#dr. dark mode

[novafire-is-thinking]

I’ve been scrutinizing the badges and medical symbols (or lack thereof) of the medics of IDW, and speculating about what these might say about each of them.

Out of all the medics, Flatline’s badge(less) arrangement stood out to me, so it’s time to make this way deeper than the writers and artists intended.

To wear a badge, or not to wear a badge…

Thanks to Alex Milne, the Autobots got their own medical cross:

This is worn by Pharma and First Aid, and by Ratchet before the war and during the earliest days of the conflict. He later removes the cross, but switches between a couple of different symbols and no symbol throughout the course of the war—his time spent on Earth having a lot to do with that, I suspect. Even so, after the war, he chooses not to wear any indication of his status as a medic—only an Autobot badge.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons have no universally recognized symbol for their medics. Instead, they each have their own unique symbol, or none at all. Glit has a vaguely medical-looking cross that differs from the Autobot medical cross, and Flatline has a symbol resembling the pulse of a spark:

…which I can only assume is meant to be the Cybertronian version of the following, but with a circle for the spark instead of a heart:

Meanwhile, Spinister and Nickel have nothing. Just their Decepticon badges.

Now, to combine these with faction badges:

Badge + medical symbol: Pharma, First Aid

Badge + no medical symbol: Ratchet, Fixit, Velocity, Spinister, Nickel

No badge + medical symbol: Flatline, Glit

No badge + no medical symbol: Ambulon

There are three medics who don’t wear badges; all of them are or were Decepticons. This is interesting on its own, but I’m more interested in how this may correlate to their attitudes towards treating Autobots:

Even though Glit’s KP version is willing to treat people regardless of faction, this is never confirmed for his IDW version. There isn’t enough evidence to infer how he feels about Autobots, or treating them. Yes, he was at Grindcore, but that says nothing about how he treated Autobot prisoners behind the scenes.

As for Ambulon, he switched sides and underwent the Act of Affiliation, but—evidently—not the Rite of the Autobrand. I could speculate all day about why, but that’s not important because, whatever the case, he treats patients of both factions without hesitation. Because he’s been on both sides, he has an externally observable reason to do so.

This leaves Flatline as the only badgeless—and only Decepticon—medic who’s proven to uphold a moral value of treating people regardless of faction. Unlike Ambulon, he has no externally obvious reason to do so, but he does it anyway because it’s personally important to him.

The following roams into headcanon territory, but based on what can be inferred from Flatline’s few appearances, I like to think his choice to not wear a Decepticon badge serves two purposes:

It’s his way of signaling to potential patients: “I don’t see you through the lenses of your faction and ideology, but as a person.”

It’s a personal reminder for himself of his commitment to being blind to factions when treating people; it’s a way of reminding himself he’s committed to the preservation of life first—not to any group or “order” of medical personnel.

This is not to say medics who do wear badges and belong to an order of medics don’t also treat patients based on similar values—as we see First Aid and Ratchet treating people of the opposing faction.

This is just me playing around with the possibility of inferring something deeper about Flatline’s character—what he values, how he sees himself and the world, what sets him apart from others “like him,” etc.

And besides, Autobot medics are expected to uphold their medical oaths. Decepticon medics—perhaps unfairly—are assumed to be lax in that area, so it means more to have a Decepticon medic who holds to their personal moral values despite the general attitude towards the enemy seen in many of their comrades.

On that note, I would love to know how Tarn sees Flatline…

A Decepticon who refused the Rite of the Deceptibrand.

A Decepticon who refused to cut into his spark casing to signify his commitment to the Cause.

A Decepticon who values commitment to his personal morals above adhering to any external ideology.

[theramblingsofadork]

Art’s not coming to me this week, so screw it! Take a massive fic of angst from the Downfall Arc of Rivet and Starline’s first time reuniting since the competition! 🔥🔥

—

📕 Fanfic: A Bitter Reunion

Context: It’s been years since the competition. Rivet’s now friends with the Resistance/Restoration and is helping Sonic and Tails storm a base that they got a distress video in from.

It turns out to be a trap by Eggman, and now they’re stuck in a force field, backed into a corner by several high class Badniks.

Starline has been with Eggman for a few days now after restoring his memories and erasing Mr. Tinkerer. (In this AU, it takes them a little while before they begin development on the Metal Virus since I think he needs more time being Eggman’s flunky.)

He’s embraced Eggman’s ideals and become a full on villain. But the past often comes back to haunt; and he has no idea what’s about to occur.

—

“A force field? Seriously?” Sonic exclaimed as he watched the orange shield crackle above them.

“Indeed!” Eggman exclaimed from above the dome, perched safely atop a railed platform where he could watch the show. “And the best part is—even if your little fox friend manages to hack into my systems to take it down, you STILL have my new Badnik Enforcers to deal with!”

The group jumped as the two giant, armored Badniks advanced a step on the three. Rivet sighed as she looked up at them, the lavender cat getting a distinct feeling of deja-vu. “Giant robots.. it just had to be giant robots..” She sighed exasperatedly.

That’s when a clapping sound caught their attention, followed by a poised, regal esque voice entering the conversation.

“Marvelous work, sir!” Dr. Starline praised Eggman as he clapped and came over to join his boss from where he had been observing from the shadows. “I must say, this ploy has certainly proven to be one of your most effective yet!”

Eggman grinned as he looked down to the platypus coming up to his side. “Why thank you, Doctor. It was quite sneaky of me to use that hologram of the villager to fake a distress call, now wasn’t it?” He snickered pridefully.

“Quite! Dare I say, they never saw it coming!” Starline smiled up at his boss, before suddenly feeling his heart freeze in his chest when he heard a familiar voice call up his name from down below. “Starline?”

His smile vanished, and when he quickly looked down, he came face to face with.. her. A cat from his past whom he didn’t expect to see again. The one whom he had once briefly considered calling his other half…

…Now standing with Sonic and Tails as they stood backed into the corner within the sealed ‘arena’. It was a tense and frightful moment, as the two of them processed and realized that they were now on opposing sides.

“Hm? What’s this?” Eggman questioned as he leaned an arm on the railing and peered down at his shorter cohort with a raised brow. “Starline, you KNOW that cat?”

Starline shook himself out of his shock to form an answer to the other doctor’s question. “Eugh.. She was a... former colleague of mine from back in the day,” he replied, crossing his arms as he brushed his bangs with a seemingly poised but secretly nervous motion. “…That was a long time ago though. Certainly nothing you need to concern yourself with, Doctor.“

Eggman’s frightening gaze remained eerily trained on him for a long moment. “Hmm. Is that so?” A wicked grin then spread across his face as he seemed to get an idea. “Well then, if that’s the case, then you won’t mind me destroying her and the rest of those fuzzy nuciences in one fell swoop, now will you?”

Starline felt a nervous buzz of apprehension spark in his chest, and his eyes darted over to him. He could immediately sense the man was testing his loyalties. And why wouldn’t he? Eggman had been betrayed multiple times before. Why not stamp out any possibility of that before their partnership could get too far?

Starline looked down to Rivet, and there was a moment of hesitation that flickered in his eyes as he observed her, before he closed them to turn away and say, “…No qualms to be had here, Doctor. You may do as you see fit.” He smiled coyly up at his boss. “After all, any friend of Sonic’s is an enemy of ours, wouldn’t you say?”

Rivet’s eyes widened.

Eggman’s glasses glinted like he was pleased with Starline’s answer, and he chuckled evilly before leaning over the edge and shouting down to his Badniks, “Well, YOU HEARD HIM! TAKE THEM OUT!!”

“Yeesh, that’s cold,” Sonic couldn’t help but comment, a bit disgusted by the doctor’s callous response to the cat.

Rivet didn’t say anything, staring dead set at Starline with a knot growing larger in her throat. She finally had to snap back to attention though as the Badniks began to proceed on them, powering up their giant laser beam charged arms.

“Hey, um, Tails buddy, might want to get working on getting that shield down!” Sonic hurriedly pressed the fox, glancing over to see he had started mashing away at his tablet.

“I am!!” Tails exclaimed in return, brow furrowing as he poured his concentration into what he was doing. “It’s going to take a minute to get through though!”

“Might not have a minute!” Sonic reiterated, eyeing the glowing barrels as they grew brighter. “Looks like they’re charging up to turn us into roast dinner!”

Charge. A lightbulb in Rivet’s mind, and her mind cleared as she glanced to her bangled wrists, then back to the fox. “…Tails, quick— what do you think the output power of their laser fire is?”

“What?” Tails exclaimed, briefly glancing up at her in confusion. “Why are you asking me that now?!”

“I don’t have time to explain… Just tell me!!” Rivet ground out.

Tails made a noise of protest, but obliged her and quickly tried to calculate. “Well, uh, judging from their hulls and weapons attachments, these are Mark XII Badniks.. uh.. I dunno! I’d say output power is probably around 300 watts??”

Rivet breathed out a brief breath of relief. “Ha.. 300 huh? Alright, I can deal with that.”

“Um, what are you planning to do?” Sonic asked warningly, sensing the freedom fighter just got an idea.

”Buy you guys some time,” Rivet replied, stepping out in front of them so she was now the sole focal point of the lasers.

“Wait—what?? Are you crazy?!” Sonic exclaimed in shock as he registered this.

“Sonic, trust me! I know what I’m doing!” Rivet exclaimed, preparing herself by setting her feet and dropping into a defensive stance.

“Heh heh heh! What a dumb creature,” Eggman stated as he watched this altercation happen. “So foolishly sacrificing herself to get blasted in the feeble hope that her friends might be able to outlast my robots for a little while longer. Pathetic.”

Starline frowned. Something was off here. Rivet wasn’t a fool. She must have a plan.

Eggman’s grin gleefully split his face in two as the Badnik’s guns glowed and reached the peak of their charging.

Rivet held out her hands, and the chambers around her wrists began to glow. Starline’s eyes widened a fraction as he registered what she was planning, and he held out his hand, seeing the critical flaw in his plan. “Wait, sir—!”

Too late. The Badniks fired on the trio, lighting the area where they stood up with a searing blast of white hot light. The sound of their lasers echoed out for a good five seconds, before overheating and having to power down.

Eggman snickered wickedly as he waited for the dust to settle and looked down to Starline with a bit of scoffing disappointment. “I knew it. You are soft, Starline. And while I can’t say I’m surprised, I certainly am disappointed. I would expect more from someone claiming to be my #1 fan!”

As aggravated as he wanted to feel at that biting response, Starline could do nothing more but hold a hand to his head with a groan. “Sir— that’s not why I was trying to stop you!” He leapt atop the railing and pointed down into the clearing smoke. “I was TRYING to stop you so I could warn you about THAT!!”

“WHAAAAT?!” Eggman exclaimed, about losing his balance as he craned his neck and body over the edge of the railing as he registered what Starline was pointing at. The glowing figure amidst the clearing dust.

Sonic and Tails coughed as the dust around them began to settle, both completely uninjured from the attack. They uncurled from their protective positions to gawk at Rivet, who had taken the enemy’s attack head on, the wristlets now absorbing and defusing the energy into them, making them glow.

“Whoa!” Tails exclaimed, his tails flicking in awe.

Rivet relaxed as the last of it dispersed into her gauntlets, and took a moment to observe them before perking up and laughing in jubilation. “Hahaha, YES! It worked!”

“Um, what just happened?” Sonic questioned dumbfoundedly with a blink, unsure whether or not to be worried or be in awe.

“Oh yeah, I guess these are new.” Rivet stated, looking over her shoulder at them with glowing eyes. “I wanted to be able to stand a better chance in fights, so I made these bracer gauntlets! The gems in them can absorb and store up energy!”

Her eyes sparked as she faced the robots again. “That counts for blaster fire too.” She tightened her fist and grinned. “Which means, thanks to the good doctor up there, I can now level the playing field a bit!”

“Grrr…!” Eggman’s brow furrowed against his forehead, and he turned on Starline, grabbing him by his coat and shaking the poor Doctor about furiously. “DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?? WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN ME SOONER?!”

Starline grit his teeth as he was shaken like a ragdoll and held up his hands in surrender. “T-the thought only just occurred to me a few seconds ago! I-I swear! It’s been years since I last saw her, Doctor, and back then they were only a concept! It completely slipped my mind until now!”

