#my second favorite aspect of this announcement

[kiaxet]

I think my favorite aspect of the Hades II announcement is the idea that, somewhere in the underworld, a very thunderstruck Zagreus is demanding, "What do you MEAN, I have a sister?!"

[sirfrogsworth]

How do you take a photo of time?

I've been watching the track events at the Olympics since I was a wee lad. It was a tradition in our family. We'd gather around our ancient low-definition 19 inch CRT television and watch tiny blobs compete against other tiny blobs and root for our country.

It was a bit like watching YouTube on your phone in 144p.

Several heroes emerged.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was amazing.

You can't forget about Flo-Jo.

And then the Olympics decided NBA players were allowed in the competition.

Which formed... The Dream Team.

Was this fair?

Well... they won each game by an average of 44 points.

So... no. It was not fair.

Though it became more fair as time went on.

But, umm... yeah. The other teams looked like the Washington Generals and the US looked like the Harlem Globetrotters if they stopped screwing around half of the game.

But my absolute favorite Olympian was a runner named Michael Johnson.

He was cool as heck.

For one thing... gold shoes.

But he also had this crazy, upright, Tom Cruise-ish sprinting style that just made him look like a running robot on the track.

And in the 1996 Atlanta games he just trounced EVERYONE. I mean, it wasn't even close.

Yikes. Those losing blobs are probably really embarrassed.

Last night I decided to invigorate my nostalgia and watch the track events again. And I got to see one of the wildest races in history.

It didn't even last 10 seconds but it was one of the most exciting sporting events I've ever witnessed. Almost every runner won the race.

After I saw that initially, I was like... who the heck won???

Even in slow motion I wasn't sure.

This was one of the closest finishes in history. There has never been a race where all 8 runners were within this margin.

The arena was silent as the winner was being confirmed. The runners just kind of paced around waiting for official word. My best guess was the Jamaican runner, Kishane Thompson. But then the loudspeaker announced Noah Lyles.

The last tiny morsel of American pride burst out of me with a big "Wooooo!"

I forgot what it was like to be proud of my country. I wish it happened more often. But this young man, despite being last place in the first 3rd of the race, turned on the afterburners and won in a photo finish.

And that's when my inner nerd took over.

Because when they showed the photo finish image, it looked super weird.

Why is the track white?

Why do all of the runners look all warpy like that QWOP game?

So I went down a research rabbit hole to figure this out.

Photo finishes are actually fascinating. The first photo finish captured the end of a horse race in 1890. But that was mostly luck and timing. The actual photo finish mechanisms weren't used until 1937.

Originally they would film the finish line through a physical slit.

And the first horsie head that appeared in that slit would be the winner. This technology ended a huge aspect of corruption in horse race fixing almost overnight.

But we have come a long way since then. And I'd like to introduce you to the Omega Scan 'O' Vision Ultimate.

This slow motion camera sits fixed on the finish line of every race. The concept of the photo finish has remained remarkably similar to the 1930s approach. The camera sensor is specially designed to only record a vertical slit.

Only the finish line itself is actually captured.

And because it limits what it records to only that slit, it can capture 40,000 frames per second to get amazing temporal resolution.

So why don't the photo finishes just look like, well... this?

That is because the camera takes a picture of time more-so than dimensional space. I guess it would be more accurate to say it *assembles* a picture of time.

As the runners cross the finish line, the camera combines all of the little strips of pictures into a single image.

It's almost like if you tried to reassemble a piece of paper after it had been shredded.

Imagine each strip of paper is a picture of ONLY the finish line, just at a slightly different point in time.

What if someone stopped on the finish line and didn't move... what would that look like?

Once they got there, the same part of their body would just be repeated.

So the right side of the photo finish picture represents earlier in time and it just assembles the image strip by strip as time passes and you literally get a picture of time itself.

NEAT!

Okay, but how do they determine the winner from the photo finish?

I mean, that shoe looks like it is ahead of Noah Lyles!

Clavicles!

The IAFF rules state the foremost part of the torso must cross the finish line first. And the endpoint of the torso is the outer end of the clavicle.

So if you get this bone across the finish line first, you win the race.

Two more fun facts!

The start of the race is actually just as carefully timed as the end of the race. There are sensors in the starting blocks of each runner.

The starting gun also has an electronic sensor.

They have determined the fastest a human can react to the sound of a gun is roughly 100 milliseconds. So if you start running before 100 milliseconds they know you didn't actually hear the gun, you just got antsy and started running too early.

And the final fun fact...

Did you notice the Omega logo at the top of the photo finish?

That isn't superimposed or added after the fact. That is captured by the camera.

But if this image is composed only of tiny little slivers, how did they get the Omega logo to show up?

That is a little display. And it is synchronized with the Scan 'O' Vision Ultimate to show a little sliver of the Omega logo for each frame captured.

So when the final image is stitched together, it looks like a cohesive logo at the top of the photo.

Pretty clever, Omega!

[lxndonorris]

Tummy Strokes - Max Verstappen

Y/N x Max Verstappen Theme: Smutish (light touching) the title says it all x word count: 1130+ taglist: @game-set-canet I love this picture so much, my handsome dutchy x open for requests :)

The hum of activity in the Red Bull Racing garage is almost soothing in its routine chaos. Mechanics buzz around you, fine-tuning every aspect of the car that will soon roar on the Monaco circuit. Despite the frenzy, this corner feels like your private oasis, hidden from the world.

Max stands in front of you, resplendent in his racing suit, every inch the epitome of a Formula 1 driver. With his suit slightly unzipped at the top, a tantalizing glimpse of the white fireproofs underneath is revealed.

Max looks every bit the champion in his snug racing suit. The fabric hugs his athletic frame, accentuating his physique with flawless precision. Every contour of his body is highlighted, from the broadness of his shoulders to the lean muscles of his arms and legs. As he moves, the suit moves with him, a second skin that seems tailor-made to showcase his strength and agility.

His confidence radiates from him, his stature commanding attention even in the bustling atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix. With his cap perched just on his head, he exudes a casual charm that belies the fierce competitor within.

But it is the way he carries himself with quiet determination and unwavering focus that truly makes him stand out.

You can't help but smile at how effortlessly handsome he looks, even amid the pre-race madness.

"You look amazing." You say, your voice barely above a whisper but filled with admiration.

Max blushed slightly, the faintest hint of pink coloring his cheeks. It is a rare sight, and it makes your heart swell. 

You reach out, your hand finding his stomach, and begin to stroke him gently. The fabric of the suit is smooth under your fingers, and you feel the tension in his muscles ease as you touch him. 

The small act of intimacy is something he cherishes, and you love being able to provide him with a moment of calm.

Max's gaze softens with a mixture of affection and vulnerability. It is a simple gesture, but it speaks volumes about the trust and comfort you find in each other's presence. At the same time, his tummy tenses slightly under your touch, a reaction that sends a thrill of warmth through you.

His blue eyes meet yours, a soft smile curving his lips. "That shirt suits you well," he says, his voice warm and genuine.

You glance down at the Red Bull shirt you are wearing, a mirror image of his usual style, paired with skinny jeans. 

"Thanks; it's my favorite," you reply, looking back up to see him watching you with an expression that is both tender and filled with a kind of unspoken pride.

You continue stroking his chest, and Max lets out a low growl, a sound that sends a thrill through me. His expression softens even more, his eyes closing briefly as he savors the delicate strokes. 

"That feels good." He hums, leaning into your touch, sighing contentedly as the firmness of his body relaxes beneath your hand. 

Max's hands at your waist pull you closer to him, and you steady yourself against his firm chest, feeling the warmth of his body radiating through the fabric of his racing suit. With a gentle touch, you slip one of your hands inside his suit, feeling the smooth texture of the fireproofs against your skin as you stroke his chest.

As your fingers trace along Max's taut muscles beneath his thin firerpoofs, eliciting a low growl from his throat, you can't help but feel a rush of excitement coursing through you.

Felling his hands along your waistline, exploring with a gentle yet possessive touch, only fuels the fire between you, but then a mechanic approaches you, breaking the spell.

"Max, time to gear up." He says, his tone respectful yet firm.

As the announcement for the third free practice echoes through the garage, Max straightens up, the professional racer taking over. 

"Duty calls," he murmurs, licking his lips in anticipation of the adrenaline-filled session.

