#shiloh really truly the character of all time to me

[bucksbasement]

This expression?

Primo reaction pic.

it's idletry's birthday today :)

[baelpenrose]

Project Praetorian 39: New Arrivals, pt 1, Friction

The team greets the new kids who just touched down, and Xavier demonstrates his leadership capability, dealing with one of the most troublesome new arrivals. TW for racism, antisemitism, queerphobia, ableism...spoiler warning, one of the new conscripts is alt-right at this point in the story. And he's now dealing with a unit whose CO is a Jew, whose Intelligence Officer is an Afro-Latina, and whose second in command is a Black man. Oh for the record there's also a bit of toxic masculinity in the groundwater, but they are being combat trained by a Marine, and frankly... yeah, teenage males do, in fact, use "throw down" as a fast and dirty means to establish pecking order if nothing else is working. As always, @canyouhearthelight helped find a good balance for all of the characters here, and did an excellent job beta reading. A big send up to @learntolive-again for the original design behind Micah as well, who is a different and far more likeable member of the new kids.

Xavier

As the blackhawk set down, Vergil called out to the rest of the kids about who was getting off. “Smith and Franks are with them - so is someone else. Tall white guy, bald. Broad shoulders. Suit. Looks like he’s got a shoulder holster?”

“That’s Agent Thompson.” Echo said. “He’s from Aventine - odds are they were gathered and held there for a day or two before getting transported here. He’s actually the guy who black bagged me.” 

Xavier filed that away. “Anyone else?”

“Uh…Tall Latina girl, just hopped off the chopper. She looks around fifteen or sixteen. White boy, short hair, kinda brownish? Blue eyes. He’s got a bruise under one of his eyes - he’s wearing cuffs. Uh…black boy, paler than Xavier or Echo, maybe mixed, might be the youngest of the three, kinda twitchy, I’ve been watching him for five seconds and he keeps fidgeting with his shirt. And…uh…girl. Agent Thompson and Franks are lifting her out of the chopper, putting her in a wheelchair. Really. Her arms are moving, her legs aren’t.”

Xavier idly made a note to explain to Vergil that ‘mixed/not mixed’ was not really a thing you could distinguish by sight most of the time but for the purpose of right now that was not gonna be his biggest problem. What were they doing conscripting a paraplegic? 

The group was already running over, at least ready to greet the new kids, with Gideon calling after them, and Xavier’s mind was racing. The disabled girl couldn’t fight - not even like Shiloh - so conscripting her, even if she was a strong candidate, would have been with truly evil intentions, probably with the intent of using her to test the limits of Koleth’s process.

They got to the chopper landing pad as the blackhawk was beginning to lift back off, heading towards the airstrip. 

Xavier waved to everyone, preparing to start his usual welcome spiel. “Hey, welcome to Imperator. I know you’ve probably got a lot of questions and none of them have been answered because your kidnappers were probably assholes, but you’re with your fellow kidnap victims now and we’re happy to answer most of them.”

Then the white boy spoke. “Why the fuck do they have you rolling out the welcome wagon?”

“I’m the second in command of the team you just got press ganged into and we prefer greeting our newbies ourselves rather than having our in-house opposition do it for us.” Xavier said, lightly, slowly scanning the other boy’s body language, recognizing the tension, hostility, and feeling himself grow tense. 

The Latina girl snorted and said something in Spanish, which Xavier didn’t catch. Echo responded, haltingly, and Xavier glanced back at her. “I picked up a little, I’m not fluent, but I know a bit. We’re…just expect we’re gonna wind up having to be polyglots by the end of the war, now that I’m thinking about this.” 

The white boy - Jared - snorted. “We’re in America, right?”

A prickle rose in Xavier. “We are, though we’re gonna be operating all over the world, so we probably should pick up a few more languages,�� he started, easily. “Anyway, the multilingual girl over there is our intel officer, Echo. The blonde kid behind me is team sniper. Where the fuck is…” he suddenly spotted Mark, who stepped forward and offered a hand.

“Mark Ascher. Team leader. Xavier is the second in command.” 

If Xavier had any doubt about the problem this might turn out to be, it vanished the moment he saw Jared’s face twist in disgust as he heard Mark’s last name - and visibly refused the proffered hand. “Casey, over there, is more of a close range suppression expert, and the giant guy, Jonathan, is our heavy weapons expert. Shiloh is a medic - and the little redhead is more of a specialized support situation, it doesn’t really make sense in normal military terms. You’ll understand it better once you actually see how we do stuff.” 

“We already got filled in on the idea that we’re gonna get experimented on and get fucked up powers. That was just about the only thing anyone bothered making clear to us.” The paraplegic girl spoke up. “Speaking of which, I’m Kimmy. The Neo Nazi you’re bothering to try to be polite with is probably screaming a certain word, hard R, in his head, after asking, out loud, what the point of grabbing a cripple like me was. Honestly, I’m impressed by the restraint that he didn’t start calling your ringleader a slur at the offered handshake.” 

Xavier’s gaze didn’t leave Jared’s face as Shiloh’s snapped over to Kimmy - and the medic began signing rapidly, even as Casey began translating. Kimmy was laughing for Shiloh’s remarks. “Oh, he’s going to love you, but…”

Xavier refocused on Jared. “She kidding?”

“White identitarian. Some of the modern movements can recognize Nazis had some really dumb hangups.”

Xavier blinked. “Answering ‘yes’ would have been exactly as shitty but made more sense.”

“What a surprise, you don’t get it.”

“Mostly I don’t get what a Nazi’s ideology is if you strip out all the shitty hangups about race, religion, ability, sex, like…what’s left, at that point? The standard-setting bad guy aesthetic of the century? An obsession with impractical superweapons?” 

Jared opened his mouth and Xavier interrupted. “Don’t answer, I actually didn’t want to know or care to find out.” 

Xavier signaled to Jonathan, and said, flatly, “This guy is a Neo-Nazi. Sorry, white identitarian. It’s like a neo-nazi, but apparently with fewer hangups about…something. The hangups they keep are the ones that suck though. Also, not that it matters, worse drip.”

Xavier tried not to smirk as Jared looked up and down at Jonathan - the very image of the Aryan ideal. A man who, garbed in Hugo Boss, with his blond hair, muscular physique, and piercing blue eyes, would have looked like the perfect scion of the Prussian warrior class to splash across an SS recruitment poster. Jonathan looked at Jared and asked, “So…how are we gonna deal with him?”

“I figure we have to figure it out. Like…maybe he can get his shit together, maybe not. If not…aliens are a thing, odds are he’s gonna catch a plasma bolt when he can’t accept taking orders from a Jewish boy or acting on intelligence from a black girl.” 

“I just want to ask. We’re getting kidnapped by a flagrantly globalist organization. Experimented on against our will. You’ve been put at the disposal of a Jewish officer. Fighting something that is kept secret from the rest of the world. And none of you are even considering that my worldview has a point?”

Xavier looked at Jared for a very long minute. “Mark was kidnapped too, dipshit. Also, he didn’t get promoted by Imperator. We picked him as officer. He only got an actual rank later.”

“Why’s the medic flailing around?”

Jonathan growled. “It’s ASL. Why are you talking?”

“Just curious about how stupid this place is.”

Xavier held up a hand, which probably indirectly saved Jared’s life. “Jonathan, please control your temper. If you hit him right now, with no protective gear, pieces of his skull are going to fly everywhere, hard enough that it’s going to be a hazard to other people.”

Jared managed to not flinch at that, though whether that was because he was very brave, very stupid, or simply didn’t realize how strong Jonathan was yet, Xavier couldn’t tell. 

