#plus 'bonus materials' like maybe animation

[urban-hart]

Hi! I hope this doesn't come across weird but... I need help finding one of your Tangled art pieces. Can you help? I wanted to send it to a friend that loves Cassarian, but I couldn't find it on your blog. It was this one. I saved it because I thought it was the cutest thing ever.😂❤️

Maybe I just searched wrong. I'm not sure. But if you can, could you send me the link for the post? If it's still there? I'd be sooooooooo grateful!

Also, I LOVE YOU ART AND STYLE! I wish I could draw people and animals as good as you! And I would love to read you book Liminal! At least I think that's what it is? The concept art and characters look so cool!

askjdha HIYA THANK YOU .///. :'))

I first must assure you, it was by no fault of your own that you couldn't find it. I couldn't either akjsdhs lucky for us, I still have them saved!!

below the cut, just for you :3

i may have deleted the original post either on accident or bc it was around the time I was trying to distance myself from the ship a lil bit. i'll keep my opinions on them to myself, I want you to still enjoy the ship :') The biggest reason I started leaning away from it is because, whenever I opened requests, half of the resulting asks were, without fail, of them ^^'

BUT ANYWAY I wish you a very lovely day! :))

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

So.... Stock image

https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/11430941-halloween-black-silhouette-repeating-border

[Referencing this post!]

Yuuup, that’s pretty much the same thing as what we see in the PV… 😅 Same shapes, same pattern order, everything.

Upon further research, it seems this isn’t even the first instance of this stock asset being used by Disney. It was also used for a limited edition Sally-inspired perfume called Rag Doll. I believe it was sold at Hot Topic back in 2013:

It’s a little saddening seeing TWST use stock images instead of like… you know, new assets 💦 This is following a somewhat disappointing trend of TWST animated PVs going down in quality and budget, especially over the years. For example, for the anniversaries:

2021 - 2 minutes long; all students included in highly individualized limited event outfits and movement is dynamic.

2022 - 1 minute long; all students and even staff are included but in standard uniforms, noticeable drop in art and animation quality (for example, look at Kalim and Silver in the flight scene). Animation itself is framed like Yuu is taking pictures of everyone—but really, it’s a convenient excuse to hold on static shots of the photos instead of actually animating them.

2023 - 1 minute and ~40 seconds; only the third years in their school uniforms and Grim in ceremonial robes are featured. Animation appears slow and somewhat clunky. And dear god, that weird panning shot of Malleus and Lilia; that Lilia is practically traced from his live 2D model.

2024 - 1 minute and ~10 seconds; basically a glorified slideshow with fancy effects. Only the dorm leaders in their school uniforms are shown.

Then, looking at the Halloweens:

Terror is Trending - 30 seconds; All students included and dorm costumes showcased. Unique shots and framing. Even Ramshackle Ghosts (who are important in the event story) are shown.

Endless Halloween Night - 4 different versions of the same commercial (including different characters doing the voiceover work), each ~30 seconds each; all students featured. Nice lighting, fierce expressions, varied framing.

Glorious Masquerade - 1 minute and 30 seconds. Several static panning shots, but at least the colors are striking when most other things are monochrome or muted. ~20 seconds at the end dedicated to hyping up Rollo.

Stage in Playful Land - ~35 seconds. Only the 3 SSR boys are featured, with most of the animation being in their head tilts. Less than 10 seconds is dedicated to hyping up Fellow and Gidel.

This year’s event… 20 seconds using a stock image and panning up from it to the TWST logo, no new assets.

I DON’T KNOW, maybe I’m overthinking it 😭 I’m definitely not the first person to notice this though… It’s been a point of discussion in my fandom social circles.

But hey, let’s keep our heads high! It’s very possible that we’ll get a more formal animated PV in the weeks leading up to Halloween. In fact, I’m certain of it since this current PV doesn’t show new costumes or the new twisted character, as is tradition. What we see now might just be a bonus material they’re releasing to really get us excited. Plus, we’ll probably also have an ABEMA stream with more Halloween-related news ^^ Let’s look forward to that!

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

Sir Arthur's Beloved Older Brother~

(Young) Kit Cosmos/Dakonyo

Like I said in the last post about Kit Cosmos, he is KBASW's Sir Kay.

Much like his counterpart (Sir Kay in the original Arthurian lore), Kit pretty much serves as Arthur's steward. But in this case, he manages Arthur, helping him to keep him in check. (serving as his right-hand man...) Along the course of forging a brotherhood where, Arthur ends up being adopted by Kit's entire clan.

I story I'll have to save it for later because I have one very important key element I've got to finish. Sir Ector: I need to finish the character design for... Kit's father and Arthur's father figure.

Connecting him to Sir Arthur gave me a chance to be a more integral part of the story. Not only that, but (spoilers for the anime)...it also gives his return in the final & his role in the final battle more meaning. The man fought so long to see N.M.E end, and they finally did it! <3

Keep reading for more explanation/ bonus content

So, Kit's species are dwarves and weren't very respected. They were seen as uncivilized, uncouth, brash, and rather loud. They're lost, though... they were actually one of the kindest & most welcoming people you'd ever meet. Very much like the dwarves from Lord of the Kings & the Hobbit... This is why they would mainly stay in their lane and would mainly stay on their planet Bremen (a reference to the folk tale "Town Musicians of Bremen").

Bremen is a planet filled with numerous winding mountains and rich with minerals very in tune with nature... And filled with Celtic magic. Bremen Place plays a major role in KBASW, later.

Staying away from the galaxy was their way of saying, "Hey, if you don't respect us... YA GET NONE OF US!" However, they couldn't play that card any longer once the War on Nightmare started up. And Bremen was one of the many planets that got sucked into the war.

However, their skill in mining blacksmithing was unmatched throughout the galaxy. Plus, their mountains contain valuable ores that could be used. But the mountains in which they lay were dangerous and could easily be caved in... that is unless you were an outsider. The people of Bremen knew how to navigate the dangerous mountains easily.

Very much needed their aid, the Ancients very much had to such up to and grovel...

Kit's kind saw each other as equals; four sections of the planet are divided to be managed properly, and they have one clan leader who brought them all together... Sir Ector Cosmos. The Ancients offered Sir Ector a seat on the galactic council.

But unlike King Fisher... Sir Ector knew greedy eyes when he saw them, knowing they were just trying to butter him up. He knew they needed protection from Nightmare, but he wasn't about to let them take advantage of him and his clan.

He would provide them with materials & pay them for their services however... when it came to paying them... he would give them their own brand of fool gold (a counter fit forged with Celtic magic). A forgery that could be easily made on the dot.

It's thanks to Sir Ector that half the gold that was distributed in the gambling galaxy is actually fools' gold. It became an inside joke in Breman, with Sir Ector saying, "To us, it's fool's gold... BUT TO THEM, IT'S JUST GOLD! *Knee slap*

With everyone in the clan just bursting out laughing...

However, of course, the tensions were still high, the ice was thin, and with how proud the dwarves were, they were afraid of upsetting them once... The Ancients suggested maybe one of them joining the GSA army might improve relations.

Kit volunteered... while the majority of his kind didn't mind what people thought of them. Kit thought this would be a chance to issue change in how they were seen. He was young and eager to make a change, this was also out of his desire of, wanting to grow out of his father's shadow.

Sir Ector was strongly against the idea, he didn't like the idea that one of his own was going out to war for the GSA. He heard unsavory rumors of the place... and didn't like his boy was going out into the unknown on his own saying:

"Just because they're willing to include one of us doesn't mean they respect all of us... it doesn't mean squat when they'll still look at ya-... change like this is gonna take a long time, it won't be worth it... I don't want you to see yourself get hurt, Kay... just drop it and stay home, okay, lad. "

But Kit was rather firm on his decision... despite his disapproval, Sir Ector supported his son's decision. However, the Ancients promised that he'd be treated with the utmost respect, and he'd go to one of Sir Uther's very own apprentices, Sir Nonsurat.

~ On Arthur's side

At this point in this timeline, Arthur has accepted Merlyn (Celestine) as his friend. And officially become their secret accomplish, ready and willing to help "right the wrongs Uther has done. And is determined to change for the better...

He has accepted & knows his demons and doesn't want to fall into that pit again... knowing full well his poor decisions & mistakes are fueled by his paranoia and aggroance.

Arthur never had a second in command (a right-hand man, so to speak) and "Not trusting anyone to do the job as good as him..." and he sorely needed a second opinion, but there was a problem.

Due to this status of being Uther top soldier, as well as his reputation of being a ruthless killing machine who didn't have the most pleasant aura... he was gonna end up with a little yes, man... it was gonna be hard to find someone to keep in check & be bluntly honest with him!

However, that was until he saw Kit mouthing off Nonsurat without a care, practically demanding him to put him in the ring. In most battles, he was told to stay in the back of the line or supervise the base, and he was just SO BORED!

In Nonsurat's defense, he was told by the Ancients to "make sure he stayed alive..." And didn't want to inquire about the wrath of Sir Uther if he messed up. And Uther would remind him how important this was for their image & not to dare sour relations with Sir Ector.

When Arthur approached Kit, he (Kit) had basically had enough of being put on the sideline and exploding on Arthur. Not accepting any of this "malarky anymore," along with some accompanying swear words. "Equivalent to how the Scotsman first insulted Jack." from Samurai Jack

They both remained silent... for a while, the two, staring at one another... with Arthurr finally mustering up the question, "Um, do you know who I am"

Kit:" YES, I DO, MISTER GOLDEN BOY, SIR ARTHUR, AND I DONNA CARE WHO YOU ARE AND-

Arthur: *enthusiastically* " YES, YOU'RE PERFECT!"

Kit: "YA DARN RIGHT I AM-uh wait wa- for what!?

Leading to this legendary... (the convo above)

While brash and hotheaded at times... Arthur always appreciated Kit's honesty, knowing very well having a Yes-man around him would only fuel his worse vices. Not only that, but this unfiltered honesty & having Kit not really care for his status... He didn't have to be this grand, domineering figure. It was with this sense of ease that he realized he had gained another friend.

With Kit, he was genuinely valued and respected by Arthur and fearless and stood up for him (a story which I will touch up on another day). And he finally got to bash a few skulls. While Kit sought to make the galaxy a more accepting world for his people... Arthur sought to make the world more accepting. He and Arthur were kindred spirits who both sought change... These were things that bonded them as brothers.

~

And now

THE ORIGINAL TRIO IS COMPLETE

Similar to how Kirby had his trio, Meta Knight has his trio, Celestine & Kit were Arthur's. And yeah, I know so many LoTR/Hobbit references

The love I have for Kit Cosmos is ridiculous! I'm giving all the anime characters the upgrades they deserve. I was worried that he wasn't gonna look dwarvish enough, but I think I was able to achieve the vision I had for him. I didn't think Kit would turn out this good.