“GRRH..” Eggman dumped the platypus back onto the ground before turning back to the scene before him. “Well no matter!! My Badniks will still make quick work of them!” He then shouted down to them with a raised fist, “DON’T JUST STAND THERE YOU FOOLS! ANNIHILATE THEM!”

The Badniks beeped as Eggman’s command came through again, and they prepared to attack once more, powering up for another shot. But Rivet wasn’t about to let that happen.

She sucked in a deep breath, steadying herself. One shot would be the most effective move here. She had to make it count.

The cat summoned up all that energy, channeling all of it into her fist. Rushing forwards a few steps with powered up shout, she stopped and drove it into the ground in front of them, cracking it.

The outward impact of the motion was boosted tenfold, and a cratering wave of earth was sent exploding out in front of them. It smashed into both Enforcers and sliced through the laser arm of one of them, knocking them over as the ground was torn up beneath their feet.

“WHAT?! NO!!” Eggman shouted.

“Whoa-ho! That was so cool!! We are TOTALLY going to have to go over the details of how that works later on!” Tails exclaimed, stars glinting in his little inventor eyes.

“Yeah.. Sure..” Rivet grunted and pitched forward, landing on her knee and panting from the effort. “But first.. You gotta get that shield down. I bought you some time, but it won’t stop them for long. Huff.. huff..”

Sonic clapped her back as he passed, it now being his turn to take up the front. “Don’t worry, I can take it from here. Thanks for evening the playing field for me though! Gotta admit that’s a neat trick.”

In a flash, the hedgehog took off, launching himself straight for the struggling-to-recover Badnik Enforcers and managing to knock one back into the earth, cracking it’s exterior hull and damaging it.

“No no no NO!!” Eggman screamed from above, gripping the railing so tight that his knuckles were probably becoming as white as his gloves. “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” He glanced to the control board besides him and pushed another button. “Grrr! BACKUP!! GET IN THERE AND LEAVE NO SURVIVORS!”

“Oh come on,” Rivet grumbled as the arena door reopened and a swarm of a few smaller Badniks flew in. They just couldn’t get a break, could they?

“Don’t worry! I’ve almost gotten into the system!” Tails told her, pressing harder on his tablet’s buttons before sending her a glance. “Can you keep them off my back for a bit longer?”

“Yeah, sure thing..” Rivet blew out her breath as she wiped her nose and prepped to fight again. “I’ll do what I can... You work your magic, genius child.”

Together, her and Sonic fought the newcomers, with the hedgehog ping ponging his way around the room like a speeding bullet, decimating the Badniks while Rivet battled away any strays coming for Tails as he hacked the security grid.

The two fighters eventually even teamed up and used the severed Badnik Endorser’s laser to fire off and fry the other operational one.

Starline watched as this battle took place from behind orange spectacles and frowned. He could tell the tide was turning, and it was not in their favor.

“This isn’t looking good, doctor—“ He finally stated as he backed away from the ledge. “Perhaps a tactical retreat is in order?”

“Tactical retreat?!” Eggman exclaimed, glaring back over his shoulder at the other doctor. “Are you mad?! WE’VE GOT THEM ON THE ROPES!”

“HA HA! GOT IT!” Tails suddenly shouted excitedly, and the force field covering the battle dome flickered as it powered off, before fading away completely.

Eggman paused before groaning in frustration. “…On second thought, maybe a tactical retreat doesn‘t sound so bad.”

“Deeper into the base!” Starline exclaimed, pointing to the ajar door they had originally come through. “There are more security measures deeper in that can protect us!”

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Eggman grumbled grouchily as he ran through the door first with Starline trailing behind him. The platypus looked back briefly towards the battle before growling and letting the metal door close shut and lock behind them.

Tails heard the clunk of the door and looked up to see the two men had vanished. “Sonic! Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline are getting away!” He called over to the hedgehog currently destroying the remaining Badniks.

Rivet ducked under a Badnik crashing to the ground, before seeing that Sonic was preoccupied. She swore, looking around for something to boost herself with, and dug her fist into the fallen Badnik’s broken hull, absorbing the small amount of power it still had.

She then used it to speed up her body to ‘flash’ forward a few feet through space to make a dash for the ladder. “I’ll catch them!”

“Rivet, wait!” Tails called out after her, but of course, the cat didn’t listen.

—

Two sets of different sounding footsteps echoed down the hall as Starline and Eggman gained distance from the fighting. “That door won’t hold them for long,” Starline told Eggman hurriedly. “Where’s the closest safe place to go from here? Preferably somewhere with more reinforcements?

Eggman pointed ahead of them. “Down there! The security room is just beyond that hall! We’ll be able to activate my secret weapon there!”

“Secret weapon?” Starline blinked in fascination. “Well that certainly sounds promising.”

“Starline!! Eggman!!” Rivet’s voice came bouncing up the hallway. The platypus gasped and looked back to see the lavender cat chasing them from down the hall.

“Oh dear..” Starline felt his heart drop in his chest, before he focused up and looked up to Eggman. “I’ll lead them off your trail, sir! You get to the security room and activate that weapon! I’ll join you again using the warp topaz!”

“Fine with me!” Eggman said without skipping a beat, the inventor huffing and puffing now as his arms and legs swung wildly.

“Best of luck to you, sir!” Starline slid to a halt and glanced back to see Rivet’s gaze had locked onto him. Sonic and Tails weren’t far behind her.

His eyes narrowed, and he quickly broke off down a side path.

“Looks like they’re splitting up!” Rivet called back to them. “I’ll handle Starline! You two get the doc!”

Sonic frowned as she split off from them to follow the platypus. He didn’t like this. If Starline was separating from Eggman, then he probably had a plan. And if it was anything like his and Silver’s first encounter with the doctor, then it might not end well.

“Tails, go with her to be safe! And be careful!” He called to his best friend, before zooming ahead to chase after Eggman.

“Right!” Tails nodded and split off from Sonic, flying down the hall after the cat who was steadily gaining distance.

—

Ducking through another side passage, Starline found himself in the room where vats of some kind of concoction Eggman was working on was being stirred by giant, industrial sized machines. Wanting to get a better vantage point, he summoned up a portal to take him to the top of the catwalks above, panting from all the running and glancing over the edge to see if he could spot Rivet and Tails.

The fox was just coming up on the entrance, looking around as he called for his friend. But he had lost track of Rivet. Ruby eyes darted back and forth and searched for her lavender form amidst the whirring machines. Where was she?

“So—that’s it then.”

Starline let out a squeak of surprise and nearly jumped out of his fur as the sound of the cat swinging herself up and thunking down on the catwalk besides him snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly scrambled back to gain some distance between them. So fast—!

The Rider’s frustrated green eyes locked onto him, and her ponytailed hair swung behind her as she approached him, motioning her arms.

“You up and disappear for years with no goodbye—no explanation as to where you’ve gone to. You ghost Hex and the rest of our calls; basically drop off the face of the planet despite seeming like you wanted to take us up on our offer.. And NOW I find you here all this time later, alongside HIM? Ready to let us die to his Badniks?”

She let out a small, frustrated scoff of hurt. “I can’t believe it. Are you really going to act like our friendship meant nothing to you?”

Starline in turn backed away, powering up the warp topaz but not quite using it yet. “That was a long time ago, Rivet,” he stated. “Besides, it was a competition.” He glanced behind him, before noticing a cable behind him and ducking to the side to avoid it. “We were all just using one another to obtain what we wanted in the end.“

Rivet pushed aside that same cable to follow him further along the catwalk. “That’s not true and you know it!” she exclaimed, voice straining a bit with anger. “..What about the Starpoint Squad? Charge, Cello, Hex, Lug? You were as much a part of that team as we were! We studied together, built a giant robot, went out for ice cream! You even helped us stop that mad woman from destroying Aethos!”

Tears were beginning to pool up in the corners of Rivet’s eyes as years of built-up strain and confusion broke forth as she pressed him. “Did that all mean nothing to you? Did the team..” Her voice faltered for a moment, before she gestured between the two of them. “..Did we mean nothing to you..?”

Starline felt his heart suddenly squeeze painfully at the reminder of his and the team’s moments together, before his deep hidden fears of being close and vulnerable with others caused him to lose his nerve. To put them all out of his mind and leave them behind in pursuit of his goal. Not that he would ever admit this to himself.

He finally stopped as well to look down. Letting the reminder of times long passed flood back into his mind briefly.

“..As lovely as it could have been... The fact of the matter is, we were always destined to be on opposite sides.” His tone had grown cold, almost like he was upset she was bringing it up. “Whatever we had back then was but a distant dream.. one that was meant to be awoken from eventually.”

He put a hand to his chest. “This is the reality that was always meant to happen. And I am meant for bigger things.”

Rivet pulled up short, ears rearing back in shock, before a clouded hurt hazed over her eyes. A wall had been put up that hadn’t been there before, and she laughed, even though it was hollow. “…I can’t believe this.“

She shook her head as her voice then raised a bit more. “You know, I didn’t want to believe them—Hex and Lug—when they told me you had changed. They told me you sold your soul and became a monster. I had hoped that they were wrong. That.. you had a good reason for doing what you did to them.” She dipped her head and a few tears finally fell. “I guess I was wrong though, huh?”

“I did what needed to be done,” Starline declared firmly. “It’s not my fault the two of them just so happened to be convenient to my goals.”

He grit his teeth. Although some small part of him argued against his next words, he spoke them anyways. “At the end of the day, this was always how things were going to go. And now I’m finally where I rightfully belong...”

Starline’s eyes darted to the control board next to him. New plan.

Just as he anticipated, this answer caused Rivet’s anger to stir, and she shouted as she launched forward at him. But Starline hit a button on the panel and unlocked a steam value, which then blasted out and hit her, knocking her right over the edge of the catwalk.

His heart thudded for a moment as he realized how far of a fall that was, but as he glanced over, he saw she had caught herself on the one of the pipes above one of the swirling pools of liquid. After a moment of being dazed, she shook her head and glared back up at him.

Starline felt a small chill at the cold look, but he said nothing as he heard Tails’ voice approaching. Time to go. The fox would be able to save her if she could not save herself.

Without a second thought, Starline quickly called up a portal and made himself scarce, hoping through it and it into the hallway they had come from originally. Now that the cat was mad, he had no interest in sticking around to deal with her.

He had done his part in playing the distraction.

Now it was time to go support Eggman.

[aquasandyled]

Wlrst part hands down abut being a dr is hands down being s de

But the sedond worst part is phone consultations over the phone???? For third parties?????? Like ur friend calla i "hey my mom is sick what donigive jer" like bro lmao idk maybe take he to a dOCTOR??????????

[remtennaofficial]

*STANDBY...

OOC Intro post! -This blog follows it's own little continuity, but I'll allow interaction from pretty much anyone! -This is for a Chapter 3 OC of mine, Rem! They're the Dreemurs' TV remote, and Tenna's child. (This blog relies on a lot of fanon by extension but I try not to stray too far from what's been established as of now in canon) -Rem uses they/them pronouns! -Rem is a bit younger than Kris and friends, but not by much. -Okay with RPing as long as any other blog involved is also okay with it! (Same with general _offical blog interactions!) -Mod's just here to mess around n' have a good time so idk if I'll be super duper active compared to some other "_official" blogs out there Tag masterlist (may update): - channel guide (info post) - important updates + this post - standby mode (ooc) - mod posts - power on (as rem) - in character posts Character tags: - tv star (tenna) - r̵͚͠a̸̝̋d̵͖̕ì̸̮o̶̬̓ ̴̠̈́s̸̬̑t̴̫̀a̶̫͌r̸͍̓ ̷̢̉(̸̤͋m̶̢̍ǐ̸̮ḳ̶̈́ẽ̴͜)̵̝̈́ - busybodies (weather duo) - scam mail (spamton) - nighty knight (kris)

[sparrowlucero]

Instead of discourse about showrunners and lesbians and whatever, I'm gonna bring a different type of discourse...whats ur fav and least Dr Whomst monsters. Hard mode: only the practical ones.

ok so I do like all the obvious ones, I like the angels, I like the vashta nerada, I like the not-things, I like the eternals. Here's a few deeper cuts (focusing on the tv show specifically):

they peaked with these maggots. they rock. pretty sure they're made with taxidermy? really great puppetry. I really like this thing:

what a cool design for this kind of forgotten midseason episode.

this is such a fun design for a langolier-type monster. I love how their crest and tail gives them the silhouette of a grim reaper

The 60s cybermen rock. I feel like they're hesitant to use them often in the modern show because they do look very 1960s but I think there's something really uncomfortable and evocative about the cloth faces that's lost when they're cool metallic robots. The mix between looking like an old diving suit and the implication of there being a chopped up person inside is gnarly and I love it. Simple, creepy, iconic design.

