#at least my interpretation of rouge

[trashcreatyre]

Im thinking about the legally blonde crossover/au thing and like, i really like rouge as Paulette, but also i need a Brooke and rouge feels like the only one that fits but then i wont have a Paulette-ough

I’ll have to draw rouge in some of her outfits and see how i feel idk,,,,

[1mlei]

Demon Twin Au Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot about Demon Twin AUs lately.

I've read nearly all of the ones on ao3 (Please do send recs my way <3), and I adore the different interpretations of this concept. I will always love the version of this where Danny and Damian are reunited after Danny ends up in Gotham, or Damian in Amity.

I love this classic take on the AU, but I've been thinking about fun ways to spice it up. My favorite idea so far is the idea that the twins reunite after Damian temporarily dies.

Imagine Danny just minding his business in the Zone and he randomly sees his twin, who is supposed to be alive. Damian would be happy to be reunited, he's been under the assumption that Danny was dead since they were kids so he's just glad to see his twin again. Meanwhile Danny is freaking out because he literally faked his death and ran away so Damian could live, what the fuck is this?

You could add a touch of Sam and Tucker being confused on the side. I always imagine that Danny never told them about where he came from or his brother. (What can I say? I love the drama that secrets bring.) You could either have Damian look like his civilian self as a ghost, and have Sam and Tucker be confused af about this random ghost that looks just like Danny. They might think it's a weird duplicate or something, but then why is Danny so freaked out? You could also have Damian be in his Robin costume, I imagine Sam and Tucker would be shocked to randomly see the ghost of Robin in the Zone, but it's far from the weirdest thing they've seen in there. Again, Danny has never been a huge fan of other heroes or vigilantes, so why is he so freaked out about this one being dead? Of course, though Danny has stayed away from Gotham for various reasons he is aware that his twin brother has become Robin after moving in with their father, so he knows that this new ghost can only be one person.

Now moving away from the idea of the twins just randomly running into each other :)

You could try turning it into a twin telepathy type thing, where Danny senses Damian dying, or at least that something happens to him and goes to investigate.

Or, something that I feel is quite in character for Damian, he might hunt down Danny himself the moment he realizes where he is.

You could turn this in different directions again depending on whether Damian is in civilian clothes or his Robin costume. Either way, I imagine him questioning some other random ghost (maybe one of Danny's rouges for fun?) and regardless of how he's dressed they'll point him towards Danny.

"Oh you're looking for your brother? Idk man, go ask Phantom or something."

OR

"Your brother? You look fucking identical to Phantom so you might wanna start there."

Either way Damian tracks down Phantom and concludes that yes, that is his brother. Dramatic reunion ensues.

Last little thought I had on this, Damian doesn't think Danny is a ghost, he assumes he moved on, or maybe he somehow knows he faked his death and thinks he's alive? Regardless, Damian is a man on a mission the moment he arrives in the Zone, he refuses to stay in this pathetic realm and decides that whether he's dead or alive he will make his way back to Earth. Best way to get there? Damian goes to talk to the king of course, to negotiate (or fight if necessary) about going back to Earth. If not that, he just happens to hear about a certain half-human, half-ghost hybrid and tracks him down for help. A hybrid sounds like someone who would know how to go back and forth between the realms after all.

---

All this to say, I want more of the Demon Twins reuniting in the Ghost Zone. If anyone has recommendations or ends up writing a story of this please do send a link my way, it would be most appreciated <3

+ Bonus points will be added if there is a scene where Damian is resurrected and Danny decided to tag along. Cue confused batfam freaking out because oh god there's two of them now how did that happen.

[fernsnailz]

How long do you think Shadow was on earth when Maria sent him down in the escape pod before GUN captured him? There’s so much stuff abt Maria getting shot but I don’t see much discussion abt the immediate aftermath.. Being alone on an unfamiliar planet gotta be scary as fuck. Do we even know where the pod landed? Could’ve ended up in the ocean for all I know. If that were the case it’d make sense that he couldn’t hide from them

so the timeline and details between shadow getting launched from the ark and his reawakening on Prison Island are pretty vague and leave a lot up to interpretation.

timeline wise, it's unlikely that he was on earth for long before being found by GUN - my main reasoning for this is that pretty much every event regarding shadow's backstory is described as happening "50 years ago." the black comet's first arrival, shadow's creation, the GUN raid, and gerald's execution all seem to take place within the span of this same year. my personal interpretation is that shadow's escape pod was probably on earth for no more than a month before it was found by GUN.

it also seems unlikely that shadow was conscious after he crashed to earth - at least, it's not a period of time he ever mentions or seems to remember (which doesn't necessarily mean he wasn't awake, but personally i always thought he would've been unconscious during this period of time. that, or there's something larger going on here).

this period of time in shadow's backstory is incredibly vague, but its ambiguity is something i would argue is deliberate. one of the biggest questions raised in sonic adventure 2 is whether or not shadow is the "original" shadow or even the true ultimate lifeform. this question is brought up by rouge, who identifies the biolizard as the original ultimate lifeform (though she's technically incorrect because the biolizard was just a prototype to the ultimate lifeform). even though rouge is wrong, this question is incredibly important to shadow's character and comes up a few more times over the course of SA2.

so there's a very, very real possibility that the shadow in SA2 is not the original shadow/ultimate lifeform created on the ark 50 years ago. it's possible that the original shadow died after being launched from the ark, and that SA2 shadow is a clone of the original. it's also possible that the original ultimate lifeform wasn't "shadow" at all, and literally every single one of shadow's memories about this time were entirely fabricated by gerald. there's also extremely compelling evidence that this original ultimate lifeform was actually sonic. the hedgehog. just a lil game theory for you to chew on there (gets shot)

anyway so. my answer is that shadow was either just taking a month long nap after he was launched from the ark or that he was fucking dead

[augustiinee]

My Dragon Age protagonists as Epic: The Musical Songs

Please keep in mind these are all based off my own DA protagonists, honestly you could use any song from the musical for each of them! I also interpret the songs a little differently then how they actually are in the musical, but it's all for fun!

The Warden- Would You Fall In Love With Me Again

Okay so this one was probably the most difficult. In fact I actually almost went with 'Six Hundred Strike', but I felt that was more an Alistair song. Went with this in the end because well... 20 years... My cannon Warden romanced Zevran, and with the length of a Warden's life span I felt it fit in a lot of ways. While I know the real context for the song. I like to think that even after 20 years, and possibly being separated countless times within those years. The Warden and Zevran still choose to fall in love over and over.

Male Dalish Elf Rouge: Zevran

Hawke- Just a Man

I mean like, come on. No matter who your Hawke is this song fits so well. Honestly any of Odysseus' crash out songs would fit. But in the end Hawke goes through so much and has an insane weight put on his shoulders. They really were just a person from a small village. Who had tragedy, after tragedy thrust upon them. My Hawke romanced Fenris, and had a small (rebound) fling with Anders. He held everyone in his life so close to his heart. While the whole of the song doesn't fit, the brokenness of Odysseus in 'Would You Fall In Love With Me Again' is about how I imagine the mental state of Hawke by the end of DA2 and a little into inquisition.

