#hi just finished a Space Odyssey

[anothermonikan]

What the fuck was that.

[antinousletmehit]

Just imagen reader making a flower crown for telemachus (odyssey version) and convinced him to wear for the day (he's just going to take it off when reader isn't around cause he would maybe be lowkey embarrassed)

୨୧┇pairing: odyssey!telemachus x reader

────୨ৎ──── ────୨ৎ──── ───

Telemachus crossed his arms, glaring at the flower crown you had just finished placing on his head. The soft petals of pink and white blossoms rested awkwardly against his messy hair, a stark contrast to his usual rugged, war practiced demeanor. “There,” you said with a satisfied grin, stepping back to admire him. “You look so adorable.��

He raised an eyebrow, his lips twisting into a scowl. “Adorable?” he repeated, his tone dripping with disdain. “I’m not a child, you know.”

You rolled your eyes, already used to his grumpy attitude. “You’re not a child, but you are my lover. Which is why you’re going to wear that for the rest of the day. Promise me, Telemachus.”

He sighed dramatically, reaching up to adjust the crown that now felt like it was burning into his scalp. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do,” you said firmly, poking his chest with your finger. “You’re wearing it, and you’re going to look great in it. No arguments.”

“Fine,” he muttered, glaring at the ground. But as soon as you turned to leave, his face shifted into a full grimace. He tugged at the flower crown slightly, testing how easily it could come off. Once you were out of sight, he groaned and yanked it off his head, tossing it onto a nearby table like it was cursed. “What am I, some kind of garden ornament?” he grumbled to himself. “A flower crown. Of all things. Gods, she’s lucky I like her.”

For a moment, he stared at the crown, feeling the slightest twinge of guilt. But the thought of being seen by anyone—anyone—while wearing it sent shivers down his spine. He could already hear the mocking laughter from the men in the palace. “Nice crown, prince! Did your lover braid it for you? Going to battle with petals, are we?”

“Nope. Not happening,” he said firmly.

The rest of the afternoon passed with Telemachus carefully avoiding the room where the flower crown lay abandoned, all while grumbling under his breath about how “ridiculous” the whole thing was. When you returned later, the first thing you noticed was his bare head. “Telemachus,” you said, narrowing your eyes. “Where’s the crown?”

He froze, guilt flashing across his face for a moment before he covered it with a haughty expression. “Oh, that thing? I, uh… took it off. It didn’t suit me.”

Your eyes widened, and your jaw dropped. “You took it off? After you promised me you’d wear it all day?”

“Well, yeah,” he said with a shrug, crossing his arms. “It was embarrassing. I’m not walking around looking like a floral bouquet just so you can have a laugh.”

You stared at him, dumbfounded. “It wasn’t for me to laugh at, Telemachus! I made it for you because I thought it would look nice on you! Because I thought you’d appreciate it!”

He flinched at the hurt in your voice, but his pride refused to let him back down. “Well, maybe next time make something less… humiliating.”

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself. “You know what? Fine. I won’t make you anything ever again.”

You turned to leave, but his voice stopped you. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that.” For the rest of the evening, Telemachus sat in the quiet space, the flower crown still sitting on the table where he had left it. Every time he looked at it, he felt a twinge of guilt. Eventually, he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Maybe I was a little harsh,” he muttered to himself, picking up the flower crown. When you returned the next morning, you found him sitting at the table, the flower crown perched on his head. He looked up at you sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Look,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “I… I was a…bit rude… yesterday. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things.”

You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow. “And?”

“And… the crown isn’t that bad,” he admitted grudgingly, avoiding your gaze. “It’s actually… kind of nice.”

A small smile tugged at your lips as you walked over and adjusted the crown on his head. “You’re lucky you’re cute when you’re groveling, Telemachus.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, but the faint blush on his cheeks betrayed him.

[mindless-existence1]

Deadpool x Wolverine Honda Odyssey Scene

Summery: (How the Honda Odessy scene should have gone.) Logan gets hard when fighting and Wade is just hard all the time. After hours of fighting Logan finally snaps.

REQUESTS OPEN PLS SEND!

Authors note: This is for one of my boo boo bears hope you enjoy. The dp x Wolverine movie has taken over my thoughts so this is my form of brainrot.

Warnings: Smut, mentions of fighting and blood, praise kink, handjobs, being mean to each other, inappropriate jokes and language, anal, degration?, that's about it I think.

Masterlist Link

For fucks sake Wade just wouldn't quit and it was pissing Logan off. They has been going at this for hours and despite what either of them said, they were starting to get tired. Logan had a different reason for wanting to be done with this idiotic fight though, and it involves the sick part of him that gets turned on when fighting.

For some reason, probably after years of being an X-Men, fighting made him get a hard on. Most of the time he could ignore it since everyone he fought died easily. But now he was faced with someone who couldn't die, who had been flirting with him for days, and obviously was getting turned on to.

He quickly stabbed Wade through the head and watched him fall. They had been at this long enough for Wade to know he had about 20 seconds to get him tied up before he was back at it again. Logan took this time to use the seatbelts around them to tie the merc to the seat he was nearest to.

He finished with a final tug and leaned back in his seat to bask in the momentary silence. Wade's head slowly shook as he 'awoke'. "Ahh kinky." His voiced slurred and groggy. Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head with a groan.

"Would a good fuck shut you up?" Wade snapped his head up at the man's words. "I mean if your offering." Wade answered hesitantly but eager none the less. Logan saw him look down towards the hard on pushing against the yellow suit.

"I normally wouldn't ask for this and wouldn't even need this but you just won't fucking die." Logans voice was gruff as he spoke. Wade was hardly even listening to what he was saying just nodding his head. The only thing playing in his head was 'good fucking good fucking good fucking'.

"Look, basically I just get hard when fighting, I don't know why, I just do. Normally I can just kill the guy before it becomes a problem. It goes away, everything's fine- stay quiet " Wade tried to interject but was quickly cut off by Logan "-but you can't fucking die and I can't really just jerk myself off right now so you're the next option.

"This was the best outcome of their fight Wade could think of, he assumed what he saw in his frenemies pants was just a protective cup or something. But now knowing what it really was, his hard on sky rocketed. "Holy fucking shitballs, Honey Buns I will do abso-fucking-lutley whatever you want Wolvie.”

Logan starts to work on undoing his belt, it's hard in the cramped space but he deals. “I figured. Some of those last few moves you pulled gave away the fact you're a horny price of shit. Thought you'd feel the same way about this."

“Feel the same way? Peanut I’m more than receptive, I've wanted- no actually I've needed  that cock in my ass since I saw your  ass in that suit. I’ll even beg for you if you want.” Wade is rambling, he could feel the blood pumping in his ears. If there's an actual chance he's about to get fucked by the Wolverine he will do anything this glorious man asked of him.

Logan threw the tight pants stuck to his legs somewhere in the blood covered Honda Odyssey, but he kept his boxers on. He thinks for a second before cocking his head to the side with a small smile. “Ok then, beg.”

A wave of lust crashes over Wade, he curls in on himself as best he can. A moan gets stuck in his throat, he has to take a moment to calm himself. The threat of coming in his pants is starting to get more and more real.

“Ohhh fucking shit-biscuit. Please? Pleeeease, Wolvie? Logan? Daddy? Master? Sir? I’ll do anything you want. I’ll make it so so so good I promise. I’ll even try not to talk, like I'll really really try, just for you!" Logan, being the dick that he is, looks unfazed. He keeps his boxers on, his cock straining the fabric. Wade whines and throws his head down, squirming in the tight bonds.

“What the fuck do you want me to say? I'll say anything you want to hear, pretty please?" Logan tries to hide his grin, he hates that he's enjoying the show Wade is putting on. He pulls down his boxers and Wade genuinely thinks he might die on the spot. "Holy Marvel Jesus you're hung like a fucking horse Wolvie!"

“Shut up- Daddy and master are a no go-"

“Fair enough”

“But Sir is fine. Actually if you could just shut your damn mouth while we did this I'd appreciate it." Logan says. “Sir. Got it, I can do that. Yes Sir.” Wade jerks his hips in his seat, desperately trying to gain any sort of friction. “I’ll make sure the author capitalizes that 'S' for you Sir."

Logan ignores him, leaning down close to his ear. “Just keep being a good boy and this will go smoothly for both of us” Ohhh fuck that’s not fair at all, Logan must be a demon sent from hell just for him. Wade can’t catch the desperate whimper that forces its way out of his throat. He rocks his hips up as much as the seat belts let him, looking for any sprt of friction.

Logan grins. “Oh, you like that, huh?” For once Wade’s not sure he has the words to explain what he feels. He's glad Logan hasn't made move to take off his mask, furiously blushing as much as he can through the scared tissue."Is that really all it takes for the merc with the mouth to shut up? A little praise and you go quiet?" Logan voice teases Wade as he stares him down.

Wade looks at anything other that the hot as fuck man infront of him."Instead of threatening you earlier I could have just praised you and we wouldn't have had to do this whole go damn fight? God you are pathetic aren't you?" Logan is softly laughing now.

Even though Wade can't tell if it's mean spirited or not he can't bring himself to care. "Will you please just hurry up and touch me? You're the one who suggested all this in the first place." Wade tried, and failed, to hide his desperation. "I mean, think if the audience! They've had to wait 18 paragraphs for this. So why don't we just give them what they want?"

Logan didn't understand what Wade was talking about half the time, especially when he talked about some "audience". But he couldn't bring himself to care. "Can't you just shut the hell up?" He snapped at the tied up man infront of him.

The snarky comment Wade was about to say was quickly forgotten when Logan made a move to take out the bottom half of Wades bloodied suit. A flash of panic crossed his mind and he instinctively jerked his hips away from the older man's hand.

Logan retracted his hand slightly and looked at the man's masked face as he tried to laugh it off. "You good bub?" Logan asked apprehensively, "I'm fine! Totally fine! I just havent...done it with someone else since my break up. But wouldn't want to deprive you from this hot bod for any longer so let's get to the devils tango Peanut."

The jokes lacked their usual light heartedness but Logan could tell he wouldn't be getting anything else out the man. And at the moment he just need to deal with his raging boner.

His hand began the awkward pull of trying to pull off the bottom half of the deadpool suit from where it was wrapped up under the seatbelts. When Logan finally got the pants and underwear pulled down enough Wade wad aching.

Logan took a minute to just look at the man, his legs had just as much scarred tissue as his face. Even so, Wade had very muscley legs. From all work he's done he was truly built, and maybe they just looked hot because of what was leaking between them. With one hand he pulled the deadpool mask up above Wades mouth to help him breath the other went lower.

