#and if etho is still alive I see him with the family

[tokenducks]

Honestly at this point I’m excited for whoever wins:

I’m thrilled to place my bet on gem or Joel (I think they’d desert duo cactus ring style duel as the final two and my heart-)

I dream of Lizzie managing to win one of these things

Nothing would be funnier than Jimmy or Skizz winning. Can you imagine?

Cleo winning the April fools one and this would be peak

Tango redemption from how bad he’s been most of the whole thing this season would be great

Impulse has been so close so many times. My man is working for it

Bdubs is so silly every time I see him he’s on a horse or building his tower. I want him to win so badly.

Big B is such a weirdo in every season I think it’d be great if he won.

Etho could prove he’s not washed

[hermitcraftx]

Joel winning the Life Series where he centered his entire gimmick this season around Family under the guise of "Joel Toretto" makes me insane because he was alone for so long in the Life Series and it works out so perfectly that the guy who was allergic to allies for the start of the life series and had to be forced into it with soulmates wins the season he focuses on Family. Poetic cinema.

1. Third Life Joel. No friends. No allies. He joined up with Monopoly Mountain last minute and died out of sight of either of them, mostly alone. He had a house full of dogs, not full of friends (and where is that familiar?), and nobody really mourned him when he was gone, offhand comments and brief "Oh No!s" following his death. Being alone got him nothing.

2. Last Life Joel. No friends. He's alone again, for the most part. In Last Life there's a lot of unknowns, a lot of instability- people can get back in yellow or green, or they try, so Joel has temporary red alliances with the likes of Scar and Grian but they don't last. He's alone. Again. Joel laments it, in one of his videos, IIRC, that he's bad at making allies, and "look at where it got him". The closest person he had to an ally in Last Life was Grian when they were both red, Grian seeing first hand how insane and blood thirsty Joel becomes on red. They call themselves the Deadliest Duo, and they kill people, and they laugh when they die. But Joel dies, still, killed by Scott, shortly after Grian permadies.

3. Double Life. Now it's different. Now we're seeing some changes. Joel gets put with Etho, who off the bat immediately considers him a liability, a notion he rejects and fights against to get Etho to respect him. He builds Etho a ship to try and impress him. Etho purposefully takes fall damage to remind him of what's at stake. He's not just a lone wolf, anymore, Etho's life is in his hands and he's not happy about it. Joel hates it, being treated fragile and like a bomb to go off. Eventually, they find out they work together well, they get killed, they go red and Joel goes crazy. Red rage is a real, definable, re-occuring phenomenon for Joel, he IS angry and he DOES want to make people pay. Etho in the life series is usually more reserved, and he holds Joel back, yes, but Joel also helps Etho out of his shell and pushes him to do things he wouldn't normally do. The ship burns everything burns. And then they burned. And Joel's first real alliance goes up in flames, literally.

4. Now Joel has a taste of what it's like to not be alone the entire season. He teams up with Jimmy and Grian, his Bad Boys, and he's fiercely loyal to them, and then to him. (Even Grian by his standards is FIERCELY loyal to the Bad Boys- I mean, he doesn't even kill one of them! I think. Not permanently?) He changes his skin, matching leather jackets, these are his people. And he'd die for his people. Joel and Grian try their best to keep Jimmy alive, Joel going so far as to say he'd have sacrificed himself to keep Jim alive, but it wasn't enough, he wasn't quick enough, and he died right afterwards, leaving Grian alone. But he wasn't alone. And he didn't go out alone.

5. Secret Life is.... weird. He has allies, yes, but it's a bit of a strange situation, he allies with the Mounders and he lives a bit of a ways away from them, not quite in the group but not quite out of it. But he doesn't want to be alone again. He knows what happens when you're alone in this game, and he doesn't ever want that to happen to him again. Mumbo goes out almost immediately following Jimmy, the third to go out. Pearl IIRC betrays the Mounders and messes around with Gem, which is really funny given the events of Wild Life. It's only him and Bdubs at the end, both murdered by Scott.

6. Now. Wild Life. Again. Joel knows what happens if you're alone in this series, and he never wants it to happen to him again. So he bases his persona around a movie character, one that everyone knows and likes, he thinks. He makes himself someone that he thinks people will want to befriend, one where he won't have to be alone. He makes himself look strong, fake muscles clumsily attached to his arms, quoting about family and the importance of it, a vast difference from the lonely man in 3rd Life and Last Life who couldn't be assed to find allies. And it works. He has Gem- and everyone fears them, for once. Everyone already knows Joel is insane, but with Gem behind him, he's a significant threat. Gem keeps him grounded, and from doing stupid shit that gets him killed. They have Etho, and he comes and visits, which is nice. Everyone struggles a lot with the Wild Cards early game but them, neither of them losing lives for several sessions. Joel even comments that normally he's red by session 4, and he doesn't know what to do with himself without all that anger. He lives his best life, with Gem, with his car.

And then Grian's allies die, and isn't that familiar, and Joel lets him into the Family, because of course he would, allying with Grian is like second nature to him at this point. Maybe he feels guilty for leaving him in Limited Life, or maybe he just knows what it's like to be alone and doesn't want that for him. Who knows. He tries and fails at building traps. As soon as he's yellow he gets a double kill on Scott and Pearl, and Grian and Jimmy scream with him like old times. And it's okay, I mean it's stressful and it's like the end of the world but Joel's doing okay, he has his family, he's not alone.

And then the finale comes and it's so hectic and so many people are trying to kill him and Grian saves him, Grian tries so hard to save him, and isn't that something. Being worthy of being saved by Grian. And Gem goes out, not even to a player, to a vex, one of his family members is gone and it's so hectic Joel can't even stop to mourn or he, too, will die. And then he finds Grian and he stumbles to him screaming "Thank God you're alive!" because it had gotten so crazy, so wild that Joel didn't truly even know if Grian was alive, but he was, he still had Family, he wasn't alone again, not this time. And Grian says that he thinks Joel can win, Joel can win, that he'll give Joel his life, that it's about time he wins and Joel gets flashbacks to wanting to die for Jimmy, and Scar wanting to die for Grian and what that did to him, and he doesn't want that, but GOD he wants to win. So badly. And then Grian got knocked off the tower with Bdubs, ender pearling off, screaming how he refused to go like Mumbo, like Skizz, not on his tower and Joel's running, EVERYONE is targeting him, Grian takes out Pearl and Joel takes out Cleo and Ren.

And then it's just them, then it's just Joel and Grian, and Joel can't even find Grian, he just heard the arrows as Grian tries to shoot him, going back on his word as expected, which Joel-- Joel is glad for. Because he wanted to win this on his own terms, he wanted to win because he won, he would not be given anything. He's not alone this time. And he charges up the tree, and he kills Grian, kills his Family, his Bad Boy, his red friend, his ally in the sand, screaming that he's sorry, and Joel laughs.

Joel laughs, and laughs, and laughs.

[wyvernspirit]

DEFINITELY want to hear about Western Jewels (disappointed you're not still doing it, but I get the workload). Do you mind telling how Gem and Pearl's relationship would've developed throughout it, or what the overall story was after their first meeting? Also, just out of curiosity, who else was going to show up in the AU and how?

It's not actually about the workload that wasn't what I was referring to lol (look up pitching maybe, am I being straightforward enough yet hm) The way Gem and Pearl's relationship would have worked is that at first, they would start off as enemies and very reluctantly work together to escape the first set of sheriffs and bounty hunters Later that night, they would have to attend to the wounds they had given each other earlier in their own fight Since they escaped into the desert, they have to at least stay together till the next town and pool their supplies together, otherwise neither of them is quite likely to make it, since they hadn't expected to have to dash off While travelling to the next town, Pearl would pester Gem with questions that she would reluctantly be answering, notably Pearl wouldn't offer much information about herself

In the next town, they would discover a large crowd surrounding new wanted posters for them proclaiming them to be a Duo, The Lawless Jewels, the bounty for the two of them to be brought in is very ,very high After some vicious swearing from both of them and ducking around town trying to avoid the large crowd of people looking at the bounty signs, Pearl would sneak them into Big B's bar In this AU Big B is a rather large informant for both the criminal underworld and the law; he plays to all sides, really, whatever brings in the money. To talk about some of the other characters that would be involved with him, Shebly, also known as Shubble would be one of his main informants; she infiltrates towns as a simple barmaid and overhears a lot of information. Later on, Katherine Elizabeth would become one of his field informants, too, after growing tired of being belittled and underestimated by the people she had surrounded herself with because of being a cowgirl instead of a cowboy. She and Gem were meant to have a lot of talks and parallels to discuss/show gender disparity in this setting, but I don't have any solid writing to show for those, tho I wish I did The story was less planned from here out, mostly just fun ideas I wanted to try to cobble together The two would continue travelling together simply because it's now simply too dangerous to go alone Etho in this AU is Gem's older brother, he took her in after their parents were killed by outlaws due to his own past He's incredibly overprotective and parentified, and part of the reason she ran off in the first place A sorta b plot/continuous backstory plot going on in the background would be around Etho's own past as an outlaw, his time with "the family" and his decision to abandon it all to protect the person he loves most, his baby sister There is a BIG age gap between the two, so he very much sees her still as that traumatised child who had been hidden by their parents when they were attacked

