#he is a 5 year old fodder save and Yeah I think I can see the fodder in him

[cometcats-fr]

Another guy... Wastewalker! A buddy and a pal and a menace (to me)

[liminal-librarian]

My favourite group of children's stories usually went like this: kid sees something they want and the first thing they think of is very much a case of 'biting off more than his parents think he can chew,' (I'm going to go buy enough land to have a tree of my own to put a tree house in, with my life savings of $47.72) but they trust the adult he's biting off from to see it coming and have no benefit possible from defrauding their child so they're like, 'Oh, ok, I doubt they'll go along with that but you can always ask.'

And the rich lady on the hill is like, 'heh, sure ok, I'll have my lawyer write up a deed of sale and etc.' (Which for sure costs more than 47$ but ok. But having an interested 10-year-old trying to be a good neighbour will probably make a better fire watch than anything she can afford. And he gets the treehouse he wants out of the deal. But she's going to make sure the paperwork is kept straight for legal and insurance reasons, and for other reasons that will become clear later.)

So you get all these lessons on property ownership and state regulations and immanent domain and citizen autonomy distilled down and explained at a 10-year-old's level.

Does the story have a kid getting to try a grown-up thing for themselves? Yes for sure.

Are the adults absent or disinterested? No! Do they stop him from doing the thing? Also no! They give useful advice and warnings, but let him go ahead.

So anyway, yeah, the rich lady uses him as a cat's paw to really fuck up the lives of several annoying state bureaucrats who are scheduled to 'steal' her land (for the public good) later. But we only hear rumours of her perspective from his parents theorising things after the fact. The perspective we get is from the kid, when the state wants to come and buy his land from him assessed at ~5 times what he paid for it, but he doesn't want the money he wants his tree house.

And the contractors are like, we need to cut this tree down or it will mess up the clay layer we need to apply next or the lake won't work right. But the kid has his court order filed in time so that doesn't happen. (help from his dad.) But when it actually goes to trial, his parents and the rich lady's lawyer all agree he should present his case himself. So he does.

Long story short, they let him 'not sell' his land to the state for imminent domain money, but he has to be content with owning Lakebottom property instead. His tree does get cut down, but it's taken so long they can't rip out the stump like they wanted to, so they put a super huge eye bolt in it. And maybe process the tree into lumber for him or something else, I don't remember.

And he gets a houseboat and mooring out of the deal instead of a treehouse. And the state has to provide him with a canoe instead of a driveway. (Because the state law is like that.)

But yeah, he has his adults helping him and supporting him in doing an adult thing that he wants to do (other than being cannon fodder). And I'm sure that it was properly researched for whatever state it was set in. But it wasn't my state so I'm not going to trust it to be accurate legal advice or anything.

But it's social studies the way it should be taught at that age. It's not 'this is what a fireman looks like' and 'this is what a policeman looks like' these are what their jobs are. etc. This one was about a kid with a goal, learning to navigate the system to achieve that goal properly. And given that we live in a society, compromises had to be made.

I wish I'd had a whole series of books like that, covering every major aspect of life. Instead of only real estate, banking, and getting a job. And the one on getting a job was shit out of date.

ok i think what gets me about the kind of post that's like '[children's media] has child soldiers, where are their parents!!' is that those stories really and truly aren't for people who'll think about that, they're for the people the children's age, who don't, for the most part, want to be kept safe or told they're too young to participate in the world, they want to be given a sword

[frightsrising]

I'm running out of space to save scries so I'm gonna go through and delete some old ones I'm no longer interested in, so why not rate them in the process ^-^

Everything under the break because this is going to be long I fear

#1: ''Basic Scry''. Very first scry I saved as Soon as saving scries became a thing, I load thing thing up ten thousand times a day to have a fresh base for all my scries. Shes gorgeous shes stunning shes the moment. I don't know how people scry without a blank slate

#2: "Jdgzkahdisj". 0/10. Was for a "Scry yourself as a dragon" thread some years ago and I went the MOST boring direction I possibly could, a latte triple x. Even the eyes are earth, couldn't even bring myself to give him actual yellow eyes.

#3: "Gold" Aaaa.... 6/10? He was a random scry I really loved. He made me want a sanddollar jaguar derg (which I Still havent acquired) but his tert bothers me (maybe its just contour, I have to be in the mood for it.)

#4: "Scry" 4/10. I see the vision but I Dont like it. Was another random scry I messed around with but I dont think latte/thistle is a good combination with light multigaze. Minus points for the grip latte had on me

#5: "Jdgzkahdisj 2" 6/10, a rescry of the original "me as a dragon" but I added a smidge of color into the mix. Really need to let go of latte.

#6: "Milo" 8/10 A scry of one of my snakes. I really like how the primary and tert look together but I'm not a huge fan of the secondary in any capacity. High rating because he was a good boy

#7: "yyy" 1/10, "y" indeed. The primary and the secondary are really cute but WHAT on earth was I thinking with that tert. Was I temporarily colorblind? Why was I cursed to give coatl hatchlings nothing but light eyes? He can be salvaged, but I dont think I want to. He deserves his fate.

#8: "Oh baby a triple!" 7/10, Not a triple at all, but an Okay scry. Nothing I'd go out of my way to acquire ingame, but hes like... alright, I guess. The kind of dragon I'd buy on the AH for fodder price, and then feel guilty exalting later when I realize he's not that pretty, he was just cheap.

#9: "ghhh" 8/10, I think about this scry a lot. I'd definitely scry him differently now, but he's a solid dragon. I WOULD buy him for above fodder price. I just wish I had chosen another cream or teal color for the tert instead of buttercup again.

#10: ''Whisk'' 10/10. I don't particularly like starmap or filigree but something about this scry still scratches my brain years later. I do have to overlook the antique tert <( #1 antique hater in most circumstances ) but he's pretty. Bonus points for charcoal and metals looking So nice together here

#11: ''Just a baby :)" 7/10. I discovered the power of metals bee with the last scry. Would be rated higher if I hadn't seen his clones on the AH every day since I joined. No points for creativity, boooo!!

#12: "aaaa" 6.5/10?? I feel like there's potential here but it just doesn't do it for me. She looks like a scry you'd see in an unsold g1's bio.

#13: "aaa" 10/10, I can't dock ratings for being xxy because this little guy is so fascinating to me. I need him in my lair STAT.

#14: "plague" 5/10, I think?? That sure is plague, yeah. Cant say shes Pretty but she definitely is plague-y

#15, and the last one for now as my laptop is lagging with such a long post: "236452364" <( Not an id, just his scry name ) 6/10? yeah sure. 6/10. He's cute, but the sliiight color difference between the primary and the secondary really just dont work for me. Minus points for the very out of place arcane eyes (seriously, why could I not match eyes to save my life??)

Even after skipping a bunch we're only about halfway there so we'll come back to this. maybe. if i remember ^-^

[the-backspin-alchemist]

2, 4, 5, 17, 18, 20?

2. first anime crush

Technically speaking, prolly Kagome from Inuyasha, but in fairness I was like 8 at the time and it was one of the few anime cartoons on early enough for me to watch.

Otherwise, prolly has to default to Riza Hawkeye from the first time I watched through Fullmetal Alchemist, since that was my gateway drug into anime.

4. least favorite anime character 

Black Star from Soul Eater.

Gods, he’s such a good example on how NOT to writer a good character. He never learns, never changes, the one time it looks like he’ll have some character development, it’s ignored, and he never sees any consequences for it.

EXCALIBUR was less annoying than he was.

5. list all anime you have ever watched

Ah hell. Uh let’s see here…

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Durarara!!

Baccano!

ufotable’s Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Fate/Zero

Fate/Apocrypha

Ajin

Knights of Sidonia

Polygon Pictures’ Godzilla trilogy

Code Geass

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Sword Art Online

Fairy Tail (incomplete)

Naruto (incomplete)

Darker Than Black

Mushishi

Mobile Suit Gundam: Unicorn

Trigun

Inuyasha (incomplete) (need to fix that)

Soul Eater

Rise of the Shield Hero

B: The Beginning (incomplete)

Pacific Rim: The Black

Deltora Quest (look I was like six at the time)

Outran High School Host Club

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

Revisions

Psycho-Pass

Moribito: Guardian Of The Spirit

Kill La Kill

Aldnoah.Zero (first season only)

BNHA (incomplete)

BNA (incomplete)

Dragon Pilot

Matantei Loki Ragnarok

Castlevania

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (incomplete)

Deadman Wonderland

Devilman Crybaby

Cowboy Bebop

One Punch Man

Steins;Gate

Noragami (incomplete)

Sonic X

17. biggest anime crush

Proooooobably Celty from DRRR!!

Otherwise it’s likely Saber from UBW.

…okay, badass women with kickass weapons and a strong moral compass are my type, okay?

18. 10 worst anime you have watched

Uh…hmm.

Okay I’ll list some of the ones I’ve quit, then, in no particular order:

Burst Angel (sorry @charlezarrd, but it was too much of a mess)

Elfen Lied (the opening episode alone speaks for itself. No fucking thank you. Not touching that with a ten-foot pole.)

One Piece (fucking Luffy’s the most irritating character ever, he’s worse than Naruto in my eyes)

Bleach (I tried, y’all. I tried hard with this one, too, but Ichigo’s just too damn boring. He’s better in the live-action adaptation where he can actually emote)

The Seven Deadly Sins (if they’d made Meliodas less of a creep and Elizabeth more useful and less of a standard damsel I’d have moved this series, but no, Meliodas had to be That One Character and it ruined everything, every time.)

Hellsing (made the mistake of thinking it would actually be amusing like the Abridged version, but no, it’s just bloody and kinda not great in terms of writing)

Attack on Titan (this is gonna make people mad, but the twists were obvious, I called the Titans as weapons of war instead of natural disasters, and Eren as a character is boring as heck outside of his powers, and I just couldn’t keep running with nothing to keep me interested for the first season. Levi, Eren, and Mikasa’s characters are frankly all wasted on that series, IMHO)

Blood of Zeus (seriously, they did NOTHING INTERESTING WITH THIS SHOW and had Zeus BE THE SAME HORNY BASTARD HE ALWAYS IS and somehow STILL FOUND A WAY TO MAKE HERA THE BAD GUY like WHAT the FUCK even Elias Toufexis as the lone sensible villain couldn’t save this series!)

Fate/Extra: Lost Encore (this falls prey to being Fate fodder. Sure, Cassandra Lee Morris as Nero is great…but also NERO is supposed to be the good one somehow, which…like…okay now the Saber twist isn’t even a twist anymore, it’s just you turning famous figures into blonde anime girls because it worked that one time. Aside from that there’s also very little actual PLOT for me to grab onto, and like…c’mon. It’s like they barely tried.)

Also I revisited Deltora Quest at one point and…I have no idea what 6-year-old-me was thinking. It’s terrible. Like. REALLY bad.

20. least favorite anime ships

I tend not to bash people for their ships, really, but like…I dunno something really rubs me the wrong way about the few folks I saw shipping Mao and CC from Code Geass.

Oh, and anyone that pairs Gilgamesh and Saber from UBW. The two despise each other. They would not make for a good pairing. Either Gilgamesh would need to acknowledge Saber as his equal (which he won’t, he refuses to the point of death in the series), or Saber will have to willingly become his plaything (which we ALSO see her resist to almost the point of death in the series), so I don’t get why people think that makes textual sense?

But again, I try not to actively bash people for shipping stuff. AUs are always a thing, after all, so…yeah. Whatever man. As long as nobody is hurting anyone over it, you do you.

[headfulloffantasies]

The Mouths of Babes

5 times other hunters talked about those Winchester boys

AO3 link

My kofi!

5 times other hunters talk about the Winchesters

Her whole life, Katie had heard stories about the Winchester boys. It started with tales about John Winchester, “and those boys of his.” Shortly after, those same stories turned into tall tales about the Winchesters’ latest great victory. Unbelievable stuff. Dragons. Demons. Fairies. Gods.

Katie’s Uncle Lou would come up to the house with a case he needed help with. He and Katie’s dad would talk a long time, and at the end of many of those talks Dad would say, “This is too weird for us. Leave it to the Winchesters.”

When she turned eighteen and was ready to go on her first solo hunt, Uncle Lou sat Katie down for a talk. If she ever found a case too weird, he instructed her to call him, and he’d call his pal Garth to tell the Winchesters to drop by.

Katie wished she’d listened to Uncle Lou.

She and her partner Leslie slammed their backs against the storeroom door. The thumps on the other side shook the whole doorframe.

“It’s only a shapeshifter,” Leslie sassed, repeating Katie’s words back to her. “It’ll be easy. We’ll be home for dinner.”

“So it’s a shapeshifter family,” Katie grunted as another body rattled the door. “We can still take them.”

“Are you kidding me?” Leslie yelled. “The whole farm is infested. If we make it out of this, I’m going to kill you.”

“I told you we should have left it to the Winchesters,” Katie ground out.

Leslie’s long blonde hair hid her face. “I’m sorry, okay? Next time you can do the research.”

At that moment a bang like a gunshot rang out. Katie instinctively ducked. The doors stopped shuddering under the shapeshifter onslaught. Another bang, and another, accompanied a scream. Then silence.

Katie and Leslie traded a wide-eyed stare.

Someone knocked on the door. Leslie screamed.

“Hey, take it easy,” a male voice said on the other side of the door. “The shapeshifters are dead. You can come out.”

Katie reached for the door handle. Leslie whimpered. Katie cracked the door open. A huge dude stood on the other side with a shotgun in his hands.

Katie raised her machete. “Prove you’re not a monster.”

The guy lowered his gun and pulled a knife from his belt. Katie hefted the machete.

“Easy. It’s silver,” the dude said. He dragged the knife across the skin of his wrist. Blood welled up, but no sizzling smoke.

Katie relaxed slightly. “Who are you?”

“My name is Sam; this is my brother Dean.” Another big dude with shorter hair lumbered out of the dark. He surveyed the area with his shotgun at the ready. Katie recognised the set to his jaw and the position of his shoulders. Her dad hunted like that.

“You’re hunters?”

Leslie crashed into Katie’s side. “Holy crap,” she gasped. “You’re the Winchesters.”

Sam looked startled. Dean swiveled their way, eyeing Leslie with suspicion.

“Yeah, we are,” Sam said.

“You’ve heard of us?” Dean asked.

             “I kind of thought you were a myth,” Katie said.

Dean snorted, but a smirk crawled up his face. “Let’s go. We got the rest of the shapeshifters. You did good, all things considered.”

“Except the part where we almost died,” Leslie said.

 2

             Hunter wakes were the worst.

             Katie wished she was old enough to down the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table in front of her. She didn’t even know the poor dead shmuck. But her dad did, and he insisted Katie should come along to pay her respects.

             “Leslie didn’t have to come,” Katie grumbled to herself. She slouched further into the old couch, wanting to sink into the floor.