Jonathan eased down and Xavier looked back to Jared. “Now, not that I really want to ask you but the boy you came here with, since apparently babysitting you is my duty right now…”

“Some nut from an immigrant family. Honestly don’t know much more than that. Didn’t talk to him much. Name was Micah. Place is really recruiting from the bottom of the barrel. Freaks, gangbangers, cripples, queers…”

“White trash neo nazis.”

Jared snorted. “Alright. I walked into that one. People calling the shots don’t look at me any better than they look at a banger like you.”

Xavier scowled. “I’m not actually a gangbanger. Asshole. They said I was, to get me in juvie, then they took me here. How’d they pick you up?”

“Said I was involved with a junior chapter of a white supremacist group, scooped me up.” 

“Were you?”  Xavier was morbidly curious. 

Jared shook his head, and Xavier was relieved when he began his explanation. “No. I had an older cousin, but I was planning to join the military when I turned eighteen, get away from my parents, maybe go back and pledge later when I got out, or maybe not. They don’t take you if you’re with a radical group.” “You have the most remarkable talent for saying shit that looks like it’ll dig you out, then turning hard and digging deeper instead. Why’d you want to join up if you thought the problem was stateside?”

“Why’re you trying to get in my head?” Jared was suddenly sharp, aggressive.

Xavier cursed internally. “Maybe I like knowing who I’m working with. Maybe I know that Imperator is hell and we’re stuck in it together and I’d rather not be dealing with a neo Nazi the whole time and having to wonder if I’m gonna shoot him so he doesn’t frag me, or Mark. So I’m trying to figure if I can find something that can get us some kind of understanding.”

“Fuck off. If we’re fighting aliens I get that they’re priority. But I’m not gonna pretend that it’s fine that I’m working with people who belong here only slightly more than the aliens do.” 

Xavier realized that ironically he already had an option with just that, but it wasn’t enough -  a start, but not a good one, not something that would get Jared onboard with anything real. 

But Jared wasn’t going to listen to that perspective, not now. And on another level, there was a language he and Mark spoke to each other, a language every teenage boy was intimately familiar with. 

On one hand, using it with someone like Jared might confirm all of Jared’s already atrocious beliefs about him and people like him. On the other, the shock of it happening followed by a rapid follow up might allow him to actually speak and be heard. 

No, though. Not here, where the staff would see. Later, where there weren’t cameras. Assaulting the new guy in front of staff would communicate internal conflict Imperator could exploit.

They were back at the tables and Xavier could see Mark talking to Micah, nervously at first, then excitedly. Mark pulled out his phone and texted - Xavier looked. “Micah’s family is Ethiopian originally. Mixed-faith. Micah’s Muslim, sister is Jewish. We’re talking food and holiday stuff.”

Xavier glanced back to where Kimmy was being talked to by both Shiloh and Casey, and to where Echo was fumbling her way through a conversation with Mia. “Fuck…”

The newest wave was going to be harder to integrate. Parties and everything else didn’t make language barriers or ability barriers or whatever psychological issues Micah had any easier. 

Or Jared’s bullshit.

Speaking of which, Xavier turned to Jared and said, very, very softly. “Listen. This is a party. A welcome party, a party that our conditions are better than when we came here. Long term, after we win the war, we’d like to make the whole world better than it was. We’ve won two battles against the aliens. We’ve also fought humans - and won both times. We’ve never fought another Praetorian. I don’t know how it would go. But I’m never going to find out. Because, to be really clear? If it becomes obvious you’re going to fight us rather than help us? You’re not going to live long enough for your powers to develop into an actual threat.”

He took a breath, then leaned back. “I get it. Right now, you’re new. You’re scared. You’re rattled. It’ll take a while for you to integrate to the team. Take it as a chance to work on your shit with Leon. Don’t make it anyone else’s problem. We’re all in it together. Get to know people without pissing them off. Here’s the thing, Jared: my immediate family? Not bangers. I knew people who were. I had relatives who were. One uncle went down for some pretty heinous shit, and to this day I don’t know if he did it or was covering for the guy who did. I was told not to be like that. Maybe you were told to be like your cousin, maybe you weren’t. Don’t know. But this is a good time to be something else, because you’re not gonna survive this place if you choose to make an enemy of everyone else on the team.” 

Jared was quiet, then walked away without a word, and Xavier looked at his food, shoved something in his mouth, and walked over to Mark, who excused himself from Micah at the look on Xavier’s face, as politely as possible passing him off to Molly and Vergil.

“Hey. Xavier. What happened?”

Xavier realized he was shaking, and sat down. “He’s a fuckin’ problem, Mark. I told him he could either drop the Nazi shit or we were gonna kill him.”

Mark looked at Xavier, and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

They both looked at the fire pit. “I didn’t realize how much I’d changed, man. I knew I could fight, knew I could plan, but like…That moment, where I told a kid our age I’d kill him, cold, for being a piece of shit, and I wasn’t even angry, I was just…I was just realizing that it was because he was a problem we couldn’t afford.”

“Yeah.” Mark was quiet, and Xavier shuddered, then Mark asked a question. “So, you’ve talked to him. Sorry I left you alone with that. Do you think he’ll listen?”

“I think he might. I told him he could change. That he had a choice. Lot of these assholes want to be big shots, and we’re gonna be the biggest deal around for a long time. He’s got glory on one hand if he decides that diversity isn’t so bad, or he’s got being buried in an unmarked grave on the other if he wants to stay a Nazi. Easy choice, right?”

“If he realizes those are the choices.” 

Xavier nodded. “Let’s hope. How’s the new kid you talked to?”

“He’s pretty great. Antsy, he was hospitalized for some kind of psych disorder. He hadn’t told me which one when we got sidetracked.”

“What do you think of them scooping Kimmy?”

“I think we need a word with Gideon or Koleth.”

“Or both.”

“Yeah. Or both.” 

[coconut530]

Heyyyy everyone! I just wanted to take a bit to gush about the WT I’ve been binging the past three days, Not Even Bones!

I’d seen this WT on the Saturday page for y e a r s , but it never looked that appealing to me. Last week, I binged Silent Screams on Canvas, and learned that artist was on NEB as well. That, combined with my desire for a darker story, and the icon nagging me like Shiloh and Lavender Jack did, made me cave and start it.

Let’s start with the characters. Nita’s our protagonist, and she’s.. interesting to say the least. Most of the time I can see where she goes but there are some instances where I question the writing a bit. And though I do get squeamish over her.. hobbies, the story usually justifies it pretty well or Kovit manages to say something. Speaking of Kovit, you can see most of these images have him in it 😂. Uhh but I have to say he’s a really good character, despite what he does. In the end he only does it because of his nature and the society that enables him. But his design is cool across all three styles, he’s a caring guy, and the rules he poses for himself make the story really interesting. S2 was my favorite, I think for all of the things we found out about him. Next we have… Fabricio. I… truly don’t know what to think about this little dude. He’s a little annoying, for starters, bc he always escapes!! And his morals are grayer than a thundercloud! And I don’t know what he truly wants! But regardless, I think he’s a good foil character for Nita, forcing her to confront herself when she’s too far gone or giving her a goal to reach. That’s our main three, but I do want to give a couple shoutouts. Adair is like.. so fun. He gives those fun trickster vibes, and to me sounds like Josh Grelle. Diana is fun too, giving Nita a friend when Kovit isn’t there. Gold is a bit annoying sometimes, but I like how she brings out a different side of Kovit. Overall these characters are very interesting, and their designs in the latter seasons make it all look and feel so immersive and unique.

So, I started it. S1 was a little rough, since the story was new to me and I wasn’t a huuuuge fan of the art style. But the story was engaging enough and I think the art fit with the tone of the season, even if it wasn’t my favorite. Overall it was interesting to see this WT go deeper than the advertisements of simply “girl who’s mom finds supernatural creatures and she dissects them”. We actually learn more about those creatures and the hostile world they live in.