Etho helps out a lot in the background to try to keep the jewels bounty as "Taken in Alive" instead of "Wanted dead", he's basically calling in every old favour he has to protect Gem and, by extension, Pearl I think before I had talked about some characters who would definitely be in the au so I'll briefly go over everyone and what their roles would have been Ah found the list okay

Gem Maple - Main character - outlaw - Pearl's partner - Etho's younger sister

Pearl L'escantmoon - Main character - Most wanted Outlaw - Gem's partner - Was scouted by Cleo for the Family once, it didn't go well

Etho Maple - Previous mysterious past as an outlaw, was a part of the family with Cleo/Bdubs/Scar - Gem's Older brother/stand-in guardian due to their parent's murder

Cleo - Leader of the family - Angry at Etho for abandoning them - Angry at Bdubs and Scar too, sends a lot of people after the jewels until he tracks her down to both beg for his sister's safety and explain himself

Joe Hills - Cleo's second in command

BDubs - A member of the family though distant, - Knew where Etho went, didnt tell Cleo - she's aware of this

Scar - Left the family but isn't antagonist to them - Y'allternative - Kinda travelling with this random chaotic bandit he found

Grian - Bandit - causes chaos and destruction - not particularly violent

Joel Small - the "mayor" of the town Etho and Gem are from - married to Lizzie

Lizzie Small (Originally Elizabeth Shade) - The Actual Mayor of the town - couldn't become it due to sexism, had Joel run instead and secretly runs things behind the scenes, he's very proud of his wife

Jimmy Shade - Sheriff of the town - Lizzie's younger brother

Scott Smajor - Bounty Hunter after the Jewels Mythical Sasuge - Bounty Hunter after the Jewels

Miscellaneous folks would also be one-off hunters/town sheriffs involved in the chase for the jewels - hadn't decided those yet

Big B. - Major informant

Shelby/Shubble - Informant/infiltrator for Big B Hannah Rose - Performer/entertainer at Big B's bar - a bodyguard/bouncer if things get dicey in the bar - past informant/bounty

Katherine Elizabeth - A foil to Gem, suffering from the misogyny of those around her - her and shelby were probably going to be a background pairing

False Symmetry - The Black Rose - a legend in the bounty hunter community - does she truly exist? - (A retired Lawless living her best life these days lol, she helps Pearl and Gem out a few times, and eventually was going to run into Cleo and help with her self-loathing)

The like main ends I had in mind were the jewels ending not even being known to the audience

Like Gem and Pearl ride off into the sunset together Their whole ending is that we don't know their ending And neither does anyone else They become a myth, a legend, a tale told

And I love that for them Katherine gets to end up in a place where she feels valued and important The town always wonders what happened to those two siblings that left but dont worry about them too much Etho lets Gem go. He understands now that he cannot keep her when she doesn't want to be kept or protected He understands that their relationship fractured for a lot of reasons and that it's not fully either of their fault, but that he shouldn't keep pushing it He goes home to his family (hahah puns) and explains himself, apologises and is let back in Its sorta a happy ending all round, just sorta a tinge bittersweet (And somewhere in between all that is a blossoming deep relationship between the girls lol) Hope that's satisfying!!! kinda really glad to just get to fucking say it all Been sitting on it for months haha only @solarockk got to know most things and even then I hid a few bits too I'm very happy to have got to explore all this myself but it's just become, framework for something else, thats a little more important to me and so I'll start taking things down in perpartion for that eventually In case anyone asks though I am putting this out here - No You Can Not Take These Ideas Yourself - I don't want someone continuing this au - I don't want fanfics made for this premise of mine Be inspired and make a western AU for SURE!!! would love to see more wild west and cowboys/girls But I dont want my story beats/character relationships and such to be copied Please, I'm taking a risk in sharing all this, I can't control anyone But i can ask for you to be respectful of me and my creative works Thank you to everyone who followed this idea though! It was a lot of fun send more asks if you have them I'll probably answer any questions for a few more weeks Wyv out~

[lxrd-ren]

How I think the final alliances might look like:

Bare in mind the last few yellows of the server tend to team up (Etho, Impulse, Joel, Gem)

Scott, Cleo, Pearl, Impulse (Will not betray each other) (Sacrifice is on the table) (All gunning for Impulse to win)

BigB (long time ally of 4G's, might betray again though)

Ren (might reconsider alliance after that last minute death) (if made aware who is responsible for said death, will be against Grian) (is friendly with BigB, might stick with him if BigB betrays the 4G's)

VS

Gem, Joel (ride or die, will always stick together) (Gem doesn't like Scott or Pearl atm, Joel killed Pearl + Scott) (Joel refuses to kill Lizzie) (Joel has died to Tango twice)

Grian (tried to ally permanently with Gem + Joel, killed Cleo)

Scar, Lizzie, Jimmy (Not likely to betray each other) (Scar allied with Grian) (other two will likely follow suit if Scar is still alive to back Grian up) (Lizzie was killed by BigB + Jimmy is mad at BigB on Lizzies behalf)

VS

Tango, Bdubs (Not likely to betray each other) (Might try to sneak their way into a larger alliance, otherwise, they are likely to be out next) (Tango killed Joel Twice + Bdubs was killed by Scar, so more likely to join the 4'Gs alliance) (might be able to join the family alliance if Etho puts in a good word)

Etho (Nearly everyone he's allied with knows how he's allied with others, so he likely has to pick a group and stick to it otherwise the whole server might be against him) (Bdubs + Tango will likely force him to choose at the start of the session, and since he is yellow and the other two are red, he might decide in that moment to side with them for his own safety) (he might try to team up with Gem + Joel seeing as they are both yellow like him) (he might try to team up with the 4G's as they are not aware he is in many alliances, and their group is guaranteed to be made up of 4 people, whereas with the Family, there's only a 2 person guarantee) (although he might be shot dead by Bdubs + Tango if he tries to leave to side with another group)

[serstolas]

WIP Wednesday

I was tagged by the lovely @mythals-whore

Gentle tag for @thedissonantverses @woundedsoul12 and @mortal-ethos

A snippet Post Weisshaupt from Never The Straight Path:

Lucanis gave him a faint smile. “I know, I can feel your determination.” He took a breath then said carefully, “How are you, Rook? After Weisshaupt. We can all see that it’s affected Davrin. But if it is affecting him, then I know it is affecting you too. Last night you were..”

Rook’s shoulders slumped a little, the bravado he’d worn when checking in on Davrin fading away. “I trained with Janos not long after I first became a Warden. Given the circumstances of my conscription, it seemed like a good idea at the time to focus on a different fighting strategy. My blood relations disowned me after I was conscripted, so in many ways, the Wardens have been my family since. Just knowing how many of them are gone?” He closed his eyes. “It hurts.”

He felt a hesitant hand on his shoulder and was a little surprised, because Lucanis usually shied away from much touching, and was likely touch starved. He opened his eyes, and saw Spite’s aura flicker around Lucanis, but the man’s eyes remained brown. “Spite and I do not like the idea that we may have lost you to the archdemon. You’re our friend, and the first real friend I’ve had other than Illario. You say you are glad I’m still alive. I must say the same to you.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere,” Rook told him. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do, and you and I still need to figure things out.”

[kaesaaurelia]

3rd Life Space Colonist AU Concepts

So I'm very new to MCYT fandom, in the process of watching everything in the Life Series, but while I was watching 3rd Life I could not get the idea of this group having been sent to colonize an alien planet and it going very wrong.

But before things go wrong, they would have had specific roles and reasons they were picked, so I thought a bit about that, and once I had roles figured out I went and played around in Hero Forge to design the characters.

(Also, obviously there would be more than 14 people on an expedition like this and there's certain types of personnel they'd want more than one of, or who are conspicuously missing from this cast list.

You can make of that what you will.)

So, without further ado: some of the personnel aboard a ship heading to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, sent by totally not evil Mars-based corporation Farlands Planetary Systems:

SPACESHIP FLIGHT & MAINTENANCE

At this point in the future, there are machines that can do incredible things, but none of them can quite replicate whatever's going on in Scar's head human decision-making, and on longer journeys where the ship is required to make multiple FTL jumps in quick succession, human intuition and ingenuity are necessary for survival. To that end, pilots are directly plugged into their ships and to some extent, on longer journeys, become the ship. They need to be willing and able to do terrifying things without hesitation or consultation with others. Scar is great at this. He's also an absolute menace everywhere else, but in all fairness it's very hard for him to remember how gravity works on planets when he's used to using it to slingshot himself around in space.

Etho and BDubs aren't JUST there to maintain the ship mechanically -- they'll be rebuilding humanity's technological achievements from the ground up once they get to the planet -- but they're also vital to maintaining the ship across its long journey. BDubs is especially skilled at working in and navigating through zero gravity environments, and he's very used to doing floating repairs. This should have no lasting consequences for him once they get to a planet.

Tango is... an odd one. He's primarily a computer guy, and he's no slouch there, but he's never been on one of these expeditions himself -- see, his family's owned Farlands Planetary Systems for centuries, since before the Martian atmosphere had been been tamed and the planet's population was only a couple thousand. From his comfortable climate controlled office on Mars, he's looked over proposals, decided which ones were most likely to be successful, and signed off on countless exploration missions. He's watched them leave and mostly come back, and he's never encountered a high-risk high-reward situation he couldn't at least break even on. He's about to.

MEDICAL CARE

There's an extensive medical staff onboard, of course -- or there should be, anyway. I'm sure the others are fine!