             Everybody clustered around the living room had at least twenty years on her. Nobody wanted to talk to the kid. She didn’t have any stories about Tyler to share. She didn’t have any tears to shed, or laughs to offer. She might as well become the lamp in the corner for all the attention anybody paid her.

             A couple of dudes in flannel sat on the other couch opposite Katie. She had tuned out their conversation ages ago. But her ears pricked at a familiar name.

             “The Winchesters took out an alpha vampire.”

             “You’re taking the piss.”

             “No, I’m serious. They got that angel buddy helping them.”

             “Dude, I thought the angels hated us.”

             “This one’s palling with the Winchesters, I swear.”

             “Those boys get weirder every day.”

             Katie strained her ears while trying to keep her expression blank. But that moment, a fork clinked against a glass. The conversations died.

             Katie turned in her seat. Her Uncle Lou stood with a glass upraised in his hand.

             “Friends, hunters,” he started. “We are all here today to honour our fallen brother.”

             Katie wasn’t listening anymore. Two men had just walked through the front door. The taller stood with his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed as he listened to Uncle Lou’s toast. The other one shuffled his feet and stuffed his hands in his green army jacket.

             Sam and Dean Winchester.

             Katie fidgeted until the toasts ended. Then she bolted off the couch. She tried to pretend nonchalance as she sidled up to the brothers. They were talking with Uncle Lou’s friend Garth.

             “Dude, anytime you want to lose the babysitting gig and hunt with us again, we’ll be there,” Dean said.

             Sam caught Katie’s eye first. Recognition sparked across his face. He nudged Dean. “Hey,” Sam said. “You’re that kid from the shapeshifter hunt. Kat?”              “Katie,” she corrected him. “How did you know Tyler?”              Dean chuckled. “The old coot used to hunt with our dad. We’d see him a couple times a year as kids.”

             “Do you actually have an angel friend?” Katie blurted out. She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

             Dean frowned, but Sam huffed a laugh. “Yeah, I guess.”

             “That’s so cool,” Katie squeaked. “I have to go.” Go drown herself in the rain barrel, Katie thought as she turned tail and ran. If she ever met the Winchesters again, she just might die of shame.

 3

             Katie scrolled mindlessly through tv channels on the motel room box when a familiar face caught her eye.

             “No way.” She flipped back. Katie’s mouth dropped open. Sam Winchester’s face plastered a wanted ad on the late-night news. The image flipped to his brother Dean, looking angrier than Katie remembered him. She turned up the volume.

             “-shooting up a diner on the edge of town,” the news anchor reported. “These brothers are reported to be armed and dangerous. The public is being warned not to engage and to call authorities immediately.”

             The motel room door opened. Leslie bustled in with her arms full of groceries.

             “Look,” Katie pointed at the tv screen. “The Winchesters are on tv!”

             Leslie quirked an eyebrow. “For real? What did they do, kill the President?”

4

             “Where are the Winchesters?” The vampire hissed.

             Katie’s head spun. Her heart beat slow and sluggish against her ribs. Blood flowed from her wrist over the arm of the chair, staining the ropes tying her down.

             “I told you, I don’t know them,” Katie slurred. After three days, she could hardly keep track of the endless questions. She hadn’t seen Leslie since the vampires first jumped them in the barn. Now, in the farmhouse kitchen, Katie didn’t dare think what might have happened to her friend.

             “All hunters know the Winchesters,” the blonde vampire snarled. Her needle teeth made it hard for Katie to focus on her words.

             “I know who they are,” Katie nodded. She wished she hadn’t. Sparks popped at the edge of her vision. “But I don’t know them. I don’t know where they are.”

             “Try right here,” a new voice broke into the conversation from behind Katie’s back. She heard the vamp scream. Something sliced through the air and then two dull thuds hit the ground.

             Dean Winchester came into Katie’s field of vision. His green army jacket was flecked with blood.

             “You okay, kid?” Dean knelt and untied Katie’s hands.

             Katie couldn’t speak. Her throat clogged with tears.

             “Hey, I know you,” Dean said. “You’re that Kansas kid from the funeral. Katie, right?”

             “Did you find Leslie?” Katie finally forced out. “Is she okay?”

             “She’s good,” Dean assured her. He helped her to her feet. Katie swayed. “Hey,” Dean caught her shoulder. “Okay, lean on me. Let’s go find your friend.”

             Katie didn’t remember the walk out of the house and into the driveway. But she recalled Leslie slamming into her and wrapping her in a hug. Katie sagged against Leslie. Over Leslie’s shoulder, Katie smiled her thanks to Dean.              

 5

             Katie didn’t hang out in bars. Especially hunter bars. But she and Leslie needed intel from one of her dad’s hunter pals. He insisted on meeting them at the Old Horse bar off the highway. Stepping through the front door with Leslie, Katie inhaled the stench of depression and stale sweat.

             Corky, the old hunter, sat on a stool at the bar. The visor of his old ball cap had ragged edges like his dog had chewed on it.

             Katie and Leslie slid onto barstools next to him. Corky lifted red rimmed eyes.

             “You’re Hank’s kid?”

             “Yessir,” Katie nodded.

             Corky’s eyes travelled up and down Leslie. She shifted uncomfortably. The barstool squeaked.

             “Dad said you had a weird case,” Katie prompted. “Something better left to the Winchesters.”

             Corky scowled. “Them boys are nothing but trouble. You ever see them, run. They tend to leave folks for dead.”

             Leslie shot Katie a frown.

             “They’ve saved our lives,” Katie said.

             Corky snorted. “Sure. And now you’re in their debt. When they need cannon fodder, they’ll call you.”

             Katie regretted the drive to talk to Corky. “Do you have a case or not?”

             Corky reached into his coat and pulled out a stack of papers. He thumped them down on the sticky bar. “All yours. Couple kids missing all their organs. Hearts, kidneys, livers, the works. I don’t know nothing that harvests all that without taking a bite.”

             “How do you mean?” Leslie flipped through the pages.

             Corky shrugged. “All the guts were removed surgically. Clean cuts, no fangs, no claws.”

             “Weird,” Leslie muttered.

             Katie stood. “Thanks for your time.”

             Corky swivelled in his seat to watch Katie and Leslie go. “Remember what I said,” he called after them. “Don’t trust those Winchesters.”

6

Katie saw them first. Sam and Dean Winchester hanging by their wrists from the rafters of an old warehouse. Another unknown man swung next to them. Their boots had drifted lazy patterns through the dust on the floor. A rudimentary system of hoses pierced the crook of their elbows, draining red into bags hanging on crude stands next to them.

             Katie’s mind raced through a short list of possible monster culprits. Ghouls, vampires, leviathan…

             “Djinn!” Leslie yelled. “Get down!”

             Katie ducked. Leslie’s shotgun blasted through the space where Katie’s head had been.

             An inhuman screech raised all the hairs on the back of Katie’s neck.

             Katie popped up and aimed her gun. Head shot or nothing, she told herself. The longer this fight lasted, the more opportunities the djinn had to ensnare them. Katie got a bead on the djinn’s flaming eyes. She pulled the trigger.

             The gun jammed.

             Katie cursed. The djinn’s grin glowed under its flaming blue eyes. It moved low and fast. Katie braced herself.

             The shotgun blast nearly deafened Katie. Her ears rang. The djinn slumped to the ground.

             Leslie dropped her shotgun. The clattering sound was twice as concussive in the silence after the kill shot. Leslie stared down at the body. It looked like a normal middle-aged man without its glowing tattoos. Leslie shook all over.

             Katie took her shaking hand and led her over to the three men strung up from the ceiling. Leslie visibly swallowed her nerves. She got to work helping an unconscious Sam.

             Katie approached the unknown man at the far end. She pressed a hand to his neck, searching for a pulse. His skin was cold. He was gone. Katie bolted down the rush of emotions. She had to cut him down. He deserved that much.

             Katie found a box in the corner of the warehouse to clamber on top of. She withdrew her knife and sawed through the ropes binding his wrists. She eased him down and laid him out. The ropes unwound from reddened wrists gone pale in death. Katie crossed his arms over his chest. It was the best she could do.

             Katie got up and shoved the box over to Dean’s side.

             Leslie already had Sam down on the ground. She brushed his hair out of his face and tapped his cheek, trying to rouse him.

             Katie focussed on the ropes around Dean’s wrists. Her knife severed them easily enough. Dean’s weight slumped against Katie. She stifled a groan. How the hell had Leslie lifted Sam? He had to weigh tonnes more than Dean.

             She got Dean on the ground without doing him any serious injury. His head lolled against the concrete. Katie removed the needle in his arm. She tossed the foul thing as far as possible. Now what? She didn’t know how to wake people from djinn dreams. Katie looked over at Leslie helplessly. Leslie reflected the same confusion back.

             She gestured to Sam. “He won’t wake up.”

             Dean suddenly gasped. Leslie screamed. Dean sat up so fast he nearly headbutted Katie.

             “Hey,” Katie held up her hands. “Easy. You’re okay.”

             Dean’s wild eyes took in the warehouse and Katie and Leslie. His gaze landed on Sam. His whole demeanor changed. Dean went from coiled to attack to springing into defense. He dove to Sam’s side and repeated Leslie’s gentle taps to the face. It didn’t help.

             “Dean,” Katie said. “We tried that. He won’t wake up.”

             “Where’s the djinn?” Dean asked without looking up from his brother.

             “Dead,” Leslie spat.

             Dean nodded. “Good.” He wiped a hand over his face and gathered himself. “Okay. He’ll wake up in a minute now that the djinn’s dead. Help me with him.”

             Katie and Leslie took Sam’s left side and Dean took the other. Together they lifted Sam and half carried half dragged him out of the warehouse.

             “Why did you wake up but not Sam?” Katie asked as they pushed the warehouse door open.

             Dean shrugged and nearly lost his grip on Sam. “I don’t know. The dream started breaking down. Maybe I’ve got more of an immunity to the djinn because I’ve been dosed more than Sam has. Or maybe it was just luck.”

             “How many djinn have you killed?” Katie asked incredulously.

             “I dunno,” Dean thought. “Three. Maybe four.”

             Leslie gave Katie a wide-eyed stare. These Winchesters were crazy.  

             Dean’s car waited in the back alley under a single street light. It was a beautiful machine. Classic and monstrous in its wide grill and sleek body. Katie and Leslie helped Dean prop Sam up in the passenger’s seat. Dean slapped his brother across the face. Sam jerked awake, spitting and swearing.

             Dean and Sam helped Katie and Leslie clear their crime scene. Then they got into their car and drove away.

             Before that though, Dean offered Katie a handshake. “We owe you one,” he said.

             “I think we’re even,” Katie said.

             Dean smiled. “You ever need anything, give us a call.” He gave Katie a phone number scribbled on a Gas n’ Sip napkin.

             Leslie and Katie watched the Winchesters’ taillights fade into the dark.

             “My dad will never believe we saved the Winchesters,” Katie said.

             “I can’t believe we got their number!”

End

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[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 248: Internships II: THE MENTORING

Previously on BnHA: Endeavor asked Deku and Kacchan to give him the rundown on their character arcs, and Izuku said that he was trying to master his new definitely-not-a-second-quirk quirk, while Katsuki explained that he was trying to find “what he lacks” because he is going for 100% completion in his redemption arc and will accept nothing less! Gotta finish all those sidequests! Anyway so Endeavor was surprisingly into the whole mentoring thing for both of them, but then his own son was all “dad I’ve got something to say too” and Endeavor was like “oh shit” and Shouto was like “I still don’t like you as a person or a father and I only came here to learn flashfire from you!” and fandom was like “HOLY SHIT RIP THAT MAN HAD A FAMILY” and Shouto was like “YEAH I KNOW THAT’S THE WHOLE PROBLEM.” Anyways then they went on a walk, and Endeavor told the boys to try and take down a villain faster than him before the end of the winter break.

Today on BnHA: Endeavor and the Rowdyruff Boys take to the streets and fight some crime. Endeavor spends a lot of time giving the youths advice about how not to be so fucking slow, and even though he’s a bit of an ass about it, he makes some strong points about how a split second can mean the difference between life and death in a hero’s line of work. Anyway so he tells Shouto and Kacchan to work on storing up their power and releasing it all at once, and he tells Deku to work on making his Air Force as automatic as his Full Cowl is. They all sit around and munch on some bread, Deku does a bit of monologuing, and then we cut to ONE WEEK LATER and FUYUMI WANTS TO INVITE ALL THREE OF THE BOYS TO A FAMILY DINNER!? Motherfucker why does the last fucking panel have more exciting content than the rest of the chapter combined. Well anyways, at least we’ve got that to look forward to.

(All comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity afterward, and added a few ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.)

YESSSS IT’S MY GIRLS

is this a new dragon form for Ryuukyuu? it seems like something in between her big ol’ Smaug form and her human form? or maybe this is just forced perspective making her seem smaller than she actually is here. anyways she kicks ass as always and still want to see her breathe some fire

I just realized everyone on this team can fly? except maybe Hadou? but I seem to recall her hovering over some bad guys when using her powers a while back though. I really don’t remember much about her quirk; I’m glad the anime will be getting up to that soon, because actually seeing it in motion will probably help it to stick more in my memory

(ETA: she can release her shockwaves from her feet to levitate! everyone on this team can fly confirmed! well Tsuyu can’t, but her quirk is basically an offshoot Spider-Man brand so it’s close enough.)

moving on! looks like we’re getting some DEKU INNER MONOLOGUE

okay, several things that I like about this before we continue:

look how fucking comic-booky this is. the main character parkouring through the city streets, thinking Deep Thoughts in square boxes? pretty sure this is the first page of every single comic book ever made and I LOVE IT

that metaphor about learning to walk when everyone else was already focused on where they were going to run. god I love me a good metaphor. though Deku, you were technically 15 when All Might actually gave you the quirk. that’s not on you though, that’s on Horikoshi who I’m sure has already realized the error by this point and is probably kicking himself and will write a 10,000 word apology in the volume omake

the fact that SIXQUIRKS!! IS FINALLY BEING ACKNOWLEDGED AS A THING AGAIN OMG. I’ve only waited like 5 million years for more of this, so pardon me if I lose my fucking shit depending on where this is all headed. omg. this stupid manga

anyway!

they seem to have stumbled upon a game of Mario Kart in progress. at least I’m pretty sure this is a Mario Kart character. actually it might be Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog

so now Endeavor is MERCILESSLY CUTTING OFF HIS PATH WITH A WALL OF FLAME forcing him to abandon his bike if he doesn’t want to die a fiery death!

