#even if it is still a little convoluted atm

[the-gamer-blog-for-anyone]

Hey, I figured I’d update y’all on why my posts have been few and far between. It’s a bit of venting but nothing terrible. Read if you want.

I’ll start by saying that I’m sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth every so often. I don’t mean to do that, life gets in the way a lot.

Now onto the stuff.

The major I was in (Music Ed) was a big factor this past semester. I got so stressed about things I had to get done that I got sick, not once, but twice in a row with the exact same illness. Mind you, this was within the span of a week or so, not a month; I have never had that happen before. My immune system is pretty good, so I usually heal pretty quick and am back on my feet, so twice with the illness, especially with it being almost worse the second time, is a problem. Even though it wasn’t something detrimental to my health (like pneumonia. Again.), I still know that if that stress had kept up, something like that could’ve happened.

Unfortunately, music education requires hours, and that moves into classes that need them for you to pass. I had already told the school that I didn’t have a car, but even that did not stop them from assigning me to somewhere that would require one. I thought I had it worked out because I was going to go during spring break, but that was when the illness I had the week before decided to make another impromptu visit. Yippee.

On the other end of things, I basically live in a glorified dorm right now at home. My mom, my brother, and I share a room (stuff and all). That leaves no space, which also leads to even more stress. Living with someone who wants us to wait on them every time we are home is not helpful either (meaning the three of us serve them), but we’re working on boundaries, even if they don’t want to participate.

The last thing is that I had already injured my leg before, but because of that injury and the surgery they did, I was informed recently that the increased leg pain I’m having is just something I have to live with until I can get it replaced (which can’t happen until you’re over 55). Considering I just turned 20 over a month ago, that already feels unusual; Most people my age are doing things I can’t do. It’s not that I hate that them for being able to do those activities, nor do I think that they are judging me for my lack of ability to do them (at least not logically), I just wish I could be a normal 20-year-old who can do them.

I’m mainly telling you so 1) you know why I may be somewhat depressed or go radio silent, but mainly because 2) things are getting better, and I plan to be back.

I’ve already changed majors- Bachelor of Arts as opposed to Music Ed- to take some of the stress away. Taking that off my plate already helped a lot. Plus, now I can actually get back on track for my Psychology minor (which has led me to question what my future goals are, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it).

In terms of housing, we recently heard from a friend about a better place to live temporarily until we can get a house of our own. That would help us a lot if that happens, but even if not, we can work it out. My family knows I need space, and I know they need it, too. After talking recently, we’ve figured out how to work it.

PT is doing good for at least keeping my leg stronger than it has been, and that’s a step in the right direction, even if I still have to get surgery within the next year or so.

Are there things that are still stressful and complicated? For sure. Here’s the thing though:

On top of all this, I know I have a good roommate for this coming year who knows me and my quirks. I also have, aside from my moots and friends on here, good college friends I can hang out with and know I can trust to understand if I need a break (love you @lovelyunknown and @joannaksworld). That makes life so much more bearable knowing I’m not alone.

Anyway, I plan to be back making plenty of happy posts very soon… Unless I have no ideas, which is definitely not impossible.

With that, I hope you have a great day. I love you all!

[rhesusbaby]

Story Time

Why did I meet him?

So I had been fixating over this one guy but not in the way you'd expect. Sent feww stupid impulsive texts, still receive bouts of embarrassment from it that makes me feel like convoluting in on myself till I disappear.

It started from sorrow, jealousy & grief. Of course now that you've made a bridge with that, infatuation & hormones want to drive their car over that too cos it's easier to be at peace with hate & feeling inferior & unsafe if infatuation steps in. Wonder if that's the base of a Stockholm syndrome, tho most probably im wrong.

We met through family, he's stuying the same thing I am, he's in med school, a year above. And I'm coming in with a lot of pain, lotta baggage, lotta hurt of 7 yrs worth & before that meet up, I had been pretty much isolated as humanly possible (trauma response).

And everyday I woke up to breathe with the sole purpose: to be at peace with not only the past but ongoing pain, just to survive one little day more, when everything from the moment you woke up is pushing you to give up on that notion. God, why did I meet with him.

Well we sat down & struck a conversation. One part of my brain responsible for physical composure just begged the rest of my brain to pick up, if only on just a few social cues & respond as a normal person would, like one would expect from the human we just inhabited (jk). Cos this was not some rando meet up, it was through family, & that just amped up a bit of anxiety for this part of my brain that was responsible to not let anyone know even a whisper of something different about me when internally my mind was melting (I'm almost 99.9% sure there were structural changes to my brain), I completely lost my identity (you guys, don't take it for granted), & just simply living was extreme pain, & now the added burden of living a lie & schlapping the outards with a pristine coat of "everything is proper & good" paint, cos pretense of anything less is even worse than dying inside; all the while I'm being turned inside out, my mind being broken a bit less beyond repair, then building it up just to be completely broken again. How do I function? How do I perform? I'm not even a human.

Well here I'm just hopeful the puppetmaster would pull the right strings & hopefully I give appropriate reactions at the right time from the booklet of info we had gathered after the Wipeout to act like an extremely normal person who is extremely okay, make it out like a well adjusted individual & that's what everyone will remember, none the wiser.

Well back to the sitting & conversing. Atm we were trying to order & it was taking me a bit more time & my brain started going off with the "this is not normal, act normal" alarm but to my relieved surprise, it was taking him even longer to order. I deflated in relief, I was being normal if he's doing it too.

Then I wondered what's taking us so long, since the only option in the entire menu was just chocalate. One way or another we'll end up with a bunch of chocalate anyway (it was a restaurant based on chocolate you guys, it's literally called The Chocalate Room).

I came across a shake, some KitKat shake I think that I finally liked but I glossed over it, knowing he'd order that & it's just stupid to order two same things for the table.

I ordered. He ordered the KitKat shake.

And what does my unchecked mouth say next?

"I knew you'd order that", my mouth speaks. And the energy akin to the reaction "...uhhh" settles on the table. My brain goes off again, "do normal people tell eachother's premonitions out loud? Are premonitions normal?" nonetheless I hurriedly shut my mouth.

Next, we started discussing the different options related to the field, what's all out there etc.

And that's when he started laying blow after blow.

Stay tuned.

Will be continued...

[justalazytrashpanda]

if you don’t mind me asking, do you perhaps have a list of fangans that you like/are into and seen? And are we possibly allowed to make fangan recommendations? Just curious :0

Ahh sorry for the late reply!!! You are allowed to make recommendations but that doesnt guarantee that I’ll get into them. I dont have as much freetime as i used to im afraid… alas

Anywhere heres all the fangans ive gotten into ranked on a scale of 1-10, 1 being terrible, 5 being perfectly average, and 10 being the best thing ever written. If you want a more indepth opinion on any in specific just shoot me an ask X]. 

Complete fangans

Danganronpa another - 8/10, pretty good! Follows Trigger Happy Havoc a little closely in spots, but whenever it does that it’s trying to subvert whatever its mirroring in the first game. The cast is fun and bounces off eachother really well

Super danganronpa another 2 - 7/10, while it does improve in a lot of aspects when compared to the first game on both a technical and story level, I honestly preferred the first game to the second one. I was spoiled for most of the events in this game and the whole luck transfer thing was really convoluted. It’s still good tho! 

Danganronpa Lapse - 7/10, I really liked the unique artstyle, and the reduced cast allowed for everyone to shine a little bit more! The story was good as well, tho echos whole thing could’ve been explained more clearly. honestly this didn’t even need to be a Danganronpa game, it felt the weakest whenever it was trying to do that. Although I did enjoy the trials

In-progress fangans: have at least 2 chapters out

Danganronpa blowback: 6/10. Not the biggest fan tbh. It does have some cool ideas and characters but when it misses it misses hard. Granted this is one of the oldest fangans ive played, so some aspects can be forgiven based on that. I do wonder if it wouldve gotten better or worse had it gone on for longer

Danganronpa antebellum: 9/10. I had so much fun when playing this game its unreal. Its not perfect by a long shot, it definitely feels like a fangame, but thats whats so great about it. It doesnt take itself too seriously, which is an issue that can easily affect a fan project. The designs for the cast are super fun and i cant say that there's any characters i actively dislike. 

Danganronpa despair time: 9/10. Another really good one! It takes advantage of the medium its presented rather well. The story so far is really good and the parts “inspired” by the mainline games are changed up enough where it makes the tropes feel refreshing. I dont like all the characters but hey its rare to have an entire cast of faves

Just started fangans: only the prologue / first chapter is out

Project edens garden - 7/10. It’s got me hooked! I found the prologue very interesting. It set up the characters well and let them have a chance to shine while also setting up the main story. I found the animal theming interesting and am excited to see where it goes. I just also really like the art style. Each characters color palette is really distinct and i really like that :]

Danganronpa (he)artless deceit - 6/10. It’s alright. On a technical level it's very impressive, and it's clear the people making this really care about it! It just… didn't really click with me. A couple characters did interest me, but i wasn't very invested in the main two focused on in the proluge. I'll be interested to see where it goes but atm I'm more of an observer than a fan.

Danganronpa mauve - 5/10. I dont know what to think about this one. Its only got one chapter out so its hard to judge it, but it just didnt really captivate me all that much. Its clear a lot of work and time has been put into this, and i can totally see how someone could like this! Its just not my cup of tea X]. Out of every fangan ive seen this definitely feels the most like a danganronpa game, but thats a double edged sword. The characters were alright, but it felt… odd to me how many of them resembled characters from other fangans or the mainline series (looking at you satsuki). 

[clatterbane]

That was a fun little journey! 🫠

See that James Lee Burke is not only still around (at 87 now), but happened to release another Robicheaux book this year. Yes, I would like to read that.

Please let me obtain an electronic edition of this book legitimately so that the author gets at least a penny or two, international publishing industry (and banking industry both)?! I do have some money right here that I am semi-eager to offer in exchange.

...Please?????

Yeah, apparently the e-book is just not available in this country at all. You're in more luck if you want a hardback or trade paperback at a significantly higher price than in the UK never mind US. But, electronic publishing rights for probably all the Nordic countries are a different matter at this point in time.

Oh hell, there's always Amazon. I have been avoiding buying anything from there, because Amazon. But, I do still have the Amazon UK account which will let me buy e-books through it.

£12.99 you say? Can do. They're wanting the equivalent of £20 for a trade paperback here.

...But how? My UK-based accounts are sitting at like £5 balance with no way for me to transfer more over. My shitty-ass limited US-connected foreign devil debit card here doesn't work on Amazon, period.

Wait, a gift card in GBP from a third-party site? That would be one workaround. I've had to use it in local currency here to get around the debit card issue.

