#because technology has improved so much and so fast that we never use those things anymore

[c-is-for-circinate]

MCU Rewatch #2: IRON MAN 2 (2010)

General impressions: Kind of a hot mess but fun though?

This movie did not suck and I did not hate watching it. Still, kind of a mess in places for reasons that weren't entirely its fault.

I think maybe the single biggest thing that fucked this film over is the difficulty of making a movie about the evils of the military-industrial complex while taking money from the US military. It worked in the first Iron Man, because Tony started that movie as such a complete unwitting villain of an international arms dealer that moving away from that at all was clear heroic improvement. Here, we've already achieved that -- so how do we continue on the path without undercutting ourself?

The main question this movie asks is whether I'd prefer this hyper-capable superweapon suit be in the possession of the US Military at large, or one libertarian billionaire with the self-preservation and thrill-seeking tendencies of a Kennedy. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a vehement NO PLEASE, and that's not really an option. So we're left with questions that get brought up (who can we trust with this technology, and why?), and no good answers, because the movie got them big US Armed Forces millions and therefore can't just say 'nobody'.

The Hero: Well, Tony Stark remains the single best thing about this film, so there's that at least.

There's a great line of continuity here with the first movie. We've already seen that Tony is over-the-top, prone to too far and too fast and too much. In the original movie, we get to see that channeled towards trying to improve the world -- but now that the goal isn't as clear as "stop these specific guys from destroying this one specific town" or "don't die", there's really nowhere to point it. Add on the fact that he's dying, and Tony is a powderkeg of disastrous impulses and flashy self-destruction. It makes sense. It's hard to watch sometimes, but it's also fun to watch, in a cool movie explosions sort of way, and it manages to resolve messily enough to feel earned but also hopeful. RDJ does a great job with Tony's over-the-top disaster self, but also his quieter moments, especially watching back video of his dad. It's good acting for a film with this many explosions.

The Villain: Painfully forgettable, unfortunately.

Look, it's not like 'son of a guy who worked with Howard Stark, working to ensure his father's legacy' doesn't have potential here. There's room for Tony to see himself in both Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer. It's just never actually realized. We don't get to delve into comparing the complexities of fathers' legacies, and neither of these two people really have anything to do with the true conflict of this movie, IE Tony vs himself.

Tony himself is sort of the other villain of this movie, with his self-sabotage and his desperation. The emotional conflict here has nothing to do with the actual bad guys and everything to do with him. Unfortunately, in a superhero movie, while IM2 gets points for having that level of internal conflict it really is important for the external conflict to reflect those themes back, which it Does Not.

The Ensemble: Unfortunately underused, except for Rhodey.

Sadly, Pepper got shafted here. Most of her attempts to help went weird (WHY are you charging onto the racetrack like that, what is even happening), and there was a little more shrieking and running than I'd hope/expect from the lady who found and then accompanied the SHIELD guys so skillfully in IM1. For someone who's been promoted to Fortune 500 CEO, you'd think she'd be more...active? competent? Sigh. Still, Pepper's always fun.

Natasha felt weird after a decade of knowing her through other things. Scarlett Johanssen was about 25 when this was filmed and she looks like a baby. I don't know how to square that with Natalia Romanova, Red Room veteran and SHIELD convert who changed sides long enough ago that she's respected and trusted in the organization by now.

Rhodey though...it's interesting. I think it's very clear that Rhodey loves Tony, and is doing his best to be the best friend he can to him. I just don't think that Rhodey, fundamentally, is a very good friend for him. He's a colonel who works in weapons development. He is always, always, no matter what, going to have those priorities and exigencies pulling on him. He values what the US Military stands for. And that's a complicated and in many ways deeply unfortunate perspective for Tony to be dealing with, in these circumstances.

The Plot: Oh no, Iron Man 2. Oh no.

Look I'm not saying it doesn't, for the most part, work. There's just a lot of Applied Phlebotinum in this one. Tony synthesized a new element in his basement based on a secret his dad built into a model city in the 1950s? Like, just sit with that one for two seconds and then tell me hey what the fuck. (I do not think these filmmakers know how the periodic table works.)

Like, the actual events stacked up more or less ok, but because the villains were boring and detached from the actual emotional core of the movie, they just kind of...hung there. It didn't hold together well, unfortunately, although I am sure there's worse to come.

The Franchise: Well, this didn't kill the MCU, so there's that.

I need to write that post about the promises made by IM1, but the two biggest things that this movie attempts to follow up on are the consequences of a world with open superhero identities, and the problems with the military-industrial complex. I already talked about how the failed attempt to deal with that second theme is the root of a lot of this movie's issues, but I think the open superhero identities thing is one of the movie's big strengths.

We get to see a lot of fallout from Tony coming out as Iron Man! There's no superhero secret identity hunt; there are Congressional committees, and there's federal agents setting spies and putting him on house arrest, and there are real-world copycats. Rather than these things all being Tony's Problem Alone, these impacts feel very tied into the entire world. There's no weird isolation of Superhero Problems. Venko is Tony's problem because he's trying to kill Tony specifically, and using tech only Tony can understand to do it. I think this was well done! (I'm glad something was.)

VERDICT: A Flawed-But-Fun 5/10

I don't think this counts as an objectively good movie, but I think it was a fine popcorn flick. (And I know it gets worse. Of course it does.) 50% seems just about right.

[deadbydangit]

Okokok hi I'm back and I have such a silly little scenario

So we all know a lot of the killers are from old times, and a lot of the realms are modern. I'm thinking how funny it would be with old killers seeing tvs and light bulbs and cameras and just generally modern stuff lol

Killers being Twins, Plague and Huntress!

-🌱

Love it! I actually did something like this in my Adventures in Texting fic. But I would love to expand on this. Please enjoy. I'm actually going to do part two of this since I have more ideas.

With a killer from past times discovering new technology

Twins, Plauge, Huntress

Twins

There might've been some technology in their time.

But they were always on the run and living in the wild.

There is no way they've ever seen any of it.

So when you turned on the lights without a candle, they both just froze.

How?

What is this?

They might even be a little bit frightened.

Assure them that nothing will hurt them.

Explaining technology will be difficult.

Mainly because they fear it's some sort of black magic or something.

The people who were after them after had weird rituals and weird contractions.

What if you're one of them?

You're going to have to prove you aren't.

Once she gets used to the lightbulb she isn't as frightened.

They'll slowly warm up to the idea of using technology.

They learn fast, so it doesn't take long before they're using it regularly.

Charlotte likes phones.

She can always reach you if she needs you.

Victor really enjoys anything that plays music.

From record players, to CD players, to iPods and everything in between.

You've improved their lives drastically with these experiences.

And they can't wait to share more.

Plauge

She is arguably the oldest one in the realm.

There was no technology when she was alive.

She figured that the lightbulb was just some strange candle cover.

But she finds out it isn't, she'll be memorized.

Did the gods take the power of the fire and condense it into this little glass tube?

She has so many questions.

If the gods didn't do it, then who did?

Humans!?

Blasphemy!

Humans shouldn't be trying to harness that type of power!

And they stuck those people in that box?

That's horrifying and cruel.

They aren't stuck?

But how are they in there then?

Maybe lead her to the conclusion that the gods gave humans knowledge on how to build such things.

Out of everyone, she is the most hesitant to embrace these changes.

However, she does like the lightbulbs as it was a frequent hassle to keep candles burning.

She might never fully embrace technology, but she is grateful for what you have shown her.

You must've been sent by the Gods.

Huntress

Out of all of them, Anna is probably the one closest to modern times.

It's heavily implied that she was around during the cold war in the late 1940's.

Even so, she lived the life of a hermit in the forest all her life.

So she wouldn't know regardless.

If she had found a phone before you introduced her to one, she would've thought it was a weird rock or something.

And she would've thrown it at someone.

Then she would've wondered why the rock looked like broken glass now.

If you show her how a phone works, she'll be in complete awe.

She can hear you through this rock!

Anna can be a little dense, so take your time explaining things.

You'll also have to show her how to be more careful with technology.

She's a very strong person, and the idea of a light touch doesn't make much sense to her.

Now she wants to know more!

A computer?

What can it do?

How does it work?

She's a very curious individual.

Make sure you're around when she tries something new though.

She has used things wrong and broken them in the past.

Then she starts to feel guilty.

Anytime you show her something new, she gets more and more excited.

But how could she not be excited when the coolest person ever is showing her all these new and amazing things?

[literarion]

I feel this so much.

I work in research, and, to my shame, I'm based in computer science. Not because I am a computer scientists - I am, in fact, a sociologist - but my main interest ist how people engage with data and technology, and the investments for that research go into engineering and CompSci, not into the social sciences. So, if I want a job, CompSci is the place to be.

I was researching away trying to figure out how we can improve data management, and how we can make sure laypeople can engage with the scientific process by improving documentation and communication, and then Boom, I am now an AI researcher: How can we use all that data I was looking at for AI? How can we do citizen engagement for AI? How can we get laypeople engaged in developing / testing / using AI? Why are you not publishing AI papers like everyone else, we need a four star publication on GenAI last week else how can we justify your work in the department?

And I HATE it. I never wanted to be that kind of researcher, I am interested in real people with real intelligence, not in the artificial intelligence of machines that are build on exploitative and extractive practices of using people's data without giving anything back (or even acknowledging that they are doing it, because it just might be illegal). I have been arguing against those practices for years, because thy are unethical and harmful, and they should by no means be the norms upon which a whole industry is built.

But. BUT.

The problem is that that is where all the money goes, not just in industry, but also in research. Back in the day, I could get research funding to investigate how people do things with tech. Now, it seems there are no grants left that I could access without tacking on an 'and we also do AI'. It is everywhere, it is inevitable, and ... I don't even get it? Like, what is the point of studying how ChatGPT works vs Gemini? The tools change so fast that todays' results are tomorrows' old news. The technology has moved on before I can write that paper, let alone publish it. By the time it's published, it can no longer be validated by others, because the functionality it was based on was overhauled twice in the meantime.

It's basically a repeat of what happened back in the days that researchers (read: computer scientists) discovered social media data. And every week there would be a new study showing how much they learned about people by looking at Twitter. And I kept banging my head against the wall and saying 'If you have studied people on Twitter, then you have not learned anything about people in general, you have learned something about people that use Twitter.' Nobody wanted to hear it then, and nobody wants to hear the same applied to AI today.

It is entirely, outrageously frustrating, and when I leave research, this will be the reason.

it is incredible how people who are so, so clever, can be so stupid.

so like I said, I work in the tech industry, and it's been kind of fascinating watching whole new taboos develop at work around this genAI stuff. All we do is talk about genAI, everything is genAI now, "we have to win the AI race," blah blah blah, but nobody asks - you can't ask -

What's it for?

What's it for?

Why would anyone want this?

I sit in so many meetings and listen to genuinely very intelligent people talk until steam is rising off their skulls about genAI, and wonder how fast I'd get fired if I asked: do real people actually want this product, or are the only people excited about this technology the shareholders who want to see lines go up?

like you realize this is a bubble, right, guys? because nobody actually needs this? because it's not actually very good? normal people are excited by the novelty of it, and finance bro capitalists are wetting their shorts about it because they want to get rich quick off of the Next Big Thing In Tech, but the novelty will wear off and the bros will move on to something else and we'll just be left with billions and billions of dollars invested in technology that nobody wants.

and I don't say it, because I need my job. And I wonder how many other people sitting at the same table, in the same meeting, are also not saying it, because they need their jobs.

idk man it's just become a really weird environment.

[jcmarchi]

Marketing Trends 2024 - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/marketing-trends-2024-technology-org/

Marketing Trends 2024 - Technology Org

Forecasting marketing trends never happens in a void. It starts humbly with observing real people’s behavior without thinking of them as consumers. However, as Carla Buzasi (CEO and President of WGSN) said during her presentation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2023, taking a major step back is vital. You have to think of macro drivers influencing how people think, feel, and act in the World.

What she meant by that is how big social, political, technological, and economic shifts impact the way people work, live, and play on an everyday basis and, from there – what products, services, and experiences they would need for those lifestyle choices. Paying attention to that very point where consumers actually happen to emerge.

That’s why, before going to marketing trends to be aware of in 2024, we will start by taking a closer look at consumer sentiment and profiles, shaping the future market. 

Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels, free license

4 Consumer Sentiments

Sentiments represent how consumers feel and think at a given time. Regardless of age, people share certain mental and emotional approaches towards the World and the challenges it sets in front of them. 

Disassociation

This is about the feeling of being disconnected from what’s happening around you and/or intentionally escaping the fast-paced World. It manifests by stepping back from social platforms that come with the awareness of losing time on scrolling without being connected to anything. 

Idleness

Not to be confused with laziness! Being idle means staying still and doing nothing. People are generally not good at being idle, no matter how important it actually is for our well-being because being idle provides your brain with a space not only to rest but also to unwind and discover new areas of creativity, which makes idleness a very positive sentiment for the future.

