#long text //

[nondivisable]

I need to say something and I need y'all to be calm

if it isn't actively bad or harmful, no representation should be called "too simple" or "too surface level"

I have a whole argument for this about the barbie movie but today I wanna talk about a show called "the babysitters club" on Netflix

(obligatory disclaimer that I watched only two episodes of this show so if it's super problematic I'm sorry) (yes. I know it's based on a book, this is about the show)

this is a silly 8+ show that my 9 year old sister is watching and it manages to tackle so many complex topics in such an easy way. basic premise is these 13 year old girls have a babysitting agency.

in one episode, a girl babysits this transfem kid. the approach is super simple, with the kid saying stuff like "oh no, those are my old boy clothes, these are my girl clothes". they have to go to the doctor and everyone is calling the kid by her dead name and using he/him and this 13 year old snaps at like a group of doctors and they all listen to her. it's pure fantasy and any person versed in trans theory would point out a bunch of mistakes.

but after watching this episode, my little sister started switching to my name instead of my dead name and intercalating he/him pronouns when talking about me.

one of the 13 years old is a diabetic and sometimes her whole personality is taken over by that. but she has this episode where she pushes herself to her limit and passes out and talks about being in a coma for a while because of not recognizing the limits of her disability.

and this allowed my 9 year old sister to understand me better when I say "I really want to play with you but right now my body physically can't do that" (I'm disabled). she has even asked me why I'm pushing myself, why I'm not using my crutches when I complain about pain.

my mom is 50 years old and watching this show with my sister. she said the episode about the diabetic girl helped her understand me and my disability better. she grew up disabled as well, but she was taught to shut up and power through.

yes, silly simple representation can annoy you if you've read thousands of pages about queer liberation or disability radical thought, but sometimes things are not for you.

[amalasdraws]

https://www.tumblr.com/bigmammallama5/732632789726478336?source=share do you have any tips on how to detect ai and deepfakes?

Good question and I'm gonna be honest, it's not always easy and it will only get harder and harder. I'm just an artist who has spent their personal time to dive into this topic and study images. I'm still learning and there is a lot I don't know. But let me show what I know. This will be long, but I will make a summary at the end! So far, even with ai having become better and better there are still almost always some things wrong with an image, and they all have a very specific look to them. So let me try to show you some and point out some of them.

As we all know, a biggest struggle ai had were hands. And even though here and there we still see messed up hands, I say "had", because the hands is actual a good example on how ai is improving and will only get better. Still, looking at pictures that show more hands is always worth it, because somewhere in the back there will be most likely at least one messed up hand.

Another issue a lot of ai still has is hair though!

It's very obvious still in many ai "drawings" and in those otherwise well rendered portraits. Hair starts to blend with the ears a lot, or with the clothes.

There is also often this very odd look between something too sharp and way too blurry

There is often a very specific texture to the hair. I actually do not know the artistic or specific name for it. I can only describe it as this weird sharp feeling that makes it look oddly pixely, and then you have areas where it's very blurry. And the kind of loops and almost flame like looking hair we see in the last pic out of the three here is also something very common with ai.

As an artist I know we make mistakes too! The way I draw hair is flawed too! But it's not only that it's flawed here, but it's following always the same pattern and falls into the same issues over and over again, no matter who is "creating" the image. Those flame like loops are a common one, next to the odd blends and weird sharp and blurry textures.

But ai is getting better, and we not only have "art" and something that tries to be a drawing/painting, but photos too.

A lot of those "photos" have a very specific texture and look to them! Again, it's not always the mistakes, but the very specific optic too. A lot of the images are oddly smooth, too rendered, with always blurry backgrounds. And when you look closer at the background you will see the mistakes! The crowd behind Jesus is a hot mess once you look closer. Bob Marley's hair has the same issue than I described before. Lincoln is surrounded by people with messed up hands and don't even get me started on the faces behind Caesar.

So a lot of ai images look alright on a first and quick glance, but as more time you spend with them, as more mistakes you will notice. The wehre is Waldo of ai horror.

And those "photos" shared here are still very obvious. Not just the mistakes and messed up details but the very specific aesthetic too.

Those images get better and better and as less details you have, as less mistakes you have!

With photos like this it becomes harder and harder. There are not many details and no hands. Not many mistakes can be made. Also the very obvious plastic looking smoothness isn't so much here anymore. It kinda still is...but differently. And always the blurry background!! Sometimes the hair is still a giveaway. Collars and clothe straps are also often still a giveaway upon close look. As is jewelry. Earrings will be different and necklaces often don't go all the way around, just end, or blend with the hair or clothes.

Often details on jewelry is also blurry and not shown properly. This is a trick with many details. With jewelry, batches, hair, ears, text. So it's often blurred out and not shown properly because ai doesn't know what to really show here.

It's often really just the small details and when we scroll down quickly we will miss them. Like the wedding ring on the middle finger, the pens on top of a closed pocket, the batches that are always blurry, messed up faces that blend with a blurry background.

And sometimes it's so subtle that I could only really tell that right is the ai image in comparison to the real photo on the left. The real photo shows hands clearly and even when things are blurred out it doesn't feel that it's done to hide things. The ai image on the right hides the hands. There is also a very dead look in the eyes :D

And here I could only tell because the text in the back doesn't make sense. Even blurred out we should be able to make out something here

And after seeing a lot of ai images I recognize the kind of blurred out bg in combination with a very smooth and well rendered foreground/characters.

And here the only giveaway is a closer look at the backgrounds as well

To summarize it:

Ai and fake news rely on a fast living world. We are being bombarded with tons of information and messages daily and we scroll past quickly. But the best tool, for now, in detecting ai is taking our time! Those images get better and better but so far there are still always some things off!! Especially in the background!

Hair. Often weirdly smoothed out and oddly sharp at the same time

Hair often blends with the ears or the clothes

Details are blurred out.

Jewelry doesn't match (example earrings). Details on metal often blurred out and never shown. Necklaces blend with hair or the clothes, and don't go around the neck.

Background is always blurred out.

In this blurred mess there are often hidden very messed up faces and/or hands.

A very specific smooth and yet too sharp/too rendered aesthetic combines with an always blurry bg.

Text, especialyl in the background, is not legible and doesn't make sense.

Backgrounds are often (so far) the dead giveaway. Somewhere in the back things become muddled and messed up. This shows also very well in ai decor/architecture. There will be odd lines that don't align or align too well. Curtain poles that end in the furniture, a plant that is behind a lamp suddenly having leaves in front of the lamp. As longer you look as more you will notice.

Conclusion:

Take your time with images! Sit with them! Especially when it's framed as important and political news. Is it ai and propaganda, or did it really happen? Don't fall for the quick buzz and outrage! Some things are obvious right away but with others you have to take your time. And it's time you have! If you are still unsure if a pic is real or not, do some research on top. Image reverse search. Can you find it anywhere else? Are other news outlets sharing it? Does the image/message make sense? For example there is now a deepfake of Bella Hadid voicing support for Israel. Ask yourself, does this make sense? If it feels out of line compared to previous behavior, do some research! Media literacy is not just as being able to recognize a fake or real right away, but being able to do research. To question things! Don't just take every post online for face value. Even when shared by a mutual you trust. They might have been tricked!

There are so many information online and it's great to have access to so information, but it's also difficult to wade through all of it. Media and truth are a weapon and it's being twisted and bend used to manipulate. Always has! But ai and so many people being able to post and share things, it becomes bigger and bigger and more dangerous. So don't just take everything that is handed to you and share it further no questions asked. Media literacy and being able to think for ourselves and do the research is important!! And as research becomes harder and harder, as sources are being messed up with ai and other fake news, it's even more important to sit with the images and study them. See the flaws, the mistakes. Compare it to other news and images.

This got long, and I started to ramble at the end. Sorry But I hope this helped

[maddymoreau]

Finding Frankie Ending Discussion

I've seen a lot of people discussing the ending and some confused so I thought I'd share my thoughts!

Why does the Real Frankie say: "Stop ruining my fucking gameshow!"

When you meet the Real Frankie in that room there’s a white board showing his plans. Which are to help keep the player alive until the final round in order to boost views. By not dying during the climatic moment you’re ruining his show.

How does the contestant survive?

Although it's not shown how the contestant survives. It's important to consider this scene is shown from the audience's perspective. Everyone watching assumed the contestant died so the broadcast ends. Which is why the credits begin to play.