Oh shit, problems trying to check out and buy one through a known-good site using the shitty debit card.

OK then. I've been hoarding that back just in case, but I DO have a small stash of £££ sitting in my UK PayPal account. (It is an even bigger puzzle how to get more funds into there these days, and i just can't connect my current crippled account to PayPal whatsoever. You have to be able to log into the bank to do that here. But, I managed to get like £100 worth of old Kiva balance paid into it.)

My impulsive ass can buy a gift card at a significantly better price using that PayPal account, straightforwardly in pounds.

So yeah, that's the convoluted workaround I settled on, to deal with the publishing and financial industries being the way they are.

I just wanted a book. And too many things have been like that the past few years.

I get so tired sometimes. But, the assorted bullshit has helped me save an awful lot on discretionary spending! 🙄

Going to have to wait a while to dig into it, with the headache I've got atm. But, I do indeed have my book. Counting that as a win.

[theloveinc]

I miss writing

[into-september]

get rekt, NASA (”Ephemeral”)

Possibly the most controversial statement I might make about this episode: they had more they wanted to do than they had time to do it, but fifty thousand reveal fic got their character interpretation confirmed and that was the only point of this episode

(okay, one of two, my detailed thoughts on THE OTHER ONE)

but even if this episode was 95% just fanservice and that was what it was meant to be, I’m still gonna say it: The actual conflict is solved without any development. Literally what happens is

Su-Han demands Marinette finds out CN’s identity or else, Marinette agrees with little protest

Marinette sets up convoluted plan with Luka so that he can learn CN’s identity to pass it on to Su-Han, and rewind time so that she won’t remember it

[LS reveal leads to end of the world]

Sass rewinds time and time goes bonkers; Marinette requesting CN’s identity is interrupted by Joan of Arc. Sass confirms he turned time back but doesn’t know why

LB & CN save the day, and Marinette meets up with Su-Han to yell about how she doesn’t need to know CN’s identity because “we’ve proven that we’re good superheroes and I’m a good guardian, so there”

there is absolutely no explanation given for this change in mind - why she goes from agreeing with a shrug to refusing because he’s being a boomer. If there had been at least some suggestion of her realising the depth of her trust in CN, or like in “Cat Blanc” with her realising that the catastrophe was connected to the reveal, then that’d be something. But nope, nothing. One repair job and one soft look at Astrocat, and she’s done a 180. 

In conclusion: Very cute episode, 10/10 LS content, writing could’ve used some work for both the episode itself and the larger implications if this really was evidence that you know what is real. 

Clearly the most interesting fact was that this episode cataclysmed my grip on English idioms. Marinette sure told Su-Han were David bought the beer, but let’s try:

They knew what they were doing saving the best boy’s akumatisation for this very special episode. By which I unironically mean my darling Bob Roth. Moloch got more screentime than Ephemeral himself, and all!

On the one hand, I’m happy with the show FUCKIN’ FINALLY acknowledging the obvious reason why an LB-CN reveal is off the table atm. On the other, the suggestion that everyone ELSE could just know one of their identities nbd... not so much.

Poor Luka having to go along with all this because oops, he is the person Marinette fears the most and he can’t ever let her know

also how does he think this is going to end

I love Marinette but it’s a wee bit yikes how she’s lying to Cat Noir’s face here. Girl, he’s already told you he didn’t mind telling you his identity. You don’t need to feed him some story about a mutual reavel that you never intend to go through with

(props to her for ultimately keeping that promise, even though there’s clearly some amount of self-interest involved. WOULD she have kept it if CN turned out to be just some guy and not The Love Of Her Life? Presuming she wouldn’t just go “great, thanks for telling me, do your thing Viperion”, I mean)

oh my god luka you KNOW why she changed her mind

ngl, I kinda wish we’d gotten the confrontation that TIKKI YOU KNEW ALL ALONG

further supporting my claim that ladynoir is the ship that’ll ultimately launch the love square

Plagg is once again telling Adrien in cheese metaphors that the reveal is a Bad Idea

Question time: Was Adrien always this prone to to cat jokes and Marinette just ignored it because it didn’t fit her mental image of him?

at least Kitty Section has got their practice audience back

and they sound less horrible in French ngl. must be the language of love

kinda weird how this little exchange between Marinette and Luka doesn’t adress the fact that they both know Adrien’s secret. I get why she’s talking in code here but his replying as if she’s just being hypothetic is kinda off-beat

the CONCLUSIONS Gabriel are jumping to at hearing a fourteen year old call his girlfriend by the nickname that has got to be a meme in-universe at this point

in-story confirmation that Adrien has been wearing the same outfit for well over a year

the most spectacular event to happen in-canon is presented as entirely underwhelming and lasting for all of a minute and half

I wonder if this ability of Sass’ to effectively counter any use of The Wish will show up later

Sure, fix the concept of time by resetting the arbitrary measurements humans use to conceive of it scientifically, that totally checks out

as does the clock being physically attached to the satelite itself and accessible through a hatch you’ll open like an airplane emergency exit

Gotta love how this episode that was all about them being sweet together ends on Adrien once again feeling thirdwheeled by LB running her own show 

Can’t wait to hear fifty international Adriens try to pronounce “Also sprach Zarathustra” with bad cat puns

seriously, “sprach” has got both the uvuarl R and the ach-Laut, it’s gonna be hilarious

[picnokinesis]

fic writer review

tagged by the wonderful @swinging-stars-from-satellites whoop!! Let’s go!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

Fourteen! It was thirteen until yesterday, which appealed to me a lot, but I decided that posting pirate!thoschei was worth changing that number hahaha

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

394,102

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

Technically five, because I’m not counting Avengers and MCU as two different fandoms hahaha. But they are: Doctor Who (2005), MCU, Stargate Universe, The Greatest Showman, and X-Men (comics) - the latter, though, wasn’t really for that fandom, because I was writing a TGS X-Men au hahaa

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Liminality , with 195 kudos - I am not surprised about this one, since it’s probably the most ‘readable’ of my fics, being a oneshot, not shippy, and also not being stupidly long haha!

Renegades in the Ring , with 144 kudos - I didn’t realise how much kudos this one got? I guess it helped that the fandom was very active when I first posted this. Alas, if only I had finished this one...I have a lot of nostalgia for the idea, but I don’t think I’ll ever return to it, simply because it would take about as much effort as campervan au is taking me right now. 

i need a place to hide (before the storm begins) , with 125 kudos - which I am genuinely SO happy about because ahh! This is my big project and to know that 125 people said ‘yes this is good’ is just...really really nice?? Especially when it’s such a niche, specific au.

Tropospheric Disturbance , with 125 kudos - honestly, I’m surprised this one has as many kudos as it does, since I regularly forget I even wrote it hah! It’s a weird one, because it’s not actually in my usual writing style, but I am very proud of it!

and they did live by watchfires , with 109 kudos - and I’m really really happy to see this one here, because I think this is probably the favourite thing of my own that I’ve written. 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

YES absolutely!! I love comments so much, and I really love to ramble about my stories because I almost always have a LOT of thoughts hahaha

6. A fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I mean, it’s probably a toss up between i need a place to hide (because I ended it on that twist/cliffhanger), Retrograde (which is another cliffhanger ending, leaving all the characters in a REALLY BAD situation), or maybe the new problem kid, you’ll taste all the salt in my lungs, because, uh, it basically ends with the Doctor saying ‘the person I was before this moment is dead’ HAHAHA. But, to be honest, I don’t know if I would call any of those endings VERY angsty? They’re more like ‘AHHH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT’ endings rather than angst. I don’t tend to write angsty endings because I love angst but I always prefer to end it on a hopeful note...otherwise it feels very unsatisfying for me to write, personally. 

7. Do you write crossovers?

Technically? I mean, I see Renegades as an au more than a crossover, because it’s merely set in the same universe as the X-Men comics, and the only crossover element is Nathaniel Essex being in it...and I never even wrote those scenes hahaha

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

Nah, people are wonderful!

9. Do you write smut?

Since I’m sex-repulsed, this is a hard no HAHA

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know!

11. Ever had a fic translated?

I have not

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Me and @sunshinedaysforever have a collab-wip graveyard in our dms HAHA - but I am actually working on cowriting a fic with some other wonderful folks at the moment! I am. Supposed to have my part finished by the 6th. Hm. 

13. All time fav ship?

Right now, it’s thoschei/spydoc, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s my all time favourite, because my favourite changes a lot. I do have a HUGE amount of love for Clintasha and Rush/Young though! 

14. WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Hmmmmm, there’s a few. I mean, at the moment, I feel like The Grandfather Paradox will NEVER get finished, but I like to think that if I’m still into Doctor Who enough when I finally finish campervan, I might take a crack at it? Grandfather Paradox is more solid atm than some of my other wips...(see: deathless, disarmed). Oh, I know which one I almost certainly won’t finish - this one I came up with waaay back before In the Wind, which is set between O55 and Telsa, which is about telepathy and not listening to warnings from the past, amongst other things.

15. Writing strengths?

I’ve been informed that I’m really good at character voices, and I also think that I’m quite good at expanding characters we see very little of and fleshing them out a lot more. I’ve had to do that a lot for campervan and it’s been really good fun!

16. Writing weaknesses?

I think I can get kinda tangled in the emotional plot lines sometimes, and it makes everything get convoluted and messy and hard to follow? Also I’m not very good at...taking a good metaphor and expanding it? If that makes sense. I’m also actually kind of terrible at subtle, clever foreshadowing because half the time I don’t know what’s happening HAHAHAHAH but sometimes I do manage it!! I’m trying to do it in campervan at the moment. Also I. Can’t write short things HAHA. My characters always think and talk a LOT and sometimes that’s good, sometimes not so much

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I’m actually doing it currently in part 5 of campervan, since Gabriela and Jamila both speak portuguese (and I’m learning portuguese!)

18. First fandom you wrote for?

On ao3? Stargate Universe. On the internet? The Avengers. Ever? Uh. I honestly don’t know. I made up ocs based on two unicorns in the aftercredits sequence of a My Little Pony VHS tape, does that count?

19. What’s your fav fic you’ve written so far?

I mentioned it earlier, but I’m extremely proud of and emotionally attached to and they did live by watchfires

If anyone wants my ao3, it’s right over here!

And oh, who to tag!! No pressure, of course, but: @sunshinedaysforever @theplatinthehat @taardisblue @hetzi-art @krebkrebkreb @echo84 @theoreticalabsurdity @1-of-those-things @walker-lister @timelostdoctor and anyone else who wants to!