Radical Acceptance

This one comes with the awareness of how bad things are in the World at the moment, with lots of bad news hitting us every minute. And this is happening despite the fact that people are living longer and have the technology to actually solve many problems that humanity is facing. And yet, we still feel unhappy. So, radical acceptance means acknowledging all of these problems and accepting the World as it is. This is about finding new ways of coping.

Neo-Altruism

With altruism having a bad rap lately and doing good no longer manifesting in a positive way, distrust is the new norm. But Neo-Altruism, so doing good without social bragging, is and will be on the rise due to the current recession. Because, what we learn from previous recessions is that the longer the recession goes on, the more people’s trust in other individuals improves. 

4 Consumer profiles

From these four sentiments emerge four consumer profiles based more on sociographics rather than demographics. These profiles are formed by shared values and ways of being, not age, although some profiles may align more with certain generations.

The New Nihilists

The disillusioned ones. They do not see much value in the World right now. However, what is rather optimistic here is the shift towards a sense of being that acknowledges that since life is meaningless, the possibilities are ultimately limitless. There is simply nothing to lose in attempting to find a solution to all of this.

New Nihilists are very much against overconsumption and do not want to be marketed to. So, brands need to be very thoughtful when communicating with them. The key to reaching this cohort and others we gonna talk about in a moment is by valued-based UX. Simply having a value is not enough for a brand. The whole experience needs to be value-focused. 

The Reductionists

They find themselves feeling disconnected and missing the human connections, which have been largely lost due to the pandemic. In response, they are focusing on creating new communities rather than networks. Building small community ties and making meaningful gestures while still taking advantage of what technology has to offer in this regard. 

They are also stepping back from social platforms without completely disconnecting. They not only stay aware but are actually making conscious choices. This cohort actually is putting their money where their heart is, so ethical, value-focused commerce is the way to connect with this group.

The Time Keepers

This is the profile leaning more toward the older demographic. Conscious of the cost, Time Keepers are really stepping back from social platforms and technology. And since they know quite well they will live longer (1 in 3 is expected to live up to 90), this group is very much into making the best of this time. They are very well aware that time is the currency, and if so, ownership isn’t a necessity. 

Time Keepers are also very much about changing the rigid cycle that used to organize life for decades. Because if you live longer, there doesn’t have to be one period of education or career. You can have many of those! This is also why Time Keepers don’t want to be defined by stereotypical age concepts because they simply don’t work for them. 

The Pioneers

These are the most proactive ones. Powered by technology and innovation, seize every offered opportunity, following it and moving forward. So, despite the term “digital nomad” being largely dismissed, these are the digital nomads, and they are here to stay. Very demanding, pressuring brands to keep up with them. 

Setting the frame by understanding future consumers, what drives them, and why provides a broader perspective to talk about future marketing trends. We may now actually see why some phenomena become trends, shaping the market for the upcoming year. 

Conversational Marketing And AI-Driven Interactions

Without a doubt, this duo appears on and on again in almost every trend marketing report. And it is for a reason. Conversational marketing and AI-driven interactions are revolutionizing the way brands engage with customers. With the nowadays consumer seeking immediate gratification and personalized solutions (remember Pioneers?), conversational marketing has become a key strategy for brands to provide real-time support and guidance. 

Through the use of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, brands can engage with consumers in seamless conversations, answering queries, assisting with purchasing decisions, and even generating leads for the company. This human-centered approach to marketing creates a more engaging and interactive experience, not only increasing customer satisfaction but also driving conversions. 

What helps companies put consumers at the center of their business is market research done right, with neuromarketing as one of the big current trends. Platforms like RealEye provide AI-powered eye tracking software, allowing one to look through the user’s eyes, which makes a difference when designing products, services, experiences, or communication assets. 

Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Integration

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are emerging as powerful tools for marketers to create immersive brand experiences and engage customers in unique and interactive ways. By overlaying digital information onto the real World, AR brings a new level of interactivity and engagement to marketing. Brands can use AR to provide customers with not only interactive product demonstrations and virtual tours but also gamified experiences that enhance brand awareness and create memorable interactions. As the border between the digital realm and reality becomes increasingly porous, VR and AR technologies offer limitless possibilities for marketers to showcase their products and services. 

Sustainability And Ethical Marketing

It is kind of obvious to say that today, consumers no longer buy just a product or service. It became very much visible across all the profiles mentioned before. They see their purchases as lifestyle choices and want them to reflect their values. So should the brands they choose. However, we no longer talk about just “doing the right thing.” Using sustainable and ethical practices in a supply chain, being transparent about the pricing and return policies, avoiding deceptive or misleading advertising, and supporting causes and charities that align with brand values – this all became obvious. To build a relationship with its consumers, companies go to value-based user experience. 

What does it mean? It means creating products and services with value at the front, whether we talk of indie brands bidding against giant global labels or sharing and cooperating vs. owning. Sounds idealistic? It already happens! New purpose-oriented retail services or platforms appear, dedicated to connecting consumers with independent, local, inclusive brands, which are surfacing and growing successfully. Or a new idea for travel or holiday accommodation, with services people can buy into and stay in beautiful locations for a certain amount of days a year. 

Hyper-Personalization

Another cliche it is good to unpack: today’s consumer expects tailor-made experiences. Data operated with AI support is obviously helping with that a lot, providing hyper-personalized marketing strategies where content, product recommendations, and even advertisements are customized for individual consumers. That will continue to make mass marketing research and strategies obsolete, contrary to harvesting genuine insights and reaching very targeted audiences to build lasting relationships. To know more about running meaningful market research, go to our  publication: Comprehensive Guide to Market Research: Strategies, Methods, and Implementation.  

However, the real fun starts when we use data to customize not only the product, service, or communication but also the whole customer experience when we put sentiments and emotions at the front. Example? Anti-wellness wellness brand from the UK, allowing users to shop according to their current mood. And that’s cool! 

Voice search optimization

The human-centered approach has its meaningful reflection in the growing use of voice search. Over 50% of users now go to voice assistants to search. Here, focusing on natural language is the key. Keywords and phrases should match the language people are likely to use when speaking to a voice assistant.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the marketing trends of 2024 reflect the changing consumer sentiments and profiles, emphasizing the importance of personalized experiences, values-driven interactions, and immersive brand experiences. As technology advances and consumer behaviors evolve, brands must adapt their marketing strategies to meet the needs and expectations of their target audience.

[wavesmp3]

wait are you still doing the fake title thing-

skdkdj if so,,

‘tell me‘ 😼👌

tell me | eric x reader | an unintentional continuation to this drabble | a/n: i tried to make it so that this could be read as a stand alone but i’m not too sure if i was successful in that | requests closed

1. letters

“so,” eric says, setting down two drinks and a plate of snacks next to the dirt-covered shoebox that was buried somewhere in a park just this morning, “where do we start?”

the first thing you pull out from the time capsule are two envelopes. eric immediately knows what it is. 

you shake your head. “not with these.” the letters were written to each other when you made the time capsule in the summer before your freshman year of college. “let’s look at these last.”

eric is more than happy to oblige. 

2. totally awesome no skip summer mix 2011

“oh my god,” you mutter, pulling out the next item in the box. 

“what is it?”

you hold up the old, dusty cd for him to see. “remember this?”

he does. 

he remembers sitting in front of your family’s old computer and carefully selecting which pop songs from that summer to add to the cd. he remembers feeling entirely like a criminal while you found the best website to download the songs and then also how quickly the lawless feeling escaped from him after the act was done. he remembers burning the cd that afternoon. he remembers the entire summer he spent listening to the cd with you. 

“no one even uses cds anymore.” you say with a bit of a laugh. “should we listen to it?” 

eric nods, and the two of you spend the next 20 minutes looking for a way to play it. 

10. baseball jersey

eric pulls out the jersey five songs into the cd mix. “gosh, this takes me back.” the jersey was from when he was young an old jersey you and him decorated together when he switched to a new team. 

you make a face of disgust, pointing to a questionable drawing done around the neckline of the jersey. “who did that?”

“you, probably.”

“no way.”

“look. you even signed it.”

you squint your eyes at the drawing for a long moment. “damn.”

eric just laughs

15. picture from the beach trip

eric is the one who fishes the picture out. the picture which made you dig up the box to begin with. you see it between his hand, before he can tell you he found it. neither of you say anything. you both just stare at the picture, silently. your smiles are big and bright, with the sun casting down over your faces and ocean in the background. you look happy in it. eric does too. he turns away from the picture and stares at you, wondering where did it all go wrong?

23. big fish program

“look at this.” you say pulling out the crumpled program from your high school’s production of big fish. “i forgot i was even in the show.”

“you know how daffodils are a big part of the show?” eric says and you nod, flipping through the program. “i remember spending so long at the show trying to find daffodils for you.”

“but you gave me roses that night.” you say, tossing the program aside.

“yeah. i couldn’t find any.”

“well,” you murmur with a smile falling off your lips, “at least you tried.”

27. birthday card 

“what’s this?” eric mutters pulling out a card that looks new. or at least new in comparison to everything else in the box. 

“what did you-” you freeze when you see the card eric’s holding up. “not that.” you blurt reaching over to grab it from him. eric pulls it out of your reach. you reach for it again, and eric evades you grabbing it as well. it goes on like that for a minute before you finally give up. 

“what is it?” eric asks again, laughing at how hard you’re trying to get it away from him. 

you don’t mirror the laugh. instead you sigh, eyes turning dark. “a year ago, i dug up the time capsule and added that.”

“a year ago.” eric echoes, brows knitting together. “but by then we were...”

“we were broken up.” you finish, shamefully almost. “i wrote it on your birthday. and i don’t even know why i bothered adding it to the box, but i was just so upset at the time. i hadn’t seen you in forever, and i was just so angry at you. at me. at us.”

“i take it it’s not a nice birthday card then.”

“please don’t read it.” you reach for the card again. and this time eric doesn’t stop you from grabbing it. “i don’t mean any of that stuff anymore.”

“but you did?”

“i don’t... i was upset.”

“you were right to end things between us.” eric says then. “it was the best thing for us.”

you’re quiet. then after a long moment, you say, “it was the best thing for us then.”

“what do you mean?”

“i mean,” you frown, folding and unfolding a corner of the card, “don’t you think there’s a way we could make it work again?”

32. letters

 the box is empty now. the only thing left to look at is the letters from the beginning. “here.” you say quietly, handing the one you wrote to him. he hands you his. 

dear eric, i know the letters were my idea but this feels so lame LOL. good luck in college, but i wish we were going to the same one :( thanks for all the laughs and good times. i’m happiest with you.   - love, your bestie (sorry this is so short. i have no idea what to say. i’ve been sitting here and pretending to write since you havent stopped yet) (OMG eric stop writing!!)  (you just pulled out a second sheet of paper. rip. you’re gonna be so disappointed when you read this)

eric finishes the letter, remembering how much thought and care he put into writing his, and how long it ended up being. and that whole time, this was all you had written, the realization only makes him laugh. 

he looks up at you still reading his two page letter. he watches as your eyes skim the page. as you get teary eyed reading it. as you finish, folding the letter back up and saying, “eric i--”

“let’s do it.” 

“what?”

“let’s try again.”

[thimbil]

Having some thoughts about the references and inspirations used for the Bad Batch’s designs.

So Boba Fett is my absolute favorite character and Temeura Morrison was perfect casting. I went to see the 2008 TCW movie in theaters because I was so excited to see him again, even if he was animated. You can imagine my disappointment. Whoever was on screen was not Temeura Morrison. You could sort of see a resemblance if you squinted and didn’t think too hard about it. They replaced Temeura with Racially Ambiguous G.I. Joe. If I didn’t know better and someone told me the animated clones are space Italians from the moon of New Jersey I would buy it. One Million Brothers Pizzeria and Italian Bistro. Not that there’s something wrong with being space Italian, I just don’t think it’s the right choice for the Fetts. The design got slightly improved by season 7 but it still bugs the hell out of me.

I did eventually get into the show later and (of course) got invested in the clones. Unfortunately, they were largely sidelined by the Jedi storylines. Out of the two new main characters created for TCW, Ahsoka definitely got more development and focus than Rex. When they announced The Bad Batch, I was excited to see a show specifically devoted to the clones… at least that’s what it said on the tin. We have all seen what lurks beneath those stylish helmets.

Jango Fett, you are NOT the father.

So who is?

Based on interviews with Filoni, it sounds like the Bad Batch was a George Lucas idea. And like all his ideas, it’s super derivative. The original trilogy directly lifted elements from sci fi serials, westerns, and samurai movies, more specifically Kurosawa films like The Hidden Fortress. For The Bad Batch character designs, the influence is obviously American action and adventure movies.

Now let’s get specific. Bad Batch, who’s your daddy?

