#compassionate enough to not kill people because most people are compassionate even to robots they believe have no thoughts or feelings

[definitelynotaweirdo]

[shuttershocky]

Man though, the way David's mind breaks towards the end. The way he hallucinates and goes crazy but he keeps on going because if he can save Lucy.. if he can save her then it means everything he has done from his mother's death MEANS something. And the way Falco and Rebecca go along with him even though they know he won't make it... Edgerunners is great.

It's about LOVE (and how capitalist hellholes consume and destroy what makes us human)

Spoilers for Edgerunners below

No really. What makes Cyberpsychosis so interesting an idea is that it's not actually a deal where "you put on too many robot parts and you'll go insane and violent because you're no longer human". Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the original Cyberpunk tabletop, explains it like so

"You have to have an inherent susceptibility, which (in the TRPG) is represented by the player's Humanity Stat. Humanity is not just a measure of one aspect of personality, but an overall measure of several elements including the subject's ability to emphasize and relate with others, their ability to absorb and rebound from mental and physical stressors, their ability to show compassion and flexibility to others, and whether they are able to balance their worldview through other methods."

What makes you human in Cyberpunk isn't your organic flesh, it's your ability to show empathy, understanding, and compassion for other people. The people who can emotionally connect with others can put up a stronger resistance to going mad from cyberware.

This is important to understand what the original Cyberpunk setting criticizes, because cyberpsychosis doesn't mean that the only people who go mad are the mentally ill, EVERYONE (barring exceptions) eventually goes mad with enough cyberware, even the most level-headed and compassionate people. We are told that living in a capitalist hellhole forces one through a gauntlet of physical and emotional stress every single day. Night City's megacorporate nightmare has made it impossible for anyone to truly be of sound mind.

____

David says that he's built different. He's one in a million. Even the Ripperdoc claims his affinity for cyberware is crazy and calls him Adam Smasher 2.0. but the toughness that David attributed to his physical strength was actually because of how he loved and was loved harder than anyone around him. to the point where it killed him as a person. He was someone with no dreams or ambitions for himself, only a tool to achieve the dreams of the people he loved before Night City killed them.

His Mom worked 24/7 to send him to a good school and even if he hated school and was bullied, he had straight As and set his sights on fulfilling his mom's dream of becoming a big corporate executive at Arasaka so they would no longer be poor. When his mom was killed in gang violence and he fell into a gang himself, he quickly came to see Maine as a father figure and made his new goal to ensure the success of Maine's crew. He even promises Lucy that he'll make her dream come true and take her to the Moon, even if she originally only told him that to trick him and hand him off to Maine to be killed for his cyberware.

It's what makes his descent into cyberpsychosis so dramatic. He's got maybe one of the highest Humanity stats on any character in the Cyberpunk setting and he still goes cyberpsycho because living in Night City means living a life full of unending violence and stress where you constantly need to be upgrading lest a random guy just blows your head off for no reason. The city keeps ripping his loved ones apart limb from limb and because he's David Martinez he assumes complete responsibility for not protecting them and vows to make their dream come true and while taking care of whoever's left until he's jacking drugs into his body every five minutes and putting on more and more cyberware just to keep up.

And even then, even after using his last immunoblocker and flying right over the edge of sanity where there's no coming back, he still wakes up to hold back Adam Smasher and help Lucy and Falco escape, because he still has to make sure Lucy gets to go to the Moon.

David dies defiant and in control of his mind out of love for his gang, just like how Maine did when he saw a frightened but determined David try to back him up against certain death.

It's about how love is what makes us human, and what a horrific nightmare a society must be where loving like that can be what dooms you.

[rainbowloliofjustice]

I hate how so many people just... lack any kind of critical media literacy across so many different genres and how just about every genre and common tropes, issues, etc. within them just get boiled down to "Oh this is bad because ableism/racism/homophobia" even though the tropes largely have nothing to do with that. It's like they have such a surface-level understanding of something and then proceeds to read into said surface-level understanding in a contest to see who can come up with the most disingenuous, bad faith, uncharitable and just all-around god an awful interpretation of it.

"Characters having prosthetics as an allegory for losing their humanity is ablest because it is saying that if you got into an accident you are a monster." No, you absolute peanut. Robotic parts specifically are an allegory for the loss of humanity in characters that just get rid of their human body because they were being reckless, stupid, thought that it was not perfect enough, too weak, etc. Oftentimes, this is juxtaposed with a character that is a robot but is more human than the cyborg or person that just gets another piece of them replaced with a machine.

Ironwood getting increasingly mechanical parts as he is making increasingly inhumane choices in regards to himself and others is not saying he's a monster because he had an oops boo boo and had to replace his arm. ESPECIALLY when his character is juxtaposed by a character who has a robotic arm (Yang) and a character who is a created robot (Penny). The reason why Yang said that her robotic arm (and even taking pride in it at that) is "just extra" because it is just an extra asset to who she is as a person, but not her whole person. In terms of Penny, she is entirely made of machines but has what amounts to a human heart and compassion because she makes a choice to be kind to people. The allegory here (that y'all failed to understand) is that it is not whether or not someone has prosthetic or robotic parts that determine their humanity, but rather their choices and how they treat others.

It is often also the same in stories where it has characters who have robotic parts such as Alita Battle Angel or anything that genuinely comes from cyberpunk dystopia. Alita (Who is completely robot mind you) is often more kind, compassionate, etc. than characters who are fully human. Hugo and his crew regularly steal parts from cyborgs who've done nothing to him and this is juxtaposed by characters like Grewishka and Zipan who are mechanical and monstrous but not because of their parts but because of their choices. Which is a strong contrast to Alita who is fully kindhearted and has a strong sense of justice and doing what is right regardless of whether there is a price tag on it.

In more dystopian stories wherein no short words, the corrupt government controls technology and spies on its people using it, it can be a question of how much of your humanity (in this instance, privacy and agency over oneself) you're willing to sacrifice for comfort or just because you had to. But of course, rather than looking at these stories as a potential warning that we should make laws that would prevent the government from using technology against its people under the guise of safety, convenience, etc. Or even having people question wtf do they do should the government get so corrupt that it can just hijack someone's arm or even just stop someone's pacemaker because lol why not.

Yeah I get it, it's uncomfortable but unfortunately, the people who need it the most are going to be the people most at risk to a corrupt government which is like... kinda the point.

But anyways moving on

The same can go for when stories use animals as a means of telling stories revolving around discrimination. But ofc people can only see it as a surface-level "racism" and then do their damnest to force characters into being black/poc or white (and for some reason, only those two races) while failing to realize that the reason it was done is that discrimination has more than one axis. I swear this logic is what has convinced me all the talk of intersectionality in activism is just a joke they say to get other people to just shut up and let them speak over them and ignore problems/issues they don't want to focus on. It's like the only thing they can understand is racism and even that racism is only if it is hatred and black people vs white people. And somehow even that is on its most basic level.

The reason stories like Zootopia and Beastars work when it comes to discrimination because it doesn't solely focus on the narrative of race and allows it to explore the implicit and explicit biases of every character that doesn't exclusively revolve around racism. It allows characters to be on the axis of sexism, racism, class, etc. and explore various -isms that are not always "negative" in the sense that it is just hatred, racial slurs, etc. and that it can be the "positive" racism like saying "you're one of the good ones" or that "they're a token to xyz for not being as bad as everyone else."

It allows characters to fall on multiple axes without people arguing whether they have it "too good to complain" because of just one axis of discrimination that they give more weight to than others for some arbitrary reason.

Even when it comes to things like nudity being a symbol of being true to oneself or purity (such as Sailor Moon or Kill La Kill) people manage to, unironically boil it down to just the writers feeling horny and therefore ignore any other kind of lore, storytelling, etc. that revolves around it. They took one thing, scrubbed, bleached, and then nuked it of any kind of context/meta just to say lol writers horny this bad it literally means nothing else even though there are whole ass plot lines revolving around it. Like do you just pick and choose what kind of plot or storytelling is Valid (TM)?

And this extends to things beyond that and I just don't understand how people can lack such media literacy when you can literally go and read anything you want online. Is it because of people being willfully ignorant? Just lacking media literacy for some reason? Only consuming and understanding media that has to have every meaning shoved down their throat like the tentacle down an anime girl's throat in a hentai??? Like there are so many questions as to how people can come up with so many dumbass takes.

[cosmicmordecai]

Windu in fandom vs canon

Things I hear people say about Mace Windu:

“Mace Windu is one of, if not, the MAIN reason Anakin fell to the dark side” 

“He’s barely a character” 

“Mace is just arrogant and bland Jedi. Him and Ki-Adi Mundi are the very personifications o what Jedi had become during the end of the Republic; close minded and full of hubris” 

Too many people comment about how he was SooOOOooo dismissive of Boba for killing his father. 

He’s so mean to Anakin so there must be a reason why; he’s just jealous that Anakin is the Chosen One and he isn’t. 

Hates Ahskoka because reasons?

Things that Mace Windu actually is:

Actually is much more caring and has to find a balance between being the leader of the Jedi Order and being himself; Depa Billaba is his weakness in the fact she’s the daughter he could never have. (Legends but still)

Has compassion (i.e Clones, Zilo Beast, Twi’leks on Ryloth). He’s far from a fucking robot just because he doesn’t hesitate to sass your favorites.

Jango Fett was LITERALLY TRYING TO KILL him and he got decapitated and was presenting a clear threat that enabled him to kill Jedi Masters. 

On that, he actually tried negotiating lighter terms for Boba Fett as revealed in Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy’s Most Notorious. 

Is an ELECTED Master of the Jedi Order, which apparently requires  unanimous votes. That makes him leader of the Jedi High Council and VERY HIGHLY RESPECTED. In-universe, he was valued. He doesn’t need to be jealous of little ole Anakin when he’s old enough to be his dad.

He was literally right to be suspect of Anakin and bold to remove Palpatine: Anakin ends up betraying him for SELFISH REASONS, Palpatine was TOO DANGEROUS to be kept alive and presented a CLEAR ASS THREAT LIKE TEN SECONDS BEFORE AND WAS OBVIOUSLY FAKING THE FACT HE COULDN’T FIGHT MORE AND HE WAS THAT WEAK. Also, he confessed to Anakin, a GENERAL of the Grand Army Republic himself, that he the Sith Lord they been looking for. If you’re a damn suspect for initiating a damn war, being ARRESTED is THE ACTUAL APPROPRIATE step and Palaptine instead tries to claim its TREASON despite already confessing anyway. And then he murders two members of the Jedi High Council and attempts murder on Windu. Even with all the flaws of ROTS, Windu himself was CAREFUL. 

In conclusion:

Stop coming up with made up reasons to hate Windu while un-ironically trying to pit his character for all the pitfalls and failings of the Jedi Order on him. Windu is a flawed human character who is actually way more compassionate than fandom gives him. 

It gets fucking tiring seeing one of the only PoC characters in the damn franchise always get dragged through the mud because he’s not kissing all the fucking favorite character’s asses, even If I love their asses to death and back. It’s very annoying to see people come up with stupid assessments on his character but infantilize Anakin Skywalker’s issues and blame it on the Jedi Order in which accumulated to horrendous atrocities that makes him a very tragic, intimidating, and a disgraceful all at the same time. Anakin’s issues is very complex but he should he held accountable for his actions. (And no, I don’t believe in this “That was Darth Vader” b.s.) 

And finally, stop trying to put the character down for his tactlessness when dealing with teenagers and/or children while defending a character that ends up doing far worse as Darth Vader. He WAS conflicted about the whole issue with Ahsoka but he IS a Master of the Jedi Order and in a position of leadership. And he actually tried negotiating a lighter sentence for Boba DESPITE HIM TRYING TO ASSASSINATE HIM. 

Goodness. Can Mace Windu be held in the same regard others characters get where y’all have some damn nuance about the characters?  

[fandom-necromancer]

Let your Warmth melt my Ice

You all know I like emotional destruction, right? Well strap in, because this post by the amazing @nock-and-bolt hit me right in the feels. Had to write a short to it. Also tagging @janjan-the-ninth because they said so XD Enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 (Warnings: Temporary character death, grief, misunderstanding)

[Warning: Critical damage detected. Shutdown imminent.]

Nines was already on the ground by the time he had realised those bullets had indeed hit him and that there had been more enemies than anticipated as he had rushed in. He still heard the gunshots around him, the people shouting, barking orders and screaming in pain. His systems were still busy locating each position and making tactical calculations based on this information. Still prompting him to continue, to shield his friends and protect them. Apparently, his systems hadn’t caught up with the fact that he was minutes from death. True death. This body wasn’t able to function anymore and the loss of Thirium meant his hardware would run hot and eventually melt. There was no way for him to survive this.

His fingers started to spasm from wires shortcutting. His vision glitched and his analysis program darted from one detail to the next. Was there still gunfire? It was hard to concentrate, to filter sensory information and not get lost in a confusing mess of signalling. He felt how some non-vital systems began to shut off and left his mind a little less crowded, a little less confusing. Gavin, his thoughts managed to form conscious words again. Where was he? Was he safe? He tried saying the name, forming it with his voicebox but never hearing it as his auditory systems malfunctioned briefly. Next were his legs and torso, but he never regained feeling there. He was about to try again, as a face appeared in his vision.

‘Nines? Nines!’ Those words were like balm on his soul. Those special sounds only the human could speak like that, this special melody they used to create meaning. This name he had been given by the same person that meant so much to him. ‘Nines! Can you hear me? Nines?’ The android registered he was lifted up by Gavin and propped against a wall. He could see the human touch his wounds and press his hands on them as if that would help in any way. ‘Nines! Phcking asshole, say something!’ Nines tried once again to say his name, but his voicebox was already damaged, only static making it out of the small speaker. If anything, it made the human even more anxious. ‘Nines. Nines, phck!’

[Warning: Commencing Shutdown. Begin upload?]

Upload. Right. Nines knew it was likely for nothing. He was the only model ever produced and therefore unique. But still, an upload of his memories and personality matrix was something to continue living with. If what they did was living and if their programming was a soul like most humans were proclaiming, then maybe the upload could safe him. Keep him alive, even if there was no immediate body to switch to. Maybe someone valued him enough to rebuild or design anew.

Gavin certainly would.

Gavin.

[Upload started… 1%]

‘Nines, what’s going on? Your LED flickers! What- No.’ Nines managed to lift his eyes to the human’s face. He was kneeling next to him, holding him upright against the wall and trying frantically to stop the blood flow. If he had been human, it might have worked. ‘No, no, no, you are not dying! You are not!’ His face showed despair, shock, pain. All for him. All Nines had ever wanted for him was to be happy. Now he was the reason he wasn’t.

[Upload at 26%]

Nines didn’t want to see him like this. Nines wanted to see his smile again. Those green eyes sparkling in the light of the sun when they spent their break outside on the bench. He wanted to hold his human and comfort him. He wanted to be there for him. He wanted to make sure he was safe on future missions. He wanted to reach the day when he could finally tell him what he was sure Gavin never wanted to hear. He wanted to… do so many things. ‘Nines! Please. Tell me what to do! Cyberlife’s contacted, Jericho too. Help’s on the way. Hold on. Stay with me.’ There were tears on the man’s face as he swallowed and looked at him in panic. Don’t panic, Nines wanted to say. You will live, he thought. I protected you. But those words were never spoken.

[Upload at 63%]

Nines felt more and more systems shut down due to overheating and misfiring of vital sensors. It wasn’t long now, and he needed his last moments to remember. His eyes had never left Gavin’s, but now the android tried to form a smile on his face that he hoped to express everything it needed to. Hoping that it would calm down the human and be how he remembered him. As long as he still could, Nines lifted his arm and hated how it jerked back and forth and never reached its goal. His motor control was malfunctioning and the servo itself too damaged to work at full capacity. Nines’ arm hovered over his chest, reaching for Gavin’s face. Thankfully the human got the message and took his arm to help him direct it so his hand cupped his cheek.

Warm. Nines had been fascinated from the start how warm humans could be. Like they were constantly overheating and radiating their energy into the world. Those creatures couldn’t be described better in his eyes. Exhaling love with every breath and being compassionate beings always looking out for the wellbeing of others, even when the person was described as an asshole, like Gavin. Gavin cared. He was just hurt one too many times and now Nines would add to it.

[Upload at 82%]

‘Nines! Nines, stay with me.’ Nines followed a tear that was rolling down from Gavin’s cheek and stopped as it hid his hand. His robotic hand. He hadn’t realised his skin had retracted, but he was showing off his white plastic hull on his entire body by now. When had that process shut down? ‘You bastard! Stay with me! Don’t you dare phcking dying on me!’ The android felt how he lost power over his body and sacked down, but Gavin was reacting fast, catching him and holding him in his arms. The man grabbed his arm and pulled it over Nines’ chest. ‘Nines! I swear, if you die on me, I will kill you!’ Could he still do that, Nines would have laughed. Only Gavin would curse at him, threaten him in his dying seconds.

[Upload at 96% Shutdown imminent]

Nine’s vision was getting hazy, static filling it and only leaving him his area of focus: Gavin’s panicked face. He couldn’t feel the warmth of Gavin’s touch anymore, could only see and hear. ‘Nines, please. Please, I need you, you plastic prick! Don’t you dare do this to me!’