Endeavor truly does not give a fuck! not that All Might was any better, punching huge dents in the hoods of cars and shit. the moral of this story is, don’t be a villain. just don’t. because the number one heroes will fuck you uuuuuuup

now Endeavor is yawning and looking over his shoulder at Kacchan and Deku all, “oh you guys were there too?” but not really but basically though

(ETA: oh my god I just noticed the “hit-and-runner” part. have the people in this town never heard of brakes? do they know that red means stop?? also does Endeavor really spend the majority of his day just flying around dealing with traffic violations. I guess technically it’s still New Year’s, so it’s probably a slow day and also everyone is probably drunk.)

god you kids are so slow. it’s because you’re on that social media all the time! and watching all that MTV. kids these days don’t play outside in the fresh air anymore! back in my day!! anyways tough luck you young whippersnappers

Kacchan is grumping that he’s at a disadvantage because of the temperature. I forgot all about that

hey Kacchan I think your best friend has something he wants to tell you there

loool

OF COURSE HE REALIZED but uh, go ahead and spill it anyway if you want. but he definitely did realize. whatever it is that you’re about to tell him

so Shouto says that Endeavor is propelling himself by shooting flames from his feet, and that it’s probably a compressed version of the “jet burn” technique he used in Kyushu. you know, the one he used to fly, and Hawks was all “Endeavor you can fly!?” and Endeavor was all “this isn’t flying, this is falling with style” and we all rolled our eyes

anyway guys. if this is the beginning of Shouto finally learning to fly as well, I will get up and do some kind of happy dance, I don’t even know. do you even know how long I’ve wanted this. PLEASE

lol so Kacchan is all “okay I actually did know that, are you telling me you only just figured that out now” aaaaand yeah. I wasn’t gonna say it, but. Shouto how many times did you sit there and watch Endeavor blast off before you finally said “oh my GOD he’s BLASTING OFF!” sob. IT’S ALL THAT MTV AND AVOCADO TOAST! that noise isn’t even real music! get off your phone and have an actual conversation!

Shouto is so handsome and so good at accepting criticism. what an all-star. please start flying around soon my little Canadian flag

so now Endeavor is blasting off again and sassily hinting at which direction he’s flying off to next. “there’s a major street in that direction”

so now they’re taking off after him

that’s an interesting way of saying that he’s setting the whole town on fire. how do the people in Endeavor’s territory all manage with their daily commute? “almost there boss be there in five... oh hold up... Main Street’s blocked off by a raging inferno, I’ll call you back”

Endeavor says that heroes must be able to do “anything and everything” on their own, which is a curious thing to say in this manga which has time and time again made a point of demonstrating how teamwork gets the job done! I’m not sure I agree with this, Endeavor!

though I guess he just means they need to be able to handle it all if necessary. but I mean, sometimes that’s just not possible. using his own example of Kyushu, there’s no way he would have been able to handle the Hijinks Noumu while protecting all the citizens and fighting off all the other cannon fodder noumus all at the same time. I’m not even sure All Might would have been able to do that. maybe this is an example of how Endeavor still doesn’t have all of this hero stuff figured out yet

lol oh my god

Endeavor that was like four chapters ago, why are you only now bringing this up. act your age

OH SNAP GUYS HE’S MENTORING BAKUGOU. AND BY MENTORING I MEAN PICKING A FIGHT OH MY GOD

DON’T MIND ME I’M JUST WATCHING THIS OLD GRUMP TEACH THIS NEW YOUNG UPSTART JUST LIKE TOMMY LEE JONES IN MEN IN BLACK OMGGGG

so Kacchan is again saying that he needs more time in the winter, but like. Kacchan that’s not like you to make excuses. are you just going to hibernate for three months out of every year and only save people when it’s warm out?? or what

and Endeavor’s saying the same thing

oh shit y’all he’s getting real with them now

oh shit

by the way how fucking dangerous is this town, jesus. supposing that Endeavor wasn’t out here on patrol, what would be the daily casualty rate? first we had that glass guy rampaging downtown earlier, then that motorcyle guy who probably hit a dozen people, and now Tommy and Gina here nearly get run over by a speeding truck. what is this, Gotham City

anyway now Endeavor is saying TodoBaku rights so I’ll shut up

BECAUSE SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME KACCHAN THAT’S WHY! now hush!!

Shouto’s asking if this is related to him learning flashfire, because lest we forget, he’s here for ONE REASON and ONE REASON ONLY lol

so Endeavor says the two of them have to learn how to store up their energy and release it, and how to “condense” their power

you guys I am super hyped about this. not only because BEST FRIENDS PART TWO: THE FRIENDENING!!, but also because this will be the first time Kacchan has gotten a physical power-up in like, ever. (well, AP Shot I guess, but shh.) if he and Shouto are not both flying by the end of this arc then what even is the point!

anyway so Endeavor’s telling them all this technical shit about what to do, blah blah blah, but the short version is they need to be able to go from zero to sixty instantaneously, and release all the stored-up firepower focused into one single point, and to practice doing that until it’s second nature to them

omfg Deku’s so excited

BECAUSE HE HEARTS YOU KACCHAN lol this isn’t anything new, don’t be so shocked. ACCEPT HIS LOVE

though come to think, that really is impressive even for Deku that he knows about that particular technique, because Kacchan created AP Shot back when Deku was supposed to be developing his own ENTIRELY NEW FIGHTING STYLE, which you would think wouldn’t have left him with much time to spare to also keep tabs on his rival and write down his every move. so is his Big Hero Brain just that good, or is this chapter also promoting BakuDeku rights in addition to TodoBaku rights? you decide! but you already know which one I think it is lol

so now Endeavor is giving some bonus mentoring to Shouto

(ETA: why is Kacchan the only one who actually eats his lunch sitting down. these weirdos.)

you guys I love Shouto so much but does he really need it broken down for him to this degree? “son, you know all the things you do to control your right side? try doing those things to control your left.” Shouto: “!!!!” all those video games and participation trophies have fried his brain! too much Instagram! this new generation is going to the dogs

now Endeavor is turning his attention to Deku! but I’m more focused on the fact that they’re eating lunch, because my priorities are just like that

like lol, check out this panel of Deku talking with his mouth full

whole chapter was worth it just for this. boy you’re gonna get crumbs all over your super suit

Endeavor’s asking if Deku can raise his power level subconsciously, and he says he can for Full Cowl, but not for Air Force

so he says the first thing Deku should do is learn to control Air Force subconsciously, and forget about the Bloop for now

and Deku is all “what about parallel thinking” but more importantly, LOOK AT THIS

CAN I JUST GET A WHOLE CHAPTER OF EVERYONE EATING BREAD. LOOK AT THOSE CHUBBY CHEEKS. THIS IS AMAZING

Endeavor says a big part of parallel thinking is being able to do it without consciously thinking about it, and damn he’s right

IT’S ALL ABOUT THAT INSTINCT! also how does he know the man is yawning? you can see him from up there?? DOES HE JUST KNOW EVERYTHING

and he says that once Deku can do two things at once subconsciously, he just needs to add one more thing. damn, he really managed to break it down so that even this chronic overanalyzer can understand the concept

practice, practice, practice until it’s second nature. solid fucking advice

hey everyone Kacchan is still eating. just a PSA

that’s one for the family album. my handsome boy

okay like. it’s a nice speech, but we get it already dude. you can stop talking now and we can move on to something new

so then there’s some more Deku monologuing, pretty much the same stuff he was saying at the start of the chapter, and then Endeavor hits us with this little bait and switch gem

like, the first part sounded almost comforting, and then PSYCH!!!! but I guess he’s just trying to get them all fired up

(ETA: and like, just a few chapters ago we established how the success of these three kids is actually CRITICAL TO THE FATE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD, APPARENTLY. so yeah this is a total bluff. deep down he’s actually sweating and thinking “holy shit they better not fail.”)

and Deku’s finishing up his monologue by saying his maximum speed is doing things one by one. well that’s fine. so now will there finally be a segue?

YAYYYY

OH SHIT YOU GUYS!!!

are we gonna finally get into that TODODRAMA I have my popcorn ready to go!

lmao “and he’s even got friends with him, right?!” ah Fuyu you are the best. she’s so happy Shouto has finally found himself some good pals

OH MY GODDDDDD

HEY WHAT THE FUCK!!!

YOU SON OF A BITCH!! TWO THIRTEEN PAGE CHAPTERS IN A ROW, AND YOU FUCKING END WITH “NEXT TIME, IT’S A TODOBAKUDEKU DINNER AT THE HOUSE OF DRAMA!” AND THEN YOU HIT US WITH THIS. NEXT TIME I’LL JUST HAND YOU A KNIFE AND YOU CAN JUST STAB ME DIRECTLY IN THE CHEST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU, YOU BASTARD. WHAT AM I GONNA DO FOR THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS WHILE I WAIT FOR THIS CHAPTER OF EVERYONE SITTING AROUND AND EATING BREAD WHILE FUYU PRESUMABLY TELLS THEM THE STORY OF “THERE ACTUALLY USED TO BE A FOURTH KID BUT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE BUT WE WILL NOW!” BECAUSE THEY GODDAMN BETTER

sob. this chapter was basically just a thirteen page trailer for the real meat of this arc. some nice mentoring did occur, I’ll give them that, and I very much enjoyed it. but I’m tired of feeling like we’re just treading water waiting to get to the next big thing! surely all of the set-up is finally done now, right? everyone has their goals established now, we’ve had a mini-time-jump and school is about to start again, and we’ve done our preliminary testing of all of the TodoBakuDeku dynamics and confirmed that all components are firing on all cylinders. basically what I’m saying is we are good to go! ready to get off of this bench! GO AHEAD AND PUT US IN, COACH

anyway guys so here’s a list of what I want to happen at this dinner:

Shouto being all “this is my sister Fuyumi” and Kacchan and Deku being all “COME AGAIN?” because they legitimately thought he was an only child

Fuyu chuckling about how Kacchan reminds her of her dad, and both Kacchan and Endeavor being grossly offended by this

Deku and Kacchan spotting a family photo on the mantel, and Shouto explaining “yeah, that’s my mom, and my brother Natsuo... AND... MY OTHER BROTHER, TOUYA” and then the camera rapid-fire pans to Fuyu and Endeavor and Shouto’s SUPER AWKWARD EXPRESSIONS, before ZOOMING IN ON THE PHOTO OF TOUYA, AND BOY DOES HE LOOK FAMILIAR OH MY GOODNESS

Deku and Kacchan eyeing each other all “holy shit wtf did we get ourselves into” as it begins to dawn on them that they wouldn’t have enough time to unpack all of this even if they had an entire crew of movers on the job. not even Marie Kondo could clean all this shit up. GOOD FUCKING LUCK BOYS

so yeah! lots to look forward to! so I’ll try and be patient. at least we’ve got the anime to keep us all occupied. who’d’ve thought the Basement arc would one day be our salvation. life sure is funny

[eldritchsurveys]

810.

1. When or where do you feel safest? >> I feel safest Inworld. I’ve definitely been hurt by things that happened Inworld; I’ve felt loss, frustration, disappointment, despair, all of it. But I feel like I can control the narrative way better Inworld than I could ever do in the outworld, and I always feel supported and cared for Inworld. I can trust the things that Inworlders tell me, and I can actually feel the love they give me. That’s way more than I can say about outworld experience.

2. Do you know anyone who is color blind? >> If so, they haven’t talked about it around me.

3. Are you a fan of The Walking Dead tv series? >> I’ve never watched it, as per my general disinterest with zombie stories.

4. If you could completely renovate or redecorate any room in your house, expenses paid, which would it be and what would you do? >> I mean, I live in an apartment and we’re not staying here forever (or even longer than the next five years, ka willing), so that’d be pointless. I’d save that for whatever house we end up moving into.

5. What do you think about most? >> I’m not sure.

6. Is it hard for you to get over someone? >> It’s difficult for me to process and integrate my negative experiences with people. I don’t know if that’s the same thing as “getting over” someone. But, like... I don’t really have any grudges against Kris, for example, but I still struggle with the effects of that relationship on my already-traumatised psyche. You know? What I’m trying to say is I need a lot of therapy.

7. Are you comfortable asking for help? >> Not entirely, unless it’s about something practical like something adulting-related. When it comes to asking for any other kind of help or support, especially of the emotional or psychological variety... yeah, no. Not comfortable at all.

8. What is something (anything!) that you have tried and would not recommend to anyone? >> Dog biscuits. Unless you’re a dog, in which case I hope you get all the biscuits you can handle.

9. What are some song lyrics or popular quotes that you really, really hate? >> I can’t say I feel that way about anything...

10. When and with who do you have the best conversations? >> I have the best conversations with Can Calah, to the point where I wish I could record them sometimes so I can mull on them later (or share them with other people, or use them as fiction fodder).

11. List a show that most people you know are into, but you don't find entertaining at all. >> I don’t have an answer for this, because I mostly just haven’t seen a lot of the shows that are popular right now. I don’t know if I’d be entertained by them or not.

12. Have you ever had a pet go missing? >> When I was a preteen.

13. What do you think are the most underpaid and overpaid professions? >> I have no idea.

14. Who is the best teacher or professor you've ever had? What made them awesome? >> The only teacher I recall that stood out was my senior-year English teacher, who made class fun by doing stuff like, say, having all the boys compete for who could do the best “STELLA!!!” yell when we were studying A Streetcar Named Desire. He was funny and engaging and liked to tell stories about hanging out in the East Village in the sixties. Also, when we got to Heart of Darkness and it became clear that almost no one in the class could even get through the assigned chapters, he was like “yeah, fuck it” and just moved on to the next book instead of forcing it on us. That was unprecedented to me, I’d become quite accustomed to having school curricula forced upon me. I think he was just a plain old good teacher, and that stood out because I’d had a long string of apathetic at best, awful at worst teachers.

15. If you could meet yourself from ten years ago, what would you say? What advice would you give? >> I don’t know what I would say to my 23-year-old self. I’m not even sure who that person was, or whether they would be at all interested in listening to me.

16. The last pizza you ate: was it delivered to your door, frozen/microwaved, take and bake or eaten at a restaurant? >> It was a frozen pizza by this company called Sweet Earth, and it was fucking delicious for being a frozen pizza. I ate the whole thing in one sitting like a glutton, lmao. Bad idea, but kind of worth it in the moment.

17. How would you like to celebrate your next birthday? >> I’m not sure. My birthday just passed, so.

18. Try to name things you like, starting with each letter A-Z. >> OOF. Okay, let’s see... Absinthe. Bonsai trees. CBD. David Bowie. Eldritch horrors. Fog. Guitar Hero. Hannibal. Internet. James Dean. K___??? Lacrimosa. Metal music. New Orleans. Ocelots. Pie. Quietude. Reading. Statues. Tesla coils. U___??? Vampires. Weeping willows. X-Files. Yellow flowers. Z__???

[theeverbloomingdarkness]

THE MUN PLAYS KH3

Here are my notes/comments I made while playing through KH3. The thoughts that went through my head.

***SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. SPOILERS. SPOILERS.***

Tuesday, Jan 29th. 5:00 pm.

