#my GOD did that take a long time or what

[chiclet-go-boom]

Okay, time for a new project.

My Free Company is small. Like, small small. Me and the Meatball kind of small. Keeps the fc chat to a readable speed and nobody fucks with how I organize the Company Chest or why I need to store dye in it, hey, I might need those colors, don't question, just accept.

I have my own custom title (Pretty Princess) and my alt has their own custom title too (Hades' Harlot) because why wouldn't they. I believe Meatball is set to Head Headache, which, props.

So everything FC related kind of takes awhile 'cause its just us and I can't violence very hard and Meatball can't craft for more than five minutes at a time.

So when I said to the free company, "people, we need to build submarines!", I was met with "attagirl!" and the offer to keep the Coke stocked up. Which, thanks amigo, we sure went through a fuck ton of it.

It's been something like a whole year and a half at this point or something equally shudder worthy, but I have done it. I have completely decked out four submarines in the fanciest of Modified parts for gain and glory and I did it through sheer grit, determination and the cheerful willingness to avoid anything resembling fighting spirit. The amount of Darksteel and Iron Ore I went through was, in a word, excessive. I have spent the last six months putting every single GC seal into exotic purchasables, sometimes five different ones for a single sub part.

And now it's done. Behold, One of Four! This is "Red Oktoberfest".

Not pictured: "U-Boat? Or You-Boat?", "Sub-prise Me" and "Sink Or More Sink".

So moving on. The time must be filled. I am thinking of struggling to do the relic crafter weapons in my very cute, very chic, very underpowered purple scrip crafter gear. I understand its possible! It just might.. take awhile, but I am not afraid of time. Time is my bitch. My schedule has suddenly opened wide up. (does somebody want to gift me a set of Indagator's pentamelded gear? I'd be super grateful! :P)

[doomedclockworkdotmp3]

heeyyy gaaanggg

the pose and the background of the album version (left) are based on oingo boingos only a lad album art. not cause i think he has anything to do with it but just cause ive been wantin to draw that pose for like. weeks and i didnt know who to put there. so why not my latest bug man.

[royalarchivist]

This is what it feels like every time a new SMP has streamers I like

[icantpromiseforever]

The photographer (probably):

"But make sure you guys use both of your hands in the picture, ok? Satoru... kick your leg out a little. Yeah, like that. You're looking too much like a stick bug over there. Give me some dimension. Suguru! No! If you do a finger gun pose with two hands, it looks too threatening... so just put one hand somewhere- No! Don't reach back for Satoru. Yeah, the wrist is fine, I guess. Fuck, is this giving Charlie's angels? Never mind, who cares. I'm taking the picture and sending it in."

[harpieisthecarpie]

my late night dimension 20/dropout hot take is that it's kind of ridiculous that zac oyama will do a shrieking, chaotic impression of santa as an escaped feral hog or play gorgug breaking as his rage escapes over one of the many adults who blatantly disrespect him or outwit every npc as pib

and the fans reactions will just be that same "haha zac oyama is soooo good at less is moreee" that leaves me baffled as to whether we were even watching the same clips

you CANNOT look me in the eye and say zac oyama playing colin provolone leaking every bodily fluid as he kills a god is "less"

[lizasweetling]

Ok, so the Other is implied in the novels be be called 'the Other' because contrary to what Europan sparks do when they wreck the world there's no apparent gain, only wholesale slaughter and the terrifying absence of Gloating?? so 'the Other' for how terrifyingly alien this force of orbital bombardment meets Zombie Plague!!

but like. This is also a story. Which is what initially led me to the notion I will now share- the Other is 'the other Lucrezia' I postulate, that if only for drama, once there were two Lucrezia in the same time and the same place

One that was native to that point in time, and up to this point, unaware of her murderous and tragic future- and one from what the first one would see as the future!

and obviously, the second has had the study of untold eons to develop her technology and probably 'peeped into the infinite' as Albia put it- it's not a shock that Young Lu would be terribly impressed and taken with her Older self.