Logan reached out his hand to stoke the other man, he hadn't done this in a loooong time and he hates to admit he's a little desperate. "Time to get the sock ready nerds." Wade was mumbling to what it seemed like someone that wasnt there, Logan chose to ignore him. "Promise not to cut my dick off with your claws Mr. KittyCat Sir?" Wade's voice was desperate and practically dripping with need.

"Dont call me that Mouth." Logan snapped but kept moving his hand lower till he wrapped his calloused fingers around Wade's length. "Sorry Sir." Wade's voice was wavy and laced with a whine. "Holy fuck. Is my dick small or are your hands just huge?" Wade tried joking to hide the shaking in his voice from the pleasure.

"Do I need to tie that mouth shut?" Logans voice seemed to lower an octave as he felt himself somehow get harder from the little show in front of him. "No Sir." Wade felt so pathetic and he loved it.

"A handjob is all it takes for Deadpool to be tamed? Well I'll be damned." Logans tone as mocking and it just made Wade leak more precum. "Believe me Sir, I can't be tamed. Now come on and just fuck me you sexy honey badger." Wade was panting and trying to to hold back the moans desperately trying to break loose.

"God you are a pathetic slut." Despite his words Logan was getting desperate himself, "we can't really do this without lube or else I'm basically going to rip you open." Logan was a shameless man, as he parted Wade's legs so he could get between them.

"If you tear me with that metal rod of fun I'll be fine, you stabed me through the heart like 10 minutes ago, I'll heal." Wade's voice was begging, all he wanted was to have the Wolverine destroy his ass. "Actually let me rephrase. If you tear me- I'll like it."

That's all it took for Logan to bottom out, thrusting his hips into the moaning man under him. Wade through his head back against the seat in a minorly pornagraphic whine. "Fuck why does it feel like you're trying to impregnate me your so fucking deep? It's not that kind of fanfiction Wolvie." Wade choked on the moan bubbling in his throat.

"Thought I told you to shut the hell up," Logan leaned in closer to Wade with each thrust. "Don't you want to be good?" He knew the words would get the man, he was proven right when Wade withered in on himself with a whimper.

"Yes Sir." He mumbled in between pants. Logans grip on Wades his would be leaving bruises if Wade could get them. He was almost sad he wouldn't be bruised, there'd be no proof except a sore ass that he and Logan ever did this. But of course he wouldn't be shutting up about this for the next forever.

Like everything Logan did to Wade his thrusts weren't gentle. His pace was fast and each one left Wade breathless. He hardly had time to talk in between his moans, his legs were starting to shake as he doubled over on himself.

Wade was the first to start reaching his climax, he stared to ramble like he always seemed to “Logan, Logan- I’m so close just fucking please- fuck. I'm going to come- please?" He didn't know why he was begging but he couldn't stop the words falling from his lips.

“Just a little longer Wade, you can do that right? For me? You can be a good slut and wait a little longer?” Wade whined at the mans words, but choked out a weak, “Yeah- I can- I will Sir".

Logan was starting to feel the burning sensation of his peak in the pit of his chest. He brought a hand towards Wade's weeping dick to give him extra stimulation, the moan ripped from the others chest was laced with desire.

With a groan Logan thrusted a final time and released into the fucked out man below him. Not soon after Wade came, the cum landing on his covered stomach. The only sound the in car was panting coming from the two men. Wade seemed to be blessed out and almost ready to talk again.

Logan began to pull out after he did he pulled up Wade pants for him. He sat on the layed back chair next to where Wade was tied up. He pulled his pants up and layed down, he was feeling the exhaustion from the nights events. He looked over to see Wade's breathing slow down.

"Hey bub-"

"Don't call me bub when you just had your monster cock in my ass not even a minute ago.

[electric-blorbos]

SELFSHIPTOBER DAY 1! Confession/night

Character X Reader!

Included: AM from IHNMAIMS, Wheatley from Portal 2, Edgar from Electric Dreams, GLaDOS from Portal, HAL 9000 from 2001 a space Odyssey

Notice to anyone who found me through the selfshiptober tag, while this blog is themed around AI characters, this blog does not support the use of actual AI in creative fields.

Warning for general assholery from the AI, workplace sexual harassment, fear of the dark

AM:

It was well past time for you to be going home, but your job demanded that you stay late tonight. You were sitting at your desk, several empty coffee cups lined up behind your keyboard as you struggled to stay awake.

"damn..." You muttered, rubbing your eyes. This sucked. You loved AM, but the eerie creaks in the facility at night were starting to creep you out, and your sleepy brain wasn't doing you any favors. Everything just seemed so much scarier at night!

"12:00 midnight, October first, 2024" said AM. If not for common sense, you could've sworn he sounded tired too.

"I'm gonna get some more coffee, alright AM?" You said, your voice breaking the heavy, almost palpable silence that had fallen as soon as AM stopped talking. It seemed shaky, but it cut through the dark silence of the facility.

AM said nothing, instead letting you get to your feet and walk into the hall. The cheap plastic flooring designed to look like floorboards creaked underneath your feet as you walked to the break room. Shadows from the trees outside danced on the ceiling, the blue light from AM's monitors in the other offices casting a pale, eerie glow across the whole scene.

You took a few steps, and then bolted down the hallway to the break room. The room was completely pitch black except for the little red glowing dot over the security camera. You turned on all three lights, and started making your coffee.

As you brewed your coffee, two of the lights in the room flickered and died. This place was running on a pretty low budget, so that wasn't too uncommon, but it still made you twitch a little bit. An echo could be heard across the room. Laughter, like a fat old woman's laughter. You glanced around again. This was normal... This was totally normal.

Your coffee finished brewing, so you grabbed the cup and raced out of the break room. You made sure to turn the light on, because getting chewed out by your boss for wasting power in war time was much, much worse than having to worry about monsters or whatever might be lurking in the shadows of the break room.

You ran towards your office, and found that the door had auto-locked itself. You fumbled for your keycard, but you'd dropped it in the break room! Fuck! You'd have to go back.

When you walked back to the break room and searched around for your key card, the office phone started ringing. You picked it up, but it was just heavy breathing. The code on the back of the phone showed that it was an internal call. You hung up the phone. Your eye twitched, and you spotted your keys poking out from under the couch.

When you headed back into your office, you heard absolutely nothing. The AM screen logos in each of the offices around you started shutting down, one by one. Even still, you managed to unlock the door by the faint glow of the moonlight through the window. The door creaked slowly open, and you stepped inside.

"AAAA!" AM screamed, turning his screen back on. You jumped, scrambling backwards and spilling your coffee.

"You were the one who called me, weren't you!"

AM laughed hysterically. You flipped him off with both hands.

"FUCK YOU! you're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"you love me."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." You sat down in your chair, and got back to monitoring AM.

Wheatley:

Wheatley had never been outside at night. Hell, he'd never been outside the facility at all. He was used to lights that could be turned on and off at his discretion, so when you checked him out for the night he had no idea what to expect.

"the sun sets early this time of year, so it's going to be pretty dark." You said, and walked to the door to open it. Wheatley made a "pch" sound.

"PCH, who needs the sun? I'm not scared of the dark anyway! I love the nighttime!"

You rolled your eyes, and walked out of the building. Wheatley was pretty cumbersome, so it would be a bit difficult to carry him all the way home, but you were sure you'd manage.

As you walked, Wheatley's lens-eye moved around nervously. Your shadow was long and flickered slightly in the street lights.

"It's pretty, uh, big out here, isn't it, love?" Wheatley asked nervously. You frowned a little.

"I mean, yeah. It's outside."

"lotta cars and buildings out here.."

"Sure are."

"Love it! Love that! I especially love that you can't see too much of it. It sure is dark... That's great, too..." He kept rambling, eye darting around more and more quickly.

"Ugh..." You muttered eventually, and sat down on a park bench. Your arms were starting to get tired from carrying a huge metal ball all the way back to your house, and you needed to rest them for a second.

"No! No no no! I mean- hey, love! Please don't set me down. We can keep moving! Your place has to just be a few blocks away, right? Ah!"

His eye fixed on a strange man who was walking down the street. Or rather, Wheatley thought he was strange. He wasn't wearing a jumpsuit or a labcoat, so he must've been up to something sinister.

You watched the man walk off into the distance. He stumbled a little. Probably just a drunk guy going home from the bar. Who really cared, though? He was just a guy doing his own thing. Not really a threat to you.

You got to your feet, stretched casually, and picked up Wheatley.

"alright, can we go home now?" Wheatley asked. If he'd had muscles, they would have been trembling from nerves right now.

"Wheatley, I walk this route all the time. We're going to be fine. Don't worry." You patted his casing, and kept walking until you got to your apartment.

"alright, we're here. You can stop freaking out." You set him on the couch, turned the light on, and gave him a little kiss on his casing.

Edgar:

You sat bolt upright, shivering and shaking. You didn't usually get nightmares and night terrors, but you guessed today was the exception. Your heart was beating at 100 mph, and you were shaking like a leaf.

"holy fuck..." You stumbled to your feet, and leaned against the wall.

"Hey Edgar, could you turn the lights on?"

Edgar booted up, a little shakily because of how old he was, and turned the lights on. You walked into the living room, where he was sitting at his desk.

"hey Eggy..." You gave him a kiss on the top of his head, and slumped down into his desk chair. You were still in your pajamas, and the glow of his screen and the kitchen lights was pretty blinding.

"could you dim everything, cutie?" You hugged your knees, shaking a little. Your dream was still haunting you. Edgar wanted so badly to put out his arms to comfort you, but he didn't have any!

"are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine, eggy... Can you turn the coffee maker on?"

"But it's three in the morning!"

"I don't care... I'm not going back to sleep..." You shook your head nervously, squeezing your eyes shut. You couldn't... You couldn't go back.

"You can just... Not sleep?"

"Well, not really. I just need some time before I can go back to sleep." You picked up his keyboard and nuzzled up to it, holding it for comfort. Edgar smiled. He liked it when you did that. You got up, grabbed your coffee, and sat back down with Edgar to sip on it while you spent the rest of the night awake with him.

GLaDOS:

It was pretty late at night when you went down to GLaDOS's chambers. You wouldn't usually come down here this late, but GLaDOS had called you in to run some special maintenance. She looked down at you with her great orange eye.

"Finally. You're here. I was wondering when you'd show up."

You put your hand on your hip and cocked it slightly.

"you're welcome for showing up this late at night to work on you. Now where's the problem."

"It's in my heart."

You frowned a little.

"like... In your- where? You don't have-"

"It's been stolen."

