#especially hackers who knows magic

[schwarz-san]

Oracle Specifically, Hate Tucker with the entire fiber of her being. She spent years collecting that data in the batcomputer! And then poof. Gone in an instant because of a stupid virus that put a gorilla in a fortune teller get up holding a eldritch crystal ball with too many teeth that eats every single file she has. The insults, the mocking, teasing! She knew that naming a supercomputer Bat computer is really dumb but you didn't really need to rub it to her face again and again and agin every time she open any kind of electronics! She wasn't even the one who named it that! Get off her back! And how did you even manage to infect a toaster wth a virus?! It keeps insulting her everytime she enter the kitchen!

Meanwhile, Cyborg wants to bang his head to the nearest wall. Anything to stop the constant pop-up ads popping up on his fucking head. No! He doesn't need a new I-phone or where the nearest MILF in his area and he definitely doesn't need pills and gel that enhance his junk! and he definitely doesn't want to hearing Rick and Roll everytime someone is on the verge of saying something importat! Oh god, make it stop!

…tucker may or may not have beef with the two of them.

Despite Danny's best efforts, no matter how much time past, Amity Park refused to see Phantom as a hero.

Sure, there were pockets of support, particularly among teens, but most of the town blames Phantom for the property damage, saying if he didn't fight the ghosts then it wouldn't be so bad, to that time he got mind controlled by Freakshow and "attacked" the mayor. It wears him down. It wears Tucker and Sam down. Jazz can only try to support them all.

Then one day, a member of the Justice League visits. Someone minor, and kinda a jerk... maybe a Wonder Twin? Zan? Whatever. They don't investigate; they don't look deeper. They listen to the town folks and declare the ghost hunters, Red Huntress and the Fentons, to be the official heroes of the town.

Worse? Danny Phantom is officially considered a villain to the Justice League. Tuck hacks into the Watchtower and confirms that they have a file (a heavily inaccurate file) about how to defeat Phantom.

Danny doesn't think he can do this anymore.

A few weeks later, a young villain escapes into Amity and demands (begs) that Danny help them escape from the hero after them. No idea who, I can't find a lot of info on teen villains in DC, so let's fudge some ages and make it Kyd Wyckyd from the Teen Titans cartoon. Danny agrees, because to hell with the Justice Losers, and they defeat the hero, becoming friends in the process. Kyd confesses that they became a villain after being ostracized bc of how they look, and they've been trying to avoid villain organizations because HIVE was abusive, but it's really hard to be a villain alone bc of all the heroes.

Sam gets an idea. Tucker agrees with the idea. Jazz is just happy they'll end up making friends.

The next day, the Teen Villain Alliance is formed, ready to assist with any teenage illegal shenanigans their allies might get into.

Some notes:

It's created to be a healthier option for teen "villains" to connect with others and support each other.

It's more important that this is for Teens rather than Villains. They're tired of adult villains taking advantage of them. The TVA would rather ally with a teen vigilante than with an adult villain.

Again, no idea who the teen villains are, but Klarion is definitely here. He leaves the Light for the chaos of the TVA. Maybe Ember is there too?

Timeline wise, this is around when Tim is still Robin, but Damien has arrived at Wayne Manor.

This is because, when it comes time to try to infiltrate the TVA, they'll have a convenient child-assassin who has none of the monitors of a teen hero that Phantom immediately picks up on.

Damien, who at this point has been abandoned by his mother, dismissed and scolded by his father, and has had no success at carving his own place in the family, jumps at the chance. He is then surrounded by peers who don't insult him or try to change his behavior (too much; jazz is trying to help him find healthier methods of expressing himself). He... might not want to continue being a spy.

Danny, Sam, Tuck, and Jazz are the founding members.

Danny reinvents himself as the High Prince of the Infinite, Prince Phantom Dark. He got kingship from fighting Pariah Dark, but since he's still alive, he's only a prince. He steals the last name Dark as an intimidation tatic against those in the know; only Danny would have the balls to claim family with Pariah.

Sam works as a powerless villain, but she might no be powerless? Either way, Danny gives her a bunch of repurposed Fenton tech, and she buys the rest with her parents credit card. She does NOT care if that's traced back to the Mansons. She would choose something goth, maybe something spider related or even bat?

I love Pharaoh Tucker, so I think he should get magic powers? Since pharaohs of old were considered the balance between the real and the divine. He's still a tech guy, now he's a tech and magic guy.

Jazz isn't really a villain, more of a team mom who's planning on using everyone's psyche's as her thesis paper. You know what, that's her callsign, she's Psyche. Sometimes she flirts with Nightwing.

[flowerandjewel]

Crawls out of the busyness that has been the last few days. Hi. Florian here. Still dealing with the general sorenesss that comes with travel while disabled. I have three badges now, and we’ve started investigating the fourth titan, but it’s…

We need to train a bit more before we’re at that level.

But! We’ve dealt with the dark type and fire type team star bases, and are planning on heading to check out the poison type base tomorrow. I… still don’t know exactly why Cassiopeia is pushing this so hard, like… team star is disruptive, and they were blocking the roads between cities in a few places… but also so far they’ve just been. Kids? I… none of it sits right with me. Why has no one done anything before us. Why is the director trying to do something NOW but only disguised as a student with a pompadour?? (Why does no one else recognize the guy????)

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Could our favorite traumatized kids take on Buffy Summers and associates?

All right, let's assume it's the six Animorphs vs. Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Cordelia, and Oz, during Buffy's senior year. Both in the interest of symmetry, and in not making Willow ridiculously OP.

Animorphs Advantages:

Team coherence. This is always their big one; very few groups are as codependent tight-knit as they are.

Their access to different environments, and ability to thrive there, is unparalleled. Buffy et al. are squishy humans who can't even survive outside suburbia, much less in the ocean or Arctic.

Brute strength and speed. We sometimes see Buffy using a crossbow or Giles a spell, but most weapons they have lying around are small and handheld.

Scooby Gang Advantages:

Magic, duh. Especially once we add the uncanny pee-your-pants factor and the lack of Animorphs' countermeasures.

Giles would murder six kids in a heartbeat, if they threatened his slayer, even if he would be sad about it later. It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it.

Intelligence, training, and ability to research. Their team includes a world-class hacker and a magical librarian. Even the alleged airheads of the team score high on the SAT (Cordelia) and can get into college (Buffy).

Animorphs Disadvantages:

Need for secrecy. They have to start acting like normal teenagers and/or animals any time an adult walks by, and most of them have curfews.

Lack of resources. Especially when compared to the Scoobies' ability to call upon fellow witches, ex-boyfriends, bandmates, additional Slayers and Watchers, and the occasional demon or vampire. But the Animorphs also lack a home base or much in the way of earthly possessions.

Their skill sets overlap a lot more than the Scoobies' do, in that they all have the same superpower and all have about the same (8th grade) education. That means a single well-placed attack could take them all out.

Scooby Gang Disadvantages:

Overspecialization. Although they sometimes use rocket launchers and nitroglycerin, any weapons they'd have at hand in case of an attack are specifically meant to counter vampires and demons (e.g. stakes, crosses, magic knives).

With the exception of Buffy, they're squishy humans. And even Buffy needs to take a few days to recover from a broken arm. Marco or Rachel could shrug off a broken arm in literal seconds.

Loose lips. They don't try that hard to maintain secrecy, they meet in a library where random people are constantly walking in, and they only ever half-heartedly avoid admitting they're demon-fighters. The Animorphs would know all their plans, all the time, as soon as they're made.

Conclusion: Depends on who sets the terms of the battle. If the Animorphs have time to plan and stealth and choose when to strike, then the Animorphs could wipe the Scoobies out in minutes. If the Scoobies know that the Animorphs are coming and have time to prepare, or if they're the ones to attack first, then they'd probably win.

[foone]

Speaking of the zeldas: of the Zelda game, I'm a bit unsure of the cat(as in girl)suit power up.

Because on the one hand:

Nintendo? You put an equipment item in your First Zelda-Lead Adventure that puts her into a catgirl costume?

It just feels a bit like... Nintendo, have you at least heard of gender stereotypes in storytelling?

