#in case vol 5 pulls a vol 4

[choochooboss]

Submas Sketchdump Vol. 4 July 2022 Part 2!!

I knew that particular month beat my all time record for productivity multifold but I had forgotten SO MANY PIECES from the original collection!! I think I finally got them all?? More stuff under the cut!!

BREAKMAS!! WIP of the first piece I posted of them, here's the link to the final version! I tried coloring this first but the black & white had ultimately more impact so I went with that!

TRAINS!! I like this base color version too! Link to the final version!

The top sketch is a direct reference to Cluedo! A spinoff game, "Missingo", starring certain familiar characters trying to figure out what happened to Ingo/trying to prove their innocence in the case! Also WIP sketches for these two Breakmas comic pages!

As you may know I adore butlermas! For the classy and stylish look which appeals to me in general, and coincidentally I had played PLA & got hit by submas train only one week before butler Ingo's banner rolled out! The pure bliss of finally meeting both twins in a game I felt was incomparable!! This moment in the Curious Tea Party event was really entertaining to me! We got to see submas get serious and stand up against this selfish collector thief! Two towering train twinks with commanding voices looming over the unfortunate guy was enough to make him change his mind ahah! They truly are the protectors

1-hour submas challenge prompt "Descend"! This is the actual one hour result before I continued rendering this!

Mmmmm not my first attempt at drawing them hug and definitely not my best OR last. I want to make that moment something very special when I finally go all out on it!!

Comic cover vibing~

The scrapped last page for this silly comic! Sorry the dialogue is all over the place on the first piece, might be hard to read! I wasn't happy with how I presented Elesa, I wasn't familiar enough with her character back then so I thought of her carrying a toy taser to threat her friend even as a joke was too much and I couldn't come up with anything else for it. This held me back from posting the other three pages for another 5 months! In the last panel

I prefer to not mess up the twins too much but my brain is still very curious and conjures some peculiar stuff like this sometimes.. I think I may have broken his arms there looking at the anatomy, ooops! I hope you don't mind the photo quality or the two weird guys in the corner, they escaped containment!

Idea of warden Ingo, being projected to modern era by his Alakazam, walking through crowd on a train platform & Emmet standing inside a passing train. Their eyes meet for just a few seconds...

Pokemas Ingo practise!

Another WIP of a piece I posted! I started this piece like this but then later I decided to flip the whole thing.

YET another WIP of something I already posted! No idea why I went and mixed up his suits but I like this sketch! They rarely end up looking this clean haha

Sketch version of the self-defense practise piece! I love getting creative with action stuff! I barely ever think of how difficult they are to draw, I just get so excited and fixated on visualising the scenes in my mind I just keep at it, pull out refs and pose in front of mirrors until it looks good to me! I want to draw more action scenes but besides being challenging to draw my brain comes up with more silly and cute ideas than cool ones unfortunately ahah

One more WIP, here's the link to the final results!! I really like how genuine their expressions look here even if the faces are a little off. I recall spending a long time figuring out this perspective. I thought it would be fun to you to see how all these pieces started and... looking at the sketch above and the stuff before that, you can compare some range of my style!

RANDOM SUBMAS MISSILES GO

OHHH looks like some nasty passengers got the best of them!! If I recall correctly there was no fight because they managed to paralyse the two before they could act. Fully awake yet completely helpless... how convenient unfortunate. Thank you so much for checking these out!! Not every sketch is that exciting but I'm always happy to hear your thoughts on these!

Previous posts: Sketch dump Vol. 1: April-June 2022 Sketch dump Vol. 2: July 2022 Sketch dump Vol. 3: August 2022

[gem-de-lune]

Revisiting Timeline for News about Seunghan

Since a lot of people are anxious, I decided to talk today about some confirmations I have been experiencing.

I recently had someone message me another Tarot reader's verdict on the timeline for Seunghan's return or rather when we will receive news on this.

I will preface this by saying I actively try not to interpret other reader's pulls because a lot of time, they are not meant for me to read. However, in this case, part of their reading was a definite sign for another reason, so I will be referencing a tiny part of it.

In this other reading the person pulled the Moon card for a timeline and said that it equated to 9 months. When it comes to timelines and tarot, everyone has their own way of doing it- but personally there imo i do not distinguish whether a timeline is 9 months, years, weeks, or days, just by 1 card alone.

The reason why I mention this is because i was basically not paying attention to the months aspect, just the number 9. (Sign 1)

Next, I decided I might as well do a quick little pull for timeline, in which I pulled the Hermit card

The Hermit is the 9th card of the Major Arcana. (Sign 2)

Then, as I placed down the card, my alarm went off for 9am....(Sign 3)

At this point I was like ok I get it...

So me being me I was like okay what is 9 days from now and if that means anything bc your girl could have a whole baby in 9 months.

9 days from now in Korea (where it is Oct 26th today) would be Nov 4th. (Sign 4).

I had someone in my asks ask me if the numbers I pulled for timeline a while ago: 8, 6, 4*, 2 were still valid, because another reader said news will come by Nov 4th. (Sign 5)

So finally I pulled some cards asking if we would get news by Nov 4th. And I will also preface, when pulling cards for yes/no you need to take into consideration what the card actually means. So even though this card is positive, if you are pulling like the knight of pentacles which is slow moving or stagnant, then the answer is more likely no or maybe a little later than expected. If you pull a knight of swords who is super fast, then you'll get a faster timeline than expected.

In this case I pulled

Ace of Wands + 9 of Pentacles + 10 of Swords

Someone recently asked about my swords being oddly positive, and I do think they are referring to this 10 of swords card. The 10 of swords actually traditionally looks different so here is a comparison of the original vs my deck:

And it usually signifies a painful ending. However, what a lot of people miss is the golden sky in the traditional card, which signifies the light at the end of the tunnel.

My deck which is the Book of Shadows Vol 2, narrows in on this meaning. The 10 of swords is not simply about a painful end. It's symbolizing going through a painful situation and being reborn from the ashes of that pain. It is about overcoming in a situation that seemed like the end. This is true with both cards, but the true meaning for your specific reading is dependent on the surrounding cards. Which is why it is usually not good to pull this type of card alone for an outcome, because people tend to just see the swords and defeat but in reality- even if someone is going through a defeat that is NEVER the end of the story unless they literally die- which is unlikely 😂 (every set back is a set up for a comeback)

Now, going back to these pulls- which btw JUMPED out. They are saying yes. We should be receiving an update by the 4th. The 10 of swords signifies being reborn from a painful situation as stated. The ace of wands is a powerful yes card signifying new ventures, passion and action. The 9 of pentacles aside from being yet another 9 indicator, shows that this will be positive news coming after a long time of hard work.

I think we were definitely due for another one of these non structured reads. I am sorry if anyone felt personally victimized by me saying I cannot pull every day for if he will return and when. I still cannot do that, but I understand the stress and sorrow, and I never mean to be mean at all- just want you guys to know that. I am a Gemini Moon so dealing with all the emotions of so many people is draining to me because I see them as tasks I must analyze instead of just what they are: emotions. Just know I am with you and I hear you regardless.

I hope this reading brought a lot of comfort to yall.

[ultimate-chickennougat]

| Your Salaryman Husband | (Vol 8)

Vol 1 Vol 2 Vol 3 Vol 4 Vol 5 Vol 6 Vol 7 (Not Required) Vol 9

Salaryman!Kento x Housewife!Reader

You see your husband in his glasses for the first time...