Male Mage Purple Hawke: Fenris

The Inquisitor- No Longer You

My Inquisitor went through A LOT, even before the events of the game took place. And like Varric mentions in the early, early game as well as later. The inquisitor is no longer a person, not really. They become this unreachable symbol. This beacon of hope, justice, and salvation for Thedas. Who they were, who they wanted to be. None of that matters anymore. One could argue it was when they took up the title of Inquisitor, others when you stepped out of the fade after the the conclave explosion. But it all ends in the same spot. The Inquisitor, again at least for me, can no longer and is no longer able to remain/go back to who he was.

Male Elf Rouge: Dorian

Rook- Legendary

My cannon Rook, while not wanting to be a hero per say. Does see the injustice in the world and wish to help in any way he can. It could be big like helping the people of Dock Town or small like helping a farmer bring in their harvest. The relationship between Telemachus and Odysseus fits perfectly. And being a Crow he's constantly fighting an unwanted guest in his home. Getting into a fight bad enough, as we know, he has to leave for a while. Would say Varric swooped in like Athena, but ya know... We sorta saved him in this background lol.

Male Elf Mage de Riva: Lucanis

Feel free to make your own list of what songs you think fit your protag's best!

[sonic-channel]

Do you have a favorite Sonic character?

why of course i do...😼

various actually, i could write essays on almost every character in the franchise. on the surface level, id probably say sonic(real obscure choice i know), silver, blaze, or tangle. though on a deeper level, i do want to talk about a boy who had a big year last year...

shadow!!! in particular, his debut portrayal in sonic adventure 2. ive liked some of his other interpretations since then (my goat 06 shadow), but none really presented as much depth as this one here.

i love how mysterious he is, especially in the hero story. hes barely even present in the hero story, only really appearing at the very beginning and at the very end, but his presence is felt incredibly strongly throughout. he outplays sonic one (1) time, and sonic never forgets that shit.

so, being that you barely get anything out of him in the hero story, you seek answers in the dark story. except, it doesn't tell you much more about him (at least not explicitly), because he doesn't tell you much more about him.

hes such an interesting character to watch move because you almost never know exactly what hes thinking, how hes feeling, what he is going to do next. he hides all of his doubts, fears, insecurities and other emotions under this edgy vaguely mysterious type facade. he acts as though team dark is a strictly business relationship, a means to an end, like they dont matter to him personally - yet he saves rouge on prison island. he acts as though he's dead set on one mission, and like he knows what hes doing - yet he has no clue who he is, where he comes from, or why he was made, only vague memories of what he was meant to do (which he later realizes were implants). this is all a big way of getting at one little idea: hes just a little poor helpless meow meow.

OKAY sorry. but understanding his character here is pivotal to understanding why most of his later outings fall flat: he becomes a parody of himself. his surface traits in sa2 are turned into his entire character. however, what made him so interesting in the first place is that there were traits under the surface. nowadays? not so much.

anywayyy lol that was just one of my unorganized essays on shadow the hedgehog. hes probably my favorite, to answer your question definitively, though i love all my babies. later!

[totaleclipse573]

Sooooooo...day 2! (Flowers/Gift) (Tbh my brain didn't really want to work for this prompt so it’s kinda random, you can make up your own interpretations/reasons this happened XD)

I originally wanted to do something different involving their shared love of geodes (I like to think at least,) so I’ll also show the sketch for that because, why not

All these questions give Rouge a reason to talk and Terios a reason to just sit and listen while she responds🙏

[lovelyllamasblog]

Princess Swan 🦢 (@swangelical and @/theprincessswan on Instagram)

Parent's Story: Swan Lake

Roommate: Rouge Heels (@/rougeheels on Instagram)

Duchess’s sister, she was cursed to have a dark side by the Evil Queen, hence her violet eyes. She and her sister share a close bond.

Secret Heart’s Desire: Maybe my real big bad desire is to find true love… I mean, one that I don’t have to - literally - enchant with my dance steps.

My “Magic” Touch: Just like the Black Swan before me, I can seduce and manipulate every boy around me just by dancing. It can be very useful sometimes.

Storybook Romance Status: I think that every boy deserves to see me dancing, but I have to admit, Arthur Sunshine flips my crown.

“Oh Curses!” Moment: Despite my beauty and grace, my Swan nature makes me very competitive sometimes. And it causes me very fairy-fails.

Favorite Subject: Theater. Since my destiny is to steal the Prince by pretending I’m the White Swan, I’m very good at interpreting other fairy tales.

Least Favorite Subject: Grimmastics. Like, who in the Kingdom likes to get all sweaty? Eew!

Best Friends Forever After: Rouge Heels, Catlin in Boots, Juditty Iris, and Briar Beauty, though my sister, Duchess, and I have a deep bond as well.

[beeboos-creativecorner]

Speed, Shadows & Hijinks - part 5

Day 9 and the final instalment of this series :( This one isn't much more than scripted dialogue rip. Jinx teases background Shadamy because they're a menace :) And I have NO idea how they got away with calling Shadow 'bro' without him going off, but that's just part of their charm or sumn lmao

Fic under the cut x

"Can I ask you something?" - ji

"Hmm?" - sh

"Who are the top three racers? You mentioned something about it before, and you're one of them, so... who are the other two?" - ji

"Simple. Amy Rose and Blaze, over there." He pointed in the general direction of the petite purple cat they remembered meeting a while back, tending to a gorgeous hotrod-style vehicle, in a colour scheme perfectly tailored to her. "Not in any particular order, of course. When we race individually, those two are the most capable when racing against me. They have a natural aptitude for this kind of thing, I respect that. Teamed up together... none stand a chance against us. Although, that's a rarity."

"Really? Sonic's not up there?" - ji

"Ha, he talks big for twelfth place." - sh

"Surely not." - ji

"I wish I was joking. He talks a big game but he always trails behind the rest. He races worse than a Power Type, like Big. Bad comparison. At least Big keeps up on occasion. Sometimes I wonder if he does it on purpose to mock us, or to be funny. Perhaps he's a bit rusty on his driving skills. Either way, whatever boastful comment Sonic makes, he's surely the opposite." - sh

"Right. Okay. Sure you're not saying that because you guys are rivals, or what?" - ji

"Not at all. My statement stands truthful. Unless he worries I'm getting too close to Amy when we play teams. Then he decides to step up. Interesting, considering he's prone to pushing her away in any other circumstance." - sh

"Why's that?" - ji

"Territorial, I suppose. He's quick to let his original team disperse and mingle, though. After all this time he still doesn't trust me. Especially around her." - sh

"Why?" - ji

"No idea. Our relationship is professional. It's not often Amy and I interact." - sh

"Why?" - ji

"Jinx—" - sh

"Yip?" - ji

"You sound like a toddler. Stop it." - sh

"Stop what?" - ji

"Asking questions." - sh

"I'll stop when you can't answer." - ji

"Then... I don't know why." - sh

"Actual? Or are you just saying that to get me to shut up?" - ji

"No, I genuinely don't know. Maybe there's always so much in the way, too many important things at stake. The centre of our worlds are different. Amy's is Sonic and her friends. My morals, my team are mine. We can only ever speak when we're alone, separated from our obligations. I suppose the 'alone' part unsettles Sonic." - sh

"Wh—" - ji

"I don't know, Jinx. I don't care. I respect Amy. If she needs anything at all, I'll be there. But there's no competition; if she needs a hero, Sonic's her hedgehog." - sh

"She appreciates you though, doesn't she? She talks like she knows you pretty well." - ji

"Perhaps she does. I don't know. Everyone has their interpretations of me and most of them are wrong, but I don't exist to make a clear, consistent impression on anyone. Too much work. That's for the vain and shallow. But Amy... and Rouge... they may be the ones who know me best." - sh

"It's cute. I think she admires you." - ji

"Who?" - sh

"Amy. Well, both of them, I guess. In some ways." - ji

"She's never said so." - sh

"She doesn't need to, bro. Look." They stared across the way to Amy, water bottle in hand, smiling in between sips, sending a little wave to them. Jinx nodded back with a flick of their chin. Amy, clearly acknowledging her welcome into their space, floated over to converse.

