#legendary defense duo

[star-light-shadows]

Valentine's Day, 2027

Nick and Maya exchange gifts while Team Pearl fangirls in the background.

[exaltedfuzz]

What are your thoughts about Gant? Like, his motivations, as a characters, how much of what he does is premeditated/intentionally manipulative?

I really enjoy Gant. He's a fascinating character to me, and there's so much to say on him. I find it hard to describe him, because he's so disingenuous in how he presents himself. It's not that clear if he really means anything he says. But let's try and tackle this...

His motivations. He's self-serving. He says it outright. ("There are only three people I look out for: Me, Myself and I." - Gant)

I think this is being said slightly defensively, but it does hold up. When he kills Neil, it's to cinch the Darke case, but that can't be it. I don't remember if a concrete motive is ever given in game. I need to replay the case. However, I think this unknowable aspect to him is one thing that makes him terrifying. Beneath that jovial charisma, we know he's making Lana's life miserable. ("[withdrawing] was the only way I could make it through the past two years." - Lana) By the time we see her in RFTA, she's at the point where she's what amounts to being at least passively suicidal.

Obviously, she confesses to Bruce's murder to protect Ema through shouldering Gant's crime for him, but I can't help but feel like there's more to it than that. I think she's been incredibly worn down, overworked, and had her personal life and relationships purposefully eroded by him. Gant does whatever is convenient, and he's incredibly comfortable doing so. He outright tells Lana that he killed Bruce, without any idea that she'd tell anyone anything about it. The reason he gets caught in the end is because of her daring to tell Jake, and the whole stunt Jake pulled in the evidence room, iirc. The fact that he doesn't even consider the possibility that Lana would seek assistance kind of says a lot about what he's grown to expect from her.

I think "the legendary duo" as an idea is a crazy power imbalance. A young woman, presumably a very new detective, 24-27, and the deputy chief of police, a man in his 60s with an insane amount of power. Factoring in Lana's own circumstances, being Ema's only caretaker, and constantly falling into being the more mature one in anything interpersonal (Angel says she was always looking out for the other detectives, and that Jake couldn't have ever recovered from Neil's death without Lana's support.) it must have been nice for her to have a partnership where she was the one learning. She says that Gant "was everything [she] aspired to be", and Angel says that Lana hated anything corrupt. (I'm taking Angel's words at face value here, because Angel is shown to be very resentful towards Lana, and not likely to be giving her undue praise.) So, Lana had no idea about the kind of man he really is.

I think, therefore, that his decision to use Lana was very thought out. He knows full well that she respects him, admires his work, but more importantly, that she's nice. She's a character who seems to me like a little bit of a people pleaser. When you look at how all the characters describe what she was like, it's often about what she'd do for other people, and she comes off as being a little naive, maybe. Too private, and too passive.

I think Gant, working closely with her, and being the observant person he is, would pick up on this easily. He knows that Lana shuts up and gets on with it, but also that she's honest and earnest, and she'd need a tipping point to be able to be scared enough to be useful in furthering his career and his ego. So, at the first opportunity he has to make her sweat, when she's blinded by being terrified over whether Ema will be ok, he takes full advantage.

He also would have likely been her friend. So he'd have known she went to law school, and that she was the best. (She seems keen to brag, even in the circumstances at the start of RFTA, so I imagine she'd have been a little smug under normal circumstances). I think her earnestness that we see coming through near the end of the case, when she starts using that leaning forward sprite, would have led to her probably sharing a lot of personal things, which Gant would obviously keep in mind just in case there was ever an opportunity to use this information to his advantage.

Outside of Lana, though, he seems to be a good judge of character. In who he chooses to demote and fire, he fires Angel. He knows that Angel is the "cough-up-queen" (I found out that the Japanese version is "vomit-covered-okyou". Strange.) and that if she's ever on the same case, or in the same workspace as Prosecutor Skye, she'll break her and ruin everything. So Angel is out. She's wily enough to weasel her way back into their proximity, though, using everything she knows she can use as leverage. Jake, as well, isn't outwardly as confrontational as Angel, and he wants him tethered to the place his brother was murdered in, as a sort of reminder that they "found his killer", and he "has justice", I suppose? Maybe so that Jake never has the chance to take a step back from it all and evaluate. Of course, he doesn't factor in Jake and Angel having a relationship outside of office hours, and this enduring friendship giving Jake that chance... Which, actually seems to be a theme with him. I think he probably is a quite lonely man, and doesn't account for people having relationships more complex than coworkers. Maybe because he just doesn't care about anyone else.

I think very little of what he does is excessively premeditated, and everything is in his follow-through. Killing Neil seems entirely opportunistic, and killing Bruce, similarly, was done spur of the moment. I think he works within the framework of believing he knows exactly what pieces he has to play with. He knows how to terrify everyone around him - he puts Jake on the crime scene as a sort of "look what happens", and I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to think that he knew he'd be making Lana fear for her own life by casually telling her to dispose of the body of a coworker she was likely quite close to. He seems very aware of the bargaining chips that he has re:each person. Which makes it interesting that he doesn't care much about Angel, actually! I figure this is because she's a much more canny person, and he knows he'd never be able to shake her, so it's best to just have her out of the way.

I think an interesting line is the bit where the Judge says that he's not the man that he used to know.

Either Gant has always been corrupt, and incredible at keeping himself guarded, as we do see him to be in game, or he really was a good guy. Maybe he saw himself in the earnest, good natured Detective Skye, and the natural progression, therefore, was that she'd become just as corrupt as him. He doesn't factor in her empathy, though. He knows he's terrifying her by getting her to dispose of Bruce, but he doesn't care that her being terrified leads to her making awful body-disposing decisions. She leaves Bruce in the place he put him, she leaves the real weapon at the crime scene, she's witnessed, photographed, and she cuts open her hand. I don't think this was his intention, to frame her. I mean, clearly, Edgeworth was the intended target of the framing, but Lana messed everything up enough to give him a brand new scapegoat. He wouldn't want to dispose of the person who puts the prosecutors office in his pocket, but I think this incident really tanks her value to him in his eyes. He believes he can count on her to do anything, but she has entirely failed this task, so she might just become a liability for anything in future. I think Lana knows this too, which is why she doesn't have any fight in her.

When Lana is free from Gant, she, of course, has her smiling sprite. (My favourite.) But it's not just her being happy, it's her being actually free. She says so. ("A long time since I've felt free of these heavy chains"). Because I draw her so much, I've looked at her sprites a lot, and her smiley one really gets me. It's got the "can't stop smiling" feel to it, with how her eyebrows are held, and how her eyes crinkle. When you look at her normal sprites, she's either got a thousand yard stare or she looks terrified. The judge even asks if she thinks something is amusing, because she's just grinning. It's just cathartic. She's giddy. Usually she's acting out of a (misguided, and slightly self serving) desire to protect Ema, but knowing Gant isn't going to be a presence in her life anymore seems to not just delight her for Ema's sake, but also because she, herself, isn't in the middle of this anymore, and it seems like being happy for herself is something unusual enough for her that it just makes her soft. As well, her hands are in front of her now. So she's not having to hide the blood on them anymore. Anyway. I really like Lana's sprites. This isn't supposed to be about her.

I went on a bit, and I'm sure I repeated myself somewhere, but those are some of my Gant thoughts. He's really interesting to me. Especially the way he interacts with the other characters. Bear in mind this is being written a fair few months after playing RFTA one time...

[hotvintagepoll]

Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster (From Here to Eternity, The Gypsy Moths)—no propaganda submitted

Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd (Let's Do Things, Catch as Catch Can)—[a Vanity Fair article was submitted that was paywalled, so I'm putting the text of it under the cut]

This is round 1 of a mini Christmas tournament. Each poll lasts for three days. If you'd like to send additional propaganda supporting your favorite hot couple, you can reblog this post with your propaganda added, send it to my asks, or tag me in it. To vote in all the polls, click here. Happy holidays!

[additional propaganda under the cut]

Pitts and Todd:

Here is the text of the Vanity Fair article that was submitted, written by Donald Liebenson:

Before Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley, or Mary and Rhoda, there were Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts. Separately, they were journeymen character actors in 1930s Hollywood. Together, they became the first major female comedy team, appearing in shorts that found them bonded as friends and career women struggling to make it on their own—the Depression-era answer to Abbi and Ilana of Broad City.