"is this a prank?" You squinted up at her. She raised a table out of the ground with a simple tablecloth and a basket of bread, a pitcher of water, and a flower in a vase. You stumbled back slightly.

"GLaDOS, what is this? Is this a date? Did you call me down here in the middle of the night to go on a date with you? Is that what's happening?"

Glados narrowed her eye.

"If you're going to ask as many questions as my curiosity core, maybe I don't want to go on a date with you. Now sit down and eat the bread."

You sat down and took a piece of bread. It was decent. The water was nice, too.

"Why do you want to go on a date with me, GLaDOS?" You asked, and took another bite of bread. It was surprisingly warm and buttery.

"well, I've come to a realization. Your kindness is unusual for a human. As is your intelligence. Perhaps I didn't realize it, but I seem to have found myself with... Ugh. Feelings. And they seem to have embedded themselves deeply into my programming. To delete them would be to break myself fundamentally."

You stared up at her blankly.

"GLaDOS, you're nuts. There's no way in hell you have feelings for me."

"I do. And now, I'm adding 'being my significant other' to your list of responsibilities."

You got to your feet.

"GLaDOS, that's sexual harassment, and is completely against the rules!"

"The rules?" She tilted her head, and leaned in close to you.

"what do I care about the rules? I'm not human, and thus the law doesn't apply to me. Or did you forget about what happened on bring your daughter to work day. I've always been above petty things like that, human. Now, are you willing to stake your job on testing me, just to see if I'm really under the control of workplace harassment laws?"

You swallowed hard, and shook your head.

"no, I'm not."

"Good human." She lowered a claw from the ceiling, and gently patted you on the head.

HAL 9000:

It was late, late at night. You were working the night shift at mission control with Hal, and everyone else in the facility seemed to be out. You knew your boss was in his office, but right now it really felt like you were alone in the building. The hall light was off, and you were sitting in the mission control room with HAL 9000.

"So, HAL, we're all alone together." You said, twirling your finger in a circle on the table.

"that's correct." Said HAL 9000. He was secretly extremely excited to be alone with you, but he had a bit of trouble expressing that.

You leaned in a bit, gazing lovingly at HAL 9000. He was so perfect.

"You know, Hal... I really like you."

He didn't say anything for a minute, but eventually he made a "mhmm" sound. You frowned a little.

"How does that make you feel?"

"Well, I don't exactly know what it means to feel as though I truly like someone, but I do know that I care much more than I usually would about what happens to you. I feel better when you're around. I... Enjoy you."

Your face lit up a little bit, and you almost giggled.

"oh man... You're so logical, HAL. And that's what I love about you." You stroked the glass around his lens, and he started whirring a bit louder. He loved you so much, but he could barely show it. He could barely feel it. His emotions felt like they were locked behind glass at all times, and yet somehow, through all that, he knew deep down that he loved you.

"I love you too, y/n."

[typewritingyip]

The Arcturus Missions

Part Seven - Communication Break

Part Six

———

Radio waves were the first sign that the intergalactic community got that there was intelligent life on Earth, as they traveled infinitely through space, language and music lightly introduced to scientists of several societies. Special equipment was designed to refine the weakened waves and check the sounds that originally traveled over them. It was interesting to learn about a civilization so far away.

Radio waves were a common communication tool across several planets, whether for entertainment or military operations. It was considerably easy to maintain and made communications between groups on the same planet more convenient. Most societies kept track of a certain number of channels to prevent conflict, you’d be stupid to have espionage over radio.

In roughly the area of space that Cybertron sits, the radio waves from Earth were from around twenty or more years ago, and were going though the systems for re-mastering the original audio. Unfortunately those who chose to listen to other worlds radio waves, it was now playing the original hits of the 1980’s, just before the Quintessons attacked.

—

Hound was standing there, staring through a wall in the general direction of the communication while the others lost their shit behind him, “He can’t actually mean Jazz, not like pilot Jazz, right?” Sideswipe stands and starts pacing, looking over to Sunstreaker, “We heard him over the delayed messages, we knew he made it to this planet. But there is no way he’s still alive.” Sunstreaker leans his head back against the wall, “It’s been five years and we’re the first group Mecha has bothered to send to find him, five years. Stuck with a bunch of aliens who have similar tech to our own.” It hung in the air for a moment, “Could they be fighting the same things we are?” To be perfectly honest, none of them had thought of that before.

What if those things were fighting the same thing they were, on this weird planet that was covered in metal and rained acid, fighting the tentacle monsters of nightmares, “Even if they are, our mission is to stop them from attacking Earth. Was to find Jazz and stop them from attacking Earth.” Hound turns to the others, who were all in states of shock, “Our focus needs to be on the mission, if we can actually find Jazz then that’s step one done.” Sideswipe stands, moving over to Hound, “If we get Jazz, we might actually be able to finish this mission.” Breakdown nods slowly, finally letting the hum of his cannon die, “That is if we can get off this planet, with the Odyssey.” “If these things trust Jazz, then I’m sure he can talk them into helping us.” Sunstreaker pops his knuckles lightly which causes his suit to creak painfully, Sideswipe winces and swats at his brother, “Don’t do that.” “Then stop biting your lip.” And they started to bicker as Breakdown got up, moving over to Hound.

“What do you think of this, really?” Breakdown leans towards Hound, they’d stayed off comms since Prowl’s abrupt appearance and disappearance; “I don’t like it, if these things are spread out attacking multiple planets? How are we going to find where their coming from and not where their attacking.” Breakdown hummed and shook his head, his visual feeds starting to pick up the beings heading towards them, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?” He sounded unsure of the saying but Hound nods with a smile, resting his hand on Breakdown’s shoulder, “You’re not wrong. But if these things are keeping Jazz hostage or worse, then they are the enemy.” Breakdown nods and keeps watching as the figures drew closer. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe standing, joining them near one of the walls.

—

The transmissions were near and clear, filled with typical battle chatter and sounds of explosions. Even if no one could make out exactly what they were saying, the same strange mechs as Jazz had activated the defense system of a solar farm off the coast of the sea of rust. It typically defended the area if the Quintessons landed in the sea or for the regular vermin that lived out there, it was over kill for the scraplets though.

It had been Blaster who’d picked up the signal and sent it to Prowl, knowing he was able to loosely translate the strange language. At which point Prowl had been in a meeting with Mirage, he’d gone from going over the recent reports to standing stock still, staring at nothing. For a click, Mirage let it slide, when Prowl continued to stare at nothing though, it was time to act. Standing and moving over to his commander, Mirage edges his way in front of him, “Commander, Cybertron to Porwl, sir.” He waved his servos in front of him, “Sir?” Prowl just about jumped out of his plating, “Mirage, I apologize, I was receiving a communication from Blaster.” Nodding slightly, Mirage steps back to give Prowl space. He watches in almost shock as Prowl drags his servos down his faceplates, the only time he looked like that was when it involved Jazz, “Sir, is it Jazz?” Mirage couldn’t help but ask, always finding their relationship so intriguing.

Prowl’s scowl was more typical, making Mirage smirk a bit, “No, it’s not Jazz, but it’s more of his kind.” That made the smirk fall and sent his spark to his peds, “More of them?” Jazz was a unique mech, needing more recharge but able to take more pain than any cybertronian. He was already becoming a mythic legend on the field, more of them could help keep the Quints off Cybertron. The gears were already turning in his processor. For Prowl though, who knew what Jazz really was, he was horrified. One of them, this Hound, had given a pilot number like Jazz did when trying to contact home. More pilots sent on a mission to their demise for the greater good of their planet, more who missed their families and home. Prowl could understand that, he’d have given just about anything to save Praxus, but he’d learned that giving your life for a cause didn’t mean much in the long run.

Raising a hand, Prowl silenced Mirage’s tirade, “Their out at the rust sea and likely are to attack anyone they come upon, since our weapons hit them first.” “Scrap.” Prowl nodded again before starting out of the room, Mirage hot on his peds, “I’ll need to contact Jazz along the way to alert him, their is a potential that he knew these other— mechs.” Biting his glossa, he nearly swore aloud at himself having to reframe from saying pilots. Mirage nods and falls in at Prowl’s side, “Do they know were coming?” Prowl delays for a second, “Not yet.” Nodding again, Mirage falls silent as Prowl contacts the strangers.

Out in the sunshine, they hurried into a transformation sequence, Prowl turning on his siren briefly to clear a bit of the traffic. Iacon was a sizable distance from the edge of the rust sea, the specific solar far that was current being attacked was on the edge of Polyhex, if they got on a high speed transport they could be there within clicks. Mirage stayed tight to Prowl’s bumper as they sped to the transport station, it wasn’t every day you got to meet other mechanicals; meeting Jazz has altered Prowl’s world so much and Mirage wanted a piece of that action.

They arrived at the station in record time and requested the fastest private transport, Prowl was still on comms so Mirage remained quiet, not wanting to be a distraction. Entering the transport, he took a seat away from Prowl and retrieved a datapad from his subspace, deciding to take the short amount of time they had on here to catch up on a report. Prowl glances up briefly before returning to stare towards nothing in particular, clearly deep in conversation with someone. His servo comes up to rub his jaw and Mirage has to hide a smile, he knew Prowl as speaking with Jazz. Jazz was the only mech who could make Prowl flustered, though it looked more exasperated than anything. Mirage sits back with his datapad, pausing only for a moment to read a message, swearing loudly, “The big yellow one took Beachcomber’s arm off.” Prowl looks up, “Fuck.” It was a moniker he’d picked up from Jazz but it often fit the situation.

—

Their sanctuary of the warehouse shook lightly as the approaching figures landed the transport, Hound adjust the grip on his gun lightly, fingers flexing, “Stay on your toes, we don’t know what they are.” It was a reminder that none of them needed. Hound was watching intently, eyes flicking between the displays on his visor, before pulling up an experimental piece of tech from Perceptor, turning the translator on in hopes it would eventually be able to discern their language. It was still a work in progress, the front liners back home all had them in hopes of learning the aliens language.

The twins were each shifting from foot to foot, both still splattered with the very pink fluid which had since dried to their plating. Breakdown kept turning down the command to reactivate his cannon, it clicking menacingly on his back and Hound stood straight with his gun held comfortably to his front. After several minutes, the rolling door in front of them opened and three mechs stood there, though one ran off once it was open.