-Finally home and ready to play. Colored lights on, fluffy pants on, favorite blanket nearby, cats fed, pizza in oven, cold water in fridge, juice smoothie drink standing by. Waiting on my pizza to finish so I can eat dinner while listening to the title screen music. Have not put game on yet. (Just so happened to get my Marluxia keychain the other day too! Got my game today.)

-Here we goooooOOOOOO.

-OATH ORCHESTRAL IS SO PRETTY. Also expected recap. I bet there will be a lot of flashbacks in the game (update: not at all).

-Cable town seems a precarious place to live- also a pain to get around. Pretty. there’s a LOT of islands. (Update: homeworld of Keyblade wielders? Or base)

-Eraqus playing dumb?  Messing with Xehanort? Or is he actually just like that and doesn’t know.

-Queue intro. Music feels off slightly but that could just be because I saw the trailer one first. Also new Marluxia content, gonna need a gif of that little clip jumping over the scythe.

-Darkside, of course. Nostalgia reasons. Would have been more interesting if they changed up the fight with him, I think. He’s always been a pretty lame fight.

HERCULES WORLD

-Cutscenes feel much more natural (first reaction). Also Donald getting shit on, always fun. (Update: the amount of shitting on each other in this game is unreal)

-Hercules’ new voice… Is it new? IDK, but I find it unnerving.

-The Instagram loading screens are weird? Not a big deal.

-Maleficent’s much needed glow up.

-The graphics are odd because some things look super good and then some things look kinda weird sometimes. IDK I just started. Generally very pretty.

-SORA, DONALD, GOOFY. Is this going to be a thing again? (Update: yes, it is)

-Guess Phil isn’t going to talk at all? Sort of weird (Update: speaking of NOT SPEAKING. Aeleus and Dilan. Not a single peep. Wow.)

-Xigbar’s voice is changing into Xehanort’s now. Someone help him.

-Holy shit an NPC. WTF was that scene??? I think that’s all that needs to be said here. Just, what? How did that even work? No idea where the girl was/how far? Didn’t see any fire? Too slow? Yeeted into the universe. Little girl saved???

-Jumping around when you get hit with fire is annoying.

-Fighting those Titans was a shirt storm. It was soooo janky for me. (update: the combat in this game is incredibly aerial based)

-“May your hear-- ?” Unsure if game bugged or not. (Update: I get it now. Thanks, epilogue.)

-So Axel DOES get an outfit, wonder if we’ll ever see him wear it. (Update: AT THE VERY END

-Phone call. Is it my boy IENZO??? Oh, nope. D: WAIT, there he is.- -MOODY AELEUS??? What does he have against Roxas? Just because he left the Organization? Yeah, like Axel. Stop the bias against the other Org members.

-GODDAMMIT they did it again with the title card.

TWILIGHT TOWN

-Seifer and gang left for a “hero’s journey”.

-IENZO SPYING? IENZO CHUCKLE. Ienzo didn’t know= that makes sense. He’s so…happy (Update: he really is chipper in this game) -KIDNAPPED EVEN? -Just get Even to make him a body. -I too could go for some hot wings, little girl -Talking about Sora. I figured, but I hoped.

-Darn you Axel for being attractive -DILAN

IT’S MARLUXIA TIME. MARLUXIA TIME. MARLUXIA TIME

-What a lovely world; everyone’s having a nice time… It sure would be a shame, if someone….ruined it.

-Mar you creep. PINK EYES?

-FAVOR? Oh. :I Balance, eh? Do you believe that Mar? Also would rather forget? Himself, or does he mean Sora?

-Marluxia does indeed dislike nicknames.

-Is Marluxia really out to protect the light/Rapunzel for balance? If it were anyone else it’d be easy to write off. (Update. Like Larx for this story it’s just about making sure they have the PoH backups)

-Time for Mar to be an ass. Lol. Sounded like he wasn’t even trying.  He likes it when they run. Also I guess Mar tied Flynn up in this version? -HE’S SO PRETTY -SLEEP BOY! Also…Mar? New power? Lol. How handy, wish I could do that to myself. (Also the comment about him being good at sleeping or something? Guess he knows that from DDD? When they were all there at the end. Or upon learning he was in a pod for a year.)

-The bosses thus far have been huge and really annoying to hit/air battles.

-On Marluxia, still looks like they’re just using him for Nort fodder at this point. Even though it still makes no sense at all.

-And I’m sure that’s all I’m gonna get this game for Marluxia.

-ALSO,  Reapers baby. CALLED IT.

-Get Even to make one! Well Goofy’s right, Ienzo might be able to do it. OH MY GOD I CALLED IT. Good job Riku for being smart.

-*Sidenote: If you haven’t seen Tangled some things might seem disconnected to you as a player. (Update: this goes for most of the Disney worlds actually.)

TOY STORY

-Final Fantasy??!?!?! LOL Riku and Noctis fusion

-WTF. Shot by YMX into Square Enix? Oh nope, Gigas.

-OOO Woody burn. No one loves you Xehanort.

-Should have been ,“There’s a snake in my boot”

-ANOTHER Woody burn.

-I feel like Young Xehanort learned something they already knew???

-OH YEP. Need Even. I wonder if Aeleus and Dilan will talk in this game (Update: nope)

-OOOO Evil meeting. Everyone yell so you can hear each other. DAMN IT VEXEN, you mad science man. At least it’s a believable reason for Vexen. Unlike Marluxia, which is total bullshit

-Gummi flying takes forever.

FROZEN. Ready to see my girl Larxene

-This is literally the my friends are my power game with the way the combat is set up (Update: Very Aerial and AOE oriented gameplay)

-Also enemies have a lot of HP

-Lol. Oh yeah, memory loss. They filled her in.

- Using the electricity to move the blocks and trap them… I can be like, ok I’ll buy that. But this is a complex-ass labyrinth

Along with Marluxia’s sleep thing and now this,… Headcanon that it’s due to Xehanort influence possibly?

-Larxene Nobodies! They look like ninjas. YEP. Just checked. Called Ninjas.

-Giant Larxene knife symbols on wall. Classy.

-Did Larxene just show Elsa up with that labyrinth btw?

-LET IT GO. LET IT GO. “I don’t know what I just saw”. lol

-What is with all this Larx ice using? I dun like it >.<

-Again boss is up so high the fight is really floaty and crazy

-What girl??? Who??? Namine? Kairi? Streli? Not Larxene . Must be Kairi. (Update: STILL DON’T KNOW THE GIRL. Future game plot point)

-KARATE Aqua

-Oh god, not Pooh Bear. Please be optional.

-Ienzo has an Instagram.

MONSTERS INC

-Alright Vani where you at?

-LMAO Sully just grabs him and throws him in a door xD That is a GOLDEN moment

-Ienzo’s gonna be the one who saves Xion Roxas and Ventus. Nice.

-This is “shit on each other the game” isn’t it?

-Oooo evil meeting.  MY PALS. Marluxia is WOKE as fuck., he’s like nah he just wants our empty husk bodies as vessels.  Larxene ain’t having it, yep, that’s what I thought. You? Canon ‘Marly’ Omg Benched, I believe it. REBEL GROUP. REBEL GROUP.  (Update: I chanted this in my head a lot)

WHAT??? Another purpose? Luxord in.  TELL US THE PURPOSE? All four of them? Wow. Demyx and Luxord in Union X confirmed. :/ Not a fan of this. Too many keyblades.

Ugh I want more plot Dx Gotta do Pirates.

*So it does seem like the four of them don’t want to be in the Org? But again they aren’t doing anything about it so???

So the reason they let them back (Mar and Lar even though traitors) is because they want their ancient keyblade powers. (Update: This is never mentioned again. Like, why does it matter to Xehanort? Did Xehanort pull them out of time? More questions)

PIRATES

- Vexen and Lux. Oooo Vexen not obeying. Luxooooord. REBEL GROUP. REBEL GROUP. -Pausing air fight to feed cats. Not enjoying this flying oof. Thank goodness it isn’t all shooting -Who needs air? -Wow nice ship and sails Luxord -Whatever you want eh Luxord? -Gonna honor the rules Lux? Did he lose on purpose? -Hope eh? -LOL No Parley. OOF breath on his face, into the ocean. Luxord just got burned. First Vanitas now Luxord - Dramatic walk scene?  Awwww

-GDI Axel change your clothes -Was thinking this at the first scene but GDI I know people are going to ship these two

-Here comes darkqua? -A tale of two Ansems. Feeling Namine guilt? -Hayner bout to get FUCKED. WHAT GIRL? -WHAT THE FUCK? Nobodies? Who doing this??? -FUCK it’s Vexen. Good Vexen? What? :o Is he lying??? FUCK CLIFFHANGER. I appreciate all the diff character interactions in this game though. Does Vexen secretly have a heart of gold and is in on the REBEL GROUP?

BIG HERO 6

- Data Riku or Repliku? Going with Repliku. But the enemy is very codedesque. Also Data Riku is just Data, no body. Could also be timetravel bs - Replica confirmed. Not sure if it’s the same ”Repliku” - Hoping actual Repliku will come back. Riku did mention his other me after all

ALL PLOT FROM HERE ON OUT FINALLY

-Darkqua music was great

-Aaand she’s gone. Again. OR NOT

-Finally these two: Vexen and Demyx. DUNCE. LMAO their fighting. REBEL VEXEN. What’s in it for you, Demyx??? UHHH Not becoming Xehanort. (Demyx continues to be a douche character). Marluxia? Maybe. DEMYX TIME. Oh my god. Was that intentional??? LMAO Demyx is so ‘useless’ no one expects him to do anything. Nice FAMILY REUNION

VEXEN YOU LEGEND. I always liked him. Now it’s up to you Marluxia >:Y I think Vexen may have been talking about Ansem the Wise. Also may not still completely trust him because it says he went back willingly. Unless he changed his mind when learning about Ansem the Wise. (Update: Nope, Vexen really is a legend. I love him).

CASTLE OBLIVION -Vani fight, nice. Great music -HE UP. Go visit your old friend Mar.

-Ventus gets to meet both Axel and Marluxia as adults. How odd.

-Sudden Saix. So casual. WHAT GIRL? WHAT GIRL???? Is it Strelitzia? Skuld? New character? (Update: Again, future plot point.)

-Repliku with Riku.? YEP. DOPE. Save Namine? (Update: Yep. To protect Namine).

BATTLE TIME

-Enter Terranort. Shock for Ven to see. -Axel got fucked. -SHIT AN F5. - Everyone died. The end -STARS???? More pieces???? WAHHHT PAST? Union X Club??? Streli?! D’x

The Final World :O

-DEAD.

MARLUXIA? NO, VENTUS. YEP Ventus. Aw…

-Chirithy is great.

-Vexen gonna save the day with a replica? And Demyx  lol. They both got benched. What a team up. (Update: And we never heard from them again. They literally just dipped from the Org and none of the Norts did anything. (Update: No idea what happened to Demyx. He dropped off the replica and was outie).

-DÉJÀ VU. Oof.

-EPHEMERA! THE KEEEEEYS. All the dead people

-UNION LEADERS KEYS. Also all the others, but I believe I saw five? What I’m saying is those four-five Starlights= Dandelion Union Leaders.

-??????? YEN SID DID SOMETHING HOLY SHIT

-Is Vexen with the coat guys up there??? -Also Demyx??? -Do they have a PLAN??? (Update: Nope, they literally just dipped).

-MARLUXIA THEME I HEAR IT

-MY CHILDREN WHY R U WITH XEHANORT???

-Thank you, Luxord awww.  Such a cool guy…(Update: Sora still has the Wild Card)

AWww Larx. Heart tank? NO THANKS.  Along for the ride- With?? (Marluxia?)

MY BOOOOOY Dx

*MEMORIES BACK???? Real laugh. A smile. He DID forget. Always about “purpose for being with Mar”. How did I predict that? (Update: Marluxia amnesia confirmed? Also why the heck didn’t /he/ rebel. Makes no sense. I blame Nomura. He also gave no reason for why he was following Xehanort. Again, it’s pretty BS. NO EXPLANATION.)

Riku down. Very interested in what Xigbar will have to say… Repliku repossession! NOOOO. Repliku stay! Roxas, of course.

PROTECT NAMINE. D’:

He just wanted that keyblade bro. What?????? Why the backwards drama D: (Update: Nope. Xigbar just playing the role, or should I say Luxu).

Fucking Axel. That smart mouth.

Saix would have let him die; also I knew it was Xion from trailers.

:O XION. He knew.

And Roxas is in. The music has been SO GOOD.

Vexen  Zexion Ansem Demyx. LUL GET FUCKED Xemnas.

WHO IS THE HER>>>>

Vanitas sounds higher pitched in this game.

GUARDIAN??? This is weird.

I don’t believe in perma dead Kairi.

WHEN’S THE BOX? ALSO Luxord’s Wild Card!

*Btw guess Vexen and Demyx just left so the other Norts replaced them instead of doing anything about it

Awww, Saix. Or rather, Isa.

Didn’t shed any tears, but the part that got me feeling the most was with Xehanort and Eraqus tuff at the end, surprisingly

I KNEW IT WOULD END WITH A BEACH PARTY. Again, awwww, Saix.

*** WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO DEMYX? What did he even do to help besides delivering the replica LMAO??

WHY DIDN’T I GET TO SEE MY BOY IN THE ENDING? Maybe secret ending. ☹ (Update: Nah)

Oh yeah, Sora vanished btw.

*Xehanorts VA could have had a better performance.

-Wow. Xigbar really was the MoM? Union leaders alive?  OH, nvm he’s Luxu. Guess he picked up on MoM’s behavior and mannerisms. Also been through many bodies I see… No Ava.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX GDI.

UH OH. New game board. 7 evils. Five being leaders and Xig, 2 Unkowns. Please don’t put Mar through more of that, IE make him be in another Org/group.

They never opened the box, did they.

[geneshaven]

A Bit Out Of Character (Thoughts on 617)

Ouch. Tough episode. I thought it might have been a little fun to watch Oliver and Diggle physically fight each other. If the reasons that they did were not so completely unexplainable, even with the wtf explanation why John is so disgruntled---the fight would have and could have been epic. But as I watched Oliver and John pounding on each other, I could only think of how much those two have gone through together and how all of that came unraveled because of some noble idea from John on what he thinks good leadership should be.

Oliver has made some bad choices over the years. Yes, people were hurt and killed because of them. But instead of letting him drifting off into the reality of not coming back from those sins, John has always been that moral compass that Oliver could steer himself with, away from losing his grip and falling into the abyss his darkness inside created. Like Oliver told Felicity in episode 210, he relied on her and John, to pull him back from the edge whenever things got dire. It was unquestionable.  It wasn’t only about having his back in a fight, it was about two brothers looking out for one another, with love and admiration and the willingness to sacrifice their own safety to keep each other alive. It was (and I guess still is) the foundation of their partnership. The thought of either one of them turning away from that was not even a consideration.

