#my grandpa is pretty conservative

[bagel-is-yum]

How is your mental health?

My anxiety disorder has been worse recently (probably because I haven’t had a therapy session in like a month and becuase I’ve been thinking about a lot of serious topics recently + having to see my grandpa)

[mayskalih]

Happy Lunar New Year, @princessxgarbage ! I went for Modern AU, hehe. Hope you enjoy my rambling aka idea behind this art below!

Shisui is rebelling his rich conservative family. The first step of his rebellion (aside from dropping out of business school) is getting a tattoo.

His tattoo artist Sakura is a pure mess embodied in a pretty women's body: broke af but still buys new clothing instead of doing laundry, lucky enough to keep bumping into her exes in a 15 mil megapolis and her cat left her for the neighbours.

Shisui doesn't miss the opportunity to piss his fam even more by bringing Sakura to the fanciest occasion (she was promised unlimited shrimp&bubbles). Mini dress showing (almost) all of her tattoos, botomless champagne that she is definitely not shy to indulge and Sakura's no filter whatsoever when it comes to conversations – a perfect recipe for grandpa Uchiha's heart attack.

But of course it doesn't stop after one night.

[lubrumalis]

konig headcanons! (realistic)

tw: nsfw

all of these are realistic hc! dont expect a normal konig

hes NOT a shy awkward pushover, just because he has social anxiety??? we can see through his voice lines hes a very cocky person and speaks rather agressively

“lets be honest, its better off in my hands.”

i hc that just because konig has social anxiety, he doesn’t express this through bring soft and shy, he expresses it through his bluntness

konig wanted to be a sniper but did not because he couldn’t stand still, has social anxiety, i hc he has some form of adhd

his very cocky and blunt shouting isn’t because hes mean, but he just doesnt wanna be seen as that bullied kid he once was

hes doesnt have horrible EQ, but the kind of guy to be incredibly unfiltered

also, this guy was literally assigned as a human battering ram, you think hes all soft and sweet???😅😅😅

no he won’t get angry or cry if his mask is taken off. just annoyed.

its not actually canon that konig is a colonel (correct me if im wrong, i couldnt find anything on the official wiki) but lets assume hes one anyway

even if he isnt, gets paid well. really well.

private military companies that deploy soldiers in areas of active conflict can pay up to hundreds of thousands for one soldier

considering konigs age (late 30s at least) and skills, probably 400-500k a year.

chose to join the military because he had an obsession with tanks and guns as a kid

a lot of hc’s say hes 6’10. i disagree, simply based off of chances and the fact thats wayyyy too tall for the military

but he was described as a mountain, so id say his height is around 6’5-6’8

very very intimidating. hes tall big and has the mask of an executioner in the 15th century. who wouldn’t be scared?

definitely will say some random german word in a situation where no one else there knows german. he doesn’t give a damn lol

hates americans (thinks theyre all obese, mannerless, and bad at geography)

brings up the most random topics. again i really think konig has adhd.

konig was not good at school and hated it, mainly due to the anxiety and how he couldn’t pay attention

also why he chose the path of a soldier

drinks lots of beer, high alcohol tolerance, this guys a true european.

loves austrian or german food. loves schnitzel and pies.

konigs breakfast is literally sausages, toast, eggs, and sometimes beer

BIG APPETITE. he could eat for 3 people.

a little insecure about his appearance, not confident in his looks :( also why he hid his face

but as he grew older he uses the mask for actual purposes of concealing his identity, he is a special ops soldier after all

kind of a cheapskate. he chose to hide his face with what, polyester? chose a piece of cloth over everything else.

has very conservative beliefs. not to the point where he hates abortion and votes far right, konig is just a little confused about some things certain liberals believe in

pretty political person lmao

not enough info to conclude whether or not konig was abused as a kid tbh

he was definitely miserable for a period in his life. hes in the military living a monotone life, barely any contact with others, and constantly living in fear he’d die

i dont think hes as traumatized as ghost tho🙂🙂

konig appreciates his dna and how it makes him big and tall, but sometimes gets incredibly annoyed at it

mainly because well, he got bullied for itas a kid

because he specializes in hostage rescue a lot of hostages (especially kids) are scared of him and refuse to leave the area with him

takes a lot of convincing 🥲🥲

has a lot of intrusive thoughts

cannot use social media properly

also texts like an old grandpa. uses 😂 and 🤣 unironically.

“Can we have burgers 🍔 tonight🌃?”

probably uses a blackberry or reallyyyyy old iphone

relationship hcs:

konigs voice actor (jim boeven) stated in a livestream that konigs wife would ideally be a mix between maria pedraza (actress) and rachael from blade runner (character from movie).

both are 170cm ish and brunettes

i can actually see that—konig is massive and he probably prefers someone on the tall side

first thing you did that led to your relationship with him? you tolerated him that is. listened to him ranting😃

i can see him with a civilian or someone whos in the military tbh

finds you pretty at first

enjoys bickering, he needs someone to simulate his mind

you know those stories where his s/o is 5’2, clingy, soft af, and neeeeeeeds konig? haha you won’t be getting that from me.

unlike ghost, who really takes his time to get to know someone and opens up slowly, scared to have his trust broken again

konig charges in like the human battering ram he is😁

if he has a feeling you’re trustworthy you are trustworthy.

horrible at flirting. he doesn’t know how to talk to women smoothly

needs someone equally as weird and funny

s/o needs to be someone with very firm boundaries and can stand their ground, i think konigs a really stubborn person, so for a healthy relationship to work, s/o can’t be the generic bimbo

konig wears the pants in the relationship

doesn’t let you pay. he has a enough money and believes men should always pay

(im sorry to break your delusions) konig does not strike to me as someone who likes a docile homebody. thats ghost (if you remove the word docile).

he doesn’t like extremely dominant partners either

imagine someone who is a listener, accepting yet blunt, shares his quirks, and has a very elegant feel to them

also someone very independent

also gonna get killed for this but konig would realistically not go for a girl in her early twenties. he prefers elegance and sophistication over being cute and jumpy

hates one night stands.

values relationships more than you think. he can come off as strong at first, but hes trying his best

ecstatic when you tell him you wanna learn german (hes not a good teacher)

doesn’t like play fighting, he thinks he’s gonna accidentally hurt you

admires you a lot. he knows hes not the best looking person and doesn’t understand the makeup skincare dress up thing.

isn’t paranoid, but definitely doesn’t say he has an s/o

if you ever get mad at him, konig will tighten all jars in the kitchen so you have to ask him for help :)

extremely unfiltered. he hates your cooking? he will say it. that dress looks better than the other? he will say it.

[amartianonmars]

I was really enamored with all the fem Dethklok designs I saw around but I myself have a very specific vision for each girl, all described under the cut.

Natalie 'Nat' Explosion: She's taller than the average woman at 5'11 and has maintained a strong build from high school field hockey (most high schools I know don't really do women's football). She doesn't really go too heavy on the makeup besides stage makeup besides her signature black lipstick (which is just an overused eyeliner pencil) for that 'demon gurgling blood' look

Pickles the Drummer: She left her house after her mother didn't accept her transition into womanhood and joined an all female glam metal band, and while she has left that behind she can't help to do her makeup like the good ol' days. Usually its 3 days old and just cleaned up with a fresh coat of lipstick, her black nail polish reapplied usually when Nat does hers. She's pretty tall at 5'8" but still only the third tallest in the group. Her womb tattoo is a play on Snakes N Barrel's (there's a 'snake' in my 'barrel' so to speak) and she wears low rise jeans and shirts she cut herself to show it off. While the estrogen has kept the 'male pattern baldness' gene at bay, she still a white woman with dreads so she is still balding .