[Upload finished. Shutting down…]

Gavin lifted him to his chest and buried his face in Nines’ drenched clothes. ‘You can’t leave me, you phcking asshole! Because I… I love you.’

Nines hadn’t had any more time to process this.

[Shutdown]

-

Gavin’s day had been completely normal. It was surprising how normal his days had been lately. People around him were chatting, laughing at each other’s jokes and discussing the new shop around the corner. He was driving through a city that continued life as usual whenever he got to work or back home. Crime scenes were coming up and vanishing, cases came and went. Reports were written and evidence filed. But the chair in front of Gavin stayed empty. The terminal remained switched off.

All the little trinkets Nines had gathered on his desk and considered skilful decoration gathered dust. No one had the heart to put them away. Just as no one had thought to hire a new person. Not when there still was a chance that Nines could come back. Gavin looked down on his hands that mindlessly fidgeted with a small ring. Normally shining blue, yellow or lastly red, it was now just a dark circle in white plastic. But it was something to cling to, something to remember. Just in case. Just in case Nines didn’t come-

No. No, he had to. The android had uploaded his personality to Cyberlife as a failsafe. And although there was no body for him, Jericho had bullied the company to build a new one. With the blow Cyberlife had to take to their image, it hadn’t taken much. Gavin had hope they could make it. Maybe it was all he had. In any scenario, he had never thought for the android to die first. Almost completely bullet proof, the chance of him dying… Well, Gavin had considered it zero at this point. That was about the only reason he hadn’t said what he told the dying android long ago. Thinking they had time…

He sighed deeply, looking over to his mug and tilting it a bit to look inside. Empty. Of course. He groaned. He really didn’t want to get out of his chair. He had no motivation for anything anymore and even a trip to the breakroom could as well had been a journey around the earth. The more surprised he was as a new mug was placed next to his. Steaming and filled to the rim. Gavin looked at it, brain lagging behind. The hand that was holding the handle lingered for just a second, then retracted. Gavin’s eyes followed the movement and were directed to a white uniform. Black details at the opening and the pockets, a ridiculously high collar and then… That stupidly beautiful face.

Gavin’s throat went dry. ‘Nines?’, he croaked disbelievingly. ‘Are you… phck, are you Nines?’ The android in front of him lowered his head a bit, then nodded. ‘Yes. It’s me. Cyberlife rebuild my body and I thought to return to work as soon as possible. I left you long enough with both our-‘ He couldn’t finish, as Gavin stood up and grabbed him by the jacket to push him against the glass separating the desk from the hallway. ‘You asshole died in my arm and all you can think about is work?’ He let go of the android, swallowing his emotions. Damn, the android had just returned from the dead, he should be happy. ‘I… I’m sorry for the trauma I’ve caused you. I’m fine again. I just thought we could get back to normal?’

Gavin looked at the android and swallowed for real this time. Hell, how would dying feel like? All Gavin wanted to do is shake Nines and tell him how relieved he was and how good it was to see him again and how bad he managed living on without him and also ask how he felt about what Gavin had asked him in the very end. Because he was ready to make up excuses for that, if the android didn’t feel that way and oh would it help him if Nines felt the same…

But exactly how Gavin managed trauma like that – with his thoughts running at hundred miles an hour and his only reaction anger and brashness – Nines might need the exact opposite: Calmness and time to think and reset. He was an android after all. Maybe all that programming and logic had some use after all. Gavin nodded and instead hugged Nines’ middle. ‘It’s good to have you back, tin-can.’ The android didn’t move to return the hug but stood there rather awkwardly. ‘Thanks…’ Gavin stepped back and let go of the man. ‘Err… yeah, sure. Let’s… let’s get back to work, shall we? And if you… want to talk about what happened or… what that makes you feel… I’m right here.’ ‘Thank you’, Nines smiled and that smile almost made everything alright again.

The android moved over to his terminal, switched it on and interfaced with it, while dusting off his belongings with the other hand. Gavin too returned to his work. As if it was just another day.

-

Nines was thankful to be back. He remembered not believing it might work, but Cyberlife had harboured his soul in their servers and Jericho had actually managed to move them to build a new body for him. It felt like he had never been gone, as he stepped foot back into the precinct. He had of course been the centre of attention then, but he still managed to surprise Gavin and that was all he had needed to feel that warmth again. As the human had hugged him… It had been heaven on earth. Metaphorically. From his own experience if android heaven was a dusted Cyberlife server, then this was much better.

He had enjoyed the unexpected contact far too much, his systems overwhelmed by the sudden motions that he had actually frozen for a few moments. He was actually surprised Gavin had taken it so well. From his last memories before his deactivation, he had expected there to be more tears… more emotions. But then again, maybe Gavin had already grieved for him. It had been two weeks after all. Maybe he had just been relieved he was back and now was eager to get back to normality. Or he suppressed his emotions as usual until they weren’t too intense to handle. Either way, Nines wouldn’t start a conversation with him, not unless he initiated one first. He had caused the human his pain after all. Gavin would have to chose when was the right time.

Unfortunately, even the next day, nothing changed. Gavin had no interest in opening the talk and even seemed to avoid him. If anything, he was growing more distant, seemingly wanting to tell him something when he left for his home, but never actually speaking up. It hurt. It hurt somewhere deep inside Nines. The android was feeling so much, even looking at the human caused him software instability. But he didn’t dare to tell the man. Gavin hadn’t said something when he was in emotional turmoil because of his impending death. Surely, he would have done that if he felt something. And with how he always pulled a face at seeing publicly displayed affection, maybe he didn’t want to hear it either.

Nines loved the human. He wanted to deepen their relationship. He had died to protect Gavin and he would do so again and again, if he had to. But with how Gavin kept to himself and didn’t even acknowledge him some days, Nines really doubted that was what the human wanted.

-

Gavin was beyond disappointed. He would have been angry hadn’t that felt too much of a defeat. The android had had the audacity to die in his arms catching multiple bullets for him and then ghost him like that? Gavin had confessed his love to the plastic prick in a moment of vulnerability and now the damn android just pretended nothing had happened? “Detective”-d him at any given moment and displayed no more emotion than before their mission? Hell, if he wasn’t interested, Nines could have just said so. This was just an asshole move. And two could play that game of ignorance. It didn’t matter to Gavin that his soul was bleeding with every stumbled ‘Oh. Okay.’ from the android whenever Gavin shoved him away further. He was far too angry for it. And it only got worse during the week.

Friday finally was the day, that promised Gavin refuge. He wouldn’t have to see the android on the weekend and have time to come to terms with his contradicting feelings. Then, on Monday, he would just tell the android and be done with it. No more dancing around each other, trying to find out how the other felt and watch out for the other’s wellbeing. He decided to leave early and switched off his computer grabbing his jacket as he stood up. ‘Gavin?’ Oh hell no. If the android continued to speak with him, he would resort to violence at this point. He was hurt and confused and done, so, so done with it all. So, he just turned around and left. Only once he left the building and heard the door fall into the lock behind him, he sighed and took a deep breath of the grounding cold February air.

He shouldn’t have stopped. ‘Gavin!’ The door behind him opened and Nines stumbled out of it, coming to a halt everything but gracefully. His LED was a dark red and Gavin didn’t want to think of what that reminded him of. ‘What do you want?’, Gavin spat. ‘I want to talk with you. About what happened. I held myself back until now because I know this might have been traumatic for you and-‘ ‘Phck off! You died in my arms! You know, you are right, that might have been traumatic for me, phckhead!’ ‘I apologize for that, but-‘ ‘Oh, you apologize?’ Gavin turned around and walked right into the android’s personal space. ‘You apologize? For what exactly? Dying? Ignoring me? Disregarding that I laid out my heart in front of you and you decided to step on it?’

Nines took a step back and frowned. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘What- What do I mean?’, Gavin wheezed in disbelief. ‘Ex-phcking-cuse me? I mean that I told you I love you! You died in my arms and I thought if this was your last moment and you died for me, I could as well tell you that! Maybe made it a bit easier for you. Less hurtful. Phck, what have I been thinking? You are just a damn machine, you don’t phcking feel. Or at least not in that way. Because hell, I tell you that, let you into my heart and when you come back, you hand me a coffee and go straight back to work?’

‘Wait’, Nines said, holding up his hand. ‘Wait, Gavin. Your last words to me were: “Don’t you dare do this to me!”’ He blinked. ‘Or were they?’ Gavin clenched his jaws. ‘No, asshole they weren’t! My last words to you were that I loved you!’ ‘When was that? Right before I shut down? Was my LED still flickering?’ ‘How the hell should I know?’, Gavin asked, throwing his hands in the air. ‘You were dying in my arms; I don’t think I had more important things on my mind than your stupid mood light!’ ‘Gavin, this is important’, Nines said, stepping forwards and holding the man by the shoulders. ‘Was it less than two seconds before my body went rigid?’ Gavin shrugged. ‘Yeah, could be. Why?’

Nines let go of him and had to sit down on the stairs in front of the station. ‘Gavin, I uploaded my memory to Cyberlife as soon as I knew I would die. It recorded everything up to two seconds before my death, because it takes a bit of time to end the Upload and shut down the body. I… I might have heard it and understood it as I was dying, but I… the backup of me that I am now has no memory of you telling me that.’

Gavin stared at the android and processed what he just heard. Then he sat down next to Nines on the stairs and stared blankly ahead. ‘Phck.’ ‘Fuck indeed.’ ‘And all the time I thought you were just a work-centred prick ignoring me.’ ‘I wouldn’t have ignored it had I known it, Gavin, I’m sorry.’ Gavin rubbed his face in frustration. Phck, he just wanted this day to be over.

But Nines didn’t let him end it just yet. He cleared his throat and looked over at the human that had nearly folded in on himself. ‘Err… Do you… Do you really love me?’ Gavin lifted his head up, his fingers resting on his mouth. He looked at Nines from the corner of his eyes, only then letting his hands slap on his knees. ‘Yes, I guess’, he sighed. ‘No, yeah I do. I was so angry at you all phcking week it won’t be a heartfelt confession now, but I do love you. The way you’re just… Always there for me and care so much. Most would just pretend not to have seen me and move on. You sought me out. You are actually funny and intelligent and competent. And you are phcking hot, okay? I feel so much for you and seeing you die… I couldn’t handle it. I think the hope you would come back to me kept me going.’ There was a brief moment of silence.

‘I love you too, Gavin’, Nines answered in a whisper. ‘I can’t understand how I am the one lucky enough to got to know you when so many others had their chance before me, but I am happy fate chose me. I… I can’t express how I feel as I shouldn’t be feeling at all as an android. But I do and I wanted to tell you for so long. I just always thought you didn’t want to hear something like that…’ ‘Nines?’, the human spoke up and turned towards him. Nines followed his movement and his eyes naturally found their way to Gavin’s, who smiled. ‘Nines, this was the only thing I ever needed to hear.’

Nines blinked, but didn’t have the time to answer, as Gavin laid an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Once again, Nines froze up, but Gavin’s warmth quickly made him melt into the touch. Soon enough, he would have to think about all of this to process what he just heard, but for now…

For now, he enjoyed this.

[remnantoforario]

Call it recency bias (because it probably is) but I just finished Wonder Egg Priority and I can’t help but see the similarities between the four main girls in that series and Team RWBY. Now obviously both shows are vastly different in terms of setting, plot, and themes (ESPECIALLY themes); but there are some sections where the main casts intersect with one another.

Ruby Rose - Ai Ohto

Both girls start out as naive and completely in over their heads once their respective stories begin. Both struggle with feelings of inadequacy and are working hard to change themselves, both becoming leaders of their respective groups and better people in the process.

Both of them even have distinct eyes that make then stand out from everyone around them, but for vastly different reasons. Ruby’s Silver Eyes make her the descendant of a group of warriors, while Ai’s heterochromia was a source of nonstop bullying. So much so that she eventually stopped going to school because of it (as well as her only friend’s suicide).  

Their other, and slightly more major, difference comes in how they both handle their roles as leaders. Ai is more compassionate, not forcing her views on her friends and is much more open to talk and hear their worries. She’s a friend first. Ruby more often than not gives orders full stop (Mostly starting in V6). There isn’t much room for compromise. Ruby doesn’t try to talk things out until AFTER things have already escalated. She can also be VERY indecisive, often waiting on solutions to fall into her lap instead of working towards them herself. 

Weiss Schnee + Blake Belladonna - Neiru Aonuma

Neiru is an interesting case, because she shares more similarities with Blake than Weiss. In fact the only thing she really shares with Weiss is that they are both rich and that they have not so great home lives (Neiru’s sister tried to kill her before committing suicide and she also has no idea who her parents are).

She’s much more a reflection of Blake, or rather Blake from Volume 1-3 (when Blake was good). She’s quiet, stoic, and makes no real effort to befriending anyone until she meets Ai. Even after spending time with Ai, Rika, and Momoe, Neiru is still somewhat awkward and distant, but she is slowly getting closer to them. 

When you’re alone for so long, those traits you’ve built and fostered for so long don’t just vanish when you start interacting with other people. It takes time for those walls to come down so you can let others in. This was something Blake wasn’t really allowed to have, time that is, because of the pace of the show early on (where she pretty much became one of the gang immediately after the team formed because comedy needed to happen).

Rika Kawai - Yang Xiao Long

Rika and Yang are almost exactly the same in terms of their characters, perhaps even more so than everyone else. Both are reckless to the point of endangering others, both have maternal problems (Yang’s issues with Raven are well documented and Rika has problems with her mother because of her father’s unknown identity), and they can both be more than little tactless.

The key difference between them however is their family lives. Yang’s more self-destructive tendencies are curved by the presence of her father and sister, and later her friends, making her a somewhat more rounded person. Rika had no one aside from her mother; whom she has less than flattering things to say about. Thrown in the fact that she was once part of the less than stellar Japanese idol industry before she was old enough to even enter high school and it’s a wonder she can function at all. 

They both need their friends to keep them from going over the edge. 

Momoe Sawaki - Penny Polendina

Momoe is a special case where she shares no real traits with any of the main girls. Her story actually most parallels Penny’s. 

Both of their arcs center around their search of their true identities. Both are also viewed as trans allegories (Momo much more so than Penny).

Because of her appearance, Momoe has always been viewed as more masculine by both male and females. She goes to an all girls school, so she is more or less forced to play the role of the school’s “prince” despite her own feelings. She is desperate to be viewed as a woman.

Penny is seeking validation that she is more than just a robot. She wishes to be more. She wishes to be human, or at the very least understand what it truly means to be one.

Both manage to fulfill their desires and be viewed as they wished, even if Penny’s was messed up in the end. 

Pretty much I made this post to gush more about Wonder Egg Priority, and get you all to watch it. Though the show isn’t finished (the final episode comes out in June), its a very good show with a great cast and an even better grasp of it’s themes. 

[nierly-amazing]

I know I’ve written something similar before and maybe I'm being petty and reading into shit too much, but I honestly just can’t deal with 9S haters. Like, you got the generic weeby incels that are jealous that their fictional waifu is interested in nerdy twink 9S which shatters their "feemales only go for the chads" shitty worldview. Those are easy enough to ignore because they’re just shit people in general and not worth my time. Plus it’s really straightforward and doesn’t have me sitting down thinking “why does this bother me so much?”.

But then you have another group of people that I honestly can’t stand because you look at their hot takes on 9S and think “did we even play the same game?” They reduce him to some flat one dimensional possessive/whiny man child thot boi (No I’m never gonna forget that insult because it’s horrifically beautiful).

I’ve been wondering why it annoys me so much when I don’t really care if people don’t like my favs from other stories and I think it’s a mix of a few reasons. 

One is like I mentioned above in that they get his character so wrong, it’s like they played an entirely different game. 

Another is that they act like the negative (and “negative”) things he does do is for completely no reason whatsoever without acknowledging a whole bunch of fuckshit that helps make him who he is “today”. So we just got “oh he’s possessive and violent and whiny ew” without even thinking about: 

All the trauma that 9S went through both before, and during route C.

The fact that he was infected by a logic virus for most of route C. Yes, most. I don’t remember where but it says in some supplementary material that the virus was fucking with him since way before he transplanted the arm.

The fact that the Red Girls and machines were tormenting him during route C and already pushing him to the extremes. Remember what happened in the Soul Box? Plus Adam torturing him about his feelings for 2B in the copied city wasn’t exactly helpful.

The fact that his only purpose was to be a disposable information gatherer for a pointless war. He was designed with a friendly and curious and emotional personality and was forced to work alone for a lot of his life, told that he wasn’t allowed to display those emotions, and punished with death whenever he got too curious. I’d say he gets a pass to whine about missions every now and then.

The fact that 2B killed him and erased his memories FORTY-SEVEN times and just because she hates doing it and he forgives her doesn't change the fact that she did it and how much it would mess up his perception of anything really. (Bonus points if they think 2B's some perfect stoic lesbian goddess who can do no wrong and has absolutely no romantic interest in 9S). Same with the fact that she was still cold and strict with him most of the time they were together even if he did eventually find out she’s not like that deep down.