S2 was what I was really waiting for, since Glamist was the artist for that one. And BOY did it deliver! The story just got more engaging from there, with Kovit’s backstory coming up more and Nita getting more desperate, and Glamist’s art made it look soooooooo goooooood!!! What I really noticed in this season was the imagery that Glamist drew. You can see it in the panel above where Kovit is behind bars made out of money, MMMM so good. There’s more like that, which is a sticking point alone. And! Before this I’d only seen three WTs of mine have moving panels: Shiloh, Nevermore, and Time & Time Again. BUT now I can add this one to the list! The one where Adair was like “What have you done?” also moves, and it was so fluent and amazing. There’s another one where Kovit swings his knife around, and I was floored by that one. This season was so great with characters, story, and art, and it just makes me soooo excited to see Silent Screams come out as an Original.

I just caught up today with S3, and it is still so good. I was a teensy bit sad to see Glamist go, but Starpiper keeps that same style nearly to a T, the imagery is still so strong, and the panels still move from time to time. It is nice to see Nita and Kovit’s relationship still so strong in this season, even when Kovit is brought down to his worst. This season is still going on, so I don’t have tooooo much to say, but it’s been really good so far. Excited to read a new ep today.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of like Shiloh or Silent Screams and looking for another story like that to enjoy, check Not Even Bones out!

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (11-17 Aug 2024)

pretty much all i did this week was watch The Seven

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😊 Not Quite Dead Enough (Nero Wolfe #10) (Rex Stout, author; Michael Prichard, narrator)

🥰 And Be A Villain (Nero Wolfe #13) (Rex Stout, author; Michael Prichard, narrator)

😊 In the Best Families (Nero Wolfe #17) (Rex Stout, author; Michael Prichard, narrator)

😊 The Red Box (Nero Wolfe #4) (Rex Stout)

😊 Hockey Bois (A.L. Heard) - perfectly enjoyable hockey romance

😍 Hot Neighbor and the Sunshine Baby (Zenaidamacrouras1) - 73K, modern stucky - "Five Times Steve and his daughter accidentally terrorized Bucky and his daughter, and then some times they managed to keep it together. A cutesy meet-ugly slowburn slice of life AU kidfic." - loved loved loved this fic so much! smol punk trans dad Steve (absolute disaster) and hot neighbor Bucky (also disaster but with better wallpapering over that). loved the slow burn, loved the kids quite honestly, loved the depictions of side characters Sarah Rogers & Wanda. everything just a++++.

💖💖 +13K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

I Wanna Kiss You (But I Want it too Much) (xiaq) - Stranger Things: steddie, 13K - reread: love this fic with its all outsider POV

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Smartypants - s1, e9

Dirty Laundry - s4, e1

D20: Never Stop Blowing Up - "The Wings that Flap in the Night" (s22, e8)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Truly, Truly, So, So Fun" (s17, e8)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Schrödinger's Double Slit" (s6, e3)

D20: The Seven - "Stone Temple Pile-Up" (s11, e4)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Party Fowl" (s6, e4)

D20: The Seven - "Reflections" (s11, e5)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Everybody's In Freaking Mirrors" (s6, e5)

D20: The Seven - "Belles of the Baronies" (s11, e6)

D20: Adventuring Party - "You Did A Murder, Girl" (s6, e6)

D20: The Seven - "Bloppelganger Blitz" (s11, e7)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Booger Lee Mulligan" (s6, e7)

D20: The Seven - "And Another Thing" (s11, e8)

D20: Adventuring Party - "There Is Nothing These Women Cannot Do" (s6, e8)

D20: The Seven - "Time & Space" (s11, e9)

D20: Adventuring Party - "I Get This Insight Into How Your Nasty Little Mind Works" (s6, e9)

D20: The Seven - "I Fucking Love You" (s11, e10)

D20: Adventuring Party - "The Ending of All Things" (s6, e10)

D20: Adventuring Party - "We All Felt Like It Was Therapy with Brennan During This Game" (s6, e12)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

You're Dead to Me - Edo Japan

Re: Dracula - August 12: Poison and Blood

Re: Dracula - August 13: Between Me and the Moonlight

Re: Dracula - August 14: They are Just the Same

Vibe Check - Ask Us Literally Anything!

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A (Store) For the Birds

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - The Wizard of Wamego

Re: Dracula - August 15: Glad and Sorry

Vibe Check - Feeling Very Demure

Re: Dracula - August 17: Fading Away

99% Invisible - The Power Broker #08: Shiloh Frederick

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Jazz Radio • Romance

The Prodigy Radio • 1990s

Duran Duran Radio • Party

Classic Easy Rock

[devianttxrts]

"just out of curiosity, have you ever measured your ego?" shiloh was grateful when monroe turned away - and also annoyed, because ideally she'd like her to move closer; but it stopped the woman from being able to see the glimpse of a pout that formed as she got further away, and also as she looked at the joint in her hand before she tucked it into her pocket. "oh, i see how it is." a smirk formed as she still kept herself from following, not wanting to appear too eager. "just call me cinderella i guess." now she let herself move, if only to let monroe hear the sigh of pain that followed. "i can't believe i'm being punished for using logic." tilting her head, she gave the taller woman a look. "excuse me, i'm a woman of my word. maybe you should stop twisting what i say."

❝ it's not about voting for myself. it's about betting on the winning team, ❞ monroe replied before spinning on her heel to begin walking away, lighter still in hand──though she no longer held it over her head just to taunt her vertically challenged friend. ❝ those are your words, not mine. ❞ she clarified, barely managing to suppress her grin. ❝ but, y'know. if the shoe fits, i suppose. ❞ clearly, they were both stubborn. but if it came down to a simple contest of wills, she was confident that she could hold out for as long as necessary to come out on top. ❝ actually, i can. ❞ she countered. ❝ instead of trying to backtrack, maybe you just shouldn't say things you don't mean. ❞

[blurrypetals]

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell - blurrypetals review

originally posted apr. 15, 2024 - ★★★★★

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, what a wonderful book to read just before I get married!

I have been very hit or miss with Rowell's work in the past. I remember loving Eleanor & Park but I'm not sure how well I'd love it now, and the rest of her work is 4 stars or less...apart from Landline, my beloved. When I requested Slow Dance on NetGalley, I really hoped this would be a lot like Landline...

...and in spirit, it is! It even has the same non-chronological structure that carefully doles out information to you at exactly the right moments, no sooner, no later, and it gives the book a nice stream of consciousness as you feel the characters reminiscing about the past before you're then reading about the past, in the moment with them.

This is simply a beautiful, honest, relatable treat of a book. Rowell's prose here is frank yet sweet, and by the time I was about a quarter of the way into the book, she had me melting over these childhood friends turned lovers turned estranged ones who got away.

This book is very simple. Its prose is simple, its story is simple and straightforward and it probably goes exactly where you think it might go, but that doesn't make the warm blanket of nostalgia Rainbow wraps around you any less cozy or heartwarming.

Cary and Shiloh are truly a couple you root for, and the obstacles they face never feel melodramatic, contrived, or frustrating like many will-they-won't-they romances do, while simultaneously feeling interesting and gripping, really proving that a couple doesn't need to fight all the time to have interesting drama and misunderstandings.

All in all, I just loved my time with this book and I'm over the moon to be able to give it the title of best Rainbow Rowell book after Landline. I can only Rainbow gives me number three!