My favorite design in the show is probably this:

The 456 from the spinoff series torchwood. They didn't need the puppet to emote or move a ton since it spends the entire season in a little tank obscured in mist, so they just went crazy with the design and made it really bizarre looking. Extremely top tier alien. Anyways, negative. I really don't like this satan. the satan kind of sucks. the impossible planet is great atmospheric sci fi horror; every image of build up in it is haunting and leagues ahead of the climactic scene where he meets the satan. It singlehandedly kind of kills the vibe.

Personally I would have just kept the actual appearance off screen, just have it be eyes in the dark or something. Apparently they also tossed around the idea that it would end up being a normal little girl who was chained up in the cave and I think that would have visually fit the rest of the episode better.

I'm really not big on the modern design for the sea devils (the green one on the right). I think the classic ones clearly took a lot of direct influence from real animals and generally is a pretty thoughtfully realized design, the modern ones seem like they were first and foremost using the classic ones for reference and didn't quite capture the nuance of the design. Sad, as I would really like to see design for these guys with modern puppetry.

I think this is actually a pretty contentious opinion but the work of the specific studio who headed this redesign generally wasn't my favorite. Apparently there was some sort of major, semi public falling out between the fx studio that had been working on the show since 2005 and the people who started running the show in 2018, and they were briefly replaced with a much less experienced studio. No hate to them of course (I think this was actually their first job like, ever, and a lot of the work was done in crunch time?) but the difference did stand out to me:

[notmyneighbor]

r&d | yog sothoth x female reader

part 1/?

words | 2.8k

tnmn nightmare mode, human experimentation, science fiction, human/vampire relationship, evil dr. w. afton, eventual explicit content, none in this chapter

ao3 link

When you first hear about the new program being offered by your employer, you’re more than a little hesitant.

It’s marketed as a way to help door guardians like yourself decompress after the rigors of screening so many doppelgangers, but you’re wary of the attached disclaimer that your sessions will be monitored and recorded ‘to further aid future candidates.’ It all feels a little too intrusive and boundary crossing for your liking, so it’s a fast decline from you—until you’re offered the extra incentive of a bonus check to sweeten the deal. Money talks, and the promised amount is practically screaming your name. In the end, you volunteer to be one of the pioneers in the study.

That’s how you find yourself in a room that looks more like a doctor’s office than the therapist’s cozy space you’d been expecting, the comfortable couch you’d imagined replaced with a chair that bears a resemblance to a dentist’s contraption more than anything else. Those misgivings and doubts are kicking in again, but then your mind argues back that there’s a good chunk of funds waiting for you at the end of this, so surely it’s not too much of a hardship to bear.

You’re more than a little surprised to see a familiar face after the receptionist guides you to the chair and leaves you to your fate. It’s one of the residents of the building you guard. That engaged physicist that lives on the third floor, W. Afton. You’ve always thought it odd that his first name isn’t revealed on any of his identification paperwork—everything on file only had his first initial listed.

He enters the room briskly, carrying a clipboard and a black case. He closes the door and sets the latter item down on the counter, then settles onto the wheeled stool nearby. You suddenly have the distinct, uncomfortable feeling that this is more of a medical program than a psychiatric one.

You lean forward, your bare arms sticking unpleasantly to the vinyl cushioning beneath you. “Dr. Afton? I think there’s been some misunderstanding. I’m going to just—”

He waves a hand in the air to interrupt you, scrawling something on the clipboard resting on his thighs before his head lifts. The way the fluorescent lighting touches his glasses temporarily obscures his eyes from sight. “Nonsense. You’ve agreed to participate. This is where you’re meant to be.”

“Um, with all due respect, I was led to believe this was a psychiatric program? Aren’t you a physicist?”

“My expertise lies in research, and that’s precisely what you’ve agreed to help the DDD with. You might as well sit back and get comfortable. I’m going to ask you a series of questions, and I want you to answer them to the best of your ability. The truth, mind you; not what you think you should say or what you think I want to hear.”

You shift in your seat, glancing at the closed door and licking your lips nervously. “Are we being monitored? The literature said we would be.”

He lifts a finger and points to the corner of two intersecting walls and you realize there is a camera there. “Visual only, no audio. As promised, this is being kept confidential to assure accuracy and no bias. You can confide in me with confidence.” His lips twitch in an almost smile. His eyeglasses slide down the bridge of his nose slightly and you see slate gray eyes regarding you, until he shoves them back into place and rakes back a tendril of dark hair that’s fallen across his forehead.

“Um…” Something about this is definitely off. A lot of somethings. “Would you mind showing me your documents first, so I can verify it’s really you?”

“Of course it’s really me. How else do you think I got inside this facility? This isn’t one of those wretched downtown apartments,” he says. You’re living in one of those so called wretched downtown apartments, you want to retort, but you bite your tongue. “Still, I suppose that’s what you’re accustomed to. A lingering sort of paranoia about verifying human identity,” he mumbles to himself, writing on the paper in his lap again. “Fine. I’ll humor you, just this once. Just to make you feel a little more comfortable.” He sets the pen and clipboard down and walks to your seat, digging in his pants pocket for a leather billfold. The doctor extracts his identification card and hands it to you. “I trust I don’t need to submit an entry request as well?”

You’d never spoken much to the man, in your tenure as doorman, and you’re beginning to see why. He’s unfriendly and borderline rude. You can feel the impatience and irritation wafting from him. What did Mia, the schoolteacher he is engaged to, see in him? She’s so cheerful and kind. Opposites attract, maybe.

“It looks okay,” you mumble, handing the card back to Afton. He tucks it inside his wallet and the accessory vanishes back into his pocket. “I trust you’re satisfied? Or is there some other protocol you feel you need to follow?”

“No, you’re fine.” You feel your cheeks flushing at his condescending demeanor.

“As I’ve said already.” The soles of his polished dress shoes click loudly on the linoleum as he returns to his seat, retrieving the clipboard and writing utensil again. “Now then, shall we begin? We’re wasting valuable company time.”

“Yes.”

“Good. First question. Have you ever mistakenly misidentified a doppelganger? Or a human?”

“No to both.” It was true. Your track record, thus far, has been impeccable.

A grunt and another mark on the paper. “Have any of the doppelgangers ever threatened violence?”

“A few. Mainly once they’ve been called out.”

“Did any of them ever try to bribe you to gain entry?”

“No. I did have one promise to fully reveal himself if I let him in, and he also stated I must not like my neighbors that much, so it wouldn’t matter if I let him in anyway.”

Afton pauses, his pen freezing mid stroke. “How do you think he arrived at that conclusion? That you did not care for your neighbors? Did you have much discourse with him prior to this?”

“No. No more than the usual standard greeting. He remembered to show his card and his entry request, and they were a perfect forgery, but he wasn’t on the day’s list of expected entrants.”

“Is that when the doppel revealed himself?”

“Yes.”

“Were you frightened?”

“Of course. But the barrier is there as soon as I sound the alarm. And the DDD cleaners always come right away.”

Some more writing follows this. Afton presses on the metal at the top of the board to release the pages and turns the top one over, releasing the spring and snapping the holder back into place. “Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night?”

You shrug. “Sometimes.”

“Do you find yourself thinking about your job, even when you are off duty?”

“I guess so.”

The physicist’s lips press in a thin line. “Keep your responses to definitive yes or no answers, please.” He jerks on the tail end of his necktie to straighten it. It is a deep shade of eggplant today.

“Yes,” you say, knowing your tone is definitely a little sharp, but you’re unable to help it. You’ve been on edge ever since the man walked into the room.

“What sorts of things do you think about?”

“Wondering if I made all the right decisions. What the next day will bring. What would happen if the doppels got better at disguising themselves and blending in. Where they come from in the first place.”

Afton taps the end of the pen against the paper thoughtfully. “Do you think that will happen? That they’ll eventually be successful? That you’ll make the wrong decision?”

“I hope not. But yes, it’s a concern of mine.”

“A fear, too, wouldn’t you say?”

“I suppose so.” He glares at you. “Yes,” you clarify, gritting your teeth.

“I see.” He writes briefly and then sets the items back on the counter, this time reaching for the black case as he rises. His back blocks the contents from view.

“So now what happens?”

“You’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain, so now it’s time we fulfilled ours. Providing an outlet for these pent up fears of yours.”

“Which means?”

Lightning fast, Afton slips something into his lab coat pocket. He turns to face you, and the smile he has is nothing short of sinister, a kind of rictus, as if he is one of the doppels, trying the motion out without understanding its purpose.

“You’re finally going to get caught up on some of that sleep you’ve been missing. You know, because you’ve been so worried about the doppelgangers.”

“I didn’t say—”

“Now, now. None of that. It’s too late to change your answers. It’s all been documented.” Almost casually he reaches out to rest a hand on the arm of your chair and you hear a clicking sound. In the blink of an eye twin metal bands snap over your wrists.

“What the fuck?!” You struggle against the restraints, your heels flailing and digging in uselessly as your squirm, trying to escape. “Let me go!”

“You agreed to this, remember?”

“To be restrained? No way. Get me out of this thing right now.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that just yet. One more step to go.” His voice is so calm, so placid. He’s making it sound as if this is the most normal thing in the world. His hand disappears into his coat pocket and you finally see what he’d hidden there earlier: a syringe with some eerie glowing fluid. “You’re going to want to hold still for this. It would be so unfortunate if I missed and had to puncture your skin more than once.” He does not look the least bit remorseful. Instead, there is a look of almost glee on his normally solemn features. Excitement. He’s enjoying this.

“You can’t inject me with that! I don’t consent! Help!”

“You’re wasting your breath. Sound proof room. Confidential, remember? As I told you earlier. And you did consent. We have your signature on file. A legally binding contract.” His fingers curl around your elbow, turning the joint slightly so he has access to the larger vein in the hollow of your upper extremity,

“This can’t possibly be legal. You’re not a medical doctor! You don’t even know how to give an injection!

”Do you think the doppels are the only ones who know how to forge an ID?” His voice is a low, sultry rasp. Gloating, now.

You gape at him. “What the…who are you?”

“The name is real enough. I suppose we’re better acquainted now, so you can learn my first name. Not that you’ll remember any of this later. It’s William.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because it’s what I do. My job. Seeing this through. Experimenting. Research. Enough chatter.” You feel the tip of the needle laid against your skin and you instantly freeze, holding your breath.

“Please, stop, William,” you implore gently, hoping this approach might prove more effective than yelling and struggling, knowing all the same it’s a futile attempt.

Afton’s gray eyes meet yours. “Sweet dreams. See you when you get back.” Pain. Heat inside your arm, then liquid ice.

Darkness.

***

The first thing you smell is brimstone.

You’re not even sure how you recognize that scent. Your eyes open and you find yourself in the security booth you work in every day.

But it’s different.

Four eyes, one at each corner of the window, stare back at you, following your hand movements. The walls are spattered with blood. The papers and files are crumpled and stained. There’s an ominous looking fluid dripping from the air vent. The handle of the phone looks like it’s coated in some unpleasant substance. There are holes in the plaster and some of the wiring for the door panel control is exposed, the ends fraying. You shudder and the eyes follow this motion too, ever attentive.

A tapping sound draws your attention back to the window.

You have a prospective entrant outside the glass, their hand resting on that clear panel, which has several spidery cracks, you notice with a growing sense of alarm. There are claws clicking on that smudged surface that needed to be wiped down with ammonia desperately, the owner bearing a strong resemblance to the man you know as Francis Mosses.

Alike in some ways, such as the general build and facial structure, but different, too. These eyes are golden and red rimmed. He has pierced ears, silver spikes driven into each. A gold nose ring. A choker with spikes to match the earrings, with a padlock dangling from his throat. Whereas the milkman always wears a white uniform, this figure is clad in a black dress shirt with some suspicious stains on his left chest. There are also a pair of fangs poking from the barrier of his lips, and your first immediate thought is that this pale figure is a vampire.