The fact that 2B was the one and only constant in his life through all his resets. It would take a fucking saint to not develop some unhealthy attachment/possessive thoughts in that situation. Especially with the Red Girls tormenting him by trying to delete his memories of her in the Soul Box. Like it’s not good or healthy and even I was like “nooo 9S baby please don’t be like that” in the clone fight/his possessive monologue in the book at that point. But it sure as hell is realistic and understandable to become possessive of someone that keeps getting taken away from you. 

The fact that he hates himself for the way he feels about 2B. He doesn’t act on any of his feelings and always backs off when 2B says no about anything from calling him “Nines” to taking a break after a mission. He might grumble and complain a bit but pretty quickly shuts up. 

The fact that he lost everything he loves in the span of a few hours and watched the most important person in the world get skewered by a smelly cryptid doppelganger. (Pile on the fact that said smelly cryptid doppelganger did nothing to clear things up about it when there were plenty of easy ways to do so (don't get me wrong I love A2, but she's an idiot)).

The fact that even in his route C rampage his anger was still only directed at machines and A2. He helped other androids without complaints, even ones he didn't know. And he was still visibly upset when he saw Pascal's Village and Pascal’s memory loss. 

This whole nonsense reminds me of some SU discourse of people hating on Lapiz for the way she responded to Jasper's abuse. Could she have made better decisions? Maybe. But she was trapped in a mirror for 5000 years, immediately attacked after being released, then captured and tortured again. What the hell do you expect?

And to a lesser extent, it reminds me of how people react to Shinji, calling him whiny and tell all those “get in the fucking robot” jokes. The poor kid went through so much shit comparable somewhat to what 9S went through.

I guess the thing that really bothers me is that I relate really hard to 9S and the shit he went through (obviously to a much lesser extent, thankfully I haven’t lost all of my loved ones in a horrific massacre or anything like that). But I can relate to having everything falling apart in my life and not having the support or experience I needed to get through it without fucking up a lot. 

And as an autistic person with a bunch of other brain shits, I was so happy seeing a character that was (intentionally or not) coded with these same things. So it gets me, even more, when I see people going “ew no he’s bad” because of those traits as if they expect someone with no support network or therapy to just be able to Handle It All on their own. When I see people refusing to be compassionate towards 9S for what he’s gone through, I’m reminded of people that refuse to be compassionate to good people who’ve fucked up because they’re unable to deal with it on their own. (And I sure as hell wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the same people.)

You can like a character or person at the same time as acknowledging what they’re doing wrong. (And on the flip side you don’t have to ignore the faults of characters you do like and paint them as beautiful flawless goddesses).

It’s not often you get a kind, gentle, and emotional male character that doesn’t act all high and mighty and above the female characters just because he’s a dude. It’s also not often you get the scripts flipped in terms of gender expectations as well. Give him a chance to come back and grow past all the trauma that shaped him during route C. He’s a good boy. He’s little, and broken, but still good.

Yeah, still good.

I end this with the wise words of a good friend: “9S is great fuck all yall nerds learn some goddamn empathy the end”.

[yourfriendlysummoner]

Analyses of Inspector Thauvin chapter 1: Harsh Glances, Proof of Worth

Noxus. A mighty and fearsome expanding Empire that is never satisfied of its hunger for more power and lands. This desire can be extinguished by the great Trifarian Legion, an unstoppable and dedicated army that spreads rampage on its path.

But, like every regime, Noxus has its weaknesses. There are threats from the inside that can ruin everything in a heartbeat with any tragic mistake the Grand General can make. And because he has foreseen it – like everything after all – he has taken his very drastic measures to combat the possible treason from faces that wear invisible masks…

~~~

“It’s him, step aside!” One of the guards whispered nervously to his companion to the sight of the new superweapon Swain hired for his mysterious plans and military success.

The soldiers stared with faces that betrayed their fear for the unknown, their teeth were almost showing in fear and instinct to put the tail between the legs.

A quiet, almost unnoticed scoff could be heard. It couldn’t remain hidden. It shouldn’t. They are Noxian soldiers that have seen so many battlefields that something like that shouldn’t bother their eyes so much…

“G- Grand General! Your weapon is here…”

“Excellent. Bring him in.”

“Move it!” The guard yelled with the most nervous voice he had ever heard, as he shoved his axe threateningly at his direction. The uniquely for the Noxian standards armed man tried to hold his mocking smile. The bloke was too desperate to show his rank superiority, and it was something utterly futile.

He held his smile for the very special moment of standing in front of the Grand General himself, in his own noble mansion.

“You must be Inspector Beau Thauvin.” Swain sounded very sophisticated as he asked.

“In flesh and bone, your weapon is here. At your mighty will, Grand General.” Inspector Thauvin is rarely the one that will talk big and fanfaring  words, its other people that will usually flatter him unnecessarily. But, this time he decided to allow a change.

“I cannot hide my enthusiasm that you honour us with your services, Inspector.” Indeed, Swain’s boring, merry impatience couldn’t hide deep behind his aged and refined facial features.

“I can see it…” Thauvin didn’t hesitate to intensify his remarkable unimpression in his aristocratic leader face. Risky, but that’s him, either you like it or not.

Swain shook his head and raised his brows in neutral shock the Inspector’s behaviour caused, but soon his expression changed dramatically to being more interested. He stroked his chin with a stoic face. “You have the privilege to determine when do you wish to start your work, since it is you–”

“Right now.” The robotic determination of his clear and silvery voice cut Swain’s easiness in pieces, along with his intendedly causal phrase.

Don’t try to be at ease with me, General!…

Jericho’s breathe was cut and hitched to the sharp suggestion, if you want, that the man voiced. He froze for several second clusters, but it was enough to get noticed by the sly agent’s eye.

He cleared his throat. “Very well,” He drowned his uneasiness. “You have to know, however, that my bidding is never built on a silky, straight road, Inspector…”

“If this really was a threat, m’ Lord, then I’m deeply sorry, because, for your information, I never apply for a task that is easy. I don’t play the dolls, and I seek to be effective to the common cause I eventually share with my employer.” His eyes were shining threatening bravery and fatal truth. His arms audaciously folded close to his chest, after his rudely bold words towards the very first man of Noxus…

Well, this wasn’t really wise of him to do. But he knows. He never lets uncalculated actions pass, and knowing his necessity and utility to Noxus, Swain would never had the guts to risk the Inspector’s safety for his pride.

“Whatever, Thauvin…” His sharp tone indicated his very restrained attempt to hide his lost patience. “Shall we move to the main reason you are here then?” Thauvin laughed so hard in his head with how hurt Swains good intention to be polite was, but outside he looked stern and imperious to the simplest and humblest way.

“That’s why I’m here, Grand General. Move on, then.”

Swain calmed his tension down with a deep breath before moving on to explaining his first mission as an agent of Noxus.

“Since you have lived by us for quite a while, you have probably heard of or seen with your eyes the occupied by deviant protesters north-eastern suburban territory.” Swain explained.

“Have heard of it.”

“It’s a pain in the arse the recent weeks!” Swain’s voice cracked with laughter. “Counsellor Darius’ Trifarian Legion is off to occupation missions, and my capital patrols are pretty inefficient against the savage brutes.” Noble opponents of the Trifarix are a bit more easily controlled in the Empire than openly protesting savage brutes.

“I understand.” That is all he had to say.

“Don’t you have anything to add?”

“Not really. Can I have some of your inefficient patrols?”

Swain raised an eyebrow.

~~~

“What is the plan, Inspector?” The patrol’s commander asked. These soldiers where more civilized than the guards of Swain’s mansion. Beau liked that.

He didn’t answer him immediately. He had to first spectate the situation by himself. That was exactly what he expected: an angered handful of folks gathered in a group, united like a fist and overly concentrated to their pitiful riot.

“Inspector?…” The soldier repeated, this time seemingly hesitating to do so, but impatient for an answer as well. Weak minds…

“The plan is the following: you go and trap them into a circle made of your unit’s men.”

“B- but, Inspector? Our unit can easily be decimated by these angry people! I- I mean, these treacherous dogs!!” His voice was so nervous in fear of having sounded more compassionate than he should be, he almost bit his tongue. Thauvin really has his time in that city, very fun idiots to work with. A shame he can’t show it, sacrificing his urge to laugh on their faces to professionalism.

“You didn’t let me finish.” The rudeness in his phrase didn’t drown in his sternness’ deep bottom. Instead, it floated on its surface, seemingly shaming the commander.

Beau broke the silence again, with his more defined explanations of his plan. “Your circle is going to both trap them and bamboozle them. Here I have a paralyzing detonator that will make them have some sweet dreams for a good while, allowing us to disarm them and send them to the justice they deserve without killing them. This is for the Grand General to decide. They are simple citizens after all. But: be careful not to stand too close to the area the detonator will affect, otherwise you’ll get electrocuted as well. Five feet are a good distance to keep from my target. Was I well understood?”

He always uses his charisma in leadership in his tone, combining it with his influencing and confident body language, while at the same time being extremely simple and direct, so he is easily understood. Perfect, as he always aims to achieve by practicing his profession.

And as he predicted, everyone said no more. A positive nod was enough to pass into action.

However, predictions always have their holes…

“I don’t think it will work.” A young man, at least in his early twenties, voiced with pure audacity and steadiness in his voice.

Thauvin looked at him with serious, half – closed eyes of caustic humiliation.

Silence. Many of the soldiers turned to each other with confusion and a chilling but suppressed fear.

“And who are you to determine it, o genius from nowhere?” He asked, faking suspicion in his tone.

“I’m Tommy Brant, sir! Co – commander of the Capital Patrol!” The boy stood straight with too much pride filling his lungs…

“Interesting… And how someone as young as you gained such a high rank in this armed force?”

“I—”

“He has just returned from the Tokogol fort, sir, one of the best soldiers that got this promotion as a reward!” A woman answered nervously instead of Brant. Her name was Myriam Cole, Captain of the Patrol.

“Hmm… Weird reward. Oh, and I was asking him not you.” His harsh glance made her look down to her feet in shame.

“Yes, sir…”

“What was I saying? Oh, yeah. You shouldn’t question me, Co – commander Brant. And you really can’t, since Commander Achim here takes my orders today.”

The young soldier prepared himself to talk back, but Thauvin’s collected voice was faster than his.

“With my signal! Ready!…”

The anticipation and worry about failure had filled their hearts. This was probably the riskiest strategy they had ever faced in their lives. Some even though that the Grand General was very desperate to hire such a mad guy to lead them, but obviously kept them for themselves, a thought that should never be revealed for their sake…

Nevertheless, they tried their best to have bodies and minds alarmed for the signal and therefore the action.

Foreheads wet in sweat, breathes hitched, weapons grasped in fists…

But most importantly…

“Go!”

And the mission started. The soldiers ran as fast as possible, choosing paths behind buildings to go unnoticed by the crowd in the square of the north–eastern suburbs.

Thauvin used his long-range binoculars to spectate. He let a small, crooked smirk on his lips, in approval of their clever action. At this rate, no one would get fatally hurt. They weren’t that stupid then…

Enough about the police though. He had to think about his own part as well. The easy stuff. He used his Hextech jet boots to reach the target faster. He jumped on a balcony with the boost of his jets, so he could have a better view of the situation.

He reactivated his binoculars, this time on sniper mode. With the help of his precise rifle, designed by himself to be foolproof like a preying vulture, he would shoot his detonator at the protesters.

Meanwhile, down there the nervous Patrol Unit soldiers were ponting their axes and swords at the people they had trapped – that seemed to be the case. The angry citizens yelled at them, cursed Noxus, demanded more rights and freedom, threatened to attack them and even spat on their faces.

Brant wiped spit from his eye and yelled for order nervously. Some others, more brutal and experienced went farther than just a harmless threat, even on unarmed protesters.

“I should make this quick or it will turn to be a tragedy. I won’t tolerate  making a bad name of myself…” Beau’s voice sounded quite at ease, despite the pressuring time that threatened his plan tremendously…

He just stood there, placing his feet steadily on the narrow surface of the balcony’s railing, and aimed with concentration at the rioters…

Steady….

The situation was about to worsen at the square. Someone could be heard warning that he’d light a fire to burn the statue of some forgotten warlord very few speak of nowadays. This wasn’t good, Thauvin thought. He had to act quickly, so that he wouldn’t lose his unit to a bunch of random people that disliked their country…

His earpiece was unfortunately connected to the commanders, to be able to have control of the situation in all the possible senses. “What takes you so long, Inspector!?!”

“Shut the hell up and let me concentrate, do your job, Commander!”

“Whatever, be quick, they are trying to-“

“Much better.” He smiled at himself for deactivating the earpiece and turned to his target with the greatest focus possible. Let’s end this quick…

It all depended on a press of his trigger, lucky for them, it had to be his.

One last deep breath and the missile went to find its target on the ground. The force that was created by the shot threw Thauvin inside the balcony, causing him to reflexively backflip and accidentally break the window with his heavy equipment.

He swore under his breath as he shook his head to ease the bodily shock. As he turned his head to witness the damage he caused, he faced a scared woman in her nightdress and facemask.  

“M’ lady? Don’t worry about this mess, I’m paying for it. Oh, almost forgot this.” He pressed a button on his modified ATLAS glove and a bright blue light could be seen from the square, accompanied by a considerably loud noise.

He smirked. “Finally, I started getting bored of this.”

“H- he… Actually did this…” The Commander said in his relieved breath, and almost passed out of shock.

The other soldiers cheered and thanked the gods for surviving this craze. But the three in command still quietly questioned Thauvin’s method, even after observing the paralysing detonator electrocute the protesters that fainted right away in front of their eyes.

However, some reckless and ignorant soldiers were affected as well, as a result of not keeping the right distance like the Inspector warned… “His crazy plans will kill us all! Imagine going on the first mission with someone so popular of his kind and getting blasted men in the process!” Commander Achim exclaimed at Cole and Brant.

“I honestly don’t understand what the Grand General had in his mind when he hired that madman…” Brant touched his chin. His gaze on the ground betrayed his insecurities.

“Whatever he is up to, we must

“Whatever he is up to, we must remain quiet. Any reckless move and we lose our power. Both of you, remember that you are not on top of this anymore.” Cole’s voice sounded sharp and plain, indicating that she was completely serious and plain, indicating that she was very serious.