Because I'm not saying you're wrong, necessarily! Maybe it's an innocuous choice amongst many other costumes, or there's some cultural differences, or whatever. It just seems to be the kind of thing that you'd at least consider, before you put this in your game.

Especially because this is your First Zelda Adventure #feminism.

But on the other hand, see:

The game's art style is so cartoony that it comes across as more "adorable!" than "sexy!", I think*.

But it's Really Adorable. Cute as hell, it looks almost like claymation**, I love it.

On another finger of that second hand:

I demand equality. Hashtag Put Link In The Cat Suit Too 2024.

On a second additional finger of that second hand:

Actually Nintendo you know what? Fuck you. I am a Reverse Engineer and Game Hacker when not a somewhat stoned letsplay watcher, I'll do it my self. You build this game on the same engine as Zelda: Links Awakening (2019)? I'll extract the models out of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and inject them back into Zelda: Links Awakening (2019)!

Bam. Link in the catsuit! The world is better place.

On another finger of that first hand, that is, the post has gone non-linear oh god:

Does it make it worst that it's explicitly a costume? As in, this is clothes that Zelda is magically quick-changing into. Zelda, the Hylian woman, has changed out of her Ninja Cloak into "Sexy Catgirl Costume Like What You Buy From Halloween Store".

She's not, for example, just turning into a different species. Which is something that's been one of the primary gimmicks of least... Two? Three? previous Legend of Zelda games!

Although reconsidering in light of footnote one, it's it's possible that they DID just mean it to be sexy, but most other people might have Opinions about the relative sexinesses of "woman in catgirl suit" versus "catgirl, as in member of species: catgirl"***. So I am maybe off base?

* I am admittedly possibly a very Spiders Georg in the area of "sexual attraction".

** someone please do this in some future game: take the style of this Zelda subseries and make it like, 25% more claymationyier. That wouldn't be to hard to do with some minor graphical design differences and shaders, and it would make these admittedly already pretty adorable games even more adorable!

*** This is presumably a continuum with "no costume but acting like a cat" further back on the "woman in catgirl suit" point, and it then continuing on past "species catgirl" to "catgirl (furry)" and "cat girl (cartoonish bipedal cat)" to "quite realistic to nature cat (who is incidentally a girl)". I mean hypothetically you could find a point that could be MORE CATS THAN ACTUAL CATS THEMSELVES ARE... But I'm not getting laid**** enough to engage in that kind of advanced recreational furryism.

**** holy typoing fuck I meant PAID! I'm not getting PAID ENOUGH! I'm dying.

[jeonscatalyst]

Hello i am new to fandom and while trying to catch up on content I found out about shipping and also found out that Taekook and Jikook are the biggest ships in BTS but didn't Taehyung have a girlfriend? I asked someone about it and was told that it was media play set up by the company to promote Jennie's new show. i sent an ask to a taekook blog about it but their answers made no sense to me so I wanted to get things from another perspective. Do you think it was media play?

Hi anon,

Taenni being media play or a PR relationship is one of the dumbest arguments I have ever heard from the cult and trust me, i’ve heard many.

One thing you need to know about taekookers is that they are gifted at blaming third parties when Tae or Jungkook do anything that debunks that nonexistent romance they are willing to kill for. Tae and Jk say they grew distant/awkward, the cult blames the company. Tae is seen on a romantic walk with his girlfriend in Paris, the company gets blamed. Jk says he doesn’t see Tae on his birthdays the company gets blamed. They have created a win-win situation for themselves where anytime taekook do or say anything that doesn’t go in line with what they want to believe they blame the company or Jimin but when taekook do or say something they like they carry on as if they didn’t juat claim that the company was trying to shove Jikook down people’s necks while trying to hide taekook.

Any taekooker who continues claiming that taennie was mediaplay or a PR relationship just doesn’t want to accept the truth. Listen, I would have understood where these people were coming from if we had never heard or seen anything about tae and Jennie yet jusy got hit with them strolling together in Paris but since 2021, we’ve been getting little bits of information about them.

It started with Tae “accidentally” following Jennie on Instagram. Then we got leaked intimate photos of them and while I do agree that some of those pictures might have been photoshopped, not all were. Those pictures of them in Jeju were real af unless someone wants to explain to me what magic Gurumi had to put Tae in a pair of pants we had never seen him in before and only saw him in months after those pics leaked? Or the scar on his leg, Jennie’s clothing or, or the fact that none of them ever denied those photos? Didn’t YG put out a statement threatening to sue gurumi for invasion of privacy which indirectly meant that the pictures were real? If those photos were photoshopped then why would they be trying to sue the hacker for invading Jennie’s privacy? Also why was Taehyung quiet? Tkkrs claim that Tae is a no nonsense kind of person and someone who likes to sue so how come he sat quiet about it?

The walk in Paris is the one that annoys me the most because Taekookers have done everything in their power to spin things around. Before Jennie posted those pics on her instagram which proved that it was her in Paris, tkkrs claimed they were cosplayers. After that, they claimed it was media play but I am yet to see anyone tell me what those two benefitted from the media play. All they both got was an insane amount of hate, especially Jennie plus kpop entertainment isn’t Hollywood. It isn’t kpop’s idols style to fake romantic relationships to drum up publicity because kpop idols habe always built parasocial relationships with their fans.

These companies are very aware that most of these fans imagine themselves with these idols and that is what keeps them fans of the idols. They are also very aware of ships in kpop and guess what the biggest ship in kpop is, TAEKOOK. Jenlisa is also the biggest ship in Blackpink so which companies are dumb enough to piss off these many people in the name of some publicity? This would be a very stupid thing to do and if they really wanted to so media play to gain the media’s attention why didn’t they use a bigger or more famous paparazzi? Why was it some unknown, local paparazzi from Paris who didn’t even capture the footage with his camera but instead gave us some microwave quality footage?

How do they explain the fact that tae’s and Jennie’s friends run in the same circles? There’s just so much that proves that taennie was/is a real relationship but trust taekookers to always find a way to make themselves more delusional.

Some of them are convinced that Tae couldn’t be dating Jennie because he didn’t defend her when his fans were hating on her so I wonder how they would look at him when we eventually get more decisive proof that he did date her? Besides, even if it was actually media play no one put a gun to his head and forced him to walk around holding hands with Jennie did they? He did it voluntarily and it would have been an agreement they both had so what kind of a person does that make him if he still sat down and let his fans tear that girl to shreds knowing that they had an agreement and both agreed to do it? They really don’t see how terrible their narratives make Tae look.

One thing that I came to realize is that many of them know the truth. Deep down when they really think about it they know the truth but they want taekook to be real so bad that they fight what they know and continue to believe in the voices in their heads. Some of them are just here to fight with Jikookers so when they feel like they have enough points against the rival ship, they come back from their hiding places to fight and prove how real taekook is. I noticed that many taekookers on here went dormant and some even deleted their accounts around when Jimin and Jungkook enlisted together but when Tae posted those pics of himself and Jk in hawaii, they came back like they never left because they now had some material to fight jkkrs with. If something huge happens again in jikookers’ favor, they would disappear again and reappear again when they feel like they have enough amo. It’s just a useless cycle.

Anyways anon, this shipping thing is like an escape for some people. An escape from reality or the real world and it’s issues and some people who are normally very reasonable get sucked into it so much that they lose any sense of logic. Some people become so emotionally invested to the idea of two strangers having this perfect love story that they cannot bear to part with that belief so they choose to challenge and question the bitter reality instead of the sweet fantasy. I feel like that is where so many taekookers are at (some jikookers too)

Someone once told me that anyone who gets into shipping so much that they find themselves fighting against the truth and reality, only do that because there is some void in them that shipping fills and they cannot bear to part with the fantasy/lie because they don’t want to go feeling empty again and I couldn’t agree more.

[juurensha]

Neon Flux ARC review

So I applied for an ARC of this novel because it was billed to me as a dark fantasy-cyberpunk romance with bi4bi and a cat and mouse dynamic between a hacker and a coporate enforcer, and boy did it deliver.