Winona 'Winny' Murderface: She's the shortest female member at 5'5", and she has the Napoleon complex to match. She rarely showers and shaves (the hair keeps coming up in weird patches) and has five identical outfits she cycles through. She never wore makeup growing up as an ugly duckling, every attempt shut down by bullying classmates and a conservative grandpa who claimed she looked like an 'ugly harlot' so Murderface usually goes bare face. Though every once in a while, Pickles and Seeveya will find a missing tube of lipstick in her bathroom that she claims to have 'never seen before'. Despite her 'masculine' interests and pick me behavior, she has bad luck with men, though her interests don't really seem fixated on them (she's gay AND homophobic)

Seeveya Skwisgaard: It's not actually her name (Svea, meaning literally 'from Sweden' according to Google), she pronounced it when introducing herself and everyone made assumptions on how it was spelled until it was bastardized to hell and back and she's too deep into fame to change it by the time she made it to Dethklok. The tallest member over Nat, she stands at 6'0" and is essentially built like a Swedish supermodel with the ego to boot. While she likes to keep her hair short and her appearance androgynous, she is extremely self conscious of being perceived as masculine due to her strong facial features and her small chest. Her makeup style is specially curated over years of trial and error, and she wakes up extra early despite her drug and booze fueled partying to make sure she's still the most beautiful woman in the room.

Toki Wartooth: Toki is the second shortest member of Dethklok at 5' 7", though the way she carries herself makes her seem much shorter. She's not the makeup type and lacks the patience for nail polish, though her natural beauty gives her no need for it. Despite this she does play dress up with Seeveya's (very expensive) products from time to time (including secret makeover sessions with Winny) and does love fun accessories, especially if she makes them herself. Despite her cute interests and fun demeanor, her build is strong from years of working in building in her old country. Her being used to hard labor means that when she's pent up she's usually at the gym for a few hours to relieve stress. Otherwise she's building planes, making bracelets for her band sisters, or working on her model planes.

Charlotte 'Charles' Offdensen: She's 5'6" (5' 8" with the heels) and is usually seen with a power suit and business ready makeup no matter the time or hour, her bun as tight and high strung as she is. Her strong energy and confident voice makes her an opponent as a business woman, though her glasses seem to be missing, well, the glass? Her plain-Jane appearance overlook her as the threat she truly is on the battlefield.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I wonder what the Senate's opinion on Sebek, his family, Silver, and (maybe) Yuu are? If they're still alive that is. Considering how crappy and holier than thou they act, I'm assuming not very nice things.

The senate are implied to still be alive; they were previously mentioned as far back as the Scalding Sands fireworks event. In it, Malleus mentions how the Briar Valley advisors (ie the senate) would be against him going outside of the castle and how he’s typically kept inside. (My god, can you imagine how they’d be fuming if they found out Malleus was THIS close to Lilia chaperoning their prince on a trip to a foreign land??) I assume it is the same senators as the ones we see in the latest update; the attitude is similar.

They seem to be very conservative and unyielding people, so I’d imagine they don’t think highly of anyone that isn’t a fairy of the upper class. (In book 7, they keep indirectly stressing the importance of blood and status by insulting Lilia’s unknown past and his being a “bat” daring to touch a “noble dragon”.) Certainly they wouldn’t look upon a dubious human adopted by the disgraced, “cowardly” ex-General Vanrouge favorably. Maybe that’s partly why Lilia never took Silver to the capital city, knowing that Silver would be rejected by the nobles residing there. The senate would probably despise Silver even more if they knew about his true origins as the Dawn Knight’s son.) And Sebek? Doesn’t matter that his grandpa was a war hero, they’re likely a part of the Briar Valley population that discouraged his parents from marrying (which appears to be a prevailing sentiment in this country). You can pretty much forget about Yuu too, the senate wouldn’t be happy to see a regular ass human (also of dubious origins) waltzing around on the palace grounds, especially if they’re holding Tamago-sama or calling Malleus Tsunotaro/Hornton 💀

xbjsvwjzgeknwkwh It seems like the TWST fandom has collectively made the senate members public enemy #1 since the update dropped… Eat your heart out, Mrs. Rosehearts 🥀

[gemsofgreece]

Grecanico

I wasn't very familiar with the dialects of the Griko community, the Greek minority of Italy, residing mostly in Calabria and Apulia. Once in a travel show I had seen a grandpa speaking in one of them but it was so fast and idiomatic that I could only catch one word or two and I consequently thought the Griko dialects had grown really distant from Greece's or Eastern Greek dialects.

Recently I watched this Griko song performance in Italy and it moved me deeply. First of all, it impressed me how it could seamlessly pass as a Modern Greek music style. Of course, Italy and Greece do share a lot of similar sounds, so it perhaps was to be expected. Even the la-la-le-o-la-la pattern, I have heard it in many familiar Greek urban songs (as in, not folk).

I just read that there are in fact two Italiot Greek dialects, Griko (spoken by ~ 45,000 people) and the smaller one, Grecanico (severely endangered and spoken only by ~ 2,000 people). The latter is believed to have incorporated more Italian influences. According to Wikipedia, there are many similarities with Standard Modern Greek, although linguists assert they evolved independently from either Ancient or Koine Greek. If you ask me, judging from the song, there is no way they evolved independently from Ancient Greek. Not only that but if the linguists did not only examine the Ancient and Koine theories, I would have thought they evolved independently from early Modern or super late Koine at most. This could be explained by an influx of Greeks to Italy as a consequence of the Crusader conquests or the Fall of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire to the Ottoman Turks because - fun fact - the type of Greek spoken during both those periods was Modern Greek. Very early Modern Greek at the times of the Fourth Crusade (1202 - 1204), yet modern nonetheless. So the Greeks that might have fled the Latin and the Ottoman blows to the East Roman Empire may have perhaps influenced the language of the ancient and medieval Greek communities of Italy. Then, this late koine - early modern Greek dialect also got influenced by Latin / Italian, especially in the pronunciation and some of the vocabulary. That’s my theory that’s just on me. Perhaps they indeed developed independently from Koine Greek because the Greek language is pretty conservative after all. But Ancient, as in prior to 200 BC, no fricking the frick way.

The song is in Grecanico of Apulia. The video of this performance had the lyrics in Grecanico (they use the Latin alphabet) and a translation in Standard Modern Greek. I was shocked by how much more I could understand in the slower way they were singing compared to the mumbling grandpa. It was deeply touching so I decided to share the video and I even decided to offer the Standard Modern Greek equivalent version in a Latin transliteration, in case any of you is interested in the study of the evolution between Standard Modern Demotic Greek and the Grecanico of Italy.

Lyrics in Grecanico and Standard Modern Greek (with Latin characters) below the cut:

G: KALINITTA SMG: KALINICHTA

G: Ti en glicea tusi nifta, ti en ória SMG: Ti glikiá in' túti i níchta, ti oréa íne

G: cíevó plonno penséonta 'ss' esena SMG: ki eghó xaplóno skeftómenos eséna

G: C'ettú mpἰ's ti ffenéstra ssu agápi mu SMG: Ke káto ap'to paráthiro su agápi mu

G: tis kardia mmu su nifto ti ppena SMG: tis karðiás mu su ðíchno ton póno

G: Evó pánta ss' esena penseo SMG: Eghó pánta eséna skéftome

G: jati 'sena, fsichi mmu 'gapó SMG: jatí eséna psichí mu agapó

G: ce pu pao, pu sirno, pu steo SMG: ke ópu páo, ópu sérno, ópu stéko

G: sti kkardía panta sena vastó. SMG: stin karðiá pánta eséna vastó.

