#mark the history geek

[mareastrorum]

These are just initial thoughts, and perhaps I’ll learn something that changes my mind on it, but I’m glad to see Critical Role making the leap to their own subscription service with Beacon.

As a lead in: I’m an attorney that has some background in IP law, though it isn’t what I practice currently. I’ve kept in contact with several active practitioners, particularly those that represent small-time creators either in their own independent practice or via nonprofits. I do not have an extensive Rolodex of IP peers, nor do I spend the money to keep up on IP CLEs. I’m just someone who used to know a ton because I did heavy research and work in that space, and that hasn’t been the case for years.

So here’s my thoughts a bit on the IP angle:

The primary reason I’m happy to see this leap is that CR is taking active steps to keep control over its IP. It’s a boring thing to most people, but when I start paying attention to a specific creator (authors, directors, companies, etc.), I tend to be very attentive to how they use their IP. How freely do they license their marks to partner with other creators to make merch? How often do they allow others to make adaptations or derivatives of their copyrights? What is the quality of those products? What is the supply chain like? Are those third parties objectionable in some way? Were the other parties faithful to the original works or marks? Was this a cash grab or an earnest effort to make something worth the price tag?

Honestly, I like how CR run their business. They have a history of tapping fans and fellow small businesses when making new merch or spinoffs. They embrace the culture of fan-made derivative works, both by featuring fanart/cosplay and by sharing their success. Do you know how rare it is for a company to pay fan artists for their already-made and freely posted work and then sell books of it? Let me be clear: CR bought a limited license from each artist so they could print and sell each work in a physical book, then paid the cost of publishing that book with no guarantee that CR would make that money back, let alone profit. I have a copy of the collector’s edition art books: they’re actually very well made and the packaging definitely cost a pretty penny. That’s not a rainmaker idea, that’s genuinely risking financial loss to sell something people could access for free if they wanted to.

The art books aren’t a one-off either. Darrington Press is CR’s separate LLC for tabletop games. (It’s good business practice to split off companies that handle products in different industries.) CR has also made shows based on those games, and the Candela Obscura series has quite a dedicated audience. Everything about Candela belongs to them: the game itself, the rule book, all the art in the book, the web series based on the game, and merch. It’s so successful that they invested in scheduling a live show for Candela later this month. That’s HUGE.

Contrast that with the distribution of Campaign 1 and the first 19 episodes of Campaign 2. CR cannot host those videos themselves; Geek & Sundry still exists and still holds what I presume to be distribution rights (but I don’t have the contract to review). So G&S gets to host those videos on YouTube and reaps the advertising. I can’t speak to whatever share CR gets from that, but considering that CR is locked out of hosting their own copies of those videos, I doubt it’s much, if any, revenue. (If you’re wondering why CR just didn’t buy those rights back, I ask: what incentive does G&S have to sell something that’s making them money for no cost?)

Knowing that background about G&S, I was wary of CR choosing Amazon to host and distribute The Legend of Vox Machina. Originally, TLOVM was not the plan; CR had a kickstarter for an animated special based on C1. It was only because they blew past the goal that CR was able to make an entire season. The reasonable assumption is that choosing Amazon had to have secured CR additional funding for future seasons of the show, which seems evident from how quickly season 2 was announced, Mighty Nein Animated is also going to be a thing, and that season 3 of TLVOM is scheduled for fall 2024. CR had the option of just doing 1 season and keeping it purely in their control, but going with Amazon meant they could animate more of their works. Animation is expensive. I cannot stress enough how doubtful I am that CR would have been able to afford this many episodes and both campaigns if they had not gone this route. As wary as I was in the start, it paid off, and it’s going well—so far. Hopefully CR doesn’t regret that decision if Amazon tries something sleazy. But, as before, we don’t have the contracts and can’t know how secure CR’s position is if any dispute came up.

CR also partnered with Dark Horse Comics to make Vox Machina comics and Might Nein Origins comics. What’s especially surprising is that each of the cast had a hand in writing the MNO comics for their characters, with Matt listed for multiple. That isn’t very common with comic adaptations. Often times, IP owners let comic companies go ham with minimal oversight. Being listed as one of the authors comes with IP rights that have to be negotiated. That means that Dark Horse had to talk with CR about whether that warrants more or less revenue going to which party in exchange for that—or, alternatively, whether the comic gets made at all. That’s a ballsy move. You think people can just demand to write the comics that a publishing company is going to pay to print? Pffft. CR wanted some creative control, and that is a big ask. However, Dark Horse still has the distribution rights, both digitally and for physical copies. You couldn’t buy the comics from CR until they came out with the library edition, a book bound compilation of 4/8 comics. But the publisher is still Dark Horse; CR is just allowed to sell the book directly from their own site as well.

Contrast that with the novels about CR characters. CR partnered with Penguin Random House to publish novels about Vex and Vax (Kith & Kin), Lucien (The Nine Eyes of Lucien), and Laudna (What Doesn’t Break). Liam and Laura were vocal about having some say in K&K, whereas Madeline Roux said in an interview that she had full control over TNEOL. Both of those novels were narrated with CR voices, but narrating a book doesn’t come with IP rights, it just brings in a paycheck. There’s a lot less IP control in there compared to the comics, but this isn’t abnormal for book publishing. To be blunt, I doubt PRH would have agreed to publish the novels if anyone from CR had been a co-author or had heavy oversight over the author or the editing. I don’t think PRH even considered that as an option. Either an author that has already managed to sell X number of copies or nothing. Creative control over a book a huge ask, asks come with reduced revenue, and switching to books from a web series is already a leap. The fact that Laura and Liam had any say is surprising, really.

That was a long meandering tour of what we’ve seen CR do with its IP. The reason I bring up each of these things is that navigating the way to protect an IP in this space is rife with challenges. Different types of IP warrant different strategies because of the cost involved in creating each medium and the challenges placed by industries that have already sprung up around them. Any time that a third party is tapped to create an IP, it’s usually because they already have the funds and resources to create the work, and CR has to negotiate for revenue, creative control, distribution, and—the big one—who gets to be the owner. These are not easy, quick, or fun conversations, and CR is always going to be the smaller company at the table.

Knowing that, I’m not surprised or worried that CR is creating its own independent subscription service with Beacon. It tells me that they’re being careful with their IP whenever they can. A subscription service means they don’t have to trade away distribution rights or give up ad revenue to a third party. They’re in this for a long term investment, and that requires solid income not tied to third parties that can definitely outspend them in litigation in the event of a dispute. A subscription for bonus content is one of many parts in a diverse revenue stream.

(All that said, this isn’t meant to criticize creators that cant afford to do this type of thing. It took 9 years for CR to get to the point where Beacon is financially feasible and a desirable business decision. They have enough ongoing, popular content to warrant paying for a subscription, and they’ve built sufficient trust with their audience that more will be added. That takes time and an awful lot of money.)

As a final note, I take this step as a sign that CR definitely intends to stick around. This isn’t a move people make when they plan on ending the business after the current campaign. I’m glad to see CR is taking steps to secure their foundation and keep making new content.

I’m sure people will chime in on other issues (cost, content exclusivity, etc.), but I hope my perspective gives an idea of why this sort of thing is good for business generally and why it would be good for CR.

[fanhackers]

Fandom/Activism

I interrupt my dive into Abigail DeKosnik’s work to note that as the United States moves deeper into its (apparently endless) election season, we’re seeing a lot of fandom-as-activism starting to emerge, as well as activism-as-fandom. De Kosnik herself was one of the early writers on fandom/activism, writing “Participatory democracy and Hillary Clinton's marginalized fandom” for the very first issue of Transformative Works and Cultures in 2008; more recently, Aja Romano wrote about how Donald Trump’s followers can be seen to be acting like a fandom for Vox: “If you want to understand modern politics, you have to understand modern fandom.” 

TWC hosted an entire guest issue on Transformative Works and Fan Activism, edited by Henry Jenkins and Sangita Shresthova; Jenkins and Shresthova also collaborated on By Any Media Necessary: The New Youth Activism (NYU, 2016) which collects essays on fan activism. Other essays on fandom/activism have been published by TWC with Alex Xanthoudakis’s Mobilizing minions: Fan activism efficacy of Misha Collins fans in "Supernatural" fandom (2020) and  Hannah Carilyn Gunderman’s Fan geographies and engagement between geopolitics of Brexit, Donald Trump, and Doctor Who on social media (2020) being recent examples. Meanwhile, Tanya Cook and Kayle Joseph are the authors of Fandom Acts of Kindness: A Heroic Guide to Activism, Advocacy, and Doing Chaotic Good (Penguin Randomhouse 2023), a guide on how to use fandom and fannish strategies to make a difference. 