Hunter

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in First Blood 1982. That bandana has become an integral part of the iconic action hero look. You see a character wearing one and it’s a visual shorthand for either “this character is a tough guy” like Billy played by Sonny Landham in Predator 1987, or “this character thinks he is/wants to be a tough guy” like Brand played by Josh Brolin in The Goonies 1985 or Edward Frog played by Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys 1987.

Hunter’s model is closest to the original clone base. If you look closely you will see the eyebrows are straighter with a much lower angle to the arch. His nose is also not the same shape as a standard clone like Rex, including a narrower bridge. It’s certainly not Temeura Morrison’s nose. Remember what I said about space Italians? It didn’t take much to push the existing clone design to resemble an specific Italian man instead of a specific Māori man. The 23&Me came back, and Hunter inherited more than the bandana from Sylvester.

Crosshair

The long narrow nose, the sharp cheekbones, the scowl. That’s no clone, that’s just animated Clint Eastwood. Not even Young and Hot Clint Eastwood from Rawhide 1959-1965. With that hair, I’m talking Gran Torino 2008. The man of few words schtick and family friendly toothpick in lieu of cigar are pure Eastwood as The Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns A Fist Full of Dollars 1964, For a Few Dollars More 1965, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966.

In a way, this is full circle because the actor Jeremy Bulloch took inspiration from Clint Eastwood for his performance as Boba Fett in ESB.

Wrecker

In an interview Filoni lists the Hulk as an (obvious) inspiration for Wrecker. Ever seen the old Hulk tv show from 1978? Well take a look at the actor who played him, Lou Ferrigno. Would you look at that. Even has his papa’s nose.

You could make the argument that Wrecker was influenced by The Rock, an appropriately buff ‘n bald Polynesian (Samoan, not Maori) man. But look at him next his Fast and Furious costar Vin Diesel and tell me which one resembles Wrecker’s character model more.

Tech

Tech is a little trickier for me to place. If he has a more direct inspiration it must be something I haven’t seen. That said, his hairline is very Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 1988. His quippiness and large glasses remind me of Shane Black as Hawkins from Predator 1987. In terms of his face, he looks a but like the result of McClane and Hawkins deciding to settle down and start a family. Although, Tech’s biggest contributors are probably just everyone on TV Trope’s list for Smart People Wear Glasses.

And finally,

Echo

Oh Echo. Considering he wasn’t created for the Bad Batch, he probably wasn’t based on a particular character or movie. But if I had to guess, his situation and appearance remind me a lot of Alex Murphy played by Peter Weller in Robocop 1987. However, Robocop explored the Man or Machine Identity Crisis with more nuance, depth, and dignity. Yikes.

The exact tropes and references used in The Bad Batch have been done successfully with characters who aren’t even human. Gizmo from Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 had a brief stint with the Rambo bandana. I could have picked any number of characters for Defining Feature Is Glasses but here is the most cursed version of Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Suffer as I have. Marc Antony with his beloved Pussyfoot from Looney Tunes has the same tough guy with a soft center vibe as Wrecker and his Lula (also a kind of cat). Hell, in the same show we have Cad Bane sharing Cowboy Clint Eastwood with Crosshair. I actually think Bane makes a better Eastwood which is wild considering Crosshair has Eastwood’s entire face and Bane is blue.

So we’ve established you don’t need your characters to look exactly like their inspirations to match their vibe. So why go through the trouble and cost of creating completely new character designs instead of recycling and altering assets they already had on hand? Just slap on a bandana, toothpick, goggles, and make Wrecker bigger than the others while he does a Hulk pose and you’re done. Based on the general reaction to Howzer it would have been a low effort slam dunk crowd pleaser.

But they didn’t do that.

So here’s the thing. I like the tropes used in The Bad Batch. I am a fan of action adventure movies from the 80s-90s, the sillier the better. I am part of the Bad Batch’s target audience. Considering what I know about Disney and Lucasfilm, I went in with low expectations. I genuinely don’t hate the idea of seeing references to these actors and media in The Bad Batch. I don’t think basing these characters on tropes was a bad idea. If anything it’s a solid starting point for building the characters.

The trouble is nothing got built on the foundation. The plot is directionless, the pacing is wacky, and the characters have nearly no emotional depth or defining character arcs. They just sort of exist without reacting much while the story happens around them. But I can excuse all of that. You don’t stay a fan of Star Wars as long as I have not being able to cherrypick and fill in the gaps. This show has a deeper issue that shouldn’t be ignored.

Why do the animated clones bear at best only a passing resemblance to their live action actor? In interviews, Filoni wouldn’t shut up but the technological advancements in the animation for season 7. So if they are updating things, why not try to make the clones a closer match to their source material? Why did they have to look like completely different people in The Bad Batch to be “unique”? Looking like Temeura Morrison would have no bearing on their special abilities and TCW proved you can have identical looking characters and still have them be distinct. In fact, that’s a powerful theme and the source of tragedy for the clones’ narrative overall.

Here’s Filoni’s early concept art of Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Hunter. (Interesting but irrelevant: Wrecker seems to have a cog tattoo similar to Jesse’s instead of a scar. Wouldn’t it have been funny if they kept that so when they met in season 7 one if them could say something like “Hey we’re twins!” That’s a little clone humor. Just for you guys 😘)

None of these drawings look like the clones in TCW, much less Temeura Morrison. Let’s be generous. Maybe Filoni struggles with drawing a real person’s likeness, as many people do. But he had to hand this off to other artists down the line whose job specifically involves making a stylized character resemble their actor. Yet the final designs missed the mark almost as much as this initial concept. Starting to seem as if the clones looking more like Temeura Morrison was never even on the table. It wasn’t a lack of creativity, skill or technical limitations on the part of the creative team. I don’t think there is an innocent explanation. They went out of their way to make the final product exactly how we got it.

This goes beyond homage. They could have made the same pop culture references and character tropes without completely stripping Temeura Morrison from the role he originated. It was a very purposeful choice to replace him with more immediately familiar actors from established franchises and films. It wouldn’t shock me if Filoni, Lucas, and anyone else calling the shots didn’t even think hard or care enough about the decision to immediately recognize a problem. And I don’t think they believed anyone else would either. At least no one whose opinion they cared about. Those faces are comfortingly familiar and proven bankable. They are what we’re all used to seeing after all. They’re white.

Lack of imagination, bad intentions, or simple ignorance doesn’t really matter in the end. The result is the same. Call it what it is. They replaced a man of color with a bunch of white guys. That’s by the book garden variety run of the mill whitewashing. There’s no debate worth having about it. For a fanbase that loves to nitpick things like whether or not it’s in character for Han to shoot first or Jeans Guy in the Mandalorian, we sure are quick to find excuses for clones who look nothing like their template. Why is that? If you don’t see the problem, congratulations. Your ass is showing. Pull your jeans up.

[buttered-toasty]

I find it utterly fascinating that people say things like Jerma is a kpop boy for adhd people or that Jerma event streams are like the superbowl for us. Because they are. I wanna take a moment to talk about this because I think it’s part of a larger thing.

I don’t think I’ve ever said it on here but it is so interesting to me that so many internet creators seem to be neurodivergent, undiagnosed or otherwise. To neurotypicals their art seems to be strange, new, and some sort of spectacle. To nds their art seems to be just the thing we’ve been looking for all along. Adhd people love Jerma because he Gets It. His brain works similarly to ours in a way that an nt person’s couldn’t. He has similarly weird or out there creative ideas but that’s probably just normal for him. That’s how his brain works. I’m sure other nd people can relate. My personal experience with this is constantly crossing art forms and linking common things between what seem like completely different pieces of media. It’s because both interest me, fundamentally, and because common themes in media, especially about trauma, are another interest of mine.

This creative strangeness is quintessential to the nd artistic experience. I’m sure every one of us at some point has had an nt say “oh that’s weird” in those words or more. And sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. Usually it ends up being good in the long run because regardless of whether or not the fascination is there for mockery, whether or not they are watching us like we’re animals, we start movements. We open new spaces. We do new things. Our wacky quirky silly goofy interests make us want to pursue new forms of art instead of simply climbing to the top of already existing things. The internet has opened up spaces for us in so many ways too. I love this, I love what’s happening with it. For a long time art has been classist and ableist but with the internet that is lessening. People are beginning to realize the value of “odd” creative endeavors at a much more rapid pace than they used to. Art is moving forward and I’m very good directions.

Maybe you think it’s weird that this post had to start with Jerma. I don’t. I think it’s pretty natural actually. He’s a very good example of an nd person that people stop to gawk at but that a lot of nd people just genuinely love. Nd people seem to have taken the joke that he’s utterly insane and run with it because that sort of morbid fascination from nts is relatable to us. But to be honest I don’t believe that the joke started in good faith, though I’m glad it’s landed where it has.

Nd art should be respected and widely enjoyed and loved like this so much more often. I’m glad we have our funnyman whose brain just seems to hit home for a lot of us. And I’m glad he likes to push creative boundaries. He’s definitely not the only one either. I could’ve started this post with game grumps or Markiplier. I chose Jerma because to be entirely honest with you I’m a bit hyperfixated and also, the way he is is how my brain works. Which I think is neat. Like there is someone out there who is definitely Getting It and Understanding the Experience for me.

I think another part of why we like our own in artistic spaces is the whole interest-based neurosystem thing. Since our interests or ideas change pretty frequently we like to see that in media and art. The higher brow art world doesn’t change very fast. It’s slow and it’s full of old vampires who refuse to learn technology or put down their classism. Nd people simply can’t function like that, it’s just not how we work. Part of why Jerma has stayed interesting for so many years without changing the style of his content like some other creators is that, intrinsic to his style, is constant change. Everything feels a little like improv and a little like a delirious fever dream which is exactly what the inside of my poor little unmedicated brain is like. I’m sure other people can relate. It’s not that Jerma has never changed, it’s just that he’s so fucking used to it that we are too. And it’s what keeps things interesting.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. TLDR; respect neurodivergent art more and support these types of creators. They’re a huge part of movements and they especially are now with the internet and new accessibility.

[eyrieofsynapses]

Alright, YJ peeps, listen up, because I’m sick and tired of seeing constant criticism lobbed at YJ for making Wally slower than his comic canon version, Barry and Bart. There’s a very good reason to do this—and it’s completely in Wally’s favor.

Let me preface this by saying that I sincerely love Wally’s comics. I am one hundred percent on board that Wally deserves to be recognized for the badass he is. His 90s comics established the most important elements of the Flash today. We wouldn’t have the Speedforce if it weren’t for him! It’s been defining the Flash for decades! He gets the short stick over and over. It only rubs salt in the wound that people believe Barry’s faster when it’s been stated repeatedly that Wally’s the fastest person in the DC universe. (There are few faster ways to piss me off than to say Barry’s a better Flash than Wally.) 

But. But. YJ was incredibly clever when they made him slower. Why? Wally has to be more creative than Barry because he’s slower, showing his intelligence and building him up to be a better Flash. Don’t believe me? Take a close look at Bloodlines.

Barry and Impulse figure out how to foil Neutron’s first blast of energy on their own. But it’s Wally who figures out that Neutron’s about to release an even more deadly wave with the help of his goggles, which Barry immediately borrows. Wally hand-made his goggles to compensate for his lack of speed. He wouldn’t have had them if he were as fast as the other two. Nobody would’ve realized how much danger they were in, and everyone would have died.

While comic!Wally is definitely smart, he’s so powerful that as the Flash, he can often solve problems just with sheer power. He doesn’t have to be super clever about it most of the time. In YJ, this is true of both Barry and Bart. They can be clever, but they’re heavily reliant on their powers. YJ!Wally has to compensate for lack of power with intelligence. He diversifies his skillset, using a mixture of science, strategy, and superpowers to solve problems instead of relying on sheer force.

Wally isn’t just slower; he also can’t control his momentum. Barry and Bart can dissipate kinetic energy at will, while he has to find ways to get rid of it. But he turns it to his advantage. 

Pay attention to how he fights. You’ll notice he often cannonballs into people and uses acrobatics instead of flat-out running. He can’t bombard someone with a rain of blows the same way, so he dodges and avoids close combat.

There’s a lot more to that, but in a nutshell: Wally’s fighting style is significantly more complex than Barry’s. I’m not saying Barry never uses those skills, but I can’t remember any time we saw him do it. Wally learned to do that on his own, and he figured out how to incorporate other people’s fighting styles into his repertoire. Remember the acrobatics? Who wants to bet he picked that up from Dick?

Which brings me to my next point: Wally works better with the Team not just because he grew up with them, but because he has to cooperate with others to make the best of his skills. Wally can’t just blaze through things. He has to conserve his energy and make the best of his speed. In the Team, they have to piece together where he’ll be the most effective. It forces him to stop and consider what he’s doing and how it’ll impact the overall picture, taming his impulsive behavior.