Word Count: 1.3k

CW: SFW, domestic fluff, fem!Reader, reader wears a dress, Gojo is mentioned (a lot).

A/n: I haven't posted a new volume in weeks, my sincerest apologies! This one was a bit rushed, but I'll be back with regular installments.

Due to the nature of being a sorcerer, Nanami didn’t have many photos of his time at Jujutsu High. Most of the few that had been taken were stuffed into dusty boxes in storage rooms, that none of his former classmates and colleagues wanted to touch. 

That pattern continued into adulthood. His hatred of his work as a salaryman (a job he eventually came back to), and as a sorcerer, caused him to not appreciate having documentation of those moments. Other than from the unannounced snap of a camera from Gojo, or on a particularly important occasion, his face was rarely captured before he met you.

His stance on the matter didn’t change, but instead there were plenty of memories he wanted to have preserved. In fact he bought a camera just to bring on outings with you, taking pictures of the two of you together and the beautiful scenery of the parks and forests you visited. 

He quickly returned to his former job after meeting you, but during that short period in which he was a sorcerer, he made sure to take pictures of himself whenever he went to any place that was interesting and to let you know that he was safe while he was there.

Without the intent of actively pursuing high grade curses, Nanami made many other lifestyle changes, including retiring his glasses. He still stumbled upon lower ones from time to time, but the absence of his glasses had no effect on exorcising them. At the beginning, he kept them tucked in his pocket just in case he might need them, but eventually they slipped into a box of old memorabilia and got stuffed into the bottom of his closet. 

Despite your rigorous cleaning routine, it was still by chance that you stumbled upon that box. Nanami always kept his closet neat and organized, and there was never anything wrong with it every morning when you picked out his tie for him. Instead it was Nanami who asked you to take some of them out and place them on the table, as Gojo was going to pick up some pictures to show his students.  

You pulled out the white file boxes, all uniform with the labels “Jujutsu High” on them. Each was brought to the living room and placed on the table, waiting for whenever Gojo was going to come by. 

A whole hour passed before you touched the boxes again. In that time you had made some tea and started on dinner, before curling up on the couch to finish your embroidery. But, Gojo hadn’t given a time and was notorious for being late. He was a busy man, after all, so there was no reason not to try and help him out a little. 

Instead of sifting through old boxes, you figured if you could grab the pictures and place them in a neat stack, it would save him some time (and your husband some stress from having Gojo go through his things). 

As you could expect with your husband, the insides of the boxes weren’t dusty at all. Other than a few marks on the sides, probably from moving things around, everything was perfectly in order. Along with that, all the photos were preserved in sleeves inside a book that you easily removed. 

Flipping through the pages, you couldn’t help but let out a giggle at the sight of Nanami’s old birthday photo with his classmates at Jujutsu High. You recognized Ieiri, who was your doctor as per Nanami’s recommendation, and Gojo of course, though the others were unfamiliar to you. 

For you it was also a trip down memory lane, seeing as some of the photos you had only glimpsed at in the past, and you remembered all the stories Nanami had told you about his time as a student and a sorcerer. You placed the book firmly in the middle of the table, about to close the lid as the clock hit 5:30 P.M, when Nanami got home. 

Just a few minutes later he was walking up the steps and into the house, being greeted by you just like every day. To him, it was the perfect way to come home. It had already been a few months since your marriage, and he couldn’t imagine getting bored of it decades away, let alone any time soon. 

Nanami held you in his arms, that were sore and tired from a long day of typing and flipping through papers at the office without much time to stretch. You could hear his heartbeat soften while he relaxed. 

“Welcome home, darling,” you smiled, trying to help him feel at ease. Of course, your presence was more than enough to do just that. “I’m glad to be home,” he mumbled, lowering his shoulders and letting you go freely. “Has Gojo come by yet?” you shook your head, to which he nodded. “Knowing him he’ll show up in the middle of the night,” Nanami groaned, rubbing his forehead. 

“I put the photobook on the table, is that what he wanted?” you asked. “Yes, thank you,” he joined you, where you were flipping through it. “I remember when you told me about this,” you showed him the picture of a birthday cake, baked just for him by Gojo. “I didn’t realized Gojo was the one who made it,” he could see the honest surprise on your face. “Hmm… I must have left that part out…” he frowned, recalling how embarrassing it was at the time, though it was a fond memory. Nanami pulled one of the unopened boxes towards him, taking the lid off as you continued looking through the photos. 

Nanami paused when he saw the glasses. It had been a while, but they were still familiar to him. So much so that he popped them right on, his eyes quickly adjusting to the new shade. “Kento?” you tilted you head at the sight, while he turned to look at you. “Yes, my love?” he pulled them off his face so you could see him properly. “Are those old? I never knew you wore glasses,” you pointed to them in his hand. “They’re for Jujutsu sorcery, to watch curses,” he brought them to his face.

“Ah, I see,” you hummed when he put them back on. “What do you think?” he asked, smirking as he saw you examine him. Your hands started fidgeting with the ribbon of your dress, as you stared right into his eyes though you couldn’t see them. “You look very handsome, darling,” you stated meekly. That was a true statement, but there was still something you felt was off. 

“I can’t see your eyes,” you continued, “Unless you’re really close, that is.” Nanami stepped a bit forward, lightly biting the inside of his lip. “And would you like to, my cute wife?” he asked, fully intending to have you blushing at his words. He bent forward, the lenses hitting the light at an angle so you could see through the dark glass. He was staring just as intently as you. 

Nanami let his hand cup your jaw to keep eye contact, as an unfortunate knock on the door from Gojo came at the wrong time. “What’s a few more minutes, hmm?” he let out a chuckle, ignoring the sound. “Answer my question,” he directed you. “Yes,” you nodded quietly. 

Nanami pulled off the glasses and tucked them back into the box, shutting the lid. “I agree they are quite cumbersome,” he let you go to the door. “You actually told me you liked my eyes on our first date, I would be surprised if you preferred them,” he smiled at you, letting out a sigh as the banging continued. “I enjoy looking at your eyes as well, just please don’t mention it to Gojo.”

[otomehonyaku]

Diabolik Lovers Lost Eden Drama CD Translation ☽ Vol. 4 Mukami Saga ☽ Track 5・The Things and People We Protect

Original title of this track: 守るべき物と者 Voiced by Sakurai Takahiro (Ruki), Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Yuma), Kishio Daisuke (Azusa), Kimura Ryōhei (Kou) English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (as always, BIG thank you to @karleksmumskladdkaka!)

TRACK 1 ・TRACK 2 ・TRACK 3・TRACK 4・TRACK 5・AFTER STORY

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

This is the fourth volume of the Lost Eden drama CDs! I'll make separate posts for each track and update the links above as I go. This is the last track of this CD! I'm glad we got to have a little moment with Ruki in this one aaah... Happy listening and reading along!

Please do not reuse or post my translations elsewhere or translate my work into other languages without my permission.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

00:00 Yuma: Ah, the soil is bone-dry. This’s awful… Only proves how much power the man really had. It’s turned pretty much everything into a desert…

[You walk up to Yuma.]

Yuma: Oh, it’s you. What’s up?

[You say that you wanted to see how Yuma was doing.]