Martyn is a generalist, good at figuring out what the hell is going wrong and how to stabilize someone's condition in the field with minimal resources. He's good at making difficult decisions quickly and making the sacrifices necessary for long-term survival.

Grian, meanwhile, is a specialist in neurology, and while he's meant to be looking after the whole crew, he's very important on this expedition because he is specifically a specialist in the connection between pilot and ship, and his task is primarily to keep the pilot alive at all costs.

Grian's also very excited about the pioneering medical procedure he's convinced Farlands to give all the personnel on this expedition, which will allow them to completely regenerate after dying -- at least twice! This has technically been possible for a while, but it's never been this fast, and they haven't been able to allow the subjects to retain their memories and personalities until now. It's still experimental but given the high risk nature and high cost of this particular expedition, he feels it's worth the risk, and most people jumped at having not only a second chance at life, but a third!

EXPLORATION & TERRAFORMING

Once they get to the planet, of course, they're going to need to figure out what's already there, and to transform it into a liveable place! So there are various experts who will explore the planet, conduct a full survey of its resources, and work to make it easier for humans to live there. Here we have experts in population biology, minerology, environmental chemistry, xenobotany, and agronomy.

Joel works for Farlands, usually traveling with his wife Lizzie, (an ethnopharmacologist). BigB tends to work on a contract -- there's a lot of call for minerologists in the outer solar system -- but if this expedition is successful, he'll never have to work again, and he won't have to go through the cycle of spending six lonely months in the Kuiper Belt, returning to Earth, then going back out again. Both of them think they know what they're getting into.

Cleo and Scott haven't worked for Farlands before, and are very surprised to be asked, as they have a shared checkered past. Cleo, in her younger days, was convicted of burning down the Martian Prime Minister's house. In fairness, a. he deserved it, and b. it was extremely flammable, because he destroyed a bunch of oxygen farms to build it, out of wood, and was not much of a believer in fire safety regulations. He was not home at the time, so he was fine, but about a year later he was assassinated. No one has ever been formally charged with the crime, but Scott, being one of Cleo's close friends, was the primary suspect. Both of their careers have suffered because of this -- Cleo can't get tenure anywhere, and Scott actually went into hiding for a time -- and while they don't trust Farlands even a little bit, they do like the idea of going somewhere that has no extradition treaties with Mars.

Like BigB, Jimmy's ready to cash out and settle down on a strange planet. He's going to be making sure people have enough edible food on this new planet, since there's no guarantee it will have edible plants or animals.

EXPERTS IN ALIEN LIFE

There's definitely not intelligent life on this new planet. It would be illegal for Farlands to settle a planet that was already occupied! They would never do anything illegal.

But maybe there used to be intelligent life there. Maybe the preliminary probes were inconclusive? Hmm. Anyway. Skizz is a xenoarchaeologist. He's also the only survivor of an expedition that went out in the early 22nd century; they encountered a strange and apparently hostile aliens. His memories are fuzzy and he doesn't remember much except for a strange floating city in a dark void. He made it back to Earth in a stolen alien ship, but while he was gone several hundred years had passed and now everyone he knows is dead. He's anxious to get back into the field, to a planet that is definitely a different one from the one he was sent to where all his friends died, and there's definitely no living intelligent life.

Impulse has been studying that ship Skizz brought back and he's pretty sure these aliens have figured out a method of stable, instant travel between any two distant points, which needless to say the company wants badly. This world seems to have traces of these

Impulse is a xenotechnologist who's pretty sure he's close to wrapping his brain around a method of stable two-way faster-than-light travel that seems to be in use by a distant alien civilization who may have left traces of themselves on this new planet. The company line is that he's also there just to study any remnants of high-tech alien civilizations, but he doesn't have a very good poker face and everyone suspects he knows something he's not letting on.

ALSO... REN

Ren is not a scientist. Ren is Martyn's husband. He is a relatively successful fantasy author whose first two books have sold well, but now he has to finish the trilogy and it's just. not. happening. Martyn had been planning not to go on this expedition -- has in fact been planning to stop going on lengthy expeditions in general, because he'd like to spend more time at home -- but Ren's so tired of his manuscript at this point that he is willing to pack up and move to another planet to avoid writing. He is anxious that people like him and think well of him and also anxious that they never ask him about the book. Please don't ask him what happens in the book. He thought he knew, but he doesn't.

The great thing about this expedition is that that's going to be the least of his problems very, very soon. (Also, he'll be blessedly relieved of the memory of the book, because, like the rest of the surviving crew, all of them will have very few solid memories of anything by the time they get to the planet. But, gotta look on the bright side, right?)

[samanthaember]

wildlife finale predictions

Predicting the elimination order for the finale episode:

15th: tango (he was the main target towards the end of last episode, he'll still be in people's sights early on)

14th: Etho (tried to join everyone's team, but people compared notes, and now no one trusts him)

13th: Joel or Gem (one is dying early on, too much of a treat to leave both alive for too long)

12th: BDubs (with his allies gone, it'll be an uphill battle)

11th: Grian (always becomes a big target in the finale, the family will be too preoccupied to keep him safe)

10th: Ren (joined the Gs after loosing Martyn, but too new to establish trust with anyone else)

9th: BigB (similar to etho, but hanging around the Gs will give him a better chance)

8th: Impulse (the Gs have been trying to get him the Win, but I have a feeling it will fail sadly)

7th: Scar (will either die in battle or accidentally, there is no in-between)

6th: Pearl (always places high, but was dealt a rough hand all season)

5th: Gem or Joel (whoever didn't die early on, whichever one is left will be targeted now, as everyone will work together to take out the final Family member)

4th: Jimmy (the curse is broken, and he's going far, we're all so proud regardless of how far he makes it)

3rd: Scott (somehow always makes it to at least final 4, but i don't think he changed his social game up enough, and he'll probably sacrifice himself again)

1st & 2nd: Cleo/Lizzie (I cannot explain it, but I feel they'll be the final two, just can't figure out which order. Both played excellent, yet very different UTR games imo. Cleo has technically won a life series before, and will manifest that into a 'canon' wins. I also feel Lizzie been very creative/inventive this season; with a lower threat level and craftiness on display, she just might win out as the ultimate Wildcard)

Can't wait to see how wrong I am 😅

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Absolute Wonder Woman #5 - Nigh on a perfect ending. Think Absolute Wondy might be my favorite Absolute title, each issue has gotten progressively better and better. That Lasso is definitely going to play a role in making Barbara into Cheetah right? That was my first guess anyway. I do like how Thompson is tackling the more moral abhorrent behavior of even the “good” goddesses, she hints that maybe there was more to it but I think having her patrons be responsible for both good and bad would be in line with the AU’s ethos compared to the more simplistic morality of the mainline Greek Gods.

Wonder fans had to eat shit Tuesday, glad that they at least have this title to look forward to still.

Superman #23 - Hoooooly cow this issue was just non-stop wham reveals. Jimmy is in a coma, Silver Banshee is slipping back into villainy, Zod is getting ready to investigate why his powers vanished, Lex bottles Doomsday which is setting up Doomsday to become the Time Trapper... and the Omega Legion is interrogating Time Trapper?!? I did not expect to get a crossover between the AU and Earth 0 already! I do have to quibble that Banshee not recognizing Lois as Superwoman was way too unbelievable. I'll take any kind of handwave or asspull to justify it via Kryptonian tech or whatever, but there's no way she doesn't recognize Lois. Next issue is the beginning og Lex's reversion to villainy, now I'm curious if that's going to be connected to whatever he does with the bottled Doomsday and Radiant/Armada. Great issue, man Williamson is on fire!

Ultimate Spider-Man #14 - Seems like an obvious fakeout doesn't it? Mysterio showing up right as Harry "dies" is too convenient. I'm firmly in the "Gwen is Mysterio" camp after this issue. But then why would she intervene to save Kraven? Does she plan to blackmail him into helping her with the threat of telling Kingpin what he did? Does she need Kraven alive for some reason because she's going to disguise Harry as him? Peter was great this issue! Hickman showed that Peter could have crushed Kraven easily, but he was more interested in protecting Harry and his family. If he wanted Kraven dead, then Kraven would’ve died, Peter was only hampered by the desire to protect Harry. Speaking of Harry, if he's not dead then I see the trauma of all this pushing him to take the Goblin Serum. If he is dead, then that makes that cover of his helmet with Norman's face all the more interesting. Perhaps we might see the Norman AI build himself a body the way the Peter AI has? No way is the Green Goblin gone for good.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Imagine that the ethos you stood for when you were young vanished into thin air because your hometown had become too small for you. It is not your world anymore.

Yamauchi has become your universe and it should be protected at all costs.

You used to discard your blood that flows in your veins, even cursing it to the point of no return. You took care of your village from the corrupt court ravens. And you made sure that the commoners in your hometown were treated fairly.

And yet…and yet…

Now decades later… you have become what you loathed before.

Where is the mirror when you need it?

Why deprave yourself of your own happiness?

You are still in love with your lord after all these years. Still dreaming of his return because in the guise of protecting Yamauchi he symbolises the true essence of a golden raven, your one and only master. And you want it. You want him to return. Imagining him. So much so that you stifle your own joy. Betrayal. Anger. So much anger.

"I don't care about my own happiness, Your Majesty," despite his expression, his voice had a sticky, ominous tone.

Then your lord’s child has returned. You see her, a replica of your lord. But the gender is not the same. But the blood that flows in her body is good enough to keep the hope alive in your heart.