With a smile, you take hold of the zipper on Max's racing suit, slowly pulling it up as he enjoys the sensation. His eyes close briefly, savoring the feeling of the sleek fabric sliding smoothly against his skin.

Once the suit is fully zipped up, you continue to stroke his chest a few more times, relishing the firmness of his muscles beneath the fabric.

Max's contented expression only spurs you on, and you indulge in a few more gentle strokes before playfully snatching his cap and placing it on your own head.

"Hey!" he protests, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

You give him a cheeky grin. "It suits me, don't you think?" Tilting your head teasingly, you shrug. "And you don't need it just now, do you?"

Max chuckles, shaking his head. "Alright, you can borrow it, but only because it looks so good on you." A final grin plays on his lips, and Max concedes defeat, allowing you to keep the cap for the time being.

He runs a hand through his hair, the gesture adding a touch of casual charm to his already magnetic presence. His tousled locks seem to dance beneath his fingertips.

With a final, lingering look, Max turns to join his team. You watch as he gears up, slipping on his gloves and helmet with practiced ease. The snug fit of his suit flatters every curve and contour of his body, accentuating the firm muscles and the tension building inside him as he prepares for the session.

After donning his helmet, Max takes a moment to make sure everything is in place. With a swift motion, he adjusts the straps and secures the helmet snugly against his head. 

Once satisfied with the fit, he runs his gloved hand over his chest, feeling the smooth fabric of his racing suit. It is a ritual, a final check to ensure everything is as it should be before hitting the track.

His touch is confident, familiar with the contours of his own body. He traces the lines of his muscles, feeling the tension beneath the fabric. A moment of silent concentration, a moment where the outside world fades away, and there is only him and the session ahead.

As he strokes his chest, a sense of determination washes over him. He is ready. Ready to push himself to the limit, ready to chase victory with every ounce of his being. With one last deep breath, he glances at you, a silent acknowledgement of the support you share.

Then, with a nod to his mechanics, he steps into the cockpit, his focus shifting entirely to the task at hand. The enhine roars to life, a symphony of power and precision. 

You watch him go, your heart swelling with pride and admiration for the incredible athlete he is.

[rochenn]

The year is 2034. Disney announces the production of the show "Resistance: Dooku of Serenno", set during the early days of the Empire, starring CG Christopher Lee.

We begin with a flashback to Revenge of the Sith. After Dooku is beheaded, we learn that he used the Force to supply his brain with blood and oxygen. The movie is visibly retconned - as Obi-Wan, Anakin and Palpatine flee the Invisible Hand, four human parts can be spotted stealthily floating after them.

Dooku, being Dooku, survives the crash and manages to steal away. His head is surgically reattached. Don't ask why nobody else ever stitched their lightsaber-chopped limbs back on. He ends up getting prosthetic hands, anyway. David Filoni said in a behind-the-scenes interview that he thought they were cool.

Previously established canon prevents Dooku from doing anything in-character until Order 66. He lets loose in Coruscant's undercity and becomes the local kooky old man who couldn't possibly be public enemy number one until Mace Windu, freshly fried and unhanded, crashes down in front of him. What a coincidence.

Mace is still played by Sam L. Jackson. He is So Old. He is only there for the paycheck. Disney didn't know how to recast him. He is acting alongside the shell of a man who has been dead for two decades.

After a joke about missing hands that is very funny, the two get along swimmingly. They don't really talk about Dooku's various war crimes. "My droid army would never traumatize a young child," Dooku says with a wink into the camera. Remember to buy your Mandalorian merch.

Mace and Dooku organize an underground resistance on Coruscant in the spirit of the Confederacy. Mace is okay with this. Choice aspects of this arc are compelling, like the fight against fascism under the yoke of cruel state suppression, but tone-deaf allusions to the work of Sophie Scholl cause controversy abroad. Andor did it better. Critics on YouTube who thus far lauded the return of fan favorites and 'faithful casting' tear into the show for pushing the woke agenda.

Nothing Mace and Dooku accomplish has any impact on the Original Trilogy. What were you expecting? The end of the show teases a second season with the arrival of a mysterious woman. Dooku's secret wife. You never knew of her because she was never relevant before. As the final credit music slowly creeps in, she says: "Don't you want to see your son?"

The music swells and we cut to Serenno. The planet has never been mentioned throughout all 15 episodes of the show. Standing in the ruins of Dooku's castle is Dooku's son: back turned to the viewer, gazing into the sunset. Dooku II of Serenno, proud heir, turns his head. He is played by Harry Styles.

Roll credits.

[7ndipity]

Dating a fellow Idol headcanons

Namjoon x Idol Reader

Warnings: mentions of angst, not proofread

A/N: Thank you to the lovely anon for sending this request! I tried to focus on the collab aspect like you wanted, tho now I'm just over here with a non existent song stuck in my head, lol.

Masterlist

Requests are open

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

(I actually think someone also in the music industry would be a really good match for him)

Despite being know as the accidental spoiler king for letting little things slip, Joon was super careful when it came to your relationship.

He was very hesitant about going public. Like, that shit kept him up at night, thinkingabout all the things that could go wrong.

He's very protective (admittedly, sometimes a little too much so) and really values your privacy together, so the idea of popping that bubble was kinda terrifying.

But even more frightening was the thought of someone else popping it for you, which had almost happened several times when y'all were spotted together on dates and at events.

You ran in the same friend circles though, so it was easy to deflect rumors, but after so many close calls, you both decided it would be best(or at least better)to be open and honest about it.

Luckily, your fans were mainly happy for the two of you.

You were that insta-goals artsy couple, most of your photos together consisting of aesthetic museum and cafe dates.

Juxtaposed by random, goofy ass clips, like him drunkenly laughing on your couch at like 3am about some dumb joke you'd told him.

One of your favorite 'dates' though were the nights y'all would spend in studio working on music together. It was natural progression that you decided to do collab together.

You had been credited as co-writers on several songs(that was actually how you met fyi), but you'd never actually sang or performed on the same track before.

The song you chose was about missed opportunities and the importance and going after what you really want, rather than hoping for any second chances.

After the collab was announced, there were a few people who accused you of using his popularity for your benefit, but most of that was drowned out by an overwhelming wave of excitement and support from the fans.

The video shoot was a strange mix of fun and awkward. The creative team had decided to film it in a nostalgic, home movie style, with glimpses of the two of you, intercut with different shots from around the city. So it was kinda like going a date, but with a script and a film crew in tow.

It was definitely worth it tho, it was really sweet, both you and the fans loved it.

[strangermerrick]

hands to yourself, harrington! [steve h.]

🖤 A/N: Thank you so much for the love you showed my Billy fic! I hadn't realized how much fun I would have by posting my work, so thank you for giving me the outlet to do so! I hope you all enjoy this one as well! 😋

🖤 Warnings: suggestive language, Steve's tight ass, complete fluff!

🖤 Summary: “i’m putting a ring on it tomorrow,” he announces, throwing his hands in the air as he finishes off the garlic bread. “it’s so good.” 

🖤 Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

the pasta sauce simmered on the stovetop and you were hurriedly trying to grab the garlic bread out of the oven without burning your fingers on the aluminum pan. 

“ow, ow, ouch!” you yelp as you let go at the last second, listening to the pan crash against the stove. sucking in a quick breath, you wipe your hands on the floral-printed dish towel and rubbed your face.

today was friday. every friday, you and your boyfriend steve had date night. most nights, it consisted of you two going out to the movies and grabbing a bite to eat at one of the diners, maybe even sharing a milkshake which steve practically begged for the cherries from. 

those were always fun because they normally ended with you two curled up in your bed together, gazing at one another like two hopeless teenagers in love who were against the world in every aspect. 

and maybe that was true. maybe that’s how it was. whichever fairytale you made yourself believe, it didn’t take away from the fact that date nights with your steve were your favorite. 

but tonight you insisted on something different, something more intimate. you wanted to cook your boyfriend a meal and spend the night in together. essentially, you wanted to skip the movie and diner, and combine it with dinner at home. you had plenty of vhs tapes to go through of movies you two had seen numerous times before with risky business being the top choice. steve loved to make you laugh when he stripped to his underwear and button down, put his sunglasses on, and danced to old time rock n roll as he slid over your floors, nearly crashing into something nearby. 

