#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!

[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

"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.

[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.

[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)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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???"

[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!

[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.

[intotheelliwoods]

Woah lots of asks! Augh you guys got such good questions!

---

That happened when Medium Leo was 26, and Big Leo 50! They got an extra 10 years after the movie to just, relax, honestly? Those were probably some of the best years of their lives

Then well, after that I think it only took about a month (as in they left a few days later after Raphs death to venture off to the horrors)

After that, 20 years of the newfound apocalypse, leaving Medium Leo at 46 when he gets sent back in time!

(and auguoahg ty wren you are amazing!)

@wraenata

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No he does not! Each timeline has its own goop fella, the one in the Krang timeline remained traped through the apocalypse and will probably never actually break free in that time-

---

Yeah... :( Big Leo, the saddest character to ever exist. He tried his best he really did, but in the end though I dont think people will remember him for his failures. They will remember him for his kindness and effort

@memorialis

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Funny story, I do have a backstory for the guy in mind! A good one actually, I was going to make a comic for the backstory but I have no clue how to make it look visually? And I am also not sure if I am going to have the energy for it with everything else going on whoops, I might just type it out in text form by the end of the week to save my strength for everything else I need to draw aha...

But back to your first question, yes, they are intertwined! Very much so actually! The goop has a lot to do with the Krang and their similar trap!

As for your second ask here, nope! Well, yes and no? Hamatos are involved in the backstory but not involved in the freeing half- Anyways though, after that last update and the potential of some later nightmare sequences, that will be the last you see of the guy until the finale! In other words, not really any more lore for him! Again I have a backstory just not much energy to actually draw it! And by this point in time, the backstory is not even really spoilery, its just neat worldbuilding at this point :)

He/Him pronouns be good, or they, honestly the thing jsut has big he/they energy overall tbh

@amazing-captain-castiel (if I worded this weird I am so sorry, I answered your first question before going back realizing oh shoot you sent another ask aha-)

---

Haha.. yeah.. yeah he does... (im so sorry, I would do something about this but I can barely keep track of 2 huggy leos)

Though in compensation he did have a relatively nice rest of life. This is also something I sooo wanted to make a comic for but I dont know if I will have the energy for it whoops

He found being in a apocalypse again relatively, surprisingly comforting. Felt like home, his old home, his first home, his own timeline. He thrived in this newfound worldly chaos for years until about 5 years before Medium Leo got sent back, where he ended up leaving the home base they set up with his mother, to explore what was left of the world before that was gone too. This was due to just some good deja vu but well, younger turtles, Medium Leo never stopped looking more and more like someone who would never come back so-

@cavern-of-shenanigans

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yeah.... oops. But Sprout is alive and well🥺At least he will be well by the end of the series-

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<3 uhhhhhh oops <3

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Sweats, theres so much inspo pulled from FMA here my guy!

@cavern-of-shenanigans

---

o7

[fitzrove]

(if you're still doing these!) 3, 8, 34 for the ask meme?

3. 3 films you could watch for the rest of your life and not get bored of?

Oaghh this is actually a tricky question!! But maybe I do know how to answer...

The Cat Returns (Studio Ghibli / Hiroyuki Morita)

It's my #1 comfort movie haha. I used to watch it with my sister when we were little, more so than any other Ghibli film (I did grow up with them and liked a lot of them - but I have to admit: I've never understood the appeal of Totoro specifically, I still think it's overrated hfhfjfj). Apparently it's widely considered to be a less good movie than the others, partly because Miyazaki wasn't that involved in it, but I think it's amazing. Also, I saw Whisper of the Heart (the one it's a spin off of) as an adult and didn't like it at all ajdjfkfk. The music, the worldbuilding/aesthetic, the (sometimes very eccentric) Finnish dub and the inherent whimsicalness of the story are very nostalgic and fun for me, and I've always loved cats, so :D

2. LOTR trilogy

It's cheating haha but putting all three under one heading. I've gone to a cinematic back-to-back marathon event of the extended edition... It took 12 hours and was one of the best moviegoing experiences of my life xD I feel like once you've done that, you're at a point where you can definitely say you're not going to get bored of it. I mean, I've been known to dip to get more snacks during some sequences (particular non-favourite is Shelob - not for any lack of fondness for spiders btw, I just find it a bit tedious as an action scene and it's at a point in the story where I'd rather be Moving On), but overall I really love these films - the story, the world, the characters, the music, the sheer amount of effort and care that went into making them and how it really shows >:]