[sunnyshiloh]

shiloh your post made me super curious about your own genshin lore, pls indulge me if you’re comfortable 🙇🏻‍♀️

Jaaaaade! 🌼💚 Thank you so much for your ask again! I have been sitting for the past couple of days thinking about how to answer! It's not that I'm uncomfortable at all... I just think it's so plain and there really isn't much to my lore so I don't know how to present it in a way that's fun and captivating, hehe 💚 But here goes!

"Interesting orthography they have here. Is it English but written in some sort of uncial format or...?"

My self-insert is basically a linguistics major who just happened to wake up there. I didn't fly to Teyvat in the form of a shooting star or have any other grand entrances. I happened to open my eyes under the tree at Windrise, surrounded by beautiful green fields and eventually I found my way to the city of Mondstadt.

It all starts off by communicating with the knights via writing to them ("do you know where I can find the United States?" "What's the United States? lol") but they eventually point me to a blond traveler who is not from Teyvat and their flying companion because maybe they could help. They allow me to travel with them and aid them, all the while teaching me the common language of Teyvat that's shared between the nations. For the most part, I follow them and help them to solve each nation's problems, but sometimes our paths diverge (like when Tighnari is hurt, I stay behind and help him).

I have an Anemo vision. I get it when I feel like I truly belong and the people who care about me make me feel like I am truly one of them. I feel so different the majority of the time that when I do find my place to belong on Teyvat, it truly means the world.

"To truly be accepted in this world... the mere thought of it gives me wings. And I shall record each instance of your love in poetry and song as my heart reaches the heavens."

Oh, and I love writing a lot. I'm a chronicler, writing down every detail about the journey and about each nation along with details about their language and their culture inside of this beautiful ornate book with pretty artwork I've drawn. Pressed flowers and leaves from each nation are included! It is inside of my messenger bag, along with letters from my beloved characters. I take them all on the journey and respond back to each one.

Thank you so much for reading this far! I hope it wasn't dreadfully long 🌼💚

[littleladymab]

FebruarOC - Ianto

Way back in the day (like 2011), I was into HP. I mean, not to say "who wasn't" because some people weren't but it was like, a good portion of my experience growing up. Tragic, truly, but unlike some people I know (this isn't a subtweet to anyone here I promise) I didn't define a huge chunk of my life around it so it was easy to just rip it out. 

Ianto is my HP expy. Got him out of there in like 2014 before abandoning him so it's not like I went back to an old HP fic and went "oh no must rescue him this series is uncool now". Naw I got stuck on canon incorporation to the AU and decided to remove it then. Only then I never plotted anything. 

For the time being, "The World Listens" is listed under my A Collection of Curses project (where yesterday's Horatio is also technically from). I do love the concept a lot, and I think it will benefit from not being an AU fic, but that's a future concern to have. It would probably also be rather too long for it??

Ianto, whom I have no idea if I gave a last name to but I should just so i stop calling him Ianto Jones, was born with the coveted ability to be able to communicate with the dead. There's only two things wrong with that: 1) the ability is coveted by the Evil Government (yeah I'll have to work out the Tom Riddle as Minister of Magic expy at some point) (i HATE that series of words I just typed???) in order to corner the market on dead communications and 2) he can't actually speak to them. He can only hear them, but there's something that's blocking the transmissions going out, so to speak (badum tsss). 

Which, since this has always been the case for him, he's never really had to worry about it. He's just been able to coast by, hearing ghosts -- ghosts who KNOW that he can hear them, but it doesn't occur to them that he can't talk back. He doesn't do anything about what they're saying partially because there's no conversation happening, he can't see them, and also he's doing his damned hardest to keep his head down!! 

Eventually he meets Zoë (I'll talk about her at the end of the alphabet) who wants to start a business utilizing his abilities to communicate (well, at least listen) to the dead. Doing WHAT I don't know. From what I remember of the original plotting it just sort of became a club house they didn't actually do any business. Either way, Zoë introduces him to Shiloh, an inventor who thinks she might be able to solve Ianto's "unable to talk to the dead" problem. 

Ianto's whole arc is the reluctant hero, who was perfectly content with his lot in life even if it was kind of annoying to be talked to by things he couldn't see or talk back to and knowing that if ever he got found out it would be BAD NEWS BEARS. But then he starts to meet more of the magical community that he just never interacted with, despite being a part of, and he begins to realize that like??? He doesn't have it great all things considered but he's got it a lot better than a lot of them? 

And he meets more people like him, but in different ways! This fic was really going to be me playing with the concept of fated chosen ones (aka the really was the difference between harry and neville) and then also characters as foils (harry vs draco) in a way that was seriously lacking in the source material. As a trio, Ianto was the one that could communicate with the dead, "Draco" was the one who could see them, and "Neville" was the one who could like, touch them, for lack of a better term. He used his abilities for healing and helping ghosts move on. 

(I only have names for three of the characters I'm sorry it's been such low priority because I don't plan on working on this any time soon)

You can find the rewrite of the last scene i did up for free over on patreon. I'm just taking a huge scalpel to it in terms of what actually gets revealed here for world building because I'm just roughly cutting around the HP references, so it'll feel more flat than I could probably make it. Oops. 

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: June 6th, 2021

I’m back with more ask responses! You can also check our Frequently Asked Question sheet if there’s something you’re wondering that’s not answered here.

FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

Thank you for the patience with these questions  ♡

Hey in very beginning of step 3 in the scene where Mr.Holden had a thought dancing on the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself after MC and Cove were being cute (idk if it makes a difference but this is when they're dating)... Can we know what he was thinking/ wanted to say? It's been bugging me lol 

He would’ve gone into a “look how much you’ve grown”, “your dad is so proud of you”, “I’m so glad things worked out with the MC”, and etc spiel, haha. But he resisted the urge to fawn on his baby boy, at least for that scene.

If we planned to move away for college/future plans in step 3, is it implied that MC and Cove would have a long distance relationship for sure? Could MC have convinced Cove to come with them? How is the dynamic of their relationship going to be addressed in Step 4, if that makes sense? 

Cove is willing to follow the MC where they went after everything is settled for them there, and if they’re sure they want him to come! You’ll get to decide how things shook out during those transitional years just by making choices about it during the opening prologue of Step 4.

Hi! First off, how does it feel to have created one of the best games when it comes to inclusion for lbtq+ peeps? I've never felt as validated with my identity and sexuality when playing a game and I'm seemingly not alone ♥ Second, and this might be a little too specific, but what kinds of drinks does Cove like as well as dislike? Thank you, you're the best ♥

Thank you for very much! It’s really nice to hear the game felt inclusive. Cove likes regular water and fruit juices/smoothies most! He dislikes coffee and cola, and he’s not super into most teas either.

Hi, may i ask what gb patch stands for? Specifically the gb part lol

It stands for my old, silly username I used in places like Neopets as a kid, aha. The company name wasn’t super thought out since it was originally just me making VNs as a hobby. Luckily, “GB Patch” kind of seems like it could mean something reasonable, so I didn’t have to rebrand when it did become a more serious, commercial group.

If we chose to not propose to cove in the step 3 dlc would he propose or would the mc propose in step 4 or the wedding dlc? 

Yeah, you or Cove can propose in Step 4 if you’re not already engaged! The Wedding DLC takes place after the engagement so the proposal scenes aren’t there.

will you guys announce if the early access for the new game is out on patreon ? 

When beta builds of Step 4 or whatever start coming out on the Patreon we will mention it here on social media too.

Heyy I just had a quick question about Baxter if that’s okay :)?

I saw in an ask+answer that it’s possible to casually date Baxter In step 3, but what leads up to that? I have the step 3 dlc and I’ve tried playing them In a different orders and ways but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere ^^;

The Step 3 DLC is Cove-based because he’s the default guy. There’s a separate Baxter romance DLC that’s not out yet. That’s where you can get him to date you. I’m sorry for the confusion!