The two men nodded with clear dysphoria, but as much as they hated to admit it, she was right…

~~~

Swain was more than pleased to observe on his balcony all of the protester’s hands bound with cuffs behind their backs and lead in a line to jail by the Patrol Unit. He lowered his telescope and smiled at Thauvin that stood at attention behind him. “Congratulations, Inspector!

“You promised difficulty.” He faked serious disappointment to bluff, once again interrupting his sentence.

The Grand General almost held his breath. Then a sigh followed. “Not your level, I suppose…” His husky voice was quiet. “Never mind, you won’t get away with so relaxing missions, I assure you… Dismissed…”

Thauvin nodded and left his quarters with his hands clasped behind his back. He surely expected something actually difficult, but kept that day’s event in the back of his head nonetheless…

[morsking]

Got around to starting and finishing Old World Blues in the past couple of days. I think it’s the strongest of the game’s DLC I’ve played so far.

At first, it feels like you’re in for some wacky science fiction b-movie shenanigans once you’re introduced to the Think Tank. They’re all whimsical idiots who forget what words are, repeat themselves to elongate their sentences to look smart, and even one of them is bizarrely horny and has a fetish for... innocuous human behavior? Stretching? Yawning? They are neurotic brains in machines who take stuff apart and break it without really creating anything with it, just replicating the same results over and over and none of them seem to notice how stupid they are and it’s amazing. They took your brain, spine, and heart out of your body in an attempt to turn you into a walking vegetable, only for them to become so fascinated with the damage you took from Benny’s bullet that they fuck up the surgery and end up finding a way to keep your intelligence about you with a remote device that connects your brain to the tesla coils in your skull. Their biggest scientific discovery since... who knows how fucking long, was an absolute accident. It could only come about by chance, because you, as an existence alien to the static Big MT, shook things up tremendously. 

But as funny and baffling as all these things could be, the more you explore Big MT, the more apparent it is that for all their quirks the Think Tank are also responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity you can witness in Fallout: New Vegas. They experimented with carnivorous, parasitic plants on human beings, spliced humans, dogs, and robots together, developed nightstalkers and cazadores you see in the base game, used the Sierra Madre casino and its inhabitants as a petri dish for holograms, the claustrophobic hazmat suits, and the poisonous Cloud that killed everyone and turned them into zombies. Their experiments killed all their staff, and not one of them batted an eye to what they did. And their most shocking crime is the repetition of Japanese internment with Chinese hostages, who you can find ghoulified from radiation and are forced to kill them. These prisoners can’t be reasoned with or saved because the Think Tank stripped them from their humanity long ago along with any humanity or rationality that was left in the Big Empty. The only thing they can do as being robbed of their humanity is lash out at anything that still looks human. All throughout the DLC, you are subjected to displays of the Think Tank’s obsessions and cruelties and aimless ambitions, and you wonder why. How did things get this twisted and distortioned? And then you meet Dr. Mobius, and you find out why.

In his introductory segment when you start the DLC, he seems like the parody of the crazed mad scientist terrorizing the slightly less crazy eccentric scientists and the bastard who kidnapped your brain. But when you meet him, he’s like a sweet, confused, senile old man. He’s got an endearing if a little weird addiction to radioactive snacks despite him being a brain in a machine who has no mouth to eat them. He forgets he keeps a giant killer robot scorpion with a OHKO death laser of infinite... death powered on and sucking up energy all the time and that’s why his shit never works. He uses the wrong words on his sentences because they sound like the actual words he means to use. He didn’t just steal your brain, he kept it safe for you. And also, he’s the one who lobotomized the Think Tank into the witless abominations they are now. 

Dr. Mobius witnessed his co-workers, his friends, pushing the boundaries of science further and further into dark places. Terrified for what they might do, he robbed them of their sanity and created an army not to terrorize them, but to keep them busy and from getting out. Dr. Mobius feared for the world, that it might be subjected to one new horror after another. There is great compassion in his actions but also great cruelty. He was so afraid of his friends the new world he trapped them in the old one. That’s where obsession and abhorrence belong, in the big emptiness of the past. It’s so appropriate, that Big MT is misread as “the Big Empty”. Because obsession and madness are an abyss, and also because everything that happened there was meaningless and hollow. There was no purpose to the Think Tank repeating its process of lobotomizing and observing the lobotomites. The great irony is that. That they don’t realize that what they do to human beings is what’s been done to them. Like the nature of all their names, their actions and their philosophies are cyclical and self-consuming. (Ouro)Borous. Zero. (Man)Dala (circle in Sanskrit), 8, Klein and Mobius. They are concepts that loop into themselves, symbolic of the futility of holding on to the grudges and ambitions of the Old World, a world that new only conflict and supremacy and paranoia and hostility. The fact that Mobius had to resort to brainwashing his own colleagues itself is evident even he didn’t know how to let go of the brutal utilitarian methods of the Old World in an effort to save the New One.

And what’s even worse is that didn’t matter anyway, because the mutated abominations that Borous created still found their way into the Mojave anyway. Are we supposed to accept that as a mercy that night stalkers, spores, and cazadores are the only things that slipped through the crater into the desert and be thankful for it? The only thing you can do about it now is say “Enough.” Enough of the Old World and its curses. It has no right to turn this world into a graveyard with it. It has no write to take from it and toy with it. Many times that attachment is played for laughs in Old World Blues, particularly Borous’s anti-communist fixation and enactments of his high school trauma being the basis for a training operation. But when you truly look at it it really feels like gallows humor. How many people do you reckon died in those tests at Lab X-8 because he used the test subjects as a means of catharsis? What was the human cost of that myopic insecurity and resentment? You only have to look around you. The facility is littered with guts. And it’s not the only one that looks like that. Not by a longshot.

So it came my time to also say enough to the Think Tank. I chose to kill them (more like stumbled my way into killing them because you have to thematically cycle through speech and skill checks for Mobius to give you the option of sparing everyone). It was both a roleplay gesture of revenge as much as it was a choice from me as a player to put the Big Empty out of its misery. It was already a graveyard in concept, it had to be made a graveyard in reality.

So that’s it for my review of the story. As for the more physical aspects of the DLC, I’ll say the Big Empty is probably the most interestingly designed setting I’ve ever seen. From the moment I woke up at the top of the Sink’s balcony I fell in love with what I was seeing. The layout includes some interesting platforming and traversal of the terrain from labs to cliffs to caves. Every laboratory houses something useful for you or relevant to the story and it’s easy to circle around the entire map and unlock everything as you go. The exploration comes naturally and you’re always encouraged to go back and look to see if you missed something (which you probably did, because it sure happened to me). One of the best things I found was the stealth suit. I’ve written about it already, but it is simply adorable, quirky, and also very helpful. Getting all its upgrades is worth it and not all that difficult even if it looks like a case of trial and error. There are some neat unlockables in terms of weapons as well like the stuff Elijah and Christine left behind, and lore that elaborates on their time there and Christine’s chase of Elijah to make him pay for his crimes. There is also the excellent set-up of your encounter with Ulysses in Lonesome Road, since he’s left his mark everywhere for you to see, as if luring you and taunting you. The dialogue is some of the wittiest and funniest Fallout’s ever been. The personalities in the Sink’s assistant appliances are so varied and interesting. You have the weirdly horny and seductive seed processor, the germaphobic water sink, the pessimistic and exhausted Muggy mini securitron, the jealous bickering light switches, the radio man juke box, the brave little toaster that could (murder everything), the ultra-patriotic and self-unaware book chute, the compassionate level-headed Auto-Doc, and finally the neutral, loyal, and polite Central Intelligence Monitor. Old World Blues had such an interesting and loveable cast. There is not a single human character in the entirety of the DLC, yet all of those feel vivid and alive. 

Those are my two cents on Old World Blues. A beautifully written, poignant, and entertaining piece of gaming. Now, we move on to Lonesome Road. 

[hellzyeahwebwielingessays]

Superior is INDEFENCIBLE Part 2: Odds and Ends

Part 1

As a little follow up to this post I want to wrap up some defences I have encountered for both Superior #2 and the Superior storyline in general.

To start with we have more hypocrisy from the man I once admired as he tried to defend his position on Superior.

He was challenged on his primary argument that Peter and MJ’s separation justified her obliviousness now that they are back together; for further details see the above linked post.

In response to this challenge he said:

“I think there is more to my argument then "They've lived apart for a year" and her relationship with him during that time doesn't have to hold relevance to their relationship after being apart.”

Like…this guy was for fucking real.

OF COURSE their relationship back then is going to hold relevance to their relationship after being apart.

Obviously with the benefit of hindsight Nick Spencer’s run proves this to be the case. And you can refer back to my prior post where I dive deeper into the topic.

However, in that post I was talking about the specific nuances of Peter and MJ’s relationship.

What’s mind boggling is that in the above quote he’s making an even bigger reach. Jesus Christ OF COURSE their past relationship is going to hold relevance for their then-current one.

That’s how relationships work!

FFS, romantic or otherwise everyone’s relationship with everyon else is shaped by the past. This is like arguing Peter hating Norman for killing Gwen Stacy doesn’t have to be relevant to their relationship after his return to the Clone Saga.

I mean shit dude, Peter’s high school romance with Betty Brant was relevant to their romance after he graduated college!

This is how all types of relationships work. You don’t just jump in after awhile, start fresh and then nothing from the past has any bearing on the present. Even in the most positive of scenarios the fact that you are getting together again  would still be shaped by the fact that you liked each other in the first place.

And for the life experiences those two shared that’d go a thousand fold.

Now let’s move on to some over miscellaneous comments sent to me a  looooooooooooong time ago.

I’ve had this stuff in my drafts for years! 

For the sake of catharsis I’ve decided to clear it out. It revolves around Superior Spider-Man and the comments I’m responding to were made before the original volume ended in 2014.

“Rob Wrecks wrote:Why would Aunt May even react to it? She doesn't even know the identity of Spidey now.”

In Civil War she was able to tell that the Chameleon, a MASTER of disguise who was being more subtle than Otto was, was not her nephew.

Whilst she might not know he is Spider-Man she knows her nephew so she should react and become questionable regarding his change in demeanor and behavior. What’s the old saying ‘A mother always knows’.

“As for MJ, they aren't even married anymore either. Sure she remembers who is under the mask. But I doubt she's gonna bring trouble on herself for prying.”

I address a lot of this in this  post.

Basically, not being married anymore has nothing to do with it. This woman lived with this man for years (five to be precise) and had a very close relationship with him which involved countless tragedies and traumas. That doesn’t just go away. This is to say nothing of the fact that she has known this man for about 10 years and has been his friend and girlfriend during that time. In fact in Stern’s run when she knew who he was but didn’t let him know, she was depicted as knowing him better than anyone and was able to read him as a book. This was back when they weren’t as close as they are now, hadn’t known each other for as long and she didn’t know him as intimately as she would later come to down the road. In ASM #290 Peter himself says MJ knows him as well as he knows himself and this was before the marriage.

Even in Slott’s run this depiction of Mary Jane knowing Peter better than anyone else was highlighted in various stories like Spider Island, a time travel arc, Alpha, and a Lizard arc at HORIZON labs. 

In JMS’ run Peter and Mary Jane were shown to be somewhat in synch even though they were separated at the time and had been for a long while going back. This was showcased in ASM V2 #50 and they had been effectively separated with minimal interaction as far back as ASM V2 #13; arguably even issue #1.

And yet she understood him and knew him very well, falling back into synch with him when they reconciled. Yes there was some awkwardness and them getting to know each other again but it was not on the same level of Otto guzzling champagne, creating spider bots, talking in a manner which was unlike the way he’s ever spoken before and MJ just wondering passingly then dismissing it. This woman has lived through the Chamelon, robot parents and clones and lives in a world where friggin Skrulls have invaded.

This out of character behaviour should send off alarm bells. She DOES clock something is off in Superior #10 but only when he says a phrase she’s never heard him say before. He was doing shit MUCH more out of character before then and she was dismissing it.

Later she was STILL dismissing the notion that Peter wasn’t himself as merely crazy on her part.

Again this woman knows Peter can be/has been cloned  repeatedly. This woman even for awhile believed Peter himself was a clone so she knows even memories can be replicated. But Peter is acting so obviously NOT himself that it’s practically SCREAMING at her that she should get this. In fact Peter’s ghost point this out which is Slott lampshading the situation. That doens’t make it good writing that’s just pointing out how bad your story is.

“Hasn't she (I'm guessing he's referring to Aunt May?) been focused lately on her new marriage though? I don't read enough of Spidey these days so I'm only going with bits and pieces I've read about here and there.”

What does being married recently or focusing upon it have to do with anything?

In Civil War she was focused upon not dying because Peter’s ID reveal had upended her life.

If you are someone’s MOTHER and have raised them all their life you will absolutely  be able to tell when something is wrong, when they are in fact not the real deal.

“As for MJ, who would she go too? Not like anyone would likely believe her unless she had a telepath scan her mind.”

Who would she go to? I dunno maybe the fucking Avengers or Fantastic Four who are Peter’s friends and team mates. Or maybe not go that far why not go to Black Cat, Human Torch or Daredevil . These are all people whom she knows (at least vaguely in regards to Daredevil) personally and have access to technology that can prove things one way or another.

Even if you argue that it’s not fair bringing in the wider Marvel Universe, Black Cat, Carlie, HORIZON labs, the Bugle staff and Scarlet Spider are all Spider-Man franchise characters.

“Now there could be a possibility she's making a list of his behavior and the like and is just waiting for the right time to say something when she knows she's less likely to die from it.

Maybe Slott's just got something going that'll eventually be revealed? Who knows.”

Oh boy, that didn’t stand the test of time did it?

This is just shitty analysis on principle. It hinges upon blind faith and writing stuff in your head about what characters are doing behind the scenes.

There was NEVER an indication MJ was doing anything like that and her actions actually contradicted event he idea of her doing any of that stuff.

The net responses are to the statement that Doc Ock was a gentleman who would treat women with respect.

“Keyword there, 'was' a gentlemen. I can imagine after years of defeats at the hands of Spidey, certain habits would change and he wouldn't care anymore.

It could have just been a subtle change that no one really noticed. He did try and end the world before #700 if I recall right.”

You need to SHOW those habits changing. The last major Doctor Octopus story before BND was in JMS’s run when he was very much a gentleman. You can’t just say his illness and defeats suddenly transformed him into a would be rapist. It’s utterly out of character for him. It’d be like bringing back Ben Reilly and making him a mass murderer. WHY is he a mass murderer.

(Fun fact. The stuff I bolded about Ben Reilly was something I wrote at the time. I kept it in because of how sadly ironic it wound up being…fuck Clone Conspiracy seriously)

Ending the world before #700 is one thing IN Doc Ock’s character. He is egotistical and wants acknowledgement of his genius.

Superior depicted him going against a character trait he’s always had. In his origin story, when he was ‘courting’ Aunt May, when he was involved with Stunner and Lady Octopus and the like he has always been show to have a respect for women and not had to resort to cheap ploys to woo them.

In Superior he was trading off of MJ’s relationship with Peter and Peter’s memories to basically abuse this woman. That is beneath Doctor Octopus. He is an intellectual a man for whom such actions are debase, the realm of the common thug whilst he is much more he is DOCTOR OCTOPUS.

BTW in Web of Death it was established that Doc Ock probably would not target MJ or Peter’s family even though he knew Peter’s identity.

So for him to suddenly switch to ‘I’m gonna fuck his girlfriend to get one over on him” is again utterly out of character.

‘Web of Death’ was co-written by Tom DeFalco btw, who established Otto’s origin. Thus the argument is flying in the face of someone who helped define the character with no explanation at all.

Slott had done this with other characters like Ashley Kafka.Suddenly the most naively compassionate woman in the world who believed she could redeem CARNAGE is saying this lesser serial killer is a complete monster. That is piss poor writing.

Even if Slott WERE to establish and show how Ock went from one extreme to the other it doesn’t make it a good idea. Doc Ock would be rapist is a lot less interesting than Doc Ock the lone super villain who is part gentleman and part humanitarian with a respect for women. If this was Norman Osborn in Peter’s body, or Electro, or Shocker I’d believe these actions.

The topic then changed to Carlie Cooper’s depiction in Superior as a goddam idiot who isn’t even telling MJ Peter might  be evil. “Red Hood wrote: Carlie and Wraith followed Ock’s paper trail because she knows for fact that peter parker doesnt have the money to fund his own private army, the reason she hasnt said anything is because it's not such a good idea to go pointing fingers without absolute truth, remember eddie brock and how he was so sure about the sin eater?”

Carlie’s investigation was going incredibly sloooooooooooooooooowly. Not only was it dull reading, but it made her completely unsympathetic. Why not warn Mary Jane by saying “Look before he died Doc Ock told me he and Spider-Man had swapped bodies. I’m not saying Peter IS Doc Ock but just....be careful MJ”.

Or why not inform the Avengers or Fantastic Four about this. Sure the Avengers gave him a physical but they wouldn’t know what to look for. And why is Carlie Cooper all of a sudden saying “Wait I KNOW Peter doesn’t have this kind of cash so this is a big clue that he isn’t himself.” When her first big clue should have been that time Spider-Man SHOT SOMEONE IN THE FACE!

“also peter and mj arent married anymore.”

See above.