Some examples of fandom/activism emerging this U.S. election season include Heroes 4 Harris: Kamala-Con  which is scheduled to happen online today, Sunday September 8, 2024, 1pm PT / 4pm ET: this is billed as “a Comic-Con for Kamala” and “the largest fandom led gathering in support of a presidential candidate in American history.” It will feature: “actors, writers, directors, and super fans of Hollywood's most inspiring heroic fandoms” and promises not just inspiration from some of our favorite stars (Mark Ruffalo, Sean Astin, Rosario Dawson and others - not to mention Henry Jenkins himself) but also breakout groups and training in “fan mobilization.”  

Meanwhile, Lynda Carter (always a Wonder Woman!) is also trying to get out the fan vote for Harris with her group Geeks & Nerds for Harris Walz (@GeekOutTheVote); this is also billed as “a fan activist campaign” and they are planning special online events, the first of which will be an online call on September 24, 2024.  As they describe on their website: “Fandom has never just been about media consumption. Fans are artists, creators, and digital ambassadors. When we share what we love, it radiates around the world. And to paraphrase the Vice President, it’s how we show them who we are. By connecting battle-tested campaign canvassing strategies to the heritage and practices of fan communities, we can encourage fans to get out the vote in key battleground states.”

Donald Trump, aside from being his own fandom with himself as fan in chief, also seems to have had some self-identified fandoms collectively organizing for him over the years - these include Fans of Kanye West, Fans of Race Car Driving, and, strange but true, Fans of the 1980s, who apparently believe that Donald Trump would also be a fan of 80s horror movies, Scritti Politti, and  the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink. (I’m not making that up; it’s on their Twitter.) That said, Mel Stanfill’s newest book Fandom is Ugly (2024) argues that, despite its popular reputation, media fandom is not essentially progressive; that in fact, “reactionary politics and media fandoms go hand in hand.” Stanfill’s book looks at the ways in which fans have organized in conservative, reactionary, or even hateful ways, from Gamergate to the collective abuse and harassment of actors in the latest Star Wars franchise. 

The discipline of fandom studies is now being used to study all different kinds of affiliations and advocacy movements, not just those based around film, tv, sports, or music. Fan studies is now applied to political and social movements. Jenkins is still a powerful voice on the relationship between fan studies and participatory democracy (whether progressive or reactionary): read this 2024 interview with him published in Communication and the Public: “The path from participatory culture to participatory politics: A critical investigation—An interview with Henry Jenkins.”  As Jenkins notes:

Part of the ethos of fandom is to ask questions—from nitpicking to imagining other outcomes, different trajectories for character arcs, and other worlds where the story might occur, all of which is expressed through fan works. I would say that fans are often more critical than the general audience in asking these questions, which makes them somewhat different from many partisans and activists I might know who rarely question their beliefs and ideological commitments. And fans are more tolerant—as an aggregate—of different interpretations than partisans are of different ideological stances. So, you could do worse in grounding a democracy than engaging with fans.

[iwoulddothingstothisman]

For the First Time I Feel

"Dude, you're fucked," Sam said right after Dean asked which fabric softener he thought Cas would like better.

"Shut the fuck up." Dean snapped back and put back the vanilla one, settling on petrichor and cinnamon.

"I don't even know if he has the same sense of smell the people do."

"I'm pretty sure he does, mainly because he said I smelt like grease the other day, he didn't even hug me!" Dean exclaimed.

"Oh no, the horror. I'm sure that means he doesn't love you anymore."

"Piss off."

Dean stalked away from Sam, leaving him in the laundry aisle. He had planned on leaving the store after that until he saw the baking aisle. How long had it been since he baked himself a pie instead of getting shitty store bought or half cold pie from dodgy service stations. With a sharp turn he went down the aisle until he found the pre-made pie shells, because he loves pie but not enough to make the shell from scratch. Next was the produce aisle, he grabbed a half dozen green apples, then a sheet of puff pastry followed by travel sized packs of cinnamon, vanilla essence and brown sugar.

Eventually Sam found him while he was lined up at the checkout waiting to cash out with a shopping basket that was 20 bucks dearer than planned. Sam simply raised an eyebrow when he saw the contents of the basket.

"What, I figured it was time I made a pie myself again. It always tastes better when you make it ya'self." Dean defended.

"If you say so." Sam agreed with a sceptical frown.

Dean was cursing up a storm in the shitty motel kitchen, he forgot to buy flour so the pastry was sticking to everything, the motel peeler was as sharp as a marble, eventually it got to the point where he asked (pleaded) for Sam to peel the last three apples for him then the shell didn't want to unstick from the plastic it was wrapped in which Dean eventually cut off. The only thing that seemed to be going right was making the syrup-eques mixture he had simmering away in a pot that was half full with water, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla that he was going to soften the apples in once he finally got them cut up then pour it all in the pie shell. (Please know this isn't a recipe this is just how I would assume it's done and am appropriating my apple crumble skills, if someone wants to try this please let me know how it goes.) Once he finally got the pastry strips crossed over the pie and then got the bastard in the oven he had decided he was never doing this again.

"I'm tellin' ya, Sammy, if I ever say I want to do this again I want you to laugh at me."

He set the oven timer for 45 minutes, then cleaned the mess he'd made of the kitchen and went for his shower, in an attempt to get the everything off him.

By the time he had finished and was walking out, his towel draped over his head, covering his still wet hair, the pie was done and Cas and Sam were sitting at the table chatting about art history of all things.

"Good god, I'm gone for 20 minutes and you two join the geek squad," Dean teased while glancing over to the stove top where the pie was resting.

"Says the guy that can recite Return of the Jedi right along with Mark Hamill," Sam said, rocking back in his chair.

"Shut up." He mumbled while shuffling over to press a kiss to the crown of Cas' head before checking out the pie.

"It went off just before you came out." Sam said.

Dean grabbed three plates and forks and a shitty knife from around the kitchen before cutting three slices of pie and passing one each to Sam and Cas before sitting down on the opposite side of the table.

Sam muttered his thanks before digging in and Dean was halfway through the slice when Cas spoke up.

"Dean… you do realise I don't need to eat, nor can I taste most things." He said squinting at Dean.

"I know." Dean barely looked up from his plate before replying.

"Then why did you give me some?"

"Because it would've felt weird just getting some for Sammy and I, plus maybe you might be able to taste this." Dean gave him a small smile and a shrug. This apparently was enough convincing for Cas because he dug in right after.

At first Cas couldn't taste anything, just feel the weight of the pie in his mouth and as it travelled do his throat. After another two bites however something changed. Some little part of his brain told him it was sweet. He didn't know how he knew that, he just did.

"I- I can taste it." He said in equal parts shock and delight.

"Wait seriously?" Dean perked up.

"Yes, it's sweet, right?" Cas asked.

"Yeah, it is." Dean said with a massive grin while walking over to stand next to Cas. He hesitated for a second before engulfing him in a tight hug.

All Sam could do was watch his brother's dumb boyfriend hold onto his dumber brother, he knew that things would go wrong and the happiness wouldn't last but while it did he was content to watch them relish in it. 

Is this heinously late? Yes.

Do I care? Not really.

I am going to be finishing this, it's probably just gonna take a while.

[wolven91]

Drifting - Part 11

“I am not one for politics. They make my scales itch.” Bemoaned Zeet as he walked ahead of Qik and Casper. His mobile platform moved and wandered without input from him as he stood upon it, grimacing at the two larger creatures. They had just left the boardroom where Casper had potentially just signed his body away if this went wrong. 

“I would have thought we would have got more usable data from you by informing you and letting you just *work* with us.” The blue geckin continued, musing out aloud. Casper couldn’t help but grin widely, pleased by the geckin’s seemingly honest distaste for the situation. 

Zeet was an engineer. A nerd. A geek, through and through. He cared about the machines he designed and made. The plots and schemes of others mattered little to him as long as they didn’t cross his wants and desires to improve on his designs. The geckin made an odd croaking throat noise. Casper spoke up.