First off, as mentioned above, I love a good cyberpunk story (ESPECIALLY if there's messy romance involved) and this delivered that in spades! You can feel the grunge, the neon lights shining off of puddles, the ever-present corporate overlords working their tendrils into every part of life, the rebellion simmering just underneath, and of course, tech + magic worked deep into the fabric of everyday life. From the sterile corporate offices of POM to the seedy sex clubs of Magenta, the world of Neo Stellaris is alive and fully explored.

Now, let's get into the characters, because they're what makes a novel for me, and I love them a lot here. Eon is our badass cyberunner MC who is really just trying to make ends meet between her mother's crushing medical debt and also struggling with addiction. She's messy and doesn't always make the right decisions, but that just makes her seem more real--and her heart is generally always in the right place. She desperately wants to help people, but she also just wants to survive herself and help her mother, whether that's through sex work, hacking, blasting people with her electrical Flux powers, or working with people she hates to solve a corporate mystery.

Cy is our corporate enforcer MC who is, yes, starts as an unrepentant asshole. He knows he sold his soul to the corp, but hey, he's also Magenta gutter trash, so how many options did he have exactly? He kills and fucks around blithely, but is also charming in a carefree fashion. It's not totally a facade, but he does start to gain depth after running into Eon unmasked. After that, he's obsessed with her, and they both are using each other <spoiler>she sleeps with him to distract him from a job her anarchist friends are pulling, he hunts her down to help POM with a case</spoiler>, but through the insults and the fighting, they both start to see each other's true selves, grow to respect that, and start to really fall in love. (Helped along by their electric Flux powers being in synch as well)

Other characters that I really enjoyed were Maddox, Cy's more stoic partner who gets stuck as the good cop of their duo but also gets a few moments to snark, DITA, Eon's advanced AI assistant who is sassy but deathly loyal to EON, and Mercy, Eon's friend from the Hellfire club who has a really cute thing with Maddox.

Going into the romance, this is a dark romance in that both members of the couple are pretty messed up, but they love each other in all their dark glory--Cy more than Eon in some ways. A good summary of their relationship is this quote from Cy:

"I'm not afraid of death. He and I have always had a close relationship. What I'm afraid of is that someday you'll stop looking at me. I don't care if you hate me. I don't care if you're mad. I don't care if you hit me or hurt me. As long as you're looking at me, then I know I'm real. I know I'm not just a ghost, a demon who haunts the night. When you look at me, I'm a man--and you're the only one who's ever really seen me."

Are they sometimes pretty deranged and violent about each other, yes--but that's what you want from a dark romance, right? (Or at least, that's what I want when reading one :DDD) The smut is stellar and sizzles off the page. I was basically sold on them as a couple just based on their first cat-and-mouse sex scene because the character dynamics there were just delicious.

The 0.5 star off is just for the random peppering of Japanese in dialogue--it sort of makes sense in this context I guess, since Cy is at least part Japanese and has yakuza connections, but it also felt a little off at times.

Other than that, the plot and mystery of the novel was good as well--lots of conspiracy and dark deals and connections between the various power players of the city that had me rapidly turning pages and wanting to know exactly what the dark secrets were. I also appreciated that while of course, in this novel ACAB and corporations are all awful and capitalism is the worst, the anarchists themselves are also portrayed as being capable of dark actions as well and just sheer asshole behavior--everyone is very human here, and no one is entirely in the right. (But some people are definitely all in the wrong and deserve everything coming to them <spoiler>Rook</spoiler>) The ultimate conclusion is a cliffhanger that while satisfying, also has me clamoring for the sequel.

4.5/5 stars, definitely recommend you guys reading it (and if you want that specific copy up there with the pretty edges, the preorder link is here)

[wolfsbanesparks]

Looking at that last reblog, do you ever think about how Fawcett City could have really lenient child labor laws, or if Billy is more smart than he appears to be. Because it's been weighing on my mind for a good time now.

Billy, a homeless orphan, manages to survive on the streets and finds ways to work that doesn't include crime. He manages to find someone to rent an apartment to him either via charm or manufacturing a false identity to fool them. He's pretended to be his own seperate identity before to open a banking account (thanks to magic) and fir paperwork purposes to let him go to school. I know he's not Tim Drake levels of smart, but I think Billy is certainly hiding more intelligence than most think he has. It's really interesting to me!

I do think about this pretty often.

Like I tend to headcanon Fawcett City as a bit old fashioned/out of sync with the times so having less strict (or less strictly enforced) child labor laws is a possibility that tends to work in Billy's favor. Between that and creating a fake ID as Cap to discreetly work manual labor jobs, he gets by on being self sufficient. But I also think that Billy is much smarter than people give him credit for.

Part of this is that when we refer to characters (especially child characters) as being smart, they are either shown as super impressive hackers/inventors (like Tim or Barbara) or they speak a dozen languages and turn every interaction into a game of chess. And because of this, characters like Billy whose intelligence comes through in much more practical ways are largely not considered smart.

Billy may not be some precocious genius, but he knows how to work within and around the system. He knows what he can and can't get away with. For how little guidance he has, both because the Wizard died and because he doesn't have a stable home life (Not to mention he only has a spotty public school education), he routinely makes difficult decisions that adult heroes would struggle with. He also is wise beyond his years (not just because of Solomon) and gives good advice that speaks to his emotional maturity.

I think that he probably doesn't consider himself smart (thinking that he needs the Wisdom of Solomon for that) in part because he knows so many characters who are stereotypical geniuses (and aren't afraid to make it known).

[seriousfic]

Three things about Leverage: Redemption

This might sound petty, like complaining how come Batman never turns Gotham into a crime-free utopia or the Winchesters never run out of monsters to hunt or the Power Rangers never just step on Rita with their Megazord and call it a day. Because then there'd be no show, obviously.

But Leverage 1.0 ended with Hardison starting a sort of Leverage International, with multiple teams of highly skilled... leverageers?... all working to right wrongs, punish evil, etc. You'd think all these people all taking down the corrupt wealthy and powerful would make the world a demonstrably better place.

Instead, everyone is very vocal about how the world is worse than ever. Maybe its the writers venting some Trump Derangement Syndrome, maybe it's them trying to raise the stakes, but it doesn't really square with the idea that our heroes have been fighting the good fight all this time.

2. And yet, things are easier than ever for the team.

At times, it really feels like they're gaming one-handed, especially when they're going after randos like real estate scammers who fake hauntings. Leverage International has essentially unlimited resources, since they have to have accrued God knows how much money over the years and they can always call in favors from some of their many skilled and amoral allies.

1.0 was predicated on the competence porn of the best of the best taking on the worst of the worst. Hardison was the best hacker, Elliot was the best hitter, and so on.

You look at Redemption and you have Sophie, who's a reasonably good mastermind. Breanna is a halfway decent hacker. Harry is... just a guy who's there because Noah Wyle is apparently an easy actor to get along with (respect, though, since many actors apparently fail this simple metric). So despite the world being worse than ever, Leverage only needs to be at three-fourth strength to handle it. Alright.

3. Those are quibbles, admittedly, since Leverage 2.0 is essentially comfort food television about likeable Level 20 characters meting out punishment. It's not going to be realistic or balanced anymore than a comic about the Punisher blowing away pedophiles will show you anything other than Frank dispatching demons in the goriest, most grisly ways imaginable.

That said, I feel like 1.0 put the spotlight on evil practices, with the villains just being colorful characters with idiosyncratic flaws for the team to exploit. It wasn't calling out any one individual as being responsible for lax cheerleader safety standards so much as bringing attention to the issue and then, for storytelling convenience, having one villain who embodies the negative issue that the team can take care of.

On the other hand, 2.0 seems to go after evil individuals and then assign them almost random crimes. You have a Gwyneth Paltrow lookalike who is involved in crypto money laundering. A Martin Shkreli type that's trying to... take over Magic: The Gathering. And an Elon Musk who is directing white supremacists to gay-bash honest, hard-working homo farmers.

I guess it just feels tacky to me to not only lambast real people, but to do it with fictional crimes that seem designed to taint them by association. Imagine if I wanted to criticize Stan Lee, so I wrote a story about a comic book creator named Lee Stanfield who keeps a moose as a sex slave. And, because it's a fictional character I'm authoring, I can show him as explicitly guilty of all this and have him confess to it all.