3. POTO 2004

<333 Favourite musical film hahahahahah. I know this is controversial, but for me personally it's in some aspects even more fulfilling than seeing the show in the theatre. My favourite part/character of the show and book is and has always been the opera house!!!! I looooove theatres and theatre backstage stuff, especially big fancy old opera houses, and the movie is very immersively costumed and staged (set?). I don't watch it often (in full anyway - I rewatch the Carlotta scenes semi-often though), but I feel like if I was strapped to a chair and made to, I would just be vibing.

8. any reoccurring dreams?

I've only had one (1) actually repeated dream in my life, where it played out the same beat-for-beat as if watching the same VHS tape again, first when I was about 5 and again when I was maybe 7 years old - a weird Disney pastiche of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid haha. Repeating themes are more common. My least favourite of those was when my mental health was at its absolute lowest in my life during high school, and for around too months I kept dying in different kinds of highly specific ww2-related circumstances 😭😭 (I don't know if I started reading survivor stories too young - around the age of 10 or so...) ANYWAY yeah haha, not many specific reoccurring dreams. I wish I could repeat the one or two times in my life when I've dreamed about flying, it was a lot of fun >:]

34. any pet peeves?

Too many - I feel like half my tumblr posts are about these xD

One big one rn is that many German theatres don't let you book your tickets in just one step. They make you put in all your info and pick a seat and everything, and only then (after a 5-10 minute delay) do they send an email asking to transfer the money to secure your booking. Well, I was meant to go somewhere tomorrow, but turns out I never remembered to send the money in time and have lost my seat :----) It's okay haha it's going to thunder and rain tomorrow anyway, I'll just stay in my hometown and go see something here later lol...

[elderscrollsconceptart]

how many tes games have you played, what was your first build/character in each, and why did you pick those skills/traits/etc?

Hi and thank you!

I've played admittedly not a lot of Arena. Its hard to get into due to its age 🧙‍♂️ Love Jeff Perrymans work on the game though!

I've played a good amount of Daggerfall! I played a bit of it ~13(?) years ago but it was the original version so like Arena it was super hard to both play and get into it. I was actually doing a classic "sword and board" play through via Daggerfall Unity just last year and was having fun until my saves got corrupted somehow 🥲

I actually touched Redguard for the first time this year but I'm holding off until I finish my current Morrowind playthrough 🏴‍☠️

Battlespire I've actually never touched despite owning it. Its weird because I've POURED over that games wiki and its actually my favorite old school TES game based purely on aesthetics and its designs. A full play through is on my to do list for this year!

All the old TES mobile games, shadowkey, Oblivion Mobile, etc. I have limited experience with. I've seen them IRL on friends phones back in the day but never got hands on since I actually didn't have a phone until later in Highschool. I think the internet archive has at least a few of them playable? I'd have to check, maybe it's worth checking out!

Morrowind...ahh morrowind :) its my fav TES game in terms of quests. My first play through was not a full one, it was at a friends house on the XBOX version way way back in the day. For my first REAL play through it was on my first gaming PC and I played an athletics focused halberd wielding orc who bonked people on the head 😂

Oblivion..This one PAINS me..I've only actually played though it entirely a single time and it was ages ago on the Xbox 360 and I played a...stealth archer 😵‍💫..It wasn't a meme at the time I swear! I just liked sneaking and archery! When I got it on PC, every time I tried setting it up with or without mods I had technical issues. I've mentioned it before but I absolutely loathe the bad draw distance and pop in that plagues even "ultra" settings on PC. OpenMorrowind on PC is a technical marvel. I wish they'd do something similar for Oblivion or port a stable version of Oblivion to PC. I really want to do a full playthrough again!