[shadowdianne]

Author Self-Interview

tagged by @delirious-comfort

Name: Dianne full penname ShadowDianne or ShadowSelene, gods know I bothered quite a lot of people with the double pennaming back at A03. Some others use Dia. I will basically answer to any variation of the penname.

Fandoms: Could be a smartass and say all the fandoms I've written for but let's be honest; It was SwanQueen, Princess Rover and I guess some SuperCorp/SuperCat

Where do you post: AO3 and FFN but I’ve stopped posting on FFN now.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter: [Oh boy, let's do this. I'm just gonna remind y'all that I basically never wrote multichaptered -well, few exceptions- and that numbers never worked for me xD Let's do this... AJ here was very thorough and did ffnet as well but since I erased like 70% of the fics I had back at ffnet a few months ago I will simply go to A03 for simplicity's sake]

Oh! I'm doing it by Kudos

Annnd, that would be “I'm not afraid of the dark” Princess Rover-Shannara Chronicles with 237 Kudos. It's a wip so, heh xD

Most Popular One-Shot: That one would be “Cracked it” SuperCorp -I think??- Supergirl with 667 Kudos.

Favorite Story You’ve Written So Far: I always say the same one but that's because I basically went to my sandbox and said yeeet. I would write it differently now -I basically edited out a bunch of things I wanted to write because if it would have been up to me the romance would have been less upfront but since it was a SuperNova I guess I went the route of “giving focus to the ship rather than the worldbuilding which I what I love -lol-. Either way that would be Metallic Ink. Yet, to make it a bit more convoluted because y'all know how much I love writing long-winded answers my favorite piece was anything and everything I wrote that involved Steampunk -and I have a bunch!- or fae-related writing because that's what I like the most.

Fic you’re nervous to post: Quoting AJ: All of them. The fear of posting never left no matter the amount of times I did it. We all are nervous from a performance point of view.

How do you choose your titles: I curse a lot xD Not in the titles per se but while trying to find something to write there. I usually go with one word titles for one shots and, somtimes, short sentences. Sometimes they are taken from lyrics -either translated or not- that I think aids with the aesthetic I'm trying to go for or, other times, most of the times really- they are a rewritten version of a sentence written within the text. I'm horrible at it.

Do you outline: I did, sometimes, for specific things. I think I've written about this at some point prior to this tag but, and considering the biggest amount of my work is comprised of one shots and prompts at that, there were certain themes I had written enough times to know already what sort of tropes or themes I wanted to go with so those very rarely needed an outline. I wrote several versions of them, though. Sometimes because plot bunnies, some other times because I wrote in batches so if I realized there was something that was being repeated across several prompts/stories I could lean into something different in order to not be overly repetetive. If I was going for multichaptered or worldbuilding I did an outline. Some stories that required particular details -words of desire, hundred steps, words in the cloud...- also used outlines so I could keep everything in order before writing them and I knew what topics I had already written and which ones I hadn't yet.

Complete Fics:  Hah. As always the exact number is something we will never know xD I've erased a bunch so the number is already not the correct one and I'm not even considering tumblr- Now that I think of it I didn't write down tumblr as a site in where I post things... telling. Anyway, according to a03 I have 535 works. Jump that a couple 100s and that will probably be a more accurate number. From those... 513 apparently. It's probably less. Let's be honest xD

Do you accept prompts: *laughs in tired* I did, I do... I guess I still do because what I've last posted were prompts but I consider myself out of most of the whole prompt writing business if it is not for a very particular list of people. If you give me ideas I may implement them but since I don't feel strong enough for any couple atm and the burn out I ended up having is something that still lingers... let's say I'm more the shadow rather than the dianne portion of my penname these days.

Upcoming Story You’re Excited to Write: Fic wise... I guess nothing? I'm not writing fics atm, I may at some point but I'm currently still trying to unlearn a bunch of things and trying to find something I can give back in the form of a transformative work.

Stories You’re Excited to Read: Back to quoting AJ: Give me angst. And fantasy. And hurt comfort with a heavy dose of the first and very little of the second. Pretty please.

Tagging: @waknatious, @stregaomega I'm not remembering if AJ tagged you @naralanis but considered yourself tagged on my end :P

[veryvincible]

Hello! I was told there was a new iron man comic launch this year. So i googled iron man 2020 and I happened to stumble upon your blog about iron man 2020. I know you weren’t pleased with it, but is this new family dynamic true? Is comic Tony adopted and has a brother? I low-key can’t handle the fact we won’t have MCU Tony anymore so I wanted to check comics but it’s so convoluted and I don’t know where to start and why is it so different? 😭😭

He is! The family dynamic itself isn't too complicated to figure out, so don't worry too much about that. That actually wasn't true in canon until pretty recently, but they retconned some things to make it work. I can explain that whole ordeal for you if you'd like! Just let me know. I'm getting ready for work atm, so it might take a while.

As for the "why is it so complicated?" question... It's really about the timeline. The MCU was a collaborative effort with relatively few changes in writers, and every piece of the MCU was made to work with the pieces before it and the pieces to come. There are, of course, inconsistencies- there are, like, 20 movies or something- but generally speaking, the MCU as itself is a whole and complete entity.

The comics, on the other hand, have been going for decades. There have been a shitload of writers, all with their own ideas of what Tony Stark is like, what his goals are, and what he's been through. The political climate can also change what's being written and the messages that are being sent in certain decades. There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot of sliding timeline issues, and a lot of backtracking (sort of). So, different runs contradict each other (sometimes pretty drastically!), and though there are a few traits and pieces of canon that most 616 Tony fans can agree are true to his base character, the fact remains that you can personally consider or disregard whichever pieces of canon you desire to make the comic-reading experience as enjoyable for you as it can be.

That being said, if you're a fandom kind of person and you'd like to orient yourself more toward the version of 616 Tony you're most likely to see in analyses and comic fics (sort of), you can look up any number of basic "What's the difference between 616 Tony and MCU Tony?" posts. Sineala has a really nice one here on tumblr, and there are other blogs off-site that touch on it with regards to specific events (like CW.)

There is a lot to read if you want to be "caught up," or very knowledgeable about Iron Man, but if it helps at all, I've been reading for about a decade now and there are still gaps in my knowledge. No one expects you to know everything right away; it's quite the opposite, actually, where more knowledgeable people in fandom spaces are willing to share information you might be lacking without condescension.

If you'd like to be able to participate in comic conversations more quickly and with more confidence right away, though, I know a lot of people who went from the MCU to the comics and are doing perfectly fine in comic-fandom spaces.

If you'd like to shoot me a quick DM at some point, I'd be happy to provide as much information to get you started as I can. If not (understandable!), I can link some posts from trusted members in the community about the same thing.

I'm sorry I can't compile all the links right this moment! I just figured I'd answer your ask now so I didn't forget about it later on, which I'm unfortunately prone to do.

Thanks for the ask! Hope this helped ease your concerns a little bit. I'll try to get together what resources I can once I'm home.

If anyone else has thoughts on good starting points as well (since I've seen plenty of differing opinions on this, and it's probably best to offer a few different choices based on what experience anon is looking to have), please feel free to share!

One last tidbit of reassurance for anon, because it can be overwhelming and you might feel deterred from fandom spaces until you feel like you have the "right" amount of information:

All of what we're doing in fandom is for entertainment, for catharsis, and for whatever else it is that we need from the media we're consuming. We don't need to be in consensus to find a sense of belonging among those in fandom we interact with. Your knowledge will grow, you'll have productive discussions, your opinions will change again and again and again, and this is standard. You belong.

P.S. If you haven't checked out the MCU-canon comics and you're still missing your guy from the big screen, you can check those out! I haven't read them personally, so I can't tell you how accurate to the films they actually are or how they even came to fruition, but they sure are there!

[emo--chanel]

I've given up trying to keep my head wrapped around all the timey wimey-ness in doctor who - it just gets more & more ridiculously convoluted with each passing series & I'm ancient lol - but I have some thots on spyfall.

Buckle up mateys!

(spoilers ahoy!)

maybe whatever tf is going on now is related to parallel/pocket/bubble/whatever universes or something. Evidence: • the sassy glowy alien said that it's time to "take this universe" which suggests they're from another (pretty straightforward no? maybe too straightforward 🤔 also side note: what other glowy humanoid things have we seen before that appear/disappear out of the blue & have a habit of turning people into human shells? cybermen. and who has been involved with cybermen in the past? THE MASTER. 👀👀👀 but the alien laughed so ~myth busted~ lads aw), and • when the map thingy was decoding it split into a number of identical earth maps which could be another hint at parallel/multi-verse stuff idk & the doctor actually did start to say something about "multiple earths" before O interrupted & brought the convo back round to the alien spies 👀

if we are dealing with parallel/pocket/multi verse stuff I think maybe the master could be from one of those other universes & probably pre-missy bc all I'm getting atm is glorious chaotic John Simm energy from this new regeneration & it doesnt rlly make a lot of sense for him to be acting like that after everything that happened with missy... but then again this is doctor who. when is it ever in the business of making sense? lol. spyfall part 2 should clear it up tho. heh 🤞🏻

do we even know exactly what happened to John Simm!Master after he disappeared with the timelords in the End of Time part 2? maybe this has something to do with whatever version of the master we're seeing now. I have a feeling we have been told/shown what happened tho so this theory may not quite match up but who can keep track of these things anymore haha not me. For the most part I havent watched any episodes more than once since series 8.

also, when has canon ever stopped anyone incl the actual writers anyway?? lmao

I love Yaz & Ryan & Graham and continue to want only the best for them 💖

everybody's party outfits were On Point™! & the whole Bond vibe thru this episode was sweeeeet!! 🤙🏻

WORST. UBER. EVER!

i think that strange little humanoid form in the little glass case in barton's office has to have some significance in all this bc it was way too much of a coincidence to have Ryan draw our attention to it immediately after the glowy alien had just been trapped in the big glass case. I MEAN?? come on.

back to the parallel universe thing, the glowy alien also said that they're from "far beyond the doctor's understanding" but the doctor knows about parallel universes.... HOWEVER the master also told the doctor that everything she knows is a lie so! 🤷‍♂️ ...I dont know where I was going with this..

I am 100% here for Sacha Dhawan.

not really here for the tardis console room tho, it kinda looks like yellow snow sculptures... (I want round things). It didnt look like that last series right? It's changed right? I'm really not exaggerating when I say I cant remember shit 😂

the master taking one look in the tardis like "shut. up. *smh* ridiculous" fucking sent meeeeeeajsjjsksjdsd

also also also!! O's cheery amusement during the ~doctor arrives~ scene & the whole "that's terrifying! wow why would they be doing that??" 🤔 & the lil smirks & fuckign bottom lip bite when he asks Graham if he wants to sneak a peek at all the dirt he's gathered on the doc - knowing that this is in actual fact the master going mrburns_excellent.gif the entire time is HILARIOUS.