I just feel like it's one thing to lambaste someone for things they've actually done, like shady business practices or taking credit for others' work, and another thing to use someone as a generic villain and muddy the water by associating them with nefarious deeds that the audience might well assume are true events being obliquely referenced.

[kitkat-the-muffin]

Silly Game Time: Who are some of your favorite tech-oriented characters? And what do you like about them?

The technology they're good with can be very real-world based or complete fiction; it can be digital or mechanical (a hacker or a machinist), electric or nuclear or solar or petroleum or clockwork or steampunk or magic or use futuristic power sources.

They can be of any race/species from any genre of any media (books, movies, shows, games, etc.), too. What matters is that one of their primary skills, roles in the story, and traits as a character is being good with the story's available level of technology.

I really like Zane, Pixal, and Jay from Ninjago

Pixal is an awesome robot Samurai with incredible proficiency in machinery, combat, and having more than 7 braincells. She kicks butt and is the group's voice of reason. She was created as a simple robotic assistant and tour guide, but through her connection with Zane and the other Ninja she became their intelligence guide and last line of defense as the second incarnation of Samurai X (after Nya)

Zane is an incredibly selfless robot Ninja with plentiful empathy and an unhealthy addiction to acts of self-sacrifice. He's Pixal's boyfriend and also very autism-coded, which is especially interesting because Pixal is not. His autism doesn't come from being a robot, he just happens to be both! I've always loved Zane as a character, but I will admit his own abilities with technology are limited. He's quite an old android, at least 40 years old by the first season, and Pixal herself called his hardware outdated when they first met. He's usually the most in-need of repairs, even after his Titanium upgrade, so he's really not that tech savvy apart from directly being a robot himself and all the access that gives him

Finally there's Jay who is not a robot but rather the Elemental Master of Lightning, which gives him extra skills in handling electricity and technology. He used to be an inventor before becoming a Ninja and he continues to use his skills when needed, like helping his fiance Nya with maintenance repairs on vehicles or their many robot friends. He once got trapped inside a video game and started a cult among its playerbase called the League Of Jay. He even has some of the most tragic trauma of all the main characters and Nya is the only one who knows extensively about it. He's also got a little bit of his own autism coding, but a different variant from Zane. Jay is my favorite character :3

I love Ninjago :3

[lulupen2023]

Ezra and Ella (4/?)

Bronte and Joe have their confrontation.

Notes:

Before reading: I feel like I have to explain something, before you get the wrong message. I agree with the end of season 5. Joe is a bad person (although some victims are so much worse than him) who deserves to be in jail. But I also love the trope ‘Evil Wins’ and with this fic I’d like to see what could happen if: 1 Joe could be free again (and for that I need pretty irrealistic stuff to happen.. more or less like in the show, sometimes, LOL) 2 Bronte embraced the dark side. When I saw 5x8 (aka my fave episode ever!) for the very first time, where Bronte was tested by Joe with that misogyn guy in the cage, actually I expected something way much darker, such as Bronte hurt that guy or watched Joe torture him… I had a feeling she was very close to do something like that, but then she chose the good path, trying to fix Joe. Another thing that strikes me is in the end of episode 5x6, when Joe finds the camera hidden in the books and speaks to her, she knows he’s extremely mad at her and she’s scared; yet she can’t resist and goes to him. That’s what led me to believe that something like this could happen even in a post canon. Of course, some things are brought to their extreme, because it’s a fanfic. so, short recap: in RL killers suck and I hate them, but fictional Joe Goldberg is too entertaining not to try to write about ;)

Chapter IV: Find the key

Joe’s POV

I must say something, anything, I can’t be still and silent just like that, staring at you, like an idiot. I also need to prove to myself you are real. C’mon, Joe, you’re still able to speak, say some-fucking-thing. “Long time no see.” Shit. Did I really say that? On second thought, it was better to keep silent. You giggle. Well, projections in a deviant mind don’t giggle, do they?

“Well, since it’s been more than a year, I guess you’re allowed to say that.” You reply, as you stretch up, reaching my hair for a feeble caress.

“No more Mr Curly, eh? I’m going to miss that, but I also like this good guy look.” “I don’t think ‘good guy’ fits me.” I make my statement, in case you didn’t notice, I’m still wearing a prison jumpsuit.

“You have a point.” “I also have like a million questions running through my head, Bronte. What’s happening? Why are you here? How the hell did you manage to do such a thing? What’s the…” Here you are, tapping my mouth with your hand, but only because all the chains prevent me from stopping you. Not that I want to… I actually enjoy having you so close. “Hush, I promise I’ll tell you everything in the slightest details, but not now, especially not here, we gotta go!” You say, pushing me, although gently, until we reach a Jeep, I guess yours. “I really hope that the tinted windows will do their magic, because right now I’m afraid you’re a little too showy.” You add. We get in the car, you set the car in motion and we disappear from wherever we were.

“I can’t just help picturing what must have happened not so far ago,” you comment, never losing sight of the road, although it’s rather deserted. “Something like Attica Correction Facility people calling ADX Florence ones saying: ‘Everything went according to plans, the prisoner Goldberg is travelling and will reach your jail tomorrow.’ And ADX Florence people, totally dumbfounded, reply: ‘Are you kidding? We never asked anything like this!’ ” You conclude, laughing. “Just how…” are the only two words escaping my mouth. “Well, now that no one is intercepting their calls and hackering their phone lines, they can finally speak to each other for real!” 

Wait a minute. Intercepting. Hackering.

“Are you really hinting that you asked Will to…” I light up, smiling.

“Of course, I did. How was I supposed to do this on my own? I barely know how to turn my laptop on!” You make me laugh.

You and Will, coworking in order to help me. But mostly you, doing whatever you did, in order to see me again. Because you did miss me. I imagine you, laying in bed, as you long for me and your hand starts caressing your body, going lower and lower.

Just the thought could give me an orgasm.

I try to get more details about you and Will, but you are a sphynx.

Bronte’s POV I wonder if in that wood, among all the noises, you could also hear my heart pounding in my chest. You turned abruptly, but to me it felt like a slow motion, in which I saw every moment we spent together, both the best and the worst ones. How are our new moments gonna be? I’ve been dreaming about this for weeks, wondering whatever could have happened, but now?  

And then we start talking, just a few sentences and everything seems natural again, despite the unnatural situation we are in.

You follow me to the car and you seem pretty docile. Of course, you are, you’re chained up from your shoulders to your feet, it’s not like you can exactly aggress me.

Dammit, I’m in a car with a serial killer, because I guess there’s no other way to define you, knight in a bloody armour, rather than a shining one. And yet I’m doing this crazy thing, I’m desperately clinging to the faint light that there’s still in you, among all the darkness. Somewhere deep inside you there’s still a lonely boy who just asks for love, for being loved.

And I can see that lonely boy in your warm smile, once I revealed to you that Will helped me in this challenging project. It’s not the smile of someone who’s glad because he’s free, ready to come back to his awful habits.

It’s the smile of someone who’s aware that there’s still people who care about him, who didn’t abandon him. That’s the Joe I meant to save.

As the ride goes on, I try to change the subject, also because you’re flooding me with questions about the plan, but I don’t want to reveal too much now. Plus, there’s still a big surprise, it’s just a matter of a couple of hours. “However, Joe, you shouldn’t sound so dumbfounded, I’ve tried to warn you that something big was going to happen.” “Of course you did, dear AnneLou, but you have been way too vague, there was no mention of a Machiavellian operation that would shame every crime movie!” You make me laugh. Also because you answered my indirect question: not only did you read that letter, but you also remember the fake name I used. “You know, this trip reminds me of when we went to that estate sale of used romance novels.” I try again to keep the conversation alive. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Bronte Loiuse Flannery, but I recall a way longer trip together: when you pretended to accept my proposal, to run away with me. When you broke my heart.” Your tone is so cold it sent shivers down my spine. And you also used my full name. Bad. Very bad sign. You must still be so pissed off.