“I could never mistake that child for someone else.”

You desire it. But once again, denying that hope. Better to rescind it before it is too late. You are intoxicated with power. Because nothing will ever change your mind after your lord’s death, it seemed everyone turned their backs on you and you decided to strike back. Let them swallow their own poison. All of them are fools anyway.

“Isn't everything just perfect? If the blood of the Royal Family is strong, a true Golden Raven might be born."

There was something unexpectedly intriguing in the way he said it, which seemed inappropriate for the situation.

"Do you perhaps wish to meet your elder brother once more?" It is said that the true Golden Raven inherits the memories of its predecessors.

I suspected that you might want him to return to being Nazukihiko, whom you once served…

I pray you see the light, Yukiya. I pity you.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

#FridayKiss Tag Game I

Rules: post a smooch between your OCs for Friday. It can be as light as a peck or as intense as a makeout. It can be romantic or platonic or familial. As long as a smooch takes place it’s free reign!

tagged by @druidx, thanks! it is not Friday anymore but I've had a hell of a 24 hrs so I'm posting this now as opposed to waiting until next Friday lol. I'm also tagging @drippingmoon, @oh-no-another-idea, @outpost51, and anyone who wants to, under no obligation of course

here have some fucked shit from Aurora lol:

The remaining Ganymede team leaned out of their shuttle to encourage him forward. Guetry took one look at him and vaulted out of the aircraft, pressing through his weakness to get to Warren. Mercury screamed after him, his desperation drowning in lava and air pressure. In a millisecond Warren saw his entire life in front of him. Going to the park with his parents. Celebrating early birthdays with his siblings. Graduating high school. Graduating college. The day Thrive crashed to Earth, weaving through the trees to reach the lodegan before ETHOS. Zipping through space in the L2. Stepping on an alien world for the first time. He'd lived one hell of an adventure, alright. The crust of Torris burst open beside him, almost searing him with hellfire. He screwed his eyes shut, awaiting the end. Sudden silence. An instant temperature change. He opened his eyes. Guetry stared right back from the floor of the Ganymede bridge. A pause settled before Guetry dragged himself to Warren, and Warren crawled to him, grasping him tightly, the relief sticking to the back of Warren's throat. Guetry breathlessly clutched his armor, his face, kissed the corner of his mouth, his cheek, shivered uncontrollably with the weight of his emotions. He looked into Warren's eyes and Warren realized there had been real fear there, real pain, and for Guetry's sake he pretended not to understand what that meant. Dazia burst onto the bridge and immediately swore upon seeing the two of them alive. "Thank fucking god. Okay, let's get the hell out of here." Warren scrambled to the viewscreen as everyone else began to pour into the room, relieved at him and Guetry being in one piece. "What happened?!" "We don't know!" Emnophene exclaimed. "You were there one minute, then a huge sinkhole opened up and we thought you and Guetry had died!" Mercury surged forward and gathered Guetry in a desperate, tight embrace, planting a solid, lengthy kiss to his mouth that surprised even Warren, who'd accidentally turned at that exact moment. Guetry's wide eyes spoke volumes. "I was leavin' you behind," Mercury breathed through clenched teeth, voice quaking as he gripped Guetry's stunned face in his hands and pressed several more kisses to him. "I had to leave you behind, you stupid man…" Sig's voice came in through the comm. "Are we still detonating or not?" Warren snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah. Yeah! ——— can handle it—we need to get out of here, 'cause we sure as shit can't!" Varussa slammed the Ganymede into gear. "Getting as far away from Torris as possible."

[do0zy-artz]

Lessons In Regret - 3k Words

Etho is haunted by some pretty annoyed ghosts, and isn't excited to join them. It goes better than expcted when he does, all things considered.

A03 Link

If you asked anyone else, they would’ve said Etho was a crazy man, that the game had finally gotten to him. That he’d lost his mind after half of TIES fell or something and now he was hallucinating their ghosts to cope. But no, he wasn’t crazy, and it was the one time he felt normal about talking to something that couldn’t talk back, even if Impulse did shoot him the occasional weird look. He did indeed have ghosts, just not Skizz and Tango. And they weren't something made up by his mind. It was his weird little surrogate family haunting him instead. Well he thought Tango was there sometimes, but he was trailing around Impulse mostly it seemed. 

“Hey,” Etho spoke to the empty air for the millionth time. “Stop stealing my steak Scar, you can’t even eat anymore.” He sighed, snatching the floating meat from midair and shoving it back in the furnace. Etho didn’t know why the universe had chosen him to suddenly be the ghost whisperer, but he did know that Scar was the one pulling pranks now. He’d assumed it was Bdubs at first, and that the little rascal was doing it to mess with him, but in reality it was Scar; who was doing it for no other reason than for the fact that he was a menace, dead or alive. 

And sometimes Etho thought he really had gone crazy, that maybe Grian dying pushed him to the breaking point. But then he’ll be shoved away from a creeper by something too strong to be anything like the wind; there will be a phantom tap on his shoulder alerting him to people nearby, or his stuff will float in midair, and then Etho knows for certain that he still has a little bit of sanity left. He just has some occasionally helpful, but mostly annoying ghosts. 

They won’t do anything that would help him win. No, no, that would be unfair, unfun, and would probably anger whatever being runs these games. But they do warn him of stray skeleton arrows and mess with his stuff, so he guesses his family are alright ghosts. At least they’re not trying to get him killed, especially because they have every right too. 

He has an idea of Scar’s response more than he actually sees it, but he’s pretty sure the former is blowing a raspberry at him right now. Communicating with ghosts is easy when you know them so well, like how he can always feel Cleo’s disapproving scowl on the back of his neck. Yeah, he is not looking forward to having that talk when he does eventually join them. 

But for now he just pulls his mask down, presuming his ghostly companions turn away from his uncovered face just as they would have in life, and quickly eats the now cooked steak. Etho will need all the energy he can get. He and Impulse had just tried to kill Scott, and he could practically feel Martyn's vengeance from here. 

"Hey," Etho repeated his earlier statement, not because of Scar though. He has a question on his mind, one that had been persistent since they showed up. He wasn’t really expecting anyone to answer, as he could just ask when he died. He supposed it would just feel more…meaningful if it happened when Etho was alive. 

His unexpected answer is the sound of a chest opening, then a single piece of coal being chucked into the furnace. Bdubs. He decides. Scar probably would've stolen his food again, because he found that really funny for some reason, and Cleo would've damaged him somehow. He didn't know how she manages to hit a living person, and wasn’t too interested in finding out. 

"How angry with me are you?" 

Etho was promptly smacked upside the head with something stronger than a hand, a shovel maybe, and hard enough to take off about four hearts. Cleo

(He wasn’t sure the exact amount of damage he took, his hunger was full, he regenerated instantly. Them being able to do that was still scary, though)

There was the answer to that question. 

"Can I make it up to you, somehow?" That was followed by silence, and they were never silent when they talked to Etho. It must've been a thinker then, his question. There is a sudden, ghostly feeling of a tail brushing against his ankle, which means Tango has joined their little family conversation. He must’ve gotten bored of Impulse stalking Skynet for the millionth time, which happened often. So maybe Tango was with the masked man more than he had assumed. 

When no one responded, Etho piped up again. "I could try and kill Pearl?"

It's his only option to redeem himself, really. He'd allied with Grian; Scar and Cleo’s killer, and then the fool had gone and fallen to his death. That's why they were mad in the first place, he'd allied with Grian and now there was no Grian left to kill. The Clockers had been on good terms with Scott and Martyn, who wanted him dead anyways. Another third option was avenging Bdubs by taking out Impulse, but that was strictly off limits. Him and Impulse are what's left of TIES, and the latter has a far better shot of getting to the top three than Etho does with his measly amount of time left.

TIES gets to the final three. 

His teammates' words ring in Etho's ears for the millionth time. Skizz’s sacrifice won't be wasted, he is not wasting a second chance to team with Skizz, not again, this isn't Last Life. 

Impulse's kill had been fair anyways, and everyone knew it. Bdubs’s history of betraying and slaying the former was a little bit of an open secret. There was nothing to avenge, Impulse was just getting even. So killing Pearl will have to work, and it makes sense. She pushed Cleo off the ladder and killed her, which started that fight that permanently killed his ex-wife and oldest son. It’s not the best reason, it's a stretched one that he wouldn’t use under normal circumstances. But there aren’t any more normal circumstances, haven't been for a while. Plus, he’s running low on time and it's late enough in the game that people don’t need justification for cold blooded murder. That unneeded reason makes it seem like he wasn’t a deadbeat, but it's the best reason he's got, especially because he's not coming close to the final three. 

He can't honor a teammate's dying wish, so the least he can do is make amends with his family and apologize later when he's gone. 

The only response Etho gets is Tango leaving after a few minutes of silence, his tail flicking against Etho’s leg in goodbye, and a warning tap from Bdubs. (Bdubs, of course it was Bdubs.) Scott and Martyn are coming. The furnace is put away before the coal can burn out. 

So Etho sighs, adjusting his mask a little; maybe he runs his fingers over the fabric a little, well aware it might be the last chance he has to feel it with still living hands. He grabs his axe, loads his crossbow with fireworks, looks down the side of Bad Boy Manor, and prepares to fight or flee. 

