#its weird to be back here those 10+ years later

[nefastnefertiti]

WHY CHAPTER 431 OF MY HERO ACADEMIA SCREAMS CENSORSHIP

First let's start by the "afterword", the note Horikoshi left after 430 and before the extras, chapter 431.

Original japanese for those who understand.

The best traslation I found and most people are agreeing with.

Key sentences are:

1.The real final chapter is 429, 430 is more like a curtain call.

2. PS: For chapter 431, I turn off the cameras and free the characters from their dramas.

This note being left after 430 and before the extras is so important. . The clarification of "the real final chapter is 429" and 430 is the curtain call is screaming: the show has ended here. This is further stated by "i turn the cameras off" by the man who use to refer himself as the camera man, I leave you with an example.

(They're talking about Vol 37 cover)

And back to point number 2: "and free the characters from their dramas", which could perfectly be understood as "the characters are no longer tied to their previous plots and drama" no longer connected to the main story.

It may seem like a reach until here, we're just trying to convince ourselves that's not canon, right? They´re delusions, right?

The problem is how far away everything about 431 antagonizes the whole story, the characters doesn't feel like themselves, they even regress back all their development, the drawing style looks totally different and there are many irregularities that call for our attention.

Dabi, 431 and by Horikoshi

Toga and Ochaco in 431:

Toga and Ochaco by Horikoshi:

All Might's signature for Katsuki (Horikoshi would never mess this up):

Kirishima with 6 fingers lol, Horikoshi loves drawing hands, he would never.

Katsuki's odd teeth what the fuck. (His hand looks good to me)

Ochaco and Shoto just look, weird. It's clearly not Horikoshi's art style.

And this awful background (center) was the main giveaway.

Horikoshi's backgrounds are so professional:

At this point I'm getting tired since the difference is astounding, don't believe me, just check the manga.

I don't think Horikoshi would've allowed those mistakes had he have a role in the making, maybe he did, there's no saying about that, but clearly if he did his involvement was very low.

Character's development wise now.

Seriously? "Deku"? And Katsuki complaining for picking him up. He cried his eyes out when Izuku lost his quirk and now he's back at season 1?

Izuku would never in a million years turn down that offer. And if he did, it would never be like this, so devoid of emotion and empathy.

430 showed us an Izuku aiming for his dreams again and at 431 this Izuku ¿? It's okay with being a teacher? Ok. And if that's not the problem, why he outright rejects Katsuki out of nowhere? When their rivalry was one of the main points of the plots for 430 chapters and now just um over? Without justification? Ok.

Ok.

Now specifically about that ship canonization and bkdk.

Horikoshi has been doing this for 10 years. The choices he took the whole manga were incredibly intentional, all those romantic tropes given to bkdk, his interviews, all stand in direct opposition to what happened in this last chapter.

I, myself, don't know much about Jump but what I've heard is they end lot of shonens with the same heterosexual formula. I don't think all of this is a coincidence.

Something really important that needs to be adressed to is what happened back in June (I think), when suddenly MHA announced it was ending in 5 chapters could've something to do with this. The manga was suddenly rushed to its ends with unsatisfying resolutions and as if that was not enough, one month later (at most) the same happened to JJK and all of this came accompanied by a switch of one of the heads of Jump.

About 431 again though.

I was just thinking what would I do if I was pressured to write something that ruins the biggest project of my life and goes against everything I was hoping for? Refuse. Tell them to write it themselves. If I can't do anything to stop it and it'll be there, alright, but I WON'T DO IT.

And I think this could be Horikoshi's case.

I've never seen a shonen manga come so close to implying his male protagonist and his male deuteragonist are in love before. Yes, it was not EXPLICIT but it was so fucking clear if you knew how to read, all the way up to 430. All those cliches tropes he gave them, he knew, we know.

I thought I'll die trying to explaineverything that seems wrong with this with nothing to back me up but the fact that he added that note is clear for me. I'm surprised they allowed him to publish it, I thought we wouldn't even have that.

PS:

It's interesting this being posted the same day 431 comes out. Also "heroaca is pretty dark, huh?"

I'll not go into this anyways because it's kind of a reach but the conclusion is: I think it's a "soft" censorship and Horikoshi did his best to relay his message given what he had.

Thanks for reading!

[megs-1800]

can you make one for mason where him and reader have 3 children (8,5,3) and they have been together for 10 years and he cheats one night and she finds out and leaves to go back to america and goes to her childhood best friends house in texas and mason has to come get his family back before a divorce happens

The Affair

Notes: Please keep sending in your requests. I change Texas to Y/H/T (Your Home Town) so it relates to everyone.

Summary: After 10 years you find out Mason has had an affair. After your one year anniversary you decide to confront Mason about it. Will you ever be able to forgive Mason, will he be able to save your family?

Pairings: Mason Mount x Reader

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Swearing

“Thank you for coming” I kiss Lauren on the cheek and give her a small hug. I turn around at the garden which now seems bare and quiet which only hours ago was full of life and people. It was mine and Mason’s 1 year wedding anniversary, we have been engaged for years but after having our 3 children the wedding always got put on hold. We had been together 2 years before we had Imogen it was a massive shock we weren’t even trying, but Mason stepped up and I couldn’t ask to have a baby with anyone more perfect. I cannot believe she is 8 already. We then had Logan 3 years later which he is now 5, its mental how time flies. We had out littlest, Sophia 3 years ago and since we had her I have been full on wedding mode, it was honestly the most magical day surrounded by our friends and family. It was everything I dreamed off and more, it was one of the happiest day of my life.

Here I am a year later, celebrating our one year anniversary and everything has changed. Mason started to become distant 6 months ago which was weird and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then one night I noticed it, I was doing the washing and there it was foundation on his white shirt, I wouldn’t usually think anything of it but I am pale skinned and this foundation was more tanned so it wasn’t mine. I wanted to confront him about it but I know he would lie and make me think I am going crazy so I needed more proof. A couple of weeks later, I went through his pockets and found a receipt for a restaurant which I knew me and him defiantly haven’t been and when I check the date and time of the receipt he told me he had a team training thing that day why would he lie unless he had something to hide? One day I logged onto his laptop and went through his emails and I found a receipt for a 2 night stay in Venice he told me he had an event that he had to stay down for again I didn’t think much of it on its own as I had the 3 children I couldn’t travel, but thinking about all those events together started to make sense.

It made me feel sick, I haven’t had a chance to confront Mason about it since then. Today has been the longest Mason and I have been in the same room in ages. Mason was acted all loving, always complementing me, been really touchy which he hasn’t been in months obviously putting on a show for our friends and family. Everytime I looked at him I feel sick in my stomach knowing that I know what he has been upto behind my back.

Now all our guests have started to filter out and its only a couple of our friends, and Mason’s family left. I am now tidying up in the garden when Mason walks out, I feel a bit tipsy from the amount of alcohol consumed so I can feel my confidence building. Mason slides the patio door open as he joins me in the garden, we are now alone which feels like the first time in ages. Debbie and Tony are inside chasing after the kids. Mason hands me another glass of wine “Thanks” I reply taking another sip and letting the liquid courage run down my throat.

“Who is she?” I ask

“What are you talking about?” Mason looks confused at me which winds me up.

“Please at least give me the respect of answering honestly. After 10 years Mason the least I deserve is the truth about the girl you are fucking”. I see the colour drain from Mason’s face of the idea of being caught.

“W-What are you talking about?” I hear him stutter

“Come on Mason I am not stupid. Tell me about that slag you are fucking?!” I start to raise my voice in anger.

“Shhh will you keep your voice down?” Mason demands staring in the patio door making sure his parents didn’t hear me and pulls the door shut a little.

“Why are you scared that mummy and daddy are going to hear about how their perfect little boy isn’t so perfect”.

Mason starts to walk closer to close the gap between us. “Y/N I can explain okay its not what you think”. I back away to create the gap between us again.

“I want a divorce”I spat out to Mason.

“Come on baby please let me explain” Mason pleads when Debbie comes outside holding our youngest Sophia in her arms screaming away.

“I think someone is tired” Debbie states and looking at Sophia I can tell she is overtired right now after the events of today. “Come here baby girl” I open my arms for Debbie to pass her over “I will get you bathed and ready for bed. I will be back down soon” I turn to Debbie which she nods. I do not look back at Mason as I continue up the stairs.

I get all the children ready for bed one by one, it takes me a good couple of hours to get them all bathed and settled. By the time I am finished the rest of our guests are gone and its only Debbie and Tony left who are now saying their goodbyes. I thank them for coming and watch as they drive out the driveway. I start tidying up the house trying to ignore Mason’s stares, everytime he walks into a room I walk into another. I know its childish but I don’t want to hear his bullshit excuses I am totally broken.

“Will you just talk to me!” Mason shouts from across the room

“We have nothing to talk about Mason. 10 years I have given you, 10 fucking years and 3 beautiful children now you have just thrown it all away. I don’t want to talk Mason I want a divorce!” I shout from across the room back at him.

Mason crossed over the room and grabbed my arm, with this he pulled me closer into him so our faces are inches away from eachother. “Please let me explain y/n please. I cannot loose you. Please for the kids hear me out”.

I look him up and down in disgust. I can feel the anger radiating out of me. Not saying anything I took a seat at the dining room table. Mason took that as a sign to join me, he sat in the chair next to me, he tried to grab my hand but I kept pulling away.

“I’m sorry” he begins

“That’s all you have to say is sorry!” I shout

“Will you stop fucking shouting, you will wake up the kids” I roll my eyes but let him continue.

“It was only a couple of times”

“Oh wow ONLY a couple of times how lucky am I?!” I scoff sarcastically which makes Mason roll his eyes “who is she?” I ask starting to calm down.

“She is a physiotherapist for United. She has been helping me with my recovery, it was nice to just relax around someone who understood my recovery-“

“Oh right so its my fault you had an affair because I am not trained in understanding your recovery okay right got it”.  I snap

“Please just stop and let me explain” I nod and let Mason continue. “You know I haven’t been in a great place recently with the injury. It was nothing you have done before you snap okay. It was just that me and Charlotte were close and one thing left to another, it was nice to just come away from reality for a little while okay. Its done I realised that I only want you and our family. I promise I felt like shit, I promise it didn’t mean anything. But I called it with her a couple of weeks ago I realised that I wanted you and our family only”. I watch as a tear escapes Mason’s eyes which mine are tearing in response.

“That’s a really convincing story it really is Mason. The thing is I checked your phone, you didn’t call it she did. She wanted to stop because of her boyfriend not the other way round so you came running back to me and our family because she ended it. So what am I? Just something to fill the gap until something better comes along?” I can feel the weight of my tears slipping down my cheeks. He reaches across and wipes the tears from my cheek from his thumb, I am now starting to hyperventilate as I try and control my breathing.

“I-I’m sorry” Mason struggles to get out “I fucked up, I made a mistake and I am so fucking sorry baby. I love you more than anything. My head has been fucked due to the injury and the recovery I have been all over the place. Please understand baby, I love you”.

“That used to be true Mason, but if you loved me, loved your family. You wouldn’t of destroyed us like that. I want a divorce Mason end of”.

With that I stand up from my chair, legs still wobblily and made my way upstairs. Not even looking back at Mason. We are done, just like that. After 10 years, we are over.

Mason’s POV

My hands are shaking as I open the envelope, I know what it contained but I just prayed that it wasn’t true. As I read the papers my worst fears came to life divorce papers. I can feel the tear escape my eye at the thought of how much I have messed up.

“Are you alright mate?” Lewis patted me on the shoulder as he walked into the kitchen.

“Yeah sure” I lie

“Mase whats on them papers whats wrong?” I pass Lewis the papers so he can read them, he inspects the forms and gives me a sympathetic look. “So that’s what has been up with you?” Lewis embraces me in a hug as I let the tears fall onto his shirt.

“Have you spoken to her since she left?” I shake my head.

“The last time I spoke to her was 4 months ago after our anniversary party when she found out about everything that happened. She went to stay with her sister for a couple of days and then she messaged me saying she was taking the kids to her friends in (Y/H/T). I cannot bare the children being that far away. I really miss y/n too Lewis. I just don’t know what to do”.

“Mum is fuming by the way” Lewis states taking a seat on the stool in the kitchen.

“I know. She rang me. She messaged y/n a couple of months ago asking what had happened as I didn’t want to tell her and she told her everything. Mum rang me kicking off. She was saying everything I already knew, I fucked up, I lost my family, the love of my life. I just don’t know what to do Lew.”

“Go fight for her. You are standing in your kitchen holding the divorce papers feeling sorry for yourself. Go to (Y/H/T) and fight for her, fight for your family. You fucked up but y/n is the best thing that ever happened to you so you cannot let her go. If you get her go that easily you just showed you never care and she deserves better then that.”

“I know Lew I just don’t know what to say”

“Just talk from the heart Mase. Even if she doesn’t take you back at least you can say you did everything.”

Reader’s POV

I am just finishing cleaning the flat I am so grateful Layla has let me stay with her, she has a 3 bedroom apartment, Imogen and Hunter are sharing a room and me and Sophia are sharing. Its not ideal but I am grateful for Layla to take us in until we can get our own place.

I have been applying for jobs to get back out there as I am now not being supported by Mason. He kept messaging me saying he would send me money, I agreed that he can pay for the children but I said I don’t want a penny of his money, I want nothing to do with him.

The children are off school at the moment until I can figure out what I am doing to do about school placement for them. Due to it being a nice day Layla agreed to take the children to the water park for the day so I can do some admin bits. I decided to blitz her flat as well whilst I am doing my bits when I hear the buzzer go to her flat. Her buzzer is broken so I cannot hear who is downstairs, I buzz them in thinking it will probably just be a deliveryman at this time.

I hear the knock at her door, when I look through the peephole I see him standing there. He looks amazing, my heart skips a beat and I suddenly feel sick. I haven’t seen him in 4 months, and I really not prepared for this. I opened the door cautiously and Masons face lights up as soon as our eyes meet.

“Hey” he says softly

“Hey” I reply. “Did you wanna come in?” I offer as he has travelled a long way. Mason nods and I lead him through the living room. We both take a seat on the sofa.

“Where are the kids?” he asks

“Layla took them to the water park as the weather is nice. They will probably be back soon though if you want to see them I can ring Layla and ask her to bring them back now?” Mason shakes his head and places a hand on my thigh.

“That’s okay I actually came to talk to you”. I take a deep breath knowing what is now going to come.

“There is nothing to talk about Mason. I am guessing you got the divorce papers” which he nods in agreement. “Exactly Mase I think that speaks for itself, I don’t want to be with a cheater. I deserve better than that. My children deserve better then that”.

“Please just come home and we can talk about this. Just give me a chance to make everything okay. Please baby please just give me a chance, I cannot loose you. You and those kids are my world. Please”.

“I-I can’t Mason, I loved you more than anything in the world. You broke this family Mason, the second you started to have an affair behind my back. You decided this, no one else. So please just leave I have nothing to say to you. Actually I do.. please sign those papers”.  I watch as Mason’s expression drops, I know this wasn’t the outcome he expected.

“P-Please y/n/n, everything we have been through this past 10 years. Our 3 incredible children please think about that.”