C’mon, Bronte, act as if nothing happened. “Huh right, also that trip, yeah, but I was talking about the other one to add that even here in West Pittston there’s a good library and I could find something worthy of your appreciation.” “Oh, this is so sweet of you!” Now you used sarcasm. I guess it’s even worse. After that we keep silent for a while, and I wonder if it’s a worrying thing or not. As we get closer to the flat I rented, I wish more and more I had a user guide on how to deal with a sociopathic, stalker and killer who probably is still disturbingly mad at me. Probably I’ll write it after finding out the way and it will be my second best seller. Okay, no more time for jokes, we’ve arrived.

Joe’s POV

You park the car, so we must have arrived. It’s been a short ride, half an hour, maybe even less. As I walk, I take a look around: it's full of fields here and something that looks like an abandoned warehouse. If you were looking for discretion, you found it. Kudos to West Pittston, but not to you, not yet. I still have to figure out what you’re planning. “This is a house I rented and we’re going to stay here for a while, it’s a very isolated alley, no one should bother us, which is for the better.” You explain to me, as you open the door. “Sounds good to me. So, tell me, will I find a glass cage inside it, something to make you feel more at ease? To me it’s just going from a jail to another one…” I mutter, but I have to stop talking once we are inside.

No trace of cages. Actually it’s a lovely two-room flat, with pastel grey walls, woodlike floors, a bathroom with a shower large enough for us both, a bedroom with two windows and a kingsize bed that looks very soft, a small, but functional corner kitchen, with a minimal induction and a spacious work surface. And here I am, already picturing us like in those fluffy movies with soppy love songs in the background, as we cook together, teasing each other with the ingredients. I make you taste the sauce I’m preparing for the pasta you’re boiling, a drop taints the left corner of your mouth, I like it and then we kiss savagely and I fuck you on the counter multiple times.. is it marble?

“You were not listening, were you?” You take me back to reality.

“Huh, sorry, I was examining the house…” I babble.

“I was just saying that we could unlock a new trope: role reversal.” My eyes grow wide as I back off, as much as the chains allow me to.

“Like you’re the murder and I’m the victim?” I play cool, but I’m about to shit my pants. You burst out laughing. “Nope, you Drama Queen, I meant that, in case you’re still wondering how I managed to get everything done, find this home, the car and everything that still has to happen; now I’m the Wealthy Princess, taking care of you, the Poor Guy down on his luck… if you allow me to.” Oh. You don’t even give me time to say something, because I see you opening a drawer, where you take something. An extra set of pins. Just in case you needed more than one. “Do you remember the forbidden doors? I’ve become quite good and fast after that!” You smirk as you start bending one of the pins in a particular way and I figure everything out.

It’s the key to my padlocks. I try to step closer to you, maybe with too much impetuosity  and this is a mistake, because you startle and move away. “Ah-ah. Not this quickly. Let’s play a game, first.” “A game?” I repeat, as a wonder. “Yep. We ask each other a deep question for every padlock I unlock, setting you free more and more by all the chains.” Huh. I like it, Bronte.

It’s not just a matter of opening the locks. It’s about finding the key to reading each other. C’mon, Bronte. Find the key. Read me. Prove to me you’re the one. For real, this time?

“Are you still in this world?” You wave your hand in front of me. “I was just pondering. Are you really going to set me free here, all alone with me in a desert alley?” I ask you and, yeah, I meant to sound creepy, I meant to scare you, just a little bit. Truth must be said, Bronte, I still haven’t forgiven you , as I’m sure a part of you is still mad at me.

You hold the pin tighter, as if you were metaphorically holding your pride. “Yeah, Joe, I’m really going to, only if you accept to play this game.” “Okay, let’s do it. I’ll start first.” I agree, as you start opening the first padlock. You choose to start from the bottom. “Have you ever wanted to kill me?” “When I figured out what you did to Beck’s book, in the heat of the moment, yes, my plan was to kill you after I had made you correct every part of her book. But then, after the very last phone call with Henry, I was just too sad for you.” You pause and I remind myself how bad I miss my son. Even hearing his name hurts. “But I confess that, when you realized I was still inside the house and I saw you from the window running so fast towards me, I really wished you had a heart attack or something!” You add and you’re so sincere that I can’t help chuckling. “Have you ever wanted to kill me?” You mirror my question. “Well, after failing with the choking, I can’t deny that I’ve tried very hard with the drowning.” I admit, staring at you, deep into your endless eyes. “But, despite all the consequences, I’m glad I didn’t manage to. You’re the kill I would have regretted the most.” You keep silent, I do the same and the only thing breaking it it’s a thud on the floor. The first padlock getting opened. The first chain that falls, setting my feet free. “Why do I find it, in a very, very disturbing way, so romantic?” You murmur in awe. “Anyway, in case you’re wondering why the drowning didn’t work… champion of freediving competitions for two years running!” You indicate yourself, bragging a little.

“You’re so full of surprises.” I smirk. “But you could have never known, I carefully avoided posting about it on every sort of social media; do you think I’m stupid?” If only my hands were free, they would be holding yours right now.

“You’re anything but stupid, Bronte.” You stare at me, but then you look away. “Okay, let’s get to the second padlock.” You mutter, trying uselessly to hide how impressed you are.

“Are you afraid of me?” I chose my second question.

“I had been. A lot. Probably I’m still am, a little bit, but the joy of having you here with me is bigger than any fear.” You raise your gaze to look at me and there’s no trace of doubt in your eyes.

“Are you afraid of me, Joe?” “Are you going to copy every one of my questions?” I giggle, making you do the same. “I’m afraid to trust you once more, Bronte, but you make it so easy every time…” “They say the third time’s the charm.” You wink at me, as another chain falls, this time is the one around my waist and hips. “Why should it be different this time?” I can’t help asking you.

You stop dealing with the pin and you unbutton your flowered shirt; I wonder why, but then I understand, when you show me the scar in the spot I shot you, around your left hip. Then you kneel down, aiming at my pants, but you change your mind. “Nope, I'm still not ready to see your poor maimed cock yet.” You grumble. My what?! I have to make a huge effort not to laugh. You confine yourself only to skim my crouch from above the pants. “You shot me. I shot you. We both survived. These scars mean more than any bitemarks bullshit between Ezra and Ella. We belong to each other, Joe. Nothing can change that.” You assert, as serious as never before, buttoning your shirt up again, but it’s like it’s not enough yet. “‘I’ve been after you for months, then I’ve been with you for weeks… and did I really allow the first lady painter who passes by to play mind games with me?”

So that’s what happened. Marianne turned you against me. And stupid me, for telling her I was even glad she was still alive… that manipulative bitch!

Bronte’s POV

I’m so relieved that I’ve told you this. I spent days, weeks, months wondering how things would go if I didn’t meet Marianne, if we hadn’t had that speech. I still would have rescued you from that fire, but this time I would have accepted your proposal with real delight. We would have run away and probably we would be happy, but just for a while, because there had been truths you would still try to hide from me. And I want you. All of you. I feel the need to tell you. “Despite it fucked up things between us, I don’t regret have meeting Marienne. I needed to know the whole you, before finally figuring out it doesn’t make me run away from you. Not anymore. I’ve loved just a lie before. Now I want you to give me a chance to learn how to love the real you.” You stand so still that even if you weren’t all chained up it wouldn’t make any difference. You’re staring at me in a way that strips my soul, no one has ever watched me like this before. It reminds me of the way you were looking at me that starry night, on the boat, but it’s even better, because this time there’s no charade between us. We both are playing it straight.  

I glance at my mobile. There's still time, more or less one hour before it happens. Then I remember it’s my turn to ask you a question.

“Do you think you deserved to go to prison?” You take your time before answering, I guess you’re collecting your thoughts. “Prison has been cathartic, somehow, it gave me lots of time to think. I can’t say I’m a good man. Good men don’t kill. And I did. So much more than once. And probably I still would. And, for the record. The guy you set free from the cage… I killed him.” I gasp and you notice that. “So there wasn’t any ‘She fixed him’ trope.” I accuse you. “Probably there can never be one. So, if you want to bring me back to that forest and let the police find me, I’ll understand…”

“I’m glad you killed that man.” I can’t even believe I’ve just said that, but what scares me the most is that I’m not lying.