“Let them work themselves into an early shed then, me and you are going to make a mech that’ll go down in history.” The young man offered, hoping to caress the geckin’s ego.

Qik grinned as well as he did when he blatantly hit his mark perfectly. 

“You think?! Oh! Oh ho ho ho! Just think! First ‘no drift’ pilot in one of *my* machines making headlines. But we need you to succeed. Fame goes both ways, ah?” Zeet pointed out, before adopting a focused look, crossing his arms and touching a finger to his mouth. The two far larger creatures shared a glance as both of them felt themselves disappear to the geckin’s perspective. 

“You’ll need survivability…” Zeet mumbled to him. “Heavy is always best for survivability, but it means taking the hits. Your agility shouldn’t be slept on. Light is just as good, if you don’t get hit.” The geckin snapped his head around to Casper.

“You stopped getting hit all the time?” The tiny creature demanded.

“What do you mean ‘all the time’? She got me *once*!” Casper shot back, thrusting a thumb sideways at Qik who remained silent, although her strut became more pronounced as they discussed her ‘perfect’ kill shot.

Zeet merely grinned at Casper and he was reminded that a grin from a geckin was *not* the same as a human grinning. Zeet was admonishing the human, not sharing in a joke.

“Once was enough. If we capitalise on your speed, you will be light, but weak; you will not survive errant hits! Anything above superficial damage could disable your points or even your whole rig if it’s a bad hit!” The geckin hissed. 

“I was showboating.” Admitted Casper. “I let my guard down. My fault. I won’t jeopardise your work again.” The human spoke seriously and with respect at the older engineer who squinted at him as the walking platform approached a door that slid aside without hesitation. The geckin waved a hand, dismissing the thought, seemingly satisfied with Casper’s devoted tone.

The group entered a room that was quite obviously Zeet’s workshop. Ignoring that it looked down on a hanger bay with a skeleton of a rig hanging in the centre, as Casper looked around the room, he learnt of Zeet’s personality. Messy, but devoted.

Mech and rig designs covered an entire wall which was dominated as a workboard. Pens, stylises and measuring tools were scattered everywhere. A large 3D printer squatted in one corner and was covered in tiny, intricate models of various shapes and sizes. Some were of arms and legs of disembodied mechs, and others were tiny replicas of the whole thing.

“Huh… I think you’d get along with some of us humans.” Casper mentioned, crouching to observe the intricate details of one particular model. It was beautifully designed all the way down to sleek lines showing where the various bolts would connect armour plates together.

“After yourself, I would very much like to meet more humans. I suspect if I could get my claws into one that had a history in mech design, fictional or not, we might share ideas…” Zeet offered before clapping his hands and holding them out in front of him, pointing his claws at Casper, drawing attention to himself.

“*But!* We need to design you a machine that will put us both in the history books and… *Not* leave you at the hands of the XixTech corpo-nation.” Declared Zeet, Casper nodding along until his brain caught up to the sentence.

“Wait… ‘Corpo-Nation’?” He asked, standing up again.

“Mm, they represent the eastern continental landmass on Bok. Our homeworld. They are their government representatives.” Explained Zeet matter-of-factly. Casper merely blinked, once again reminded this was not kansas. 

“Jesus… Yeah, let's not get dropped into that mess.” The young man agreed, already feeling his head spin. Qik settled herself, leaning against a wall, arms crossed as was her usual stance. Casper sat against the window frame with his back to the hanger below.

“So!” Zeet began. “Torso, Head, Arms, Legs and a Spinal mount. These are your rig’s modifiable options.” Zeet explained, turning to open a large cabinet where he produced three glasses. One tiny, the other two perfectly sized for Casper and Qik. The human glanced at the bottle of dark liquid, then to Qik who touched a long finger against her lips. She didn’t want him to ruin this. 

Zeet poured three healthy portions before taking a sip and giving a satisfied sigh, then continuing. 

“I already know what I’m doing for your chest, you don’t get a vote there.” He explained, swiping his hand through the air. Qik cleared her throat as she leaned in to pick up a spare glass.

“What’s your idea?” She asked calmly, seemingly trusting his good sense. 

“Maximum output. Heavier as an option, more so than an ultralight, but I think the way he modifies his output, it’ll be worth it.” Zeet explained, swirling the glass.

“I modify my output? What do you mean?” Casper asked, frowning somewhat. This apparently was an odd question. 

“Wha- My boy… You… It’s not a conscious decision? To pulse your power generation?” Zeet asked, seemingly very confused. Casper pulled a face and shrugged before reaching over and picking up the third and final glass. Taking a sip, it was like paint stripper with a smokey burn afterwards.

“Your power generation is not efficient, or it shouldn’t be! Your reactors ‘pulse’ instead of giving out a steady or constant amount. We thought it was a fault at first until the second and third time it happened. Every rig you hop in, it pulses.” Zeet explained shrugging his arms in defeated confusion, nearly, but not quite spilling his drink.

“Is it dangerous?” Qik asked, narrowing her eyes, but sipping at her own glass, it looked comically small in her hands. Zeet shook his head, sipping at his drink, a tiny red tongue dabbing at the murky liquid. 

“I don’t think so, although it was far, far faster when you took that hit.” The geckin conceded, pointing a finger over the rim of his glass. 

“Was it like a heartbeat?” Asked Casper, following a hunch. Zeet shook his head again, the corners of his mouth pulling up as if Casper had asked the same question as him.

“No. We thought so too, but it was too slow.” The geckin dismissed, looking into his glass with a contemplative frown. Unconvinced, Casper waited a second, considering what it could have been before getting an idea. Without speaking, Casper knocked his knuckles against the wall he was leaning on. Thump thump. Pause. Thump thump. Pause. The reaction was immediate, the engineer's feet jumping up in unison and briefly leaving the walking platform he stood upon as he pointed and did briefly spill his drink this time. . 

“Yes! That! That’s it! Two pulses and a pause. We racked our brains trying to figure that out!”

Casper merely smiled knowingly, closing his eyes and opening them again before speaking, pleased to have an answer for the older geckin.

“That’s *my* heartbeat Zeet.” Tapping his chest with his glass. ”Bigger heart, slower rhythm.” The young man explained. The tiny geckin stood there, motionless for a time. Before closing his eyes and placing his own drink down on the table.

“Your heartbeat. *Your*! Heartbeat. Argh! Rocks in my brain! Terminal rocks!” Zeet exclaimed, causing both Casper and Qik to grin as an apparent mystery was solved for him. The poor geek looked genuinely annoyed as he glared at the ceiling.

“So it’s not an issue?” Asked Qik.

“Huh! Hardly. It means he doesn’t run hot, but has access to power when he needs it. Works well with the rest of my plans.”

“Go on, you’ve ideas, I’m listening.” Casper said, grimacing as he slugged another mouthful of the drink down. It seemed to burn less with the third gulp. 

“Chest we go for power. Your spine mount, I suggest an advanced booster. It does mean you’re more vulnerable. One hit to your back and you’ve lost your main defence; not being where they fired at.” The geckin suggested, shrugging with the admission. 

“I mean if we’re engaging at range, I can move out of the way of the rounds, right?” Casper offered, looking to Qik for confirmation. She pulled a face and shook her head, her ears flopping with the movement. 

“Two problems with that; unreliable reactions and no one uses slug rounds anymore.” She explained. Casper frowned, specifically remembering a fairly solid round tearing through his chest not less than 24 hours ago. 

“What do you mean? The geckins do?” He pointed out, rudely pointing at Zeet who could care less as he tilted his head back, finishing off his own glass. He spoke next, pulling Casper’s attention. 

“We’re an exception, not a rule. The ursidains also use solid projectiles, but only when they’re firing a heavy hitter. Energy weapons are the name of the game these days. Most see solid projectiles as ‘old’, in the sense of ‘museum piece’ old.” Zeet offered honestly. 

Casper thought that was strange, solid projectiles were reliable, but this wasn’t his world. This was a galaxy in a vastly different period of their history than Earth was. He shook his head to clear his mind. 

“Okay fine, keep mobile. What about arms and legs? What about weapons?” He pressed, almost looking forward to hearing what toys Zeet was offering. 

“Legs wise, again, I’d go for speed. Extra vents for additional jet exhausts. Rather than running, you’ll end up ‘skating’ around the enemy. Good luck keeping up with you. You’ll need it too.” Zeet offered.

“Are the enemies quick?” Casper asked. 