Skyrim. Fun fact I calculated it one time and I'm certain I collectively have 3,000+ hours in Skyrim over the past 13 years. Possibly close to 4,000 but thats from my Xbox 360 playthoughs and I don't remember the exact times for that. The base game is long worn out for me but god damn is Skyrim's modding community incredible. Thanks to mods, the game has remained fresh in various ways for the past 13 years and at this rate I'll probably add another 1k hours before TES 6 comes out 😁

ESO. I'm gonna be 100% upfront here. I got the game when it came out and had lots of issues with it. The game had a rocky start and I wasn't ever a big fan of MMOs to begin with. That said! Zenimax has done amazing things over the past 10 years and really kept that game alive with continuous improvement. I haven't kept up with it the past few years ago outside of the lore (and art) stuff but I think after I give the older TES games another go, I'll probably hop back in to ESO.

Legends. I've never played it! TBH don't like card games, Hearthestone, Gwent, etc. Legends doesn't have much going for it besides the art BUT BUT BUT...Legends art is fucking incredible 😍😍😍 Seriously, after Perhaps Skyrim's concept art, the various artists of Legends are my 2nd fav to look at. I can ignore the actual gameplay but I really wish we knew more about who actually has created all the Legends art. We only have hints such as studio names for vast portions of the art, or straight up ZERO sources for who made a lot of the core decks and original release era art. I keep my head on a swivel for that stuff because its so amazing and beautiful!

Lastly, TES Blades. I'm not a huge fan of the game since I don't like touchscreen controls (eg. I play Morrowind on my phone but with a controller). I've played a fair amount but never beat it since the controls are bleh and gameplay doesn't appeal to me a ton. Most of the stuff that interests me about blades is the armor designs and the fact it gives us a super small glimpse into the period between The Great War and Skyrim.

Sorry this went a Lil long but thanks for your ask!

[theboysfromaustin]

March 10, 2011

Gav was headed to Hobby Town, up towards Pflugerville.  Ian had taken Kazuo to go his prosthetic checked out for possible replacement, and they'd told him he should go do something fun.  So he was going to look at LEGO and model trains, then probably Dollar Tree to peruse their selection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels.

 He'd taken Lamar to avoid the bullshit on MoPac.  It was mid-morning, surprisingly quiet.  He spotted something ahead, something large at the side of the road, halfway into the overgrown sidewalk in front of an empty lot.

He figured it was something that fell off a truck or trailer, but as his car approached, he could see it wasn't a thing.

It was a dog.

Shit, he pulled up behind the dog, hazards on.  He got out, approaching.  It was a young Collie, laying still, blood on its coat, front legs obviously badly broken.  “Hey, buddy…” The dog raised its head weakly, sides heaving, panting and nervous.  Gav knelt down, “Good dog.  Easy, puppy.  I…” He looked back towards his Civic, stood, and opened the trunk and the back door.

There was a blanket spread across the back seat for Martha, and multiple blankets in the trunk.  He grabbed a thick one, going back to to dog, spreading the blanket over him.  He whined, staring at Gav.  “It’s okay, boy.  I’m gonna get you into my car, and to the vet.  You’re safe with me, I…I’m gonna do everything for you.”  He could now.  Ian paid him extremely well, and he knew…

He knew Ian and Kazuo would chip in without being asked if it came to it.

That’s just how they were.

“Alright, puppy.  I’m gonna lift, and you’re gonna lay on the blanket.  Then we’re goin’ to Martha’s vet on Burnet.  They’ll treat you right,” Gav steeled himself, knowing he might get bitten.  If he did, he’d deal with it later.  He’d never been bitten by a dog or cat, and he’d….

He’d cared for hundreds of dying animals, giving them love in their last moments.  Dying fighting dogs, dying pets who’d been ditched in garbage bags…dead animals whose stories he didn’t know.  He lifted, the Collie yelping.  Gav was tiny, and the dog weighed at least 40 pounds, but he’d retained the strength from his days digging animal graves in Detroit, “Sorry!  I’m gonna set you down here.  Good boy.  I love you.”

“What do you think Gav’s up to?” Kazuo studied the stump where his leg used to be.  “He probably went out looking for LEGO.  He’s been looking at some of the really expensive sets.” “It’s nice watching him build.  I feel like that’s when he’s at his most relaxed.”

Gav was tense as he turned into the veterinarian’s parking lot, “We’re here, buddy.  Gonna get you some help.”  The dog’s breathing was shallow as Gav carefully picked him up, pushing through the doors.  “I need…help…I found him…hit by a car.” “We’re gonna take him back, have a look - um, do you consent to - “ “Anything.  Anything to help him.” “Alright.  It might be a while.” “That’s fine,” Gav settled into one of the chairs, pulling his phone out.