He doesn't get to kill Pearl, he doesn’t even see a last glimpse of her. Not even five minutes later he's being shot off a water stream and listening to his bones crack against the ground as the world goes dark. Heh, Martyn fights good and he fights dirty . 

He gets fifth place, right where he expected to end, and Impulse is left to carry on Skizz’s dying wish alone. 

Etho ran out of time!

______________________________________________

Tango appears beside the family, and it is a very, very unfortunate time to rejoin them. Cleo’s fists are starting to ball up, in something more than irritation but less than fury. Scar stood there, icy and silent. The only one who casted him a glance was Bdubs, and he could understand why once he looked down. 

Poor Etho had damned himself even further. The three already had problems with him when they had died, and now the man had gone and made it worse. The blazeborn loved his friend, he really did, but teaming up the guy involved with your ‘family members’ deaths? Bad move. Very bad move. Horrible move. Especially after Scar’s reaction to dying, though not that Etho could’ve known that at all. 

“That little..” Cleo hissed between gritted teeth, and Tango made sure to steer a little clear of her. Instead he moved closer to Scar, with the other two preoccupied in watching the living for now. 

“You good, bud?” He whispered, standing close enough that their arms brushed. The blazeborn aloud his tail to flick and weave between Scar’s legs, hoping that would bring some sort of comfort. The other just nodded, and mumbled. “Yeah, yeah it’ll be fine.”

They didn’t stay for long after that, all four of them phasing back once Grian had died. They returned to their normal shedulce afterwards, avian now having joined them, and haunted Etho till he died as well.  

______________________________________________

Etho’s arrival wasn’t as silent as he expected it to be. The man himself was quiet as usual, but the rest of the players weren't. He’s swarmed as he spawns in standing, not even getting a chance to process what had just happened, or greet any of his friends before five people were crowding around him. Thankfully for him, the four remaining ghosts keep their distance for now.

The first thing he truly processed seeing was the wide smile of Bdubs, before Tango and Skizzle managed to shove the Clockers to the side for a minute; doing so a little rudely. Cleo gave them a meaningless glare as they did, which became suddenly meaningful when her gaze finally flicked to Etho. He shuddered under his coat, and silently thanked his teammates for delaying his inevitable doom. 

"ETHO!" Skizz yelled, swiftly wrapping him into a hug and off the ground slightly. "You did so good buddy!" He giggled, unable to return the rib breaking embrace. Instead Etho just let himself melt into it, until Skizz was satisfied enough to put him down again. 

As soon as the brunette let go of him he was being tackled by Tango, who's tail flicked wildly and happily in the air behind him. Etho let out a huff of surprise, his back hitting the grass softly. Tango didn't seem to notice how strong his tackle had been, despite literally tumbling to the ground, and wrapped his teammate in a hug of his own. Etho did the same this time, giggling a bit as the blazeborn's purrs reverberated through his own chest. 

"You did amazing! As always!" Tango said, laughing loudly into the fluffy part of Etho’s jacket. "I don't even know how you lived that long! I swear you had an hour left dude!" 

In response, Etho just rolled his eyes a little fondly. "You wanna get off me now?" He asked, letting amusement lace his tone. Tango seemed to realize the position they were in, and scrambled away all cat-like. Skizz’s warm laugh filled the air around them. 

"Sorry, didn't realize how hard I tackled ya!" The blazeborn muttered a bit sheepishly, moving to sit on his legs. Etho huffed in response as he sat up, flicking at the other’s tail, which was now near his own legs. He raised a curious eyebrow when his fingers didn't catch alight. He knew touching fire was a bad idea, Etho just wanted to see if it still didn't spread in the afterlife is all. 

"Figured you didn't." He teased, and Tango was whacking him with said tail playfully. 

Before the play fighting could go any further, which it certainly was going to by the look on Tango’s face, Etho felt the hood of his jacket being tugged on. He made a startled yelp of surprise, finding himself being lifted off the ground and into the air, limbs now dangling limply. He could once again feel Cleo’s scowl on the back of his neck, well…the top of his head now. 

You think Scar would be the one to this, He thought, listening to the stifled and slightly awkward laugher around them. With how ripped he always is. He always forgot how strong Cleo was somehow. 

"He looks like a little kitten!" Bdubs’s voice came from beside him, and Etho glanced over to see the other’s beat up face close to his. The smaller was fixing him with a wide smile, making his missing tooth very apparent. He'd have stuck out his tongue in response, if anyone would've been able to see it through the mask that is.  

"A very bad little kitten." Cleo huffed, and Etho shrunk in on himself. That was it, his doom could not be delayed any further. If he could be killed again, he was sure Cleo would be doing that soon. Hell maybe she would find a way to do it, break the laws of the universe and make him truly double dead. He believed they could, the zombie was scary after all.

Bdubs’s smile flattered at that, and his gaze flicked between Cleo and Scar. “Yeah, yeah he is!” He huffed, and shuffled off to stand beside his so-called brother. Scar said nothing, and gave Etho an awkward little wave. He returned it, reflecting how much this actually felt like an actual family disagreement. How the parents were at odds the kids would shuffle awkwardly off to the side and wait. The four of them played into these roles a bit too well, in his opinion. 

“Can you put me down now?” Etho asked, glancing up at Cleo. The rest of their friends had already receded, giving the four of them a wide breadth. The zombie just looked at him, and let go of him unceremoniously. He stumbled, his balance thrown off, but thankfully did not faceplant. Etho just shoved in his hands in his coat pockets, and followed the other three to another spot; one just a bit further away, but close enough that the rest of their friends were still within eyesight. 

“So, Etho!” Cleo started, her voice sounding far too cheerful. “Do you have any idea what you did wrong?” 

“Ummm, Everything?”

“Close enough!” Scar chimed in with a giggle, one not filled with very much humor. “I think the dead beat dad bit was the first thing though.”

“After a while it wasn’t a bit anymore. That's when things started to actually hurt a little” Cleo said

“Yeah…” Etho mumbled in agreement, eyes flicking down to the ground. “Sorry…about all of that…”

“Well we weren’t perfect either.” Bdubs snorted, glancing between all three of them. Scar hummed in agreement. “So, yeah, we’re sorry too.” It took a moment, but even Cleo let out her own mutter of apology; for being such a wench of a wife, as she put it. He muttered his own apology for being such a dead beat, and that was that.

“We’re a little peeved about the Grian thing, though.” Bdubs muttered, and Etho raised an eyebrow curiously. The smaller, well used to interpreting all his cues and whatnot, saw that Etho had no idea what he was getting at. He knew Grian killed Scar, but he could tell it was something else that was bothering them. 

“Okay, so like-” Bdubs began his rushed explanation, well aware of Cleo’s intense gaze burning into him. Scar said nothing, just looked at the grass, like he was ashamed of something. And Etho had no idea what he would ever have to be ashamed of, especially if it was something this serious. “So Grian killed Scar yeah? And Scar’s reaction to it was kinda bad? Kinda panic attack-y? And Grian’s kinda aware of all that sooo, um, yeah.”

Ah, that made sense, now. Etho opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly cut off by Scar. “I talked to Grian a bit ago.” He said, glaring at Cleo, who was clearly still sour about the whole thing. “He didn’t--he didn’t mean to. It was the red life, we’ve all had moments where it gets too strong and we did something we regretted.” 

There wasn’t much to converse after that, other than a few more muttered apologies. When Cleo said it was time to head back, the air was considerably lighter than it had been at the start of the conversation. 

When they walked back, Etho was swept away again. It was by Grian this time, the little avian now being the one to keep him away from the others. He kinda wanted to say hello to Joel, but he guessed that could wait. They were all dead, and had what felt like an eternity left up here. 

“Hey.” The avian said, cracking a nervous smile. 

“Hey.” He responded, hands resting comfortably in his pockets. The little bird seemed much more on edge than him, that was for certain. He’d let the other set the pace then, not wanting to rush this interaction. 

“That--the sword thing--that was stupid , huh?” Grian laughed, running a hand through his hair. 

Etho let out his own, slightly broken laugh after him. “Yeah, yeah. It was really dumb.”

The next question made Grian’s voice become quieter, made it crack a bit more with pain. “You hear about what happened with Scar? I know you two were family or whatever..” “Yeah. You didn’t mean it, so it's fine.”

Grian visibly relaxed at that, his shoulders sagging and posture becoming a little less rigid. “I…yeah. Yeah .” Once the blonde had finished his stuttering, Etho glanced off towards where the others had gone. His little found family, along with Tango, looked like they were about to jump off the edge of the mountain. Which was weird, unless it was what Etho thought it was.

“What’re they doin’” He asked, nodding his head towards the four of them. Grian’s mood shifted completely. His eyes gained a mischievous glint to them, and a wide smile cut across his features. “They’re gonna go down to haunt the living players, like they did to you,” Yep, exactly what he thought it was. “Wanna join ‘em?” The avian asked, holding out a hand that still had his Bad Boy gloves on, despite insisting the whole get up was stupid at every chance he got. He nodded silently as a response, that once detail making him feel a little fond. Grian was just a big ole’ sap underneath everything, wasn’t he?

Etho allowed the blonde to pull him forward enthusiastically, almost stumbling at the speed of it and trying to avoid a wing hitting his face. Scar spotted them, and flashed them a wave through a fit of giggles. Etho was holding back his own laughs as well, as he could only imagine what this looked like. He waved back to Scar once they got closer, Grian letting of his his hand to practically launch himself at the brunette. 