“Fairly. Spider-Technicals.” Qik responded. 

“What are they?”

“Heavy armour, focused laser beam for their main cannon. Prolonged targeting will thermal shock the armour that gets hit, burrowing through whatever it's shooting at. The tanks are mobile, capable of keeping line of sight on their target and climbing up and around buildings to do so. The intention is to have a small army of them and they just overwhelm any target that approaches.” The lopel explained, polishing off her own glass and gesturing with her hands, as if she were spreading a model army out in front of her.

“So keep circling them?” Casper suggested.

“And they’ll have to track you. We keep you light and mobile, they focus on you…” Qik went on, trailing off to allow Casper to finish the thought. 

“...And you take them out while their back is turned.” The young man concluded, nodding at the idea. He could be bait, he didn’t even have to fight. Just wave his arms in the air and keep their attention. 

“He’s a fast learner.” Zeet pointed out, nodding to Casper but looking to Qik. She merely grinned and returned to her ‘arms crossed’ posture, smugness radiating off her.

“Thanks to his teacher.” 

Zeet was less than sure. 

“Mm. Sure.” He blinked slowly and turned his head back to the huma before opening them again. “Arms wise, we have options.“

“I did consider a plasma thrower, but it's heavy and drains a lot of power during charge up. Good against another mech, less so for tanks. We have similar options like sniper beams, but same thing. Line of sight and you’d need to be still.”

“So what would you suggest?”

“If we are going with this plan, we should actually keep you lightly armed. How do you feel about a solid sword?”

“Solid? But what about my lightsaber!”

“No, too draining. If we’re keeping you as fast as we intend, we need you using 100% of your reactor’s output. A solid sword, atomised edge, you’ll still be dangerous. Lightweight metal, no drain on your resources, there's no downsides besides no range. But that's not an issue this time.”

“Atomised edge?” Casper asked, just checking for clarification. Zeet nodded and hastened to explain before moving on. 

“An edge a few atoms thick. Blunts faster, but realistically, this is a blitz, you’re not going to be out there long enough to need to worry about that.”

“What could I cut through?”

“Anything with enough force behind your swing. Do *not* touch the edge with any part of yourself.” The geckin demanded with a serious tone and an accusing finger. Casper held his hands up in mock surrender. 

“Yes sir.”

Zeet merely nodded. Qik remained quietly thinking as she scratched her own chin.

“So, speed, speed, speed?” Casper summarised.

“Quite so. Qik, I trust you will just select your weapons as normal?” Zeet asked, turning to the lopel as he sat himself in a chair. The merc merely nodded and lay her palm up as if presenting her idea.

“I’m going for a swarm missile rig. If it’s just technicals, I don’t need anything else.” She explained with a carless shrug. 

“Swarm missile?” Casper prodded. 

“Line of sight lock on, you fire the swarm and they fire up into the air before raining down on the tanks. Doesn’t matter if they’re crawling on or around buildings. They’ll punch through their armour. The downside is I need to see them to lock on, which sucks when LOS works both ways.” Qik went on, but then leaned forward to emphasize her words. . 

“Buuut…” She drawled. 

“But if they’re looking at me, that doesn’t matter.” Casper replied, grinning back at the lopel. She held his gaze a moment longer than needed before straightening and giving him her approval. 

“Attaboy.”

Casper considered his options, and turned back to Zeet. 

“So a sword? Nothing else?” He asked. 

Zeet, his hands on his head, turned the chair to face the larger human. 

“Did you have something else in mind?”

[r/WolvensStories]

[Ko-Fi]

[sunbearsophia]

Sorry again for how few and far in-between my Tumblr posts are, guys! I'll try and be more frequent with them!

It hit me a while back that for all I talk about my Next-Gen on Twitter, I hardly ever talk about my fan kids here on Tumblr! So, I decided to throw together a ref sheet for my main girl, Emmy, to get started on that and introduce her to y'all!

---

Her full name is Emilia Luna-Ophelia Barrabas-Darling, but almost everyone calls her Emmy for short. She was named after her late grandmother on Eduardo's side, although Laurel was actually the one who suggested it when she was born. (Eduardo absolutely cried when she suggested it, not that he wasn't already sobbing lol.) Her middle names were each chosen by one of her parents. (Luna for Eduardo, Ophelia for Laurel bc her mummy's a Shakespeare geek and we love her for it aaaaa.)

Probably 21 in the reference, definitely college-aged!

Working in retail currently to pay the bills, but saving up to attend art school when she gets the chance, wants to work as a background artist in animation.

Is generally a really friendly and outgoing person, extremely open with her personality, interests and affection, much like her mom. KNOWN for her hugs that could throw out someone's back, just generally really kind and chill, basically a big ol' puppy lady. She's also pretty stubborn and abrasive, however, and does have a temper on her, however. Aside from just generally getting grumpy when she's tired, exhausted or frustrated, she is just as willing to throw some HANDS when someone's pissed er off, just like her old man.

A pretty artsy-fartsy kinda gal, but not so much a snob about art, more like she'll happily ramble about art techniques and history when the subject is brought up. Also has a love for dancing, sports and Shakespeare.

Is extremely close with her family, she adores her Mummy Laurel and is a MASSIVE Daddy's Girl for Eduardo, she never misses the chance to see and spend time with them, and always wants to make them proud. (Her dad was her inspiration to start drawing when she was little, and always thinks of Eduardo and Laurel both as her heroes.) Also loves her little brother Leonardo, and is very protective of him, mess with him you mess with HER. >:(

Also loves her Uncle Mark and Uncle Jon with all her heart, they basically were third and fourth parents to her ever since she was a baby and she knows she can always go to them for anything. Very close to her other uncles, too, but out of all of them, she's closest to Jon and Mark. Also loves her Grandmado, and misses her terribly as an adult.

Has ADHD and dyslexia, so she often uses word processors and audio books to help with the latter and tends to plan and schedule her days in advance and stick heavily with routines to avoid losing focus with the former. Still has her struggles but knows she's supported and loved by those around her and is too stubborn to let them win.

Loves avocados, just like her dad. It was one of her first words, and to this day, her and her dad have a designated day all for eating avocados all throughout. (HC BY THE AWESOME @tamaraskabr ITS SO WHOLESOME I LOVE IT QwQ) Other than that, she loves basically anything mint chocolate, she's a simple woman lol.

---

All the tidbits I've got for now! Plan to follow up the post with some sketches of her other outfits I've worked on! For now, hope this gives some insight on who she is so I can share more art of her on here with context!

she's my goober daughter and i love her sm lol

[xzerosparrowx]

The Meeting of the Fellowship

Written for the @corrodedcoffinfest

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

Day #2 - Prompt: In the Beginning | Word Count: 768 | Rating: T | CW: Fat shaming and bullying. | POV: Gareth | Tags: How the fellowship met, Corroded Coffin in middle school, Eddie's first day at Hawkins, Tommy Hagan is a bully.

Hawkins Middle School. A veritable zoo where the Jocks, Geeks, Stoners, Punks, Brains, and Goths all converge for some good ol’ American education, all of them sniping and gnashing at one another when they cross paths. Gareth, Jeff, Doug, and Zach walk through the school invisible, within these halls they are no one and belong to no clique; each of them too quiet and too average to have anyone notice their existence. 

“Hey fatty!” a voice yells over the chatter. Gareth watches Zach tense his shoulders, hunching his body in an attempt to make himself look small. Before realising that Tommy Hagan and the rest of the Hawkins basketball team have surrounded their little group, a pack of hyenas circling the wounded. 

“You get that history assignment done, like I asked?” Tommy says, holding out his hand expectantly towards Zach, the others in the group snicker when Zach opens up his binder and pulls out three crisp pages of a carefully written essay. 

Tommy snatches them, flipping through the pages as he casually reads it over, checking on Zach’s work as if he knows what he is even reading about. His brow furrows and angrily points at the page in front of him “what the hell! Despot isn’t a real word!”  There is loud bark of laughter somewhere off to the side, temporarily stunning Tommy and his pack of half-witted shitheads for a moment before all their heads turn to the source of the sound.

A boy is standing by the lockers, lanky and rough-looking, swimming in a blue sweater that is marked by tiny moth holes and a black beanie on top of his head. Gareth watches him in fascination and horror as Tommy stalks his way over, the boy shutting his locker with a loud clang, books clutched in his arms, seemingly unaware of the Goliath behind him. He finally turns around and to Gareth’s surprise the boy looks bored when he faces Tommy, as if the presence of the jock is not the worst thing he has ever encountered. 