"Hey! How's training going?" She was always so perky. This instance was no different. Perky, but genuine. There was never a facade to hide behind when it came to her. Jinx loved that about her: easy to read because her heart was on her sleeve.

"Oh, not bad, eh." For once, Jinx was genuine.

"Good! That's great!" She drew near, pressing out the wrinkles in her dress as she approached. "Shadow... you better not be coming down too hard on Jinx, okay?"

"Hardly. I think... I believe we're getting somewhere, actually." - sh

"Oh, sweet! I was worried I was going to have to give you a good telling off, ha ha. No problem! Anyway, I hate to ask but... I'd like to swap out Big for the next grand prix and I was wondering if Jinx would be ready enough to race. Up to you, obviously. I mean, you are their mentor and all..." - ames

"No. This depends on Jinx. How ready do you feel?" - sh

"Heyo, I know I'm improving and all that, but... yeah, nah. A huge event like that, racing for Team Rose? That's massive. And a load of pressure. I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer, Amy, that's honestly so flattering but I just don't think I'm there yet." - ji

"Aw, no problem! Just know you always have a place with us if you need!" She went in for a hug and for a blip Jinx faltered, unsure whether to entertain the gesture or not. They did, despite their hesitation. Amy smiled, turning to Shadow. "Soo, do you mind racing for Team Rose, Shadow?"

"I wouldn’t mind at all. Except the Chao apparently find me 'scary.'" - sh

"You know that's just Omochao looking for a pity pass. The other Chao love you!" - ames

"Hm, fine. Not worried about putting your training on hold?" - sh

"Nah, go for it. I love watching you guys race." - ji

"Wait! I want to ask Silver if he'd like to race with us instead! A team of hedgehogs." - ames

"It's not really 'Team Rose' then, is it?" - sh

"No, but we work really well together! At least, I think so." - ames "Come with, I'm sure Silver will be eager to join us."

"Right, let's go." - sh

The Speed, Shadows & Hijinks Series :

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[atelierlili]

hey, i just wanted to say that i adore that you draw Katniss with darker/mixed skin :)

as i’ve read the books, i see myself in (or as) katniss. as someone who’s native american, ive never had a lot of representation and i know for me personally, i see her as indigenous/native american coded. it’s nice to see someone who i relate to, look similar to me (at least within some fanart). and i mean no harm in this little comment, feel free to ignore it but i just wanted to say that :)

i also love your work!

Oh my gosh thank you 🥺♥️

I’m a fair skinned SEA, but I totally relate to the want and yearning for representation. I’m Khmer/Cambodian, but born and raised in Canada. And my people and culture were cannibalized in the Khmer Rouge genocide. There is next to no representation of me, my people or culture in main stream media at all. Even on the internet it is sparse. The closest thing I have these days would be representation from the more known neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam, but it’s not the same. So when there’s even a small amount of recognition of my home country it makes me happy. You know? It makes me feel a little more seen.

So I’m very flattered you like my interpretation of Katniss and that she gives you as much comfort as she does me 🥰

[jesncin]

I know you said at some point that you had zero idea on how to put your own stamp on the Bat Rouges, and that does sound super difficult I feel like I have a few suggestions for the big 4 (Joker, Riddler, Selina, and Penguin) at least.

Joker - Follow B:TAS, bits of the 1989 film. In addition to actually being funny yet scary (especially B:TAS) those takes on the man were ex-mafiosi. Do what you will with the concept of Joker once being in the mob.

Riddler - He's an actual genius, but he's also an attention seeking narcissist, and the Arkham games the man has a case of megalomania, so maybe have him at some point move some operations to metropolis. Basically make the man an honorary Superman villain. He HAS worked alongside Lex in the silver age and in SOME comics, so like a Riddler-Lex team up could be in the air.

Catwoman/Selina - This is a free box so long as she remains a thief within the grey area of morality.

Penguin - Another free box honestly because Oswald has been redone a LOT, though I recommend going back to some earlier comics and some modern stuff to distill his essence.

While I appreciate the suggestions, I feel like I'm not clear enough with communicating why I struggle doing a reimagining of the bat rogues. So to put it plainly, when I do a re-mix: I need a thesis (a story to tell). I usually form a thesis if I find a narrative opportunity or I'm dissatisfied with how the character is handled in canon. That thesis will then fuel the story and design interpretation of that character.

Lately I've been reimagining Conner Kent/Superboy because I feel in canon after his initial debut in Reign of Supermen, Conner struggles being overshadowed by Jon Kent Superboy or Superman's legacy. DC doesn't know where to place him or what to do with him after his Lex Luthor-Superman-clone origin as a solo. Much of the later additions to Superfam don't feel as politically motivated as Clark would later be interpreted as (with the exception of Kong). So I wanted to create an origin that helps Conner stand on his own, be a uniquely different experience to Clark, and place him somewhere new after his origin is revealed- that adds longevity to his narrative. That's how my Paul Westfield/Conner Luthor version is created, from that thesis.

And that's my approach with all the characters I've done so far too. I wanted to tackle Martian Manhunter's ableist lore, or I wanted to reinforce the immigrant allegory in the Clois dynamic, or revitalize Superman rogues because they're underappreciated (Livewire), or I wanted the evil robot to be more gender (Brainiac). When I get suggestions to just follow what works, that's not creatively fulfilling for me.

Stuff that gets the gears in my brain turning are when I see fans passionately talking about but also being critical of characters they love. Like this Scarecrow video! It opened my eyes to how underutilized and undeveloped a character Scarecrow is (who I previously thought was popular). That's the kind of thing that gets me excited to pitch an interpretation on a character!

And lastly! I really don't want to crossover Batrogues into other hero's worlds where I can. I've done it sometimes sure, but only when there's a story to tell. Rogues are created to tackle a specific superhero's abilities and themes. A superhero crossing over rogues too often (especially with the Bat rogues, I get it they're the best rogues gallery in the business) feels like the creator lacks confidence in that hero's own rogues gallery. I'd rather revitalize a hero's rogues gallery than have My Adventures With Other People's Rogues Gallery. Amirite, MAWS.