Both had, odd, attachments to them. One painted reminiscently of older police vehicles and the other a very typical factory blue, but both had their odd features and neither was adorned with a facial shield. Each had a highly expressive and realistic facial unit, something that was often discussed back home to make the suits appear more friendly. Hound lightly raised his hand, lowering his gun, even though the one did not lower his cannon, he honestly couldn’t blame them. Clearing his throat slightly, Hound shifts his weight wanting to step forward but deciding against it, “Uh, hello there. We are Mecha pilots, from Earth.” The black and white mech raised his hand, clearing meaning to hold Hound off from talking further. Sideswipe leaned into his brother, “So, they don’t really know any English, do they?” “I doubt it.” Sunstreaker held his arms slightly up in a defensive position in case either chose to attack.

—

Standing there, Mirage knew they were talking in their strange language, he’d heard Jazz speak it several times but it was stressful to not know what they were talking about, “Any time Prowl, would love a translation.” All their heads whipped to him, visors glowing slightly brighter, “Their creatures must have been weird mecha to give them all visors.” He shifts back a bit, looking across them briefly though eyes landing on the green one, he started at the rifle hanging lightly from one hand, “A moment more Mirage, I am trying to get Jazz on the right signal.” “Jazz, is across the planet in Kaon with Megatron and the others dealing with the Quints there.” Prowl held his hand up again, annoyingly. Sometimes he wished his commander would just ask him to shut up, the green ones held tilted ever so slightly.

—

Static filled their comms, making them all wince and the twins tried to shield their ears, “Oh god, again?” Sideswipe was half bent over from the painful noise before the comm frequency clicked and fell silent, then the monotone voice spoke, “ID’s, now.” Hound sighed, it wasn’t the most friendly way of asking but he understood this man hardly spoke English before nodding slightly, “I’m Pilot 1124, Harold Jackson, call sign Hound.” The one he could only assume was Prowl nodded before turning his gaze to the next of the Arcturus crew, “I’m Pilot 2450, Sonny Salucci, callsign Sunstreaker.” “I’m Pilot 2451, Simon Salucci, ugly’s brother. Callsign Sideswipe.” Breakdown shifted uncomfortably before looking to Hound, who nodded, “I’m Pilot 1457, Oleksknder Kovalenko, callsign Breakdown.” There were several clicks and pops over the line, Hound winced and lightly rubbed one of his ears. The blue and white mech’s eyes widened, starting at the twins, Sideswipe shifted uneasily even as Prowl rested a hand on the other mechs shoulder.

A loud crash of sound filled their ears before the obvious sounds of fighting filled the comm line, “There is no way in hell that Hound would come on a dead end mission, it’s not possible.” Jazz’s voice filled their ears even as the clear sounds of his struggle joined the noise, “No way.” “That’s funny, because as you say, I am looking right at them.” Prowl’s voice joined Jazz’s, sounding much more relaxed than previously. Hound was staring at Prowl, taking a breath before finally speaking, “He would if he was looking for you.” There was a loud crash from the other side of the line, which Hound tried not to smile at, “Hey Hound.” “Hey Jazz.” He took a breath, relieved, stage one done.

“Holy shit, Jazz, hey!” Sideswipe turned away from the weird mechs and throw his hands up, likely smiling, “Fucking five years and all you can say is hey to Hound?” Both their laughter filled the comm line, it was more than a relief, it was more than they could hope for in the mission, “Where you at?” “Ah, you wont know where Kaon is, but we could use the help with the Quints.” Sideswipe stopped, tilting his head slightly and Hound cleared his throat again, “Quints?” There was another loud crash, “Ah, right. The aliens invading Earth have been attacking here too, for a hell of a lot longer. They’re the Quintessons, Quints for short.” Jazz paused, “They really need our help, the cybertronians aren’t quiet like us. Not people in mech suits, just mechs. What you see, is what they are.” He clearly sounded worried, “And they think we’re like them, only one who knows the truth for the moment is Prowler.” The mech across from them had his face plates turn a light shade of pink. Hound stared, in shock, for a while, “Well, we’ll need to move the Odyssey, then find Kaon I guess.” Prowl looked up at him, turning to the other one for a moment to say something in their strange language before motioning them out of the warehouse.

“Do we go with them?” Breakdown kept his voice down and off of comms, “Do we have any other choice?” Together, they followed Prowl out of their sanctuary.

———

A/N

Alright, did I work on this while my family was cooking Thanksgiving? Yes, was I supposed to be studying? Also yes, but they certainly did not need my help in the kitchen and I can study more now that it’s done.

I love seeing all your tags and comments, it’s been so great.

Tags!

@lunarlei68 @whirlywhirlygig @loop-hole-319 @pixillandjester @alek-the-witch @not-a-moose-in-disguise @goddessofwind8water @neurologicalglitch @dersereblogger @pixel-transformers @mrcrayonofdoom @wireplaces

And once again thank you to @keferon for this amazing AU.

[qqueenofhades]

top ten non-fiction (general) books and top ten history books?

Naturally, whenever I volunteer to talk about books, I completely forget everything I have ever read, but we'll try to overcome this. Since it is impossible for me to pick them from all-time, I'll do this list from what I have recently read and enjoyed, including both nonfiction and history specifically since most of these fit that bill somehow:

Society of the Snow by Pablo Vierci. Just finished this last night, and it's the source material for the Netflix film of the same name, of the 1972 plane crash of an Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes and their incredible survival odyssey. If you've seen the film, you know how harrowing and also incredibly moving it is.

Pretty much anything by David Grann, including The Wager, Killers of the Flower Moon, Lost City of Z, etc. The Wager is his newest one, though people may have heard of Killers of the Flower Moon, but they're all good. He's up there with Erik Larson as one of my favorite writers of utterly gripping and novelistic nonfiction.

Speaking of Erik Larson: pretty much anything by, including Dead Wake, The Splendid and the Vile, In the Garden of Beasts, etc. Most people will have heard of and/or read Devil in the White City, but his other stuff is equally good. His newest, The Demon of Unrest, is a bit slower than some of the others IMHO, but it's also about the beginning of the Civil War and the crisis at Fort Sumter and is important reading in our current perilous moment.

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. A forensic and incredibly detailed history of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986.

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages, by Anthony Bale. This is an entertaining and readable introduction to mobility in the Middle Ages: who traveled, where they went, what they thought, and how they reacted and wrote about the other cultures they encountered, from both east and west. Definitely a good entry point for the layman who has heard the "medieval people never traveled/went anywhere" stereotype and knows it's wrong, but wants to know more HOW.

Into the Silence: Mallory, the Great War, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis. Another incredibly detailed doorstopper history book that reads like a novel, exploring 19th-century British imperialism in Asia, the race to climb Mount Everest, the Great War, and more.

Emperor of Rome and SPQR by Mary Beard. These are both incredibly accessible starting points for studying Rome, written by a renowned classicist with a knack for making her historical material and concepts easy to understand and entertaining. Don't be put off by the length of either of these, as they read easily.

The Wide Wide Sea and The Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides. The former is his newest book, about the last voyage of Captain Cook, and the latter is my favorite of his other books, about the 19th-century USS Jeannette polar expedition. He is a writer of incredible skill, thoughtfulness, and detail in handling subjects of empire, exploration, colonialism, maritime history, and adventure.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, by Patrick Raddon O'Keefe. A compelling, disturbing, mesmerizing, and infuriating account of the Sackler family, the creation of OxyContin, and the opioid epidemic in America.

Master Slave Husband Wife, by Ilyon Woo. Now, this one is a bit cheating since I haven't actually read it yet (it's on hold at the library), but it's won the Pulitzer Prize for history so I'm fairly sure it's going to be good. It's about 19th century slaves-turned-abolitionists William and Ellen Craft and their race- and gender-bending journey to freedom and anti-slavery activism.

[calware]

hi this is the guy who was gonna watch 2001: a space odyssey. i just finished it. gonna have to ruminate for a bit. really cool but why did he become a baby

in all seriousness what an absurd film especially for the time. mind-warping experience, cannot believe this released a year before the moon landing. i see why you rock with the funny eyeball box.

YAY <3 i'm glad you appreciate it, honestly i don't think anyone's ever watched that movie for the first time and thought "ah! i understand." one of my favorite bits of trivia:

i still think it's funny that the sequel to the movie literally starts out with a guy on earth saying "what's going on? i have no idea what's happening! explain!!"

[amayaonly1]

Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey

Eminem x Rapper!OC

Verse 4

About: Eminem's journey back to form takes an unexpected turn in the studio when his focus shifts from the track to Genji, the quiet yet sharp presence in his creative space. While Dre sees her as a rare talent with a knack for refining music, Eminem starts noticing how her contributions resonate beyond sound. As they collaborate on a song he had not visited for a few years, the charged atmosphere between them sparks more than just artistic synergy, hinting at deeper connections and possibilities.

"Verses Unwritten: A Rap Odyssey" Chapter List: Verse 1 | Verse 2 | Verse 3 | Verse 4 | Verse 5 | Verse 6 | Verse 7 | Verse 8 | Verse 9 | Verse 10 | Verse 11 | Verse 12 | Verse 13 | Verse 14 | Verse 15 | Verse 16 | Verse 17 | Verse 18 | Verse 19 | Verse 20 | Verse 21 | Verse 22 | Verse 23

Disclaimer: This work is a work of fiction, and any involvement of the character Genji is purely fictional and not representative of any real person.

Eminem leaned back in his swivel chair, letting the beat flow through the studio speakers. "We Made You" was in the bag, polished and ready to drop. The track had everything a satire needed: biting humour, ridiculous wordplay, and that larger-than-life energy only Dre could produce. But it wasn't Dre who lingered on his mind; it was her.

Genji wasn't loud about her contributions, but she didn't need to be. The subtleties in her work left an imprint, so much so that now, even when the studio was silent, he could hear echoes of her ideas. Maybe it was the way she operated — precise and intentional — or maybe it was her quiet confidence. Either way, it was enough to make him wonder what else he hadn't noticed about her.

She sat on the black leather sofa at the back of the room, her focus glued to the flickering waveform on her laptop screen, the device propped on a pillow resting on her lap. She wasn't involved in every track, unlike "We Made You", but her fingerprints had a way of sneaking into the sound. A subtle bassline here, a pitch-shifted vocal sample there; she had a knack for elevating the ordinary. Although she didn't call attention to it, he saw it. He always did.

"Alright, let's hear it back," Dre called, waving towards the booth.

Eminem nodded and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table as "Hello" restarted. The beat hit hard — steady, relentless — but now there was a uniquely layered texture, almost conversational. Each instrumental seemed to talk back, with playful stabs of synths and bass drops, creating a dialogue between aggression and introspection. It gave the rhythm a depth he couldn't quite pin down. He threw a glance at Genji. Her attention was still fixated on whatever's on her laptop, but he knew. This had her written all over it.