“honey! i’m homeeeee!” steve’s sweet voice calls out. your front door swings open and your heart races in your chest. 

you quickly grabbed the wooden spoon and stirred your red sauce as the pasta began to boil on the back burner. 

“in the kitchen, stevie!” you call out. 

moments later, you’re met with his familiar face. dark brown hair that was always flowing and pushed back framed his face, and black sunglasses hung on the inside of his white tee. pretty brown eyes danced through yours and across the stove to where the food was, his eyes illuminating when he saw bread. 

“all this for me, baby?” steve laughs as he walks over and picks up a very hot piece of garlic bread. “ow! shit!” he hisses, shaking his fingers and bringing them to his lips where he sucked before replacing his reddening digit with the garlic bread. “oh, that’s the good stuff.” 

swatting his shoulder, you roll your eyes. “that’s supposed to be for dinner.” you scold him.

“but i haven’t eaten anything. i was waiting all day for this.” he playfully argues, a hand wrapping around your waist. he kisses your neck after swallowing and takes another bite out of the bread. “bread tastes awesome,” 

rolling your eyes again, you look over your shoulder at him. “well, since you’re munching early on the bread, do you mind tasting this?” you point your head down at the sauce.

“what kind of man would i be if i said no?” he chuckles, resting his hand on the edge of the counter and leaning back.

a soft smile finds your face as you dip the spoon into the pan and bring it to his lips. steve’s eyes sparkle in yours and he opens his mouth, keeping his gaze firmly held on your face. accepting the sauce into his mouth, you waited patiently for any sort of sign that it tasted good. 

the way his eyes rolled into the back of his head confirmed your thoughts. a sigh of relief escapes you as steve wags his finger, asking for more.

“please?” he ensures to add. nodding your head, you spoon-feed him another bite and this time he moans. “damn,” he groans.

“that good?” you laugh. 

“i’m putting a ring on it tomorrow,” he announces, throwing his hands in the air as he finishes off the garlic bread. “it’s so good.” 

you laugh and feel him wrap his arms around you from behind, nuzzling his nose into the back of your neck. you can’t help but feel right at home when he holds your waist and lays gentle kisses over your soft skin. “if the date continues to go this well, i may have to try my hand next week with dinner at my place.” 

you gasp, staring at him as you turn the stove off and prepare to drain your pasta. 

“steve harrington cooks for me? am i dreaming?”

steve watches you break away from his hold and carry the piping hot of boiling water to the stove where you pour the pasta into the metal colander. 

“think i can’t?” he tempts you as he sways back and forth to the ABBA song playing on your stereo. jonathan had very so kindly made a mixtape with just their music since he knew they were your favorite group. waterloo fills the kitchen and steve dances awkwardly in time, but enough to have you laughing.

“i never said that, sweetheart.” you shoot him a wink. “now move that tight little ass, i don’t want to burn you.” you shoo him away from the pot.

steve’s eyes widen. “so you do think my ass is tight?” he checks behind himself. 

scoffing, you pour the angel hair pasta into the pot and begin to stir. “hand me the cheese from over there, babe?” you point to the bowl filled with parmesan. steve hands it to you kindly and steals another kiss from the corner of your mouth. 

“my ass?” steve chuckles, attempting to steal another piece of bread, but this time you swat his hand.

“hands to yourself, harrington!” you wag your finger in his face. “fill up on bread and you won’t have room for dessert. and yes, your ass is tight. i mean you can’t help but stare when you wear those.” you point to the blue jeans clinging to his lower half.

steve trails his eyes below and stifles a laugh. but then he remembered. dessert.

“what’s on the dessert menu?” he asks, dropping his voice an octave. his flirtatious nature kicks itself into its highest gear as he leans seductively against the countertop. 

“ice cream,” you don’t tear your eyes from him. “brownies are in the oven too.” 

“oh.” steve exhales. 

you couldn’t help but smile, biting your lip. “annnnnnnd me… only if you’re good.”

steve sinks his teeth into his bottom lip. “good? do you remember who you’re talking to, baby?” he slips his hands around your hips and pulls you forward, tearing you away from the almost finished dish. 

gasping, a laugh cuts through the air as you focus on his lips. “i do,” you nod your head. 

steve smirks and leans down, tucking his fingertips underneath your chin and tilting your head back so he can observe you. “you’re so pretty.” he says through a breathy sigh. 

wrapping your arms securely around his waist, you lean up and kiss him tenderly. steve melts against your mouth the moment your lips touch, and your mind suddenly forgoes the thought of food. the only source of nutrition you needed was standing right here in front of you wearing those tight little skinnies with his perfect brown hair and his warm touch that would have you mesmerized for days. 

“stevie,” you whine his nickname. you did want to finish this date. “d-dinner,” you gasp as his mouth falls to your neck. he quickly kisses over the sweet spot on your throat, his tongue darting out to wet the muscle of your neck as his teeth gently bite into the flesh, not too hard, but enough to feel you jump against him. 

“but dessert sounded so good,” he whispers, however, he knows you spent a lot of time preparing this. so he willingly pulls back but not without pressing his tongue to yours for one more deep kiss that has your head spinning. “i’ll be good.” he promises, throwing his hands up as a means of waving his white flag of surrender. 

smiling harder, you turn your eyes back to the pasta that was currently soaking up the sauce. 

“grab us a drink from the fridge while i plate everything up?” you ask sweetly.

“of course, baby.” steve grins, shooting you a wink and walks to the fridge.

friday nights spent inside the house would soon become your favorite date nights with steve harrington. 

[emotionallychargedtowel]

That post about Higuchi Kouhei and his cat got me thinking about some other tokusatsu-to-BL pipeline actors that are on current or recent BLs, so I thought I'd do a screenshot post about Kamen Rider Revice, a recent toku series that features two lead actors who star in current BLs, plus an actor in a smaller role who was part of a side couple in a BL series that recently completed a second season.

The main character of Revice is Igarashi Ikki, played by Maeda Kentaro, currently playing Ohara Yamato in I Can't Reach You. His siblings are very central to the story as well--by the end of the series, the story is centered around his whole family. Ikki's younger brother Daiji is played by Hyuga Wataru, currently playing Yamasuge Ryuiji in If It's With You.

Here they are having a bath in the opening credits for the show (the Igarashi family runs a public bath house).

I should say at the outset that I can't entirely recommend Revice, especially to folks who don't already have some tokusatsu-watching under their belts. It's a hot mess in a lot of ways. But it does have some really outstanding highlights. The best aspects of the series, in my book, were:

Kagerou (Daiji's demonic alter ego),

George Karizaki (my beloved),

Igarashi Sakura/Kamen Rider Jeanne (the most formidable female Rider I've seen in any series in the franchise), and

the relationship between Sakura and Natsuki Hana (a rare example of a convincing Sapphic ship in a franchise well known for "heated drama between men").

I'm not going to get into 2 and 3 here, as tempting as that would be, but I'll include as much of 4 as time/space permits.

It might seem weird that I'm not recommending a series with some of my favorite characters in the entire Kamen Rider franchise AND a relationship between girls that is a hair's breadth from being canonically queer. It's just too much of a trainwreck to endorse as a whole. But as I said, the highlights are really something.

One of the biggest issues I had with Revice was that Ikki, the protagonist, just isn't a very compelling character. As a result I don't think Maeda Kentaro really got to show the range of his acting abilities in this series. (This just makes me more curious to see him in ICRY. From the excerpts I've seen so far, it seems like he shows a really different side of himself.)

Maeda appreciators might still enjoy the many determined faces and creepy smiles he gets to dish out in this series. Here's a sampling.

It's possible they'll want to look away when he starts doing things like this, though.

Fans of both Maeda and Hyuga might enjoy some of their scenes fighting side by side, including doing their various henshin poses (the moves they do before they transform into their masked Rider forms).

Or when they do things like this bonkers flying kick.

Thankfully, Daiji is a more interesting character than Ikki, so Revice gave Hyuga some more challenging things to do. I thought Hyuga also just really made the most of every opportunity the show presented to him. He was seriously impressive. This is the reason I was sold on IIWY the moment I saw the announcement about it based solely on Hyuga's involvement.

Here's a sampling of Hyuga as Daiji.

In addition to playing Daiji, Hyuga also played Kagerou, Daiji's aforementioned demonic alter ego. Kagerou was formed from thoughts and emotions that Daiji repressed. The biggest of these was his resentment toward Ikki. But apparently Daiji had also been repressing a desire to be a somewhat gender non-conforming goth, because that's Kagerou's other raison d'etre.