“We could just stay up here!” Etho suggested when he reached the group, not too seriously. “Doesn’t coming back up and down get a little like…repetitive? Or tiring? “But it’s fun to watch them all die!” Cleo protested, and he had to agree with that. Seeing the grand finale with his own two eyes would be quite fun. With that in mind, Etho followed without much complaint, comfortably walking next to Tango, Cleo on his other side, and Grain behind him. He regretted a lot of things from before, but he was glad all the differences could be cleared, and he could walk beside these people as friends once more. 

The group called goodbye to the remaining ghosts, the ones who chose to sit and watch from afar instead, and disappeared down into the world below

[greatness942]

How I'd Write Hsu Hao

Controversial Take: I think Midway/NRS gave up on Hsu Hao too easily. Sure, he was not interesting, basically a Kano rip-off, and he definitely looks and acts like a Mongolian stereotype. But as a creative, I think it's more interesting to fix and retool characters and ideas instead of dropping them altogether: you can't waste potential if you breathe new life into them, after all! So, after a lot of thought, here's how I'd write Hsu Hao, if I were tasked with reinventing the character:

Backstory: He was a Chinese-Mongolian soldier with the MAF (Mongolian Armed Forces) who served as one of the ISAF's one-hundred and fourteen Mongolian operatives. He mostly helped train the Afghani National Army in the use of the weapons of the Second World, but did see limited combat during brushes with insurgent attacks. There, he met a soldier named Sonya Blade, with him he built a brief, but friendly rapport. Then everything changed. One moment, a routine convoy drive, and then the next, he awoke in the cot of an emergency tent with grave news: his transport fell victim to an ambush, and his vehicle met an IED head-first. Miraculously, he survived, the only soldier in the HMMV to do so. But unfortunately, his heart was damaged by shrapnel and nerve damage cost him extended use of his left arm; the only reason he was even still alive was because of the quick medical thinking of a corpsman and a hasty CASEVAC. But, he was still to be honorably discharged, and sent back home. And what was his reward? Nothing. He gave his body up for the people, but neither civilian nor government gave him a passing glance. He couldn't do much exercise without serious strain on his heart, one of his arms deadened save for the simplest actions, and the attitude instilled in him during training meant he was basically left behind to fend for himself in "normal" society. Even Sonya passed him by, eventually letting her concern for a once acquaintance fade by for "the mission."

And then his luck changed, when he ran into a Spanish-American pickpocket and freebooter who called himself "Mavado", and who told him of his ethos: if the strong will prey on the weak, and the weak will prey on the powerless, why not become stronger and prey on them all? A part of him wanted to refuse, but he also knew that he couldn't rot any longer. A firm handshake, and Mavado had a new recruit. The two formed a genuine bond, though it was one underscored with crime and bloodshed, before eventually finding a surgeon who could bring Hsu Hao back to his peak physical condition and then some. A new heart, connectors to repair his damaged nerves, augments to his eyes for added visual feedback, and even a laser blaster installed in the whole shebang, based on a previous patient who requested an eye replacement with a similar feature. A patient who used to be part of the mysterious "Red Dragon" crime syndicate who defected a while back. A patient named "Kano..."

Personality: Rather than being an "unyielding and obedient soldier" to Mavado, Hsu Hao would instead be a sort-of second-in-command to Mavado, and thus also up there with Daegon in terms of importance to the organization. This Hsu Hao is instead a calm, genuinely affable, and polite card-carrying criminal who is alright with telling his enemies what he is and expressing his sympathies to their families for the murder he will still attempt soon after. He is honest, but bitter, expressing a distrust towards groups, governments, and ideologies. To him, people are people: individuals. It is the actions of the individual that matter, not the collective. He is intelligent, crafty, and resourceful, preferring subterfuge first before getting any fighting done.

Design: ...I can't draw and I'm shit at designs. Uh...imagine Deadly Alliance, with a more realistic Olive Skintone instead of the literally yellowish-green they gave him, glowing red eyes, ditch the cap, and give him a badass longcoat. Done.

And that's it! Sorry for the wall of text, I got carried away, XD But that's my idea for making a more interesting character out of Hsu Hao. Instead of being a generic "evil Mongolian soldier", he instead has a compelling personality, a sympathetic motivation, and numerous relationships and plot hooks to build off of when telling stories! If you read this whole thing, I hope you enjoyed!

[loveaurapearl]

Okay, now that the series is over. I want to say that there is SO much has been added. ALSO, WARNING, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

Okay, now with that over. Let's get onto the analysis.

First off, Scar is the reason the Bamboozlers were alive for so long. Scar's a natural survivalist so his skills kept the Bamboozlers on track and he reprimanded Jimmy when he was being stupid. He made sure his team was safe and secure and help give them ideas. He even gave advice when it came to the Totem of Undying. It's not his fault the loot table was changed on them. Scar cares about his teammates and they care about him. Scar is the guardian angel to the Bamboozlers. So when the Snails, the one thing that has been tormenting Scar all season, came back, it was a clock of doom for Scar. Scar tried so hard to be safe from the snails. To keep his eyes on the stupid snails all the time they were around. He tried so hard to be prepared for the upcoming war that was going to go down. He was going to make sure his team would survive the battle. But it was too late. Scar found himself alone, with a snail and triviabot. Scar so desperately wanted to help. To be the guiding light to his team. To be there for Grian and to help him out. He wanted Grian to say he loves him and the Bamboozlers. But it was too late. Scar never saw where his snail was as he tried to answer Triviabot and the snail kills him and takes him out the series.

Grian (Who I'll be analyzing soon in this post, just you wait) who had conflicting feelings towards Scar all Finale on whether or not to kill him with the rest of Bamboozlers or not is relieved to see Scar dead, cause it meant he didn't have to physically kill him himself this time. It's still his fault because he created the snails and he knew adding them in the finale shouldn't have been done because of how deadly they were last time and yet he did it anyway. But at least Scar didn't die at his own hands again this time. And with Scar gone, Grian doesn't hold back and kills the Bamboozlers in their own base. Never letting go of his grudge on Jimmy.

Secondly, Scar never wanted to be a bad guy, just to have love and build a rollercoaster. Sure, Scar can't change himself, he still craves chaos and death and killing, but he also wants friends and family and love and rollercoasters. His finale session of Wild Life shows both sides of Scar. Scar so wanted to kill people on his rollercoaster. He wants death and destruction and chaos. But the more and more he builds the rollercoaster, the more he wants to be friendly and happy. The more people he interacted with, the more conflicted he was. He know he should kill and destroy. He loves that, but at the same time, he just wants to build and help people. He was hoping his more tired brain would unleash Chaos Scar but all it did was made him want peace and happiness. Scar doesn't know what to feel other than he has to protect his friends and family and wishes he could just decide on a feeling. And those conflicting feelings anger the Watchers. They were angry that Scar, they're killing machine was having doubts and concern for others. I mean, Scar didn't even kill Etho when he had the chance.

So when the wildcard was activated, they were gleeful that Grian decided to focus more on getting his revenge on Jimmy than protecting Scar. Because they knew Grian couldn't actually give in and kill Scar. Grian was conflicted all episode on whether or not he should kill Scar with the rest of the Bamboozlers, so they spawned Scar's Snail in a way that Scar would have no idea where it was so they could have the privilege of killing Scar themselves. After all, if Grian won't do it, they had to, after all, Scar was never meant to make it this far. (At least in the Watcher's eyes because they're jerks. They don't want Scar, a Vex, to be close to winning. Got a headcannon that Watchers and Vex don't like each other and that's another reason the Watchers tormented Scar in Secret Life.)

Grian has had an interesting arc this season. He's becoming more and more like him like I mentioned in the earlier post. And it seemed like Scar was finally making Grian realize the error of his ways, free Grian from the Watchers... then Mumbo died and it causes Grian to spiral. He tries to keep it together with Skizz but it's only when Scar's around does he can actually relax and have fun. And when Skizz dies, Grian becomes more and more Watcher-like and uses his powers to give Cleo the power to resurrect his friends and vain attempt to stay sane. Grian also teams up with Joel and Gem to secure his safety because he wants to win and keep his sanity.

Grian yells at people for having fun and not killing each other. He's becoming greedier and greedier. But... Scar comes in and reminds Grian of fun, of laughing, of being human. Of being gay by showing Scar a 'WHOLE NEW WORLD' and blowing out the candles on Scott's Birthday cake. Grian can remember to have fun and relax around.

And then Grian does a stupid and dies by forgetting he has a time limit on his wings. The watchers remind him that they are the masters of this world, not him. So he falls to his death. He tries to kill Tango to have some control over his world again but it fails. Then Mumbo kills him and Grian loses all control and becomes a murder machine. His Watcherness is on overboard and he will treat everyone but Scar as a threat. So when Martyn does something stupid and almost kills Grian with a TNT minecart, Grian orders Scar to kill Martyn. And Scar does it, because he loves Grian that much.

Grian then spends the finale trying his best to stay alive but also be a watcher and get his revenge on Jimmy. Grian loses sight of himself and he is conflicted on if he should kill Scar or not. Because Scar is Grian's last shred of humanity. If Grian kills Scar, then he no longer has to hold back, but if doesn't kill Scar, then Scar could interfere with his plans on killing Jimmy. So when Scar dies to Snails, Grian is relieved because it means he doesn't hold back. He kills the Bamboozlers in a trap so evil that it makes Gem feel uncomfortable.