I think the doctor knew where she had been teleported to, at least it seemed like she recognised it. Unless her reaction was less "oh shit nononono not here! anywhere but here!" and more "oh shit I'm here on my own nononono fam is still stuck onboard a crispy plane falling from the sky! oh no oh fuck!"

now stay with me on this one ok? Stay with me. I think that maybe the weird endless gigantic DNA strand field place Yaz & the doctor were transported to could be... inside a tardis. How bout that? Ppftfftchcc nah never mind. dumb, stupid, unlikely, dumb. It's probs just whatever universe the master & glowy aliens have come from.. which could be insIDE A TARDIS!! 🤡

does any of this have anything to do with that timeless child stuff from last series???? guess we'll find out!

speaking of which, I want to see those floaty bandages again! I liked those. Why? They were kinda cute. I know not.

Sacha Dhawan is amazing!

💖 Sacha Dhawan 🙌🏻👑

SACHA

- you guessed it - DHAWAN!

I saw something earlier about some theory that the master isn't actually the master but that O is just some dude pretending ?? lol and I just wanna say that if it turns out to be correct I'm burning this whole place to the ground 🙂 dont fucken test me chibnall I've killed for less 🙂🔥

So anyway

I am excited about this series bc its doctor who & I love it & I dont actually have a life so I will always watch.

But I'm also kind of tired.

Which makes me feel bad bc I love the cast! I love the new fam! 😭💗

But.. yeah. Whatevs, y'know? I'm just here to go along for the ride & fill voids trying to simulate the happiness & wonder I felt some 10+ years ago ahahha depression

[rosies-batim-blog]

Android Henry Chat

This is the chat that outlined most of the ideas for the Android Henry AU and while a number of little details have stayed the same, a lot of them have also been changed.

If you want to know what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, or want to see a particular scene/idea drawn up, let me know!!!

Rose-cut Strawberry: I know this channel was probably more for RP crossovers, and I don't know much about the game Connorbot came from, but this idea for an AU of some form is really appealing to me.

http://doberart.tumblr.com/post/176386160693/this-was-the-first-idea-that-came-to-mind-for-a

https://amazingaliah.tumblr.com/post/178072662434/just-a-little-batim-and-dbh-crossover

I really like the questioning of what makes someone "human" in stories with Cyborgs or Androids. Best examples, all Megaman comics/manga and the many versions of the Cyborg 009 series Even if we don't play with this as an RP, can we play with it as an AU?? Henry being and Android, but still being the Creator for the Toons?

Adopt-A-Fusion: that would be fun

Rose-cut Strawberry: Yeah, I want to talk more about this (and learn a bit more about the Detroit Androids in the process) so can we talk about it?

Adopt-A-Fusion: maybe after work or tomorrow, gotta lotta other stuff to juggle atm

Rose-cut Strawberry: kk @anyone I know Mango finds this idea interesting, anyone else?

❤'s The Heart: I like it!

Rose-cut Strawberry: I still wanna brainstorm this but I Mango isn't on yet and I don't know enough about Cyberlife Androids to start by myself.

❤'s The Heart: Yeah same ^^;

Rose-cut Strawberry: I read the wiki article for Cyberlife, but it mostly talked about the company. Holy shit, Conner can die a lot in his game. And for a lot of different reasons I have no words for that.

❤'s The Heart: Well then

Rose-cut Strawberry: I’m reading the wiki and holy shit can he die a lot. There are, like, four different ways he can die in just the first chapter

Adopt-A-Fusion: cyberlife androids are basically walking talking amazon alexas.  i recommend watching gameplay of the game to do research, jacksepticeye had a great run

❤'s The Heart: I keep meaning to ^^;

Rose-cut Strawberry: One thing I want to see is Henry completely missing the social/emotional cue for something and needing to have it explained to him.

❤'s The Heart: You just described me and that sounds adorable

Rose-cut Strawberry: For one idea for this; Henry being a Deviant and having to leave the country to escape being deactivated as why he left the studio. Like, possibly Joey hiring/commissioning him from Cyberlife as an extra animator.  Which is actually the starting point of the studio's financial problems, but Joey had thought the amount he could get Henry to work would make up for the amount of money spent to get him.

Adopt-A-Fusion: hhhhhyes

❤'s The Heart: PRECIOUS ROBOT MAN

Rose-cut Strawberry: But then he finds out Henry can actually be creative and decided he can exploit that since Henry can't actually be treated as a 'human' in terms of the legal jargon at the time.

❤'s The Heart: D: poor boy

Rose-cut Strawberry: But then Henry starts Deviating from his original programming limits (which made him 'friendly' but stunted in terms of interacting with his co-workers, good at running animation programs, and in possession of rather generic animation skills of his own) such as developing deeper connections with the humans in the studio, and even coming to understand that Joey is using him.  But, as an Android, there isn't really anything he can do.  Until he reaches the point where he does something that flys in the face of his programming.

❤'s The Heart: :0!! I LOVE THIS!!!

Rose-cut Strawberry: One of the things Androids aren't supposed to be able to do (generally) is fight or use weapons, so I want to say a fight of some kind happens and instead of sitting back and doing nothing, Henry ends up getting involved.

Adopt-A-Fusion: Henry being a custom made Android

❤'s The Heart: If conspiracy theorist Shawn was in this AU he would think Henry was human. He acts like everyone else is making crazy theories for once  What would that entail?

Rose-cut Strawberry: No, everyone is told from that start that Henry's an Android. The thing on his temple would make it kind of obvious. Shawn would be trying to figure out why Joey wanted and Android.

Adopt-A-Fusion: consider Henry being sort of a prototype for a speciality-type android, meaning a higher chance of programming errors and a greater chance of deviancy

Rose-cut Strawberry: Oooo~ I like that idea

❤'s The Heart: I still find the idea funny. Maybe Shawn was out sick on Henry's first day. He thinks Henry is just another employee

Rose-cut Strawberry: Then he spots the glowing circle on Henry's temple and is like "Holy shit"

Adopt-A-Fusion: and he's told "oh, we got a new Android" and he just starts theorizing that everyone but Henry is an android in disguise

Rose-cut Strawberry: pfft  Or "Drew is gonna replace us all with Androids!"

❤'s The Heart: Half of what's funny about him is he's oblivious as fuck. He doesn't notice for months  After ages of theorizing, he's talking to Henry about it and Henry points it out Shawn becoming really good friends with Henry while he thinks he's a human, or at least he considers them good friends, even if Henry's programming doesn't exactly allow him to make connections to the employees just yet

Rose-cut Strawberry: “What are you talking about Mr Flynn? I've always been an Android."

Adopt-A-Fusion: awwwwww yes

Rose-cut Strawberry: He's just "Is there anything else I can help you with Mr Flynn?"

❤'s The Heart: Shawn rambles at him all the time. He just thinks Henry is a good listener

Rose-cut Strawberry: Though, if we go with the "No one notices he's an Android" route, it could be that Shawn finds out Henry isn't getting paid and hunts down Grant to find out why their best animator isn't getting his damn checks. And then that's how everyone finds out.

❤'s The Heart: Shawn helps him escape when he has to leave the studio

Rose-cut Strawberry: YES  The fight, Henry gets involved when someone breaks into the studio while he and a few other employees are staying late.

❤'s The Heart: Where does Henry go when the studio is closed?

Rose-cut Strawberry: Oh, erm... Let's just go with Joey making a living space in the studio. (I don't think he'd pay to get Henry an apartment, and there was nothing in the Wiki's about Androids having their own places to live) anyways, someone breaks in and turns out to be pretty violent when he finds out he's not alone.

❤'s The Heart: :0

Rose-cut Strawberry: Henry gets dismissed because his uniform marks him as an android and therefore a non-threat, but Grant (the guy running financing and probably in possession of the keys to the safe), Shawn, and Norman are a very different story. So the fight breaks out, and the thief is armed which makes him dangerous

❤'s The Heart: Shawn gets hit pretty bad and something just snaps and Henry attacks the thief

Rose-cut Strawberry: Henry lashes out with a 2x4 and conks the guy upside the head. HARD

❤'s The Heart: Later Shawn jokes around saying how good a friend Henry is if he'd override his programming for him

Rose-cut Strawberry: Probably But, defence of another human or no, Henry still deviated from his programming and attacked a human. But it gets convoluted from there. On one hand; he saved someone's life On another; He attacked someone

❤'s The Heart: Poor guy :(

Rose-cut Strawberry: And he panics a little (again, not something an Android should be capable of) because Deviating can lead to Deactivation

❤'s The Heart: Save him

Rose-cut Strawberry: That's kind of what Shawn and the others end up doing. They help get things in order for Henry to leave the country for one with less stringent laws towards Androids.

❤'s The Heart: Comfort the robot

Rose-cut Strawberry: Joey only finds out what happened after the fact. By then Joey has noticed that Henry was becoming a Deviant but never did anything about it because he was getting even better work out of him. And he is not happy when he finds out Henry has left. But he would have been just as displeased if Cyberlife had Deactivated him. Joey gets curious about just how human Androids are becoming, and that leads into the magic stuff (but possibly more cyberpunk than in-game)

❤'s The Heart: Ooo

Rose-cut Strawberry: Henry flounders for a good long while, since he's so used to having orders and jobs, and isn't really sure of what to do with himself. I supposed this could be when Linda shows up for sure, who can be a graphic designer looking for help. She doesn't expect an Android to be one of her applicants but finds he's actually pretty good and gives him the job.

❤'s The Heart: Aww :)

Rose-cut Strawberry: Fast forward 20 to 30 years and Henry gets the Letter (and yes, it needs to be capitalized)

❤'s The Heart: Of course, it does!   It's important

Rose-cut Strawberry: Henry is feeling safe enough to come back (laws and policies have changed), so he decides he's overdue for a visit to his friends if they still live near the studio. The studio had closed down due to debt and "mysterious circumstances" but he thought that at least a few of his old coworkers probably still lived in the area.  He has no idea what he's walking into

❤'s The Heart: D’:

Rose-cut Strawberry: MANGO WHAT DO YOU THINK SO FAR?

❤'s The Heart: this is so goooood

Adopt-A-Fusion: I LOVE IT

Rose-cut Strawberry: YAY I fully admit that I picture the aesthetic being a lot like Doberart's Rise of Bendy AU f*ck, I don't know how to continue Seriously I don't know how to continue, someone give me an idea. Please

❤'s The Heart: Sorry ^^;

Rose-cut Strawberry: Here's a thought, how do the rest of the staff feel about their Android coworker? What do you guys think?