Yuma: Aren’t you tired?

[You tell him honestly.]

Yuma: Heh. Figures. We’re in the same boat. Well, about this… The soil’s so bad here that even if you properly take care of the garden ‘n try to grow somethin’, only desert vegetation could survive here. The soil’s pretty much dead. I actually wanted to try growin’ those seedlings over there, but I gave up.

[Yuma sits down on the ground.]

Yuma: Ah… And the garden was thrivin’ only a little while ago.

[You ask him whether it has to do with Karl Heinz’ death.]

Yuma: Well, yeah. This castle was like an extension of Himself. I know I pledged my allegiance to protect this place earlier, but I’m already feelin’ anxious. Relyin’ too much on a parent ends up bitin’ you in the ass after all.

[You pick up some gardening tools.]

Yuma: What’re you doin’? I just told you, the soil’s done for.

[You quote what Azusa and Ruki were saying earlier.]

Yuma: Heh. Hahaha! Well, you’re right. Can’t knock it ‘til you try it.

[Yuma joins you to till the soil and plant the seedling.]

01:57 Yuma: Thanks. It’s not like me to be all gloomy and pessimistic. ‘N to have you worry about me.  Alright. Now we just pour some water on it.

[You were going through the soil with your hands, but you end up cutting your finger.]

Yuma: What’s wrong? Oh. Ah, there’s broken shards of something in the soil. C’mere.

[Yuma pulls you with him to the sink to clean the wound.]

Yuma: This is Eden soil, so there aren’t any weird bacteria here, but… Underestimating these things won’t do us any good. Well, this should be clean enough. And lastly—

[Yuma puts your wounded finger into his mouth.]

Yuma: Your blood’s really sweet. Heh. I don’t think I could ever get enough of it. I want more. You owe me now, anyway. I won’t let you say no.

[Yuma bites you.]

Yuma: It’s your fault for having such delicious blood. I’m not of much help, am I? I only just healed your wound, ‘n now I’m hurtin’ you again. Heh. Thanks for the blood. 

[Yuma pulls away from you.]

Yuma: Agh… I’m getting sleepy. I’m goin’ back to my room. Sleep tight. And thanks for the help.

[Yuma walks off. Some time passes, and the scene shifts to Ruki bursting into your room while you were sleeping.]

03:58 Ruki: Eve!

[You sit upright.]

Ruki: I’m sorry to bother you while you were resting, but there’s no time. I need you to be quiet and come with me.

[You walk over to Ruki. He grabs your hand.]

Ruki: We need to hurry. I don’t have time to explain. Let’s go!

[The two of you run off.]

Ruki: Just now, I received word from a familiar that the Vibora are heading towards Eden. They must be looking to conquer this castle or to destroy the morale of the Vampire race. It took them long enough, and yet this is still quite sudden to us.

In any case, you need to hide. Aside from this castle, they must intend to capture you as well.

[You’re surprised and ask him why.]

Ruki: Word is spreading fast about the Adam’s Apple Plan. Everyone now knows that Karl Heinz has recognised you as the Sacrificial Bride of the Demon World. Some want to use you to ascend to the throne.

[You tell him you would never agree to such a thing.]

Ruki: I know that, but so long as that extraordinary blood runs through your veins, nothing else will matter to them.

[The two of you stop before a large door.]

Ruki: Alright. This is it. 

[Ruki opens the door for you.]

Ruki: Get inside.

[The door slams closed.]

Ruki: This is the Room of Time. You could see it as Karl Heinz’ living room, in a sense. This is the most secure room he had, located in the innermost part of the castle. You should lay low here while the commotion subsides. The rest of us will fight to protect Eden, like we discussed yesterday.

[You ask Ruki if they have any forces backing them up.]

06:12 Ruki: Not at all. It’s just the four of us. Not even the Sakamaki family knows what has become of this castle.

[You ask Ruki if there’s anything you can do.]

Ruki: All you can do is stay here, We have no reason to fight out there if we don’t know that you’re safe. Heh. Don’t look at me like that.

[Ruki suddenly pulls you into an embrace.]

Ruki: You were about to start whining. I know. Let me hold you. Just for a moment. I can’t let my brothers see me like this, after all.

[You stroke Ruki’s back.]

Ruki: Heh. Stop it. I’m not a child. It feels quite nice, though. Don’t tell the others, alright? Take this as a sign of my gratitude.

[Ruki bites you. It takes you off-guard.]

Ruki: Don’t act so surprised. This is more of a reward to you than anything else, after all.

[Ruki bites you again.]

Ruki: Ah… That’s enough playing around for now. I have to go back. You know what to do, right? Don’t leave this room under any circumstance. When things calm down outside, I’ll knock on the door four times. That’s when you can come back out. I’ll see you then.

[Ruki walks to the door and opens it.]

Ruki: Goodbye, Eve.

[Ruki closes the door behind him, leaving you all alone. The scene shifts to the brothers’ inner monologues.]

08:50 Ruki: Just like that, we went to meet an unknown fate.

Kou: I wonder if He expected things would turn out like this. However, we strongly believe this isn’t a trial that we can’t overcome. 

Yuma: We’ll protect Eden… and we’ll protect Eve. In the end, we probably won’t be able to obtain the Apple, but…

Azusa: Still… we have no choice but to move forward.

Ruki: As we dreamt of a new dawn breaking from the East of Eden, the next chapter in our lives silently began. Nobody knows what’s waiting for us on the other side of this fight.

[less-dev]

[Technical] Chunk LOADING is finished!!

ALT TEXT: All around the game world is various multi-colored tiles, grouped in circles. In the top left is a map, showing the camera's position, as well as several blue squares close to it. As the camera moves... More blue squares appear around it, and further away ones disappear. Blue squares represent chunks that are currently loaded. Chunks significantly out of loading distance are unloaded... While chunks within loading distance are pulled from disk and brought into the active game world.

Not perfect, but the hard part is done!

🎵 Picayune Dreams Vol 2 - Stage 4 - Quasar Variant

There's obviously some pretty bad stutters... This is caused by loading multiple chunks all at the same time. One or two chunks per frame has little impact on FPS, but if 5 or more chunks enter load distance on the same frame (very common) they are all loaded at once, causing terrible lag spikes!

Thankfully, this is very fixable. In the future, chunks will be added to a queue... each loaded individually one at a time.

Honestly making this entire system went extremely well... too well. Surely there's a horrific memory leak lying in wait for us to discover many months from now... I hope not!

Anyway, I plan to vigorously scrub everything we've written looking for further issues, just in case.

Thanks for sticking with us! I promise there'll be more artsy things to show off sooner or later...

[furlesscoconut-writing-blog]

So, I was watching the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. And thinking. So here's my interpretation of what a "standard" Heterodyne Boys story might look, as applied to GotG vol.3.

This is intended to read as a Europan's writing, but it does build entirely off of my interpretations.

(Spoilers. Duh.)

1. Period of travel or rest.

The film starts with the Guardians in the process of setting up a new HQ; a clear rest period.

2. Suspicious occurrence; eg Inexplicable Monster Attack, New Construct's Dark Past.

Adam's arrival can be classed as a Monster Attack, but it's not an Inexplicable Monster Attack, in that he's working under, and following, orders. This plot beat is clearly a Dark Past, and Rocket fills the role of New Construct (despite not actually being new) in that he doesn't have an established backstory.