“Probably it was a mistake to set him free, he hadn’t learned any lesson, he would attack some women again, probably he would do something worse.  And I’m relieved to know he can’t anymore and never will. Thanks to you.” I admit, setting you free from the third chain, this time the one that wrapped your left shoulder and right arm.

“So… are you really ready to accept me, all of me?” You’re almost hesitant to ask. “I guess we needed to get through all of this to make it happen.” I assure you. “Tell me, Bronte, what’s your biggest fear? About mine, you’ve just saved me from it. And, nope, I don’t mean the jail, but the loneliness.”

Again, flashes of that lonely boy. “My biggest fear is not to live my life to the fullest, as it was happening with Paul…” Oh shit, Bronte, you idiot, this is a huge misstep.

“Who the hell is Paul?” Your eyes light up with jealousy.  

“Nope, Joe, don’t even try. You’re not going to have any surname from me. No research. No stalking. No revenge.” “But…” “I guess I’ve already hurt him a lot.”

You stare at me puzzled and I get what you’re thinking.

“Figurative language, you, freak!” I make things clear. “Anyway, Paul is my former boyfriend, before I broke up with him, figuring out it wasn’t the life I wanted.”

“What made you change your mind?” You need to fill your ego. “The absence of you, you damn prophet!” I make you laugh. “However, it was my turn for the questions: what do you think it’s your greatest value?” “I’m caring, supportive, kind, sweet, romantic, watchful, protective…”

“I’ve said pick just one, you braggy narcissist!” I laugh, opening the padlock of the chains that trapped your legs.  

“What about you, which is your greatest value?” So now it’s you who mirrors my questions.

“My bravery. Or rather my recklessness.” I make you smile.

“What do you think is your greatest flaw?”

“Well, I guess I should say I'm a narcissist, since a certain someone just made me notice!” You retort, playfully punching me with your already free arm. I giggle, but then you turn serious. “Wait. Are we flirting? This is weird. We literally tried to kill each other and now we’re flirting like a pairing during their very first date? Could it really be a fresh start?” “Is it a question for the game?” “It’s a question for our lives together, Bronte!”

“Oh. I would say let’s not rule anything out.” Geez, you’re right, we are shamelessly flirting! “But I also say that we need to start from scratch. There’s a lot we have to work through, we need to rebuild our mutual trust. Let’s reset everything, can we?” You nod and I smile, holding out my hand. “Hi. My name is Louise Flannery, but I prefer Bronte. I love books, I used to catfish people, I’ve told many lies, but I’m still up for it if you want to know me better.” You smile back, doing the same. “Hi. My name is Joe Goldberg, although I made up many other fake ones. I love books. I happened to kill a lot of people. Life could be not easy with me, but I’m still up for it if you want to know me better.” We shake hands and all I can feel is electricity. I set you free from the very last chain and you can finally fully move. As you stretch and stir, checking if every of your joints still work, I take advantage to go pick something. I come back to you and you almost can’t believe what I’m giving to you. It’s a mobile. A new one. Yours. With the Wi-Fi password already installed and data connection. “Are you aware of what you’re giving to me, Bronte? There’s internet here…” you babble. “Of course I know, it’s another leap of faith. Feel free to do whatever you want with it.”

You start your research and I’m just curious to know what is the very first thing you are going to do with that. Probably searching for a name, but not Paul, c’mon, I didn’t even tell you where he lives, you just can’t. Probably you’re searching for newcasts, although it’s still too soon to find something really interesting. Or maybe you’re looking for a specific address, or…

A music, a soft, enveloping music, interrupts my pondering. “What did you do?” I wonder as the notes of ‘Dreams from Bunker Hill’ by Cigarettes after Sex fill the room. “Do you remember our first and last dance? We just missed the music and I guess this one is perfect.” You smile at me, stretching your hand towards me. “Shall we dance again, for real, this time?” My legs fell like jelly. I really can’t believe how sweet you are. You could have done anything with that mobile, and the very first thing that crossed your mind is… I simply hold your hand, letting you place the other behind my back, in order to lead me. I’m holding on tightly  to you and we start dancing, slowly, swaying. “How did you know this is one of my favourite songs?” I ask you, with my eyes closed. “I don’t know if you can believe a stalker, but I swear it’s pure coincidence!” You make me laugh, as we keep dancing. “Do you wanna make it forever? Do you wanna be my only one?” You start to sing along with the chorus.  

I open my eyes, staring into yours. “Cause now I really miss the way it was. When everything was beautiful with us.” You keep singing, right before the casque. And I let myself go, already knowing you won’t let me fall. This is another leap of faith. “Can’t you feel how much this song talks about us?” You murmur, lifting me up. I nod and we dance again. “Okay, Bronte, let’s do whatever you prefer. Every building trusts bullshit you’re up to… but..” “But?” I stare at you, enthralled.

“But I feel I’m gonna die if I don’t kiss you right here, right now!”

You don’t even give me the time to answer, you pull me closer to you, bend over me and our lips meet with such eagerness it almost scares me. It’s a passionate and desperate kiss at the same time, you even cry out of the blue and I can taste your tears.

I don’t even know how long it lasts, before we part.  

“Joe, do you remember that last night, on that boat, when you put me at the center of the universe?” “Probably the best moment in my whole life.” You nod. “Right after this kiss.” “I thought that was the peak of romanticism. Ever.” I keep talking.

“But?” You anticipate me, the same way I did with you, before. “But I guess we have a new winner!”

TBC

Notes:

I know, I know, probably lots of readers are gonna hate me for that, but I couldn’t resist. By the way, here’s a little Easter Egg: that’s the song that’s the real background in the ‘Last dance’ episode (another of my faves!), but actually they couldn’t hear that music at the Sandbox. And (disclaimer), the lyrics Joe sings are really the one from the chorus of that song. I guess that, between RL and stuff, I won’t be able to update before the end of the month. Feel free to tell me everything, but I also will understand if no one does. I’m aware of how controversial this fic can be, yet I like it ^^’

[asothecrow]

How Hacker Feels About the Mercs (and Vice Versa)

Scout

Hacker sees Scout as a lil brother kind of figure. They see him trying to flirt with Miss Pauling, and they think it's cute. However, they are also very quick to tease him about anything they know won't actually hurt him too badly. They want him to be happy, and they always go out of their way to help him out when he needs it (with much teasing of course.)

Scout sees Hacker as an older sibling. He's the kind of guy who will go "He uses they/them pronouns!" and completely miss what he is doing wrong. But he is supportive of Hacker's everything. He does ask semi privacy invadey questions sometimes, but never maliciously. (He also starts shipping Hacker with Medic as soon as he sees them interacting in a friendly way.)

Soldier

Hacker often teases Soldier by calling him a coloniser, but they know he doesn't really know what the settlers of the past did to their people, so they don't really mind Soldier's strange patriotism. However, if he ever goes on any weird tangents about nationalities, they will smack him. (Hacker also will protect Soldier from Merasmus, despite not needing their help.)

Soldier will call them a real American in a way that implies that he knows Hacker is Indigenous. Soldier is also aggressively and violently supportive, but in a way that is "he's a lil confused, but he's got the spirit." Soldier is also genuinely a good friend who will listen to Hacker's stories and vice versa.

Heavy

Hacker sees Heavy as a brother in arms. Since Russia and Yugoslavia are both slavic countries, Hacker thinks he's super cool. Hacker can even say phrases to him in Serbo-Croatian and Heavy will partially understand it (and vice versa.) The two can be seen having lengthy discussions about literature. They know Heavy wouldn't betray them or hurt them purposefully, and so they feel very safe around him as well.

Heavy sees Hacker as a little sibling who he must protect. As soon as he hears about Hacker's history, he goes full "brother bear" mode. He also doesn't like how their respective governments have treated them as children and wants better for Hacker. He likes to give Hacker advice whenever he can.

