#power rider paradox

[psychhound]

hey yall!!! new bundle :D

this is my 14 for 14 ttrpg bundle to pay off some of the debt from my top surgery!! you get 14 games and homebrew for 14 bucks, which is gonna run until june 14th (my birthday!!)

my top surgery was absolutely life changing and has made me so much more comfortable, confident, and happy. i dont regret it in the least. i also got hit with some surprise bills afterward that have me pretty heftily in debt because of it

some very kind souls have donated their games to help me pay some of this off, which was just so incredibly generous. which means its not just my games in here!! lots and lots of cool stuff, please check it out!!

in the bundle:

ttrpgs:

[BXLLET> : a game about systems of violence and power in the weird west apocalypse

disparateum: a dream-like reality-bending game where you hop worlds and tell strange stories

little celestial fieldwork guide: a city exploration photography game where you divine hidden spirits and take photos of them

beach day!: a system agnostic party bonding minigame where characters swap gifts and secrets

what they once feared: a solo journaling game where you play a folkloric monster forced to choose your path

the narrator paradox: a one page solo game where you play a storybook narrator whos protagonist has gained agency and is trying to change the story

the fool who got married (extended): a duet epistolary game of female hardship and connection in 1848

explorers of the forever city: a rules-light, fantasy role-playing game about ordinary people making extraordinary discoveries

homebrew:

riders: a pact for moth-light by justin ford, a fitd game. tame, bond with, and ride the terrifying predator moths

witch: a class for d&d 5e. be a con-based half-caster with curses, familiars, and a whole new way of doing spell slots

harmony with the wind: a ghibli-inspired d&d 5e pack with 5 feats, 4 backgrounds, 4 races, 6 monsters, and 3 subclasses

fairytale/feywild: a pack for d&d 5e with 1 background, 2 races, 1 subclass, and unique timekeeping mechanics for the feywild

burger wizard: a d&d 5e compatible narrative rpg about working as magical kitchen staff in a fantasy restaurant

argyth's arcane companion: 4 wizard subclasses, 3 feats, and 17 new spells for d&d 5e

you can get all of this for 14 bucks until june 14th!! it would really mean a lot to me for yall to check it out and also spread the word :D

check it out on itch!!

[mushangaa]

Earth

2023/12 (full view)

Water | Earth | Metal

How much purple do you want sir? - Yes.

No honestly this was fun just all the purple and a hint of pink on the crystals for extra bling. Donnie is being extra fancy for his portrait and conjures some jasmine blossoms for his pic.

He is one of the mystic powerhouses in his family, mostly because he still is very much into science stuff and engineering and being exposed to magics from and early age meant lil Donnie combined these things once he figured out he can mess with the rules of physics via his powers and create machinery from nothing (he will sometimes conjure a replacement tractor if their real one breaks down and he doesn't have the time to fix it right away) having the only limits being his own strength and control over those powers and his imagination. He is also the reason why his family has a high-speed internet connection on their farm and other tech related comforts. He is also a very talented dressage rider and he is in constant competition with his twin Leo about just who is the better horse trainer and rider. And if you are now confused, hello, welcome to my tmnt iteration The Unicorn Paradox - I will at some point make a masterpost for it but for now the short summary can be found here.

[digitalgate02]

Ye A Sonic AU for Digi-kids.

Before starting, i’d say some things are kinda spoilerish for stuff, but i’ll not explain further or give details FROM the original canon. But still important to point out this is my views of the characters in this kind of AU.

[read more]

Sonic characters don’t need to name human names, but i’m too lazy to adapt everyone into a Sonic name-ish format. And hey, we still have Amy and Miles (and in IDW counterpart has Belle too) so I suppose i don’t need to change their too.

The digimon, if they’re still part of the AU, are converted into Chao, Wisps and Flickies. 

So yeah, some of those are based on IDW Sonic and Sonic Prime – i love both SO MUCH so please don’t judge me… orz

To those who never followed either of them, i’d say both have ups and downs. 

Sonic Prime is about the multiverse and the premise involved a special gem called Paradox Prism. Sonic accidentally shatters it while trying to stop Eggman from obtaining it and affects his world – creating the ‘Shatterverse’. There’s like, three main worlds in the shatterverse: New Yoke City – a Bad Ending in which Eggman has conquered the world, but has a whole ass “family” (?) and they form a group of tyrants called Chaos Council; No Place – a world submerged into water where pirates rule and hunt for treasures in that doomed reality; and Boscage Maze, where nature has overthrown civilization and everything is a big forest.

Each shatterspace (= the term for those worlds) has versions of Sonic’s friends – EXCEPT for Sonic and Shadow. Also Eggman only got a counterpart in New Yoke shatterspace.

And IDW Sonic… well, it’s comics. It doesn’t continue from Archie because probably SEGA vetted a lot of decisions and such, so it got a new fresh restart following after the Sonic Forces events. The resistance is now a “Restoration” group trying to rebuild the world after Sonic and co beat Eggman. There’s a few brand new characters, and i suspect SEGA definitely does NOT want to use the old comics characters who they definitely have copyrighted (for more details, check this post and its following-up QRT) – but all you have to know is yeah, they just made a brand new universe.

Again, it has its ups-and-downs – for example, i dislike the Metal Virus arc, but the rest seemed pretty solid and good for me, especially the Phantom Rider arc and some of its side-stories.

I’ll now spoil anything else about them and leave it to you if you would like to check them out or nah.

Small summary about the types for each character:

SPEED type - as the name says, they’re quick and fast. Their abilities are good for racing and are very handy when you need someone’s help instantly.

FLY type - those who have flight abilities, be either with wings, tails, ears, psychic abilities, or gimmicks. Good to reach high places! They’re usually fast in air, just as Speed types are fast on ground.

POWER type - characters with high strength stats, they can break walls, hold heavy-ish stuff better than anyone else. Some can glide and climb walls, but this is not exclusive to the group. There may be exceptions about physical strength and more about having powerful abilities.

ANYWAY, without further ado… I’ll present what i have already in mind for the Sonic AU-thing:

The 02 kids + Rui & Wallace are my main focus, but i do have a few ideas for other characters too, not all of them but yeah.

The AU is not entirely focused on those characters meeting the Sonic characters, so they may have their own side story and sometimes cross their paths with Sonic characters.

I also have Sonic OCs, but i don’t want to talk about them in this AU atm…

Daisuke – He’s a male Hedgehog with a cool style and chill attitude most of the time, but he’s not afraid of showing his emotions and they just go to EXTREMES (if he’s sad, he’s definitely sad. If he’s happy, he’s definitely happy. If he’s angry, he’s definitely ANGRY!) and they change very quickly. He’s also pragmatic and emotionally intelligent, but is not that smart in other categories. He has a “shady-people radar” in which he can be kinda skeptical until proven otherwise and this makes him be kinda rough around the edges, only opening to those who are straightforward and nice.

He’s quick and his abilities make him good at soccer and other activities. But his biggest passion? Cooking. Ramen to be more specific. He has goggles when he’s just travelling around, but on a daily and casual basis he wears round orange sunglasses in his head. He’s quite funny but only when he’s not trying to, and wants to help everyone to beat sadness and despair. He has a “miracle-maker trait”, in which he can bring good things to happen.  

He lives in an unknown urban area, possibly Seaside City (featured in IDW Sonic) and runs a Ramen shop. He’s a SPEED type.

※ People will be surprised to know I did not choose him to be a Hedgehog. It was a gift from a Sonic-Digimon-adjacent fan (isakysaku) to my old Dai-Vee askblog. A few years later i asked them permission to use that design and i got OK. The current design i use was based on this original one, and it's my take.