Over a two-year period, they made 17 shorts rarely seen since their theatrical release—and now collected for Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts: The Hal Roach Collection 1931-33, a two-DVD set. They’re revelatory viewing, progressive, and proto-feminist portrayals of two career girls in the big city, defiantly dependent on each other.

Hal Roach, the legendary producer who teamed up Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, envisioned Todd and Pitts as a female equivalent to his marquee stars. Blonde-bombshell Todd was a beauty queen plucked from Massachusetts by a talent scout and brought to Hollywood in the 1920s, where she primarily played comic relief in other people’s films. Kansas-born Pitts was a prolific character actress, so typecast as a comedienne that few directors took her seriously for dramatic roles (though her finest hours were in Erich von Stroheim’s epic, Greed). The contrast between them was more about character than looks. Todd was brash and confident, and Pitts a more dithery presence; think Olive Oyl.

“They have gumption; they’re unflappable,” explained Molly Haskell, film critic and author of the seminal book From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies. “They’re looking out for each other; you could just feel the value of the twosome. . . . They are modern women. Hopefully, they will rise to the top—but in the meantime, they’re just going to wing it and figure things out.”

The duo’s first short, Let’s Do Things, establishes their dynamic. Thelma and Zasu promote sheet-music sales in a department store. Pitts moons over her boyfriend, but a disapproving Thelma prompts her to remember why the two came to New York in the first place. “To advance ourselves, to meet the best people, and to do big things,” Pitts responds. By the end of the short, the boyfriend gets a pie in the face, courtesy of Todd.

“They’re always going to have each other’s back,” Haskell noted. “I don’t think there’s any of the shorts where they fight over a man.”

Todd and Pitts’s gender alone made them somewhat revolutionary in their day. Comedy teams were primarily the province of men: the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy. “Slapstick was what men loved, and women didn’t because the whole core of it was tearing things up,” Haskell said. “It was chaotic and women wanted order. The defense of the domestic was a woman’s role . . . and slapstick violated the sense of order and decency and uprightness. They didn’t find it funny.”

But Todd and Pitts were both game for the physical stuff. In Let’s Do Things, Todd suffers a throw-about throttling from a quack osteopath; in the courtroom comedy Sneak Easily, juror Pitts throws a murder trial into chaos when she swallows a piece of the evidence—an explosive.

But in their best shorts (which, like the rest of their work, were written and directed by men), the mayhem is mostly in the service of a female narrative, observed film historian Jeanine Basinger. “It’s situational comedy,” she said. “If you’re going to make a plot centered around women, what the heck is she going to do just sitting around the house? They have to get out there in some way. . . . When you look at these films, what you see is what [the creators] thought was a good comedy female situation in that era. You have the chaos over Zasu’s hat in the boxing arena in Catch-as Catch-Can, the high-society party in which they are fish out of water in The Pajama Party, and the department-store melee in The Bargain of the Century. . . . The American woman on film is really a pretty active person, unless she is just stooging it in a male genre. Things have to happen to them, and they have to react. These shorts reflect that very clearly.”

More than 80 years on, the Todd-Pitts shorts play surprisingly well. Their appeal, talent, and chemistry elevate even the most dated material. “I like [Todd and Pitts] so much, and enjoy watching them,” said Leonard Maltin, author of the recently published anthology, Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom and the essential 1970 book Movie Comedy Teams.

“I cannot tell a lie: the shorts are not all good. The gag men had a hard time coming up with suitable material that wouldn’t de-feminize them or make them look outlandishly unladylike, but [Todd and Pitts] play well today because [the characters] aren’t so different from two young women trying to make their way in the world in 2018. The struggles they have by and large tend not to be sexist. If they lose a job, they are comically inept, or it’s a blown opportunity.”

Max and Caroline of 2 Broke Girls, which ran for six seasons on CBS earlier this decade, could be the granddaughters of Thelma and Zasu. Beth Behrs, who played fallen privileged high-society woman Caroline, formed a formidable odd-couple relationship with Max (Kat Dennings), a street-smart waitress trying to start her own cupcake business. Their chemistry, Behrs said, was instant, and their real-life friendship informed their on-screen rapport over the show’s six seasons.

Though the actress was previously unfamiliar with Todd and Pitts, she watched a couple of their shorts on YouTube and saw a kinship with those aspirational woman. “It was important [Caroline and Max] were full-fledged women who really were entrepreneurs,” she said. “We never had a love interest for more than a season. It wasn’t about finding a man; it was about loving each other and building the business from nothing, and the two of them going after the American Dream together.”

For Todd and Pitts, the dream ended when Zasu left the team in 1933. Hal Roach replaced her with Patsy Kelly. Todd, who had appeared in some Laurel and Hardy shorts, is perhaps best known today for her two films with the Marx Brothers, Monkey Business and Horse Feathers. Her career was tragically cut short in 1935 when at the age of 29 she was found dead in her car. A grand jury ruled her death a suicide, but that did not explain bruises around her throat, a broken nose, and other injuries; her death remains one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries.

What do these 80-plus-year-old shorts have to tell us in 2018? “They show us what all old movies show us,” Basinger said. “They show us how it was, and they show us how it is. . . . We can see attitudes, we can see women out in the world doing things, having ideas and speaking out. And they show us how we are today.”

Two Broke Girls ended its run in 2017. Behrs currently stars with Max Greenfield and Cedric the Entertainer in another CBS comedy, The Neighborhood, about a white couple that moves into a predominantly black neighborhood. The first season’s initial episodes have already glimpsed the comic possibilities in her character’s relationship with her next-door neighbor (Cedric’s wife), played by Tichina Arnold. “There is an electricity between us,” Behrs said. “The writers saw it, and are exploring turning us into a Lucy and Ethel.”

[lady-ace]

FIC WIP BE UPON THEE

(Captain Marvel x Pokémon, which i'm planning on putting on AO3 once i'm done with like, 5 chapters or so. This is the WIP of the first chapter.)

Captain Marvel is the brand new Fawcett hero. The man simply showed up one day, and started helping the community, be it with fighting crime or the most mundane things, like helping children find their parents when lost or help a person cross the street. He wasn’t as famous as Batman or Superman, and he even doubted he’d even been heard of outside of Fawcett. He was still very new, after all.

When flying around on patrol, Captain Marvel and Tawny — Who was on the ground, following along — spotted two men cornering an elderly woman in an alley, knives in hand, poised to attack.

“Pass em’, grandma!” One of them ordered, bringing the knife closer to her threateningly. “Give us the necklace and no one gets hurt!” The other thug exclaims, getting closer to rip the necklace off the lady’s neck altogether.

“No, please!” The senior pleaded, “It was a gift from my grandson!” She added, clutching her necklace close to her protectively, clearly close to tears and panic evident on her voice.

Marvel looked at Tawny as the Raikou growled and went into the alley, passing and startling the robbers as he stood in defense of the lady, growls coming out like crackles of thunder, loud against the silence of the alley.

“Shit!” the first thug yelped in surprise, “Is that the hero Raikou?!” the second one asked, taking a step back in fear of the large feline in front of him. “I thought it was a myth!”

Captain Marvel slowly floated down to land alongside Tawny, standing tall and opposing the two criminals, who were looking ready to bolt, shaking hands reaching to the Pokéballs on their belts.

“Tawny,” The hero called, nodding at the Pokémon, “Electroweb.”

At the command, electricity charged all around the legendary Pokémon, surging forwards as two webs that wrapped around the two criminals, shocking them to make them drop their weapons, before staying dormant, only serving to keep them both still.

After checking on the restrained criminals, Marvel turned to Tawny. “Good job!” he smiled, petting the Pokémon’s head, who trilled back proudly at the praise, happy with his work well done.

After the brief congratulations and pets, Marvel turned around to check on the elderly woman. 

“Thank you, thank you! This necklace is oh so dear to me, I can't bear to even think of losing it.” The senior babbled, voice full of relief and a big smile upon her face.