I hope my writing isn't too shaky and I manage to write everything down properly...

I really hope you guys enjoyed this, and stay tuned for more~

[shydroid3000]

for the character ask thing, i gotta go for L 👀

Ooh, fun one haha. I'll try not to write too much..!

From the ask game:

First impression: I watched the anime first, and I remember finding it delightfully odd and silly that what we saw of this mysterious detective initially was a computer that was for some reason on the floor as he used it? Haha. I remember just thinking, "what is with this dude typing and detectiving on the hard floor?" Lol Once we actually get to meet him fully, I was more delighted. L really was a "love at first sight" (or glimpse) type of character for me. He's got all the ingredients of a character I will have an affinity for: oddball gremlin with delightful quirks, obviously autistic, weird looking in a hot (to me) way, clever, confident, and with a depth of feeling and loneliness that he isn't necessarily aware of himself. He's got a 'weird little bi dude' energy that I love (maybe I'm projecting, but it's true to me lol). I also related to various things about him right away (mostly to do with the autisticness lol): the weird sitting, the excessive love of sweets, the insomnia, the obsessiveness, the lack of capacity to independently take care of activities-of-daily-living like cooking/cleaning/self-care/etc., the finding Light hot despite one's better judgement lol.

Impression now Not that different, but more fleshed out I guess. I'm still as delighted by him as ever. I think because I adore him and project onto him so much, something that has developed over time is a better understanding/acknowledgement of his capacity to be selfish or cruel or unethical. It's a bit easy for me to slip into "uwu L" mode, but I try not to slip too far because I do enjoy the complexities of his character lol.

Favorite moment Oh gosh, that's tough. Hm... Well, in the anime, the rain scene is definitely up there. That will never not get to me lol. Some others that come to mind: His and Light's fight during Yotsuba when on the Misa 'date''; L saying Light is his first friend; his reaction to Naomi's disappearance (I like how it suggests his understanding of and respect for her as a person); his decision to handcuff Light to him 24/7 LOL; when he first meets the task force and they see what a weirdo he is (plus his finger gun and "bang!" haha); anytime he displays sadness. Oh and as a bonus, when he's dressed as a paramedic during the Matsuda mattress rescue LOL. He looks so cute! (Whoops, math isn't my strong point but pretty sure that's more than one moment lol)

Idea for a story Oh, that's kind of tough too. I feel like whatever I think of off the top of my head won't be very interesting, considering how many good L and Lawlight stories there are out there haha. But I'll throw out a random premise I've mulled over in the past: AU where L is born later, so by the time Kira exists L is maybe like 15, earlier in his foray into detective work. I like thinking about the ways younger L might be different in his approach, but also the ways in which his personality would be pretty much unchanged lol. It's also fun to think about teen L's fascination with Kira/Light having a more childlike crush element to it.

Unpopular opinion I don't know that it's actually that unpopular (at least, not in the fandom circles I hang out in), but my read on his statement about Light being his first real friend is that it's the truth. I know there is extra-textual material where Obha explains that L was lying then. But I just personally don't find that reading as compelling nor as supported by the text of the anime/manga itself, regardless of what Obha intended. I think L was absolutely manipulating, but I think it was also true for him that Light was his friend. They truly are the quintessential frenemies (/soulmates) lol. I said in some other post that I think L's biggest manipulation is painting his authenticity the colour of a lie (like how his real first name is L but it's presented like that letter is a mere alias), and I think he does that in this moment too.

Favorite relationship Well, it has to be Lawlight lol. But I also like L and Naomi, as well as L and Matsuda (in both cases, whether as ships or not). I also find his dynamic with Aizawa (and the particular ways they clash) really intriguing.

Favorite headcanon Hmmmmmm..... Only the most obvious ones are coming to mind right now lol. Like, L being autistic (I feel like that barely even counts as headcanon since it's so obvious lol). Or him being gay for Light (refer to previous parenthetical remark). If I think of something more interesting I will come back and add it lol.

[kursed-arcana]

Sailor Quartet traits

I answered a question about gathering info on the sailor quartet recently and thought I'd share my educated guess on their characters here.

love the quartet but they're isn't a lot of material on them. For their eternal transformations it would probably be Ceres crystal power make up and so on but but Ceres asteroid power make up would probably work as an earlier phrase.

You can find info on their order of birth, and some personality trait info in various bonus materials like that above. Other things you can kind of guess based on their circus rolee, powers and traights, as well as which of the inners they parallel.

So the following is guess work for them based on on their parallels, circus abilities, colors and what the Roman gods represent would be can be.

Ceres is the flower magician so you can say she'd have plant based powers which does match how the inner guardians abilities were partially inspired by wuxing elements. Her element would be wood and possibly earth. It also matches what Ceres was the goddess of. She was God of crops and grain, as well as motherly relationships and fertility. So this also helps show her as a mirror of Venus in that it can be a form of love. Shes Leader of the group. If venus looks like serenity to serve as a body double then that can possible applied to Ceres, which would explain whey her main color is pink. Both in hair and her sailor suit. The yellow ribbons can be seen as influence from her parallel with minako. Interesting that they both wear ribbons in their hair.

Ceres was supposed to talk very aristocraticly and be kind of stuck up. The note above says she thinks highly of herself which does match her behavior in super s. Like when she targeted the painter lol

Vesta would be fire. Which makes sense, one of the things her patron goddess is god of is the hearth (fireplace). She parallels mars. So her attacks could maybe also be fire animals, like how mars had snake fire. Doing that could match her role as the animal tamer. She's the youngest. Also God of virginity, home and family. The virginity influence would also match sailor mars and how she took a vow of chastity.

Juno is trickier. She's the third oldest and her goddess is the protector and special counselor of the state. She was equated to Hera, queen of the gods in Greek mythology. A consort of Jupiter, so there's a parallel with Sailor Jupiter there. Has warlike aspects and is a godess of marriage. Juno as a character is very tomboy like and the acrobat of the group so that also helps draw a parallel to Mako. With her goddess being Jupiter's wife you could argue that she could have lightning powers like sailor jupiter. If we stick to wuxang maybe metal could be her element and metal clattracts lightning so it works kind of.

Then there is Pallas. She is the second oldest but most immature. Counterpart to mercury and the tactician of the team. So we could associate her with the wuxang element of water like mercury. She's also the ball rider so balls of water could work as an initial attack, maybe like Mercury's bubble spray in the og anime. The og anime also showed her having some keen insight in a few scenes like when they worked with the guardians to help set up that event. Now their are 2 Pallas in Greek mythology. One a titan and the other is an epithat for Athena. We'll go with Athena cause that would tie her to wisdom, strategic warfare and handicraft. Which would suit her as she is supposedly a strategist like mercury and was shown enjoy various things like dolls. The notes above say she is kind of stupid, but that could really just be her immaturity. Plus the notes above are more about their circus versions, which were corrupted by Nehelenia, so it's possible she magnified their nore negative traights.

I think it's worth considering their anime portrayal as part of their character. Takeuchi was involved with the 90s anime despite its many liberties, and the 90s anime does build on and flesh out a lot of concepts. So if it doesn't directly contrast something from the manga, I think it's OK to contemplate how things like the quartet's characterization can fit into their manga cointerparts.

[mimishblog]

The Ultimate Sleepover Bag for Kids: Convenience Meets Comfort

Planning a sleepover is always an exciting experience for kids. It’s their chance to have fun, bond with friends, and enjoy a night full of adventure. However, ensuring your child is prepared for the night away from home is just as important as their excitement. The solution? A well-packed, thoughtfully designed sleepover bag that ensures they have everything they need.

Why Choosing the Right Sleepover Bag Matters

Not all bags are created equal, especially when it comes to kids. A sleepover bag isn’t just about holding pajamas and toothbrushes. It’s about functionality, durability, and most importantly, comfort. A good bag will keep their belongings organized while being lightweight enough for a child to carry.

Parents know the challenges of packing for a sleepover. Forgetting essentials like a favorite stuffed animal, bedtime book, or an extra set of clothes can quickly turn a fun night into a stressful one. The right sleepover bag eliminates this hassle with compartments and design features that make packing (and unpacking) a breeze.

What to Look for in a Sleepover Bag

Spacious InteriorA sleepover bag should have enough room to hold all essentials—pajamas, toiletries, a blanket, and maybe even a small pillow. Choose a bag with a large main compartment and additional pockets for organization.

Durable MaterialsKids can be rough with their belongings, so opt for a sleepover bag made of durable, easy-to-clean materials. Waterproof fabric is a bonus, as it protects against accidental spills.

Portable and StylishComfortable straps and a design that appeals to kids make a big difference. A stylish sleepover bag will excite your child about using it, while a lightweight, ergonomic build ensures it’s easy for them to carry.

VersatilityA multi-purpose sleepover bag that doubles as a travel bag, gym bag, or weekend bag ensures you’re getting value for your investment.

The Mimish Sleepover Bag Difference

At Mimish Inc., we understand the needs of kids and parents. Our sleepover bags are thoughtfully crafted to combine style, functionality, and durability. With ample space and smart storage solutions, these bags are perfect for sleepovers, camping trips, or overnight stays with grandparents.

Designed with your child’s comfort in mind, Mimish sleepover bags feature soft yet sturdy materials, easy-to-use zippers, and vibrant designs that kids love. Plus, the built-in compartments make organizing simple, so nothing gets left behind.

Packing Tips for a Sleepover Bag

To make packing stress-free, follow this checklist:

Pajamas: Choose comfortable nightwear suitable for the weather.

Toiletries: Include a toothbrush, toothpaste, and any other personal hygiene items.

Clothes: Pack an extra set of clothes, including socks and underwear.

Comfort Items: Bring along a stuffed animal, blanket, or anything that helps your child feel at home.

Snacks: If allowed, include a few small treats for them to share with friends.

Conclusion

A good sleepover bag is more than just an accessory—it’s a tool that ensures your child is prepared, comfortable, and ready to enjoy their overnight adventure. With the right bag, parents can relax knowing their kids have everything they need, and kids can focus on having fun.

Explore Mimish’s collection of high-quality sleepover bags today and make your child’s next sleepover unforgettable!

CONTACT US:

Visit: https://mimishdesigns.com

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Tel: 800.674.3201

Email: info@mimishdesigns.com

For Press Inquiries: marketing@mimishdesigns.com

[miekasa]

speaking of college boys, what do the college au aot babies study??

Okay, okay, I think I’ve talked about this in an ask before but I can’t find it 😭😭 but it’s okay, I love college aus, so I’ll talk about it again! Plus, now I’ve got more thoughts for more characters, so here we go

Levi — neuroscience and psychology of human behavior

He started out on track to do a bachelor of arts in psychology, but when they touched on the anatomy and biological parts of it during his first year lecture, he switched to a bachelor of science.