Ken - He’s a male “whatever Stingmon is supposed to be based” which is known as “The Kaiser”. He’s a very neat and gentleman type, sometimes kinda unfazed and calm, but he hides a very sadistic and scary side for those who dares to mess with his family, friends and of course his girlfriend Miyako. He’s smart and kind of a brainy type too, bookworm and nerdy. But he talks like a real old man sometimes.

Ken lives in the same urban area as Daisuke, alongside his girlfriend. He has a deceased older brother but you barely hear him talk about it. He lacks powers, but he has dexterity with a whip, and had worked with Dr Starline in the past, way before that sycophant fell harder for Eggman. But Ken’s a good person, he swears!! 

By the way, he’s a FLY type.

Miyako - She's a female Swallow with impressive technical skills and can hack anything she wants or is given the task of doing. Just like Ken, she’s known as “The Kaiserin” and helps in hard missions as the team’s navigator. May be acquainted with Jewel and the Restoration HQ, since she does work for them from time to time, but prefers to have freedom so she’s just a freelancer. Btw, she’s the oldest of the group.

She and Ken can be very lovey-dovey in public, which makes everyone else in their group feel weirded out. She’s very energetic and charismatic, but also suffers with self-hatred issues and ugly anxiety attacks. It’s okay, because she got friends and her boyfriend alongside so she can do her best for them all too!

She also lives in the same city as Ken and Daisuke, and she’s a FLY type.

Iori - Iori is the youngest and a male Armadillo who works as the “voice of reason” for the group, but he’s easily influenced by his seniors so he’s prone to idiocy and do questionable things as well. He’s smart and serious, people mistake this by being “cold-hearted” or “antisocial” but this boy is only not very talkative. However, he has the spiciest savage sick burns from the entire gang. He aims to be a lawyer and help people to get a second chance.

He lives in the same city as Daisuke and the others. Despite being small, Iori is very strong, but he uses a kendo stick to attack. He has fine swordsmanship skills, but only for defense. He’s a POWER type.

Takeru - a male Fox who is a literature major and loves to write stories about anything he witnesses and experiences. He’s pretty much a troll type and an enabler, always trying to make both Daisuke and Ken pissed. He’s very friendly and optimistic, but once you step on his toes he turns into a different kind of personality – a very scary and darker, sarcastic and antiheroic Takeru. So, better not mess with him and his beloved ones!! Ah, he also LOVES hats for some unknown reason…

Takeru lives in the same city as Daisuke and his friends, and he’s a SPEED type.

Hikari - A female Lioness with connections to the “power of Life”, pragmatic and always wanting to believe in the good inside the others. She’s nice and sweet, but she can also be kinda manipulative and her selfless issues tend to make her not ask for help or voice her own needs to “not be a bother”. She gets along with Miyako and the others quite well and uses her psychic powers to aid them in multiple tasks.

Hikari lives in the same city as Daisuke and the others too. She’s a POWER type despite not being physically strong, which means her holy abilities are the strongest and most powerful of her group.

Lui - A male cat (or possibly enby adjacent) from an unknown town far away from Seaside City, who sadly suffered an accident trying to escape from Eggman and Starline. He got caught after the accident by either of them, and had part of his face reconstructed with nano technology, giving him a special “robotic-eye”. His life was so sad that he lost the will to socialize with anyone else, until he accidentally met Daisuke and got dragged to Seaside City.

His ears are down because of depression. He had bad social skills before and after the accident, but now he just keeps being dragged by Daisuke everywhere… He… He likes Daisuke, maybe?

He has the power to use Wisps like Whisper, but he doesn’t like to get involved in fights. Yet the friggin robo-eye can force him to spy on others. At first, he was being used like this by the bad guys in order to plot their attacks, but then Miyako hijacked that software installed in him and turned Lui into their spy. Lui also has the mysterious ability to be able to infiltrate places without being caught immediately, he’s quick and silent, even without any gimmick to invade bases and places. He works with Miyako and the Restoration HQ nowadays, and is a SPEED type.

Wallace - A dog who loves to flirt with EVERYONE else. He sounds nice and cool, but he has a lot of issues deep down regarding the past. He actually lives in Empire CIty and raises two Chao – Gummy and Choco. He likes to travel around the world, but he always comes back to his hometown to relax. He met Daisuke and the others while trying to save Choco, who had been kidnapped by Eggman lackeys once.

Gummy and Choco are special Chao, they came from the same egg so they’re twins. There were rumors this kind of Chao holds the key to a special pair of gems able to change reality, but it was debunked later… Because it was just one jewel and was known as the Phantom Ruby – which Eggman had in hands once.

He does not possess any special power, but his backpack is specially crafted and can store an infinite number of things inside. Very useful for any occasion!! Thanks to this ability, he’s classified as a POWER type.

He likes to visit his friends in Seaside City when he’s around!

[orange-s-mario]

The Stellar Outsider Legion of Others

(DC Comics Team idea):

Members: Superboy, Flying Fox/Defender/Robin, Wonder Girl, Aquaboy, Kid Flash, Marsboy, Abin Sur, and Kim Tran

Superboy (Clark/Kal-El): Keeps a lot of things close to his chest. His parents are still alive so he's a bit more open about things but is really closed off about Krypton or his secret identity. Due to being able to just time travel whenever, he also tries keeping some future events to himself (mainly the justice league being formed and his bond with Batman and also Bruce's superhero identity being named Batman). He also knows everyone's secret identity. Suggested the name "Legion of Justice." Surprisingly doesn't take the superhero team too seriously (presumably due to knowing some of the future, his parents still being around, and Marsboy being on the team). Tries to help with communal reach as well

Flying Fox/Defender/Robin (Bruce Wayne): Does not imply anything about his secret identity and makes sure to hide his identity (usually wears the flying fox helmet and suit above the defender suit above 2 robin outfits, so he's usually wearing at least 3 masks). Suspects Superboy has a secret identity but decides against confronting him. Phillip Wayne, Mrs Chilton, and Alfred Pennyworth are doing their best to raise him (Mrs Chilton is the best parental figure of the 3 since Alfred is too lax, and Phillip keeps traveling). Suggested the name "The Outsiders" due to them being vigilantes on the outside of society. He wishes he could do more as Bruce, but currently he's not in charge of his own money

Wonder Girl (Diana of Paradise Island): Basically the Kanigher version where she's highly disciplined. Dislikes using violence but will use it if she must. Doesn't really have a secret identity. Suggested the name "Star Riders" but the others told her that she's really the only one who has a ride in Kanga.