G: T' asteracia pu panu me vlepune SMG: T' asterákia pu páno me vlépune

G: ca mo féngo friffizun nomena SMG: ke me to fengári psithirízun omú (?)

G: ce jelú ce mu leone ¨ston anemo SMG: ke jelún ke mu léne ¨ston ánemo

G: ta traudia pelis, i chamena" SMG: ta traghúðia petás, íne chaména¨

G: Kalí nifta! Se finno ce féo SMG: Kalí níchta! Se afíno ke févgho

G: Plaja 'su ti 'vó pirta prikó SMG: Plájase jatí eghó févgho (?) pikrá

G: ce pu pao, pu sirno, pu steo SMG: ke ópu páo, ópu sérno, ópu stéko

G: sti kkardía panta sena vastó. SMG: stin karðiá pánta eséna vastó.

Hopefully, the Greeks of Italy and the Greek state will aid in rescuing Grecanico from fading forever. 🙏

Oh and here’s an English translation of the song to not leave it entirely obscure:

What a sweet night it is, how beautiful

and I lay down thinking of you

and under your window, my love

I show you the pain of my heart.

I always think about you

because it’s you, my soul, that I love

and wherever I go, I set to, I stand

I always keep you in my heart.

The little stars look at me from above

and they chat together with the moon

and they laugh and tell me “In the wind

you throw your songs, they go wasted”.

Good night! I am leaving you and I am going away.

Go to bed for I am leaving in bitterness

and wherever I go, I set to, I stand

I always keep you in my heart.

[catenary-chad]

My concept for an Americanized reimagining/revival of Starlight Express, based on actual US passenger rail history painfully relevant to the entire region around Broadway (the northeastern US)

ft. sacrilegious things like totally rewriting Starlight Sequence, roleswapping major characters, and cutting Rusty entirely (while also bringing Trucker Caboose and a heavily modified OLC Belle back) 

(long post btw)

I already made a whole long post about how a lot of “stupid and unrealistic” things about Electra (and Rusty) unintentionally take on a very different, deeper meaning in the context of US railroad conditions (and politics) of the 70s-80s.  But tl;dr, applying US rail context to the show bizarrely turns it into a colossal “immer pünktlich” sweater that you’ve snagged your nail on and the whole thing unravels into a weirdly specific and compelling allegory for US politics and railroads of the era in a way it was never intended to.  

Electra reads as a bizarrely specific conservative slander of Amtrak and the liberal policies that benefit it. And there’s weirdly convenient parallels for the social themes the original show tried to do. Electrified rail isn’t futuristic and bashing it isn’t punching up in the US, it’s actually been around since the turn of the century and perhaps the most visible and vulnerable symbol of how rail has been disadvantaged and “left behind” by the government in the US for DECADES.  And there’s actually a number of other things the show has attempted to do that click into place really nicely when you put them in this context.  Like Greaseball’s “coach sexism”- US railroads’ relationship with passenger services pre-Amtrak actually make a pretty good allegory for how “women’s work” is treated.  It had become monstrously expensive to run them without government subsidies and railroads tried to cut or downgrade them wherever possible- which is a solid parallel for how the likes of childcare and teaching are treated in the US.  

So you could actually do some really smart and meaningful things with an Americanized version of the show, it doesn’t have to be clunky pop culture references.  It’s almost kind of sad how well it works because most of the concepts are only relevant in the US, which has never taken to the show as much as the UK/Germany. 

While this is presented as an early 80s-era period piece, you only need to change some references to Control’s Grandpa and a few characters’ basis (Greaseball, Pearl, and Electra’s parental figure) to make it close to modern-day because 40+ year old rail equipment is so common in the US and a lot of the same problems exist on the modern rail system.  

If the theater is anywhere near NYC, there’s a high chance visitors will firsthand experience how old and ROUGH the surrounding rail infrastructure is and it doesn’t get more immersive than that.  There’s a major chance they ride in on a subway or NJT train old enough to have remembered the original Broadway Starlight run, and a considerable chance they deal with delays or cancellations due to aging infrastructure issues.  It’s like how Ruhrgold being “always timely!” is hilarious to anyone who sees the show in Bochum because they probably had an ICE run late just trying to get there, even if they’re a tourist.  

-Control is now used as a stand-in for the government/other rail authorities, whose complaints and praise about their toy trains mirror real-life sentiment.  Their “grandpa’s old trains and tracks” represent the oooold equipment and infrastructure Amtrak inherited/acquired at the beginning.  

-Greaseball is… unchanged lol he’s a solid representation of the conservative establishment hostile to rail investment and electrification.  Him being abusive to the coaches parallels US railroads’ mass downgrading and dropping of passenger services after WWII until Amtrak came in.  Him pulling passenger trains with UP’s livery in the 80s actually works out if you make him one of the corporate E9As in the Heritage Fleet.  Alternatively, just pretend Amtrak’s Rainbow Era (where everything had their chaotic original liveries) took a decade longer to end… it’s less anachronistic than literally everything about Rusty anyways.  

-Electra is now an actual threat to him he has actual reason to play dirty against.  As opposed to a switcher/shunter that would have a completely opposite skillset as him (engines like Greaseball went out of favor on US freight railroads specifically because they have no rear visibility for switching).  Not to mention the political divides associated with dieselization/electrification in the US and associated rural/urban divide. He should also be more deliberately group-oriented with his Gang- the first gen carbody diesel engines he’s based on were designed to run as several units attached together (and that’s still how diesel locomotives are used now). 

-Momma (now maybe just McCoy) is now the high-maintenance celebrity (Poppa would also work but I’m in favor of giving older women more roles). THAT is spot-on to the actual role steam engines had in the US (and UK) in the 80s, and still do today. She’s there to race to find out just what she’s truly capable of, since the real top speed of a lot of big late-era steam engines was never officially verified. She is not malicious, just accidentally causes constant confusion and delay based on actual mainline steam excursions’ issues in the 70s-80s US that led to them being heavily restricted (though you can probably use a lot of stuff from more recent ones elsewhere because it still happens a lot).  She can even get chased by paparazzi because people getting on the tracks to photograph famous engines has caused all kinds of problems!  Turn the components into the entourage railtours would have (head end power car/engine, various old coaches).  Give her Engine of Love. 

-She’s “Grandpa’s old choo choo and friends… ugh come on, you guys used to be great!  You were my favorite!  Why do you keep derailing and messing stuff up!”.  

-She’s far less politically written vs Electra and Greaseball, and mostly railfanservice, which fits how steam was pretty much off in its own preservation world by the 80s and not relevant in the much more bitter mainline revenue train politics.  Greaseball could be moderately hostile towards her to represent railroads becoming fed up with excursion incidents, but it’s for pretty legitimate reasons.  Electra probably just doesn’t care about her presence either way, unless she gets in the way.  As additional historical context for why Electra is steam neutral- the Pennsylvania Railroad, who built 41% of surviving electric lines today, phased out steam engines from the newly electrified southern Northeast Corridor in a relatively peaceful way, just moving them to other lines and not replacing them with more.  It’s a way more pleasant scenario than most irl jobs that have been outmoded and faced with mass layoffs.  And basically the hard opposite of what British Rail did in the 50s-60s (which is substantially featured in the Railway Series and probably where the original show got the “steam oppression” idea from… but it just was NOT that way by the 80s and when it did happen, diesel engines were a much newer and more experimental thing than electric ones… this is why I have so much beef with the original show’s premise as someone familiar with the RWS, which was generally really realistic) 

(I have my own idea of how to make a REALLY hateable Reagan figure steam engine but the above would be more palatable to a broader audience and require less modification)

-Pearl is also largely unchanged.  Make her a then-new Amfleet coach, maybe a converted Metroliner.  Now she can be both new and naive and indecisive and REALLY want to go fast.  As a bonus, the Amfleets were among the first coaches to be electric vs steam heated and she would not be directly physically compatible with steam or older diesel/electric engines without head-end power.  Perfect fit for a reverse Cinderella. 