3. Finding Allies; eg Meeting with Local Hero, Returning Friend.

Gamora is a Reliable Rival in this story, coming from a typically antagonistic Profession and still helping the main entourage.

4. Gathering Information; eg Interviewing Townspeople, Reading Journals.

Stealing Records counts! Although spectacularly unorthodox (the Heterodyne Boys being famously opposed to anything reminiscent of that which their town once thrived on) it is a valid beat that can be employed by similarly unorthodox storytellers.

5. First setback.

This honestly can be just about anything, but in this case the Stolen Records don't have the necessary information (passcode for Rocket's killswitch) to remove the Time/Entourage restraint (Rocket dying).

+1. Recruited Enemy.

This is a Bonus Trope, which occurs twice in this story. The first occurrence lies here, with Gamora. It's not as intentional as was typical for the real Heterodyne Boys, but that detail is usually downplayed in the derivative works.

6. Entering the Town.

The planet *isn't* a town, but this is mainly a detail of setting.

7. Confronting the Spark.

The High Evolutionary is a textbook Mad Spark. This particular set of scenes fits perfectly, with Starlord and Groot taking the places of the eponymous Heterodyne Boys, Nebula being Klaus Wulfenbach, and Mantis and Drax being Punch and Judy.

8. Second setback; eg Trapped Lair, Endangered Townspeople.

This could be either, but it fits notably better with Trapped Lair. Endangered Townspeople require saving, and none of endangered people here get saved.

+1. Recruited Enemy.

Second occurrence lies here, with Adam. This occurrence is played far straighter, with a Chief Minion whose loyalty was betrayed by his own Spark.

9. Suspicious Occurrence Resolution.

The danger of Rocket dying is past, but instead our comic relief characters are trapped in the Spark's Lair.

10. Final Storming of Lair.

The challenge has been made, and answered. Tropes evident in this portion include Minion Rebellion, Misunderstood Constructs, and Saving Experiments.

11. Final danger.

Resolution of Recruited Enemy, wherein the Enemy pulled into the Adventure earlier saves a primary Hero at the last moment.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

3. Charging rent just to live somewhere *is* pretty outrageous.

+1 Communism

LA FUMÉE, VOL 1. NO. 4 - The writer G. Martin remarks dryly that 'capitalists *love* wealth redistribution, so long as it's only redistributed *upward*'...

You flip back to the front of the magazine. The table of contents unfolds before you.

5. [Put the magazine away.]

Since we've leveled up Conceptualization, I head back to the wall, but we've lost our bonus from the evening light. No point trying this now.

The bookstore is also closed by now. Only one place left to go tonight.

🎵 Whirling in Rags, 12 PM

Looks like Lena and the Hardie boys are already gone.

It's a bowl. There's spit in it, reeking of tobacco.

Photos of men in overalls, toting guns and Union placards.

You see hawthorn bushes outside. Hmm...

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "Can I help you?" He arches an eyebrow.

"About my bill for tonight..."

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "Got the 20 reál?"

"Yeah, 20 reál for the night."

"Not yet..."

GARTE, THE CAFETERIA MANAGER - "Good. You got the room for the night, but remember -- you'll need *another* 20 reál tomorrow."

-20.00 reál

Task complete: Find money for rent and pay Garte

+10 XP

EMPATHY [Challenging: Success] - Take it easy on him. Deep down he really hates being the guy who has to remind you.

4. "Good bye." [Leave.]

Goracy Kubek is also gone from the kitchen. No looking into the shady brew.

Alright. Time to see if we can get those boots. First we need to get rid of Kim, so we'll pretend to turn in for tonight.

"See you in the morning."

"Bye."

There is some more stuff to look at in our room first, however. Perception shows us we can pick up this Empty Cassette Case.

EMPTY CASSETTE CASE

There used to be a tape in this case, but it was destroyed in a fit of rage. Something about the Etenniers' single Smallest Church in Saint-Saëns must have rubbed someone the wrong way. The label says the song was recorded in '43.

Words fail to describe how rank it smells in here. They should have sent a poet.

MIRROR - A mirror hangs on the bathroom wall. In it -- your face, adorned with *The Expression*.

2. [Electrochemistry - Impossible 18] Attempt to stop *The Expression* from happening.

This time I remember to put on my cool jeans and gloves before trying an Electrochemistry check.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Impossible: Failure] - Still not happening. It won't come off that easy.

4. [Let the mirror be for now.]

Let's make our way back to the body.

THE HANGED MAN - The man is decomposing visibly now. Every hour he looks less like a creature and more like a pile of intestines...

2. Try to remove the dead man's boots again.

THE HANGED MAN - The body is reluctant to let go of the boots -- as though they were its last bit of dignity.

CUNO - "Whoah. Cuno's little *sneak-pig's* back for the booty... "

CUNOESSE - "Yeah, fuck it to pieces for us. Liar cop!"

Pull on the right boot.

Pull on the left boot.

THE HANGED MAN - It's not completely useless. You're able to reveal a little more of the putrid polymer sock beneath the boot.

2. Pull on the left boot.

THE HANGED MAN - It feels like the leg is going to come off along with the boot, but you are able to get the boot to move a centimetre or two.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - See? The corpse doesn't care if you try to take his boots. He doesn't need them. He's probably *glad* to get rid of them.

Pick up the body and try to shake the boots off.

Step on the corpse as you pull on the boots.

Try to twist the boots off one by one.

THE HANGED MAN - It's heavier than you'd think. You're forced to drop it back down immediately. The corpse lands on the ground with a nauseating thud, looking even sadder than before.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Formidable: Failure] - Damn, you're out of shape... In your defence, the corpse *was* quite slippery.

2. Step on the corpse as you pull on the boots.

THE HANGED MAN - Something cracks in the left leg -- it really is about to come off. The leg, I mean. Not the boot.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - You may want to slow down. Don't tear into it like that.

3. Try to twist the boots off one by one.

THE HANGED MAN - This is the right method. It takes some time, but eventually the boots come off -- with nasty slices of polymer sock stuck to even bigger pieces of skin and rotting flesh.

Item gained: Fairweather T-500 Boots with Rotting Flesh

CUNOESSE - "Look -- he's skinning the fucker up good. *Puukko* style."

CUNO - "Hell. Keep at it, pig!"

Take stock of the damage.

THE HANGED MAN - The legs look like they've been clawed at by wild animals. As for the boots -- you can't possibly do anything with them until you have cleaned and *disinfected* them thoroughly.

PERCEPTION (SMELL) [Trivial: Success] - Yes. These absolutely need to be washed before. The stink is incredible.

2. [Leave.]

FAIRWEATHER T-500 BOOTS WITH ROTTING FLESH

Don't smell these boots. Better yet, don't even *think* about them – unless it's to think about how you're going to get them clean, that is. For now, they're unsellable, unwearable, and just downright disgusting.

We can, unfortunately, interact with these.

BOOTS WITH ROTTING FLESH - These boots were probably left on the corpse because they were impossible to pull off while it was hanging. They're not exactly pleasant to look at right now, much less smell.

Look the boots over carefully.

Look at the soles of the boots.

Look inside the boots.

[Put the boots away.]

BOOTS WITH ROTTING FLESH - Graceful whorls cover the boots' glossy surface. These will be gorgeous once you get them clean.