Ludicrous, right? But then again, is it any more wild than the eyes that are watching you from the window frame, the obviously trippy effects of whatever junk Afton has injected you with taking hold, making you have this strange nightmare?

The figure slides an ID card and entry request into the slot and you want to laugh at that mundane formality. As if you’re going to let a bloodsucker in. Yes, see, it says it right there on his paperwork. He went out to suck blood. Vampire.

“You’re new, human.”

Your eyes flick up to the creature’s face. “Have there been many others here?”

“A few.” He nods towards the room you’re standing inside. “You gonna hit the buzzer and let me in?”

“I…” You glance down at his name. Yog Sothoth. He lives in a different apartment than Francis. A different floor entirely, if these documents are accurate. “This is just a bad dream. It has to be. None of this is real.”

“It’s real. That DDD from your world found a way to create a portal here. Drugged you and sent you through it, just like the others.”

You frown. “It says here astral plane? What does that mean?”

“Exactly what it says on the label. You’re in an alternate realm that can only be reached through spiritual transcendence. In short, your mind is here, your body elsewhere. At least, I think that’s how it works.”

“This is crazy.” You pause. “What happened to the others? The humans who got here before me?”

“I couldn’t tell you. They disappear fairly quickly. Not sure who’s responsible. It wasn’t me,” he adds quickly. “If that’s what you’re thinking. I just take a little at a time. And I don’t discriminate. Blood is blood, though I must say your species is a lot cleaner than some of the other riffraff around here.”

“If it’s only your mind that’s here, why do you need to feed at all?”

“Mmm, doesn’t work that way. Me and the other residents, we are actually, physically here. It’s just you humans that are straddling both worlds.”

“I do have a physical form here, though. I can interact with things.” You lift up Yog’s entry request to demonstrate. “This makes no sense.”

The vampire shrugs. “I don’t make the rules, I just exist by them. So, am I good to come in?”

“There are really doppels here, too?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“How do I get back home?”

“I don’t know, exactly. Maybe the DDD will bring you back when the experiment or whatever the hell they’re doing is over? The other humans I spoke with seemed as in the dark about it as you are.”

“The DDD,” you murmur darkly. You’ve been proud to work for them. Glad to be able to help your fellow neighbors. Now, though? You hardly know what to think.

“Not sure which is worse, to be honest.”

You grunt in agreement. Afton had said something about seeing you when you got back, so you have to believe that there will actually be a return trip. There didn’t seem to be much purpose behind just sending you along one way and then not gaining any knowledge from that venture. He’d also mentioned you wouldn't remember what had happened in the office with him, which also makes you wonder: are you doomed to just keep repeating this experiment? Unwittingly participating because you’ll have no recollection of the DDD’s seeming betrayal? What was the point of any of this? You slide Yog’s things back to him, forcing yourself to focus on the creature standing across from you. “You’re chattier than Francis.”

“Francis?”

“The human that looks like you in my world. You seem like you’re a good person like he is. Maybe that’s the same in every universe.” You push the button to release the lock on the door. “I guess I might as well let you in.”

The bloodsucker hesitates. “I hope you make it back home safely. If I don’t see you tomorrow, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

You lock the door behind him.

[tizeline]

The Sep AU is super interesting, like it grabbed my brain and does not want to let go-

I find it interesting how from the Drax Trios innitial perspective everything Donnie is just justifies their opinion more-

Donnies dark aesthetic, murderous humor, dangerous machines, deadpan attitude and lack of liking of magic combined with his alleged backstory and being friends with a human? U could really argue he got indoctrinated into being a villainous mad scientist or smth. They don't know that that's just him, Donnie TM. I can absolutely see them being worried that "Long lost brother" got brainwashed so badly and how annoying that could be for Donnie himself lol

I'm also curious on Donnies relationship with Splinter. Is it better than in canon or similar to Canon or worse? Since in Canon Donnie is craving parental approval, does he still here?

Thank u for (potentially) answering :)

First of all, "Drax Trio", thank you, I needed an easier way to refer to specifically Raph, Leo and Mikey in this AU so I'm gonna steal that

Second, yeah, Donnie acting like a cartoon villain is really just cementing the Drax Trio's idea that he's been corrupted by humans. You know Draxum's villain song in the show? I can totally see Donnie putting on a perfomance like that XD Speaking of Draxum, to be fair he's very alike Donnie in the way that he's fully embracing the whole Evil Scientist aesthetic, but in that case his sons would just excuse it with "oh haha dad's just a bit silly goofy don't worry about it it's not like he's actually evil!"

Anyway, you know how Mikey basically forced Draxum into having a redemtion arc in the show? He'd try to do the same with Donnie in this AU. I've been thinking about this for a while so I'm defintiely gonna draw it, but he's constantly going full Dr. Feelings mode trying to teach Donnie how to be a "good person" and such and Donnie finds it INCREDIBLY annoying!

And Splinter! Being a single parent taking care of a child who was created to be a super soldier while living in the sewers is HARD, but not nearly as hard as taking care four of them at the same time under the same conditions. So while Splinter is still dealing with depression and burn out in this AU, he's doing better than what he is in canon. For years Splinter and Donnie would literally only have each other, so they'd end up growing closer as a result. That being said, because Donnie didn't have any siblings to spend time with, he'd end up demanding a lot more attention from Splinter. Which he didn't always recieve, because his dad is still very much dealing with a lot of emotional baggage. To summarize, Splinter is still a flawed parent, but he's not terrible by any means, he and Donnie are close, but Donnie is also a lot more lonely (especially before meeting April).

[reasonsforhope]

"The search has intensified for alternative energy-saving technologies for heating and cooling that don’t run on fossil fuels.

Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, Chinese scientists have developed a cheap energy-efficient, cost-effective coating on houses.

They say the new material could keep buildings cool in the summer or warm in the winter without using additional energy.

“Many desert creatures have specialized adaptations to allow them to survive in harsh environments with large daily temperature shifts,” said Dr. Fuqiang Wang, author on the paper describing the invention and researcher at the Harbin Institute of Technology. “For example, the Namaqua chameleon of southwestern Africa alters its color to regulate its body temperature as conditions change.”

Pictured: A Namaqua Chameleon

...Many systems, such as cooling paints or colored steel tiles, are only designed to keep buildings either cool or warm, and can’t switch between modes.

Inspired by the Namaqua chameleon, Dr. Wang and his colleagues wanted to create a color-shifting coating that adapts as outside temperatures fluctuate...

When heated to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the surface began to change from dark to light grey. Once it reached 86F, the light-colored film reflected up to 93% of solar radiation.

“Even when heated above 175 degrees Fahrenheit for an entire day, the material showed no signs of damage,” reported Dr. Wang.

The team then tested it alongside three conventional coatings—regular white paint, a passive radiative cooling paint, and blue steel tiles in outdoor tests on doghouse-sized buildings throughout all four seasons...

In summer, the new coating was significantly cooler than the white paint and steel tiles, according to the findings published in the journal Nano Letters.

“During spring and fall, the new coating was the only system that could adapt to the widely fluctuating temperature changes, switching from heating to cooling throughout the day,” Dr. Wang added.

The researchers say that the color-changing system could save a “considerable” amount of energy for regions that experience multiple seasons, while still being inexpensive and easy to manufacture."

-via Good News Network, September 21, 2023

[thebitchesterbrothers]

„Nobody leaves this room until we’ve found my ring!“

Oh, great. Ava needs to be at the other end of the campus for her next class in fifteen minutes.

„Is he serious right now? It’s not our fault he lost his stuff.“ Doug, one of the other students dramatically rolled his eyes.

„Oh come on, have some sympathy. It’s probably antique and ridiculously expensive. Just help him find it and we can all be on our way.“

Just five minutes ago Ava was listening to Professor Gadlings lecture about early modern drama when he noticed the lack of his ring. One of the braver students had once asked him about his kind of uncharacteristically flashy ring he was sporting on his left hand.

The professor was known on campus as a very down-to-earth guy, almost suspiciously normal. Wearing cozy and practical clothes he always gave off the impression of a perfect son-in-law. In Ava’s opinion there was still a kind of mysterious aura about him but she never managed to put it into words. Not too much was known about him despite his cheery and social behavior.

It all added to his attractiveness. If one was into middle aged history professors…so basically at least half of the class had a crush on Mister Gadling and Ava surely was a leading member of the unofficial Dr. Robert Gadling fan club. For academic purposes only, of course.

That particular ring however didn’t seem like something the man would buy for himself. It was gold, beautifully carved and had a massive ruby embedded in the center of it.

It was just a touch too flamboyant for their professor that there had to be a story behind it.

But all he would give them as an answer was a sly smile and a cryptic comment about „how Shakespeare would die of jealousy if he could see him now.“

Said ring was now missing. When Gadling noticed his bare finger all hell broke loose.

Running his hands frantically through his hair, pulling it into a tight ponytail only to undo it seconds later. Crawling under his cluttered desk and painfully bumping his head in the process.

For a minute or two it was admittedly funny to watch the man sweat but now Ava just felt sorry for him. If she’d own such an obviously expensive piece of jewellery she would freak out too. Maybe it was an old family heirloom of some kind. The man owned all kinds of weird historic stuff, that much was for sure.

And apparently now they all had to help him find it if they wanted to leave this room anytime today.

So this is how Ava finds herself now on the surprisingly clean floors of lecture hall number five, looking for a shiny piece of metal along with her classmates.

Gadling seems to slowly but surely drift off into panic mode, spurring them on while turning every pocket of his trousers inside out, his hair sticking in every direction like one of the cartoon characters from her childhood. A mad scientist indeed.

“It has to be in this room! Keep looking! I can’t go home without it…and believe me when I say we’re all going to have a terrible night of disturbing dreams if we don’t manage to find it!” What is that supposed to mean, please?

Just as he’s about to flip his desk - yes, the very heavy and very antique looking desk - an unfamiliar voice breaks the chaotic atmosphere.

“Are you looking for something specific, professor? You seem quite distressed.”

And if Mister Gadling appeared ‘distressed’ before he’s outright shocked now.

In front of the old oak door leading into freedom - Ava can’t wait to finally leave this madhouse - stands the most gorgeous and posh looking goth prince she’s ever seen. Damn, those cheekbones alone are to die for, but his voice…dark, soothing, absolutely mesmerizing. The man looks regal even in a place that is anything but. That long flowing coat is a bit much though.

“Oh. You. Are here.” What happened to her eloquent professor?

“Indeed I am, Hob.” Hob? What kind of nickname is that?

“I mean why? Why exactly are you here? It’s just that you never visited before.”

Ava crawls back from under her chair to not miss a minute of whatever the hell this is.

She swears that Gadling - Hob, she remembers - starts to blush like a shy school girl. Who is that man that makes her professor lose his cool?

Meanwhile the rest of the classroom stopped the search for the ring, instead staring without shame at the play in front of them.

“My duties prevented me from visiting one of your lectures. I apologize for that. But you missed something of great value this morning. I thought you might want it back.”

And with that emo king (Ava really needs to find out that man’s name) calmly walks towards her professor, completely unaffected by his nosy audience.

Once he reaches the other man he gently takes his hand, opens it … and places a ring into his palm. Not just any ring, no.

The ring that “definitely has to be in this room”, as Ava recalls professor Gadlings voice. So much for that.

The stranger looks clearly amused at mister Gadlings obvious embarrassment.

“You left it next to the sink after washing the dishes. Then you realized how late you were and forgot to put it back on. I had to stop Matthew from hiding it under his pillow.”

Did Gadling have a cat? That man would surely get a cat and name it Matthew.

Gadling looks as relieved as he looks stressed by now.

“Thank you. I may have overreacted a bit.”

More than a few students agree on that but are too smart to make a comment.

That dark dream of a man fondly tucks a strand of hair behind their professors ear and wow, what’s happening? Ava tries to be as silent as possible to not ruin this moment. Her friends will never believe her.

Apparently Gadling finally found his voice again.

“You came all this way just to…”

“To take your wedding ring where it belongs, husband.”

And with that he places an almost chaste kiss on the other man’s lips and abruptly turns around to leave the - absolutely stunned and silent - room. Everyone is openly staring at poor mister Gadling now. Ava is pretty sure she saw one of the younger students filming or at least taking a picture of the whole thing. She’ll have to ask for evidence.