When John told Oliver that after all those years, after all they had done to build and strengthen their relationship, that he had been harboring misgivings on Oliver’s hero agenda---I could only shake my head at this surreal reveal. John apparently has not approved of Oliver’s decision making abilities. He thinks Oliver has empowered himself and not the city. He thinks Oliver has spread himself too thin and lost track of the main reason he put on the Hood in the first place.  When Oliver passed the Green Arrow leadership onto John back at the beginning of the season, he told John that the GA was not just a man in a mask; it was an idea, a symbol of heroism and purpose. He trusted John with it. This is really incredible character growth on Oliver’s part. Oliver’s trust issues throughout the series have been spotty at best, but through the guidance from John and Felicity, he has found the right path to redemption. John’s anger and disillusionment with Oliver just did not feel like the character I’ve come to love and have grown with these past six years. I guess I was surprised that the writers saw fit to dismantle John DIggle. I also guess this story arc for him is one way to go. But driving into a wall at 60mph seems not very self-serving. Maybe the resiliency of Diggle’s past character traits will act as a sort of airbag for him to survive such a wreck.

I was however impressed by the acting skills of Mr. Ramsey and Mr. Amell. They went toe to toe with their individual gripes. John confessed his mounting doubts over Oliver’s crusade and Oliver stayed grounded and made the argument that Diggle was always right there beside him when the excrement hit the rotary oscillator. At times some of that mess got on them, but it was only temporary and easily washed away. But when they removed the safety devices in their relationship and began to drop the dead bodies of their victims at each other’s feet---I started to back away from rationale and could only shake my head at their immature needs to hurt each other.  It was a shitty catalyst to propel them into a physical altercation. I didn’t want either of them to win.

When they started to trade blows, I got a sense that both of them seemed to be holding back.  They are both dangerous weapons when they are out fighting evil enemies and are capable of some major hurt.  So despite their grievances within the heat of the moment as their fight began, there were still those parts of them that really did not wish any serious harm on the other. I don’t care what the writers are trying to do---Oliver and Diggle and their bond cannot be dismissed. The history is too strong.  They are both survivors.

Yet, there is one thing the writers did get right in this episode. Felicity Smoak. She has always been the dreamcatcher for Oliver and John. She is the middle link in their chain, the one that keeps them together, as partners and heroes and friends. She has no hesitancy in putting herself between them and reminding them that the air is fresher when their heads aren’t up their asses. She is the glue they need when things break apart. Unfortunately, it was written for this episode that that glue is not enough to hold everything together, not this time. John has fallen and he can’t get back up. At least not for a few more episodes, after he goes off in search of realizations and an attitude adjustment. Felicity was visibly hurt when John made the decision to turn away from his family and go off to lick his character wounds, but I guess a man has got to do what a  man has got to do.

The one real Olicity moment in 617 was obviously Felicity assuring Oliver that she is his always. She is not going anywhere. Oliver has put her through so many difficult paces in their past, but she was always with him no matter what contrived drama was heaped on them.  She understands more than anybody (and maybe even more than Oliver himself) what John’s leaving has done to her husband. It’s that history I keep talking about, the one OTA is incarnate from. Her comfort and the tenderness in which she offered to Oliver was so perfectly illuminated in the light coming in through the window. The light was like the strength of the love they have for each other. It is safe and warm and without question. There was no need for a kiss in that moment. Watching them so centered when they are next to one another is more powerful than any physical display of affection. Oliver may currently feel as if he is alone now that the Team has fractured, but he has embraced the one constant in his life that has always been his saving grace---Felicity Meagan Smoak.  She is peace against his turmoil. She is acceptance against his doubts and self-incrimination. She is sanity against his fears and disbelief.

She is love and Oliver’s only true safe port in the life they have chosen.

Will all this out of character dysfunction be resolved? Will John find new answers to his old problems? Is the rest of the Team going to matter anymore?  Will the bad guys make more sense when they are defeated? Will Oliver take another huge evolutionary character change and survive coming out to the world as the Green Arrow? Will Felicity come to regret her apparent upcoming decision to bury the hatchet with Curtis and run headlong into Helix Dynamics?

And what in the hell is going on with Quentin Lance? How has he fallen so far down the insanity hole to think that he can inspire evil Laurel to mimic real Laruel’s life achievements as a lawyer?Where is Mama Smoak? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have her there for Lance instead of him losing him mind in the fantasy of having his dead daughter back.  And speaking of evil Laurel.  Her kissing Diaz was like watching paint dry---at least to me. I don’t give two legs shakes about whatever scheme the writers have plotted for them.  Bring them together romantically, don’t bring them together.  I would rather see Oliver and Felicity go on their honeymoon, which apparently isn’t going to happen over these last six episodes. I can’t possibly imagine who are what are going to be threatening the city in Season 7, but  at this point  I would be more challenged by someone like Susan Williams coming back as the head of an evil Witch Reporter’s Coven than the changing of the guard between Cayden James and Ricardo Diaz. And Black Siren just seems so inconsequential. Perhaps she is only still around in the vain hope that the show can draw back some of those disgruntled fanboys who have been off on the sidelines since Season 1 lamenting the loss of their comic book fodder.  I am still befuddled that most of those fanboys are still around complaining about how awful the show has become since Olicity made it better. Could any of them still be thinking that Oliver would ever get rid of Felicity and run back to Laurel, evil or not?

I am holding out hope that all of this is going to make sense by 623.  They have left too many questions unanswered this season. And putting Oliver through the hate mill again, making him suffer through what I thought he had conquered after Season 5---it just seems that they missed out on some great storytelling.  Except for Olicity and the endgame they have become, the show seems up in the air right now. But it has seemed that way before and has somehow managed to come back from cray-cray land and surprise us all.

I am staying on this Ship.  Yeah, there will be some strange and unfamiliar sights up ahead, but that’s the thing about taking such a journey---sometimes the unknown can bring me to a place that will change my perspective and make life a little more interesting---at least where Arrow is concerned.

@it-was-a-red-heeler @memcjo @almondblossomme @dmichellewrites @hope-for-olicity @nalla-madness @tdgal1 @ruwithmeguys @cruzrogue @1106angel @bandanab310 @gabriellamarie97 @flowerandsunshine

[calliecat93]

ST: TNG Watchthrough Episodes 21-25. Final episodes of Season One.

Symbiosis: Remember kids, drugs are bad! Okay tbf this WAS back in the 80’s where crack and stuff were a growing issue and drug addiction episodes were not at all uncommon. Heaven knows that I saw PLENTY in cartoons from the time, such as Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue or a VERY infamous episode of Captain Planet that I’m shocked got by the censors. As with many of those cartoons though, this episode is... well, pretty preachy. Not as badly, they save it for just one scene for the most part, but still. I don’t think that tackling addiction in ST is a bad idea, but... well, 80’s. I guess if it educated people then that’s good. Frankly I was on Crusher’s side that they should do something, but they stick with the Prime Directive which I guess they’ve gotten a LOT stricter about since the TOS days. The ending is pretty depressing with the addiction continuing, the assholes continuing to sell it, and our heroes can only allow it to happen aside from depriving them of ships to stop shipments, leaving them to figure it out themselves. Hopefully one day things can get better for them. Otherwise, it was just okay. Not the worst drug PSA I’ve ever seen by a long-shot. Oh and apparently there was a Reading Rainbow episode where Levar showed the making of this episode, so if you can find it you should check it out~! 3/5.

Skin of Evil: So... I already knew going into the show that Yar died and Worf would take her place as Security Chief. It’s a shame tbh cause while underdeveloped, I really liked Yar and had she held out, she could have gotten some REALLY good development. But I understand why the actress was unsatisfied with being on the show and left, and I read that she does get to come back for an episode later on so that’s nice. I’ll go into how her death was handled in a bit. As far as the episode itself goes, we have a VERY creepy black liquid monster holding Troi hostage in a crashed shuttle and considering it just managed to kill a person, the danger is VERY real. And it did it essentially because it wanted to cause suffering which Troi senses, which makes it all the more horrifying. The tension and fear is very strong and them themes of a being that serves evil just because... yeah that was something. Picard causing it to break down was freakin’ awesome, Kirk would be proud! Now Yar’s death. The reactions of everyone were appropriate and the event was properly shocking. I went wide-eyed when it happened since I did NOT expect it to happen that fast in that kind of manner. The funeral was also properly sad and showed that Yar was a valued member of the crew and very much respected by her crewmen, and that she respected them in turn. The final scene where Data is confused if he missed the point by feeling lost and Picard telling him that he got it exactly right? That was a perfect note to end on, and by God is that the truth regarding grief/loss. That being said... while I understand why it was done as it was and can’t complain about the execution and tone, the abrupt end just feels unsatisfying. I hate character deaths like this because it makes the character feel wasted and robs them of a proper sendoff, even with Yar’s message. They just feel like fodder. So while it had the proper weight, I’m still unhappy with how it’s done and I hope that Yar’s later reappearance will allow more closure or her. Because even if underutilized, she deserved a better ending. Still, even taking that into account, the episode is dark, tense, and Yar’s death does leave a shocking impact that TOS never quite gave me (Spock got brought back so that doesn’t count, plus he got a proper sendoff that would have been satisfactory fi he hadn’t come back). 4.5/5.

We’ll Always Have Paris: So after major character death and evil tar monsters, we get an episode on Picard’s love life! I guess a pre-requisite for being a Starfleet Captain is to have a crappy one of those. Then again maybe Sisko will break the curse when I get to DS9, we’ll see. Anyways! As the title hints, this is essentially the ST version of Casablanca. Picard has an old flame who left him, got married, and now the couple are in need of help while that old flame between Picard and the woman Jenice (is Janice and variaiton fo Janice just... a REALLY common name in the future? There was Janice Rand, Kirk’s ex in Turnabout Intruder was named Janice, now in TNG we have Jenice, how is this a pattern?!). Isn’t love fun folks?! So the episode was... okay. The time distortion or whatever broke my brain so that didn’t help. Picard and Jenice... didn’t work for me? Like... I felt no chemistry. It felt like two people in denial about a flame that fizzled out ages ago than one that burned for many years but was lost. IDK fit hat’s on the actors, the script, and/or the directing but I felt nothing, plus Jenice flirting wih Picard while her husband was in sickbay possibly dying... felt pretty shitty. Oh and the Picard/Crusher ship tease also made me feel nothing. I like Picard. I LOVE Crusher. I don’t have any feelings for them as a pair especially considering that Crusher’s husband was friends with Picard and died on duty with him... which just makes it feel WRONG to me. And poor Troi has to deal with everyone being emotionally repressed idiots, the poor woman deserves a niiiice Shore Leave. So it was average, but the lack of romantic chemistry and me just being confued by the time distortions cause... time distortions just left me confused and uninvested. So yeah... that’s all I can say. 2/5.

Conspiracy: Well a title like that can only mean good things, right? RIGHT?! So... remember the brain slugs from The Wrath of Khan? Well they decided to bring that concept back! They’ve taken over the admirals of Starfleet and are taking over with our heroes having to try and figure out what’s happening and stop it. It’s an interesting one for sure. We have Picard on Earth with the admirals while Quinn from a previous episode is on the Enterprise and causing chaos on there. It’s pretty scary to think about, the higher ups being brainwashed and could have easily destroyed the Federation from the inside out if Picard hadn’t been warned ahead of time. When Picard is utterly surrounded and they were eating the worm things... God it was scary. Although Riker really DID fool me into thinking he was possessed, so I outright cheered when he pulled out his phaser. Badass! Oh and Crusher blasting Quinn until he was down was also badass. It was also shockingly graphic with the bugs and the one guy’s body that hosted the alien... how THAT got by the censors I will never, EVER know. In the end, we never find out about who unleashed the parasites (apparently it was going to be The Borg but it didn’t work out) or what they wanted, but it certainly left an impact. Plus I think the ambiguity makes it all the more horrifying. Someone or something almost took over... and they’ll never know who or what. Overall, really good episode. 4/5.

The Neutral Zone: Well they’ve mentioned then and hinted at it a few times, but at last in the season final, the Romulans have made their return. IDT thy’ve been major villains since The Enterprise Incident back in TOS S3. Speaking of TOS... I thought we were done reusing plots, but this is more or less Space Seed except the frozen people aren’t evil, bio enhanced lunatics. So not a direct reuse but it’s pretty hard to ignore the major similarity. Anyways, we have a bit of an interesting premise with people from the 20th Century being thawed into the 24th Century and letting them interact. There would be major culture shock and values dissonance because even compared to the 80’s and the 2020’s so many values and views have changed. So imagine how much changed in between four centuries with concepts like phones and banks no longer a thing. It was... eh? I like the idea but I just didn’t care for these people much? Well the one guy who is a walking Southern redneck stereotype didn’t especially when he... was alone with Crusher. I HATED that guy, and I’ve seen rednecks my entire life! The other two I at least felt some sympathy for especially the one woman, but not enough to get me invested in this particular plot. Though I WAS amused by some things like TV not surviving past 2040... yeah THAT I find difficult to believe. Ah, the irony of making TV shows set int he future when you have no way of predicting what will and won’t happen. But yeah I get the parallel they were going for by the end with the civilians and Romulans being out of touch with the Federation, but I just didn’t care enough. The Romulan half of the plot? The build-up to it was good with everyone on edge since this will be the first time dealing with them in over 50 years and who knows what they’re like now compared to the TOS era. And when we finally see them? Well they’re very much still intimidating and a sense of danger is very much still existent, though they do agree to share information on this one issue so they aren’t foolish. It very much brought back whatever investment I had in them back in TOS, Went hey said that they’re back, that was a promise and I am all for it~! As far as being a season finale goes... well TOS weren’t exactly great in that area so it being just fine is par for the course, but it is just fine. Really the Romulan bit was what helped this episode, otherwise it’s just okay, but at least the ending scene promises more to come. Not a bad note to end on. 3/5.

Well it took much longer than I had hoped, but we have finished TNG Season One! It was... rough, but I knew going it that it would be. There were some bright spots and it did well enough to get renewed, but clearly a lot was going to need to be done to fine tune the show and let it reach it’s full potential. Will Season 2 be an improvement? What changes will they make? Will they be good or bad for the show? Will Riker ever get his glorious beard anytime soon? We’ll find out in due time. So tomorrow I’ll do the Top 5 Best/Worst list for S1, then by Friday I hope to get S2 underway. For now one season down, six to go. The adventure continues.

[firedingo]

Long Time No Post.....

______________________________________________________________

So yeah......it's been a while.

What am I up to? Well let's see....

Obviously still at uni. I'm now effectively in my final year. I have 2 subjects, 1 software development project and 1 year and then I can graduate.