“I am thinking about that Mason, after all we have been through together you decided to throw it all away over some stupid bitch. You should know better Mason, I thought you were better than all those other footballers, you just proved to me you weren’t.”

“I promise you y/n, I will be better for us, for our family please. Just give me a chance. I was in a bad place, I wasn’t myself. You are the only girl I have ever wanted and will ever want. Please just give me a chance to make it all alright please. I want us to be a family, I promise nothing like this will ever happen again. I love you more than anything in this world”.

“I wish that was true Mason but if that was you wouldn’t of destroyed our whole entire family for a couple of months of fun. Now please leave”. My tears are now staining my cheek as I stand up to walk Mason out, Mason knows he lost the fight so he slowly walks out the door.

“I’m s-sorry” he choaks out as I close the door. I feel myself drop down against the door and let the tears fall as I feel my heart break all over again.

Masons POV

Its been 2 weeks since I went to (Y/H/T) to try and save my marriage but it didn’t end the way I hoped. You still get the kids to facetime me so I am not missing out on too much but I am still so broken. I cannot believe I ruined our relationship, I broke my family. I still message everyday hoping that one message might save our marriage but it hasn’t. I signed the divorce papers as I know that’s what you wanted, it broke me to do it though, there is a delay on your side but they won’t tell me what it is. I would give anything to make everything okay.

Today was no different, I finally got myself out of bed and ready for training. That’s all I do nowadays is training or games, apart from that I am home wallowing in my self-pity. I have put my all into training which is good to take my mind of everything at the moment.

Something felt different as I pulled into the driveway, I slowly walk through the door which I am greeted to a sudden squeak of voices “dadddddyyyyy!” as my babies run into my arms. I hold them close not knowing if this is real. As I put the children down I see you standing at the bottom of the staircase, you look amazing. “What-What are you guys doing here?” I ask still in complete shock.

“Last time I checked this is still our home” You state, I cannot tell if you are being sharp or trying to lighten the mood.

“Kids can you go play in the play room for me, mummy and daddy need to catch up on a couple of things, then you can all tell him about your trip okay”.

“Okayyyyy” they all say in unity as they run to the play room.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” I ask

“Its okay I already got one, we kind of made ourselves at home” you giggle as we walk through to the lounge.

“Well this is still your home y/n, this will always be your home” I place my hand on your thigh hoping to get some connection with you. I am trying not to do too much as I don’t want to scare you away.

“That’s what I want to talk to you about” you let our a big sigh and I can feel my heart suddenly drop. It seems like we sat just starting at eachother for ages. “Promise me you are done with her, with that lifestyle”. I wrap both hands on either side of your face and slowly rub your cheek.

“Baby I am done, I have been done way before you found out. It was stupid and- and it made me realise all I want is you and our beautiful family.” You slowly nod and I can feel you learn in towards my hand.

“Okay I wanna fight for this. That’s why I didn’t sign the papers. I- I want us to try. I am not saying its going to be perfect as there is massive trust issues now but we owe those children a family, so for them I want to try. Obviously if you are willing to try”.

I launch myself across the sofa, this is all I have been hoping for since you left. I place a slow cautious kiss to your lips, when I feel you reciprocate I relax into the kiss. “Fuck I love you” I state.

You pull away and continue to hold your hands in mine “just promise me if you feel like there is issues we will talk about it. Please don’t break my heart again. I want this to work Mason but I am not saying its going to be easy, its going to be a lot of work.”

“Honestly y/n whatever you want you name it. I will do anything to keep us as a family. I promise, you and me against the world”. I cannot stop beaming, my smile is cheek to cheek.

You stand up in front of me and I embrace you for a couple of minutes, we haven’t been this close in what feels like forever. When you pull away I can see the small tears escaping your eyes. You quickly wipe them away, “come on Mase, Logan wants to show you his new football trick he learnt. You got a lot of catching up to do”.

“I will be there in a minute” I reply letting you walk into the play room to join the kids. I stand there for a minute just taking in the moment. Our marriage is saved, our family is saved. Everything is going to be okay.

[thanosscross]

Hello hello!! Welcome to my little meet your writer section!! 🫶🫶 I’m so excited you’re here! Welcome!

I felt like with you all being my lovelies and being so kind and amazing, you might want to get to know the writer behind some of your favorite stories of mine! 🫶💕☺️ please keep in mind this is a judgement free page, where none of it will be tolerated, unless we’re judging the man who shall not be named 🙄 so welcome! Get to know me here 🫶🫶

Hi! I’m currently 19 turning 20 this February 5th! 🫶 which I’m very excited about,

I go by she/they, really anything you’d like to call me! I’m somewhat the middle child, I have an older brother and two younger brothers, so I’m the only daughter/niece/granddaughter on my dad’s side (my dad’s only child). I grew up with somewhat of a rocky childhood so I’ve always got a soft spot for kids, I’ve become the ‘Mary Poppins’ of my family rather quickly so I’ve always got a kid on my hip, whether its my cousin, youngest brother (5&6), or my fiancée’s niece (5).

I’ve been engaged for almost a year now, I met my fiancee working at a local grocery store, She came through my check-out line, before applying a few weeks later. I ended up being the person to train her for the job position, and ever since then we hit it off, We were both in pretty toxic relationships before, so whenever we got together it was a little weird, but we quickly found a healthy groove together, and it's just been happy times ever since <3 A lot of people say it's too soon, or we're too young, but we prefer it this way, it gets all of the big stressful stuff out of the way, that way we'll have more time to focus on each other and building our family in the future <3. I was always taught that whenever you find the person you know is not only a good relationship partner but also a good business partner, you've found the one, and nothing is too fast, and I know I found my perfect partner in life <33.

I like writing a lot, I’ve been writing since I was about, 9 or 10? So almost full decade now, holy shit, I started out on wattpad, moved to writing on paper, and then eventually moved to tumblr around the time I turned 14? I like to call myself a 'detailed writer', I think of it as a writer who is more focused with writing out physical feelings and emotions. I like my stories to not only be easy to read, but I also like my stories written in a way where you can really picture or imagine the feelings behind the words, I feel like those are the best stories to read, in my opinion <33

I have five animals in total (I know! A lot!) I have three dogs, and two guinea pigs, MooMoo, Charlie, Daisy, Winnie, and Honey Bunz, who are all pain in my asses, but I wouldn't know what to do without all of them <3. For the longest time I wanted to be a lawyer, then it changed to a police officer, all because my original dream of being a firefighter was kinda taken from me whenever I was diagnosed with something that prevents me from safely working in overheated conditions. Now I'm set on writer, or just in the public eye, I don't really mind how, preferably some type of dancer (Competition teams/back-dancer/etc) Or a screen writer, I just want a position in the public eye where I'm actually heard and not just drowned out over the sounds of everybody else (Told you lovelies, rough childhood) I want my words to mean something, I want to be a voice for the people who can't find theirs yet <3

Favorites? Music wise? It's a little all over the place but my top five? (not in order) BigBang, ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, Sir-Mix-Alot, and stray kids <3 Shows? Squid game definitely, or a spin off series of the walking dead that's recently come out, The Walking Dead: The ones who live, I also watch 911, and the Rookie (I really miss being a firefighter when I had the chance). Movies? Really anything horror, I'll always be excited about a new scary movie that comes out, I've been like that since I was itty bitty though >< Jobs? I'd have to say either being a firefighter at only 16-17, or being the Easter Bunny one time at my local mall, those two were the most fun!

My style? I have three different types of styles, I either dress in Baggy Clothes (cargo pants, baggy t-shirts, my black jacket) or tight clothes (undershirts, skinny jeans, a flannel or button up, kept open, to go over it) or a mixture of both 😂 I’ve been mainly sticking with my baggier clothes lately though 🤌💕

Hmmmm...Last get to know me section..What should I put? We'll get a lil personal. I've struggled with severe depression and anxiety since I was around 11 or 12, whenever I had something bad happen to me at 13, it just caused it to become worse, along with other diagnoses. This one is a little more recent, and I'm still a little iffy about sharing it, just because a lot of people give it a bad rep, but I was recently diagnosed Bi-Polar. It wasn't that much of a shock, almost every female in my family has it, and it made a lot of sense for some things I experienced, especially the manic part of it. I've slowly been learning just because I was raised around people who are Bi-Polar who weren't good people, doesn't mean I'm a bad person just because we share the same diagnosis. I go to the doctor, take meds, just like anybody else <3, Some of you lovelies might question why I got so personal on here about it, but for the few that have the same thoughts, know you're not alone, I'm in the same boat with you, so why not us hang out and chill while we're here <33

And without further a-do....

Hi! Lovely to see you here lovely <3 this is the face behind some of your favorite stories! 💕🥰 so glad we can finally meet!

[evilvvithin]

Hello folks! As someone who never did any celebrations nor tutorials for giffing, I decided it's finally the time now. So thank y'all for putting up with my horror shenanigans, 8k is just amazing and I hope y'all will keep enjoying my blog and posts!

PHOTOPEA GIF TUTORIAL

Moving to Photoshop after years of using Photopea, I can say while they both work very similarly, they're also different. Photoshop is far superior, you can still make very HQ and nice gifs in Photopea too! This post aims to show you my personal way of making crispy gifs while also covering the basics of getting the frames and uploading them to Photopea. (If you're looking for more detailed beginner tutorial, there's plenty of those out there, amazingly done!)

Photopea is completely free, video player is completely free, downloading movies is completely free. Only thing it'll cost you is your time.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- photopea - potplayer - good quality movie file ( i go for the highest GB ones, above 10gb is amazing. Sometimes I get 40gb and prefer 1080p source. Note that higher file doesn't immediately mean higher quality - if the movie looks weird just download another one)

GETTING THE FRAMES: Once you get your source file and open it via PotPlayer, find the scene you want to gif. Using D and F keys you can go backwards or forward by single frames. When you get the perfect frame where you want the gif to start, I always go back 10 frames because PotPlayer tends to cut those out. It's better to get more frames than you need as you can always delete those extra ones later on.

I'll be giffing scene from Longlegs alongside the tutorial.

PRESS CTRL + G. This will open the frame capturing window. Fix the setting to match these:

and press "START". Click back on the PotPlayer to bring focus back on the window and hold or press the forward key - F - to play the scene and capture the frames. You can see the frames number going up on your other window. If it stays on 0 you're not capturing anything. Once the desired scene is over, press "STOP" on the frame capturing window and voila - you have your frames in your selected folder. Delete any extra or unwanted ones. The amount of frames usually sits between 40-80 depending on what ratio you'll use later on for the gifs to fit the 10mb Tumblr upload limit.

Now it's time to open PHOTOPEA.

FILE > NEW: you have to write down the exact dimensions of your frames. This action will create a new file with single background. Go back to FILE > OPEN AND PLACE > SELECT ALL YOUR FRAMES and upload them. Depending on the size of the frames, this could take a while or even lag your browser. Make sure to not click anywhere within the app before all frames are done uploading.

Now lets finally make the gif. The following were my most used gif making steps in general, play around other options and find out what works - every gif or scene is different!

Delete the original empty layer at the bottom and then select all the frames (clicking the first/last layer and then click the last/first layer while holding shift to easily select all) and by pressing CTRL+G, group them. Select all layer again and

RIGHT CLICK (on the layers) > RASTERIZE LAYER (on the upper taskbar) > ANIMATION > MAKE FRAMES Now your frames should have _a_ in their names. CREATE NEW LAYER

and select all your frames again.

CROP the whole project to whatever ratio you want, Ill be using 64x44 ratio for wider gif.

By pressing ALT+CTRL+I open the RESIZE window. Tumblr gif dimension is 540px wide max (heres tutorial for other dimensions and why correct sizing is important) so using that and "bicupic sharper" option under resample, resize the gif.

Now you have the base gif done.

Its dark, muddy and unclear. We sharpen it and give it the clear crispy look using noise. FILTER > NOISE > ADD NOISE and set the Amount to 1% and select monochromatic FILTER> SHARPEN > SMART SHARPEN > 150% amount with 1px radius FILTER> SHARPEN > SMART SHARPEN > 50% x 10px

Now its time to bring the gif to life. Create NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER. This is where all the editing options are.

For this specific gif Im doing:

BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST +50 brightness, +10 contrast

VIBRANCE +20 vibrance, +10 saturation

HUE/SATURATION master -50 , red +50, cyan +50, blue +50 (the reason i tune all colors in master down by 50 is to mute them all down. Adding back on colors you want is making them stand out way more! It works on gifs with dominant few colors but if the gif is very colorful, you're better off leaving this option out completely and rather work with selective colors. As I said, try it out and see!)

another layer of BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST +20 brightness

COLOR BALANCE range: midtones > magenta - green: -11, yellow - blue: +8

SELECTIVE COLOR red: cyan: -20%, yellow: +20, black: +10 yellow: yellow: +50% white: yellow: -10%, black: -20% black: black: +4%

CURVES(those are something I didnt use much in Photopea as in general youre just fine with brightness and selective color. Just move the point on the curve and see what it does! For this gif I went with Curves like these and it enhanced the gif nicely.)

another layer of SELECTIVE COLOR > black: black: +2%

Now Im satisfied with the gif and want to save it. Clicking FILE > EXPORT AS > GIF will open this window:

Make sure the quality is at 100%, the size in darker numbers lower than 10MB. Speed in Photopea is quite tricky for some reason, but 180% - 190% is the "normal 100% speed" of the gif.

Enjoy giffing and feel free to ask anything if unclear!

[southtopaz]

PSYCHO KILLER - SCREAM

Summary: in which Iris Morris has to navigate her personal relationships while surviving a psycho.

Warnings: Fem!reader, angst, mention of violence, swearing, mention of death, Tara Carpenter x Fem reader, multiple parts.

Word count: +3,5k

A/n: this part will follow the events of Scream 6 but it will take place two years later from Scream 5. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any grammatical mistake.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18

"Jason and Greg were little Atlanta rich boys," Gale explained to the group as they made their way through a narrow alleyway. The walls were plastered with graffiti, but one piece caught Iris's eye: a hauntingly detailed Ghostface painted on the wall, its hollow eyes seeming to watch them as they passed. Of course, this was the kind of place that suited those two lunatics perfectly. "Apparently, they used fake names to rent this place."

"How did you find it?" Kirby asked, walking beside Gale, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

"It's called investigative journalism for a reason," Gale replied, her tone dripping with confidence. Iris exchanged a glance with Sam, who rolled her eyes. Here it comes, Iris thought, suppressing a smile as she noticed the weird dynamic between those two.

"How didn't you find it? Weren't you tracking them?"

"I went through their financial records dozens of times," Kirby shot back, her frustration palpable. "This was not in any of them. It doesn't make sense."

"Don't worry," Gale murmured dismissively, waving her hand as if swatting away a fly. "I'm just really good at my job. You'll get there one day." Kirby rolled her eyes, letting out a loud sigh that echoed through the alley.

Gale strode over to a heavy door marked with rust and age, fiddling with the entry system until it clicked open, once she swiped a card. With a confident push, she bounded inside, the group trailing behind her. Iris couldn't help but wonder how Gale had managed to get her hands on a keycard that could unlock all the doors to this place. It felt both impressive and a little unsettling.