“Okay listen. None of this ever happened. You saw and heard nothing. Thank you for your help. Goodbye.”

Gadling quickly dismisses his students and almost flees the lecture hall.

Days later Ava still isn’t sure she witnessed a very elaborate fever dream

[snackugaki]

.... i have been so normal about wanting to draw tactical!Venus and tactical!Jennika.

hey. HEY. y’all need to go check out @donathan ‘s artwork, and if you are the proper age, go throw some money into their patreon for some... some real, real good art. 👀👀👀 ...but do not if you are a minor, that shit ain’t for you.

some IDW TMNT comic spoilers... and.... I guess... Next Mutation ssspoilers? I know some of you kids haven’t turtled up and watched my beloved childhood iteration yet.

alright, so, y’know, completely normal expenditure of my energy and skillset, amirite? big big thanks to @/donathan for allowing me to play around in their AU’s aesthetic because I have severe, terminal VenusAndJennikaDeserveEverythingoccocal SoIWillManifestItMyselfitis.

and tbh, all y’all’s fics have been, mwah, chef’s kiss. but SOME of you put LORE. delicious, tasty, appetite-inducing lore.

and i am nothing but the littlest hoebag for lore.

okay so, quick rundown for those who both A) are immune to spoilers B) also do not know Venus or Jennika’s origins-- bulletpoint time~!

So Venus de Milo, the “girl turtle”, the “fifth turtle” (not counting April’s extremely brief stint as a white-bandana’d turtle in the Archie comics run) was introduced in 1997′s Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

An episode of “The Toys That Made Us” touched upon Venus’ creation so idk it’ll cover what I won’t deign to acknowledge.

her backtory is interesting (just her show was a trashfire /affectionate)

Master Splinter’s frolicking around in the dreamscape where all the cool enlightened old people hang out away from teenagers, right?

but oh no! dragon lord, a bad dude with a widow’s peak to rival Vegeta Dragonball’s widow’s peak; is there too! stomping around, ruining shit!

Splinter’s dreamscape buddy Chung I warns Splinter to stay out of the dreamscape ‘cuz Dragon Lord’s around

And like in true old people fashion, just ignores his friend’s admonition and tries to investigate himself

bad choice, womp womp

Splinter gets trussed up and rendered “stuck” in the dreamscape

cue the catalyst for Venus to make the 10+ flight from China to the U.S

don’t worry about what the boys were doing, just literal surfing in sewer grey water, breaking their little turtle skulls on cinderblocks, and picking fights in warehouses with Foot clan goons

tl;dr Venus still has Sixth Ranger mode on, so naturally she whoops all of their asses in the dark, ties them up (like how some of y’all enjoy writing Leo does huhu nudgenudge winkwink)

venusistheoriginalshibarienthusiastandteadrinkerfightme

and then, y’know, it’s still the 90s and children’s television so blah blah the usual “oH My gOd a GiRL tURTle???/?? AWoooOOogaaa ga ga ga” 

it’s.... I mean, i’m 38 so it no longer strikes me as bad as just really fucking embarrassing... for them. to be written saying. fuck, at least they didn’t make her bandana color pink.

so fast forward to Venus teaching them to dreamwalk so they can go rescue Splinter from Dragon Lord’s clutches in the dreamscape.

unfortunately, Dragon Lord offscreen murders Chung I so Venus is narratively anchorless post-rescue, so she’s invited to stay with them. thus ensues wacky hijinks with their new pal, Venus Boom Boom de Milo.

I glossed over the urge to write a cumulative review of Next Mutation. Just, take my word as the target demographic of the show during the last gasps of 90s Turtlemania that TNM was a trashfire overall but... y’know... if you ever needed a palette cleanser after some grimdark or angsty TMNT content, give TNM a whirl. The slapstick was intentional and The Point in the show. Venus’ circumstances for coming was as serious as it would get.

... Also, yes, they made them not related in TNM, preteen snackugaki didn’t clock why because I watched a lot of wuxia as a kid so brotherhood is a term beyond blood ties to me (and if I’m being honest, martial brotherhood is fkkn metal) and later I heard tell that it was to lure more girls into the franchise with both a girl turtle and romance options. which idk whatevs man. 

I also have to clear that, actually no, Donatello and Venus did not fight EVERY episode. Donatello, despite sprinkling a little too much barely disguised snobbery, did defer to Venus’ expertise in “the supernatural” when the situation called for it, and Venus would commend Donnie on his scientific ingenuity. They even teamed up skillsets to create surveillance drones! She essentially casted Calm Emotions on him while he tried to hack the controls of the Astro Megaship back for the In Space Rangers. They breached the divide between STEM and Humanities! They only had one “real fight" near the end of the season-- because Donnie was playing his containment breach elevator mid trash copyright strike immune proto-EDM too loud while she was trying to meditate. and that’s just being bad roommates tbh.

...christ I know it’s gonna come up too, but also NO, there was not constant advances made toward Venus during the show. At most was Mikey pulling his ol’ “I work out every day~!” schtick for like 2 episodes of the 5 spent to introduce Venus. And then after? A shipper’s desert, you’d have to dig and peer behind like 8 curtains for any viable fodder. 

...OKAY NOW FOR JENNIKA’S ORIGINS: Jennika is an IDW character specifically so, naturally why she isn’t in (or would’ve been, AHEM) a lot of iterations yet (or at all, COUGH) (but to continue in honesty there’s a lot of legal tape to cut through since Jennika is IDW’s while TMNT overall is Nick’s) Introduced as a Foot Assassin, her place in the Foot Clan shifts when Splinter takes over from Shredder (Saki), eventually she forms actual bonds with both the turtles and Splinter to where it’s implied she also saw him as an important figure to her if not an outright surrogate father figure. And because TMNT is mess and drama the other 50% of the time, Karai takes over the Foot from Splinter and shenanigans compounded by Karai’s then-current machinations for the Foot-- results in Jennika getting shanked in the stomach by Karai during a clandestine meeting to resolve clan rivalry. She’s losing blood fast, Donnie works to save her and it’s Leo who volunteers for blood transfusion to keep her stable mid-transit. 

SURPRISE!

Leo’s blood mutates Jennika into a mutant turtle. And then Casey ghosts/dumps her. My poor daughter. She has a real rough time of it before fully integrating with the boys. Raph falls in with Old Hob, gets hoodwinked, and now they live in Mutant Town. Jennika slowly finds herself again, as a mutant turtle, a Splinter clan ninja, a girlfriend, a guitarist in a band she started, a sister in a found family, and a constable to a very little town.

okay! we’re all marginally informed about my two wonderfull daughters, Venus and Jennika~!

so if I can indulge further, I’m going to use my cognizance and make it everyone’s problem because I have beem quietly foaming with ideas for bg lore for tactical!J&V, more bullet points!

ok so, donathan mentioned a bit about their tac! Leo and Donnie being the snipers, Mikey and Raph spotting for them while also being demolitions and heavy ordinance specialists respectively

I would think, then for Vee and Jen, they’d be classified as close quarters combat specialists, complicated extraction? compromised area? call them to clean up and clear out~

give or take “magic” being a thing used in donathan’s AU, or anyone’s AU of this AU, Vee would probably be a close combat specialist along with Jen.

Vee, I feel, would, barring a ...”tactical fan”, (even though in TNM it was just her fists and her little wizard components but her toy came with a fan so.) probably use batons, Jen in lieu of her tekagi-shuko would... most likely use tactical karambit. not that large of a leap really.

for my personal lulz, Vee and Jen are... accurate, height-wise. Raph gets to be the biggest brother since alligator snapping turtles are, in fact, the largest motherfucking freshwater turtles on the north american continent. no getting around it.

my Vee in all Rise AUs is a softshell since the messy hanzi used to write her first given name, Mei Pieh Chi (美鱉气) has the hanzi that’s most commonly translated as softshell turtle (鱉). eh ‘di wow talaga

snacku what do you mean ‘accurate’???? tl;dr female turtles are usually the larger ones in most species.

and listen, I love and I mean LOVE, how some of y’all have written the tac!boys, mwah; but god I’m a professional turtle bully. I need to see them get dunked on. for nutritional value. and if it comes to it, I will provide that food for myself. brb laughing at eventually drawing Venus just offhandedly tossing Donnie into the air to skeet shoot his ass for fun brings me the greatest joy.

they absolutely dote on Mikey, as is the natural order of things. 

and even tho I stated TNM Donnie and Venus got along in the show, and depending on the existence of magic in this AU; I just really love dichotomous rivalries (in as much “science” and “magic” exist as a dichotomy, much less as “diametrically oppose” fields-- just, opposites man. i’m a simple girl with simple trope needs)

Vee’s arms (and legs) are absolutely covered in burns, scars, and missing flesh divots, just as close to swiss cheese limbs as you can be

Jen and Donnie debate tracks that go into their joint “On Our Way To Commit Murder” playlist

if Vee’s tactical look seem very familiar, and you’re wondering if-- yes, you’re correct. and you can “call her ms. de milo if ya nasty”

Vee was actually pretty calm and rational in TNM... but for this AU, she can be a little unhinged, as a well-deserved treat. (and ‘cuz that specific anime unhinged facial expression is fun as fuck to draw, which is my treat)

[canarysage]

…make a psd look interesting?

aka, how to fuck up a psd no glue no borax. have you ever looked at your psd and gone, damn, this shit doesn’t fuck? happens to the best of us. here are easy ways to spice up your psds so you don’t end up with the editor equivalent of communion bread

for example purposes, i made a simplistic psd to test these methods on. they should work with most psds, but, as always, fuck around and find out on your own for best results <3

i. threshold + gradient map

this one is an easy way to add specific colors to your psds. step one: add a threshold layer, and adjust it your liking. typically, i set mine to somewhere between 60-40. if you’re making a psd to work on dark skintones, you may want to set it even lower, but if you’re working with, say, pjsk characters, you can go pretty high

wow flashbang. you can see on my example behind that it doesn’t work super well on irl pictures, and my pjsk images don’t have threshold at all lol. next thing you want to do is set the blending mode of your threshold layer to either multiply or darken—they’re basically the same thing

(psst, if you want to know more about blending modes, check out this post!)

waow crunchy! but still boring right? still boring. not to worry, here’s the fun part: add a gradient map layer, tap it, and go to the slidey icon on the side, which’ll bring up a page like this:

click the gradient in the middle there to edit it. once in, edit the black color to be at about 80-90%, and then change the white color to whatever you like. edit out, and tap the little square next to the text that says “reverse” which should make your gradient look more or less like this:

then change the blending mode on your gradient map to ‘screen’ which’ll axe all the black and just leave your color. now your image looks like this:

boy howdy, isn’t that fucked up! it is more interesting, but if you don’t want to be looking at that abomination, change your color in your gradient map to be darker, which’ll give you something more along the lines of:

…which is much more reasonable. this is a fun way to add color to your shadows slash lineart, and can be a quick and easy way to make a psd look less flat.

ii. noise gradient map

some of you may be thinking, but, canarysage, what the fuck is a noise gradient map? to which i reply: you’re boring. let me show you.

kinda fucked up, right? well, that’s the goal. unfortunately, there isn’t a way to directly edit a gradient map, but you can just click that little button that says ‘randomize’ a couple times until you get something you like! you can also mess with the percentages but i don’t do that because it looks weird

boy howdy, that’s weird looking. not to worry, though. once again, our best friend blending mode is going to come in handy

i typically go to soft light and set the opacity to about 20-30%, but, as with anything, feel free to mess around and do whatever you want. luminosity is also a fun setting for noise gradient maps, just make sure to crank the opacity way down for the sake of my eyes

wow, much better! you can see that the gradient map added a bit of purple coloring and a funky little texture. super cool! thank you, gradient map!

iii. channel mixer

i already have a post on channel mixer and i’m not rewriting all that so if you don’t know how channel mixer works check that shit out but the tl;dr is: ideally, all your channels should add up to 100 (including negative numbers) but that rule can be broken if it looks cool enough. capiche?

iv. color lookup

photopea has a few default color lookups that are pretty easy to use, but i have a couple of presets that i like to add if i’m feeling stuck. to make your own color lookup, open up a psd, and go to file > export color lookup

then save it and open it from your files. when you open a color lookup layer, you’ll see an arrow next to the text saying LUTs—click that and your new color lookup should be there

once you tap that, you’ll get a compressed version of your psd added to your folder. it’ll look something like this:

holy orange and blue, batman. luckily, you can apply blending modes to color lookups just like any other layer—mess around with them until it looks how you want!

waow much more reasonable! i set this one on color and about 55% opacity, but that is really dependent on what your color lookup looks like and how you want your psd to look. remember, there’s no right way to do things!

an additional note: if you want to, you can save the psd you’re working on as a color lookup instead. if it looks too simple or just isn’t turning out how you want, that’s a good way to incorporate it later :3 just follow the same steps as above!

v. no shame in starting over

if you’ve added and taken away, duplicated and removed, fucked around and found out, and your psd still isn’t how you want: it’s alright to just axe it. the edit police aren’t gonna kill you for it, i promise. if you’re worried about wanting it later, just save it as a psd and come back when your brain is refreshed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

psd-making isn’t an exact art, so, obviously, there’s no real simple solution to making it look how you want. you just have to mess with it and see what you’ve got. these are just my methods of making my psds less blagh, but, obviously, my editing is moderately more deranged than your average editor.