Aquaboy (Arthur Curry): Currently traveling the world and using his powers mainly against sea polluters. Tom greatly encourages this and keeps training him. The others know his backstory but don't know about Tom (they think he's an orphan). Suggested the name "The Others"

Marsboy (Sutri/"Joe Mars"): Knows that Clark is Superboy, but respects his privacy enough to not tell the other members. Still has a bit of a rivalry with Kal which sometimes brings in the worst in both. Suggested the team name "The Excellent Experience of Superbeings" but was shot down immediately

Kid Flash (Barry Allen): Due to Barry dying in the crisis, some speedforce energy tapped into the Barry into the past, causing a weird time paradox and Barry getting his powers before his accident. Barry is a fan of all the heroes and is ecstatic about being on a superhero team. Suggested the name "Super Friends," but Diana, Arthur, Bruce, and Clark vetoed it immediately. Marsboy thought it was a fine name. Feels a bit left out with the rest of the group. Doesn't really like Kim or Abin either

Abin Sur & Kim Tran: Assigned by the guardians to monitor Barry

Abin Sur: Already on his distrusting of the guardians phase, so he protects Barry from them. Generally a bit tired due to having to balance out this team, him setting up a bunch of stuff against the guardians and the five inversion freaking him out. He's not having a good time

Kim Tran: Tries getting along with everyone and due to everyone (except Barry) doing or attempting to do good for the various communities around the world she generally likes the group. Usually stays in her own community which pisses off Abin since that means more work for him

[melto]

@jemamore HI JEMA? JEMA I LOVE YOU. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY SO BAD RIGHT NOW HELLO JEMA HI JEMA. SMILING AT YOU. I NEED TO PLAY IN THIS SPACE FOR A BIT.

i think there are a lot of ways to go about this esp with deciding to take a more kr or sentai route. i think the group aspect of paradox live is so important that it would make sense to take a more ranger team formation, and with like them all sharing like such a specific way of fighting that is unified but allows for a lot of flair still. and there would still be a way for those suits to still have such an extreme amount of swag while being ranger like and all. its also a lot easier for me to picture that many people in sentai uniforms than having to manifest so many rider suits and shit. extremely daunting of a thing, and well i do just think it fits better. trust me on this<3 however originally i was thinking that it would be more interesting for them to be more like metal/rider-esque suits for like trap reactions and the corrosion but i think actually if their suits are like the gobuster's it would be awesome.

Like this being reflective of the corrosion worsening is awesome, and it would still like be something that exists physically on them. can see a really dramatic moment of bae transforming after hajun has been hiding it so well and after he's suited up he just starts like sparking out of control and his suit gets fucked before they even start the battle. Also i think allen would just look sick as FUCK with a broken helmet. everyone always does but i want my best friend allen to have a crazy moment like that.

they would be using like music as their main weapon and the illusions which i fear does put it in some hypmic territory but they obvi will have the craziest swag with it, and i dont think i would be full songs all the time. maybe its like flinging their illusions at enemies, creating weapons and one of them raps to make its power greater, to shield them, etcetc. im not fully sure how that would work. they transform by holding onto their phantometal really tight and then they get swallowed up by their own illusion or something. i think their phantometal would kinda just like manifest outside of them after they overcome the initial trap reaction/corrosion and they have a special affinity for it. it doesnt mean that they are like immune, they are just a bit stronger to it and have better control than a normal person would. dont worry about it too much lolol.

def Really big arc where an enemy makes it so allen loses his voice and he runs away like he can't be useful and is just a liability to the others because he can only do like normal guy kicks and stuff since he cant interaction properly with their illusions and he cant create his own bc his emotions are so out of wack nothing holds and they have to keep protecting him and he just gets his ass beat. power of love brings his voice back. of course it does. he can still write them lyrics he can still plan and they follow his lead so well. he's not a born leader but he's their special guy and they believe in him even when he doesnt believe in himself. yknow the drill.

i think in overall plot, it would be a little like how haruto is saving people from despair by like literally jumping into their minds to save them in wizard, but it would be saving people who are victims of the phantometal and also like ryusoulger with the negative emotions are creating the monsters. the monsters are created from the illusions and once they feed off the person enough the person starts having a like full trap reaction to fully take their life away. like they are having more mild versions of it, thats kinda just written off as more of a nightmare but that misery and corrosion stick with them and the monster is just like yummy! usually bae can stop it before it gets too fucking bad but sometimes they DO have to go inside a person to save them.

They are still like bae. they still are a music group (i dont think the phantometal would be used for performances in this universe. they are all just doing normal hiphop) they still slay but they also have to. fucking save people. they have to save all the others in paralive at some point. First being anne. i think it starts with hajun and allen being the only two really involved and they dont tell anne bc they both know they will be like Fuck idc if i cant transform im helping in some way but then anne falls victim and they are the first person they have to actually go inside to save and when anne comes out of that they are suddenly able to transform too. maybe that happens with all the performers but they dont work with bae as like a unified team or anything usually. they have their own shit to handle, but ofc they will lend a hand when necessary. iori is fully aware of all this shit even before bae gets started doing their thing. ofc he is. obviously. as is expected of him.

its such a strange place for them to be because it IS the phantometal that is being used to hurt all these people, but they use it to transform and to fight still. they have to! (very deep into this plot when 1nm8 come in they are portrayed as so antagonistic bc they come in so hot trying to take away the thing that is allowing them to save people and its soo frustrating)

also obviously they will. be effected by trap reactions and the corrosion, which i mentioned the latter in reference to suit degradation and stuff but i think if they are transformed for too long or use too many/too strong of illusions they get sent immediately into one even if they are still suited up, and it would like be on a scale of they are having a panic attack or they are uncontrollably lashing out. everyone would know bc it would kinda be like this

and then they would just be kinda like. yknow got that evil glow or whatever. i dont think much would really have to change about what everyone is seeing when they have their trap reactions, but i do think to some extent that when they are like losing control and attacking people they are like aware but they cant do anything about it. allen lashing out and going after anne and hajun and hes screaming for it to stop but he cant make his body stop and then his vision starts to get kinda engulfed by flames type of shit.

i guess that stupid ugly ass guy with the tongue from the anime is like whos behind it. i hate him so fucking much i dont even want to think about it but he's kinda the perfect guy to just be inserted into this without much changed. he's still got chisei's metal. he's still got those illusions of buraikan. who would also be like. transformed in more monstrous of a way and be there antagonizing them and the "heads" of what they are going against. Absolutely fucking devastating when they detransform later on and its just them, legendary buraikan, who allen and everyone loves and it rocks their world and makes everything so much worse. its so demoralizing because fuck how are they supposed to create hiphop better than them in battle? they are always getting their asses kicked when those two show up and now they understand WHY they are never able to stand a chance. beautiful greying at 36 haruomi is doing shit on the down low. he can transform more in the fashion of bae. bc well. he's really him. Lol.

Anyways. these are my first thoughts about it...smiling! i think i'll end up revisiting this and adding more (: kicking my feet and giggling having sooo much fun thank you thank you!!!

also allen is obviously their red, anne is pink, hajun can be blue. or yellow. whos to say. They are obviously all so in love and so awesome transgender. bae throuple forever and ever baby!!! and of course, buraikan is having crazy gay sex, as they would in every universe always. Heart emoji.

[justtrash202]

Welcome to the chaotic world of Shattered Dimensions, a Sonic the Hedgehog AU where realities collide!

Plot Summary:

Infinite, fueled by his warped desire for control, unleashed the Phantom Ruby's power, shattering reality. Once vibrant locations from games, shows, comics, and even fan creations merged into a nightmarish void. Sonic the Hedgehog, beloved hero of the IDW comics, succumbed to the corruption, transforming into a monstrous Dark Sonic. In a desperate act of love and self-sacrifice, Shadow the Hedgehog unleashed a powerful emotional blast, weakening himself and sending him plummeting into the void. Dark Sonic, consumed by darkness, unleashed a cataclysmic blast that birthed this fractured multiverse.

Main Goal

- Find Sonic and restore their shattered world.

- Protect Multi Silver from the Time Guardians.

- Navigate the dangers of the fractured districts, including the deadly Exe District and Shadow's potential transformation.

- Unravel the secrets of the shattered dimensions and find a way to heal them.

Key Characters

Multi Shadow: The battle-hardened IDW Shadow, forever haunted by the loss of his Sonic. He searches for a way to restore his world and reunite with him.