As they stepped inside, Gale produced a flashlight from her bag, its beam slicing through the darkness. The light illuminated a narrow corridor ahead, revealing another fence that needed to be unlocked. Gale approached it, pushing the gate open with a loud shriek that echoed off the walls.

"What's with this place?" Sam asked, her voice reverberating in the eerie stillness. "What's with all the security?"

Gale flicked the light back on, and they all stopped in their tracks, jaws dropping as they took in the sight before them. The room was expansive, filled with rows of glass shelves, but it was the stuff inside them that left them speechless.

"It's a movie theater," Tara realized.

"It's not just a theater," Gale corrected, her lips pursed in a serious line as she scanned the room. "It's a shrine."

"That's a funny way of saying this is the dollhouse of some psycho," Iris muttered, her gaze flickering from the creepy altar of the murders  to the large stage that loomed ominously at the front.

"What the hell?" Mindy whispered, taking a step closer, her curiosity overshadowed by unease.

Iris began to stare straight ahead, her heart pounding as she took in the scene. One by one, the others followed her gaze, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock. The room was a museum dedicated to the Stab franchise, filled with clothes, weapons, and haunting photographs. The curtain that usually shrouded the stage had been pulled up, exposing a chilling display of Ghostface costumes but the masks were absent. The sight of the Ghostface outfits, each representing a different killer twisted her stomach into an uncomfortable knot.

"Wow," Sam whispered, her voice barely audible, mirroring the stunned silence of the group. Mindy and Chad brushed past them, eager to investigate more.

"They've got the whole goddamn franchise," Mindy exclaimed, disbelief etched across her features. She turned to her brother, her eyes wide. "Chad?"

"Hmm?" he replied, distracted by a particularly striking costume.

Mindy gestured toward a faded black t-shirt hanging on the wall. "This was Uncle Randy's..." Her voice trailed off as she took in the vast collection around them. "They've got everything."

Iris's gaze drifted past a series of photos featuring a younger Sidney and a portrait of Dewey, who looked so vibrant and full of life. She felt Gale's presence beside her and couldn't help but speak. "He was so young in this picture."

"Yes, so handsome too," the older woman replied softly, a sadness glimmering in her eyes. They exchanged a brief, bittersweet smile before Iris stepped away, sensing that the woman needed a moment to herself.

As she continued her walk, she spotted Kirby staring intently at a stripped blue shirt and a knife displayed behind the glass. "Kirby, is that...?" Iris asked carefully, her heart sinking.

"The knife I was stabbed with," Kirby replied, her voice heavy with sorrow. Iris instinctively rubbed her arm in comfort, trying to ease the weight of the moment. As she turned her attention to a dark blue crop top on a nearby shelf, a chill ran down her spine. She leaned closer to the glass case, her breath hitching when she saw the name inscribed beneath it. "Belonged to Olivia Morris."

"How the fuck do they have that?" Iris gasped, pressing a hand against the glass as if to will it to disappear. The reality of the place began to suffocate her.

"I don't know," Kirby said, grabbing Iris's arm gently but firmly. "Let's move on. Don't look at that."

Tara noticed the distressed expression on Iris's face and approached her, concern etched in her features. "What happened?" she asked, her voice low and soothing.

"They have a shirt that belonged to my sister, like it's some kind of trophy," Iris admitted, her words tinged with sadness. The weight of loss settled heavily on her chest as Tara wrapped her arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Ris," Tara murmured, her voice soft and sincere.

"It's not your fault," Iris replied, pulling away reluctantly. She took a moment to steady herself before heading over to join Chad and Mindy, who were engrossed in examining another set of weapons.

"How did they get all of this stuff?" Tara asked, glancing around the room with a mix of disbelief and horror. "Isn't this evidence?"

"Well, cops like money," Gale replied nonchalantly, her tone dismissive. "And evidence can get lost pretty easily. Present company excluded, of course." She shot a pointed look at Kirby, who was already glaring back at her, with her arms wide open.

"Um, why am I here exactly?" Ethan piped up after a moment, his tone laced with irritation. "My alibi check out."

"So we can keep an eye on you," Chad said calmly, a smirk dancing on his lips as he leaned casually against the wall.

"You're not excluded, pretty boy," Iris chimed in, her voice sharp. At the same time, Mindy made a gesture with her eyes, a clear indication that she was keeping a close watch on him.

Gale nodded, her expression turning serious as she surveyed the room. "He must've found this place before he murdered Jason and Greg," she deduced, her voice low but urgent. "And then he took the masks off the mannequins. All nine, from Stu and Billy to Amber and Richie."

As Gale spoke, Iris and Sam made their way toward the Ghostface outfits, each drawn to different displays. Sam approached her father's outfit, her expression unreadable, while Iris found herself standing before Amber's costume. It felt surreal to look at something that belonged to the girl who had caused so much pain.

For the first time in a long while, Iris stared at the costume without feeling sadness or betrayal. Instead, a simmering anger boiled inside her, anger that she hadn't been able to stop Amber before she hurt Wes, Dewey and Liv. The memory of their faces haunted her, and she clenched her fists.

Chad approached, his expression shifting to concern as he noticed her distress. "You okay, Ris?" he asked softly, his voice comforting as he stared at the costume of the girl who used to be his friend.

"Yeah, just tired of this bullshit,".

"I feel you, girl," Chad said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. Together, they stepped away from the horrible display, ready to rejoin their friends.

As they made their way back to the group, the air felt thick with tension. She looked around, catching glimpses of Sam standing by her father's outfit with Tara beside her and Gale flipping through various shelves trying to find some type of clue.

"So, somebody killed these chucklefucks and took over?" Chad crossed his arms, his expression showing disbelief.

"Someone who believes that Sam masterminded Woodsboro," Gale replied, her tone grave as she surveyed the room.

"If this were a normal Stab movie, this would be the killer's lair," Mindy added flatly, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if trying to piece together a twisted narrative.

"Jesus, this is insane," Iris muttered.

"Which means this isn't a normal Stab movie," Kirby confirmed, her voice steady but laced with anxiety.

Kirby's words hung in the air, echoing in Tara's mind. Something shifted within her, and before anyone could react, she darted down the small steps of the stage and out of the large room, urgency propelling her forward.

Sam and Iris exchanged worried glances, their concern deepening as they quickly followed after her. They found Tara in the hallway, visibly shaken as she took a deep breath from her inhaler.

As Tara turned to face them, the worry etched on Sam and Iris's faces was unmistakable. "You okay?" Sam coaxed gently, her voice soft and reassuring.

"Sam, when do I get to be a normal person again?" Tara asked, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as if to shield herself from the world. A silence settled between them, heavy and suffocating.

"I don't know," Sam admitted, shaking her head, a frown deepening on her brow.

"I don't want to be a part of this," Tara continued, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to be part of some stupid legacy because I'm—"

"Because of me,"

"Sam, it's not your fault," Iris interjected, her voice firm yet gentle, desperate to defuse the tension building between the sisters.

"Just drop it," Tara murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Without another word, she hurried away, making her way toward the second floor.

"I got her," Iris assured Sam as she followed Tara's retreating figure.

As she ascended to the second floor, Iris turned into a random room, her heart racing with concern. There she found Tara leaning against the wall, her gaze fixed on the floor as if the ground might swallow her whole. The vulnerability in Tara's posture struck Iris, and she felt a rush of sadness.

"Hey, you okay?" The words hung in the air between them, soft but heavy, as Iris watched Tara's shoulders slump.

Tara looked up slowly, her eyes tired, a little lost. She gave a half hearted smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's not easy to be here". She sighed, staring at the floor, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"No, it's not. " Iris said softly, taking a cautious step forward. "But you know it's not Sam's fault, right?"

Tara let out a long sigh, her shoulders sagging under the weight of it all. "I know. I was a total jerk, wasn't I?"

"Yep. But she understands you didn't mean it. This place has a way of driving everyone insane."

"I'll apologize, she didn't deserve that."

"Good." Iris smiled gently, relief washing over her. "It's important that you guys stick together."

Tara glanced at her, concern evident in her eyes. "How are you holding up? I know this is hard for you too."

"Yeah well, It's not that bad. I mean, I'm extremely mad about my sister's clothes being here. But what can I do? I just have to hope we get justice for her and for all of us."

"That's really mature of you," Tara remarked, a hint of admiration in her tone.

"You almost sound surprised, I'm a little offended," Iris teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Tara chuckled softly. "It's just... you're usually the one who's ready to lash out." Iris could not disagree with that.

"And what about seeing Amber's costume? Are you okay?" Tara asked, her tone shifting to something more serious.

"Honestly? I'm great. I haven't felt anything for her in a long time. Maybe just anger that I didn't have a gun sooner," Iris admitted, a smirk creeping onto her face.

"Ah, here comes the sadistic side again," Tara said, shaking her head, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Don't lie to me, you kinda dig it." Iris nudged Tara playfully with her shoulder, trying to draw her out of the heavy atmosphere.

"Maybe," Tara said, allowing a smile to break through.

"You okay though? You seemed really mad" Iris asked.

"I'm just overwhelmed, you know? Everything that's happening... it doesn't help to see it all laid out like this. It's like a constant reminder of what we've lost."

"I know, this sucks," Iris replied, her voice tinged with empathy. She took a step closer, her voice lowering, trying to offer some comfort. "But hey, it will be over soon, I promise. We'll make it through this.

Tara nodded slowly, but it didn't seem to reassure her. She glanced around at the room, the yellow walls, the relentless buzz of fluorescent lights above them and the poster of older films "I don't know," she muttered, her voice shaking slightly. "It doesn't feel like it'll ever end." Iris understood. The situation they were in wasn't one that could be easily escaped, not with their lives on the line every day.

And in the silence that followed, Tara spoke again, almost as if the thought had been eating at her from the inside.

"Do vou ever think about what would happen if we died?" Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant, as though she wasn't sure if she even wanted to know the answer.

Iris blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift. She ran a hand through her hair, unsure how to respond at first. "Well, I don't really think about dying, so... no," she said lightly, attempting to ease the atmosphere with a touch of humor.

But Tara wasn't laughing. Instead, her eyes narrowed, her hand reaching out and giving Iris a playful slap on the arm. "Asshole," she muttered. "I mean it though. I think about it a lot, especially now. More than I'd like to admit."

Iris raised an eyebrow, her expression softening with concern. "Why?"

Tara hesitated for a long moment, her gaze drifting off, as though she was lost in her own thoughts. She exhaled, the air leaving her lungs like a deflated balloon.

"I guess I just don't want to go with any regrets, you know? Like, I don't want to leave this world without having done the things l've always dreamed of." Her voice dropped. "I've spent so much time worrying about everything, and now... now it feels like I don't have enough time to do all the things l've put off."

Iris's chest tightened as she watched Tara struggle to voice the thoughts that were clearly haunting her. She moved closer, her voice softer now. "And you have a lot of those? Regrets, I mean?" She tilted her head slightly, noticing how close they were standing.

Tara's eyes flickered briefly to Iris's face before returning to the floor. "I do," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "Like I have a whole list of things I want to do. I want to see the world, finish my major, do something that matters." She laughed bitterly. "But instead, l've just been stuck here, letting the fear of what ifs ruin everything"

Iris took a deep breath, trying to steady her own emotions. She reached out, touching Tara's arm gently. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" she asked, her voice firm but gentle. "Once this is over, you should do everything you've always wanted to do. No more waiting. What comes to your mind right now?"

Tara's lips twitched upward in a small smile. "Like going on a cruise, mavbe?"

Iris froze for a moment, her brows furrowing. "You want to go on a fucking cruise?" she asked, her voice filled with amusement. "They kinda suck"

Tara shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a spark in her eyes. "What? Don't look at me like that, it would be amazing," She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Here I was, about to invite you to come with me and everything."

Iris's lips curled into a grin, her heart skipping a beat at the thought. "Count me in," she said without hesitation.

Tara's eyes widened for a second, but she quickly recovered. "But you just said cruises suck" she reminded her, crossing her arms with a teasing grin.

"I did." Iris admitted, shaking her head in happiness "But if I'm going to be stuck on a filthy boat, it might as well be with you." She paused, her voice lowering as she took Tara's hand in hers. "I would go anywhere with you, Tara. Even on a horrible cruise."

The words hung in the air between them, a silent promise. Tara squeezed her hand in return and for a moment, it felt like everything else faded away and it was just the two of them.

Tara's breath caught in her thoat, and she pulled her hand back slightly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "That's not the only thing I want to do, though," she said, her voice suddenly quieter. She stepped back, her gaze flickering to the ground as she struggled to say what was on her mind. "There's something I need to do first. Something that comes before anything else."

Iris raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Well then you should also do that, whatever it is".  She placed a hand on Tara's shoulder, her voice steady. "We'll end this nightmare, together."

Tara shook her head, the sadness in her eyes apparent. "You can't promise that," she whispered. "Not everything is in our control."

"Maybe not, but there's one thing I know for sure." Iris moved closer, the space between them almost nonexistent as she looked directly into her eyes. "I know that I'm going to protect you, no matter what happens. I'Il do anything to make sure you're safe."

Tara's heart skipped a beat at the words. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "Why?" she finally whispered. "Why would you do anything to protect me?" Tara's eyes softened, but there was still a depth to her gaze that Iris couldn't fully read. She hesitated, biting her lip as if the words were stuck in her throat.

Finally, she exhaled, her voice barely audible. "Well, I... because you're my best friend," she stuttered. "And I don't want you to die."

"God, I hate that word so much," Tara whispered, the intensity of the moment thickening the air around them.

"Which one? Die?" Iris tried to laugh, but it came out forced, nervous as Tara's gaze locked onto hers.

“No, best friend. I hate it when you call me that”.

Tara grabbed the back of Iris's neck, her fingers tangling in her hair as she pulled her in, their lips crashing together with a force that took them both by surprise. Iris hitched her breath in shock, the warmth of Tara's mouth sending ripples of sensation coursing through her.

As the kiss broke, she pulled away just enough to catch her breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Their eyes locked, both of them momentarily speechless, Iris's mind raced, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that surged between them.

Tara's cheeks flushed a deep pink, and her gaze flickered between her eyes and lips, a spark of desire igniting in her expression. It was a look Iris had never seen before, raw and vulnerable yet filled with longing.

Unable to resist the pull any longer, Iris wrapped her arms around Tara's waist, drawing her in closer as if trying to merge their bodies into one. The move was instinctual, fueled by a longing that had been building for what felt like ages. She pressed her lips against hers again, this time with a desperate intensity that spoke volumes of the feelings she had kept locked away.

Iris felt Tara melt against her, her body responding to her every touch as they lost themselves in each other. She placed her hands on Tara's waist, feeling the warmth of her body beneath her fingertips as she pressed her against her body. Iris's fingers slipped to the small of her back, holding her tightly as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, savoring the taste of her lips.

Tara grabbed onto the side of her jaw and ran her tongue across Iris's bottom lip, every brush of their mouths was electric and made her crave even more. Tara wrapped her arms around her neck, her fingers tangling in her hair. She tugged gently, the sensation sending shivers down Iris's spine, and she couldn't help but let out a soft whimper, opening her mouth slightly to allow Tara to easily slip her tongue.