“You wanna say something, freak?” Tommy dares, a finger pointedly jabbing the boy’s chest.

Gareth watches the boy narrow his eyes at the finger, hands curling by his sides, a tightly wound coil ready for a fight before the boy suddenly breaks into a wicked grin, body suddenly relaxing.

“If you want to know what a word means, maybe you shouldn’t have shit for brains,” the boy says sincerely as if he is giving genuine advice, a chorus of ‘ooooh’ and snickers fill the hallway and Gareth cannot help but smile as the mysterious boy gives a small wink towards him and his little group. 

The boy’s face catches Tommy’s mean right hook with a loud smack, the sudden burst of violence seems to slow down time as the boy straightens up, spits out a glob of blood and rubs the bright red mark already blooming on his face before pouncing on Tommy in a burst of speed that catches everyone by surprise. It is a blur of action at that point, David and Goliath exchanging fists. Gareth, Zach, Jeff and Doug fighting off the rest of the jocks in an attempt to stop them dogpiling the boy, and there is no way in hell they will win this fight but Gareth cannot help but feel like he’s finally part of something.

They are shoved in the cramped, dark confines of the Janitor’s closet for their trouble, Tommy and the jocks laughing loudly when they slam the door close on them. Gareth pulls the cord for the overhanging bulb, revealing them all tightly packed together with the mystery boy, lips swollen and bleeding, the black beanie sitting skewed on his head revealing an outgrowing buzzcut. 

“Thanks for that, really,” Gareth says, the rest of the group nodding eagerly in agreement, “I’m Gareth.” 

“Jeff.”

“Zach.”

“Doug.”

“Eddie,” the boy replies with a smile, holding out his hand awkwardly towards Gareth and Jeff, hands criss-crossed against his chest. They shake hands seriously like businessmen in an important meeting until they are bursting with laughter, Eddie cackling loudly that makes all of them laugh harder. 

A few moments later, as they start to calm down, Eddie looks at them with large excited brown eyes “you guys want to be in a band?” 

Zach, Jeff and Doug all exchange glances with Gareth, and he can see the same glimmer of excitement and joy on their faces that he knows he is reflecting back at them. He turns to Eddie, the boy grinning as if he already knows the answer. 

“Sure!”

[jameswebb-discoveries]

🎉 Happy Leap Year! 🎉

Get ready to leap into the excitement because February 29th, 2024 marks a day that only graces our calendars once every four years!

From the ancient origins of leap years to quirky traditions around the globe, check out 100 Mind-Blowing Facts about Leap Year. Whether you're a history buff, a science geek, or just love a good trivia session, there's something here to pique your interest.

Read 100 Mind-Blowing Facts about Leap Year to dive into the fascinating world of timekeeping and celestial phenomena!

Let's make this Leap Year one to remember! 🚀🎈 #LeapYear2024 #Celebrate #TimeTravel #FunFacts

[real-total-drama-takes]

top 10 reasons why i think julia should be a pre-merge boot next season

⚠️warning: some may find the following content disturbing. julia fans' discretion is advised

it'd piss off her fans

she's overused her potential and hogged a lot of unnecessary screentime. her schtick as a villain is extremely overpraised especially when the main twist in ep 6 that marked her first significant accomplishment didnt even make sense. you're telling me that somehow, from hearing someone say one single word, she went through all the possibilities (including overhearing a confessional from the outside) and concluded that someone was downloading the confessionals?? despite no one knowing about mk's geek persona in addition to it never having been accomplished in the history of the show before? really? they could've at least had more interesting buildup to that twist, and have julia's "clues" actually have substance because otherwise the writing was very flimsy

she's not that complex of a character canonically. it may be difficult to hear but it's objectively true

it'd piss off her fans

her villain persona is just straight up being a bully about things that arent related to the game at all. it's laughable that people call her heather 2.0 when heather certainly had a personality past being an asshole and nothing else. "but we need more mean women in media!" julia fans also hate MK and millie for that exact reason! be consistent about it.

the pre-merge boot order this season was nasty. every single pre-merge boot had potential, even more so than julia (whose personality could immediately be guessed the moment her design was released. whoop-de-doo!)... i'd like more time for dynamic characters next season and not static ones.

julia's twist was very predictable. her entire character is predictable. she's the character everyone thinks they relate to while in reality they're more of a millie. but who's surprised that people prefer the skinny white tiktok girl over the most realistically written character in the show

with all her canon screentime in the show, she's developed very little. i think it's unfair to have her be a screen hog a second season in a row when she already had her time to shine and hardly did anything unique with it. we finally get the most diverse cast this show has seen and yet everyone wants more of the most boring type of character we've already seen in 700 other shows

seriously i don't get why people think she's all that. just step outside for a moment and you'll find an entire sea of people who are exactly like her, in both appearance and personality. calling her the best villain in the history of td is ridiculous and laughable and even mal was more entertaining for me to watch. at least he was funny

it'd piss off her fans

thanks for watching! please hit that like button and subscribe for more aaawesome content💯🔥💪

.

[rabbitcruiser]

Pi Day

Pi Day is on March 14, and any day that combines fun, education, and pie is a day worth celebrating! Pi, also known by the Greek letter “π,” is a constant value used in math that represents the ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is just about 3.14….15…9265359… (and so on). Not only that, but the fourteenth of March is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, so all together it’s nothing short of a mathematician’s delight.

When is Pi Day 2024?

The beautiful constant pi (π) is celebrated by mathematicians around the world on National Pi Day on March 14.

History of Pi Day

To learn about pi, we need to go back a few thousand years and learn about this elusive number. The value of pi was first calculated by Archimedes of Syracuse (287–212 BC), one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient world.

However, it was first baptized with the Greek letter as its name when William Oughtred called it as such in his works dating back to 1647, later embraced by the scientific community when Leonhard Euler used the symbol in 1737.

But how did Pi Day end up in a country-wide phenomenon? For that, we need to travel to the Exploratorium in 1988 San Francisco, where it was thought up by physicist Larry Shaw.

Shaw linked March 14 with the first digits of pi (3.14) in order to organize a special day to bond the Exploratorium staff together, where he offered fruit pies and tea to everyone starting at 1:59 pm, the following three digits of the value. A few years later, after Larry’s daughter, Sara, remarked that the special date was also the birthday of Albert Einstein, they started celebrating the life of the world-famous scientist.

Pi Day became an annual Exploratorium tradition that still goes on today, and it didn’t take long for the idea to grow exponentially, hitting a peak on March 12, 2009, when the U.S Congress declared it a national holiday.

Now, celebrated by math geeks all around the circumference of the world, Pi Day became a pop culture phenomenon, with several places partaking in the activities, antics, observations and all the pie eating they can.

Pi Day timeline

March 14, 1988

The Inception

Larry Shaw celebrates Pi Day for the first time.

March 12, 2009

It’s Official

The U.S Congress declared March 14 National Pi Day.

March 14, 2015

Super Pi Day

The first ten digits of pi were achieved on 9:26:53 a.m. (3/14/15/92653)

August 19, 2017

Legacy That Lives

Larry Shaw passes away as Pi Day leaves its mark on pop culture.

Traditions of the day

Pi Day gives math enthusiasts the opportunity to celebrate their love for numbers and the enigma that is the infinite pi.

Since 1988, the day has been celebrated at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The first celebration was organized by Larry Shaw, who worked as a physicist at the center. The staff participated by marching around the exploratorium and consuming fruit pies. This tradition has lived on since. Math lovers talk about math, host get-togethers, and have pi recital competitions. In schools, teachers arrange scavenger hunts, pie bake sales, and even Pi Day workouts to stimulate more interest in learning and practicing mathematics. Those folks who work in food marketing also love to get involved, so keep your eyes peeled for some discounts, deals, and freebies on pies, it’s going to be an extra tasty day. 

By the Numbers

14th – of March is also Albert Einstein’s birthday

31.4 million – the world record held by Emma Haruka Iwao for calculating the most accurate value of pi.

4 – the number of months it took Emma Haruka Iwao to calculate the most accurate value of pi.

70,000 – the number of decimal places of pi memorized by Rajveer Meena in 2015.

10 – the number of hours it took Rajveer Meena to make the world record.