Think about his attitude in the pilot. He races on ahead, alerting the enemy to their presence and nearly getting himself killed. Over the course of the season, he learns stealth and patience, which we see repeatedly demonstrated in the last few episodes.

Back to Bloodlines for a moment. When Wally, Barry, and Bart initially show up to the disaster scene, Barry runs headlong into the danger. Bart follows him. Wally, however, stops to talk to the police captain and gather information about the situation. Barry and Bart join them afterward. They proceed to speed-talk at each other, coming up with a plan… and then instead of explaining it to Wally, they just tell him to follow their lead.

Barry and Bart were impulsive while he stopped to think. Wally was a better team player: the other two didn’t include him in their planning, thus missing crucial details and potentially putting him in danger.

Their plan works in the short-term. But when they think they’ve solved it, Wally takes a second look, analyzing the situation and double-checking that they’re finished. If they stopped ahead of time and took a moment to consider what was happening, they might’ve noticed the energy problem sooner and come up with a better solution.

Worst of all, Barry rushes in again to pull Neutron out the second time. He only survives because of Bart. Yes, it’s because they’re short on time, but again: this might’ve been prevented sooner if they thought things through.

What does it say that Wally patiently paid attention to detail and was more thoughtful than his experienced mentor?

Yes, some of this is stuff he might have learned with advanced speed. But would he really have to be so thoughtful about how he uses his abilities? Not likely. 

Nor would he have incorporated science and gear into his skillset. Among other things, he knows how to make an EMP and recognizes where to apply it in Homefront. Dick’s their tech whiz, but Wally comes up with technological and scientific solutions that he can’t.

But Wally doesn’t only use science and technology in ways his uncle and cousin can’t or won’t. He thinks differently about problems. 

In Bloodlines, Barry and Bart assume the coast is clear after they take down Neutron the first time. They only consider things within the vast range of their powers, assuming that covers everything. Wally thinks about what they can’t see. He’s more limited, so he’s learned to take every piece of a situation into account.

Basically: Wally is much more flexible than his faster counterparts. He adapts far better to adverse situations because he’s forced to make small-scale accommodations on a daily basis. Because of that, he’s able to come up with better solutions, work better in a team, and solve problems without his powers.

And may I remind all of you: YJ Wally GAVE HIMSELF HIS POWERS, but his comic version got them without effort! The Speedforce bestowed them on him without his involvement! 

People, YJ!Wally is a goddamn genius prodigy. We forget it sometimes because of his early-on immaturity and his jokes, but seriously, Wally’s far and away one of the smartest people in the YJ universe. YJ Wally is a distinctively unique Flash character because of his wit and intelligence!

But guess what? Guess what the real cherry on top is? If they bring Wally back in the fourth season at a full speed, he’ll be the fastest and the wisest Flash. He’ll know how to apply his new powers in ways that the others would never think of. Because he’s spent so much time applying science to his abilities, he’ll know how to use his new powers in sync with it, whereas Bart and Barry won’t think on those levels. 

Best of all, Wally’s the best team player. He’ll be incredible with both the original Team and anyone else he has to work with. 

Think about it. A full-speed Flash with Wally’s technological brilliance, intelligence, observance, and teamwork skills? He’ll be unstoppable.

So please shut up about how YJ did Wally dirty. It’s a thousand times more interesting to watch him work out how to solve a problem rather than just solve it in a snap with his powers. If anything, YJ improved his character and made him better.

[itwoodbeprefect]

decided to just compile a bunch of comments about my sga 1x01 rising rewatch into a single post because i don’t actually want to make a hundred posts in a row, so here, under the cut, many rambles:

announcer guy does, in fact, speak english upon a second attempt. well done on not forgetting to not speak german, announcer guy.

“i’m afraid of the thing” elizabeth says, about the drone chair, while standing next to it and looking like she wants to fuck it

rodney in that orange sweater! very orange! very warm!

john is on screen. john’s first words are helicopters he knows how to fly. john KINDA LIKES IT in antarctica. john has barely done anything and i already feel like crying a little bit about this guy who LIKES ANTARCTICA because he just wants to fly

POOR CARSON when he almost kills two people. “ai told ya ai was the wrong pursohn” :(

i really love how john sees the drone coming at the (landed) helicopter and yells “get out!” and they throw open their doors and john JUMPS and then it’s just “ugh.” and he’s belly-down on the floor and still like, almost under the helicopter. an attempt was made, for sure. just not a very succesful one.

the way john looks around like he’s never seen a ceiling before when he enters the base is just. very funny. and then some guy in particular is looking at him because he’s a bit of a weirdo and john looks back and the guy sort of looks him up and down and john looks away as if to check if anybody saw that. hmm.

john’s face of “oops” after he sits down in the chair and it ACTIVATES and carson RUNS OFF to go get literally everyone and john is realizing he MAY have just made a very giant big mistake. PRICELESS

teyla: my people have long believed the wraith will come if we venture into the ancient city. sumner, when the wraith come after he ventures into the ancient city: [surprised pikachu face]

gotta love how john insisting on saving his people is what wakes up the wraith, and saving his people is also what landed john in antarctica in the first place because he tried it in afghanistan once before. which wouldn’t have happened if there hadn’t been an american war in afghanistan in the first place, which there wouldn’t have been if bush hadn’t thrown the us into it, which wouldn’t have happened without 9/11, so... bin laden woke the wraith?

on the other hand john would never have had to go on a rescue mission on his first day in pegasus if sumner hadn’t gone into that city against the wishes of the people that already lived there and had a history dating back thousands of years with the place, so more realistically, the expeditions’ colonizer mentality woke the wraith. and then they just kinda... kept going with that for the rest of the show, because it worked out so well on that first day.

anyway i’m not even there yet - puddlejumper! it jumps puddles!

have to love the moment john realizes the puddlejumper is pretty literally reading his mind and giving him anything he can think of that is within its power (so no turkey sandwiches, but that’s okay). john is already in love with it just based on the fact that IT CAN FLY AND GO FAST (“i kinda like it here”, restored) but then all the ancient technology just seems to know him and love him back and gives him way more than he even thinks to ask for. which, for john, who doesn’t really do well expressing desires? a FLYING SHIP that then READS HIS MIND? starstruck. love at first sight. john&puddlejumper, instant bffs. i bet it would have popped a compartment with some stray bits of wire if he’d asked for a friendship bracelet right then and there. ford sitting there witnessing this doesn’t even know how hard he’s thirdwheeling it in that moment.

now i am at the bit where sumner is taken from the wraith prison to see the actual wraith, and look, obviously they’re evil and feed on humans etc etc, but this particular wraith’s sense of dramatics? unparalleled. she has them bring her victims one by one to a large foggy room with a looong table set with a wonderful dinner and then she LEAVES a DEAD BODY sitting at the head of the table (implied to be the athosian that was taken before sumner?) and drops down from the ceiling while sumner has his back turned for no reason except the spectacle of it all, and dracula himself literally couldn’t have made a better display out of this. it’s maybe scary in the way that it makes clear she’s a cat toying with a helpless mouse before she eats it, but it’s also hilarious in the way that this is absolutely a very bored immortal being who had to stay up while the rest went to sleep and is inventing high school improv plays with her dinner for some diversion. don’t play with your food, wraith queen. you’re scaring your dinner.

life signs detector!!! ford didn’t get to name the puddlejumpers gateships, but that one stuck, no matter how much “we can name it later” john was trying to throw at it!!!

(god. there’s a ficlet somewhere in there about season 2 john having a moment where he realizes he’s on the hunt for ford using the thing they first discovered together and that ford gave its name.)

getting sidetracked here, but when john and ford find the group of humans caught by the wraith teyla goes “major!” and it makes me think that. well. how are the athosians supposed to know things like “major” and “colonel” are military ranks? what are the chances the pegasus galaxy uses the same designations? (don’t really know how the language thing works here - we’re hopefully not supposed to think they’re all speaking english, are they? i’ve never watched sg1, there’s probably lore about this, i assume. maybe alien titles somehow get perfect translations to earth ones and vice versa.) but i mean, teyla is too smart, she’d have it figured out already even if those words don’t exist in her galaxy, but some athosian somewhere is going to be very confused by this earth tendency to name way too many kids private and lieutenant, and then put all of them into the army. strange, to have your job decided for you at birth like that. earth people are weeeeird.

fjdkl john is like bye, gonna go find colonel sumner all on my own, run if you don’t hear from me in twenty minutes, and ford’s like “you’re the only one who can fly these people out of here” and “i’m saying i should be the one to go, sir” and john, with his savior can’t-leave-anyone-behind-gotta-do-this-personally-or-i-will-literally-die-from-not-almost-dying complex DOES NOT LISTEN to ford’s EXTREMELY ACCURATE objection. which is his right, as ranking officer, but is also a perfect showcase of why john Should Not Ever be in charge of atlantis, and why sam saying he was totally on the shortlist when she takes over command in s4 is funny but frightening if you’re on atlantis and like being alive.

sumner: “we travel through the stargate as peaceful explorers.” FDJKFD. god, that line, from that character, hilarious.

rodney comes to elizabeth full of enthusiasm about all the interesting stuff they’re finding in the city only to find her staring at the empty gate and when she says she should never have let them (the rescue party) go, he sobers up and says awkwardly “for what it’s worth, you made the right decision” and that’s GOOD that’s KIND.

back on the planet with the wraith everyone is running to the jumper while there are wraith darts whizzing through the air and teyla turns back, catches up with ford who was told to cover their six, disarms him (because he was firing at illusions, revealing their position), hands him back his weapon, pulls him in the direction of the puddlejumper, and PUSHES HIM ASIDE when they’re almost scooped up by a wraith dart, and i’m so here for teyla being allowed a moment of heroics that saves specifically ford, guy with a gun, and not a random athosian damsel in distress. teyla is fully on their level. teyla is perhaps above their level. thank you.

that scene at the end of this episode!! in which there’s a sort of party on atlantis and it’s all buzzing and relaxed while the athosians are mingling freely with the expedition members and they’re talking of friendship and ugh. UGH. there’s a better version of sga in an alternate universe where the expedition didn’t decide atlantis was totally theirs, actually, and they cooperate with the people that were already in the galaxy when they came there and learn from sumner’s mistake to actually respect what they have to say and form a single front and teyla takes over as head of the expedition in s4 when there’s a void left by elizabeth’s absence.

final thought that has always haunted me a little: john suddenly becoming the ranking military member on atlantis after sumner’s death is ?? one of those things where i wonder what the sgc was thinking in their personnel assignments. john wasn’t even supposed to BE THERE. if john hadn’t gone and sumner had still died (which was something they should have considered as a possiblitiy! they didn’t know what they were walking into at all! sumner is apparently the type to lead his own missions!), then what exactly would they have done? i don’t know much about how the us military operates but i’ve watched enough mash to have figured out the order of the ranks and it just seems. very odd to me? to take one (1) colonel on this mission and then ZERO lieutenant colonels OR majors (if john hadn’t stumbled his way into it, that is). like, are there any captains on atlantis? (i think there are?) or would ford, a lieutenant, have ended up ranking military member? this is like the surely-they-only-need-a-single-medical-doctor-right thing. WHAT IS THE SGC THINKING.

anyway. this was good. i liked this. i hadn’t rewatched the pilot in a while, and i only just now figured out how much of a while, because there was a bunch in here i didn’t remember. ON TO EPISODE TWO.

[ficsinhistory]

Big Chibi 6 :Theory and analysis because it was amazing and I need to scream about it ᕕ (ᐛ) ᕗ

Karmi is still out of town. But, apparently, she can walk alone and return to San Fransokyo and, assuming she never lived there, she may have just left SFIT. For all intents and purposes, she can visit everyone with prior authorization. At least, that's what I understood.

Karmi is an artist and a scientist. My theory that she could be a Shimamoto is still standing for me ... I can dream, okay? XD

Just give my daughter a last name!

Hardlight was perfect for the ep. Ian is the type of villain who would go on an autograph session being the big nerd he is. We have to remember that he took the chief of the police force hostage just because he wanted to play ... everything in the episode about him was in character.

The gang supporting Karmi's work. It's cute how they care.

Honey Lemon! She's the Karmiro fandom over there! And we have Andre again quoted.

Hiro's face when Karmi calls him for autograph session = Hiro.exe stop working.

The reasons the gang gives these nerds not to be together.

Aunt Cass ship it !! And I think it's hilarious that she asks if Karmi is his ex-girlfriend. Probably because since Hiro seems to be a person who would take his girlfriend all the time for coffee, she can only assume that she would be an ex.

Speaking of which, I like not only that Megan was quoted, but how she was quoted. Who asked about her was Cass and Baymax. That respectively who presented it and who made a heartbeat diagnosis, very smart. After all, she was there for half an entire season and what happened can't just be tossed under the rug.