[sphagert]

Reposting this from spreddit but here is my ideal set of classes for Fire Emblem! Explanations as follows:

This is basically a combination of Fates and Engage's class system. I prefer somewhat limited reclassing just so that not everyone is made to be a flier. I may or may not be interested in engage's blue weapon system that lets some characters have higher weapon ranks but most of this is up for interpretation.

Lord: I like experimental lords (dagger lord?) But any lord would be fine

Noble: Just an extension of the current lord. Whether that means mounted, gaining a weapon or whatever

Mercenary: I don't see the need for a myrmidon class since it ultimately serves the same purpose as an infantry sword unit (and in some games these classes are related anyway)

Swordmaster: A regular in the series. I'd like to see the return of throwing swords just to make being sword locked better but I think a general nerf to throwing weapons (think Fates) would be appreciated to make normal 2 ranged weapons still have a purpose

Hero: Another regular. I liked engage having sword/lance heros so I would like that to return

Fighter: A neat class

Berserker: Just mentioning that innate bonus should return and berserker should get its +20 crit -5 avoid again

Warrior: A somewhat common class. I'll say now that I'd like archers to have a small buff so that warrior (if engage class types return) isn't just better archer

Lancer: A rare player class that deserves its spot among its infantry bretheren

Halberdier: Another rare class that should be more common

Dragoon: (name not important) had some suggestions to put a lance/bow user here and I liked the idea better than anything we currently have so here we go!

Cavalier: I don't want too many classes with weapon options but I'd be erasing herstory if I didn't include all the cavalier types (mostly thinking about axe Titania)

Paladin: Same as cavalier. Depending on what type of cavalier you were determines which weapon is A rank and which is B (A swords B lances, A axes B swords etc.)

Wolf knight: A new edition that I quite like. Also spreads out daggers among the classes

Armor: Lance and Axe armors (excluding knight for promotes, just for orginization) are both pretty common so why not include both (sorry meg)

General: Again, just get the weapon you didn't have before. I like fates movement so that might be a handycap for armors but I also like how engage gave cavaliers just one more mov then their infantry counterparts so hopefully they wouldn't suffer too much.

Great knight: the only class to get all normal weapons at once which I think is neat

Archer: I feel like archer deserves +1 bow range. With the addition of daggers as another physical ranged weapon and with engage's magic system, it feels only fair to me.

Sniper: Same as archer

Bow Knight: A pretty common class. I feel like if you are using a mounted bow user the other weapon you get doesn't matter too much so being sword lock both adds more swords to the class roster and limits bow knights a bit.

Mage: I really like engage's magic system (fire is the basic one, thunder has 3 range but can't double normally, wind is more accurate, is flyer effective, and has some crit) and I want it to return

Sage: I'm open to sage having S tomes and B staves but for now A A at least gives it a unique distinction

Tactitian: There have been multiple ignis magic user with sword usage but they have all been unique classes, so no more! Also finally gives mage its own promotions instead of sharing them with anyone

Theif: Idk why theif didn't have promotions in engage, so here we go.

Assassin: A favorite of mine. Daggers are basically bow swords so I don't see the need to give assassin either, which also lines up with the other S rank weapon classes

Trickster: There have been a few theif secondary promotes (rouge, adventurer, mechanist) but trickster is the most interesting to me so I'll leave it here. Also the return of a magic dagger would be appreciated and made for this class

Dark mage: An uncommon regular but a regular nontheless. Also means the return of dark magic, but I'd appreciate if they all had a unique purpose (nosferatu, luna to cut resistance, dark spikes, etc.)

Sorcerer: I thought it could be neat to give Sorcerer's daggers but it's just a thought

Dark knight: Now a dark mage exclusive, I wouldn't be opposed to them getting dark magic too but thats just me. Since tactitian is a class now I figured why not let dark knight use any secondary weapon (though they'll prob want swords since I'd like levin swords to still be the best magic weapon option)

Cleric: idk if I like brawling that much but I like how it played with the weapon triangle in engage so I'm keeping it, Qi adept is also just a fun class type idea

High Priest: "why is their weapon rank so high???" They only get light magic, which would be weaker fire magic, though with affects like dark magic (think thani, nosferatu but light this time, seraphim, siege tome S rank?)

Monk: Or martial master if you are so inclined. I'd be willing to up its staff rank to S but thats up to you

Troubadour: Absent in engage but it deserves to be here

Holy Knight: or Valkyrie if u r sexist or Strategist even though it has name overlap with tactitian. Also only gets light magic but wouldn't get the S rank tome (or maybe lower it to B? Up to you)

War Cleric: I just like Jacob and Felicia okay!? Also covers Fate's priestess so maybe giving them a bow option would be neat (name also not important)

Pegasus Rider: Sorry to any Axe pegasus riders but I'm weaponist and it just ain't right. Also gender neutral because pls guys ;-;

Falcon Knight: I like this class, its just so cool

Griffin knight: I was convinced to put a bow flier here, and it does look quite nice next to falcon knight doesn't it? Also doesn't have to be a griffin put whatever flier u like

Wyvern Rider: No swords sowwy

Wyvern Lord: idk why its not wyvern knight but go off royal

Malig knight: Tome flier has come up a couple of times now so including it here feels good to me. Doesn't have to be a necro wyvern, put whatever flying thing u want here

Beast: Okay so 'bear' with me here. Beast transformation classes are pretty common and they deserve to be included. I thought it would be cool if the class determined what the stones did, so normal beasts would have a beastone and runestone equivelent (attack stone, defensive stone)

Beast Royal: (name experimental) A stronger beast in about everyway. They could have the SMASH effect on their weapon or be given the same property as brawling, or maybe always have weapon advantage!? Last one is overpowered but you get the idea. Any idea wprks here

Animal Spirit: Would have higher resistance and maybe speed. I feel like these are supporters (think radiant dawn dragons) or they could have terrain effects (think Emblem corrin)

Manakete: Even more common than beasts but rarely has a promoted class. I thought they could have a dragonstone and a magestone that deals magic damage, something that often occurs in the games

Wyrm: (names not important) Wyrms get 1-2 range on their stones.

Amphiptere: If you couldn't tell from the spirte, they'd be flying units, but with infantry movement and no 1-2 range. Some might want to include a flying beast but I feel like we already have enough fliers as is.

Villager: or Trainee if you are so inclined. Not my favorite class type but they are kind of a staple so here they are. Maybe they can only become specifically types relating to their weapon (mage trainee can only become classes with tomes)

Performer: or dancer. A staple in the series but no promotions as far as I can see, so lets change that

Singer: Basically they can refresh 2 units at once, (think lene) could also incorperate galdr or singing giving different buffs along with the refresh.

Bard: Can refresh and still use their own turn. Could put gimicky stuff on it like item usage and other weird stuff.

And that's how I'd do it! I'd like to hear any opinions or what you would do differently. If you read all the to the bottom then thank you and have a good day <3

[sonicjustbecause]

About Shadow, constantly switching from cool to awful.