3.125 – the original number used for pi by the Babylonians.

22.4 trillion – the number of digits calculated by Swiss scientist Peter Trueb, using a computer.

24 – the number of hard drives on the computer used by Peter Trueb for calculating pi.

700,000 – the number of years it will take to recite the 22 trillion digits of pi.

15,000 – the number of digits of pi memorized by Mark Umile in the U.S.

Pi Day FAQs

Why is pi important?

Pi is very important for calculations in math, engineering, construction, physics and space exploration. Many often consider pi the most important number in all of mathematics.

Which pie should I bake for Pi Day?

Any you’d like. We do not play favorites when pie is concerned. Pies are really simple to make and can be made with several sweet or savory fillings. Apple Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Pizza pie, be our guest!

Are there any places that give Pi Day deals?

Check restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries over on the Internet for special Pi Day deals. Places like Whole Foods, Boston Market and several pizza chains across the country have special day-long sales.

Pi Day Activities

Enjoy pie of course: Pi is a homophone of pie: the 2 words are pronounced similarly, but are spelled differently and mean different things. Celebrate Pi Day by eating lots of pie! Pizza, cherry, apple, you name it!

Throw a potluck party: Everyone loves to show off their family pie recipe. Make it a potluck and everyone will be inclined to bring their favorite pie to Pi Day, whether it's a pizza pie, a pot pie, a savory pie, or a sweet pie. Make a playlist that features songs like "I Like Pie, I Like Cake" and "American Pie.”

Try making a new pie: Ever tried to make a pie before? Now's your chance to bake your very own. Not into the sweet stuff? Don't worry, there are various savory pie recipes out there so that everyone can enjoy the warm buttery flakiness that comes with a fresh baked pie.

5 Facts About Pi

People compete in memorizing it: Rajveer Meena has the record for memorizing the most decimal places of pi at 70,000.

It’s used as stress tests for computers: Computing pi is a kind of “digital cardiogram” for computers.

A Givenchy men’s cologne is named pi: So you can smell like pi too if you are the intellectual and visionary kind.

It has other names: Pi can also be named “Archimedes’ constant,” or “Ludolph’s number.

It has been used by heroes: Spock foils the evil computer by having it calculate pi’s value in Star Trek’s episode “Wolf in the Fold”

Why We Love Pi Day

Pi is infinitely cool: Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter — and amazingly for all circles of any size, pi will always be the same. Pi is an "irrational number," meaning its exact value is completely unknown. Scientists have calculated billions of digits starting with 3.14159265358979323…, but no recognizable pattern ever emerges. We could continue on and on until infinity and we'd still have no idea what digit might emerge next.

Pi sounds like pie: If you are a nerd that likes pies this holiday is pretty much the best combination of the most interesting things in life: pie and mathematics. And of course that means that in order to celebrate abstract mathematical items that are somewhat irrational the obvious solution is to incorporate pie into the holiday.

Pi links mathematics to the real world: Maybe when you were in math class, you stared off into space wondering why on earth 'logs' or 'proofs' mattered so much. Pi is the answer, well at least, one of the things that links math back to real world uses. Because pi is linked to circles it is also linked to cycles, things like calculating waves, ebb and flow, the oceans tides, electromagnetic waves and much more. In addition, many natural world phenomena can also be calculated with pi — like the shape of rivers, the disc of the sun, the spiral of DNA and even the pupil of an eye.

Source

[mrxcreepypastamadness]

For: @toxic-and-the-gang

Mario's Madness V2 muses!

Content Cosmos

1st Muse (New):

Super Bad Mario

Aliases:

• Mario

• Super Bad Mario

Relatives:

• Luigi (brother)

Occupation: Plumber

Age: 25

Birthday: October 11

Status: Alive

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Height: 155 cm (5'1")

Eye Color: Black

Hair Color: Brown

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Mario)

• Pastek (series)

Voiced by:

• Charles Martinet (Voice clips)

Appears in:

• Super Bad Mario (Series)

• Friday Night Funkin' (As a Mod)

Debut: Super Bad Mario (Series)

About: Super Bad Mario is a version of Mario hails from the series of the same name by Pastek where he appears physically in varying fail videos, appearing responsible for doing said fails alongside some other Mario characters. He is the, opponent of the song "Bad Day".

2nd Muse (New):

Luigi's Day Out Mario

Aliases:

• Mario

• LDO Mario

• Loser (Daisy)

• Sweetie (His mother)

Relatives:

• Luigi (brother)

• Mother

• Presumably dead father (mentioned)

Relationships:

• Daisy ("friend")

• Waluigi ("friend")

• Cody (hates)

Status: Alive

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Brown

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Mario)

• Hotdiggedydemon (video)

Voiced by: Max Gilardi

Appears in:

• LUIGI'S DAY OUT

• Friday Night Funkin' (As a mod)

Debut: LUIGI'S DAY OUT

About: Luigi's Day Out Mario is one of main characters of the 2014 YouTube animation Luigi's Day Out, by hotdiggedydemon. In the video, Mario is a rebellious teenager who is forced by his mother to take his brother, Luigi, to "save Peach from Bowser". However, instead decides to trick Luigi into dying in various ways for his own amusement. He is the opponent of the song "Day Out."

3rd Muse (New):

Luigi's Day Out Luigi

Aliases:

• Luigi

• LDO Luigi

• Fucking dork (Mario)

• Scrote (Mario)

• Dumbass geek (Mario)

• Baby (Mario)

• Annoying idiot brother (Mario)

• Little Scrote (Mario)

• Kid (Daisy)

• Big boy (Daisy)

• Sensitive boy (His mother)

• Daisy's Bitch

Relatives:

• Mario (abusive brother)

• Mother

• Presumably dead father (mentioned)

Relationships:

• Daisy (her bitch)

• Waluigi ("friend")

Age: 35

Status: Alive

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Blue

Hair color: Brown

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Luigi)

• hotdiggedydemon (video)

Voiced by: Max Gilardi

Appears in:

• LUIGI'S DAY OUT

• Friday Night Funkin' (As a Mod)

Debut: LUIGI'S DAY OUT

About: Luigi's Day Out Luigi is the other main character of Luigi's Day Out. In the video, Luigi is a mentally challenged 35-year old manchild whose mother forces Mario to take him on his "quest", However, Mario decides to trick Luigi into dying in various ways for his own amusement; eventually leading to Luigi tripping him down the stairs as vengeance. He's then taken on a wild drug trip by Daisy and Waluigi, ending in Daisy fucking him in a club and marking him as her bitch. He is the secondary playable character of the song "Day Out".

Gallery:

Luigi's Day Out Luigi (Sad)

4th Muse (Current):

Secret History Mario

Aliases:

• Mario

• Secret Histories Mario

• SH Mario

Relatives:

• Luigi (Brother, Gaurd)

Relationships:

• Bowser (Hates)

• Princess Peach (Used)

• Sonic (Hates/Victim/Rival)

Affiliation: Nintendo

Occupation:

• Dictator

• Seen as plumber/hero to public

Status: Alive

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Yellow

Hair Color: Brown

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Mario)

• Mashed

Voiced by: Blake Swift

Appears in:

• Secret History of Super Mario Bros

• Secret History of Harry Potter (Cameo)

• Friday Night Funkin' (As a Mod)

Debut: Secret History of Super Mario Bros

About: Secret History Mario is a version of Mario originating from the Mashed video Secret History of Super Mario Bros. He is a cold-hearted dictator who rules the Mushroom Kingdom with an iron fist, having killed hundreds of innocents, enslaved thousands, paved over the natural lands and ruined countless people's lives...of course, Nintendo's PR covers this all up. He is the opponent in the song "Dictator".

5th Muse (Current):

Racist Mario

Aliases:

• Mario Mario (Canon)

• Racist Mario (dubbed Name)

Relatives:

• Luigi (brother, attempted victim)

Relationships:

• Princess Peach (Abused lover)

• Sonic (Enemy, victim)

• Knuckles (victim)

• Anikin Skywalker (Victim)

• Donkey Kong (Victim)

• Yoshi (Victim)

• Sackboy (Victim)

• Toad (Victim)

• Crash Bandicoot (Enemy, Victim)

• Kratos (Enemy, Murderer)

• Marco Antonio (Friend)

Affiliation: Nintendo/Flashgitz

Status:

• Deceased (killed by Kratos in video)

• Alive (Mod)

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Eye Color: Light Blue

Hair Color: Brown

Created by:

• Nintendo (Original Mario)

• Flashgitz (Racist Mario)

Voiced by:

• Alex Walker Smith

• Charles Martinet (chromatic)

Appears in:

• Racist Mario

• Friday Night Funkin' (As a Mod)

Debut: Racist Mario

About: Racist Mario is the titular villain of the 2014 YouTube animation, Racist Mario, by Flashgitz, In the video, he has grown sick of non-Nintendo characters appearing in Mario Kart, and tries to murder them (and eventually everybody else) out of irrational hatred comparable to racism. He is the opponent of the freeplay song "Race Traitors".