Ian looked down as his phone dinged.  Kazuo reattached his leg, standing, “What’s up?” “We might…have a new dog…?” “What happened?” “Gav’s at the vet, found a Collie dog that was hit by a car.” “At least it’s not another cat?” “Yeah, but…Martha.  I know she ignores dogs when we’re out, which is weird for a pit bull, but she might not be too thrilled with another dog in her house.” “We’ll have to see,” Kazuo put his hand on Ian’s shoulder as they went to check out.

Ian thought for a moment, “You know…if nobody claims him, you know who might want a dog?  Maureen.  She had a Collie growing up.  She has all those Albert Payson Terhune books from when she was a kid.” “Oh, you’re a smart guy.  Let’s wait ‘til we see this dog.  Um…you wanna go to Bark ‘n Purr, get some more dog supplies?” “You’re a soft, soft man,” Ian hugged him gently, “Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Sir?”

Gav looked up.  “We’ve scanned the dog for a chip, and he has none.  There are no reports for a missing Collie in the state for the past year, and he’s in pretty rough shape, so I don’t think anyone’s looking for him.” “Poor guy…um, how is…?” “Both forelegs were severely broken, and may not heal fully..” “Oh my.  How will he…?” “We’ve fitted a temporary cart to him, so he’ll be mobile.  If he needs one when healed, we’ll fit a new one.” “Alright.  When can I take him?” “He’s up from anesthesia, we just need to monitor for a bit.  His cart should fit in your trunk, but you’ll have to help him in and out of the cart to sleep and rest.”

“Okay…” Gav stared at his feet.  He was nervous about bringing another dog home.  He knew Ian and Kazuo understood.

“Well…collar, lead, bowls, bed, and beef bones for both him and Martha.” “You’re soft, Ian.” “I know,” he looked to Martha, “You’re going to have a brother, at least for a bit.” She ignored him, settling onto her giant, fluffy bed with her new bone.  “Well,” Kazuo flopped onto the couch, “We just gotta wait.  What’s for dinner?” “Kraft macaroni.  With hot dogs,” Ian settled himself into Kazuo’s lap.

“Fancy.”

“You love cheesy wieners,” Ian nuzzled his neck.  “Heh,” Kazuo sighed happily, “I do.  I'm Midwestern trash.” 

“Mr. Mitsuwa-Gabriel?”

Gav looked up.  A vet tech had appeared, carrying the Collie, who still looked out of it, “You can take him.  He'll be a bit groggy for a while.  I can take him to your car.  “Thank you.  The back's all set up.”

Martha perked up, heading for the garage door.  Ian looked over from the counter, where he was chopping hot dogs, “Think red’s home.” Kazuo got up from the table where he was drawing, going to open the door.  “Thanks, honey,” Gav carried in the dog - who weighed about half of what he did - immediately noting the brand new dog bed.

He settled him in, “Easy, buddy.” Martha marched right up, tail wagging stiffly.  “Ah, damn -” Gav reached for her, then paused as she sniffed, then licked the confused, half-stoned Collie right up the center of his face.  “Huh…” “She likes him,” Kazuo shrugged.  “That's good,” Ian started cooking pasta.

Martha settled into her bed, watching the other dog, who sighed, shutting his eyes.  “Are his legs okay, or do we have a dog version of me?” “Don't know yet.  He's got a cart so he can move.  It's in the trunk.” Kazuo knelt, stroking the dog’s fur, “He looks like Lassie.  Does he have a name?”

“Well…” Gav shifted, “I didn't give him one, because I didn't know if we could keep him.” “Is anybody looking for him?” Ian leaned on the counter.  “Not according to the vet.” “You know…” Ian stirred the pot, “Maureen might like him.  Been a long time since she's had a dog.”

“Maureen had a dog?”

“When she was a girl.  A Collie, blue merle named Pigeon.  It might be good for her to have a dog.” “Huh…” Gav went to the garage to retrieve the cart, “Um…if she wants him…that's okay with me.  Maureen’s a good person, I know she'll treat him right.” Ian held his arm out, Gav immediately cuddling him, “You're a kind man.  We love you.” Gav smiled, leaning on Ian.