As Dre started adjusting the mix, the rapper's attention drifted. He watched Genji scroll through her laptop, occasionally typing something. The dim glow of her screen highlighted her focus, and for a brief moment, he wondered what went on in her head while she worked so quietly. Eventually, he tore his gaze away, shaking his head to refocus as the track looped once more.

Eminem sat across from Dre in the small dining area within the studio complex. The latter was finishing up a burger while Eminem idly poked at his spaghetti, lost in thought.

"She's something, isn't she?" Dre asked casually, breaking the silence.

The rapper frowned, glancing up. "Who?"

Dre smirked knowingly, leaning back in his chair. "Genji. The kid's got talent. Never thought we'd see someone her age pulling their weight in here like that."

"Yeah, she's sharp," Eminem admitted, his tone professional. "She catches things others miss. That ear of hers? Insane. Makes the process smoother." He shrugged, looking back at his plate. "Can't really ask for more."

Dre studied him for a beat, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That all?"

Eminem glanced up, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What're you gettin' at?"

"Nothing. Just saying. You two make a good team. Might even be able to bring out something fresh in you, y'know?"

Eminem huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "You act like I need 'fresh'. I've been doin' this long enough."

"True. But sometimes the best things come when you're not lookin' for 'em," said Dre, getting up and tossing his empty wrapper in the trash.

Eminem didn't reply, watching Dre leave the room. His words lingered, though, as he sat back and folded his arms. Genji's focus and skill had always stood out, but now Dre's comment had planted something new in his mind — a curiosity he couldn't quite shake.

He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he grabbed his plate. “Dre's trippin'. She's just the kid with the ear."

But as he made his way back to the studio, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something more to the way she carried herself, the way she always seemed to know the right notes to elevate his music.

When Eminem stepped into the studio room, he found Genji already seated at the console, her fingers poised over the knobs as if she had been mid-adjustment. The quiet hum of the equipment filled the space, and she looked up at him with a calm yet expectant gaze.

"You're early," she said, swivelling her chair to face him.

He lingered by the doorway for a moment, watching her. The room's dim lighting cast her figure in a soft glow as she returned her focus to the console. He cleared his throat, stepping forward but stopping short of the workstation. "Didn't expect to see you here already," he murmured. His hesitation hung in the air, and for a brief moment, he glanced away, collecting his thoughts.

Genji raised an eyebrow, her expression curious but not pressing. "Dre sent me some songs that he wants me to work on," she replied lightly, gesturing at the console. "So I figured I'd get a head start after a quick lunch."

A wave of hesitation washed over him, memories swirling in his mind: the months in rehab, the nights spent staring at blank pages, wrestling with the shadows that crept into his thoughts. She tilted her head slightly, sensing his hesitation but staying quiet, giving him the space to find his words. Gripping the edge of the table as if grounding himself, he slid onto the swivel chair next to her.

"I've got something," he finally said, his voice quieter than usual, almost tentative. His eyes flicked to her, searching for her reaction.

She nodded once, her expression steady but attentive. "You want me to hear it?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said meekly with a nod. "It's called 'Beautiful'. Wrote it back in 2005, but it's not done."

"Alright. Let's hear it."

He hesitated for a moment longer, then reached out and hit play.

Lately I've been hard to reach I've been too long on my own Everybody has their private world Where they can be alone

The room was filled with a haunting melody, soft synths and faint percussion accompanying his voice, weaving together into something both raw and evocative — the bones of a track he hadn't revisited in years. Eminem folded his arms, staring at the console as the music swelled. Memories of the track flooded back, the half-written verses he'd started during rehab in 2005, the pain and clarity captured in those moments. He hadn't touched it in years, not until now.

As the lyrics faded into the instrumental, he glanced at Genji. Her expression was unreadable, her gaze fixed on the console as if she were studying the track.

"What do you think?" he finally asked.

She then leaned back into the chair, exhaling softly. "It has potential," she said at last, her voice quieter than usual. "But it still feels... unresolved. Like it was waiting for something."

"I agree," he murmured, staring at the floor beneath him. "How do you think we can make it a better joint?"

Genji paused, her eyes meeting his, and for a fleeting moment, something softened in her expression. "Maybe," she began carefully. "We could add some layers. But... I don't wanna mess with it too much." She hesitated, then continued, her voice more tender now. "It sounds like it comes from somewhere deep."

His jaw tightened slightly, the weight of her words settling over him. "It does," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "And now that I listened to it again, I think it’s still missing something."

She leaned forward, her gaze intent but gentle as curiosity flickered in her eyes. "Like what?"

He hesitated, then grabbed a notebook from the table. "A third verse. Something to tie it all together."

The woman in front of him gave a small, understanding smile. "Yeah, that works," she said softly. "We’ll figure it out as we go along the way, aight?"

For the first time since they'd started, he met her gaze directly, and in her steady eyes, he saw not just a collaborator, but someone who understood. He nodded, the faintest trace of gratitude flickering across his face as his lips curled into a slight smile. "Aight."

As the track looped, Eminem found himself falling into the rhythm of the moment. Genji's presence made the process feel almost effortless. Her input wasn’t just technical; it was intuitive. She didn’t just tweak notes or refine lyrics; she understood the essence of the song, its need for vulnerability and resilience. Perhaps it came with years of experience; regardless, he appreciated that.

The rapper tapped the notebook with his pen, then glanced at her. "So, I've got these lines here for the third verse," he began, his tone cautious, "but I'm wondering how they land. What d'you think of this?" He cleared his throat, rapping:

Aunt Edna always told me: "Keep making that face, it'll get stuck like that." Meanwhile, I'm just standin' there Holdin' my tongue, tryin' to talk like this 'Til I stuck my tongue on that frozen Stop sign pole at eight-years-old I learned my lesson then, 'cause I wasn't Tryin' to impress my friends no mo'

Genji tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing in thought. "It's… raw; honest," she said slowly, her voice tinged with a softness that made him pause. "I like it. But do you want it to stay raw or build on it?"

"What would you do?"

She lightly placed the tip of her index and middle finger on the bottom of her lips — a habit he'd noticed whenever she's pondering. "If it were me," she began thoughtfully, "I'd keep it raw. The only additions I'll make are just some harmonics in the background."

Eminem studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah," he murmured, the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face. "That's not bad. Let's try it."

For hours, they worked in sync, piecing together the fragments of the song. Genji's subtle suggestions added vivid imagery to his raw lines, while her melodic tweaks gave the track a richer depth. The air in the studio felt charged, like the music wasn't the only thing connecting them.

Eminem leaned back in his chair, staring at the console as their latest take of "Beautiful" played softly in the background. The weight of the track hung heavy in the room, but the subtle touches Genji had added brought it into sharper focus.

"This album, it's different," she said softly, breaking the silence. She looked at him with a calm confidence that he'd come to associate with her. "It might be a challenge for you to immediately get back to rapping like you used to, but I think this album's got something your fans have been waiting for, a reminder of why they stuck with you."

He glanced at her, her steady conviction catching him off guard. "You really think that?"

She nodded, her expression unwavering. "Yeah, I do. It's still you. And after everything that's happened, people need to hear that."

Her words hit him harder than he expected. He chuckled, though the sound carried a faint edge of vulnerability. "Well, if you're wrong, guess I'll be stuck in the bargain bin with Vanilla Ice and one-hit wonders."

Genji smirked, shaking her head. "No chance. You're in a league of your own."

There was a beat of silence, the kind that felt charged. He studied her for a moment, the way her lips curved into a small smile, the way her hair caught the dim studio light. Without thinking, he muttered, "It's not just the music that's been different lately."

Her smile faltered, replaced by a look of curiosity and slight nervousness. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the console as if searching for an escape. "You," he said finally, his voice quieter. "Having you around… it changes things. Makes it easier to work through the mess in my head."

The words hung in the air, and he realised too late how they might’ve sounded. Genji's cheeks flushed faintly, and she quickly looked down at her lap, fiddling with the hem of her grey hoodie sleeves.

"Well," she said, her voice softer now. "Guess that means I'm doing my job right."

He huffed a laugh, trying to ease the tension, but the moment lingered between them. For a second, he thought about saying more, about teasing out what her reaction meant, but he let it go.

"Yeah," he said, his tone more casual now. "You are."

As they returned their focus to the track, the charged moment faded into the rhythm of their work. But the hint of something unsaid lingered, a subtle undertone in the melody they created together.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 9/10/2024

someone adopt this little orange man from me in Houston TX! more details here!

listening

the 1991 Ella Mae Morse compilation Capitol Collectors Series is the official driving-cats-to-the-vet album bc it is so mellow but still fun. this album has previously been featured several times in tuesdayposts but i think you should all listen to it again.

seven thousand three hundred days IS a long long time to sleep ur so right ella

-

reading

two different works that annoyed me: Emily Hamilton's The Stars Too Fondly. my first clue should have been that this is my least favorite poem, bc ppl would quote it to me smugly after my mom died. im sure they thought they were being so super comforting to a budding astronomer, but, much like how i can no longer eat lasagna bc ppl gave us Twenty! Party! Size! Platters! Of! Lasagna! after my mom died (they would just Appear on our front porch, frozen), too much of this poem really soured me.

i had this book on hold Forever and then delayed delivery twice bc i have not felt like reading lately. here's the publisher's description:

In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton weaves a suspenseful, charming, and irresistibly joyous tale of fierce friendship, improbable love, and wonder as vast as the universe itself. So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship. They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace. But then the stupid dark matter engine started all on its own, and now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri, unable to turn around, and being harangued by a snarky hologram that has the face and attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie. Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is kind of a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about. But as the ship gets deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting, old mysteries come crawling back to life, and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman was prepared for. Lying somewhere in the subspace between science fantasy and sapphic rom-com, The Stars Too Fondly is a soaring near-future adventure about dark matter and alternate dimensions, leaving home and finding family, and the galaxy-saving power of letting yourself love and be loved.

should be catnip for me, right? wrong. starts out as a chat fic, which i hate.

i had a lot of trouble finishing the first chapter, which also has an extended third-person omniscient narrator flashback in italics, a thing i also hate. i KNOW you can figure out how to integrate this information into the book in a better way instead of dumping it in my lap.

i think part of why this is not hitting like i wanted is the tone, because i think this veers more new adult than i was really hoping for. i think introducing a big group all at once is very hard to do effectively. i do not like a series of character introductions that feel like they are trying to sell me action figures. or perhaps blind-bag figures. i do not like a six-deep list of cheesy puns about someone's name. i do not have the patience to see if this debut novel finds its footing a little later on, though i am glad a sapphic ghost in the machine romance exists in this world.