2. Look at the soles of the boots.

BOOTS WITH ROTTING FLESH - "Fairweather T-500 / VE" is imprinted under each heel.

3. Look inside the boots.

BOOTS WITH ROTTING FLESH - Still just pieces of sock and rotting cadaver.

4. [Put the boots away.]

We need to find a kitchen to clean these in. I can only think of one... I'm sure Garte won't mind.

INDUSTRIAL STOVE - This industrial gas-powered stove has been used to prepare food for many hungry hostel guests. There are several pots and pans on hand.

SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - Getting the corpse residue out of these boots is going to require patience. And also a huge pot full of boiling water, soap, and white vinegar.

Check out the cookware.

Check out the cleaning supplies.

Master chef out. [Leave.]

INDUSTRIAL STOVE - A commercial pot draws your attention. It's very large. Gigantic, even. It could be used to make enough stew to feed an entire city. And also to boil a putrid pair of death-boots.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] - Far away, in the darkness of a makeshift morgue behind Station 41's lazareth, Dr. Nix Gottlieb cuts into the cold, dead feet of a murder victim. The veins are oddly black, he suspects a neurotoxin...

2. Check out the cleaning supplies.

INDUSTRIAL STOVE - There is a variety of soaps and bleaches in the cabinet to the left of the stove. There is also a bottle of white vinegar in the cabinet next to the fridge.

[tempenensis]

Extra pages of jjk tankobon vol 21 (read right to left) part 1 (part 2 here)

Translation under the cut 

[2] Okkotsu’s score breakdown

At the principle, when he takes points from players, he leaves 1 point. Thus, they can still live, but they can’t kill other people*.

(*Player with 0 points will get killed based on game rules)

[3] When I was in elementary school, I read a certain scene from Captain Tsubasa where I thought Tsubasa-kun kicked and broke Kanda-kun’s neck and somehow I was convinced inside my own head that “This guy surely will die” (he still might die). Recently, when I asked my editor to check it, he said “it was not stated (in the manga), but after that, Kanda-kun appears while holding his shoulder”. It was his shoulder. Apparently.

Bernard: “No way… but!! It looks… like his head!”

[4] Akutami has interest in spec*, but I myself often have been cheated by the maxed device. When I had no money, Link (maybe my lucky day) and Lupin (maybe the erased Lupin) saved me. Also, it might be a good thing that I “have been saved” by gamble, but other than this I want everyone to remember that (gamble) can “kill you”.

Charles’ technique is great, but he doesn’t want to pursue that ability (doesn’t want to develop his technique). I want him to feel like he is one of the “awakened” type players. It looks like the software part is working fine, but the hardware part can’t process.

(*Device specification. He is talking about pachinko machine)

[5] Character designs for chapter 185

[6] My editor asked “What is this about” in various places where the story are shortened.

If I give the answers after being asked ‘what is this about’, this the compassion of this world; but I just don’t know anything to say other than “the inside of Panda”, little boy.

By observing each other to collect information from each soul, the three souls of Panda reach stability, however the information from the two souls have lost. How will he turn out after this?

[7] It’s fine if you skip reading for Hakari’s technique. Once he pulls a win, he can directly pull a win again, or otherwise too. That’s all.

Kirara: “Kin-chan used to give me snacks all the time. When I knew it was prize for the extra balls, that was the first time… First time I hit Kin-chan…”

[8] It* probably comes from the Mage (chonmage)

(*the canon hair of Ishigoori)

[9] Below is Akutami’s personal segment, I just want to say meaningless things so you can just ignore them.

In Chapter 189, much like in Dr. Stone, Kurare-san supervised the science.

Actually, I also asked a lawyer to check Higuruma’s case.

I told the lawyer jujutsu regulations which I made from bare image and the lawyer told me to just made them like that. I’m thinking that I can introduce them in the future.

Hakari: “Be excited!!”

[10] Kashimo: “Aren’t there too much water torture in this manga?” Akutami: “You think so?”

[kaywavy]

really long homestuck ost ramble (like this is kinda just incoherent thoughts about it) under the cut

in the main volume series at least, its kinda funny how vol 1-4 became the outlier sequencing wise because like the main thing that gives me the motivation to get thru these big 40+ track, 1.5+ hour albums is the fact that they typically sandwiched the "just good" or mediocre tracks between some really good masterpiece shit (vol 8 / vol 5) and the fact that at the end lays the really good / bombastic [S] tracks like descend and homestuck in the case of v5 or cascade and midnight crew acapella in the case of v8

and especially with cascade and descend or any of the other longer songs, it feels weird to listen to them on their own outside of the context of the album because it feels like you haven't earned it or that you're not in the right mindset for it.

but with 1-4, all of those first albums were

a. pretty damn short, like 10 one to three minute songs and

b. almost all killer no filler in the sense that nearly every song from those albums are featured in some of the really iconic early [S] pages so it feels like you're reliving everything pre-act 5 in musical form

so it doesn't feel like that much of a slog

v6 and v7 are also pretty short but i'm not really a fan of v6 at all and v7 doesn't catch my attention all that much like v8, v5, and v1-4 do.

but with the first 8 volumes they all have that centerstage piece that really makes them feel integral to the HS experience with tracks like

Showtime, Beatdown, Aggrieve, Gardener, SBurban Jungle, Doctor, Black, etc from v1-4

Descend, Skaian Skirmish, Savior of the Waking World, Homestuck Anthem, How Do I Live, Crystalanthemums, etc from v5

Elevatorstuck, Umbral Ultimatum, MeGaLoVania, & Heir Transparent from v6

Black Rose/Green Sun, Price of Oblivion, Even In Death from v7

and Do You Remember Me, Cascade, Ocean Stars Falling, Midnight Crew Acapella, Unite Synchronization, etc from v8

like all of those are super iconic [S] pages or just really good songs in my opinion and the Homestuck experience doesn't feel complete without listening to those albums but with v10 and little bit of v9, i don't feel that much of a connection to them yet

maybe its because im still stuck on those earlier albums, maybe its because it features a lot of music from artists outside of the OG Music Team and im not used to those styles or maybe its because a lot of them kinda feel kinda disconnected from the comic since this era started pulling a lot from the spinoff albums like coloUrs and mayhem, alternia[Bound], and the solo albums from music team members

v9 kinda does have the cascade effect from v5 / v8 with moonsetter taking that spot but it doesn't have that really good phenomenal beginning to hook you in so you don't really want to start the album even though the other tracks on the road to moonsetter are also good like elephant gun, everything is something.., stress, and austin atlantis

another thing taking from that is that moonsetter is so incredibly short and laidback compared to cascade and descend so it doesn't give you that undeserved feeling if you take it out the context of the album. the main thing stopping me from doing that is becuase moonsetter makes me cry almost without fail.

[lotusflowerbreakingthesurface]

[𝐏𝐗 𝐅𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜 𝟕𝟖] 第六次 𝐛𝐲 标点欸欸欸欸

✧ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Sixth Time

✧ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: Zhang Qiling/Wu Xie

✧ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞: PingXie Only

✧ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: G

✧ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: Complete

✧ 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: Chinese

✧ 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: One-shot

✧ 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: AU Setting—High School AU, Childhood Friends, Zhang Qiling's First Person POV, Window Paper

✧ 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐜:

When he was 7 years old, Zhang Qiling met Wu Xie for the first time. Ever since then, they have always been together.