Will we ever get any LI's or side characters with physical disabilities or deformities? I think your games would be a great place to have them in since they're always so accepting and safe! 

Yeah, we do hope to have representation for that in future projects ^^. Thank you for the confidence in us.

Is it possible to get Cove to take the bed and MC to sleep on the floor? 

Not in Step 3, I’m afraid.

So, I have played the prologue of Our Life countless times and I haven't gotten the [Your Life] achievement, why is that? 

Steam sometimes isn’t connected properly when an achievement unlocks and so it remains locked on your account. If that happens, unfortunately getting the scene again won’t unlock it. The achievement becomes inaccessible because the game thinks you already have it. Playing with the same Steam account on a different device or fully deleting your game data (more than the only the save files) are the only work arounds we’ve found.

Since when you talk with Jeremy in step 3 it's mentioned he goes on dates with someone (which assume is JB because who else would take this boy on dates) that makes him happy, does that sort of make JB and Jeremy the canon relationship in the first game?

The default for XOXO Droplets is that JB casually goes on dates with each of the jerks! Shiloh would’ve been harsher if Jeremy was the only guy getting her attention, haha. But the player can change that default by dating just one person the whole game for their own story and who she ends up with for real has no default.

Hi, hello! Huge OL fan, thank you so much for the wholesome content, it was very much needed during these times. Managed to get several people to join team Cove, so that's very exciting, I always have people to fawn over him with. I have a little question and I'm sorry if it was asked before, but does it ever come up in the game what Cove has told his mom about us? (who knows, with so many options, one can miss it) Or, alternatively, will it come up in the Step 4 DLC? 

Thank you very much for sharing the game with people <3. It’s really great to hear people are liking it. Right now that doesn’t come up in game. Kyra is willing to keep her mouth shut and Cove isn’t gonna have that conversation either. At least not when he’s younger, but yes, perhaps when he’s a fully grown big boy in Step 4 you can ask him about it.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since it has been confirmed that there would be two love interests for OL2, would there be the possibility of forming a polyamorous relationship with both love interests? I’m sorry if you answered this previously, I’m just curious. 

We are considering it, but it’s not a guarantee yet. It’d be really great to have but it’d add so many extra alterations that’d need to made, aha.

Hello! You mentioned how Cove would be uncomfortable with kids at 23, but how old would he be when he’s comfortable with having/adopting kids? (Same goes for the other LI’s.) btw, love your game!! 

He’d want to be at least 25, but even older would be good. Derek would want to have kids when he and his partner could reasonably support them, the age itself wouldn’t matter. If they were doing good at 22 and wanted kids, he’d be up for it. Or they could wait until their 30s or whatever. Baxter is also more of a “when it feels right” guy rather than having a specific age requirement. Cove is just especially wary of being a young parent because of his own parents. I’m happy you like the game!

does step 4 immediately play after you press "end summer" in step 3? or is there another button/transition (like the story text thingy) before the epilogue begins? what happens after the epilogue? roll credits? 😂 

Step 4 will have transition section always and there will be an extra button, if you own the Derek or Baxter DLC. By default the Cove-based version of Step 4 just plays once Step 3 is over. However, having the other guys’ storylines will mean you get to pick which version of Step 4 plays; Cove Step 4 (the basic one), Derek Step 4, or Baxter Step 4.

Happy pride, thank you for all you do for us🥰

I have a quick question though, I recently got a MacBook after my old windows computer broke, and now steam says I cannot download it, but it has no issues with other games, what can I do to download it?? I’m sorry if my English is bad

Happy pride month! Unfortunately, Our Life isn’t available for Mac on Steam right now. To be an approval application Apple requires having special notarization and we as a small group haven’t gotten that. Itch doesn’t care and lets us release the game for Mac there anyway, Steam does care so we’re locked out of putting the Mac build up on their storefront. Feel free to email us and we can try to help the situation out further!

support@gbpatchgames.com

Hello! I was jus wondering if the Baxter and Derek DLCs are still happening? I haven’t heard anything about them on here or patreon in a while so I just wanted to make sure ^^

They’re still coming and we just released a new sprite sketch on the Patreon for the Derek DLC c:. But right now Step 4 is still much more of a priority. Once that’s closer to being done we’ll focus way more on sharing previews for the other guys.

is it possible to tell cove you love him (platonically) at step 3 fondness/selecting him as basically family? i just love the mc and liz sibling interactions and it got me wondering about it (especially if you've selected that option)

You and Cove can be as close as family, but there’s not a specific scene in Step 3 where you say “I love you” in a family context. But there’s always Step 4~

do you intend on ever adding a collectors mode to Our Life? Like a way to collect achievements and CGs for the gallery without it effecting any save files? 

We weren’t considering it before. But if a lot of players would find that helpful, we could start thinking on that!

Sorry if it's a silly question haha, but (in crush/love) is Cove really aware of how cute and cuddly he seems to MC? If so, what does he think or do about it? Or does he just ignore it? 

He isn’t particular aware. Cove never truly stops being surprised that the MC is interested in/attracted to him, haha.

Would you say that the alone ending of xoxo droplets is worth playing again to get? 

Nope, haha. The goal is to make friends/get a boyfriend and so the alone ending is kind of the bad ending for the game. Though there is a consolation prize if you get it by accident.

Is there any possible situation which would ever prompt Pran to bake for his girlfriend? Like I know it's unlikely I mean even if JB broke her leg somehow I'm pretty sure he'd still be like "I considered baking you a cake and doing the frosting the way I think looks interesting but you don't deserve a cake, no one does." right but also ahhh it would be super nice if some day he just surprised her with baked goods one day out of nowhere. JB would be so shocked it would be cute. So is there any possible situation where that could/would be a thing that he would do? 

He might bake out of spite, like if he felt he had to prove her wrong on something. Or if JB used some good reverse psychology on him. Or he might do it in a relatively nice way if he could make his GF so shocked by the kind gesture that his amusement with that overrode his insistence on not being sweet. Pran is very difficult in high school, aha.

Is the "one route (where) it can be seen that Everett will drop his seemingly eternal waging with Jeremy pretty easily and can start getting along without thinking much on it" the Lucas route? I'm curious! 

Yep! Everett will side with Jeremy if it’s between him and Lucas.

Hi I hope you guys are having a great day :) I just had to ask how Cliff would feel about Cove's partner/fiancé Mc calling them dad whether it be accidental or otherwise and secondly I also wanted to ask how he would feel about being asked to be the one to give the mc away at their wedding. 

He would be very touched and excited! I hope you have a good day too :D

Hello! I saw an ask relating to whether Cliff "moves on" after Cove's grown up and stuff (and he stays single), but what about Kyra? Will she be with anyone else or will she stay single? 

She does start dating again, but she takes it slow.

Hi! I absolutely love the art for characters in OL and I wonder is this fine to draw my MC in same drawing style and upload online later? Is this something artists would be okay with? Thank you! 

Yeah, you can certainly do that C:

Hey there!

I wonder if I'm just being stupid here.. Is Step 4 a DLC? And if so, where can I find it? I can't seem to find it on Steam :< Thank you!

Step 4 is a free epilogue! It’s not done yet, but once it is finished you’ll just update your game file and Step 4 will be there after Step 3 ends.

hi! are step 4 and the wedding dlc two different things?

They are. Step 4 is a free epilogue that’ll be a default part of the game once it’s done, the wedding DLC is an optional paid expansion that takes place after Step 4.

Why did Baxter not receive a step 2 sprite seeing how he shows up later

Sprites are time consuming to draw and take money out of the budget that could’ve gone to other things. His tiny appearance in Step 2 wasn’t worth all the effort to make a sprite, aha.