Grian then uses his powers to keep himself and his new alliance alive. And he does. Grian becomes fully a Watcher and protects the Family. But his Watcher self soon realizes that it means Joel is the new winner. Grian could sense that Joel would be winner number six so he tries his best to keep Joel alive. He even promises Joel his life. And at the end, once everyone is dead. Grian realizes that Joel doesn't have to be the winner, HE could be a winner. Why should Joel be the winner? Sure Grian promised him his life and to let Joel win, but does that mean he has to? Does he really need to follow his watcher's instincts? After all, he's just as capable as Joel and he made it this far. Grian calls himself the Wild Card so in his head its only fitting for him to win. Grian's ego flares up and he thinks that he can do this. This could be the first time there could be a double winner. HE COULD WIN WILD LIFE! So Grian betrays Joel and attacks him. Grian thinks he's already won so now all he has to do is claim his crown. But Joel isn't a quitter. He sees this betrayal and smiles and attacks back.

Joel is a fighter and is ruthless. He'll do anything to win. So when Joel comes into the trees, it's already too late. Grian is hit by Joel and falls to his death. Joel wins and Grian berates himself for 'not being good at the game'. Grian, in his ego, flies as high as he can go, higher than any other time before, but just like Icrus, falls to his death and loses the game. Meanwhile, Scar is trapped back in the Secret Life world, going crazy.

First Out (Wild Life Spoilers)

Hey guys, I'm still reeling from Wild Life's first permadeath, and it had me thinking.

Mumbo wasn't supposed to be the first out. It was meant to be Scar. The winner of Secret Life was meant to be the first to die.

What lead me to think that?

First, the Secret Keeper wanted Scar to be the villain and in my head, I don't think it was because they wanted Scar to win. Sure, in the life series, it's kill or be killed, but you need alliances to make sure you don't die first. You can't fight an army alone if your name isn't Technoblade. So by making Scar the villain and trying to make everyone hate him, the Secret keeper was trying to get him killed early. Sure, they didn't want him out first since the Canary Curse was still activated, but still they wanted him out early. But that didn't happen. Scar managed to wriggle his way through the other teams so their eyes were on other people and not him.

Now why did they want Scar to be the villain? Because he was a thorn in their side since the first session. He failed his first task and then got Grian, the guy they hate and the ruler of Life series games, to make a loophole so he could get a re-roll, messing up their order of plans and accidentally giving Scar a really easy 'HARD TASK'. (Anyway, that's my headcannon on why Scar's Hard Task was so much easier than any of the other hard tasks we saw later in the season.) Scar used Mumbo's task to bribe him so he looked the other way so Scar could easily complete his task. Scar got Bdubs killed even though he was Green and he found a loophole in their task so there would be two winners in the Chicken game. He distracted the Wither for so long that it made everyone gather up and defeat it and the Warden with the only casualties being Jimmy, Mumbo, Grian trading his life for Scar's, and an accidental death of BigB on Scar's end. Grian cheated to spare Scar's life by allowing him to log off then log back in. And Lizzie managed to break the curse on Jimmy, allowing Jimmy to not go out first. So the Watchers turned their heads to Scar, the watcher's favorite, and decided that the only way to hurt Grian was to hurt Scar. And while their plans work on making Scar the villain, it worked too well. Scar wasn't just going easy and he won. Sure, Grian helped him a bit with bringing Gem and the Scotts' health low, but it was all Scar's skills that got him the title of winner.

Wild Life was meant to be the Watcher's revenge on Scar. After all, they allowed him to be paired up with Jimmy and Lizzie. Scott said it himself that their teaming up would mean they would be out of the series the fastest. And while the Watchers hate Scott, they realize he was right. So to try and restore order, they decide to let Scar have friends and then kill him so fast that he couldn't even be allowed to enjoy it. And session 3 was when the Watchers struck. They were so close to Scar losing his final life thanks to the invisible Snail trap that Martyn used. Martyn, an agent of the Watchers who they had been using for years and who was the winner of Limited Life because of their will. Sure, it meant the Canary Curse would be broken, but they didn't care. Scar would be gone and his team would be in ruins. They were so close too. The snail almost ended Scar's series. But then Grian, who had been avoiding Scar for so long and was trying to deny his feelings towards him, stopped the world and ended the Session early before Scar could die. Grian ended the game early for Scar again, and they weren't happy.

The one guy they wanted dead was now alive all thanks to Grian. It made them extra mad because it meant Scar now had a chance to not only live but thrive. They knew that if they didn't get him with snail now, they wouldn't know when Scar would be out next. And that's what Scar did. Scar not only got back to Green by killing Etho and Grian, but he managed to help the Canary regain his lives even after Martyn accidentally killed him with Jimmy's own trap by using Grian's own trap against him. And it was all thanks to Grian.

So the Watchers were glad to hear Grian vow his revenge against Scar and Jimmy, it meant that Grian was now on their side. They were so sure the Canary Curse would continue and Scar would be dead soon. And it at first worked, Grian got Scar on Yellow due to his admin 'Watcher' powers and it seemed like things were going well. But then Scar called out Grian for cheating. For using his Admin/Watcher powers against a player and this snapped Grian out of their trance. For all of Wild life, Grian had been using his Admin/Watcher powers more and more. At first, it was harmless, he knew all the Wild Cards. It would be impossible for the game to happen if Grian did not know the Wild Cards and Grian refused to simply just watch the games like the Watchers originally planned. But then Grian began using his Admin/Watcher powers more and more. Threatening to use his powers to ban people and using his powers to have an edge over the other players. He was becoming more and more like the Watchers he hated.

But then Scar called Grian out. Scar, the only one who could get to Grian, saw what Grian was doing, saw that it was unfair to the other players, especially him, and called Grian out for cheating. And it gets to Grian. At first, Grian tries to brush it off as them just being even. After all, Scar did the first underhanded shot by shooting him off the Bridge of the Spanners' headquarters, so it was only fair that Grian got him back. But the more and more he thought about it, the more it bugged him. He tried to ignore it. Try and push it to the back of his mind, but he couldn't. And Grian realizes he made a mistake. That he abused his Watcher powers and was becoming more like them. So to try and make amends, he gives Scar the mace. But of course, it wasn't that simple. Scar didn't care that much about the mace. What he truly, truly wanted was to have Grian back. To end their fighting and to be Best Friends again. To be like Third life again.

And it brings Grian back to his humanity. It made him remember the good memories and that he doesn't have to be like the Watchers. And to hear Scar say 'What happened in Third life?', it softens Grian and they become Allies. Whether or not Scar remembers what happened in Third Life, it doesn't matter since Grian fully believes Scar doesn't remember anything about Third life except for Mr. Bubbles, Pizza and their friendship. (To be honest, I have no idea how genuine Scar was when he asked about what happened in Third Life. On one hand, he sounds like he means it. It doesn't sound like he's lying. But on the other hand, Scar is a master liar, and he remembers the Lilacs and Poppies like it was yesterday. So it's up to interpretation.)

However, Grian still wants to save Mumbo and Skizz. He still wants Jimmy dead, so there was still a chance that at least the Canary Curse could continue. Sure, Jimmy prayed to the Watchers to be spared, but the Watchers don't care, they just used his wishes to make sure Tango wasn't out first.

But... Mumbo didn't want Jimmy to die first. Mumbo wasn't a heartless fellow to a fellow struggling red life and thanks to Scar, Grian allowed Mumbo to spare his life. However, we all know what happened next. Mumbo, not checking if everything was secure, not checking if everything was safe, not seeing the warning signs that the mine was dangerous, saw Gem moving away from Jimmy and trying to get a life back activates the TNT minecart track. And... with one lever left active, Mumbo dies in a firey explosion. Grian, not looking at Mumbo, only hears an explosion as Tango's wind burst thrusting him into the air and saving his life, and is left paralyzed as he sees his friend's burnt corpse. And in the first time in forever, Grian is allowed to grieve. And the world stops and pitied Grian. Grian, who was seen as the source of all the lifer's suffering and a villain who must be slain for all of Wild Life, was pitted and was finally seen for who he was, human. Sure, Grian was close to being like the Watchers. Much closer than he ever had been before. But thanks to Grian protecting Scar in Session 3 and preventing Scar's final death, Grian was saved from himself and the Watchers. It was thanks to Scar and their friendship that saved Grian but at the cost of Mumbo's life.

Mumbo, poor Mumbo, only wanted Grian to look at him like he did to Scar. Mumbo who wanted Grian to love him like he did Scar. Mumbo who wanted Grian to save him like Scar. But it was too late. Mumbo wasn't a fighter and unfortunately, there are some things not even Watchers can protect you from. Only when it was too late, did Grian finally look at Mumbo like he did with Scar. Just like Third life...

[nicholash2001]

*Narratives and Rhetoric*

Narratives and Rhetoric Tumblr CQ Essay 1

In this entry, I will evaluate the critical questions: What is the major point of this artifact's message, and how does it emphasize the meaning of being an American in a soldier's viewpoint? Is it moral to utilize certain rhetorical devices in this way? I examined a speech given by General Hal Moore from the movie “We were Soldiers” (2002).  He builds the narrative of a noble battle by establishing himself as a moral and credible military character, creating and calling the soldiers to be noble and heroic, and creating a sense of urgency through a widely spoken unjust war.  Overall, this narrative is productive because the speech itself during the time of a very political war still allowed for a sense of unity and patriotism to America.  