I can't believe I'm this close now after almost a decade at this degree (not counting the like 5 year break I took in that decade :P)

I'm well and truly engaged with the Christian Students group on campus. They're really frankly quite awesome. We put on a BBQ for the other students after a bar night recently. We're working through John in the Bible and I'm so keen for small groups to kick off and the events coming up this year.

In my first year in 2019 I didn't get involved in events and last year covid either stopped or radically changed events last year. So I'm super keen this year because it's my last year there.

In the face of everything.....childhood trauma, mental illness, covid, stress, family.....my church, my faith and the christian students group has been a huge anchor for me.

That of course leads to church and faith. So with covid we moved to a new location....the local christian school. That meant learning a new AV system....I actually feel quite confident running AV now.

The flip side means I run AV at one or both of the services I go to on Sunday almost every Sunday possible.....yes we need more AV trained people.

I love learning about AV and serving but sometimes you do need a break.

My mental health has been interesting to say the least. I have brilliant days but also really bad ones. I don't know what I would do without my faith. I've really been hanging on to a passage in Romans lately.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

- Romans 8:18

I've found this verse to a good reminder that eternal life is still better than letting the crap in life get the better of me.....What will anything matter in 10,000 years time in heaven? Nothing. Of course that doesn't mean it doesn't feel like the end of the world right now.

Oh we humans are such fickle creatures....

So I also signed up to do Introduction To The Bible, a subject run by my church through an organization they help manage along with a couple other churches. It has been hugely interesting to see the bigger picture of the Bible. I remember someone told me early on that the whole Bible points to Jesus but it's actually really cool to see how that works, especially with the Old Testament and be hugely encouraged by what I've read and learned.

A highlight for me was seeing how God so deeply cares and loves in Hosea.

" “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them."

- Hosea 11:1-4

Another highlight was realizing that the Exodus - the Israelites being saved in Egypt, lead out to God and eventually to their promised land with blessing given to them - is a mini example of God's plan of salvation. It encourages me when I wonder if God will ever return, or on the mentally tough days when I wonder if God will save me.

He can, he has and he will!

I've also begun helping teach scripture classes in school. It has been wonderful to have kids to love and care for in scripture class. I don't know if I will ever have kids of my own but I do know I care about people, I am deeply moved by my faith and I think how can these kids ever make a choice if they never hear, so my aim is to give them the best understanding of what I believe.

The hardest thing is the exhaustion, the complete and utter exhaustion. I want badly to have a break yet I don't get one. I've tried asking for so much help and support only to find out I don't qualify.

I still care for my dad too. I don't get any support there.

I probably do 60-75 hours of "work" across any particular week right now. Some of it I didn't need to agree to right now but much of it isn't a choice. I'm tired and worn out.

The system here is broken because someone like me can study, care nearly full-time, do volunteer work and somehow not qualify for any support or help. Hell I can reach the point of being suicidal and still not qualify for help. That's how broken the system here is.

I have no hope things will actually get better....the only hope I have is that one day I will get to rest when I see God.

Honestly I feel like canon fodder to the government. I don't have the resources or capacity to change much of my circumstances, the government does and yet I genuinely believe that they don't care at all, in fact I reckon quite a few wish I were actual, legitimately dead.

Honestly what's the bloody point any more? If things are never going to improve, what's the bloody point to life? Keep getting beaten to a pulp until I finally burn out and kill myself?

Frankly it'd be better if I did it now in the face of that. Only my faith gives me a reason not to......You know who's around the corner that needs to hear about God.

I know being a disciple of Jesus isn't easy in fact hardship should be expected yet I don't think suicidal ideation was what that meant.

So I hold on to my faith and what I know and pray like hell that I don't act on the thoughts.....

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

- John 3:16

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

- Romans 5:6-10

[spinnerlockeplay]

Pokemon FireRed Nuzlocke (Part 2) - To Cerulean

Welcome back! After that exciting run in the previous post, I think it’s time I kick it up a notch! And just in time before the New Year’s Eve! Let’s check out my progress so far.

And BTW, starting this post, I will be posting one or two of my quick artwork regarding the events of the playthrough. So yeah, hope you like them!

Basic Nuzlocke Rules

Species Clause

Gym Level Limit: 21

Lives: 5

Detailed Rules

Current Gym Rule:

Life Reward Rule (Cerulean City Gym) - If defeated before and during the second gym, I can restart my save file. Once the gym is defeated, I gained an extra life if no whiteouts. Otherwise, you gain two lives.

Continuing off after my Pewter City gym, I restocked on some Poke Balls and met up with Professor Oak's aide to grab my Running Shoes, which my Mom was supposed to get earlier, but I guess she forgot. In Route 3, I need to beat all of the trainers there in order to get my encounter. So I decided to use this chance to level Bait and Flora up. Thanks to this, Bait learned Hyper Fang and Flora evolved into Ivysaur. There was one battle against a Lass and her Jigglypuff where she managed to use Disable on his Hyper Fang. But it didn't matter and just used Quick Attack to finish her.

(Oh... Well, this Nuzlocke is much more easier than I thought... Plz don’t jinx it...)

After beating all of the trainers, I finally caught a Pidgey there and named him Birdy. This is a big relief since there is a Grass Gym coming up and I know it's a bit early, but since I hear there are a few Fire-types available despite the Species Clause, I had to get a Pokemon that is super effective against a Grass-type. (Plus, Aggro was dead early. RIP) So getting Birdy is a big deal. I had to go back to Viridian Forest to grind Birdy to my party level. But I had an unlucky encounter with a Pikachu who has Thundershock early on. But it was Level 3 and Flora took care of it.

(Nope.)

Once that's done, I head to Route 4 and bought a Magikarp from a fishy salesman (Get it?). While 500 was a bit too much to spend, I have a reason why I had to it. One, I don't want to waste a route encounter using an Old Rod to grab a Magikarp and not all of the towns and cities has water for me to fish. And second, his evolution, Gyarados is a big Water-type damage dealer and its very useful against some gyms and important trainers soon. So I named him "Nerde", named after a certain crafting Youtuber who has a huge affinity to salt. (If you're curious, I'll leave a link to her Youtube channel over here. Her videos and reviews are great and I wouldn't recommend for nothing.)

(I have no regrets spending 500 for a useless fish.)

Now before I proceed, I have to discuss the Dolphan in the room. Mt. Moon has 3 levels in FireRed and from what I learned when researching on it, there are different encounter tables in each floor. I may encounter many more caves and areas with levels soon, so for this playthrough, I'll treat the Mt. Moon floors as its own area and encounter and it's my Nuzlocke and you can't tell me what to do.

Regarding my encounters here, my hopes were to catch a Zubat and Geodude here. Now I know Zubats are infamous for being annoying encounters who would do nothing but to drain your Pokemon's PP out while traversing here to the point you have to use a Repel to get off your backs. However, Golbat is a big damage dealer as a Poison/Flying-type and a good replacement in case something happens to Birdy (which I pray that it won't happen, please!). Unfortunately, the big downside that I can't evolve it to Crobat until I get the National Pokedex. Which by the way, who the hell even came up with that condition?! I know FireRed is a Red and Blue remake, but come on! Just let me evolve a Golbat early, please!

...

Oh, did I go off the subject there? Never mind what I said, let's move on.

Now the reason why I also want to catch a Geodude is its Rock and Ground typing. Since I don't have any Electric-types with me, Geodude is good against Flying-types including Zubats and its Magnitude and Ground typing will be useful against Lt. Surge later on in the game. And lo and behold, I caught a Geodude in the first floor of Mt. Moon, which I named him "Wreaker". As in wrecking ball. I'll stop now. Of course, I can't access his final form due to a requirement that I need to trade him, which I don't have luxury to do so and I can't use trade Pokemon in a Nuzlocke. But I think his middle evolution should be a good compensation for now.

(I predict this guy will lead me to Nuzlocke victory.)

After getting Wreaker, I decided to train him and Nerde back at Route 3 to get them on par with the others. I did have trouble battling some wild Jigglypuffs since not only they have Cute Charm that can immobilize him with love, but they have an Oran Berry on them, so that's annoying.

(I didn’t know rocks can fall in love with balloons. Please don’t take that seriously.)

I have no problems with training Nerde, but since he only has a useless Splash on his moveset, I had to resort to switch training to grind some EXP. I then moved to Mt. Moon to continue switch training while making my way across there. But I had some trouble against a Super Nerd where he had his Magnemite paralyzed Flora. I managed to beat unscathed, but I had to return to the Pokemon Center to heal up.

Coming up is the first basement floor of Mt. Moon and I wasn't happy about it. The reason why is that Paras is the only Pokemon available there and combined with its poor stats and typing, I have to face an inevitable that I have to capture it soon. And as expected, I captured it, but not before she paralyzed Birdy. I know she's useless, but if I didn't capture her here, then the next encounter will be a waste. With that, I named her Troll after what she did to Birdy.

Once I got to the second basement floor, I encountered a suspicious guy in black who attacked me for intruding. However, he ended up as EXP fodder for Flora and Wreaker. And after running into a bunch of Paras and Geodudes, I caught a Clefairy for my troubles and named her "Moon" before I tossed her into the box. Since the wild Pokemon here messed up my team, I was forced go to back and heal up my party while grabbing a few Paralyze Heals as emergencies. And I boxed Troll because she is useless!

(You’re facing a rock and a large bulb dinosaur. What do you expect?)

After encountering more trainers, Wreaker learned Magnitude and I encountered more guys in black at the basement 2nd floor. Turns out, they belonged to a group called "Team Rocket" and they planned to steal some fossils in Mt. Moon. But I didn't give them the chance and send them packing.

(Should I be scared? No)

Once I beat them, I encountered a Super Nerd and tried to beat me to take the two fossils for himself. But after Wreaker beat all of his Pokemon, we reached a compromise and I got the Helix Fossil.

(I knew you would say yes. 😏)

After I got out, I tried getting another Spearow on Route 4, but Flora ended up killing it with a crit. So thank, Flora. (And I'm writing this after finishing this post, but yes, I know, Spearow doesn't count as an encounter since I still got Aggro in my death box and considering the rules I've made for this playthrough along a chance of revival in future gyms, I'll try catching it again on Route 4 in the next one. I promise.)

(I know this is not my true Route 4 encounter, but this still makes me a bit salty...)

I finally got to Cerulean City and I decided to go to the Nugget Bridge to train her up for the gym battle. But Vann stopped me and started gloated on catching some strong and smart Pokemon. Yeah, I can do that, too. If I'm wasn't stuck on the Nuzlocke rules. After that, he battled me again and while I managed to beat him, he did a number on Wreaker and Birdy. This made me a bit concerned. Vann did try to apologize by giving me a Fame Checker. But I wasn't happy about it.

(See you never... 😠)

Since that last fight, I decided to skip the bridge and headed off to the Cerulean Gym. Like before, I ended the 2nd gym by sweeping through Misty's team with Flora. So I earned the second badge and an extra life.

Now that's done, I have some other issues on my mind. But for now, that's the end for this post. Stay tuned for the next one to see if I can beat the third gym. See ya in the next post!

[aratanaruu]

Flaws in Tales of the Abyss

Okay, I love this game, and there aren’t many real flaws, but the flaws that are there are downright terrible. I mean, I’d still recommend playing Abyss because it’s an incredible game and has an emotionally devastating journey, but those flaws...

Warning: There’s a lot of salt (and probably swearing) below the cut. I just really hate the main antagonist, okay.

Okay, let’s start off with something... smaller. This is probably nit-picking on my part, but it’s something that makes me go “ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” and it’s how the characters are always comparing their suffering to others which is just... no. When the party embarks on the Tartarus to go down into the planet’s core, Jade said it would take 5 days, and of course the game wouldn’t show all 5 days, but I wish that they showed the characters grieving for Sheridan.

Alright, that’s completely nit-picking. What I’m referring to is how Luke reacts after the slaughter of Sheridan. His reaction is completely justified and human. He blames himself for their deaths, he feels terrible about leaving them behind, he wants to grieve! Then, he lashes out at Tear for pointing out they have a mission and... I mean, c’mon, five days. What else are you going to do on the Tartarus? Jade has it handled. They had time to grieve.

Tear chides Luke for being a fucking human, then walks away and Guy points out that she had tears in her eyes, and he asks Luke about “who really wants to grieve right now”. ???????? Okay, her brother killed those people at Sheridan. So fucking what? Her brother killed those people? You know, that same brother you tried to kill because you knew that he’d kill hundreds of people? That same brother that killed 10 000 people at Akzeriuth? The same brother that was prepared to sacrifice you, Tear?

Who really wants to grieve??? We see this again after the party kills Sync in Eldrant. Natalia points out that she can’t let Asch’s death stop her from her goal and I was cheering for her... then she said that she has no right to grieve, when Guy and Anise have already lost somebody dear, and Tear has to fight her brother. I stopped cheering then.

Abyss, ironically, kind of had a difficult time writing human emotions. I don’t agree with how a lot of the characters kept saying, “I can’t grieve because X has it worse” or “I can’t grieve because I have a mission”. That’s why I liked it when Natalia needed some time to collect her thoughts before heading back to Baticul after her father tried to kill her. The party respected that, and I loved it because of how human Natalia was. 

It follows that ever-so-popular saying of, “If you can’t grieve because other people have it worse, then you can’t be happy because other people have it better”. 

If you love Tear and/or her character, please, you may want to skip this part. I understand that my... distaste may be unjustified, but I need to get it off my back. So, Tear Grants. What I perhaps dislike about her character is how... inconsistent it could be.

She went to the Outer Lands, prepared to kill her brother, Van, knowing that he’s going to do something terrible. When the party meets up with Van in Kaitzur, she is prepared to fight him. She doesn’t trust him. Then Akzeriuth happens. She stays back in Yulia City, believing that she failed her duty.

Before Akzeriuth, Tear was a soldier, doing her best to stop Van from murdering thousands. Then, after he actually fucking kills thousands, her mindset suddenly changes to a, “Oh! Wait! Van was nice to me when I was a kid! Who cares that he’s already killed thousands, maybe I can get to him!”

I’m fine with that, what I’m not fine with is how Tear flip-flops between, “He can’t be changed! It’s my duty as his sister to kill him!” and “Perhaps we can change him, Luke.”

This is probably my hate for Van speaking, but ah well. I’m also not a fan of how the characters are constantly pointing out (including Tear herself) that Van is Tear’s brother. We get it, we get it, you want to stop your brother, he’s your brother, is that all he is to you? Is he not some genocidal, selfish maniac who can’t let go of the past? How could Tear so casually forget what Van did to Luke? To Asch? ..Yeah, this is really my hate for Van speaking.

Van Grants. Also known as Vandesdelca Musto Fende.

First of all, why.

Second of all, why the FUCK does the party (and by the party I mean Tear and Luke) grant Van so much slack? Why do those two show Van so much fucking mercy when he deserves none of it???????????