The Collie sighed deeply, dozing off.  Kazuo stood, hugging Gav, “Keep being sweet.” Gav kissed first Kazuo, then Ian, “I'm going to text Maureen.” “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” Ian poured the hot dogs in.  Kazuo went to grab bowls as Gav went to take a photo of the injured dog, who was sleeping.

He returned to the table, typing away.  

Maureen looked up from her computer as her phone buzzed.  She was working late, finishing some documentation, and was nearly done.  The text was from Gav, with a photo of a dog, Hi Maureen.  I found this dog today, vet says nobody’s looking for him.  He’s injured and may require a cart  even once he heals.  Ian said you might be interested in having a dog again.

She studied the photo - it was a young Collie, obviously banged up, but with a fine bone structure and deep, soulful eyes.  Maureen thought back to her childhood dog, Pigeon.  It might be nice to have a dog again - Shirley had been very allergic to dogs, as allergic to them as Ian was to cats.  

She began typing.

“Macaroni time!” Ian began dishing out heaping bowls of cheesy pasta, grimacing as Kazuo began pouring on parmesan, “Why.” “You're already serving macaroni, might as well cheese it up.” “You might be sleeping with the dogs,” Gav grabbed a bowl, as well as Ian’s, setting them on the table.  His phone chimed, pulling it out once he was seated.

Gav smiled a bit sadly, “She’ll take him.  She's leaving work and will be by.” “You're okay with that?” Ian sat, scooting the parmesan away from Kazuo.  “Yeah.  I think she might be a bit lonely at home sometimes.  He’ll be good for her.” Ian squeezed his hand gently, “You're a good man.” Kazuo reached over to squeeze his shoulder, “You're doing a good thing for her.”

Gav knew he was.  He was a dog person, and knew the Collie would be treated like a prince if she treated him the way she treated himself, Ian and Kazuo.  The dog shifted, getting more comfortable in the bed.  He liked the men.  The other man…the before man, had kicked him out of a car.

His before family had ignored him.  He’d been left outside, and they'd yelled at him a lot.  Then after he’d been thrown out, another car had hit him and left him.

Then the tiny man had found him.

The Collie watched the three men, too tired to really move.  His eyes flicked over to the other dog, who was gnawing on a bone.  She seemed calm and healthy, confident.  He rested his head back on the bed.  It was nice to not be anxious.

Gav glanced over to check on the dogs.  Martha was occupied and the Collie had shifted himself slightly, quietly observing the room.  “He’s waking up.” Kazuo leaned over, “Yeah, he’s looking better.” “Hey, puppy,” Ian clicked his tongue, the dog cocking his head.

“Well, his hearing’s good at least.  The legs worry me.” “Dogs are pretty adaptive, aren't they?” Kazuo tapped his prosthetic, “Like humans.  They can do just fine with the proper equipment.” “I suppose,” Gav finished his bowl, “I’m gonna grab his cart.” 

Martha perked up, bone clenched in her teeth.  She got up, trotting towards the front door as Maureen opened it.  “Hello, boys!” “Mum!” “Hey, ma.  You want some hot dog macaroni?” “Sounds good,” she entered the living room, stopping, “Oh my…” The Collie’s tail thumped his bed.  Maureen knelt down, letting him sniff her hand as Gav brought the cart in.

“Hey, Maureen!” “Hello, Gav.  You found a real nice dog,” she scratched the Collie’s ears, “It’ll be nice to have a dog again.  Shirley was allergic.” Ian nodded, “And your neighbor had that little terrier that loved her.” “Yeah.  Skipper.  God, he got in that time we were smoking and fell asleep in her lap.” Ian laughed, getting a bowl of pasta for Maureen, “Oh, she was pissed.  Poor mum.” 

Gav unfolded the cart, “He’s got this to get around until the casts come off his legs, and…well…we don't know if they'll be functional.  He might be able to walk with a limp, but he might also just have very limited use without a cart.” “Cart won't be a problem,” Maureen stood, embracing Gav, “He won't have any trouble getting around the house, and he’ll probably go to work with me most days.”