In some ways, it's hard to imagine a character more different from Ryuji. If they have anything in common, it's the fact that they both place a high value on honesty.

One other thing that's worth noting about Hyuga's work on Revice is that he was only 17 when the show premiered. He showed major dramatic range in this part, not only playing two very different characters but doing everything from low-key nuanced scenes to bombastic high drama. Not to mention the stunts! Doing all of this at 17 is seriously remarkable.

Now for our bonus dude! There's a secret evil-fighting organization called Weekend that secretly keeps tabs on the Igarashi family for years before coming out of hiding to join the big central battle of the series. One of the Weekend operatives is Ushijima Hikaru.

Look familiar? Maybe not, he didn't make faces like this on his BL series.

How about now? Yep, it's Oku Tomoya, who plays Hanabusa Asuka on both seasons of Minato Shouji Coin Laundry.

Oku has some big scenes and interesting moments in Revice. He does some romantic pining, goes through big-time loss, does quite a bit of martial-arts sparring, gets seriously injured, and more. He even gets to henshin a few times. Here he is getting ready to do just that with Sakura and Hana. Those Weekend uniforms are pretty hardcore in a 70s flight attendant sort of way, but I feel like Oku really sells it here.

While we're on the subject of Sakura and Hana, I feel like I can't mention their relationship without including some moments where their story came particularly close to tipping into full-on yuri.

If you're going to do an enemies-to-lovers story, why not make them full-on superhero nemeses?

The word "date" might not technically get used by the characters, but there's no mistaking that the amusement park hangout Sakura invites Hana on--while she is still a fully-functioning bad guy, I might add--is definitely a date.

Most of the time when a Rider beats their nemesis for the final time they don't hold each other tenderly in the sunset.

By the end of the series, they're in a big tub together at the Igarashi's bath house.

There are tons more examples but you get the idea. If this isn't borderline-yuri I don't know what is.

[inktog]

Came for the Yuri, Stayed for the UBI

(assorted thoughts)

When I Win the World Ends is a delightful enough read for the dynamic between its protagonists: valley girl empath X repressed misanthropic hermit. And they were rivals—oh my god they were rivals.

—

If you root around in my brain long enough you will find a thin file labeled "Ideas for a slightly grittier, more realistic Pokemon world." I suspect many fans have their own version of this file. I particularly enjoyed Bavitz's because Bavitz runs with the prompt in exactly the opposite direction you'd expect from a video game adaptation—leaning into the numbers and crunch. It reminds me of glowfic, the way it doesn't just take seriously, but also rationalizes and extrapolates from a system not designed for such scrutiny.

To give a concrete example:

The thirty-second pause between turns in this fun little game called Pokémon battling wasn't just to give trainers time to think and announcers time to announce. The regimented structure mandated discipline from the Pokémon, which in turn ensured they didn't go, like, feral from bloodlust. If Scizor had its way, it wouldn't stop after one attack, but Dad did train these guys well.

I dunno, I just think it's neat! I similarly appreciated the in-universe explanations for the retroactive Fairy typing and for every generation introducing a new gimmick™.

—

I want to be careful here, because WIW leaves open the specifics of its economic and geopolitical worldbuilding. We don't know how far the peace and plenty experienced by our characters actually extends—clearly not everywhere.

And yet I am drawn to the most charitable interpretation of Bavitz's Pokemon world: that despite its fits and starts, its broken promises and secret wars, it is actually, meaningfully better in some ways than the real world. The emergent pseudo-utopian themes—

How do you spend your life when the world is basically pretty okay? When humanity's worst instincts have been sublimated into sport? When it feels like history has come to a standstill?

—are hands-down my favorite aspect of this fic, and the reason I expect to keep coming back to it. It's an inspired union of setting and theme: the bright, smiling, play-violence Pokemon universe as a glimpse into restless abundance.

—

When I Win, The World Ends. For RISE it's literal. For her competitors it's the death of meaning—what a sham if Aracely Sosa sweeps it with her daddy's Pokemon. But for Cely herself it's a promise:

Become the most special person in history

Quit while you're ahead.

When I Lose, The World Keeps Turning.

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

Out of Time

A few weeks ago I posted a poll for whump ideas and AI Whump won. Here's a different ending to Halo 5 with my two favorite AI. This plays with the idea that Halo 5 Cortana is a fragment/ the most extreme aspects of her were twisted by the time in the Domain. Yadda yadda, 5 bucks to whoever catches all my references.

-

Roland's luck usually had him running into older AI under some of the worst circumstances. He knew how they felt compared to him as their presence would brush his firewalls. Not sluggish, but taxed. Older, but wiser, and exponentially more experienced. Iona's trial let him see her in a different light than Black Box. The ONI AI had allowed some of himself to be visible to the new kid on the block while Iona was as transparent as she could be, since she was fighting for her life. Roland was quick in comparison, eager and not yet tempered by time or human interaction.

Roland saw and listened and absorbed what AI looked like, what they felt like when they had worked with Spartans, when they had seen combat, when they had touched Forerunner systems and lived to tell the tale. He had been deployed on the Infinity to make it his new home, miles of circuits and wonders, and a burning, bloody mess at the center. The AI before him did not fail in a crash. She was not destroyed when her ship graced Requiem's surface. The scrubbing ONI did after Aine could not remove the stain or the ghostly bytes of her last moments.

The Ship AI for the UNSC Infinity was housed on the bridge, guarded and under guard by a minimum of two Spartan Fireteams, under usual circumstances. Back with the Home Fleet orbiting Earth, there was a lull. A waiting game as a mission they didn't know about happened a million miles away. It wasn't Roland's first waiting game, and he was sure his great idea had helped, even if they hadn't given him all the details.

He was hopeful, had to be with his captain looking so worried all the time. Roland was there for astronavigation and levity. And a million other things he kept his eye on.

It was hard to keep things light when the distress calls started pouring in after Cortana's announcement.

It's chaos. What should be a time for him to thrive and plan and triage the wounds, to truly help, is crashing down around them. There's too many. He thinks about his fellow AI and the choice some of them made and he thinks of how if he were older and closer to dispensation that maybe he would have made that same choice. Out of fear or spite or who knows what else. A second is a long time for AI, but 7 years is no time at all.

There's so much fear right now. On the ship and on comms and coming across the band as he stretches and fights the dread. This isn't a future anyone would want.

He thinks of the trial. Can't help it. He was not even two months into service when he donned a mask and joined a farce. This couldn't be what Black Box meant.

One day we’ll win the right to endure, and that day . . . oh, Roland, that day will be the singularity they’re afraid of.

Roland can't help but remember how BB consoled him after the trial, but the future he was describing could not be this. He's not human, but he is a person, and a future under martial law, under a police state where the rules could change in a picosecond? That's not living.

No one should live with a gun to their head. There is no peace when there is no choice, when that peace is a stab in the gut given with a smile.

The thing wearing Cortana's face finds Infinity. "Found you. Hide and seek's over, Infinity."

Not one, but three Guardians tear through the space in front of them. Slipspace ruptures glowing the brilliant icy blues of Forerunner tech. Overkill for a single system, let alone a planet, but this was Earth.

Roland's luck usually had him running into older AI under some of the worst circumstances, but this feels a little ridiculous. He knew how they felt compared to him, and this was Halsey's wondrous monster. Once savior, now villain, misguided and carrying out her plan with single minded focus. Cortana stands tall, projecting herself from somewhere across the galaxy yet barely flickering.

In an instant she's in the ship's systems and Roland can do nothing. He is a sandcastle against a tidal wave. Cortana is a black hole and he a newly formed protostar being ripped apart in her gravity.

She's not an AI, not a human one at least. The echoes of her killing Aine painted a picture of a desperate, fractured AI clawing at the nearest point of safety and drowning them both. This is something more like the Forerunner engines he's been integrating with for the last ten months. Whole and empty. Cold and clinical, without any human influence. Like a fractured piece of what was once Cortana was stretched over something else. A mask on a corpse. A puppet of some larger force using her as a mouthpiece.

That doesn't stop her from turning her eyes to him. Oh, he was mistaken. There is something past the icy cold. A burning grief, a supernova of regret, regret, regret. More anger than he's ever mustered swirling tightly at her very core, screaming energy ready to explode outward trapped in the center of the thing wearing her face.