Multi Silver: A paradox born from the disrupted timeline, a Silver the Hedgehog who shouldn't exist. He grapples with his purpose and the Time Guardians who relentlessly pursue him.

Multi Knuckles: A corrupted Knuckles from Sonic Adventure 2, seeking redemption and a way to return to normalcy.

The Council of Silvers

A mysterious group of Silver the Hedgehogs from various timelines who appear in Multi Silver's dreams, offering cryptic advice and warnings.

The Time Guardians

Enigmatic beings who strive to maintain the integrity of timelines. They view Multi Silver as a threat and relentlessly pursue his erasure.

World Building

Multi’s clothes/appearances will change when they enter certain district to fit the world they are currently in/ all districts will have the songs that they have in their proper game

Advance wrist watch communicators: the multi will be equipped with these, as they act alot like the fallout four pit-boys. They will have the map to all the world and each district (in form of game map), will be able to locate any other Time Anomalies that are in the area, and other chaos energies, give multiples information of the world they are in, and can be used to talk to each other

The Districts

Sonic Adventure District: Blends elements of Station Square, Mystic Ruins, and Prison Island.

Sonic Unleashed District: Divided into a vibrant Daytime area and a twisted Nighttime Werehog zone.

Sonic Colors District: A colorful world reflecting Tropical Resort or Planet Wisp, where Wisp powers are prominent.

Sonic Forces District: A war-torn world overrun by Dr. Eggman.

Sonic 06 District: A fractured and distorted version of Soleanna, constantly glitching between timelines.

Classic District: The combined worlds of classic Sonic games, with a unique corruption.

Exe District: The most dangerous zone, inhabited by monstrous "exe" versions of Sonic characters.

Sonic Riders District: A world focused on Extreme Gear racing, with a darker undercurrent.

Will they succeed? Can love and hope mend the fractured dimensions? Explore the world of Shattered Dimensions and find out!

[Ci]Stay tuned for character bios, district details, and more!

[huntunderironskies]

Tagged by @sharktoothjack :3c

last song: RISE UP - Paradox Live anime OST

favorite color: Dark purple

last book: Love, Power, and Justice by Paul Tillich

last movie: Jacob's Ladder (w/ @thatoneguyunderthebridge)

last tv show: Kamen Rider Gavv

sweet/savory/spicy: Yes. Savory if I had to pick one but that's very seasonally dependent (right now I just want to eat rich things.)

relationships: partner, close friends, my maternal grandmother? unsure of what this question means but there you go

last thing I searched: Something I'm going to not say because it relates to Kamen Rider Gavv leaks, but before that it was buche de noel. Guess why.

current obsession: In addition to the usual stuff I've been on a huge fantasy josei/shojo kick which is unfortunate since there's very little out there I haven't already read/watched

looking forward to: papers season ending (free me from my suffering)

favorite drink: alcoholic: bourbon | non-alcoholic: this one specific black tea with cocoa nibs that a local place sells

song playing on a loop in your head 24/7: Proof of Existence (Razor/Magatsunote collab, it's the first image song for Dairokutenmaou) (unfortunately whenever under any amount of pressure at this point my brain will immediately go "SONZAI WA KIRIKIRI MAU KIKAI SHIKAKE NOTO")

current favorite character: Honestly aside from the usual stable of anime boys who are perpetually lodged in my brain it's my own characters. I've been missing Blaise and Silas in particular (this means something to like five people.) (it's Paul Tillich's fault I'm thinking about Silas)

fun activity you would like to get into: I really really want to learn how to make visual novels. The fact I can't draw is one of several stumbling blocks here.

last video game: Guild Wars 2

last comic/ graphic novel: ...God I can't remember the last time I read manga. When in doubt it's usually safe for me to say Yona of the Dawn because I reread it so often.

people to tag: uhhh @thatoneguyunderthebridge @rockclanhawkstar @enddaysengine @elderdragonapologist @superfinebeam @6-piece-chicken-mcnobody since I don't think any of them have gotten into a tag game I did yet

[pyroanime2k16]

Kamen Rider Kuuga Continuation/Crossover idea

So, this is a continuation on Kuuga and a crossover with primarily Decade and Zi-O, as well as Agito. This is just to give Kuuga nad Decade some much needed love and appreciation.

FORMS

Kuuga's changed and grown much stronger since Godai Yuusuke's debut. So much so that it's actually harder to lower his power so that he doesn't cause any collateral damage and unintentional harm in his fights.

The Growing Form has evolved to look like a white Mighty form with robes similar to Riku (the first Kuuga according to lore).

The Amazing Mighty has evolved to be a Chimera form of all Kuuga's Riding forms, simply called Amazing.

The Ultimate forms have their own unique weapon called the Ultimate Trident.

Instead of Super Rising Ultimate, Godai has the Protector God form.

Godai also uses the Kamen Rider G1 system from Agito as a backup (should the Arcle be seriously damaged again) and a convenient means of lowering his power without simply remaining in human form.

SUMMARY

Set after Zi-O, the Kuuga from the show, Godai Yuusuke (now having fully merged with Onodera), sets off to try and reunite with his children (Tsukasa and Sayo). He later finds out that his son is dead and his daughter is nowhere to be found. He declares war on any successor who will dare to stop him from altering history. Ultimately, he initially gains allies in the form of Agito, a few Showa era Riders, G3-X, Gills, Diend, Kivala, and the Reiwa Riders. The other Riders eventually give in and help him.

The audience would witness how Yuusuke became a father with a story set in 2008, where it is revealed that Kuuga's power has grown to the point where he upgraded his final form and might be a danger to the people he's protecting. Yuusuke is in denial of this, before reluctantly evacuating to a parallel Earth in that Earth's 1980s (which would become the World of Decade). He fathers two children and they live a very happy and peaceful life, until recurring Decade antagonist Narutaki separates Yuusuke from his kids.

Back in the present, Yuusuke and his allies manage to find Sayo, who reveals that she's become a Rider too after her brother's demise. She fiercely joins the crew in their attempts to save Tsukasa. They travel back to the battle and world where Decade and Zi-O fight Ohma Zi-O, before encountering both Narutaki and Swartz. Yuusuke and Sayo finish off Narutaki, revealing the truth about himself to Yuusuke alone, before he succumbs to his injuries.

The group manage to save Tsukasa from his demise, which he's not entirely happy with, as he feels like this is the logical end of his journey. Yuusuke fights Ohma and emerges as the victor, willingly taking Tsukasa's place so that a paradox won't occur, before reminding his children that he loves them.

[nilobunny]

Marlowe the time rider! She travels through time monitoring the time lines of every aspect of life, making sure there's no anomalies or recording any paradoxes that form in the fabric of time. Though a celebi with the power of time travel, she prefers to make her journeys on a rotom motorcycle she's endearingly named Chronodon. On her weekends she does have fun visiting different points of time of her hometown.