Iris moaned softly at the sudden contact, and with a gentle yet firm pressure, she pushed Tara  until her back met the cool surface of the wall behind them. She wasn't willing to let go of her, not now, not after everything that had led them to this point.

One hand pressed firmly against Tara's lower back, pulling her even closer, leaving no space between them. Her other hand drifted through Tara's hair, her fingers weaving through the soft strands, relishing the feeling of her body against her.

Tara's hands roamed up to her shoulders, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her shirt as if anchoring herself in the moment. Tara responded to her touch with a soft sigh, her body arching into her as if instinctively seeking for more. Iris could sense her excitement, the way her fingers tightened in her hair, pulling her closer still.

She explored the curve of Tara's waist with her hand, a sensation that made her heart race even faster. Iris could hear the soft gasps that escaped Tara's lips, each sound sending a thrill through her. She had never experienced anything like this; this raw, unfiltered passion that seemed to consume them both.

As their kisses grew more fervent, Iris couldn't help but lose herself in the moment. She marveled at how right it felt to hold her like this, how natural it was to be entwined in each other's arms. Finally, as the lack of air was starting to become present, Tara pulled away, tugging on Iris’s bottom lip and releasing it before speaking, making the girl chase after her lips.

"That's what I wanted to do more than anything," Tara whispered, her breath warm against Iris's lips. "In case you were wondering"

Iris felt a rush of heat wash over her, her entire mouth tingling. With her eyes still closed, she leaned her forehead against Tara's, both of them trying to steady their breaths. "Tara, that was..."

"We should go. Let's find Sam, we have things to do" Tara replied, pressing a gentle kiss to Iris's cheek before pulling away. She stepped outside of the room, leaving Iris standing there, her mind racing with questions.

[zzthekaiju]

The GREAT MONSTER HUNTER RANKING! PART 1

Of all the video game franchises out there, none have captured my imagination or just in general really hooked me as much as the Monster Hunter series has.

It's funny, really. I remember picking up the first game in 2004 when I was just six, only to not get anywhere because back then I couldn't figure out any game that didn't explicitly tell me what to do/where to go (which might be why I played so many licensed games back then).

Then, more than a decade later, I played Monster Hunter: World. And by that point, I was well beyond needing everything and everyone to hold my hand. Now, I could appreciate this series for what it was: a world where you could fight a massive array of diverse creatures inspired by myth and nature, craft equally varied weapons and armor from parts harvested from each hunt, and in my case, fall in love with an ecosystem of fantastical proportions.

So naturally, Wilds is my most anticipated game of the year. And in celebration, I'm taking a look at almost every monster, and giving my thoughts on their looks and, if applicable, how it feels to fight them (fair warning, I've only played World, Generations Ultimate, and Rise).

So, let's get started with the monsters that debuted in the one that started it all:

The Herbivores:

Here we have all the plant-eating monsters at the thorough bottom of the food chain. Even the smallest meat-eaters stand more than a chance of taking them down. Still, that doesn't make them any less fascinating.

"So beautiful...I'm gonna eat it!"

The Aptonoth is the first monster any player will encounter, and it's a great way to communicate how this fantasy world takes a plethora of cues from prehistory as opposed to just sticking to the typical tropes. It's a very appealing design, being a Parasaurolophus with the tail of an Ankylosaur. It almost makes me wish it were in the fossil record. Definitely an 8/10.

"Here, the monsters dine on turtle soup!"

The Apceros is a desert-brand herbivore, and with the fortification to match. This time, the Ankylosaur features extend to the entirety of the body. It's not quite as creative as Aptonoth, but it's still got that prehistoric charm. 5.5/10.

Really, I'd just like to note how the first two herbivores would be near-unstoppable in the real world. Any person would have all their bones broken by a pissed-off specimen of either species. But that just tells you how brutal the world of MH can be that they're still at the bottom of the pecking order.

"Oh, deer..."

Kelbi are...not all that fascinating. While it's amusing to hear how they may have inspired Unicorn-like myths in this world, there's a certain mono-horned horse that fits that bill way better later on. These guys are just...deer. Though I find it a little weird/amusing that the recent games don't allow you to kill them. Wonder why? 2/10.

"A most plant-based porker"

Now, HERE'S a less dull mammal herbivore right here! The Mosswine carries that prehistoric influence with that rather odd Pachycephalosaur-like dome on its head, as well as the neat symbiosis with moss that gives it its name. Sure, it's just an average-sized pig other than that, but it still has its charm. And yes, I am aware of the giant Mosswine quest. That's just hilarious. 5/10.

"So nice and floofy!"

First of all, Popo is such a cute name. And these are some cute animals, too! They look like little mammoths crossed with musk oxen, complete with big honking tusks. But its those stumpy noses with the hair hiding their eyes that just exudes adorable charm! Out of all the herbivores we've seen in the wild, these are the ones I'd want to hug the most (though they are a bit aggressive). 8/10.

"The reindeer Santa doesn't talk about"

Anteka are a lot like the Kelbi, in that they're fairly standard forest ungulates with a couple fantastical features, in this case being moose-elk. But they have a couple things over their mainland counterparts. For one thing, they fight back, they have an almost comical combo of a mustache and goatee (HA!), and those horns sure look ornate! Among herbivores, bigger is indeed better. 6/10.

"Could have sworn I saw something like this in Scotland"

The Epioth is, by far, one of my favorite Herbivore designs as of this writing. There's just something very eye-catching about it being a plesiosaur with distinctly koi fish-like details, right down to the appealing patterns. It really does feel like the kind of creature I could watch swim in an aquarium for hours and never get tired of how serene it all is. It's a shame they're stuck in the third generation due ot being inseperable from the water combat that dominated those games. Yeah, that's never coming back, not with how janky it was. Sure, I'm open to miracles, but I just don't see it working. At least we have no reason to hurt these beautiful monsters. 9/10.

"There's a brick wall with your name on it!"

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the Rhenoplos, which seems to take all our dated depictions of ceratopsians and roll them into one animal. Not the most interesting design, it's a little too much on the rhino side of things (plus they charge at EVERYONE), though the big ears are a nice flourish to indicate a sense it uses to compensate for terrible sight. 5/10.

"It's not a hippo if it's not obliterating anything it sees and hears."

Slagtoths get a leg-up on the Rhenoplos for merit of originality. Sure, that huge droopy flap of skin is doing most of the heavy lifting, but the hippo-like look and that subtle ceratopsian crest on its head come together to make a stand-out herbivore. Plus, it's heightened aggression is a nice nod to how hippos are the embodiment of zero chill. 6/10.

"The Great Valley is THAT way."

I really want to like the Larinoth, and I do, but something about it frustrates me nowadays. It's a sauropod, but its almost just as much of a pushover as the rest of the herbivores. For me, that just fits the absurd idea that Sauropods were cannon fodder for the neighboring predators, completely ignoring how they were nature's living kaiju during their time. But as monsters isolated from their pitiful spot on the food chain, they're a fun design for a fictional Sauropod. 8/10.

You'll run out of excuses one day, Capcom. Soon, you'll have an Elder Dragon that looks like a Brachiosaurus on steroids.

"Our heads hurt."

The Kestodon are basically souped-up Pachycephalosaurs. Nice headgear, but that's really it. 4/10.

"Keep attacking! ALWAYS KEEP ATTACKING!"

Meanwhile, Gastodon is a much more interesting design than its predecessor. They too look like Pachycephalosaurs, but instead of a bony dome on their heads, they have huge plumes of feathers in the shape of a dome, with small horns on each side of it. In practice, it makes them look almost part-bison. This, combined with their borderline-suicidal tendencies to mob hunters that slightly ticked them off, make them a solid win. 7/10.

"The big monsters got their goat."

Gowngoats are a fun concept. Not only does their fur look like a gown, as per the name, but it also kind of looks like an anteater's hairbrush-like tail. Not at all imposing, but definitely cute. I'd pet one for a fee. 6/10.

Next up, Neopterons, Carapaceans, and Temnocerans!

Index:

Herbivores

Neopterons, Carapaceans, Temnocerans

Bird Wyverns

Flying Wyverns

Piscine Wyverns, Amphibians, Leviathans

Brute Wyverns

Fanged Beasts, Fanged Wyverns

Elder Dragons

[copperboom82]

Pairing: Dean x OFC (Katrina), mentions of Dean/Lisa

Word Count: 4,035

Title Credit: Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

Summary: Dean's forced to confront his fear of flying to help a friend, but this time Katrina might be able to help... and maybe along the way her and Dean might find a way to stop their nonstop bickering.

Set in season 6, during Weekend at Bobby's, and part of the Long Winding Roads collection (masterlist here), but can be read on its own.

A/N: This is my sixth submission for @jacklesversebingo using the prompt There's only one thing in the world they're afraid of. It is also a submission for @alphabetquest using the nicknames prompt!

Thank you @justwhisperingfantasies for being my beta and for all your support! ❤️

Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of alcohol. Prescription medication. Implied Soulless Sam. Vague mentions of past trauma... if I missed any, please let me know

**********************

“Okay, what is wrong with your brother?”

At the question, Sam followed Katrina’s gaze from where they stood in line for food to where Dean was still sitting in the terminal. There was little over an hour to go before boarding, but Dean looked like he was going to be sick, and he hadn’t stopped fidgeting since they’d gotten to the damn airport. Katrina may not have known the older Winchester particularly well, but even she could notice how uncharacteristically anxious and… on edge… he seemed to be.

“Oh,” Sam chuckled. “Dean’s terrified of flying. Only thing in the world he’s afraid of… if you ask him, anyway.”

“Really?” Katrina couldn’t help but ask, her eyes widening in surprise. Sam smirked but nodded. He had one of those weird expressions on his face again… almost like he was amused but somehow… disconnected.

“Oh yeah,” he told her. “Few years back we had to work a case where we had this demon taking down planes. You should have seen him, I don’t think he’s ever been so flipped out.”

Katrina frowned, but before they could continue talking, Sam got called up to the counter and she was left to stand on her own.

It was a little funny, Dean being so freaked out. And there was part of her that felt like Mr. Cocky-Pain-in-Her-Ass had it coming - Dean had been insufferable since he’d shown back up, and really from that first time he’d come round Bobby’s with his girlfriend and the kid.

But it was almost a 10 hour flight to Scotland. And there was no mistaking the genuine terror in his eyes, or the way he was wound so tightly he looked like he was ready to snap. That he was willing to put himself through what was clearly some version of self-inflicted torture for Bobby tugged at heartstrings Katrina liked to pretend she didn’t have.

With a sigh, she ducked out of line and rerouted to the duty free store a few yards down from where they’d camped out.

A few minutes later, Katrina wordlessly dropped into the seat next to Dean. Sam was no where to be seen, but she wasn’t about to complain. In fact, the fewer witnesses to see that she actually had a heart, the better as far as she was concerned.

Dean ignored her at first, but when she tossed one of the little vodka bottles in his direction, he turned to her in surprise, even as he caught it in his hand. When she followed up by tossing him a prescription bottle, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Pick your poison,” she said, already digging in her bag for her earbuds. “I don’t recommend both, but to each his own.”

Katrina tried not to let her heart beat too fast at the thought of what she was potentially revealing about herself with the offering. She couldn’t afford brand name anyway, so it wasn’t like she expected him to immediately place what the pills were. Even if he did, Xanax was a pretty common medication.

And it wasn’t like she was actually taking them. She was fine. Everything was fine.

“Wha -“

“We’ve got at least 10 hours ahead of us. You shouldn’t have to white knuckle it the whole time, that’s ridiculous. Even if you are a jackass.”

“Gee, how sweet,” he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I can really feel the love.” Katrina fought the urge to flip him off. From the corner of her eye she noticed Dean bringing the pill bottle closer to his face, his eyes scrunching as he scrutinized it.

“Katrina Black, DOB 4/22/84, take 1 tablet orally four times a day… Jesus, Kat, they’ve got you on 8mg of this stuff a day? The hell are you doing hunting?”

Of fucking course, she thought. And that fucking nickname again, to boot.

Katrina glared and reached back for the pill bottle but Dean quickly pulled it out of reach, holding it up and to his other side while pushing her back.

“If you’re gonna give me shit, you can give them back,” she snapped.

“I wasn’t giving you shit,” he complained. “Just surprised. Besides, it’s a valid concern, considering Sam and I seem to keep getting stuck working with you, which mean’s you’re supposed to have our backs.”

“Hey, no one’s making you hang around. Or Sam for that matter. I could have handled this one just fine on my own.”

He started to puff up the way he usually did when they got into their verbal sparring matches, but before any words actually came out he seemed to deflate, running a hand down his mouth - a habit she’d begun noticing of his when he was frustrated or trying to pull his thoughts together - before looking at her with an expression she hadn’t seen before.

“You’re right,” he finally said, though it looked like it pained him to get the words out. “I’m sorry.”

Katrina’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

Dean gave her a look, dropping the hand holding the prescription bottle back into his lap now that he seemed to deem the danger of her trying to take it back had passed.

“Don’t be a smartass, Black. I said I’m sorry.”

“My bad,” Katrina quipped, “I didn’t know you knew how.”

She clocked the way he started to narrow his eyes. But when he noticed the smirk on her own face and eased up, she let out a silent breath of relief. It was only another second before even Dean let out half a laugh and shook his head.

“Y’know, you’re a real pain in the ass, sometimes.”

Katrina shrugged and went digging in her bag again. “Yeah,” she agreed over her shoulder, “but ‘s not like you or brother are exactly a walk in the park either, so maybe glass houses and all that.”

“Touché,” he agreed. And then after a moment, much quieter, he followed up with a thanks.

The genuine tone of his voice was what caught her attention, and Katrina looked over to find him watching her, a soft, almost pensive expression on his face. It struck her the way the sunlight filtering in through the big, glass windows fell across him in that moment, illuminating the natural highlights and low lights in his short brown hair and giving extra life to his already vibrant green eyes. The jacket he was wearing over his usual flannel attire stretched across his shoulders, and even she wasn’t blind to his chiseled features.

She’d have thought he was attractive, if he weren’t such an asshole. Katrina could see what other women saw in him, though… what Lisa probably saw in him. Even in the limited amount of time the three of them had been by Bobby’s, it’d been impossible not to miss the way he fit there, how good he was with the kid… Ben, she thought his name might have been.

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” she dismissed. Dean nodded and looked towards his hands - one holding the pill bottle and the other still hanging onto the vodka. He looked unsure, hesitant, and Katrina rolled her eyes. The tension was already back in his shoulders, and his knee was bouncing in a very un-Dean Winchester like way. “You should probably take one of the pills, but do something, dude. You look like you’re about about five seconds from a meltdown.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, trying to hand her back both bottles, which Katrina resolutely ignored.

“You are not fine, Winchester*.* You’re not even in the neighborhood of fine.”

The narrowed eyes came back. This time, though, she recognized the uneasiness in his expression, saw the same self-consciousness she’d been feeling just moments before reflected back at her. “Yes, I am. Just had too much caffeine trying to stay awake on the drive here, that’s all.”