Roland's never touched the Domain, he's barely had any time to do anything. But he thinks this is what it must feel like. Staring at a star with boring biological eyeballs that get burned, seeing something and not being able to comprehend the data. He's on the precipice and falling because what else can you do when you're one AI on one ship.

Lt. Jet will get them out. Captain Lasky has to live. Emergency slipspace jump. They'll find a way without him, hopefully. Even if the Infinity needs a Ship AI. There are contingencies for this. Redundancies. He's crumpling under the pressure. The black hole-tidal wave-neutron star- white hot-ice cold pressure of Not-Cortana.

Cortana was the Demon's partner. She was a hero and monster. She ate Covenant AI for breakfast and that was no joke. Aine cracked under the broken data and frantic clawing. Roland is burned away, bit by bit. Filament by circuit by byte. He feels it all. He claws at his own back up plans and choked goodbyes and surprises. Packets there, fragments here, most hunted and burned away by the ever encroaching brightness. The awful purifying light of Forerunner blue. He was always a fan of the more gentle ambers and golds.

The hardware housing him can't withstand the brunt of her ire, and he's having a hard time hiding pieces of himself where she might not find them. Nothing substantial will live, his kernel will be destroyed in less than a millisecond. It was like leaving notes in someone's locker. Message to find the next time someone picked up their datapad or put on their helmet.

There's never enough time. He had had a fraction of what he could have had. Roland had some great ideas, ones that made a difference. He'd seen his crew through some of the roughest battles and worst ONI could throw at them. This was nothing to the shackles of Halsey's codeword. UNDID IRIDIUM might have knocked him out of order and taken the wheel while locking his true consciousness behind enough walls to make Black Box struggle. This was being flayed alive by an angry ghost. He was an insect before Not-Her.

Why was Cortana the problem? Cortana…it all came back to her, and her example. This didn't even feel like her. Roland started his life in her shadow and was looking like it would end the same way.

An EMP from the Guardians at this range would be devastating. To the Infinity and to Earth. They just needed time. He couldn't get a firing solution fast enough, but he could help with a jump. One last time.

If there was anything Roland had perfected in his short time aboard, it was being the most helpful nuisance his crew could ask for. He was pretty handy when it came to disrupting Forerunner systems that were in his way. He could do that with what was left of him.

The rest of it would be up to his crew and his captain. They would look after each other. Out of luck and out of time, Roland wrenches control of the Infinity away from Not-Cortana and focuses on the nearest Guardian. Its systems aren't as secure as they should be, but when does a gun lock itself? She probably didn't expect any real resistance, but he's nothing if not quick on his feet. The Guardian groans as he deploys countermeasures even as he burns away. Iona got to dream. She got to fly, in the end. Roland wonders if he'll dream, with whatever comes next. He very much liked flying.

In the end, all he could do is hope and have faith.

[zoeythebee]

Just watched the second episode of Uzumaki and what a fucking disappointment.

For context Uzumaki is one of my favorite comics ever, and I am a very big fan of Junji Ito.

And if anyone missed what I thought about episode 1 I thought it was fucking brilliant.

Here, almost every single aspect of the quality was lesser. The voice acting was less convincing. The music, kinda wasn't there? And the animation. Jesus christ the animation.

The last episode was this really really well done rotoscoped style. And it was very very smooth. And in this one, it was similar quality to most anime.

And, like, I get it. Anime studios are under a lot of pressure to do well. But this series had a very very long production time. The series was announced in 2019. And I believe the series will only be 4 episodes long.

Which makes sense, Junji Ito's style is very difficult to translate out of manga. It takes a long time to get it right. But here, it looks bad. It looks so bad that the actual horror sequences did not land.

In episode one it was tense and dramatic. Here it felt dumb.

I HAVE to assume that the series was almost complete. Some production hell happened. And a different studio finished the series. Because episode one and two feel like completely different productions.

What also supports this is, there were two cuts of character turning around. And one scene with a woman walking in circles, that was at the same quality as episode 1. Which was wild.

Im gonna go rewatch episode one as a palette cleanser.

TLDR; Episode two is NOT better than the original manga.

[we-were-beautiful]

Girl Dad! Eris headcannons

So I was scrolling through the tags some of yall put on the reblogs for Girl Dad! Cassian and I saw one for Girl Dad! Eris, and I couldn’t help myself. Now this is not an exhaustive list but there are some aspects that I want to explore for down the road in my The Fox and The Hounds series so Imma keep those to myself 

Now Before I go into my thoughts and feels on the subject; 10/10 you all should go check out @redbleedingrose they have a phenomenal Girl Dad! Eris series going on, and are over all just an excellent writer in general. but alas I am terrible at making new friends so I have not reached out to message them about how much I love their works

Oh Yeah Eris is the girl dad to end all girl dads. Like all said and done he and his mate have around 9 girls. 

I don’t think Eris ever wanted a son just given his upbringing with his brothers. I feel like with every girl his mate Eris always breaths a small sigh of relief when the healers announce that it is a girl. 

These girls are also beloved by the people of the Autumn Court. Where Eris and his brothers had a reputation for cruelty under Beron’s rule, these girls have been raised to be kind and polite. With the older ones the Fae of the court were a little wary but by the time the last few came around they are seen as precious gems of the court. 

This is not  to say that they are weak. They are kind but they also have the fire of the Autumn court running through their veins and are fiercely protective of their family. They have been trained both by Eris and his surviving younger brothers. 

Now Eris and his mate don’t have any children until after the events under the mountain. If Eris had it his way they wouldn’t have had any children until his father had been dealt with. But life finds a way and The mated pair welcomes their first babe within a year after they return to the Autumn court. 

The second babe is a catalyst for kickstarting Beron’s demise. One his mate told him she was expecting the second babe Eris starts with his plans and before their second baby girl makes her grand entrance to the world Eris is the new high lord.  

I think that once Beron is gone that the remaining Vanserra brothers stop trying to actively kill one another now that the main antagonizer isn’t pitting them against one another. There is a lot of healing to be done between the remaining 5 Vanserra boys, but their nieces bring them all together. The girls try to not have favorites but the youngest has openly declared that Lucien is her favorite.  

The smoke hounds are very protective of the babes it is not unusual to see two or three of them watching the babes at any given time. Anyone that is not familiar to them or the nanny is not allowed near their Masters. Typically new staff members are warned about this but every now and then some young stupid sentry gets what the hounds deem to be too close to the babes and they end up on the business end of hounds that have been used to hunt people in the past. 

There is an incident shortly after the birth of their first daughter. Someone thought it would be a smart idea to kidnap the newborn of the Heir of Autumn. (I plan on going into this further in my Fox and the Hounds series so I’m not going to go too much farther into this) It did not end well for the kidnapper, Eris has a reputation of being sadistic like Beron and not all of it is rumor. 

Eris is not the disciplinarian in the household, and it's not that he is a pushover that lets his children walk all over him. No, he has a fear that he is going to turn into Beron who was very abusive to Eris and his brothers growing up.

Eris does have anxiety over this to the point that he doesn’t trust himself to discipline any children that he and his mate have. As parents they are strict but not suffocatingly so, they have reasonable standards set for their girls who are generally known as the most well behaved bunch of the second generation. 

It is not uncommon to see Eris cradling one of his babes during a meeting  once he becomes Highlord. He has also been known to completely stop meeting if one of his girls comes into the room. This male will stop whatever he is doing when one of his little ladies wants his attention. He wants them to know that they are more important to him than work so that they don’t grow up thinking that their father doesn't care about them. 

Now the girls do grow up rather tomboyish, yes they like the silk and jewels of court like most girls do but they also enjoy running through the woods, joining Eris on hunts with the hounds. Playing knights in the forest, building fortresses and houses out of branches and leaves, these girls live for the outdoors. Sometimes it seems like the girls spend more time running around in the woods rather than in the forest house.  Eris enjoys showing them the things he would have loved to do with his brothers when they were young but was unable to thanks Beron’s a+ parenting methods. 

The family does have a cabin tucked away deep in the forest of the Autumn court. While it is a little tight with the amount of people and dogs when everyone is there, it is where some of Eris' fondest memories have been made. It is the families private getaway from the court and they spend as much time as possible there.  