Demo

Fellow colonised fellow? Fellow colonised fellow. Hacker and Demo bond over their love of mythology and magic. The two can often be seen trading stories about their families and about their own people's struggles. Hacker especially feels comfortable around him because of the solid head on his shoulders (even while drunk.) They also think he's a real gentleman when he wants to be.

Demo thinks Hacker is a real one, and a great drinking buddy. He admires their honesty and loyalty. He's also a major fan of the fact that Hacker also has some magical capabilities. He's also one of the first people to properly introduce himself to them.

(Also, a Scot and an Indian drinking together? Chaos. /j)

Medic

Hacker takes one look at Medic and thinks he's adorable. Not scary or creepy. Just adorable and silly. But later on, they very much develop a crush on him. Hacker loves talking to him and listening to him ramble about his experiments. It helps that they aren't squeamish in the slighest. They also love his doves and will get cute aggression whenever they see the birbs. Hacker is also very protective over him, and will tase a bitch to death if he’s hurt. 

Medic sees Hacker as a possible liability at first, but after seeing what they can do in battle and on computers, he’s impressed. He finds them to be strange, but in an endearing way. He’s always happy to talk to them, and he also enjoys talking about art history with them. His own affections for them begin a few months into them knowing each other. He thinks they are definitely crazy, but also ridiculously smart.

Both also bond over the trauma their respective governments have committed against their people. (Medic being Jewish and Hacker being Indigenous.)

Engie

Hacker sees Engie as a fellow man of the machine, and because of that, they love talking to him about anything to do with tech. They are always happy to help him with any project he may need programming help for. They find his southern charm interesting, and generally think he’s kind of a dork. They like spying on him while he’s playing the guitar. 

Engie definitely has a more easy going attitude, and enjoys the vibe Hacker brings to the team. He’s deeply charmed by their energy and loves having conversations with them about technology. He’s a little bit jealous of how skilled they are with computers (Hacker is also jealous of how good he is with engineering), but it doesn’t get in the way of their friendship. The two learn a lot from each other as well, and Engie finds that to be an important aspect in any kind of team. Engie also finds that it is easier to talk techno babble with Hacker as they will instantly understand what he is saying.

Pyro

Hacker thinks Pyro is fun. Burning shit? Let’s go! Hacker can be one chaotic motherfucker and Pyro doesn’t help with that chaos, bringing his own brand of madness to Hacker’s own brand. Hacker can talk and talk around her, and all Pyro will do is listen. Hacker does like to keep Pyro out of their tech in fear of the firebug burning their shit. Hacker also gets very good at interpreting what Pyro is saying, much to the bemusement of everyone else.

Pyro thinks Hacker looks like a lot of happy rainbows. Hacker is fun, and Pyro likes that. He’s not afraid to be herself around them. Pyro enjoys listening to Hacker talk about their life, even if it is rather sad. However, she can tell Hacker is telling this to him in confidence, so she doesn’t tell anyone. Pyro always tries to cheer Hacker up when they are sad.

Spy

Hacker immediately clocks onto the fact that Spy is Scout’s dad after seeing the two interact, and is very quick to encourage Spy to tell Scout about it. Hacker takes every opportunity to also tease Spy for his country of origin also being a colonising one. They find his gadgets interesting and manage to work out some of the kinks in the code. Hacker does think Spy needs to confront his problems/past but won’t tell him that to his face. He’s not easy to talk to, so he isn’t their go-to person for a drink. However, they will share a smoke with him.

Spy finds Hacker to be immensely annoying, especially because he can’t really find anything on them. However, after a while, he does realise he can just ask them and they will tell him if they trust him. Spy does think Hacker should stay out of his business, but secretly knows that they have a point about Scout. He doesn’t really interact with them unless he thinks he should/they approach him. The tobacco Hacker grows is some good stuff though. 

Sniper

Hacker thinks Sniper’s piss jars are disgusting, but understands why he does it. It is an effective strategy, and they commend him for the commitment to the nastiness. One of the great joys of knowing Sniper, in Hacker’s opinion, is the fact that he is ridiculously fun to just hang around with. Sniper is quiet and calm, which contrasts nicely with Hacker’s off the walls energy at times. However, it’s when they feel depressed or in a low energy mood that they enjoy spending time with him the most. They will both get some coffee/tea and the two will just sit on top of Sniper’s van and watch the sun set.

When Hacker is in a hyper mood, Sniper prefers to stand aside. However, when Hacker has low energy, he’s very open to just sitting in silence with them. The two have talked about their professions and how they both make money, and Sniper finds their technological prowess to be interesting and impressive. He’s always one to learn about neat facts about his coworkers. However, Hacker becomes a fast friend when they start bringing him late breakfast when he doesn’t eat in the mornings.

[white-guy-energy-swag]

green nerd showdown round 1 battle 6

FUTABA SAKURA from PERSONA 5 vs RALSEI from DELTARUNE

PROPAGANDA

FUTABA

Look at Her she is The Green Nerd Everything about her is Green and Nerd and Green Nerd. Her jacket, her thief outfit, her Persona; Necronomicon, her chat icon, the list goes on. She also infodumps to those willing to listen (and especially those who Do Not Want To) about Featherman; An In-Universe Tokusetsu show ala Power Rangers. She's also an international hacker

Computer nerd

RALSEI

He knows a lot about magic and even made a big handbook for the player to use

This guy composed an incredibly long manual for combat that the main character can't even read because it's too dense. He's the ultimate people pleaser, but also has a very internalized sense of how things are meant to be done. Susie mentions that he'd be a massive teacher's pet if he were in the light world.

[spritehouse]

back on my au shit with crime family!bau

hotch is the stoic head of the family who everyone is terrified of but he's actually a huge softie and spoils everyone

rossi is the intalian grandfather who knows like everyone somehow?? he has connections everywhere so no one can touch him or the rest of the team

derek and emily are hotch's right hands and do a lot of the "dirty work" because they enjoy it. they're like a german shepherd/black cat duo—fierce , intelligent, and terrifying in their own respects.

emily, a black cat, is known for her stealth and quick action, getting in and out without a sound, but people underestimate her people skills. she's gets information by getting close to her targets without them suspecting a thing.

derek, on the other hand, has a reputation of being more brutal, loud-mouthed, a little arrogant, and most importantly, charming but they underestimate his intelligence.

they're both well-rounded, invaluable hit-men who use being underestimated to their advantage, often playing on each other's reputations to make it look like the other one did the job

jj is their negotiator, the people person. she upholds public appearances, establishes alibis, pays people off, everything along those lines. people will mistake her for a softie or too emotional, unwilling to get her hands dirty, but she's just as ruthless, if not more, than the rest of the team, especially when it comes to protecting people.

penelope and spencer are the "genius twins"

penelope is the "precious, protect at all costs, sunshine kid" even though she deals with all of the behind the scenes stuff and has seen pretty much everything. and of course, she's their resident hacker

spencer is "the baby" of the family, still trying to prove himself despite doing so plenty of times over. he works behind the scenes a lot, but he's also a great communicator/peacekeeper with jj and he's adept at distractions, close up magic, and pickpocketing

[localdorkincombatboots]

Mom I need your opinion on sollux and eridan (please?) :3

Yes my child no problem 😄

Another pair of toxic trolls who're often shipped together! Ngl I'm not fully sure what kind of answer has been wanted between this and the last ask cause I'm not sure if you just want me to talk about each of the characters separately or if you're also wanting me to acknowledge the ship between them and the nuances in it so I try to cover both.

Again, to preface this these are both shitty 13 year old boys who aren't great people trolls and part of that is cause of the hellscape of a world they grew up in. So today's purity standards don't apply to them in the fact that yes they're shitty but for the zillionth time depiction is not glorification and they're literally pawns for the narrative.