Taken enough that she might even be swayed to take that Older Her's advise and tutelage- eventually causing her to become wildly powerful and well informed (and also explaining why the castle was the first stop the Other hit, and why a bunch of her assistants got stabbed, and she got 'kidnapped'- you don't just believe a 'time traveler willy nillly! the Other needed some time to convince Lu to cooperate, like any other person)

this leads Lu to become the Other! just learning and scholarship (and massive trauma) would make her turn serial killing and infanticide to convince herself to travel back and forward in time to learn and cause the effect that is Herself?

or would it?

After all- if this is such a neat tucked causality, why does Lu not know what happens after she gives Birth to Agatha (what Vrin called the ''time of prophesy')? Why was she so woefully unaware of how to find Agatha, or even stop her from being taken away in the first place?? She has time travel?? She's had time travel for a long time?? How come after this point for some reason it's as though she doesn't have time travel?

you see. I can't help but notice, that there's a 'Lu' that's unlike the rest. One Lu that's not as generous to the collective of Lu's goals. On that has a very vested interest in Lu's rise to power, and beyond that a vested interest in Agatha not only living separate from Lu's plans, but only coming back into play after Barry Rescued her and created the Locket which itself was on track to return to the field.

Zola, or Zolu, as I'm confident that either Lu has reconquered the majority of control or they've merged, requires that Agatha be there and a threat to Lu in order to exist. She would Have to lie to Young Lu that she simply hadn't a clue where the heterodyne girl would be spirited away to- so that she'd be there to kidnap Lu at all.

and a very tidy coup it might would will be, if Zolu steals the revenant empire right out from the collective Lu's nose!

would certainly make her 'the Other Lu' wouldn't it

[hannahwdraws]

Just a couple of girls from The Free Marches

"I can't believe the girl I taught to weave flowers at the Arlathvhen grew up to be the 'fearsome' Inquisitor."

"I can't believe Varric didn't put two and two together sooner that we might have already known each other."

"Try not to blame him, you're so different from the girl I knew from back then."

"I'm still just a Dalish girl from The Marches"

[ratatatastic]

"And to follow up on Niko Mikkola...his sense of humour with him, like, maybe—lot of people don't talk—like, last night he was like, you know, he "woke Bobby up," or whatever. "Good thing Bob was awake—"

"He's a great personality and I've said this kinda during the year. And we've, you know, I mean we're always—...I was gonna say, "It'd be great if you guys could spend a lot of time with him," but then we spend a lot of time trying to make sure you guys don't spend too much time with our guys, so, there goes—so, forget that! But, he is an incredibly interesting guy. What's great is when he's coming to the bench... if there's something that's broken down, and I'm not sure if he's screaming in Finnish or it's in English, but it is funny as hell! And it's consistent. So, he plays really high-energy level. A lot of times these kinda big, lanky guys are... you don't really think they're moving that fast, but they are! He looks like he's getting across the ice, and, you know, he competes hard. That's what we like the most of him, but he talks at a high-energy level, too, on the bench. And that's great, right? We have some quiet players on our bench, and that's fine, that's who they are. But, those guys like Mikkola, who's got—nobody knows—Well there's four other Finnish guys knowing what he's saying, but nobody else knows what he's saying.

paul loves all his rascals and it is a joy to hear his takes on them its mikksys turn now!

media availability | 6.11.24 (x)

also if you want to see the moment mikksy is talking about in the interviews linked above because it is genuinely bonkers 10 or so seconds of hockey: here it is

[dont-hug-me-its-yuri]

HI AZZIE HII it's doll !!! have you ever shared about coffin in your au? or maybe what kind of relationships they may have with the other teachers(?) if you have shared this IT'S MY BAD but i am really interested in your story. i demand answers /nf /vvvpos (i really enjoy your writing! sorry if this comes out of left field and you can reply to this any time you'd like. TAKE YOUR TIME)

oh, thank you so much for this question, Doll!!

Coffin is basically the dollhouses grim reaper/personification of death, much like Tony is the personification of time, Coffin has existed for millennia’s , I never had an idea in mind for when exactly they first showed up, probably around when humans (puppets? Objects?) started existing. (Idk maybe she did animal funerals before people started existing)

Coffin has always tried to blend in with the people around her, I’ve had a fun idea that it has a grim reaper outfit for every decade of fashion to fit in and not draw suspicion, she always got weird looks anyways though, just due to general appearance and mannerisms

Coffin became weary of people and forming relationships, both due to seeing so many people die that they eventually saw no point in befriending or dating mortals if she would always outlive them and also saw how much harm humankind (puppetkind?) could do, always spending more time with animals than any mortals.