I wonder if Shadow is controversial for his being (in some incarnations) a gray (if not dark gray) character of for his being (in some incarnations) a poor character. He suffers for the same inconsistencies of other Sonic characters, for obvious reason (many heads work around Sonic, so this thing is completely normal). Surely, is many incarnations can get crazier than Sonic's. He's not always this sullen calico hedgehog, in some incarnation he may be even cheerful. The only consistent thing is his grim look.

Adventure/Heroes/'06 Shadow

This Shadow is the first and original one. He remembers me a lot Midna from legend of Zelda, a character with a sinister and evil outlook that turned out to be a nice person. The original Shadow indeed is nicer than he might seem at first glance and has a lot of nuances. He's not grumpy and he rarely gets angry, he is overall cool.

He doesn't start as a good guy. He debuts as vengeful, lunatic (he talks like a mad scientist and is melodramatic) and makes a fool of Eggman (Eggman doesn't realize, is funny). All of this was due to his intense unhappiness and his horrible past. He was created on the space colony ARK by Eggman's grandfather, Gerard Robotnik as a living weapon for G.U.N. and as medicine to cure his niece, Maria who had AIDS. Shadow befriended Maria and was a sort of a younger brother to her. Unfortunately, ARK was raided by G.U.N. who feared Shadow, the very weapon they commissioned, and everybody were killed, including Maria who sacrificed herself to save Shadow. One thing that I noticed is that Shadow didn't fight back when he was attacked by G.U.N on the ARK, he just tried to escape with Maria. My interpretation is that Gerard programmed him to be obedient and submissive to G.U.N.). Captured again, he was put in cryostasis. Before being killed, Gerald manages to reprogram Shadow to carry a purpose of revenge, twisting his mind. Yet the core of his personality remain the same, he saves Rouge twice, once not even knowing who she is due to amnesia (Sonic Heroes). Shadow had suicidal thoughs, he wanted to destroy the whole planet while taking also his own life.

Thanks to Amy he reveals his true (and better) colours. Shadow is a brave, selfless yet quiet guy that keeps a low profile, at first glance he may seem timid but is just cautious. When needed he shows a unsuspected boldness and he is not afraid to speak his mind, yet he has very hard time talking about how he feels, shutting off, stopping to talk when stressed. Early Shadow is not always serious. Sometimes he is a fun guy. When around Sonic or Rouge, or when there is a good challenge, he can be playful, mischievous and cocky, talking almost like Sonic, even using his same catchprhrases. He is very stubborn and never gives up, it doesn't matter what.

Shadow lighting the mood.

He is usually sad, melancholic and very lonely, not only because of his past but also because his future and because he is and will always be an outcast. He is a immortal being, halfway between a fully living, organic creature and an android (he is made of flesh and blood and has a heart but his mind and personality is programmable like the one of a computer) and not as confident as he may seem. He suffers from amnesia and PTSD, and this often leaves him confused and doubtful about himself. A misconception is about himself referring as the 'ultimate lifeform' as a badget of superiority, while he often just refers himself either as 'Shadow the hedgehog' or simply 'Shadow' to remember himself that he is also a person and as such he is worthy, too. Since he was meant to die, the sides of his personality are very compressed and complete in Sonic Adventure 2 and remain consistent in Heroes and 06, changing just that bit, according to the nature and the atmosphere of the games, showing that this version of Shadow is very flexible.

At least in SA2 it was shown he could be a good friend to Sonic. With this spontaneous gesture.

Shadow is left handed. I've read somewhere that he was meant to be Sonic twin and he looks identical to him, a full mirror image, just with different colours and quillstyle. SA2 originally was meant to reveal also Sonic's past. However I don't know if is just a rumor or if that there was this idea around.

X/'05 Shadow

Compared to Adventure/Heroes/06, this Shadow is more bold, moody and violent and way less cautious, often taking decision and acting instead of first watching, pondering and then moving like in early videogames. He is more mysterious than early Shadow from videogames. Even to himself. Not my cup of tea, he is too harsh, but he is perfect for those who love anti-heroes. He has the Jessica Fletcher/Conan Edogawa curse, those close to him always die, like Molly. poor thing. The scenes where he suffers the consequences of his PTSD and amnesia are graphic. Oh yes!

Amnesia. Shadow collapsing in pain.

PTSD. He went blank and froze, unable to do anything.

Edgelord(late '00s and '10s)/IDW Shadow

The most awful and unfortunately the most long lived and well know incarnation, this is cemented in all sonic fans. I think of this Shadow a literally anti-Mary Sue. If Mary Sues are those ultra perfect characters, devoid of flaws, loved by everybody and that are always right, anti Mary-Sues are the opposite, character with no redeeming qualities that are troublemakers. And edgelord Shadow can be a great troublemaker at times. I can't see how we got there, or maybe I do. They flanderized the flaws of X Shadow and twisted his good trait. This Shadow is selfish, extremely arrogant, grumpy, short tempered, sometimes blinded by his own ego (zombie arc docet). Whatever he does is just for his personal benefit and nothing else and his dialectic is foreseeable. Team Dark is gone, no relationship of any nature with Rouge and While IDW Shadow is shown to have a soft spot for the chao, in other incarnations of the same period is shown to mistreat them. I may continue but is all bad things, it gets boring.

Archie/Universe Shadow

He is based on Adventure/Heroes/06 Shadow but he is... warmer? More talkative (but still quiet) and slightly more open, also more bold. He doesn't go mute when stressed though he has a tendency to retreat somewhere and brood when upset. This Shadow seems a sort of perfectionist, he hates failures and put himself under a lot of pressure. Overall a softer version of X Shadow. I must say, at the start i believed this Shadow was just a melancholic Sonic. When I played SA2 first I liked Shadow and his refreshing personality, but in later '00 he started to become less and less likeable. I forgot his original personality. Rewatching cutscenes from Adventure 2, Heroes and 06, I remembered why I used to like Shadow and I realized how Archie Shadow made sense.

Chousoku Shadow

I said things in Japan can be crazier than you think, for this I'll mention this outlandish version. Dash and Spin chousoku Sonic is a light hearted comic and Shadow is part of it. This Shadow is quite arrogant, slightly grumpy at the start and a bit aloof but overall is harmless and carefree. The funniest part is when Sonic and his friend make a horror movie (they tease Eggman while doing so). Guess who Shadow plays? The Grim Reaper. Suits him.

tMoStH Shadow

The context is Amy's birthday and it happens on a luxury train. I guess the right place to fix him smootly, if they will actually do that. In fact, this Shadow start out to be close to the edgelord we are used to. You (you play as Barry the quokka, a deliberately generic character that can be whathever you want). According to you, Shadow is frightening. He quickly gets extremely mysterious with his strange requests and his tendencies to avoid you and other characters. Things take a U turn when you and tails manage to make him speak. He is acting this way to prepare a birthday surprise to Amy but you ruin his plans, when this happens he appear resigned and won't get angry at you. After this, you start to realize he is having fun too and that he actually like this place, although he is not too open about this.