…so that’s how you do it.

[toriangeli]

Do you think armand ever loved louis in the show that was left a little vague especially with this finale.

I'll be controversial: I don't think Armand understands what love is at this juncture. He confuses it with safety, or at least security. Like Assad pointed out, he is primarily concerned with how the other person can help him survive.

Of the few people he might say have truly loved him, he'd list basically everyone who lived under Marius' roof, all of whom were burned to death by the Children of Darkness. Then if he knew the same people as in the books, he'd list Allesandra, his cultist den mom who helped torture him, and maybe Santino, who served the kind of purpose in his life some people attribute to Marius. Bianca, a friend of his in Venice, would also come up. Of those people, I think the only ones who loved him selflessly were those more his own age, like Riccardo (a fellow apprentice) and probably Bianca after a point. Marius tried, but admitted to failure in TVA.

At this point on the show, he can't even list his parents, and I'm pretty sure it was the slavers who told him his parents sold him into slavery so he'd stop trying to escape.

So he doesn't have a lot of very good examples of what real love looks like.

Did he feel great affection for Louis? Yes. But I'm not sure that's the same thing as love. I don't think it mattered that much what Louis' personality was, whether they shared goals or values. Louis was someone. Louis was outside the stagnant world Armand was trying to escape. That was what Armand loved.

I don't say this to mean he's heartless. People as severely mentally ill as, like, 100% of the characters on this show except Madeleine and Claudia, are trapped in survival mode. Survival mode isn't concerned with what happens outside the person. This leads a lot of people to cry pathological narcissism when the self-centeredness is really a symptom of a million different mental disorders.

Now, later on in the books, Armand is able to love selflessly, and loves Louis in this way he couldn't love him before (he mentions loving Louis in Blood Communion). His love for Lestat, as well, is able to make this transition. and he's supportive of their happiness together even if it means he doesn't get either of them. But at this early stage, he isn't able to do that. He's too busy guarding his vital organs to embrace someone unconditionally.

This can also be true of Louis, in a different way. Louis out of anyone has truly crippling depression, always has, and Jacob has talked about how the trauma of his brother's suicide made him reluctant to love. Survival mode.

Mind you, this is all completely separate from Armand's disorganized attachment style. People with a disorganized attachment style can love. Armand specifically can't remember how to do so. Nothing he learned about love and goodness has mattered since he was taken by the Children of Darkness. Those were things actively working against his survival once that happened. All he got for holding out trying to stand for his beliefs and his loved ones was an absolutely harrowing few pages of torture.

tl;dr: it's complicated.

[quitealotofsodapop]

The evolution of Wukong through the eyes of the Pilgrims (mainly Zu Baije and Sja Wujing)

A terrifying beast that is only held back by the monk's presence and his divine leash. Can and will kill them all at the first chance. Wujing suspects that he might also be very lonely, but hesitates to reach out. Baijie is just grumpy and resentful.

When Wukong gets banished they are initially worried about retribution. That he'd attack them once Tripitaka reveals the circlet does not come off and he doesn't know how to remove it. When Wukong instead, visibly upset but not angry, Wujing begins to suspect they went too far. Baije is smug. Both soon realize that they definitely went too far when Ao Lie immediately bucks Tripitaka off and kicks Baijie before transforming back into his humanoid form to ask what the ever loving HELL was wrong with them. They all are horrified to realize Wukong had kept his pregnancy secret.

Upon entering FFM at Ao Lie's insistence, the pilgrims are immediately confronted with the smell of smoke and the sight of burnt trees and ashes. At first, Baije suspects Wukong might have done it, only to be reprimanded by the Stalwart whom had met them. Wujing us just feeling sorrow upon being told thus was Heaven's doing. An example made of a once paradise to punish the king who was trapped and already facing the Budfha's wrath, completely out of sheer spite. Baije is horrified upon being told this very bluntly and that with Wukong's return they finally have hope for the first time in over 500 years.

When they finally see Wukong on FFM it strikes them. It was the first time they've seen a gentle Wukong and realized he was not a monster. Baije grumbles that he's still a jerk and Wujing finally feels encouragement to approach and befriend Wukong. Things start to look up.

As months pass, they gradually get closer, Ao Lie noticeably being protective. Baije comes to the wrong conclusion and jokes about Ao Lie trying to be Wukong's baby daddy. Wukong shoots back that he already had a mate thank you very much, Baije and Wujing are shocked, Tripitaka asks if they were one of the monkeys on the island Wukong admits that Macaque wasn't there and he had no idea where he left, nor was he aware of the Egg. He says Macaque and him had broken up before he could tell him and tells then about the incident uner the mountain, claiming it to be his fault as Macaquehas appeeared shortly after some mountain gods had poured molten copper down his throat and made hurtful comments and he had lashed out at his mate. Baije feels righteous fury and makes a mental note about hot foods. Tripitaka needs a moment. Wujing punches a boulder. They start to notice Wukong's habits.

Dr. Wukong chapter happens. Pilgrims have the realization that Wukong is hella smart. Tripitaka gifts Wukong with some alchemy and medicinal books they picked up in town, stating that medicine is a good skill for a monk to have as an excuse for the luxury. They hadn't expected him to jump up and down like a little kid at the thought of learning! Cute.

Macaque appears! Wukong and him are forced to fight until Baije finally gets fed up and shouts at him to stop before he kills his unborn child. Macaque freezes as he suddenly registers one too many heartbeats. Unable to handle the revelation that Wukong was pregnant and he almost struck him with his staff, Macaque flees to gather his thoughts. Wukong is heartbroken. They begin to see a shadow following Wukong.

Macaque appears again at the request of the Brotherhood and gets bitten by Ao Lie and punched by Tripitaka, respectively. The events of Camel Ridge happen. Baije and Wujing are pissed. Wukong is very upset. Macaque has gained the Pilgrims' respect.

Macaque awakens, happiness abounds. Teasing begins soon after as Wukong is in full lovestruck monkey mode. Who knew his type was tall, dark, broody artists? Baije is envious. Wujing is highly amused. Tripitaka just wants to meditate in peace.

Pretty much the character journey of the main Pilgrims.

They see Wukong as a beast on a leash at first. Bajie's and Wujing's experiences as Celestials have already painted the Monkey King as a villain with no remorse. Tripitaka is so sheltered that in his mind; Sun Wukong is the most evil creature he has met. Ao Lie is the only one that dares see past his preconceptions (ones which are painted poorly through the stories shared between royal dragons) and approach the monkey as a fellow convicted being.

Then they begin to see him as an unstable but reliable bodyguard after the events of the Ginseng Tree incident.

Then during their first encounter with the White Bone Spirit where Tripitaka formally banishes Wukong as his disciple after being convinced of the evils he can commit (but not of the ones the spirit could do) and nearly caves the monkey's skull in with the Headache Mantra... as a hurt animal?

A pregnant creature according to the (until now silent) horse!?

A creature capable of grief and softness? A beloved king? A beacon of hope for his people? The ruler of a paradise scorched by Heaven to set an example for all demonkind?

A hurt companion. Someone who's missing their mate and has suffered terribly before he joined them. Someone who's traumatised by food being too hot, the ceiling being too low, and by being beheld by too many eyes.

When the king of Zhuzi/Scarlet-Purple Kingdom needs a healer to cure him of a confounding illness - Wukong shows a surprisingly intellectual side to him. One that he's been rarely able to flex with his role as bodyguard. He reveals a vast knowledge of medicine and healing gained from years of study under Master Subodhi. With the crafted medicine; Wukong manages to heal the King so he's able to reveal the real reason for his malady - the loss of his mate. Wukong feels so sympathetic for the King - even if the Queen had been kidnapped to punish him for harming one of the Buddha's kin. Wukong disguises himself as the stolen Queen - only for Sai Tai Sui/Jupiter's Rival to be defeated by three very protective fellow disciples after he gets a bit too fresh with the pregnant monkey.

Wukong and Tripitaka are mid-argument over valuing the Monk's safety over that of murderous bandits, when a completely new monkey appears and interrupts their fight.

The new monkey has fur as dark as night, and is shouting at Wukong about how he's become "the lapdog of Heaven". Staffs clash between the pair as tears run down Wukong's face.... until the King's pregnancy is revealed. Then the shadow monkey quietly wiggles his many ears, backs away in shock, and disappears into the shadows. Wukong cries, revealing that very monkey is his mate! The Pilgrims feel the need to teach the Macaque a lesson.

They become more aware of a shadow that follows close to Wukong's side.

This leads them to the demon-occupied city of Camel Ridge, where they encounter three more of Wukong's former sworn brothers.

Things don't go so well. The Macaque proves himself to be more loyal to his mate than to his own anger, and seemingly sacrifices himself to protect their unborn child.

The Pilgrims pray for the Macaque's recovery - and when he finally awakens, finds that their "savage bodyguard" is a cuddly love truck sap towards his mate (at least when the Macaque isn't a current obstacle). Wukong and the Macaque make adorable fluttering/purring sounds as they nuzzle and hug - the shadow monkey petting the orange one's round stomach with equal guilt and wonder.

Bajie complains loudly; "Why can't I bring my spouse along?! I wanna kiss my wife!" - and Tripitaka just knows that he's in for a headache. Sha Wujing and Ao Lie are delighted for their brother, and tease his interest in "bad boys" enough to make Wukong blush.

Now the Tang Monk has a pair of cuddle bug monkeys as his bodyguards. One that's much more willingly to murder to keep his mate safe. And although the Headache Sutra works on the Macaque (as it did in the novel), he is more likely to believe that the violence was a necessary evil. Tripitaka (nor many Bodhisattvas) cannot fault a man for protecting his pregnant spouse.

The Pilgrims even find themselves some unusual allies in the form of the Demon Bull King, his wife the Iron Fan Princess, Macaque's extended theatre family of the legendary Nine-Tailed Vixen, her twin sons, and the Jade Faced Princess. All excited to see the two monkeys back together and having a cub.

And one day, this troupe of Pilgrims will have a more precious creature to defend than the Tang Monk. Their brother's child.

(tysm for this post I really love how much y'all get into the lore of the aus <3)

[llocket]

✧ 　dr ratio graphic⠀

f2u, only with credit (BOTH TO ME AND MY FRIEND PLEASE)! no need to reblog but very appreciated! ↳ self indulgent!! ++ good in dark & light mode -- credit to @622256 for the art (their art is so cool)

i love my friend's work so i thought i'd make a graphic centered around one of their fanarts for dr ratio!!!

[cerastes]

As someone who hasn't touched it yet- how does IS4 stack up? How's first impressions been?

Ok, let me give my thoughts on IS4, now that it's been a week!

TL;DR -> This Rocks, I love it.

IS4 is far, far more polished than IS3. I feel a bit bad blasting and slamming IS3 so much, but the bottom line with it is that it's just very very flawed in ways that really make it hard to revisit it in the same way IS2 is always a fun romp.

If I had to point out flaws with IS4, it'd be that, on a personal level, I wish it had a few more Normal Arknights Maps. The vast majority of maps in IS4 are pranks and checks of some sort. This isn't necessarily a negative, but I do like playing some Tower Defense more frequently than what IS4 allows, since it's always got me worried about "oh god my team lacks X, Floor Y's Map Z checks X, if I get it, I'll D I E " so I try to go for my super tried and true team instead of daring to experiment all that much. This will eventually pass, but it's been a Thing for me.

