#lent I actually think is kinda good for all of them….

[pepperpixel]

*Twitching facedown on the floor, frothing and foaming at the mouth.*: Ghghghghgh…. Autoheart…. Songs…. So fitting…. For Simon, Betty, Magic Man…. Their sad sad polycule (A/N: their polycule I made up in my mind)….. oh my god. oh my god……

[yanderelionwrites]

Pucker Up, Buttercup (Yandere!Denki Kaminari x Reader)

Synopsis: For some reason, Denki has the notion that giving you your first kiss will bring the two of you closer together...

Content Warning: yandere, implied kidnapping, non-consensual touching, forced kissing

Word Count: 1.9k

Denki Kaminari was an affectionate man. Words weren’t enough for him; he needed action to convey his love. So it hurt his heart to find out that his darling didn’t share the same sentiment.

You hated his touch. Each hug was too tight, every peck on the cheek was too slobbery. Everything he did was too much. You can’t help but flinch every time he comes close, waiting in anticipation for him to smother you in cuddles and kisses.

Denki didn’t know what he was doing wrong. He just wants to love on you, why are you acting scared? He thought taking you and keeping you in his apartment would bring the two of you closer, but it seems to have done the opposite. He thought showering you in affection and gifts would do the trick, but that’s proving to be fruitless too.

The blond sighed as he patrolled through the city on his usual route. His eyes were scanning the streets for danger but his mind was elsewhere. There’s gotta be some way to get you to be comfortable with him. At least to the point where you don’t push him away whenever he hugs you.

He thinks back to his days in U.A., when you actually welcomed his touch with open arms. Denki had never felt so much warmth and kindness from another person before, and he quickly developed a crush within only a few weeks of knowing you. He’d had plenty of other crushes in the past, but with you, it was different. This was something he’d never felt before. You made him feel wanted, needed.

Soon he grew to crave your presence. He just had to have you; he didn’t want to be with anyone else.

Well, he got what he asked for, but not without suffering the consequences. Now, instead of warmth, Denki was met with fear and anger. You wanted nothing to do with him anymore. And it bothered him to no end.

He trudged through the agency he worked at, feeling tired and annoyed that he hasn’t found a solution to improving your attitude towards him. Denki slumped down into his chair, laying his head flat against his wooden desk. Think…how can I win them over again…

“So what’d you think of the manga I lent you? It was good, right?” You asked him, sitting on his dorm bed while he sat on the floor, playing on his Nintendo Switch. 

“Eh, it was kinda cheesy, not gonna lie,” Denki smirked, leaning his head back to look at you. “No way do you actually like reading those trashy romance books.”

“Aw, come on! I thought it was sweet. The way the male lead gave the main character her first kiss at the end, it was so romantic!” You gushed. “Don’t tell me you don’t ever daydream about scenarios like that.”

Denki shrugged, knowing full well that he does dream about that kind of stuff. All the time. With you. But he would never admit that. “Maybe. I just think it’s a little unrealistic.”

“It’s fiction, Kaminari. And a manga. Of course it’s gonna be fluffed up,” You rolled your eyes. Then smiling dreamily, you added, “I hope my first kiss will be that exciting…”

That’s it!

Denki shot up from his seat, causing his coworkers to startle next to him. How has he not thought of this before? He knows for sure that you have yet to have your first kiss, and who better to make it as romantic as can be than him? This will certainly bring the two of you closer! It has to! An ecstatic smile crept onto Denki’s face as he got ready to go home. His cheeks warmed at the thought of feeling your lips for the first time, and he couldn’t wait to see your own flushed face afterward.

By the time he got home, Denki was practically vibrating with excitement. As usual, you weren’t there to greet him at the door, but that was okay. Everything will be better than okay after tonight.

“Hey, I’m home!” He called out, turning on the living room lights while his eyes scanned the room. His brief frown quickly disappeared when he saw your bedroom lights on, the door open just a crack. He burst through the door, causing you to jump and shut the book you were reading. You gave your captor an indignant glare.

“Ever heard of knocking?” You snarled from your sitting position on the bed, flipping through the book to find the page you were on.

Denki chuckled, coming around to his side of the bed and sitting down. “Why would I need to knock to get to my own bedroom?” He simpered, slipping his visor off and tossing them onto the nightstand. “You weren’t doing anything naughty in here, were you?”

You tugged on the collar that was strapped around your neck, a nervous tic you had developed when Denki had forced you to wear it. He had “gifted” it to you the first week you were here, explaining that if you misbehaved or tried to run away, it would shock you. How fitting for a hero with an electricity quirk.

“No, you just startled me, that’s all,” You muttered, shoving your face back into your book. 

Denki hummed as he finished changing out of his hero costume into his regular clothes. “I’m only teasing, buttercup. I know you’ve been extra good lately. So good that I think you deserve a reward.”

Your eyes flicked to him, a skeptical but still curious look on your face. Denki often had a wildly different definition for what was considered a reward or a gift. You put your book down, prompting him to continue.

“It’s been awhile since you’ve had some fresh air, soooo…why don’t we go out onto the balcony?”

You perked up at that idea, eyes widening in surprise. Normally, it would be a silly thing to get excited about, but it’s been so long since you’ve been outside. Felt the wind on your skin. Breathed in the (not-so-fresh) city air. You were never allowed on the balcony, Denki’s orders. You guessed it was because there was the possibility of someone seeing and recognizing you. Or the fact that you might shout for help the minute you step out onto the platform.

“Really? You’ll let me go out there?” You asked, hopeful and pleading.

“Yeah, babe! You’ve earned it,” The blond grinned, coming to stand in front of you to pat your head. “But you have to promise me that you won’t try anything funny, okay?”

“Yeah, promise,” You rushed out, jumping up from the bed and heading to the balcony’s sliding glass door. Denki followed after you, loving the way you waited patiently for him to unlock it. How cute, you look just like a puppy. He’s glad you’re as enthusiastic about this as he is.

Soon, you were gazing up at the night sky, your smile shining just as brightly as the full moon above you. You wished the city's lights would turn off so you could see the millions of stars covering the sky, but you would have to settle for the few that were there. It was still a beautiful sight, however, one that you would never take for granted again.

Your hands took hold of the railing, and you leaned over it to look at the streets that were still busy with cars and pedestrians heading home or enjoying a night on the town. You used to be one of those people.

You sighed.

“It’s a nice view, right?” You had almost forgotten that Denki was out there too; he had been so quiet up until now. You only nodded in response, trying to save the peaceful silence that had been kept between the two of you.

“When I get big as a hero, I’m gonna buy the nicest penthouse I can find,” He didn’t seem to get the hint, though. “And then we’ll have the biggest balcony with the best view in the whole city. How do you like the sound of that?” He was right beside you now, elbows nearly touching yours on the railing. You scooted an inch or two away.

I’d like it better if you weren’t in the picture.

At least that’s what you wanted to say, but didn’t because you wanted to stay out there as long as possible. You opted to just shrug your shoulders, an indifferent answer that wouldn’t lead him on.

“We could spend hours out there then. No one would be able to see us cuz we’d be so high up,” Denki was leaning in even more now, his face dangerously close to yours. His eyes were half-lidded, giving you a sultry look. “It would just be the two of us.”

You didn’t like how his gaze jumped down to your lips for a brief second. Alarm bells were going off inside your head, and you were starting to regret accepting his reward. Your body tensed when he moved his hand over yours.

“We should probably head back inside, it’s getting a little chilly out-“

Swift as lightning, Denki pinned your hands to the railing, pressing his chest against yours so your back was squished against the metal barrier. Before you knew it, you were met with an innocent and coy smile inches away from your face.

“We can’t leave yet…we just got out here,” His breath tickled your nose, causing it to scrunch up. “You’re always trying to leave whenever I get close to you… It really hurts me, buttercup…”

“Denki, l-let me go,” You wanted to sound intimidating and stern, but your words came out shaky and pathetic. You tried to remove your hands from his, but they wouldn’t budge. You had underestimated how strong your captor really was.

“Shhh… It’s okay, baby,” Denki moved in towards your lips, his eyes closing as he puckered his mouth.

You leaned backwards, as far as you could go, turning your head to the side to avoid his kiss. You gasped as you got a nice view of the drop below, but the vertigo was short-lived when you felt Denki grab your face, smushing your cheeks together to pucker your own lips. He brought you close to him again, making direct eye contact with you.

“Stop struggling. I’m trying to make this special for you,” He huffed, though his glare didn’t last long as he returned to the task at hand. “They say you never forget your first kiss, so I want to make sure this will be burned into your mind.”