Prime Shadow

After years of unbalanced edgelord, we got a more well balanced Shadow. To describle how Shadow fells there to me, I can quote this:

"Where there is light, there must be shadow, where there is shadow there must be light. There is no shadow without light and no light without shadow...Haruki Murakami 

This Shadow is ethereal and has some mystical aura around him. He is a living being and real, but when he start to follow Sonic, maybe also for his condition of being a paradox person (even more than Sonic since he can't travel among the shatterspace), he seems halfway between a spirit and a living being, as you except he might suddenly disappear bacause of his elusiveness. He is overall social withdrawn and wary, afraid people might harm him later, competitive, a bit playful and mischievous at times, but he takes things very seriously, is higly focused in his tasks and tries to keep Sonic focused too.

Whatever version you like, one thing I know is when describling a character for your story, original or fanfiction, try to feel, rather than take characters traits as single to describle them. This is helpful especially with character like Shadow (I won't trust those who say 'Shadow is easy to move'. he is not. But is true to all character.

Personality traits are ingredients of a bigger... mmmh... cake? Alone sugar tastes like sugar, milk tastes like milk, egg yolk tastes like egg yolk, but cooked togheter the result tastes like the cake you meant to get. I guess you can put Shadow in whathever situation you like and then ask yourself: 'If I was him there, what would I do?'. Don't think to Shadow as sad, as loner or whathever. Feel it. he will be perceived as real to your reader. Remember it will still be influenced by your experiences and outlook (is exactly for this we see all those inconsistencies on Sonic characters), but as long as you don't use your favourite character as your vessel, things should turn fine.

Youtube analisis are helpful to wrap your head if you have some doubts

My personal favourite is the early Shadow. For light hearted content I'll go more to Prime Shadow or tMoStH Shadow (I like prime Shadow more). If you want to go dark, you're safe with X Shadow. I would avoid Edgelord Shadow (although is the most popular) and Chousoku Shadow alltogheter.

[starlene]

Under the cut, I've written about my thoughts re: the Finnish production of Moulin Rouge! the musical.

Moulin Rouge! Helsinki is a replica of Moulin Rouge! Stockholm – a production I loved enough to see it five times. I guess you've been able to tell from my recent posts that I absolutely did not love the Helsinki production. In this post, I try to explain why by going through the Finnish cast and also discussing the direction and the physical production a bit.

I won't be putting any names in this so my hate won't pop up in anyone's news alerts or wherever.

Let's start with the cast overview.

Satine: she's fine. Sings fine, acts fine, but lacks that little bit of extra something that would truly make her the sparkling diamond, at least in my eyes. But maybe that's just personal preference! Anyway, as far as characterisation goes, I've heard criticisms about her being too cold, and I do think it is a rather cold/reserved portrayal – but I think that makes complete sense. In my opinion, the vibes are right and the interpretation is 100% valid. Satine would be like that. The problem is, I think, that Christian burns so very bright and passionate, he almost completely overshadows her icier performance. While they're both good on their own, and they have their nice moments together too, maybe they would both work even better alongside someone else?

Christian: the real star and mvp of the show. I understand why the character has so many fangirls now. He is super passionate here. Naïve, in love, won't listen to any sense, tears up about it. Also, he sings so powerfully and beautifully, you really believe Santiago and Toulouse-Lautrec when they go WOW after he starts singing (quite unlike the same scene with his Stockholm counterpart, bless his heart, where it was painfully obvious Toulouse was the actual strongest singer of the trio.) 10/10. Wonderful performance. The actor really carries about two thirds of the whole production on his shoulders, and I was delighted every time he stepped onstage in a way I never felt in Stockholm. Shame that I still dislike the character (at heart, he's just a super toxic dude), but I don't think that can be helped.

Zidler: I knew I was going to hate him from the moment he was cast, but knowing that didn't make it any more pleasant to actually watch him. I knew Mr. Super Annoying Mannerisms was going to crank his usual shtick up to eleven in this role, and oh boy, was I right. He doesn't really play a character here. Instead, he just does all of his annoying funnyman tricks in a row and looks rather smarmy and slimy while doing them. I kept wishing I could get up and kick him in the shins just to get him off the stage faster. And all this pains me more than a generic bad performance in a musical would because Stockholm!Zidler is one of my top five theatrical performances after the pandemic lockdowns. Maybe ever. In Stockholm, Zidler had such a charming, kind, warm aura – you could easily believe people would come to the Moulin Rouge just because they have such a charming master of ceremonies over there (...or at least that was a big part of why I saw the show five times.) In other words, Stockholm!Zidler was everything Helsinki!Zidler is not, and every time I was forced to see and hear the latter, I missed the former more. It may be the same production with the same director, but those two are not the same character. I hated, hated, hated this performance.

Toulouse-Lautrec: I'm saddened to tell you I hated, hated, hated this performance too. I didn't think I was going to especially like him, especially when compared to the brilliant Stockholm!Toulouse... but man, this performance really felt like staring into a charmless, joyless black hole. Go girl, give us nothing!! It felt like the actor (who I honestly believe was cast mainly because he's shorter than average, like the irl Toulouse-Lautrec was) was channeling some old, cynical, alcoholic communist who's forgotten why he's a communist to begin with. I mean, yeah, the character is supposed to be a bit sad – but I think he's also supposed to genuinely believe in the Bohemian Ideals despite everything, which I had an extremely hard time believing while watching this charmless, passionless performance. Furthermore, Helsinki!Toulouse's voice is unimpressive when compared to his OBC and Stockholm counterparts, and his hideous wig is like an unpleasant cherry on top of it all. I guess it's also noteworthy that Helsinki!Toulouse performed the physical disability in a lot subtler manner than Stockholm!Toulouse – which is a valid take, I guess, though it does seem to imply that Helsinki!Toulouse feels like a tragic failure and never shot his shot with Satine mainly because he's short, not because he's disabled. Oh well, with so many girls today swiping left when a guy is shorter than 180 cm, I guess that's fair. Personally, I prefer a less subtle take when it comes to the character's disability, but I suppose that's neither here or there.

The Duke: he's so unremarkably okay I almost forgot to include him in this cast list. He plays the part as a complete cartoon villain, which is fair, and seems to be having at least some amount of fun with it. Lots of sinister laughing. He doesn't really have truly scary moments like his Stockholm counterpart did, he's just nasty. All in all, I think the actor understood the assignment 100% – but unfortunately, that's not enough to make the character interesting, he's just written that badly. In any case, the scene with him, Satine and Christian was one of my personal highlights of this production, they just made it work exactly like it should.

Santiago: he's all right, though I don't think I believe them when they say he wants to be the greatest gigolo in all of Paris. He's a bit too gentleman-like for my tastes. His Stockholm counterpart had a seedier, rougher, overall more annoying vibe that I think suits the character a lot better, but that's just personal preference.

Nini: she was good, one of those performances you want to watch whenever they're onstage. If I were to see this production again, I would pay her even more attention than I did now – not that I'm ever going to do that, but you know. In any case, my headcanon is that the day after Satine's tragic demise, Nini is chosen as the new lead and as the CEO of the Moulin Rouge, and she solves all their financial trouble within three months.