The Captain smiled back at her, “No need to thank me, Ma’am. I’m just glad you’re safe.” he responded, before being lightly headbutted by his partner Pokémon, trying to get his attention.

“Yes?” he asked, confused, as the pokémon walked to the thugs restrained on the ground, referencing them, their fallen weapons and Pokéballs with a paw. Realization dawned on the champion, “Oh! Them! Right, right.” he noted.

“Ma’am, I need to go deliver those men to the police. Stay safe, alright?” at her nod, he grabbed both restrained thugs, still struggling in the electric webs, and took flight, being mindful of the Pokéballs still on them. He absentmindedly noted that Tawny took both of the dropped knives before he followed him. 

──────────────────────────

Today was a calm day in the Justice League watchtower. Batman was researching some cases and compiling files, with his Noivern by his side, while Flash’s Jolteon raced by, chasing Green Lantern’s Reuniclus.

The Jolteon, happily yipping after the other Pokémon, stopped once they both reached the recreation room. The large TV was on, displaying the news.

“Hello, good morning, Reporter Jessica speaking, reporting from Fawcett city.” the reporter started. Behind her was a large person who was talking to the police. The person didn’t seem thrilled at all to be talking to them. “This morning a criminal duo was apprehended by Captain Marvel, the newest Fawcett hero.” She said, stepping aside and letting the camera focus on the tall person — Presumably, Captain Marvel — talking to the officers. She moved again, the camera focus going right back at her. 

“We are hoping to get an exclusive interview with him, and get more information on the crime.” Jessica says pointedly. She was not too close to where Marvel and the officers stood, but with the subtle raise of her voice, it was obvious she was heard. Especially when the Captain seemed to beam out of nowhere, saying rushed goodbyes to the officers, waiting patiently as the news crew moved in.

“Hello, Captain Marvel. Could you explain to us what happened earlier today?” The reporter politely asked, raising her microphone near the hero. He seemed somewhat relieved, or more accurately, less on edge talking to the curious reporter and cameraman than he was talking to the officers.

“Of course!” The hero said with a bright smile. The news banner silently changed from ‘EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NEW FAWCETT HERO AND LEGENDARY PARTNER’ to a blank banner. “While on patrol today, me and Raikou,” Upon being mentioned, a Raikou showed up, who was previously out of the camera’s view. The hero seemed surprised too, “Oh, hi.” He cut himself off briefly to greet his Pokémon, who simply let out a chirp at the camera. “As I was saying, me and Raikou were on patrol when those two,” Marvel pointed behind him. The camera follows where he points, ending up on the two criminals, handcuffed and inside the back of a police car. “Decided to try and rob an old lady.” 

The reporter feigned a gasp, and proceeded to ask more questions, some very unrelated to the matter at hand. —“Could you tell us if you’re Kryptonian, Marvel?” and “Were there Raikou on your planet?” couldn’t have anything to do with an older lady getting saved from two robbers, after all—The TV channel’s banner now read “NEW FAWCETT HERO SAVES OLD LADY FROM ARMED ROBBERY, NEW SUPERMAN?”.

While the Pokémon watched, mesmerized by the seemingly random appearance of a legendary Pokémon — A caught one! Can you believe it? — on live TV.

The Jolteon and the Reuniclus started chattering to each other back and forth, communicating with wobbles and barks. The excited Pokémon chatter attracted Noivern’s attention a room away, who went to check it out.

Upon arrival, and seeing what all the noise was about, Noivern quickly returned to Batman, the normally quiet and composed Pokémon suddenly chirping rather loudly to get the man’s attention.

[phantobats]

I NEED to see your version of a reverse robin au!!!!

To be honest, I have been thinking of starting my own Reverse Robins AU, so here are my ideas for that under the cut !

In this universe, as Dick Grayson is not the first Robin, all of the Robins are instead called Squires, to fit with the Dark Knight theme Bruce has going on.

Bruce Wayne's Journey to Becoming the Dark Knight

At the age of 19, Bruce Wayne, driven by a thirst for justice and a desire to master the skills needed to combat crime, joins the League of Assassins. His exceptional talents quickly propel him through the ranks, catching the attention of Ra's al Ghul, the enigmatic leader of the League. Impressed by Bruce’s prowess and potential, Ra’s offers him a place at his side as his heir, along with the hand of his daughter, Talia al Ghul.

Clouded by ambition and the promise of power, Bruce accepts, and by the time he is 20, he becomes a father to Damian. Bruce and Talia, though deeply involved in the League, raise Damian together. However, unbeknownst to Bruce, Damian is secretly subjected to the League’s brutal training methods.

Years pass, and it is only when Bruce accidentally witnesses a young Damian brutally decapitating an enemy that the full horror of what his son has become strikes him. Horrified, Bruce realizes that the League is no place for his son or himself. In a desperate bid to save Damian from a life of violence and darkness, Bruce fights his way out of the League, taking Damian with him back to Gotham.

Returning to Gotham, Bruce reflects on his actions and the person he has become under the League's influence. Burdened with guilt and a desire for redemption, he decides to channel his skills into becoming the Dark Knight, the Batman, a symbol of justice and atonement for the city that has always been his true home.

Damian Wayne: The First Squire

Damian, torn from the only life he has ever known, is furious at being taken away from the League. He demands to become his father’s squire, determined to prove himself worthy and regain the sense of purpose he once had. Bruce, though wary of Damian's brutal tendencies, sees this as an opportunity to guide his son onto a brighter path, away from the shadow of the League’s influence.

As Damian grows, Bruce tirelessly works to temper his son’s lethal instincts, teaching him the value of mercy and justice over vengeance. However, as Damian approaches adulthood, he begins to struggle with the immense pressure of being the heir to the Batman mantle. Despite his father’s teachings, the weight of expectation becomes overwhelming, and Damian starts to revert to his old, violent ways, hoping that by doing so, he can distance himself from a destiny he feels ill-suited for.

Bruce, recognizing the signs of Damian’s internal conflict, decides to send him to join the Young Justice team, hoping that interacting with peers and learning from others like Black Canary will help Damian find balance. With Black Canary’s guidance, Damian finally opens up to Bruce, revealing his fears and his desire to forge his path. Understanding his son’s plight, Bruce supports him in seeking a new identity, one that reflects who Damian truly is rather than what others expect him to be.

Damian takes on the identity of "Onyx", a precious stone, often associated with protection and absorbing negative energy

By adopting the name Onyx, Damian symbolizes his role as a protector who absorbs and neutralizes the darkness around him, taking something once associated with darkness and turning it into a symbol of strength and defense.

Tim Drake’s Journey: From Obsession to Tragedy

Tim Drake's story begins with an obsession. Fascinated by the mysterious figure of Batman and his squire, Damian Wayne, Tim starts following them around Gotham, trying to learn everything he can about the legendary duo. Damian quickly notices the young boy's persistence but says nothing to Bruce, curious to see how far Tim will go. Damian secretly admires Tim's courage and tenacity, even if he considers it somewhat reckless.

Tim’s persistence eventually pays off when, while attending a high-society gala, he observes Bruce Wayne and Damian closely enough to piece together their secret identities. Empowered by his discovery, Tim becomes even more determined, shadowing them more frequently. One night, during a solo patrol, Damian finds Tim in a dangerous situation. Realizing the gravity of what he has uncovered, Tim blurts out his knowledge of their identities, prompting Damian to drag him back to the Batcave to tend to his injuries.

Bruce, impressed by Tim's intelligence and resourcefulness, reluctantly allows him to assist with investigations. Tim eagerly takes on this role, preferring the intellectual challenge over direct combat. His analytical mind and sharp instincts prove invaluable to Batman and Damian, who continue their nightly crusade against Gotham’s criminal underworld.

However, when Damian decides to strike out on his own as an independent hero in Blüdhaven, Tim's life takes a dark turn. The Joker targets Tim’s parents, brutally murdering them. Devastated and fueled by a desire for vengeance, Tim becomes the second Squire, determined to use his skills to bring his parents' killer to justice.