I just realized, what happens if if you get the patreon exclusive moment but at a later date, when you don't have the membership anymore, it's updated (like a bugs fix update for example)? Would you have to get the membership again? 

You would have to get the membership again to redownload the build. But there’s very little chance there’s going to be an update once it’s been out for over a month. If a build gets released with errors, players catch/report them within the first few days. So by the time the first subscription period ends, any problems that were noticeable would already have been fixed. And we’re certainly not gonna be adding new content to it once it’s been released for a long time. There’s no need to worry about missing out on something worthwhile in the future if you cancel your membership. It’s being made with the idea in mind that many players are gonna be getting it and then going.

Hello! Wanted to ask about gaming choice in step 3? Once upon a playthorugh I got the option to buy Cove a bracelet for his graduation present. I played the same basic character again and that option wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure where I went wrong. My Cove wears a bracelet on each hand and my MC is into fashion and jewelry. Do I need to put an earring on him or? Sorry, love your game so much. 

He also needs to have liked bracelets in Step 2 for that to be considered a good gift option for him. Sorry for the confusion! I’m happy you love the game :)

Is Step 4 being released at the same time as the Wedding DLC or will the first come before the latter? Thank you! 

I’m not sure. Ideally they’ll come out at the same time, but the wedding DLC has a lot of art to get done and we may have to release it after Step 4.

Can mc still get confession from Cove at the end of step 3 even if mc casually dates Baxter in step 3? Such as in crush mode? 

I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change, but generally there’s differences to the Step 3 ending if you were dating Baxter and those differences likely will conflict with getting the Cove confession.

For the patreon moments/dlcs, will it be available for all tiers? 

It’ll be available for tier 2 (Fans) and up!

[redwinterroses]

Hello dear Red, I just got a spare moment to read the latest Gold chapter and wanted to stop by to say: are you the one responsible for That. Because AH. HM. WOW. THAT WAS VERY. I loved every bit of it I am completely devastated on multiple different levels, rollercoaster doesn't even begin to cover it, thank you so much and how dare you. How dare you.

I am also now having so very many thoughts about Sausage and Scott as narrative foils, and mirrors for the concept of willing service leading to unwilling transformation... It's so same but opposite in so many ways, how Sausage giving in and siding with the more powerful force to gain an edge lead to a horrific loss of mind and body, while Scott's very resistance to doing the same is leaving him delirious and losing himself in a slower and more subtle but no less terrifying and unwanted way. Also. Currently being hit right in the heart by the way Sausage was locked out of his body during Scott's torment, but fought to stay present during his own, as Scott watched this time... it's a horrible penance that neither of them would have chosen, but that's the thing, isn't it? Neither of them ever really had a choice. Not a proper one. Not one where they knew the stakes.

Good fic. Very, very good fic.

I am definitely 100% responsible for that, lol. *bows* Darkle does most of the heavy lifting as far as writing on this fic goes, and I go through and tune it, but that scene was entirely me.

Fun fact: Sausage was originally going to die instead of being taken over by Exor.

(Additional fun thing: Everyone please go read Shiloh, by Kit Trace and Kate Flynn on Webtoons. It's so freaking good and underappreciated. And there's no spoilers in this message because I got excited and used the wrong character name lol)

And yes! Thank you! Scott and Sausage are definitely set up as mirrors for each other in this fic. Both chosen, willingly or unwillingly, as a vessel for a more powerful entity, both being slowly destroyed by that power toward an end that is bigger than either of them. (Pix is also in there, the Vessel of the Vigil, as a sort of healthy middle ground between the two of them; someone who serves a greater power and is even influenced by it -- but without being consumed.)

The sort-of-theme of this fic (if a fic can really have something so literary as a theme) is the idea that power unchecked will always destroy that which tries to contain it. Aeor is good, there's no doubt about that. He isn't malicious, he isn't uncaring -- but even truly good power will eat away at something that was never created to be able to contain it. A river will always wear away at the stone, even if it does so more slowly than magma.

...anyway, I'm so happy you're enjoying this fic, especially as someone who doesn't even watch Empires, lol. Your comments, tags, and asks are absolute brain fuel, and... well. Let's just say that a) it's a good thing we went on our holiday break after this chapter instead of the next one, and also that b) anyone who has emotions after the next chapter can please direct all complaints to Shade of the Swift variety, with compliments and thanks from the authors. ;P

[davidmann95]

So you've talked a lot about Darkseid, but what about the other New Gods?

SO THIS HAS BEEN IN MY INBOX FOR ALMOST AS LONG AS THIS BLOG’S BEEN AROUND AND I JUST FINALLY FINISHED FOURTH WORLD

Well that sure was something. My musings on some major players that I either have substantial thoughts on, or where I especially think the majority consensus/interpretation has subsequently gotten them wrong (a state Kirby is well aware of, because a HUGE part of “Even Gods Can Die!” is him being frustrated at subsequent handlings of the characters even by 1984 mucking things up):

Orion: Perhaps the most hard-done by as a result of Kirby never being able to fully finish Fourth World as he had imagined it, as his character arc ends on a cliffhanger for a decade and is forced into a rapid completion later. When he emerges, while a warrior born he’s also every bit the classical, magnificent hero you expect to see in a superhero comic to try and overshadow his inner demons, while by the end of New Gods he’s embraced not only his true face (the OTHER face, as his father would put it) in the fight against Apokolips but the murderous, sadistic rage that is his birthright, reveling in inflicting agony and very much the berserker others have since portrayed him as. Surely as much a product of his trauma from a childhood on Apokolips (a detail frequently glossed over) and a sense of being unwanted as anything genetic, it’s ultimately unconditional love for him as he truly is in Hunger Dogs that lets him overcome his fear that he can’t be anything but a monstrous tool in service of better people than himself, and embrace ‘the tomorrow overture’. Even his anger has its righteous if tragic place as a primal force of upheaval: “It defies time! It stands firm against the hammers of change! It mocks life and defies death!” I won’t get to it for awhile yet, but very curious what Simonson does with him.

Lightray: Rules! He’s the closest the New Gods have to a traditional superhero, and it’s in that capacity that while a lousy warrior next to Orion (Kalibak thinks little of his attempt at fighting him, mockingly deeming him a “callow little killer”), his strength is in transformation: he makes himself light, he turns a tormented weapon into the glory boat, a machine armed against the New Gods into a weapon against Darkseid, Orion from a man alone into a friend. He’s not a warrior, but he’s the one who makes a better world worth waging war for and who might one day make such war unnecessary. Also he and Orion have definitely fucked.

Mister Miracle: Not WILDLY off the mark since, but it’s interesting that as I expect a result of JLI he’s been written so often since as an everymanish, relatable, bordering-on-comedic figure, when under Kirby he was very much the archetypal good guy. One often committed to freeing others as he had been freed himself, in the likes of Ted Brown and Shilo Norman, an avenue I’m surprised hasn’t been explored more often from what I’ve seen. Also worth noting: Darkseid declared the moment he got his hands on the kid that Granny would be twice as hard on him as others, and that it would eventually drive the boy away and let the war resume. Which not only indicates Darkseid’s understanding of the subtlety needed in control, but would seem to take Scott’s rebellion out of his own hands…except that at the moment of his escape Darkseid still offered him a choice, implored the boy to allow him to “complete the destruction of Scott Free – so you may live with the majesty that is the power of DARKSEID!” And instead he turned his back on his god and chose to be what he is.