The focus is still psychology, but through a more clinical lens. Essentially, he gets the best of both worlds this way. He’s intuitive and analytical, so clinical and mental diagnosis is easy to dissect for him. He’s also canonically good at math, so the calculus and stats parts aren’t too bad, either.

This major also leaves him with a few options post-grad, which is a nice bonus for him. He’s likely going to medical school, but that’s not the only route open to him: law school, therapy, lab work, medicine and pharmacy, even teaching are all viable options without going to grad school.

Do not talk to him about Freud unless you wanna get punted off a building.

Be careful with him, because with a single glance he’s already got scarily accurate predictions about your parental and emotional attachment styles, your behavior in social settings, and the onset (or seemingly lack thereof) of your frontal lobe development.

He thinks he’s so smart making comments like, “I see those synaptic connections aren’t working so well for you today,” like mf come here let me lobotomize you and see how well your synaptic connects are working after that🙄

Eren — general health sciences

He’s interested in science and the discovery aspects of it, but picking a specific field of focus right now feels too final. He likes it this way, because his schedule and requirements are less restrictive, and he has more room to find out what really interests him.

He does best when he’s doing something he loves, so picking a major with a bunch of reqs that he couldn’t care less about would have sucked big time for him. It also would have affected his grades. There are still some classes he has to take that he’s not fond of (see: chemistry), but that’s to be expected. Science in general is cool to him and he hopes to make his own discovery some day, even if it’s microscopic.

He also plays a lot of sports, keeping his schedule flexible is important. The sports end up helping him excel academically, which is a nice bonus. Honestly, Eren uses his time at university to learn more about himself than anything, so having control and freedom to do what he likes the majority of the time was important to him. 

He uses his elective credits to take philosophy or history courses of his interest, or maybe even a course that you’re in just to spend time with you. He also uses you as a live model for his homework bye, congrats on being patient number one to him.

Armin — astronomy and physics

He’s still interested in marine biology, but unless he attended a school near a coast, or with a specialized integrated program for that, it’s unlikely he’d major in it during undergrad.

Space and ocean exploration aren’t all that different. Both are vast, largely unexplored domains that reel-in Armin’s interest for discovery. So, while studying astronomy, he still gets to study evolution and make his own predictions about what could be out there because there’s so much to know.

Physics comes with the territory of learning about planetary science, and he’s mathematically inclined, so it works out for him. Learning about the different physical properties of other planets and space masses is honestly pretty sick to him. Because math isn’t a struggle, he actually considered aeronautical engineering, but he didn’t want to be a part of the college to military pipeline; that is, he didn’t want any potential design of his to be weaponized. 

He still gets to study animal biology through his elective courses, and might even find a few focused on marine animals to satiate him. Plant and cell biology are also of interest to him, and are just further applications of his primary study anyway, so he’s got plenty of room to work with.

This boy is interning at NASA and still, with his whole chest out is like, “I don’t need to discover a new planet, you’re my whole world.” Armin, go check on the Mars rover or something please.

Mikasa — anthropology + minor in japanese language studies

Anthropology is virtually interdisciplinary in nature, and Mikasa is a pretty well rounded student, so she’s able to excel in a program like this. She gets to study history, science, cultural studies, and even a bit of art all at once.

She’s still debating between going to law school vs med school, so anthro this is a good in-betweener. She gets a taste of science through her anatomy and kin courses; and lots of practice with reading and dissecting texts through the historical and cultural lectures. So, when the time comes to decide, she’ll have some experience with both.

Don’t know whether it’s confirmed that she’s (part) Japanese or not, but either way I headcanon that she speaks/spoke some second language at home. She wanted to delve more into it, and courses were offered at the university so why not?

Cultural studies courses end up being her favorite. She likes learning about the history of people and their cultures, and it encourages her to learn more about her own family history and culture. It also propels her to apply for a study abroad opportunity, so she spends at least one semester doing an exchange program and absolutely loves it.

She would also encourage you to apply and go, too. You guys might not be in the same program, but if there’s an applicable program in the same country she’s going to, then she’d definitely want you to apply. Spending the semester away with you would be a dream come true.

Hange — bioengineering + minor in political philosophy and law

It’s almost self-sabotage to be in an engineering program and have a minor; the coursework for engineering alone is backbreaking, and bioengineering has the added weight of human intricacies, but of course Hange makes it possible. 

They’re nothing short of a genius, so of course they have time to work a completely unrelated minor into their schedule. It doesn’t surprise anyone that they go on to complete an MD-PhD after undergrad. Insane. 

Bioengineering is essentially the synthesis of chemical engineering and health sciences; Hange spends their time exploring biological sciences and applies the engineering aspects of their coursework to their understanding of (and interest in creating) medicine. Truly a one of a kind mind. 

They also have an interest in philosophy and justice, so when they found out they only needed a measly nine or ten courses to minor in, they went for it, of course. In honesty, they don’t find the studies all that opposing: both law making and medicine making both have some kind of philosophy or method to them in their eyes. 

Hange has... little to no free time pls. They don’t mind it, because they love their coursework, but this means you are essentially ducking into their labs or scrambling to find them in-between their classes during your time in undergrad. They appreciate every second spent with you tho, and will gladly rope you into long discussions about their work. 

Jean — biochemistry + minor in art sustainability

He was undeclared his first year, and took a little bit of everything: art, science, history, anthropology, english. Basically, anything that fit into his schedule. It was hard for him to pick one thing—he liked the science and lab applications of STEM courses, but not the math; and the obvious painting and creativity of art, but hated the pretentious air about art history.

What he wants to do is make a difference, which is how he ends up knowing that he wants to go to med school after, so he picks a science-heavy major, but uses his elective spaces to take art courses. When he mixes the two, he ends up on sustainability—and the complexities about it that are applicable to both science and art are what really reels him in.

Interdisciplinary studies end up being his forte. He can approach sustainability from a science perspective which impacts his art style and materials; and tuning into his creative side allows him to think about science not just from a purely clinical perspective, but from a human one, too—patients are people after all.

He believes that everything is connected somehow, even things as seemingly opposite as art and biochemistry. And he works towards finding the unique intersection where everything overlaps. His studies are pretty cool, and he’s very passionate about them, so ask him about it 😌

The art he makes is pretty sick, too, and often commentary about science; he’s proving they’re not so opposite. You also heavily influence his studies in both areas: caring about you so much inspires him to take the healthcare focus seriously, and your very nature is inspiration to his art. 

Sasha — nursing

She’s friendly and good at working with people, so nursing was an easy choice for her. She accredits most of her motivation to being around her younger family members, and learns that she finds a simple kind of joy in helping to take care of others.

She struggles a bit her first year when it’s mostly all grades and standardized testing, but when she starts getting clinical experience and working in the hospital on campus, things round out for her.

Patient care is her strongest point. A lot of people often forget that knowing everything isn’t everything; if you don’t know how to calm or even just talk to your patient, you’re not that great of a healthcare professional.

Pretty certain that she wants to work with kids in the future, but she’s open to public health and even being a travel nurse if she finds opportunity there!

Of course, she’s pretty doting when it comes to you and all her friends. She might want to go into pediatrics, but the basics of nursing and health care extend to everyone, so you’re guaranteed to be well taken care of with Sasha around. You might even have to switch roles and take care of her sometimes, because her coursework can get pretty out of hand.

Connie — computer engineering with a focus on game design

He might not look it, but Connie has a brain under that shaved head of his. Computer engineering is cool to him because he basically learns about how simple things he uses every day (ie: phone, computer, microwave) works.

Systems and coding are actually the easy part for him, especially when they get into the application of it and aren’t just stuck looking at examples. That’s how he gets into game design.

The part about math and electricity and magnetic fields… well let’s just say he needed to make friends with someone who likes math and hardware his first year to get through it. But the struggle was worth it, because by his junior year he’s found a professor willing to mentor/supervise him as he works on his game and other projects, so life is good.

His school work is definitely hard, which is why the lives by the mantra of “work hard, party harder.” It’s only fair. 

He makes you a little avatar so you can test out his games for him <33 best boyfriend things <33 He’d also… build a game about your relationship. Every level is a different date you guys went on, and he definitely includes something cheesy, like “There are unlimited lives because I love you forever babe <3”

Porco — kinesiology + maybe mechanical engineering

He’s pretty into athletics and working out, but didn’t wanna go down the sports psychology route; he wanted something that left him with a few more options, so he ended up in kinesiology.

He was surprisingly pretty good at biology in high school, so something stem-oriented works out in his favor, and it turns out he’s pretty damn good at anatomy, too. He’ll probably end up in physical therapy after graduation.

He’s also got a knack for cars, which is where the engineering comes in, but he doesn’t care so much for the math part of it (he doesn’t care for it at all actually, fuck that); he just wants the hands on experience of building/fixing things and working with his hands. So, if he can get a minor in it and not struggle through 4 years of math, then he’d do that. If not, he’d take a few workshop-like classes.

Because he wants to go into physical therapy, you are essentially his practice patient. Your back hurts? Not a problem, he’s basically a professional masseuse. Muscle aches? He’s got a remedy and understanding of why it’s happening. Don’t let him catch you hunting over your desk grinding away at your homework, because he will poke your neck and correct your posture (he’ll also massage your shoulders, but after the scolding).

Pieck — classics + minor in philosophy

Ancient studies interest her, but more than that, the language of ancient Greek and Roman culture fascinates her, so classics is the way to go.

Because her focus within Classics ends up being Greek and Latin language studies, she is essentially learning both languages at the same time. She gets farther with Latin that she does with Greek. For whatever reason, the former comes almost naturally to her, so her written and translated work is more complex in Latin.

However, she finds cultural studies relation to Greece more interesting than that of Rome, so it’s a give and take with both; better at languages for Roman studies, better at culture and history for Greek studies.

Her minor is a natural evolution from her primary coursework. Ancient Romans and Greeks set the foundation for a lot of modern day philosophy, so it comes up in her major classes, but she wanted to delve further into the philosophy, and not just look at it historically, so she takes more courses to fulfill the minor.

Can be found laying on a blanket in the quad on a hot day, with her books spread out all around her, highlighter in hand as she works through her reading. You’re always invited to sit with her, and more often than not, it ends up with Pieck’s head in your lap, a book in her hands, and your own schoolwork in yours as you both read in each other’s company.

Bertholdt — computer science and coding

He’s level headed, good at planning, and above all, patient, so he’s cut out for this. He doesn’t consider himself to be particularly creative, which is why he doesn’t pick a speciality with lots of design; but he’s good at streamlining and ideas to life.