6th Muse (New):

Devil Mario

Relatives:

• Luigi (brother, victim)

Relationships:

• Princess Peach (victim)

• Countless Toads (victim)

Gender: Male

Created by: D-SuN

Voiced by: D-Mac

About: Devil Mario is the antagonist of the Power Star flash series. In which he is possessed by Boos leading him to become hungry for power, Mario will stop at nothing to get the Power Stars, even if it means taking a bunch of lives along the way. He is the opponent in "No Hope".

Gallery:

Devil Mario (Powered Up)

[dove-da-birb]

Meet Eden Ziskind

The Picrew used was TOON ME! &lt;<A>> by @/hellosunnycore.

Name; Eden Ziskind

Other names; Ed, Deedee

Birthday; December 26 (Capricorn)

Age; 17

Height; 168 cm

Dominant hand; Left

Gender; Agender

Pronouns; They/Them

Sexuality; Demi-sexual

Romantic Orientation; Polyromantic

Hobbies; Scrapbooking

Pet Peeve; Arrogant people

Favourite Food; Shakshuka

Least Favourite Food; Wasabi

Talent; Making Rube Goldberg machines

Languages; English, Hebrew, Greek

MBTI; ISTP

Other; Depression, dyscalculia, allergic to dogs

Best Subject; History of Magic

Club; Equestrain

Secondary Dorm; Savanaclaw (if they had magic)

Friends; Kalim, Jamil, Idia

Other Information~

The "Yuu" for Diasomnia's chapter.

Eden is the last "Yuu" to enter into TWST. They just raise their eyebrows at the situation and continue with their business; sure, this might as well happen, why not? Kalim adopted them as his friend and that's how they befriended Jamil; they like cooking together. They get to geek out with Idia and built a giant Rube Goldberg machine because they were bored.

Eden's family is German-Greek and Jewish, and they live in Birmingham, England. They're the only child, but grew up with a lot of cousins; thinks Cheka is adorable and pinches his cheeks whenever he's around. When they get upset the Birmingham accent comes out in full force.

They are persistent, and usually don't know when to give up; so they would have been sorted into Savanaclaw. They butt heads with Leona, but they do respect Ruggie, and helps him out with odd jobs. Unfortunately, they sneeze whenever they're around Jack due to their allergies, but they take this world's version of Clariten to resolve that issue.

They love building Rube Goldberg machines, and is currently plotting with basically the entire school to prank Crowley. But another one of their hobbies is scrapbooking; they deal with a bit of time blindness, so it helps them keep track of everything they've done with friends. Also keeps a secret scrapbook filled with all of their friends embarrassing moments, but also when they thought their friends were being sweet or cute.

A lot of their clothes are thrifted, as they don't see a point in buying something brand name if they can get basically the same thing but for a fraction of the cost. A favourite piece that they thrifted is a yellow corduroy jacket with a flower pattern embroidered into it; they did fight off a Birmingham grandmother, but they regret nothing. They do have a few beauty marks on their face, neck, and hands. Has a gap tooth smile.

Trein is their favourite professor, and they have several scrapbook pages of him and Lucius; he reminds them of their grandfather. They decided to create a robot, to show Idia that they were paying attention to his rambles... and then the robot grew sentience. They call themself B.E.N.

...

...

Due to all of the dimension hijinks, Yusra, Prem, Imani, Avis, Seok, and Rayen get sucked back into TWST again. And this time, it looks like there is truly no way home. Now all of the "Yuus" live together in Ramshackle. What shenanigans will they get into?

[viceroywrites]

my venture bros oc

(created on picsart - art by @hunblooms on twt bc i have no artistic skill whatsoever)

name: lydia (goes by lyd)

pronouns: she/her

age: 28

sexuality: bisexual

appearance details: 5'3, wears glasses, mole underneath her right eye, wears a brace on her knee most of the time due to her injury (she can walk without it but not for long periods of time).

backstory:

currently works for the guild under the department, WDC (weapons development center)

helps design and build weaponry for villains with an ema level 1-6 (levels 7-10 are handled by a separate warehouse that can produce weapons of mass destruction) - had a degree in engineering which helped her land this job

was a henchman under dr. phineas phage for some time before a serious knee injury led to her taking a behind the scenes role in the guild

close with watch and ward as they'll bug her when they're bored at the guild strategic operations headquarters (they jokingly have tried to sign her up for the BTC every year which leads to her chasing them around with whatever weapon she's tinkering with)

how she meets gary:

they end up meeting when gary is helping the monarch with the big villain program to boost his ema

gary is told by watch and ward to pick up st. cloud's lightning rifle and cloud bombs from her as she just finished upgrading it to a level 6 per dr. mrs. the monarch's request

(in actuality, watch and ward typically hand off weaponry but they decided to play a bit of match maker after hearing lydia complain about being on dating apps for the 100th time)

he comes into her workshop which catches her off guard as normally she doesn't expect anyone to swing by.

the two end up engaging in small talk, talking about their experiences as henchmen and gary smiling as she goes on a passionate tangent about working with weaponry, sharing that she only thought stuff like this existed in the marvel comics she would read growing up.

before gary leaves with the weaponry, thanking her, he ends up spotting a replica lightsaber that she has hanging in her workshop and geek out together about star wars.

what starts as a nerdy friendship quickly grows as they start hanging outside of the guild more often (mostly because gary was running out of excuses of why he needed to swing by the GSO when sheila clearly was not there)

gary shows her his ideas for his mark-v henchman suit as him and the monarch are starting to arch again and she's fully invested, helping him create this suit that has only existed in his dreams.

after she finishes the prototype and shows it to gary, he pulls her into a tight hug... which then turns into a kiss... and the rest is history.

[luxxfashion]

Gucci bags are always stylish, top 5 models look particularly modern.

The esteemed House of Gucci, which began as a luxury luggage brand after founder Guccio Gucci’s brief stint as a bellhop, has become one of the most recognizable and covetable brands in history. Gucci bags have adorned the wrists of some of the most powerful women in history, including Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, and Grace Kelly, etching a permanent mark on the culture and making each Gucci bag a small piece of fashion history.

Under the helm of former Creative Director Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s heritage styles evolved from grown-up and sexy (a direction emblematic of the Tom Ford era) to Geek Chic–inspired. During his tenure, Michele reintroduced classic silhouettes like the Jackie and created new ones like the Dionysus, which quickly garnered a cult following. Everything released under Michele’s direction was tied to a long history of winning designs, so it was a surprise to many when he left the Italian fashion house in late 2022. While there’s no telling what buzzy items new Creative Director Sabato De Sarno will become notorious for, a few timeless Gucci bags will remain favorites for years to come. 

Keep scrolling to read more about the storied House of Gucci, fun facts about each of the six bag styles, and of course, the most coveted styles currently on the market

1. Gucci Jackie

Crafted from naturally tanned leather without the use of chemicals, the Jackie bag only gets more lived in and supple with time. The latest iteration of the style adds a practical, modern second shoulder strap to use as a crossbody. This beautiful bag can also be customized with your initials in gold.

Fun fact: Originally, this bag was named the “Fifties Constance” and was only renamed “Jackie” after Jacqueline Kennedy used it to block paparazzi from taking photos of her. Almost 80 years later, this style is still as timeless as ever and reminiscent of the contemporary American style that has influenced so many designers.  

Harry Styles has worn the Jackie bag, ushering in a new gender-fluid era that is so Gucci.

Up to 88% OFF, price now 349 USD

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2. Gucci Diana

The Diana bag was named after the beloved Princess Diana, who could be found wearing the style everywhere, from the gym to school drop-offs to formal events. Michele reintroduced the classic ’90s bag in 2021 on what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday, reinforcing that everything he made for the house during his tenure was imbued with meaning and dedication to the heritage of the brand. Since then, it’s been spotted on everyone from the always-glam J.Lo to the aspirationally bohemian Sienna Miller.