Denki smashed his lips against yours in a crushing kiss. Just like everything he did, it was too much. It was obvious he was inexperienced, and you figured that this was his first time too. His lips felt rough as they moved against yours in an overly eager way, and you whimpered at how he tried to delve his tongue into your mouth. He only smirked at your resistance, however, taking it as a challenge. The blond bit down on your bottom lip, causing you to yelp and giving him the access he needed. His wet and warm tongue wriggled all around inside your mouth, exploring every crevice and committing it to memory.

You thanked whatever higher being that was listening to your silent pleas when Denki released you to gasp for air. A trail of spit connected the two of you, and you desperately wanted to wipe it off, but your captor beat you to it. He licked his lips right afterward, shooting a playful grin your way.

“Was that romantic enough for you? Because we can always try again.”

Thank you for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome <3

[avionvadion]

El and Lucifer's outfits for the next chapter! Which I've only just started typing, lol.

Vaggie is closer in height to El than Charlie (though still taller) so Vaggie lent her some clothes since she doesn't really... have anything other than her one outfit and pajama set yet. The cons of being randomly summoned into Hell. Oof.

At this point I think Lucifer would remove his ring, since he's trying to move on from the divorce with Lilith.

Story Snippet below (May be different in the actual posted chapter since I'm still writing it, lol)

Before he could run off or teleport back to his room, Eleanora jolted and called out to him, whirling around, extending a hand out as if to stop him. “W-Wait!” 

Lucifer paused. He looked at her curiously. “What is it, Ellie?” 

She faltered, but having no choice but to answer worried her bottom lip and asked, “C-Can… Can you wear something… not as… um… flashy today?”

“Interesting request.” He mused, fixing his posture and straightening his back, crossing one arm over his chest and bringing his other hand up to his chin. “Go on.” 

“I-I just…” Eleanora looked anxious, the young woman starting to fiddle with her fingers as she glanced at him, down at the floor, and then back at him again. All the while, Lucifer waited patiently, curious to see where she was going with this. “Th-The white clothes and the hat with the apple and the snake kinda scream… “Lucifer Morningstar”… y’know? A-And-And I’d… really rather not get… everyone’s attention while we… shop.” 

An air of silence hovered over them, thick and heavy. 

Lucifer eyed Eleanora closely while she tried to not make her nervousness and anxiety obvious. It was taking all of her willpower not to shuffle her feet. Despite standing tall and attempting to meet his gaze, she almost looked like she’d burst into tears if he refused. 

Not that he believed she actually would- only very specific things have set her off so far, and the biggest most important thing was mentioning her homeland. He didn’t necessarily want to see her cry either. He rather disliked it. 

Her ask was a fairly simple thing to fulfill, too. A reasonable one, really. 

Lucifer gave her a shrug and a lazy smile. “Sure, why not? I’ll do it for you, Ellie.” 

She relaxed so hard, he would have believed it if her soul nearly escaped her body. “R-Really!?”

“Yeah, ‘course!” His grin broadened, sharp teeth bared, and the short king rested his hands on his hips. “I don’t mind wearing something else for a change. Besides~ it’s my first real outing in a while! A man’s gotta look good for his date!” 

“That’s fair.” Eleanora laughed, only to pause, brain catching up to the last bit he said. “Wait, what?” 

“See you in five!” He winked, flashing her a smirk and pointing finger guns at her, only to vanish in a burst of red mist. 

The human gaped at where he left, only to indignantly screech, a flustered red-faced mess, praying he could hear her from where he was now upstairs, “It’s not a date!”  

[artbyblastweave]

As a big superhero guy, I have a question: Why do you think it's so common to show Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Hank McCoy (ESPESCIALLY those last two) as, at best, morally ambiguous and at worst, downright awful in modern portrayals? Is it standard American anti-intellectualism, tied into our growing distrust of science and technology, or is it just that they seem kinda bland?

I don't think it's anti-intellectualism per se. For three of the four I think it's just a consequence of contemporary writers being Allowed To Notice And Unpack Things.

For Reed Richards, it's the result of fans and writers applying a level of scrutiny to early plots and character beats that weren't intended to stand up to any real level of scrutiny. He's a guy who got all his best friends horribly mutated by taking them up in an untested spacecraft. He's a guy who brainwashed a bunch of captured skrulls into thinking they were cows. He's a guy who keeps whipping up extremely specific technological solutions to the problem at hand, which never seem to trickle down to the consumer market- hence the "Reed Richards is Useless" trope. And he's gotta dodge and weave around patriarchal accusations vis a vis a lot of the casual sexism of early FF, where Sue had limited combat utility and was often in the mix as the Damsel-in-distress classic. And obviously excising the unconsidered sexism from the dynamic is the right way to go, but treating that early recklessness/ruthlessness/callousness seriously, as an actual personality flaw that he has, and has to work around, is significantly more interesting than just rewriting the character to not behave like that.

For Iron Man it's the result of people starting to take more seriously the moral implications of the fact that he's an arms dealer and a billionaire. (Apocryphally, Stan Lee did this to see if he could create a character who would be popular with his left-leaning audience despite being everything they hate ideologically, but I take this with a grain of salt.) Another element, I think, is that in preparation for the release of Iron Man, Marvel made him a headliner in Civil War in 2007; the nature of Civil War lent itself to him doing a lot of authoritarian bullshit, and said bullshit sort of set the bar for his capacity for extreme behavior when pressed. Put Iron Man in any situation, try to determine the extent he'll go to in order to resolve it, and you have to take into account that time he was sticking his colleagues in virtual-reality prisons on behalf of the government. A demonstrated willingness to do atrocities for what you think of as the greater good does add some flavor and tension, I have to give them that!

For Hank Pym, it's totally down to the midlife crisis arc from 1981, where he rebranded as Yellowjacket, got drummed out of the Avengers for using excessive force, and battered his wife Janet when she tried to. You know. Talk him out of building a robot to perform a false flag attack against the rest of the team to get back in their good graces. The whole arc was supposed to be a very deliberate tragedy about his mental breakdown but it kind of poisoned the well on the character and became the thing future writers endlessly relitigate, either doubling down on it (The Ultimates, Marvel Zombies) or trying to repudiate it (Mighty Avengers, Avengers Academy.) Even before that, though, he had a pointed loose-cannon mad scientist situation going on even in comparison to the others on this list- his debut was a Twighlight zone-style horror story where he nearly gets himself killed testing the shrinking formula, and he also created Ultron and nearly got everyone killed that way!

I have no idea what's going on with Hank McCoy. I don't think I want to know what's going on with Hank McCoy. Every time I turn my ear in the direction of that corner of the fandom these days, all I hear is screaming. Are you guys alright

[elliottjpg]

OCs de La Quête d'Ewilan

Ewilan's Quest OCs

Hey guys, guess who has two new children!!! (well, one and a half. Ewel has actually been hanging out in the back of my mind for a couple years.)

Luce: Shadowalker apprentice (kinda like a ninja but not really)

Ewelliottan: Analyst, a scholar studying the theory of magic (because she is crap at the practice)

///

Luce, expliquant le concept de greffe à Ewel: Par exemple, Jorune Aénandra avait une greffe qui le rendait nyctalope. Ewelliottan, sans réfléchir: JE SAVAIS BIEN QUE C'ÉTAIT UNE SALOPE!!!!!! Luce: Luce, sortant un carnet et un crayon: Fascinant. Dis-m'en plus.

Ewelliottan: Sur une échelle de "Non mais allô quoi" à "Tu es triste? Arrête", comment tu te sens aujourd'hui? Luce: Quelque part entre "Coup d'boule, rien à faire" et "Il est lent, ce lait"; mais pour donner une réponse définitive je dirais "Mange tes morts". Et toi Ewel? Ewelliottan: Un bon "Macron, explosion." Salim: Je croyais comprendre le français, visiblement j'avais tort.

///

(More character info in English under the cut!)

I'm aware that most people familiar with Ewilan's Quest speak French, but I am writing this in English for accessibility reasons. For folks who don't know the books: it is set in Gwendalavir, a country in a world parallel to Earth. Shadowalkers are an elusive guild of ninja-like people with a strong focus on freedom and communion with nature. Designers are people who have the gift of Drawing, which allows them to temporarily will things into existence.

This is set some ten to fifteen years after the events of the last book; Gwendalavir has tied economical and cultural relations with France thanks to Bruno Vignol. Most Alavirians are aware of the existence of the other world, and although unrealistic, for plot reason the existence of Gwendalavir is more or less common knowledge on Earth.

Luce Pezal

He's a Shadowalker apprentice, Salim's apprentice specifically (I wasn't gonna give him to a canon character at first, but I didn't feel like creating a whole-ass OC to be his master, so Salim now has to deal with him.) He is a very cheerful and friendly guy, with a rather nonchalant demeanour - he has elevated not giving a fuck to an art form.