-Since Electra isn’t a terribly romantic character, I think it’s more compelling to frame Pearl’s arc as being about discovering your real orientation after years of the media saying what you should be attracted to.  She’s had steam romanticized her whole life but it just physically isn’t compatible or appealing to her.  Tbh this is a possible reason to make McCoy male instead.  

-Bonus: style Pearl like a flight attendant and have her make passive aggressive jokes about air travel (there are no middle seats!  Please leave your tray tables down and seats in the reclined position) in reference to the Amfleets being deliberately styled after planes, and Amtrak ads of the time mocking airlines

-Dinah needs very little change herself, other than being aged up to 30s-40s to reflect being an older car.  Pearl Twirl makes a lot of sense with Pearl being clueless about the depth of such things and reflecting how older passenger cars were replaced with new Amfleets around this era.  Rather than get back with Greaseball at the end, she runs off with McCoy’s entourage in reference to old cars like her getting a second life in museum settings. 

-Lotta Locomotion is less demeaning in the context of Amtrak’s motive power crisis of the 70s-early 80s.  They had oooold stuff and struggled to get functional new engines so it really is something coaches would be concerned with.  

-Freight as an argument perfectly suits the tensions between freight and passenger service in the US since WWII (relevant in the 80s, still relevant now outside the NEC).  Tl;dr passenger trains got painfully deprioritized because freight made way more money, and freight trains becoming absurdly long and physically unable to move over and let passenger trains through has wrecked arrival times in more recent decades.  I don’t have really hard ideas of how I’d tweak most of the Freight characters, I think you could mostly carry over the originals, but you could also work in aspects of industrial decline or unions’ relationships with railroads at the time. Honestly you could do a whole separate musical about the woes of US freight rail, they go deep, just not in ways that work into the other themes in this rewrite.

-Power cut before AC/DC- Control complains that “the new train I got for Christmas sucks!  It doesn’t even work!” and their mom interjects “No, it’s your grandpa’s tracks and wiring from the 30s causing problems, let’s try and clean them up.  Maybe you can ask for some new ones for your birthday instead of more toy cars.”

-Electra is now the new AEM-7s Amtrak ordered in the late 70s-early 80s.  Make them as aggressively small as possible for maximum realism, those things were infamously tiny (~50 feet long).  Making Electra genderblind would be very appropriate for this version.

-Rather than unconfident, Electra is incredibly defensive, yet smug about knowing what they could do in proper conditions and kind of a bitch.  Self centered and prone to changing their mood on a whim.  Actually not that far off their canon personality, but now in a light that explains just why they make such a big deal of being electric and seem so short-fused- they’re a minority that’s been overlooked and screwed over for years.  Greaseball also treats them as hysterical over any legitimate complaints and dogs them for constantly asking for money.  There’s an almost endless well of “damn liberals” jokes for him to use against Electra.  It’s a bitter, much more even rivalry compared to Greaseball vs Rusty.

-Other than making the Japanese Engine less egregiously offensive, the Nationals can be largely unchanged, I think they’re all electric models anyways and at the time, all from nationalized rail networks.  

-Have Electra fail in the first heat due to powerline failure, Greaseball’s sabotage, or McCoy’s genuine bumbling, and go full No Comeback and blame themself for it when it was due to outside factors

-How do the comparatively mediocre US engines win?  Mix of Greaseball/McCoy doing the above, and the race being on tightly curving tracks in notably bad condition that a lot of the Nationals wouldn’t run well on. Cue Control being in constant dismay at how many trains keep derailing or failing and getting mad at them too.  

-Also made a previous post about this, but in place of where Momma/Poppa usually is… bring back the general concept of OLC Belle the Sleeping Car, and turn her into Belle the GG1.  That was the nearly 50 year old electric loco class that largely ran the NEC until the AEM-7s.  The Ella Fitzgerald angle aligns perfectly with them working out of NYC starting in the late 30s and being known for a sense of effortlessness.  The “fallen star” narrative also works with their full history, they were the symbol of what US electrification was posed to become- and got cut off by WWII and the railroads’ fates afterward.  They also ran their absolute last excursions in 1984 and her blowing a transformer after her win exactly matches what happened to one of them.  In a much more morbid twist, there’s no question of her faking it, the GG1s were on their absolute last leg and so trashed physically at the end that they’re one of the least likely engines to ever run in preservation.  

-This is a BOLD choice (that would NEVER work in Bochum), but turn Dustin into a uranium flask (concept art here).  I’ve gotten the impression that Hydra wanted to be nuclear-coded because he’s alternative energy, green, and seen as scary and untrustworthy.  But while nuclear submarines and boats are long established, nuclear steam engines are far less practical on rails so you can’t really go that route… unless you make it about nuclear power plants supplying electrified lines.

-Uranium flasks are HEAVY and being quiet is a main PR policy of the nuclear industry, so Dustin’s size and shyness is a super fitting trait.  They also have a really fun history of being crash tested to play with.  They smashed a whole diesel loco into one in the UK and it was totaled but the flask was fine.  You can even give them There’s Me because “I may not be the one you want to see” and “I am always there” are a funny double entendre for nuclear power’s negative rep but constant generation.  Also free opportunity for a female or genderblind freight role if you call them Curie.  

-Slick and/or OLC style trucker Caboose would both work really well as saboteurs.  The oil industry sure doesn’t want to move away from diesel engines.  And road vehicles are the #1 enemy of ALL trains in the US.  Also, while Caboose acting like a British brake van gets laughed at, cabooses were and still are used to remote control trains irl (Locotrol), so there IS some justification for him to control an engine’s braking!  And even better/worse?  What do you get when you combine one of those with a bunch of oil tankers?  The Lac Megantic Disaster.  

-Greaseball and those two deliberately destroying powerlines and other infrastructure to sabotage Electra and basically any of the Nationals both works on a practical level and a symbol of “government not investing in things so they fail” just like irl Amtrak

-Bring back Dinah’s Disco but with lyrics explicitly revealing that the “whistle” thing Electra lacks is… steam heat to keep her warm at night because she’s an older style car!  That mismatch was a legitimate issue at the time.  An earlier passenger diesel engine like Greaseball would have a heating boiler so it’s still compatible with him not being an actual steam engine.  Slick/Caboose can still attack Electra and throw the uphill race riding with Greaseball or McCoy.  McCoy could think Slick will get her but the tanker goes after Electra instead, because she “could be converted to an oil burner… remember the Big Boy on the Union Pacific” and is therefore not her enemy.

-Right Place Right Time also works on a much deeper level when the Rockies are turned into SEPTA Silverliner I/II/III EMUs, they’re from the infamously underfunded transit system of… Philadelphia, which fits the movies.  Being mean but genuinely helpful is also kind of a Philly stereotype too.  You’d have to reshuffle the freight/components a bit for this version so eh, throwing in some quick-change costumes for this isn’t out there.  