You don’t just suddenly fall out of knowing someone if you’ve been THAT close to them and known them for that long just because suddenly you are not married anymore. She has deduced subtle differences in the Chameleon and clones before this but Ock is NOT being subtle whatsoever. He isn’t even talking the same way he normally does. And Mister Red Hood even says so himself, Carlie can tell right way. His co-workers whom he’s known for LESS THAN A YEAR can tell something is up. But the woman who’s been closer to him than ANYONE in his life, she can’t tell. That is bullshit of the highest order.

“1. mj and peter arent married anymore, idk if they were married in identity crisis but remember how after the deal with mephisto they were separated for x amount of years before she even came back to new york, i can see her not being able to tell peter is acting different at that point. aunt may and the avengers though don't get a pass especially when carlie who knew him the least could tell right away.”

See above.

You don’t just suddenly fall out of knowing someone if you’ve been THAT close to them and known them for that long just because suddenly you are not married anymore. She has deduced subtle differences in the Chameleon and clones before this but Ock is NOT being subtle whatsoever. He isn’t even talking the same way he normally does. And Mister Red Hood even says so himself, Carlie can tell right way. His co-workers whom he’s known for LESS THAN A YEAR can tell something is up. But the woman who’s been closer to him than ANYONE in his life, she can’t tell. That is bullshit of the highest order.

When you separate from someone you’ve been that close to those feelings don’t just disappear. This is especially true of people who’ve been through immensely traumatic events together. Soldiers often find that only fellow soldiers, specifically ones who were with them in combat, can truly understand what they went through and how they felt. It creates an emotional/mental bond. Same thing here. Peter and Mary Jane went through Venom, Kraven’s Last Hunt, the death of Harry, Gwen, aunt May, Ben Reilly, the clone saga as a whole, Civil War, Peter’s OWN death, Maximum Carnage and so on. They’d have that kind of connection I was speaking about, you don’t just forget it to the point where you let MASSIVE differences in behaviour slide, especially massive differences in behaviour which are different to the way he was acting LAST WEEK!

“3. Also i don't think his  [Doc Ock’s] actions are entirely out of character, i mean he was dead, then revived, beat down for several years into a dying body. given time to think about all the things you would do if given another chance i dont think its out of the question for doc to say "great, second chance at life with a movie starhottie gf". also if you'll threaten the city, then the world, then mind swap with someone i dont think having sex is that big a stretch.”

See my comments above why this IS out of character for Doc Ock. Again this isn’t just him wanting to get laid this is him potentially date raping an innocent woman. You need to SHOW the progression of that change

And rape in comic book fiction is understood to be worse  from the reader’s POV than the various Saturday Morning Cartoon style crimes he’s pulled.

The next comment was in response to the public’s indifference towards Spider-Man shooting Massacre in the face! “7. As far as no one caring about massacre, didn't he break out a few times and inflict his namesake? no one is going to care that a killer like that gets shot, humans aren't dignified at all. i can see aunt may saying something but no one else is going to be like "oh great that killer is back in jail, too bad all criminals break out" no they're going to be like "finally someone put down this thug, maybe my life or someone i care about will be spared from him at least in the future" and maybe it was caught on security cameras or phones but maybe they deleted it, i mean spider-man just shot a dude in the face and if he wanted there would be nothing anyone could do to stop him from putting the hurt on someone else”

This is just rubbish.

No one is going to care? For God’s sake the police in real life get reprimanded for using unnecessary force.

The law is the law you CANNOT publically execute an unarmed man. And my point was no one, not even Mary Jane or Jonah, were reacting to this mind-blowingly out of character action on the part of Spider-Man. Maybe they do not care that Massacre was killed but they should be wondering “Jesus that’s not like Spider-Man at all”. This was Spider-Man becoming absolutely EVERYTHING Jameson ever falsely accused him of and no one reacted. And I am sorry but the attitude of ‘human’s aren’t dignified so they’d react like THIS” is extremely broad and generalised. This would be a major talking point and a major issue. This is EXACTLY what the entire ‘Civil War’ debacle was about. Super heroes running unchecked doing as they pleased. It’s been what, a year tops Marvel time since Civil War? If that stuff was deleted YOU NEED TO SHOW IT. The cover story is that EVERYONE in that massive crowd covered for him. That is in no way shape or form how humans actually act. And who would there be to stop like a teenager or a kid or a lone person in the crowd from tweeting “OMG Spider-Man just shot this dude” or uploading a video or picture. They were CHEERING him on they wouldn’t be afraid of him being reprimanded. Once something like that hit the internet it’d spread like wildfire, it wouldn’t be something that if immediately taken down would die away, especially when THE NEWS was stating Spider-Man had ‘neutralised Massacre’ and then Massacre shows up dead, WTF would the public THINK happened?

“Aaron Alexander Luthor wrote: Superior is an excellent title, but I feel you approached it having already made up your mind. Doc Ock NEVER attempted date rape, and I don't know where you get that from”

Boy, I wonder where I got the idea of Otto trying to rape MJ from? What an obviously ‘excellent’ title.

Trying to sleep with Mary Jane whilst tricking her into thinking he is Peter Parker then that is categorically trying to date rape her. He didn’t go through with it because he discovered he could just wank off to her memories (I can’t believe I wrote that) but that is exactly what he was trying to do. Maybe to HIM he didn’t think of it as rape but yeah that’s exactly what it was.

“He ripped off his own shirt, not hers.”

I honestly have no idea what he’s talking about here btw.

“Mary Jane had/has mentioned several times that there is something wrong with him and that she thinks there is something strange going on, he also hasn't spoken to her in weeks in the time frame of the comic.”

Yes MJ has noticed passingly things are wrong but then he feeds her a line and she buys it or otherwise she dismisses it herself. This in monumentally out of character for her given her history and makes her incredibly stupid, which is the ONLY way this title could have worked out. Again, she lives in a world of Skrulls, clones, LMDs and shape shifters one of which is literally an enemy of Peter’s and has tried impersonating him multiple times (targeting her specifically twice). But she either doesn’t clock anything is wrong or doesn’t really react when she does. And he HAD spoken to her within weeks by the time or Superior #2.

“Same goes for Aunt May, he visited her the first few weeks as Parker, and hasnt spoken to her since. He is basically ignoring the people in Peter's life, and they have taken notice.”

See my response about Aunt May not knowing. Again, this woman RAISED him and she could tell when the master of disguise who was being a lot more subtle about impersonating Peter was not her son/nephew.

Also he wasn’t exactly ignoring  the HORIZON labs staff was he?

“When he killed Massacre, some of the civilians were shocked and appalled, but when the police investigated all the officers on the scene lied for Spidey, because they think he did the right thing. That is why the only officers still interested are Carlie Cooper who does know, and is ACTIVELY trying to prove it isnt Peter, and Captain Watanabe aka The Wraith”

My point about NO ONE taking photos, tweeting, facebooking or whatever still stands as does the security cameras thing and the fact that Massacre was TRYING TO GET PUBLICITY. Again with Carlie why is she not warning SOMEBODY at this point. It isn’t like they wouldn’t believe her after Massacre. It isn’t like Spider-Man isn’t acting weird. It isn’t like body swapping is a legit THING in the Marvel universe. For God’s sake this happened to Captain America!

Kaine, the CLONE of Peter Parker with identical memories and everything. In the Sibling Rivaly crossover between Scarlet Spider and Superior Team-Up even HE couldn’t tell that Peter. Was an imposter This guy doesn’t just know Peter well, he IS Peter. And Otto was ranting none too subtley about how Kaine has bad blood with HIM. He doesn’t say he’s Doc Ock but he’s conveying unsubtly to Kaine that he is not Peter Parker and he is not TALKING like Peter Parker either. When his CLONE is still operating under the delusion that he is Peter Parker that’s put it beyond doubt this was ridiculously contrived.

“BTW, Carlie and MJ have talked about the suspicious way Pete has been acting, Carlie just hasnt told MJ directly.”

WHY didn’t Carlie tell MJ! And WHY were she and Peter noticing Peter’s different actions yet being totally blasé about them.

FFS in ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ MJ and Peter had been married for just 2 weeks and in that time she was able to deduce from his actions that the guy in the Spider-Man suit was NOT Peter. In the Mark of Kaine an identical clone of Peter approaches her and she is ultimately able to tell (twice) that he is not her husband. And she did this whilst pregnant and stressed out from a life or death situation to say nothing of the fact that Aunt May had recently died which would be weighing on her mind. Yet in Superior her mind was clearer and she was still buying this was Peter. This is enormously bad out of character writing for her

“As for the Avengers scans, it wasnt that no one could read them, its that they all came back NORMAL.”

No, the scans DID NOT come back normal at all. Doc Ock looked at the scans and could TELL something was not normal because he saw ghost Peter was in his mind. Yeah there was a tiny inconsistency in the brain waves but why the heck weren’t there people on the Avengers team that day to take note of stuff like that. Cap, Wolverine, Black Widow and Thor are obviously NOT going to be able to properly read this scientific equipment like Iron Man or Hank Pym or the Beast. ANY of those guys would’ve been able to tell but no only the Avengers who categorically would not be able to properly read the brainwaves were there. Why? Why get the unscientific Avengers? Because of plot contrivances is why.

And where were the telepaths? One telepathic scan from SOMEBODY should have told all. And again these tests come back normal....no one thought he could be a clone? Spider-Man has joked to these people about his clones, they know about them. Correct me if I am wrong but at the time of the Avenger’s physical of Peter wasn’t there a character involved with the Avengers who was supposed to be the living universe? SHE couldn’t tell Doc Ock is Spider-Man? The universe literally didn’t know this?

“Even Dr. Strange and Wolverines tests all came back regular.”

If Dr. Strange with all his power wasn’t able to deduce the truth that’s even MORE contrived!

And what the heck were Wolverine’s test? That he smelt the same? Of course he would.

“There was a tiny inconsistency in the brainwaves, it wasnt that no one could read it, its that it was so small that no one would even take notice of it, except for Peter or Ock if they were to look for it.”

See above for why this is bullshit.

“And the Avengers are STILL very suspicious, if you read the current titles.”

At the time a ‘current title’ was  Superior Team Up #1.

In it the Avengers told him they were wrong to put him in probation and are still just ‘suspicious’ when he INVADED SHADOWLAND WITH AN ARMY!. Because THAT’S so usual for Spider-Man right?

“You're entitled to your opinion, but you cant just make up facts and call it a discussion. I get the impression that you a)Havent read the whole series; b) Had already made up your mind before reading the issues you have read; and c) Havent read the companion stories (i.e. Avenging Spider-Man, Superior Team-up, Hickman's Avengers titles). If you look at the story as a whole, its actually quite good.”

Said the guy who got all the above information I outlined WRONG.

From a technical point of view it doesn’t make sense, it uses contrivances and out of character writing to keep it going. You want to write Doc Ock as Spider-Man. Okay then don’t surround him with people who should be able to figure this out. Or say there is some kind of device redirecting their attention.

Don’t have Doc Ock not act like Doc Ock because that defeats the point of the exercise. Don’t go for deliberate sensationalism or crass storytelling which was essentially everything revolving around him hooking up with Mary Jane and then the oh so lovely page of the Superior Spider-Wanker.

That issue in particular even resolved itself in a contrived manner. Doc Ock begins uttering gibberish which recalled One Moment in Time about “we cannot be together because it’s an unsolvable equation blah blah blah”.

Basically he is saying “I can never be with you because of the danger I put you in”; which is Slott using the character as a mouthpiece.

In the next issue Otto began courting a student at his college because consistency rocks. Even Ghost Peter is out of character at this moment “WOW Ock you did the one thing I could never do and walked away from Mary Jane”. Peter is right he probably can’t walk away from Mary Jane but...does he WANT to? Where the heck is this coming from? What is worse is that it’s so unnecessary. There was a MUCH better explanation for Ock breaking up with MJ. If Ock were in character he could just come to the conclusion that sleeping with MJ under these circumstances would be wrong and beneath him hence he wouldn’t go through with it. If Ock was out of character as he was in their issue but still vaguely in character he could just come to the conclusions that since accessing Peter’s memories he’s begun to have genuine feelings for MJ and doesn’t just want to fuck her, it would involve him having a relationship with here which at this point in time he is incapable of, he doesn’t know how to handle it. I will wholeheartedly admit I was not jazzed about the concept of Superior from the outset. If nothing else I want to read about Peter Parker not Doc Ock and if I did want to read about Doc Ock AS Doc Ock, not as Spider-Man and not as an rotting body.

An arc in a comic is one thing doing this long term all the problems I foresaw have come up as well as some I didn’t even predict. This could have worked if Doc Ock was separated from Peter’s supporting cast who should be able to tell something is amiss but then that defeats a lot of the point of the story. It was a lose-lose situation.

People can enjoy garbage if you want but don’t call it gold.

Part 1

[imaginedanganronpa]

hi this is weird but could i request s/o asking how big the v3 boys’ dick is (they’re dating) and like their reaction

I don’t think this is weird, it was honestly a fun Request. I willsay, though, that I didn’t include their response (like, I didn’t have themsay, “Oh, it’s so-and-so inches” or whatever) because I’m not completelycomfortable with writing that side of the conversation. But writing theirreactions was super fun, I hope you like it!

Also, I’ll leave it under ReadMore for safe measure even though this isn’t that NSFW.

S/O Asking the V3 Boys How BigTheir D*ck Is!

Saihara Shuichi

While you and Saihara have been dating for several months, thingsstill haven’t progressed to that point. Itwasn’t a big deal though, that side of the relationship was simply a bonus soneither of you were trying to rush things.

He is fairly inexperienced as well, so perhaps he doesn’t getquestions like this very often.

Your mind started wandering and you found yourself having somerather promiscuous thoughts about Saihara, but you didn’t want to make himuncomfortable. You’ve been more needy lately and have hinted that you wanted totake things to the next step, if he was comfortable; and for a Detective, he didn’t seem to pick up on them.

In your eyes, you assumed that the question would be yet anotherhint, but it came across as more straight-forward than you intended. While steering the conversation into a more intimate turn, you throwout the question that’s been on your mind for quite some time. You’d be lyingif you said you weren’t curious, after all. 

“Hey, Saihara… how big isyour dick?” You ask rather nonchalantly, and this causes him to drop what he was doing instantly.

The blunt question caught him completely by surprise,as his eyes widen and his face turns bright red. He tips his hat and covers hismouth with his hand to avoid making eye-contact with you out of embarrassment.

He wasn’t sure that he was hearing you correctly, “Pardon?”He prompts and you repeat yourself innocently, batting your eyes.

Saihara was a flustered mess. “What the H-Hell,(Y/N)? Why did you ask me that?” He becomes incredibly sheepish and you feel as though you may havestepped over a line.

“Just… curiosity killed the cat!” You exclaim, frantically trying to justify your motives. Your boyfriend was floored because no one’s ever asked him that before, so you can’t blame him for being shocked. He shies away from you and simply takes a seat at the table across from you, still looking at the floor somewhat flabbergasted.

After recollecting himself and calming down, Saihara takes in a breath and gets serious. “You know, if you wanted to take things to the next level you could have just told me,” his voice was a bit stern but still compassionate, “and then maybe you can find out…”

You weren’t expecting the second part, and now you’re the one who is taken aback. All Saihara does in response is offer a shy, impish smile. He was trying to sound flirty but the blush on his face told you that he was still embarrassed.

Ouma Kokichi

You started dating Ouma only a few months ago, but you’ve knownhim for much longer than that. Regardless, you are familiar with his personality and howloud and over-confident he is, and wondered how he remained so carefree all the time.

Since he’s the type to constantly boast about himself, you thought he had to have a reason to be this cocky. You’ve heard jokes about people with Ouma’s personality type and their nether-regions, but you didn’t know whether or not those jokes were true.

Well, there’s only one way to find out.

While watching him pester some of your classmates, as he normallydid, he started bragging about himself and placing himself on a pedestal whilst poking fun at and belittling the others. He had the same wide, cocky grin glued on his face that you know and love so well.

The question seems to roll off your tongue without your full-intention.“Damn, Kokichi, how big is your dick?” You emphasize the teasing tone in your voice but you didn’t realize that you just blurtedout your thoughts for several moments.

The question did surprise him and his brows jump, but he quickly recollects himself and maintains his calm composure, suppressing his initialshock. “Why do you ask?” Ouma responds while holding his hands behind his head and leaning backwards slightly.

That’s when you finally catch your mistake. “O-oh, it’s justbecause… you always act so confident, you know?” You were starting to blush, realizing that you had just made your private comment in front of all of your classmates. You meant to do this in private but your mouth seemed to have a mind of its own this morning.

“You’re saying I have… big dick energy?”

This causes Ouma to smirk mischievously, narrowing his eyes as hesnickers. “That’s so funny! (Y/N) thinks I have a big d-”

You cut him off by standing and dragging him by his scarf out of the classroom - not wanting the others to hear your conversation but his smug smile said it all, and he definitely wasn’t going to let you live this down.

Oh, boy, he’s cocky and your comment only fueled his ego even further. He continued to tease you for it, insisting that he only did it out of love. You were Ouma’s favorite person to torment, especially because of how cute your reactions were.

He continued to bring it up for the rest of the day. “(Y/N) wants to know how big my dick is, I guess they’re a freak.” He would make nonchalant comments like that with others around, drawing attention to yourselves and causing you to melt with embarrassment, wishing you had never asked.

Once you were finally alone, Ouma leaned in for a kiss but brisked past your cheek at the last second. You could feel his smile pressed against your skin as he whispered, “If that was a serious question then… you’ll just have to find out for yourself.”

He winks at you as he pulls back and started to walk out of the building without you, leaving you behind in your own quivering, lustful state.

Rantaro Amami

Rantaro understandably wants to take things slowin your relationship, so you haven’t reached a more intimate stage yet.

He also has high standards and respect for both you and himself so sexualityisn’t a topic that is discussed often. He didn’t want that to become the most important thing in your relationship and wanted to avoid becoming dependent on it. 