We can also see this through the Real Frankie when afterwards he's watching the credits on his monitors. Along with how he's surprised when the contestant appears.

Why does the Real Frankie recruit the contestant?

When the contestant reveals they're alive this is a golden opportunity.

The broadcast is over (shown also by the TVs being turned off). It's just the contestant and the Real Frankie. Since you won, as promised, he gives you the five million dollars.

Although the Real Frankie helped the contestant survive they're the first out of hundreds to make it this far.

Real Frankie: "You're the first contestant we've ever had who won. Hundreds of people last a few seconds, a few last a couple of minutes, but you . . . you're different. I like that."

So he uses this as an opportunity to try and recruit the contestant for another round. Since contestants are disguised if they do another round the audience won’t know it’s them.

What is the contestant's motivation?

While not explained we're given clues throughout the game. Let's start with what the Real Frankie says about the contestant.

Real Frankie: “But let's be honest with ourselves for a second, contestant. We need each other. Especially you, I mean, look where you live . . ."

We're shown the contestant's apartment which is in rough condition. Along with the detail that the constant has watched prior shows:

It's important to note that the broadcast is privately funded. Most likely through people paying to access the stream and gambling thousands of dollars on it.

ANONYMOUS: "I HAVE 10,000 ON THIS GUY LET'S GO!"

For someone living in those conditions we know the contestant took a HUGE gamble for the opportunity to get on the show.

Considering they spent $3.99 X 769 boxes = $3,068.31

My theory is that the contestant's financial situation may not be the best due to gambling (or other life circumstances) so they chose to stay another round.

Real Frankie: ". . . And you've helped us. Having a privately streamed and funded show isn't the easiest thing in the world, and then, on the verge of bankruptcy, you came along. Our star, but stars don't just leave after a season, do they?"

[iliothermia]

I won't be able to finish this drawing before the convention, which will take up my next 5 days.. But I want to talk a little about him.. I've been thinking about golems and Frankenstein, and the trans body, projection and misunderstanding, villainization and death.

The concepts of Frankenstein's monster and the golem have been swimming in my head for a while, and their lore intertwining.. The tragedy of existing being seen as a monster no matter how you try,.. And the Golem, a protector of his people and a servant whose only flaw always rang a bit close to home as an an autistic person-- being too literal in execution of his orders. He's tired and struggles with a yearning for death. His havdalah candles will be out.. The first flame of the week, a spark of starting over again-- The flame brings him fear. As much as he's kept himself together he doesn't know how much longer he can keep doing it, he fears failure- but the fear of what may happen if he's gone is even more terrifying. He's lived a long life, and over time the one who formed him has sculpted him to the golem's own wishes.. From nothing to the man he is- but even with that effort, to outsiders he's still a monster. His skin is different shades of clays from varying riverbeds as his people have travelled.. Golems are unformed, imperfect.. but even as outsides can be polished the insides can still be broken

[mysillycomics]

My partner and I are moving in together this Saturday. Everything we have been working towards for almost two years is finally coming to fruition. The future is so clear and certain now. I get to be with the one I love forever. Never again do I have to say goodbye and not know when I could see them again.

A new chapter of my life, of our life, is beginning.

I have said this so many times over but thank you. Thank you all so much for every thing you have done for me, not only in regards to this but for every like, share, comment, follow, order, everything to do with mysillycomics. My life changed for the better because of all of you.

What keeps repeating in my head is the realization that we are going to be ok. My little family is going to be safe and comfortable and warm and fed and ok. I don’t have to constantly worry about Ollie’s safety and his health. Tiger Fluff will be in a nice quiet place where she won’t have to be scared anymore. We can handle whatever life throws at us because we are together. We have an incredible support system who care about us. We’re going to be ok!

A special thanks goes to everyone who donated or got something from my shop. When Ollie got evicted, all of the support we got made it so we didn’t have to worry about the cost of getting them here, just logistics, and I can’t overstate my gratitude. That was huge. I will never forget that.

I will close donations on the GoFundMe after the weekend. It will still be public to read any and all updates.

Thank you. 💜💚

[windvexer]

Book Review: The Witch's Art of Incantation, 2nd ed. by Roger J. Horne

10/10, I'd buy again for what it is: but you should know what it is before you buy it

This is a review of the second edition, which is about 100 pages longer than the original and contains 55 additional incantations.

What's it about?

This is a book of translated and edited historical and folk incantations to be used in syncretic folk witchcraft or any form of witchcraft. These incantations are grouped into 9 categories:

Seeking the Old Ones

Calling to the Green World

Love and Spurned Love

Coinage and Prosperity

Curses and Maledictions

Spirit Flight and Second Sight

Blessings and Benedictions

Heretical Psalmistry

Miscellaneous latinate charms

Besides a brief introduction, the book is just incantations.

It's not a spellbook. It doesn't tell you to collect candles or herbs, or what day of the week to work them on, or the moon phase, or whatever. Just as it says on the tin, it's a book of incantations.

However, Horne does have a very handy section at the beginning called Approaches to the Art of Incantation.

Here he describes methods and techniques to help empower incantations (I recommend not skipping it), a framework for understanding the power of words, and folk magic actions that may be combined with incantations, such as the burning of candles with pins stuck in, or speaking over poppets.

If you've skipped Folk Witchcraft, definitely check out this section.

(As Horne explains in the introduction, the first ed. of this book was a companion book to his other text, Folk Witchcraft. Apparently, Folk Witchcraft provided a great deal of context and lore surrounding the use of the incantations themselves.

The second ed. has been developed into a standalone text, but Horne still recommends looking to Folk Witchcraft if you want more context.)

Where do these incantations come from?

Horne makes it clear that he primarily sourced incantations from Europe and America (primarily Appalachia) not because they're particularly better in any way, but because these are the areas his ancestors and practice stem from. He makes an outspoken statement against any perceived Eurocentric authority, and warns people to not take his area of focus to mean there is more power within those cultures than within others.

That being given, these incantations are sourced historically from at least the first century onward, from a wide variety of sources, including Greco-Roman, Irish, Scottish, Cornish, Welsh, French, German, Appalachian, Icelandic, and more.

When possible, Horne notes where the incantation originated from, and in what manner he edited it.

All of these incantations have been edited for use by the modern reader; they are Horne's original adaptations. This is not a historical reference.

An example?

To give you an idea of the contents, this is one of the shorter incantations in the book, "A Call to Fire."

A Call to Fire Fire untamed, lustrous, and bright, power behind the sun, moon and every star. Aetherial fire, source of life, most splendid flower, heat-bringer, light-bringer, hear me, radiant fire. [Origin: 3 BC - 1 AD. Greco-Roman. Adapted and rearranged with poetic license after The Hymns of Orpheus. pg. 100.]

This incantation may be used to charm offering candles, to consecrate sacred fires, to call forth salamanders or fire elementals, to honor a god or spirit of fire, and so forth - the application is up to you.

Is the variety solid? Are they versatile enough for use even if you don't consider yourself to be a folk witch?

A big reason I recommend this book so highly isn't just because it's handy for me, but because I think it is very versatile.

The variety of what's presented is exceptional; there are charms to hail the seasons and the moons, the Old Ones and plant allies, to cure grief and wrath, to call a lover, to steal wealth, to conjure all varieties of helpful spirits, to reveal a thief, to hag-ride, to skin-change, to induce second-sight, to charm your cards for better readings, and I could go on and on.

In addition, because Horne sources everything where he can, it's a wealth to look not only at his adaptations but compare the charms to the historical originals, and thereby gain inspiration for developing your own incantations.

The best part for me is that they're all usable. It's not a spellbook where you can't get some ingredients so you can't use some spells. They're incantations that you pair with whatever spell elements you want to include, including just using them on their own.

But are they sexy? Will I feel like I'm living deliciously?

Yes. You will feel like you are living deliciously. You will feel like ye olde wytche who feeds blood and honey to their familiar, and steals the potency of men at night as you roam in your second skin; you will believe you may only be harmed with a silver bullet when you take the form of a hare to rob milk from cows.

Real quick, what's up with those 'heretical psalms' and latinate charms?

The last (and smallest) portion of the book more heavily leans into syncreticism. Horne's attitude in the book is that folk witchcraft is by practicality and oftentimes necessity a syncretic one, and that witches use what's on hand in order to get the job done. He references the importance of the influence of the Church on modern cunning traditions, including both the adoption of psalms and also of latinate language.