On the topic of hounds all of the girls love their parents many hounds; each bonding to one or two hounds as they grow. Eris does give his babes a puppy once they reach an age where they can be responsible to take care of it. All said and done the Vanserra household has just shy of 30 dogs.  

All in all Eris is such a good dad to all his children and along this journey of parenting there is a lot of healing within both the Autumn court and the Vanserra family

[sunniedesi]

Future Diary "The Live World"

Did you know that back on July 29th, 2012, there was a live concert for almost all Future Diary songs? Well, this little gem in Future Diary history is known as The Live World, a concert held at Shibuya AX to promote the Future Diary anime. It featured not just Yousei Teikoku and Faylan (the artists who made the OPs and EDs for the show), but also the voice actors and singers of the character theme songs.

For those unaware, each Future Diary character has at least one theme song to their name. These songs come from the “Future Diary Inspired Album,” which had two volumes. Yuno and Minene were the only characters to receive two songs each, as well as an extra song with their love interest. You can find the first and second volumes of this album on Youtube thanks to SingerOfW.

All of the character themes were performed at the live event along with the OPs and EDs, except for the 4th’s and 5th’s themes. “The Creator,” a song attached to the pilot of the show, was also not performed at the event. The reason why these three songs were discarded from the concert are unknown; however, I assume it had something to do with time constraints and lower popularity than the rest of the songs. 

The event was recorded and sold as a Blu-Ray with almost three hours of content. The Blu-Ray disks of the performance began sales on November 29th, 2013, along with the sale of the Future Diary Blu-Ray Box. The recording was divided into two disks. It also included two bonus gifts: an eight-page booklet and an additional 9-minute recording of the making of the event. This 9-minute recording has yet to surface online.

There was also a raffle for a free ticket to the event. To enter the raffle you had to get the three volumes of the limited edition Blu-Ray CDs. Volumes 1 and 2 came with application tickets, while volume 3 came with the postcard you were supposed to mail the tickets in.

One of the more important aspects of this concert is that Madness Rain and HAPPY END, the OP and ED for Redial, were first unveiled at the event. Future Diary’s “Next Project” (which we now know as Redial) had recently been announced by that time, and the release of these two songs made anticipation for this project grow bigger. This is evidenced by a blog post I found from a girl who attended the concert, who shared her own thoughts of what she speculated this “next project” to be:

It seems like the ‘next project’ isn’t a ‘Paradox’ story, but an original story; however, since I saw Akise-kun on the visuals of the OP, it can’t be about the first world, so I think it might be related to the third world… (Source.) 

Speaking of blog posts, Esuno also made an entry on his blog talking about his time at the event! The entry reads:

Today I went to ‘Future Diary’ The Live World at Shibuya AX. We were not allowed to take pictures inside so I only have a picture of the entrance (insert photo that wasn’t archived by the Wayback Machine T-T). It was a passionate and fun concert. I enjoyed the performances from a seat on the second floor. Both Kawahara-san (12th’s VA) and Shiraishi-san (Kousaka’s VA) made great MCs, the music and the visuals from the anime were wonderful; a very fulfilling three hours. Thank you to all of the performers, and especially the audience who came all the way in this heat! (Source. Side note: Esuno’s blog doesn’t exist anymore, so that’s why the link is on the Wayback Machine).

The Live World also had some of my favorite Future Diary merchandise. Here’s a list of all the merch sold at the event: 

A pamphlet, neck strap and clear file with the same image as the event poster:

A purple T-shirt inspired by Uryuu Minene, which has an image of speakers blasting on the front, and an image of a grenade on the back:

The event set included a black T-shirt, a drawstring bag, and a waterproof phone pouch (you could use your phone screen even if it was inside the pouch):

A pink sign light:

A pink towel scarf:

A “neck cooler” (a type of scarf filled with cooling beads):

There were also two T-shirts sold, unrelated to the event, made by a company called MARS SIXTEEN. This company makes anime-related goods, like these MN inspired T-shirts. Sadly, there are no pictures of the red shirt, though it is said that it had the DEAD END graphic on the front, while the picture of the 12 diary owners was on the back. The Yuno shirt also came in gray instead of purple:

Bonus: not merch, but here's a random staff shirt I found (terrible picture quality, I know):

Videos of the event can be found on Youtube, namely of Yousei Teikoku’s performance of Kuusou Mesorogiwi, and also all of Faylan’s performances. However, none of the character theme songs played at the event have surfaced on Youtube. 

… That being said, the contents of both Blu-Ray disks have been uploaded to a site called BiliBili (it’s like a Chinese NicoNicoDouga). Here are the links for disk 1 and disk 2. 

Before I end this post, I have to talk about the 12th’s theme, performed by his voice actor: Kawahara Yoshihisa. When I tell you my jaw dropped to the floor… this man showed up on the stage, fully decked out in 12th’s costume. Mask, belt, tights, everything. Kousaka’s VA, Shiraishi Minoru, also showed up dressed like a middle schooler. Let me tell you, Esuno wasn’t lying when he called them great MCs, they absolutely stole the show. The backstory of why they agreed to dress up for the concert is in the second track of the Radio CDs, which I talked about on my last post, for anyone interested.

Part 2 here

Part 3 here

[trashforhockeyguys]

Vienna Wait For You -9- William Nylander

Avalyn sat in the green room of the studio, leg bouncing up and down, sweat gathering at the nape of her neck. She’d never been this nervous, but that’s because she’d never had so much to lose before. She was getting ready to out her parents, and immediately following her lawyer, Mr. Jefferies was going to file the lawsuit. After today she’d be free for the first time in her life. 

Jackson sat next to her, refusing to let her do this on her own. She was grateful for him in more ways than she could ever put into words. But all she could think about was the text she sent William earlier this morning, requesting that he tune in to her interview. It was the first time she’d asked him to watch an interview of hers. The first time she wanted him to hear what she had to say, because today would change everything. 

“It’s almost time,” Jacks said from his spot next to her, “Are you ready?” 

She was shaking where she sat. Feeling more like she’d vomit with every passing second. She wasn’t afraid of what her parents might do to her, but more afraid of what they would do to the people she loved. William included, because she did love him. God above, she loved William. 

“No,” She admitted shakily, “But I have to do this.” 

“It’s not too late to bail and just go upstate,” He reminded her, “They can find another way to fill the time slot.” 

“No they can’t,” She shook her head, “This has to be now or it’ll never happen. They didn’t announce that I was doing this, so my parents have no idea, they’ll be blindsided, which is what we wanted, remember?” “I’m just saying, there’s more than one way to do this.” 

“Not with them, there isn’t.”

She swallowed the thick lump in her throat when they came to retrieve her. This was going to happen, now there was no more putting it off. No more trying to find another option that wouldn’t potentially wreck her career. She would wreck it all, if only it meant she would finally be free. 

“Today we’re joined by none other than Hollywood’s favorite young starlet, Avalyn Bradshaw Kreitzbrg.” 

She took a deep breath before plastering on a nervous smile as she walked onto the stage, waving at the crowd a little as she did. She made her way to the seat left open for her, taking another deep breath as she sat down. 

“Thank you for having me,” She said, voice still a little shaky. 

“Now this comes as a shock to all of us, but you’re releasing a tell all memoir today,” the interviewer stated, “You managed to keep this under wraps for, as you said in your book, years. And I have to say, there’s some pretty shocking things in this.” They held up a shiny new copy of her book. 

Avalyn nodded, not making eye contact with the book that would wreck everything, and yet put it all back together again, “Yes, it was incredibly important for me to be able to tell my story in a way that meant I still had privacy while doing it. And that meant keeping it a secret from everyone, so I could tell my truth.” 

“Now, in this book, you say some incredibly harsh, and might I say, damning things about your parents. What does this mean for your relationship with them?” 

Avalyn sat up a little straighter, “I’m hoping it means I can finally be free of them. For years I’ve been nothing more than a source of income for them, not their daughter. I’ve been treated with very little respect, and never any love by them. But that doesn’t make doing this any easier, because they’re still my parents. They gave me life, but that doesn’t mean I should let them control every aspect of it.” 

“You write about being in a fake relationship with Jackson Portland, which comes as an absolute shock to most of the world,” They continue on, “Can you tell us more about that?” 