All he wanted to do right now was enjoy your time together as you settle into your newfound relationship. You were more than happy to take things slow and simply spend time together; plus, Rantaro still had some brotherly-protective instincts for you that carried over from your friendship, so he couldn’t picture you in that light just yet.

You were just blatantly curious, though, and who could blame you? Rantaro was a flirt and you were extremely attracted to him. It’s not like you haven’t had any lustful thoughts about him before, this wasn’t a new thing… and maybe you simply wanted more substance to your thoughts.

Your curiosity got the best of you and you decided to take a leap and jump the gun. Blushing intensely, you hang your head and glance away while you mention, “I have a question, Rantaro.” 

Your boyfriend tilts his head thoughtfully to one side, resting one cheek on his hand as he smiles and responds, “What is it love?” in the sultry, smooth voice that always sent chills down your spine.

“H-how big is your dick?” You ask whilst stammering and can’t stand to look at his face right now.

Rantaro raises his brows and his smile fades a bit, the corners of his mouthreturning to a neutral state. His face that was previously resting on his palm lifts as his body stiffens uncomfortably. “Oh, what? Why do you ask that, might I ask?”

Regardless of his shock, he still remained as calm as usual. It was hard to surprise him, after all. He was always so relaxed and laid-back, and he didn’t sound like he was upset with you. Just, simply unsure.

This was the most surprised you’ve ever seen him, and yet Rantaro still managed to look as cool and composed as always. You told him that you were just curious, nothing more, and he leans back in his chair as he props one arm over it and his smile returns.

With a hearty chuckle, he playfully shakes his head at you. “Well, you’re something else… but why would I just tell you?” This comment was more teasing and lewd than you were used to coming from him, so your head snaps back and you finally make eye-contact with Rantaro once again.

“It’s… big enough, I guess,” he says, not really sure. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s never been that important to me.” He shrugged his shoulders and dismissed the question, insisting that you’d find out when you were both ready and consenting.

That… wasn’t the reaction you were expecting. Rantaro didn’t even flinch. You only caught him by surprise for what seemed like a few brief moments, and he was still as chill as ever… God, he was so cool.

But his vague response only worsened your thoughts and made you even more curious… dammit. He knew what he was doing, too, and smirked at you playfully from across the table, a glint in his eye.

Kiibo

You’ve overheard some of Miu’s and Kokichi’s comments before, soyou knew that Kiibo got this question a lot, but their curiosity never eliciteda response from the Robot. It must be difficult, too, since that was the first thing most people asked him.

You started dating a few months ago and those kinds of topics between the two of you havenever come up before. He was still pretty inexperienced and shy around intimatesubjects and feared saying the wrong things.

You were really curious, though. You hoped that this wouldn’t upset him and that he would understand, coming from his partner and not just a classmate or stranger. You were the only person who really should know, anyway, so hopefully he doesn’t panic when you ask…

“I have a question…” you trailoff, a bit ashamed of what you were about to say. But Kiibo was genuinelyconcerned and hoped that nothing was wrong. “What is it, (Y/N)?” He asks,sounding very genuine and serious.

You didn’t know how to put it lightly, so you are extremely blunt. “Do you have a…” And you didn’t even need to finish that sentence.

He knew where this was going and his face turned red almostinstantly. He started overheating and wished he could disappear. “W-what?What prompted you to ask that?!”

Holding up your hands defensively, you insist that it was sheercuriosity. “You never really answer Miu or Kokichi… I mean, I get it, but I just wanted to know! We’re dating now, y’know…” Your eyes dance around the tiles on the ground as you scratch your head and giggle shamefully, trying desperately to explain and make sense to Kiibo.

“They don’t need to know my business, they’re Robophobic!” he exclaims, talking with his hands frantically as he tries to steer you away from this conversation. But you just weren’t letting up…

“Wait… did you just admit to having a-”

This conversation was spiraling into something really strange that Kiibo didn’t want to be a part of. Cutting you off, he realized that he had no other choice and needed to come clean to get you to be quiet, since people were around and could hear the whole thing.

He then pulled you to the side where your conversation was abit more private and spoke in a low voice. “I’m only telling you thisbecause we’re dating, but, well… yes, I do…”

He explained that it was… retractable and detachable. Your eyes glistened with excitement and now you really wanted to know more, because… well, wouldn’t anyone? “Oh, wow! Then, how big is it?!”

Kiibo’s jaw drops as he lets out another frantic scream and his blush returns, “Ahh! I’m not telling youthat!” You pout and start to pull the old puppy-eyes trick on him, but it wasn’t working.

The Robot gets serious and insists that he wasn’t going to reveal that kind of sensitive information, so you give up and give your boyfriend a break. “Fine…” you mumble, defeated. Finally, he could sigh a breath of fresh air as he calmed down and was no longer flustered.

Two giggles caught your attention as you both turn and notice Miu and Kokichi standing not too far away, apparently overhearing everything. They high-five each other and Kiibo groans with frustration. Oops…

Kaito Momota

You and Kaito have been dating for several months now and have yet to progress your relationship to the next stage. He didn’t want to risk ruining anything since you were friends long before you started dating.

That’s why he’s been so hesitant about doing anything intimate, but you can’t say that you don’t want to partake in those things. It’s been on your mind for awhile, but how do you say that to Kaito?

You were watching him as he sits across from you while you each work on your own independent projects in a comfortable silence. He looked very focused as he juts out his lip and stares intensely at his work, almost forgetting to acknowledge that you were there.

You could tell that he was incredibly focused and nothing would break that, so you didn’t want to intervene. But your mind started to travel to a new place… you haven’t really had any intimate thoughts, but today you couldn’t seem to get them out of your head and you didn’t know why or what it was that caused it.

Suddenly, the question that was floating around in your head accidentally slipped out. “Kaito… how big is your dick?”

Truthfully, you didn’t even catch yourself saying that and it simply… came out unintentionally. Your face flushed once you realized that you said this out loud and you panicked - that was supposed to stay a private thought!

Kaito froze in place, his hands stopped working but he remained in the same position, continuing to stare down at his work. He was just trying to process your question, debating whether or not he heard you correctly.

Then, his head slowly lifted and his eyes met with yours. He looked a bit confused and taken aback, and your face was filled with embarrassment. 

In this moment, you wished you could take it back, especially when he added, “Uh… excuse me?”

You started waving your hands dismissively, “Oh, nothing! Forget I said anything!” You tried to deflect his attention but that clearly wasn’t going to work. Kaito was still trying to wrap his head around the question.

He became a bit defensive. “Why do you want to know? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

You thought that this may be a his ego shining through but you insisted that you were simply curious, since you two haven’t gotten to that point yet. His attitude switched to a more understanding one, “Do you want to? You know, take it to that point?”

Your jaw dropped in surprise, “Seriously?” Kaito nodded slowly but reassuringly, a very faint blush appearing on his cheeks. 

“Well, we’ve never actually talked about that kind of thing… but if you’re really that curious…” he started to ramble on, the cockiness that you knew so well returned and he started to sound like himself again. You sighed in relief, feeling like you just dodged a bullet.

Finally, Kaito chuckled. “I didn’t realize how straight-forward you’d be about that kinda thing, (Y/N)!” A wide, wholesome grinned formed on his face as he leaned in to plant a kiss on your forehead. When he pulled back, his eyes met with yours and he adds, “The offer to progress things is still on the table,” with a wink.

Korekiyo Shinguuji

You knew that Korekiyo was an inherently sexual person andboundaries were something you two discussed in-depth. He didn’t want to make itto that part of your relationship without having your full consent andapproval, or without knowing what you liked.

That would only help you both in the long run, after all.

These types of conversations weren’t uncommon and you’re surprised you haven’t asked him this question sooner. Korekiyo was open and receptive to this kind of curiosity and never judged you.

You always just thought it would seem too… blunt or crude, and you wanted to avoid that. But watching him work and hearing him talk about his passions was so attractive and you couldn’t hold yourself back.

Plus, you knew he wouldn’t get uncomfortable or feel weird, like most other people, when asked a question of this nature.

You were watching Korekiyo sort through old history books and describe each one - he had a vast collection and knowledge at his disposal, which you found endearing. You were lying on your stomach on the couch not too far away while he crouched on the ground.

“Hey, Kiyo?” You ask, catching his attention as the tall man turnstowards you. “Yes?” His voice was filled with wonder as his eyes sparkle, causing a small, sheepish grin to form on your lips.

“I hope this isn’t weird but… how big is your… dick?” Your words sounded long and drawn out, and your eyes darted away because you couldn’t stand looking at him right now. You were clearly embarrassed as a blush formed on your cheeks.

The question didn’t seem to faze Korekiyo at all. Instead, he simplylooked at you with a blank expression; then, a mischievous smile spreads across hislips. “Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting that. I thought you had a question about the books.”

This caused you to blush more intensely, like perhaps you shouldn’t have asked him that… but it was too late now. Korekiyo stands slowly and starts making his way towards the couch, towering over you.

Thoughtfully, he tilts his head. “Why do you ask? Do you want something from me?” He tugs his mask down and you can sense the lust in his expression. You two haven’t gotten to that point but now wouldn’t be a bad time to start. Still, your eyes widen with surprise as your question seemed to put him in a mood.

Shaking your head, you insist, “No! Just… general curiosity.”

“Hmph,” he says while sounding a bit disappointed, then joins your side on the couch and takes your hand in his. “It’s no fun if I just tell you the answer. Just, let me know when you’re ready to find out for yourself…”

Korekiyo’s words were extremely sensual and made you feel hot. Plus, he knew exactly what he was doing to you as right before you can close the gap between the two of you and kiss him, he stands and walks back to his stack of books. A smug look appeared on his face as you knew he was toying with you on purpose.

He took your question as a challenge and now feverishly teased you until he knew you were hot and bothered, but you shouldn’t have expected anything less from Kiyo.

Gonta Gokuhara

You two just recently started dating and haven’tadvanced things to that level yet. You knew that Gonta was pretty inexperienced with this sort of thing so you don’t rush him but you still sometimes catch your mind starting to wonder off…

Although you’ve been hinting that you wanted to take things to the next level, all of them have been flying over Gonta’s head. You can’t blame him since he’s never been in a real relationship before, though; and he’s likely never done anything very sexual with another person, so it’s no surprise that he doesn’t pick up on your barrage of hints. 

But how else were you supposed to tell him that you wanted something more without coming across as too blunt? The last thing you wanted to do was scare Gonta or back him into a corner. You wanted to take things slow for his sake, but that was difficult to maintain at times.

As he sits across from you, you initiate the discussion and try to discreetly steer the conversation into a more lewd tone. “Hey, Gonta, question,” you propose and he perks up with wonder, a smile spreading across his face.

You second guess asking him what you planned to originally, but you didn’t have any other choice now. “How big is your… dick?”

Honestly, it was a bit of a personal question that sounded better in your head. He doesn’t really understand at first, either, furrowing his brows in confusion. It takes him a moment to process thequestion, with help from you though.

You start to gesture by pointing downwards and giving him a lustful gaze, and then it clicks. Gonta’s face turns bright red and he started to stumble over his words. “O-oh!”

He was quite surprised, not expecting something like that from you. With a shy smirk, he scratched his head and wondered how he was supposed to respond. Did he… just, say it? Or was that not the gentlemanly thing to do? Was that too lewd for a gentleman?

Well, you were asking him directly and you were staring at him with curious eyes, so he didn’t want to let you down, but Gonta has never been asked something like that before. He didn’t want to say no to you but something about the question felt wrong. He kept his eyes glued to the floor as his mind races with thoughts.

When he finally comes around and pulls himself out of his flustered state, Gonta becomes very blunt. Still somewhat shy, though, he doesn’t give you a definite or direct response and tries to move along from this conversation as quickly as possible.

“It’s about… this big.” He holds out his hands at a considerable distance apart from each other. Then, a sheepish and embarrassed smile appears on his lips as his entire face turns a vibrant red. He quickly returns his hands to his sides and adds, “But… don’t tell anyone that! Gonta don’t want people to know… except for (Y/N).”

Your eyes widen as you weren’t actually expecting him to give you an answer, but you nod affirmatively. You then take your boyfriend’s hands into your own and squeeze them gently, trying to reassure him. “I was just curious is all…” you say, giggling nervously.

Gonta returns the nervous gestures and continues, “Please, don’t think of Gonta as less than a gentleman! Gentleman don’t talk about those things… it’s just ‘cause (Y/N) asked.”

He was just so precious. You can’t help but to smile and pinky-promise that you didn’t think less of him. 

Ryoma Hoshi

Ryoma understandably wanted to take things slow in your relationship after what happened in his last one. As much as you wanted to adhere to his wishes, you started to grow needy over the last couple weeks.

But intimacy wasn’t very important to Ryoma and he never really brought the subject up. Sure, he was open to it, but he didn’t like to talk about those sorts of things directly. There were more important things in a relationship than that so he didn’t rush them.

But one afternoon, you can’t help but to blurt out a question that you’ve had on your mind for quite some time. You often said your thoughts aloud, but this was probably the worst time to do so.

“I’m just curious but… uh, how big is your dick?” You ask slowly, each word feeling heavier than the last. Honestly, Ryoma wasn’t that fazed and turned his head to stare at you with a blank expression.

The most reaction you got out of him was a head tilt and one corner of his mouth rising to form a smirk. Was he enjoying this?

He tapped his hands nervously and retorted, “Why do you ask?” You didn’t really have an answer as to what prompted the question, it’s just something that has been running through your mind recently and popped into your head at the wrong moment. 

Perhaps you wanted to take things to the next level but didn’t know how to say it or open up to Ryoma. Either way, you can’t quite put a finger on it.

He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms which makes him look so cool. Then, he lowered his head so that his hat covers his eyes, and adds, “I wasn’t expecting such a lewd remark from you, (Y/N).”

He seemed amused and was now bursting into a smile that he couldn’t contain. You could tell that he was enjoying this now and it made you feel embarrassed; you shy away and firmly press your lips together, an awkward silence befalls you two.

But eventually, he breaks the silence with a shocking comment that you didn’t see coming.

Somehow, Ryoma was stone-cold throughout the conversation. Then, he finally gives you your answer very bluntly. “Well, to tell you the truth…”

Your eyes widen since you weren’t expecting him to actually answer your question. He seemed to have his fun and was now just giving you the answer you were looking for. Afterwards, he shrugged and looked you in the eye - he didn’t look bothered one bit.

“It’s no big deal, I don’t care if you know that,” a chuckle escaped his lips, “why would I?”

Ryoma was still composed and nonchalant. There were more important things in life and you were dating so it’s not like you wouldn’t find out eventually, he was just ripping off the band-aid. He couldn’t care less if you knew and actually found it funny that you’d ask such a promiscuous thing.

He does tease you about it from time to time, especially after you do finally take things to that level. But he only does it with a good heart and light humor, giving you shit as always.

- Mod Rantaro

[lucyoftheabyss48]

Cautious Hero: Thoughts on Episodes 1-6

SPOILER WARNING: I’m writing this on the assumption you’ve watched at least the first six episodes of Cautious Hero. You can take this as a review of sorts, and an analysis of maybe a more hidden, overlooked side of the show. The rest is under the cut. If you haven’t seen it but are looking for a reason to watch it and don’t mind some spoilers, then read on. This’ll be the LAST WARNING FOR SPOILERS. So let’s get started.

It may be easy to write Cautious Hero off as just another fun isekai comedy. Every episode seems to have the following formula: the hero Seiya being cautious, the goddess Rista freaking out or getting frustrated at him, some innocent gets in trouble, Seiya finishes his preparations and goes to save the person in an OP fashion, repeat.

However, I think the show has heart. It’s worth watching.

Rista is More Than Just the Memes

She’s loud and crazy and all over the place, and the source of many jokes, especially involving Seiya. She reminds me of Aqua from Konosuba, in that she’s quick to kick up a fuss when things don’t go her way. However, in a way much more obvious than Aqua is, she is a compassionate goddess who cares for her people. This shows in how pressured she feels to raise Seiya as a hero, and in her efforts to push him to save others.

For example:

Almost the entirety of episode 1 is Rista adapting to Seiya’s needs so he can train as he likes. She makes furniture for his room, she cooks for him, she gives him whatever he needs to train. I think what’s important here is that every time she enters his room while he’s training, you see her nose bleeds just at the sight of him from where she’s standing at the door, like this:

She went to him with the goal of getting him to go down to the human world, but she was instantly distracted when she saw him. However, it’s different in episode 2. When the townspeople are seriously in danger, she barges into his room without batting an eyelid at him, and even walks right up to him and grabs his arm (pictures below). The show knows when to joke, but when they’re serious, they’re serious. Human life means a lot to Rista, and the anime makes sure we know it. This is just one example of many where she displays compassion toward humans.  

And we know this isn’t just a fluke, because immediately after Seiya defeats Chaos Machina— as soon as the threat is gone and the town is safe— she hugs and clings to him like this:

The Little Things Behind Seiya’s Actions Matter

Even if he is extremely cautious, he isn’t just an unemotional robot. You could say that caution and wanting to be prepared for anything could stem from some sort of fear, even if it hasn’t been addressed in detail in the anime yet, as of episode 6. It could be fear of death, of pain, of the unknown, etc. It’s treated like a running gag, but Seiya’s cautious nature is proof of his humanity. He just wants to survive. And in episode 2, Rista even questions him about this when he refuses to save the town right away. And guess what? He can’t answer her.

