Appa got them out of there again. They would be so lost without Appa.

There really wasn't much Katara this episode. There wasn't much Sokka either.

How are Aang and friends going to get out past the fire nation blockade again? How is Zuko?

The fact that Zuko is only 16 is something I'm going to have to turn over in my head for a bit. Learning that rattled me. I would say at first that he doesn't feel 16, but looking back at previous episodes with the knowledge of his age, I'm going to have to reevaluate all those times I called him an ass. Maybe he was just being 16. It feels crazy to put a 16 year old on a globetrotting manhunt and in charge of a ship, but this is a world where the Kyoshi warrior ladies are led by a girl Sokka's age, and a pair of teenagers are escorting a child avatar across the world with no adult supervision. Some of this is cartoon logic - it's a kids' show, so the heroes will be viewers' ages or close on, but also, every time I catch myself wondering where the responsible adults are, I have to remind myself that the war ate them up. I thought before this episode (when I thought Zuko was older) that it was a reflection of the state of the war that the fire nation had adults fighting while the other nations were reduced to relying on children/teenagers, but finding out Zuko is a teenager too puts a whole different spin on that. Seems this war has been universally destructive.

Zhao was determined to arrest Zuko (again, why is Zuko a traitor suddenly? Is it because he won the duel thing?) but the (bad) fire sages didn't try to stop Zuko; in fact they worked under his command. So I'm guessing Zhao's opinion of Zuko isn't the fire nation's opinion of him? Actually, is there any indication that the fire sages knew who Zuko was when he showed up?

This episode had good fights, lots of pretty heavy plot stuff and exposition stuff, both for what's coming and for the past and present state of their world. Not much in the way of humour, which makes sense given the subject matter. This episode could have devolved into an infodump, but it didn't.

I'm happy to see how consistently this show is sticking to the idea of consequences that can't be handwaved. Avatar disappears leads to fire sages losing hope. Fire nation going to war leads to previously non-partisan group getting twisted into serving the nation, to the point where they become the enemy of their previous purpose, which can be done to them partially because they have lost hope. Related: that one fire sage did not have to go against his fellow sages and his order's bastardised purpose. He could have taken the easy path, especially since the fire sages' purpose was changed long before he was born, probably. That's some impressive strength of character, to be loyal to an idea that basically died out before you were born. Given Zhao's general nature, all of the fire sages would have been arrested at the end of the episode regardless of what happened because Zhao had to have someone to blame, but that one sage couldn't know that. He's had weeks to come to a clear-eyed decision to betray the corrupt principles of his whole order/career/role. And he does! Good for him.

Now we have our ticking clock for the rest of the season. I loved what Roku said about how Aang will be able to learn the other bending styles because he's done it before. It establishes this permeability and connection between Aang and Roku, and maybe other avatars too. It kind of drives home that Aang isn't just a fun kid (although he absolutely is and I hope he never loses that), he's also something greater, bigger, older. He's like a cosmic entity, or a semi-divine being. And thank goodness he is such a goof, because a cosmic entity or a semi-divine being with unmatched and unmatchable skills and power that was also wrathful, or prideful, or any other negative quality, instead of a goofy happy peaceful kid would be apocalyptic.

That being said, this connection to Roku also goes kind of dark: how much of Aang is Aang? How much is an avatar an individual, as opposed to the sum of avatars that came before them? Can you separate the incarnation from the avatar? Will Aang ever get to belong to himself?

The fire sages are mostly quite old, and the last avatar was during their grandfathers' time. Is there anyone alive who remembers what it was like to live in a world where there is an avatar active? Bumi is very old, but he's Aang's age, so assuming becoming the avatar is something that happens when you're born or soon after, Bumi probably won't remember the last avatar. There was the old man from last episode that recognised Aang's airbender tattoos or clothes. Maybe he remembers the previous avatar? How closely do the last avatar dying and the air nomads getting wiped out coincide?