He grew up in Al-Vor in a family of merchants, moved to the capital Al-Jeit to try and do something with his life, did a lot of small jobs trying to find something he liked, and ended up working as a stable boy in the stable that Salim frequents. Luce has always been fascinated by Earth, and latched onto Salim the second he heard he was from there. After some time Salim realized that Luce had the potential to make a good shadowalker, and offered to take him as an apprentice.

Their master/student relationship is a little unusual, as 1) they are both adults with only a 10 years difference, 2) they were already friends before Luce became a shadowalker, and 3) Luce's friendliness and nonchalance look like disrespect toward his master (they aren't). He knew close to nothing about shadowalkers before meeting Salim, so he is utterly unfazed about the fact that his master, great-master and great-great-master are all legends in the guild's eyes.

Luce highly dislikes fighting (although he fights very well); unfortunately for him, he is often targeted by thugs who think he'll be an easy mark because of his missing right hand (he was born without one). He'll avoid blades as much as possible, preferring to fight bare-handed or use cunning instead. He is great at sleight of hand and lockpicking.

He's around 20-23 years old, and he's gay.

Ewelliottan "Ewel" Ar'son

Ewelliottan was born on Earth to a French mother and an Alavirian father. Her parents own a convenience store. She went to Gwendalavir on a study program, and decided to stay there to study the gift of Drawing and become an analyst. She has a very small affinity for Drawing, but far from enough to be a proper analyst, so she compensates it with encyclopedic knowledge of Drawing theory. She is fascinated by all Drawing-adjacent unexplained phenomena, like hiatuses, the Eye of Otolep, the history of Al-Jeit and Al-Poll, variations of the gift, etc. If she could study Mathieu Gil'Sayan under a microscope she would.

She's seen as eccentric by her colleagues; she can spend weeks nose-deep in books in the depth of the Al-Jeit Academy's library, and talk anyone's ears off about Merwyn Ril'Avalon (in time she'll become the country's leading expert on him). Rather than doing analyses of Designers' gifts, she works as a researcher. She occasionally gives conferences or classes, and her students find her either riveting, or boring as hell, with no in-between.

She has some Faëls in her ancestry; the only consequences are slightly pointed ears and a tendency to tan very quickly. When she was little she wanted to become a shadowalker; she thought that her Faël blood would give her an advantage, but it turns out it very much doesn't, and she hates exercising.

She's a little older than Luce, by 3 or 5 years (I haven't decided yet). She's bisexual, and non-binary, in a "none gender with left girl" kind of way.

(There's a few other pics of her here!)

Luce and Ewel

Luce and Ewelliottan met on a solo mission as part of Luce's training. Salim had met Ewel through his wife Ewilan, who frequents the Academy in her Sentinel job. He found out that Ewel was going to Al-Far to give a conference, so he offered Luce's services as an escort for the trip, as the roads and the city aren't safe. Knowing Luce's fascination for Earth, and Ewel's origins, he thought they would get along well. What he hadn't expected was for them to come back with friendship bracelets, three hundred inside jokes, and probably a blood pact.

While Luce is not supposed to share shadowalker knowledge with anyone outside of the guild, he does tell Ewel a lot about his training, in exchange for knowledge about the other world. Ewel taught Luce Earth slang, and Salim is both confused and mortified because he hasn't set foot on Earth in like twenty years and doesn't understand anything they're saying.

[theworldvsyoshiko]

Although that does remind me, I've been meaning to post about it for a while now, and I've got some free time and energy tonight, so...

I think it's not going to be surprising to anyone if I say that The Dancing Flock is effectively over at this point. The big issue, which I kinda mentioned: some of the mods updated, and they busted some stuff in the process. I actually played several sessions past my last update, but they were all in a separate save file while I messed around with mods trying to get it stable again. I never quite managed that.

But, even before that point, I'd been thinking about cutting it short, for several reasons:

By that point I'd been playing Rimworld daily and documenting it for 3 months, and I'd kinda gotten my fill of the game for the time being.

Like I said before, the win condition was... problematic. Even after gifting the colony's huge hoard of silver and befriending a pile of factions overnight, I was only a bit past halfway through my goal of world peace by allying with everyone.

And related, once the colony was stable, the moment-to-moment gameplay was... kinda dull. I couldn't do much to work toward peace; I basically had to wait for people to attack and then capture them. Building the giant lavish compound was a good long-term project, since it required a ton of resources. Once it was built, though, there was only so much I could upgrade that felt actually meaningful. Like, sure, I could've bartered for weeks to get enough gold to put a golden statue in every bedroom, but it wouldn't have changed anything or been particularly satisfying. The Hospitality stuff lent some variety now and then, but most Hospitality guests just kinda wandered in, claimed a bedroom, and then spent a few days hanging around and smoking joints.

And yet, at the same time that they were too comfortable and well-established, the colony was also uselessly inept at fighting. Remember the bear incident? I never actually finished that, because my well-established, fortified, late-game colony couldn't actually handle 7-8 angry bears. Nonlethal weapons just do not scale to late game well, especially if you're committed to the 'nonlethal' part and thus also not building traps or anything. I had the enemy spawn rates turned way down by the end, and it was still iffy at times. This also undermined the group's commitment to taking in everybody who came by looking for help, because every single fight was a gigantic slog toward the end.

Related to #3, once the colony was well-established, there wasn't much to talk about compared to Yoshiko and Umeko. The pacifist bent also rules out a lot of sidequests that involve going out into the world, because a lot of them give pacifists huge mood penalties even if you don't kill anyone. I was avoiding fights on top of that because of the tedious nature of nonlethal combat. Josefin bravely helped with this issue by being a pathetic little lizard creature, but she can only do so much. I had a couple of sessions where I'd play for two hours and come away with nothing much to report, because everyone had spent that time mass-producing hats and sculptures in between hanging out in the hot tub. Which seems like a great way to spend time, but isn't necessarily eventful.

So, I guess they're gonna settle into a long and peaceful life of giving each other blowjobs on the floor of their personal dance club, but offscreen.

Once the Anomaly DLC has been out for long enough to have really robust mod support, I'll probably grab it and start messing around with it, so there are good odds that'll lead to something new.

[negpos-comments]

HELLOOOOOO TUMBLR!

So i'm not sure if someone has created a multifandom!helluvaverse (hellaverse?) but I've got some stuff written down in a google docs document I'd like to share. also, as it turns out, I don't actually know that many fandoms, so I'm requesting input from you lot. SOOOO, Introducing my take on the

MF!Helluvaverse (WIP)

everything about this is a WIP including the name i just thought it'd be funny cuz it kinda looks like it says MotherFucker!Helluvaverse-

Few Notes: I am a big Undertale fan and I tried to curb that here but i kinda made all the rings of hell UT/UTY Locations Im sorry- There are some ships that will result that are, hm, odd, to say the least. I tried to curb that a little bit. I'm trying to go with personality matches here, but i will have to be flexible with a lot. That flexibility will actually show up a lot, but as long as the basic concept can stay the same I'll allow it.

With that said...

Charlie Morningstar - Frisk (Undertale) Razzle, Dazzle, Kiki - WIP Vaggie - Chara (Undertale)

Ok, so the Frisk and Chara interpretations are based off of fanon rather than canon, since there's not much we know about Frisk and Chara's behavior in canon. I feel like I don't need to elaborate much here? I mean, I thought it was clever with the Vaggie-Chara thing, since they both fell from the victorious/more powerful world above, don't like talking about it that much, etc. etc. Charlie-Frisk i feel makes a good bit of sense. This does mean Charisk is a ship in this AU but considering I ship them I'm cool with it. If you don't like it maybe they're not in a relationship but are just good friends/see each other as pseudo-siblings? Any suggestions for Razzle, Dazzle, and Kiki? I had the inclination to use temmies but i feel like i used enough Undertale (especially looking later on with the rings)

Alastor - Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) Niffty - Peridot (Steven Universe)

So. Alastor-Bill Cipher I feel needs no explanation. They're both tumblr sexymen with cool powers and evil tendencies (personally I feel like Pilot!Alastor is a tumblr sexyman and S1!Alastor doesn't but that's a can of worms for a different time). Niffty-Peridot is the one out of the initial six i spent the most time trying to think of, because I couldn't really think of anyone for Niffty, but then i remembered that she's kinda socially inept/unaware, and then I just thought of Peridot.

When Bill last went up against [Vox], The [Vees] had managed to place a spell on him, draining him of most of his power. The one he made the deal with lent him some power in exchange for his soul. His motivation is to defeat the [Vees], break the spell, and end the deal.

The Spell would be like the Magic Barrier in Gravity Falls, preventing Cipher from spreading his chaos beyond the town, except instead of limiting where the power extends to, it just limits how much power.