And speaking of that, I don't think there is going to be a love triangle. Not with the new format of the episodes, the voice actress of Megan not being mentioned and after that specific episode. Hiro might have a certain attraction for Megan, but the boy is completely helpless for Karmi. (I love musicals for my own good)

Fred and Karmi. I think it's cute how excited Fred is, since he liked Karmi's work from the beginning and he can talk to her even if only a little.

Hiro freaking out when he saw a villain near Karmi, even though Hardlight had a non-aggressive attitude, after all Diane initially didn't have it either. And the last time this happened, she was turned into a monster and taken away. I don't blame him.

The fight of the chibs. And how Wasabi was the only one doing well! This breaks the stereotype of him being fearful! Very well, Disney! And bonus points for the lil Honey Lemon.

Karmi using the "someone has to help" move. Like, man the girl has a backbone! She went into battle with a villain who was not caught the last time, after her last encounter with one gave her the biggest trauma of her life. Tadashi would be proud.

I love how this episode shows that Karmi is not only a prodigy, but very smart. She bluffed about not knowing about Hardlight, used his technology against him after improving said technology with knowledge of robotics that she learned in a day with Hiro and basically hacked a super villain. Your favorite could never!

Speaking of which, let's just ignore the fact that before going to the autograph session, Karmi probably studied all the villains in the city and made ways to fight them? Like, the girl had a high-tech glove in her backpack! She expected an attack!

Hiro in love. That’s it. That’s the whole point.

Seriously, it's just really funny how the great hero of San Fransokyo gets a mess when it comes to romance. He is an intelligent and capable superhero… who is unable to flirt! He trying to be suave the highlight of this nerd's strangeness.

Hiro trusting Karmi in battle. She is capable, and he knows it. Karmi has escaped brainwashing and can fight. Imagine what she could do under full control of the mind and body? We don't need it, because we saw it in the ep.

Karmi being confident, extra ™ and done with Hardlight during the battle! She has been through a lot and she just doesn't get paid for it at that point.

 Hiro knew there was a helmet between him and Karmi at the end, right? Even if she wanted to kiss him, she wasn't going to give XD

He looking so disappointed that he couldn't kiss Karmi in the end. I laughed a lot. He wanted that kiss so bad!

Karmi being open and honest with "Captain Cutie" at the end. She changed her view, and it was really cool for her to talk about how she likes Hiro now, it wouldn't be right to kiss someone else. She respects Hiro, Captain Cutie and her own feelings. This is admirable.

Karmi kind of says what he feels without realizing it. This will generate an interesting dynamic. She is going to deal with Hiro as a friend because she has a crush and needs to know how to deal with it, while Hiro just knows everything and is not going to be able to do anything because he shouldn't know it and just… pining. Bless you, Disney!

Hiro's face at the end! This boy fall hard and fast! And the fact that he finds himself lucky that Karmi likes him, after finding her the worst for two seasons and just character development.

Now the theories and conclusions:

We know that Karmi will come back. Since things between her and Hiro have not yet been resolved and she doesn't know that Capitain Cutie and Hiro Hamada are the same people. Not to mention that she said things have been "a little crazy" since she left, so maybe we'll explore that later. Apart from what Baymax said in her debut ep, Karmi does not have a support system. Aka - Disney can you give me more about my daughter's past now, please ?!

Again, I don't think there's going to be a love triangle. As I said, Hiro could be attracted to Megan, but he is visibly and completely in love with Karmi and the questions about Megan during the episode, for me, it was so much to show that the writers have no selective memory and that they don't intend to ignore what happen, but move on; as for shows in the field of romance, the genius boy only has eyes for one person. I wanted to see Megan again, though. She is an amazing character and would totally ship these two. Not to mention that I want to see my two girls interact. Imagine the power of this!

As a writer myself, it was amazing to see how the signs of attraction were put into this episode. It was all there: touch, eye contact, Hiro trying to look suave(even though he had a milk mustache) and totally not looking forward to seeing her at the first opportunity he had in months and trying to impress, Karmi taking the initiative and calling him for the signing session and just not being able to hang up the call! Those two are going to be the end of me!

 Karmi seem to have more nerves with the crush she has on Hiro, unlike CC. Perhaps this is because it shows the difference, of how it is more real and less fantasy. After all, they were open rivals, they literally saw each other's worst, and as relationships are good and bad, they finally turned the page and can see each other's best now.

Karmi who took the initiative and Hiro is a ruddy mess, I knew it!

That episode was amazing, period!

[felassan]

Shipping Update video from the BioWare Gear Store [source]

BioWare Gear Store Blog update:

“BIOWARE GEAR STORE SHIPPING UPDATE

Mar 17, 21 · Jon Schindehette

CAN YOU GUESS THE NUMBER ONE COMMENT AND REQUEST WE GET AT THE GEAR STORE?

If you guessed anything to do with shipping, you are spot on.

We've got a couple of updates to talk about today.

CURRENT STATE OF SHIPPING”

(Rest of blog post under a cut due to length)

“Before we dive into the new things coming down the path, we'd like to talk about the current state of affairs in shipping. Are you aware that the shipping industry has been working at "holiday season" levels since the COVID pandemic struck? This level of demand has stressed every shipping system known - from fulfillment, to shipping carriers. We see the impact of the pandemic everyday in our business as we struggle to get shipments from the the manufacturing facilities, shipments through customers and the ports, truck deliveries to our warehouse, and fulfillment within our warehouse. While we can do much outside of our warehouse, but inside our walls, we can make changes in an attempt to deal with the ever increasing load of orders. We have added shifts and team members in an attempt to keep up with the increased fulfillment and shipping levels, but even with those increases, we have seen fulfillment times increase. We know that you are impatient for your orders, but ask that you understand the demands on the system. If you have questions about your orders, please contact our Customer Service team. In order to protect your sensitive personal data, they are the only ones that have access to order details.

ADDING SHIPPING COUNTRIES

We are in the process of opening up the Gear Store to all world-wide fans of the BioWare games and the gear we create for them. This is a rather complex process for enterprise level shipping. So, it's not quite as simple as creating a label and slapping it on a box when you are doing shipping at scale. Because of that, we are going to be adding countries in controlled segments. The plan is to add a targeted group each week. This week, we are adding a lot of the European countries. If we don't have too many issues, we will keep rolling out a "continent" each week until we are completely set up for world-wide shipping. Our goal is to have full world-wide shipping capabilities in place within six weeks.

If you ever want to see if your country is available to receive shipments, please check out the full list of countries on our Shipping Policy page.

IMPROVING OPTIONS AND SERVICES

Right behind adding more countries, improving shipping costs or adding more shipping options/services to the store, is a frequently requested improvement. If adding more countries is complex, adding new services and influencing costs is probably one of the most difficult and perilous aspects of running an eComm business. There are so many ways to mess things up in the attempt to make things better. So we are spending lots of time looking for and vetting new shipping partners. It's all well and good to say, "lets just select the cheapest shipping option", but if the new service costs less, but ends up having tons of lost or damaged shipments - then we have a whole new issue on our hands. In either case, you, the customer aren't happy....but typically folks are even more upset when they don't get their item or it arrives damaged.

OUR GOALS FOR SHIPPING

It all sounds really simplistic, but this is what we want for our customers:

Cost effective shipping options - Let's be real. Shipping rates just keep going up and up. Shipping will never be cheap, but we endeavor to give you more options. That way you have the choice to pick Cheap (but probably slow), Good Value (a balance of cost and speed) and Fast (the most expensive option). It is our goal to be able offer more options so you can have these kinds of choices in your order process.

Easier Tracking, Damage Claims, & Returns -  While we love our Customer Service team, they are often overwhelmed answering the thousands of questions they get on a daily basis - most of which could be easily dealt with by some simple technology solutions. We are in the process of testing a new bit of technology that will allow us to deal with the majority of these questions and issues with a few simple clicks on an app or in your browser. No more need to wait in Customer Service queues!

Access For All - We want to make our site available to the whole world...not just to view, but to actually order gear.! This is why we are adding countries each week and looking for new shipping options.

While it will take a bit to get all of these items off our wishlist and onto our actual site, we are committed to improving the shopping experience on the Gear Store. With that in mind, please continue to share your thoughts and ideas for improving the store experience with us.”

[source]

[papermariosuggestion]

What are you hoping for from a new Paper Mario? What's your "golden ideal", I guess?

I could spend, like, years thinking of things I’d like to see in a Paper Mario game, but I’ll try to narrow it down. Here are some of the main things I’d really like to see:

☆ New partners (plural)

• Based on previously established Mario species, preferably “enemy” species, as “The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”

• Unusual, but believable, and perhaps even poignant, backstories and fully realized character arcs. I want to care about these characters because I’m invested in this world, its inhabitants, and those inhabitants’ personal successes and failures, not just because their design is so kawaii and/or their dialogue is so funny, though those things are a plus.

• Distinct personalities and opportunities to show those personalities off (through design, body language, dialogue, etc).

☆ RPG mechanics

• Built on the solid foundation established in Paper Mario (N64)

• Turn-based combat

• A leveling system where you get to choose which stat to increase

• Badges (Including superficial badges like the L Emblem and Attack FX badges)

• Something new, like being able to use two partners to perform a Bros.-Attack-like move, or maybe even stats specifically pertaining to your partners.

☆ New locations

• It’s a delicate balance. Locations should both feel like they could realistically exist in Mario’s world and feel like something we’ve never seen before. TTYD has some great examples of this (Rogueport, Boggly Woods, Twilight Town, etc). Super Paper Mario has some creative locations as well, but because it takes place in another dimension, not in the typical world that Mario inhabits, none of them really feel particularly “Mario-esque” in nature. They’re all a bit off-brand, so to speak.

• On a technical level, graphics are improving all of the time, but that doesn’t automatically lead to more intriguing and/or more visually satisfying designs. At it’s core, Mario is a fantasy franchise, an escape from reality, and the Paper Mario series is one of the few series in the franchise that really builds out- or at least used to really build out- its world, and that world was interesting because it was new and mysterious, it practically begged to be explored. Paper Mario games should show me something I can’t see in reality; I know what paper and cardboard and lemons and steaks look like, show me underground cities and palaces, show me sprawling gardens with talking flowers, show me a floating tourist trap in the sky. The biggest limit is your imagination, so let it run wild, and show me that, show me that Alice in Wonderland-like controlled chaos.

☆ An interconnected world and motivated backtracking

• No stage-selection maps. Even if the game is fairly linear, I don’t need to have that shoved in my face. I don’t want to feel like I’m working my way down a to-do list, glued to a track, I want to journey through the world and explore somewhat freely.

• No fast travel by default (maybe you unlock fast travel after beating an optional challenge like the Pit of 100 Trials)

• No pipes that take you right from the hub world to the chapter area; I wanna walk…

…and I want it to be through a believable, expansive, intricate world that changes as I progress through the game, a world I could see hundreds of times and never get sick of because its details are constantly in flux, and because those details are the kind that make it feel realistic and lived-in. I don’t want to be teleported from A to B, or confined on a path from A to B to C, I want to explore, I want to discover, I want to experience this world and to form an attachment to it. This alone would make backtracking more worthwhile, but…

• …another way to make backtracking even more enjoyable would be to add events that make walking into a game in and of itself, like having to follow a creature up in the trees, or having to get through a cursed area in Mirror Mode, or having to dodge and weave through falling rocks because there’s a huge earthquake destroying- and altering the actual geometry of- the area. Walking doesn’t have to be a chore for you to complete in order to get on with the game, and it shouldn’t be, it should be part of the game, just as engaging as anything else you’re involved in.

☆ Non-linear elements

• The game should still be fairly linear overall, because Paper Mario games are chapter-based stories with beginnings, middles, and ends, but having some say  in which chapter comes next, or which partner you meet, or even just which puzzle you solve next would give the player a stronger sense of agency. Story-driven games are at high-risk of making the player feel like they’re just along for the ride, and this would help to counteract that.

☆ Spin dashing

• Gotta go fast! Getting rid of spin dashing always felt like an odd choice to me. Characters like the Yoshi kid, Carrie, and Dashell kind of replaced it, in the sense that they allow you to move quickly, but being able to speed up without switching partners, as well as being able to spin attack and just to witness the utter chaos of Mario flinging himself across the screen again, would make backtracking and walking around in general less of a slog. It would also give you more agency in the overworld and serve as a nice callback to the original game.

☆ Free-moving NPCs & situational dialogue

• In past games, NPCs have been confined to certain paths and locations. They might move from chapter to chapter, but they would always stay in the same general area until you triggered an event that placed them somewhere new. I’d like to see characters wandering around, going in and out of buildings, visiting other locations, having private conversations with one another, getting into fights, buying and selling items at the shop, putting on different clothes, and doing just about anything else they would typically do in-universe. Obviously this would be huge challenge to program, but we’re talking about an ideal here, and anything in this general direction would be an improvement in my eyes. We already see a bit of this in the series, but I’d like to see even more.