For that matter, even if Aang saves the world and gets reinstalled globally as the Avatar, does anyone know how to operate in a world where he's present? How do you address an avatar? Are you supposed to invite him to political events? Is he supposed to have a say in nations' internal conflicts? What is the avatar office and responsibilities in the human world? Is there even space for, or a need for, an avatar anymore, beyond the obvious 'defeat the fire nation' angle? What if, over the last century, people have taken over covering what were originally avatar responsibilities? Do those get given back to Aang? Are there any jobs that can only be performed by the avatar that have been left hanging for 100 years? How much clean up is Aang going to have to do? How many spirits like the black and white spirit from part 1 have been rampaging unpacified for a century? Are there whole swaths of the world made uninhabitable by unhappy spirits?

All the above questions could apply to a world that hasn't seen an airbender in a century too.

Also imagine how much it would have sucked being alive during the time when Aang originally should have appeared as the Avatar. Every new fire nation atrocity would have you thinking "surely this is the last straw that provokes the avatar into coming out into the open" and then, year after year, fire nation atrocity after fire nation atrocity, no one ever comes. I'd be so bitter.

The fire sage bringing up how long Aang has been gone made me think of something else: are Aang and Bumi the only people still living who know what it's like to live in peacetime? Everyone born in the last 100 years has been born into war. Forget about remembering how to live in a world with an avatar, or any airbenders, does anyone remember how to live in a world at peace?

Which makes it so fitting that it's Aang - one of two people who remember peace - that is being set up to defeat the firelord and if he does (rather, when he does - it's a kid's cartoon, the good guys are going to win somehow), it's going to be Aang, in his role as Avatar, who will be ideally placed to guide the world into transitioning to being at peace. I feel like it would be a different story if an avatar forged in war was being tasked with ending the war - for one, probably a much bloodier story. There's something quite poetic about one of the last people who remembers peace being the one destined to re-introduce/grant/give it to the rest of the world.

Looking back on what I wrote, I think I said more about random tangents that this episode made me think of than I said about the episode itself. Obviously it got me thinking. I guess that means it was good?

[inventors-fair]

Revision Commentary: Process over Product

So as you all can imagine, this is going to be a little different.

Instead of selecting a group of three winners and three runners and leaving two entries high and dry, I'm going to do a bit of a reflection. In all honesty, this contest was supposed to be just that—a reflection. Take a step back, look at your old cards, look at how Magic has changed, and go from there. The wording may have been esoteric, and I do apologize for not extracting my vision as precisely as may have been necessary. In retrospect, Magic players do love themselves some precise wording.

All of these cards, for whatever they're worth, show significant growth. I recognize the usernames, I recognize the design techniques, and I recognize the places we've been. Honestly, I can't believe we've had so many random contest ideas already. It feels like we run out of space, and then bam. Hence, throwbacks like this. But all the same...

Allow me to go through and do a little digging into the process. The ideas here are all wonderful and part of the point of this contest was to praise growth. We all grow over time, but recognizing that is hard to see. Let's all take a look-see while we're here!

@bergdg — Ashmouth Fiend/Ashmouth Crown

This card feels radically different than its origin, and also radically cleaner. There are two options: playing the trampling devil, or running out the equipment. The only place where I'd see minor gameplay frustrations are where you want a cheap creature but you get the equipment instead—but maybe that plays into the set, or this is a one-off card and there's artifact interaction! Giving trample AND having more of a madness payoff feels awesome on the flip, and hey, maybe you just want a devil too.

When you mention it clicking, I feel that too. Innistrad's DFCs and weird transformations are abundant, and I'm glad that you leaned into it for this revision in a fresh way. Sometimes stretching a card feels weird, but in this instance, it's 100% justified. You've upped both power level and complexity while remaining in the contemporary uncommon zone. Now I wonder if the demons are being all beat up in Innistrad-hell and the devils are taking over, so our next return will be a devils-in-the-playground kind of set. Innistrad: Devil's Kingdom. Ooh-hoo-hoo...

@bread-into-toast — Dovin, Consulate Inspector

In the right deck with the right protections, this card feels grindy, frustrating, oppressive, complicated, and instrumental to control. I absolutely love it. When comparing this to your previous entry, the flavorful feeling of Niko showed them with their shard powers, sure, but this Dovin feels connected to all sides of his desire for control. He's a big judge of your opponents' cards, but if your cards aren't fulfilling their potential, you can send them back too! Arrest or dismiss, those are the moods.