Adopt-A-Fusion: some people are probably indifferent, at least one person is a dick about it

Rose-cut Strawberry: Possibly two of them. I want Bertrum to be one, he just very set in treating Henry as a machine or an appliance. Wally kinda likes him, because if he asks Henry is willing to help him out with stuff.

❤'s The Heart: Ooo yes

Rose-cut Strawberry: What about others, we already decided Shawn likes him

❤'s The Heart: Sammy is indifferent

Rose-cut Strawberry: Yes, he doesn't mind the Android, but he doesn't hate him either. He just focusses on his work Pre-Deviant; there are a lot of coworkers who are indifferent because they find androids unsettling but have no real reason to hate them.

❤'s The Heart: Wally is one of those at first, but Henry grows on him

Rose-cut Strawberry: Like I said, he comes to like him because Henry is always willing to help when asked. What about Susie? Or Thomas? Or even Norman?

❤'s The Heart: Thomas is indifferent. He's indifferent about everyone Norman likes him

Rose-cut Strawberry: Any ideas for Susie?

Adopt-A-Fusion: I don’t know :(

Rose-cut Strawberry: Norman thinks he's a nice guy, even if he's an android. They chat with each other at times. Thomas sees him as a machine, but he generally likes machines, so he treats Henry about the same as he treats normal people. But he also makes sure the studio is stocked with stuff to help Henry if he gets injured or needs to refill his "blood" levels (they have a term for the special blue fluids used for android blood but I can't remember it right now) Susie... Let's go with her mostly avoiding Henry.

❤'s The Heart: She's a bit creeped out

Rose-cut Strawberry: Like the fact that he doesn't emote as much as a human bothers her, but she doesn't really hate him or be rude. So she tries to just avoid him. Which is fairly easy since they work in different sections of the studio. Grant has a stronger dislike of Henry, but it's not as much about him being an android and more because of how much Joey ended up using of the studio's budget to buy him. But the way he treats is more Begrudging then honestly hostile.  Eventually, he appreciates having Henry around when the android offers to help him with paperwork (computer brains are helpful for long and complicated math equations) Should Allison be working at the studio at this time? Not as Alice's Voice Actor but maybe just another female voice actor at the studio?

❤'s The Heart: Sure, why not I love the stuff with Grant

Rose-cut Strawberry: Allison is one of those people who finds androids fascinating. Like, with how close they can emulate humans She goes out of her way to talk to Henry, sometimes throwing out non-sequesters just to see how he'll respond. She supports the idea of Androids getting more rights but is quiet about it since it's not a very popular opinion.

❤'s The Heart: Shawn asks him questions all the time about being an android

Rose-cut Strawberry: A lot of them boil down to "I don't really know, that's just how I was programmed" or "You would have to check Cyberlife's policies for that." A lot of employees are of the opinion that Henry is a good robo-boy. A lot of them are mostly indifferent towards Android, but Henry's programming results in him growing on them after a while.

❤'s The Heart: More than half of the employees: PROTECC

Rose-cut Strawberry: I don't know about more than half, but definitely a good percentage of them don't want bad things to happen to their android

❤'s The Heart; A good percentage of the employees: PROTECC

Rose-cut Strawberry: I want to say Henry gets hurt at least once in the studio, enough to end up spooking the others pretty bad.

❤'s The Heart: YES

Rose-cut Strawberry: @Adopt-A-Fusion We need a scenario for an injured Android Animator, and ideas?

Adopt-A-Fusion: nope

Rose-cut Strawberry: drat.

❤'s The Heart: An accident of some sort

Rose-cut Strawberry: Yes, but the question is what? There's no ink machine at that time, otherwise, I'd say something involving the equipment for it.

❤'s The Heart: a pipe exploding maybe Not like an ink pipe, just a regular one

Rose-cut Strawberry: Or a falling project- no, tech's different the projectors would be too light to do any serious damage. Wait, Bertrum's here He uses major equipment for the theme park stuff. (he has too)

❤'s The Heart: Yes!

Rose-cut Strawberry: So maybe something comes loose when Henry is dragged off to help with something and hits him. It doesn't do enough to "kill" him, but it ends up doing some pretty heavy damage. Which takes another huge chunk from the Studio's finances, but everyone who actually likes Henry is too worried about the android's condition to be too bothered by it. Grant is worried too, but also rips into Bertrum because "What if that had been a human employee?! It would have killed them! Do you have any idea what a lawsuit would have done to us?!"

❤'s The Heart: Poor Hen needs repairs

Rose-cut Strawberry: That's where Lacie becomes really helpful (previously she treated Henry like he was a person who just had trouble connecting with people), she knows all the technical jargon to get the shit that’s needed to fix Henry and what to do to get him stable while they waited for it to be ready.

❤'s The Heart: :D

Rose-cut Strawberry: A lot of the employees tear into Bertrum, since the accident was due to him lapsing in safety protocols, which means anyone who had been at the sight had been at risk of being injured. And androids could take more damage then a human, so if Henry was that injured, it would have been outright lethal to a human. Can we talk more about the relationship between Joey and Android Hen

❤'s The Heart: YES PLEASE

Rose-cut Strawberry: I don't really know where to go with that, other than needing the relationship between the two to seem well enough (to Henry) to justify Joey writing "Your old pal" in the letter, while still leaving him scummy enough to justify disliking him. Henry didn't become a deviant because he was being abused by his... Owner (i guess), he became one because he was ready and willing to protect his coworkers who had (probably) been slowly affecting his programming by just treating him like a person and encouraging him to be more like them.

❤'s The Heart: :)

Rose-cut Strawberry: I need an idea for shit that would seem nice to an Android, but be seen as really deceitful/scummy to a human.

❤'s The Heart: I suppose being given a place to live, but it's just like a closet or something

Rose-cut Strawberry: A former storage room in the studio. (so literally never leaves the studio)

❤'s The Heart: Yep Poor guy :(

Rose-cut Strawberry: But he doesn't know any better, because he's an Android that's basically fresh out of the shop and Joey is the one who purchased him and is, therefore, his "owner" He's literally a "possession" in the eyes of the law. But Joey doesn't really treat him badly.  Like how people can get attached to their stuff (like Roombas) and treat them like little people while still seeing them as a possession. Henry gets treated fairly well, but not really as a person.

❤'s The Heart: More like a cute little pet, or a child

Rose-cut Strawberry: Pretty much, yeah.

❤'s The Heart: The fact that the employees treat him differently is a bit confusing to him

Rose-cut Strawberry: He is very confused by it. But does his best to keep working.

❤'s The Heart: Eventually, he starts to realize he likes how the employees treat him more

Rose-cut Strawberry: But just the fact that he was making those choices showed that he was starting to deviate. Android's aren't supposed to feel anything. 'Pain' was the only exception since it warned if something in their systems was damaged, but even then it only showed up if they actually were hurt.

❤'s The Heart: Hence why it takes him a while to start feeling that way To start feeling at all

Rose-cut Strawberry: It starts with him doing something because he wants to. A very minor thing that Joey never really noticed or paid attention to at the time. Like Ooo~ Like putting a Cutout in the corner he works in. He has no real reason for it. He just wants it there. Joey thinks he's using it as a spare reference, or to make his desk seem more comfortable to other workers. But no. It's there because he decided he wanted it there.

❤'s The Heart: PRECIOUS BOY

Rose-cut Strawberry: He amasses a collection of knickknacks from around the studio. A broken/improperly made clock he decided to fix

❤'s The Heart: A magpie robot

Rose-cut Strawberry: A plush toy that was accidentally made the wrong color (or a prototype/concept toy Shawn may have given him) Yes, he basically starts out as a Magpie Those are the signs of him becoming Deviant. But they're so... not noticeable

❤'s The Heart: Hhhh i need to watch this gaaame

Rose-cut Strawberry: No one even realizes it's happening

❤'s The Heart: Not even Henry

Rose-cut Strawberry: Henry has at least one toy of Bendy, Boris, and Alice; A trio of Butcher Gang toys (since Joey scrapped the idea of making official toys of them); a couple posters where the images and colors were offset during printing; the clock... OH, the others notice the slight magpie-ness, but they think it's something closer to "Make sure things are kept for the future" Shawn is the only one thinking he's becoming Deviant. It's the only time he's ever been right. He brings in a fold-up bookcase thingy so that Henry can display some of his knickknacks. Shawn gets it as a present during Christmas or something.

❤'s The Heart: Aww :') Consider: the employees treating Henry's first day as his birthday

Rose-cut Strawberry: No, they ask him what day he was actually activated and that becomes his birthday.

❤'s The Heart: Yes!! Presents for the boy!! Shawn is the first one to see him smile and he teases him about how cute it is for a week

Rose-cut Strawberry: No one who wants to get him a gift is sure what to give, and Shawn ends up 'leading the charge' so to speak. Henry just sort of blinks at the teasing at first because he doesn't really know what embarrassment is.

❤'s The Heart: He gets lots of little knickknacks

Rose-cut Strawberry: Weird thought for Shawn to ask when he sees Henry drinking Thirium (the blue stuff that's basically blood for androids) Shawn; "So... Do androids count as some kind of weird-arse techno vampires then? I mean, technically speaking, you're basically drinking your own blood." Henry; "I... Am not sure how to answer that. This is just how I top off the levels of Thirium in my body."

❤'s The Heart: Their friendship is the greatest it makes me so happy QuQ

Rose-cut Strawberry: It's kinda like Shawn and Toon!Wally's tbh Only without the psycho-vivisecting Joey.

❤'s The Heart: Yes!

Rose-cut Strawberry: Wally asks questions like to. Once he gets used to Henry, he's actually really curious about how he works. Wally; "So, since yer blood is blue, does that mean you if could blush, yer face would turn blue-tinted?" Henry; "Possibly. Though, as an Android, there really isn't anything in my systems that would cause an irregularity in my thirium levels that would equate to a 'blush', as you call it.." (Sorry androids seem to be science-sy and formal in their speech/answers so I keep having to take a moment to think about how, exactly, Henry would respond.) For the longest time, Henry doesn't understand sarcasm. He answers everything with complete seriousness.

❤'s The Heart: I love how he talks It's adorable

Rose-cut Strawberry: Ooo~ Idea He learns how to recognize and understand sarcasm from Sammy. Just by listening and watching him.

❤'s The Heart: Yes absolutely He never quite understands it entirely

Rose-cut Strawberry: Oh, there's an idea, Android Henry is one of those non-Cyberlife Androids. Which means he was/could have meant that he was more likely to deviate than any Cyberlife Androids.