Despite his best efforts, every investigation into the Joker’s whereabouts turns up empty. Frustration and anger begin to consume Tim, leading him to act more impulsively. When he stumbles upon what seems to be a solid lead on the Joker’s location, he recklessly pursues it on his own, determined to end the clown’s reign of terror. The lead, however, is a trap, and Tim is captured.

Over the following months, the Joker tortures Tim, breaking him both physically and mentally, and eventually warping him into Joker Jr., a twisted reflection of the hero he once aspired to be. When Batman finally confronts the Joker again, he is horrified to discover what has become of Tim. In the ensuing battle, the Joker kills Tim, leaving Batman to mourn another lost Squire. However, Tim's body is never recovered by Bruce.

Unbeknownst to Batman, the League of Assassins finds Tim's broken body and resurrects him using the Lazarus Pit. Ra’s al Ghul, seeing the potential for another brilliant detective in his ranks, manipulates Tim, warping his memories and convincing him that his quest for vengeance is far from over.

Enraged and manipulated into believing that he must destroy the man who failed him, Tim flees the League and returns to Gotham, swearing a bloody vendetta against all criminals, but most of all against Bruce Wayne, whom he blames for his suffering. He takes on the name of the "Wraith", reflecting Tim’s transformation into a shadow of his former self, driven by a need to haunt those he holds responsible for his pain.

Jason Todd’s Journey: From Desperation to Redemption

Jason Todd grew up on the harsh streets of Crime Alley, a place where hope is scarce and survival is a daily struggle. With his father having mysteriously disappeared and his mother dying of an overdose, Jason was left to fend for himself in one of Gotham's most dangerous neighborhoods. The recent rise of crime gangs, fueled by the chaos wrought by Wraith's birth, has turned Park Row into a literal warzone, with violence and despair at every corner.

Desperate for a way out and hoping to make some quick money, Jason decides to steal the tires off the Batmobile when he finds it unattended. However, Batman catches him in the act. In a moment of sheer desperation, Jason pleads with Batman to take him in. He explains his dire situation—his father’s absence, his mother’s death, and the unrelenting violence that has consumed his home. Jason argues that with his deep knowledge of the streets and the gangs that rule them, he could be of real help to the Dark Knight.

Batman, who has been struggling with his own demons since losing his previous squire, sees something in Jason that he can't ignore. Despite his hesitation about involving Jason in his dangerous crusade, Batman reluctantly agrees, allowing Jason to become the new Squire. However, Batman remains cautious, initially keeping Jason away from the frontline battles, focusing instead on training him and using his knowledge of Crime Alley to gather intelligence.

As time goes on, Jason proves to be an invaluable asset. His familiarity with the criminal underworld of Park Row gives Batman a strategic advantage, allowing them to dismantle several gangs and push back against the crime wave that has overtaken the area. Jason's raw talent, combined with Batman's training, quickly turns him into a formidable squire.

No longer the desperate kid from Crime Alley, Jason finds a new sense of purpose and belonging. Jason proves to be a valuable asset not just in the field but also in the world of high society.

He, though initially struggling with the elite environment of Wayne Enterprises, gradually earns respect through his hard work and ingenuity. His background as a former street kid gives him a unique perspective, allowing him to connect with people on a different level. Over time, he makes a name for himself in the business world, becoming a key figure in Bruce Wayne’s efforts to bolster the public image of Wayne Enterprises. Bruce is immensely proud of Jason’s progress, seeing him as a symbol of redemption and success.

Despite this, Bruce’s attention is increasingly divided due to the resurgence and unmasking of Tim Drake. This leaves Bruce more focused on the complexities surrounding Tim, limiting his ability to be a father figure to Jason. While Bruce continues to mentor Jason in his role as a squire, Jason yearns for a more personal connection and sees Bruce as more of a mentor than a father figure.

When Bruce adopts Dick Grayson, Jason steps into the role of an older brother, providing support and guidance. His bond with Dick helps solidify his place in the Wayne family and allows him to channel his own experiences into nurturing the younger boy.

Tragedy strikes when Bruce seemingly dies, disappearing into the time stream. The loss of Batman leaves a void in Gotham and creates uncertainty about who will take up the mantle. Damian and Jason, both deeply affected by Bruce’s disappearance, struggle with their own visions of the future. Jason, who believes that Bruce might still be alive, decides to embark on his own investigation, driven by hope and determination.

As he steps away from the role of the squire to forge his own path, Jason emerges with the identity of Phoenix that reflects his growth and evolution from a troubled past to a dynamic, independent hero.

Dick Grayson’s Journey: From Orphan to Squire

After witnessing the tragic deaths of his parents, young Dick Grayson is taken in by Bruce Wayne, who, along with Damian Wayne and Jason Todd, initially tries to shield him from the truth of their secret identities. Despite their efforts to conceal their true selves, Dick’s perceptiveness reveals their identities, as the injuries and circumstances are too evident to ignore.

Instead of immediately taking Dick on as a squire, Bruce and his team focus on helping him cope with his grief and trauma. They engage Dick in sparring matches and other activities to channel his emotions and provide a sense of normalcy and belonging. Dick, with his resilient spirit and natural charisma, becomes a bright presence in the manor, helping to lift the spirits of everyone around him during a dark period.

When Bruce mysteriously disappears, leaving Gotham in uncertainty, Jason, driven by a belief that Bruce might still be alive, sets out to investigate. Feeling the weight of responsibility on Damian’s shoulders, Dick cannot stand by and watch him bear the burden alone. Determined to help, Dick steps up and becomes the fourth squire, fighting alongside Damian and making the experience more bearable for both of them.

With Bruce’s return, the dynamic within the team shifts. Damian resumes his role as Onyx, and Dick has to adjust to the new arrangements. Although he misses Damian as a mentor, Dick adapts quickly to working with Bruce, continuing to prove himself as a valuable member of the team. His journey from a grieving orphan to a dedicated squire highlights his resilience and ability to thrive amidst change.

[danielgold-16]

A Clash of Hurling Titans: Cork vs. Galway

The stage was set at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork’s legendary hurling fortress, where the passion of sport and the unity of teams converged under the Irish sun. The crowd roared, a sea of red and white Cork fans blending with maroon-clad Galway supporters. This was more than just a game; it was tradition, rivalry, and pride personified. Among the warriors in Cork’s lineup stood PDU-016 and PDU-110, each embodying athleticism and discipline.

PDU-016, a striking figure with light brown hair meticulously styled in a preppy cut, sported a shiny gold rubber polo shirt with black accents and the number “016” emblazoned on the right of his chest. His green eyes scanned the field with calculated precision. His heavy black leather boots and quilted trousers signaled strength and resilience, unyielding under pressure.

Beside him, PDU-110, an American-born powerhouse with sandy blonde hair styled in a sharp undercut, was equally striking. His black rubber polo shirt with gold accents bore the number “110” in bold. With his heavy boots and black sports shorts, he was ready to face any challenge Galway threw their way.

The Game Begins

From the first whistle, the intensity was palpable. Galway struck first, sending a ball sailing over the bar to cheers from their contingent. But Cork answered immediately, with 016 catching a high ball midfield, his powerful swing sending the sliotar streaking through the air to score Cork’s first point. The crowd erupted, their voices a wall of sound driving the team forward.

Galway, however, was relentless. Their forwards danced around Cork's defenders, probing for weaknesses. It was in moments like these that 110's strength shone. A Galway attacker, poised to strike, was met by 110’s perfectly timed block, the sliotar ricocheting harmlessly away. With a quick flick of his hurl, 110 sent the ball into Cork’s forward line, where it was skillfully converted into another point.

The first half ended with Cork holding a narrow lead: 0-08 to 0-06.

Second-Half Dominance

Cork returned with renewed determination. 016 took charge of the midfield, his presence undeniable. Galway’s defenders faltered under his relentless onslaught. A critical moment came when 016 launched a long-range strike that sailed past Galway’s keeper into the back of the net. The stadium exploded as Cork surged ahead.

110, embodying precision and power, orchestrated Cork’s defensive wall. Galway’s star forward found no opening, his every move shadowed and stymied by 110’s unwavering presence. The American's heavy boots seemed to root him to the ground, a wall Galway could not breach.