Oddly enough, I'm feeling Aftermath vibes from this card. What I mean by that is that there's this central flavor that happens to vibe with a specific play pattern. A love of the character... Okay, well, it's Dovin—a strong understanding of the character has led to a card where that understanding meshes with gameplay unquestionably. This is a card that would possibly be too slow in the right aggro environment, but he's got four toughness and card advantage. What's not to appreciate? From your side of the table, anyway. Cohesion is key. This is fantastic.

@corporalotherbear — One-Up

It's a little more specific, a little more specifically punishing, and feels so flavorfully sexy that every theatre kid just made it an auto-include. Compared to the pseudo-Ancestral of your previous version, I can see how this card is a little close to home without being actually there, and keeping the flavor/color while changing pretty much the whole vibe (by whittling down the flavor, no less) is pretty masterful. As a card, it's for sure a commander/limited staple in the right build; FWIW, I'd've made it "This spell costs X less to cast, where X is the number of spells your opponents have cast this turn" but there's no precedent.

What I really love is how much this makes the caster feel like a Prismari student. There's no time manipulation, there's no realities colliding, but there sure is a kid with a complex and some fireworks ready to wreak havoc. How much better can you get? If this card had been submitted to the previous contest that long ago, I would have advocated for it to hell and back. But we really can only see how awesome our progress is with growth. You took risks and this card is evident of how they can pay off with balance, flavor, and gameplay comprehension.

@hypexion — Vasilisa, Flame Event

Spectacle indeed has moved from being on ten cards to being on...eleven! Wow, but that contest. I remember sitting in a twin bed in someone else's house as I was house-sitting for them, cracking my knuckles and letting my eyes unfocus because we had, apparently, over fifty entries... Memories, dawg. If I was being stricter about this contest, I'd want to move away from the spectacle a little and ease out of drafting as-fan. Maybe that would eventually make for a better card, but I can get how tying it all in is important to you.

I also still do like the Gorgon typeline. "Flame Event" (heh) didn't quite make sense until I read it aloud, and you know how much puns can pack a punch. As for evolution, that first ability is absolutely devastating. Adding mana instead of reducing costs can perhaps be limiting, but with the number of cards that allow for big stuff to impact the board more, I'm terrified. How easy is it to lose five life? Lava Axe typal deck, here we go. It feels bigger, it feels more fun, and what more can be asked. You and spectacle can make yourselves as comfortable together as you can be. Just don't be surprised when they run out of steam.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes — Discard the Remnants

So, uh. What...contest was this for again? This is why I asked for y'all to include, because now I don't know on what it was supposed to be an improvement, heh. But let's back up for a second. My first thought is that this card is excellent and a bend that could be fine in the right set. My second thought is "wait, from what angle are we seeing the chute and the fire pit." My third thought is that I wish I could remember all the contests we've done in order to jump-start my brain, because this is quite specific!

Wording-wise, did you consider Turn to Slag? E.g., "Destroy target creature. Exile all permanents attached to that creature." Or maybe there needs to be a condition that the creature actually dies/leaves the battlefield, but all the same, the "then" might not do it. I think the flavor text is 90% there; my vote would be "When death just isn't enough," even if it's a random taste thing from my wording. Is getting rid of equipment too much of a bend? I would say it's super iffy. The environment decides. Let me know what contest this was for, though, so we can talk further. 

@nine-effing-hells — Kindled Hate

Looking back at my commentary for your card, I can still see how it's a clever idea, and more clever than I saw at the time. Giving your opponent's kill spells flashback is still a bad idea, unless your spells are better, but they've printed weirder things. Looking at this card, you absolutely took the commentary to heart, and this card is far more simpler and I think kinda neater in its own special ways. Again, the center of this contest revolves around that notion, so my own heart is warmed.

How does one use your creatures and resources, how does that work... There are an oddly limited number of options, but this card encourages a board state with a lot of creatures, absolutely. Using them needs to be masterful. Especially at sorcery speed, you can maximize your damage with proper planning. Shame it doesn't hit planeswalkers, but to be honest, doubling your four damage by playing on-curve to nuke your opponent's board is insanely powerful and probably fine as-is. I love how this card deals with a board state and I love the different ways you could flavor this in art. A+.