Twenty-three psalms are printed in the book along with recommended magical uses, along with a list of the magical uses of psalms (which you'd have to look up yourself).

Finally, Horne has a fifteen incantations in Latin. Or, latinate, as he keeps clarifying. He hasn't taken charms and translated them into Latin, rather he's edited historical folk charms that were recited in liturgical Latin by the people who used them - again emphasizing syncreticism in folk magic.

If you're not into Christian syncreticism, I doubt this section would be of use to you. This section constitutes 80 total pages out of 319, or about a quarter of the book. Personally I'd still get it for the more pagan incantations even if I didn't want the more syncretic ones, but it's certainly not to everyone's tastes.

(Be advised that there is a lot of Scottish folk magic in this book, plenty of which calls on Mary as divine authority. Obviously you can change the incantations as you please, but if you're allergic to these things, be aware they are peppered throughout the text.)

Chicken, who would you personally recommend this book to?

I would recommend this book to a practitioner who is:

Ready to start seriously investing in their personal repertoire of spells

Confident enough to experiment with spellcrafting

Sick and tired of spellbooks that recommend inaccessible ingredients, and just want building blocks to make their own full-format spells

Wanting a resource that helps with getting practical magic done within their current paradigm, without having to adopt a lot of new ritual aspects or theories

Looking for inspiration to expand their current practice without having to restart their practice

Looking for resources on Christian or heretical witchcraft

Anyone seeking resources on the power of words in practical sorcery

I'm a pagan, not a witch, and I love hymns and incantations. Would I like it?

To be honest, I doubt it.

Yes, the book starts with incantations to the Old Ones, who are ostensibly gods; but anyone with an eye to see can tell that the incantations all either relate to the Devil or the Queen of Witches. Also, one for Fenris ("darkling wolf") and one for the Sun.

Like 5 of the incantations may clearly be associated with Greek gods, but those gods are not named and the association appears to be selected based on their relevance to witchcraft.

A vast majority of all incantations in the book are related to spellwork and conjuring nature spirits. These incantations were designed for use in magic, which includes calling spirits and compelling action; not so much veneration or worship.

Readability and Accessibility

The physical quality of the book is disappointing. And that's not the author's fault and has no bearing on the actual contents, but right out of the box I was afraid the poor thing was going to fall apart. However it was cheap as hell so I have nothing to complain about, this thing was like $15 for a paperback. It has the quality you would expect from such a cheap purchase.

The text is sort of an artsy one? It's a serif font that's not too out there, but it's smaller than I was expecting, and my eyes don't love it. You will have to find your reading glasses for this one. All his books I bought are published in this typeface so I assume it's a choice.

Horne loves big paragraphs and long sentences. I find his writing style to be clear and easy to follow, but it's not a lower grade reading level. You may expect a maximum of two paragraphs per page in the prose portions.

The incantations themselves are broken up into much more manageable parts, always containing no more than 2 lines per paragraph break.

I believe Horne did this on purpose to compel the reader to find their own cadence in the incantations. But, it has the added effect of contributing to readability. The way each incantation is split up makes it very easy to follow and not lose your place.

6/10 for physical manufacture; I really wish the typeface was less artsy and more standard, but I could still read it through, especially once I got used to it.

[retrofightingrobot]

This scene is from Mega Man 7, and wow, the dialogue differences between the Japanese and American versions are something else!

In the American version, Blues comes off as kind of arrogant and maybe even a bit annoying. Is he trying to provoke Rock? LOL

In the Japanese version, Rock doesn’t even know that he and Blues are brothers. But in the American version, fortunately that’s no secret! Blues just straight-up calls him “brother.” And then, out of nowhere, he calls Dr. Light “father”… which, to me, is crossing a line.

The reason for their fight looks different, too. In the American version, it’s just a “let’s see who’s stronger” like Bass-style rivalry. It feels really silly.

fun fact: his original name is actually “Blues” in Japanese. “Proto Man” is his American name. The Archie Comics adaptation used both names, which I thought was a really cool! I like the idea of him having two names… or three, or four. :))))

When I make my own strips, I don’t usually stick to one version unless I’m referencing something specific, like that Ikehara Shigeto's Mega Man 5 manga scene I did. Generally, I mix both the Japanese and American versions. I like the idea of Rock knowing Blues is his brother, otherwise, it feels really sad and even frustrating. Angst…

At the end, the American version decided to make Rock straight-up try to kill Dr. Wily? Totally out of character for him. Maybe American Proto Man annoyed Rock so much that he starts malfunctioning from annoyance. (Tottaly joke, guys)

[gelu-the-babosa-multiversal]

The idea of Heatwave being a Wavewave sparkling but mainly from Soundwave tears me up. So I'll submit you all to my PAIN!!!

The idea of Soundwave growing up in the pits, fighting for his life, becoming a top gladiator but still being seen as the lowest of the lowest, but then, this Sparkling appears in his life. A little red bot who seemingly was abandoned or was not picked when it emerged from the All Spark.

That being their first meeting, Soundwave was not yet the Soundwave we know so he didn't know what to do. His best hope was that the little bot would end just like him, surviving on its own... or just die with no pain. After all, there was no one else but him, just him, and Ravage too ofc but really no one else...

So, imagine how stupid must he have felt as he took the sparkling from the ground and was unable to put it down. Ravage in the background wheezing as she realizes what has happened ¨Oh yea, that's how I adopted you too HAHAHAHAH¨

And things well get hard. Why did he do it? Was it some left kindness on him? Did he lose his mind? or maybe, he just compasioned...?

Time passes, he keeps fighting, Ravage keeps being annoying but is still there for him, and the Sparkling now going by the name Heatwave, was there too looking from afar. Soundwave had decided that the little Bot would not participate in the arena, he would just watch and learn.

Heatwave was amazed at the way his ¨creator¨ fought other bots who were bigger than him and much more robust in comparison. Tho he didn't wish to become a gladiator just like his creator, but he still wanted to show how strong he was helping others.

Time passes, they're a small ¨family¨ for all they can say, but they are very strong and united. In every fight, Soundwave participates in the entertainment of the upper classes, he kept in reserve credits so that one day Heatwave can leave the pits and form a real life outside the misery. It would of course be a slow process, but Soundwave knew that he could do it.

A big surprise was when Heatwave shared with him that he wanted to become a Rescue Bot, a particular job that didn't really fit in any of the class rankings that Cybertron had been using... it was a job that came with intense training that if failed, all the blame would go to the bot who failed and not to the institution who trained them. A job that was more chosen to do for the pure of one spark than the want to win something. Such was that it was known that the High Council would prefer losing 5 Rescue Bot units than one Council member.

The job was clearly going to be a dead sentence, but after a long discussion, there were not many options like the Rescue recruit institutions offered to give a semi-normal life to low-class citizens... at least, for the time Heatwave would be trained he would have a home with basic needs, and once out of training and to the practice, the payment would be enough to even feed Ravage.

Soundwave still didn't want to say yes. to give Heatwave permission, but, Heatwave was just hotheaded, he was promising that with this he would be able to give Soundwave the life he could not grow up with... the life he gave to Heatwave...

Soundwave still saved credits as he kept participating in the arena, just in case.

Time seemed to fly through this change. Heatwave met his assigned team and close friends, Soundwave met new bots too, aspiring and strong allies for both of them. Yet, their ideals seemed to change as their lives grow appart.

They still saw each other, they kept communicating, and Ravage always reminded one or the other to call. But things just can't stay calm forever. The pits and many parts of Cybertron considered for the lower cast were being destroyed, homes and families being displeased so the upper class could take those areas. Slowly, a revolution was being armed with strong bots taking the lead. One in particular, Megatronus, wanted Soundwave as his second in command as he saw potential in him.

Soundwave wanted to decline at first. This could endanger Heatwave in many levels if it was known that they both were family. Megatronus seemed to understand, and it seemed that someone else would take Soundwave's place as SIC... is it wasn't for that one call...

The call that changed forever Soundwave's perspective on life and on his own decisions. It was from the Rescue recruitment system that chose Heatwave informing him of... the red bot dead, with the rest of his team...

Rescue Sigma-17 had been deployed to help another unit very far away, and as it seemed that the job was being completed, the communication began to cut. In short, all signals were lost and no vital was detected. Both units had been gone enough time to be declared deceased...