Another goal came late in the game, the result of seamless teamwork between the Cork duo. 016’s expertly placed pass found 110, who, in an uncharacteristic but effective offensive maneuver, struck a low ball that rippled the Galway net. The scoreboard reflected Cork’s dominance: 2-12 to 0-09.

The Victory Celebration

The final whistle blew, sealing Cork’s triumph. Players embraced as the crowd cheered, the joy of victory coursing through the stadium. But the moment belonged to 016 and 110, the golden and black figures standing tall as the architects of Cork’s success.

As the team celebrated, 016 approached 110, holding a gleaming steel chain collar. With a practiced motion, he placed it around 110's neck and secured it with a lock. The symbolic act solidified not just their partnership on the field but their unity and discipline as drones of the hive.

The crowd roared anew, celebrating not just a game but the harmony and precision that defined the Cork team. In the light of victory, PDU-016 and PDU-110 stood as shining examples of dedication and excellence, a testament to the Hive’s vision of unity through discipline.

[pokepollsters]

Best Legendary Pokémon Tournament- Round 2: Match 12

Mewtwo has been predicted by many to be a very strong contender in this tournament, but nothing is guaranteed and it's got to get through Latias first! These two are another set of the relatively common Psychic type Legendaries, and they both have mega evolutions too! But Mewtwo is a powerhouse science experiment, and Latias is a more defensive member of the Eon Duo, so the similarities end there. You gotta pick your favourite!

[uchudishe]

(This joke has gone too far)

A little sketch-y story of Stalker Team Snakemouth below.

"Aye, Radsnake Team were quite a rag-tag bunch. So, count: you have a runaway bee, who abandoned her home hive outside the Zone, snuck into and almost immediately joined Freedom - for thrill and money. She didn't cared much about ideology, bit she needed somewhere to drop by, to sell loot and enjoy scarce comforts. That made her some troubles, tho - in her chase after riches, she made a few questionable deeds and had lotta contacts with shady reputation. Yet in her defense - she despised banditry and mercs, and never shyed away from help - just be sure to repay her for help; next, a beetle, former Duty soldier, part ways with em after his whole unit was torn apart by centimera. No, he didn't blamed superiors for that - that was more accident, and yet he refused to serve alongside, assumingly because was burdened by shame. He spent most of his time helping fellow stalkers, hunting mutants and participating in raids against bandits and renegades; last, moth, previously known as "another Monolith loony" - many of those guys scattered around Zone after psi-veil fell, and he was not an exception. With little to no memories about past life and with an intent to know what happened, sporting pretty supernatural ability to feel and use artifacts, he still remains the most mysterious team member. Also, rumor said they layer with a help of a scientist tamed a pseudochomper, but they never showed up on bases with it - for obvious reasons.

Considering that later those three managed to do in a few months things that factions tried to accomplish in years, this proven to be a correct choice."

Former two met when Vi ventured after a whisper of a legendary artifact. Place where it allegedly was were overrun by nasty mutants, so she needed someone to get rid of them. Kabbu by then was low on money and work, and since Vi paid him some in advance, joined her. Since no one technically were following their ideology, while a bit awkward, but functionable enough, duo ventured to the old lab, just to get ambushed by pseudoGiant inside. Luckily enough, a said monolith moth helped them out - even if got severly wounded in process. They found the artifact, sure, but question arose - what to do with an unconscious fanatic? I don't know what Kabbu thinked and how managed to get his point across to Vi, but they dragged that guy out.

[franklinfinley]

Hey! I'm Franklin, he/they. First year student at Naranja Academy, but I've been through several Gym Circuts for 7 years at this point. The Treasure Hunt is well underway, and things are looking great! I'm a ghost and fire type specialist, as well as a general Drowzee/Hypno specialist LOL

MY CURRENT TEAM:

Koraidon: a strange form of Cyclizar given to me by my friend Arven, originally owned by his mother Professor Sada. He prefers not to battle, but he will if he needs to. He maily loves acting as a riding mount and food-stealer >:P

Lullay: my service Hypno and first partner Pokemon. We've been a duo for 14 years now! She doesn't primarily battle, she mostly helps with my anxiety and insomnia. She steps up for defense if we need it, though.

Tabasco: my Skeledirge and chosen starter for Naranja Academy! He's a little scrapper and eager to prove himself in a fight, and just as eager to sit back, sing his little songs, and eat all my oranges. Little orange heathen even as he grows up

Sparky: my Luxray! He's a bundle of energy and a reckless battler. He loves nothing more than getting to flaunt his stuff and also wail and cry and flail his fists on the ground when he loses

Sushi: my Curly Tatsugiri, and an odd quiet fellow. He likes splashing water on the other teammates for funny pranks and curling up in my collar or hair. That being said, he is a FIERCE battler. Honestly kinda scary with what he can pull off from such a tiny body...

Arthur: my Beartic! He's very polite with me and the team, but fierce when it comes to defense. It takes a while for him to warm up to new people, but those he warms up to he holds close.

Strawberry Lemonade: my shiny Amped-Up Toxtricity, who i rescued from the wild as a Shadow variant. She's clingy and packs a MEGA punch, and cocky with her skills as a battler. Now that she's come out of her shell, her punk rock personality really shines through.

Montez: my Garchomp, and just what you'd expect from such a feared creature. She's the meanest of the group and always first to volunteer for a fight. She swings hard and fights with pure power. Now that she's calmed, she's the perfect guard 'mon.

Things at Naranja are going great! My friend Nemona has shown me all the ropes, and I feel like I'm gonna have a good few years here. This might just be my Yelling About Things blog. So if you're into that thing feel free to tag along!

[OOC UNDER CUT]

Heallo this is the in character blog i have for my self insert!! I follow from my main @yatgb

Be prepared for Main Character And Mary Sue Shenanigans, and dont be afraid to ask abt stuff he mentions in posts!! I plan to have this going as a whole thing with arcs and all that, basically going through all of scarvi's plot, including DLC down the line. This WAS gonna be an art-based askblog but i dont rlly have the time for one of those :( but ill be posting story snippets later down the lind!

Pelipper Mail is on as long as its something small, he wont accept like new pokemon or money or anything. Think like what youd get from a mystery gift :D Magic Anons are off!

Also, dont take everything Franklin says at face-value. He's got a loong history, and some secrets to hide. There's a chance he could be lying about some stuff ',:) expect a well meaning but unreliable narrator

That being said, I like to do my own worldbuilding so whenever he goes into biology details dont look too hard into it. We're havin fun here. I also don't plan on doing any multiverse shenanigans. This is a self contained story about an oc thats very dear to me :D so just go with the flow. I might interact with other blogs as long as its feasible they could on Rotomblr connected through a multiverse.

Other character interaction is encouraged, as well has sentient pokemon except Legendaries! He has his own lore with a lot of legends it would be a little wack

Here's what he looks like! With Lullay!

[sincerely-sofie]

Do you have any more things you wanna talk about with that EF!verse inspired universe? I'm excited to hear more!

For context for any newcomers, this is referencing the project in this post, which is inspired by the content over at @efverse! Check the inspiration out!

As for some things I'd like to talk about with the project— I've mostly been developing the Legends, so I'll talk about that!

Legendary pokemon operate similarly to how they do in my Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU, The Present is a Gift.

Lugia and Ho-oh are ancient sweethearts engaged in a millenia-long courtship. They're sickeningly sweet and sappily romantic in their relationship.

Lugia governs the Bird Trio, which were gifts from Ho-oh. Ho-oh governs the Beast Trio, which were gifts from Lugia.

Lugia is feathery, as opposed to the more dolphin-like skin her species is usually depicted with in the source media.

Mew and Regigigas are close friends. Mew gets parenting advice from her after learning of Mewtwo's creation.

Alto Mare is the coastal town called home by the Eon Duo, and has a defense mechanism called the DMA that could be catastrophically dangerous if used incorrectly. The DMA is guarded by the firstborn child of each generation in a particular family. This guardian associates closely with Latios and Latias. A new guardian has recently been appointed, and Latias befriended the replacement right away. Latios, who was extremely close with the previous guardian, is much slower to warm.