@reaperfromtheabyss — Vivien, Skalla's Last Ranger

Alright, but this card is kinda genius flavorfully. Vivien attacks, seeks the wilds, then—gasp! A marvelous beastie! It runs alongside her (tapped and attacking), and to strengthen the bond, she has to tap into her resources and knowledge of the planes in order to secure them together. The size doesn't matter because it's her attacking that gives the creature its strength.

Upping the power level was the right idea. I think the only weird wording is a corner case here. I'd have it say at the last line that the creature gains the ability of "At the beginning of your end step," etc. and there are a couple reasons, but that ability would just be better insurance. Everything else is costed well, powerful, scary, and strong. I don't know much about Vivien's backstory, but this was a year and change ago, so who knows what was happening then. I barely remember yesterday. Oh, but I'd remember being smacked in the face by Vivien and a giant monster, that's for sure.

@squeezyboi — Deep Dive

Ah, a URL change! And also, congrats, I think this is the oldest someone's gone back. How the days have passed us by. Regardless, you certainly took the advice to heart. Flavor text fits, art direction is vivid and tingly in all the evil ways, and the ability speaks to the balance of the covert and the coveted. The only question I have is whether this is a blue card or a black card. See, this puts reanimation straight into mono-blue, theoretically. That's a big break.

Black, however, can mill as much as it needs to. This should be, in my opinion, a black-based rare. Reanimation is a huge tool in limited and constructed alike! Milling is awesome, and stealing things even more so. Here's what I'd want to see: I wanna see ten Idealist cards at rare where they're mono-colored and have a leaning in either direction. Like, if this was in RTR, one green card has white idealism that destroys an attacking thing, and another green card has black idealism that creates Zombie tokens. Y'know? This opens up doors, and that's half the battle. It's definitely an improvement and it's definitely a pumped-up design.

That's all for now! I'll have something broader for y'all next time I see you.

-@abelzumi

[nagisadelune]

Headcanon: Luke Falling in Love With You

(Definitely not edited)

I'm finally free. ;-; I haven't posted in a hot second, but I'm back with a lot of ideas and story. Hope that I didn't keep any of you guys waiting for too long! Now to what I wanted to write: I finally got the chance to see the birthday gifts from the guys. If you haven't seen them, I should say this: Luke basically kind of confirms how he first started liking you, and I wanted to write about it! I'm not 100% sure if Hoyo already wrote a card for this yet, but I'm going to write one anyways as always lol. Alright, let's go!

For context, I believe this moment occurs while you're in high school, so we get to see high school Rosa and Luke. Also, because of the context, this needs to be between Rosa and Luke (sadge). Anyways, let's get into it!

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"Ugh, I hate PE," one of the girls complain as you walk with a group to the gym on the other side of campus. You can only sigh and nod in agreement as the warmth of the sun almost becomes too unbearable. "At least we'll most likely be inside for the period instead of running outside." The other girls in your group agree with her as a group of boys walking in the opposite direction play with the basketball in their hands.

"Rosa!" someone calls from behind you, and you look around to see a familiar ball of sunshine running towards you.

With a big smile growing on your cheeks, you call back, "Luke!" Your hand waves at him before he skids to a stop in front of you. As you tow start talking, you can't help but notice some people staring at you, but you decide to ignore them as you focus on your conversation with Luke.

"Are we walking home together later?" he asks, hoping that you would say yes after the amount of times you had to reject him for studying in the library after school. With his puppy eyes, you can only sigh helplessly in his reaction and give in to him. Especially because you have been coming home late, your parents have been nagging you to at least have Luke walk with you back home. Even though you both have protested against this, it seems right that you would give in to their request eventually.

"Alright, we'll walk home together. You ready for PE?" you ask, processing the time in your head quickly. While you know you're not going to be late, you should hurry over to class before the bell rings. You watch the fluffy hair on his head move around as Luke shakes his head.

"It's been warm recently, so it might be a bit tough," Luke answers, explaining the situation. You nod, understanding his position before you notice his speed walking. "I'll race you to class!" his voice getting softer as he somehow moves quickly away from you. You hurry to catch up to him before trying to overtake him in your race to class.