Angel Dust (Anthony) - The Ink Demon (Bendy) (BATIM/DR) Fat Nuggets - Boris (BATIM/DR) Husk - Cuphead (Cuphead)

Get ready for some real creative liberties on my part. So. Bendy would act more like the Bendy from that Hell's Kitchen AU rather than a canon version of Bendy. He's basically done with making films (whether you want that to be cartoons or porn films like in HH is up to you) but he still has to do it because of the contract. Meanwhile, I considered how Cuphead went to that casino and gambled his soul away. I also drew a bit of inspiration from the Casino Cups AU and how in that AU Cuphead ended up working for the Devil's Casino serving drinks and stuff. So, we've got a Cuphead who gambled his soul away to Bill and is at a very low point in his life. Because HH is gravitating towards HuskerDust, that would mean that in this AU BendyxCuphead is a ship. Uhh, take with that what you will. If you don't like it maybe they're not in a relationship but are just good friends or smth. Actually you can do this with all of the ships. Boris would be more like a small wolf/dog Bendy has as a pet rather than an actual person/character

Sir Pentious - Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb) Eggs - Perry the Platypus Clones (Phineas and Ferb)

This one is the one out of the main cast im most iffy about. Pentious and Doofenshmirtz are both science geniuses that try to be evil but fail every step of the way. Eventually they get redeemed. uhh i just chose lil perry clones cuz i thought'd be funny

Cherri Bomb - Harley Quinn (DC, Harley Quinn)

Chaotic, Fights for the people they care about, i think you can see the connections here

Zestial - Golden/Shadow Freddy (FNAF)

They're spooky people we dont know much about. That's all there is to it

Mimzy - Spinel (Steven Universe Future)

Now, when I say Spinel, im not talking about the Spinel from the Movie. The characterization of Spinel is drastically different between the movie and the epilogue series. Future paints Spinel as just an overly annoying and excited character that doesn't feel like that's what Spinel should be after the events of the Movie. SUFuture!Spinel feels like a good fit for Mimzy (plus they have the same voice actor, innit?). SUMovie!Spinel doesn't. I just wanted to clear that up here.

Emily - Crowley (Good Omens) Sera - Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Now, when I say Crowley, I mean Pre-Fall!Crowley, like the one we see at the beginning of S2 creating those stars and stuff. They're both really loving life and trusting of Heaven's plan but then they find out some stuff and things go awry. If you believe Em's gonna fall later in HH there's more parallels. Aziraphale believes in Heaven's plans and all that jazz, sticking to those beliefs and stuff, which I feel kinda mirrors Sera's insistence on the current plan Heaven is using.

Lucifer Morningstar - 10th Doctor (Doctor Who) Rubber Ducks - Mini K9's (Doctor Who)

Originally I was debating on whether or not to use the 10th or 11th Doctor, but i eventually stuck with the 10th. Sure, 11 is more silly, but i feel like 10 is just kinda angsty-filled while still retaining that charm and silliness. Plus, I liked the idea of having K9s as Rubber Ducks

Other Stuff

Heaven - Gallifrey (Doctor Who) Hell - Underground (Undertale/UTYellow) Exterminators - Red Guards (Squid Game) Ring of Pride - Ruins/Dark Ruins (UT/UTY) Ring of Wrath - Hotland (UT/UTY) Ring of Gluttony - Dunes (UTY) Ring of Greed - Snowdin (UT/UTY) Ring of Lust - Steamworks (UTY) Ring of Envy (No appearance yet) - Waterfall (UT) Ring of Sloth - New Home (UT/UTY) Belphegor (No appearance yet) - Medic (TF2) Blitzø - Dave Miller (DSAF)

WIP/Needed I'm still brainstorming and lookin for ideas. If you've got any suggestions for these (or for any of the others), let me know!

Upper Angels Pentagram City Imp City Satan (No appearance yet) Queen Bee Mammon Azmodeus Leviathan (No appearance yet) Moxxie Millie Luna Cherubs Dhorks Stolas Stella Octavia Fizzaroli Striker Crimson Adam Lilith Eve Roo (No appearance yet) Lute Happy Hazbin Hotel Razzle, Dazzle, Kiki Carmilla Carmine Odette and Clara Cannibal Town Rosie Vox Valentino Velvette

Welp. That's everything. I'll be taking any feedback

[tarnishedxknight]

FFXII Week ~ Day 2 Prompt: Esper

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

- - - - - - - - - -

Alright, let's discuss Espers a bit, look at their origins and existences, and explore some interesting ideas for how they fit (or could have fit) into the overarching plot of FFXII...

Espers for me have always been a mixed bag of emotions. They're fun to summon and use in combat, they're visually incredible, and they're certainly helpful, but I can't help but wonder... do they like their existence? Are they... okay? Has anybody ever asked them? It seems like slavery to me. But then, I guess that was the point, to punish them for their hubris. The Occuria made the Espers, but when they grew to be too arrogant, their answer was to bind their souls to magical glyphs and to essentially doom them to eternal slavery. That seems... a bit harsh. Maybe just some good parenting would have helped the situation? A little discipline and instruction? A nice sit-down talk? Nope, let's just take all these amazing creatures we created and enslave them, that seems like the best thing to do.

Does anyone else feel really badly for them? I know they're super powerful beings, some of them borderline evil if not simply outright destructive, but... to be imprisoned for eternity, only to be freed to do the bidding of others... it seems really cruel. And whenever they are summoned to do the bidding of others, it's usually to battle someone or something. So they get let out, they get beat up and hurt and might be in a lot of pain, and then... whether they win or lose, they just get dismissed. It's enough to make me want to advocate for Esper rights or something, haha.

Nevertheless, I always did find them interesting. The designs for each of them were nothing short of artistic, and their weapons and spells were always so interesting to watch as they played out. I wish that we had gotten to see a bit more of them in the actual game, though, regardless of whether you as a player chose to make a lot of use of them or not. I wish we would have had some character-Esper bonding moments, like Yuna with Valefor in FFX. That would've been kinda cool, but I do get that it wouldn't have lent much to the story.

It could have, though. I always thought, with the origin of the Espers being that they were created by the Occuria, that there was a bit of a lost opportunity there with regard to the overall plot of the game. We've got Occuria trying to control mankind, rogue "heretic" Occuria who want to help mankind achieve their own goals instead of being manipulated into keeping some overarching, abstract Balance... but what of other creatures that had been manipulated by the Occuria? Or at least, taken advantage of?

It might have been interesting to hear the Espers' thoughts on their Occurian creators, those that could communicate well enough to do so. And I think it would have been very interesting if maybe someone of them could somehow be freed (maybe Ashe with her special, superpowered, Dynast magic could do it? I dunno) and choose to join with mankind to end the age of the Occuria? This could also tie in with the choice Ashe has to make, between revenge and finding a peaceful way to end the war. The Espers would have to choose between helping mankind to be free of the Occuria, as they would also wish to be free, and wanting to get back at the Occuria in anger for imprisoning them.

Their redemption/maturation arc could then have coincided with Ashelia's in an interesting way. Maybe a subset of the Espers agree to help for the right reasons and are granted permanent freedom afterward because of it? At the very least, it could have been an interesting side quest, to have one of them somehow summon itself one time through sheer force of will and be like hey... I want to help. Like, genuinely help. For the right reasons. *shrugs* Maybe it works, mayeb it doesn't, but I think the Espers' connection to the Occuria was a real missed opportunity to add a non-human facet to the question... are the Occuria guardians gods, or are they manipulative beings with their own agenda?

I realize FFXII was already a really long game, and adding another subplot to it probably just wasn't feasible. However, with all the cyclic and recurring themes of identity, freedom, morality, being trapped by one's past, and having hope for a better future that exist in the game, the Espers' plights would fit in perfectly. To see some of them genuinely learn humility from their punishment and change their ways, lower themselves to work with humes and not only be forced to do their bidding, and recognize that their power could be used to help ivalice transition into a better future without the use of nethicite... that would have been a truly interesting endeavor, in my opinion.

And finally... shoutout to my favorite Esper: Zalera, The Death Seraph...

A badass, winged, armored skeleton/dark angel with a shamaness/necromancer chick attached to his shoulder? Um, yes please? My goth self loved that a little too much, heh. Just an awesome design, and so cool to watch in combat. =)

[smaller-comfort]

Wip wednesday? I genuinely could not remember what day it was all day long. I only go into the office two days a week, and yet I was standing at my desk convinced it was Thursday. So! Let's do this.

Some cutting room floor scraps from my Sea of Stars modern AU, and a chunk of the Obyron/Zahndrekh necrontyr monstrosity that has gotten completely out of hand.

Boys of Summer- Sea of Stars College AU, Aephorul/Resh'an (working title; alternate working title is The Brother of the Mayor of Bridgewater, but at that point I might as well just call it "New Brunswick Circa 2002".)