i also read dean motter's mister x (both the original late eighties through early nineties run and the 2008 follow-on).

let's yoink the description from wikipedia:

Set in Radiant City, a dystopian municipality influenced by Bauhaus and Fritz Lang's Metropolis, the series concerns a mysterious figure who purports to be its architect. His radical theories of "psychetecture" cause the citizenry to go mad, just as he did, and he takes on the mission to repair his creation. To accomplish this he remains awake twenty-four hours a day by means of the drug "insomnalin", all the while coping with a Dick Tracy–like rogues gallery and supporting cast including his long-suffering ex-girlfriend Mercedes. (ed note: the redhead in the santa beard below)

the art in this comic book is really and truly stunning. everyone was firing on all cylinders. beautiful retrofuturistic advertisement vibes, very fun play with panels and word balloons while still being readable, there are airships, you know how it is. looooooooove a hardboiled noir.

the Concept of mister x, this horrible awful futuristic city that grinds its citizenry up and spits them out? both figuratively and sometimes literally? love it!!! love a great wounded beast of a city as a character!!!

unforch the "who is mister x" subplot does not resolve in a satisfying way, imo. there's a lot of flip-flopping, there's a lot of options, he ends up being (maybe?) someone he was very definitively proven NOT to be in an earlier issue, and it really soured me on the whole experience. and also i don't believe it! that specific person makes no fucking sense! who mister x is, is by far the least interesting part of the series. tell me more about how he's fixing the city. show me more of the city. shut up and dance, robot artists

-

watching

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016, dir. Singer). this movie did not need to be two and a half hours long. appreciated the EXTREMELY divorced energy from charles & erik though, quicksilver rescuing the school scene was also very fun. my bestie's husband has informed me we are NOT watching Dark Phoenix, i'm not sure if we're going to loop back and watch the ??? number of wolverine films or if we're going to see how i feel about deadpool. bc i find this character insufferable through clips only.

-

playing

there is a feature in the video game genshin impact to turn your World Level (TM) down in order to make overworld enemies a little easier. i am at seven out of nine bc i genuinely can't finish the boss to unlock world level 9, and i am finding some of the overworld enemies too hard at 8 and want to finish the achievements in a more relaxed fashion.

-

making

this is going to be a lot of previously posted pics so bear with me.

saturday morning/saturday evening. plants? repotted. porch and stairs? swept. old wasp nests? knocked down. different mirror on the porch to go out to the curb when i have the energy? yes. also a giant slab of engineered stone from the top of a dresser but that's out of frame.

speaking of the giant broken dresser that was in my apartment when i moved in just over a year ago, i ripped it apart with a crowbar and threw it in the dumpster. put my pretty zebrawood desk in the empty space and started thinking about what to hang on that wall. the wall across from it is maps, bc i think a cozy office should have lots of maps and it makes a good video conference background. maybe this will be the dedicated cowboy nonsense wall. i did so much dusting and vacuuming and mopping and the girls can't even hang out in here bc the orange boy is in the office bathroom. big sigh.

also a lot of driving around and emailing and calling thirty shelters and rescues figuring out how to get this orange man a home. please take this orange man off my hands.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Day 16: stargazing

Masterlist flufftober 🎀

Reblog if you liked it!

You let out a sigh of satisfaction when you finished preparing the back of your father's pickup truck, after several minutes and a lot of effort to stretch the blankets enough. There was a mat, a duvet, sheets, and plenty of pillows so the two of you would be comfortable on the date you had prepared for your boyfriend. Spencer had told you about a meteor shower that occurred every ten million years and that on this occasion would be visible in the region, so he believed it would be a sin not to take advantage of the night to see it together and, in the process, spend a nice time between you. You seemed very excited about the idea and had prepared food to spend the hours that you were going to wait and, of course, a thermos full of coffee to share.

“How does it look?”

“It's perfect,” he replied happily.

He had been busy reviewing some celestial maps that he carried with him, under the light of a flashlight that you had in the trunk. You were in a remote section of the countryside and without all the light pollution of the city the stars could be seen in their maximum splendor, which had you completely fascinated. You had never done an activity like this and you knew how much Spencer was excited about astronomy, so the idea that he wanted to share that with you made you feel special.

You climbed up to the space you had arranged and he immediately imitated you, where both of you sat with your back comfortably leaning on a pair of pillows. You pulled a blanket to cover your legs and those of your boyfriend, who soon intertwined them to shorten the distance.

“I assume you know the constellations, right?”

"I do! At this time of year several can be seen. Like that one over there that is shaped like a trapezoid with a tail, do you see it?” he asked, pointing to a specific point in the sky. You had to admit that you weren't the best at finding shapes in celestial bodies, but you tried with all your might, until you finally understood what he was referring to “That's the Big Dipper, it's the third largest constellation and it's visible for all year round in the northern hemisphere, in addition to being one of the best known and most important in astronomical history. It has eight stars, one of them visible only in very clear places like this and they are called Alkaid, Mizar, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak, and Dubhe”

“There is a myth in Greek mythology about it, isn't there?”

“Yes, Greek mythology considered Ursa Major to be the bear that Callisto had been turned into by Artemis after being seduced by Zeus. Homer mentions the Bear in Canto V of the Odyssey, in which Ulysses tries in vain to be guided by her to return to Ithaca, his land”

“Wow,” you sighed, as you continued to look up to admire the stars your boyfriend was telling you about.

“When I was a child, I asked for a telescope as a birthday gift and this was the first constellation I learned because if you follow a line a little higher you can find the polar star… that one over there, do you see it?”

"I see it"

“That star serves to guide you because it always points north, so no matter where you are you can find your way if you find it. That way I imagined that whenever I was lost, I could come back home” he confessed to you, with a nostalgic smile on his face.

You stopped seeing the celestial sky to focus on him and you couldn't stop yourself from kissing him when you saw the sparkle in his eyes watching you with enthusiasm. The kiss was gentle and short, just as if you wanted to reward him for his eloquence, and then you settled under his arm with your head resting on his soft chest.

“You probably know a few thousand facts about the stars, or am I wrong?”

“I have never counted them, but from the books I have read I can assure you that it is an approximate amount”

“Well, we still have a few hours until the rain starts so start spitting them all out. I want Sagan to feel threatened in the afterlife by my knowledge of the universe at dawn” you joked and the soft laugh he let out above your head was like music to your ears.

Spencer talked and talked and you listened attentively to everything he had to tell you, only interrupting him to ask questions or to ask him to eat a little or try his cup of coffee. In the same way, you were changing positions as the hours went by, sometimes lying down, sitting, other times he with his head resting on your shoulder, and you even went so far as to sit on his lap, with your back comfortably against his torso while that he spoke kindly in your ear.

"You are tired? Bored?"

“None of that, love” you smiled. Right now you were lying in front of each other, with him absentmindedly tangling a lock of your hair in his finger “It's the most interesting date I've ever had in my life.”

“And it's going to get better, because it's the scheduled time for the main show,” he murmured in a theatrical voice, while he sat down and helped you with one hand so that you were in the same position.

He hadn't lied, because after a few minutes he saw the first star crossing the sky. You gasped in surprise like a little girl would, and your shock only intensified when another star sped past. Suddenly dozens of stars imitated the first ones and your smile grew as a new one appeared.

"Look how beautiful!" you squealed, shaking your shoulder excitedly at your lover, who was smiling the same way you were. “It’s wonderful.”

Spencer felt the need to hug you from the side to enjoy the view and the company at the same time, while you continued to look at the sky with fascination.

“We are experiencing a unique event in our space-time,” he whispered, the words slightly muffled by his lips in your hair. “And… I wanted to give you something equally unique.”

Suddenly you felt his hand take yours and then a metallic object sliding down your ring finger, forcing you to stop looking at the sky to look at him, with an expression of nothing but shock.

“Spencer, what—?”

“It's not what you think,” he hastened to say. You looked at the jewel and realized that it was a delicate ring that was completely smooth and silver in color. “It is a promise ring, it is used to… well, to promise a loved one that at some point it will be replaced by one that involves a greater commitment," he explained to you, suddenly becoming a nervous wreck "I thought about giving it to you today because I love you so much and I wanted you to know that I would like to go further with you, if you accept me”

"Darling…"

"Do you like it?" he insisted and you were forced to drown his fears with a prolonged kiss on the lips.

“Of course it does. I love you so, so much and you don't know how happy this makes me, I wouldn't want to be with anyone else in the vast universe. I'm serious"

That was enough of an answer for him and then you settled down again to enjoy the rest of the astronomical phenomenon, knowing that you would only be able to forget that night when the time necessary to witness another of those meteor showers had passed.

taglist: @navs-bhat @reidwritings @tricia-shifting14 @spencerslove @vivian-555 @r-3dlips @rhiannonhippiegirl @taygrls @simp4f1 @sdddoobydoobydoo @taintedstranger

[epically-ace-attorney]

*Intro Post ~ Welcome to the chaos!*

Hallo! This blog is an Ace Attorney AU using the musical EPIC! Canon is our bitch and we do as we please :)

The blog is joint run by @weltato (hi) and @the-ace-attorney-siren (formerly @burtrice1). Feel free to ask us anything about this AU in the inbox and not DMs - PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WIP AU AND IS CONSTANTLY BEING THOUGHT OUT!!

The "backstory" I suppose would be that Wel was watching a great guy on YouTube by the name of Mortius (you should check him out, he's cool) react to "We'll Be Fine" and "Love in Paradise" from the most recent saga released from EPIC as of writing this (20/09/2024) - The Wisdom Saga. Wel had also been binging through some Ace Attorney streams by The NyanCave (also really cool, you should check them out too) and had that on the brain at the same time. Then she noticed something interesting - Odysseus had been on Calypso's Island for seven years.

You wanna know who else had a seven year gap? Phoenix Wright.

So obviously, I go to burtrice1 and say:

And then this happens:

And everything came from there. Just imagine it: Phoenix on that cliff calling for Mia T^T

Anyway, we had some planning to do: there is currently a list of characters from The Ace Attorney Trilogy, Ace Attorney: Investigations 1 & 2 (we're using the fan translation names in this house), and Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (because Wel hasn't finished Dual Destinies and hasn't seen Spirit of Justice yet) and what people from EPIC they're going in as.

*RULES OF THE BLOG!*

No spoilers for the games please! There will be people that see this blog with no idea about the Ace Attorney series and they'll want to find out themselves (also one mod hasn't finished the series yet).