La Chocolat, Arabia & Baby Doll: I'm grouping these three just to say that though there is nothing wrong with the Helsinki trio, I preferred the Stockholm trio by far – I liked that they had a wider variety of body types over there, and overall, the Stockholm characters felt more like individual personalities. Here, they felt a bit more like generic ensemble people. But of course, it's still somewhat early in the run. I believe that as time goes by, the Helsinki ladies will also develop stronger personalities of their own – it's just that I won't be there to see it.

Direction: I wonder how much of the mess that is this mishmash of performances can be blamed on the director. Everyone who has seen replica productions knows that it doesn't usually turn out great when an actor and/or a director try to make a performance fit a mold created by some previous performer... but I wonder if in Helsinki, they took it too far the other direction. As far as I'm aware, prior to the Helsinki production, the director of the Nordic Moulin Rouges focused his personal attention to the Stockholm production while assistant directors mainly handled Oslo and Copenhagen. I wonder if he was so wary of forcing the Stockholm mold onto the Finnish cast, he just let them do whatever instead? In any case, it feels like the main cast isn't quite working towards same goal, which was never the case in Stockholm.

Finally, some thoughts about the Helsinki production in general:

The first thing that comes to mind is that the sound mixing sucked, just like it did in Stockholm, especially late in the run. This never used to be an issue when I started watching musicals in Finland, so heaven knows why it seems to be so impossible these days.

Other than that... It's not bad, but I feel like this production doesn't look quite right in Helsinki. Of course, the whole idea of a replica production is that you don't design anything from scratch when going to a new theatre – but I think here, with a production designed with Stockholm's smallest musical stage in mind transferring to the biggest stage in all of Finland, it feels a bit too obvious that this show is not designed with the Helsinki theatre in mind. The choreography is still fantastic, but the stage is so big, it doesn't feel full and busy like it did in Stockholm, no matter that they have more dancers. The video projections are still mainly cringeworthy (Elephant Love Medley being the brilliant exception.) The sets that looked grand enough in the tiny Stockholm theatre look rather small and flimsy here. The costumes also seem a bit cheaper, especially Satine's. The tailoring and colour scheme were both off; they suited the Stockholm actress beautifully, but the Finnish actress... not so much. The pink dress she wears when they rehearse their show is an atrocity.

And then there are the small but charming Stockholm details that didn't make it to Helsinki at all – some theatre smoke here, a bunch of golden glitter there, the cute/creepy handpainted smiling moon that references the real Moulin Rouge facade... I dunno, you just miss this kind of go-the-extra-mile stuff when you notice it's gone, you know?

The Finnish translation is a terribly mixed bag. The lyrics are mostly in Finnish but switch to English at random points – I suppose mainly because the translator couldn't come up with anything. You get used to it, but it's not great. I'm sure it wasn't an easy task, some of the lyrics seem genuinely impossible to translate – but even so, I would have liked having some in-universe kind of logic to the points where the language changes. As far as the songs go, there was one brilliant moment (the beginning of Elephant Love Medley references a bunch of Finnish songs), a handful of clever rhymes, and a bunch of really clunky ones. The clunkiest of all, however, was the spoken dialogue. Of course, spoken Finnish is very different from standard Finnish, and theatrical dialogue is usually in standard Finnish, so it always sounds a bit unnatural, and in this case, the original English dialogue is not very good either. But even so... it just sounded so painfully stilted and awkward all the time, almost like they're in a The Play That Goes Wrong style play-within-a-play all the way through. Maybe they should have hired someone else to do the dialogue and let the translator focus on the lyrics.

Bleh! I definitely won't be seeing this production again, no matter if it runs for fifty years (unless maybe there's a performance where both u/s Zidler and u/s Toulouse-Lautrec are scheduled to be on, but even then, I dunno.) I don't regret seeing this, it would have bothered me for the rest of my life if I hadn't, but I did not have fun and would not recommend this particular production to anyone. Save your money and, if the Stockholm cast returns to the upcoming Göteborg production, just go see them instead.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1204: Exciting News!~ (Persona 5 x Sonic)

Futuba: Great news, everyone!~

Futuba: Gotta enough money to buy a brand new video game today!~ Which will go lovely for our upcoming sleepover at café later on tonite if any if u lovely people are interested~

Mona: Sure

Lavenza: We'd love that very much~

Omega: Invite accepted

Tae: That depends.

Tae: Will my dear Sae be there too?

Futuba: U know it!~ I already asked her join

Futuba: And u know as well as i do that she couldn't say no to this face~

Futuba: Puppy Dog Oracle.jpg

Tae: Lol nice~

Yusuke: What game have you purchased this time, Futaba?

Futaba: The sequel of this masterpiece of a gem!

Futaba: Hades 2.jpg

Futaba: Really good thing I got it in time too. It was last one they have in the shelves lol

Tae: Wait time out.

Tae: You kids used to play Hades at one point?

Mona: Yeah a long time ago actually

Mona: It was so much fun~

Futaba: So much fun~

Lavenza: And the artstyle and the soundtrack the previous game has offered are both equally as breathtaking~

Yusuke: Yes, indeed.

Yusuke: That game, to tis day, has inspired me into bettering my skills in drawing and painting

Yusuke: It even got me to creating a portrait of Lady Aphrodite of my interpretation.

Yusuke: Goddess of Love & Beauty.jpg

Tae: Impressive.

Lavenza: Very lovely indeed~

Omega: Your artwork continues to not disappoint the eyes of many beholders

Yusuke: Thank you.

Yusuke: It's still a Work in Progress, but I refuse to rest until I could completely capture the beauty and elegance the goddess herself, has effortlessly grace upon the screen.

Futaba: Wow, Inari!~ I didn't know u find the Goddess of Love affective~ 😏

Yusuke: I do to some extent.

Yusuke: But she could never reach the status of true beauty and magnificence as you do in my very heart, Futaba Sakura.

Futaba: iyggbtt ft jgchj ft ykjghikndfonnf

Yusuke: Futaba!?

Tae: I wouldn't worry about her too much, kid.

Tae: Texts like that mostly indicates your partner blushing up a storm right now. Common occurrence really.

Mona: You made Sae blush during a text before, haven't you?

Tae: Guilty as charged~ 😉

Omega: Common occurrence is an incredible understatement considering the fiftieth times Rouge would make Knuckles blush in their texting conversation

Lavenza: I've made Mona-Chan blush twentieth times on our texts!~

Mona: Sufeeszxgy Lavenza! They don't need to know that here!

Lavenza: Oops!~

Lavenza: Sorry my love!~

Futqba: INARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Futaba: At least warn a girl before u start making her cheeks flare up like that!

Futuba: I nearly dropped my phone on the floor cuz of u!!

Yusuke: Apologies, Futaba.

Yusuke: I never realized my text would give you that much of a reaction. Hope you are well.

Futaba: Yeah, I'm fine don't worry about it.

Futaba: I feel a lot better now knowing our favorite lover kitty boi here is wayyy more of a blushing mess than I am~ 😏

Mona: Oh shut up!

Mona: At least I don't carelessly drop my phone on the ground after receiving a compliment!

Futaba: Better than getting flustered over twenty times in the row!

Mona: IT HAPPENED SEPARATELY!

Futaba: Press D for Doubt!~

Omega: D

Mona: OMEGA DON'T HUMOR HER!!