Gav led her to the table, “That's really good.  Are you allowed to have a dog at the courthouse?” Maureen sat, “Thank you, Ian.  Yeah, we’ve all talked for a while, might be good to have a dog on site since we have kids in sometimes…kids who’ve had a terrible time.  He seems like a good, smart dog who can do a lot of good.”

Gav lit up - he was glad the Collie would be living with Maureen.  He sat, and Ian squeezed his thigh gently, “If you need help getting him to follow-up vet appointments I can help.” “Thank you, honey.  How much do I -” “You don't owe me anything.  I'm glad he’s going with you.  Knowing that is payment enough.” “Gav -” “You won't change his mind, ma,” Kazuo grinned.  “Yeah, he's set.”  The Collie watched Maureen, tail swishing back and forth.  

“So, what’s his name?”

“I didn't give him one, since I didn't know if he was lost, and then I didn't know if he'd be staying.” “Well, then…my childhood dog Pigeon I named because she was silver and black, shiny like a pigeon,” she studied the Collie, “I think…his name will be Sunny.  Pigeon was a descendant of the Sunnybank Collies.  We don't know his lineage, but he reminds me of my childhood.  And hopefully…he can help some kids who need it.” Gav nodded, looking to the dog, You don't know how lucky you are, buddy.  You…

You're going to have the best life possible.

[thepowerisyouth]

Eh mental health is annoying. Buying & cooking cheap low-FODMAP diet is annoying. My best top note for now is I'm using this blog to practice writing. I need more practice in it. I only know business, accounting & economics stuff. Its stupid stuff. Theres too much actual fraud everywhere that its annoying

Also I use mobile so formatting sucks cause Nvidia GPUs, or Arch dont like tumblr site. Or tumblr site dont like tumbkr site

Also also I 100,000% support all my fellow ones-and-zeros and their identity. Everyone is welcome here.

Except transphobes/zionist/long list of others but you get it. I'll help harrass any of those types endlessly if someone wants to tag me, and bring me in on an argument like that friend you call for backup with fights

Im unhinged so who's to say exactly what will end up here but this is also a completely public blog to me friends, family, hell, even acquaintances i dont give a fuc.

Blog should be expected to be roughly as child-friendly as simpsons or bobs burgers. But also boring like a civics/economics lesson sometimes. Yay

--------

I (and my husband) am ex mormon. Its a weird thing. Look into it if you havent recently. Realllllyyyy look into. Takes time to figure it all out in this fuckin fucked up world.

I just moved a year ago. Didnt watch the US stock market as much as I normally do. Had my first snowstorm 10 weeks ago, that was.. fun to handle while ill prepared. About 6 weeks ago I was hopping back on the market and notice its a huge tech bubble about to pop and all the conditions Ive been warned about my whole career imply this is not good. Just took a little more thinking & digging and I'm a little too confident to stop talking about it now.

(Oh I'm also care-free as fuc so I dont really read or desire to change past posts more than lil-nitpicks. More informative for the reader & myself-in-the-future-reading that way)

And I'm not kidding I do love feedback & questions. Its a very public blog tho so I get that part for sure.

If you search "life story" in my tags I had that pinned for a min Im just moving shit around rn

Being poor sucks. Will write more on that later.

---------------

First of all-- the exact timeline of an "economic shock" is literal insanity. Dont worry about the exact timing of any of this-- just know its doomed to happen soon.

Here are some effects I predict of this upcoming economic downturn

If anyone comes across any sources for these events that support my arguments please feel free to add in comments, reblogs, etc.

This concise list is mainly for my own reference, but it would be great to add to it if any one has something to add!

0.5. US Stock market collapse-- I have no desire to try and predict this one exactly. Too many conspiracies are actually correct about this big guy. Lets just say 7 US Tech stocks are worth 25% of the entire worlds market, roughly. "Too big to fail"-- I believe is the phrase

1. Corporate (slightly later will be residential by extension) real estate crisis: currently way too overvalued. Most of the houses, land, & urban corporate property we see could stand to decrease by about 60-90% from its current price.