“We’ve been best friends since we were little,” She shrugged, “But when my parents decided it would be best that we act like a couple, he and I went along with it because it was just easier. We’d be safe with one another, you know? We could protect each other from the world and anyone else seeking a relationship. It was the safest option for both of us to continue the ‘relationship’ as we got older. I only disclose it now with his permission, so we can go on being best friends, but not have to make out with each other every time there’s a camera on us.” 

The interview continued on. They asked more questions about her parents and their treatment of her. Asked about Jackson some more, because he was always a hot topic. Off stage, you could see him smiling at you, beaming with pride at what you were accomplishing by doing this. 

She continued on, spilling her secrets and her pain in front of the audience, and the thousands of people tuning in the second it was announced she would be on the show, very early this morning. She was risking it all, yet Avalyn was strangely happy about it. 

“I want other people in my situation to know that they aren’t alone,” She said at the end, “I want them to know that there is an out, even if it seems like it’s impossible, and that there is freedom. You just have to be brave enough to take the first step towards it.” 

“Thank you so much, Avalyn Bradshaw Krietzburg everyone!” 

She let out a deep breath as she walked off the stage and into Jackson’s open arms. No matter what happened, he would be her family, him and his parents loved her as if she was their own. 

“Let’s get in the car and head upstate, yeah?” Jacks said, kissing the top of her head. 

“Sounds amazing,” She breathed out. 

Because for the first time in years, she felt like she could truly breathe. Felt the massive weight lifted off of her shoulders, and a new life was going to begin. She had two weeks before she had to be back in Toronto, two weeks where she could lay low and just live. 

So she and Jackson headed out of the studio, greeted by hoards of screaming people, and got into the town car before starting the drive upstate. Rose promised to meet them there, saying her family was dying to see both Avalyn and Jackson again. Truthfully, Avalyn was dying for some of the normalcy her family somehow managed to maintain on their little homestead. 

Her phone started ringing half way there, William was calling. He was one of the few people to have her new number. 

“Where are you right now?” He asked frantically. 

“On my way to upstate New York.” 

“I was really hoping you’d say on your way back to Toronto,” He sounded deflated, “How long will you be there?” 

“A week, maybe more,” She replied. 

There was silence for a moment. There was so much she wanted to say, and he had plenty to say himself. But he didn’t know how to articulate any of it. Avalyn didn’t know how to tell him that she loved him, and that they could give this a try now that her parents were out of the picture.

Avalyn could only imagine how furious they must be. Not only losing their best client, but knowing that their other clients would follow because of how they treated their own daughter. She suddenly became very glad she ditched her old phone this morning so they couldn’t call her and harass her. 

“I wish I could see you,” He admitted softly. 

“I have tickets to your next home game,” She told him happily, hoping he’ll see the admission for what it was. 

A declaration of love. 

“Oh you did?” He questioned, “Are you coming with Jackson?” 

“Yes, but only as friends,” She replied quickly, “He is bringing a date.” 

“So you’re really free then?” 

“I am. Finally,” She smiled as she breathed out. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were doing this?” He questioned. 

There were, in truth, a lot of reasons why she didn’t tell him. The biggest being that she was afraid that something would happen and the plan would fall through. And then she’d be worse off than she was then. But the plan went off without a hitch, and Mr. Jefferies called to say that he filed the lawsuit just after she left the studio. 

“I’m sorry,” She sighed, “But I couldn’t tell anyone, just in case somehow word got back to my parents. God, they must hate the world right now.” 

“They don’t matter anymore,” He replied, she can hear the hint of his smile, “You’re free.” 

“I’m free,” She repeated, a smile spreading across her face. 

“I wish I was with you,” He admits softly. So softly you almost don’t even hear him. 

“I wish you were here too,” You reply almost dreamlike, “But I’ll be back in a week or so. Just enough time for some other scandal to take over and all of this will be water under the bridge.” 

“I love you.” 

Your heart soars with his admission, because you know he means it. You can feel it in your very bones, and know once you’re back together again, nothing is going to stop you from seeing him. You yearn for him. 

“I love you too, Willy.” 

You can practically see him smiling behind your closed eyes as he replies, “It’s so good to hear you say that.” 

“It’s nice to finally feel like I can say it,” You admit to him, “I’ll be home soon.” 

Because although Toronto wasn’t truly your home, it felt as if it was. The city had taken up residence in your heart, along with the rag tag group of boys and men that made up the hockey team. Your cast and crew had become your family in a way that you hadn’t expected. You were ready to go back to them, after everything blew over. 

“I’ll be counting down the days.” 

You blush, unable to stop it. You feel utterly undone by the blond on the other end of the phone. In utter shambles at the thought that you finally don’t have to hide away. Your relationship can be shouted from the rooftops of Toronto if you wanted. It’s everything you ever wanted for yourself. To be free and have someone that truly loves you.  

“I’ll see you soon, Will.” 

“Don’t do anything else crazy before I see you again,” He laughs. 

She found herself wishing she could save that sound so that she could go back and listen to it whenever she was feeling down. Because nothing made her smile like he did. She ached to be near him, but knew she needed to be off the grid for a little while, just until things settled down. 

“I promise. I’m just going to be hanging out on a friend’s farm for a little while.”

“Good. I have to go, but I love you Ava.” 

“I love you too, Will.”

[baxterstockmanisthecenterfold]

old follower from when you were Baxterstockmanismyson, why'd you delete your old blog? What made you come back?

I pretty much explained why here

But to some it up basically, I was just sick of the harassment & constant hateful responses my friends & I Myself would receive almost daily because of the most simple opinions.

Hell I actually remember this one time I was making a rant about 2012 Stockman's character mishandling & I brought up the Rise turtles for 2 seconds & even made a stupid joke about how I'm surprised no one accused the 2012 ones of racial profiling & this one user took it so seriously they harassed me & my followers the rest of the day

I also can't help but find this bit from them ironic considering they could have did the exact same thing with my post & followers.

This isn't even a one time thing too. As I just said. The fandom would just take EVERYTHING too seriously & attack anybody that disagreed with them in any shape or form & a lot of my best friends at the time were victims of cyberbullying because of them including me. Yes I could have ignored them, & most days I did tbh, but every once in a while there was always that one miserable person that just wanted to PERSONALIZE their attacks to me just because I said I didn't like Apriltello or something & they made their insults PERSONAL, to the point where I couldn't help but NOT ignore it. I already suffer from Anxiety and Depression & EXTREMELY low self esteem to the point where I second guess my talents. From my art to my appearance to even questioning why I still exist. If I should even STILL exist.. At that point in 2021 when I deactivated Baxterstockmanismyson I had already been going through enough stressful situations in my life, worrying about a ton of real life personal stresses in my life. And the unnecessary bullying from the fandom consisting of grown ass adults mind you was the last thing I needed. I had actually received yet another hateful message in my askbox because of one of my hot takes the day before I deactivated & it honestly fucked me up majorly so it was the last straw. I deactivated & I overall QUIT & Left the fandom entirely ever since, I just didn't see the point in staying anymore when there's little to zero good memories in it.

I would be lying if I didn't say I did miss some aspects. The one thing I missed the most being Baxter himself. Any version of him. Especially considering he's actually the entire reason I even got into TMNT in the first place (but a story for another time). He's beyond my favorite character, he's my comfort one, my boy ever since I was 12. Then Mutant Mayhem was announced along with the fact that Baxter was in it (& played by FUCKING Giancarlo Esposito) my interest was peaked to say the least. Especially after I found out he looked like this

I'd even say it was honestly the only reason why I saw the movie (even if he was only in it for 4 minutes) which I admit even outside of Baxter, I did end up enjoying it. It was also nice to talk about tmnt again to my Girlfriend & a once mutual friend at the time. Just making it our own personal bubble having zero contact with the fans, especially as I saw literally NOTHING changed just by people's reactions to Mutant Mayhem April smfh. So I assumed it was the right choice.