This is all getting cut, actually. I ended up writing a whole bunch of background stuff that doesn't belong in the actual story. (The actual story is 1000% just porn and Aephorul's increasingly panicked internal monologue, followed by Resh'an's increasingly panicked external monologue.)

Nasreen is an OC with a major role in Outshine the Sun, and I adore her, but she mostly only plays an incidental role in this modern AU as Resh'an's occasional beard.

-----

His backpack was covered in scuffed pen and white-out doodles and was held together with safety pins and patches- including a bunch of rainbow flags and pink triangles. When he'd caught Aephorul looking on the first day of class, he'd given Aephorul a flat, challenging glare.

Aephorul had just shrugged. “I don't give a shit,” he'd mouthed, and then he'd gone back to taking notes. And really, he didn't give a shit. It was none of his business.

He did sort of want to ask why Resh'an would walk around with pride flags all over his backpack if he thought he was going to get shit for it- but, again, none of his business. Aephorul wasn't planning to make friends with him or anything like that.

And for the first few weeks of class, that was the end of it; Resh'an was always late to class, and the seat next to Aephorul was always open, and their interactions were limited to discussing problem sets and lab reports, and Resh'an asking to borrow a pencil.

“What happened to the one I lent you on Tuesday?”

Resh'an rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I might’ve left it at the library?”

After the third week of this, Aephorul went to Staples and bought a twenty pack of mechanical pencils. He started sticking them in Resh'an's backpack whenever he wasn't looking. It still took another week- two lectures and a lab- before Resh'an even noticed.

“Hey, can I borrow a- huh.” Resh'an stared into the front pocket of his bag, frowning slightly. He pulled out a pencil. And then another pencil. And another.

“Where…did these come from?” He sounded slightly lost as he set each pencil on the desk in a neat line. His mouth moved silently as he counted them “Eight? How…?” He unzipped another compartment of his backpack, and more pencils spilled out.

For a moment, Resh'an just stared at them. Aephorul spun his own pencil across the back of his fingers with a practiced flick of his thumb, and kept his expression neutral. “Guess you don't need to bum one off of me today.”

Resh'an turned to stare at him, slowly. His face was red. “You…why?”

“The look on your face was pretty good.” Aephorul shrugged. Honestly, it had been a stupid whim. “Kinda didn't think it would take you this long to notice, though.”

Resh'an stared at him for another moment, as if waiting for Aephorul to say something else. Aephorul met his stare with the same deadpan, flat expression for a few seconds longer, before he finally let the corner of his mouth twist upwards in a smile.

Resh'an's eyes widened a little, and then he shook his head. “A few of us have been having a study group on Tuesday nights in the Atrium- you should come,” he said. “If you're not busy. Nasreen usually brings snacks.”

Aephorul opened his mouth to say that he was busy, actually, but- honestly, his last quiz score hadn't been great. Resh'an had gotten the highest grade in the class. “Yeah, maybe I will.”

“Cool.” Resh'an shoved the extra pencils back in his bag. “You know I'm just going to lose most of these, right?”

“It's fine. I've got more.”

----

He knocked on the door before he could talk himself out of it; it wasn't like he needed Nasreen's leftover bakery experiments, so if he didn't give them to Resh'an, he wasn't sure what he'd do with them.

“It's open.” Resh'an's voice. Aephorul relaxed slightly and let himself in.

“Hey.”

Resh'an stuck his head out over the edge of his lofted bed. “Aephorul?”

“Missed you at study group. Midterm's on Thursday, so I brought you today's notes if you want them.” He held up the bag of cookies. “And Nasreen's leftovers.”

Resh'an scrambled down the ladder to the ground. “Thanks. You seriously didn't have to-”

“What the fuck happened to you?”

There were bruises on his face; a split lip and the beginning of a black eye. Resh'an winced, and then shrugged. “It's not as bad as it looks. I just…didn't want to deal with class today.”

“Did you get mugged or something?” He handed Resh'an the cookies, and then unslung his bag to take out his notes. Campus was pretty safe, but there were parts of town that got sketchy late at night.

Resh'an laughed at that, eyes wide. “No. That's a good excuse, though. No- I just…went to a party. And made a pass at the wrong guy.”

For a brief, disconcerting moment, Aephorul's vision went blurry with some indescribable combination of rage and horror. “Seriously?”

Resh'an shrugged. “It happens. I should've been more careful.”

“That's fucked up.”

Resh'an stared at him, and very slowly took a bite of a cookie. “Why do you pretend you're an asshole all the time?”

“Wh-huh?” Aephorul felt his face getting hot. “What do you mean?”

“The way you talk. You look at people like you think you're better than them. You pull that whole aloof loner thing in class, and then you play a prank on me that's literally the nicest thing anyone has done to me in, like, years.” Resh'an's shoulders drew up, hunching over a little. “And now you're here and…I don't get it.”

“I don't just think I'm better than most people.” Aephorul lifted his chin a little. 

“Yeah. Okay. Maybe you're not pretending.” Resh'an rubbed at his face with one hand. “Why are you being nice to me?”

“Labs are 40% of our grade,” Aephorul pointed out. “And you're the only other person who got higher than a C on the last test.” He cleared his throat and looked away. “And- I sort of figured we were friends?”

“Oh.” Resh'an looked down at his feet. “I dunno, man, that sounds pretty gay.”

So am I, he absolutely did not say, because he wasn't, and even if he was, it didn't matter. "I guess you'd know, wouldn't you?”

Resh'an grinned a little crookedly. "Yeah, you'd think so, right? Never seems to work out for me, though."

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

The nameless necrontyr thing wherein I mostly chew on a lot of world building, but then I inevitably devolve into shameless fetish nonsense.

This bit is the former, but rest assured, everything that follows immediately after is entirely the latter.

--

'Our nemesor is a madman.' Neb appended the message with a glyph of admiration. 

Obyron replied with a glyph of agreement. As an officer, he had the right to a private partition in the phalanx barracks tent, but he rarely bothered to raise it. It meant that Neb would often push their cots together for them to sleep back-to-back, the way they had during their days in the training yards on the homeworld.

In the dark and quiet, the familiar sounds of subvocalized conversations and the soldiers’ nightly rituals were a comfort after the excitement of battle.

Someone began a recitation, calling out the names of the fallen, whose cots would lie empty until the troop carriers made landfall tomorrow. In the dark, together, his soldiers could use their voices without fear of reprimand. Obyron's voice joined them; it was the only time his words ever came easily. This was his true mother tongue: not the High Necrontyr of the nobility, or even the low dialects of the sand-born, but the soldier's chant.

Beside him, Neb rolled over and put his arm around Obyron's waist and pulled himself close. Obyron could hear the way his voice shook as the litany of names continued.

Sahunet, whose night scythe had taken an artillery charge meant for Obyron, and who wrote letters home to her sisters every decan; 'we commend your soul to the stars,' Djedi, fallen as they made their retreat from the artillery line, who shared Neb's cot as often as Obyron did; 'we commend your soul to the stars'. Iaret, who had earned their name upon promotion to the lychguard only two short months ago, hand picked by Obyron for the position. ‘We commend your soul to the stars.’

The stars would burn a little brighter tonight for their sacrifice. Where a noble might leave behind a monument of stone as their legacy, a soldier could only hope to live and die for the glory of their dynasty. Most of them would be consigned to the unmarked graves of the battlefield, but their legacies would live on in the lychguard's chant- until they, too, fell in battle. Once their unit was gone, no one would remember these names.

[cassyapper]

Sorry! This got long.

Like to think that one time, either Jotaro lent Kakyoin his coat or Kakyoin stole it briefly bc he was being cheeky. For the short time it was in Kakyoin's possession, Hierophant Green found that he really liked to hide in the jacket (probably as a few tendrils). After the jacket is returned, Hierophant keeps trying to hide in there.

Jotaro is a bit weirded out at first since he doesn't really get what Hierophant is trying to do, so he tries wordlessly asking Kakyoin, but Kakyoin seemingly doesn't catch it (he is currently having a mental battle with Hierophant and is embarrassed by his stand's antics so he's ignoring it in an attempt to avoid having to tell Jotaro that his stand thinks Jotaro's jacket is the perfect mobile hiding place). Since nothing has really happened other than Hierophant being near Jotaro for seemingly no reason (Kakyoin has been marginally successful in his plight to stop Hierophant but it's mostly Hierophant considering that Jotaro doesn't like his space needlessly invaded), he kind of just lets it go.

Jotaro quickly figures it out when he's getting ready one day and finds an unwound Hierophant in his jacket that he set aside the night prior. He remembers Kakyoin mentioning something about Hierophant not liking being in the open and it clicks. While not overflowing with enthusiasm, Jotaro decides to allow it, at least just this once much to Hieorphant's joy. He finds out it's actually not bad and just passively allows it as long as he's not in a bad mood. Hierophant finds a small gift to give Jotaro as thanks, further cementing Jotaro's acceptance of the situation.