-Yeah, the Starlight Sequence’s lyrics need a massive redo.  I go into it in the initial Electra post, but it just inherently preaches themes associated with the politics that repeatedly hampered electric rail in the US.  Make the new lyrics be about that “you alone are an engine, not a train”, joining together as a group is how you actually make systemic change, not bootstrapping and individualism,  One of the major advantages of rail IS how much you can link together and move at once.  Which is a nice segue to Electra reaching out to uranium flask Dustin for the final.  

-As a nod to Jeffrey Daniel, a shortened version of this song is a perfect Electra/Pearl duet instead of the ballads. 

-Instead of the control and conversion speech, the trains all get together as Control discusses what to ask for their birthday “Slot cars?  Tanks? Planes?” and the group together yells “TRAINS” and Control goes “yeah TRAINS!”

-Belle the GG1 miraculously comes back as Control’s mom whispers “don’t tell anyone I just stuck the old shell on a whole new motor and frames, they were beyond saving” as a snarky reference to what would be needed to actually run one again.  

-How to make Light At The End Of the Tunnel mostly work: return the duet aspect, where McCoy starts praising steam and the newly revived GG1 Belle finishes the lines to be about… steam power plants and electrification.  

[bkblaise]

(sharing this story on both twitter and here cus im DYING LAUGHING) My 85 year old grandpa literally showed me a 5 minute long ai generated fetish tiktok of VERY well endowed military women to encourage me to enlist (context: i might get a military scholarship for my grad school fees)

I might cry . reminder even highly conservative asian elders are skibidi brainrot doomscrolling💔💔

What makes this FUNNIER is that I kept making comments about finding the women attractive AND HES LIKE PRETTY HOMOPHOBIC BUT DIDN'T EVEN BAT AN EYE oh my god

My grandma was like "I think this is AI" . but hes like "Nahhh it's real, aren't they so pretty🥰 🥰 "

[auggieoof]

Diary Entry #11

Cw politics and sui again

I don't know what I can or should say about Trump winning. There is not a single word in the English dictionary that can express how angry I am, how disappointed I am at my fellow man. I've thought some pretty awful thoughts recently, both towards myself and towards others.

I do consider just ending my life sometimes, but I'm not going to be another statistic. I can't be. Unless I am truly backed into a corner, I'm not going to consider it an option just yet.

I hope these next 4 years will blow over, that we'll be okay, but I really fucking doubt it at this point. I thought the race was going to be close, that we stood a chance. But apparently all my hoping was for nothing.

My grandpa stayed up for a considerable amount of time watching Fox News, waiting for swing states to close, hoping that Trump won. I'm still pretending to be a conservative, but I'm afraid the hatred for that system of ideas will shine through somehow and that my cover will be blown.

I hardly can look my grandparents in the eyes right now. They voted red down the ballot. There's nothing I can say to convince them.

At this point, I just hope that the people who voted for that fool are happy at the chaos they are going to bring. I hope they're happy that the world is going to burn beneath us, hope they're happy that they're complicit in the suicides of trans people. Some of them probably are happy about the latter, but you know what I mean.

When the news first broke, I didn't feel much besides numb. But now I'm enraged, and probably will be for a long time. I just don't understand how it happened. All I'm hoping is that I can get out of my house before anything happens to get rid of my healthcare, but what about other people? They're still going to suffer. Woman and trans people will still suffer, really, everyone's going to suffer.

I don't know. Guess that's it for this entry.

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

My post on SW and conservatism getting a lot of traction has gotten me thinking about something I’ve seen from progressives in fandoms. Mainly people questioning how something progressive can have conservative, homophobic or racist fans. What I ask is the work of fiction really that progressive or is that just you projecting on it? A lot of people with right wing views will watch and even enjoy things that are supposedly inclusive while ignoring certain themes or elements or claim it doesn’t count as political as there’s no “agenda” or no forced representation, particularly when discussing older shows or anime with yaoi/yuri. It’s also important to analyze why a person with reactionary views would watch something we enjoy.

Ben 10 is an example I’ve seen this from. The show does tackle some political issues and is about a guy walking in the shoes of other life forms. But it’s POC rep especially of women of color like Kai, Julie and Elena was pretty lackluster, even compared to its contemporaries like Generator Rex or Dwayne McDuffie’s other works like Static Shock. It was a show that was popular with people who complained shows like SU or TOH were too feminist or woke because it is an older cartoon with a mainly white cast that may be pro diversity but also is pro police, ie the plumbers, and has a lot of sexist writing especially in UA and OV.

Speaking of SU, there are actually a lot of fans who are conservatives or libertarians. Yes, the show did push boundaries in queer rep, but it also has some problems with anti blackness like Sugilite and Bismuth as well as the Gem Harvest episode which a lot of right wing fans love and which aired right after the 2016 election. It could very well be read as “you have to be nice to your MAGA uncle who hates hippies, vegetarians and immigrants because he’s going through a hard time”. A lot of conservatives do love to twist messages about acceptance to demand people respect their views. The Uncle Grandpa crossover was well as Chile Tide had a man in a dress joke too which has also aged poorly with transmisogyny getting worse which was an example of how even queer fiction can slip up.

Franchises that may have some progressive messages but also have a big focus on warships and weapons like SW and ST are popular with fans of the military and guns. SW also is very religious and will attract people who complain about society not being Christian anymore with a lot of Jedi fans being very anti atheist while dressing up their stance as progressive and attacking people with religious trauma. Same with Evangelion and Madoka Magica as like with SU, conservative fans will overlook the queer stuff and focus entirely on the religious elements, even if they were just used to look cool like in NGE.

Before ending this, I want to make it clear I don’t excuse or support people in fandom who do hold bigoted or disgusting views and we should do everything we can to push them out. But it is important to recognize how a conservative could enjoy a work of fiction with supposedly leftist or queer themes. A lot of them like SW or SU do have issues with POC rep and anything with a strong focus on war or religion will attract right wing viewers who love god and guns. I also ask again, is the story really that radical or is that just your interpretation you’re projecting?

[lolahasmoxie]

let's get to the good part (e.m)

Words: 1.4k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x childhood best friend

Warnings: mentions of sexual acts (some somno stuff because yes, please), awkward conversations, Eddie and Wayne being cute AF.

Part 3 in my series. Takes place right after Part 2.

Part 1 / Part 2

You pulled your car into Benny's parking lot. After turning off the engine, you sat staring ahead, hands on the steering wheel. This was different from how you had foreseen your Saturday going.

It had started with Eddie's face between your thighs, setting your senses on fire as the sun began to crest over the horizon. He had also managed to sneak into the shower with you under the guise of "conserving water." It took minutes for you both to resort to a tangling mass of giggly limbs as he took you under the shower spray.

That was part that you had planned for. You weren't prepared for Eddie on the phone as you exited your bedroom after getting dressed. You weren't prepared for Eddie to tell you that Wayne and Ronnie wanted him to ask you to join them for breakfast.

Now you were here. You had taken your own car because you weren't ready to answer Ronnie's questions. And you knew he would have questions because he was amazingly perceptive for a four-year-old and Eddie's nosy mini-me. You would also have to sit in front of his uncle and pretend like Eddie hadn't completely ruined for all other men the previous night.

The bell over the door announced your arrival, and you didn't have to look long before you heard Ronnie calling your name. You couldn't help but smile as you saw Eddie and Wayne wave at you. The elder Munsons were seated on one side of the booth, and Ronnie all but dragged you to sit next to him. Before you could even say hello, he told you about what he and Grandpa Wayne had done the night before.