(also probably some abandonment issues due to Tony kinda just disappearing from her life in the 60s but shhhh)

and I think those feelings would extend to the teachers as they would meet them all, she’d definitely nudge the walls down a little around more seemingly trustworthy puppets like Tracey and Sketchbook while it would actively judge Shrignold and Warren before talking to them.

[otakusapien]

Watched the first 6 episodes of Hailey's On It on Disney+ and thought, "If Hailey's big thing in the future is that she reverses global warming and saves the world, why would someone try to stop her?" and then the rich white kid with an inferiority complex showed up and I went, "Ah, that makes sense."

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Junicrane/Starstruck Ramble

I will not be brief, all under the cut

To clear some things right off the bat:

No corpse, no proof with Juniper. Obligatory this is set in a canon where he's alive and adjacent to the agency in some way.

Reggie & Juniper are just gay to me, but I don't mind any interpretation of their sexuality

The games are set in 1967/68 to me (based on a couple bits in game) which is before it was legal to be gay in America at least (1971), which is relevant to how I interpret canon as being somewhat grounded in reality, despite unrealistic elements.

This is just an insane amount of headcanons/elements of and AU all culminated into one post. I will talk about some headcanons like they're just facts because they are established in my head, and it saves me over explaining literally everything, however I will explain some parts a little bit for clarity.

Alright. Actual beginning of the ramble:

Juniper is a character to me who had gotten so lost in his job as an actor and a social presence that in the end his whole life revolved around that 'role'. Because of this, by the time he's put into the situation where he's around the Agency, he basically knows nothing about himself, though he doesn't realise at first. Furthermore, what little identity he had has changed in so many ways. He's no longer a beloved famous actor in the prominence of public light, he's legally dead and he tarnished his career just before he was supposed to die, with the bonus of that making him lose the majority of his estate. From that, he also has horrific facial scarring from the electrical burns from literally having his face fried. I believe a friend of mine made a post about this a while ago (I also think they were the first to think it up also), but, to me, Juniper has a permanent trimmer in his right arm (aka his dominant hand) from the electrical current and it is messing with his nervous system.

All in all, he's not doing great, but he's too proud to admit that he's not doing great, because if anything, what's left of his ego is all he has as a defense since he's deep in unfamiliar water.

Before ending up around the agency (I have multiple interpretations of this, so I'm just going to bring it up generally), he'd never actually seen Reggie, and his only impression of him is a single voicemail, which was his only reference he had to later impersonate him. Juniper probably has very little feelings other than the ones he projects onto him because of Phoenix and that, at the very least, he's physically attracted to Reggie to some degree (that's like the beginning of how everything else would tumble into place in this sort of interpretation at least).

And on Crane's side? His feelings towards Juniper are probably very intense and muddled. On the one hand, he adores musical theatre, and that's his now ex-favourite actor. The thought of just casually being around him blows the bit of fanboy in him away at first because THAT'S the GUY, plus the inklings of a celebrity crush which still poke at him. And then there's the rational side of him, which knows Juniper has committed absolute atrocities on the side of Zoraxis, and hates him for that. Then there's how much Juniper comes off as an asshole at first because he refuses to cooperate with anything the Agency tried to put in place. He finds Juniper endlessly frustrating, and yet he's stuck working with him since, afterall, he's the one who knows the Agency's history with Juniper the best. I imagine him acting a lot like how he does IEYTD 1 around Juniper.

At this point, I'm just describing the pitch for a romcom.

I think the start of their relationship with one another largely started with Juniper trying to wind Crane up. It was a way of getting his attention, and I don't think Juniper knows why he's so dead set on that at first, because I don't think he realises he has a crush on 'this grump' at first. (I think that's actually the fun part about these two, because it's almost like a role reversal of the celebrity crush dynamic. This ex-big name actor has a TERRIBLE crush on an average joe and it is KILLING HIM.) But of course the Agency keeps them together because Juniper is at least conversing with Crane, so it's a start.