Kakyoin on the other hand is surprised Jotaro allowed this since he knows Jotaro and Star's relationship isn't quite that casually comfortable, so while he knows Jotaro is quick to put a stop to things he doesn't like, he feels a need to express that Jotaro doesn't have to do this. Jotaro brushes him off with a 'it's nbd'. Kakyoin is touched beyond belief and struggles to express that properly. (Something something Jotaro accepting his stand so fully warms his heart so much it kinda hurts. Who knew this was even a possibility)

Hierophant is subtle so most of the others don't notice this happening, but Avdol does. Thankfully for Kakyoin and Jotaro, he doesn't say or do anything to tip the others off, but he makes it obvious to them he knows.

That's a really long way of me saying I think it'd be cute if Hierophant liked hiding in Jotaro's jacket sometimes and Jotaro let him. There aren't enough Jotaro bonding or even interacting with Hierophant hcs out there.

YEEEEEEEEEEESSSS YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSS

REV YOU GET IT GOD DAMMIT THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD THERE'S NOTHING I CAN EVEN ADD TO THIS

just fuck. i talk all the time about how i think hierophant might not like jotaro pre the lovers cause within the span of half an hour jotaro 1) insulted him 2) pulled him out of his hiding place and 3) hurt his user (which gets rectified with the de-fleshbudding but still hierophant is mad af about the first two things) so he like scoops sand into jotaro's shoes and shit but then the lovers arc happens and jotaro is just singing kakyoin and hierophant's praises the whole time (which rectifies the original insults) and hierophant is Looped Around The Lovers at the time so he can hear that and he's like ohhh okay sure fine he's cute i accept him. SO THIS SCENARIO THAT U'VE OUTLINED OCCURRING LIKE. POST THE LOVERS. IS SOOO FUCKING REAL TO ME esp cause then it would specifically rectify the "pulling hierophant out of his hiding spot" thing WHICH MEANS YAY NO MORE GRIEVANCES AND URURUHHRHGHGHG THE THING YOU MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT JOTARO ACCEPTING KAKYOIN'S STAND SO WHOLLY IM FUCKING DONE FOOOOOOR FUCK. this is jsut so good. this is so fucking good. absolute fav. im obsessed with this. i agree hierophant and jotaro's potential relationship IS SO UNDERRATED THEY'D BE SO FUNNY. fuck. i love this. god

[dizzyoatman]

squidbeak splatoon poker night: the video game

i came up with this idea 30 mins ago i need to inform the internet of this

you play as Neo 3 and this event was organized by cuttlefish to "bring the team closer together for future missions." The REAL reason is that cuttlefish was bored as fuck and thought it would be really fun

Captain A.K.A. Agent 3: Competent and has a very very very subtle tell but dosent bluff too often.

Agent 4: Isn't actually there (they had finals the next day) BUT they do call Marie sometimes when thier parents arent paying attention

Agent 8: Is not playing and vibing with Acht (ill get to them later)

Neo 3: who you play as

Cuttlefish: Cracked. Hes an old man playing poker im not quite sure what you expected. Probably won a few tourtaments and plays recreationally. Suprisingly, he only has the second best AI at the table...

Callie: Surprisingly good. Shes played against cuttlefish many many times so shes picked up on his tells and also learned a few tricks over the years

Marie: A rival to Cuttlefish, 3rd best AI at the table easily. Snarky as all hell and generally fun to play with. One big problem with her though: Sometimes when Agent 4 calls, 4 asks for her hand and shes just. Says her whole ass hand. Out loud. And then asks for advice. Sometimes Callie elbows her if shes still in the game but everyone else is frantically memorizing her hand.

Pearl: Never played before today. Goes about as well as you would expect. Cheers on Marin a lot when she gets out. She does not know what a Full House is and thinks its like go fish so every time she won the pot she would shout "FULL HOUSE!!" And everyone would be really confused

Marina: There because Pearls there. Shes doing her best. She at least knows how the game is played but shes waaay too nervous to bluff.

Acht: Here because 8 invited her because 8 didnt know anyone else besides the weird old man playing poker and she didnt really wanna 3rd wheel Pearlina. Acht is the dealer because she had a stint in whatever the splatoon equivalent lent of vegas once while she was taking an extended leave from school. She's actually pretty good but just never plays. Marina is very surprised to see her, but happy nonetheless.

also acht in formal wear seems like such a vibe

Shiver: She is there to WIN. She dosent give two shits about team bonding or whatever, she just wants to rub it in this old geezer's face. Teamed up with Frye to keep Big Man away from the Squid Sisters. Middle of the pack AI but has really obvious tells. Warms up a little after losing to both other members of Deep Cut. Cheats in early rounds. Acht notices she marked the cards the whole time, but instead of calling her out she quietly gets a new deck between rounds just to fuck with her.

Frye: Fawns over Off The Hook the entire time and Shiver gets kinda annoyed. Slightly better than shiver with less obvious tells. Folds hands very angrily.

Big Man: Remember when I said Cuttlefish was only second best? Meet the REAL king. Gambling is in his BLOOD. How do you think the Manta Family Clan rose to power? Kraken racing. They would illegally give some of the krakens swim speed up in splatoon 1 days before it was banned. His family is all CONS and CHEATS. So it's no wonder Big Man is a sweep. The only other person who can really challenge him is Cuttlefish, and thats part of the reason cuttle organized this whole event (Cuttlefish only lost his tournaments to members of the Manta Clan). Cuttlefish and Big Man are throwing so much trash talk around the whole time. If he wins the pot he dosent split it, despite Shiver and Frye's protesting, because the Squid Sisters cuss out Shiver and Frye and they just sigh dejectedly and apologize.

anyways thats all nintendo hire me

[flameunquenched]

a'ight. let's talk about the netflix adaptation of avatar: the last airbender.

SPOILERS PRESENT THROUGHOUT UNDER THE CUT.

this covers eps 1-4 bc i need a break for food and stuff lmfao.

so i like probably many others went in braced with the expectation of it being...well, like a certain movie that we all like to pretend does not exist. i had seen some things, which i discussed on another post, that worried me greatly. i would consider myself an atla superfan; it was a huge part of my childhood and i can remember sitting on the floor of the living room watching sozin's comet with my brother as the finale aired for that first time. so while i was excited for the idea of a live action version, having been badly burned by the movie, i was wary.

i am pleasantly surprised to say that, other than some flaws that i will discuss, it actually was...good?

i was very concerned about the removal of sozin's comet, given how integral it is to the story. sure, you do have actors who will be aging, as it is gonna take at least probably 6 years for the whole story to wrap up. this is, of course, assuming that netflix does not yeet it after s2 as they so love to do. seeing that it was present in episode 1 was...a little confusing considering what i had read. but i'm glad that it was there.

seeing sozin himself was awesome tbh. i think that he is a really interesting character and i honestly would be thrilled to have an entire series dedicated to him and roku, with their friendship and the trials they suffered together as firelord and avatar respectively. that was always one of my favorite episodes in s3 because of the deep introspection we got and the history of those two characters. but uh yeah when he just casually burned that earthbender to death, yeah. that was kinda the first sign that this was not going to be an adaptation geared towards children.

which i guess does make sense, doesn't it? after all, those of us like myself who grew up with avatar are no longer children but instead grown adults with children of our own in some case. it's an adaptation: it has to adapt to the times.

seeing the actual genocide of the air nomads was...a lot. that is one thing i will say that the live action had over the cartoon; it is hard to show death in a cartoon intended for children which means that, in a way, it is harder to fully realize the gravity of the situation. by showing it, by showing the deaths of men, women, and children, you as the viewer get the chance to better understand what was actually lost. i think it was easier to see them not just as characters but as people.

i'll admit that the cursing threw me for a loop, lol. it was just strange to casually hear "ass" being used in the realm of atla. but, again, this comes back to the need for accepting the aging audience.

i know there had been some discussion of aging katara to 16 and de-aging sokka to 14. if that was done, there was no sign of it. i had also had concerns about the removal of sokka's sexism but, honestly, i genuinely feel like the story was made much stronger for the lack of it. i liked the replacement of his 'dad left me in charge, i'm the leader, this is all my responsibility' sooo much more because it made more sense, especially when the revelations from the episode called spirited away came to light. it worked. and it worked in a way that lent gravity to the situation rather than the rather comedic ties that the original sexism offered.

i think in terms of sheer characterization, sokka was probably the strongest overall. i feel like his actor really got the character. katara had a problem of, at times, feeling too flat, as well as lacking some of the passion that i felt the cartoon allowed her to have.