This speech is from the middle of the  movie “We were Soldiers” (2002).  In this scene, the speaker is General Hal Moore who is leading a group of American soldiers into the Vietnam War.  Moore and his army are going into Ia Drang Valley in the year 1965 to take back an American base that was brutally taken from the Viet Cong.  As he stands at the podium and delivers this speech, he is addressing the soldiers and reminding them that no color, ethnicity, race, religion, or differences should come between them as they are to defend and protect each other. 

The narrative in Colonel Moore's speech is one of duty, honor, camaraderie, facing adversity, and maintaining a strong moral compass in the midst of combat. It serves as a motivational and inspirational narrative that resonates with the soldiers and the audience, emphasizing the values and principles that guide them in the face of tremendous challenges.  What Foss says about characters is “ Their behavior is less predictable than that of flat characters because they are likely to change and to continue to reveal previously unknown traits' “(Foss).  Foss's focus is on rhetorical theory and persuasive communication which in terms expresses some of what General Hal Moore is speaking about in his speech with using things such as ethos to build credibility.  Setting a scene in a narrative format is what allows those characteristics, in this case from soldiers, to be understood and thought about their travels and what they will see as we can only imagine the true horrors and depiction.    

Moore establishes himself as a credible leading character by constructing himself as moral, professional, and confident.  Moore says “I can't promise you that I will bring you all home alive. But this I swear before you and before Almighty God: That when we go into battle, I will be the first to set foot on the field, and I will be the last to stop off. And I will leave no one behind.  Dead or alive, we will all come home together.  So help me God”(Moore).  The language that he creates and uses creates the character and soldier that he is and that of who he stands out to be to his fellow soldiers.  First foot on the field and last to step off has the meaning of not letting his troops out there alone.  No man left behind is the true meaning behind what he composes during this part.  It gains the respect of the soldiers knowing that whatever happens they will all be going home to their families.  It’s important to have a strong leader to lead the way, not just the easy ones but the tough ones too.  One must understand the people under them and their needs and desires.  All of which Moore proves within his speech to the young men in front of him.

Moore establishes the soldiers himself as being more than just your skin color, race, religion, or any one individual.  He claims that all men fighting for the United States to be an American.  The exact words he uses is “Look around you. In the 7th Cavalry, we got a Captain from the Ukraine. Another from Puerto Rico. We've got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians, Jews and Gentiles -- all Americans. Now here in the States, some men in this Unit may experience discrimination because of race or creed. But for you and me now, all that is gone” (Moore).  The characteristics given to the soldiers is one of unity and pride.  For all being the same and that there is no difference between these men and that they are all now at this very moment identified as an American.  He highlights their equality in the face of peril as well as their solidarity, shared sacrifice, mutual dependence, responsibility, and dignity. This portrayal of the troops as a cohesive unit united by their dedication to one another and to their objective transcends ethnicity, religion, and other personal qualities in order to convey a message of brotherhood and common purpose.    

Moore establishes and paints a grim and foreboding picture of the battlefield. He emphasizes that in this place of extreme danger, that they will fight for the cause and to know they are not alone.  In his message he relay to his men “We're moving into the 'valley of the shadow of death' -- where you will watch the back of the man next to you, as he will watch yours. And you won't care what color he is or by what name he calls God” (Moore).  This statement from Colonel Moore's speech creates a vivid picture of the battlefield as a place of imminent danger, mutual reliance, and unity. It highlights the soldiers' shared purpose and the sacrifices they make for one another, painting a powerful image of the challenges they will face in the Ia Drang Valley.  To lay the danger that lies ahead for the soldiers and to them still be willing to join and fight is something extraordinary.  What Moore can provide is the truth and that in all is what these men needed to hear.  

Colonel Hal Moore's speech in "We Were Soldiers" is undoubtedly portrayed as a productive and effective piece of communication within the context of the film.  First he instills a sense of purpose, unity, and unwavering commitment among his troops. He fosters a deep camaraderie that transcends individual differences, promoting a powerful sense of brotherhood and shared mission. By pledging to lead from the front and leave no one behind, Moore establishes a clear chain of command and an ethos of self-sacrifice that motivates his soldiers to face the challenges ahead with courage and determination.  While then and still now the Vietnam War was frowned upon because it had nothing to do with us originally, dividing the nation in two the speech itself is productive in what the objective is.  The troops are better mentally and emotionally prepared for the traumatic experience they are about to undergo thanks to Colonel Moore's speech, which ultimately strengthens their fortitude and effectiveness on the battlefield.

Speeches are a crucial component of rhetoric since they are the primary medium through which political leaders interact with the public. They often share common themes and strategies with speeches delivered by military commanders like Colonel Moore. These themes include leadership, unity, patriotism, and the power of words to inspire and motivate individuals or groups in challenging situations.  Campbell and Jamieson do a great job explaining pieces of war rhetoric and how the speeches connect from other presidents claiming to go to war and how they all relate to the same stuff.  A narrative that is discussed is “The justification is embodied in a dramatic narrative from which, in turn, an argument is extracted.  That argument claims that a threat imperils the nation, and indeed, civilization itself; that the threat emanates from the acts of an identifiable enemy; and that, despite a patient search for alternatives, the threat necessitates a forceful, immediate response” (Campbell & Jamieson).  To relate to Moore’s speech it mentions that immediate action and going in to take back something of theirs.  Along with what Campbell and Jamieson mentioned they also had speeches of presidents during war time efforts which all were similar.  They made sure to mention a nation together and fight for your brothers next to you. So bringing it back to Moore’s speech it’s quite similar in getting the message across.  All war speeches must have that unity, leadership, and patriotism to lead and inspire the young men and women in front of you.      

In conclusion, the speech given by General Hal Moore from the movie “We were Soldiers” (2002), builds the narrative of a noble battle by establishing himself as a moral and credible military character, creating and calling the soldiers to be noble and heroic, and creating a sense of urgency through a widely spoken unjust war.  Moore captures the spirit of military duty and the sacrifices required on the battlefield via his words. A picture of bravery and selflessness is painted by his promise to lead from the front, to leave no one behind, and to overlook differences in the pursuit of a common goal. Moore's remark serves as a reminder that, even in the face of danger, soldiers can shed their individual identities and unite as a unit bounded by duty and honor. 

Work Cited

Campbell, K., & Jamieson, K. (2008). Presidents creating the presidency: Deeds done in words. The

University of Chicago Press. 

Foss, S. (1970). Rhetorical criticism : Exploration and practice : Foss, Sonja K. Internet Archive.

Moore, Hal. “We Were Soldiers.” Youtube, uploaded by Movieclips, 25 February 2012,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu77LGPAIPA&t=1s&ab_channel=Movieclips

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week? (Specially The Ultimates #4)

Anonymous asked: Comics this week ?

My Adventures With Superman #4 - I know the DCAU JLU Christmas episode is popular, but I've always been put off by it. I can't help seeing an air of condescension in how it treats Superman being a grown man who still believes in Santa, I get a "yes he's dumb and gullible, but isn't that wholesome?" takeaway from it all. Meanwhile I loved how Josie Campbell explored celebrating Christmas here as an expression of love and family. Ma and Pa adopted Clark as their son even though he wasn't blood, then the comic expands that to touch on how Lois and Jimmy have become "family" too. Even extends it right up to Amazo getting treated by Clark as a brother in a touching moment where Superman willingly shares his powers with Amazo so they both can kick Bloodsport and Deathstroke's asses, and Amazo tells Clark he thinks of Clark as family also. It's all very sweet right up until Deathstroke blows a hole in Amazo at the end. Bloodsport is the coolest he has ever been here, when he brings out the big guns I was hooting and hollering. I think this might be my favorite take on Amazo now too. I dug his DCAU incarnation but this is the first time I'm really invested in him as a character, and there's tension because he might not make it out alive.

Absolute Power #3 - Waid is trying to weave together the disparate threads of the past year into a cohesive whole, while simultaneously trying to shuffle the detritus of the past year off the board. End result is a mess of stitched together moments that don't work imo. Example of that is Nightwing "stepping up" as a leader, yet his push feeling hollow when his team failed to take the League's place. A number of other characters like Barda and Mid-Nite get written out of character so that Dick as the avatar of the Silver Age ethos can prove them wrong. Oh and if I have to read another issue of Waid going HEART is our REAL superpower, I think my eyes might be permanently stuck in a cycle of rolling.

Ultimates #4 - Ultimates #4 reminded me of reading Ruins. Exceptionally bleak from beginning to end, poor 6160 Reed. It avoids being nihilistic at least because there is a malicious bad actor in Maker who is making sure that everything turns out as bad as it possibly can, rather than it simply being the nature of the world. Sets up an Ultimate F4 book for sure, but given how Doom is outright skirting the edge of villainy with how he ominously says he’s adhering to Tony’s moral rules for now, I’m wondering if he won’t actually be a part of the team. Maybe he’s the one who gets captured and Tony creates an Ultimate F4 of entirely new people to go save him? Otherwise I see their failure to beat Hulk being the point at which Doom bails on the Ultimates team. I’d prefer Doom be part of the Ultimate F4 though, he’s simply too interesting as a Reed who is massively messed up but is trying to be a hero. If they do end up making him a villain that would be an utter waste of potential. Maker is already the broken Reed, Doom needs to be the Reed who is bent but not broken. Seeing him walk the tightrope is more interesting than seeing him fall off.