❤'s The Heart: Oh neat Joey wanted an android, Grant said they couldn't afford it, their compromise was getting a knock-off

Rose-cut Strawberry: But it still took a big chunk out of their budget.

Goof Noir: I JUST READ THIS I LOVE IT SM

Rose-cut Strawberry: Thank you!

❤'s The Heart: :D :D

Rose-cut Strawberry: Deep breath  The more I think about it, the more the idea of Henry being an Android could actually fit the game. Like, in the game, Henry seems to always need to have a mission/task of some kind as he goes. And he keeps count of all the tasks given to him (like the gears and ink globs) And he has little notifications when he completes tasks, even without Alice talking to him. I know those are all just normal game mechanics, but they could be incorporated into an Android really easily.

❤'s The Heart: :0 I love it

Rose-cut Strawberry: And Henry being able to "see" missing machinery/piping/etc fits for that kind of 'construction" stuff appearing. Pre/Reconstruction. that's what I meant. More thoughts on Android Henry, it actually causes a certain amount of sense with Henry's "deaths" in game. All of the magic is built around humans, which he is not. So while he is affected by the ink it can't actually get hold over him like everyone else.

❤'s The Heart: Ooooo

Rose-cut Strawberry: The ink is like "What is this?? Is it person?? Is it thing?? Should I be trying to take this or should I be making shit like it???" (BC the ink seems to be able to actually create inanimate things/non-organic things just fine) Like the pipes and the radios and such. It only seems to have trouble making "living" things. And Android Henry, by the definition given by Joey, was not a "Living" thing.

❤'s The Heart: :0

Rose-cut Strawberry: Well, he's not made with flesh and blood; he doesn't have the organs found in humans and animals; he doesn't really need to sleep or eat (even if he goes into rest/sleep mode every once in a while to save power/kill time); he doesn't have any bone or cartilage in his make-up He's about as far from the make-up of his coworkers and the toons as one can get. Even if his appearance is hardly different from others. I kinda want to talk more about Android Henry, or even start writing for it, but I don't know what to talk about/start with...

❤'s The Heart: Same :( I wish I had ideas

Adopt-A-Fusion: id contribute but brain doesn’t want to dbh

Rose-cut Strawberry: It doesn't have to be strictly dbh, it could just be ideas for how the story would start out. I'd say the story would start after Henry got the actual letter, with the past stuff being done as flashbacks or stories. I feel like it would be best for Henry to have some kind of companion for this story... I would love to talk more about the Android Henry AU, but I have no idea what to do about it.

❤'s The Heart: Joey just... Shopping around for bootlegs is amazing

Rose-cut Strawberry: Hey guys, remember Android Henry? I DREW HIM

❤'s The Heart: I’VE MISSED HIM

Adopt-A-Fusion: Good boy

Rose-cut Strawberry: He's wearing his android jacket, but he ripped off/removed all the decals and such from it.

❤'s The Heart: I wish we could talk more about his au but I don't know much about dbh (other than apparently people hate it now??)  and I don't have any ideas

Rose-cut Strawberry: So? Who cares if we don't know shit about it, doesn't mean we can't play in the sandbox anyway. Besides, that's what reading Wikipedia synopsizes is for.

❤'s The Heart: Oh that's very true

Rose-cut Strawberry: Hnnnn... I ideas for stuff to draw for Android Henry, anyone have any? @here  Any have suggestions? I really want to make more art to show this AU off.

❤'s The Heart: I’m sorry I don't ^^; Sorry I meant to reply to this yesterday

Rose-cut Strawberry: Is okay. If something occurs to you, feel free to mention it.

[broodsys]

this term is almost over and even tho ill miss the semblance of structure, im looking forward to it. ive been so incredibly drained all the time. regardless, as the weather warms up ill start feeling physically a lot better (fuck hypermobility and sensitivty to pressure changes) and be able to start gardening outside again, which is obv therapeutic af

im doing what i can to garden indoors. atm im using an old egg carton with perlite to start seeds, which is working beautifully - and i recently broke down my empty 10g aquarium (i switched its resident, my female betta Alecto, to the 29g where she is thriving) but i had an old 29g-length light split btwn two 10g aquariums, so i used the extra length as a secondary grow-light, so the seedling-egg-carton-tray is under that.

everything in it is growing nice and steadily... except for the kidney bean. i have several beans in there but none took off near as much as this guy - i had to cut it out and put it in a second biodegradable pot (toilet paper tube folded up at the bottom) bc it was getting so tall so fast. and like, i understand that beans grow fast, that’s their thing, but seeing it do that in my bedroom is smth else entirely. so cool

and back when we first got our (then) little meyer lemon tree, the first full lemon that grew and that i harvested, i took a seed from and grew that into another sapling which is still going, years later. and based on an article i recently read, im seriously considering keeping it indoors, at least until its gotten too big - but for now it’s on my windowsill and putting out ridiculous new growth.

plus since i took it in from outside, there was one noticeable resident - a cute lil spider on the most convoluted web strung thru the whole inside of the pot to the soil level. i left it there bc spiders are good and it has its home already, but every once in a while i check on it like hey, how u doing buddy. feels like i gotta another... not pet, but for lack of any better term, pet.

[wastrelwoods]

life update bc i dont love to talk abt it but im not back to classes yet and i gotta say SOMETHING to SOMEONE is while many of my peers ended the holidays with a well-deserved break from stressful family times and a return to regular ol life, i ended mine still living at home, with my parents new year resolution to up their scrutiny and really elbow their way into my life because they want to “get more involved”.......over maybe the most convoluted talk i’ve ever had about wanting to give me the freedom to make my own choices, as long as they get to make my choices with me and occasionally make them for me because they have all the money and all the power

and of course while complainin to my brother abt this he let me in on the idea that the folks are not. as completely oblivious as i’d hoped and the fact that im a gigantic flaming queer does not entirely escape their notice...or at least their suspicions......which im not even a little prepared to deal with because its already tough fighting off the shit in my brain that wants me to suffer every second for daring to be myself i cannot and will not handle these people who have all this power over me adding their Loving, Evil “we just want whats best for you and thats conversion therapy” thoughts to the mix

so like, yeah, fuck yeah, i gotta move out of this house, but that involves either stooping to the level of trusting my parents about money that i already know will come back to bite me....or getting REAL EMPLOYED REAL FAST and atm of course all i want to do is lie down and stare at the ceiling until i forget who i am and why im so goddamn stressed and its been about 3 days and thats really not. working for me and i’d LVOE to just throw myself back into schoolwork already. tho of course thats gonna work out about as well as expected for someone with 15 minutes worth of solid useful energy per day 

[butchwherewolf]

Hi! I'm not in the overwatch fandom but I follow it a bit. I keep seeing posts from people who are very upset atm, could you please explain a little about what's going on? Thank you!!

yeah sure, no problem! so, basically, imo, the problems started when Blizzard changed Mercy’s ultimate. Before, and idk if you know this already, she could resurrect up to 5 dead players as long as they were all in this general radius. This ability was both a blessing and a curse depending if this happened on your team or on the enemy’s team, respectively. It became quite the thing where Mercy would hide with her ult until a team kill happened, and then she would run in, rez everyone, and it would go back to either a stalemate or whatever.

this was obviously an issue for most competitive players if they never targeted mercy before the team kill happened, and it would be even more aggravating to players if this happened when the enemy team had used all of their ults, which means they essentially wasted everything and are now at a disadvantage in the fight. Does that make sense?

anyways, to combat this constant mercy hiding, blizzard did this somewhat ass backwards rework of Mercy in which resurrecting is now an ability instead of an ult, meaning it has a cooldown. The other change was that she can now only do this to one person and the ability has a 30 second cooldown. Now, going from being able to rez up to 5 people down to 1 is a huge change to the way mercy plays. Now, it’s not too unbearable due to her new ult, which resets the cooldown of her rez and basically lets her rez up to 2 people. still not the greatest, but okay, it’s a short lifeline. 

However, in the newest patch on the PTR(public test realm, it’s where blizzard drops patches for people to test play before they actually release), Mercy’s new ult does not reset her rez ability and also slows down the time it takes to rez someone. Now, that’s a big fucking change. That means that a mercy will have to be shielded by someone in order to use a basic ability, lest she get killed before even using it. It’s a huge change and completely destroying the small lifeline that Mercy had with the changes. It means that players will most likely go back to hiding because they can’t run in and try and help situations by rezing one person, and instead will have to hide from enemies or else risk getting killed for trying to rez someone. 

I know it might all sound confusing but it’s just a convoluted problem. Imo, i dont think they should have taken mercy’s old ultimate and everything away, especially when you take into consideration that mercy’s entire character is built around her resurrecting teammates and how that’s such a game changing ability. The team rez’s that i mentioned above had the potential to change the game, quite literally, especially on a competitive front. However, with these new changes, they’re completely destroying her character and making her most know and useful ability, her rez, and making it utter garbage. It would honestly be better if they just removed it altogether because they just keep nerfing the ever loving shit out of it.

And on top of all of this, there’s already a HUGE power imbalance with one character, Junkrat. He’s typically a good pick if you wnat to do a lot of damage and dont have the best aim, but now with recent changes, his one ability can deal up to 120 damage to someone. Note, most DPS/Offensive and support characters have around 250-150 health. This means that with one attack and a use of this ability, his trigger mines, he can kill an enemy in one second. That’s huge damage and it’s throwing the entire game off completely.

And, on top of that, the Overwatch team has been slowly nerfing their other support heroes and it’s just getting to the point where it feels like they’re listening to whinny DPS mains who complain that supports heal too much(which is bullshit when only one hero, Mercy, can actually do a lot of healing, shortly followed by Lucio) In fact, if you want to have a viable team comp, you need two healers because having Ana or Zenyatta as a sole healer on your team just doesn’t work becasue of nerfs or their character workings. It’s just all really convoluted and a shitshow at this point

[hellyeahheroes]

The problems with Miles Morales atm

 First article for hellyeahteensuperheroes so I’ll just say this: I am an avid Spider-man fan. Spider-man is the prototypical teen superhero after all so while Peter Parker is grown up selling his marriages to the devil, owning a tech company, and not having life insurance, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that Spider-man’s mythos started as the awkward teen in high school. In fact, that is how the majority of his media introduces him to the audience as, a kid.

So honestly, someone needs to fill in the void of teenaged Spider-man. And that person was...Peter Parker himself in the Ultimate Universe which was a modern take of Spider-man. This is probably the most acclaimed, adapted, and successful comic series in recent memory to the point, Marvel honestly considered making the Ultimate Universe the default Universe...Until Loeb took that idea and flooded it with the most notorious comic event that is comparable to One More Day.