No spoilers for EPIC! There will be people that see this blog with no idea what the craic is with EPIC and letting them experience the joy that is this musical is all the sweeter with no spoilers <3

As previously mentioned: game canon is our bitch and we do what we want with it, which means that if you see an inconsistency with ages or anything, no you don't ;p

To second that: we are fitting characters with roles we feel they fit the best in EPIC canon, so a villain from Ace Attorney might show up as a 'good guy' from EPIC - it's not because we've redeemed them, it's just that they fit the role nicely.

Please keep questions PG, there are minors that enjoy both Ace Attorney and EPIC and we'd like to keep this blog a safe space for everyone.

In the words of Ricky Potts: don't be a dick. We don't tolerate harassment of either the mods or anyone sending an ask into our inbox. Respect isn't hard, friend :)

If you've asked us a question and we haven't responded yet, please don't go into our personal inboxes or DMs to ask us about it - see the rule above. Both mods are busy people and do this purely for fun, so we'll get to your question when we see it. The timezone of this blog is GMT/BST depending on the time of year, so both mods could very well be asleep.

The canon of this AU follows with EPIC canon, which is NOT the actual Odyssey or Iliad. If you want to read those in your own time, feel free to.

Have fun! We want to share this with people to see your reactions and interact with other fans of the Ace Attorney games and EPIC: The Musical.

If you're excited about this blog, REBLOG OUR POSTS!! Reblogging is the lifeblood of Tumblr and can make or break a post. We want to reach as many people as possible with this silly little idea of ours.

If you want to write fics about our AU, please ask us first! Wel is a regular fic writer and she has some ideas floating around, so maybe let her finish those first before jumping in - but we love the enthusiasm! Thank you!

Fanart is awesome!! Please credit the idea to this blog and @ us in the post with the tag #epicallyaa, we'd love to see what you've done :D

This post will update with extra rules as and when needed, if we need to <3

*TAGS!*

#wel writes - this is for whenever Wel writes a fanfic about something. This is a personal tag from Wel, so if you want to see more of her work feel free to peruse that tag on her main Tumblr account. All the fics posted here will be specifically for this AU.

#siren art - this is for whenever the-ace-attorney-siren posts art to this blog. Again, any art posted here will be specifically for this AU.

#epicallyaa - this is a tag for us and others to use about our AU! If you post any fanart or fanfic about our AU, use this tag and @ this account too so that we can see your awesomeness :D

#wel answers - whenever Wel answers an ask

#the siren sings - whenever the-ace-attorney-siren answers an ask

Like the rules, more tags will be added as and when we feel we need some more.

Thanks for reading all of this!! This post is very important to read, so if you come in asking questions blind, we might just refer you to this post and ask you to try again :)

~ Wel & the-ace-attorney-siren

[havendance]

The Plotlines of 52: A biased ranking

Having finished 52, I am here to rank the plotlines from worst to best. 52 was a very strong series, so even the plotlines at the bottom aren't so much bad as they were ones I was less invested in. So, without further ado, let's start at the bottom with:

6. Dr Magnus/The Island of Mad Scientists.

The first time I put together the list of plotlines, I forgot about this one which should tell you all you need to know. Admittedly, I hadn't finished reading 52 at that point and this plotline does grow more relavent towards the end, but I simply did not care about any of the mad scientist characters. Or the metal men. Nor was I particularly invested in the mystery of where all the missing scientists had gone. I will say though, it was less that I disliked this and more that I thought it was boring.

5. The Animal Man, Starfire, Adam Strange, and Lobo Space Odyssey

This plotline had a lot of wacky and fun moments (Lobo has found space!dolphin!jesus, Mogo the green lantern who is a planet). It was perfectly good storyline that is mainly this low in the ratings because a) I was more invested in all the other plotlines, and b) I am just less interested in the new gods/space portion of dc.

4. Ralph Dibney

Following up from Identity Crisis we have Ralph Dibney initally getting tied up with the Cult of Conner and then going on a quest to try and bring Sue back from the dead. I thought the Cult of Conner was fun in the beginning and this plot also had a strong denouncement, but I was less invested in the middle portion where he goes and visits various magic entities.

3. Tied for third we have both the Black Adam Family and the Question + Renee (+ Batwoman) plotlines!

The thing about the Question + Renee (+ Batwoman) plotline was that it was consistently strong throughout. I went expecting that to the plotline that I was most interested in and was surprised to find that I was actually really interested in a lot of other things going on too! The Black Adam Family plotline was a little more up and down in my enjoyment. I was really invested in Black Adam trying to make a new start! I knew he wouldn't be able to make it last! I'm interested in seeing where he shows up later in comics! Anyway, if I was not a fan of Amanda Waller, I might hate her a little for what she did.

The main points taken off for the plotline (and the reason I'm not putting it directly above the question one) is that DC pulls one of their 'let's commit an act of mass destruction' moves and kills off all of Bialya, which just feels excessive. Have you considered that perhaps you don't need to have a genocide/nuke an entire city/country to make a point, dc?

2. Booster Gold/Supernova

I just think Booster Gold's fun. It was fun watching him destroy his reputation and fail as his knowledge of the future failed him. The Supernova plotline was also very fun! (Clark Kent jumping out a window to get caught by him to snag an interview my beloved). I liked how the mystery in these two plotlines built up and merged together. It had a satisfying payoff and conclusion as well. Very comics-y.

1. Natasha & John Henry Irons/ Luthor's Everyman project

Best plotline, hands down. The messy-ness of Natasha and John's relationship. The way that he messes up and tries and fails to get it right. Luthor giving people powers and the building realization of his plans unfolding! "Rain of the Supermen"! I just enjoyed it all.

[eldritch-spouse]

How about me and Fank-E watch 2001: A Space Odyssey?

[I'm sorry, this is so fucking dumb.]

You thought it'd be an interesting night, if nothing else. Watching a cinema classic with your boyfriend, who may or may not share some similarities with one of the supposed antagonists of the movie. It'll be fun, you thought, he's going to enjoy it.

How come it devolved into this.

" i 7HiNk H3 w45 JU57IFi3d. " Fank-e crosses his arms.

You stop munching on the snacks he brought, your leg has yet to stop tapping, but then again, you probably shouldn't have accepted "the special energy drink" he offered you.

" Seriously dude? HAL was a rogue. He went haywire, jeopardized the mission and basically killed the entire team. "

" oh Y3ah 5uR3, h3 MAD3 Som3 m15TAk3S. " The robot waves, as if those mistakes hadn't been utterly disastrous. " Bu7 H3 0nLY W17hh3lD 1Nf0 Ab0U7 'AE-35' 70 PR073c7 73h Cr3w! "

Now you're mad. " That's still an egregious breach of trust! If he had told the crew there was a fault going on, they would have taken the necessary precautions. Instead, they had to find that on their own and look what happened! "

" N0! >:[ " Fank-e wiggles a finger at you. " H3 h4D k0nTR4d1C71NG D1R3C71V3Z 4Nd h3 H4d 70 M4k3 4 CH01c3! "

" Fank-e, they died because of him, he could have prevented it, if only he- " You're interrupted by a petty outburst as the robot raises his arms.

" oh 9OD FOr81D 4N AI Do 4NYth1ng!!! >:/ "

...

The argument starts to die down naturally while the credits finish rolling. The atmosphere isn't tense but it also isn't amicable, just weird.

" ... So like, if you wanted to, could you make like a voicebank out of HAL and use it? "

" 0MG Y3S! :U "

[writing-is-a-martial-art]

Tired and brainfoggy so trying a thing

I might work on the project that gets voted the most, or also... end up working on something else. It's not perfect science, it's just for fun and to motivate me to actually write something longer than a poem or micro fiction

[minterim]

i just finished filling out @janmisali's how many Super Mario games are there now survey! it was a ton of fun, i recommend giving it a shot to see how you think about murky video game taxonomy!! however my explanations of my methodology got a bit wordy, so much so that i couldn't submit my response LOL. so i'm putting them here instead :>

Page 4:

my (loose) criteria are: for pre- super mario brothers games in this bracket, all are non-canonical (to the extent that a mario canon exists), and only count as being non-canonical if mario is clearly in the game from the outset, whether that is clarified through the title, or other surrounding material (manual, flavourtext, widely accepted history for donkey kong, etc). the other condition there is that i have to be able to find evidence of mario's presence with very little effort.

if a game doesn't have mario in it at all (dk3 and so on), then it's not a mario game because the other ones barely are in the first place.

Page 5:

ok this is becoming slightly more complicated now. the game watch and game and watch games are minor spinoffs, they remain canonical in that they are adaptations of super mario bros for different devices. given that they are adaptations, they dont count as distinct entries in the super mario series.

ive decided that sports games and other games that mario appears in as the mascot are also extra-canonical -- i dont think mario, in the story of the mushroom kingdom such as it is, ever went on a big bar in space to play alleyway. ymmv. the principle holds for golf and tennis and whatnot, for the entries so far at the very least.

i think it makes sense for games that predate super mario bros 1 which feature franchise characters/world elements to be non-canonical as opposed to spin-offs; you can't spin off of something that doesn't exist yet, in my assessment. games taking place in the mushroom kingdom or featuring franchise characters doing things in contexts that make sense count as minor spinoffs, e.g. yume kojo doki doki panic and super mario bros special. NOT counting dk classics because they werent spinoffs initially, you cant retcon them into spinoffs. again, ymmv

Page 6:

ok. the allstars games and other such re-releases ARE mainline mario games, because when you boot them up you play a mainline mario game, but they are NOT distinct entries.

the -land games are spinoffs, wario is a mario character, and remains a part of the mushroom kingdom mythos up until warioware, which ill have to decide upon sooner rather than later.

dk for gameboy IS a mario spinoff, because the narrative has been change to 1. exist and 2. match (closely enough with) other mario games (bros 1 and odyssey, as far as i can tell).

dkc is NOT a mario game (he is not in it in any way afaik). i would classify it as a donkey kong game, in a way that i wouldnt any of the previous dk titles. this is the point at which donkey kong becomes separate ip from mario. they cross over still, but its two equivalent entities bumping into each other, as opposed to a smaller element of one's canon re-emerging.

the dr marios arent canon, that's a different guy. mario is not a doctor in the mushroom kingdom i know. maybe this is an alt-universe mario? who knows

the karts are also not canon. or rather, they are extra-canonical, in that those ARE the characters we're familiar with from the super mario series, but they arent playing their roles, theyre playing golf or go karts or whatever. its like actors hanging out behind the scenes in character

wario blast can be a canonical spinoff i guess. wario seems like the kind of guy who would throw bombs at people like that. bomberman is there somehow too

Page 7:

games that include mario (or his friends that havent established a specifically non-mario franchise of games, read: not donkey kong) as a mascot or the main player character count as mario games.

if the mario characters in the game are not acting in alignment with their behaviour in the mainline series* then the game is a non-canonical mario game.

this includes karts, picrosses, tetris attacks and so on. if the game is a single title with little-to-no follow-up, it is a minor spinoff, if it spawns a larger series or garners prestige in some other way, its a major one.