The patience really comes in when his code doesn’t run. It’s frustrating to scroll for two hours just to find out that the issue is a missing semi-colon in line 273 that he overlooked, but Berty will sit there until he finds it.

He’s also good at fixing issues. That’s not limited to issues in the code itself; it can mean finding shorter ways to produce the same function or loop, or integrating new aspects into existing code.

Also, he’d just be so cute, coding away on his computer. Just imagine: Berty working on his homework in the library, he’s got his signature crewneck + collared shirt look going for him, his blue-light glasses, a cup of coffee nearly as tall as him sitting at the corner of his desk. Adorable.

He’d make little codes/programs for you, too, even if it’s silly. A simple code that helps you decide what to eat for dinner or where to go on a date, one that shuffles different reminders for you, hell he’ll even forgo the torture of design engineering just to build you a little robot that says “I love you” to you.

Reiner — english + minor in justice & political philosophy

Everyone expects Reiner, star quarterback of the university’s rugby team, to be a business student or communications student; but no, he’s an English major, and he loves it.

Just imagine a guy as huge as Reiner absolutely manhandling someone on the field, just to show up in his lectures with a tiny paperback of The Great Gatsby tucked between his fingers with his reading glasses on. It’s so precious.

He’s always running a bit late to class—either coming from the gym, or practice, or oversleeping from exhaustion—but he’s so sweet to his professors and genuinely interested in the literature that they don’t give him a hard time about it. They can tell that balancing school and sports is difficult, and they just appreciate that he takes his studies seriously.

Yeah he’s in a book club and he dog-ears his books. What about it. They’re doing poetry this month and Reiner actually likes Edgar Allen Poe. Who said jocks can’t be sentimental.

He also reads a lot outside of his classes, and has a soft spot for coming of age stories. He usually empathizes with the main character somehow. His ideal weekend plans after a week of grueling games and essays is taking a long, relaxing shower at your place, while you both share a bottle of wine, and maybe even get you to read a chapter or two of his current book out loud to him.

Annie — clinical psychology/neuroscience

Almost scarily analytical and methodic, so this major was calling her name. Localizing brain legions is… insanely intuitive to her it’s incredible. She’ll be an insanely impressive doctor someday, even if she doesn’t end up working with patients directly. 

She doesn’t care too much for the more philosophical/reading heavy parts of psychology. Even experiments and research closer to the social end of the spectrum aren’t all that interesting to her; but the brain science behind it it.

Nobody should be good at cellular biology. Nobody should be able to ace cell bio and neuro and calc and work towards their thesis proposal in the same semester, but Annie proves it’s possible.

Ends up working in one of her professor’s labs by her junior year. She was offered three TA positions working with first year students, but she swiftly turned them down. Teaching isn’t her thing.

She doesn’t bring up her studies to you unprompted, but if you ask her about them she’ll explain it to you. Her notes are color coded and it’s super neat, and very cute; coloring them is somewhat relaxing for her. She usually saves the coloring part for when you guys study together; there’s extra comfort in doing it with you around.

[newtypezaku]

Hello....Can I ask your top 10 favorite anime (can be series or movies) that you've finished? And why do you love them? Thanks if you want to answer....

Sure, I'll just grab the top of my MyAnimeLi-- actually, hmm, can I trust past me's ratings? Does current me remember how past me was scoring these? 

WE’LL DO IT LIVE! In no particular order, and under the cut to avoid blasting yinz with a wall-o-text:

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Okay, so I fully get people who don't want to slog through this because it can be painfully slow and dry, but that's what drew me to it. In terms of world-building and showing your work, this is one of the best sci-fi political dramas you'll find in any medium. It's also great if you pay attention US current events and want to be even MORE worried about the decline of the republic.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: A wild ride from start to finish, with an amazing cast and well-written escalation as evil plots materialize. Great balance of action, drama, and comedy. I'm struggling to think of another show that lasted four or more cours where I didn't, at any point, think, "Huh, it's really dragging lately." Fond memories of watching this in anime club, too.

Patlabor 2: The Movie: All of Patlabor is pretty great, and you can jump between the TV series and the OVAs/movies depending on what kind of tone you want in your giant robot police procedural. The second movie is a gripping political thriller that asks some very big and scary questions about the nature of peace and power; as with LoGH, it’s one of those that maybe you wanna hold off on if current events are stressful.

Macross Plus: It distills all of the Macross essentials into a tidy two-hour package with high-quality animation, lovely Yoko Kanno soundtrack, and one of the most gorgeous mechs ever to grace the screen, the YF-19. Virtual idol Sharon Apple gets bonus points for the effort made to make her music not sound contemporary. Also makes it painfully clear how much Japan loves Top Gun for whatever reason.

Chihayafuru: Completed in that I’ve watched what’s been adapted. This is somehow an honest-to-goodness sports anime which effectively hits all the tropes, surrounds the MCs (who are huge dorks themselves) with a quirky ensemble cast, and has introduced audiences to an incredibly Japanese cultural curiosity, competitive Hyakunin Isshu karuta. Shout-out to the Kitakyushu Manga Museum for finally giving me the opportunity to buy a plush Snowmaru.

Mobile Suit Gundam: I’m always going to have a soft spot for Wing; it was my first and I’ve yet to run into a Wing mech that I don’t instinctively like. But in terms of world and characters, the OG is where it’s at. Massive appreciation for the depth of the story being told in what was supposed to just be a toy commercial for Mr. Bandai in 19-freakin-79. Amuro and Char have grown to be larger-than-life and there’s just something comforting about seeing and hearing them whenever something new pops up. (Yes, even the damn McDonald’s commercial that Ikeda Shuuichi was paid real money to do.)

Psycho-Pass: Continuing with the theme of “here are some uncomfortable truths about modern society and we’re not being subtle,” we have Akane, the mythical good cop in a sea of actual violent criminals. Watching her slowly learn how the world works, hate it, deal with it, and then face it on her own terms -- chef’s kiss. Side note, shout-out to the time @lindoreda and I went to see the stage play, and I was one of the few dudes there, and we could feel the room collectively inhale when Kubota Yuki took his shirt off.

Flag: Flag is told from the perspective of a photojournalist embedded within a UN task force carrying out peacekeeping operations in generic central Asian country. And when I say “from her perspective,” I mean that literally, as almost the entire show is seen through her camera lens with occasional side-views from another journalist’s POV or onboard camera footage during missions. It’s a unique and painfully contemporary (although it’s, what, over 15 now?) mecha that I need to rewatch sometime.

Haikyuu!!: I’m giving Haikyuu a nod over some other excellent contenders (Kuroko and Daiya come immediately to mind) because it has all the elements I expect -- lovable cast, action-packed matches, special attacks that straddle the line of unbelievability -- plus a selfish intangible. I can cosplay Asahi without a wig and a quick shave, because manbun has been my default for years. It’s nice having a show I like where I can just take one look at a dude and be like, yup, I can wear that to cons until I start turning gray.

Shinkalion: I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TRANSFORMING-BULLET-TRAIN FRANCHISE OF MY LIFETIME, WHICH IS A TOY COMMERCIAL HIDDEN WITHIN THE STORY OF A BUNCH OF KIDS CONFRONTING BIG PROBLEMS AND FINDING SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE ALL THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM THINK, YEAH, WE CAN TRUST THEM WITH THE FUTURE AND THE FUTURE IS NOW.

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #203

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we've only got one goal in mind: Golems! Thanks to Avicebron, we'll make just that; lots and lots of golems! Avicebron is a Battle Smith Artificer, so you'll always have at least one on standby.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Next up: I did naht kill him, I did naht. Oh hi Mark.

Race and Background

Avvy might not look it, but he's still a Variant Human, giving him +1 Intelligence and Wisdom, plus proficiency with Deception to keep your mentees close and your golem ingredients just as close, plus you get the Servo Crafting feat! You can cast Find Familiar as a ritual, but instead of getting an animal, you build a small golem called a Servo. You can speak with and through the servo, plus sense through it, as long as you share a plane of existence. You can also attack with the servo instead of your wimpy noodlearms once per attack action.

You're also a Cloistered Scholar, which gives you History and Religion proficiency. You are nerd! No duh!

Ability Scores

Your Intelligence should be pretty high, you make golems and you don't afraid of anything, that's what you do. After that is Dexterity, you're better off not getting hit than anything else, and also having 4 arms means you're pretty good at sleight of hand. Wisdom is also pretty good, you're a religious man, and while you don't get power from that you're still wise. Unfortunately we gotta make Strength the next highest stat. I mean, two of your arms are robots, so I guess it kinda works? Your Charisma is pretty low, you just don't care about people that much, but we're dumping Constitution. Trust me, it'll make sense in a bit. (Don't do this in-game, this is a flavor thing, you WILL DIE)

Class Levels

You're 100% artificer, so you start off with Magical Tinkering, letting you stuff minor magical effects into tiny items. I don't know why you'd make a fart sound producing golem out of a pen, but I'm not Avicebron. You also learn Spells. They use your Intelligence score for prep and casting. Grab Mage Hand to build a little drone to carry stuff for you, and Message for a messenger golem. Really you can take whatever spells you like as long as you call them golems, but the most golemy are Alarm golem and Catapult golem. Why throw stuff when you can just make it throw itself? You also get proficiency in a buncha stuff, like Constitution and Intelligence saves, plus Nature to figure out good materials for golems and Arcana to build them!

Second level artificers can Infuse Items, adding cool effects to up to two items per long rest from a list of four options. Grab Armor of Tools so you'll always have your golem-making kit on ya, Enhanced Arcane Focus for stronger golems, Homunculus Servant for a golem, and Mind Sharpener to help keep track of your golems. I can already tell golem isn't even gonna look like a word by the end of this build.

Your artificer subclass is the Battle Smith, which makes you Battle Ready, so your golems can use martial weapons. Of course you're not swinging them yourself, so you can use your intelligence instead of strength when attacking with magical weapons. You also get a second permanent golem, the Steel Defender! You gotta use your bonus action to make it do stuff, but it'll hit people, repair stuff, and protect its allies! Also, you can cast Mending on it to heal it. You don't have that yet, but you will! You can also make The Right Tool for the Job over a long rest, and you also get subclass spells for free. Heroism makes a very pretty golem that inspires all your allies to not get scared and get temporary HP. Shield makes a golem that'll stand in front of someone as a reaction, adding 5 to their AC and blocking magic missiles for a round.

Use your first Ability Score Improvement to bump up your Intelligence. You use it for pretty much everything, so your brain's gotta be good!

Fifth level battlesmiths get an Extra Attack, so your servo, your steel defender, and your sword-holding golem can all attack at the same time. You also get second level spells, like Branding Smite and Warding Bond. Neither of those are golems tho. Grab Rope Trick for the first of many rope golems, and Enlarge/Reduce for later. Adam's a big boy, so you've gotta make a big golem.