• When NPCs say things like “Where are your manners, Mario? You shouldn’t climb on the table” and “Don’t be so careless. There are too many enjoyable things in the world to gamble with your life!” it makes it feel like they actually see what you’re doing and care about what you’re doing. Having NPCs respond to you differently because of where you’re standing, or what partner you have out, or what badges you’re wearing, and so on, makes them into more than just set decoration or a sign to read, it makes them people, or at least more person-like. Nintendo’s been pretty good about this in recent years, probably because technical improvements have made it easier than ever before, and I think it would be fitting for a series known for its world-building.

☆ Dynamic lighting design & a day/night system

• This is all about aesthetics because, as it turns out, visuals are pretty important in a video game. Paper Mario (N64) had some really interesting lighting design, notably in darker areas like the secret passage in Peach’s castle, and we haven’t really seen a lot of that since, despite having more advanced technology that would allow for advanced lighting.

• I’d like to see things like swinging chandeliers that cast beams of light, and cracks in the ceiling that light pours through, and mirrors/reflections that Mario uses to solve puzzles, and shadows that hint at secrets. Lighting is a huge part of shaping a world, and using it in a variety of different and meaningful ways just makes your world seem that much more complex and grounded.

• As for the day/night system, I am picturing a game that visually changes based on the actual time of day, kind of like Animal Crossing games do, but not a game that requires it to be a certain time of day for any gameplay purposes, not for the main quest, not for side-quests, and not even for easter eggs. All I want is for it to be bright when I play in the morning, orange when I play at sunset, and starry when I play at night. This also would add to the game’s replayability, as different chapters would look and feel different depending on what time of day it was when you played through them.

☆ Easter eggs that reference other games in the franchise

• I want it to be clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Mario we see in Paper Mario games is the same Mario we see in other Mario games, not another person, and talking about the time he visited Isle Delfino or when Bowser fused with a sentient tennis racket would really drive that home.

• Make me really look for some, though. It’s cool to spot easter eggs in plain sight, but what’s really rewarding is having to dig for them. I don’t just wanna see Luigi standing in the background, I want to spot little inconsistencies and cracks in the walls and cryptograms spread throughout the world. Sure, the five-year-olds playing might not find them on their first playthrough, but when they’re fifteen and they remember that awesome Paper Mario game they played a decade ago, they won’t just be revisiting a world they’ve fully explored, they’ll be playing on a whole new level, figuratively speaking.

☆ amiibo Compatibility/functionality

• I’m not a big fan of DLC in general, as it’s often overpriced, but I do think amiibos are neat; using a real object to unlock something in a virtual world makes the virtual world feel just that much more alive to me, that much more like it’s a little world I can actually affect.

• The Paper Mario series never really got official merch, and while you do see a bit of your partners’ lives in the epilogue, it’s only a glimpse into their future, so getting little figurines of past partners that make them appear in the game, tell you about a recent adventure they had, and give you a unique badge based on their abilities/personalities/experiences, would be like a dream come true.

☆ Just be creative (I know it’s not that simple, but like, figure it out)

• Surprise me; throw in something inventive and revolutionary, like Wall Merging from A Link Between Worlds or The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device from Portal.  There’s a whole universe of possibilities out there; please dream a little bigger than items disguised as a gameplay element and a hammer that fills in glaringly obvious gaps in paint. Nintendo’s always pushing the video game industry forward with their creative consoles. Use that, take whatever whacky control method they come up with next and integrate it like Super Paper Mario did- but hopefully even better than Super Paper Mario did- with the Wii remote.

• I see fans writing stories, and drawing characters, and making sprites, and working with all kinds of mediums to make art that knocks everything from recent “Paper Mario” games out of the park. Obviously Intelligent Systems can’t just steal those ideas, but I’d love to see them get on that wavelength and match that passion.

• Make a game that you’d never want to put down because you just can’t get enough of it, and don’t even bother with that “You’ve been playing for a while. You wanna take a break, grab a snack, chill out for a sec?” message; if I die playing your game because it’s truly that good, I see that as an absolute win. That’s legendary game design, my friend; aim to make a Paper Mario game so good it’s worth dying for, and if you fall short of that, hopefully you’ll still land on something pretty awesome.

[dearest-bucky]

Put a little love on me (1/2)

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky Barnes has come a long way in life, but when it comes to sleep, there will always be struggle.

Words: 3.4K

Warnings: None really?

A/n: The second and final part of this will be posted tonight, so stay tuned!

Originally posted: January 26, 2020

Bucky Barnes is a strong man. Perhaps one of the strongest men who ever walked the Earth. I mean, he fought a war, then lived almost a century tortured by Hydra, only to be free from them but live another torturing version of his life, having to fight all kinds of monsters and aliens on daily basis. But if anyone told Bucky he was a strong person, he would just laugh in their faces, disbelief written on his own.

Sure, he is proud of how far he’s come. Being thrown into a whole new era and relearning how to do everything, is not something everyone does. And for the most part he succeeds in it. He has learned almost all about the life in this new century, from the new food, technology, new behaviors, new customs, new ways of dating, all of it.

All of it, except sleeping. While he has picked up on some kind of normalcy in all those things, sleep is the one thing he can’t learn how to do anymore. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he spent a whole lot of time in the cryo machine, and that is sleeping too, maybe it has to do with the fact that whenever he closes his eyes and tries to sleep, all the terrors come back to him in full force, refusing to leave him alone. So even after years of living his new life, he still couldn’t find a solution for his sleeping problem.

And he had tried anything, therapy, medications, chamomile tea, yoga, even those podcasts Sam suggested would help; you name it. But nothing had worked so far. He could only get 2 or 3 hours of sleep per week, and that was only when he passed out from exhaustion.

He thought he was losing his mind. He was desperate for a couple hours of peaceful sleep, but he was so out of options he didn’t know what else to do.

It was one afternoon in the lab with Tony, where he was working in his arm, updating it after some little malfunctions, where the Iron Man gave him the idea that would literally save his life.

“You look like shit, Tin man.” Tony commented nonchalantly noticing the dark circles under Bucky’s eyes.

Bucky scoffed in surprise, but he knew that there was no malice  in Tony’s words, so he took no offense.

“Have you slept at all?”

“Yeah, I think I had a solid 4 hours of sleep.” Bucky’s reply was short, tired.

“For the night?”

“For the week.”

Tony’s eyes widened, he felt sorry for the Soldier, his exhaustion was apparent in his face, eyes lifeless, with dark circles, displaying  all of his sorrows for everyone who would just spare him a look.

“You know what helps me when I have problems sleeping?” Tony continued working on his arm while talking, and Bucky met his eyes for a second, silently urging him to go on.

“Holding Pep.” He said dreamily. “Just being in her arms, or having her in my arms, holding each other close for the rest of the night, that helps me every time. I sleep like a baby whenever she’s with me.”

He was wearing a smile on his face and Bucky couldn’t help but let a small smile slip from his lips. He always loved how Tony and Pepper were with each other, Pepper always grounding him, keeping him with his feet on the ground, taking care of him, and Tony doing the same for her. But when he thought of himself, his smile dropped instantly.

He wished he could have someone love him like Tony had Pepper, but that was just something not bound to happen for him anymore. Maybe before the war,  that would be possible, but now… Now he couldn’t think of anyone who would want to be with him. A monster like him, he thought.

He was lost in his head when Tony patted his shoulder gently to let him know his work was done. “Thanks Tony.” He said in a small voice and got up from the chair he was sitting to leave the lab.

“Anytime.” Tony called after him. “Think of what I said though.”

Bucky just shook his head and left the room.

If only it was that easy….

***

He hates soft beds, but ever since that conversation with Tony in his lab, he has been thinking maybe the idea wasn’t so crazy. So what he didn’t have someone to hold close? So what no one could ever love him or want to sleep in the same bed with him and help him with his nightmares?

He would simply have to improvise. And improvise he did.

That night he placed two pillows with him in his bed, one to put his head on, and another fluffy one to hug close to his chest, imagining it was another person’s comforting presence. He sighed in the pillow and closed his eyes, waiting for the terrors to come, but only when he woke up in the morning rested, he was so surprised to see that it had worked. If only it was a real person there with him, but either way, it had still worked.

When he joined the others in the kitchen for breakfast, everyone could see his relaxed expression, something no one was used to see in him. He even joked with Sam at one point and it left everyone on the team shocked to see this new side of Bucky.

This thing went on for three weeks and with his improved sleeping habits, everything was improving too. He was very efficient in training, Steve even gave him the job to train some new Sh.I.E.L.D agents in hand to hand combat.

It was another rather quiet day in the compound and most of the team were just hanging out in the common room, chatting with each other about anything and everything, when Tony and Steve entered the room, quite serious, standing out from the other people there almost immediately with their stiff postures.

“What’s going on?” Natasha was the first to notice them.

Everyone else’s attention turned to the two men and waited for them to speak.

“We just got some intel, Hydra base needs infiltration. There is this base in Kiev where they seem to be producing some kind of dangerous weapons. We need to stop them as soon as possible.” Steve was the one to explain everything to the team.

“Okay, so when do we leave?” This time was Sam who chimed in with the question.

“We don’t.” Tony interjected. “Due to its dangerous nature of this mission, it should be very secret. So we’re going to send only a duo there to do the work. Of course the rest of the team will be ready to come to help at any time, but it is very important to not draw attention on us by everyone going.”

“Okay, so who will go?”

Steve shifted on his feet, seemingly a little uncomfortable, before he spoke again.

“Y/n is a spy, she is fast and they won’t see her coming. Her abilities are essential to the mission and its success.”

Only when she heard her name, y/n actually picked up her head to finally look at the rest of the team.

“Okay, I can do that.” She said simply, a peace in her voice, almost unfit for the situation. “Who’s going with me?”

“Yeah, I’m glad you asked that.” Steve spoke again. “We gave this a good thought and we decided that Bucky is the best option to go with you. I mean, you compliment each other’s abilities and every time you’ve been paired together it’s been a success, so yeah..”

Y/n shifted her eyes from Steve to Bucky, and then to Steve again. “Okay.” She said softly with a nod of her head. “Yeah, that will do.”

Bucky hadn’t said a word yet, he was just looking each and every member of the team one after one. No emotion in his eyes, just observing them.

“I’m glad you’ve been resting a lot more lately Manchurian Candidate.” Tony’s voice was heard. “You won’t be getting any for the next two days.”

“When do we leave?” It was Bucky’s only question.

“Tomorrow at dawn. The mission is supposed to be a simple in and out. Get everything you can on those weapons and burn the shithole to the ground. Tony booked a hotel for you in Kiev where you can spend the night and rest before you head back home.”

After all the other details were discussed and everything was set out, y/n decided she was going to head to bed soon that night, considering she had to wake up early for the mission. Not long after that, Bucky did the same, bidding their good night’s to the rest of the team.

***

5 am and they were both in the jet, flying to Kiev. The flight would be at least a few hours, so they had time to kill in the meanwhile. Bucky was silently cleaning some of his knifes and y/n was watching him discreetly from the other side of the jet, while pretending to play away in her phone.

Bucky and y/n’s relationship was a simple one. They were teammates, and on Bucky’s good days they could even be considered friends, they would talk and watch movies and hang out, but it was always with other people around. Their chemistry was only fully displayed on the field, where they’d both fight side by side the bad guys and become the most efficient pair of the team. But that was the end of it.

Bucky was a closed of person, he saw himself as a total mess, unworthy to be with anyone because of his past and that didn’t help with socialization that much.

Y/n on the other hand wasn’t any better. She was a delight to be with, but after having her heart broken by her first and only love, it was like she had swore off men, so she never gave anyone a chance to get to know her, to spend time with her as more than just friends. With the other men of the team she had set a solid relationship, Tony and Bruce were her father figures, Steve and Clint were her brothers, and Sam was “the gay best friend” and he wasn’t even gay. With Bucky it was different. The fact that he didn’t hang out with the others that much helped in her situation. She didn’t want to complicate things with anyone, but most importantly didn’t want to get close to any man again. One heart break was enough in a life time.

It was hours later when they arrived in their destination and prepared themselves for what was about to come. They knew it was dangerous, but it was their job. It should be done.

After killing their way through the entire base of enemies, taking what they needed and blowing the place to hell they could finally go to the hotel Steve told them about and get a good rest for the night.

Y/n opened the door and entered their room and Bucky followed behind, head hanging low. Only when he collided with her smaller figure, he finally picked his head up.

She had stopped walking and was staring at the room. “What’s wrong?”

“Um..” she cleared her throat. “There’s only one bed in here. I.. um, I think there’s been a mistake.”

He finally looked up to see what she meant and he saw in front on him only a king sized bed in the center of the room, two little nightstands in the sides, and a small table at the end of the room, no chairs or anything else. He opened another door that was inside the room, only to be met with the small toilet.