Let’s backtrack a little. Van, as an antagonist, works fine. He has understandable motives that work, sure, sure, he’s manipulative and intelligent, he outsmarts the party often, always a threat with his God-Generals, sure. And I’m always a sucker for those antagonists with those personal relations to the protagonists.

But the way Luke and Tear treat Van makes me want to yell in disgust.

“You still call him Master, even after he betrayed you?”

What Asch says to Luke, and I 100% agree with him. Why, oh why does Luke keep calling Van “Master”? I knew it would be for the big moment where Luke is no longer the naive pupil Van once taught, and I was SO happy when he finally called Van “Van”, without his title, because I was shouting, “YES! Finally, you stopped calling him a title he doesn’t deserve!”

Then there’s the 1-month timeskip, and it’s kind of like the Absorption Gate events never happened, Luke calls Van “Master Van” again and...

..Why? Whyyyyy. Luke, whyyyyyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

Time and time and time and time again, Van always shows to Luke that he cares not for him as a person. He calls Luke a replica, someone inferior, something to be thrown away because he’s not the Sacred Flame, Asch. He treats Luke as a tool and Luke has the absolute gall to call him “Master”?

Luke insists that he cares for Asch, that he wants to help him, but if I were Asch, I wouldn’t react just as Asch did. With complete anger. Hell, if I were Asch, I would have kicked Luke’s ass from one end of Auldrant to the other. How dare Luke say that he cares for Asch, when he still calls the man that destroyed Asch’s life “Master”?

Luke keeps on saying that he’ll try to make Van change, which I’m fine with, since it’s one of the themes in the game (my favourite, in fact). People can change, yadayadayada. But whenever he meets Van in battle, he never tries. They monologue, and they fight. 

Then, on the final battle on Eldrant, I wanted Luke to punch Van’s fucking face in. I LOVE the Meaning of Birth scene and I was so fucking proud of Luke for being who he was. That scene was so symbolic because Luke didn’t need to prove to anyone why he existed, he does, he’s his own person and Asch has to deal with it. I love love love love love that scene.

Then we have the pre-battle dialogue against Van, where Luke wanted Van to acknowledge him as a human and I just... Sure, Van may have seen Luke as a human, but did he treat him like one (Hint hint: the answer is no). And why does Luke need Van’s opinion on anything? Why does he need to prove to Van anything? Then he says, I don’t need you anymore, which is nice and all, and I thought “MAYBE Luke has finally moved on?”. Then we have the final scene.

“After all that’s happened, you still call me Master.”

I agree with Van on one thing, it seems. One of the themes in Abyss is being able to accept the past and move on with it and Luke did that with everything about his past except for his experiences with Van and it’s... WHY?!

Van was raising Luke as nothing more than a tool. There was no love behind his actions when he was Luke’s mentor. I don’t understand why Van is still so important to Luke, why Luke can’t accept that Van’s a shitty person instead of the man he once looked up to? (Hell, I’m quite unhappy with how Asch said to Luke who’s the real pupil -- or something along those lines. Asch, Van ruined your life, and you’ll still think of yourself as a pupil?)

I wasn’t happy when Luke thanked Van, but I was too caught up in the emotions of the game that I ignored it. Now that I’m looking back on it, Luke thanking Van outright disgusts me. You call him Master... and you thank him? You thank him? For what? Tear, at least, had an excuse. Luke, you didn’t.

Thanking Van? For what? For teaching you how to swing around a fucking sword? Thanking Van for taking Asch’s life away from him? For conducting painful experiments on an 11-year old boy? For turning Asch into a cold-blooded, distrusting, broken man? For throwing the original Ions into a fucking volcano to die? (I don’t care if it was never stated that Van did it. He and Mohs were the ones behind the operation. He didn’t care enough about the replicas and disposed of them like garbage). For teaching Sync that he was worthless? For killing 10 000 people? For planning to kill thousands more? For breeding replicas to be used as death fodder? For treating you, Luke, as tool?

Don’t say that he didn’t kill them. If somebody was holding a gun to you, ready to shoot you and they got stopped, it doesn’t matter that they didn’t shoot, they were still planning to, the intent was still there. It didn’t matter that Van didn’t actually kill the entire population of Eldrant, he was fucking going to, and that’s why the party wanted to stop him.

I think the game tried to hard to make the players sympathize with Van and think he was just “misunderstood” or he “had good intentions”. No, no, no, he didn’t.

Gaius from Xillia. He was going to eliminate spyrite, or spyrix, whatever it was, which would indirectly kill the population of Elympios, right? Sure, call Gaius a murderer, but it was a necessary evil. Elympios made itself an enemy of Rieze Maxia, the people there had no respect for those on Rieze Maxia. He had to kill them to save Rieze Maxia. There were no other choices. Jude and Milla’s path, where they would research spyrite, was unstable, and it’s pointed out in-game that it was and it may not even work. Gaius wasn’t willing to take that risk.

Van? Van’s a selfish little fucking prick who can’t let go of the past. He wanted to “save” humanity from the Score by killing all of them and creating a replica world, when the party already had a way to make humanity live without the Score without becoming mass murderers. Van wasn’t willing to change. Another thing I disliked about the pre-final battle. Tear asking Van to change. I expected the characters to go into the final battle expecting to kill, their convictions unwavering, but Tear had other ideas, it seemed. Tear, Van, unlike Luke, had the intention to slaughter Akzeriuth and Sheridan. He did it with no remorse, unlike Luke, and you still treat him with respect?

I’m sorry, but I can’t accept how the devs tried to make Van look good. He doesn’t deserve anything. Guy’s reaction was the most logical. Van, once a friend, a mentor figure, hell, it was like Van and Luke’s relationship, but without the toxicity. And Guy, he knows that Van isn’t willing to change, he knows what he has to do, he knows that Van deserves none of his respect as he points out so many times. Jade loathes Van more than anything in the world, including himself, he’d spend an hour locked in a room with Dist over treating Van like anything other than dirt.

But Luke? The guy hurt most by Van? Naaah. He’s still kissing Van’s ass, right to the very end of the game. For all the character development Luke had, this was quite the disappointment. I want to scream some more (like Akzeriuth and how the party doesn’t blAME VAN HOLY FUCKING SHIT) but this post is long enough.

TL;DR I really love Abyss and if this game was a person I’d marry them in a heartbeat, but holy shit I loathe Van. I think he may be my most hated video game character of all time, simply because of how the party (Luke, Tear, LUKE ESPECIALLY) treats him. I wish Van’s death was more painful, it’s one he deserved.

[mysterious-prophetess]

Avengers Endgame: Spoilery Thoughts

To keep those who haven’t seen it safe, not only will I be tagging the crap out of this but I’ll put everything else under a cut. So, you’ll only see spoilers if you click on it, so DON’T go doing that if you’ve yet to see this movie, ok?

PS My Spoiler Free Post is here

Anyone who hasn’t seen it gone? Good.

Spoilery thought number one: That first half-hour before the 5 year jump CUT IT!!!!!! Good gracious I was nearly tempted to look at my phone a LOT during that opening segment. Yeah, it was the trailer fodder part but it was also still so BORING.

Why cut that? Because starting with Scott escaping the Quantum World would be a better entry point. Yeah, it’s a part two of a two parter but let’s look at a prior two-parter: Back to the Future Part II and III. Instead of going to Marty on the road in the rain with the letter, we go to Doc of 1955 sending (let’s call him Marty 1) back to the future and then Marty showing up and telling him he was back from the future. No time wasted and go-go-go for the rest of the plot.

They didn’t waste time with Marty on that road where he had been left at the end of Part II showing him deciding to make his way over to Doc and how he did it. No. It jumped RIGHT to it. Then the plot didn’t waste any time in progressing forwards with the final leg of the plot. 

This.... Look, I get that they wanted to set up that Thanos had made it “impossible” to unsnap things by being a purple dick and snapping the stones out of existence but here’s where a bit of “Treating the Audience like they’re not IDIOTS” could have come into play.

Hence, we should have just started the film with Scott. 

Scott who was forced to play catch up with everyone else. \

Scott whose very experiences ended up being the central conceit that the plot hinged on. It could have been a very interesting way to surprise the audience with “not only did they fail but Thanos pulled a “fuck you” and made their failure permanent.” 

We could have learned about all that with Scott (and been saved a half an hour of that).  Sometimes, show don’t tell isn’t always the best whenever a few lines here and there might have cut the run time down to a bearable length.

 Put that other stuff back in for an extended edition but for a theatrical cut: kill your darlings.

SO, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, let’s look at the rest of things that bugged me.

It’s not much, and it all hinges on the ending/the Nebula thing.

Why dafuq does that even work. If Nebula Prime was so angry with dear old daddy, why did she NEVER get his override out of her head in the years following the snap (where he’d used her memories against Gamora and then killed Gamora)? 

Secondly, if they were supposed to be (attempting) AVOIDING their past counterparts, then why was SHE in the same solar system as her past self whenever her going to Voormir would have avoided her running into herself?

Nebula’s whole arc in this movie is just a whole pile of WTF. 

It made for an equally “wtf” ending battle. While I’m at it:

WHY DID THERE NEED TO BE A BIG BATTLE? 

Thirdly, they hyped up Captain Marvel’s involvement and ultimately she did very VERY little for the plot over all. Like.....that’s it? A woman who can take down FUCKING space ships and you had her struggle with Grimace even before he used Power Stone against her? Sounds like whomever was in charge of this movie didn’t know what to do with her, and therefore kept her out of play as much as possible.

 I’ve done that with crossovers before, so I can see what they’re doing.

Fourthly, how they wrote off Cap and Iron Man

These are the two whose fates I got switched in my guessing. Tony would swear off super-heroing forever and Cap would make a heroic sacrifice and perish. I made this prediction based on RDJ loving being Tony and Chris Evans being ready to move on from Cap (and nine years of being the same character, I can’t blame him).

But I hated how they did both. Well, hate’s a strong word. Annoyance. That’s what I feel towards it. Annoyance.

Let’s start with Cap. Dear Russo Brothers: Super Soldier Serum slows aging. Even IF he decided to not hop back (and I saw that coming the moment he looked longingly at Peggy in 1970) He should look maybe in his fifties at the oldest. Not the age he’d be if he’d gone back to the 70′s and lived his days out with her (or 40′s I can’t tell where he jumped back to). 

Then there’s also the fact he straight up just abandoned Bucky. The guy for whom he sacrificed his modern era friendships. The man for whom he became a fucking fugitive. The man who is STILL dealing with being a deprogrammed Super Soldier spy (who, look at at that DIDN’T AGE IN THE INTERIM-though, I will concede that maybe there was something about freezing and un freezing him at random? It’s been five-six years since I saw Captain America: Winter Soldier). So, to sum up, that was very VERY selfish of Cap to do after all he sacrificed in the present to ditch Bucky for Peggy like that. Peggy had lived her life. It also felt a bit too....saccharine in light of my next bone of contention:

Iron Man. More specifically, his death. 

Yeah, gonna straight up say that Tony dying was something I thought had a 50/50 chance of happening but after the midway point I lowered that number to odds of survival being 90/10. Boy was I wrong. Yeah, I liked that clap back moment he had “I’m Iron Man”, but remember this: I did not think the battle was 100% necessary. It was just a lot of “look at this impressive set piece” (and yeah they were impressive set pieces). 

So, yeah, the moment Thanos got the improvised gauntlet and Tony was the only one nearby, I was like “well shit, there goes at least one Stark this weekend.” And maybe if they hadn’t added the saccharine Cap/Peggy thing, I’d have been more ok with it. But they did so I’m not. 

It just....felt off to me, ok? So, this overly long behemoth of a movie is at best for me an 8/10 because it did its job, did it well but in the end there was too much of this movie and they made a shaky landing for my part.

[ozsaill]

Holiday gifts that cruisers want

As avowed minimalists, this feels slightly awkward putting a post of holiday gifts together. But the reality is that there are useful needs to meet in a life afloat. This peek into what works hopefully aids those anticipating a similar path: a personal look what’s worked for us, and what’s on our wish list, as idea fodder for gifts to the the sailors in your life. It’s organized into four angles:

Best additions to Totem this year

Wish list: functional gifts

Wish list: what the crew really wants!

Especially for kids 

I. Best additions to Totem this year

This is a shortlist of items that had the biggest positive impact on board in the last year. Some are practical, some are just for fun / quality of life, a few are a bit of both.

Paddleboard – finally got one on board after The Great Kayak Debacle of 2016. Weighing pros/cons, we picked the durability of a fixed board over a space-saving inflatable. A shorter (10’) Jimmy Styx model (year-end closeout!) is right-sized for our humans and has provided hours of fun and fitness. Siobhan paddles in front of Totem, photo at top.

Underwater dome lens – talk about bang for the buck. Only $50 to get some of my favoritest pictures ever. Just fit the GoPro inside and swim! It’s so flippin’ cool to have split images with above/below water…like this one showing Totem  floating in crystal Bahamian water while a nurse shark dozes on the sand below.

Pic made possible with a dome port lens over GoPro. Me on deck, Jamie in the water; Staniel Cay, Bahamas.

Winches – Jamie likes to fondle our new Andersen stainless steel winches. No, seriously. Aside from the fact they are incredibly sexy mirror-finish stainless, the engineering of these makes them a better mousetrap, starting with guts that require less maintenance. Ribs on the drum don’t need as many wraps for sufficient friction, and they’re kinder to lines than conventional drum texturing. Jamie is all the warm fuzzies from that ribbed drum. I kinda want to get a lascivious picture of him with one.

Mantus scuba– we used to wish for dive gear on Totem, but it never made sense; a mix of upfront cost, equipment x 5 crew, limited space, and just not being die-hard divers. But we do really like getting underwater…a lot! Adding a pair of Mantus tanks has been perfect. Good fun for more marine exploring beyond our freediving skills, plus peace of mind as added safety equipment (invaluable if an anchor fouled below freediving depth / hang time capability).

Kids dive with Mantus scuba. There’s that dome port lens again too!

ACR ResQLink+. This personal locater beacon (PLB) was added to our safety kit for taking off to the Bahamas and beyond. My worst nightmare is losing on-watch crew overboard; I still worry when Jamie’s on watch and I’m “sleeping” off watch – these help me actually relax, knowing he’s basically attached to an EPIRB.

Drone – we picked up a Phantom 3 pro during the post-holiday-sales last year. I know, have been lame about sharing the footage (will provide room & board on Totem for anyone who can train us up!) but – WOW. The images are amazing! I love the bird’s eye view it offers of our life afloat! New Years Resolution: learn editing and share some videos. I’m not kidding about hosting someone who can school us! (Aline are you reading?! )

Culebra, Puerto Rico

Dinghy. When our trusty Avon finally gave up (well, it was 19 years old) in Thailand, the Highfield we replaced it with was… suboptimal. Not big enough, didn’t ride as well. A dinghy is one of the most frequently used bits of gear on board so we felt the gap. The 10.5’ AB (aluminum, double floor, bow locker) we picked up at Tradewind Yachting Services in Nanny Cay in September is AWESOME.