Sixth level artificers get Tool Expertise, doubling your proficiency bonus with all tools. Golem making is complicated, the DCs are gonna be high. You also get two more blueprints and one more infused item, like a Spell-Refueling Ring for extra spell slots and a Rope of Climbing for another rope-based golem to help your bad climbing skills.

At seventh level you get so smart you have Flashes of Genius, adding your intelligence modifier to checks and saves near you intelligence modifier times per long rest. Yeah, it's actually just weirdly specific golems.

Bump up your Intelligence this ASI for more of everything you like. Smrt.

Ninth level battle smiths add an Arcane Jolt to their steel defender and magical weapons. Once per turn, intelligence modifier times per long rest, you can either add extra force damage to the hit, or heal a nearby creature. Still not sure how to make those golems, but you'll figure something out, you've got 20 Intelligence! You also get third level spells, like an Aura of Vitality golem and a Conjure Barrage golem. You can also can Create Food and Water golems for gathering, or turn just about anything into a Tiny Servant. For up to 8 hours after casting, you can turn a tiny object into a tiny creature, commanding it as a bonus action. Finally, a spell that makes golems! You can also use Glyph of Warding now, though it won't be that useful for the build until you get fourth level spells. The idea is, you can keep a bunch of these bad boys in your base, all set to trigger against a creature that knocks you down to 0 HP. All of them summon constructs, beating up the guy after you're already unconscious. This is the closest we could get to Avicebron's third skill, D&D doesn't really plan for character death that well. Also, just a correction. I just found out you can't carry glyphs around without them breaking :(

Tenth level artificers are Magic Item Adepts, giving you an extra attunement slot and you can create uncommon magic items for cheaper. You also get the Mending cantrip for golems, and two more blueprints for an extra infused item. The Helm of Awareness will help you stay out of trouble, and the Periapt of Wound Closure makes it easier to not die. Your master strategy is all about getting knocked out, so it would be nice if you automatically stabilize.

Eleventh level artificers can create Spell-Storing Items, stuffing weapons or focii full of first/second level magical goodness. It's like you're casting the spell, but it uses the other guy's concentration.

Another ASI! Bump up your Dexterity for less dying.

With fourth level spells, you can cast all sorts of golems. You're stuck with Aura of Purity and Fire Shield, but you also get an Arcane Eye for a drone golem, plus Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound and Summon Construct for fighting golems.

As a Magic Item Savant you get another attunement slot, and you can ignore requirements when attuning magic items. You also get the Prestidigitation cantrip to make whatever small tools you need for a second, and two more blueprints for one more infusion. Bracers of Defense will help you not die if you don't think Avicebron's outfit is armor, and the Ring of Protection will also do that regardless.

At fifteenth level you get your last subclass improvement, the Improved Defender. Your arcane jolt gets bigger, and your golem gets tougher and can reflect damage, not just deflect it.

Use the rest of your ASI to bump up your Wisdom. Making yourself better isn't in character, so just be wise.

You've got fifth level spells! Banishing smite isn't a golem, but I guess Mass Cure Wounds could be Adam's feet? Idk. You can also use Bigby's Hand for Adam's hand, and Animate Objects for more item-based golems. Now you can turn your trusty frying pan into a-golem. Everything turns into a golem.

Eighteenth level artificers are Magic Item Masters, letting you attune to six items at the same time. You also get two more blueprints, so grab two copies of Arcane Propulsion Arm for the four arms of your third ascension. Arms are cool.

One last ASI, grab more Wisdom.

Your capstone ability grants you a Soul of Artifice, giving you a +1 bonus to all your saves for each magic item you're attuned to, and you can destroy an infusion to drop to 1 HP instead of 0. Remember, getting KOd only helps if you're near one of your glyphs.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Between your Steel Defender, servo, tiny servants, and animated objects, you don't have to do much. Plus you can just rope trick away and let them take care of everything!

If your DM ever tries to spook the party by fighting you in your own base, you can spook him right back by taking a fall and filling your study with angry golems.

With expertise and flashes to help your repairs along plus mending, you're a great repairman. If the DM tries to block your path with a broken bridge, it won't stay broken for long. Plus, your warforged allies will love you.

Cons:

DONT DUMP CON. You have less than 100 HP at level 20, and your constitution save is really bad (for an artificer). Don't do it. Look me in the eyes, don't. do it!

Having any part of your battle plan being getting knocked out is not going to make you popular with your party members. Maybe you should help out yourself? Nah, golems are better.

All of your infusions and spells are focused on helping yourself, a stark contrast to most of our artificer builds. Keeping all your toys to yourself will not help your party like you, especially with a +0 charisma.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

#3, 14, 35 and 38 for the get to know you asks

3. Who was your childhood hero?

Excellent Question! So looking back, in terms of real people, it's probably my mom, she was amazing. But in terms of fictional people probably Lucy from Narnia <3

14. Breakfast for dinner or pizza for breakfast?

Okay so I absolutely adore every and all breakfast food except oatmeal or mushy hash browns so ABSOLUTELY breakfast for dinner <3 and I would eat pizza for breakfast, but that would take away from my societally allotted breakfast time, so probably no to that (plus tbh cold pizza isn't that good imo I'm weird don't hate me) but I DO love breakfast pizza

35. Who are your top 5 celebrity crushes?

Okay so not big on celebrities as far as celebrities go (because I know nothing about the real people, only the characters [that might just be a demi thing but also maybe not???]) and also fictional men are better than real men anyways so Imma go with fictional character crushes (and if you decide that's not valid I'll pick some celebrities I guess????) Also reverse order countdown because ✨dramatic effect✨ and I guess I started adding an analysis of why I chose them so that's nice I guess

5. Cassian Andor (Rogue One.) At a time I really super loved him but I guess that's kinda faded. Still though, he's a doll and a sweetheart and a precious churro who deserved better and must be protected at all costs.

4. Davey Jacobs (Newsies.) Get you a man who can sing, who has good morals, who's loyal to his friends and family, and who can tell you random facts about animals and use big words in ordinary conversations! This boi is ideal and comes with the added bonus that he's the only one on this list who doesn't have a girlfriend I have to compete with!!!

3. Eugene Fitzherbert (Tangled.) Eugene is wifey material. He's so in love with Rapunzel and he's so cute and fierce and he protec and he atac and most importantly he come bac from the ded! Absolute goals and I love him.

2. Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean.) Mans is a blacksmith (unlimited supply of swords,) a pirate (that vibe that aesthetic he's beautiful,) and an absolute simp (and I mean that in the best way possible) AND he looks good in a cape (or any other outfit he wears,) so I see this as an absolute win!

1. Killian Jones (Once Upon A Time.) Oh my gosh I love this dude so much have you seen him he's wonderful and perfect and amazing and can do no wrong your honor i love him. He's got a tragic history and a lifelong struggle with good and evil and so far he seems to be coming out on the side of good. Again, absolute simp (affectionate,) the kind of guy who would do anything to save his girlfriend, or, more accurately, to help his girlfriend save everyone, and he's got such a charming personality and he's quite handsome and it seems to me like he drinks a healthy amount of Respect Woman Juice. (Just watched the episode in season 5 where we see the flashback to the moment where he and Milah met and I just sat there lovingly caressing the screen staring at him and silently whispering "marry me please." Also he's a PIRATE and he's absolutely incredible and I think he has in fact absolutely ruined every other men ever for me I hope this helps.

38. What’s your favorite flower?

Daisies 🌼🌼🌼

[deltaengineering]

that was the winter anime 2021 that was

Still not quite ready for a dozen posts about how terrible the likes of Combatants Will Be Dispatched are, sorry. Watch Vivy though, it owns. Here’s some more things that are (mostly) good. As always, worst to best.

Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki S3

Yatogame has long run out of hot Nagoya facts and its ensemble comedy never amounted to much, so now it seems mostly content to just spam more and more wacky character designs. About the only thing that it has left going for it is that 3 minutes a week are more effort to drop than to watch, so I expect them to make a movie next. 4/10

Go-toubun no Hanayome S2

Quints is a weird one. S1 was a barely good enough (i.e., well above average) implementation of the ages old harem chestnut. S2 is actually better at the core of its appeal, since it gives all the characters a sharper profile (things like taking Nino from joke to badass and making Ichika a villain are no mean feat), but it does pay a steep price for it. You see, to deliver a steady drip feed of meaningful character moments it apparently has to rush through the source material at a breakneck pace, which completely wrecks the "story" part of this story and makes every episode seem like a recap. And it still keeps wasting precious time on vestigial nonsense like its framing device and the Kyoto flashback scenario that was already the worst part of S1. But by far the most annoying aspect is its insistence on keeping all the options valid, since it prevents any real progress and makes everything seem arbitrary and pointless. So sure enough, after a season of much ado we still don't end up anywhere — you can't really raise the stakes if all at stake was "who wins" to begin with. It's watchable and even enjoyable scene-for-scene but it's getting harder and harder to call it a solid show overall. 5/10

Skate Leading Stars

I was watching this primarily because I didn't like Yuri on Ice much and wanted to see if something that is a blatant attempt to cash in on it would be better — because while YoI delivers on one aspect (being hella gay), it really is an absolute shambles of a sports show. And sure enough, Skate Leading has none of the auteur appeal of YoI, but it just works much better. In particular I appreciate how it managed to make me care even a little about a cast of assholes, which is a nice contrast to the nauseatingly ingratiating way YoI tries to make you love its characters. Also, Skate Leading is just generally cheap and unambitious, so not susceptible to trying hard and painfully flaming out on the presentation side like YoI is. But at some point you gotta let go of these comparisons and on its own Skate Leading is... just fine, I guess? Competent, mildly engaging, not very memorable. And that's probably where it loses to Yuri on Ice in the end after all, even if I think it's "better". 6/10

Idoly Pride

Idoly Pride sold itself on me with a really good (and hilarious/tragic) first episode that was just too bizarre to ignore — I mean, how can you ignore GHOST IDOL MANAGERS. Well, the majority of the show isn't like that. It's a competent and solid version of the idol franchise show, yes, but it really had more potential than that. Especially midseason, it gets lost in these dozens of characters, and while they're all likeable, it does seem like a waste of a good story just centered on Mana/Kotona/Sakura. By the end it comes back around to the heart of the matter with a Maeda-style sob story, which could be a disaster but seasoned veteran Jukki Hanada makes it work anyway. Overall, there's quite a bit of ridiculous hacky melodrama in this, but quite honestly that's the best part and I wish it would concentrate more on it. The rest is just okay. 6/10