“It has a bath tub.” He commented dryly.

Y/n just sighed in frustration and shook her head. “I’m going back to the reception to ask if there’s a mistake, or see if they have another empty room.” With that she was out of there.

Bucky let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. She was clearly repulsed by the idea of having to share a bed with him and the worst part is he couldn’t even blame her for that. Who would want to be close to a disgusting person like him anyway?

If only he knew…

After talking to the guy at the reception desk again and asking if they had another room, she came out empty handed. She made her way back to the room she had to share with Bucky. How could she even survive a night sleeping in the same bed with him? She was sure he didn’t even want her there? Who would want her anyway? Not even the guy who promised to marry her did. He left her at the altar for another woman. She simply wasn’t a lovable person. So how could she expect Bucky to be okay with sharing a bed with her? If only she didn’t have a tinyyyyy little crush on the man, maybe it would hurt less.

When she entered the room again she didn’t find Bucky there, but her mind got the answer as soon as she heard the water running in the bathroom.

She waited patiently for him to finish so she could have a shower too. When he came out of the bath, the breath was almost knocked out of her lungs. He was almost naked, except for a white towel hanging dangerously low from his hips, his hair was still wet, droplets of water falling on the floor, and his broad shoulders and large chest…

��Shit, I’m so sorry.” Bucky was the first one to apologize as soon as he saw her standing there. “I thought you found another room and wasn’t coming back, otherwise I’d let you use the shower first.”

“They, um…”  It was getting hard for y/n to form any coherent sentences while Bucky was right there in front of her, in his half naked post shower glistening glory. “There were no other rooms available.” She finished quickly. “Can I…?” She trailed and motioned to the bathroom.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure.” Bucky was quick to get out of her way and she made it to the bathroom in three short steps, not before grabbing her duffle bag from the floor and closing the door behind her. She took a quick shower and got dressed in a hurry, only toweling her hair from the excess water and leaving it to dry naturally.

When she went back to the room, to her surprise she found Bucky laying on the floor on the side of the bed, a pillow under his head and a small blanket covering him.

“What are you doing there?” She asked him narrowing her eyes.

“Sleeping.” His answer was barely a whisper, she could have almost missed it if she wasn’t so focused on him. Her heart broke at the sight. Of course he would be sleeping on the floor. Any place was better than sleeping next to her. It shouldn’t have hurt that much, but it did.  She blinked away the tears that were starting to form on her eyes, and steadied her voice to speak again.

“You cannot sleep on the floor Bucky. I can’t let you do that. Your shoulder will hurt and you’ll be in pain in the morning and I..”  she was beginning to ramble at this point, but she couldn’t control her words anymore.

Bucky lifted his head from the pillow and looked back at her with soft eyes.

“It’s okay, I am used to sleeping on hard surfaces. Besides, I couldn’t take the bed for myself and let you sleep on the floor.”

There he goes. Of course one of them has to sleep on the floor. There is no other option.

“I mean..” she averted her eyes for a second from him to the bed and then to him again. “It’s a very large bed, we could both sleep there.” She could feel her face flushing with embarrassment. The words had left her mouth without really thinking and she regretted them already.

Bucky’s eyes widened for a second and then he smiled at her sweetly. “You don’t want to sleep in the same bed with me doll.” He said almost whispering and her head snapped to face him when she heard the pet name roll of his lips.

If she was blushing before, she was certain to be crimson red after hearing him call her ‘doll’. But his words also gave her a boost of confidence she so needed at the moment.

She walked in the direction of the bed and when he thought she was hopping on it, she knelt on the floor before Bucky.

“Get up from the floor and let’s go to sleep on the bed. It’s big enough for the both of us.” She said in a low voice, but left no room for arguing. As if she just cast a spell on him to follow her every order. At that moment he would have done anything she’d ask him to. Without questions. Without any second thoughts.

They got in the bed and laid  down on their respective sides. The bed was large enough to allow a respectable space between them, but despite it, they could both feel the warmth coming from the other’s body. Bucky turned off the light and they laid on their sides, facing each other, only the moonlight allowing them to make out each other’s features on the otherwise dark room.

“You did great out there today.” Bucky was the first to break the silence and he could have sworn he heard her smile.

“Thanks. You too.” She replied and he chuckled deeply.

He wanted to say more to her, but couldn’t. He was scared he would ruin the peaceful moment they were having and he definitely didn’t want to make the situation weird.

“Good night.” he spoke a moment later and turned on his back, facing the ceiling this time.

“Good night Bucky.” She whispered back and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

Bucky could hear her even breathing and he thought it was insane how fast a person could fall asleep. Maybe she wasn’t plagued by the horrifying nightmares like he was. Maybe her conscience was clear and she was at peace with herself so that’s why it was so easy for sleep to come that quickly to her.

Bucky was almost envious of how peaceful she looked while she slept. Her lips partly open, he could listen to her breathing coming easy and calm out of her lungs. But it did nothing to soothe his mind.

He didn’t have his pillows. He took the one from his under head to hug it but now his neck was uncomfortable in that position. He let out a small breath and put the pillow under his head again. It must have passed at least a good hour of him tossing and turning around in the bed, when he felt y/n stirring in her sleep and moving closer to him.

He was laying on his back, with his hands behind his head and that just created the perfect opportunity for y/n to reach out her hand and place it on his stomach and inch her head closer to finally rest it on his shoulder. When she finally found herself a comfortable position, totally curled up to his side, she let out an actual sigh, but she never woke up.

Bucky had frozen in the spot, not daring to move even an inch for fear of waking her up. Only when he was sure she was soundly asleep again, he willed his flesh hand to move to her face and place a strand of hair behind her ear. His action only made her inch closer to him, if that was even possible anymore and he let his hand rest on her neck.

He was almost sure this had to be a dream. She couldn’t be sleeping so peacefully while being so close to him, but she was and now he was scared to death to fall asleep because he could have a nightmare and hurt her. He’d never forgive himself if her hurt her.

Despite being tired he willed himself to stay awake, but that didn’t last for too long, because sleep finally got to him and his eyes didn’t obey him anymore, they just closed in their own accord.

[merakiui]

Twilight and Night Teams Playing Among Us HCs

The 14th Department decides to play Among Us (PART 2). (Part 1 can be found here.)

Twilight Team (Hesperide)

🎮 Cyrille 🎮

He’s the type of player who overanalyzes everything. Oh, the lights went out and Sian’s avatar passed by him? Yep, that’s sus.

He’s actually pretty good at determining who the impostor is. Cyrille keeps an eye out for those who are around him, stowing that information away for when the next dead body is reported.

Cyrille’s a genius, so of course he’d be perfect as a crew mate or the impostor. It doesn’t matter the role; he’s able to adapt flawlessly. 

Though he still manages to fumble with the controls. Dexterity isn’t his speciality, so it took some time to get used to playing. (He accidentally clicked on the vent button instead of sabotage, and Sian caught him.)

When he’s the impostor, he uses the classic “if you didn’t see it, it didn’t happen” excuse. He’s always asking the others for their proof when they’re accusing him.

“If you didn’t see me anywhere near the body, why would it be me? You lack substantial evidence, and because of that you’ll lose. In other words, voting me out would only benefit the impostors.”

He could probably write an entire thesis paper on why he isn’t the impostor. 

Everyone just believes him because they don’t want to hear a rant that delves into the science behind the gameplay, and they’re also just trying to have fun. No one asked for a science lesson. Sorry, Cyrille.

He’s not that good at completing the tasks because the controls confuse him. 

His go-to color is green, and he wears the goggles hat. 

🛠️ Noah 🛠️

Noah’s soft appearance and way of speaking reflects kindness, so there’s just no way he could be the impostor!

He likes to look at things from the perspective of lawful justice. Although it’s a game, Noah’s certain this tactic won’t fail him.

He considers it to be a great way to pass time, and it’s especially fun to play with the manager. Sometimes it can get tedious when he’s stuck as a ghost for an entire round, but other than that Noah likes it.

He’ll stick with the others in groups so no one winds up dead, but if the manager does end up dying he might tease them about it. 

Noah likes playing with Kati, despite the fact that the younger Soul Reaper is always trying to compete with him. He tends to take on the role of an elder brother whenever him and Kati are in the same lobby, and most of the time he’ll lose for the sake of inflating Kati’s ego.

He tends to break up a lot of arguments between Kati and Sian, especially when they bicker over who did what task.

“It’s just a game. There’s no need to fight so much.”

“The phrase ‘it’s just a game’ is such a weak mindset.” - Kati to Noah, probably. Noah just doesn’t understand why everyone gets so riled up. There’s no point in arguing over Among Us. They should use that time to vote out the impostors. 

He’s more athletic, so video games aren’t his style. But Among Us does improve his observation skills, so he doesn’t mind it all that much.

His go-to color is lime, and he wears the police hat.

🎤 Sian 🎤

He blames everyone but himself. Sian is so quick to point fingers and start arguments based on what the others say. 

“You saw me vent? As if! I’m not stupid like you. If you vote me out, you’re all going to lose. Seriously...”

Sometimes he gets a little too into the game, often getting frustrated when he’s voted out all because someone blamed him. 

He likes to check the cameras in hopes that he’ll be able to catch one of the impostors. 

When he’s the impostor, he goes after Quincy the most. It’s for all the times Quincy’s bothered him. Revenge is best served in Among Us. “This’ll teach you for always calling me a whelp!” 

If someone walks in on him after he’s killed a crew mate, he’ll report the body so fast and blame that person.

“It was Kati! I saw him kill Cyrille! You guys have to believe me.”

Sian is 100% salty in the dead chat, but Cyrille’s there as well so it’s not all that bad. 

He probably looks at Among Us memes and tips to win flawlessly as the impostor, and he’ll show them to Cyrille so that the two of them can team up to throw the game.

His go-to color is red, and he wears the backwards cap because he believes it looks cool. 

🍎 Kati 🍎

He’s competing with Noah. It doesn’t matter if they’re in two separate lobbies; he’s still going to consider it a competition.

Kati’s the type of player who chases the others around while pretending to be the impostor.

Definitely trolls, so much so that sometimes he’ll get kicked from the lobby. 

He’s also the one who constantly calls emergency meetings when nothing has begun just so he can accuse others. 

“I saw Noah fake the scan in Med-bay! It’s got to be him. Vote him out!”

He’ll say the most suspicious things, telling the others to watch their backs or else he’ll bite them. It’s a heavy threat when you consider the fact that he actually will bite you in real life. So in-game isn’t all that far off either.

Kati gets a little too trigger-happy when he’s the impostor, forming pacts with the others and then betraying them shortly after. He’d be good at the impostor role if he wasn’t constantly acting so giddy and sus. 

He teams up with Day and the two of them cause trouble together. It’s especially fun when they’re the impostors.

Kati complains in the dead chat once he’s killed, whining about how he’s so certain that it was Noah who sabotaged his chances at winning. 

His go-to color is pink, and he wears the flower pin hat.

Night Team (Noctu)

🎯 Aitachi 🎯

The others tell him to wear the sticky note that says “dum” because it’ll ward off the evil impostors, and he does just that.

Aitachi doesn’t really understand the concept of Among Us. He’s not exactly up-to-date with modern technology, and so he’s not good at video games.

When playing, he’ll believe whatever the others tell him under the pretense that they mean what they say. Of course, half of them are being helpful and the other half just want to see cute Tachi pout in confusion.

“What does any of this mean, Sir Kirr?” he’ll ask, as if Kirr knows anything. Kirr just tells him it boils down to pure instinct and survival. “I see! In that case, we shall form a group and huddle to keep warm!”

Aitachi, no... You have to do your tasks, silly. 

He never does any of his tasks, so his task bar never goes up. Because of that, everyone suspects him of faking tasks. In reality, Aitachi has no clue what that even means.

When he plays with the manager, Aitachi always swears that he’ll protect them because it’s his duty as a warrior. Unfortunately, as soon as they separate, he’s killed.

He types in the ghost chat as the living debate what their next move will be, wondering why no one’s responding to his messages.

When he does figure out how to play, which will take a lot of time, he actually has a lot of fun trying to find the impostors. 

His go-to color is brown, and he wears the bear ears because it’s the closest thing to a pelt. When he isn’t wearing that hat, he’s got the “dum” sticky note on. 

🏹 Kirr 🏹

Just like Aitachi, he’s clueless. Though he’s able to adjust to the rules once he understands them. 

The only thing on his mind is survival of the fittest, and he uses his knowledge as a hunter to avoid death.

“This world is not much different from ours.” (For context, he’s comparing the impostors to vengeful spirits.)

Kirr likes to ask a lot of questions that have nothing to do with the actual gameplay. 

“If everyone is stuck on this spaceship, why haven’t they had anything to eat yet? They will starve without any nutrition.”