The Lunar Duo are actually a single entity known by many names. She undergoes a grotesque transformation with the phases of the moon where she shifts between Darkrai and Cresselia's appearances. She tends to isolate herself, as when the moon turns dark her powers become uncontrollable and dangerous.

Heatran's body is constantly reforming underneath stoney armor due to its lavalike, impossible to contain nature.

There's a specific Legend responsible for our main character's friend disappearing along with everyone's memories of him.

[aimportantdragoncollector]

While I am well aware the series is complete on Ao3, what’s your take on if the parent summoning quirk in Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong got confused and- instead of just summoning Hisashi and Yoichi, also summoned all of the other OfA wielders, as they were when they first got the quirk?

For the sake of not sinking my duo/trioholders ship, Yoichi gets summoned when he first got the stockpiling quirk too, as an adult. Hisashi is the only child because it turns out he stole stockpiling when he was only five years old.

Going by his canon backstory, Hisashi is extremely feral. The other vestiges realize pretty quickly who he is and freak out. Yoichi begs them not to tell anyone because he's scared of what the HPSC might do to his child brother. They agree reluctantly, but they will at least tell All Might. That will have consequences.

Adult Yoichi is very protective of his brother in this AU, partly because he got summoned before he completely lost hope in his brother and partly because everyone else's hostility makes him feel defensive. Yoichi doesn't remember Second and Third, since he got his quirk before he met him. But they remember and love him so there's a lot of awkward pining.

Little Hisashi does not recognize adult Yoichi and freaks out about his brother being gone. Yoichi manages to convince him by talking in twin language. However Hisashi is not thrilled that his little brother got bigger than him. He keeps looking for a power to shrink Yoichi back down.

Nana does not remember Toshinori. Again, she got summoned when she first accepted One for All. Mentally she is younger than him. However the two of them still instantly hit it off and become friends.

Banjo and En decide they want to become heroes again. They team up. Hikage just leaves to go back to the forest. No one can find him. Banjo is the first to warm up to little Hisashi, he thinks the kid is funny. Hisashi keeps climbing all over Banjo to steal his quirk, but all past OFA holders have access to OFA's power and are immune. Banjo mistakes all this grabbing for affection.

Adult AFO still wants Yoichi more than anything else in the world. As a secondary priority, he'd love to kill Second again. That said, with nine One for All holders alive, he has to move a lot more cautiously.

The monopoly games are legendary. One such game results in Might Tower being burned down.

[tearsmyth]

LeBron James turns 40: Ranking the top 40 highlights from the King's legendary career on his birthday.

LeBron James has been a dominant force in basketball for over two decades, amassing a legion of awards, trophies, medals, and records. We try to narrow his incredible resume down to a top 40.

LeBron James isn’t just a basketball player—he’s a living legend. For two decades, he’s redefined the game, shattered records, and silenced doubters while cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

As he turns 40, we celebrate the King’s unparalleled legacy by revisiting the 40 moments, records, and stats defining his incredible journey. From winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024 to setting the all-time NBA minutes record, here’s how "LeBron James" became a name synonymous with greatness.

A stunning NBA debut & Oldest player to average 30 points per game in a season.

James' was the most hyped NBA prospect coming out of high school in history, so it only makes sense that his professional debut would be equally seismic for the NBA and indeed the sport itself. Thankfully an 18 year old James gave a taste of what was to come, stuffing the stat sheet with 25 points (on 12-of-20 shooting), 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings on 30 October 2003.

James is the oldest player to average 30 points per game in an NBA season, doing so at age 37 in the 2021-22 campaign. James averaged 30.3 PPG in 59 games.

James' skill on the court is so elite that he could seemingly play any position, but 'officialy' playing as a forward has seen him rack up 11,261 Assists - The Most in League history by a clear margin.

With 119 (regular season) triple-doubles and counting, James holds the record for the most by a forward in NBA history.

I would Choose the Los Angeles Lakers for my future Basketball's Team.

The Lakers have a Rich History and Tradition

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. Founded in 1947, the team has a legacy that includes 17 NBA championships, tied for the most in league history with the Boston Celtics. This rich tradition of success is built on the shoulders of legends like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Being part of such a prestigious organization means joining a lineage of greatness and contributing to a legacy that resonates with fans around the world.

Current Star Power

With superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are consistently competitive. LeBron, often regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, brings unmatched experience, leadership, and basketball IQ to the team. His ability to perform in clutch situations and elevate his teammates makes him an invaluable asset. Anthony Davis complements LeBron perfectly with his defensive prowess and scoring ability, creating a dynamic duo that can challenge any opponent.

Championship Aspirations

The Lakers are always in pursuit of championships. The organization has a winning culture that emphasizes excellence and competitiveness. As a player, being part of a team with such high aspirations can be incredibly motivating. The Lakers' front office is committed to building a championship-caliber roster, which means that players have the opportunity to compete for titles every season.

[fehtism]

Hello! I just reinstalled FEH after a few years (I dropped off during Book 4), and someone pointed me to your blog for help with figuring out the newer skills because DEAR GOD

I’m going to start digging through your posts, but if you take requests(?), I’d really appreciate a breakdown of how Smol Chrobin’s kit works because it consistently takes me 2-3 teams to take them down in Tempest Trials, my old blue mage haters don’t seem to work on them, and I have no idea why or what I should be doing better.

hiiii thank you for your ask!

you seem to have encountered the problem of duo f!robin being Unfair.

luckily you have some things going for you !

1) the youngins cannot counter at 1 range, if you smack with a strong melee unit you should be able to take em out

2) a good far save can take One hit and get some good damage on duo robin

there are also quite a few things against you

1) threat range is larger than you think due to getting another action after using reposition + orders warping

2) has after combat healing + healing with flare

3) hits like a truck

4) stupid fast ... if you haven't played for a while most if not all of your units will get doubled

...

the tldr of young chrobin kit

after using reposition buffs self. gets atk/spd stat stack , extra damage , and canto 1. also after reposition debuffs any of your units within 3 rows and 3 columns . has tempo to make sure you get pranked by special. also has a really stupid "solve for X" stat stack formula which in short gives more stats if foe is equipped with low cd special. also gets bonus damage from multiple parts of kit.

for the long explanation ...

duo chrobin prf weapon has a stupidly long description so lets see if i can break it down in a way that makes sense

duo chrobin has a exclusive debuff called "hush spectrum". the effects of hush spectrum are as follows:

1) afficted units get -5 to all stats in combat

2) afflicted units get affected by scowl at start of combat. (scowl is special cd +1 at start of combat. this happens before your first attack and regardless of who initiates. this means even if you attack with a pre charged special you will not be able to activate it on your first attack. scowl does not affect aoe specials or defensive specials)

hush spectrum is a mid turn debuff and activates after duo chrobin uses an assist skill. this will occur practically every turn in practice due to duo chrobin getting a second action (similar to legendary chrom's "to change fate") after using an assist. using an assist will also grant special cd -1 to duo chrobin allowing them to easily precharge specials.

as for other effects of the weapon, duo chrobin gets 30% pierceable damage reduction on first hit (similar to skills like remote sparrow) as well as a bonus to all stats.

feh is making you do algebra here so the formula for the stat bonus is as follows:

X = 16 - (foes maximum special cd x2) min 8

in practice the stat stack is:

+14 to all stats vs foe with 1 cd special , +12 for 2 cd , +10 for 3 cd and so on.

important to note that the current weapon description is incorrect and states that this formula is for stat debuffs on foe rather than in combat stat buff for duo chrobin. the feh twitter account stated that this would be corrected in a future update.

as for the rest of the kit...

reposition is a standard movement assist

flare is a relatively new infantry mage locked special (released with brave soren in ... august ?) it has a dynamic effect based on the user's hp when special activates.

if hp is at or above 70%, increases damage based on 60% of foe's res stat. if hp is below 70%, increases damage by 40% of foe's res stat AND heals for 30% of max hp. unlike skills like sol and aether which heal for a percentage of damage dealt, flare heals a flat 30% regardless of amount of damage dealt.

the damage increase from flare is incredibly variable making it less reliable than specials like glimmer. however, flare is a high scoring special in arena and the healing has some use case.