But. He still accepts the good luck charm from the child. He still accepts the two dragon kids, Mash and Elulu, into his party, even if he says they’re just baggage carriers to him. Both of which he does under Rista’s encouragement. By episode 6, he eats Rista’s cooking now, assured and confident that it’s safe— that she wouldn’t poison him:

In other words, he trusts Rista. And it shows. In episode 6, he makes a fake Igzasion. He used his pre-made sword to trick everyone into thinking the lizard leader Leviae became the sword, that the problem was solved.

Why would he do this? Let’s take a closer look at this conversation that occurs after the battle ended, when Rista and Seiya are on their own, talking about the sword.

Rista: “And you used that to hoodwink everyone, huh? To put their minds at ease.”

Seiya: “Look, you can’t tell anyone.”

Rista: “I know. But if, like Leviae said, Igzasion is the only weapon that can beat the Demon Lord…”

Seiya: “We’ll just have to find another way. You said so yourself, didn’t you?”

Rista: “I-I was caught up in the moment when I said that.”

Seiya: “Gonna be okay. Something will work out.”

Rista: “Huh?”

Seiya: “Let’s go. They’re waiting for us.”

(emphasis added)

Now wait. Take a look at Seiya’s line here: “We’ll just have to find another way. You said so yourself, didn’t you?”

When did Rista say this? Let’s go back a few minutes, earlier in the same episode. Elulu is being pushed to the edge of the abyss by the big guards. Mash is being restrained from saving her. Rista has no offensive magic, and can’t do anything. But Seiya shows up behind the guards, and says that they can’t kill her, because she’s his baggage carrier. Rista then breaks into laughter, to which Leviae questions if she, like the hero, has no intention of defeating the demon lord or saving the world. And here’s her answer:

Rista: “I swear to you, we will still save this world. But we can’t sacrifice the life of one of our friends to do so! We will find some other way that does not require Igzasion and defeat the Demon Lord!”

Leviae: “Really… like hero, like goddess.”

(emphasis added)

First, remember what Leviae says right here, I’ll come back to that. Second, Seiya, in his own fashion, saves Elulu after the whole episode dragged on about her being sacrificed, and no one truly tried to stop her yet. Rista was inspired by him, and she’s genuinely happy that Seiya for once is saving someone of his own accord, for his own interests— that she didn’t have to force him or push him to do it. And not only that, she gets the implication. She gets it.

He’s willing to give up a weapon that may be key to defeating the Demon Lord, the biggest threat in the world, the biggest danger, the one existence he should be the most cautious of. He’s giving up a weapon that may be able to get rid of that danger, and why? Because he doesn’t want Elulu to die.

He’d rather give up this ultimate weapon than give up one of his party members. Even if he says she’s just a baggage carrier, there’s no reasonable way Seiya would value a baggage carrier over an ultimate weapon. In the end, he’s choosing her because he has no way of knowing for sure the weapon would even work, so he’d rather choose for Elulu to live. He might be wrong. Maybe it would’ve been better if he had killed her for the sword. But he values her life more than the possible risk that he may be wrong.

And we know how cautious he is. We know how well he thinks through everything. We know every decision he makes is one that he knows for sure is the best one. So for him to save Elulu and give up the sword, means a lot.

And Rista knows it. That’s why she makes this face at him.  

That’s why she’s able to laugh so happily, then so determinedly and confidently and assuredly says that they’ll “find some other way.”  

But then for Seiya to say her words back to her? 

He was listening to her. He remembered what she said. All this time, she’s been nagging him and harping on him, and he only ever does what he wants. He trains by himself, he doesn’t let her see his stats, he acts on his own without listening to her requests. He constantly and consistently acts without any regard for her. He always put his safety and caution as his top priority.

But just this once, he did listen. And not only that, he accepted it. He’s willing to say something so unlike himself, something so unplanned as “something will work out.”

Because he got it from her.

That’s why Rista gets so flustered, and stutters when she says she got caught up in the moment. That’s why she confusedly goes, “Huh?” when he says that. She’s surprised that he heard her. He heard her.

He influenced her, and she influenced him.

Like hero, like goddess.

This is what Cautious Hero is about. It’s not the running gag of Seiya’s extreme caution, or Rista’s antics, though the comedy is entertaining. These two people are forced into this situation they don’t want to be in. But they’re in the same boat. This world is just as dangerous and unfamiliar to them both.

In episode 1, Rista reveals she has saved five worlds before, but the average is ten, and some veterans have saved even hundreds. When it’s announced (with much ceremony and shiny fireworks and a large audience) that she’ll be in charge of saving Gaeabrande, an S-level difficulty world, a god in the background says, “Once you overcome this, you’ll be a full-fledged goddess!”

She isn’t one yet.

Rista responds that she’ll “do [her] best to gain as much experience as [she] can” from saving this S-level world. A world that is “dreadful enough to give even veterans pause.” It’s her assignment. Her mission, and everyone knows it. She has a lot to prove, and a lot to lose.

She’s out of her league. She isn’t as experienced as her talented senior goddess friend, Aria, who she asks for advice many times. She summons Seiya in hopes that he’ll be able to help her. She asks other gods to train Seiya for her in episodes 3 and 5. In other words, she isn’t all that confident in herself and seeks outside help often.

Seiya on the other hand, just wants to live his life safely. This dangerous, new, unfamiliar world is the last place he’d want to be in. But unlike Rista, he is confident in his ability to do what it takes to become perfectly ready. But he lacks compassion and care for others, often hurting them without remorse because of his need for caution. And as we know, Rista has compassion in spades.

Rista and Seiya complement each other, and they cover the other’s weaknesses. They’re slowly changing, because of the other.

This is where the heart of Cautious Hero is. And in my opinion, that’s a good enough reason to watch it to me.

[littlemissonewhoisall]

Guide to writing Cassandra Cain

I’ve seen a lot of people in the Bat Family fandom say that they often minimize or exclude Cassandra from their works because they don’t know enough about her. While I HIGHLY recommend reading her Batgirl comic from 2000, I’ve compiled a guide to her personality, abilities, and relationships with other DC characters here for easy reference. (I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but I’ve probably forgotten something so please feel free to add onto this if you know the character well)

PERSONALITY

Cassandra has a difficult time with language, spoken or written. This generally manifests through her relying on body language and single-word sentences to get her point across. When she needs to speak, it is halting and awkward, but not broken. She will pause frequently, mumble, or use Malapropisms, but she is a perfectionist and is frustrated when she doesnt use perfect grammar or pronunciation. At times she will be unable to find the words for a particular thought. She usually is portrayed as being unable to read or write. 

Cass sometimes uses mimicry when she has trouble putting words together herself, quoting films, tv shows, and plays.  

Cassandra is compassionate above all else. She values life, and protecting it is her highest priority. She will not hesitate to put herself in danger to save others, and does not tolerate killing. 

Cassandra has a strong guilt complex. Anyone who dies on her watch weighs heavily on her conscience, even if there was nothing she could’ve done to stop it. She does not let go of these “failures” easily. 

Cassandra has little regard for societal norms and expectations. While generally caring and compassionate, she often comes across as rude due to spending most of her life either locked in a bunker or surviving in the wilderness. This includes poor table manners, a tendency to lurk in the shadows, and mirroring her adoptive father’s habit of coming and going without warning. 

Cassandra has great pride in her physical prowess, but little in her moral character. Though she has a strong moral code and is quick to intervene when others break it, she does not see herself as above them and may even have more faith in them than in herself, as she still feels that she may not be able to rise above her upbringing. She can be rather arrogant about her superior agility and combat prowess, however. 

Cassandra is fond of friendly jibes and snark, usually but not always expressed nonverbally. Her sense of humor is slightly unconventional, but usually good-natured. 

Cassandra wears her heart on her sleeve. She is very emotional, and her past trauma can make her emotionally vulnerable, especially because of her lack of communicative skills. Her emotions show through her entire body, even when she doesn’t vocalize them. 

Cassandra is quick to leap before looking, but excellent at adapting to unexpected situations. She is a poor planner and rather impulsive, with a rebellious streak that sometimes makes it hard for her to listen to instructions. However, she is great at thinking on her feet and analyzing her situation in the moment.

Cassandra does not do things in half measures. When she wants to learn something, such as reading or detective work, she is eager to dive into the deep end even if it’s not always the best way to approach it. As mentioned before she is also a perfectionist when it comes to herself, so this approach often leads to frustration. 

Cassandra is very physically affectionate, with little mind for personal space. This often comes in the form of gently touching the face of someone she believes to be in pain. 

Cassandra is extremely empathetic, to the point that it can be overwhelming for her at times. She is very good at spotting falsehoods, hidden pain, etc. 

Despite this, she often misinterprets social cues. For instance, when Barbara and Dick were going through a rough patch in their relationship, she though Dick had intentionally done something to hurt Barbara, and threw him out a window. 

ABILITIES

Cass is fast. Really, really fast. She can move incredibly quickly and quietly, making her very hard to track.

Cass has a shocking amount of strength for her small size. She has punched through 3-inch thick quartz glass, kicked down concrete walls, and thrown a metahuman more than twice her size without issue. 

Her primary advantage comes from her ability to read body language and predict her opponents’ actions, allowing her to dodge bullets and outmaneuver pretty much any non powered opponent. This ability does not work on robots, animals, or sufficiently nonhuman aliens. 

Cassandra is a contender for the world’s best martial artist, along with Lady Shiva and Richard Dragon. She can pick up new fighting styles nearly instantly, allowing her to learn and adapt techniques she’s never encountered before. 

Cass is an incredible acrobat, though not as good as Nightwing. 

Cass is able to control the amount of force she uses to the point that she doesn’t usually have to worry about killing even when using normally lethal techniques. 

She is able to use pressure points to paralyze someone nearly instantly, though she has only shown the ability to use it on those who do not expect her to attack.

She can stop a person’s heart using a special technique, and in later appearances was able to do so without endangering the person for a good length of time, though they’d still die if not revived within that time period. 

She is very good at analyzing her surroundings, which has helped her solve cases. 

Cassandra is exceptional at dividing her attention and energy, able to coordinate herself to the point that government agents assumed she was a metahuman. 

She is very good at the intimidation side of the job, able to terrify even trained killers. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Cassandra is very close to Stephanie Brown, who was her first real friend. She can be a bit overprotective of her, even using violence to keep her out of fights that Cass thinks will be too much for her, though she has largely grown out of that and these days has a lot more faith in her. Cassandra is able to unwind with Stephanie in ways that she has trouble doing with around other people, even those she trusts like Barbara and Tim. When Stephanie seemingly died, Cassandra was deeply affected, becoming shorter-tempered and more violent. 

Cassandra sees Barbara as the mother she never had, and values her insight. Though she often chafes at Barbara’s well-intentioned attempts to get her to see beyond her life as Batgirl, she still cares deeply for her. 

Cass sees Bruce as somewhat of a father figure as well as a bit of an idol, and seeks his approval. When she believes that she has disappointed him, it can be devastating for her. However, she also recognizes his pain and trauma, and sympathizes strongly with it. Her admiration also doesn’t always mean she’ll do what he says.

While Cassandra and Dick don’t always get along (as mentioned earlier), she usually sees him as a mentor and big brother, and she is often more relaxed around him than most people. 

Cass and Jason’s interactions have been largely confrontational, and it’s likely that further encounters would be similar, as she is strongly opposed to lethal force and would endeavor to stop him if she could. That said, she would almost certainly understand the pain he went through, and would try to get through to him with words as much as she is capable, rather than immediately resorting to violence. 

Cass and Tim have a long and complicated history. While the two of them started off rather tense, with Tim being somewhat intimidated by her, they soon grew very close, and treat each other as siblings. Their strengths complement each other, and they are able to work in synch with each other very well. She has also been known to break into his house to steal food and take a shower. 

Like Jason, Cass’s interactions with Damian are few and far between. Their first meeting didn’t end well, as Cassandra pulled him from a building when he was disarming a bomb despite his protests that he could handle it. While she found some of what he said hurtful, she didn’t seem to hold much of a grudge, and I think they could find common ground due to their similar backgrounds. 

Cassandra and Duke seem to be friends, though beyond that little is known of their relationship.

Cassandra is close with Harper Row, and the two of them definitely care for one another despite the troubled history between them.

Cass and Jean-Paul Valley bonded quickly over their shared inexperience with society, and they are both very fond of one-another. 

Cassandra is friends with Dinah Lance, who she has been shown to train with on occasion. 

Cass does not get along with Helena Bertinelli for obvious reasons, and when they worked together during the Battle for the Cowl there was quite a bit of tension between them. 

Cassandra had a close relationship with Basil Karlo/Clayface during the time that he had reformed, as she had faith in his ability to change. His apparent death devastated her.

Her relationship with her biological father is complicated. Though she has always despised what he does for a living, it took a long time for her to come to terms with how badly he treated her. 

Cass’s relationship with her biological mother is even more complex. In most depictions, Cassandra respects Shiva in some ways, but is also troubled by all of the lives that she’s taken.

[palettepainter]

DO NOT REPOST/EDIT/COPY/TRACE MY ART OR OC'S!!! So I had some time to finish up some doodles I wanted to get done, they're in no particular order, I just wanted to get these ideas scribbled down so I don't forget about them. Have some notes to go along with them  1) Poissble design for Willem's dad, also changing his name, Berty makes him sound dumb, kinda debating on calling him Joe (Joseph) - Things may change in this, this is just an idea Willem's dad was...a dog, if demons where generous they'd call him a slob. Joseph in his life was rich, he came from a wealthy background and had plenty of money, enough to buy many women into his graces. Joseph wasn't sent to hell for any murder or big crime scheme, or any incidents involving the police, nonono, Joseph was sent to hell for being simply careless about his past 'relationships' he had in his life, he was killed by a raging lover who he was planning to marry, purely on the fact that she also had a wealthy background and had plenty of cash he could snag, but she found out about his many other affairs and chocked him in his sleep. In hell, Joe's reaction was pretty calm compared to how most would react, he sorta just shrugged it off and got on with his new life. In hell Joe becomes a con artist, using his charm to pray on venerable women and then swipe their wallets when they weren't looking. In short - he's a snobby rich jerk. Joe's type of demon, known as the shapeshifter demon, or more commonly as mimic demons, can shift into any living form they choose, but they can only take the form of others and of other species, it cant be inanimate objects. Since Joe gets around a lot with women and men, word about him dose spread through gossip, and soon enough, Annie's first and loyal robotic animal assistant catches word of him, and reports his discovery to Annie. Annie, during this time, is trying to develop a weapon that can help her overthrow Safe Haven, and gain control of the districts - she had been trying to infuse her unfortunate test subjects with animal DNA, in hopes that she could create an obedient hybrid to do her bidding, Annie had always been curious and maybe slightly wondered about the magic in Safe Haven, and she wanted that power to herself. Kipzie explains the details, and by resorting to old traditional methods, Annie opens a portal to the underworld. Finding the slob in question was far to easy, Annie was mildly shocked how simply it was. In short, Joe gets his ass beat, and he finally learns that he should be more cautious, especially if he's in hell. Joe is experimented on, as well as other demons like him, in hopes that Annie can obtain the power needed from their DNA to create herself a super weapon. She hires private authorties to kidnap people as test subjects - homeless people, orphans, the elderly - Annie didn't care how old, but she needed to investigate further. She gains Aquarius as an assistant in her time of experimenting, using his singing ability to lure unsuspecting victims to her lab. Sadly, the tests do not work, and only certain animal traits begin to shine through in her test subjects (one of the later failed test subjects being Addison). When the labs burn down, Joe has the chance to escape - and for a moment, he did consider running. But through the abuse he suffered and witnessed at the labs, he stays to help others out of the building. Many lives where saved as victims flooded out of the labs, but sadly, Joe's is caught in the fire within the building, running out of breath and vision cloudy, Joe prepares to be dragged back down to hell. He is pleasantly surprised when he is welcomed into heaven for his acts of heroism at the labs, his time in the labs changed him, and Joe is a much more compassionate man. He then later on meets Angie, whom he falls completely head over heels for, and then later the two have their first and only son, Willem It is rumoured that Joe cheated on Angie and then simply bailed when he saw the opportunity too, since his mysterious death was never solved. Willem, due to this, is unsure how to feel about his father or his demonic powers 2) Designs for human Charleston before he was bitten by the snake 3) Possible new look for Charleston after he's bitten by the snake. His old design was hard to draw and his hair was too similar to Angel's, so I gave him a new hair doo and simplified his design. Not sure if his design will stay this way or not, it's just a quick drawing so some details are missing, for one I'm debating on giving him a cane or a fancy walking stick - and yes he still wears a hat, I just forgot to add it in so I sketched it out. That heart thing in his waist is his soul of sorts, its like his main power if you will that keeps his body functioning - since Charleston was bitten by the snake, his body began to slowly die due to the venom, the heart and the gel its surrounded by is a form in which magic takes, an illusion if you will. The magic keeps Charelston's body healthy, but even so, Charleston lost his wings from the bite, so he can no longer fly. The power itself in the heart was given to him by Life, this not only helped his body, but also caused his blue eyes to turn to green, and his skin and hair to brighten. He can still do that whole swiffle and turn his body 180% thing, but only with his legs and top half.  4) I gave Charleston a corgi because I have the power, her name is Fifi - for now - and she's a crazy lil' dictator/leader of sorts, she sees herself as the leader amoungst the heaven pet squad, and is not afraid to throw tiny little corgi paws to win the role as leader, but then will bounce after a ball the next minute. In reality she's pretty harmless, but let her believe she's a mighty ruler  5) Jevil is having a platypus as a pet cu again I have the power. His platypus's full name is Perry Penelope mk'patchington princess of the chaos realm the first, but goes by Perry for short. She's a chill platypus, mostly sleeps and noms on things - she likes dress up and allows Jevil to dress her up in different outfits, is never not wearing her pink ribbon, Is harmless (mostly) 6) Design for Willem's hair when hes a kid