Kirr, sweetheart, it’s just a video game. Don’t worry about that.

He works alongside Aitachi, and the two of them learn—albeit incorrectly—from one another. They’re both so proud when they do their very first task.

Kirr never seems to become the impostor, so he’s always stuck as a crew mate. Along with that, he gets lost around the map quite easily, which is ironic considering he’s a skilled hunter.

He’s one of the few who’s killed first because he’s always alone in electrical trying to connect the wires. :( Poor Kirr.

His go-to color is black, and he wears the miner cap hat because he thinks the light on it will actually illuminate his way when the lights are sabotaged. Kirr’s just trying to do some in-game camouflage, but it’s not really working.

🎼 Nine 🎼

Nine is a silent player, only talking when he needs to. No one ever has time to question him because they’re too busy arguing over whether or not the others are the impostors. 

He wouldn’t have considered playing if the manager hadn’t mentioned it to him. It’s a way for everyone to relax and have fun, so they wanted him to be part of the chaos. 

He tends to stay in the background to avoid immediate suspicion. His tasks are always his first priority, and because of that he ends up finishing earlier than most players. Though a body report or an emergency meeting is inevitable, and sometimes that’ll interrupt him when he’s downloading files.

He’ll only call an emergency meeting when it’s absolutely necessary. Whenever Day follows him around, Nine doesn’t bother with a meeting. He’s certain Day won’t kill him because that human puppy never seems to get the impostor role.

Surprisingly good at faking tasks. He’s learns quickly that certain tasks perform a small animation once completed, so he stays away from those when he’s the impostor. 

Very rarely participates in the discussions. His strategy is mainly just keeping important information to himself so he can win, but as a crew mate he adds in a word or two that can either refute or prove the others’ claims. 

Nine never understands why Theo’s so intent on chasing him around. Once he was outed as the impostor—courtesy of the gracious Theo—and for that entire game he was just following Theo as a ghost. Sometimes Theo’s more confusing the gameplay itself.

He’s still polite to everyone, even if they’re accusing him or getting a little too heated.

“I respect your opinion, but I’m afraid I saw Mr. Cyrille vent.” Nine wants to remain civil despite the chaos that erupts when trying to pick out the impostor.

His go-to color is purple, and he wears the flamingo hat. (Day chose it for him.)

🍦 Day 🍦

Day doesn’t like being the impostor because he feels bad about having to kill his friends.

“I don’t want to kill Nine-Nine! I don’t want to kill anyone.”

He’ll call emergency meetings for the dumbest things.

“What’s going on? No one’s died yet.” And Day will respond with, “I just wanted to say hi to everyone! At the end of the day, we’re still friends, right?”

Nine has to tell him that it’s just a game and that he should just have fun.

Day follows Nine and the manager around because he believes that if they’re in a group nothing bad can happen. Imagine his surprise when Nine ends up killing him the second the manager leaves for navigation.

He feels so betrayed. His expression goes from :D to D: so fast. Poor Day. He just wanted to be by Nine’s side.

He has so much fun when he’s a crew mate. When he finishes his tasks, he’ll run around the map looking for something to do.

Probably dances on the cameras so the others won’t suspect him of being the impostor, or he’ll do figure eights in the lobby while waiting for everyone else to join. 

His go-to color is white with the cherry hat because it reminds him of ice cream.

[we-rate-tmnt]

Give us the Donatellos!

Donnie is my favorite so Imma be super biased on this one. Maybe I like smart guys or maybe purple is my favorite color, you’ll never know!

Up first, the og ‘hehe turgle’

Donatello (1987)

Yeah I’m sorry for making this 

First of all, not the biggest fan of his voice. It has a bit of a whiny quality to it, and I’m not about all that jazz. His gismo’s look pretty lame a lot of the times, either it’s a grey box with some buttons, dials and flashing lights or looks like it was pulled directly from Lost in Space. Still a cute design but he felt pretty bland and seemed to be used for plot convenience most of the time. To put it simply, he was cute and essential but kinda bland. I’m always really harsh on this version because it’s so painfully dated and cheesy, which ain’t my cup of tea, but what can I say be hehe turgle.

5/10

I had a crush on this Donnie so you know that this is not remotely close to a fair rating but eh, I love him and yall do too

Don (2003)

His voice, such a huge improvement. I’m really sound-oriented and I often like to play a game of ‘I’ve heard the VA before, but which role?’ when I watch cartoons and I don’t mean to brag, but I’m pretty good at it. So when I heard that soft, caring voice, ten year old me was head over heels. Which is one quality I love about him. His heart is so huge, like I can think back to a bunch of side characters and most of them were introduced through Don helping or knowing them. The Atlantians and the homeless in the show owe so much to Don, but he goes out of his way to make sure that they are alright. In the last season (which everyone hated but I actually really liked so fuck me I guess), Splinter is lost into tiny pieces across the web and Don blames himself and goes without sleep and food for days to bring him back. It broke my heart, and I’m pretty sure a lot of others, to see him like that.

On a lighter note, I vaguely remember this one scene where the triceration dude is like ‘you did this!’ and Don’s like ‘I did? Good for me then.’ and had a very pleased grin on his face right after. I don’t know why, but that killed me. Bless Don and his rare, but excellent, comebacks.

He really does so much and there were quite a few episodes focused on him. He also had quite a bit of character development, not as much as Leo, but whoever gets any more development whatsoever besides Leo?

I love him he’s amazing protect him/10

Next up is the Donnie that helped me love my old gap tooth.

Donnie (2012)

Voiced by the very talented Rob Paulson, this Donnie goes back and forth from really great character to eh. The whole April thing was just kinda strange to me and I don’t really think it added anything other than some interesting Casey and Donnie banter. His crush was really strong the first two seasons and came off as stalkerish almost. Although I’m guilty of having a picture of a crush as my lock screen once as well, so I can’t judge that much. I really liked that they actually addressed this when Bigfoot had a crush on Donnie and he realized how April felt. Yeah, that episode was weird and just didn’t make any sense, but it really helped Donnie gain a new perspective and made him go from super crush to (mostly) hidden pining. He has a nice design as well, especially with the gap tooth. I used to have one and was really embarrassed of it but whenever I saw that Donnie had one, I thought it looked neat and I started to see myself in a more positive light. It’s closed up now, but I can still spray water between the little bit that’s left as a parlor trick. But seriously, what the FUCK was up with Don visiososoos whatever tf his name I I don’t understnad my tiny brain don’t understand why my purple boy tried to kill this dude who looked like he should’ve been wearing a red jumpsuit in the background of a pixar robot love story. Anyway, my tall gap tooth son, ily.

7/10

Then, the barely changed but fantastic

Donnie (Heroes in a Half Shell: Blast to the Past)

Baby but Bastard at the same time purely because of the ‘Anyone who bothers me, ejector seat button’s right there’ line. 

10/10

Now this version has one of my favorite designs out of all the Donatello’s!

Donatello (2014/2016)

They put a lot of thought into his design psychically, the long body, the near-constant look of surprise and curiosity in his features, the gadgets made of common objects, the wraps on his arms, I would love to be able to think of and make those kinds of details! It was all really well thought out and he stood out since he wasn’t as bulky as the rest of the turtles. I really like the little lines and the actor did a fantastic job on the delivery and really made the character come to life. Some favorites: ‘Ohmygod, they have guns’, the little awed, snorty chuckle when he flips a car over with his bo staff, ‘doitdoitoitdoit im not gonna stop til you do it doditdoit’ and when he straight up yeets himself out of a plane. He has a genuine curiosity in everything he does and I think he might be my favorite version. It’s hard to choose when it comes to Donnie because he varies so wildly. But for detail, voice and writing alone, definitely the 2014 Donnie.

8.5/10

Next up is God himself

Donnie (2018)

Chaotic as all hell, like I can’t think of a more chaotic character from ANY of the versions other than this Donnie. I have a lot of thoughts about his character in general, from design, to psychology and complexes. First and foremost, Donnie is a softshell turtle, meaning he has a DOPE battle shell and overall looks pretty damn neat. Although, I think that just the fact he’s biologically weaker has caused him to put up a lot of boundaries between him and his family and friends. He can’t be incredibly strong like Raph, agile like Leo or fast like Mikey and even though he brags about being smart, he feels almost beneath his brothers and strives to outdo them in any way he can. He wants to show them that he’s just as, if not more so, talented and feels overlooked because his inventions become ‘too smart’ or ‘too over the top’ and even the ones that work out incredibly well are written off for flashier projects. 

He depends on technology and feels like that's all he has, and (ironically enough) he’s built up a shield around him. He acts confident and narcissistic and has an almost nihilistic outlook, but he’s frustrated and feels inferior and wants validation more than anything. I came up with this theory when I saw the episode Turtle Dega Nights. I know that the scene was meant for Donnie to express how he feels about Splinter lying about the event and believe that he didn’t genuinely want to hang out with his sons, but that kind of thing feels like it’s been built up over time, like he’s been lied to before about the true meaning behind something. Something like, oh idk, how great his inventions are? Or how helpful he really is? Or how talented he is? Just sayin. Also ngl I might be self projecting a bit, but mmm. Also he has so much purple on him and it’s wayyy more accurate compared to just a purple bandanna bc people who like purple GO ALL OUT. A friend told me this and I thought ‘nah thats not true I like purple’ but then I looked down to find my dyed purple jeans, purple vans and my favorite hoodie, also purple. A really chaotic version but he seriously needs a hug.

9/10

Storytime: One time my friend dressed up as Donnie the same year I was dressing as April O’ Neal and we didn’t even plan it. It was fantastic.

Thank you so much for sending this in! Sorry it’s taking me so long to get around to these! I’m so glad you guys are liking my blog and my opinions!

[sciencespies]

We finally know why icy plumes flare ahead of deadly supercell storms

https://sciencespies.com/nature/we-finally-know-why-icy-plumes-flare-ahead-of-deadly-supercell-storms/

We finally know why icy plumes flare ahead of deadly supercell storms

Something strange often happens just before a severe thunderstorm produces a tornado, high winds, or hailstones: A plume of ice and water known as an Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume (AACP) billows up above the top of the storm clouds and head downwind, acting as a sort of early warning system for extreme weather events.

For the first time, scientists think they’ve figured out what causes these cloudy plumes. What are known as hydraulic jumps – also seen when a waterfall crashes into the still water below creating a foamy cloud – are created as air rises above and then falls back into the thunderstorm clouds.

The researchers behind the new study say that their findings could give advance warnings to people on the ground about the risk of tornadoes, high winds, and hailstorms, particularly in places where existing Doppler radar system technology isn’t working or isn’t available to use.

“If there’s going to be a terrible hurricane, we can see it from space,” says atmospheric scientist Morgan O’Neill from Stanford University and the study’s lead author. “We can’t see tornadoes because they’re hidden below thunderstorm tops. We need to understand the tops better.”

O’Neill and her colleagues ran detailed simulations of supercell thunderstorms, the type of storms most likely to spawn tornadoes. In these fierce supercells, super-strong rotating updrafts push moist air higher than it would normally go in Earth’s atmosphere, through the top of the lower troposphere into the stratosphere.

The rising shoots of air – the AACPs – soon drop back to the troposphere, but the modeling showed a downslope windstorm at the border of the troposphere and the stratosphere, with wind speeds of up to 240 miles per hour (386 kilometers per hour) possible.

This frenetic turbulence produces hydraulic jumps, the scientists suggest, and those jumps are capable of injecting large amounts of water vapor into the stratosphere very quickly.

These jumps are also created by winds rushing down mountains and rocks, but they’ve never been seen before this high up in the atmosphere since the storm clouds are effectively acting as physical barriers.

“Dry air descending from the stratosphere and moist air rising from the troposphere join in this very narrow, crazy-fast jet,” says O’Neill. “The jet becomes unstable and the whole thing mixes and explodes in turbulence.”

“These speeds at the storm top have never been observed or hypothesized before.”

With NASA research aircraft now equipped with devices that allow them to map the winds at the top of thunderstorms in high-resolution 3D, the next step will be gathering real-world data to help corroborate what these models have shown.

About 75 percent of thunderstorms with these plumes produce large hail or tornadoes, so the research is likely to be useful in improving meteorological models in the future. Hurricane Ida recently left a trail of death and destruction across the northeastern United States, and a better understanding of these storms can save lives and property.

The study is also important in the broader picture of climate change, as these hydraulic jumps push large volumes of water into the typically very dry stratosphere. Over time, that’s going to have a long-term impact.

“In a warming climate that produces stronger and more intense convection, climate scientists are interested in how much water is injected into the stratosphere by thunderstorms because of the aggregate effect this has on stratospheric ozone,” says atmospheric scientist Leigh Orf from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“In our simulations that exhibit plumes, water reaches deep into the stratosphere where it possibly could have more of a long-term climate impact.” 

The research has been published in Science.

#Nature