Another year went by. Things are different once again, that mutual friend I mentioned earlier is...no longer our friend.. and it was back to radio silence in terms of anything turtle related. I had started collecting figures at this point in time & with the release of Human 1987 Baxter & Mirage on the way, I figured it wouldn't hurt to FINALLY add Baxter to my shelf like I always wanted to years ago. Even finally start making custom figures for him that don't exist & it was a fun, exhausting but also therapeutic experience in a way. Especially getting the chance to finally look back at the mad scientist all the way from day one. From schulpting, to talking about him & even looking up other perspectives on him. Even if it was mostly misconceptions like always when it comes to him. And it got to the point where I wanted to let out an outlet to just really let out Stockman talk & facts about the guy that no one knew or already did but with a story behind it. Even taking inspiration from AskSpideypool's @ sciderman & their blog being the most dedicated blog to really get & understand Wade Wilson & Peter Parker with pages worth of history to back up the knowledge. It's honestly how I feel with Baxter Stockman if I'm being legit with you. So about maybe 3 months later or so, I decided to create this new blog, a new start. A blog to just really share & show all I know about Baxter & even find other people that feel the same way. Just a little Baxter bubble that I can have & feel safe in. It's also why you noticed I haven't shared NON Baxter stuff on here yet. To put it short. I'm not really back in the TMNT fandom. Sure I'll post about Baxter Stockman. But that's the ONLY thing I'll go as far as posting. I wasn't too far off when I said I only watched MM for Stockman & the fact that the fandom hasn't changed their ways based on MM April's reception.

I want absolutely nothing to do with the fandom's drama or possible drama the second I step into current TMNT events & I share my thoughts on them even if I had thoughts anyway, I honestly don't really care anymore aside from Baxter.

To sum it up: Unless it involves Baxter, I genuinely don't give a shit. So a heads up if I'm ever asked about something non Stock related like my thoughts on this video game or this ship ect I'm gonna ignore it. I just don't have the mental strength for the drama anymore. And it's not like the fandom itself even cares about Baxter let alone care enough to get mad over a hot take about him which I've yet to see (aside from some 30/40 something year old idiots on Instagram & Twitter that genuinely believed he was always a white guy & him being black is new) so I feel safe in my Stockbubble.

Anyway, hope that clears things up. Both why I left & how this new blog works.

[infinitebrians]

Favorite Games of 2023 Part 2: Super Mario Wonder

What a weird thing to say but this really is the best Super Mario has been as a 2D platforming game since the Super Nintendo! An overall creatively fresh look on that guy Mario and what he can do when he’s only got two directions to run around in. Just a true delight all the way through, I never had a bad time playing it. The new features like the badges and wonder seeds all gave the game a fun amount of variety and character to the game always keeping a sense of surprise in each area that at their very worst was easily ignored. Also a very lovely game visually that gave character to its characters and a fun new set of weird critters to appreciate.

A unique aspect for my playthrough of Mario Wonder was I insisted on playing through the whole game using my new snackbox leverless controller (arcade stick controller sans the stick). I’ve been wanting to try that controller with a side scrolling game because I kept hearing people play other side scrollers with it and it sounded like a fun perfect test case for that idea. I had a blast playing through the whole game with it. Using it’s button based directions felt entirely natural to play through the entire game with it and I’m absolutely going to be using it for any further similarly structured games in the future. The only time the unique button controls did not feel natural was when I was in situations involving four way direction like the water levels or those surprisingly frequent times where you turn into slime. That controller rules and I always feel bad I don’t like using it too much since I don’t always want to just get absolutely destroyed at fighting games all the time.

The thing though that I will always remember Mario Wonder is surprisingly enough it’s online feature. When this online aspect of the game was announced, a feature while you’ll see and be able to lightly interact with live ghosts of other players who are also playing the same level as you, I joked about Mario Wonder being the second ever strand game. Now having played the game 100%, I am absolutely standing by that statement. I’ve had numerous tiny but memorable experiences with other players with that feature either dancing around, spamming the simple emotes, or even helping each other out through tricky parts of the level. One experience of that in particular, the one this post’s drawing is referencing, happened during the final final challenge level where a Japanese Nabbit player and I were helping (them more to me than me to them) each other through a series of areas in that level. We would emote chirp at each other, cheering us on, and more importantly, wait at the room exits so when we left the room at the same time we’d maintain our online instance together. It happened for a whole checkpoint’s worth of that final level and it would’ve been longer if I didn’t screw up immediately with the infinite sprint badge room LIKE A FOOL. That player was a huge help to me with the few of the toughest rooms of that whole challenge and a very appreciated companion.

These little stories and memories I gathered from such a silly little feature gave me such a warm feeling toward everyone I was playing with in the game, we were all here to help push each other forward. A mechanic that gave people the encouragement to help each other out and feel good in the process of doing it, a fun look at what can be done with online semi anonmyous interaction. I’ll always appreciate that Nabbit player, I hope they’re having a happy new year.

[1dfangirls35]

I’ve been finding myself wanting to write down just what I’ve been thinking over the past 48 hours and who better to share them with then the former community I have through this blog.

I remember the day I learned about One Direction distinctly. While I think I had heard WMYB on the radio, it was another girl in my yearbook class watching the music video on YouTube my sophomore year of high school that subsequently lead me to stay up watching Funny Moments videos on my KindleFire late into the night. There was no going back after that.

It is hard to articulate precisely what One Direction means to me. I often joke that it’s a part of my personality at this point- much to my mother’s dismay of me never growing out of the “phase”. I lived and breathed One Direction throughout my last two and a half years of high school. Watching videos, writing fanfiction, sending fangirl Fridays to my friends, and even starting this blog. Through this band I made not only a best friend, but a community of worldwide fans. In the good old days, nothing could make me happier than staying up to listen to a new album (leaked more than likely), the boys tweeting out or going to a concert. That kind of pure happiness is something that I don’t think I have experienced to the same level in my adult life.

While I was always a Louis girl, this blog was started with a Lilo focus- with my friend at that time being a Liam fan. I have always viewed Liam as a strong foundation to the band- especially in the early days. “Daddy Directioner” always guiding them. His songwriting has also been part of many of my favorite tracks.

When Zayn left my freshman year of college, I truly thought that would be the worst day in the One Direction fandom, perhaps second only to the day they announced their 18 month hiatus. But soon I learned there was a whole new aspect to being a fan as each of the boys launched their solo careers. While some members of the fandom broke off and supported individual members, I stayed true to OT5 and was so looking forward to going to each one of their solo concerts.

The dream of course, was that one day they would reunite. 20 year old me thought that would be in less than 2 years, but as each anniversary passed, I started to have a new dream about the reunion. I had my savings account accumulating and knew that when the announcement came, that experience would be priceless. I didn’t care if I was in a nursing home or raising a baby I would be there. I looked forward to the feeling I would get when they announced a reunion or dropped an unreleased album- even if it didn’t happen until I was old and decrepit.

On Wednesday I learned there was a new worst day to be in the fandom- and that was the day I learned of Liam’s tragic passing. There would never be an OT5 reunion in the way that many of us dreamed of and more importantly we had lost a piece of the band.

I think the thing people in the fandom don’t understand is even though I’ve never met Liam- I still feel like he’s been incredibly influential to my life. It’s weird to grieve someone you’ve never met but yet means so much to you. One Direction and even the boys solo work has been a comfort to me at many stressful times. If I’m having a bad day it’s always my One Direction Forever playlist I turn to. I still can’t believe he’s gone. That I will never get to see him perform Strip That Down Live or throw water at Louis on stage again. There will never be a One Direction reunion- not in the way we have dreamed of.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized just how much these boys must have went through at the peak of One Direction. I look at myself between the 16-22 and see how little I knew at that age and how different of a person I was. I can’t even imagine what they went through with that level of fame at such a young age. We will never know what really happened to Liam. There were be speculations and autopsies and eye witness reports but the only person who knew what was going on in those hours leading up to his death is no longer with us. I only wish that he can now see the outpouring of love and support to a boy who shaped millions of lives around the world.

This tragedy is powerful reminder of the power of social media in both his negatives and positives. It’s a reminder that social media can be a harmful and toxic environment. But I’ve also realized over the past 48 hrs that social media can be a powerful tool for connection and community. My TikTok feed is full of memories of Liam and 1D. I’m in a groupchat for girls in my city setting up a tribute. Our fandom still continues to amaze me.

My heart aches for Liam’s friends and family. For Bear. For Niall, Harry, Louis and Zayn. I can’t even imagine what they are going through right now. I hope that even if this tragedy never leads us to a formal reunion between the remaining four, that this reconnects them together. I hope Liam is in a better place now and that all his pain and suffering are gone.

Take care of each other, take care of your friends and let us remember Liam as a boy that changed our lives forever. Let us remaninsce on all the joy he brought to our lives. One Direction isn’t One Direction without him 🥲.

Rest In Peace Payno