Yuru Camp S2

Yuru Camp is still likely the best pure iyashikei show when it gets down to business. Compared to S1 though, this seems to happen less and less. At its peaks (i.e., basically any quiet moment with Rin) it's at least as good as ever, and there's some good cast additions like Mini-Inuko, but it appears that Yuru Camp simply has run out of things you can do with camping and it fills up the time with other... stuff. This stuff includes the generic school club shenanigans it was never particularly good at, and a gigantic helping of crass consumerism. Yeah, I would say the majority of Yuru Camp is just a straight up infomercial at this point, which itself ranges from the perfectly acceptable (which cute anime isn't about food constantly), to the sketchy (I don't know whether the Izu tourism board cut this production a fat check, but if they didn't, Yuru Camp still gives its best effort to make it seem that way) to the highly irritating – I am aware that camping requires gear and you can't just ignore that, but you most definitely do not require whole arcs dedicated to talking about raising funds for the purposes of acquiring the Lamp of Comfy Happiness at your friendly local Caribou™ either. Not to mention an arc where the aforementioned lame school club does the same, for double irritation. Make no mistake, this show is so riddled with scenes that beg for a solution to embed affiliate links in video files that it makes me wish I was watching something as anticapitalist and underground as Love Live. And irritating really is the last thing a show with this core concept, as stellar as it is at that, can afford to be. Bummer. 6/10

SKOO the Infinity

Skoo has one really huge asset: ADAM, its magnificent villain. It also has one really huge liability: Reki, its not magnificent protagonist. To be more specific, it's very good at anything outrageous, physics-defying and silly, such as most scenes ADAM is in, and quite bad at anything serious, dramatic (in a serious way) and down to earth, such as most scenes Reki is in. So, what's the verdict? Well, the rest of the cast is more ADAM-like, and Reki's co-protagonist Langa is fine as the straight (yeah, right) man. The tedious buddy drama is a comparatively small part of this show, and at least it pays off quite well in the end. Seriously, I was ready to give this a 6, but the final episode is probably the best one of the show, in all of its aspects. That's really not something you see often. Skoo's a great time. Except when it's not. 7/10

Non Non Biyori Nonstop

Speaking of the rare good ending, what about we gave one of those to a slim and inconsequential slice-of-life show? NNB has always been solid, comfy and amusing quality with a couple of standout moments (usually something with Renge), and Nonstop has that plus an ending as conclusive as any show of this type is ever going to have. Besides, it does a lot of things right by focusing on more characters than the central 4 (especially Konomi has great material in S3), it expands the universe just enough to not get stale, and it moves things forward — It's definitely a lot better than the movie, is what I'm saying. Apart from that, well, we're three seasons in, if you have any interest in this you probably don't need me to explain what's good about NNB at this point. Bonus points for being nothing but an ad for the manga. 7/10

Wonder Egg Priority

Oh boy, so here's the big one. Wonder Egg is the rare Meaningful Arthouse Show About Real Issues You Guys, as you might have heard. And well, the long and short of it is that it's a very good show with quite a few glaring problems (besides not actually being finished due to production issues, but what we have is enough of an ending to be able to meaningfully talk about it). In particular, one problem: WEP is, at its core, one of these metaphorical Magical Girl-ish series that are just a thin layer of abstraction over coming-of-age or societal problems. The issue is that "metaphorical" in this case means "literal" and "thin" means "basically nonexistent". This show is not subtle regarding what it's about, at all. This is a double-edged sword — on the positive side, some things really should just be said aloud, and I'm really, really fucking tired of the Ikuhara style of "here's some wacky things, maybe a blog post will eventually tell you how it's actually about the most important thing ever" obfuscation — if it's really so important, just spell it out. On the other hand, there are limits to this and when a second, different Ai appears I don't really need a voiceover line telling me that yep, this show is about parallel universes now. WEP spells out many important things, but it also spells out many things that are implicitly clear or better left vague. Not to mention that with being so obvious up front, the show's tendency to leave figuring out what it's actually saying about it up to the viewer can leave the wrong impression. Again, I settled on the opinion that it's subtle after all where it counts the most, but you might easily get the impression that it pulls its punches (Ikuhara does this the exact other way around — once you figure out what the fuck he's talking about it's abundantly clear what he's saying about it).

In fact, this show is so good at subtle, quiet character moments that it calls into question the need for big huge fighting fantasy layer in the first place, especially since I'm not a fan of the fantasy designs and the fights aren't great. Sure, they look impressive on a technical level (this show is very good looking in general), but the lack of actual impact or rhythm makes me think this is not made by people who are very familiar with action and maybe they should have asked some seasoned shounen veterans for this — or just, you know, not do it. They can (and do) impress with character acting in quiet scenes just the same. And while Ai's character story actually does pay off quite nicely by the end we got, and Momoe and Rika are also handled well, Neiru's backstory is significantly less good, not to mention the whole Frill subplot regarding the show's mythology that they introduced just before (and that's the part to be resolved at a later date), which is a huge can of worms. We'll see how well they handle that, I suppose, but as it is it's a weird and vestigial detour that doesn't add much besides thematic headaches.

But yeah, apart from all that — I like it, a lot. Great character writing in the details, cool looks for the most part, tons of ambition, and a message that I consider to be appropriately handled — for the most part, and for now. Not quite ambitious arthouse anime at its finest, but also not a pretentious disaster like Sarazanmai, Monogatari et al. 8/10

[veneli]

2, 4, 5, 10 from the Romanticised asks?

Heyy! Thanks for the ask! You asked, so I shall deliver (sorry it's not same-day shipping though :p (it's been like a week and I wanted to be genuine with my responses))

2. if someone were to catch Hanahaki disease for you, what flowers would they cough up? Nice question... a hard one. I would like to say they'd be a combination of my favourite flowers - which would be roses, chrysanthemums, or Barbeton Daisies. (I know, painful, I'm sorry to whoever loves me) and their favourite flowers. Plus a splash of Forget-me-nots or baby's breath to accent the flowers? Gotta make it pretty even though it hurts. Smile through the pain growing in your chest, y'know?

4. tell us about your ideal battle outfit. (inhales) outfit design. one of my favourite pastimes other than baking.

My Ideal battle outfit would consist of: an armored chest plate, knee protectors (I have shitty kneecaps) and probably a pen behind my ear. I am not one to go onto the battlefield as I am not physically inclined nor willing to, and I'd rather stay behind the scenes to plan and strategize.

If we're including magic in this since it's fantasy, let's go with the most well-rounded OC I have (in terms of magic), the Freelancer! I would learn long distant fighting so I can have more range, and with that I'd need protection against the elements and energetics. Heatproof, electricity conducting material for the entire outfit. Concentrated wiring at fingertips for maximum electro output; Dark fabric to help with absorbing and creating heat; Rip-resilient fabric for Earth and porous weave for easy water control. Amplifier at the throat for Sonal output, thickened soles for Graviton output, thing flexible wires weaved into the fabric for max. Magneto out/input. A black bodysuit that curls up the neck and over the ears and nose, with removable gloves and shoe components, accented with holographic fabric foil. Plus a thigh strap with a dagger for melee if that ever came to be the case! An earpiece to coordinate with teammates, last resort su1c1de pill near the shoulder (hunger games reference)

Something like this, maybe? Suit-like, fancy but nothing too extravagant? (source)

(or just ignore everything I described above and have this. Silver accents, gloves, PURPLE GLITTERY LINING, Capes for funsies and heels for stabbing and kicking >:D) (source)

5. what would you be a god/goddess of and what would people sacrifice to you? (okay, so I actually didn't know what I would be so I took personality tests and the majority of them said Zeus and based on my birthday, also Hades) I' not quite sure how sacrifices work I'd say I would be a God of Strength, though. Not physical strength, but mental strength. I’d think I’m a pretty mentally and emotionally stable person, and I’m a support for most of my friends. As for sacrifices—cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. I’m like the coin slot in an arcade game and chocolate cookies are how you get me to start. No sacrificing humans or animals or whatever, that’s unnecessary. Heck, even just burn the ingredients and I’ll make the cookies myself and give them to the people who pray to me for mental strength as a bonus.

(I promise cookies make everything better)

10. describe yourself as if you were a storm. (whoops this got a little long)

A tall, towering cumulonimbus cloud hovered over the horizon, grey and drab. The atmosphere was alight and crackling with the static it emits from within, lightning strikes having not found a spot on the ground to bury itself into. The city underneath was aware of it's existence, since the weather forecast had predicted its arrival in a few day's time last week. People scrambled to find cover as the first fleet of cool rainwater begins to fall, a light showering of its collection of ocean and lake water bestowed upon this city, washing away months worth of unbearable heat and warmth with the winds it brought along. The sidewalks were mostly empty now, as the water begins to fall in earnest. It was safe. It could strike. The energy pent up in the cloud charged, electrons finding a way to escape and finding the nearest, tallest building - the penthouse of the Academy's library to lead it into the ground, where the earth would save and disperse its energy. The sky crackled with electricity, and a bold, neon purple streak found it's way to the lightning rod, splitting the sky into daylight. Electro energetics in the building felt their energy surge, threads tugging on their Cores to release the magic, eager to be drawn to where their element found home. The cloud sighed, its pent up energy finally relieved. The trees bowed in the darkness, their leaves whispering in harmony with the percussion of rain on hot pavement. People closed their windows, perching behind the panes of glass with the lights turned off in hopes of another light show. However, they would soon be a little disappointed to know that the cloud was tired. A few more crackles of static, and another bout of rain that would last all night, and fade away into a few thin wisps by morning, leaving the city refreshed to start a new week. The cloud would be back, soon. But not soon enough, for the sweltering temperatures of the city.

[thecreaturecodex]

Desmodu

Image © Wizards of the Coast, by David Roach. Accessed at the Monster Manual II Art Gallery here

[So at the time I’m enqueuing this post, Furtober has been going for a while, and I’m afraid it has not been terribly successful. My thought was to post a bunch of furry monsters, because people seemed to like them and October is traditionally a theme month for internet creative types. But my average notes count is actually lower than it has been! Maybe I’m over-saturating the market. Maybe it’s because I haven’t tagged them with “furry”, instead using “furtober”, which is a tag people don’t search for or follow (I’ve since rectified this). Maybe I was mis-estimating my audience in general, but whatever the reason, Furtober feels like a bit of a failure.

You know what else feels like a bit of a failure? The desmodu! These batsquatches were Skip Williams’ baby, having appeared first in Deep Horizon, a module he wrote all about them, and then reappearing in Monster Manual II and Savage Species. Basically, they showed up in one book per year of the entire 3.0 product line, and nobody ever seemed to like them. Maybe it was because they had a lot of special abilities and gimmicks (sonic attacks! wounding! alchemy! double weapons!). Maybe because the creature misses out on what people want from an anthro bat monster--flight. Maybe because that illustration isn’t great. (Incidentally, two images by the same artist appear in Deep Horizon, and are much better. I didn’t use either of them because I only have access to very low-res versions). My version streamlines their abilities a bit and removes the double weapon gimmick.]