Through one way or another, they actually get talking casually, at least mildly at first. It takes Juniper a long time to fully deconstruct the wall he's built, and the thing is, Crane isn't the one trying to deconstruct it, at least at first, because yeah, Juniper realises if he wants Reggie to actually like him in any way, he can't keep winding him up. So they talk. Small talk at first, something rhythmic and almost easy to keep to a script. And over time that turns into actual conversations. Genuine ones in which Reggie rips out the occasional one of his jokes which Juniper is endlessly endeared about. The way he smiles just before he makes them, like he wants to chuckle at what he's about to say before he says it. That's probably when Juniper realised that he does have some vague crush on him, and that it wasn't going away.

This is what kickstarts John I can't-buy-you-things-to-impress-you-so-acts-of-service-it-is Juniper to do little things for him. It mostly starts off as him trying to make Reggie his tea how he likes it. However, the nerve damage in his arm makes that hard, as the weight of the kettle and trying to pour is hard all of a sudden. And he refuses to accept that, so he tries for a very long while. Long enough that Crane would go to investigate what was going on. And when he does see Juniper leaning over a cup with the kettle as he uneasily tries to pour it, and when Crane asks Juniper responds so matter-of-fact that his intention is nothing but genuine. And it catches Reggie off guard because Juniper hadn't done anything like that up to that point, and his very apparent vulnerability is so clearly on show.

It shifts something between them.

From that point on, conversations are longer, more familiar. Both of their attitudes soften, and Reggie makes more jokes. Juniper learns how to better use his left hand while strengthening his right back to a point where it could be used again. Slowly, they're both spending time with one another not because they have to, but just because they can. Little bits at first, not too far outside what they already were doing, but those little bits turned into long bits to a point where the other person's company was genuinely desirable.

As time passes, Juniper probably realises that he doesn't genuinely know much about himself or what hobbies he's into, because he never really had the time when he got big, and his home life in his youth wasn't bad, but it wasn't picturesque. I think Reggie would pick up on it, and absolutely try to introduce him to some things he's into. Some things stick, other things don't (corn husking very much stays Reggie's passion, and John will go with him sometimes because it's him, but it's not something he strongly cares for). Crane introduces him to a lot of music, and it's something that becomes a staple between them, with tracks they listen to more than others (tragically, I know relatively little about 60s music so I couldn't really say what). Occasionally they dance, never anything intense, think slow dancing, but the closeness is nice.

Through all of it, Juniper is battling the worst crush of his life, and he can't stand it, because I think he struggles to read people since he doesn't have anything like a script or a director to refer back to, so he has no idea if Reggie likes him back or if he's just desperate for that to be true. I think because of that any sort of confession between them would be incredibly raw, not only because of the time they live in making it hard for them to be truthful about how they love, but because it's a complete show of Juniper who's worked to be this better person. I don't exactly know how that would go, mainly because I don't have one set version of their dynamic, this post is just a generalisation of main consistent points.

Reggie does like him back, because he's gotten used to Juniper being just this guy, not a figure in the public eye, not a Zoraxis lackey, and not any sort of Agency operative (despite being under their care to some degree). He's someone he genuinely cares for, because they've given one another the time of day to learn one another, and I think because Reggie was a field agent, he was a lot better at reading Juniper than Juniper was at reading him. Eventually Juniper's company becomes something he could see around him for the rest of his life, and I think he accepts that he likes Juniper a lot more gracefully.

I think any affection directed at Juniper would at first be met with him feeling a little muddled. Reggie was a very physically affectionate person when he could be, and sure the initial flirting with one another came with the occasional little touches, but everything now was so deeply intentional. I also don't think Juniper would almost ever get over the novelty of being able to kiss him, or many other gestures, because it made the fact that they were together so very real, and it was great. I do think it comes easier to Reggie, and it's a big way of showing how much he cares, so it's important for Juniper to try and show it back because he knows how much it means to the other.

I like the idea of them eventually living with one another, too. I think Juniper would have always had a quiet little daydream of sorts where he does just live a domestic quiet life, and he can with Reggie (well, as close as they can get between the Agency and Zoraxis always being at odds), and he loves that, and he loves him, and it's immense.