Besides that, though? I just have a lot of good things to say about it. The systems feel like they were thought out this time: The Fordartals (sp?) system allows for a lot of player expression, agency, and just in general fun in a way the Light system of IS3 can simply never hope to compare to. About the only thing the Light system did right was the way it worked thematically: If you wish to confront The Corrupting Heart, you really, really gotta go in the dark, and for the best possible chance against, Izumik, Mizuki must find the Light again and be filled with hope. Yeah ok sure, thematically, these work, but the gameplay component sucks ass, because Light exists almost exclusively as a form of punishment and in basically no way as something you can use. It opens some roads, sure, but that Rogue Trader and Wish Fulfilled node are not worth having 9 out of you 11 Operators with Metastatic. Speaking of Metastatic, the single worst thing Arknights has done, even if you are maxed out on Collapse in IS4 and are packing four fully upgraded maluses, THAT STILL DOESN'T COMPARE to how bad Metastatic was. Let that sink in.

The endings are no longer RNG! Absolutely wonderful!

Eik is the first IS 2nd Boss I can say I think is good! Frozen Monstrosity was just annoying, Big Sad Lock is incredibly static, and The Last Knight, in my opinion, is the single worst and most boring boss in the entire game, not even just the game mode. Eik is like if The Last Knight didn't suck: Same principle, but done in a way that is actually not snooze-inducing. Mind you, the principle of the fight is still not something I enjoy, but unlike The Last Knight, that's wholly a me thing, as opposed to being an objectively awful and boring fight (like The Last Knight, the worst and most boring boss in Arknights).

Even though I said I'd like some more normal maps, the maps are good, to be honest! I can't think of any Fire and Water Unions or Out of Controls.

IS4 is the Smash of Arknights: (Almost) Everyone Is Here! Brush up on your gimmicks from various events, because they WILL appear.

The Midboss philosophy in IS4 is lovely, in my opinion: It's low HP bosses who can quickly fuck you up in their own way, be it stun, immense conditional damage, or simply supporting their team so well that you get overwhelmed. The Variant stages for the bosses are entire new maps, so that's also cool.

Collapsal enemies are congruent with the map design: Collapsals can be very quick, with a caveat: Normal Collapsal mobs speed up after they get hit, Casters speed up after not attacking for a bit, Aerials are fast but always have many loops and never directly go to the point until after a while. Shattered Champions are the exception, and they can either loop a while or just go straight for the jugular, making them apt Elite units for the faction.

There's much more I could say more concisely, but really, just try the game mode, get your ass kicked a bit, learn it, and then you'll see how coherent the design of IS4 is in terms of systems, maps, enemies, and features. Sorry, IS3, but you got your ass absolutely kicked like I did on my Waves 15 runs when you'd give my 2 main DPS units Metastatic on Floor 5.

[notmyneighbor]

resistance - doppel francis mosses x female reader

part 1/?

words | 4.4k

cw | eventual smut, no explicit content in this chapter. post nightmare mode lore reveal setting.

summary | You work as a secretary for the DDD, a well paying job that offers you an extra sense of security and safety.

Until you meet a doppelganger on the run after work one day, an imposter that defies everything you’ve ever known about these monsters and makes you question whether the organization that employs you isn’t the real deceiver.

taglist | @jazminetoad @uhnanix @fangwh0r3 @zenxvii

ao3 link

You’d seen a doppelganger once.

Not up close; but nearby, from the balcony of your apartment. It had been raining earlier that evening. There were puddles of water everywhere, reflecting the light of the streetlamps, mirroring the clear night sky. A beautiful, peaceful scene, until you’d noticed the vans bearing the DDD logo approach the lone figure walking below. You’d instinctively stepped back into the interior of your living space, keeping to the shadows. The cleaners, as they are called, had blocked the doppel’s path with their trucks, with dozens of men clad in yellow hazmat suits. You’d heard boots splashing, shouting. Then silence. There is never any gunfire. You still don’t know how they dispatch of the replicants. But it is always neatly done. There are never any bodies. No lingering evidence. The suited men had departed as fast as they’d arrived. You’d stepped back onto the balcony to peer at the street below.

You could no longer see the stars reflected there, the pools of rainwater scattered.

***

The doppel’s eyes open.

He can’t see the faces of the humans that took him—they’re still encased in the hazmat suits that both protect them from being replicated and shield their identities. They’re standing a short distance away, hovering near the side of the room, making way for yet another human, this one not disguised, no gear encasing him. He approaches and immediately the doppelganger does not like him. There is an arrogant swagger to his walk, a cruel glint in his eyes behind the lenses of his glasses. The replicant tries to move, testing his bonds, and finds he’s been completely restrained.

The cocky man wearing the loose fitting, unbuttoned labcoat reaches the captive doppel and rakes a hand through his dark hair. There is a badge on a lanyard around his neck, bearing the DDD logo and the name Dr. W. Afton. “You almost made it inside. You’re a dead ringer for Francis Mosses. So what did you forget? Missing documents? Bad forgeries?”

The doppel frowns, his struggles slowing as the man addresses him. “Neither.”

“Where’s his paperwork?” This now directed at the two suited figures. One hands him a clear plastic bag where the clone’s ID card and entry request had been confiscated and stored inside. The doctor snatches it from the gloved hand and extracts both items, studying each before tossing them and the bag on a steel table nearby.

“These are flawless imitations as well. So I’ll ask again: Why did you get caught?”

“I don’t know.”

Afton sighs. “Do you have any idea how much money has been invested in this program? How much time and effort, how much sacrifice? It makes the Manhattan Project look like child’s play in comparison.”

The doppelganger doesn’t understand what the researcher is lamenting. He has only a rudimentary understanding of human finances. He has no idea what project he’s referring to. But he can read body language well enough, and he recognizes the anger and frustration that is bubbling just beneath the seemingly calm exterior.

“Now we’re back to square one. If you can’t even infiltrate an apartment building, how the hell are you going to invade enemy lines? Damn near worthless,” the man in the labcoat growls.

The doppel grits his teeth, renewing his attempts at escaping his bonds. He doesn’t like humans on principal, and he especially doesn’t like the one standing in front of him, insulting his kind. He wouldn’t even waste time eating him; tearing him to pieces would be satisfaction enough. He tries to shed the human disguise he’s adopted to reveal his true form beneath, to have sharp teeth and claws at the ready, alarmed when he’s unable to do so.

The doctor smiles, and the doppelganger freezes again. It is not a friendly gesture. “You’ve been given a suppressant, so don’t bother trying to change back. As for the other…I understand now. You’ve got a temper. That’s why you failed. If you’d been able to control your emotions for a few moments longer, you would’ve achieved your goal. Well, that can be adjusted. Maybe you aren’t a complete failure after all.” He turns towards his two suited coworkers. “Wipe him, and then I’ll have the team make the necessary adjustments and we’ll send him back out.”

One of the pair nods in acknowledgment and Afton departs from the room, the hem of the oversized white coat fluttering behind him. The doppelganger doesn’t know exactly what he’d meant by ‘wipe’, but he has a sneaking suspicion, and it fills him with a cold dread. Memory erasure, perhaps. His artifically created mind once again a blank slate, a naked canvas to work on. He won’t remember any of this.

He’s trying to escape for a different purpose now, attack no longer his priority, but it makes no difference. Something metallic is shoved against the side of his neck, there is a hiss of sound as something discharges, shooting into his circulatory system, and then his vision goes dark, granting him passage into oblivion.

***

You’re working late.

You don’t mind as much as you might otherwise have, because you are earning overtime. There are more and more sealed documents for you to file every day; more and more people to contact. The doppels were spreading like a virus, in spite of the efforts of the organization you’re employed by.

By now the fear is something that still lingers, but people have grown somewhat accustomed to it, going about their daily routines. Just as life had gone on during the most recent world war. Beyond your control, so your only choice was to adapt to the new normal. To men leaving and dying to protect freedom, to preserve the lives of their countrymen. Waiting for an end. Hoping for victory. It wasn’t so different with the doppelgangers; it was just that the fight was on native soil now, with both doppels and humans fighting for survival and supremacy.

You don’t recall exactly when the government run organization had come into existence; only that the DDD had mobilized fairly quickly after the news of the replicants had spread. The details had always been vague on where the doppelgangers had come from, but the general consensus was that they’d invaded from another planet. You’re not sure you believe that, but it’s also difficult to accept that there are monsters capable of wearing the face of a friend or family member, so maybe that explanation was as good as any other.

Regardless, you’ve done your secretarial job for several months now, with the added bonus of residing in a DDD guarded building. There are no guarantees of safety, of course, but it does make you feel a little more secure. The building you work in is massive; you’ve never even seen most of its interior. You’re simply relegated to an office near the entrance, one that is openly guarded, with men carrying actual weapons. Another level of safety. You’ve never witnessed an incident, never seen any type of a break in, save one overzealous news team that wanted to come in for an exclusive scoop, but that had only happened once. You’ve since seen interviews on television, prerecorded, likely scripted. Stating facts that everyone already knew. Most things still shrouded in secrecy.

Still, the DDD is keeping you safe and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters, isn’t it? You stow the last folder and switch off the desk lamp. Your work is finally finished. It’s time to go home.

You nod to the guards on the way out as you exit the building, settling your handbag over your shoulder, your ID badge tucked away, car keys in hand. It’s a beautiful evening, the season just edging towards summer. You’ll need to switch out your wardrobe soon, exchanging sweaters and wool skirts for cooler blouses and flowing dresses. The employee parking lot is a massive affair, extending far past the structure you’ve just vacated. There are still a large number of vehicles parked there. The building operated around the clock.

You finally reach your car and insert the key into the lock, momentarily distracted as you’re contemplating what you’re going to make for dinner when you get home, when you hear a voice, a low, masculine rumble, directly behind you.

“Go around to the other side and unlock the door.”

You turn to see a familiar face crouched down between the cars. The handsome, perpetually tired looking milkman from the apartment building you both live in.

Except it’s not him. Not really. You don’t need to see his ID card or entry request to know it. There’s a look in his eyes that his placid, real counterpart doesn’t have.

This is a doppelganger.

You glance past him back at the building. You’re nowhere near the entrance. No one else is around at the moment. You’re on your own.

You carefully thread the keys on the ring clutched in your hand between each finger so the jagged metal edges peek between the spaces, your fist tightening. Not the ideal weapon, but it was all you could come up with on such short notice.

“Sure,” you say, turning slowly. “I’m happy to give you a lift.” You attempt a smile, your arm striking out.

Utter failure. You’ve scratched his cheek, but that’s all. The doppel stands upright, looming over you, one hand absently touching the injury, the beads of ruby dotting his fingertips regarded for a brief moment before his eyes glare at you. “Don’t try that again, or I’ll kill you right now.”

“You wouldn’t dare. You need me to escape.” It’s beyond foolish to try to barter with a replicant, but you’re feeling strangely brave. “I doubt you know how to drive a car.”

“I’m a fast learner,” he growls, grabbing your upper arm, and some of your bravado vanishes. “Unlock the other door, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

“Fine. I’ll do it.” You try to shake him off but his grip is like iron. You have no choice but to let yourself be maneuvered to the other side of the vehicle, completing his request.

“Don’t do anything but get behind the wheel. If you try to make a run for it to get help, I will kill you.”

“I understand.” He releases you, settling inside the car, and you loop around, hoping someone will make an appearance and come to your rescue. But there’s no one. Not a soul. You sit down and shut the door, slotting the key in the ignition.

“Where are we going?”

“Where do you think? The apartments.”

You shake your head. “What is it with you doppels and that building? I don’t understand why it has such a rep—” You hear an alarm, audible even inside the car, your words abruptly halted. Your eyes meet the mimic’s.

“They’re looking for me. Drive, now.”

“They know you’re here?”

“Drive,” he says again, his fingers clamping on your arm again. “Or—”

“—Yes, I know,” you interrupt. “You’ll kill me. I’m going. I need my arm to shift gears.”

The imitation milkman relaxes his grip, allowing you to reverse the car out of the parking space and out of the lot just in time before you see a flurry of activity behind you: armed guards and men in hazmat suits, prowling around between the parked automobiles.

Francis’ doppelganger slinks further down in his seat, swiping absently at the cut you’ve inflicted, his eyes warily focused on the passing scenery outside the windows.