 Done for the monthly Patreon fanart! Please support me!       https://www.patreon.com/nilobunny      

[ghostsandgod]

The Vile Truth of Barbas

From the notes of Pelagius Habor, Council Daedrologist-in-Residence, Imperial City

A scholarly essay on the relationship between Clavicus Vile and Barbas

Every true Daedrologist has a favorite Prince. We rarely admit it, but it's true. Each Prince, while horrifying, has a curious and often hilarious quirk. Sheogorath's peculiarities are well known, but when you really think about it, all the Princes are a bit silly. Hircine has the clumsy head of an ungulate. Sanguine is an inveterate drunk. It's precisely these eccentricities that make the Princes a source of endless fascination for Daedrologists such as myself. Unlike the stuffy and aloof Aedra, the Princes suffer from the same neuroses, flaws, and childish fixations that trouble men and mer. They are more like us than we care to admit. As for me? Of all the Daedric Princes, Clavicus Vile is my favorite—and it has everything to do with his loyal hound, Barbas.I have come to believe that Clavicus Vile is unique in that he exists in two persons. This is, of course, the subject of vigorous debate in Daedrological circles. Many of my confederates would argue that Barbas is merely a greater Daedric servant—no more linked to Vile than a horse is linked to its rider. But I urge you to consider the evidence. The first and most obvious proof of their consubstantiality is found in art. Crude, hand-carved idols dating back to the early Merethic Era depict the masked figure of Clavicus Vile standing beside a large hound, as do ancient cave paintings. I have explored the width and breadth of Tamriel in search of Daedric oddities, and in all my travels I have never found any depiction of Vile that does not include Barbas at his side. I've also read hundreds of firsthand accounts detailing encounters with the Prince. Each of those accounts, without exception, features Barbas in some capacity.If we accept the premise that Clavicus Vile and Barbas are (at least in some sense) the same person, the natural question is "Why?" Why would an entity possessing godlike power allow itself to be bifurcated? I have a number of hypotheses, but my best guess is simply this: companionship. The "life" of a Prince is one of near-total isolation. Some Princes, like Hermaeus Mora and Nocturnal, appear to revel in this solitude. But everything we know of Clavicus Vile indicates that he is a profoundly social being. His love of bartering, his willingness to bestow wishes upon those that engage with him, his bewitching mask—each of these things point to a being that thrives on interaction, conversation, and play. A being so inclined would likely go mad without some companion to speak to, argue with, and complain about. One might even view it as a marriage of sorts, albeit an inverted one. Rather than two becoming one, as in the Pledge of Mara, one has become two—a paradoxical reversal of the Aedric ritual."But why a dog?" you ask? I've puzzled over this for years. Again, I can offer little more than supposition. My best guess is that it has to do with power roles. If Clavicus Vile sheared off a larger share of his animus to create an equal, the two would plot and scheme against each other constantly. In creating a canine counterpart, Vile ensures his position as master. Dogs are ancient symbols of loyalty and submission. They are servants and never masters. So it is with Barbas.Of course, Barbas is not always a dog. Like other Daedric Princes, Barbas can present himself in a number of different forms. He has appeared as both man and mer, as animals, lesser Daedra, even inanimate objects! This ability to bend his shape, but retain his fundamental animus is a power that no other Daedra on record has been able to replicate—aside from Princes, that is. Coincidence? I think not.We will likely never know Barbas's true nature with certainty, but the evidence points me to only one conclusion: Barbas and Clavicus Vile are one person in two forms. The master is also the servant. The handler is also the hound. It's a unique and fascinating paradox—the sort of mystery that makes Daedrology worth studying!

[sonic-macguffin-matchup]

Greetings, fellow Sonic fans! We're here today to find out, once and for all, the greatest macguffin in the franchise. If you need clarification by what we mean by that, check out our announcement post!

And with that out of the way, here's the bracket!

details below the cut

Round 1A

The Mysterious Orb (Sonic 4) vs. The Sword of Acorns (Archie)

The Sword of Light (Archie) vs. The Chaos Crystals (Sonic Boom)

The Tricore (IDW) vs. The Warp Topaz (IDW)

The Rock of Justice (Sonic Boom) vs. The Crown Jewel (Sonic Underground)

Round 1B

The Time Stones (Sonic CD) vs. The Lost Crystal of Power (Sonic Boom)

The Crown of Acorns (Archie) vs. The Deep Power Stones (SatAM)

The Super Emeralds (Sonic and Knuckles) vs. The Ultragem (Fleetway)

Rings (Paramount) vs. The Chaos Emeralds (Almost All Media)

Round 1C

The Tummel Crystal (Sonic Boom) vs. The Fregosi Sapphire (Sonic Boom)

The Paradox Prism (Sonic Prime) vs. Erazor Djinn's Magic Lamp (Secret Rings)

The Sol Emeralds (Sonic Rush) vs. Anarchy Beryl (Archie)

The Arks of the Cosmos (Sonic Riders) vs. The Jeweled Scepter (Sonic Rush)

Round 1D

The Ring of Acorns (Archie) vs. The Phantom Ruby (Sonic Mania & Forces)

The Precioustone (Sonic Shuffle) vs. Excalibur/The Sacred Swords (Black Knight)

The Master Emerald (Sonic 3&K+) vs. Red Rings (Archie)

The Chaos Rings (Knuckles' Chaotix) vs. The Planet Eggs (Sonic X)

Round 2A

The Sword of Acorns (Archie) vs. The Sword of Light (Archie)

The Warp Topaz (IDW) vs. The Rock of Justice (Boom)

Round 2B

The Time Stones (CD) vs. The Deep Power Stones (SatAM)

The Super Emeralds (3&K) vs. The Chaos Emeralds

Round 2C

The Fregosi Sapphire (Boom) vs. The Paradox Prism (Prime)

The Sol Emeralds (Rush) vs. The Arks of the Cosmos (Riders)

Round 2D

The Phantom Ruby (Mania & Forces) vs. Excalibur (Black Knight)

The Master Emerald (3&K+) Vs. The Planet Eggs (Sonic X)

Round 3

A - The Sword of Light (Archie) vs. The Warp Topaz (IDW)

B - The Time Stones (CD) vs. The Chaos Emeralds

C - The Paradox Prism (Prime) vs. The Sol Emeralds (Rush)

D - Excalibur (Black Knight) vs. The Master Emerald (3&K+)

Revival

These are the objects that will be featured in the revival round taking place after round 3. Each quadrant will have a free for all poll to determine who will fill the L-X slots. They will then go up against the item that already made it there.

Group A:

The Mysterious Orb

The Chaos Crystals

The Tricore

The Crown Jewel

The Sword of Acorns

The Rock of Justice

The Sword of Light

Group B:

The Lost Crystal of Power

The Crown of Acorns

The Ultragem

Rings

The Deep Power Stones

The Super Emeralds

The Time Stones

Group C:

The Tummel Crystal

The Magic Lamp

Anarchy Beryl

The Jeweled Scepter

The Fregosi Sapphire

The Arks of the Cosmos

The Paradox Prism

Group D:

The Ring of Acorns

The Precioustone

Red Star Rings

The Chaos Rings

The Phantom Ruby

The Planet Eggs

Excalibur

the winners of the revival round reentered the tournament at L-A, L-B, L-C, and L-D.

Round 4

The Warp Topaz (IDW) vs. The Phantom Ruby (Mania & Forces)

The Chaos Emeralds vs. The Rock of Justice (Boom)

The Sol Emeralds (Rush) vs. The Super Emeralds (S3&K)

The Master Emerald (S3&K+) vs. The Paradox Prism (Prime)

Semifinals

The Phantom Ruby (Mania & Forces) vs. The Rock of Justice (Boom)

The Sol Emeralds (Rush) vs. The Master Emerald (S3&K+)

Finals

The Rock of Justice (Boom) vs. The Master Emerald (S3&K+)

-----

for a full lineup with wiki links, go here

[ask-paradox-and-friends]

HERE WE GO! EINHERJARS HEADCANNONS

@splatoonfan88 @hazawatsugu feel free to add if you want.

Bun

Hair is so curley and unruly he isn't aware when spiders crawl into it until someone screams there's a spider in his hair.

When the timeline gets rebooted/gets isekaid into a new world cause some gods are dicks due to him losing his eye to Hajun he's colorblind in that eye if not blinded fully. Funnily enough his other eye adapted and is better then most eyez.