duo chrobin has a prf A slot skill called "Fell wyrmscale." this skill has a bunch of effects that only trigger if units hp is at or above 25% at the START of combat. (meaning that if you start below 25%, heal to above 25% with flare, you still do not receive the effects). the effects of fell wyrmscale are as follows:

1) grants unit +8 to all stats in combat (woo ! no solving for X this time)

2) deals bonus damage = 15% of unit's atk (in practice this is generally around 8-12 damage)

3) fully pierces damage reduction when special triggers (does NOT apply to flat damage reduction from sources like laguz friend 4 or brave dimitri's weapon refine. also does not apply to defensive specials or to damage reduction from specials like armored floe/beacon. also does not apply to the damage reduction provided by emblem ike's engage effect)

4) heals 7 hp after combat

i miss when prf skills were simple...

duo chrobin's b slot skill is atk/spd link 4 which provides buffs to unit and minor debuffs to foe in combat after using a MOVEMENT assist (will not apply after using rallies) the effects granted by atk spd link are as follows:

1) grants visible atk/spd +6 buff. (this visible buff means that after receiving it, unit is ineligible to receive additional atk/spd buffs provided by sources like rally atk/spd+)

2) grants canto (1) to unit and ally targeted by the movement assist

3) inflicts atk/spd -4 and def/res -2 on foe in combat

4) (more solve for X sorry) grants + X bonus damage where X = highest bonus on atk+spd among unit and allies with canto (1) active. (in practice, X usually = 12) (bonus damage does not apply to aoe specials)

luckily, the C slot skill is rather simple in comparison. inf. null follow 4 grants null follow up effect to unit and infantry allies within 2 spaces. also grants unit "orders" warping (orders warping gets its name from the skill "ground orders" allows unit to warp to a space adjacent to any ally within 2 spaces.)

i am sorry that this unit is Unfair and i am sorry for the current state of feh. i hope this explanation is thorough but if there are any terms that i did not explain feel free to comment or send another ask.

[hotvintagepoll]

Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd (Let's Do Things, Catch as Catch Can)—[a Vanity Fair article was submitted that was paywalled, so I'm putting the text of it under the cut]

Jimmy Stewart and Hedy Lamarr (Come Live With Me, Ziegfield Girl)—i will be honest they do not have such good chemistry. however i DO think its very funny to have jimothy "always sounds like hes swallowing some vanilla ice cream" stewmeister across from hedy "literally most gorgeous woman ever maybe?" lamarr. like thats some casting decision for sure.

This is round 2 of a mini tournament. Each poll lasts for three days. If you'd like to send additional propaganda supporting your favorite hot couple, you can reblog this post with your propaganda added, send it to my asks, or tag me in it. To vote in all the polls, click here. Happy holidays!

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Pitts and Todd:

Here is the text of the Vanity Fair article that was submitted, written by Donald Liebenson:

Before Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley, or Mary and Rhoda, there were Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts. Separately, they were journeymen character actors in 1930s Hollywood. Together, they became the first major female comedy team, appearing in shorts that found them bonded as friends and career women struggling to make it on their own—the Depression-era answer to Abbi and Ilana of Broad City.

Over a two-year period, they made 17 shorts rarely seen since their theatrical release—and now collected for Thelma Todd & Zasu Pitts: The Hal Roach Collection 1931-33, a two-DVD set. They’re revelatory viewing, progressive, and proto-feminist portrayals of two career girls in the big city, defiantly dependent on each other.

Hal Roach, the legendary producer who teamed up Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, envisioned Todd and Pitts as a female equivalent to his marquee stars. Blonde-bombshell Todd was a beauty queen plucked from Massachusetts by a talent scout and brought to Hollywood in the 1920s, where she primarily played comic relief in other people’s films. Kansas-born Pitts was a prolific character actress, so typecast as a comedienne that few directors took her seriously for dramatic roles (though her finest hours were in Erich von Stroheim’s epic, Greed). The contrast between them was more about character than looks. Todd was brash and confident, and Pitts a more dithery presence; think Olive Oyl.

“They have gumption; they’re unflappable,” explained Molly Haskell, film critic and author of the seminal book From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies. “They’re looking out for each other; you could just feel the value of the twosome. . . . They are modern women. Hopefully, they will rise to the top—but in the meantime, they’re just going to wing it and figure things out.”

The duo’s first short, Let’s Do Things, establishes their dynamic. Thelma and Zasu promote sheet-music sales in a department store. Pitts moons over her boyfriend, but a disapproving Thelma prompts her to remember why the two came to New York in the first place. “To advance ourselves, to meet the best people, and to do big things,” Pitts responds. By the end of the short, the boyfriend gets a pie in the face, courtesy of Todd.

“They’re always going to have each other’s back,” Haskell noted. “I don’t think there’s any of the shorts where they fight over a man.”

Todd and Pitts’s gender alone made them somewhat revolutionary in their day. Comedy teams were primarily the province of men: the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy. “Slapstick was what men loved, and women didn’t because the whole core of it was tearing things up,” Haskell said. “It was chaotic and women wanted order. The defense of the domestic was a woman’s role . . . and slapstick violated the sense of order and decency and uprightness. They didn’t find it funny.”

But Todd and Pitts were both game for the physical stuff. In Let’s Do Things, Todd suffers a throw-about throttling from a quack osteopath; in the courtroom comedy Sneak Easily, juror Pitts throws a murder trial into chaos when she swallows a piece of the evidence—an explosive.

But in their best shorts (which, like the rest of their work, were written and directed by men), the mayhem is mostly in the service of a female narrative, observed film historian Jeanine Basinger. “It’s situational comedy,” she said. “If you’re going to make a plot centered around women, what the heck is she going to do just sitting around the house? They have to get out there in some way. . . . When you look at these films, what you see is what [the creators] thought was a good comedy female situation in that era. You have the chaos over Zasu’s hat in the boxing arena in Catch-as Catch-Can, the high-society party in which they are fish out of water in The Pajama Party, and the department-store melee in The Bargain of the Century. . . . The American woman on film is really a pretty active person, unless she is just stooging it in a male genre. Things have to happen to them, and they have to react. These shorts reflect that very clearly.”

More than 80 years on, the Todd-Pitts shorts play surprisingly well. Their appeal, talent, and chemistry elevate even the most dated material. “I like [Todd and Pitts] so much, and enjoy watching them,” said Leonard Maltin, author of the recently published anthology, Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom and the essential 1970 book Movie Comedy Teams.

“I cannot tell a lie: the shorts are not all good. The gag men had a hard time coming up with suitable material that wouldn’t de-feminize them or make them look outlandishly unladylike, but [Todd and Pitts] play well today because [the characters] aren’t so different from two young women trying to make their way in the world in 2018. The struggles they have by and large tend not to be sexist. If they lose a job, they are comically inept, or it’s a blown opportunity.”

Max and Caroline of 2 Broke Girls, which ran for six seasons on CBS earlier this decade, could be the granddaughters of Thelma and Zasu. Beth Behrs, who played fallen privileged high-society woman Caroline, formed a formidable odd-couple relationship with Max (Kat Dennings), a street-smart waitress trying to start her own cupcake business. Their chemistry, Behrs said, was instant, and their real-life friendship informed their on-screen rapport over the show’s six seasons.

Though the actress was previously unfamiliar with Todd and Pitts, she watched a couple of their shorts on YouTube and saw a kinship with those aspirational woman. “It was important [Caroline and Max] were full-fledged women who really were entrepreneurs,” she said. “We never had a love interest for more than a season. It wasn’t about finding a man; it was about loving each other and building the business from nothing, and the two of them going after the American Dream together.”

For Todd and Pitts, the dream ended when Zasu left the team in 1933. Hal Roach replaced her with Patsy Kelly. Todd, who had appeared in some Laurel and Hardy shorts, is perhaps best known today for her two films with the Marx Brothers, Monkey Business and Horse Feathers. Her career was tragically cut short in 1935 when at the age of 29 she was found dead in her car. A grand jury ruled her death a suicide, but that did not explain bruises around her throat, a broken nose, and other injuries; her death remains one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries.