Somehow, you both get to the gym first with no one there. As you both try to catch your breath for a moment, you hear Luke mutter, "I totally won that." Before you could protest that you actually beat him, the other students start entering, and you two are separated to start class.

When class starts, it's only then you process what's happening in class: basketball; this explains why some of the guys held a basketball as you were walking towards the gym earlier. You can only sigh at the thought of chasing the ball because of your lack of physical ability; you can only hope that you don't hurt yourself.

After you warm up, the class breaks up into teams, and you somehow end up with a group of the competitive players. Before you can even get the chance to trade teams with someone else, you're dragged into a game, forcing you to put on a brightly colored jersey. With the game beginning, you have no choice but to start playing, hoping that you don't cause your team members to be to upset with you. However, the balls bounces into your hand, and you start dribbling down the court, trying to keep the ball in your team's possession. Your eyes dart between the positions of your team members before you attempt to pass the ball to them.

With the competitive air of the match, you don't notice a person in front of you attempting to trip you. It happens in an instant: one moment you're standing on your feet, but at the next moment you're on the ground. Thinking you can brush off whatever fall you just had, you attempt to stand up, but the sharp pain in your ankle stops you from moving. While you breathe through the pain, your ears don't pick up the sound of the whistle from you teacher and the steps rushing towards you.

"Are you okay? What hurts?" Luke's frantic voice throws questions into your ear as you stare at your ankle, trying to piece together where the pain comes from. In an instant, Luke's arms cradle your body in a princess carry, his forearms supporting your knees and your back. He quickly carries you towards a gym bench, carefully setting you down. His eyes seem to sweep over your body, checking every inch for a scratch or bruise. You hear him mutter something under his breath as he checks your ankles. Without a moment to spare, you notice his back turns towards you, his body crouching down and ready for something. "Climb on. Your ankle might be sprained," Luke explains in somewhat cool manner. After you climb on and make your way to the nurse's office, you fail to notice the eyes of the entire class staring at you two.

The air feels cool as he runs through the halls, safely navigating through the maze of the school. As you finally get a chance to breathe on his back, you notice the sharpness of the pain mellow out into a throbbing one, making your fingers cling tighter to Luke's shirt. Your head buries into his shoulder while you try to get used to the pain. "It's okay. It's okay," Luke repeats in a soft tone, seemingly trying to comfort you. You can't tell if it's because he's running or the adrenaline still in your system, but you hear Luke's heart beating faster normal.

Before you know it, Luke drops you off in the nurse's office where the nurse kicks him out to properly evaluate you. As she takes an initial look at your legs and ankles, she attempts to start a conversation. "So Rosa, you and that boy are awfully close?" she questions, her eyes focuses on your leg to determine the issue. You feel your cheeks heat up before you can answer properly.

"He's just like a brother to me," you answer, trying not to make eye contact with her. Briefly pausing her inspection, her lips pull into a flat line, making her seem like she doubts your statement. Within an instant, her lips return back to normal before the room falls silent.

Outside the door, Luke leans against the wall, catching his breath. Although he has carried you plenty of times, his heart can't seem to slow down. While he waits to hear the results of your condition, his mind wanders to your condition, if it's worse than he thought, and if you'll be okay. He slaps his head slightly once he realizes his thought.

"She's basically my sister," he mutters to himself, excusing how much he's worrying about you. "It's not like I like her in that way." As he returns back to his thoughts, his thoughts can't help but think about you: your warm breath against his neck, your small hands clinging onto the fabric of his shirt, and your tiny figure that makes it easier to carry you. A small smile unknowingly grows on his face as he thinks about the small details about you, his eyes trained on his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt.

When he finally pulls his eyes away from his fingers, he looks up towards the ceiling, his head resting against the wall; his mind is still thinking about you and the details on your face. He finally snaps out of it and processes what just happened, making him bury his face into his hands and knees. The blood running to his cheeks warms his palms with one thought running through his mind: "I like her that way, don't I?"

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Okay, I'll admit: this could've been better, but I think that we need some cute, fluffy moments every once in awhile. I hope you enjoy this one, and I'll see you in the next one!