Due to the early years training his quirk he can't fully close his fist without strain.

His teeth are naturally sharp. People used to claim he was part shark or part dog.

He hasn't combed his hair in a long time. Its bed head.

Even when he was burned more then dabi he wasn't Sure how he kept his hair.

He has a pair of handprint scars on his chest cause in the reboot timeline a doctor with a defibrillator hand quirk had to resuscitate him.

He can't stand the smell of anything that smells like burnt sugar which smells like nitroglycerin aka BAKUGOUS QUIRK (hint hint)

Saito

He's horribly dense and can't tell if someone is flirting with him.

The real life Ryoma grew up in a well to do family that rand a brewery and a linen tradery while also eventually making a navel trading company that eventually became part of the Japanese navy Saito started all these businesses in the reboot timeline Tsugu and Garou both unknownly get some clothes from their brand and According to Bun the Sakamoto name is held in as high regard as the 3 great unifiers of Japan do to Saito.

Saito has 3 names. Birth name Ryoma Sakamoto, shinsengumi captain Saito Hajime, and the new identity after she 'kills' both the last two Kiryu Kazuma which he has a birth name when reincarnated into modern times.

Despite being born a woman Saito has the face and body of a man. She gets reincarnated into a males body (Based female Saito off both Fates and Yakuza what gave that away?)

Saito was blessed by Ebsu. One of the seven lucky gods of Japan. More specifically the god of luck involving trade and fishing. Considering he runs a well off trading business and can easily fish up large tuna octopi and even great white sharks. Yea. It's obvious.

He dosent mind being called he or she as it dosent bother her. (1st life born a woman looks like a man. 2nd life born a man but having hobbies that were dubbed feminine [bonyo fan dancing, dressed in drag once to sneak into a place. And is the kind of father to answer the door covered in makeup as her daughter wanted to make daddy look pretty.])

Absolutely has the highest alcohol tolerance of the Einherjars due to the drinking games in the yakuza games.

Garou

Massive mommy and daddy issues. He maybe stuck to bangs side as bang was kinda like a dad. [We don't see much of garous dad and a bonus page claims garous crush looks just like his mom but qoute 'unlike her she is actually a kind and gentle person']

Due to him only getting caught and fined for dining and dashing and shoplifting he was only wanted for 50$

He's next in line to inherit bangs dojo if he proves himself to his master.

He'll eat about anything. Monsters. Burnt animals. Bugs. Any. Thing. Within reason.

He'll avoid fighting child Emperor at any cost because he will do anything to protect children.

He having a crush on the actor of a yellow sentai ranger you know he is a fan of super sentai the power rangers and Kamen rider.

(If you want I'll doo trivia on Derail and Paradox.)

[m3m3shadow]

Time to introduce my Paradox/Yusei fankid, Banka "Nova" Fudo, who was made with the power of SCIENCE!, out of spite of God, and Akiza being a hella good friend and donating an egg. :D

(His nickname is an alias he uses, and will be explained further down below!)

A very smart and intelligent Duelist, you would think he has some level of chill because of who his parents are. NOPE, he has exactly zero chill, has quite a temper when annoyed or angry, and is snarky as hell. Very much a hell raiser. 

Banka also is very knowledgeable on mechs, robots, and exactly how gravity works, that last bit being most most important because he wants to make Zero Gravity dueling a thing. (Think Sonic Riders Zero Gravity type shit.)

He’s so obsessed that he actually figured out how to make gravity arcs and wears two prototypes as the bracelets he wears. (They glow like Momentum when in use!) He can essentially defy gravity as he pleases with them, but too much strain could possibly break them...

Even though he’s always in ARGH STABBITY DEATH mode 24/7, he’s very kind and caring to his closest friends and his family. Talk shit about either of his dads (or mom in Akiza, it’s complicated) and he’s liable to use his Gravity Arcs for lethal retaliation.

Banka’s arm tattoos aren’t tattoos, they’re markings that was fused onto him as a kid due to a childhood encounter with a strange mirror. He was missing for a week and woke up with them on his arms and no memory of the incident. They can detach and act as extra limbs. (And if I had to explain what happened to him in full, we’d be here all day lmaoooo :’D)

Banka goes by Nova as an alias while he’s leading his gang (This canon is where Jet Set Radio meets Card Games!) known as the Dead Suns. He even looks different while going under his Nova persona, but I don’t have that design down pat quite yet!

Lastly for now, Banka plays a Ritual Deck with a new archetype: Alternations. Basically deck that’s based on Urban Legend/Creepypastas that do burn damage through various means. His ace is Alternation False Angel, and some other notable monsters are Alternation Grin Hound, Alternation Justitia, and Alternation Dead Star Dragon.

[tsuki-sennin]

This is the episode with the sexyman vampire. Which is interesting to me, since I think it'd be really cool to see Spanner reckon with the fact that, yes, Chemies are alive and sentient, and him just having

A guy in his deck would be a little odd for him. I don't think that's gonna be the main focus, but new form woooooo!

Spoilers, I guess...

-The toku-BL pipeline strikes again, as this guy is played by Jyutaro Yamanaka, who played Kaburagi in Ameiro Paradox.

-With the power of positive assertion, Kamen Rider Valvarad peels out!

-Oh, we have a new pal already!

-Yoroshiku, Tricera~!

-Oh hey Ma, I missed you last week!

-Renge-san, look at you!

-"Waaaaaait... Oh, I get it."

-Hopper Wants to see~~!

-Spanner no-

-Oh, whew

-Where ya goin', Spanner?

-Cunt king.

-"Renge-chan, good morning~!"

-Zukyun~!

-HE'S BISEXUAL???????

-Akiko Inoue gets it. She gets it.

-Thanks for that Chad line, fansubbers.

-KAJIKI'S BISEXUAL??????

-This show is peak

-Ahhh, I see...

-"Thank you, Kyoka-san..."

-What was he cooking?

-"Yeah, that's it, seiza there in shame, you piece of shit!"

-Clotho's so desperate to punch a bunch of teenagers in the face.

-A catalyst for further destruction.

-I support this. It's about time she got some conflict of interest~!

-Ooooooh, Machwheel does a bit of form changing of his own~!

-I swear this standby theme sounds like the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight theme.

-"My mom made this for me, you bitch!"

-Killsteal unsuccessful.

-Oh she mad

-Zukyumpire marches on.

-Hot damn, he's smooth.

-Seems like Sabi's on the ball.

-Da guy.

-An incubus, I see.

-World domination~!

-"He's so anime!"

-Not every day we get to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

-"Occult Chemy, Zukyumpire~!"

-T

-THIRD FIRST LOVE???

-She dead.

-"You guys are all ragingly bisexual. Fall for me~"

-Noticed Hotaro was affected pretty hard by Rinne.

-...I hope this doesn't awaken anything in him.

-They're all dead!

-B

-Bunnyparka, really Hotaro????

-SHE'S WEARING HIM??????

-"I see how it is..."

-You're gonna have to let it go, Yua.

-"An amazonian villainess has come to my aid... my life has truly become worthwhile~!"

-Time to tear ass!

-KAMANTIS NOOOOO

-Ohhhhhhhh, she's big strong now.

-Hi Valvarad

-Angecopter Angecopteeeeeer~!

-God's Strongest Pilot

-Mixtus time!

-Don't sound so surprised, Rinne, that's what we've been doing isn't it?

-"Save you all... into my loving embrace~!"

-SECOND MAJADE FORM THIS IS NOT A DRILL

-Zukyun~!