"Whoa, son," Wayne chastized as Eddie flagged down a waitress. "She just got here; try again."

"Oh yeah," he said before getting on his knees on the booth seat to see you better. "Hi."

"Hi, Ronnie." You couldn't help but smile as he told you about his night. While he recapped the scary movie he had watched with Wayne, you couldn't help but glance up to see Eddie looking at you. His pretty face rested on his hand, his gaze making you feel the same warmness you had felt when he woke you up. When he winked at you, you were shocked you hadn't melted into a puddle on the linoleum floor.

45 minutes later, after you'd had much-needed coffee and waffles smothered in maple syrup, you wondered if every Saturday could be like this. You were laughing at a story Wayne told when Ronnie alerted the table that he needed to pee. Wayne offered, but Eddie shook his head.

"I'm on the outside; I got him. Let's go, little man." You couldn't help but watch the two of them. The way Ronnie looked up at Eddie, the gentle way that Eddie led him. Your brain couldn't help but conjure an image of Eddie leading another rugrat with his other hand. You were met with a knowing smirk when you turned back to Wayne.

"I take it Eddie stayed the night?" You nearly spit out the coffee in your mouth as he took a sip from his own cup. You buried your face in your hands as you willed the floor to swallow you whole.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just a hunch," he said as he leaned towards you. "'Sides," he continued, "the way his face lit up when you walked in told me pretty much everything." Wayne sighed as he looked out the window in front. "You also didn't quite get that hickey on your neck." You grumble as your hand goes to cover the mark. "You know, he's loved you since he was 13 years old."

"He told me that last night." You admit, a coy smile on your lips.

"I don't think he knew what it was, but I could tell. You two were attached at the hip the moment you met," he chuckled. "thick as thieves, passed out in the living room every weekend while you watched those cheesy-ass horror movies."

You chuckled at the memories of your childhood. "We had to be sat apart in EVERY class we had together in elementary school."

"Oh, I know it," he replied. "When did you realize you loved him?" You sat silently, hating how Wayne could always read you so well.

"Beginning of senior year. It was like I was seeing him for the first time. It felt like someone had turned on this switch in my brain, and...boom." Wayne nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'm glad everything worked out. Just," he paused as he took a deep breath. "Eddie's always been a gentler soul than he lets on. He feels everything deeply; when Ronnie's mama ran out, he was a wreck. And Ronnie is the same way, so..."

"Wayne, is this your "don't hurt him or else" speech?" you ask with a grin. Wayne just shrugs his shoulders as he sips from his mug.

"Wouldn't dream of it, darling. I know you'll be good to them. He really struck gold the day he met you." You want to cry at the compliment, especially since Wayne holds them close to his vest.

"All done!" Ronnie breaks the moment as he clambers next to you. "Daddy, let's go to the park! Y/N can come, and she can push me on the..."

"Whoa there," Eddie says as Ronnie practically vibrates in his seat. "Y/N might have plans today; you can't just assume..."

"It's ok, Eds," you interject softly as you glance down at Ronnie. "An afternoon in the park with my two favorite boys sounds perfect."

Later that night, Eddie carries a sleepy Ronnie to bed. When they left the park, Ronnie talked about how he couldn't wait to see you again. Eddie smiled as Ronnie drifted off midsentence when he tucked him in. When Eddie climbed into his bed, he wondered what you were doing. Within seconds he reached for the phone, dialing your number and hoping you were awake.

"Hello?"

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No," you said softly. "Is Ronnie asleep?"

"Yeah. You know, he talked about you all evening."

"Oh yeah? I bet you hated that."

"I did, it was awful," Eddie said as he made himself comfortable. "I'm glad you came with us."

"Me too," you said softly. "Hopefully, I'll get to see you both..."

"I love you." There's silence after Eddie's gentle declaration. He can hear you breathe on the other end, and he can't stop himself from holding back. "I love you, and I know that this may be fast. I know it is, but nothing about this feels weird or wrong, right? It feels like this is all how it was always supposed to be, and I..."

"Eds." He stops when he hears you call his name. You wonder if he remembers any of his 3am declaration of love the night before. Still, it makes your heart palpitate. "I love you too."

"You do?" His voice is soft and unsure,

"Of course, after all this time, how could I not? And I agree; this feels right. Makes me think about all the time we wasted."

"Does that mean you might want to see me Friday?"

"Hell, I'd see you now if I wasn't afraid of falling asleep behind the wheel." He could hear you yawn; he could picture you stretching out in your bed. "So, is it a date?"

"Hell yeah!" he says enthusiastically but groans a second later." "Shit, Wayne won't be able to come over to watch Ronnie. He's going on a fishing trip with some guys from work."

"Just bring Ronnie." Your comment was stated like it was so obvious. As if there could be any other solution to this predicament.

"You mean it?"

"Of course, we could order dinner and watch some movies. And if you spend the night, we can get to the good stuff when he goes to bed." You can hear Eddie groan lightly, a smirk on your face when you realize you have him hook, line, and sinker.

"You're evil. You put a tantalizing situation like that in my head, and now I have to wait six days to see you again. You're a cruel mistress."

"I'll call you tomorrow night; we can talk then."

"Promise?"

"I promise," you giggle. "Love you, Eds."

"Love you too, Sweetheart. Now go to sleep."

"Night, Eddie."

"Night, Y/N." Eddie placed the phone back on the receiver. Oh, how he simply couldn't wait to get to the good part.

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

@kimmi-kat @feltonswifesworld87 @mrsmunsonxquinn @iguessyourejustwhatineeded @hahahafucku @emilyroxy @ihatepeanutss @mackyboo21

[taylortruther]

https://x.com/marsspace17_/status/1833510869386608696?s=46&t=jewF0uxWFlv5q0qmo8IVrA

Understanding that Chappell’s experience as a queer person puts her in a different position, would love your thoughts on this

can i just say, i think it's really ugly for people to use chappell's background and comments as a gotcha. i got a few asks doing the same with beyonce yesterday, too. and this is why i say, talking about individuals isn't super helpful - we have to look at patterns or collective trends.

i believe individuals can make their own choices and i don't judge that (or if i judge, it's not a moral indictment, and i can still understand it). like, i feel extremely lucky that i was raised by blue parents, and they themselves had left backgrounds - eg my grandpa was a communist, my other grandpa was a union activist, my dad was a chicano activist. that's really rare! it helped form my convictions from a young age, even though i grew up in a deeply republican area. but a lot of texans don't actually have that. so of course i know many people who are close to republicans, or have republican family members, etc. my own parents have trumper friends. i fully understand that as individuals, we have to make choices of survival, convenience, out of love, whatever.

but, collectively, the us has a culture of "live and let live" politically... we are a pretty conservative country as a whole in many respects. that does contribute to the politicians who gain power, and it does contribute to true pain and suffering, especially for marginalized people.

so i don't judge chappell, she's just doing what she thinks is right. (or, again, i might judge because ~i wouldn't do it~ but i also understand why she's doing it.)

[hexagonalhavoc]

Hex characters pride month headcanons 

[Author’s Note: Happy pride month! I hope all of you have a good and safe month, I thought this would be fun to make. These are my own personal headcanons and won’t affect my writings, feel free to request any character with any gender!

Also sorry I’ve been gone lately, ya girl got her first job 😎]

Lionel: 

I feel like he grew up in a conservative family so he has some repressed feelings and views that he has to unlearn. 

I could see him being bi but being in denial about it for a very long time.