Omega: How else do you expect me make Futaba feel better more than she currently is?

Futaba: AWWWW!~ Love u Big Guy!!~ 😊 😊

Omega: 👍 👍

Mona: Oh barf.

Lavenza: Morgana, be nice

Lavenza: So Futaba-Chan, how exactly were you able to afford this game?

Tae: Yeah, I heard they're crazy expensive

Futaba: Oh I just saved a few money I have left on pocket

Futaba: Add thay with the money I've earned winning another bet Sojiro and I made a while back ehehehehe!~ 😈

Mona: Oh god. What did you two bet on this time?

Futaba: Well, u see, my kitty bro, to answer that question, allow me to present u all the second of the spendid news we have today

Futaba: Guess who about to get hitch in the near future?

Futaba: Here's a hint: it's the one couple who's been acting like a married one since the day they became a thing!~

Mona: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Tae: Is it who I think it is?

Lavenza: Ren-Ren and Makoto are going to get married!?~

Futaba: Ren-Ren/Makoto AND Ann/Shiho are both getting hitched!~

Futaba: And the best part about all of this is.....Makot.and Shiho are the ones gonna do the propose!~

Tae: Damn really? And here I thought Guinea Pig would be the one to do it lol

Mona: Wait, is that what you guys been betting on?

Mona: See who gets to propose first?

Futaba: Yeeeup!~

Futaba: Victory couldn't be any sweeter

Omega: Congratulations and wedding gifts will be in order when the time is set to motion

Futaba: Ooh Omega! Wanna share a gift with me to give?

Futaba: I wanna consider this thx for being the best robot bro ever!~ ☺

Omega: I would be honored ☺

Lavenza: Awwwwww~

Tae: Adorable

Mona: Still barf

Lavenza: Mona!

Yusuke: Just to be certain. Makoto and Shiho-san are the ones that are going to propose, yes?

Futaba: That's what i said!~ Possibly later this year actually. Why?

Yusuke: Oh I was planning on informing the others on this glorious news.

Futaba: Sweet!

Futaba: Just don't mention any of this Ren and Ann. It's a secret for them to find out on their own

Yusuke: Roger.

.......................................................................................

Meanwhile at Okmura Residence.........

Ryuji: (Immediately Gets Up From his Seat Along With his Girlfriend, Haru) HOLY SHIT!

Haru: (Clasps her Hands Together With Happiness and Excitement in her Eyes) They're getting married!?~

Ryuji: It's finally happening!~

Haru: I'm so happy for all of them!~

The couple hugs each other before hopping around and cheering in rejoice over the exciting news.

Haru: This is truly wonderful!~

Ryuji: I know, right!? About damn time those lovebirds get hitched!

Haru: There's so much to plan and prepare for- ('GASPS') (Grab Hold of her Boyfriend's Shoulders) RYUJI! We need to find ourselves the perfect wedding gifts for both parties ASAP-

Ryuji: (Gently Place his Hand Onto Haru's Arm, Helping her Calm Down a Bit) Woah, woah. Easy there, hun, relax. They said they'll propose later this year, right? We have all the time in the world to get ready by then.

Haru: ( Sigh in a Bit of Relief') If you're certain. I just hope the presents we pick out for them will be at least presentable. (Grabs her Chin While Thinking) I wonder if Yusuke is doing an open art commission at this time......

Ryuji: It's possible. If not, I could always try convincing him to- (Etes Suddenly Begins to Widened Before Facepalming Himself and Groaning) Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.........

Haru: (Starts Getting Worried) What's wrong?

Ryuji: I just remembered the bet he abd I made a while back on which is gonna propose. And guess who now owes the guy fifty bucks?

Haru: How much do you have now? I could help you pay it off.

Ryuji: (Takes His Wallet Out of his Pants Pocket and Opens it Before Looking For Something Inside) I got like....twenty bucks left I think? (Turns to Haru) But you really don't have to go out of your way to help me.

Haru: (Gives Ryuji a Reassuring Smile) True, but I don't mind at all. (Forms a Playful Smirk on her Face) If you so something for me in return~

Ryuji: Up! (Smirks Back) There's that catch I've been looking for. What you want in return?

Haru: Ohh nothing grand~ (Hugs Ryuji Again) I just want to spend the rest of the evening here with the love of my life~ Talk over dinner, movie, under the stars..... (Starts Smirking Seductively) Maybe doing something more sensual afterwards if you behave well enough~

Ryuji: ('Heh') Sounds like hell of a good compromise to me. You got yourself deal, gorgeous~

Haru: Good~ (Gives Ryuji a Kiss on the Lips) Pleasure doing business with you my dear~

Ryuji: Ditto~

The couple resume back to their making out session, having it yurn more passionate real fast.

@princekirijo

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

@decibelcoatl

[smokygluvs]

Gabin as Maigret

Maybe not at the top, but Gabin is high on my list of Maigret interpretations, not least as he looks stunning smoking a pipe.

Especially as he got older, his face perfectly suited a briar.

I like to imagine here that he's got me helplessly bound and gagged, wondering what perversions he's going to inflict...

He appeared in three Maigret films: Maigret tend un piège (1957), L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959) and Maigret voit rouge (1963), small beer compared to Jean Richard, who made more than 90 (albeit TV) appearances, and Rupert Davies, with more than 50.

Even so, he made his mark. I put him on my third place of favourite Maigrets, after Davies (always the best) and Richard. What commends him, in this order: that wonderful, deep, gravelly voice of his, his pipe-handling technique, that square, solid build.

And, of course, it should not be forgotten: the man knew how to wear a hat.

Finally, a shot with Georges Simenon. Am I alone in finding one pipe smoker lighting another's pipe erotic? Probably not.

[md-confessions]

Okay, either I'm missing something or we just don't know anything about The Solver itself.

Like, just tell me what The Solver exactly is (and considering it's our main antagonist goal/motive too ig) beyond from just "It's a rouge AI" or mentioning Cyn at all (since the question is "What is it?" and not "what has it done?" and Cyn was the first drone The Solver possessed so Cyn doesn't count), or adding in and interpretations or headcanons

I could very easily be missing something, maybe I need to let my ADHD hyperfocus and overanalyze or something. But the idea of not getting the antagonist of the story just doesn't sit right with me,

If you write a villain/antagonist you need to at least explain them, even a little bit, just so the audience/reader can understand their deal and why they need to be defeated by our heroes. The Solver (in at least my eyes) was more introduced like "Annd here's our antagonist" and then moved on.

Murder Drones has only been out for 2 years and yet it's ending on the 23. If The Solver plot point doesn't get fully addressed and explained, then I think that's something that shouldn't have been lost in the shuffle when they changed the idea of season 1; being a slice-of-life villain of the week sort of thing, before they moved what season 2 was all of that plot stuff he got in episodes 5 to 7 and ineffably 8 to season 1

I think Murder Drones needed more episodes, both for the character-driven filler episodes and (assuming no one can explain the Solver thing, if someone can I'd be more than happy to read that explanation and see what I missed) to flesh out the plot. We had a mystery going and it sucks that that aspect of the story is sort if gone

Submitted August 15, 2024.