There was not going to be any effort on further location or send a 3 unit with more equipment to help or to at least know what happened. There was not going to be any effort on finding Heatwave's body for a proper funeral, his stuff as the stuff of his team would be tossed or given to their creators. That being said, Soundwave and Ravage received nothing but a big box full of credits, enough to live a luxurious life in the middle class...

It had a note from Heatwave. Just like Soundwave was saving for an emergency, Heatwave had been doing the same. Probably not eating or working extra to have this amount of credits...

... Soundwave tossed all that in their faces not accepting a damn. As fast as he could he went to Megatronus and began their plan to attack...

...

...

...

At light years far away, after more tragedy had occurred. A small ship floating in the middle of nothing received a message that redirected t it to a planet called Earth.

Landing, four bots from stasis had awakened to see the beauty of an organic planet and to encounter a figure not many would be able to talk to, Optimus Prime.

[finzphoenix]

Hi Finz!!!!!!! Still can't get over the fact we're mututals because your art is so good, ahhhhhh-

What's your reaction to the newest chapter of Batman: Echoes '89? (Or something like that) because I for one am FROTHING AT THE MOUTH!!!!! Why did they have to make everyone so hot....

Look at his smile, he's so precious 🥺🥺🥺🥺 (also, what's your reaction to this man being confirmed as this universe's Riddler?)

But let's also not forget the man himself, the Master of Fear.... he absolutely SLAYS with the gas mask, oh my God

I wasn't sure at first how to feel about him, but OH BOY do I love him now!!!

Apologies for the rambling, anyways: your thoughts on the designs and how things are going in the story so far?

Your thoughts are my thoughts exactly, dear! ^///^ Edward is the cutest and it's incredibly endearing how both of their smiles could light up an entire room! This story has been such a pleasant surprise. It's unique, gripping, stays true to the '89 vibe of the movie without being too silly, and Crane is down BAD for well-read men... I mean, what's not to love?

Regarding Scarecrow's design, like you, I had some trouble warming up to it, but the latest issue has finally won me over. Reaaally made me envy Bruce! 👀👀💦

[confused-wanderer]

thoughts about Bruce nearly adopting the prince of hell itself- Nico di Angelo? bcause there is no register of Nico having a family, he's an orphan for the mortals. And Bruce is always into adopting orphans with a dark past (cmon Nico has a really dark n complicated past)

I love the way you think.

Nico di Angelo already has the brooding, dark and concerningly pale part of being Gotham’s cryptic down. It isn’t his fault that when he accidentally shadow travels while in the underworld and ends up in Gotham, every villain and goddamn person in Gotham has already pegged him as the latest addition to the bat family. It had taken Nico way longer than he’d like to admit to realize he wasn’t in the underworld anymore. In Nico’s defence, when you had dark streets filled with a heaviness in the air, accompanied by darkness and screams everywhere it’s hard to realize you’ve actually ended up on Earth.

The first time Bruce bumps into him is when he sees this kid take down forty assassins in one fell swoop. The kid fights with a sword, but Bruce notes that he relies more on his powers. When the fight is over, Bruce feels the weight of Nico’s gaze on him. He feels the souls of the damned judging him, but the only thing he can focus on is that this kid is scrawny. Concerningly pale, and eye bags so deep they gave Tim a run for his money. And all the pieces clicked: why all the people were suddenly chastising him for not feeding his kid enough, why the villains were crying foul play over him playing favourites when it came to allowing metas in his city, Bruce keeps his eyes peeled, tries to track down the kid because forget seeing him as a threat to Gotham, this kid was a threat to himself with the way he was operating. The next time he meets Nico, he comes prepared with weeks of research that led him to the perfect peace offering: A McDonalds Happy Meal.

Nico’s fight or flight instincts were failing him when Bruce approached, because he had no idea what to do when an intimidating creature appears out of the shadows, walks towards him and basically shoves a meal in his face and asks him where his parents are. But slowly he starts trailing Bruce, asks the ghosts about him and pieces together that he was a mortal famous for brooding and hiding in the shadows..Nico had competition for his title.

Bruce lends him a room in the manor one night after Nico almost passes out, and is slightly scared of how aggressive the man’s kind gestures are. From the way Alfred gives him the side eye when he thinks he’s successful in skipping meals, or the superhuman strength with which Bruce absentmindedly judo-flipped a monster into another dimension when it tried to attack Nico while he was half-asleep. One day after a long nap, Nico hears a lot of animated noises, peeks around the corner and that’s how he sees the rest of the batfam. The next few days even though he tries to avoid him they all somehow find him, curious to see the latest arrival. Jason is informing him of his rights when he becomes a legal ward and all the blackmail and guilt-tripping he is entitled to, while Dick and Barbara try and make him feel comfortable and welcome without preying too much. Something about them keeps nagging Nico, because they seemed so damn familiar he found himself wanting to believe he was safe with them. It’s only after the two have a debate and share an exasperated look that it clicks. Their antics remind him of Percy and Annabeth.

It takes a little getting used to though. The first time Nico and Tim met, everyone else swore they were seeing double. Two anemic kids with more trauma than blood in their body, complete with the eye bags and the pale complexion. The only thing Nico was missing, was a missing spleen. The batfam still mixed up their names from time to time, but Nico wouldn’t admit that he liked it, and sometimes would add fuel to the fire. He liked being the only one who could scare Bruce every single time by beating the man at his own games and appearing out of the shadows. Bruce does still occasionally ask about his parents- half out of curiosity and the other concern and at one point Nico knows enough about their world to know they won’t bat an eye at the truth, so he tells them. His reaction was certainly tame, but the bat kids went crazy when they realised they could have a dance-off with the skeletons.

When Nico finally feels well enough to shadow travel back, that’s when Bruce pops the question. He’s nervous, Nico can tell and that makes him nervous. The same way his dad would feel nervous asking him if he wanted to hang out, or have a movie night. It’s strange, Nico thinks to himself, how two powerful beings that can intimidate the world without saying a word, could turn so scared when facing their own children. Their conversation goes a little something like this:

Bruce: listen.. I know you have a dad. I know you’re not an orphan.. technically. But it’ll be a lot easier and we’ll have less obstacles in our civilian identities for me to help you however or whenever you want. I want you to know.. you have a home here. If you ever need to rest, shelter or help, I want you to know you always have a place to crash. The manor is your home, and I just want you to know that. If you say this name in this universe and ask for me, no matter where you are, I will find you. And I will come to help. And I’m not the only one who will if you have that name.

Nico *struggling to blink back tears*: I-

Bruce *panicking*: Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry it’s completely fine if you don’t want to. Sorry I wasn’t trying to guilt trip you chum I just wanted you to know I-we all care about you and that you’re not alone.

Nico *sniffling*: Thank you..

Skeleton hand *popping out of the ground, hopping over to Bruce and extending out a letter*

Letter: YES.

Bruce: .. what the-

Nico *turning red*: DAD!!

Letter: Love you :) -Dad.

Nico: it’s fine you don’t have to do what he says Br-

Bruce *slams down adoption papers*

[ultravioart]

How could they pull from Scottish punks and end up at that final result? Not even a pseudo kilt silhouette like how Kiriko has a pseudo Miko Shrine Maiden garments silhouette? Hazard should have had pushed shapes (sell the turtle aspect more, add more spikes) and more body mods (funky prosthesis or punk body mods, the lizard/snake man punks are free inspo).

For a punk 'freak' hero that uses bright graffiti, his design is much too plain and 'safe' imo, not colorful enough. I much prefer that cartoon icon we saw in Venture's trial because he does look really punk with a metal jaw and green hair, possibly cool yellow shades too?

When I first saw Hazard's official design I honestly thought it was a Rein skin. I just hope future skins for Hazard are more punky. JunkerQueen and Zarya both have rather punk-y skins, and Lucio has a concept art based skin, so I am hoping for something more "out there" and fun for Hazard.

Punk is not, and has not, ever been 'conventionally attractive and palatable' and with Hazard's backstory, him being intentionally 'outlandish' would have only reinforced his outlook and story.

Like, people don't love Rein because he's eye candy, they like the hero fantasy of a big knight, being a shield, that he fights for others bravely. People don't love Doomfist because he's eye candy, they love him because his mechanics are hard to perfect but rewarding to land, and his sophisticated antagonist plotline is super engaging, and the hero fantasy of a big powerful genius with a giant fist is badass!