So Ultimate Peter Parker was still the teenaged Peter Parker with a lot of great stories. However, with plans of Universe shifting derailed, Ultimate Peter Parker ,as great as he was. had one glaring problem: He was becoming 616 Peter Parker over again.

You can make Green Goblin the Hulk, change Eddie Brock to Peter’s brother figure, make the Shocker to a joke, and have Peter Parker and Kitty Pryde date; but at the end of the day, you are essentially retelling the same story of a character who still exists in another way in the present. What is the point of Ultimate Peter Parker if he was going to become 616 Peter Parker who still had comics(terrible comics, but I digress)?

Long story short, they killed Peter Parker and Miles Morales took his place.

Miles’ entire purpose is to resemble those old classic Spider-man stories of a young Spider-man from a perspective of a person who was different than Peter, physically and mentally. There are plenty of black people who relate to Spider-man, but Peter Parker as a character cannot relate to them as black people deal with some other shit than Peter who ranted at a group of protestors for sticking to the man and was one of those white anarcho-capitalists who champion Ayn Rand.

Brian Michael Bendis initially was doing so well with Miles Morales. The first 13 issues of Miles Morales’ Spider-man should be textbook examples of how to do an origin story. And then shit happened. Here is the shit.

1. Miles lacks Spider-man esque villains

What separates Spider-man villains and everybody else’s villains is that Spider-man’s villains tie into both his life as Spider-man and Peter Parker. Mr. Negative, Martin Li, ran a charity that Aunt May works at. Dr. Otto Octavius is the mirror of Spider-man and Peter Parker in that they are both brilliant and talented minds, but unlike Peter, Otto resented his peers and embraced his status as an outcast as Peter grew out of that phase. Dr. Connor is his mentor and professor in college. Green Goblin is the father of his best friend and sometimes is that best friend. Eddie Brock, Venom, is a jealous co-worker and competitor of Peter Parker who resented that Peter was able to take glorified selfies and gain success over him.

Even in the Ultimate Universe...well even more in the Ultimate Universe, Peter’s villains related to him as not just Spider-man, but also Peter Parker. It is what makes his rogues galley different than Batman or Superman.

And Miles is honest to god devoid of that. There are only two villains that exemplify Spider-man villains: Katie Bishop and Aaron Davis. The former was not so great, but had potential. The latter was probably one of the greatest villains in the decade, but was killed off. Miles has been around for 5 years and he has only developed two villains of his own that resemble Spider-man villains. The rest of his RG are essentially Peter’s who hate Miles because he is Peter’s legacy, and that is not okay.

This is a common problem for all new super heroes in this day and age. Because their respective universe have become so cluttered with the pasts, it is hard for them to gain a foothold of their own.

2. Crossover events

This shit fucking kills me about Miles Morales. I understand that for the sake of Miles’ longevity and prevalence, you need to give him as much exposure as possible. And that is okay. I am okay with Miles joining teams like the Young Ultimates, the revamped Avengers, or the Champions. However, I am not okay these huge crossover events becoming overbearing to his development as a character.

Ultimate Comics Spider-man 13-18(United We Stand/Divided We Fall)

Ultimate Comics Spider-man 29-31(Cataclysm)

Miles Morales: the Ultimate Spider-man 12(the end was rushed because of Secret Wars)

Spider-man 6-10(Civil War II)

Spider-man 11-14(Spider-Gwen crossover)

There are 50 Miles Morales book focused comics. 19 of them are universe expanding crossover events that he is heavily involved in. Luckily Secret Empire has strayed away from having Miles’ comics involved, but that is bad. Nearly half of this dudes stories get hijacked by these events that rarely if ever character build.

Miles’ constant criticism of his stories is that he does not have a lot of stories of his own to tell and part of that has to do with these distractions because that is what they are: distractions. If Civil War II did something for Miles’ character I would be okay with it, but for most of his part in that event, Miles was just going with the tide utterly confused as to what is happening. The only thing that the event established for Miles is that he fears that his anger might make him go too far, and you do not need that convoluted mess of Civil War II to reflect that.

Miles would have more enemies if Bendis stopped with the incessant events and focused on creating enemies that serve as foils to Miles Morales.

3. Too much focus on Peter Parker

Being that Miles is a legacy of Peter Parker, of course Peter is going to be mentioned and relevant to Peter. For all intents and purposes, Peter is awesome at just letting Miles be.

But Bendis....

Let me set the tone. Miles Morales and the Ultimate Universe survived Cataclysm and Galactus. The Ultimate Universe is revamped to three comics series. You have a mostly female and devoid of white men team(the All-New Ultimates). You have another female led team that explored mythos of the Ultimate Universe(Ultimate FF). And you have Miles Morales as the face of the entire universe and it is touted for once as Miles taking ownership of being Spider-man. It was about him. This was a fresh start with new stories. There is a mystery of Miles’ girlfriend. There was a thing with Roxxon. Miles’ dad was missing after he found out about Miles being Spider-man. There were so many stories and so much possibility. 

First issue

Mother FUCK!

This ran for 6 issues of Miles inaugural re-debut as the Spider-man. The first 6 issues of Miles revamp was about Peter Parker. Miles was playing secondary to Peter Parker and we were rehashing the same story development as Spider-men. Miles has already received the approval of a Peter Parker. A more experienced Peter Parker at that. So there was no character development for Miles to be had here. 

This story from the looks of it was to gave Ultimate Peter Parker and Mary Jane closure...which ruins the point because Peter got closure in his death and his funeral. Mary Jane may have needed some closure, but to have it wasted on a resurrection was bullshit when she could have done something to ensure Miles did not meet the same fate or run into the same obstacles. Y’know, actually be a supporting character and taking responsibility of him? But we really just had to appease those Peter Parker fans who have so little exposure to Peter(sarcasm).

The first six issues of Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-man were about Peter Parker. Not Miles Morales.

So if we are keeping count, that is 25 issues that had fuck all to do with Miles Morales. Half of Miles main comics are not about him as a character. And that is bad. Half of those comics could have been used to develop him or his villains.

4. The switch from the Ultimate Universe to the 616

One day I am going to do the differences between Miles Morales and Peter Parker, but right now, I will summarize. To Peter Parker, Spider-man was an escapist adventure. He enjoys being Spider-man more than his normal. It allows him to be a snarky and fun character and it allows the audience to get in on the act as well because they too want to use Spider-man as means of escapism.

Miles, however, is completely different.

Miles is the classical anti-hero. Being a superhero or more specifically, being Spider-man causes more problems for Miles than it solves them. Miles, initially was not thrilled that he had Spider-powers.

It’s a burden to him. He is only Spider-man because in the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker died. Also in the Ultimate Universe, there are very few superheroes running around protecting people. 

Being Spider-man only caused Miles problems. His genial relationship with his Uncle became toxic. His relationship with his father could be summed up as if Jonah Jameson was Peter Parker’s dad and at every dinner, daddy would talk shit about what you as Spider-man did unaware that he was talking shit about his own son. His mom was killed in a Spider-man related battle which involved him.

Miles is Spider-man because no one else, but him, can be. It is metaphorically thrusted on him. He doesn’t want superpowers. He wanted a normal life.He wanted to go to school and have fun. Unlike Peter, Miles is not picked on at school and his not a social outcast. It helps that he is at a charter school with a bunch of nerds, but the point is that his normal life was satisfying to him and as soon as being Spider-man becomes too much for him, he ditches the outfit and tries his damnest to live a normal life.

Him being in the 616 Universe ruins the point of him. It derails his character in that in a world were Peter Parker not only still lives, but there are also several superheroes who are more than happy to fill in a role and have the purpose to do so, Miles has no motivation to be Spider-man anymore. And it is not like being Spider-man has becomes less burdensome for him with the switch. Miles’ main reason of being Spider-man has vanished.

5. Poor Social Commentary

I have so many problems with these panels.

First, this girl specifically mentions the possibility that Miles may be Latino. She says that he is brown so the dialogue is disjointed and Miles problem with her becomes a non-issue and he is annoyed for no reason.

Second, he has a problem being identified as the Black Spider-man. But you are black and Spider-man so you are both. It sounds like he is ashamed of being black because he acts defensive towards being identified as black as if a person is supposed to immediately recognize that looking at him.

Third, Hispanic is not the proper identifier. Latino is. No self-respecting LatinX would call themselves Hispanic unless they are from Spain. Miles should know this and every time he refers to himself as Hispanic, it questions if he is aware of those roots that he will gladly use in defense if someone calls him black.

Fourth, how in the fuck does Miles not recognize the importance of a black Spider-man? A kid in New York in times where their is heightened racial tension does not understand the big deal of being a black superhero. “Why does it matter?” he asks when black people are being shot up by the police because they are a perceived threat. Black people are being incriminated and are being massively incarcerated and targeted. The fact that Miles does not get this yet says to Luke Cage in person that he(Luke Cage) is the only super hero that his father respects. Gee, I wonder why, Miles?

Fifth, you do not need this faux post-racial commentary to make Miles sound profound. More importantly, he sounds like a white person who has no clue about racism. The fact of the matter is that the majority of Miles Morales’ fandom loves him because he is the black Spider-man and shaming them for doing so is the wrong move and turns people off. The girl literally sounds like a stereotypical SJW r what people perceive SJWs are like and Marvel already has a bad reputation of attacking those people(Nick Spencer) while at the same time trying to appeal to them over DC.

But there is more cringey Social Commentary in the hands of a writer who does not quite get it.

The oppression Olympics debate! First off, intersectionality is not a matter of whom is more oppressed than whom. It is to understand that people are oppressed in several ways. So Ganke pointing out that Miles is skinny and black while Ganke is fat and Asian completely misses the point of intersectionality because he is trying to say that he is more oppressed than Miles while erasing the fact the Miles faces racial injustice that can get him killed. And I am not erasing being fat and Asian, and I am just pointing out that there are better ways to have this discourse without turning it into a haphazard “Who suffers the most” dick measuring contest.

Also, Miles calls himself Hispanic as if his mom does not look like Beyonce and it counts as half.

There is a lot holding back Miles from developing into his own Spider-man. Hopefully in the future, this gets rectified because I want Miles to succeed.