You debate about just going to the police, but again, you’d be gambling with time. You know how swiftly the doppels can kill. You’re not even sure if regular bullets would be effective. In any case, you’d probably never make it out of the car. Your only chance was behind you, growing further and further away the more distance your car traveled. So close. You’d been so close to rescue.

“So what were you doing lurking around a DDD facility?” You start to lower the driver’s side window, but his hand is gripping you again.

“Don’t touch anything. Just keep driving.”

“I was just trying to let some fresh air in.”

“Don’t,” he repeats again. You nod and his fingers drop from your upper extremity. “I don’t know why I was there. I woke up, and I escaped. I don’t remember all the details. I think I was given something to make me forget.”

You squirm in your seat. “Wait, you’re saying you came from inside the building? It doesn’t make sense. The DDD kills doppels. It doesn’t collect them.”

“I don’t know,” he repeats. “It’s like parts of my memory have been erased. I can’t remember how I got there.”

“How did you get out?”

“They didn’t check all the restraints when they were transferring me. One of them was loose. Pretended to still be knocked out. They believed it. That’s all I needed.”

“But the security. You couldn’t have just waltzed out.”

“That’s what they were expecting, yes. Guarding the doors. Not the roof, though. Stairs on the outside made it easy.”

“The fire escape,” you murmur. There had to be a rather sizeable distance between the top floor and the roof, but perhaps the doppels weren’t bothered by such things. It was clever, really. He was resourceful, if nothing else.

Your palms feel sweaty against the steering wheel. “So what’s going to happen when we get back to the apartments?”

He glances over at you. “What do you think? I’m going in.”

“And then what?”

“And then…I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just stay there for awhile. Plan my next move.”

“I doubt Francis is going to want a doppel roommate.”

“He doesn’t have to worry about that. I’ll be staying with you.”

“What?!”

“You heard me.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s crazy! I’m not going to harbor a fugitive doppelganger.”

“You can go about your daily activities. I won’t interfere.”

You’ve reached your destination. You park the car, killing the engine. “You’re not even going to make it inside the building without…paperwork,” you say the last softly as he withdraws documents that have been tucked into one pocket.

“You know there’s something strange going on inside that building.”

You hesitate. You’ve never doubted the organization you work for; and yet, this replicant, belonging to a species who exists solely based on its ability to deceive, seems sincere, as foolish as that sounds. They could be the words of a desperate creature, but they don’t feel like that. The dark eyes that watch you look guileless.

He could have torn you to pieces already if he’d wanted to. He could still do it right now, but he’s making no violent moves against you. So that couldn’t really be his goal.

Your surprise yourself when you nod. “There are going to be rules. Boundaries. I’m not going to walk out of the shower and have you perving on me,” you mutter.

His lips twitch, his features softening, reminding you more of the human he’s trying to imitate. “Believe me, I have no interest in anything of that regard. I’m simply looking for a place to shelter.”

“If the doorman doesn’t let you in…”

“They will.”

“You can’t go in there looking like that.” You dig a packet of tissues from your purse, handing him several. “You’re going to have to spit on it, try to scrub some of the blood…yeah, like that.” The scratches are still there after he runs the moistened material over his cheek, but at least it’s no longer streaked and spattered in crimson. “I guess that’s going to have to do. You ready?”

He crumples the stained tissues inside his fist. “I’m ready.”

***

The doppelganger knows the documents are going to pass effortlessly.

The real question is whether the doorman is going to buy his act. He has to explain the cuts on his face now. Any deviation of appearance is an immediate red flag.

You’ve got a bit of a spark in you that’s surprising, he thinks. He hadn’t been expecting you to try to defend yourself, as pointless as that activity had been. You might be employed by that hated organization, but you’re not completely blindsided by their authority. There’s a slight tinge of doubt, and he’s begun worrying that crack open a little wider.

You’ve already gone through, and now it’s his turn to pass inspection. He presents the documents and readies a smile.

“Out late, aren’t you Francis?”

“Long route today,” he replies, forcing his fingers to remain still, his claws sheathed.

“I hear that. Work hours get longer every day, but I don’t seem to be getting any richer.” The doorman slides the card back through the metal slot at the base of the window as the false milkman smiles indulgently. “What happened to your face?”

“Oh,” he says. “One of the new houses on my route has a very unfriendly cat. I made the mistake of trying to pet it. Won’t try that again.” He gives a self deprecating chuckle and the doorman winces in sympathy.

“You gotta be careful. You never know these days. Thing could be rabid. Don’t even need to worry about the doppels; got enough trouble with everything else. Cats,” he mutters, pushing the buzzer to grant the doppel entrance. “Hope you have a good evening, Francis. Get some rest. You look like you could use it.”

“Will do. Have a good one.” The doppelganger walks casually through the entrance and sighs when the door shuts behind him. You’re waiting by the elevator, arms folded across your chest, looking nervous.

“You made it through,” you whisper in what sounds like a mixture of disbelief and awe.

“I told you. Now let’s get to your apartment before we run into anyone else.”

You press the button to call the elevator and the doors slide apart. The doppel follows you inside. You reside on the top floor, at the end of the hall. He glances down the length of that corridor while you fumble the key in the lock. At last the door opens and he ducks inside, heaving another sigh of relief. Safe, for now.

You set your handbag down on the living room couch, watching as he walks around the apartment.

“Sure, make yourself at home, have a look around. Geez,” you mutter.

“It’s small,” the copycat observes, noting there is a single bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen in addition to the living room.

“It’s all I need. I’m single.” You sound a little offended.

The replicant twitches aside the drapes covering the sliding glass doors that lead onto a narrow balcony. He peers similarly out of all of the windows.

“What are you doing?” Exasperated, now.

“Checking for points of egress. In case of an emergency.”

“Oh.”

“It’ll do,” he declares, tossing the milkman’s cap on the kitchen counter and scrubbing his hair.

“Glad it meets with your approval.” You pause. “I could have ratted you out to the doorman, you know. I might not have survived, but he would’ve been safe behind the barrier. He’d have called the DDD.”

“So why didn’t you?”

Your lips part but you seem hesitant to speak. “I don’t know.” You inhale deeply. “So, about those rules.”

“Yes?”

“My bedroom, off limits. You’ll sleep on the couch. Or hibernate or whatever you do. I don’t know.”

“Agreed.”

“No answering the phone or the door. No using the stove. I don’t want you burning the place down. And you can’t make a lot of noise. I don’t want anyone knowing you’re here.”

“I don’t want anyone knowing I’m here, either. See how neatly our goals align?”

“Whatever.” You drum polished nails on the counter. “You can’t go in the bathroom when I’m in there, either. I’ll be locking the door.”

“Fine.”

“Do you even take showers? Bathe?”

“Of course. We do everything you humans do. Nearly.”

“Right.” Your fingers still. “Well, I don’t know, I guess that’s everything I can think of off the top of my head. I’m going to make dinner. I don’t know what you eat.”

“We have preferences, as I’m sure you do. Meat is obviously most favorable,” he says, his grin wolfish. “But anything will suffice for now.”

“Fine.” You reach for your apron, tying it around your waist before washing your hands. You begin rummaging around in the cupboards and regierator, then turn back to face him. “You’re not going to just stand there and watch me, are you?”

“What else am I supposed to do? How am I going to learn?”

“I’m not a culinary instructor.” You glare at him, then sigh. “You can cut vegetables, I guess.”

“You trust me with a blade?” He raises an eyebrow, then laughs at your expression, an honest gesture of amusement. “That was an attempt at humor. I’m not going to use a knife on you. My claws are likely much sharper anyway.”

“That wasn’t funny. And that’s not reassuring.” A strand of hair falls loose across your cheek as you arrange things on the counter, and he impulsively reaches for it, securing it behind your ear. You look sharply at him. “New rule. Don’t touch me. Ever.”

“Alright,” he agrees.

***

The doppelganger is not, as it turns out, a fan of vegetables.

He makes short work of the meatloaf, though, and even seems to enjoy the dessert you offer, a piece of the cake you’d made the evening before.

You’ve never had a visitor to the apartment, not once. This is the first time the other chair across from yours has been occupied. There’s a definite tension between the two of you. You don’t trust your guest, but you suppose he doesn’t really trust you, either. You’re natural born enemies, both capable of causing each other's demise, just in different ways.

After dinner the doppel surprisingly helps you clear the table and tidy the kitchen. You wonder how much of it is just a game to him; a kind of self challenge to better imitate natural human behavior. You offer him the use of the shower first but he politely declines, insisting you should indulge before him. It’s more than a little nerve wracking, knowing that creature was on the other side of the door, locked or not. You knot your robe tightly over your nightgown when you’ve finished washing. You don’t have anything clean for him to wear. Something you’ll have to try to figure out tomorrow.

You drape a sheet over the couch and tuck a spare pillow into a fresh case from the linen closet, adding a throw to the end in case he needed it. You have no idea, absolutely zero clue why you’re even doing this. It was so, so dangerous.

You hear the doppel’s footsteps in the hall. He’s wearing just his undershirt and briefs, and you look away, cheeks flushing. “You’re all set up. I’ll shut the light off on my way by.”

“Thank you.”

You blink. Gratitude. Not something you’d expected. You’re more baffled than ever. This replicant defies everything you’ve ever known about the doppelgangers.

“Goodnight, Francis. Do I call you Francis? I don’t…” Suddenly you’re backpedaling, thinking you’ve made an error, possibly insulted him.

But the doppel doesn’t seem upset. “Yes. That’s who I am, now.”

You stare at the smudged undereyes and the crooked nose, every detail of your milkman neighbor so perfectly replicated. “That’s who you’re pretending to be,” you clarify softly. “Make sure you keep that cut on your cheek clean, so you don’t get an infection.”

”Wouldnt that be preferable? If I met my demise, without you even having to lift a finger?” You frown, remaining silent. “You look better like this. Natural, without all of that paint on,” he murmurs, his hand lifting and then dropping sharply as if he’d needed to remind himself about your rule not to be touched.

”There’s nothing wrong with wearing makeup. It’s expected. Professional,” you add.

”If you say so. I still prefer this instead.”

”I’m not doing it because you like or don’t like it. That’s irrelevant.” You don’t know why the comment is making you react so strongly.

The imposter shrugs. ”Of course.”

The sudden silence stretches and you turn away. Even after you’ve shut the lamp off, you feel his eyes watching you retreat down the hall.

***

You wake up thirsty.

You lean over and switch on the lamp on the nightstand, squinting at the clock. Only one in the morning. You still had a long night ahead.

You try to swallow. Dry as the desert. It’s no use. You need a drink of water.

You shift the top sheet and swing your legs over the side of the bed, then rise and pad over to the door, trying to turn the lock silently, keeping your footsteps stealthy. You don’t want to wake the doppelganger up.

You’re able to find your way in the dark, keeping a hand on the wall, then feeling for the kitchen counter, fingers automatically shifting to count the cabinet doors until you reach the cupboard with the glasses. You softly open the door and lift the faucet, filling the glass. You’ve just taken your first sip when you hear the doppel’s voice from the living room.

“What are you doing?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I needed some water.” You enter the other room, finding the milkman’s clone standing in front of the sliding doors, one edge of the drapes held back, peering outside.

“You shouldn’t do that. What if someone sees you?” You switch the lamp on and he drops the curtain, his gaze now focused on you.

Suddenly you realize you’ve neglected to put your robe on. You’re only wearing a sleeveless nightdress, the material thin and flimsy. You fold your arms in front of you, taking random sips of water, trying to act casual.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Because you are incredibly noisy. I could hear you in the other room down the hall.”

“I was trying to be quiet.”

“And failing.”

You can’t help but feel a bit insulted. And it’s silly, really. You aren’t the uninvited fugitive alien-monster-thing staying in someone’s home. “Well, I’m going back to bed now. I won’t bother you again.”

“I didn’t say it bothered me.” He pauses. “Your heart rate is elevated.”

“What?”

“Your pulse. Fast, like this.” He begins tapping rapidly against his forearm, mimicking the rhythm.

“You can’t possibly hear that.”

“I can,” he insists.

You swallow, finding your mouth is dry again. “I’m going back to bed now.”

“Goodnight.”

You think you hear him tapping again as you shut off the light.

Or maybe it’s just the echo of the real one, throbbing in your own ears.