But Hazard? He's eye candy, sure. Got some piercings, but so does JunkerQueen. Plain black leather jacket and pants... okay but Young Cass and Ashe in general do that too. Hell, a young Tracer(in the comics she had a very punk hairstyle) was way more punk than Haz was as a teen. I don't understand why they didn't PUSH his punk design further, when we have characters like Roadhog and JunkerQueen on the roster already. Hazard is very conventional for an overwatch design, he looks like he could be a side character in a gang instead of a main hero... Boomslang(viper Phreaks member) atleast has interesting shapes on her design! The Junkers are scrappy and DIY-low end tech (scrap guns, explosives, knives) survivalists, so imo the Phreaks could have been like a Sombra-version of Junkers, cyberpunk but WAY WAAAAY more out there with wild body mods and DIY high end tech (plasma weapons, energy swords, multiple arms, etc). I did peep a retractable energy sword from Hazard in the cinematic but why not just build a nonretractable sword into his base design instead? He already has a gun arm (like Orisa).

I really do think the metal jaw would have made Hazard instantly recognizable, but man, atleast keep the toxic green spiky hair!!! Haz is brunette, so why choose blonde as the 'punk' color when his body shape is already so similar to Reinhardt? Doomfist already has a "one arm is a weapon" so that's not Hazard's iconic detail, Mauga is already shirtless so that's out as an iconic detail, and the crystal spikes aren't nearly present enough in his design to make it out like that is his iconic 'thing' imo. Meanwhile, look at JunkerQueen: she is somehow MORE punk than Hazard who is intentionally being punk. And even then, I think people forget JunkerQueen has mag tornado powers in her gauntlet. Many Overwatch 2 heroes struggle with visually telling the players what a hero is/does via the design. And don't even get me started on Venture's nonsensical jacket design lol. Juno and Hazard feel like the designs where 'simplified' from concept art so that making skins for them would be easier. Juno looked better with the armor pieces, and Hazard would look better with green hair and a metal jaw.

[onceupre]

Chapter 3: With Poise and Grace! Cure Pirouette!

(Author's note: Thanks for your patience! I hope y'all enjoy! ^^)

The morning was very tranquil in the little village of Meruhen. The birds chirped a lovely little tune. The morning dewdrops left trails of water as they trickled down the tree leaves, creating a warm shimmer as the morning sun showered the trees with its light.

Akane was lying in her bed on the second floor of the bakery. She slept peacefully in her loose tee and shorts, her go-to for sleepwear. As she snoozed on, she dreamt of various sweet nothings. As the crisp morning air met the warmth of her fuzzy red blankets and fluffy polka-dotted pillows, she found herself lulled into an even deeper sleep with each passing minute.

And then her dad burst through her door.

“AKANE! Wake up! We have a deeeeelivery!” he said, feeling chipper.

Akane was startled and jolted up, her hair a mess. She then became angered

“WHY do you need to wake me up like that??” she angrily responded.

“Because as our one and only delivery girl, you must deliver this order of blueberry muffins! Plus it’s time for you to be up anyway.” he said with a hint of reprimand.

Akane looked at a clock on her wall with the time reading 8:45, and she made a face of disgust.

“Eugh, it’s not even double digits yet man….” she exclaimed, putting her pillow back over her head to try and lull herself back into the dark void that is sleep. Her father walked over and took the pillow from her, much to her dismay.

“Well our patrons don’t dilly dally, they're up and going about their days, and so should you!”

Akane rolled her eyes, clarely disinterested in what her father had to say. Why should she when he can’t be bothered to kindly wake her up to begin with?

“What-EVER!” She stretched her arms out and sat upright on her bed so she wouldn’t be tempted to fall back asleep. 

“Where’s this delivery headed anyway, huh?” She said while properly getting up to stretch her legs.

“The Izumi Ballet Hall.”

Lebed, who lay lifelessly on Akane’s bed still acting like a plushie, overheard those words. Her eyes grew wide with wonder at the mention of a ballet hall.

Akane, however, froze when her father uttered those words. The ballet hall? That ballet hall?! She couldn’t even believe what she’d just heard. The old ballet hall was constructed early into the village’s founding. It was practically ancient! From its pillars to the faded wooden window frames–not to mention the musty smell– Many villagers questioned how it still stands today. Akane wouldn’t be caught dead near there! She’d never hear the end of it from her guy friends if she steps near there. They’d probably say she ‘Wanted to play ballerina with all the other girlies at the hall.’ BLEH!

…

“No frickin’ way-” 

“LANGUAGE, AKANE!”  Her father scolded.

“C’mon, Pops! You can’t be serious! The ballet hall? Might as well put me in a tutu!” Akane complained.

“Now, Akane, business is business! If some lovely girl wants to treat her ballerina girlfriends to our steaming hot blueberry muffins, who are we, as the ones to make profit, to complain?”her father preached.

“Okay, first, don’t ever say ‘ballerina girlfriends’ again,” stated Akane, shuddering at her dad’s attempt to be hip. “Second, why me? Can’t Ma go? She’d be a much better fit for that crowd!”

“Well, she’s busy helping me prepare another, quite large order. And, you are our shop’s ‘delivery girl’! You gotta live up to your title, hon!” he gleamed, knowing he’d won the battle.

Akane sighed in defeat, and her father gleefully smiled as he left her room. Akane had to shut the door after he left, a bad habit he keeps doing that slightly annoys her. Once the door was closed, Akane’s “plushies” all rose up, after hearing the conversation.

“A BALLET HALL AAAAAA!! ~LELE” Lebed squealed, as Akane made a pose in reaction to the sudden outburst, shushing the bird.

“Be QUIET! You don’t wanna alert anyone about your existence or anything right!??”

“I do apologize but, a ballet hall is the LAST place I’d expect from a….rustic village like this. I’m simply overjoyed! ~lele” Akane pretended not to notice the bird’s jab at her home village with that comment.

“Why do you care so much about ballet?” Akane questioned.

Lebed turned towards the brunette almost instantly, as if she was severely insulted at her mere comment. “Seriously? Have you not heard of Swan Lake?~lele”

“Vaguely? It's that one ballet dance thing, yeah?”

“Well… that's a simpleton’s way of phrasing it yes. ~lele But it’s also revered as one of the more sophisticated fairy tales known to man! ~lele”

Akane rolled her eyes at Lebed’s once again uncalled for comment.

As they conversed, Akane got ready for the day: a white tank top with red detailing around the arm areas, paired with a black sports bra underneath for coverage. She also wore her white shorts with a red stripe and black trim, paired with her black leggings with laced details near her ankles, near her red laced up sneakers. She tied the look together with her signature red hoodie around her waist…in case it gets chilly outside!

“Ain’t that a bit stereotypical? A swan fairy likin’ ballet?” She jabbed in response to the swan’s rude remarks made earlier.

“Well I’d never!~lele” Lebed puffed her feathers in defense to Akane’s amusement.

“We fairies come from a place known as Everafter Garden ~lulu We’re…uhh..”

Lupo thought of a way to carefully phrase his next statement, not wanting to reveal too much info until a proper Precure team is formed.

“...essentially we’re born from well known fairy tales ~lulu”

“Mine’s Goldilocks!~ lili!” Lionceau chipped in.

“Mine is the ever so extravagant avant-garde Swan Lake! ~lele!” Lebed posed rather dramatically at her own announcment.

“And mine is Little Red Riding Hood ~lulu!”

Akane smiled. She may have her reservations, but these animals have been growing on her. Lupo’s last sentence made her brighten up a bit.

“Hey Lupo, that’s my favorite fairytale y’know?” She grinned

“Really?~ lulu. I knew you had good taste hehehe ~lulu” he blushed with a sense of pride at their shared appreciation of the fairy tale.

------

Akane stuffed the fairies inside a conveniently large basket she found to hold not only them but the delivery as well. Once she was situated she set off towards…the ballet hall. She huffed at the thought of having to be there.

She followed the path she frequented through the little village she called home. It wasn’t terribly busy here, it was very quiet and peaceful. The only noises that could be heard were the chirps of the birds soaring overhead and the occasional buzzing from the cicadas. Only the shopkeepers were out this early, setting up shop for today’s easy day of business. A shop for fruits and veggies, one for books and quills–even a tailor that took your measurements and sewed for you as you conversed with them! 

Akane swung by the fruit clerk and got her daily apple from them, and at a fair price too!

“Out on another delivery dear?” The elderly woman happily asked her usual patron.

“Yeah, some muffins today. I have to take them to the ballet hall…” Akane grimaced in reply.