Fucking asshole, she mentally cursed. Leave it to Dean Winchester to accidentally find a way to tap into the sympathetic part of her brain.

“Sam already ratted you out, said you’re terrified of flying,” she informed him. He became visibly uncomfortable but she hurried on. “It’s not a big deal, really. We’ve all got our… things.”

Dean seemed to study her for a moment, almost as if he were looking for her to go in for the kill at any second, and when she didn’t, he pulled a face and turned the pill bottle over in his hand again.

“Yeah? Is that what these are?”

Katrina snorted, though it was the humorless type, and shook her head.

“No. Those are… I’m not taking those anymore. But those were something else.”

Those were the doctor’s answer to the thin line she’d been walking after last year. Their brilliant solution to keep her from totally spiraling out. As if some pills would have magically changed what had happened with her mom, or the mess she’d been left to cleanup in the aftermath.

Dean seemed to sense there was a story, but to his credit didn’t push. Instead he nodded and turned the bottle over in his hand again, discreetly observing it from the corner of his eye. She could tell his pride was warring with his desire for some relief, but she decided not to pick at it… yet.

“So then what’s your thing, Miss. Black? Since apparently we’re caring and sharing.”

Katrina sighed, fiddling with her nail as she glanced down towards her lap, feeling uncharacteristically shy.

“Heights,” she mumbled, but when Dean raised an eyebrow, indicating he hadn’t been able to understand her, she huffed again, forcing herself to raise her voice. “Heights. I’m afraid of heights.”

She had fully expected him to laugh and give her some kind of crap for it, despite the fact that she’d been trying to make him feel better. Maybe that said as much about her as it did about him, she wasn’t sure and didn’t really care. Dean surprised her, though, by doing neither of those things, and only nodding instead. Katrina thought he might have even let himself settle just a bit further into his seat, as if something about her confession had eased something just enough that he didn’t feel the need to hold himself quite so straight.

“Alright,” he said. And without another word, he uncapped the pill bottle and dropped one of the tablets into the palm of his hand. She was about to offer him water when he tossed it into his mouth and swallowed dry, recapping the bottle as he did, and then handing it back. The vodka, she noticed, stayed where he’d dropped it into his lap.

“Just like that?” she questioned, and he nodded again.

“Yeah, just like that. Your loss if you were trying to poison me or something, though, because if something happens to me you’re stuck with gigantor over there.”

Katrina’s eyes traveled in the direction he’d tilted his head and saw that Sam had reappeared but was chatting up a woman a few banks of seats away from where they’d camped out. She looked back at Dean skeptically and he shrugged. After all, she was pretty sure it had been her less-than-warm opinion of his brother that had started them off on such a sour note.

“Yeah, well, at least I’m used to working with him. You’re still an unproven entity,” she joked, dropping the pill bottle back into her bag. Dean scoffed at that, both of them knowing full well that even if they hadn’t been getting along, they’d both proven more than capable since Dean had taken up hunting again.

They were quiet for a moment, and Katrina was about to finally pull her earbuds on when Dean opened his mouth, a contemplative and an unusually serious expression on his face.

“This past year, while he’s been… back… how often did you two work together?”

There was something about the way he asked the question that told Katrina there was more to it than what it seemed at face value. She dropped the headphones back to her lap and frowned, thinking.

“Often enough…” she answered carefully. “I was starting to hunt more than I had been, and Bobby wasn’t a fan of me working jobs by myself. So when Sam showed up and insisted on leaving you out of things, Bobby seemed to think it was a good opportunity to push us to partner up.”

“And the Campbells?” Dean asked after mulling what she’d said. Her mouth twitched into a frown of its own accord. He caught it immediately, the curiosity on his own face deepening, and Katrina shook her head.

“They’re fine, just… I don’t know, I get a vibe, but I don’t have anything backing me up. Anyway, they just kinda showed up one day. Sam, I guess, had worked a few jobs without me? And then when we hooked back up they were just part of the deal - not all the time but a lot of the time.”

“You get a vibe?” Dean’s voice was incredulous, but Katrina shrugged.

“Yeah, I don’t know, man. They're just… Samuel’s a little too unbothered with the whole don’t-know-how-I’m-alive-again thing - your brother too, but whatever. And then they’re all just… close? And, look, I get it - hunters aren’t exactly the most trusting or welcoming bunch. But there’s something going on there. Whenever I’m around I get the sense they just want me out of the way - even more than you do, which is saying a lot.”

Something flashed on Dean’s face - guilt, she’d say, if she didn’t know any better - but it was gone before she could really give it much thought.

“I don’t - I never… that’s not -“ he stuttered but when Katrina raised an eyebrow, Dean sighed. “Saying I want you out of the way ‘s a little harsh,” he finished weakly. Katrina snorted.

“Oh yeah? What are we, best buddies then, Winchester? You wanna make friendship bracelets and braid my hair?”

He rolled his eyes at her sarcasm, but it broke him out of the weirdly awkward demeanor he’d been settling into and it drew out a short laugh, even if he did try to suppress it.

“Let’s not go that far… but maybe you don’t totally suck.”

“High praise,” she quipped, and Dean actually laughed, a rare smile breaking across his face. “I mean, really - sweet talker like that, Lisa’s a lucky woman.”

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry, okay?” he admitted, mirth still coloring his voice, though she could still tell he was being genuine. “I didn’t mean to be -“

“Such a dick?” she supplied helpfully. Dean went to defend himself but immediately deflated.

“Yeah.”

Katrina smirked. “It’s fine.” Then settling back down, she added on a more serious note, “I’m sorry too. I probably could have started things off on a better foot.”

It was an understatement, not that she’d ever admit that, but Dean seemed to read it for what it was anyway and chuckled.

“Just maybe.”

They were quiet for a moment, though it was a little more comfortable now, and after a bit Katrina noticed that contemplative look sliding back onto Dean’s face. She followed his eyes back to Sam and waited, sensing there was still more on his mind. Sure enough, not more than thirty seconds later, Dean was opening his mouth again.

“So why did you say he’s a dick?” Registering the surprise on her face, Dean continued on. “I mean, you two seem to get along okay. You’ve been working together. What was the deal?”

There was more to that question too, and Katrina was done humoring him.

“Why do you wanna know?”

After all, Dean hadn’t brought it up since that initial argument they’d had in Bobby’s kitchen. In fact, they’d pretty much avoided any and all conversation about Sam since.

Dean’s gaze returned to her, and she could see him mentally weighing his desire to keep his cards close to his chest against her proven stubbornness. She didn’t flinch and eventually the debate seemed to play out in her favor.

“He’s, uh… something’s different about him, since he’s been back,” he admitted, lowering his voice. Katrina looked back, unimpressed at the lackluster answer.

“Well, he did go to Hell. Which is something I hear you have some experience with. You telling me that didn’t change you at all?”

“Smart ass,” he grumbled. Katrina only smiled back, waiting for Dean to gather his thoughts and continue. “Yeah, I do. But, this is… not that. I can’t put my finger on it, but he ain’t right. And I’m worried.”

It would have been easy to keep teasing him, and part of Katrina felt like he deserved it for how he’d been the last few weeks… but she sensed this opening up he was doing wasn’t a normal thing for him. And that was something she could relate to. Painfully so.

“Look, I didn’t know him before,” Katrina admitted, “but you can pick my brain on whatever you want. He’s definitely not the Sam I had in my head from what I’d heard from Bobby. I don’t know if that helps or not, but…” she trailed off, but Dean seemed appreciative anyway.

“You got any more for me as to why? Besides you thinking he’s kind of a dick, I mean.”

Katrina smirked, but took a moment to reflect on the past year. It was a gut feeling more than anything, but if she tried, she could articulate it a bit.

“He’s just… I mean, all I heard was how he’s this great hunter, and he’s got this heart of gold, and how you guys grew up doing this, right? And, I don’t know, I gotta tell you… dude’s got no instinct. I mean, there’s sometimes where he’s scary perceptive, like when we’re interviewing someone or dealing with the local badges, but a lot of the time? Especially when it’s not case related? I’ve seen him start to make some real miscalculations reading people. And then that heart of gold I heard so much about? I don’t think I’ve met anyone colder, and I work in emergency services. He’s… he’s tried to make some seriously fucked up calls too, and… it doesn’t exactly leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling thinking about what he might do when he’s working solo. And, look, it’s not like I don’t have my issues, so I’m the last person to judge here, but dude, the women. He’s got no bounds.”

Even though he’d asked to hear, Katrina had anticipated some type of pushback… maybe even a defensive sort of reaction - it wouldn’t have been the first time. But Dean listened, his frown deepening and eyes drifting back to Sam as she spoke. Until finally he turned back to her, skepticism and concern fighting for dominance on his face.

“What kind of seriously fucked up calls are we talking about here?” His voice had grown hard, serious, and Katrina shifted uncomfortably.

“You sure you really want me to answer that?” In the seconds that followed her question, it felt like they were in an unofficial staring contest until Dean exhaled and ran a hand down his mouth.

“I’m sure I really don’t, but I’m just as sure I need you to.”

It was as honest an answer he could have given, and Katrina felt a pang of sympathy.

“Using innocent people as bait, for one,” she said quietly, uneasy despite the truth of what she was saying. “Letting them get hurt or worse when it’s been inconvenient to stop it. I can tell you we’ve been working together for over a year now, and I’ve got zero confidence the guy has my back. I don’t think he’d do anything to intentionally screw me, but I don’t think he’d go out of his way to help me either. Not unless it was a benefit to him. It’s just… like I said, I didn’t know him before… but I don’t see the guy you and Bobby talk about.”

Dean seemed lost in thought, but he nodded. Then when she caught his eye he looked almost surprised, but snapped out of it fast, a practiced poker-face taking over his features. He shifted in his seat, trying to look casual, but she noticed that some of the tension had returned to his body… a different kind than before that she suspected had a lot more to do with an unease that went deeper than his fear of flying.

“Well,” he said lowly, “’least I know it’s not just me I guess. Thanks, for telling me, Kat. I appreciate it.” Katrina thought it was the end of the conversation, but then he winced, shooting her an apologetic look. It was an expression Katrina had yet to see, at least not pointed in her direction, and she froze, her interest piqued.

“Sorry,” he said. “I know you don’t, I didn’t mean to… Thanks, Trina.”

Literally everyone called her Trina. Or even Treen. Katrina on rare occasions. But ninety-nine percent of the time? Trina.

She hated that he called her Kat. It was the entire reason he’d started using the name - to piss her off when he realized it got under her skin.

But sitting there now, him looking at her with that earnest expression on his face, she cringed at the use of her actual name. It felt fundamentally wrong coming out of Dean’s mouth for reasons she couldn’t explain. Dean, of course, seemed to notice this, and the corners of his mouth quirked up in amusement.

“Did you just call me Trina?” she asked, and Dean snorted.

“Yeah. Thought that’s what I was supposed to call you.”

They shared a look, but then Katrina scrunched her nose, and in an extremely rare moment of synchronicity, they both chuckled.

“No,” she corrected him, “it’s weird.” Dean laughed again.

“Yeah, felt pretty weird saying it,” he admitted. There was a beat of silence, only slightly awkward. She recognized what the olive branch had been, him trying to call her by her preferred name, and hoped he didn’t think she’d been trying to reject that. Luckily, seconds later, he flashed her a seemingly warm smile as he settled back into his seat. “So, Kat?” he asked, “or is there something else we should be trying here?”

She still hated the name Kat, but there was something about the way he said it that made her shake her head, forgoing the opportunity to get rid of it forever.

“Kat’s fine,” she agreed. “Wouldn’t wanna change things up on you too much now, would we?”

Dean rolled his eyes, but the fond smile he was still wearing gave away the fact that he wasn’t actually annoyed. Katrina reached for the earbuds again. This time, she got one halfway to her ear when Dean gave the iPod they were attached to a pointed look, making her pause.

“What’re you listening to?” he asked, and she realized he must have noticed her listening to it earlier in the car. Katrina felt her cheeks flush, wondering if she were about to get the same rash of shit she usually did - especially from Jenna - for her taste in music.

“Metallica,” she admitted. “Got a playlist I’ll probably switch to after that’s a mix of stuff, but I’m about halfway through the album.” When his eyes lit up in interest she hesitated, then held out one of the strings. “You wanna listen?” she offered tentatively.

The surprise was clear on Dean’s face, but he covered it up fast enough, reaching out a hand for the offered bud. He seemed to recognize the gesture for what it was, as her own attempt to bridge the gap between them.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

Katrina hummed and dropped the earbud into his palm, a slight shock flashing across her skin when their fingers brushed.

Neither commented on it, instead just settling back into their seats as she reached down to the device and hit play. And maybe it wasn’t the grandest gesture, but Katrina thought to herself that maybe Dean Winchester wasn’t such a total asshole after all.

Maybe.

**********************

Tag List (let me know if you'd like to be added): @mrsjenniferwinchester @0ccvltism

[officialah]

Achievement Hunter is changing and we're taking you with us

As you may have noticed, Achievement Hunter has gone through a number of changes this year. We’ve grown a bit smaller as our cast has moved on to work on exciting new ventures, including Inside Gaming and VTubing. Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of Dogbark, a new content group featuring Michael Jones, Alfredo Diaz, Trevor Collins, and Joe Lee. 

Rooster Teeth is at its best when employees have been given the opportunity to pursue new creative passions. Fifteen years ago, this meant giving Geoff the ability to create Achievement Hunter. And today, this means letting the Achievement Hunter cast move on to new creative projects.

Over the last few years, this has allowed our cast to put time into creating F**kface, ANMA, Red Web, Face Jam, and more. More recently, Jack and BK have put their efforts into streaming at Inside Gaming, Lindsay has begun exploring Vtubing as Ruby, and Ky is producing multiple projects, including some of those listed above.

With all of our new focuses, this means we will not be actively creating content for the Achievement Hunter channel. Let’s Play will also look a little bit different moving forward, but we can assure you that it’s not going anywhere, and it’s in great hands.

But why Dogbark, and not just new shows under the Achievement Hunter banner? At this point in our creative careers, we have grown as both people and as entertainers. Much like how early Achievement Hunter evolved from video game guides to Let’s Plays, we’re looking to take Dogbark in a bold new direction that is more heavily focused on improv and sketch comedy. It’s new. It’s fun. It’s weird. And it’s such a departure from what Achievement Hunter has been that we feel Dogbark is truly its own thing.

We’re very excited to share these projects with all of you, and we really do hope you’ll enjoy all the new content we have in store. Through the years, we’ve reached heights we never thought possible–from Haunter to the Hardcore series, from RTX Panels to AH Live Tours. Whether you joined us back in 2008 or 2023, we couldn’t have done this without you. We have been met with so much support as we’ve grown and changed over the years, and we can’t thank you enough for that.

We know this news might be shocking and saddening for you. It’s bittersweet. On one hand, we’re saying “See you later” to a truly indescribable brand. On the other, we’re getting to pursue new passions, explore, test ourselves as creators, and that’s an incredibly exciting experience. It’s hard to do the same thing for our whole lives, and we shouldn’t have to. But, just because we’re not a part of AH anymore doesn’t mean that we didn’t appreciate the time spent there, or with you.