✧ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧:

Sweet and light-hearted romance (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

✧ 𝐀 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞:

"The sixth time" comes from this sentence:

他只对我笑过六次,两次好玩,两次怜悯,另外两次,一次生离,一次死别

(Mtl: He only smiled at me six times, twice for fun, twice for pity, and the other two times, once for separation, and once for farewell)

In the book, Zhang Qiling smiled at Wu Xie six times from 2003 to 2015. Here is the list (from MereBear's Translation):

1. Daomu Biji Vol. 1 Seven Star Lu Palace & Angry Sea, Hidden Sands, Chapter 57

When I saw how serious his expression was, I stammered, “He…he said ‘elevator’.” Men You Ping suddenly smiled and said, “Oh, so that’s what it is—”

2. Daomu Biji Vol. 1 Seven Star Lu Palace & Angry Sea, Hidden Sands, Chapter 66

Thinking he (Pangzi) might kill me if he knew that I had smeared my saliva on his wounds, I quickly said, “Don’t be such a girl. Let’s go.”

Men You Ping smiled in amusement before shaking his head.

3. Daomu Biji Vol. 3 Heavenly Palace on the Clouds (Part 2), Chapter 45

Men You Ping must have noticed our movements, because he suddenly turned his head towards us. When he saw our faces, he suddenly gave a profound smile and mouthed, “Goodbye.”

4. Daomu Biji Vol. 4 Snake Marsh Ghost City (Parts 1 & 2), Chapter 47

“The Ultimate?” I was confused and wanted to keep asking him, but he just gave me a faint smile, motioned for me not to speak, and said to me, “In any case, I’m on your side.”

5. Daomu Biji Vol. 6 Ancient Building Under the Dark Mountain, Chapter 49

Men You Ping suddenly smiled at me and said lightly, “It’s a good thing I didn’t cause your death…”

6. Daomu Biji Vol. 11 Ten Years Later, Chapter 41

I pulled down my sleeve, covered the scars on my arm, and stood up.

He smiled at me and I lifted my bag. “Let’s go.”

We just…haven’t seen you for a long time.

✧ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Weibo

[pholiabanna]

Confession time; i kinda hate the st writers. They are the reason why the pride was ruined during the vol2 waiting, the reason why we face constant homophobia from mlvns and the ga for shipping byler and all bc they refused to break up mlvn and also included that shit ass monologue. Now we have to wait years to see the conclusion meanwhile ppl gradualy start lose their interest. They ruined Nick's career and reputation for no reason when his site was there for years. The way they say nothing against the apparent fandom homophobia even though it is not even a secret since ppl sharw homophobic comments left and right. The way they use Will's car scene as a memeable moment even though many queer fans were devastated when the scene came out. The way they write these characters. The way they treate Will. The way they treated Robin. I have so much spite and hatred bottled in me and i am only starting to realize it after a year. If byler doesnt become canon i hope all st writers and the duffers lose their jobs and never manage to write ever again. I would even support Netlix going full bankrupt. My respect for the writers all depend on whether or not byler becomes canon and i dont care if it makes me stuck with byler or whatever. After everything the writers pulled, yes, my respect all depend on this choice for S5.

Honestly I see where you're coming from, so your feelings are completely valid. I do believe that the monologue and saving byler for the last season makes narrative sense because of the way they've written the story and how best friends to lovers stories usually work (they normally won't get together until the end of a movie, and you have to think of ST as a 5 season long movie).

I think most of those things you pointed out are more of a fandom problem, like Will crying in the van becoming a meme- I believe it was portrayed very seriously in the show and it was a certain sector of the audience who decided to memefy it. Also, the homophobia would happen even if byler became canon in season 4, sadly homophobes are everywhere in every fandom. I also believe a lot of those things you pointed out are more of Netflix's fault, because using Wills scene as a meme was something accounts like Netflix, Netflix geeked, Netflix UK and other did, but I don't recall strangerwriters doing that (but I may be wrong so please if I am let me know). Their executives were probably the ones who decided to split the season as well, and having vol 2 come out right after pride month (being a terrible coincidence because of the byler-Milkvan storyline and the homophobia that subsequently came from maloobans). If I remember correctly, the writers account has stated a couple times that everyone should be allowed to ship whoever they want. But as you pointed out, sometimes I feel like they could do a little bit more. They tanked Nick's reputation (which I can understand up to a certain point if they are trying to protect the show they are working on from getting spoiled, but maybe they should have made a less vague and incriminating statement), and they definitely could address the rampant homophobia in the fandom more frequently.

It sucks that we need to wait so many years to prove we were right, but think about how satisfying it will be once the season comes out and you watch all of those people have a breakdown, and hopefully you see interviews from the duffers explaining how that was the intention all along. If that's the case, then I'll be happy, but as you said, if all of these was for nothing and byler isn't endgame, I'll definitely consider it queerbaiting, because they have built up romantic feelings for Will on Mike's side, even if some people want to deny it. So yeah, queerbaiting in 2023 sucks, and it's totally valid for you to feel like you won't respect them anymore if they go that route. I think more people need to realize this is not a matter of whether the couple I like ends up together over the couple other people like, it's a matter of whether queer people get a respectful and deserved treatment or not. And if they don't, then they're terrible writers, because if the way they fucked up that storyline, and terrible people too.

But hopefully not. Right now, I'm really convinced byler is endgame and they know what they're doing. We have to deal with crazy Melvin stans meanwhile, but the wait will be over before you notice and they'll get really quiet and embarrassed once they realize how wrong they were. But I'd like for them to address some of the homophobic comments online a little bit more often.

[the-last-dillpickle]

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges trivia from Memory Alpha:

- Writer Ronald D. Moore arrived at the title of the episode when browsing at a book store, at a point when he was already working on the episode but hadn't yet titled it. He found a copy of a book by William Rehnquist dealing with the prerogative writ of habeas corpus, and its suspension during the American Civil War. On the book jacket, Moore discovered a blurb in which Abraham Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus is described as "a classic case of the old Roman dictum Inter arma silent leges." He felt the phrase would be perfect as this episode's title, as it synchronized well with the installment's theme. He sent the phrase to the show's research consultant, Joan Pearce, and talked with her about it, ensuring that he had the Latin correct. Pearce provided a longer version and told Moore he could arrange the words as he saw fit, since word order did not matter in Latin. ((AOL chat, 1998); Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, No. 4/5, p. 76) Moore noted, "We monkeyed around a little bit with the word order, so it looked good and sounded right […] I was kind of proud of it." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, No. 4/5, p. 76)

- Initially, the plan was for Bashir to fool Sloan and to expose him, but early in the writing process, Ron Moore took the script in an entirely other direction; rather than Bashir duping Sloan, Bashir thinks he's duping Sloan, but in reality, Sloan is duping him. As Moore explained; "The trick we came up with here was to really lead him along and make it look to the audience like he's ahead of the game. Make the audience believe he's figuring it all out, and then telling them, 'No – they've figured him out.'" (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 661))