@ubernegro

[comicteaparty]

July 22nd-July 28th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from July 22nd, 2019 to July 28th, 2019.  The chat focused on Tales of Midgard: The Age of Magic by Attila Polyák and Erzsébet Schlett.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Tales of Midgard: The Age of Magic by Attila Polyák and Erzsébet Schlett~! (https://talesofmidgard.com/comic/book-1-cover-page/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until July 28th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. Insofar, what are your theories on Anne’s past history? Why did she become a knight, and what do you think is the story with her parents? Additionally, what do you think happened to her as a mage that she hopes doesn’t happen to Amy?

snuffysam

My favorite scene in the comic thus far was the fight between Anne and Bernard (chapter 7, and a little bit of chapter 6). It's an incredible action setpiece, with cool techniques on both sides, and the way Bernard tries to sway Anne to his side makes him a really memorable villain.(edited)

Honorable mention to the ending of chapter 1. I love a good hook, and the reveal that Anne's armor was fake the whole time made me sit up sharply in my seat.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Why do you think Erik is still a B rank mage? Is he really satisfied taking on lower level missions, or is there something he isn’t telling Anne? How do you think he and Anne even became partners?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene is probably the one where Erik is fighting on the...roof plateau area (whatever you want to call it) against two mages. While Anne has gotten plenty of action to be awesome, I felt until this point that we hadn't gotten to see Erik's true colors. Then whoosh, suddenly Erik is like "let me show you how amazing earth magic is" not to mention Erik got blinded and still whipped their butts. 2) In terms of Anne's past history, I get the impression for sure that she's an orphan. So probably not dissimilar to Amy where she went to learn magic partly out of not having anywhere else to go. I personally think she did something unexpected and bad with magic. Not enough that ppl were like "oh no monster" but enough that the academy place kicked her out. So then she left and became a knight because she was no longer welcome to become a mage at the academy at least.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. How do you think Amy will continue to affect Anne as the story goes on? Do you think Anne will still be able to be a good mentor, or will it be damaged by the missions she takes? Additionally, is educational reform the only reason she was asked to mentor Amy?

RebelVampire

3) My fave character at the moment is definitely Erik. Which I just relate to the whole "i could probably do this thing but that sounds like a lot of effort" attitude. Plus I like his sort of...air of mystery? Cause at the very least he's a lot less open compared to Anne so I'm really intrigued where he stands on everything. 4) I think Erik is still a lower ranked mage partly cause of the reason he said (ie lazy lack of ambition) and partly for reasons that he's not telling Anne. Though I don't have any theories on what he's not telling her. But I don't think its friendship ending, more like something Anne would be surprised to learn. In terms of how they became partners, I kind of feel like they probably got assigned to the same mission or something and just clicked. Since they both seem kind of radical in what they're willing to do so I imagine that gave them a bond. Since if I was an average mage I probably wouldn't necessary want to go on their crazy missions with them. XD

Attila Polyák

Erik gets a lot of love. Cool! Earth bending wins!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What are your opinions of Anne’s theory about what Charr is up to? What does this have to do with the box that she and Erik had to retrieve twice? How does this tie into Bernard being found dead in an impossible place and Igor Björn being in Minas Fril?

RebelVampire

5) my favorite illustration so far is probably the bottom panel on this page https://talesofmidgard.com/comic/ch7-p18/ I really love the use of the fire both in the background and foreground. It's used in a really nice way that frames the picture. I also like the little spark details flying off the fire. Gotta love them particle effects. 6) I think Amy is kind of gonna force Anne to mature and think more about her actions. Cause as I've said before I believe, Anne can be a bit reckless. Like gettng stabbed in the leg, for example.. And I think the desire to continue to help Amy will have Anne going "but if I do this thing I'll get hurt and that will hurt Amy." I do think the missions will damage her mentorship to a degree. but more in the what if sense where Amy will be fine but it had the potential to be more. I think for the most part Anne will be a good mentor though, cause she cares a lot. In terms of educational reform, I do think that's part of the reason. However, I also get the impression that there was something more in there. Like the mentorship is just as much to help Anne personally grow as it is for Amy.

7) Anne and Erik are the characters I like to see interact most. They have a really fantastic dynamic that comes with a good amount of well-intentioned jabs, cooperation, and balance of personality. Plus I think they both have the highest capacity to reveal each other's backstore more in terms of story. 8) To be honest, I thought Anne's theories were a bit convoluted, albeit definitely with some truth in them. I feel they're definitely missing some crucial information that will make the puzzle snap though. As for the box, I assume it contained information or something that would be so bad it'd help rally the people or something. I think the Bernard and Igor things are misdirects of trying to keep everyone thinking things are fine, nothing to see here. Though I think Igor is also trying to convince others to stay out of the war that may be happening soon. In subtle sneak ways of course.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. How do you believe the Crimson Charr Reunification Army is faring, and how might they return to have a role in Anne’s personal story? Do you believe Bernard is actually dead? If so, what might have ominous final orders have been?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. Why do you think that the negotiations in Minas Fril seem to have been complicated and going to take longer than Anne had anticipated? Do you think things will go in Dyr’s favor, or will something sour the event?

RebelVampire

9) I really love all the details of the trees and leaves during the chapters where they're in the forest. I especially really like the shading and the use of different levels of background. It really brought a lot and made it feel very forest like. And it's nature so that definitely takes a lot of effort. 10) If I had to take a guess, I assume their boss' death really took them a few steps backwards. However, I do think they're gonna purposely seek at Anne, if only for revenge. Cause I don't think Anne is going to be forgiven. Which as that statement implies, I do think Bernard actually died. Especially after that foreshadowing where he was talking about the final orders. In terms of what the final orders were, it was probably a "do this one last thing that will spark the war" or someting. Cause don't need the reunification army when the goals are achieved. XD

RebelVampire

11) I think the comic's strength is definitely character interactions. You got a lot of drama, a lot of endearing moments, a lot of intrigue. It's really just got everything you could want and its all balanced and logical. So the characters really are what drive the story and make the scenes interesting. 12) If Anne's theories are right, it's possible that people in Dyr aren't the only people who suspect the upcoming war or political intrigue going on at least. And from the description of Dyr's position, I imagine they are a vulnerable country where nothing is ever easy. Cause it'd be super easy to just prey on them and get whatever you want cause you know Dyr needs the support of your country. So I imagine no matter how smooth things are supposed to go, it's never that smooth. I do think something is going to sour the event while they're in Minas Fril and further complicate their position. Though I don't have any clues as to what atm.

snuffysam

One thing I really like about the art in this comic is the way magic looks. Everything is so sparkly and pretty and smooth all at once... it's really inviting.

I'm not sure if Bernard actually died or not... the newspaper article seemed pretty fishy to me. If he is dead, I think the reunification army lied about the location for... some strategic reason. Possibly relating to those last orders he was giving?

snuffysam

I agree with you Rebel, the comic's greatest strengths are the characters and their interactions. My favorite is Anne teaching Amy. Amy is really cute and determined, and you learn a lot about how Anne had to grow up through those interactions. Though I also love the banter you get between Anne and Erik - two close friends who do all their work together, despite being very different in some ways.(edited)

NiaNook

1) I have a soft spot for the first inn scene https://talesofmidgard.com/comic/ch2-p16/ It was a brief little breath of air where we get to see the more day-to-day details of these two partners. But most of all, between the atmosphere of the room and the beautiful little town (bottom panel in the page I linked) it felt so cozy! And what can be more comfortable than curling up in bed in some PJs after wearing big heavy armor all day? :'D I will also second that Eric's fight on top of the cave was pretty interesting. We're seeing a lot of impressive and new spells from all the parties involved, at play! 2) For Anne's history, I have to wonder if her parents had anything to do with the war, as she has strong feelings towards her home, Dyr, but that's a loose guess. As for whatever it was that happened with her mage training, I'm imagining some scenario where she accidentally "demonstrates" her skills in a way that causes a lot of property damage. Impressive, but destructive! 3) Mia! That lady comes off as those steely-eyed, strict military types that would be hard to approach, but the next moment as soon as her shift ends, she melts into romance mode and goes to bring her lover a cake. That contrast in her character was so charming. 4) Wouldn't put it past Eric to be hiding something, but as far as I know, maybe the guy just doesn't give others the opportunity to recognize his strength. 5) Oh man, there are so many backgrounds I've been wanting to gush about throughout the comic. The town scenes, the forests, the sunsets.... Every panel since they made it to Minas Fril was pure scenery eye-candy! @o@ Just look at this https://talesofmidgard.com/comic/ch16-p19/ And there's this really cool panel of Eric about to bust out some mad magics on those wolves. https://talesofmidgard.com/comic/ch15-p07/

NiaNook

6) Echoing RebelVampire's thoughts, I'm hoping Amy will help Anne mature and grow as a character. It gives her something serious to work for; something to protect. I do have an anxiety that something bad will happen between her and Amy once Anne gets back from her mission. Like, maybe Amy will have gone through a hardship that Anne wasn't there for her for... 7) Well, besides Mia's and Gjurd's relationship, I like seeing Mr. Mannfred's interactions with the others. This is a high profile dude with no apparent fighting skills, yet here he is LEADING the way into danger with Anne and Eric behind. From how he treats others, he gives off "good leader" vibes. I wonder what other surprises he has under his hat. 8) I'm not even sure if Bernard is really dead at all, or if they're using his death as a tool to rile up people for war. Whatever the reason, I think her theory of trying to keep the countries from forming alliances holds some water. 9) I'm going to gush about background details, again. I like the detail put in that gives you something to look at on every page, like the town-people in their colorful outfits interacting. Couldn't help but notice that Anne had some dead-flowers outside of her apartment! 10) They seem small and weak, as a whole, but methinks they've got the determination and brainpower to /make things happen/. 11) The comic definitely has some cute moments, but I think the world is what does it for me. You start out a little dazed and confused (as most long-running stories go), but a few chapters in and it seems like a very neat place to live with likable blends of magic and technology. 12) I'll give the Charr reunification army some credit and say they're probably having some success in complicating things, though I think it would hurt Ilial more than Dyr, if I'm understanding the situation?(edited)

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. Why do you think Lucretia has taken an interest in Anne? What could this mean for Anne’s future? Ultimately, how do you think Lucretia’s role as an archmage might help or hurt Anne as the world events start to take a serious turn?

RebelVampire

13) I'm actually hoping to see Erik and Amy interact in the future. Since Amy is an important part of Anne's life now, I'm interested to see how Erik adjusts to that and what good Erik can maybe do for Amy too or something. 14) Honestly I kind of...just think Lucretia thinks Anne is hot and bold. XD If I was in Lucretia's position, it'd probably also just be nice to know someone who isnt some political backstabber looking for any sign of weakness. I think Lucretia is going to help Anne by feeding her info and warnings that Anne probably wouldn't otherwise have access too. For what reason hard to say, but for now I don't think there'll be any hurt. Probably. Maybe.

Attila Polyák

Thank you all for reading and sharing your views on Tales of Midgard here! Hope you all had a good time while reading my work!

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Tales of Midgard: The Age of Magic this week! Please also give a special thank you to Attila Polyák and Erzsébet Schlett for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Tales of Midgard: The Age of Magic, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

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