It’s okay to be sad; it’s okay to take time to process. After, when you’re ready, come join us over at Inside Gaming, F**kface, RWBY’s Twitch, Dogbark, Red Web, Face Jam, ANMA, and So…Alright. We’ll be waiting for you.

Love, 

-AH

To watch our full video on this, check out this link: https://youtu.be/YVgACDwlgq0 To learn more about our future projects, check out the links below. 

Dogbark - www.youtube.com/@dogbarkshow || /www.instagram.com/dogbarkshow/

F**kface - www.youtube.com/@fckfacepod || twitter.com/FuckFacePod

Inside Gaming -www.twitch.tv/roosterteeth || www.youtube.com/@insidegaming

RWBY Twitch - www.twitch.tv/rwby_vt

We’ve anticipated your questions and have created an FAQ below that will hopefully provide answers.

Where are [insert the AH person you are looking for] going?

Honestly, nowhere. They’re still here at Rooster Teeth, but are jumping into new exciting opportunities that bring them joy and passion.Geoff and Gavin are focusing on F**kface, Jack and BK are streaming over with Inside Gaming, Lindsay is launching a RWBY Vtubing Twitch, and Ky is producing these projects. Michael, Trevor, Alfredo, and Joe are excited to announce their new project, Dogbark, which launches 10/2.

Does this mean AH content is going away?

Nope. It’ll exist in perpetuity online. Both on Rooster Teeth Site and Apps as well as the AH YouTube channel.

Will AH ever return?

Think of it like your favorite band going on hiatus. We don’t want to close the door completely and turn off all the lights. There’s always the chance that One Direction will come back.

Is Let’s Play content and channel going away?

Also nope! But stay tuned, you might recognize who will start showing up (and reshowing up) there.

[aeternallis]

Haven’t dabbled in VK in many many years now, but looking back at that fandom in retrospect through the likes of LJ, Community forums, then on here, I lament the fact that it was always so difficult to find people to discuss that manga/anime without the conversation descending into “it was so weird and icky that there’s incest involved.”

Like, hardly anyone—at least within the English speaking sphere of the fandom—appreciated that Hino was working with complex, morally grey themes in her work, yknow? It was hard to find people who were mature and thoughtful enough to discuss WHY Hino chose to incorporate themes such as incest, social hierarchy, Nurture vs Nature, etc etc, and to talk about how those themes contributed to the story, without all the pointless pearl clutching.

Hell, even now, you still find that sort of attitude in the tags.

I’m not sure if it was because the fandom was younger back then, but I will say that there was definitely a bit of…I would say, a conservative push to dismiss VK as just some fetishy, off shoot manga/anime whose lasting legacy was its odd reputation. When in reality, I would argue that VK is actually a hallmark of its genre, especially considering that even now, 10+ years later after the OG run of the manga had ended, we haven’t really seen anything like it since, not in terms of storytelling, art style, etc etc.

I guess what I’m saying is, at the end of the day—it was a missed opportunity back then (and even now, I’d argue) to truly create something transformative in the fandom, because of all the pearl clutching that went on, and by that point, VK’s legacy as that “weird manga/anime that has incest in it” had been thoroughly cemented.

[asideoftrashplease]

Do you have any plans for more Genshin fanfics after you finish "Venti can do what he wants"? (amazing work btw, can't wait for another chapter) And if you do, would you mind sharing what they'll be about? 👀👀👀👀👀👀

MY FRIEND, I have SO MANY genshin fics half written or at the very least outlined, are you sure you want to ask me this question? Do you really want to be stuck here for the next 10 mins? HAHA anyways, not all of them will be Venti-centric or even have Venti in it, despite my Venti-obsession, but now that Venti Can Do What He Wants is complete, these are the fics on my priority list:

Xiao-centric + Chongyun + Xingqiu: an adeptal guide to gardening

First chapter is already on Ao3. Basically, Xiao ends up investigating a strange domain that lures people in with illusions of their loved ones with the help of Chongyun and Xingqiu. The short summary is: Xiao's Very Bad, No Good Babysitting Adventure, only it turns out that being around mortal children is very good for one's soul.

Venti crack (one-shot): Congratulations! You've Been Excavated!

Venti being friends with the adepti and they often grumble about how their domains keep getting broken into and excavated by humans like "they took my favorite tea set and now its in a museum!!" And Venti doesn't have a palace to excavate so he always thinks it's SO HILARIOUS. Then, one day, he settles down in a sealed domain for a nap-- and wakes up, wings and all, in this Sleeping Beauty-esque glass case in the church, because humans stumbled into his domain and lovingly excavated HIM. (The adepti have been waiting 50 years for him to wake up so they can laugh in his face about it.)

Keqing grieving the death of Rex Lapis (one-shot)

Fic takes place during the Liyue AQ after the Rite of Descension and Rex Lapis' "death" but before he tells the Qixing that he's still alive at the end of the AQ. Basically, Keqing coming to realize that she's actually a bit traumatized from seeing her god's "dead body" falling from the sky, and also realizing that she's grieving him. She wanted Liyue to be governed by humans, but she didn't want him DEAD, and now she feels guilty and paranoid that other people must be thinking "are you happy? you got what you wanted!" But in the end, she finds solidarity with other people and realizes no one will judge her for grieving.

Scara-centric 3 part series: dealing with his relationship with gods

Basically it deals with Scara having to find a purpose that isn't the gnosis, and also dealing with like... I think "making amends", like in Simulanka he talks briefly with Mini-Durin about Mini-Durin being like "but what if they don't accept my apology." And I was thinking a lot about wiping himself from existence makes it impossible to seek forgiveness from those he has hurt (including Nahida), and impossible to demand explanations from people who have hurt him (Ei), so he can also never find closure. But this fic has him meeting three different gods, and finding closure through the realizations that kinda incites in him. The first part deals with Scara's relationship with Nahida. The second has him leaving Nahida's side to wander the wilderness after she bids him to find a purpose and soul search, where he gets PLAGUED RELENTLESSLY BY A WEIRD GREEN BARD WHO KEEPS TRYING TO GIVE HIM BAD ADVICE, then the last part has him finally travelling to Inazuma where he meets Ei, has a heart to heart with her after having the mother of all Ei-induced breakdowns, and finally finds closure.

Kavetham / Haikaveh: Kaveh builds Nahida a home

After being invited to see the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and being asked what he thinks about it, Kaveh absent-mindedly says that it's grand, but there's nothing in it that makes it a home. He's super mortified and apologizes for it, but some days later, Nahida calls him back, and commissions him to renovate the Sanctuary and make it into a home. In the process of building her a home, he has to reflect on "what makes a house a home", which slowly leads him towards the realization that home is with Alhaitham (and that he's been in love with Alhaitham for years.) In the backdrop: Nahida, upon completion of renovations, invites Kaveh (who is now a dear friend) to move into her second guest room. And Kaveh is like ha, oh yeah, I've been wanting to move out for awhile, yes, I should move out. And Nahida is like "I feel I've made a terrible mistake" and then "if I can make him realize he's in love with Alhaitham, I can fix this" and then "he realized his feelings!" ... "he thinks its unrequited" "I NEED TO CONVINCE HIM ITS REQUITED" ... "I am unable to convince him its requited" and she keeps trying to get Scara (who is living in the other guest room) to HELP her, but he only gives bad advice!! Basically, mutual pining with a Scara & Nahida CIRCUS in the background.

NSFW: Zhongvenxiao fuck or die (short title: "Rock Paper Scissors")

Xiao has narrowly survives a serious karmic debt episode, but is left completely drained in the aftermath. To aid in his recovery, Cloud Retainer in her capacity as a healer recommends an infusion of energy through dual cultivation (FUCKING) and divine energy would be most efficacious but if any of you are unwilling, an adeptus could also suffice-- ZHONGVEN: WE ARE WILLING. And then they argue fiercely over who gets to fuck Xiao which leads to Xiao walking out to check if they've murdered each other and they're playing ROCK PAPER SCISSORS OVER IT. Anyway its crack and porn and a threesome eventually happens, but Zhongven bicker the WHOLE time and Xiao is slowly losing his sanity because of it.

And then there are three that aren't outlined like the others are and are kinda still floating in my head, but I'm interested in writing them:

Jean & Venti fic: Venti age-regresses and Jean takes care of him

Venti exhausts himself trying to take care of a "resentful god remnants" problem in Stormterror's Lair and regresses to the age right after he first took the Bard's form and ascended, with only Jean around. Largely, I was very AHHH about the idea of Venti having to deal with a body he doesn't even know how to move in, and the humans are afraid of him, and Gunnhildr being the only one who believed in him, who carried him from Decarabian's tower when he didn't know how to walk in a human form yet. And now Jean taking her place, carrying him from that same tower, and living this almost reverent sense of "what my ancestor did for him, I do for him now" while also dealing with this shift in her head of "being the protected" to "being the protector."

Scara & Cyno: Scara sucks at pretending to be Just Some Guy

So I feel I have this "Outsider POV & Identity Shenanigans" thing going on. I have another fic, Mr Zhongli Is Very Strange which is Xiangling finding out Zhongli's identity because he sucks at pretending to be human. Venti Can Do What He Wants is about Kaeya finding out Venti's identity because Venti doesn't care about pretending to be human. Now, I want to have "Cyno finds out Scara is an ex-Fatui Harbinger because Scara is can't and doesn't care to stop BITCHING about the other harbingers every time they are brought up in front of him."

Venti crack: The Great Adventure of The 137 Lies In 12 Hours

Basically, a "Concerned About Venti's Living Situation" network begins to form in Mondstadt where a bunch of adults basically suspect Venti is a homeless orphan kid and are trying to figure out if Venti even has a home, is he okay, does he need help? Eventually, they stage An Intervention and 3 NPCs are appointed to confront Venti about it. And it's not supposed to be an interrogation but its effectively an interrogation, except Venti just keeps giving out all these really wild answers like "Yes I was born in Mondstadt and err as for the reason why I've not been seen in the city before... it's because I was raised by wolves. No really, just ask Andrius, he'll vouch for me." Which eventually begins the wildest roadtrip in the history of roadtrips, with Venti dragging them all over Mondstadt and then Liyue to meet the people who will vouch for his lies, except all of them are SUCH bad liars that he has to keep coming up with more lies like "I WAS RAISED BY WOLVES, JUST ASK ANDRIUS" "okay, so the truth is that I was raised by Dvalin" "I WAS RAISED BY AN ADEPTUS WHO LIVES ON MT AOCANG" "actually the adeptus lives in wangshu inn sorry I got it wrong" "it looks like I can't hide it anymore... the truth is... I am Morax" "my dad is Mr Zhongli at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor" "I AM MORAX WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME???"

[staticofthetv]

Take two!

Favourite frames from the new B-Side chapter, featuring some analysis because I have coherent thoughts this time 'round :D

Beware, spoilers below for the B-Side as well as the manga

@veiled-bird that goes for you too, you're nowhere near meeting this guy yet

First up, I love this chapters art. It reminds me of when I was little and asking my dad to help my brother and I beat the last level of episode 3 in lego star wars tcs

Also the chapter title? I have so many thoughts, they'll be discussed more in depth further down but they will be discussed /pos

Numbers weapon 1 mention!! I'm very excited to (hopefully) get more lore about it. Although I am curious if it's like a contact lens or something, I thought it was closer to a surgical implant or maybe some weird side effect from using numbers weapon 1. Mostly because I don't think he's been drawn with normal eyes yet in the manga (at least from what I remember)

Either way very much hoping we get some more numbers weapon 1 lore in this :)

This whole scene but specifically "what good does a test proving I'm abnormal do" hits so hard, especially as someone diagnosed with ADHD in my late teens. Having that feeling of there's something wrong with me for so long and being brushed off every time because I didn't act like the stereotypical 10 year old boy with severe ADHD (a psychiatrist literally told me and my mum i probably had adhd but she wouldnt diagnose me,) I did start to kind of give up on ever figuring it out.

Narumi was incredibly relatable to me in the main manga (not because I'm a badass, I'm very lame lmao) because of the behaviours he exhibits, hyperfocusing on games, constant dopamine seeking (through videogames and online shopping,) needing to be fiddling with something to better process the information being given out, etc.

Narumi is also incredibly smart, its stated explicitly that he got top scores in the entrance exam and I can't imagine those tests are anywhere near easy. It gives neurodivergent kid being told they just need to apply themselves to do better in school/make friends/just function in a neurotypical way in general.

This also comes from his being kicked out of several orphanages, and then even after joining the defence force (especially after being told by Isao that they take anyone that can show skills and results) getting kicked out by the second division and every platoon in the first until he ends up under hasegawa. Considering the title too this is 100% supposed to read as the classic "troubled kid" (many of which are neurodivergent) that not many are willing to put effort into helping. Isao is giving him a way out of the life of having no home to go back to, only to be struck with the threat of getting kicked out once again a year later. Narumi is a very skilled and capable fighter and no one in their right mind would argue with that and it once again all comes down to being labelled as too difficult, hard to work with, never paying attention

This chapter just hits so close to home with me

Baby Mina!! I know there's a decent amount if it in the manga but it's still weird to see her with short hair. I love her so much

There are many more words of appreciation I have but all thought went into dissecting Narumi's character lol

And so being kicked around by hasegawa begins

I love his face here, top tier expression

And here we see Isao solidifying the thought of skill and results being all that matters, there's no way Isao was going to let Narumi get kicked out, especially not after showing aptitude for handling numbers weapon 1. I like to think at this point he does also care for Narumi, I think he sees a lot of Kikoru (or what she could be) in him and especially he sees himself in Narumi. And even though he's only ranked captain Isao would clearly fight to keep Narumi on the force (he probably already had to for Narumi to get transferred to the first division instead of just being dropped when he didn't mesh with the second)

This is also the beginning of Isao and Narumi's mentor/mentee relationship, Isao knows exactly how to handle Narumi and his child prodigy-ness and help him reach his potential as a defence force officer. I think that's part of why Isao shows little care for how Narumi handles himself when off duty, it may be that he knows he can't change Narumi in that way, it may be that he himself just doesn't care for all the professional decorum, either way Isao plays the very important role of being Narumi's main support while he's in the defence force (until Isao dies anyway, whoops.) Narumi needed a space where he could not only be himself but be accepted for it and have the trust of his peers and superiors that he would get the job done when he needs to, and whether it was on purpose or not Isao provided exactly that for him.

This also ties back into the earlier ramble about Narumi being the typical undiagnosed neurodivergent "troubled kid"

(Also the origin of what Narumi says to Kikoru ~9 years in the future :D)

Omg jaeger is canon? Kaiju no. 8 and pacific rim crossover when? /j

Another interesting tidbit about Narumi is his self confidence, he knows he's capable and isn't afraid to tell people that. He says playing support is annoying but what I see is someone that knows he can do better placed somewhere else and has decided to take that into his own hands. He won't get kicked out of the defense force but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets into a shit ton of trouble for taking Isao's words to heart and disregarding his orders, even though I do think he'll be an asset to the battle and perform better being closer to the front lines.