Fun fact: The bamboo handle was originally created in 1947 out of necessity due to a trade embargo during World War II. Due to a resulting leather shortage, Gucci artisans experimented with several different materials, including wicker, raffia, and bamboo, which they eventually discovered could be bent into a handle with heat and sealed into place using a now-patented burnishing process. The removable neon rubber bands placed over the handles in the 2021 version of the Diana bag are a nod to the bands originally used to keep the handles in their bent shape.

Up to 88% off, price 349 USD

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Up to 88% off, price 366 USD

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3. Gucci Horsebit 1955

The horse-bit hardware is just as iconic as Gucci’s signature GG logo and has a registered trademark from the U.S. Patent Office to prove it. The double ring and bar design was birthed after Aldo Gucci (played by Al Pacino in House of Gucci) noticed an increasing interest among the equestrian elite due to lore around his father’s original job as an alleged saddlemaker. Aldo leaned into the tale, weaving equestrian references into the fabric of Gucci, including the horse-bit clasp. 

Why we love it: While monogrammed prints deserve a special seat in fashion history, there is something so elegant about a non-logo design that is just as identifiable. The Horsebit bag exudes a quiet confidence that we could use more of in this world.

Up to 88% off, price 339 USD

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4. Gucci Dionysus

The Dionysus bag was first revealed to the world to much fanfare at one of Michele’s first runway shows in 2015. The Greek god of pleasure and revelry, Dionysus (also known as Bacchus), is embodied in the bag’s clasp, which depicts his fabled chariot flanked by a double-headed tiger. But for all of this bag’s whimsical ethos, it has an equal amount of practicality. This architecturally mindful bag was engineered with accordion pockets that expand to maximize storage space, and it features a convertible chain strap that can be worn over the shoulder or as a crossbody.

Why we love it: The Dionysus bag harkens back to a time in Greco-Roman history marked by intellectual advancement and artistic development.

Up to 88% off , price 370 UDS

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5. Gucci Ophidia

Back in 2018, the introduction of the Ophidia bag placed vintage Gucci in the forefront. Michele combined the Italian house’s most classic design elements to create an entirely new bag. What makes the Ophidia new is the GG logo, which was previously reserved for the GG Marmont collection. These vintage-style bags hold a spot in Gucci’s fast rise to prominence, which makes them a trend-proof style with lasting power. Your future kids will thank you.

Why we love it: The Ophidia bag comes in several modern shapes, from spheres to half-moons.

Up to 88% OFF , Price 339 USD

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[julie-su]

Hypothetical time (yep, it's another one of these)

You've been asked to make a sequel to one of your favourite movies. What movie you following up?

(I'd personally go with 1991's The Little Engine That Could, maybe do like a Christmas or Halloween special or something)

OOOH. See, this one is an extra-toughie, because the last movie I pined for a sequel to, was... Wreck-it Ralph. (Weird, they never made a sequel to that movie? Nono, no, don't correct me.)

Actually.. Could I make my own sequel to Wreck-it Ralph? The original was a 30-something year production and love-letter to the history of videogames; I think that I'd like to continue that trend. I always wanted to have more time to explore the insides of the games, and maybe get some more deep-cut favourites in there. I would LOVE another hour-thirty romp through refference after refference, whilst we explore some new narrative. Half of what made the first one so great, was just the sheer novelty and enjoyment of 'oh my god! It's Q*bert! It's Tapper! They're in Pacman! Sonic is at the party!' -- It's the same reason that, say, the Smash Bros series is so much fun - it's just an excuse to put a bunch of known characters, from semi-obscure to household-name, and let you geek out about that! Maybe discover some new characters.

I don't want to spend a LOT of time talking about why I didn't like Wralph Breaks the Internet... But I will say, it felt like they missed the mark entirely on why the references in the first film were charming - because every reference in WBTI is just... It feels gross. "eBay! Amirite! YouTube! You know what youtube is!" -- What emotion is this supposed to elicit? This isn't the same at all as when King Candy inputs the Konami Code on a NES controller.... You're not pulling from my knowledge base, you're just showing me product placement. This isn't like how they had the concept art Sub-Zero standing in the halls, this is just... Sad. Like, I KNOW Capcom crossovers are dime-a-dozen, but there's still nothing quite as exciting as 'IS THAT CAMMY IN THE BACKGROUND? OF MY BIG-SCREEN CINEMA FLICK?' -- And then you get to explain to your unassuming friends why Cammy is great.

Maybe it's a story about... The cabinets being bought as a lot, and being moved to a large F2P Arcade, with a tonne of other cabinets? A sort of 'moving to the big city' movie, except the 'big city' is a two-floor F2P passion project, and now the Sugar Rush cabinet is neighbour to pop'n music, and they've got Jubeat and MaiMai, and IS THAT REIMU and it's all so very much to take in -- Litwak's hadn't really seen a new cabinet, so now they're also having to comprehend all of these... Like... 2018 cabinets, and, and, and... It's sort of a story about changes and moving on, like... Accepting that the world is changing so rapidly, and finding your place in that world. I think if you gave it 5-10 years, that sort of story would stick well with the people who watched it as a teen or kid in 2012.

IT COULD BE SO GOOD.

[kenney-mencher]

Mr. Fantastic, (ready_w_red) 18x18x1.5 inches oil on stretched canvas, by Kenney Mencher $600.00

You may recognize the model for this painting who is the Instagram sensation ready_w_red.

https://www.instagram.com/ready_w_red/

I think that I was attracted to his monumentality and self possession. He is large hairy heroic male who is rejoicing in his masculinity and power. He almost reminds me of some of the classical sculptures that represent Greek heroes like Hercules. The pose also reminded me of some of the relief sculptures from Greek and Roman buildings. Especially those off of the Parthenon that show the Battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs. (I'm a bit of an art history geek so bare (bear) with me here. BTW I was a professor of art history for nearly thirty years. The figure and his anatomy also allows me to work with the paint in an almost sculptural way.

The paint is applied in thick impastos. (An Italian word for “mixture,” used to describe a painting technique wherein paint is thickly laid on a surface, so that brushstrokes or palette knife marks are visible.) I wanted the paint and the textures to feel tangible, almost like a skin.

In the studio shots you see a smaller version of the painting which is already sold (sorry). There is also a small preliminary drawing of this one available of the same subject here.

This is on gallery stretched canvas which means it is stapled on the back and the canvas wraps around the sides.

You won't need to frame this painting because the edges of the canvas are wrapped with canvas and are 2-3/8" deep (see one of the photo of the back and edge above.) The canvases themselves are a work of art and really well constructed.

[xumoonhao]

what i read in may 2023 💖

WHAT I READ THIS MONTH: MAY 2023

(entries marked with an * indicate favourites; entries marked with a ! indicate things i didnt like)

ONLINE ARTICLES

The Millennial Vernacular of Fatphobia by Anne Helen Petersen | Culture Study

The Medical Medium and the True Believer by Dan Adler | Vanity Fair

How Many Well Intentioned People Dehumanise Children by Racheous | Racheous

How Horror Reflects Societal Fears by Frankie Wallace | The Review Geek

* What If You Actually Cared About Tea? by Jordan Michelman | TASTE

Here’s How to Actually Be Kinder to Yourself by Jenna Ryu | SELF

Inside the Delirious Rise of ‘Superfake’ Handbags by Amy X. Wang | The New York Times

* Fish Are Not Insentient Dullards by Ben Goldfarb | Nautilus

Listening To The Creatures Of The World by Karen Bakker | Noema Magazine

The plastic road to Everest Base Camp by Madigan Cotterill| Canadian Geographic

! The 10 most iconic jewels through history by Daisy Woodward | BBC

The Titanic of the Pacific by Tyler Hooper | Atavist

TIMELINE: Deinstitutionalization And Its Consequences by Deanna Pan | Mother Jones [may 17]

World's Best--And Worst--Places To Be Mentally Ill by Allen Frances, MD | Psychiatric Times

BOOKS

! Son of a Trickster, Trickster #1 by Eden Robinson (2017)

! Blind Tiger, The Pride #01 by Jordan L. Hawk (2021)

* Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho (2021)

! Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea (2018)

! Untamed by Glennon Doyle (2020)