aang's actor did really well, i will say. my friend thought that he did not quite convey the joyfulness that cartoon aang had but, having had a few hours to think about that, i think that might have been purposefully done. the adaptation was, again, not aimed at young kids. it makes sense that aang should feel, especially based on his discussions with the other avatars and other central characters, more serious and concerned about the general state of the world. a century is a long time to be away and i liked the way they showed the struggle he had with the fact that his entire people were gone. he really was the last airbender and the adaptation made me feel that. sure, it came at the cost of some of that youthful joyfulness, but i think it was a fair trade overall.

i loved gran gran doing the initial intro lines with kyoshi doing the actual intro. gran gran doing it made it feel like a story, a legend, that had been told for decades.

something else i enjoyed was the way that the adaptation handled integrating in other plotlines. getting to see ozai and azula, as well as mai and ty lee, in the fire nation capital city was really interesting. to me, it was a reminder that even when other characters are focused on other things, there are always things happening. the fake out of azula being a spy for her father for rebellions was fantastic and i think a key to the beginning of her characterization as a whole. i will admit i had some concerns about azula but her actress was incredible. absolutely incredible.

sokka's chemistry with suki was SIZZLING. like that entire bit was just so good. them fighting together and training together was just. urgh. it was so good.

now a character i will say i strongly prefer in the cartoon over the live action was zhao. i felt like his actor was...just trying too hard. maybe it's because jason isaacs just has a villainous voice but the cartoon always felt scarier to me. zhao in the live action felt...cartoonish and silly. almost like his actor was not taking it seriously, if that makes sense? that was disappointing to me. zhao was meant to be the first real antagonist of the series, a villain we could really hate and root for his downfall. instead, he just sort felt cartoonish and cheezy to me. i'm not sure if that was a direction choice or just the actor failing to understand the character but that was one of my chief complaints overall.

on the opposite end, iroh was so good. let's all be real here for a moment: there was no way, no way in hell, that a live action iroh was gonna be better than the cartoon. it was not gonna happen. iroh in the original was peak character and they were never gonna recreate him. but they didn't need to! they didn't need to because the live action iroh was just so good. he brought the same sort of laid back, calm serenity that the original iroh did without feeling like a carbon copy - or worse, a caricature - of him. i loved absolutely everything about iroh.

i wanna talk about the funeral scene in e4 but i also don't wanna talk about the funeral scene in e4 because it made me BAWL LIKE AN ACTUAL BABY Y'ALL I WENT FROM PERFECTLY FINE TO TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE SOBBING BROKENLY IN .2 SECONDS. as soon as i recognized the music that was it i was done, i was gone, almost had to pause to get myself back under control. it was bad.

i really liked how they did jet. it was a little strange for that to all be taking place in omashu but i understand the necessity of pulling everything down to fewer locations.

speaking of, to address something i spoke of at some length in another post, one of my key concerns upon learning that there was not going to be the 'running around to different locations' plots was that team avatar and by extension, us the audience, would miss out on seeing the effects of a century long war. i am very happy to say that those concerns were not valid. i actually think the live action did a better job of communicating those effects in a way that was truly shocking. think about bumi, for example. a character who in the show is, really, a sort of comedy break became instead a character who felt real, felt serious, and felt like he was bruised all over by the war that he has been fighting. i was on the fence a lot about that plot change, where bumi was sort of dark and gritty, but the more i have thought about it, the more i realize that it makes sense. a hundred years is a long time to battle an enemy that, frankly, is better equipped than you. is it any wonder that he was so angry at aang, even if that anger was misplaced? i don't really think so.

i am going to stop here, get some food, shower, and discuss the last 4 episodes a little later bc this is already unbelievably long lmao.

please feel free to let me know what you thought of it!!

[squiddokiddo]

It's been a while since I've been tagged in one of these. Thanks for inviting me to join @tsarinatorment.💛💛

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Tag game

Three ships:

I'm not really a shipper, I'm very picky about the romance I consume. It's kinda like candy, great in small amounts but if I consume too much of it, I start to feel adverse to it.

• Jeff/Kyrano - Thunderbirds

The convos we've had in the Thunderpride group chat have made me quite like this one, just two sweet old men falling in love and raising their 6 kids together.

• M.A.X/Fritzy - TAG

Those two robots are so cute!! Can robots experience romantic attraction?? I guess so??

Cute cute cute!!

• Fischler/The Mechanic - TAG

More of a crackship which could be romantic or platonic. I love the idea of the mad scientist and his responsible engineer boyfriend.

Fischler's just running around coming up with ideas and inventions and the Mechanic is chasing after him adding safety features and making sure nothing explodes.

First ship:

•Uhhhh Pen and Ink (Gordon/Penelope) - TAG

I don't really ship them anymore, they're fine but like the candy metaphor; I had too much of it and it kinda put me off. There's also been times where I've accidentally stumbled apon nsfw of them and it just kinda made me worried about consuming the ship at all.

Tbh I feel like their relationship would much more interesting if it's familial and/or platonic, I also love lesbian, wlw and aroace Lady Penelope headcanons so there's that too.

(I don't mean to upset anyone, I'm sorry.)

Last song I listened to:

• I believe it was The Nights by Avicii while I was drawing last night. (As long as we're not counting songs on the radio because I have no idea.)

Last movie I watched:

• The Super Mario Bros Movie.

My brother and I had a siblings' evening out to watch it in the cinema. Nintendo and Mario played a big role in our relationship when we were kids so going to see the movie together was quite important. We both loved it btw.

(I don't really sit down and watch movies so any that are just playing in the background I don't count.)

Currently reading:

• Heartstopper (do comics count?)

My friend convinced me to binge watch the first season with them on Netflix and I'm hooked, I love it!!

She lent me her copy of the books to read before the next season comes out, I'm not really much of a reader anymore but I definitely want to get through these.

Currently Watching:

• Whatever takes my fancy, I just pick and choose whatever. I don't really have much on my radar right now.

Currently consuming:

• Not sure if this means media consumption or actual consumption but right now I'm drinking a glass of Coca-Cola with some ice and a straw.

Currently craving:

Iced caramel latte from Coffee #1 but I don't think a moment goes by where I don't want one of those.

I could also go for a tight hug and a good night's sleep.

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Tagging:

@inertplanetary @crunchyluigi @knyee @tracybirds @dragonoffantasyandreality @uniwolfcorn @bonsaiiiiiii @mrmustachious @katblu42 @avengedbiologist

I know it said tag 9 but I did 10 because I can (and one of the tags isn't working properly, sorry Wolfie)

[misc-obeyme]

hi i LOVE your threads that bind series (and all ur other work). i was curious about if you had any more info on arsenios? like, his power seems to be persuasion through song, is it in like a siren kinda way or? and any other tidbits if youd like to share *insert marge simpson 'i just think theyre neat' meme* <3 also every demon ever being 100% done with solomons shit before he even opens his mouth lmao

asldfjkaskldf anon... you have no idea what this means to me lol.

I will be posting the next chapter of The Threads That Bind tonight! It really kinda took on a life of its own when I started writing it, but I actually like how it turned out. It means so much to me that other people are enjoying it!

As for Arsenios, well... I have a lot of info on him lol. It just happened that he fit in with this story so I decided to include him because I am fond of him and I really wanted to write about him more. Being asked about him makes me sooo happy!

So to explain his power a little more, it was initially inspired by the concept of human musicians making a deal with the devil in exchange for musical talent. The ones who come out of nowhere and play amazingly well, but then die young tragic deaths. I figured it made sense that the demon who was making those deals would be good at music themselves and maybe their power was rooted in all things musical.

Arsenios spent a lot of time answering summons from humans that wanted to make deals to gain musical talent. He had to make pacts with them and in that way lent them his power in the form of skill. Of course, these were just regular humans and not immortal sorcerers, so they did inevitably die young, thus releasing Arsenios from whatever pact he had made with them. And of course he got their soul out of the deal.

Something really terrible happened to him, though, and changed his whole life, so he doesn't actually do that anymore. It happened some time after Lucifer and his brothers fell, but before MC showed up in the OG.

Now he mostly spends his time performing at gigs in various places throughout the Devildom. He's not super famous, just kind of a local musician, but he's busy enough that he needs a manager to book things for him. He only goes to RAD sporadically because of this and he only goes at all because Barbatos talked him into it.

He can choose whether or not to weave magic into his song and he rarely does it. But it is kind of like a siren song when he does do it. Depending on the intention, he can persuade people to do things. But it's kind of subtle, he was really going hard in The Threads That Bind lol. More often, he uses it as kind of a suggestion and he only needs a handful of notes. He can use instruments to do it, too, but because he often doesn't need much, he usually just sings.