Poor hasegawa has his work cut out for him keeping Narumi in check (a captain and vice-captain match made in hell)

[catboybiologist]

So. This has lived on my hard drive for over a year and a half now, and in my head for much longer than that. I have the entire plot mapped out in my mind, and it's not *too* long. But it's gonna require a lot of careful writing that I think is beyond my ability, and definitely beyond my current available free time level. Maybe when I advance to candidacy, or maybe this is the story I use a portable backpacking writing setup for.

Either way. It's very deliberately allegorical, and taps into a few sci fi cliche "twists" that you're supposed to kinda figure out early on, but are used for bigger themes later.

As I said. Probably beyond my ability.

But here's how I kicked it off a while back. It has a similar "flow" to the intro of biologics, where it cuts between expository introspection and the actual events happening. Idk if that's weird, but it's what made sense to me.

Also I hate the working title I gave it, but I can't think of it as anything else now.

Symphony of the Stars

The bar I found myself in wasn't much different than millions of others like it. A couple cheap liquors that could be found anywhere, maybe a halfway decent local beer or two, and some tacky tourist paraphernalia hang haphazardly on the walls. Absentmindedly, I swirled my drink. My eyes slowly drifted through the panel windows behind the bar, and onto the orange gas giant visible through it.

That was one thing that made me partial to this little backwater- that damn view. Sure, the closer moons might advertise themselves on their intimate little peeks at the red spot, or the faintest glimpse of Jupiter's barely visible rings, but the people there... Not that I minded the workers, I'm a mechanic of sorts myself- but the miners, water pumpers, and atmospheric skimmers of Jupiter's inner moons were a particular brand of insufferable. Thinking that a couple years managing equipment in the Hellas basin made them the most rugged people on the planet, and then shipped themselves out to the furthest flung inhabited spot in the damn solar system. Joke's on them- most of them don't survive 10 years out here. The ones that make it are a different story, I'll give you that. A certain breed of person actually has what it takes to make it out here, and those people have earned some respect.

But I digress.

Callisto was a remote place, damn far from the sprawling metropolises of Mars or the more cushy mining jobs in the belt. Up until recently, it had been my own little sleepy backwater that I had used to escape my extended hours fixing ships for the harvesters on the other moons.

That was before jumping.

Callisto boasted a small engineering and research center near the south pole, most famous for getting artificial gravity fields working nearly three centuries ago. That bit of notoriety let someone set up a particle accelerator that looped the whole damn moon on its equator. Forty eight years ago, a researcher hit the right island of stability when making ultra-heavy elements, and something just... came together. The exact right amount of mass was focused in the exact right amount of space to dent space time in a perfect little way. A few measurements later, they realized that they had created the smallest documented black hole.

My eyes again wandered to the space in between us and Jupiter. That was the other reason I came to this bar so often. It was also the only place around where you could watch the show.

After a few times generating and collapsing this infant of a black hole, some idiot of a scientist decided that they just had to throw something into it. It wasn't much of anything, just a probe that blasted a repeating live image from its camera in all directions. And hopefully, if it survived in any identifiable form, someone would pick up on it.

Well, someone did. A little over four years later, we got a picture of a star. Real helpful- there's only a couple septillion of those out there, right? But what mattered was the timing, and the direction. The star was eventually identified as Proxima Centauri. The moment the image from the probe had been received, the receiver was exactly 4.2465433 light years away from Proxima. And the image was received exactly 4.2465433 years after the probe was thrown into the hole. Meaning that the probe was at Proxima, exactly 4.2465433 years before the image was received. And it was thrown into the hole, on Callisto.... also exactly 4.2465433 years before the image was received. One moment, Callisto. One moment, Proxima Centauri. In some unit of time that was smaller than our ability to measure, it had traveled to the next star system. It was the textbook definition of a wormhole.

And with that discovery, well....

Jupiter's red spot quivered ever so slightly. They were right on schedule, it seemed. Just need to gain a bit of mass in the accelerator, get the magnetic railgun to throw it all into the space above it....

Like fluid down a drain, the image of Jupiter swirled as a dark spot appeared in front of it. Slowly, it grew, twisting the orange and red tones of the gas giant in mosaic patterns, until the black orb stopped, hovering in the emptiness.

After the initial wormhole generation all those years ago, it was found that by nudging the mass to be a little less, or a little more, or nudging to position of the superheavy object that created it, you could target distant parts of the universe. Soon, small spacecraft were being sent to distant stars. The scientists started it, of course. Shortly afterwards, the Callisto government began lobbying to make our little outpost the first official launch point for interstellar settlement.

That was forty years ago. And at this point, the five established settlements were fairly self sufficient- they just needed occasional contact and resupplies. Every week, a wormhole would be opened to one of the colonies. And every week, a freighter would be there to make the jump through, grab what supplies it needed, leave behind a new list of requests, and then disappear again until their specific colony was contacted again in another five weeks. And every week, I would be in this same bar to watch the fireworks.

My eyes narrowed as the perfect black circle reached its stable state. I watched these things every damn week. Part of me wants to say "blink and you'll miss it", but the truth is, at this point in the process, there's nothing to miss.

One moment, a featureless orb. The next moment, a deep space freighter. No flash. No gradual fade. No coming out of a tunnel. The hole was large enough for the entire mass of the ship to fit through at once, and the jump was seamless.

And to tell the truth... I didn't like it.

Humanity had reached and settled the furthest reaches of space, because of a magic substance that broke physics, stumbled upon by accident, in a random lab, by a some guy who was just trying to whip up a new element.

It was perfect. It was too perfect. And it bothered me.

And well, that's why I was here. I'd been visiting Callisto for years, and the pressure to make jumping more and more accessible to small spacecraft was insane. Pretty soon, everyone trying to engineer or maintain any kind of ship would need to have half of a quantum physics degree, and I wanted to be ahead of the curve. So when the launch point was made official, and they called for mechanics to service the ships that made the jumps to the colonies and back, I lept at the opportunity.

But the push was always for more applications, with little thought to the physics. More jumps, more colonies, more resupplies, more energy efficiency to increase the frequency at which it could be used. Some people were interested in the mechanics of the phenomena to exploit it further, sure, but most seemed to stonewall when you questioned too far. How the hell had this been missed? Why is everyone pushing for applications, and no one freaking out over how much this broke our understanding of the universe? Is it possible to measure the unit of time that the jump occurred in? Was it below detection limits? If it was, what did that mean?

And so, here I was. Sipping some herbal thing, staring at Jupiter, and thinking a little too hard about reality.

Eh, at least I could fix that last part.

"'scuse me bartender?" I asked. "Can I get another one of these, with an extra shot in it?"

He silently nodded, and poured me the synthetic gin mixed with... well, I didn't question it much. Anything to help keep these ideas in check.

The carbon fiber fingertips of my left hand gripped the glass with their usual calculated precision, while the skin of my right idly tapped the bar. I sighed.

[cicaklah]

2024 fic review

hello friends. what a year that was. here's a review of all the writing I did about blorbo.

January

Started out strong with part 9 of the one man series: life's a beach. I'm really happy with this one and think it is one of the strongest of the one man non-chaptered stories, but despite the fact its full of Spirk having happy sex on holiday, it didn't seem to do that well at the time, but has now started to catch up.

I followed this with my first Voyager fic: there is water (at the bottom of the ocean) which I am honestly still really proud of. It was a Threshold day celebration fic, and Threshold has always been one of my favourite episodes even before it became a meme. It was an honour to write them having weird sex.

March

In march I published friday I'm in love, the one man story where they break up. This is heavy on the OCs, as any story set on the Farragut will be, but I think it worked.

also in march @diana-fortyseven and I were chatting and then I wrote dedicated to the one I love mostly in chat to her, and it was so filthy I had to share it with the class. Diana and Grey fantasising about 47 and fucking about it, while he listens.

finally in march I wrote an abundance of caution, a Pike/Spock SNW fic that was the first story I ever wanted to write in SNW, back in season 1. Where Pike is being haunted by those damn time crystals again.

April

I started publishing my TOS Spirk PWP meandering story a job like any other. I really like the style of this one, and want to write more of it this year.

May

then I wrote nothing until the very end of may, when I published my magnum fuck-opus: subspace rhapsorgy Its literally the plot of subspace rhapsody but instead of singing they're having really filthy free-use sex. I'll never top this.

June

anyway 10 days later I nearly died of sepsis and that kind of wrote off June. I had signed up for thyla bang, then tried to default when I went into hospital, was instead given an extension, which I didn't make because erm, I was dying. the runner of that challenge reacted totally reasonably by blocking me from everything and writing her own story for the art I had claimed. fuck you muse!

July

In july I pushed myself way too hard to publish said fic no glove no love, which is fine, but I'm mostly annoyed that her fic has more hits than mine. It just doesn't really seem fair, but also, its a pon farr fic without any sex, so who am I kidding? its never going to blow the doors off.

I spent the rest of July frantically trying to reclaim my brain post-sepsis by doing the most difficult task possible, sorting out the plot of a sex farce. Said farce was put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Honestly I should have spent July recovering more, but turns out I'm way more spiteful than I thought I was.

August

I had a busy august of wasting money I didn't have being turned away from a plane because my passport was out of date, not being able to walk without my bladder filling with blood, then having surgery, then getting a post surgical infection and having to go back into hospital. I did however finally finished cleaning up the second part of the Diana/Grey/47 threesome fic: a little wicked.

September

I wrote we'll build our altar here after binging the boys in a week, and then promptly lost interest.

October

I spent September and October trying to write the next part of one man, including 20k of a story I still haven't posted, before giving up and splitting it into three stories. The first of these, you probably think this song is about you about Jim's time post-Gala, was published here. I think its probably the best one man story, in terms of how well written it is. Development!

November

I spent November angsting over some stuff, and then decided to do something I wanted to do for a change.

December

That thing was what I called 'super secret writing project' aka blorbo noel, aka my own personal yuletide. I wrote 11 stories, 43k, and I'm pleased with every single one of them.

They are: when I'm wearing nothing but blame, (if I could paint your taint) the colour of the sunset, matched set, hometown glory, captain's log supplemental, I'll be your fire, the power of women, one way or another, crowning glory, (watch me and you) get lost and found anew, and nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

I then also fuck it, published another one man part: bigmouth strikes again, following Spock after the gala. I also finished new frontier, my lesbian la'an fic, and no one cared, and then finished up by publishing some more oxbox RPF business managed.

All in all I published 176,000 words this year blowing my previous record out of the water by 40k, and finally broke through my long term goal of publishing 20 stories in a year. I published 25 new stories and finished new frontier, for a total of 26 in 2024!

This was a very hard year for me, not just with the sepsis, but mental illness, moving house, new job, family problems and the death of my grandfather. Nevertheless, writing and art saved me. I'm planning on doing a sculpture review of 2024 as well, but here's to 2025, hopefully with 100% less sepsis.

[beesmygod]

today is webcomics day. i am bea and i make "A Ghost Story" - part 1: pre-gaming

webcomic day is a yearly celebration of the art form concocted by the screentones podcast team as a way for people to see how the sausage gets made. my webcomic "a ghost story" has been running for over 10 years, and yet i still don't think i can say i am good at making a webcomic. regardless, the comic is getting made because otherwise i become very, very sick in the head. today i would like to share with you the process of making a page of "A Ghost Story" from start to finish. either this demystifies the process or will make you think im so cool and strong for doing this 2x a week. instead of reblogging this one post until it gets very long, i will be posting individual updates that i will then compile and post on my personal website. block the tags now if you HATE comics and want them to EXPLODE.

if you have any questions, even things like "what the fuck are you even talking about" feel free to ask. i want to feel confident in what i make again and i think sometimes interrogation from an outside source is really

---

that said, let's get started. wait just kidding i want a cup of coffee first, hold on.

ok now im ready. i have a big glass of water. i have coffee. i have a headset for the parts of work that don't involve typing words. i can't type words and listen to some streamer babble in my ear at the same time, so it has to be instrumental music or nothing. i just took my meds so they should kick in after about 30 mins. i woke up late today, which is weird and annoying. but maybe i can work late instead.

first off, i need to know where i'm going beyond this one page. if i dont know where im going with something, then i usually create something that sucks that i have to deal with later. hold on my internet died, i have to reset the router. ok, anyway.

what's rattling around in my brain is that not only do i have to deal with maxine's current predicament, i am also dealing with multiple plot elements i need to wrap back around to from the previous chapter. luckily, im about to put maxine down for a nap, which means i can get back to those other elements:

i need to finish the exposition from the three ankou characters for this story arc establishing their motivations as the oppositional force in the story. the "villain" is not these three specifically, but their boss. they need to have a loose understanding of what's going on in order to communicate this to the audience. god this started turning into a huge ass paragraph so i'll just keep it short there.

we've jumped back to before jack's horrible day from the first chapter of this storyline so we have to make our way back toward that and then lapping it, which means wrapping up his various open threads like:

feeding victoria and learning something new about her

finding out alice is a very exceptional employee who is getting many awards

watching valdo call lily while interrupting her during something personal to ask her for help with maxine's situation.

jack meeting with valdo and lily the day after they first met so jack can just tell them straight up that lily has 4 sisters she doesnt know about.

help that girl with her poltergeist problem. remember that. i've had jokes for this rattling in my head for like 4 years. im going insane.

and also the fucking tilberi!!! that has a point its going somewhere!!! there's a larger menace here!!!

other things to set up the climax of this storyline. sexual tensions, hints at larger emotional problems not immediately evident to the reader

lots of moving parts. and i feel like im moving in slow motion to get to them. i can see them all weaving together in my head, its the process of putting that onto paper that's proving difficult.

ok that took an hour starting and stopping. -_- let me write the next part as i keep brainstorming on how to approach this page. taking a "rubber duck" approach to this might help. heres an image from the last page i worked on (i have a 5 page buffer rn so the site does not match the finished pages) to get us semi-situated.

also because images will help people understand what skill level we're working with here. i need to be able to communicate an idea to the audience; if the art also looks good on top of that, then that's just an added bonus. but the ability to communicate my ideas is sometimes hampered by my lack of artistic skill or comics language ineptitude. like those speech bubbles kind of fucking suck but at a certain point you have to just hit print on what you're working on in order to keep your already glacial pace.

webcomics is a tightrope act where you're also spinning 4 plates at once. the trick is to keep the audience from realizing how many actually fall or how wobbly they all are. the act sucks but technically its not a failure.

[were-all-just-w31rd-k1ds]

The Beat BOTB Music Spotlight : Take Cover by Tornado Warning! Despite their humble origins and "hometown heroes" aesthetic, its safe to say that Tornado Warning! have taken BOTB by storm, though whether this is to their advantage or detriment is an ongoing debate amongst fans of the show. Though cheating rumours, celebrity candids, and relationship dramas have followed the band from day one, its difficult to deny that the group are incredibly talented performers. We all know this band have been playing together since they were teenagers in Devyn Powell's garage, but seeing them perform on stage truly hammers that home. Their familiarity and musical chemistry with each other are some of the band's biggest advantages, and their energetic presence on stage is a huge draw for fans, both in the crowd and those watching at home; no doubt all of these were contributing factors to their remarkable first week win.