The woman took notice and wanted to pry a bit.

“Why the long face dear? It’s truly not so bad, when I was a little girl I wanted to train at that same hall. The sight of it is truly one to behold, alas it wasn’t in my family’s budget for me to go…” the woman trailed off a tad bit upset.

Akane took notice and patted the woman’s shoulder in condolence.

“Sorry to hear that,is that why you became a fruit vendor then?”

The woman closed her eyes gently. “Yes, after all my family was known for their tasty affordable fruits, tradition is important in a town like this y’know.”

Akane flinched a bit at that comment.

“But” the woman continued “There’s no such thing asa ‘bad’ change. After all, now there’s scholarships for the Izumi Ballet Hall, so it’s more accessible for us non-rich folk!” She chuckled. “Just try not to be too discouraged dear, things happen for a reason, and you never know what’s waiting for you along the path you take.”

Akane smiled and nodded. She thanked the woman and headed back on route, taking a bite from the juicy apple with a mighty crunch, though she may have bitten off a bit too much, as she found herself wiping juices from the corners of her mouth. Once finished, she threw the browned fruit core into a trash bin as she continued to her destination.

-----

Within a desolate dark land, a singular open clam lay dormant on the ground. Operetta was inside, fixing her appearance at a vanity within the crustacean. She was brushing her hair with a fish’s skeleton as a brush of sorts.

“Damned girl….Damned Cure Hoodie….” She muttered to herself.

A cackle was heard from behind. Operetta didn’t bother to turn as only one woman with a laugh so sickly could only be-

“Castella. Could you please go be hideous elsewhere? I’m busy fuming.” Operetta jabbed, not even bothering to face the old woman who approached her.

The stout woman could only sneer at her acquaintance. She wore a leather dress, with a pumpkin shaped skirt. She also had two toned striped leggings in two different shades of green, to compliment her pale green skin. She had a rather large nose with some warts adorning her face, and a prominent snaggle tooth. Her big witch’s hat seemed a bit stereotypical, but is a classic detail nonetheless.

“Oh? I’m hideous? Well considerin’ you’re using a corpse for a brush I must be at least smarter than you.” She snickered as Operetta turned around, glaring daggers at her.

“Don’t you have a cauldron to fall into you hag??”

Catsella smirked. “Precure. I hear ya yappin’ about that to yourself. You DO know losing to them will only anger our lord more? Or is all that caked on makeup clouding your memory?”

Operetta practically growled at Castella’s taunts.

“I ALMOST HAD HER!”

“And that right there, almost! And ya still lost! You young people give up so easily, never wanting to put in hard work even with all your technical advancements. Failure isn’t an option you know~”

Castella cackled as Operetta’s face grew red with anger. Normally she’d brush the woman’s remarks off with a thought of reassurance, usually about her looks being far better. But the guilt Operetta felt from losing against her foe was like gasoline igniting the flames of Castella’s scorching jabs.

“You’re RIGHT! I don’t wanna work too hard, otherwise I'd have more wrinkles than you!” Operetta said instinctively, to no avail of easing her emotions though.

Castella glared at the serpent, knowing she struck a nerve, but at the cost of being insulted in terms of beauty once again.

“Besides! I never said I was giving up! I just needed my beauty rest-”

“Clearly.” Castella snapped in.

“...and THEN. I was going to get my revenge!”

Castella shrugged “Whatever you say deary, just don’t lose again. Otherwise you’d look ridiculous… Well, moreso than you usually do~! KEHEHEHE!”

Castella laughed as Operetta shook with anger. She needed an outlet, and teleported within an instant back to earth. She was furious all right, and ready to take out her frustrations on the girl who did her wrong; Cure Hoodie.

------

Akane stood in front of the ballet hall, a look of displeasure painted her face. Lebed peeked out of the bag, and marveled at the glorious structure. Such fine pine flooring shone as it may have been freshly polished, the structures marble pillars framing the entrance glistened, as light greenery grew out, giving the building an even more earthy feel.

“This. Is. Magnificent ~lele!” Lebed whispered from within the basket.

“I betcha one of my guy friends put me up to this as a joke. I HATE places like this.” Akane muttered, a thought of her friends hopping out with a camera to catch her in such a girly place flashed into her mind. 

She grimaced and took some steps to the entrance. Akane knocked on the large doors of the structure.

“An uncultured swine knows no difference from a jewel to a rock.~ lele”

“ Say one more thing you bird, I dare you-”

Akane was cut off as the door opened, and a docile looking girl was facing her. Akane stopped in her tracks, a little taken back by how prim and proper the girl was.

The girl was fair skinned. Her hair, a neatly put together bun with side swept bangs, was a deep navy blue in color, practically black almost. The color matched her grayish bluebelle eyes. She wore a typical ballerina outfit, one in a pastel baby blue color with white tights and matching pastel baby blue laced up slippers.

 Akane was stunned, and her face felt a bit flushed…

“Yes? Oh! Hello, are you the blueberry muffin delivery?” asked the girl in a quiet yet smooth sounding voice.

“M-Mhm…. Uh I mean, yeah! For uhhh… what uh, who are you?” Akane stuttered a bit. Must be the nerves of being in an unwanted and unfamiliar place.

“Hmm? Oh!” The girl giggled with her hand on her mouth as Akane smirked goofily, feeling a bit out of place at the moment once again.

“My apologies, I forgot myself. I am Hakuchou Junko, one of the ballerinas of the Izumi Ballet Hall!” She smiled softly at the brunette.

“Junko? Yup! These muffins are definitely for you then missy!” Akane held out the basket and Hakuchou took it and inspected it. She looked puzzled to Akane’s worry.

“Are these… plush dolls?” The girl questioned as Akane comedically froze, forgetting the fairies were also in said basket.

“Y-YEAH OH AHAHA! Sorry! I totally forgot about those in there, they're my uh, lucky plushies, yeah! Gives me luck on my deliveries ahaha…” Akane’s faux laugh trailed off as she realized how lame she must’ve sounded then.

Hakuchou stared at the brunette, and then giggled. She gestured for Akane to enter the hall.

“OH! I uh… don’t really fit in well here-”

“Nonsense. All are welcome at the Izumi Ballet Hall. Besides, I have to retrieve the payment, no?” Hakuchou questioned.

Akane gulped, and nervously followed the girl inside. The halls were pleasantly kept clean, with little to no dust in sight. Akane took notice of rooms the pair passed by, with hardworking ballerinas seemingly warming up along poles attached to the walls.

She also took note of the hanging photos that adorned the walls they walked by, showcasing various things from assumed alumni to celebratory photos taken of prizes the dancers won.

 Hakuchou led Akane to a room with the label ‘4B’ plastered on a plate on the wall adjacent to the door of the room. When the door was opened, Akane could see it was  filled with about 6 ballerinas, each practicing a different technique.

“Group 4B, Muffins are here!” Hakuchou declared, and the girls excitedly hurried over to grab a muffin from the box she took out from the basket. Lebed peeked out and marveled at the ballerinas adorned in their usual attire. It filled her with a familiar sense of belonging.

As Hakuchou handed out the muffins Akane started up a small conversation.

“S-so… these your friends or..?”

“Ah, this is my group I regularly train and perform with! I wanted to treat them to some food for all their hard work we’ve accomplished recently.”

“Hard work?” Akane questioned and quickly realized how condescending she must’ve sounded.

“I-I MEAN-”

“It’s ok.”

Akane was taken aback by the nonchalant response.

“I believe all hard work should be eventually rewarded, is all.” Hakuchou smiled and Akane couldn’t help but return one back at her earnest response.

A short bit later, Hakuchou led Akane outside the room, and handed her payment for the goods. She took note of how soft Hakuchou’s hands felt, she must use some nice skin care products.

“I assume you’ll be on your way now?” Hakuchou asked straightforwardly.

“Ah yeah! This scene isn’t really my…I mean! My job is done so yeah I am haha” Akane rubbed the back of her head, a bit embarrassed of how uncool she was probably coming off.

Lebed rustled from inside Akane’s basket., Hakuchou took notice of the it, and looked concerned.

“Did your basket….move?”

“AH! LEMME SEE HERE AHAHA!” Akane replied as she turned and shoved her head in the basket comically, Hakuchou looked on in concern…

Akane whispered within the basket to the fairies inside.

 “What are ya DOIN??”