When his career starts to fail and he fades into obscurity that’s probably when he stops caring and becomes more open about who he is. 

It’s a shame he dies before he starts fully embracing it. 

Rip Lionel 😔

Carla: 

Carla is a lot more self aware and in tune with herself so she figures herself out pretty easily and when she does it’s not too much of a shock to her. 

I see her as being pansexual

Probably goes by she/they too. 

On her social media she’s super outspoken about it but irl she’s more on the down low.

Although she will talk about her love life in front of Lionel just to piss him off and rub in that she’s dated more girls than he has.

Reggie: 

He doesn’t care for much for labels. He doesn’t put much thought into it, he just likes who he likes. (Jeremiah)

Reggie is everyone’s supportive grandpa. Even if he doesn’t understand what one of his patrons may identify as he tries to learn and hears about their experiences. 

Honestly as long as the patrons are onboard with his revenge plan he doesn’t care who they are. 

As long as you can kill Lionel you’re loved and accepted in his inn. 

Jeremiah:

Pansexual demiromantic but if someone asks what his sexuality he just gives them the death stare because he hates talking about himself. 

He has a hard time opening up and working with people so you can probably imagine how long it takes him to become romantically interested in someone. 

It doesn’t help that he’ll most likely push away the people he cares about because as much as he wants it he’s still scared of being loved. 

Poor boy needs a hug 

Chef Bryce: 

Honestly I could see him being gay and just not realizing it. When he does realize it he’s pretty chill about it. 

I can imagine him taking break out of the oven and then all of the sudden he goes. “I might be gay.” And then moves on with his day. 

He hasn’t really had time to think about his feelings so he isn’t really sure and it’s probably going to take him forever to figure out what aligns best with him. 

Lazarus & Chandrelle:

Putting them together so I can say they’re t4t. 

Chandrelle is straight while Lazarus is pan. 

They seem like they would be judgmental but they really don’t care. They’re just living their own lives. 

And after everything they’ve been through I feel like they’re finally able to have a healthy relationship when Lionel is dead and they live in the real world.

Sado: 

Genderfluid pansexual who’s come to wreak havoc on the world. 

If someone were to ask what she identifies as she would tell them to “guess :)” 

Sado loves to shape shift so she’s constantly doing things to alter her appearance which includes gender fuckery. 

Irving: 

Aro ace but in denial about it. 

Even though he probably wouldn’t be in a relationship if he wasn’t aromantic it still stresses him out when he’s alone. 

He’d probably think queer platonic relationships are silly until he’s actually in one.

If he was a real person he’d be that person who brags about having a lot of sex when in reality he’s never been intimate with anyone and wants to keep it that way. 

First Person Perspective: 

No one really knows what he is including himself and he doesn’t really care that much. 

Everyone thinks he’s judgmental but he silently supports everyone. 

Rust McClain: 

I’ve seen some people headcanon him as bisexual and asexual and I can see that. 

Unlike Irving it’s not like he has a distaste for intimacies but it just isn’t his thing. 

Rust is pretty open about being bi too, he doesn’t really care who knows and it’s not something that bothers him. 

He’s the supportive father everyone deserves like it doesn’t matter what you are he’s got your back. 

Rebecha:

Very chill lesbian. 

If you’re friends with her you probably hear her make a lot of gay jokes but with strangers she doesn’t really say anything. 

I think her vibes give it away though. 

[nuri148]

Can I ask you something I wonder about this age? First of all, I would like to say that your analysis of Levi's age, that Levi cannot be 30+ seems to me consistent and logical. This makes me question the age gap between Levi and the other veterans. This makes me question the age gap between Levi and other veterans. If Levi's age in the 850s was 26, how old do you think he was with Erwin or Hange?The only thing I know about their ages is that Erwin was in his late 30s or 40s. and what I know about Hange is that their a few years younger than Levi, or in his early 30s. I don't know if that's common fan information or if it's information given by Yams or his team, but if that's really the case then I think that's a big age difference between Erwin.

Hi Anon!

Unlike with Levi, I have not made my own research about Erwin's age. But the dates in the AoT Wiki showed to be accurate for Levi, so I assume they are true for Erwin as well. It says he asked the fateful question to his dad "circa 825". The problem, of course is that child Erwin looks like a grandpa we don't know how old Erwin was there. 8? 10? 12? I've seen many people argue for the 12-year mark, and indeed he looks about that age in close shots, but when shown talking to the MPs and next to his father's grave, his proportions are that of a young child.

Big Erwin

Smol Erwin

A 12 year old, too, would likely have been more discrete about Mr. Smith's theories about the walls. Or maybe young Erwin was not as cunning as his adult self. Erwin also doesn't say whether his dad specifically told him to keep those theories to himself—the phrasing seems to suggest he didn't.

In any case, it seems strange that a teacher, who should be aware of how likely a child is to recognize sensitive information and/or repeating it based on his age, would share his dangerous theories with said child. Maybe he was just too proud of his own son to realise.

But I digress.

Based on the fact that Erwin didn't have enough sense to realise he should not repeat what his dad said, but his dad likely thought he could handle it, I'd put him in the lower end of the scale, and say he was as young as 8 or as old as 10. That would make him born between 815 and 817... BUT. The timeline says his father died circa 825. So that would add another +/- 1, 2 years? widening Erwin's possible birth year to anywhere between 814 and 818, being conservative.

If, as per my calculations, Levi was born between 823 and 825, this would mean the age gap between them is something between 5 and 11 years, and Erwin would've been 24-30 when he was made commander. Pretty young either way for a commander if you ask me!

Of course, the same observations I made about timeline-complying age and imagined age in Levi's post apply here. I also think Erwin, because of his physique, would be the kind of person to look older than he is, just as Levi tends to look younger.

As for Hange, I read that Yams said she was 2-3 years younger than Levi. It's a shame we don't have any more info about her backstory, really. I like to headcanon her teasing Levi about being like her little brother: "Oi, I'm older than you, shitty glasses!" "Oooh, but I didn't say younger, did I~~~?"

Thank you so much for your ask! It was very interesting!

[dynamite-derek]

Like a Dragon and how video games can tell stories in a different way than other visual mediums

NOTE: This is best read after playing Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. I do not mark spoilers, so if you want to experience the end to the game yourself, I suggest you go play.

When you sit down with a television show or movie, you give a commitment of time to it. For a movie, let's say two-and-a-half hours. For a series of 10 movies, that's 25 hours of time. For a television show, this expands a fair deal. The running time for a drama that most of you reading knows about, Breaking Bad, clocks in at around 60 hours. For a series like the Simpsons, that has been going on for basically forever, that running time is 200 hours.

This is where video games set themselves apart. For a long time, I considered a 'long' playtime of a game to clock in at around 60 hours. I'm just talking about single player RPGs here, for an MMO this is basically baby stuff. In my playthrough of Persona 5 Royal, I think I spent around 100 hours with that cast of characters. 100 hours with Joker and Makoto, 60 hours with Walter White.

This time, think about a long running video game franchise. Earlier we established for a series of 10 movies, you'd have around 25 hours of run time. Let's expound on this and think about the James Bond movie franchise. 53 and a half hours for all 25 movies. A pretty solid amount of time to understand one character I would say. That's still shorter than your average long video game. But what about a series of long video games?