[secretshinigami]

You Did This

Author: complicatedmerary For: @niatsuki Pairings/Characters: Touta Matsuda, Near, Hideki Ide Rating/Warnings: Teen & Up just to be safe; a vague suicide mention Prompt: Matsuda confronting Near on the theory he brings up at the end of the manga. Author’s notes: Surprisingly enough, this was the most challenging prompt I have ever have to write (Near is probable the hardest character to write, imo), but it was the most intriguing one of all. After writing this, I never wanted Matsuda to go through this ordeal again. Enjoy!

He knew Ide was right, that perhaps the origin of his hesitance to accept Near’s victory was because of a wish. He knew fully that Light Yagami was guilty, but it just did not make sense to him that Light’s calculations were that off because of a minuscule mistake. Near knew Teru Mikami was a sharp thinker and he must have assumed Light told Mikami to test the notebook before the date of the Yellow Box Warehouse. This is the part where Matsuda’s brain gets cloudy; while the theory seemed plausible, he had no way of knowing if Near ever thought that thoroughly in the first place. He guessed that, yes, of course, he must had, he was a genius just like L, thinking ahead was part of his job. However, if he could somehow figure out a way to get Near reveal to him his thought process about the Kira case, how he figured out how to specifically set up a master trap to thwart Light’s goal, and if he was specifically involved with Teru Mikami’s sudden death, he would feel satisfied. If he did do it in the first place, but he had to, no other conclusion felt more plausible.

The more he overthought this (and he had been doing that for the past year or so), the more sense it made to him, but that was the main issue: Just because something made sense, it did not mean it had to be true. Right? He couldn’t believe that the mere idea of Near murdering another human being for the sake of experimenting a victory was worse than Kira’s murdering, but somehow that was the least illogical conclusion Matsuda has ever reached in his entire life.

Especially when the worst illogical move he had ever done was assuming that he could just shut down in the privacy of his own brain and not listen to one word Near (now known as L since he defeated Kira) was saying about the crime syndicate he was following for the past six months. Matsuda was among the people brought up for tonight’s meeting along with Hideki Ide, Kanzo Mogi, and Chief Shuichi Aizawa. Matsuda recalled preoccupying himself with his scattered thoughts at the mention of the crime deal taking place at the Yellow Box Warehouse. It was one thing when Ide mentioned the place, but coming from Near’s computerized mouth felt like a mockery.

“That would be all for now,” Near’s computerized voice blared from the monitor with L’s saving screen. “With all the information I have provided, we can catch these criminals and bring them to justice. I suggest we keep it moving and prepare our defenses.”

As everyone in the room was dismissed, Matsuda went behind the line of people, anxious to get out as soon as possible.

“Touta Matsuda, I would like a word with you.”

Near can actually see him? So it was not just audio; this was not good at all if Near could tell he was not paying attention.

With an apologetic smile and a nervous rub at the back of his neck, Matsuda turned around and faced the monitor. “What can I do for you, L?”

“I was just wondering, is the idea of people risking their lives to protect others boring to you? Perhaps I should include some pink cartoons on my screen to keep you amused. I’m putting my trust on you to do your job as a member of law enforcement to be analytical and compassionate enough to save lives. It is not that hard to ask for respect, especially when I’m the greatest detective in the world, so why should I demand it when I’m giving you a task to complete before more lives are ruined? Perhaps including you in this meeting was a mistake if this lack of concern is so blatantly an aspect of you. You better prove to me that you are competent for this task or else I will lose my patience and stop considering you next time.”

Strangely enough, when L was overtly critical of his competence and intelligence, he never felt this painful chill running down his spine. Matsuda was not sure if the digitized voice was overtly optimized to make Near sound colder, but whatever it was, it sounded as if Near loathed him. L hated him, that was evident to him, but to Near, Matsuda was nothing more than a crust on a wall as far as he was concerned. At this rate, Matsuda could not bring himself to like, or even respect, Near.

Maybe he knows that I know what he did, Matsuda thought. Maybe it was not so much that he hated him, but he wanted him gone to ensure he could keep his mouth shut. Everyone was content keeping themselves obedient for L’s sake, but that was not Matsuda anymore and Near was aware of this. At this point, Matsuda was nothing more than a liability.

If Near did use the notebook to kill Mikami, he was not different from Kira at all.

“I apologize, L,” Matsuda tilted his head down. “I did not mean to come off absentminded, it just that something has been distracting me lately and it has not been easy to get rid of it from my head.”

“Matsuda-san, do you have a wife and kids?” Near’s robotic voice sounded dry as if he did not care to hear the answer in the first place.

“No.” Matsuda was confused.

“Is someone in your family dying?”

“No.”

“Did someone in your family died?”

“No.”

“Then whatever it is distracting you is not important in the slightest. No more excuses, Matsuda-san, we are talking about bringing people to justice.”

You said that already. “You are right, we have to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of other people, even if it means we lose our lives in the process.”

“Hopefully it should not come to that, but you are not wrong. We have to be useful for the greater good.”

“And if we want to be victorious in the fight against the evilest people alive,” Matsuda continued pressing the issue. “We have to be willing to make sacrifices–even lives–to get what we want.”

The room was silent for a long period of time. Matsuda did not mean to be so direct, but he wanted an answer as soon as possible. It had been more than a year, enough was enough. Ide was right about the wish: His wish was to be right about something for once in his life. No more suspicions or allegations, just facts.

“What are you trying to say, Matsuda-san?” Matsuda did not think a digital voice could get menacing, but Near did a great job on doing so. “You don’t actually crave the death of others, do you? I never imagined this coming from you.”

“Not me, you,” Matsuda said, his voice breaking with anger. “I know what happened before you burned the notebooks, only you could have done this.”

“And what exactly did I do, Matsuda-san?” Near’s voice was even, not a chance that he felt backed against a wall.

“Teru Mikami. You wrote his name down to ensure he would not check the validity of the notebook and use a fake one to catch Kira at the warehouse. He died ten days later with barely any struggle and I’m supposed to believe there was no supernatural involvement in all of this? It’s all too suspicious and I refuse to accept that you had nothing to do with this.”

“I see,” Near paused. “It seems that you thought this through and have accepted this as fact. If true facts do not sway you to change your mind, then I guess nothing will. Everyone that had access to the autopsy report knows that Teru Mikami died because of dehydration and lack of food. He did this to himself, I fully believe he was too cowardly to accept that he was not righteous and he wanted out. You knew this a year ago, nothing has changed. Kira used Teru Mikami to try to kill all of us and he deserved what happened to him. It’s over, Matsuda-san; we are alive and well and Kira is dead, you have to accept that. There’s no need to press this further, I’m disappointed that you formulated this allegation in the first place.”

“But, Near–”

“That’s ‘Great Detective L’ to you. This conversation is over,” Near interrupted Matsuda sharply. “You are dismissed.” The monitor turned itself off.

As Matsuda’s shoes echoed across the empty hallway, he visually kicked himself over and over in his head and felt worse about his conclusions. Deep down, he had to be right, no amount of smooth lying can save Near from this, but evidence (if he could produce it) should at least prove Near’s guiltiness. 

Regardless, one thing was for sure: He just signed his own death certificate.

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP.4

Last time on Beverly Hills 90210!

Hibiki begins to understand the true nature of the Sam Reimi Spiderman trilogy as she lives the life of a superhero by night and a normal student by day in the most miserable way possible. Constant cockblocking from the duties she explicitly chose to do distance her from her significant other Miku, as it drives wedges into their friendlationship. As Hibiki breaks off a plan prepped weeks in advance to see rocks fall from the sky, she takes out her frustration on the local Kamen Rider villian rejects before coming up to see Tsubasa, only to be greeted by a new face...

Let us continue!

As the situation tenses between the three gi- hey! Hey, wait a minute! This is a flashback! That’s no fair. You’re just going to throw this to us while we’re trying to do this stuff? Get it together, show.

The show hauls our asses to a flashback, because God knows we needed one right now. It’s not just any flashback, though. It’s a flashback of our favorite redhead, Kanade!

In a straightjacket.

While everyone is staring.

“i dont usually do this but you’ve got a bad case of catch-these-handsitis”

“oh god, she’s so wild, and angry... i... why am i hoping she’s single...?”

“aye. this is the fate of all rabiosexuals out there.”

Kanade is tied down because she’s the sole survivor of a Noise attack, and more importantly, she really, really wants to fight the Noise. What she doesn’t know is that she is potentially a new candidate for a Symphogear relic.

“oh... we’d pair so well... our colors are diametrically opposed...”

“GIMMIE A FUCKING GUN AND A TEN PIECE CHICKEN MCNUGGET MEAL YOU GUY FIERI LOOKING ASSHOLE”

Genjuro, who suffers from Compulsive Child Adopting Syndrome (CCAS), immediately comes to the conclusion to adopt this tiny gremlin. It helps that her parents are, well, dead.

Fatherly instincts vibrating intensely.

Genjuro talks to this small child, who is currently 99% anger and 1% chicken fluff, scanning their conviction towards working to the goal of fighting the Noise.

In retrospect, his methods are a bit weird. Feeding into the extreme edginess of a 14 year old scorned isn’t exactly the best thing in the world. Unfortunately, as we established before, the only thing that can fight Noise are Symphogear, and the only reason he’s not in the front lines is because he can’t wield one.

Kanade naturally obliges this deal, her braincells having long since perished alongside her parents. Then Perish indeed, Kanade.

“buddy im being trained as a samurai in modern times and i still could not fathom going as hard as you”

The pact is sealed. The child is adopted. Genjuro’s adoption addiction relapses, and he’s going to have quite a long talk at AA (Adopters Anonymous).

The thing about Genjuro that makes him an interesting character is that he actually really, really, really hates the idea of having to pit children in fighting these horrible threats. Unlike a lot of male characters who have a strong sense of manliness but a poorly written way of expressing it, Genjuro manages to be a compassionate person in the face of all this terribleness. He’s the only person to think about throwing parties for these girls, and trying to give them any sort of sense of happiness and normalcy to their lives, now changed forever by machinations he has been put in charge of. He’s the Anti-Gendo. He doesn’t tell Shinji to get in the robot. He makes sure Shinji is well enough to be in the robot, and would never do so otherwise, knowing the mental toll.

That’s why ultimately, he is The Dad.

So, with that in mind, they prep Kanade to recieve the relic assigned to her. One of the major elements of using relics is compatibility. Kanade is not naturally compatible to Gungnir; they have to slowly ease her into it.

“mumble mumble cant wait to kick their asses mumble mumble”

This is a process that takes years. The show doesn’t do well in showing this, but it takes many, many years for her to be compatible after endless medical examinations and controlled situations.

The experiments, naturally, hurt like a bitch to boot.

“genjuro she’ll be okay, right?”

“flip a coin on it, tsubasa”

“oh shit yall see this news? pornhubs gonna buy tumblr! damn, i can make an all in one profile now.”

When you’re forced to watch your newly adopted daughter torture herself to be compatible with an ancient, musty cursed relic.

After all that, Kanade still isn’t compatible. Of course, nothing is simple with Kanade. You may ask yourself, “Why did Genjuro have to tie up Kanade in a straitjacket? That seems pretty abusive.”

Simply put, it’s because Kanade has never fucked around in any second of her life, having taken off all the devices on her, taken a direct syringe of the stuff she’s trying to synchronize with, and directly inject it into her, herself.

Fear.

“i am so SICK, and TIRED, of all this namby pamby wimpy ass standard shit. YALL MOTHERFUCKERS THINK I WONT GO FULL THROTTLE?! MY LIFE IS FULL THROTTLE. I! AM! GONNA! GET! SHIT! DONE! TONIGHT! BOYYYYS!”

Tsubasa, likely already going through puberty by this point, simultaneously understands both the concepts of fear and arousal witnessing this near suicidal display of absolute madness immediately.

Holy shit, Kanade.

You know shit’s bad when even Ryoko is afraid.

Turns out, however, that Kanade did the right move in becoming compatible with Gungnir, at a very physically demanding price.

Really, physically demanding.

“shouldnt have had that massive spaghetti carbonara before doing all this shit but fuck i really liked that fuckin’ spaghetti slorp slorp go the sauce ooooooooh god this is bad”

“HAHA IM FINE- IM FINE EVERYONE- THIS- THIS IS JUST THE SPAGHETTI- I HAD BEFORE THE- BEFORE THE PROCEDURE IT’S NOT- IT’S NOT BLOOD I SWEAR- OH I AM FEELING LIGHTHEADED- DON’T WORRY YOUR PRETTY HEADS IM GOOD! OH- OH FUCK-”

The scientists, who have been easily staring at this entire situation for more than 5 minutes or more, have not stepped in to do a single damn thing, as if overpowering a 14 year old to stop her from injecting a dangerous thing that could directly kill her is completely out of their paygrade. Genjuro wakes them the fuck up and likely briefly contemplates firing some of these morons.

“so this is what’s called... getting lost in the sauce...”

The scientists scramble to keep Kanade from vomiting more marinara sauce but Kanade exerts but a mere fraction of her now developing Symphogear abilities, knocking them all out with ease.

“this is some shit right here, damn”

Kanade pulls some Independence Day theatrics on everyone, as a 14 year old on the verge of death typically would if given the opportunity. Death may be certain but you at least get to go out in style. Will Smith would be proud.

The half-life of Tsubasa’s fearousal reached completion as it has mostly decayed into fear at this point.

However, the relic pendant begins glowing. This is likely the one thing that keeps Kanade from dying. An interesting comparison given Hibiki’s own survival and gear manifestation.

Kanade achieves super saiyan.

“THEY ALL SAID I WAS LOST IN THE SAUCE... AND THEY ALL THOUGHT THE SAUCE WAS LOST IN ME. BUT NOW... I AM THE SAUCE!”

Tsubasa’s fear directly transmutes itself back into arousal per the first law of alchemy. Something to note is that Tsubasa was naturally receptive to her own gear; she didn’t need to go through the medical process Kanade went through. It’s because of this that Kanade earns Tsubasa’s admiration for life, even long after she dies.

“THE SAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUCCCEEEEEEEEEE”

And so, the unambiguously gay duo known as Zwei Wing formed. Singers by day...

Noise slayers by night.

Saving the country, singing in the country, bonding together... in the country. Truly, there is no more iconic duo than these two.

“yall sing pretty”

“anyway bye”

Kanade’s initial motivation for getting Gungnir was to kill the Noise indiscriminately with no hesitation. It slowly dawns on her, though, that helping people... is good?

“the sauce lost me. i got lost in the sauce. i became the sauce. but... why don’t i... share, the sauce? because... people like sauce... and i like sauce... and we can bond together... liking sauce!”

Kanade and Tsubasa have a Captain America moment running together as Kanade muses about how singing for other people feels way better than just pure murder funtimes.

“hey, uh... tsubasa... it just hit me. i like sauce. and... you, you like sauce. do... do you want to share sauce together?”

“kanade as your girlfriend ive literally heard you talk about sauce metaphors for the last several years and if you dont think i wont slurp your sauce down without hesitation you’ve got another thing coming”

“hell yeah! ive still got some of my original leftover marinara to share!”

No heterosexual explanation whatsoever.

Not a damn one.

Oh yeah...! Because by shedding tears, the reality you face is...

Nehushtan? Weird end of a sentence, but okay.

We’re thrust back into the present time, present day, as we’re back in our three way throwdown.

Genjuro is an extra large McFuckingPissed with Large Fries and a Shake, supersized.

“you want some sauce with that? lmao, sorry, too soon”

As the werewolves come out in full force, the tension strengthens while a battle brews nearby...

“yall think you’re getting your hands on this goddamn armor without realizing im officiating this here gay pride parade. and guess what? you’re cancelled.”

“didn’t know clowns were part of the acronym, let alone capable of managing it. either way, you’ve gotta be at least this tall to use the armor.” 

“so why not make like a hobbit, drop the armor, and burrow back to whatever hidey hole you came from, bimbo baggins!”

“guess you didnt read the books, moron. last i checked, bilbo doesn’t lose his traveling partners.”

“that low blow only comes at the cost of outing yourself as a fucking nerd.”

“im not ashambed. im gonna blow your mind with some math: my foot, plus your face, subtracting the teeth from your mouth, equals an ass kicking.”

“NOTHING IN THAT FORMULA INVOLVES ANY ASS WHATSOEV-”

Hibiki gets in the way immediately, citing the ethical ramifications of fighting humans as opposed to talking to them, conveniently forgetting this was the same person ready to body her merely an episode or two ago.

“hey first of all please don’t say bimbo thats really degrading, and second of all clowns aren’t actually in the acronym but im sure there are some gay clowns out there so please dont talk like that and thirdly im sorta short and that hurt my feelings and fourthly killing is fucking bad, tsubasa, let us not commit human on human murder”

both of them, in unison, i shit you not:

“yo, you like murder? shit. i like murder too!”

“like oh my god! murder is my favorite hobby. i take it back, you’re chill. still gotta die, though.”

Hibiki is casually tossed aside from this fight, given her very ideas are anti-thetical to fighting as a whole.

A real sick battle ensues.

Something to note is that our spunky opponent has another relic at her disposal which summons Noise. This relic is called Solomon’s cane. You’ll learn more about it later.

Not a pretty sight.

Tsubasa is losing. Not only is she losing, but the enemy cool kid reveals a very notable detail of her plan: She was distracted Tsubasa on purpose. The real plan...

Was to kidnap Hibiki.

In an ironic twist, Tsubasa’s inability to work with her teammate not only put her teammate in danger, but explicitly allowed her opponent to fulfill her mission of trying to capture her.

“i changed my mind kick her ass please oh god”

Hibiki still has not learned her lesson.

Tsubasa gets her ass kicked. Her opponent pulls every punch in the book, with some lowdown dirty fighting.

Unfortunately, Tsubasa, having learned from the Kanade Amou Private School Of No Brain Cell Combat, she pulls the last ace from her sleeve.

“lmao bitch whatre you gonna do, sing?”

“i didnt design my hair like a fucking 8th note for nothing, you cabbage patch kid”

“then let’s hear it, motherfucker.”