Barda: Shockingly, great as she’s been since, her background is often severely mischaracterized. The shorthand is “love saved her and turned her from a servant of evil to a champion of good!”, but that’s…while not entirely wrong, a bad way of presenting it. When she leaves Apokolips initially, even after she starts hanging out with Scott Free and Oberson after having helped the former escape years earlier, she still believes in Darkseid. She fights and hates her former allies not because she’s turned against his vision of the universe (this is in fact a major aspect often overlooked - under Kirby Darkseid’s agents don’t simply fear him, they sincerely believe in him and his vision of how the universe works) but because she sees them as loathsome, brutish executors of his grand design. In short, she doesn’t think it’s the system that’s the problem, but a bunch of bad apples. It’s her experience with freedom and simple pleasures and life on Earth, her lingering guilt over the death of her friend Auralie as eventually manifested in her protection and training of Shiloh Norman, and yes, her eventual realized love for Scott, that brings her around to realizing she truly desires a life beyond what Darkseid can offer.

Forever People: Okay I actually don’t have a ton to say about the Forever People, though I do think they’re underrated and underutilized. Naive and in over their heads as the frequently are they’re also the best of their peers, believing in freedom and transformation and the potential of those around them to become better - their defining moment for me is when they reassure Sonny Sumo that having the power of the Anti-Life Equation doesn’t make him a monster. “Where we come from the Anti-Life Equation is one of many others–almost as awesome!! But they merely exist!! It’s we who live!!”

Metron: The big figure I haven’t really been able to crack. Machinery as not necessarily cold mechanization but extensions of ourselves and our souls, and able to nourish them in turn, is a big aspect of Fourth World, but Metron as the embodiment of mechanization and knowledge feels like not just an outsider as he’s framed but one who never quite became whatever Kirby had in mind for him, making his crucial role at the end of Hunger Dogs a bit of a non-sequitur for me. I’d be curious to hear what other people think.

Desaad: God Desaad’s been made boring. Not that he isn’t fairly one-dimensional under Kirby too, but his craft and awful glee as the god of torture isn’t just in strapping people to tables and poking them with unpleasant tools, it’s in manipulating their emotions and agonies to a fever pitch - he should be such an unsettling figure, and instead he’s a simpering helpless toady.

Highfather: Not a perfect figure, given how he’s framed with the likes of Fastbak, and the Forever People, and the Pact, willing to deploy fear as a weapon in the name of peace as Darkseid will use chaos in the name of a larger order, but always trying - as with Darkseid, an imperfect vessel of what he represents, but capable of growth and realization as a leader.

Steppenwolf/Heggra: Essential to understanding The Pact, they’re the old ways of the world and war, petty despots and warrior-kings, supplanted by fascism in Darkseid.

Darkseid: So I’ve discussed Darkseid before in terms of his broad use and ideas, but the very specific ways Kirby presented him have their own dimensions. In the world of superheroes he’s larger-than-life and often such in here too, but in rare moments, and by the end entirely as all artifice is stripped away? Kirby’s Darkseid is a profoundly human figure. He recognizes the irony that the Forever People believe in letting all be who they are, for that very need to fulfill himself is why he must pursue conquest (“And of course - that’s the pity of it!”). While he thinks to himself “Oh, how heroes LOVE to flaunt their nobility in the face of death! Yet THEY know better than most that war is but the COLD game of the BUTCHER!” he too believes in “Boldness! Risk! The raw meat of existence!” even as he consigns himself to the role of puppetmaster rather than warrior. He does or so he tells himself “no more than what HAS to be done!!” rather than indulging in cruelty for its own sake. He dresses up in ridiculous costumes for his schemes, he gets sarcastic, he recognizes honor and respects worthy foes, he feels love, he craves the laughter of a friend, he fears the obsolesce of his preferred way of doing things, he tells himself that should he achieve omnipotence others will find “eternal shelter”. He’s a person, one capable of a range of emotions, but he is the TIGER FORCE AT THE CORE OF ALL THINGS regardless…not because he is a mythic unstoppable force, but because every day he rises and believes in himself over all others, because there is a black hole within him that he can only hope dominance might fill regardless of what pain he finds in the process. But as Mister Miracle’s battle with the Lump foretold, when left truly alone over a world that is himself he will be only within “a self-made prison”, reflections of his own fear and agony.

[oosteven-universe]

Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1

Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1 DC Comics 2021 Written by Brandon Easton Illustrated by Fico Ossio Coloured by Rico Renzi Lettered by Rob Leigh    Spinning out of DC Future State, the story of how Shilo Norman became the Mister Miracle of tomorrow starts here.     The Mister Miracle show used to be the hottest ticket in town, whether you caught him onstage escaping from perilous traps or spotted him on the streets of Metropolis taking out bad guys. What Shilo Norman forgot is the first rule of both showbiz and super-heroing: always leave them wanting more. Now it’s time to start showing the world what a miracle man can do. Showbiz/superhero rule #2: timing is everything. There’s a new performer in town who wants to knock Mister Miracle off his pedestal and stake a claim to his famous moniker! Can Shilo break free of this trap? (Why yes, that is a clue.)    It has been a while since we’ve seen Shiloh and I have to say it’s rather nice to see him taking centre stage once again.  What Brandon is doing here is utterly brilliant in terms of storytelling and bringing to life what it means to be a black man in a costume in today’s world.  Part of me empathises with his decision to remain hidden behind the mask while other parts of me agrees with Vito that by letting the world know who he is there is the fight against racism or at least opens more avenues of discussion about it regarding superheroes today.    The way that this is being told really is utterly brilliant.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is perfectly presented.  The character development is phenomenal!  With the dialogue, character interaction and how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter fleshing them out as real human beings is just beyond comprehension.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages the reader becomes incredibly involved and engaged in what we see.    I am super impressed with the way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge and grow.  That these layers all seem to run int he same vein is no coincidence it’s designed that way to garner the maximum impact on the reader, make the think, engage their minds and relate to what we see in today’s world climate.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved to perfection.    The interiors here are bloody gorgeous.  The linework that we see is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of quality in the detail work is truly astonishing.  That backgrounds are incorporated into the composition within the panels to create the depth perception, sens of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is mindbogglingly good.  That a lot of the imagery we see is literally ripped out of today’s headlines makes what we se that much more powerful and meaningful and really packs a wallop like you wouldn’t believe.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is phenomenal!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a brilliant eye for understanding just how colour works.   ​    This is the perfect demonstration of how a comic book can tell socially relevant stories that start discussions on race and inequality which is highly reminiscent of the old Green Lantern/Green Arrow series.  Powerful, poignant and above and beyond what you could possibly hope for this is a sensational piece of storytelling and it’s only just getting started.

[shilohrph]

i don’t know how to not write eight hundred words when asked simple questions. so this is stupid long. whoops ?

ooc name / alias: shiloh / shy / shi / that bitch™

age & pronouns: 21+ & she / her

zodiac sign: taurus

skeletons(s) you’re interested in / applying for: i’m trying to decide between a noah centino hera or a maia mitchell demeter. i’m having a hard time choosing which one, though ! i keep settling on one and then getting ideas for the other.  the struggle is real, friends. i just don’t know.

favorite rp tasks & events: i love tasks that ask you to dive deeper into your character. moodboards, playlists, self-paras, questionaires. all of that good stuff. i think having a character write x amount of diary enteries would be a fun one, because you could have some characters do food diaries, some do diaries from when they were kids, some who gather drawling from online and use those if their muses aren’t writers. a timeline of the characters lives with x amount of entries/important dates ? honesty hour. uhm. i’ll stop there. as for events: picture it, a toga party. i’m just sayin’. the electricity being out for a week due to a storm or something. something that would cause a lot of people from out of town to come there, like a music festival or fashion week. oh my god, what about a renascence fair ? yes ! also, i’ve always wanted to see a marathon in an rp. people training for the run, people cheering on the sidelines. possible injuries. good times that let me exercise vicariously.