- The episode is closely similar in story and theme to John le Carre's classic Cold War spy novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, in which a British intelligence agent participates in an elaborate plot to frame the head of East German intelligence for treason, only to discover that the man really is a British mole, and the outcome of the plot is to discredit a well-meaning, sympathetic member of East German intelligence who was getting close to exposing the mole. Likewise, in this episode, the unsympathetic Koval is saved by a Section 31 deception, while the well-meaning Senator Cretak is sacrificed in order to allow Koval to continue to serve the Federation. Ron Moore commented: "It was more of a challenge as a writer to pull it off and make it a really intriguing puzzle, to keep the audience off balance, to keep them wondering what the next twist was going to be, and yet to play fair with them. If you look back at the episode after it was over with, everything was there. All the clues were there: all the red herrings were there. I didn't just pull things in randomly. I was trying to be true to the concept, to be true to what Sloan would do, to make sure all the motivations worked out. It was a complicated show. But I really enjoyed it. I like spy thrillers, and espionage pieces. It was cool to get a chance to really do one like that, and to take it off the station, set up these other characters and do it on Romulus. It just had a real kind of classic, Cold War feeling to the whole thing. Rick Berman said. ‘You could do this as a stage play set in East Berlin.’That’s right, you really could." (Cinefantastique, Volume 29 Number 6/7)

- The ship on which Bashir travels is called the Bellerophon. In Greek mythology, Bellerophon was the hero who slew the beast Chimera, which is also the title of the episode which was produced directly before "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges". As Ronald D. Moore explains, this was only a coincidence; "The Bellerophon was a ship on which Lord Nelson sailed. That's where I plucked the name from." After someone pointed out that the mythic character of Bellerophon rode the winged horse named Pegasus (also the name of a starship, USS Pegasus, featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Pegasus"), Moore commented, "Yeah, someone pointed that out to me after the fact, but I wasn't trying to draw a connection between the two." On the connection between the titles of this and the previous episodes, Moore simply admitted, "I didn't even know that." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 660))

- Ira Steven Behr was a little disappointed with how this episode ultimately turned out; "It's an excellent show, but it doesn't have all the levels it should have. We thought we'd do a show about the compromising of Bashir. Unfortunately, it doesn't do that. At the end, Bashir winds up making this angry, pointed speech to Ross, which is a lot less interesting than the situation at the end of "In the Pale Moonlight". There, a man is trying to deal with his own culpability. And this is a show that demanded, I felt, Bashir's culpability. And he gets to walk away clean, with him being the one pointing the finger. It takes the show down a notch, and keeps it from reaching the level we wanted." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 661))

- Of playing a different side to Admiral William Ross, actor Barry Jenner commented; "He'd do anything to save the Federation. And here he puts so much value on the success of the war efforts that he's willing to do things that might not be thought of as honest and aboveboard. He was willing to bend some rules behind the scenes and go through some soul searching to defend the integrity of the Federation." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 661))

- Behr likened Ross's character change to Sisko's; "Ross is a compromised guy, just like Sisko. But it's not like he's a double agent. If he were, we'd have never allowed him to marry Sisko and Kasidy. It's so spooky talking about this stuff. It almost sounds heretical. Compromised heroes! Compromised supporting characters! It's wonderful, isn't it? I'm very proud of what we've been allowed to do." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 661))

- Authors Mark Jones and Lance Parkin wrote of this episode, "Some clever writing lets you think Bashir is in control when Section 31 is already one step ahead of the game. Sadly, there's no exploration of Bashir's guilt, which is eloquently swept under the carpet in a fierce retort with Ross towards the end. Inter Arma… has all the makings of a great show, with Bashir subsumed with guilt, but doesn't have the courage of its convictions." (Beyond the Final Frontier, p. 265)

- Star Trek author Keith R.A. DeCandido enjoyed the "courtroom" scene but criticized the fact that Sloan had managed to accomplish everything without being detected once: "The laziest writing tool in the book is the unstoppable foe, in which the foe always manages to avoid detection, always manages to plan three steps ahead, always manages to do something impossible to get away in the end. In this episode alone, Sloan manages to sneak onto and off a military base in the middle of a war twice, get himself assigned to a sensitive mission, corrupt a Starfleet admiral, fake his own death, and get away from the most secure location in the Romulan Empire. We’re given no explanation for how Sloan does any of this—the death-faking is the only thing that even gets a token attempt, and it’s pretty much the same trick the mercenaries pulled in "Gambit, Part I"." In contrast, DeCandido praised the performances of both Adrienne Barbeau (Cretak) and John Fleck (Koval) but expressed disappointment with Barry Jenner, describing his performance as "excessively wooden". Overall, he labelled the episode "very fun" and "…full of some crackling dialogue" awarding it a "warp factor rating" of 6/10. [3]

[scarlet--wiccan]

Since SW vol 4 is ending with 10 issues but coming back (whether it’s just vol 5 or something else; I think She-Hulk is doing the same?) do you have any preference for longer runs or these sort of abbreviated ones that have become so popular?

I get why they are (it’s less daunting to get into a series at #1 than #55) and honestly in this case, it makes sense to me (the fact that there’s going to be a break in releases, whatever the reason, seems like it could negatively impact sales if they came back months later with #11), I just like the idea of long running, undeniable continuity. It’d be so cool to see Wanda get a solo up into like, Wolverine numbers of issues

It honestly depends on the series. For me, as a general rule, I feel like big team books work better as long-term ongoings, and solo series can be more effective as limited runs. I do prefer limited runs to go a little longer, though, maybe fifteen to twenty issues. I just feel like most writers need a little more space than ten issues to pull of a good plot structure.

Scarlet Witch (2023) is mostly episodic, with a couple of overarching plot threads woven throughout. It's similar to the 2015 series in that way, and much like the 2015 series, I think it needed just a little more room to bring those plot threads to fruition. I really don't like that Wanda's not going to meet the big bad until the very end of the series.

I might be wrong, but I believe that the trend towards shorter and shorter runs has to do with sales numbers, more than anything else. The industry places a lot of pressure on books to make money in pre-sales, which is why so many series don't get greenlit past their first year, year-and-a-half. It's more of a money thing than a reader accessibility thing.

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers (vol. 1) #5: The New Order

Read Date: January 28, 2023 Cover Date: June 1985 ● Writer: Bob Budiansky ● Penciler: Alan Kupperberg ● Inker: Alan Kupperberg ● Colorist: Nel Yomtov ● Letterer: Rick Parker ● Editor: Jim Owsley ◦ Keith Williams ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● this cover is quite intimidating. how can Shockwave's expression be so scary when he doesn't even have a face to emote? (amazing cover art by Mark Bright) ● wait… is Spidey back? that looked like his head logo ● lots of Autobots hanging by their ankles ● Thundercracker, Starscream, Ravage, Buzzsaw, and Laserbeak are undergoing rehabilitation. ● Shockwave tells a recuperating Megatron that he is assuming command (yeah, we'll see how that goes) ● Megatron brings Shockwave up to speed on the past 4 million years ● the people trying to figure out why the ambulance is speaking ● Megatron actually calling him "Commander Shockwave," but is basically just giving him enough rope to hang himself with. Shockwave is being pretty badass here, though, and he's just catapulted to one of my faves ● 11 Decepticons are all that remain?

● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: Having taken over the Ark, Shockwave has strung up all the Autobot's deactivated bodies from the ceiling of the ship and has begun the process of reviving all the Decepticons, and filtering out the poisoned fuel provided to them by Sparkplug Witwicky. The Decepticon requiring the most repair is Megatron, whom Shockwave deals with contempt and informs him that he is taken over leadership of the Decepticons, earning the now former Decepticon commanders ire. Shockwave has also taken a point of monitoring the Earth's television transmissions and learns of G.B. Blackrock's new high-tech oil rig that has been designed by his technologically gifted employee Josie Beller.