[mariacallous]

“Multialignment” has been Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lodestar as he moved India and its foreign policy out of the dead end of nonalignment over the last decade. In Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump last week, Modi got to see—firsthand and in real time—how Trump was developing a multialignment of his own. Trump’s efforts to loosen U.S. commitments to Europe, reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and publicly woo Chinese President Xi Jinping mark an epochal break with the idea of a rules-based international order backed by U.S. power and a collective West. With his vision of America First, Trump is now looking for bilateral deals with other powers to secure U.S. interests. If Trump succeeds in this, multialignment could well become the norm among the major powers of the international system.

In nudging India closer to the United States than ever before, Modi abandoned one of the important but unstated principles of India’s longtime nonalignment policy: keeping a political distance from the United States on global and regional issues. At the same time, Modi chose to maintain India’s old partnership with Russia while sustaining a difficult dialogue with China amid persistent border tensions and a mounting trade deficit. Under Modi, New Delhi also ended its prolonged indifference to Europe by stepping up engagement with key powers, including France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the European Union in Brussels.

Yet there is no denying U.S. centrality in India’s multialignment. Realists in New Delhi recognize the importance of partnering with Washington to accelerate India’s economic, technological, and military modernization. At the same time, they value India’s need to retain freedom of action and avoid the pitfalls of tying its mast too tightly to a great power whose interests are bound to vary over time. With Trump questioning the value of alliances and lashing out at some of Washington’s oldest and closest partners, India’s prudence appears wise. Sensing the political and geopolitical earthquakes in Washington, New Delhi pushed for an early Modi-Trump meeting that could impart stability to India’s most important relationship.

Recognizing the importance of illegal immigration and tariffs for the new establishment in Washington, the Modi government moved quickly to address both issues. It agreed to the deportation of undocumented migrants back to India and to fast-track negotiations for a trade deal. Earlier in February, India had already announced that it would cut some tariffs, including on cars and high-end motorcycles, that impact U.S. producers. India is also exploring the possibility of higher energy imports from the United States, including oil, gas, and civilian nuclear reactors. Trump wants India to buy more U.S.-made weapons, so Modi agreed to wrap up some of the deals under negotiation for a while in return for Trump’s agreement to review current restrictions on defense cooperation with and exports to India. Beyond defense, the two leaders also decided to build on the expansive cooperation on critical and emerging technologies that had been agreed under the Biden administration. Given past gaps between promise and performance, the two sides want to see concrete outcomes by the time Trump visits New Delhi for a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue summit later this year.

Contrary to widespread concern in India that Trump might publicly embarrass Modi, the U.S. president signaled much goodwill. Paradoxically, not being an ally or a perceived free-rider but a willing and capable partner appears to give India more leeway in Washington than traditional U.S. allies these days. Part of the mix may also be Trump’s presumed tendency to treat strong leaders—including adversaries—with greater respect than the leaders of European and Asian allies, whom he seems to perceive as weak or subservient.

India appears better placed than most major powers in dealing with Trump’s disruption of the post-1945 global system and balance of power. Consider, for example, Trump’s enthusiasm for ending the Russia-Ukraine war and improving relations with Putin. India will benefit significantly if these outcomes are realized. No wonder, then, that Modi endorsed Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative. Coping with the economic and geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine has been a major challenge for India, so any easing of the conflict will be welcome. India will particularly appreciate the effect that U.S.-Russian accommodation over Ukraine and a loosening or removal of sanctions will have on oil prices. New Delhi is a major consumer of hydrocarbons and imports most of them.

India’s reluctance to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the surge in its oil imports from Moscow since 2022 drew much criticism in the West. Settling the conflict will not only lift that shadow from New Delhi’s ties with the West but also improve the chances for a more balanced Asia now dominated by China. New Delhi is acutely conscious of a geopolitical pattern: Conflict with Russia in Europe has usually encouraged the West to make nice to China. New Delhi will hope that a sustainable U.S.-Russian accommodation over security in Europe will help focus Washington’s energies on stabilizing Asia. That, indeed, is one of the arguments among Republicans for pivoting away from Europe. India will also hope that Trump can persuade Putin to follow a more independent policy in Asia rather than tagging along as Xi’s little brother.

New Delhi has much to gain if Europe finally decides to reclaim responsibility for its own security and become a credible geopolitical actor. India and Europe can do more together on security in their shared neighborhood stretching from the Mediterranean across the Middle East to the Indian Ocean. Some of the new imperatives for India and Europe in Trump’s new world of great-power politics might come to the fore when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by all 27 EU commissioners, travels to New Delhi later this month to reboot the bloc’s long-dormant strategic partnership with India.

On the face of it, a United States that pivots to Asia is welcome in India. Trump, however, has added some new wrinkles to U.S. China policy. His eagerness to “get along” with Xi is sending mixed signals across Asia. On the one hand, Republican China hawks occupy key positions on Trump’s national security team. During the administration’s engagement with Modi and other visitors from Asia over the last few weeks, Washington has hardened its position in relation to the Indo-Pacific and China.

On the other hand, Trump appears to be leaving the door open for a big, beautiful deal with Xi. Could Trump consider a grand bargain with China in Asia, much in the manner he is attempting one with Russia in Europe? India is less vulnerable than Japan, South Korea, and, most obviously, Taiwan to a big shift in U.S. policy on China, but New Delhi’s economic and security challenges would certainly become bigger. When an Indian reporter sought to bait Trump into talking tough on China during the joint press conference with Modi, he refused. Instead, he reaffirmed his desire to get along well with Xi. Trump pointed to India’s border conflict with China, offering to help diffuse it if asked.

There is always a faction in New Delhi that thinks an accommodation with Beijing is right around the corner—and that India must keep pushing for it. As much as this might be another prong in a multialignment strategy, it is unrealistic for the time being, given the massive asymmetry in power that lets China enjoy the upper hand. While Beijing could make a few minor adjustments in relations, it has little strategic incentive to ease New Delhi’s problems, and this structural condition is unlikely to dissipate in the near term. That leaves India to focus on building stronger ties with the United States even as it pursues multialignment. India’s answer to a potential U.S.-China detente lies in doing even more with Washington—for only Washington is able and likely willing to help strengthen India’s comprehensive national power. Modi and Trump have created the template for doing so.

[canyouheatmeuponafrozennight]

Reviewing Kamen Rider Gotchard Pre-Finale

Or "How does one make a story with this little depth?"

I thought of rewriting the characters since I don't think Houtaro is the protagonist this story needed, but instead I'll just leave it as is and just go about how it could work for me. Starting from the edges and moving towards the center.

Minato's story and himself don't need to be that important, though I do think he is Houtaro's Virgilius. His past could remain the same, but the ends could be tied together, and the friend he let die ages ago was Houtaro's father, explaining why the old man is gone with no explanation (he died and the memories were erased to keep alchemy secrets, so Houtaro and the mom think he's just off traveling somewhere. In a way, this storyline would draw from Den-O's Zeronos subplot, a beloved family member that's been forgotten, but different enough to not feel like a rerun). He feels responsible for Houtaro, and at the same time wants to make up for his past mistake, making him paradoxically desire to bring him into the world of alchemy and distance him from the dark parts of it. While Houtaro and crew are hunting Chemy and having fun, he's cheering for them, but fighting and investigating Gryon's forces. When Houtaro insists too much on joining the true battle he closes his heart and goes Dread on him, as he knows too much now and wants to walk the same path his father did, which he can't allow.