“We can’t leave yet!~ lele! The sights are amazing! I must see more. ~lele”

“No way, nuh uh! I hate places like this! We are leavin’!” Akane snapped back, not even entertaining the thought.

“But ~lele! I sense a Precure also! ~lele!”

“REALLY??” Akane said a bit more loudly than she would’ve liked.

“I-Is everything ok?” Hakuchou questioned, a tad more concerned that the girl was seemingly talking to herself within her basket.

Akane jolted up in embarrassment at the sudden realization.

 “HAHA YEP! Just my uh, phone!”

“Oh…I don’t recall seeing a phone in the bag…” Hakuchou said looking up, placing a closed fist to her chin trying to recall correctly what was inside.

“It was uh hidden in the plushies! They double as phone cases haha! ANYWAYS! I don’t really have anywhere to be, mind givin’ me a tour of the place?” Akane pleaded.

Hakuchou looked surprised and blinked.

“Really? Didn’t you say this wasn’t ‘your scene’? Hehe” The docile girl giggled, to Akane’s burning face. She feels a bit humiliated, but it’s for the greater good! Hopefully…

“I meant uhh, my SEEIN’ of a ballet hall in forever! In fact at all!” She hoped Hakuchou hadn’t realized her changing her words to make the offer more genuine.

Hakuchou giggled, knowing fully well Akane was lying. 

“Well, let’s be ‘seein’’ the hall then!” Hakuchou led the way as Akane followed. Akane felt she was thrown off her usual game of coming up with smooth lies in this situation…

They entered many places in the hall, and Lebed was living for all of it, marveling at the various ballet related things they would come across. She felt like she found a diamond amongst the unfamiliar sights of earth that she and the other fairies have been exposed to thus far.

They took a break at the back garden of the hall, there was a stone bench on a fenced in porch outlooking a small pond, hosting a few graceful looking swans gliding by along the water.

“So how is the tour?” Hakuchou asked inquisitively.

“Really good! This place is pretty cool, lots of space, must be good for stretchin’ your legs and whatnot!” Akane replied happily.

Hakuchou smiled. “Yes, this place is like a home to me, I’ve attended this hall’s ballet program for about 9 years now…”

Akane was stunned, for some reason the thought of someone seriously committing to a dance technique never crossed her mind before today.

“That is commitment. Ya really like all this twirlin’ n stuff huh?” She playfully teased the blunette who giggled in response.

Hakuchou closed her eyes “It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes. Being able to hone my skill has been very fun for me. The poses and exercise helps clear my mind of any worries I may have. Once I’m in the zone, I feel it’s just me  and the stage floor..”

Akane couldn’t help but smile.

“Your parents must love watchin’ ya huh?” She grinned as Hakuchou could only smile in response.

“...You wanna know why I love ballet?” 

Akane looked puzzled at the sudden question.

“It’s because I'm not just dancing. I’m telling a tale. Being able to fully immerse myself with the movements of the dance, it truly is a tranquil feeling I absolutely adore… It’s as if I am one with the story I wanna portray.”

Before Akane could speak, sniffling came from the basket, Akane froze in fear as Lebed leapt out onto Hakuchou’s lap, catching the girl off guard.

“BEAUTIFUL ~LELE! THAT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING EXPRESSION OF THE TRUEST FORM OF EXQUISITE ARTISTRY KNOWN AS BALLET ~LELE!”

… KYAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Hakuchou got up and stepped back, leaving Lebed flapping in the air. She was unsure of what was going on.

“T-The plushie!! THE BIRD TALKED!” Hakuchou pointed at the small swan accusingly.

Akane pinched her brow in frustration and grunted.

After a short explanation, Hakuchou seemed a bit more composed, albeit still uneasy at all this newfound information of things that sounded out of this world to her.

“Precure? Magical Vigilante’s who protect earth from….?”

“The Grimm Empire ~lele!” Lebed chirped with precision in her voice.

“R-right…sorry this is just all so much out of nowhere…” 

Akane held her head in her hands, full of shame of how things rolled out.

“And you are the next Precure ~lele! I can feel it!” Akane looked up a bit more excitedly than she would’ve liked to lead on at that statement.

“....I beg your finest pardon? I don’t think I’d be a good fit for that at all!”

“Aww it’s not so bad! You get super cool powers and a new look ‘n everything!” Akane sheepishly added, trying to smooth over the ridiculous request.

“Well… ok, but fighting? That's not really me at all… I’m sorry, but I think I should go-”

“PRECURE”

The group looked across the pond to a devilishly smiling Operetta, who had seemingly conjured up a swan like monstrous Poisonink. Hakuchou trembled, as Akane lept in front of her instinctively.

“Don’t worry! I’ll keep us safe!” Eclaimed the brunette as she made a cool pose showing off her Precure Storybook.

“Precure! Curetime Everafter!"

"Hooded in red, journeying towards victory! Cure Hoodie!”

Hoodie lept into action and Hakuchou stood there, stunned at what’s unfolding in front of her. Hoodie ran up and jumped, aiming to land a sharp kick to the beast, when it started to flap it’s wings erratically, sending a huge gust of wind blowing Hoodie away into the hall’s walls with a giant crash!

“NO!” Hakuchou screeched with fear and anger seeing the hall take such a toll. Hoodie stood up slowly, trembling a bit at her knees. 

“A-are you alright??” Hakuchou asked with concern, as Hoodie nodded and ran back out into the fray.

 Hakuchou could only stare as she trembled, she heard screams from inside and footsteps of girls exiting the building. The place that was a home to her got damaged, the battle in front of her playing out dramatically until Hakuchou couldn’t contain herself anymore.

“P-PLEASE STOP THIS OBSTRUCTION AT ONCE!” Everyone within the battle froze comedically, and then Operetta slithered up quickly to Hakuchou, pointing her scythe at the girl.

“Such a frail girl trying to act tough hmmm~?”

“Leave her ALONE!” Hoodie jumped at Operetta, only for the Poisonink to tackle her, once again hitting the hall.

“N-NO! PLEASE STOP!” Hakuchou begged with desperation while reaching out towards Hoodie.

“I can make this nightmare end for you little girl. After all, such a beauty as yourself doesn't deserve to exist when someone like me is here!” She raised her scythe, and Hakuchou froze. Was this her final moment of being alive!?

“LELEEEEEEE~!!!!” Lebed flew in front of Hakucchou, to protect her. And in the process a huge beam of light shot down on the two instantaneously.

“WHAT?! NO!’ Operetta screeched with hatred, well knowing what’s occurring in front of her.

Hakuchou blinked and came to the realization she was surrounded in a warm feeling light. Lebed flapped her wings happily in front of her. She felt safe here.

 “Where….am I….?”

“We’re safe now. ~lele My name is Lebed, and I feel like we can help each other Hakuchou! ~lele!”

“By making me a Precure right? I just… I don’t know…”

“Those monsters are ruining the structural integrity and antique beauty that is the Izumi Ballet Hall! ~lele We cannot allow them to continue. If they wreck that hall, how else will you continue to dance?! ~ lele?”

Hakuchou looked discouraged, not totally believing she could be of assistance.

“It’s scary ~lele. But you CAN be strong, true strength comes from wanting to protect those you hold dear, no? ~lele.”

Hakuchou looked surprised.

 “That…is true….” she thought “The ballet hall… I don’t want to see it being damaged anymore. I want to help protect it, and everyone else, too!”

Suddenly a Precure Storybook materialized, and Lebed smiled as she pulled a swan themed charm out of her mirror shaped broach, extending it to Hakuchou.

“All you need to do is use this charm and say ‘Precure Curetime Everafter ~lele! I’ve felt this potential since laying my eyes on you! I have faith in you, Hakuchou ~lele!”

Faith…..in her…..

Hakuchou smiled and grabbed the charm and the book.

“Precure! Curetime Everafter!”

She gracefully transforms, her leaps and twirls enveloping her body as more pieces of clothing appear, and she finishes with a soft landing, water rippling as her heel touches the ground.

“Gliding upon blue waters of tranquility! Cure Pirouette!”

The light dispersed, and everyone in the scene stared in amazement as the newest Precure stood tall. 

Hoodie smiled.  “Cure Pirouette….” 

Meanwhile, Operetta growled. “NO NO NO! NOT ANOTHER ONE! Poisonink, DESTROY HER!”

“POI-POISONINKKKKK!” the large bird began to flap its wings when suddenly Pirouette zipped around behind the bird, and gave it a swift kick to the back of the head, stopping it from continuing its gusts.