2. Bankruptcy crisis: similar to the after-effects of the 70s inflation-- we can expect to see a huge wave of bankruptcies affecting a variety of business: from the micro-self employed; to the small business with leased buildings; to the largest corporations who commit massive accounting fraud & hope to escape accountability in time

3. Bank runs-- there is an extremely high overreliance on the Federal Reserve, who does not have good control over this situation. Once it becomes clear that there is a crisis (we call this a catalyst event)-- bank runs for physical cash are a surety. Hard to say how long a crisis like this might last. I should ask my siblings who lived near the SVB bank crisis hotspot (but those were rich fucks they do their "bank runs" over the phone)

3.5. Global currency collapse, which takes effect in every single local, state, & national economy at slightly different times. This means prices lower. Much lower. But takes time

4. Whatever the fuck the geopolitics is gonna do???. Its weird. You got Russia wanting to invade Europe? (Look at global economic forum 2024) Trump wants to let them. Biden wants to be an establishment corporate ass. North Korea has changed its #1 public enemy to South Korea (dont remember my source but it was a couple months ago). USA is stationing more troops in Taiwan, but probably only because of semiconductor technology?

The scope of our global financial woes are larger than can be explained in any of our lifetimes. Its much, much closer to pre-revolution France or the late 1920s. Big change is coming. Itll be soon

5. More to come

[ncisfranchise-source]

After Cote de Pablo left NCIS early into Season 11, Emily Wickersham was brought in as Ziva David’s replacement, Ellie Bishop, an NSA analyst who quickly joined the Naval Criminal Investigative Service after meeting Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and became part of his team. Like her predecessor, Wickersham stuck around the popular CBS series for eight seasons, departing in the Season 18 finale, titled “Rule 91”. Three years year, Wickersham opened up about how much of an adjustment it was for her leaving NCIS, a period of her life she described as “wonderful and weird.”

Wickersham took some time to chat with the hosts of Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, the aforementioned Cote de Pablo and fellow NCIS alum Michael Weatherly, who are currently in the middle of shooting their upcoming spinoff series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. During the interview on the podcast, de Pablo asked Wickersham asked how long it took until it finally sunk in for her that she wouldn’t have to go back to the NCIS set, and she answered:

It took a while. I left the show, I found out I was pregnant a month later… So it was a combo of decompressing and trying to really relax and figure out how things were going to be without work. Because as you guys know, it's all consuming. Your life is all NCIS when you're on that show. It’s all day, every day, and you're not really left with much time to do many things outside of that. So that was a real adjustment for me.

Since NCIS is a TV show that typically has seasons comprised of 20-24 episodes, Emily Wickersham is right that acting on the series takes up a lot of your time with those long shooting hours. So it’s understandable it took some time for the actress to get used to NCIS not being part of her everyday life, and along with the discovery of the pregnancy soon after, she also found herself moving to the other side of the United States. The actress continued:

It was wild to go into pregnancy, and then I moved to New York really shortly after because my boyfriend lives here. It was a weird moment in time. It was wonderful and weird. As you both know, it's strange to leave something that has been ingrained in you for so many years.

Again, Emily Wickersham was on NCIS for eight seasons, an amount a lot of TV shows never reach. So she had a good run as Ellie Bishop, but after nearly a decade of being a main cast member on one of the most popular procedurals ever, she’d reached a point she was ready to close this chapter of the proverbial book. When Cote de Pablo asked Wickersham inquired about this and pointed out how it was “epic” that she left NCIS and had a baby within the span of just 10 months, Wickersham said:

It was, for sure. I don't know if I was necessarily ready, but it, it happened and it was amazing. I was ready to leave the show. It was time and I was ready to move on to something else, and I guess this was the something else I was meant to move on to. So it was good.

NCIS remains the last thing Emily Wickersham has acted in, but with the show going into its 22nd season this fall on the 2024 TV schedule, and the possibility of it continuing its impressive run into Season 23 and beyond, perhaps there will come a day when she’s ready to reprise Ellie Bishop, whether it’s for a guest spot or recurring stint. After all, Cote de Pablo eventually returned for the Season 16 finale and a handful of Season 17 episodes.

When we last saw Bishop, she was departing for an undercover mission that required her to tarnish her reputation as an NCIS agent. It would be great for either that assignment to finally finish or for Bishop to retire from operating as this kind of agent, even if she doesn’t want to return to NCIS either. Regardless, Bishop could come back to Washington D.C. and reunite with Wilder Valderrama’s Nick Torres and the rest of her work family.