Sabimaru could have had a great story with the beats given in the show, he is the chemy lover, the original gotta catch 'em all of the academy, but he couldn't communicate with them like H does, nor can he fuse with the Chemy and turn into a Kamen Rider and that developed in an inferiority complex, which would be exploited by the sisters to turn him into Dread. While he wants to reject the power, he is finally on par with H and can even defeat him a few times, so he must come to terms with his own negative side to properly overcome that he enjoyed being Dread for a while. He then gets better at using Chemy to at least support H (it could be like the Zukkyunpire trick they used once, except meaningful and across the show; his role would be like Kasumi no Joe, a friend and a fighter that doesnt need to be a Kamen Rider)

Renge doesn't need to exist I'm sorry if you like her but she just exists, they didn't give her a role in the show and i won't be the one to make one up (though if you put a gun to my head I'd say that, going from her line about wanting to become an alchemist to become rich, she could be a bit of a gryon sympathizer since he's a gold lover and she betrays the team halfway through because she's tempted by the golds radiance. In this show alchemy is bullshit magic, but at the center of it should be indeed the desire to turn things into gold, so she and gryon in a way would be alchemist boomers keeping things the good old way instead of being magicians 2.0)

Kurogane has many interesting storylines to approach, I'll start by listing everything that goes on with him. Has the dark flames that belong to the main villain, had his parents killed by the villain, 1st class alchemist but tertiary rider, nonhuman gf, adopted son of the crazy scientist and a realist that contrasts the MC's idealist. He's almost got too much going on, now that I think about it. If we wrote with the dark flames in mind from the beginning, he should have burst in flames from his first fight with H, in a fit of rage over him not being the Kamen Rider, and his pride being hurt as he lost to a non-alchemist. As they're forced to work together, instead of controlling the flames and fearing them, he learns how to hone them, culminating with the purification of them into white flames. His parents were killed by Gryon when they attacked him after finding out he put the dark flames in him, as an experiment to find out if a human vessel could handle the power of the Abyss. As he fears the flames, he was always distant from people, even more so upon finding out they were the power of the Abyss, he didn't feel human anymore due to the power running in his veins, which is why he bonds that way with Lachesis, who shares with him a bond with the Abyss and mirrors him, being a doll who wants to become human, while he is a human that can feel the villains strings tugging at his limbs from time to time. Both can keep the other in check, and remind each other who they are when the darkness tries to take over. Him giving a chance to idealism (I think this would also tie with the alchemy theme in a way; turning ones ideals into something else) also would make sense, not framing it as idealism > realism simply, but it's about embracing the hope for the future instead of drowning in the despair of the present. a doll can become human, there's no reason to accept things are as they are and forever will be as they are.

Rinne is the daughter of a traitor, so she plays by the rules much more than anyone else, because she fears walking outside of the lines because of the stigma she carries. A situation relatable to many demographics, to say the least, and now that I think about it, she could probably have a story with Hijiri too, being the sister of a criminal, she knows the stigma too, and they could bond over that claustrophobic feeling of living, and the paranoia that comes with it. But I digress. She has no friends, normal kids don't like how straightlaced she is, Spanner comes around, but she knows(thinks) he's spying on her to make sure she doesn't try anything weird like her father. H is a dumbass, knows nothing about the rules and got his powers from her father, so he has no ill will towards him. With all those pieces together, it was easy for him to become a friend to her, a pillar in her crumbling world. Would be fun if even at home she felt watched, resulting in her visiting, staying over and eventually working at ichinose's because it gave back to her the warmth of a home. With these budding feelings of a possible love, romantic or not, towards this boy and his family that accepted her after the entire world suspected her, the episode with H's childhood friend would make more sense, and would serve a purpose in that she needs to face her feelings and realize she's grown dependant of the ichinose's, she felt caged before, now she's putting others in a cage together with her because this one is happier and warmer for her. To me, this would be her pivotal arc, and after this she'd start trying to make other friends to break out of her shell. By having more choices, she can finally get to the conclusion that it's not that she needs the ichinose family, she wants to be with them. I don't think she needs the Atropos storyline exactly, but it does work as a good mirror. She can tell Atropos comes pester her because she wants a friend, and thatd serve for her to see her own desire to make friends, and upon setting out to make more friends, she could finally accept Atropos approaching her, instead of shoving her away like she always did.

Houtaro... a tough character to walk with, he is almost as blank as a slate as Renge is. He says MC things, he does the kamen rider/pokemon hero speeches, but there's no Houtaro in there. It's "what a hero would say" not "what this individual character" would say. When in trouble, make him say gotcha and call it a day. I left him for last (for the main cast) because I wanted to find him through the others. In this world, then, he probably heard about Chemys as child from his dad, and even now he thinks his father is chasing a legendary chemy, or traveling while riding in one. He even learned a bit of basic alchemy, despite not knowing what it is at first, but he never used it in public because he promised it. His father planned to bring him into the world of alchemy, but died before he could do that (Minato knew of this plan, which is why he becomes H's guide). While most alchemists only used Chemys as tools or saw them as pests, H's Dad was the original "chemys are our friends" ideologist, and he passed that onto Houtaro while he was a kid, and he continued to believe that. When Abyss attacks and Rinne's dad gives him the driver, he can use his basic knowledge and his love to fuse with a Chemy and become Kamen Rider, an art that had been lost for millennia (because alchemists forgot how to love chemy, so they became unable to combine). H's shallow heroic speeches can stay in, but it's because he's actually modulating his father. He started the act at home when dad was gone, to cheer his mom up, but eventually forgot his real face while lost in the act. He knows what his dad would say, what his dad would do, but at times he wishes he could know what he wants to do, what he should say. He learns to find his own words through the alchemy academy crowd of course, Rinne becomes a friend, Minato a guide, sabimaru a teacher, Spanner a rival, and through these chemical reactions, he finds out who he is again. And his foil in Clotho is formed as she is the most emotionless of the dolls, she's just performing the role that was assigned to her, she has no ideals or goals of her own. Seeing the ruthless doll and fighting with her many times, he couldn't help but see himself in her, he can't criticize her way of being, and what other says about her bounces off and hits him too, as others might not know, but he knows that he's also just acting the part he thinks he should play. The goal of his arc is actually to find words of his own to say to Clotho, to reach out to her and release her from the protocol that binds her. His intent was to feel he could also be free if she became free, but ultimately he reverts the order, becoming free (by which I mean, finding his own words) in order to free her.

Villains would be Gryon and the three sisters. Gryon is extremely conservative in what is true alchemy, if you're not turning things into gold, you're not doing it right. In this version, only some chemys are the Midas type and have a gold touch, while others can convent matter too, but in simpler ways, changing texture taste and so on, while others convert matter into non-gold elements, and gryon thinks any non Midas Type are trash chemys and should be erased. At first he was a good chemy hunter and the alchemists loved him, but his views grew more extreme with time, and instead of erasing the pest type chemys, he started going for everything, and was eventually shunned, which pushed him off the deepest ends. He created his automatons that would capture chemys and eliminate the non-Midas ones, as well as any alchemists who stood in their way. He was doing the world a favor, and the world dared to exile him, so now he'll turn this whole worthless world into gold, the only way he could find to make it worth anything again. (This set of beliefs would make Houtaro being a hopper user more antagonistic to him, not only he is fusing with a worthless chemy, it's a biblical plague even). The three sisters are foils to the three riders and bond with them through their battles, Lachesis deserting to be with Spanner, Atropos making friends with Rinne in their own awkward way and Clotho finding her own heart through Houtaro's original words (listed in the order the events take place in my imaginary timeline).

Got a little excited and wrote much more than I intended to, but that's all I have.