I had him singing in what I called the "ancient language of demons" because I didn't wanna make up lyrics lol. But the lyrics can have an impact on the power of the song. For instance, if he sings in a language that the person being influenced can understand, it lingers a lot longer in their mind and can be more powerful. He's nervous about doing this to humans because he doesn't want to drive them mad by accident, so he sticks with demonic for them.

Arsenios could write entire songs that weave complex spells if he really wanted to, but he has no such ambitions, so he doesn't bother.

And you know it's so funny because I LOVE Solomon, but Arsenios only barely tolerates him and it is so fun to write. I think they could become friends eventually. Arsenios actually respects his power and he's secretly impressed by it, but good luck getting him to admit it lol.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to get so long! But I felt like some context was needed about where the idea for his power comes from. And of course I could write about him all day lol.

Thank you so much for asking and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! <3

[itsukismoon]

Event story - Chapter 7 (Grateful Days)

>> part 8

It’s nighttime, and Emma is in the Hotel’s gardens thinking about the events from the day. Everyone’s kind words and gratitude towards her come back to her mind, and she feels really happy. All of a sudden, Caprice and Kuchen appear. The latter tells her that it’s been rumoured that she has been working the whole time during the festival. Then, the two of them sit at both of her sides

Kuchen: —Then, did you enjoy yourself properly?

Emma feels like she has spent the whole day laughing and smiling, and this also concerns all the guests of the other areas too. As a customer, she was once more reminded of everyone’s amazing abilities and work. However, the frustration that had appeared suddenly during the day comes back. As a guest, she obviously had fun, but at the end of the day she believes she’s best suited at helping everyone instead.

Kuchen: Thought so.

When Emma looks up, she’s met with Kuchen’s unusually sincere look, and their gazes interlock.

Kuchen: You are our one and only partner. Today, everything that impressed you contains your own hard work too. If you think that what we do is amazing… then aren’t you amazing in the same way?

Kuchen: Hey Caprice, what do you think of Emma?

Caprice: Sis? Sis…. I love her. She’s kind….always, works hard… always, laughing together… with someone. With Kuchen… she sparkles.

Emma thanks Caprice, realising what the feeling in her chest actually is. At all times, she wants to stand side by side with everyone. She wants to share laughs, worries and struggles; that is what she wishes for. Caprice doesn’t quite understand, and Kuchen explains that hiss Master simply wants to work hard like a fool. Emma is about to complain, but Kuchen slips a chocolate past her lips.

Kuchen: Still, you need a little reward, right? It’s what this festival’s all about.

Emma: I knew it. Kuchen’s chocolate really is amazing.

Kuchen, smiling: How many times have you said this phrase before, eh?

Caprice: Ehhh~~~?

Everyone appears all at once (damn): Aoi, Kai, Elma, Crow. Elma wanted to thank her once again for her help; same goes for Kai, who kinda wants to apologise for wasting time. Aoi is here just because he wanted to see her, whereas Crow felt a bit worried for her (since she looked a bit sick). Actually, there’s something Emma wants to tell everyone.

Emma: Thank you all so much for today. Your feelings, I really enjoyed them! But… from tomorrow, please let me help you! (Everyone looks shocked) I want to stay next to all of you, who are giving it their all, and do the same too: it’s what I wish to do.

Elma: You’re super super WELCOME! I give an infinitely super big WHEYYY to your feelings!!!

Aoi: Nothing can compare to you, really.

Kai: …As long as you don’t overdo it, ‘kay? You’re special, after all.

Emma feels her eyes watering a bit, and Crow laughs, telling her she’s really good at motivating them. When he’s with her, he feels all excited, like he could achieve anything. Emma is surprised at his words, because that is what she feels when she’s with the Meisters.

Crow: You’re the best Guildkeeper!

Emma: …I still have a long way to go, though. Even today, I wasn’t the only one who helped you: the black fairies lent a hand too. Hey, everyone, can you come out?

All the black fairies who showed up before come out of the key. Emma thanks them for their help today. Chell simply wanted to be of help (though Feld argues that he just made her work more. Aoi thanks Tio and Felm, since it was thanks to them that Tokohana’s area was a success. Felm was happy to help even if just a little, and Tio says that it was all thanks to his muscles. Stella complains that he already knew that Searle and Elma would be totally unreliable (Elma: I’m real sorry!!), and Fidel says that if he left those two alone, they would just cause more trouble for the young lady. He goes on to say that if she wishes to help the Meisters, he has no reason to object. Navi appears, teasing the way they all get along together, and Evan points out how ironic this is now. Mateo says that everyone loves Emma, and Evan gets kinda pissed (in a tsundere way), telling him not to generalise so much.

Mateo: Hate? (As in, then do you hate her?)

Evan: ………..

Evan: …….Mpfh. I don’t like nor despise her. Master is master! That’s all there is to it!!

Caprice & Mateo: ???

Crow: You’re not honest, you.

Givre compliments Emma for having a beautiful heart, saying that as her brother (note: he’s not her brother but he thinks of himself as one) he’s very proud of her. They are going to lend her their strength, so she must make sure not to work too hard.

Evan: Hey by “everyone”, you’re not including me too are you.

Givre: Of course. From tomorrow, both you and Navi will lend a hand.

Navi & Evan: HAH!?

The two protest and then go back into the key. Emma asks Crow if it’s okay if the fairies help too. He says that there is absolutely no problem, after all…

Crow: Dreams are more fun when everyone sees them.

[thebiscuiteternal]

June 2023 Twitter thread by legendary musician, producer, and record engineer Steve Albini. Includes external links.

Thread: I work in an arcane field where the job requires specific technical knowledge, built on a ladder of understanding and breakthroughs going back over 100 years. It's not immunology but it's not nothing.

A couple decades ago there was a christian panic about something the press started calling "backmasking," an outgrowth of the similarly absurd panic about subliminal messaging and advertising, about which I could also talk about for too long but will not now.

According to the panic, Satanists were hiding messages in music by recording secret messages, only audible if the music were played backwards, but somehow still perceivable and persuasive on listeners. Such messages were blamed for drug abuse, teen suicides and cult behavior.

This became a Big Deal. There were articles and TV shows about it, proponents mounted conferences, did public demonstrations and lectures, and eventually there were a core of believers who were convinced of the problem and adamant in outrage.

There is an excellent inclusion of this in @mountain_goats John Darnielle's excellent novel Wolf in White Van. Of course people like me, professionals in the recording field intimately familiar with the process and technology of recording, knew it was all horseshit.

Regardless, "secret messages" retained popular appeal and a few lawsuits were even pursued, one against the band Judas Priest, lent credibility by the passion of the people who believed in it, despite that they had no expertise or evidence, and an unlearned and credulous public.

In order for something to appear on a record, forward or reverse, it would need to be recorded onto the master tape, and debunking it should be as simple as going through the tape track by track and demonstrating that there was no demonic message there.

So this is exactly what Judas Priest did. They played their master tapes in court, showed the track sheets and other documentation, had their engineer testify that he was never asked to record any satanic messages, all that. You would think that would put an end to it but no.

It was actually kinda close.

Link to Rolling Stone Magazine: Judas Priest’s Subliminal Message Trial: Rob Halford Looks Back

As an expert in analog recording, I know there is no way for these things to have been done surreptitiously or other than by the normal methods of recording, but lay people don't know any of that. They could be convinced there was some other, secret, conspiratorial way.

Judas Priest are a good example of why debating the willfully ignorant is a fool's errand. It's expensive and exhausting to have to disabuse people of patent bullshit they are attached to. You have to educate people who do not wish to learn and do not trust you.

You have to start with Maxwell's equations and the theory of electromagnetism, teach them about the persistence of polarity in magnetic domains, explain the mechanics and design of magnetic recorders, the process and handling of masters in a studio and the chain of custody...

for master tapes that represent an investment of sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have to answer their ignorant objections continuously. And in the end they will just shrug and say, "I don't think so," and that will be that. They will remain unconvinced.

Okay, maybe that record didn't have backmasking and secret messages, but what about this one, or this one, or this one. Maybe that master tape didn't have a secret message track, but what about all the tapes we haven't examined?

You say there would be some evidence of the recording having been done, but couldn't it be done some other way? I recall a lawyer in the Judas Priest case arguing that the message in question was made as a composite of sounds including the vocal, guitar and hi-hat...

...ie the engineer did a cryptic reverse-speech soundscape collage, hidden within the apparently-normal recording of a rock band, for the purpose of inducing teen-agers to commit suicide. Every aspect of that argument is beyond absurd, yet it had its day in court. Literally.

So this fact-averse mindset persists, whether about evolution, vaccine efficacy, gun control or cryptic satanism. No matter how thoroughly an absurdity is shown to be bullshit and nonsense, its advocates will insist that didn't happen.

Indulging the "DEBATE ME!" shitheels does nothing to further the truth. It is exhausting because its purpose is to exhaust you and no credible person should do it.