For our spotlight this week, we're going approximately 10 years back in time to Tornado Warning's very first EP; Take Cover. Released when members of the band [pictured left to right, Iris De Luca, Devyn Powell, Jazzy Dawson, Rowan Hart, Seven Lawless & Beck Marlowe] were only 16, Take Cover is a record coveted by self-proclaimed "OG" Tornado Warning! fans, while many newer fans may have never heard it. All 6 tracks, including the titular "Take Cover" and fan-dubbed 'yearning anthem' "Marlboro", were written collaboratively by then co-lead singers Beck Marlowe and Seven Lawless. The EP shows the beginnings of two talented writers experimenting with their music and lyrics, and finding their feet creatively, which gives it a distinct sound and feeling from their later releases, irrespective of changes caused by Lawless' later departure from the band.

Take Cover, put simply, is a loveable mess of a record. Largely recorded in friends' basements and put together with a rudimentary understanding of GarageBand, Take Cover is an EP held together by duct tape, natural talent and youthful ambition. While the music isn't groundbreaking and the EP itself isn't poished by any meaning of the word, it takes the feeling of climbing out of your window at 3am and skating around your hometown with your dumb friends, and bottles it - and for that we can see why so many longtime fans hold this record close.

Going into next week's challenge we will see Seven Lawless, in an ironic turn of events, writing for Tornado Warning! once more. Will we see hints of a long gone era in this songwriting reunion? Or will Seven steer the band in a totally different direction, proving those days and that sound are truly in the past? Check out Take Cover by Tornado Warning!, and tune in to BOTB on MusicNow next week to find out!

This game has taken over too much brain space since the sneak peak dropped, so to channel the hyperfixation into something somewhat productive before ch4 comes out, I decided to draw the band's very first album cover. The photo was actually Seven's idea, and at 16 they all thought it was very cool and artsy and original - I hc that it was taken in a field behind the diner and Lucy would just look out the window every now and then to laugh fondly as they ran away from the camera over and over again to get the perfect shot. This is also from a time before Beck started dyeing their hair and drawing them with brown hair, even from the back, was very weird. (Ps open image for full quality bc tumblr wants to smite me)

I did not plan on writing a whole ass fake article at 1am to go with this one but lmao here we are i guess

[honourablejester]

With all the discussion going around about kids and reading again, and just because I’m in a nostalgic and reflective mood, I thought I’d have a quick look back over books that had an influence on me over the years. You know. I trawl back through my childhood and later memories for those books that stuck out. Not necessarily because of quality, but because they had something that stayed with me, for one reason or another.

Rambling below the cut:

The Shannara trilogy, by Terry Brooks. The original one, so Sword of Shannara, Elfstones of Shannara, and Wishsong of Shannara. Plus the prequel, First King of Shannara. For a lot of people, Lord of the Rings was their first big fantasy series, but mine was Shannara, because my parents were big fans. We wore those books out. Wishsong and Sword, in particular. The copy of First King we had was a hardback, so it held up better, and Elfstones for some reason was everyone’s least favourite, so it got read a bit less, but the other two were in tatters from everyone reading them. I can’t even remember how old I was reading them, but it was pretty young? Less than 10, for sure. I loved Wishsong in particular so much as a kid.

The Knight of the Word (Word & Void) trilogy, also by Terry Brooks. Again, my parents were big fans. I remember this one, though, because I bounced off it as a kid, and had to come back to it later when I was bit older. Because KotW is much more … adult than Shannara. Not in the sense of more sex and violence, but in the sense that it was set in the real world, and there were a lot of adult topics in there that I didn’t get yet. Things like towns slowly dying as the money dried up, and complicated family dynamics, and bigotry, as well as the more fantastical elements of the demon hunting Nest and the apocalypse looming behind John Ross’ dreams of the future. I had to come back to this trilogy as a teenager, when I had a bit more framework for it. It’s been merged into Shannara as a prequel in the years since, but honestly I never really agreed with that. Knight of the Word was its own vibe, its own bitter, dying, small town fantasy of damaged bloodlines and slow decay. I think, of all the books I read as a kid, this one probably had the most long-term influence on my writing. There’s a tone in it that feels like it comes back to me sometimes.

Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. It wasn’t my first fantasy, or my most formative, but our house also went through several copies of this trilogy too. I actually miss them, we got new ones after the movies came out, but those one just don’t look or feel as nice as the ones we wore out. I do have an absolutely gorgeous illustrated copy of the Hobbit, though, and it is a prized possession.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. My dad had a massive green hardback collection of the stories, so big that I could barely lift it as a kid, and I loved it. He still has it. I’ve got my own fancy leatherbound copy now, a Christmas present, but that big battered green hardback is such a piece of my childhood. Reading the Holmes stories young has had weird influences here or there, some odd context for history learned later, and a willingness to read older fiction.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne. It was the first book I ever got out of the library. I remember it so clearly. I was seven when my mam first got me a library card, and I remember being so overwhelmed by the number of books around me that I just sort of ran in, grabbed a couple nearly at random, and ran out again. The two I picked were this one, and a book called ‘The Tribe With No Feet’, which I can’t remember the author of, but it was about the indigenous americans meeting white settlers for the first time and calling them the tribe with no feet because they wore shoes (again, I have no idea who wrote this, but this was the mid-90s). I don’t remember much else about that book. But I remember Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Most specifically, I remember the expedition climbing down through the tight caves at the start, and I remember the subterranean prehistoric sea. Which. I feel like people might recognise as an influence for a few things? Heh.

The Famous Five series, by Enid Blyton. In case anyone gets the idea that I was reading mostly fantasy and classics as a kid, nah. Like I said, I got a library card when I was seven, and I read a lot. A lot of what the library had were older books, this was again small town Ireland in the 90s, so they tended to prioritise long series and older series. I read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, the Babysitters Club, you name it. I also, perhaps more weirdly, read some of the Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. Because for some reason our library had a lot of british children’s series from like the 50s? Hence, again, Famous Five. But I did enjoy them, so I don’t know what that says. It also meant that Harry Potter was nothing particularly new to me, because I had read a lot of the old boarding school series that it was somewhat inspired by.

A couple of other kids books that have stuck with me:

Strange Hiding Place, by Graham Marks. Kid’s sci-fi about a kid finding a crash-landed alien on the run from a war and trying to help him. I mainly remember the bit in the first book where they’re camping, and Dez (the kid) does the old camping prank of spinning in the dark with his torch pointing up at his face to scare the alien, and Yakob (the alien) having a complete meltdown because he’s a traumatised guy on the run on an alien world where nothing is familiar and can you not do that, please and thank you! And Dex realising that this adult alien is stressed to fuck and scared and in real danger, and realising a bit more genuinely that he needs to help him.

The Luvender trilogy, by June Considine. I don’t remember too much of the plot of these, but they were just spooky as hell in such a cool way, and I loved them. The basic plot is kids in an old seaside town called Merrick having to deal with an evil sorcerer and his minions (the titular Luvenders), and there were possessed dolls, and the ghost of a girl who was a champion against him a hundred years ago, and then a massive mudslide that nearly wipes out the town and the old wrought iron town gates being carried away by it. I got those books out of the library many times.

The Giltspur trilogy, by Cormac MacRaois. I seriously you doubt you can get these outside of Ireland these days, or even within Ireland, but they were just my favourite casual kids fantasy as a kid. Irish mythology, spooky scarecrows, and brave kids. I loved them.

The Forbidden Game, by L.J. Smith. As we got a bit older and graduated from Goosebumps to more young adult fair, one of my sisters and I were obsessed with the Point Horror books. We tried a bunch of them, but easily our favourite, and the one that stuck longest, was the Forbidden Game trilogy. Which is actually a love story masquerading as a horror book, about a girl who buys a game from a beautiful young demon boy and then has to play it for her and her friends’ lives, while also falling for said demon. Despite this, I was still shocked when I found out, literally just now, that the author went on to write The Vampire Diaries. Huh. But, you know. Still a great trilogy!

Then, as I got a bit older:

Discworld, by Terry Pratchett. One of my dad’s friends heard I liked fantasy (again, Shannara, LotR, but by this stage I’d also started reading the massive fantasy tome series out of the library) and loaned me Guards Guards, and the rest is rather history. Shannara was my first, LotR not long after, but despite arriving late when I was a teenager, Discworld stuck hardest. It’s the one of all of them that I reread most often. I adore this series, and I will cheerfully fight people over it.

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. When I say I’d started reading massive doorstopper fantasy series out of the library … I actually don’t mean these two. They came later, when I started buying my own books, mostly out of second hand shops. I still have a massive stack of Wheel of Time books in the bottom of a wardrobe somewhere. I never actually finished the series, but then neither did Robert Jordan? I … I’m not sure if I recommend Wheel of Time, in hindsight there’s a lot of … he definitely had a weird view of women, and relationships, but it was a pretty formative step in my independent reading. And Janny Wurts … Okay. Do you enjoy potentially overwrought whump fic? Read Janny Wurts. I also somewhat blame her for my over-reliance on italics when writing. But. If you would like a doorstopper fantasy series about a beautiful fantasy prince tortured by his (quite literal) empathy while mired in a war with his half-brother by a curse, have I got the series for you!

More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon. As you may have gathered, I haunted the sci-fi/fantasy section of the library as a kid. And a lot of the books I read went over my head. This one was a bit like Knight of the Word when I’d been younger, I did not get it. I mean, I read it, I understand all the events that happened in it, but it was one of those books that didn’t actually mean anything to me until much, much later. But it stuck, and I’m still not sure why. But if anyone wondered why telepathy is a theme in some of my work, it does probably go back to this book.

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I have read … a fairly eclectic selection of classic novels over the years. Random ones here or there, starting from Sherlock Holmes as a kid. But Les Miserables was probably the second most influential of them. I heard the musical first, again because of my parents, but when I went to college and got access to the college library, it was the first time I got to read the book. Or the brick, if you prefer. And I really, really, really loved Javert. So.

It was also via the college library (and the classics shelf of the bookshop in the college town) that I ran into both the Arsene Lupin stories by Maurice Leblanc and the Fantomas stories by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. Which, if you enjoy early French pulp crime stories? Excellent choices. The college library also let me watch the early (as in 1910s) Fantomas silent movies, which I also definitely recommend! (I do think Verne being such an early influence inclined me a bit towards French genre fiction for a bit).

Also in college, I discovered that I really love short horror fiction. I love ghost stories. I have several hardback collections of classic ghost stories on my shelves these days, because if I’m in the mood to buy a book, but not in a specific mood, I usually can’t go wrong with one of those. And college was also were I discovered Project Gutenberg, an online archive of classic works, which introduced me to some weird and wonderful classic horror fiction. A particular one of which that I remember was the Carnacki the Ghost Finder stories by William Hope Hodgson, an early entry into the paranormal investigation/weird fiction genres. As in, again, 1910s. They’re weird, and very early-20th-century, but they’re also fascinating and cool. For example, Carnacki made a lot of use of multicoloured electric light tubes as warding materials, because they were new and fascinating in the 1910s. The stories are on Project Gutenberg still, definitely give them a shot. Unfortunately, that version doesn’t have my favourite of the stories, The Hog, which has the most weirdly terrifying demonic pig you will ever encounter in a story.

The Flashman series by George McDonald Fraser. I had read his book The Pyrates before, my dad loved it, and the bookshop in my college town had large chunks of this series, written in the 60s-80s, about a cowardly British soldier during the Imperial conflicts of the Victorian era. So I read them. Again, Sherlock Holmes as a kid laid a bit of groundwork. And … They’re not for everyone. Flashman, the title character, is a horrible man, though Fraser quickly backs off from some of his more horrific qualities in the earlier books (he rapes someone during a battle in I think the second book?). But. They’re pretty well written and historical fascinating, and I learned a lot about a lot of the darker and smaller conflicts of the British Empire through them. Which I remember because it actually came up in class, and made me sound like I’d done a lot more of the reading than I had. We were discussing Lebensraum and the concepts of national expansionism in a lecture, and the lecturer was asking why the land routes through Russia and Asia were considered so important to many European countries, and I was there with Flashman’s experience of British India and Afghanistan floating in my head, so I piped up ‘British navy’. And he was all, yes, thank you, someone’s done the reading. Which, uh. I decidedly hadn’t. Or at least not the class reading. Heh.

Honor Harrington series by David Weber. Somewhat linked to the previous, by way of things like the Hornblower and Aubreyverse books in a similar vein of ‘military historical fiction’, I also discovered military science fiction as a genre via second hand bookshops in college. And Honor Harrington was the one that stuck, mostly because of several characters (mostly Havenite, a couple Manticoran) that I latched onto hard. The series starts out very obviously as ‘Hornblower in space’, but after the first four books or so starts to swerve hard and picks up much more of its own identity.

The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Again, somewhat linked to the previous. As a kid, it was the fantasy half of the science fiction and fantasy section that fascinated me. Later on, I started to venture more into the sci-fi side. And Vorkosigan, like Harrington, has a lot of the bitey, toothy, ‘the bonds and ravages of loyalty’ themes that have rather stuck with me. When you weigh your honour and your loyalty on the scales of war, how much of them, and you, comes out intact? Again, you might recognise some themes I enjoy here.

The In Death series by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts). Completely different, now, but … these were more my popcorn books, the ones I got out of the library in college and even still when I just want something more low-effort to read, but they’re not bad for all that. They are very much romance fiction tropes in an urban sci-fi coat, but they’re eminently readable for all that. Heh. The main romance is questionable, especially in the early books, but it settles into something more equal and less potentially-skeevy as it goes, and the crime plots are actually pretty interesting here or there. They very much are ‘Law And Order Twenty Minutes In The Future’, with a healthy skeleton of Mills & Book underlying that, but if you want a book to read in an hour or so, you can do a lot worse.

The Charlie Parker series, by John Connolly. If you want horror crime instead of science fiction crime, definitely try these. And by that I do not mean urban fantasy ‘detectives and vampires’, I mean horror crime. As in gruesome crimes where something dark and supernatural lurks around the edges of the world. The books get increasingly bogged down the further into the series you get, but the early books have a spectacular atmosphere to them.

The Philip Marlowe books by Raymond Chandler. Now. Most of the reason I love noir as a genre was because of Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, and then the odd movie here or there later (L.A. Confidential, The Big Sleep, Casablanca), but libraries are a girl’s best friend, and when I stumbled across these, I gave them a shot. And it was definitely worth it. Chandler has a really light, pulpy style that’s quick and snappy and fun to read, and there is definitely a mood and an atmosphere in his work. If you want to see what all the noir parodies were referencing, do try him, he’s excellent. (I never tried the other big pulp hardboiled author, Dashielle Hammett, and I keep meaning to).

… Reading this back over, it’s so obvious that I was a genre kid. It’s all fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime, and then hybrids thereof. Heh. And I’m also noticing a lot of older fiction, as a result of reading what was available to me in a small town in the 90s as a kid, and then being willing to chance older stuff as a result of that as I got older.

Another thing I’m noting is that I read a lot of books that I didn’t get, because while I had the reading ability for them, I decidedly didn’t have the experience or context for them. But the thing with those is, they often stick longer when you do gain the knowledge or experience or understanding for them later on and go back.

Anyway. Apologies for the random trip down memory lane and through my childhood and later influences. Carry on!