I think they cook for one another a lot, it helps Juniper work on his dexterity in a controlled environment, which means a lot because it's a huge point of insecurity (that and his scars). He does improve, and Crane is proud of that and shows it and it's great. I also think they'd probably cook together too, because they can deal with being in the kitchen together and they work well with one another. It's probably a good way for them to unwind because over time they can do it in relative silence.

As I said before, I also think music is a staple in their household, and that Reggie listens to things on vinyl almost all of the time because he likes the background noise. Sometimes Juniper will catch him chuntering along to the music which he finds endlessly endearing. I wouldn't put it past his dramatic ass to also join in to fluster Reggie, but I also don't think Reggie would mind that terribly because Juniper has listened to the music enough to know the lyrics, and that's huge to him.

I don't think they are without rough patches, no relationship is, but I think the good part about them is that they're willing to talk about it (... eventually). They're used to long conversations, and while they're often less fun conversations, they're needed and they know that, and it works out.

Alright. I think I'm done for now. I haven't mentioned everything, but this definitely got the worst of it out of my system. If you ever want to hear any specific thoughts my ask box is open but other than that, behold my general dynamic for these two which has been festering in my head for years. I think they're great

[hauntingblue]

Gear 5 luffy's laugh is so contagious I just hear the drums and go insane how does this work. What did he do to me

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent images I suppose ~

[bcneheaded]

I was just thinking and... Artemis is not kind. yes, for all his friendliness, and all the fancy and amicable language and behaviors he displays outwardly to just about everyone who enters his shop... he's not genuinely nice. Artemis is a demon. in any verse of his, he used to be something akin to a spirit/god of LOVE, but was twisted into Wrath, or Hatred - which is the opposite. After leaving the pits of hell, having his little demonic tantrum and breakdown and finally growing weary and finding some semblance of clarity, he's grown out of what he was once again, and became something new. He's still wrathful, hateful, angry, and morose, but now he's so much more without even realizing. He's evolved and will continue to do so over time even if he stagnates for decades, centuries even. The friendships and relationships with other muses that he develops will influence his personality and the way he views things in time, as we've seen it happen already countless times ofc! And for those who did earn his respect and care, he does truly care for them and would gladly go out of his way for them (to what degree depends entirely on the level of closeness). But again.... Artemis is not kind, by nature and he hasn't been for a very, very long time. He was genuinely just plain and simple EVIL He was a villain - a monster, unrecognizable to how he acts now- doing horrible, unspeakable deeds for the pleasure of it. It's how he got the bones he wears in and on his body. So while he might be polite, charming even, and friendly - if he does not know you... he doesn't care about you nor what happens to you. If say for example, he sees you wandering that ruined cityside he lives in - rampant with entities that prey on the Living - and he saves you from being taken by evil spirits or demons? Chances are good that he did it for himself, or to be spiteful - to deny the other entities their prize (you / your soul). If he doesn't know you, the likelihood that he'll go out of his way for you is very low. But if there's something in it for him, some kind of reason as to why it might be worth his time and energy to actually step in... he might! But like all demons, it's good to be wary and to assume he doesn't care about you or your well-being, at least at first!! Artemis is not nice, but that doesn't mean he's malicious or cruel (anymore. not intentionally - he's quite literally under the mindset that he's just 'too old and tired for that nonsense'.) Artemis is manipulative, charming, cunning - he's everything you expect from a demon (though without a host, so he's certainly not attractive in any semblance of a conventional manner lmao - but he dresses well! and I think it's also telling just how-- *gestures at all that* --that he actually is, considering he's NOT attractive... but still puts people at ease, mostly, and can charm them to hell and back if he wanted to. He uses that not to manipulate people per say ?? like, he does not have an evil agenda by any means. He's just existing at this point, distanced from the gods and devils and just living his... life(?) if you can call it that. He's TRYING to do better. But he's still just... a demonic entity. A greater demon, for sure, if he had to be equated to some kind of level or whatever, but a demon nonetheless. But even for demons, there can be growth! and he is growing, very very slowly.

[sskk-manifesto]

Next time we should just skip over ep 3 and do a chapters 84-87 reread

[itwoodbeprefect]

one thing i have to hand to people online who leave reviews on obviously low budget westerns is that at least they don't complain that it's an obviously low budget western. it seems that i can't say this for some of the people leaving reviews on obviously low budget queer movies