Desmodu CR 9 NG Monstrous Humanoid This hulking creature resembles a cross between a bat and a gorilla, with reddish fur and a wrinkled face. It does not have full wings, but a membrane connects its oversized arms to its somewhat stumpy legs. It wears a harness and leather armor, and carries an oversized hook.

The desmodus are intelligent, bat-like giant humanoids. They were once common throughout the Darklands, but warfare with the drow pushed them into the deepest, most remote corners. Desmodus have relatively poor vision, but compensate for this by an incredibly keen echolocation sense. Their language, Desmon, extends into frequencies above and below that which humans can hear, and their voices tend to jump in frequency dramatically when speaking more common languages. They are omnivores, feeding primarily on fungi and giant insects, but they require the blood of vertebrates regularly in order to stay healthy. Most desmodu obtain this blood by feeding non-lethally on giant bats and lizards kept as livestock.

Desmodus favor the use of weapons in warfare, such as crossbows and their signature hooked staves. They also craft alchemical items, and use these intelligently to disrupt enemy tactics—charging into enemy formations with a lit smokestick in their belt is a common desmodu gambit. Their sonic abilities can be honed into weapons, firing bolts of stunning sound or filling enemies with despair-causing vibrations. As most desmodu are good, most of them will accept surrender, and most would prefer to flee or surrender themselves instead of fight to the death.

Most desmodus live in small enclaves, and community is dearly important to them. Desmodus wear “kinship badges”, which are metallic bell-like structures that resonate when struck with echolocation, the pitch revealing the family and enclave of the wearer. They trade with other enclaves or with other Darklands species, but material goods are not considered valuable for their own sake. Many desmodus are proud of their animal husbandry, breeding new strains of livestock suitable for food, as pack animals, or even as mounts. Desmodus worship a small pantheon of gods and empyreal lords devoted to darkness, earth and kinship. Some clans have fallen to evil, however, serving powers of war and blood.

A desmodu stands between eight and nine feet tall. They walk bipedally with a rolling gait, but when they need speed drop down on all fours. They favor leather as material for armor and clothing.

Desmodu        CR 9 XP 6,400 NG Large monstrous humanoid Init +3; Senses blindsight 120 ft., darkvision 30 ft., Perception +17 Defense AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural, +3 armor) hp 114 (12d10+48) Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +10; +4 vs. sonic Defensive Abilities soundproof Offense Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. (40 ft. when galloping) Melee ogre hook +16/+11/+6 (2d8+7/x3), bite +11 (1d8+2 plus bleed) or 2 claws +16 (1d6+5), bite +16 (1d8+5 plus bleed) Ranged screech bolt +14 touch (5d6 sonic and stun) or light crossbow +14 (2d6/19-20) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks bleed (1d4), subsonic hum (12 rounds/day) Statistics Str 20, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 11 Base Atk +12; CMB +18 (+20 vs. trip); CMD 31 (33 vs. trip) Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Trip, Quick Draw, Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +19 (+14 jumping, +23 jumping w/ gallop), Climb +20, Craft (alchemy) +17, Handle Animal +12, Heal +10, Perception +21, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception Languages Desmon, Terran, Undercommon Ecology Environment underground Organization solitary, pair, company (3-7) or troop (8-20) Treasure standard (Large masterwork studded leather armor, Large ogre hook, Large light crossbow with 20 bolts, other treasure) Special Abilities Blindsight (Ex) A desmodu’s blindsight is hearing based. They cannot use this ability if deafened or in the area of a silence spell. Gallop (Ex) A desmodu can move at a speed of 40 feet if it travels on all four limbs. It cannot hold an item in hand or draw an item when it gallops. Screech Bolt (Su) As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, a desmodu can fire a ray at a range of 60 feet. A creature struck by this ray takes 5d6 points of sonic damage and must succeed a DC 22 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution based. Soundproof (Ex) A desmodu gains a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against sonic effects. Subsonic Hum (Su) A desmodu can create an area of sonic vibrations in a 30 foot radius around itself. It can use this ability as a standard action, and maintain it on later rounds as a swift action. A desmodu can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to its Hit Dice + Charisma modifier. It gains access to the following two abilities: Despair All enemies in the area must succeed a DC 16 Will save or be struck with despair, suffering a -2 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, skill and ability checks and weapon damage rolls for as long as they remain in the area of the hum. Hope All allies in the area gain a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, skill and ability checks and weapon damage rolls as long as they remain in the area of the hum. A desmodu can switch between effects as a standard action. This is a mind-influencing emotion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

[amadeus-draws]

have you ever just looked at Zane’s design and his overall characterization beyond being the goofy drunk irishman? the things he DOESN’T say are almost as interesting as the zany things (ahem) that come out of our favorite operative’s mouth:

his jacket's probably something of his own design, and has what looks to be armor plating lining it (especially around the neck and upper chest; gotta protect your vital areas!) and mesh lining for ventilation around his arms--just a cool detail

the little digistructor (at least I think it is?) mounted on his shoulder for the drone is also armored and heavily padded, because this guy takes good care of his little bud 

wouldn't be surprised if that bodysuit he wears under his shirt is something he kept from his black-op days or stole when he was an active operative

said bodysuit also looks reinforced behind the neck and on the shoulders 

between the armor in his jacket collar and the armor on the bodysuit, his neck is stupidly well-protected from things like attacks and explosions from behind, because he needs to be prepared for anything at any time

the bodysuit design actually reminds me a lot of the various sneaking suits in the Metal Gear series, where some provide physical augmentation (ie, synthetic muscle tissue), exert pressure to control bleeding from injuries, etc on top of just acting as armor

let's not forget those dope trigger-finger gloves, with the textured tips on the fingers for extra grip, the thinner perforated material over most of the palm for ease of flexing the hand (which also looks well-worn and even has cracking in the texture if you look closely), and the padding on the lower part of the palm because having a very secure grip on a gun is nice 

so I'm REALLY reaching a bit here, but you ever wonder about that gun holster on his hip? I mean everyone and their mother has a holster for their shit, but Zane has that nifty high-tech looking one that rivals that of Jack and Lorelei... AND they're all connected to high-tech companies (Hyperion and Atlas respectively). kind of makes you wonder where and how he acquired his gear in general; did he steal these things? keep them from his jobs? get designs for them and/or make them himself otherwise? maybe buy them with the decent amount of money he probably has?

have you SEEN this guy's reflexes, perception, and PHYSICAL STRENGTH? he's obviously not young anymore and past his physical prime--WHEW geEEeeEz and all--but he friggin manhandles a bandit and throws him clean out a window in the opening cinematic, effortlessly tosses a guy into a dumpster in his character trailer, manages to get a guy that’s twice his size and bulk off the edge of the cliff in the same trailer, doesn't even turn around to acknowledge the big mofos coming behind him in the Let's Make Some Mayhem and We Are Mayhem trailers before swapping places with his clone, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... 

in the E3 We Are Mayhem trailer, he manages to deploy his drone, quickly swap between two guns, deploy/trade places with his clone, AND kill 5 mechs ALL in the span of FIVE SECONDS (with an extra backstab on the last guy to boot), with extremely precise and controlled movements; i personally think this is probably one of the best demonstrations of the fact that this is a guy who had black-ops/military training on top of having just killed countless people over the last few decades

and sure, maybe that earpiece might enhance his hearing or some crap and you can probably hear those big guys coming from a mile away but STILL!

I’m not gonna touch the Happy Together trailer because that is clearly an acid trip, but if he actually IS shooting guys without even looking at them WHILE DANCING........ I mean jesus christ, no wonder he’s so deadly

"flamboyant spy man" SHOULD be one of his middle names, given his dramatic hands-behind-his-back pose in the opening movie, his chin-on-hand main menu pose, and that James Bond-y pose he has in the character selection menu

now I'm not saying bandits are thirsty for Zane, but I find it hilarious that they're constantly babbling about how THE GEEZER is good-looking (pretty boy!) to the point of even asking what the hell he uses to look so good (the answer is NOTHING of course, he just looks that good), and most of the lower-tier bandits are probably in their 20s and up or something lmao

as far as family resemblances go, Zane and Baron share pretty similar hairlines (AND SIDEBURNS MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL), facial structure (them cheekbones), the squinty-eye deal, and that default stern, perma-grump facial expression (or “sour disposition” as Zane’s in-game description calls it)

AND BONUS SHIT: he has the wildest little ECHO animation of the VHs when you use the Quick Change station, with him swapping to a full length cloak and his wanderer head (the rice hat with a full gas mask) while everyone else gets slightly less dramatic clothing swaps. because even the friggin little pixel animations for him have to be fun! 

Bit of a digression, but I always found it funny how his enemies poke fun at him for being old--I personally imagine him to be probably in his 40s at the youngest--when he isn’t super old by most measures (ffs, full head of hair, not a hint of a receding hairline, and still has color in his hair... friggin Wainwright looks comparatively ancient), BUT! 

we know he’s 1) a guy who’s probably been in active combat most of his life and we know life tends not to be long for people like him, and 2) actively being hunted down with at least 36 bounties on his head based off his on-down dialogue

the probability of him managing to live long isn’t all that great, and it’s kind of interesting to think about why bandits call him an old guy: he IS an old guy by virtue of life being short in the galaxy, especially for someone still in the fight

I mean most of the older people we see in the BL universe are usually either civilians or people who’ve been out of combat for a while, like Mr. Blake, Dr. Zed, Crazy Earl, etc

Zane’s pretty much a unicorn in the BL universe, and i for one think his longevity is a testament to his skills and ability to survive (with help from Lady Luck of course); even he’s not sure how he’s managed to live as long as he has in another of his cripple quotes

just so you get an idea of how long this guy has stayed alive, he’s outlived older brothers Baron and Captain by 12 (5 years between BL1 /BL2 plus 7 years between BL2/BL3) and and 7 years (from BL2/BL3) respectively

ANYWAYS YEAH, Zane is just a really interesting character both upfront and when you read between the lines, I dunno how you guys feel hahah

in other news, i’m actually going back in for my second playthrough to collect all them tasty Zane deets i missed the first time around and making my way through the DLC... stay tuned for more Zane ramblings!