TOTEM shirts! New earlier this year, we adore these super-soft, organic cotton shirts and LOVE seeing people wear them. If you order Totem gear (Ts, caps and a hemp market bag too), send us a picture! 

Show your (neutral, water-based) colors with a yummy soft Totem Tshirt!

II. Wish list: practical

The next set… well, they aren’t exactly sexy holiday gifts. But the way our family looks at the world is in more practical term (I just realized how crazy that probably sounds to a lot of readers- yes, chucking convention to live on a boat with no fixed address is very practical. Really!): these are the practical wish-list expenditures. Right now we’re saving all our pennies to transit the Panama Canal but; some of these we expect (chaps, shade) others are less likely.

Dinghy chaps. Fabric covers fitted to the hypalon tubes extend their life by preventing chafe and reducing UV exposure. These are labor intensive and custom made, haven’t rationalized this expense just yet.

Outboard. Dinghy theme lately? Our outboard has been struggling for over a year, something that dependably gets a full load on a plane would be sweet. This 15hp Yamaha would do us right.

Repaint Totem’s hull. It’s so beat up, the guys working in the shipyard in Grenada were laughing at us—all in good fun—and asking if they could give her a makeover! Hey, there’s a dugout canoe associated with almost every ding, those are good memories…OK yeah it would be nice to have a pretty boat again.

Cockpit shade. We have an AWESOME, pretty new (2016) bimini frame (thank you to the great guys at TurboXS!)…but it still lacks the whole fabric-shade-that-attaches-to-it part. It will be really nice to get the last mile of this addition completed.

Sailrite. We’ve gone back and forth on these durable sewing machines. Cons: machines need to be used to stay workable; they are heavy, and they take up a chunk of storage. But in the Pro column: Jamie could do a lot with one, like dinghy chaps and cockpit shade! He’s a sailmaker, used to be a hands-on in the pit guy and knows his way around a pro machine. Our M.O. to date: Jamie fixes other cruiser’s Sailrites that have stopped working after languishing in a locker by bartering for usage to get a project done.

Making our dodger soft sides in Jacksonville: thanks Patty!

Countertops. The formica installed in Thailand, unfortunately, is not good. It’s a long story. But the formica is nearly worn through, the trim wasn’t done right, and a bunch of other stuff. For the Someday files. Solid surfacing would be so dreamy!

Solid state external drives. The movable parts on hard drives, in computers and external drives, have shorter lifespans with the small constant motions of a boat. SSDs would be less prone to failure. The multiple of expense is unfortunate (and almost rationalized by failed drives!). The only downside: external SSDs are mostly small, so you’d need a bunch to accomodate all the photo and video files a family accumulates. Sample: this Samsung 2TB drive, ~$800.

III. Wish list: just for fun

What’s your heart’s desire? I asked everyone on board to contribute their “wish” gift idea for something they have zero need for, but a dose of desire. This turned out to be difficult: we are pretty good at being satisfied with what we have instead of craving what the boat next door has! But there are some great ways to be indulgent on board. The top five are our personal picks, the rest are from family brainstorming.

Niall: PADI dive certification. (shhh: I think we figured out how to do this affordably enough in Bonaire next month! He doesn’t read the blog – don’t spill the beans anyone!!)

Mairen: horseback riding. (still with the experiences. C’mon Mairen it’s about Stuff! She never got beyond “more art supplies then?”)

Siobhan: a puppy. KIDDING. Except she wasn’t. Her BATNA wish is to have any book she wants for a year. Qualified with “you know I use the library mostly.” People, she reads a LOT. Thank goodness for ebook loans from our hometown library!

Jamie: Code zero with a continuous line furler on a sprit. Because the sailmaker’s boat is a little bit like the cobblerss kids… often wanting. Here’s why Jamie thinks this is a winner sail for cruisers.

Behan: fancypants freediving fins, and lessons to go with them. (As long as we’re daydreaming, I’d learn from supermama and freediving champion Ashley Chapman at Evolve Freediving, with a whole- family lesson!)

More Totem crew wish-list picks that may generate ideas for giftees on your list:

Water-friendly drone. We’re having so much fun with the ‘regular’ drone, imagine one that lands on the water, or follows behind the dinghy – saltwater spray be damned?! This very cool looking Splash Drone 3 lands on the water and floats. Whoa. Or the QuadH2O: double whoa.

Mini home theater projector. We watched movies outside on the Delos deck once upon a time; I harbor dreams of hosting anchorage movie nights with a film displayed on a sail “screen.” One that’s bright enough, not to big, and doesn’t draw too much power, decent speakers…or 3 out of 4. Like this maybe (and wow, that’s a good price!)?

New computer. OK, not family but Jamie. The Toughbook that is our navigation computer doubles as his personal machine, but doesn’t play well with Windows 10. Newer models do. Still a big fan of Toughbooks for their durability on board.

Camera equipment. Better underwater shots with an Olympus Tough: the GoPro is awesome for environmental shots, but fails on macro, and those are fun to take underwater. Above sea level, I traded in all my Nikon gear to migrate towards Sony’s mirrorless a7 series, and will always be drooling over lenses.

A dozen Luci lights. We have one and it’s fantastic: indulgent wish list version,- how cool would a strand of them be hung tiki-light style around the cockpit?! 

IV. Just for kids

The genesis of this year’s list is a question fom one of our coaching clients. Less than a year from taking off cruising and looking for Christmas gift ideas for their four children, they had this assignment for our kids: “What is 1-2 things do they wished they had or have had on the boat, and what are their favorite 3 things/toys they cannot live without?” Simplifying slightly I asked our kids what things on the boat were most important to them. Turns out phrasing matters. Answer #1: friends. Their friend showed up a few minutes later; asked the same questions she looked at me as if to say “duh” and said – “My family, of course.” It took a lot of prompting to come up with Things You Put Under a Christmas tree. But we got there, and this is good!

Quality snorkeling gear: mask, snorkel, fins…also good rashguard and wetsuits. Shorties are great for extending in-water time! Many cruisers (and most boat kids) spend a lot of time in the water; get good stuff that won’t fall apart, it’s harder after you leave. The kids really like the masks they got from Divers Direct in Florida this year, and they’re very reasonably priced (holiday sale: $40?!).

Beach fun: boogie boards and beach bocce are our favorites.

Fishing kit. Get kids their own tackle box, handline, a net to grab stuff that goes overboard; even a Hawaiian sling spear if they can handle it.

Field guides. Not kid books, but GOOD field guides. Identification of underwater life was a big hit from the time we started cruising with littles. Region-specific matters, I believe: the Gottshall two-book set is amazing for Pacific Mexico; DeLoach guides rule for the Caribbean: one for Reef Fish, one for Coral, one for, well, everything else (Reef Creatures).

Scooters.  Bikes are impractical; kids like wheels and folding scooters fit. Utility varies by cruising grounds (not a lot of roads in some oceanic regions!), but these are great get-around fun.

Arts & crafts. I’m not very crafty, so packaged kits like Klutz are perfect for me. Getting good materials will serve you later: these watercolors are richly pigmented and last a long time. Oragami, beading, or whatever! There are lists for this in Voyaging with Kids.

Chocolate. Yes this was on their list. Clearly these are my children.

Board games, cards. Our current favorite is Dread Pirate (thank you Sallianne and Doug!). Try cooperative games! Family Pastimes games got us started… Pandemic is the classic. This post about games cruisers play lists a number of other favorites on board.

Legos. Our lego days are over, but the kids know these are huge for the younger set.

Totem and Utopia, rafted up for Thanksgiving last week: because 1) better with friends and 2) drones rock!

Want more ideas?

Here are the Christmas gift posts from the last few years. They’re all aimed at cruisers, but each with a slightly different take:

Gifts that give a little more (2016). Focusing on sourcing gifts that contribute in some way to a greater good than just the Thing.

Gifts under $50 for sailors (2015). Keeping the costs contained! OK, there was one item over $50.

Gifts for cruisers (2014). Tried & true: fun, functional gifts that cruisers can use.

from Sailing Totem http://ift.tt/2hURhhS via IFTTT

[silviajburke]

Face to Face with the Fed

This post Face to Face with the Fed appeared first on Daily Reckoning.

“There’s no question the banking regulators blew it leading up to the [2008] financial crisis. And the problem is we’re gonna blow it again… Human societies are prone to mass delusion.”

Well, props for honesty, I guess. But it’s about the most transparency you’ll ever get from one of the most opaque institutions on the planet, the Federal Reserve.

Your editor was present last night as Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari held a “town hall” meeting. Kashkari performs this exercise in public outreach every few weeks somewhere in the Fed’s sprawling District 9 — stretching from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula 1,400 miles west to Montana.

Kashkari saw the Panic of 2008 up close and personal. He was the Treasury Department’s point man for the bank bailouts. Since he began his current gig 18 months ago, he’s made it his mission to break up the big banks. We even cited his first speech on the job here in The 5: “I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy.”

Heh. The contrast to Fed chair Janet Yellen couldn’t be more, umm, striking.

Hours before Kashkari held court last night, Yellen was speaking in London — declaring the banks are “very much stronger” and another 2008-level crisis is unlikely to occur “in our lifetimes.”

Here’s the full quotation: “Would I say there will never, ever be another financial crisis?. You know probably that would be going too far, but I do think we are much safer, and I hope that it will not be in our lifetimes and I don’t believe it will be.”

For the record, Ms. Yellen turns 71 in a few weeks. Brings to mind the old joke about a lifetime guarantee — “My lifetime, not yours.”

Anyway, it’s on the record for posterity. Just as it was when her predecessor Ben Bernanke declared in July 2005, “We’ve never had a decline in housing prices on a nationwide basis.”

Yellen’s audience was a bunch of fellow eggheads at the British Academy. At least Kashkari is trying to get out among real people — which history has shown can be a dicey proposition for a Fed pooh-bah.

The most famous instance of public outreach by the Fed was also the most disastrous.

In March 2011, New York Fed chief Bill Dudley ventured into Queens to meet with the hoi polloi. At the time, even the official inflation numbers were racing past 3% and the rising cost of living was on everyone’s mind.

On the basis of a wonky concept known as “hedonic adjustments,” Dudley essentially told the crowd that inflation was a figment of their imagination. “Today,” he explained, “you can buy an iPad 2 that costs the same as an iPad 1 that is twice as powerful. You have to look at the prices of all things.”

From the back of the room came the devastating rejoinder: “I can’t eat an iPad.”

Yeah, that was fodder for weeks…

There were no “edible iPad” moments for Kashkari last night.

Maybe that’s because he doesn’t fit the profile of the typical central banker. A second-generation Indian-American, he was an aerospace engineer by training before he got into the finance racket.

He’s also more glib than the typical central banker. No doubt his political skills were honed by running for governor of California in 2014. (Jerry Brown stomped him 60%-40%.)

And so when small-business owners and retirees hectored him about how low interest rates are forcing them to put more of their savings into the stock market, more than they’re comfortable with, he was prepared with artful dodges: Rates have been declining steadily since the early 1980s. Raising rates now would crater the weak recovery. Pension plans groaning under the weight of low rates are mismanaged. (All of which is true, but beside the point.)

He also came back to the plan he developed last year to break up the big banks, thereby mitigating the risks he admits still exist.

But what if another 2008-scale crisis erupts before such a plan can be implemented? (Assuming the vast forces arrayed against the plan on both Wall Street and K Street could be overcome in the first place.)

That was the question I posed during the town hall, after consulting via email earlier in the day with Agora Financial’s macroeconomic maven Jim Rickards.

Sure, I said, the Fed would quickly bring interest rates back down to near-zero levels. But does the Fed really have the capacity to add another $4 trillion to its balance sheet? Or would the liquidity have to come from some other source — such as the International Monetary Fund’s super-currency known as SDRs, or “special drawing rights”?

Kashkari puts on his best poker face as your editor asks Jim Rickards’ question

[Screengrab from Minneapolis Fed video via YouTube]

If you’ve been reading Jim’s work for any length of time — or even following our thumbnail sketches of his work in The 5 — you know Jim believes it’s politically untenable for the Fed to blow up the balance sheet again the way it did from 2008–2014…

That is, the torches and pitchforks will come out if the Fed embarks willy-nilly on a new round of money printing. From $4.5 trillion now to $8.5 or $9 trillion? Not happening. Especially not when the Fed is already leveraged more than 100-to-1.

In a crisis, the liquidity to save the system will have to come from the only solvent institution left standing — the IMF. It will print SDRs in mass quantity to be distributed among the globe’s governments and central banks. You and I will continue to transact in dollars — but thanks to the proliferation of SDRs, those dollars’ purchasing power will shrink dramatically, and in a hurry.

This isn’t Jim’s idle speculation; the plan was laid out in an IMF white paper in January 2011.

Kashkari dodged this one too — as best he could.

To begin with, he said, “There’s nothing on the horizon that tells us another ’08 crisis is imminent” — even as he allowed that “by their nature you never see the risk until it blows up in your face.”

Alrighty then…

“I think the Fed still has a lot of tools in our arsenal,” he went on. He itemized them as follows: zero interest rate policy, or ZIRP. More quantitative easing. And forward guidance, which is Fed-speak for how the Fed jawbones the markets about its intentions.

In other words, more of the same.

“Whether we could expand our balance sheet another $4 trillion, I don’t know. I don’t know what the limits would be in the Treasury market or the mortgage-backed securities market. But I think we would have a lot of tools at our disposal. And ultimately if it were another ’08-type crisis, Congress would have to get involved again.”

Kashkari is an adamant defender of the 2008 bank bailouts that Congress approved and he oversaw. “We hated to do it. It was the right thing to do.”

[Recovered history: He left out the part about how his boss, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, threatened Congress that if it didn’t act, the resulting economic meltdown would necessitate martial law. This story was confirmed at the time by both Rep. Brad Sherman (D-California) and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma).]

“A disappointing answer, but not too surprising coming from a Fed official,” Jim tells me this morning.

“The answer about ZIRP, QE, forward guidance, etc., is the playbook for a recession (from Yellen’s 2016 Jackson Hole speech). It’s not the playbook for a crisis, which is completely different.”

A while back, Jim himself asked the same question of Timothy Geithner, Obama’s first Treasury Secretary… and got an equally unsatisfying answer.

If you find this episode a little unsettling — especially the part about “no imminent crisis” even though Kashkari admits central bankers do a lousy job of anticipating crises — you might want to take some of the precautionary measures now. Rickards’ suggests increasing your allocations to 10% of your investable assets in gold.

Best regards,

Dave Gonigam for The Daily Reckoning

The post Face to Face with the Fed appeared first on Daily Reckoning.