“So fast!” Hoodie marveled in awe. 

Pirouette got a look at herself quickly, astounded by her speed. She noticed small water droplets glistening in the sunlight around her like gems.

“I felt like I was…gliding on air!” she said to herself in amazement.

The monster flapped its wings again, catching Pirouette off guard and blowing her into the nearby pond. Hoodie gasped out Pirouette’s name as Operetta laughed, feeling they were gaining the upper hand.

“Not so fast now are….you?”

The crash of water from the impact subsided, and Pirouette was still standing, in fact she was gracefully gliding…atop the water’s surface! She gracefully leapt off the waters, treading a small wave behind her leave, and aimed it at the Poisonink, soaking it in water!

“P-POI! POI! POI!” The beast cried out, preening its feathers in retaliation of the wave’s crash.

“No! Stop preening at ONCE!” Operetta screeched in frustration.

Hoodie jumped to Pirouette’s side, a huge smile adorning her face.

“You are AMAZING Pirouette!” she beamed with pride.

Pirouette smiled. “Thank you, Hoodie. I just needed a little more faith in myself I suppose” she said, while looking at Lebed warmly,

Lebed smiled back “Now ~lele! Use the storybook to purify the monster ~lele!”

Pirouette nodded, and faced the preening beast.The slot where the charm was inserted was glowing, and she pressed it down lightly twice, activating a symbol to trace on the left side’s mirror. She took the quill pen and traced. As she did, simultaneously the emblem was drawn out in front of her with raw energy. Once finished, the swan shaped emblem glowed, and she touched it with her quill pen, absorbing the core of the emblem within her pen. 

“Precure!” She did a graceful motion, charging up “Graceful Resolution!”

She pulled back, and pierced the glowing outline with a resounding HA, releasing the energy at the Posionink in the form of an elegant swan. Once it made contact, the beast was purified with a relaxing “Happily ever after~!” as Pirouette closed her Storybook into itself in triumph.

The red jewel from the beast shattered, returning the now purified nostalight back to a ballerina who was knocked unconscious just outside the ballet hall

“Dammit… my hair is soaking wet, and after I just brushed it too! YOU’LL PAY, PRECURE!!” Operetta swore, vanishing and returning the setting to its prior form.

-----

“So that’s what being a Precure is…how exciting!” Hakuchou giggled, Lebed joining in as she flaps beside her gleefully.

“You were amazing ~lele! Truly a fine specimen of a girl, do I know how to pick ‘em or what ~lele?!”

Akane extended a hand towards Hakuchou a bit awkwardly “G-guess this means we’re p-partners?” Why was she stuttering at that word?

Hakuchou smiled, and took her hand. “Yes, but I would also love to get to know you more, and be your friend, too!”

Akane eagerly nodded in response. “Yeah! I’d love that!”

The group laughed merrily to themselves, now assembling a small reliable group to fight this long lasting battle.

-----

Behind a nearby building, a brunette girl in a lolita dress with orange and yellow colors hides herself from the group’s sight. On her cutely decorated phone displays photos of the Precure and their battle.

“P…precure?.... What in the world is going on here…?” 

-End Chapter 3-

[rebloggiedoggie]

something about Blitz gearing up for a fight, because he thought stolas would fight back. Blitz has had this wrong idea of Stolas in his head this whole time: untouchable, uncaring, playing with his feelings. If you only see the scenes of interaction with Blitz and block out every scene of turmoil and emotion, it's kind of easy to see things from Blitz's perspective.

Because Stolas really is supremely stronger than Blitz, and that's confirmed to him in Truth Seekers when he sees his real demon form. That confession scene to Blitz was literally all wrong: too soft, too caring. Obviously a sexual roleplay of some kind and if he got the wrong idea then he was the fool.

When he understands what Stolas is saying his first reaction is anger but specifically at Stolas saying "that's enough to know what this is" because...why the fuck can you choose for both of us what this is? aren't you gonna give me like two seconds to consider this? You're not even gonna let me express myself bc my opinion is worth nothing to you etc.

So he gets angry about something more pressing that comes to him quicker than understanding, which is Stolas' usual treatment of imps in his presence or how he feels smaller and used.

Then he straight up gears up for a fight with "Let's go!". What he probably imagined Stolas to say back was some kind of possessive pretentious thing or even to attack him: because Blitz has felt more like his property, at the hands of a puppeteer so much stronger than him.

But that's the thing, he doesn't know how Stolas truly is, how kind he actually is. So just at the very end when he cries he understands that all this image he's built up of him in his head is wrong. not only can he get hurt physically, but emotionally too.

[edlucavalden]

This is such a random thought, but the dungeons following dungeon logic is kinda funny to me. It's very prominent in the first half of the series, but that concept kinda fizzles out when we get to the more srs parts of the series. Which is a shame bc it's really funny to imagine kabru and mithrun in the 1-week arc, focused completely on survival, finding legendary chest after chest filled with loot kabru and his team would FAINT for bc theyre in the super ultra lower levels of the dungeon but instead of joy upon opening these extremely good chests hes completely disappointed.

Kabru: "awe man... not another 10x gold bars and level 10 articfacts that could sell for thousands... if only these things had food or smth.. sigh...."

[iliothermia]

The lovely liontaur guard, it's what he was born to do!

Stay put and keep people out of the labyrinthian garden. He's never seen someone in it before in his whole lives (Liontaurs are born with nine legs initially- they say one loses one with every life lost but never remember how. He's lost three and has no clue!)

Anyway, he's never seen another being in his garden. He just knows he was told to never let someone reach the center where a long-passed king's tomb lays. When he does cross paths with a stranger, he's actually quite horrified. He's never killed before, let alone fought anyone other than playfighting with his siblings. He acts rough and questions the frail man on his business in the garden, and the man claims to have no idea who or where he is- Only that he feels drawn to the center of the maze.

The liontaur does his best to try to scare him off, going as far as sinking his claws into the man... Inspecting him, trying to read him... (Why does he seem familiar?) Only to be stopped dead in his tracks with an offering of sharing a pomegranate.

The liontaur can't bring himself to truly hurt the man, in internal turmoil over of what a shame he'd be to his family. After he lets the man go, he decides to trail behind him and see what he's up to.

It's a long journey to the center, and it seems the man is Just... Soft and confused. The liontaur develops a bit of a.. Crush on him.

The man is aware of his presence and feels comforted by not being alone but lets the liontaur believe that he's oblivious. On particularly cold nights the silly cat will curl up surrounding him to keep him warm while he pretends to be a very heavy sleeper. While gazing upon the man's peaceful sleeping face the liontaur realizes why the man looks so familiar. He's seen it time and time again on statues decorating the garden and tomb.

The man is the reawakened king from the tomb, now making his way back to the center to another long rest. It turns out his duty was to keep the king from returning to the center for another long slumber, but his last sleep had been so long the lore was forgotten. Now it's his duty to keep the man overcome with instincts to return to nothingness from doing just that. He doesn't even know why it's important, other than his own selfish reasons (He's falling in love)

[707mg]

god alive, i saw my favorite streamer play mouthwashing. i wanted to see them play it because i just wanted more mouthwashing content. but i knew. i knew they were the exact person mouthwashing was talking about with their story. they were quick to accept curly crashed the ship. they were quick to dismiss all the strange things jimmy said (ex: coming at curly super inappropriately at the birthday party). quick to dismiss jimmy's cruelty to anya. quick to AGREE with jimmy that anya sucks. and even when jimmy was hurting curly with the way he was administering medication they STILL hesitantly started questioning if something was wrong with jimmy. even with the dead pixel scene it went right over their head. and as the chat started frantically putting it together they dismissed it. saying that they'll wait until the end of the game to see if that's true.

by the end of the stream they hated jimmy but had no thoughts on curly's actions. they recognized how messed up it was to take advantage of a physically disabled (cough man) person but... that was it. ironically they pulled up a "mouthwashing explained" video and the video ALSO did not understand the game. it got multiple points of the story wrong and dared to word anya's death as, "anya overdoses on the last of the little pain medication they have left for curly".

you could not make this shit up. how poetic this game is. and how it's lesson directly calls out the kind of person who allows a jimmy, who believes they're doing the right thing like curly. who thinks less of an anya for... you know why. of course everyone hates jimmy. but only when he goes full villian mode. it's beautiful. i love this game so much.