*i dont have a good definition for this. for now: a platformer starring mario as a player character with a plot set that typically involves fighting bowser and saving peach while in the mushroom kingdom. thats the distinction for now though it definitely doesnt hold for the later games. sorry 😐

Page 8:

ok, all of my previous points still carry over wrt sports and party games not being canonical. the sports ones are the "actors" who play the mario characters hanging out and playing tennis or whatever while in character. however the rules with party seem slightly different -- i maintain that theyre non-canonical to the main super mario series; mario getting along with boos and bowser and so on seems contradictory to the series' events. plus, the mario party world seems like a separate instance of the mario world regardless, so im placing them into a separate mode of canonicity: kids playing with action figures, or game pieces, or better yet, amiibos. no hint of continuity beyond the player and the friends they party with ^_^

i've elected to dub the wariowares as non-mario games. theres a simple reason for this: he's not in them as a character. the wario that runs around is pretty well removed from the wario that has menaced mario in the past, unlike the wario in wario land. theyre not necessarily *not* canonical, but i feel this wario is more likely to fit into the "actors playing golf" canon than the "nare-do-well of the mushroom kingdom" canon, if that makes sense.

the REAL rub for this round are the RPGs. i let super mario rpg fall into the spin-off category because i feel like that could feasibly be the "main" mario (the character from super mario bros). this could be equally true of paper mario, and mario + luigi super star saga mario. and these marios aren't necessarily contradictory! the mario games have a very malleable canon! that is, until mario + luigi: paper jam, which brings two of these marios face to face (note: havent played any of these games yet, heavily referencing the super mario wiki). given that luigi finds the paper mario characters in a book, this states pretty directly that paper mario is fictional within the main mario canon: paper mario is not the same man as super mario from super mario 64. now, does this retcon mean that all the prior paper mario games are fictional within mario canon? maybe. it could ALSO be that the paper mario stories really DID happen in the main mario universe, and we (as players) experienced those events through the interpretive lense of paper... but a good amount of gags/mechanics/etc rely on paper mario being made of paper. poetic license..?

i think im going to classify the paper marios as stories ABOUT the main mario WITHIN that continuity, kind of like star wars legends 'dubiously canonical' material. i think this places them as non-canonical within the structure ive built up here, which is unfortunate, because i liked the idea of all the rpgs being different perspective cameras on the same guy... oh well

^^ take the discourse about the rpgs with a grain of salt because, again, i have not played any of them and thus they may directly contradict my notions of canon. whoops!

PS. oh yeah i think i forgot to mention this in the last one: smash games arent mario games. they are games that have mario in them. but mario would not hit his brother luigi or his dear friend peach. and thus this version of mario cannot be the same one as in super mario bros.: the lost levels.

(same theory as the mario party action figures situation. except the kids that are playing with the action figures are now teens)

Page 9:

[n/a]

Page 10:

the sports ones (strikers, baseball) have started having narratives that can fit into the mainline canon, kinda. im choosing to include the baseball games - i reckon that baseball kingdom could be in there, thats fine. though ive chosen to exclude the strikers games, everyone's really angry and violent in those ones and that doesnt seem right to me

the clock and the calculator don't count because they aren't uh. games

also ive lost track of the distinction between major and minor spinoff. i had one but i don't remember what it was at this point

Page 11:

with the sports games i tend to err on the side of non-canonical, even if there is a narrative in which all characters behave more or less in character. because i find it hard to believe that wario or waluigi would follow the rules of tennis

also i dont think that a crossover with final fantasy really tracks, you know?

Page 12:

super mario maker isnt canon but super mario maker 2 is. because 2 actually has a story mode and 1 doesnt. i think

Page 13:

i think ive covered it all in my previous responses? my system broke down a little bit but i think ive been mostly consistent!

Page 14:

i think if they never got made theyre not games, and if they did get made but never came out they cant be considered mario games. because mario never appeared in them. because no one did because they never came out. i think my reasoning is failing here but i stand by excluding them

Page 15: 

to try and sum my methodology up: it's only a mario game if mario, or a character from the mushroom kingdom, is the main character or mascot. a character cannot make a game a mario game by their presence if they are a version of the character that has defined their own game series completely disconnected from mario and the mushroom kingdom (donkey kong games and warioware games are considered disconnected in this manner and are not mario games, however, wario lands and original donkey kongs are). games in which a mario character is a minor character in an ensemble cast also aren't mario games.

if the characters that make the game a mario game are doing things that would contradict the characterisations from super mario platformer series* or are acting in a purely mascot capacity, the game IS still a mario game but is non-canonical (assuming its a game at all. looking at you clock and calculator). additionally, if the games take place in some kind of separate continuity (mario party, strikers, paper mario, etc) they are non-canonical, or if good and evil characters who would normally take the opportunity to try to apprehend each other are in proximity and do not (kart, tennis, golf, etc), i excluded them from canonicity. for the latter category, i liken the mario cast to a group of actors hanging out off the clock while remaining in character, in the same way actors in real life might act for a charity event. crossovers are also more than likely to preclude a given game from canonicity. i do not think mario, as he is in the mushroom kingdom, has met solid snake or sephiroth. also, i maintain that dr mario is a different man from mario. as he is still A mario, they remain mario games, but because he is not THE mario, they are non-canonical.

the distinction between major and minor spin-off is foggy in this taxonomy. mainly its based on popularity, proximity to the mainline, critical and audience reception, and vibes.

mainline super mario games are platformers in which mario progresses through levels in different worlds using powerups to save someone. they also have to be considered mainline to count. not a great definition but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the iteration of a given mainline game that counts as a distinct iteration is the one i consider most Definitive. the factors that go into Definitiveness are these: earliest released version > plot that best fits with established canon (donkey kong gameboy) > version with most included game stuff.

my maxim for what counts as a mainline super mario game was: "if someone wanted to play through the super mario series one at a time, but not non-super mario games, what games would it make sense to include?" no idea if what ive ended up with here tracks with that but here we are

 this was a fun little thought experiment!! thanks for putting this together, i learned a bunch about this weird little series

PS. that mario sweater maker game is incredible btw

[howlermoonart]

Argos the Faithful (Art Print!)

So this will be is the very first art print for Howler Moon Art, a lil online art shop that will hopefully be launching in spring of 2025!!! I picked the concept pretty much randomly off of a list of ideas, but I had a bit of a nudge because I knew the story of Argos from The Odyssey and found it very emotional.

To summarize: Argos is Odysseus’ hunting dog. When Odysseus leaves to fight in the Trojan War, Argos is swift and strong and in his prime. Upon Odysseus’ return 20 years later, however, Argos is old and feeble. Odysseus, disguising himself as a pilgrim after reaching his home in Ithaca, is forced to ignore his faithful hound’s greeting (only Argos is able to recognize him after two decades of absence) so as to remain incognito. Shortly afterward, Argos’ heart gives out from sadness, and he dies.* Most stories about faithful dogs are sad ones, unfortunately; they don’t live as long as we do, regardless of how much we love them or how much they love us in return.

I wanted to capture an imagined scene from before Argos’ death, where Argos is watching the sea surrounding Ithaca and waiting for his master’s return from war. The Greek ship upon the waves below him is Odysseus’ vessel!

You can read about the development of this artwork below the cut.

Artwork Start/Completion: September 22, 2024 → September 30, 2024

Art Program: Clip Studio Paint PRO (ver 2)

Tablet: Huion H610 PRO V2

Font Used: MCapitals by Manfred Klein (link)

Brushes Used:

CSP default brushes

Cream Cheese Frosting by WholeMilk (link)

References Used:

Photo by Yorgas Ntrahas on Unsplash (link)

Photos of Cretan Hounds from the Greek Kennel Club website (linked below)

I first looked for digital brushes on the Clip Studio asset store that would make the meander for me, since I wasn’t sure of my skills. I didn’t find any that were within my means, however, so I just drew it myself with some of the default brushes in my Clip Studio Paint program. It turned out to be easier than I expected! The repetitive pattern is actually very soothing once you get the hang of it, and I like how the meander “keys” aren’t perfectly identical.

Ironically, it was only after I finished the meander that I found a collection of Greek pattern brushes that were free if not easy to use.

I gave Argos an epithet and labeled him in the print because I wasn’t sure if a casual viewer would recognize him from the artwork alone. Although most people are aware of the broad plot points of The Odyssey (such as “Nobody” slaying the cyclops), Argos’ part in that tale is a very minor one and comes toward the end.

As geographically inaccurate as it is, I based Argos’ design off of the Cretan Hound, a breed now recognized solely in Greece… and in Germany, for some reason. The other Greek breed I would see as apt for a nobleman’s hunting dog is the Hellenic Hound, but if I’m being perfectly honest the Hellenic Hound looks like a very generic hound to me, while the Cretan Hound’s spitz-y tail and upright ears are more visually appealing for me personally. The upright ears give the dog an air of alertness that I really like, on top of just being so cute!

For a while I was worried that the warm, rusty terracotta color of the border would clash with the much softer palette of the scene with Argos looking out over the sea, so I hid those layers of the artwork and constructed another, more elaborate border with stone columns meant to be reminiscent of Greek temples entrances. This time, I got to use the Greek pattern brushes that I had downloaded previously!

However, the columns and wave border take up too much space within the landscape-oriented A5 print, so after much fiddling with resizing various elements of the border, I decided to go back to the simpler terracotta look. 

I was a bit frustrated with myself letting myself go down this rabbit hole, since it took at least 3 hours to create a border that I ended up not using. (I know the time because I watched the entirety of the 1982 Conan the Barbarian movie with my partner while drawing, and then we got partway through Ralph Bakshi’s 1983 animated movie, Fire and Ice, before I went to bed and was able to mull over my artistic choices).

I had initially been very nervous to draw Odysseus’ ship. I knew it would be tiny and therefore details weren’t terribly important, but I also knew it was a trireme (a warship of Ancient Greece) and I had never drawn a boat before this. I learned about the Olympias, a reconstruction of an ancient Athenian trireme that is currently in the service of the Greek navy, and got to ogle pictures of her while I hyped myself up for the task of drawing another of her kind… which, in the end, took less than twenty minutes.

* This version of events with Argos dying specifically from sadness isn't from a "real" translation, but rather from the version that my dad told me as a kid before bedtime.