For Sollux, he's a gamer/hacker dude that is recognizably based on a lot of guys like that in the 2000s. He's not a great person in that he uses slurs and isn't pc but he's a very real 13 year old boy who taught himself all about how computers work and just likes to play games and talk shit with his friends. I feel especially bad for him when I think about how Vriska forced him to kill Aradia and how he has to live with not only that but also his visions of Doom and knowing that he and all of his friends would die. He's a tragic character but he's also pretty fun to play around with in art and fanfics. Also he's a very shippable character like there's a lot of different ships that he works great in esp stuff like Fefsolradia and such

For Eridan, he's a punkass little "nice guy" spoiled rich 13 year old with a superiority complex. He supports genocide of lowbloods and has no respect for Fef's right to be with whoever she wants. Granted, the situation he grew up in with only really having her as a good friend and his responsibility of helping keep Gl'bgolyb fed didn't exactly discourage that way of thinking at all and probably fed into it but if SGrub hadn't happened while it could've been a possibility for him to learn better its likely he wouldn't because of how Alternian society promotes selfishness and the idea that highbloods deserve anything they want. Narratively he makes sense and he exists in order to fill the role of "nice guy" who ends up wrecking their future just because he was rejected. At least that's canon Eridan. Fanon Eridan can be more fun just because ppl like to focus on his being a uwu soft boi and his love of magic and esp his kissmesis/matesprit ships with Sollux. Also obligatory shout out to March Eridan love that shit just cause it's silly.

As far as their ship goes, there's a lot of fun to be had and there's far too many fics of them out there to count. Are they healthy for each other? Absolutely not without a very long fic of them learning how to be better people and getting over their own shit. Did I used to ship in high school? Absolutely though I haven't cared about it in years.

[sonicasura]

I had to expand more on Kafka raising Sonic the Hedgehog ask I received awhile ago. There are no spoilers for Kaiju No. 8 manga here btw. Also Kaiju No. 8 Relax will release tomorrow for those who crave more silliness from the series.

Kafka absolutely didn't expect Sonic to reach his shoulder in height once the hedgehog turned 15. He was so used to his son fitting in his pockets when he first found him! Kafka already knows Tails will be taller than him at that age.

Sonic's favorite shoes were a joint gift from the Monster Sweepers than just his dad. They figured he needs something more sturdy to withstand his immense speed and energy. It took awhile, than just a good chunk of money, to find the perfect pair.

Kafka purchases a home since Robotnik destroyed his apartment in Sonic 2 and the place was too small for four people. He gets a house out in the woods so his kids could have more privacy. Normally Kafka would worry about the distance due to his job but Tails literally built him a car in less than two days as a surprise gift.

Kaiju No. 8 meets Knuckles. Or how Kafka's echidna son ran him through the ringer for three months so he could control his new powers better. Yes, Sonic and Tails were eating popcorn as they watch their dad get steamrolled by drill sergeant Knuckles. (They definitely offered Reno some too.)

When your newest coworker learns that your life has already been insane before getting Kaiju powers. Reno swears Kafka's life is a cartoon or something from all the stories he heard despite having proof(basically the events of Sonic 1 and Sonic 2.) Aliens, magical emeralds, kaiju powers and a mad scientist isn't something that happens to anyone.

What if Sonic got the Werehog form(specifically the bigger Archie variation) not too long after Kafka became No. 8? Father and son can now be Mister Monster Guys together despite the former's concern. Reno rather not deal with anymore transformation curveballs please.

Tails often runs tests on Kafka's kaiju form from time to time. He doesn't warn his dad when he pulls a scale for analysis though. Kafka gets payback by laying on Tails as this kid needs to rest more and experiment less. It turns into a cuddle pile because Sonic doesn't want to be left out but also drags Knuckles with him.

Tails being a chaotic hacker the moment his dad aims for the Defense Force. He absolutely put a bug on Kafka as he wonders what the DF are like. This has led to Team Sonic practically poking their dad about this vice captain Hoshina who seems to have a thing for him.(Kafka immediately denies anything.)

(Sonic the Werehog What If.) Don't challenge Kaiju No. 8 to a roaring contest. Sonic wanted to see who had the fiercest roar since he's prone to howl as a Werehog. Kafka accidentally spooked some campers nearby and both ran the moment a kaiju alarm went off.

Rip any Kaiju/Honju/Yoju who have the misfortune of running into Knuckles. The Echidna warrior wants to test his strength against these beings for awhile now. Defense Force are wondering what kind of entity been brutalizing Kaiju as of late.

Team Sonic takes Kafka's last name. A joint decision made between the three especially after Knuckles suggested about the four becoming a clan. Monster Sweepers surprise Kafka with custom IDs of Team Sonic with his name. (He made copies to take with him and tried not to cry so hard.)

(Sonic the Werehog What If) What better way to learn that your hedgehog son's new form has stretchy arms than almost losing your lunch box? Kafka definitely made a game about how far Sonic's rubberhose arms could reach. There were obvious jokes about the Werehog's arms being perfect jump ropes.

Reno didn't expect instant interdimensional teleporters were a thing that existed or to receive one from Sonic. He learns Emergency Warp Rings are given to anyone whose a friend of the Hibino Clan. Reno has yet to use his and always keeps it on his person.

[taldigi]

I don't know if I completely agree with Futaba not fitting the theme. I mean, most heist films have a Hacker character that is an absolute genius and can do some utterly unrealistic but cool stuff. So I felt like she fit in just fine. Especially because, as of late, Hacker characters have become younger to play into the joke of young people being better at tech than old people with the older people needing to rely on kids for their elite Hacker skills. So I never got the impression that she was off theme. I can agree that Futaba gets a bit too much focus, but I wouldn't really consider that a fault of her character. Rather, a fault of the game as a whole as it struggles to handle the larger cast in the later half (with Makoto and Futaba overshadowing Ann, Yusuke, and Ryuji + the Mona/Ryuji arc being rushed alongside Haru's intro). The romance is bad, yes, but I don't think it's prevalent enough for me to be annoyed with it (a few lines that can be easily ignored). And I wouldn't say Futaba is mean to Mona, so much as her existence manages to make Mona feel insecure, so I never held that against the character nor did I feel Ryuji would be better suited for that role (as Mona never really viewed Ryuji as someone who could be a threat). As for the boundary pushing behavior... I don't know. Maybe it's because of the way they presented it (comedic + no on seeming to actually mind) that it didn't bother me.

While I disagree, I totally get where you're coming from!

It's just odd cause... the majority of Persona feels magical instead of scifi. Even the Metaverse Navigator app feels more magical than techy- which causes Futaba stand out so severely.

Did we need a hacker to fill in the thief archetypes? Maybe. But she should have been more of a looser and the narrative (which has been shockingly mature with all of it's characters) should have addressed it more.

Persona is anime coded and all of the characters are "beautiful" but i have... met real hackers and tech geeks and trust me she.. is not it.

Heck, she eats nothing but dad's curry and instant noodles. Her room was an actual dump. She might have actual muscle problems from not moving or leaving her room or getting sunlight. Instead, it adds to her initialization by making her pale, lanky, and fragile. She's meant to be the sexy shithead little sister that anime nerds love and it shows- and.. it works. People love her. So task successed failurely.

And, while I admit- All the other characters are complicit. Futaba really stands out as someone who fucked up and was insanely unapologetic about it... which, again.. would work but this is.. supposed to be after her change of heart, right?

Being mean isn't always an active choice. Even hard-coded kind characters like Ann are guilty of being mean to Morgana! (Morgana himself is mean!) and she absolutely did not intend it. While the narrative needed them to butt heads over the next palace, Leader Boy Joker should have been given a better option to step in or AT LEAST for Makoto to say something.

The Mona disappearance arc should have- NEEDED to be better handled. If they needed more days, story should have been gleaned or compounded. The beach episode could have been smushed together more, the hawaii thing could have been better (also yeah the hawaii thing was a SUCH wasted opportunity! You should have been able to buy rare items or visit tourist attractions for stats! Wasted for a dumb "wow phantom thieves are popular!" thing. It could have been both. IT COULD HAVE BEEN BOTH-)

As for the boundry thing.. well, im just hyperaware of the insidious nature of anime tropes. Even tho I hate it (if you touched me the way ppl touch ren I would probably reflexively hit you)- much akin death and taxes, sexy girls hanging off of everyman anime protags is indefinate and immortal- and the opinions of some nobody blogger who doesn't even really like "anime" isn't going to mean much.

Thanks for the reply, tho! It's nice to discuss things!