The Yakuza franchise has been running since December 8, 2005 and encompasses seven (soon to be eight) mainline titles and several spinoff games. The franchise, up until Yakuza: Like a Dragon, focused primarily on the exploits of Kazuma Kiryu. If you focus primarily on the main story of every game that has been released in the West, you're probably looking at well over 200 hours of gametime. Roughly as many hours as one would put into watching every episode of The Simpsons. If you do every substory and try to experience as much of the story of every game as possible? Your playtime is going to eclipse 500 hours and that is probably being conservative. 200 hours for 34 years of watching Simpsons. 500+ for 18 years of Yakuza where you get to live through the exploits of a fictional character.

That's 500 hours of getting to know Kazuma Kiryu. There are people who have spent more time with this virtual former Yakuza than they have with their own real life friends. As one of those people who has sunk 500+ hours into the franchise, I feel like I have gotten to know Kiryu very well. He is a stoic man. He has a kind side and will help basically anybody who is down on their luck, but he doesn't seem overly sentimental about it. He does show a love and fondness for people he considers 'family' (A young girl/woman as of Y6 named Haruka that's essentially his adopted daughter, her son Haruto and a crew of orphans) but I don't think he is outwardly sappy about it. You just know he cares.

Not only have we sunken a lot of time into playing as Kiryu, but we have also got to experience him in various stages of life. This is one of the big benefits video gaming has in terms of storytelling. In Breaking Bad, if you wanted to show a 17 year old Walter White, you would need to hire an actor to play him. In Yakuza, no matter what, Kiryu is going to look like and be the same Kiryu. Through playing those 500 hours we have seen Kiryu in various stages of life. We have seen him take the fall for a murder he didn't commit, we have seen him basically adopt a young girl, we have seen him fall in and out of love, we have seen him become the patriarch of the Dojima clan only to vacate it, we have seen him 'retire' into life as a taxi driver and we have gotten to see him be a lovable ol' grandpa. There is no 'other' Kiryu actor. Kiryu is Kiryu.

The latest game in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise (Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name) enters us into another phase of his life. He is a man who must pretend he is dead in order to protect his loved ones. He has basically no interactions with familiar faces from those 500+ hours of gametime. There are only small little parts in the story for series mainstays like Haruka Sawamura, Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima and Daigo Dojima. We only know how Kiryu feels about these people because we have played previous games where he is the star.

Taking him away from those he loves makes for a very isolating experience. The game takes place in familiar territory, but everything feels so foreign. We know this is the guy we've spent so much time with because the game explicitly tells us that he is Kiryu, but he spends most of the game's runtime being referred to as Joryu. Kiryu is supposed to be a dead man, so we have this new identity. Most of that time as Joryu is spent around characters the player probably won't be familiar with. You're playing as someone familiar yet someone different.

Yet at the end of the game, we experience something that feels so much deeper because of how much time we've spent with Kiryu. As I've said, we know he is a stoic man with a heart, but he isn't usually put into situations where he can't interact with his loved ones. This game saves the first interactions with his 'family' for the very end. A camera spies the orphans that he cares about visiting his fake grave. A pair of those orphans notice the camera and start talking to it. They never bought that their 'Uncle Kaz' was dead and take this as a sign that he's still kicking. They proceed to tell him about their life.

As the player, you know this is the one area Kiryu cares deeply about. He loves those damn kids. So you are aware that what you are watching has weight. Your mind might flashback to Yakuza 3 where you experience a great deal of playtime hanging around these orphans. You might remember Kiryu putting on a wrestling match to cheer one of these kids up, you might remember Kiryu trying to find out who stole some money from one of the kids, heck you might even remember having to make donations back to the orphanage during Kiryu's time as a taxi driver in Yakuza 5.

But what really sells that weight is Kiryu's reaction. He openly sobs. And not just silently crying as he watches something, he does what I can best describe as 'ugly crying.' As the orphans talk into the camera about their lives since the death of 'Uncle Kaz,' you hear as his breathing gets more and more shallow. You hear everytime he starts to choke up. You hear him sob. You see tears drop onto the screen. Because you spent so much time living as Kiryu and getting to know him through the franchise, this moment feels exceptionally powerful. You've seen Kiryu cry. You've never seen this.

His voice actor gives such an amazing performance here that I sincerely worry about how the English dub patch will convey this. Kiryu has been voiced by the same man (Takaya Kuroda) since the inception. So when you hear Kiryu break down, you hear the same voice you've heard for years doing it. It's like a dear friend finally can't deal with it anymore. Will his new English voice actor YongYea be able to get across these same complex feelings in a different language? Doubtful.

The conversation ends with the orphans saying they were gonna bring everyone back 'tomorrow' so they could talk with Kiryu too. They even promise to bring a present! Unfortunately, since Kiryu is supposed to be dead and since the orphans weren't actually supposed to spot the camera, there is no second video. The camera got removed. However, the gift still comes. You don't get to physically have it because how can a dead man take something? You get a picture of it instead. It's a drawing made by what is the equivalent to Kiryu's grandchild. Haruka's son. It even has Kiryu in it.

When the player sees this, their mind might flash back to Yakuza 6. The feeling of shock when you discover Haruka now has a child and all the missions spent walking around and comforting this kid. You don't know much about this kid's personality now, but you were there from the beginning. You spent probably 50 hours with that little kid. You had to move the controller up and down to comfort him when he cried. He's Kiryu's 'grandson' but you are aware of him too. You spent time with him.

And Kiryu's tears and reactions to this young boy are every bit as gut wrenching as you might expect. You want nothing more for him to go back to his old life in Kamurocho. You want him and Majima to have one more fight. You want Daigo to show up and be like "Look dude, I need ONE more thing from you." But that time has passed. That Kiryu is gone. And in that moment you feel it. Life has continued without him there and the kids are doing well and he did all he could for them while he was 'alive.' He accomplished something great and as a person who played 500+ hours, you feel a piece of that too.

The feelings you get here are feelings that are exclusive to video games. You simply watch Walter White build his meth empire. You simply watch James Bond race around really shitty CGI icebergs. You got to experience these moments Kiryu went through because for 500+ hours you were there too. You were playing pocket circuit like an idiot, you were training up that number one hostess. You put in the time and you got rewarded for it.

In short, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name is everything that is right about storytelling in video games. It is an experience that can mean something if you merely watch it on youtube, but if you truly put in those 500+ hours it feels a lot more impactful. I can't wait to see where we go from here.

[newvegascowboy]

Honestly I think I'd be closer to my father if he wasn't so conservative. He's voted republican since Reagan and likely will continue to going forward. He's softened his views on topics like abortion and gay marriage, but some of the things he believes I think are vile.

I wish I had a dad like yours!

I'm sorry anon, that sounds rough. I wish western culture incentivized men to be kinder to each other. One thing I feel the need to clarify is that this is by no means an "i hate Men eugh Men" post. I love men. Men are worthy and good and being a man is no sin against them. This post (and my previous one) are NOT a place to dunk on men.

The thing I've realized is that men CAN change. My grandpa has said that he used to be pretty conservative and he voted Republican, and after Trump's first presidency he decided that he was disgusted with the Republican party and never wanted to vote for them again. I remember telling him that I thought Trump voters were unintelligent, and he said that his golf buddies, generally intelligent people (including a former director of the FBI, if i recall correctly) were Trump fans, so I told him that being a Trump fan precluded both intelligence AND empathy. But HE was never sucked into the MAGA cult and he came around to a much more liberal mindset. And what it's taught me is that men who are served by the system CAN change. By and large they just don't seem to want to. And it's a really hard pill to swallow realizing that some people just never take that first step into being a kinder person.

I am insanely, incredibly grateful that the men in my life are not conservative. Genuinely I don't know how I got so lucky. I have so much sympathy for people who have to deal with it. I hope it gets better anon 💖