[bbq-hawks-wings]

long ask anon cont Pt 1- lol, I think Tumblr is eating my imgur link of the full ask even after I broke it. Also, thank you guys so much for answering and hitting the issues so well. I love what you and @autumn-foxfire has written so far. Here’s the rest: ...or at the very least, gen stories. The drama and tension between Hawks & Dabi actually gets me hyped & excited. This is a little off-topic but why are there so many trans-Hawks stories that are smut? I have nothing against it or smut but-

-it’s hard finding trans-Hawks/reg-Hawks stories that don’t involve smut. I do acknowledge that his character design is very appealing (ex: reader,ocxHawks mountain) but there’s so much sexual content ppl put Hawks in that it’s hard to find good stories(even smut ones)about his character just interacting w others or dealing w drama,mysteries,etc. I just want good Hawks content to recommend to new fans instead of just smut in case they’re underaged. (Hawks-sensei=Holy Grail)

Anyway, this is my perspective as a fan of Hawks who just got into BNHA for about 4 months & is extremely worried how others will see Hawks when the anime comes back bc of all the currently available fan content for him on Tumblr-AO3-Twitter. I really didn’t mind (even liked) the lov members when I wasn’t in the fandom but w/ how ppl write/draw them in order to bash Hawks, it actually made me want to read more about the main cast/Pro Heroes & Hawks hanging out w/ them instead.

With the Main cast/Pro Heroes, we can at least get a Hawks that gets to have therapy, build healthy (non-guilt) friendships, and the others would be able to learn about the faults of Hero society and the Commission through him.

But for Hawks+lov stories, I now cringe internally when I see the "league as found family" tag even though I would usually love the concept bc if Hawks is involved, he's either really ooc or the lov are. It feels weird to read stories where Hawks lets slip his tragic backstory (accidentally instead of purposely) and the lov openly accepts him or they don't care much since Dabi vouched for him. I think I've seen more interaction between Toga/Mr Compress/Kirigiri with Hawks than Twice even though that's canon (would love it if Twice interacts enough with Hawks to have his own conflicts and tries to convince Hawks from his path rather than just feelings of betrayal) . I would love to read more AU Hawks+lov stories where Hawks interacts w/ the other lov members through Twice and becomes conflicted when he realizes how close they are to Twice and how they should also get a second change or ones w/ tension and grudging acceptance of each others' beliefs so both sides would have to examine themselves if they should change their stance. Sadly, those seem to be a rarity or perhaps, only available in stories where Hawks isn't a central character.

Not gonna lie, even I heard the choir of angels and saw the heavens part when Horikoshi said, "Here, have everything you love about the kids' personalities plus the freedoms and privileges you can have in an adult character - as a treat." It also helps he was the same age I was during his manga debut. Even so, it got old pretty fast to see the sheer amount of smut that flooded the fic scene after the anime aired. Like, it's understandable - and this could just be my own view of sex and relationships talking - but jumping straight to wam, bam, thank you ma'am without the emotional foundation is a little boring at least and annoying when it's everywhere. At least people tag that pretty faithfully.

A faithful look into inter-League dynamics would be appreciated all around, I think. Some of the fan base seems to have this impression there's never anything wrong or abrasive about the relationships in it, but I imagine it's the opposite with what we've seen in canon. If anything, it would do a greater service to the League alone to see these realistic conflicts but explore how and why they stay together anyway. Adding Hawks into the mix is bonus material, in my opinion.

The good news, though, is I hear more and more from new fans that they heard about fanon Hawks for a while outside of fandom only to pick it up for themselves and give a hard side-eye to fanon. At least from a few people I hear about how they don't even begin to understand why fanon is so popular when canon is so much more interesting. It gives me genuine hope for the anime-only crowd because it's going to be even harder to misread his actions when they're put to voice acting, music, and animations - and that's even before well-known anime commentators like Mother's Basement may pick him up as a character essay. (Inosuke was picked up for his "What's in a Waifu" series, and he has a positive view of HeroAca so I'm holding out hope!)

I don't think bad takes and mischaracterization is ever going to go away completely, but it feels like those who preach it are a minority who either have to keep preaching it from the rooftops and drown out other voices to believe it or who are more concerned with being woke (or maybe even just trolling?) than actually just enjoying a series because they like it or dropping it if they don't.

Any additional thoughts, @autumn-foxfire?

[b-else-writes]

the tiger shark and the sun

New chapter posted for my Star Wars/Avatar the Last Airbender RebelCaptain fusion AU! Plus a bonus Luke chapter with a sprinkling of Cassian angst!

Read on AO3 | Read from the start | Read bonus chapter

Pairings: Jyn/Cassian, minor Han/Leia and Baze/Chirrut, random minor background pairings

Rating: T

Summary: Star Wars/Avatar the Last Airbender fusion AU. When exiled firebender Jyn Erso lands on his doorstep the day Cassian, last southern waterbender, meets the Avatar, she seems just another obstacle in ending the War against the Fire Nation. An obstacle he would willingly remove. But as their paths keep crossing, and the twins discover that destiny and balance are more than they expect, Jyn and Cassian find that they are more alike than they ever thought possible.

Snippet under the cut!

  Savareen was a dusty desert port to the South of the Earth Kingdom. The buildings were weathered and decayed. What little remained was concentrated around a few squat buildings servicing the port and its travellers. It was a detour from Jedha, but they needed to find the airbending master. At the very least, it was an opportunity for Cassian to contact Bail and Fulcrum, the mysterious rebel handler he had never met.

Outside the town was a large bulletin board, freshly constructed. There were multiple wanted posters pinned. In the centre was the Avatar, the painting showing two pale twins with blonde and brown hair. None for him and Han yet. There was one for Kestrel, for liberating the Avatar (Cassian recalled the horrible taste of river frog), and to his shock, two for Erso and Bodhi. He read: wanted for aiding the rebellious Northern savages against the glorious occupation by the Fire Nation.

The painting of Jyn looked much younger; it had probably been based off an old painting left in the Fire Nation. They had gotten her eyes wrong.

Cassian made sure his water skin and knives were secure as they entered Savareen. Luke and Leia threw their hoods up, sticking close. “Any ideas?” Luke said.

“Find a bar, and start listening,” Cassian said.

The bar was as dusty as the streets outside. The wooden ramshackle building had several low tables, and a grizzled bartender. Customers sat on the floor and drank, ate, and gambled on Dejarik, Sabaac, and some local game using round wooden pieces. Most looked like off-duty Fire Nation soldiers, as well as downtrodden local port workers, and bounty hunters. Sad-eyed local women in wisps of clothes spoke to some of them, thin and hungry. He saw Luke and Leia slip coins into the hands of those that approached them. Relief, perhaps the first they had felt in a long time, fell across the women’s faces. The desolation left by the War sickened him, especially to those most considered worthless in most places.

Cassian scrutinized the menu, skipped over the top-seller – diluted cactus juice? – and ordered four liquors. They drank slowly, and listened. Soon, Cassian and Han found themselves playing a game of sabaac with two Fire Nation soldiers, while Luke and Leia blended into the walls. Cassian was decent, but Han was clearly an old hand. He let the other man lead. Savareen was used by the Fire Nation as a point to ship out raw materials from parts of the middle, mostly desert and grassland Earth Kingdom. The men asked few questions. They would rather be anywhere but here.

“Must be boring business,” Cassian said, his voice dim-witted and friendly.

“You’d think,” one of the soldiers, a hulking pale blond man. “But there’s the Cloudriders.”

“Cloudriders?”

“Airbenders. Maybe from out West, or the South, who knows? Those savages are nomads, aren’t they?”

Cassian shuffled his cards to conceal his disgust. “Whatever it is,” the soldier continued, “I always thought they were about peace and love and banthashit. But that Enfys Nest and her bitch mother – they’re a bunch of masked pirates. They keep attacking the convoys.”

“Surely the might of Fire trumps Air,” Cassian said innocently. Han’s jaw was white with tension.

“You ever go up against a horde of ten ton flying bison?” The soldier shook his head. “We keep losing convoys, and the Fire Lord isn’t happy after we lost the North Pole. And if it’s not them, it’s Crimson Dawn, one of the Five Syndicates.”

Before Cassian could speak, he heard the floor creak behind them. A knife slid across Han’s throat.

Han froze. Standing behind him was a pale-skinned man with mottled skin, dressed in tattered brown robes. One of his eyes was glass. “Hello, Solo,” he purred. “Jabba’s gonna pay me well for this.”

Cassian stabbed the man in the thigh. The bounty hunter howled. Han snapped his head back. The bounty hunter staggered. Grabbing the hunter’s knife, Han put it right through his chest. Nobody in the bar flinched. “Bounty hunter after you, kid?” the soldier commiserated, chugging his liquor, “Tried to sell to the crime lords?”

“Something like that,” Han said through his teeth. Luke and Leia had leapt to their feet. Cassian folded, gripping Han’s arm.

It was only when they were in an alleyway that Leia burst out, “What was that?”

“Bounty hunter. Means Jabba’s put a price on my head,” Han snapped.

“Who in the Moon’s name is Jabba?”

“The guy I was supposed to pay off when I delivered you to the North Pole.”

“Oh, so this is our fault now?”

Han scowled and stormed back towards where they’d left the animals. “You’re thinking of leaving?” Leia continued, “Han, we need you!”

“Well I’m not going to be much use if I’m dead!”

“Enough!” Luke said. The two stopped short, breathing hard. Leia’s cheeks were bright red, as were Han’s ears. “Like it or not Han, we don’t have the money to pay off Jabba. You’re better off staying here with us to watch your back.”

“Oh, not because you’d miss me or anything?” Han said. The tension eased from his body, though. He looked down at Leia and muttered, “Sorry for yelling.”

Leia grunted. “It would do you some good to remember we’re on your side and not jump down our throats.”

There was a short pause.

“Sorry, Leia,” Han said, more sincerely.

“Well alright,” Leia said with dignity, “Let’s get back to camp. I think there’s a messenger station here, Cassian.”

Nodding, Cassian separated from the group. The messenger station had several hungry looking birds roosting. Tossing a few coins to the attendant, Cassian selected the two healthiest ones. He scrawled out two messages. To Bail Organa, he wrote: Found airbending master. No intel on weapon. En route to more information.

To Fulcrum, he wrote: Potential alliances to be formed in Yavin Swamp and Savareen Cloudriders. Also, Sana Starros.

As he tossed the birds into the air, he wondered again on Fulcrum’s identity. There were rumours that Fulcrum was a woman, but hardly anyone had ever met them in person. Then he walked to their camp, listening to anything he heard. Two pieces in particular sounded promising.

Han was stoking the fire as Luke and Leia prepared dinner. Artoo and Kay were napping as Chewie kept watch on the horizon. Threepio sat on Leia’s shoulder. The map was spread out on the ground. Han’s eyes kept flicking over it. It was a few days sail to Wohbani, from which you could enter the Tatooine desert. Leia glared at Han at every twitch he made towards the map.

“So…” Han drawled, “What’s our plan?”

“We find the Cloudriders,” Luke said.

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

“They attack the convoys, don’t they?” Leia said, “We stake out the route, we wait, we find them. We just need to find out where the convoys go.”

Cassian smiled thinly. “I might have an answer there.”