While at the Greater Portland Hospital, Buster Witwicky goes out looking for Ratchet and finds him just returning back with a pair of paramedics answering a call. When the medics realize that the ambulance they were riding can talk they are all frightened away. Buster explains to them that his dad pulled through the surgery and informed him that he tainted the Decepticons fuel so that they would lose their battle against the Autobots. Ratchet is concerned however because he is unable to contact the Autobots via radio and Buster convinces Ratchet to let him tag along in case there is trouble. Before he goes, Buster decides to visit his father one more time.

In Sparkplug's hospital room to tell his father that he is going back to the Ark. Sparkplug expresses his disapproval telling him that getting involved with alien robots is not a thing a high school student should do and has him promise that he is only going to say his final goodbyes, Buster promises his father that he will even though it saddens him deeply.

Back aboard the Ark, Shockwave gets all the Decepticons back up to working operation and has the remaining deactivated Autobots strung up on the ceiling. He then gloats to Megatron that he intends to use Optimus Prime's Creation Matrix to create the next generation of Decepticon warriors for him to command in his quest to conquer the entire planet Earth, seizing its energy resources. Shockwave then transforms into a space gun mode and flies off to begin his bid for conquest.

Ratchet and Buster meanwhile arrive at the Ark and are shocked to find Rumble and Frenzy guarding the base. Buster convinces Ratchet to let him slip past the entrance and investigate what's going on. Sneaking inside Buster is horrified to find all the Autobots destroyed and strung up on the ceiling. Rounding the corner he runs into the severed head of Optimus Prime, kept alive by the Decepticons. As Buster looks on in ever increasing horror the head of Prime tells Buster that he is the Autobot's last hope.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Transformers_Vol_1_5)

Fan Art: Shockwave by sakuranez

Accompanying Podcasts: ● Transformers Chronicles - episode 05

● Transformers University - episode 17

[littleharpethcrossfit]

Sunday, 27 August, 2023.

A cloudy, drizzly, morning at the Barn. Cooler.

Armando led a thoroughly good warmup prior to the 2nd class. The first class skipped it.

Warmup

Tabata's

4 Rounds

Pull-up Holds

Ring Holds

Hollow Holds

Plank

The 1st class did 4 rounds. The 2nd class experienced "new clock" malfunction, the clock stopping after 2 rounds and everyone was thrilled.

Strength

Power Cleans

3 Reps EMOM X 10 Minutes

Start Light and Progress

Bernie/Nathan/Armando=175 Ed=165 Timmy/Dana=155 Herb/Dyer/Average Dave=145 Rodney=105 Coach=95 Sue=85 Linda/Warren A/Shannon=75 Alicia/Angel/Owen and others=no post Big Lew=Bike ERG

WOD

9 Rounds

5 Man-Makers (50's / 35's / 20's)

100 FEET Farmer's Walk's Between Each With DB's

Dana=19:10

Bernie=18:35 Armando=20:40 Ed=20:56 Herb=21:44

Linda=16:55 Sue/Shannon/Alicia/Angel=17:04 Nathan=18:05 Dyer=17:22 (6 Rounds) Coach/Timmy/Owen=PJ Average Dave=MOD Big Lew=Still Biking

Cool-Down

Dumb Bell Triceps Extensions

5 / 5 X 5

Notes:

There are several different ways to do the complex known as "Man-Makers" and we discussed most of them, ultimately choosing one that almost everyone agreed on. It's a tuff exercise and I was surprised how fast everyone did this WOD. I know you are thinking that athletes probably didn't do the reps properly, but I watched closely and everyone did their best, including Herb.

The Barn has rodent (s). This is nothing new. The bird seed stored indoors is a major attraction, therefore we have had a mouse, chipmunk, or the occasional squirrel for years. This rodent is different. It's a determined, Terminator Rodent. Everything I have tried in the past to chase them away, trap, or kill them has met with failure. Glue traps, rat-traps, scary steel jawed varmint traps, rat-poison cubes, Have-a-Heart live traps baited with crunchy Peanut Butter, but nothing works. Last month I even applied at the Williamson County Animal Rescue for a Barn Cat, but they only re-home them in PAIRS, and I don't want 2 Barn Cats. Long ago, I put all the bird seed in a sturdy RubberMaid garbage can with a secure top.

Today the Terminator Rodent crossed a line. It chewed a hole in the dry-wall and pulled out a wheel-barrel load of pink insulation. The hole is exactly 2 inches in diameter and perfectly round. It is 5 1/2 inches up from a flat surface. We carefully measured the hole thinking it would give us a better idea of who our enemy is. Lew says Chipmunk, Warren A says Squirrel, Timmy votes Vole (not U.T. Vol), leaving us Mice and Rats, the hole being too small to consider Raccoon/O'Possum/or Armadillo.

We launched a full-scale Rodent assault today, using everything we have used in the past, ALL AT ONCE. We put poison cubes through the hole and into the wall, Peanut Butter in the Have-A-Heart traps, Peanuts-in-the-shell scattered all around dozens of glue traps placed in sneaky places, and spring traps capable of severing a human finger.

If this fails, the plan is to stay up all night wearing a head-lamp and carrying a powerful pellet gun, keeping a watch on an open jar of Peanut Butter on the floor. Next will be a shotgun loaded with bird-shot.

In less than 100 hours, Kayla will return from her long absence. After that I won't care about Rodents.

Tuesday at 4 PM.

Don't bring bottled water for a while. We have 10 Cases now.

[aparticularbandit]

Adding onto this immediately.

1) Mukuro insisting she chose to join Fenrir sounds like they absolutely kidnapped her and she just refuses to believe it. Even if she DID choose to join, Ryoko believing she'd been kidnapped until Mukuro showed up later and told her otherwise? Makes Mukuro's choice worse, actually.

2) This best fits between DR Kirigiri vol. 6&7, when Yui has the phone number for the Crime Victims' Relief Committee recruiter but hasn't decided to call yet. Kyoko goes along for the ride because excuse you, Yui is her detective partner, and also Ryoko doesn't get to steal her onē-sama.

3) Yui is better at kidnapping detective work than Kyoko is (or, at least, this is her speciality), so we get to see Yui in her natural element instead of thrown into murder cases when she's not even a murder detective. (We do get a glimpse of her knowhow in vol. 5 when Kyoko was kidnapped and in vol. 3 when Kyoko disappeared. In vol. 5, she hit the target right on. In vol. 3, Kyoko disappeared herself and was using her detective powers to keep everyone from finding her, so that's not really Yui's fault, is it?)

4) Ryoko, as Ultimate Analyst, can fill some of the same space as Lico, despite not being a detective in the slightest, and can learn from them how to think backwards instead of forwards. This, along with the role-reversal between Kyoko and Yui, could make for a fun story.

5) Also debate if/how this impacts the events of vol. 7 - if it changes anything, or if it only gives Kyoko someone to fall back on after the events. If this impacts the Ryoko->Junko pipeline. Or if Kyoko just gets pulled into Ultimate Despair as part of Ryoko's descent.

Ryoko Otonashi hire Yui Samidare to find her kidnapped sister when.