What do these 80-plus-year-old shorts have to tell us in 2018? “They show us what all old movies show us,” Basinger said. “They show us how it was, and they show us how it is. . . . We can see attitudes, we can see women out in the world doing things, having ideas and speaking out. And they show us how we are today.”

Two Broke Girls ended its run in 2017. Behrs currently stars with Max Greenfield and Cedric the Entertainer in another CBS comedy, The Neighborhood, about a white couple that moves into a predominantly black neighborhood. The first season’s initial episodes have already glimpsed the comic possibilities in her character’s relationship with her next-door neighbor (Cedric’s wife), played by Tichina Arnold. “There is an electricity between us,” Behrs said. “The writers saw it, and are exploring turning us into a Lucy and Ethel.”

No propaganda was submitted for Lamarr and Stewart.

[trainergraceneedstherapy]

[Video Embed: DEVOURER OF LIGHT'S FINALE.]

[A BLINDING light covers The Camera-As Mira continues To Fire her crossbow at the beast, with Red And Blue on either side, Charizard And Pidgeot divebombing it To support Mira’s Pokemon And Grace’s. Suddenly-Mira hears a shout approaching-It’s GRACE-!]

“MIRA-! MIRA-!!!”

[Mira quickly turns-Grace rushing To stand beside her.]

“Grace, you dumbass! You’re hurt, go back to the airport-!” “I am NOT letting You fight ULTRA FUCKING NECROZMA ALONE! …Besides-“ [She tacks on rather sheepishly.] “I already Kiiiiiiinda distracted Alert With an Oran berry…He’s gonna be pissed.”

“I’m not alone though! I have these two helping!" [She gestures to the Kanto duo.] "And you shouldn’t have left!”

[Grace is about to say something when her eyes settle on the duo-going Wide with shock.]

“…Holllllly fuck. Mira. Mira THATS-“

“What-?”

“THATS RED AND BLUE. Y’KNOW, THE BATTLE LEGENDS-!?” “…Huh. Now Anyway, BACK TO THE FIGHT-!”

[Mira goes back to firing her crossbow, all the while her mons keep going. Some of them have fainted, and she occasionally runs toward one, revives it, and sends it back in.] [Grace goes back to commanding Volo And the others-Turning her hat around backwards For Good luck.] “I know I kept saying it was scary but-Necrozma SHOULDN’T be here unprovoked, NONE OF THESE THINGS should be!”

“Wack. EVERYONE KEEP ATTACKING! IT LOOKS TIRED, IT MIGHT BE CLOSE TO FAINTING!”

[Grace winces as light From Necrozma flares once More-brighter Than She ever remembered it being.] “ITS DEFINITELY GOT SOME KINDA WEIRD LIGHT COMING FROM IT, SO STAY SAFE-!” [She Looks wary saying it-almost as if she thinks She’s Seen This Before…]

[Mira’s crossbow glitches-along with the camera footage for a Moment- and turns into a launcher. is this somehow Lavene’s doing…? Out goes Voidro the Gastly, which hits Necrozma and immediately goes into its weird black hole state.]

[Blue notices The Being Getting weaker And shouts over the din of noise.] “WHATEVER THAT BLACK HOLE DID, IT WEAKENED IT A CRAPTON! Good thinking on your part-Black Holes absorb even LIGHT-!” [Red seems to be rushing TOWARDS it, rifling through his bag for something. Grace’s Pikachu, Poppy Rox, manages to land a nasty thunderbolt-and it Got the paralyze!]

[Blue, noticing What’s going on, Looks towards Red-who doesn’t Even Need prompting Before nodding in understanding.] “ITS CLOSE, HURRY AND DO YOUR THING-!”

[The Legendary Trainer produces an Ultra ball From The bag-taking a breath, possibly even Making a prayer To arceus-Before he throws the ball with all the might He has.]

[The group holds their breaths. The world almost seems to be Doing doing the same, almost as if time has stopped in this one, singular Moment of EVERYTHING hanging in the balance As The ball connects.]

[1… Red nods towards Charizard-Its wings spreading to shield the others in case something happens.]

[2… Grace squeezes Her Eyes shut-gripping onto Her tattered hat as If She Can feel The owner’s Arms around her, shielding her from danger One last time…]

[3… Mira Holds her Pokémon Close-Blue protectively standing between them and Charizard as a second line of Defense-He looks almost worried For his cohort, Not That you’d ever get him to admit it out loud.]

[….Click.]

[sonicasura]

" Ah nothin' like a cool nights breeze eh Koraidon?

A happy roar could be heard from a giant motorcycle lizard with vibrant scarlet scales and the bright white feathers that had blue and pink at there base.

Koraidon was definitely happy to strech there legs, Reno's place was spacious and had quite a bit of land, however they need a place to run were they didn't have to watch out for trees to crash into. Which is what led them to the cities outskirts, to race around on the flat plains that adorned the area. It was fun and Trainer even busted out there motorcycle helmet they got from Port Marinada even got a styleized logo of Koraidon on it.

Another chirp from the legendary caught their attention and thry turned to see Koraidon absolutely inhailing all of the sandwhichs they brought for the midnight run.

Trainer: Gahhh Koraidon at least save me one, please not triple berry jam snadwhich.

A fake over dramatic cry was heard from trainer but Koraidon played for keeps with Arceus greatest gift, the sandwhich.

Trainer: Ahhh man, well I guess I'll make another one when we get home eh Koraidon..... Koraidon?

Koraidon had all of a sudden focused on their surrending, and before Trainer could ask what it was, a rythmic run caught both of their ears.

????: Hold right there!

Both trainer and pokemon going ridged as they turned around to meet the voice and what they saw definitely made them break into a cold sweat.

A woman with black hair in one of those Defense Force suit things, on top of a giant white tiger. They looked a bit familiar until they placed there face, it was Kafka's old friend Mina Ashiro, that he told trainer about.... WHY WAS SHE HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?!?!?!

Mina just sharpend her glare as she stared at the duo well the glare was solely focused on Koraidon, thanfully she couldn't see trainer's face due to the helmet and visor.

Mina: Step away from the Kaiju, Now. This isn't a time to be playing hero kid.

Wait did she think that they were in danger, oh well they could put those fears to rest.

Trainer: Huhh everything is alright, Koraidon here is chill and we were just eating sandwhichs anyway, right Koraidon.

Koraidon let out a chirp a shook their head nervously in agreement. Unfortunately this had the opposite effect of defusing the situation. Instead it left Mina and even Bakko in a state of shock.

Mina: You... that Kaiju listens to you? It even gave a response back, How...?

It was then and there Trainer realized they may have made mistake.

Mina: As the Captain of the 3rd Divison you and the Kaiju will be brought in to be questioned.

Hell soon broke loose afterwards, after Koraidon and Trainer shoot each other a look, both thinking the same thing.

So here trainer was on Koraidon's back makeing a mad dash to get away from the Captain, who managed to keep up for the most part thanks to Bakko. The Captain cried out for them to stop, though this did nothing. Which made her switch to her pistol, loading in freeze rounds to stop the duo in there tracks. It tripped them up for only a second before Koraidon activated flame charge to break through the ice and increase there speed which only further shocked Mina.

Trainer: Almost there Koraidon a bit further and we can lose her.

Despite looking like a panicked escape with no idea were to go, the duo had the exact idea of where to go to make there grand escape.

Mina was losing the distance bewteen the musteriois youth and there Kaiju, thankfully they had taken a path that led to a area full of cliffs, they would have to stop eventually. A fee minutes later a cliff came into sight, there they would be forced to stop now.

Why aren't they stopping?!?!?!?

The strange duo upped their speed instead of slowing down, it was then another major surprise hit both Mina and Bakko.

The duo jumped of the cliff

And. They. Began. To. Glide. Away.

Trainer: Hahaha, we did it a grand escape good job Koraidon.

Koraidon let out a jubliant roar in agreement.

Trainer: Haha.... ha...ha..... oh Reno and Kafka are going too scold me aren't they.

It was almost a good night

Kafka and Reno absolutely scold Trainer later. Even though they escaped, they're now firmly on the Defense Force's radar. Mina isn't going to let Trainer go that easily as the sandwich bag they left behind is a firm reminder.