what kind of plot drops would you like to see in this group?: i’m dumb and don’t know the difference between plot drops and events. i guess events are just for fun while plot drops further the plot ? besides drops that involve bits and pieces of their memory returning and the chaos that results from that, i think it would be fun to base drops around what’s going on with the characters. so maybe not have a whole bunch planned out and sorta play it by ear ? like, a birthday party for one character or a proposal event thing for another or a baby shower or... i don’t know. just stuff based around what’s relevent to what’s going on with the characters/the latest, greatest ‘tea’.

what are you most excited about? looking forward to? honestly i just love being in small-ish groups ? it’s so fun to plot relationships when you have multiple characters and connections to consider. like, that character is this character’s best friend but my character is enemies with character two, so how does it effect their relationship with character 1 ? i do a lot of indie rping, so i miss the group environment and watching & participating in all these interconnecting plots. so that’s for sure what i’m most excited about.

last show you’ve bingewatched: the society. i have a really short attention span so i hardly ever binge shows, but that one hooked me and i watched it all in one day.

top three favorite fictional characters: margo hanson from the magicians tv show, stevie bell from the ‘truly, devious’ book series, and nina zenik from the ‘six of crows’ & ‘nikolai’ duology !

the perfect wedding song according to you: so, i have no intention of ever getting married. ever. it’s just not for me. but ! i do really love ‘new years day’ by taylor swift for a wedding song, because i like the idea of loving someone through the huge events as well as during the small, quiet, maybe not-so-fun moments. also, ‘you are in love’ by taylor swift was the song i heard in my head while i was maid of honor for my two best friend’s at their wedding. so. those two ! but really, i feel like if you feel a connection to a song and it relates to your feelings for your partner, then that’s the perfect wedding song.

[saccred]

↳ now in theatres everywhere, introducing: shiloh sinclair & caleb fitzgerald !!

hello hello hello some of u know me already and some of you don’t so hii i’m sabrina and i play the Moodiest Boys On the Planet :･ﾟ☆✧ i’m so happy to be here and see all ur lovely characters (cuz y’alls secrets had me big shook at times) and have an awesome time :’)) but yes i play shiloh and fitz and i’ve linked their bio pages with their names. i also have a connections page for both of them if anyone wants to cook up something good with my sons !! but if you don’t want to read the bios and just want a brief synopsis then look no further:

+ shiloh was who morgan was dating when she was last seen alive. he’s rude and cocky and arrogant and loud to a good 80% of people, but he’s got his 20% that he tolerates. plays for the hyland hockey team and lives and breathes it -- puts it before everything. he Absolutely Does Not Talk About Morgan to anyone ever,, he’ll shut down the conversation immediately. 

+ caleb only goes by fitz and literally will not respond to anything else. a loner boy but not necessarily lonely. he has barely any friends and likes it that way so he might be a li’l blunt and short towards u, but he’s really a truly sweet boy. got manipulated HEAVY by morgan and hacked into the systems to change her grade to an A bc he was her tutor and he feels really bad and shifty about it

i didn’t wanna make this too long but yeah !! smack that ask for some plots homies (or hmu on discord/tumblr im) !! my plot pages are here and here

[sarahledonne]

Literature and Identity Reflection Activity

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nhB4YhqpcnhBIuAhweETqJjwH1T6mGGLLVY7swLETIs/edit?usp=sharing

Literature has always played a huge role in my life growing up. For me, it has always been a way to escape the daily throes of life and immerse myself in a new world, to feel the emotions and battles of someone else for a change. It started early on-- around the fourth grade, I discovered the joys of writing and creating my own worlds to escape to; a joy that still continues to this day. My love of “teleporting” to different worlds via literature hasn’t changed a bit, considering my current all time favorite book, The Name of the Wind, a fantasy book that nearly literally teleports you to a different world and culture. 

I was in the fourth grade when it just randomly occurred to me one day that, through writing, I had the power to create any world I wanted in whatever way I wanted, and I took that idea and ran. Of course, the writing was elementary quality, and even though I still play around with these ideas to this day, I don’t really plan on sharing it. I came up with “Shiloh,” a girl (my age now, but much older than me when I came up with her) with supernatural powers (think elemental powers, akin to those in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”) who carried the burden of protecting the world from evil. Back then, this was my version of venting. Shiloh went through many trials and tribulations, and it was satisfying creating her struggles and giving her solutions. It made me feel less alone, as if there was someone going through life right along with me-- truly, Shiloh was my friend. If I had a bad day, I would escape to her world and carry her through a bad day-- giving her a resolution where I might not have had one. This process was very comforting to me, and I made it a frequent habit. Interacting with literature in this way played an integral part of my life at the time, and it helped me cope with some difficult situations.

Even now, literature serves as a sort of getaway-- an escape from my daily struggles and a teleport to a life that is far more exciting than my own. This can clearly be seen in my current all-time favorite book, The Name of the Wind. This book is a retelling of a man’s adolescent life as he became an orphan, began attending a magic school, and started searching for the answers of his parents’ deaths. Obviously, this is a world that is unlike our own. There are forms of magic and a different lifestyle that sits around this magic. Escaping to this world was a very satisfying experience my first time reading the book. It was nice to stop thinking about work and school for a couple hours and immerse myself in a world full of magic. I also found myself caring deeply for the main character. He was very relatable in many ways, and I found myself feeling for him and his struggles as I made my way through the book. 

All in all, literature has always served as an escape for me throughout my life. I would find solace in describing the tales of another and creating my own world from scratch. I would also find great joy in immersing myself in the world created by another, such as that in The Name of the Wind. I don’t see this relationship with literature changing any time soon.

[dfroza]

this world will be made pure.

it will be reborn by our Creator’s Love (Light) to right every wrong ever done.

and so we wait for this True Kingdom, of which is here, & now (Spirit) but also contained in promises to come, that will be…

and we have become caretakers of garden earth and of the physical body, each being temporal and imperfect, subject to aging. but even death will be a thing of the past at some point.

and so we share this sacred truth of the Scriptures to inspire with hope, because we are nothing without it.

we need faith. we need hope. we need Love.

we need the True illumination of the Son.

(eternal life is not possible apart from Him)

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 3rd and closing chapter of the Letter of 2nd Thessalonians:

Brothers and sisters, having shared all this, let me ask you to pray for us. Pray that this message of the Lord will spread quickly and receive the praise and respect it deserves from others as it has with you. Pray also that we would all be rescued from the snares of harmful, wicked people—after all, not all people are believing. Still, the Lord is true to His promises; He will hold you up and guard you against the evil one. We do not doubt the Lord’s intentions for you; we are confident that you are carrying out, and will continue to carry out, the commands we are sending your way. May the Lord guide your hearts into God’s pure love and keep you headed straight into the strong and sure grip of the Anointed One.

For the sake of the church, brothers and sisters, we insist in the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed that you withdraw from any brother or sister who is out of order and unwilling to work, who is straying from the line of teaching we passed on to all of you. You know how essential it is to imitate us in the way we live life. We were never undisciplined nor did we take charity from anyone while we were with you. Instead, you saw how we worked very hard day and night so we wouldn’t be a burden to even one person in the community. We had the right to depend on your help and hospitality, as you know; but we wanted to give you a model you could follow, to lay a path of footprints for you to walk in. This is exactly why, while with you, we commanded you: “Anyone not willing to work shouldn’t get to eat!” You see, we are hearing that some folks in the community are out of step with our teaching; they are idle, not working, but really busy doing nothing—and yet still expect to be fed! If this is you or someone else in the community, we insist and urge you in the Lord Jesus the Anointed that you go to work quietly, earn your keep, put food on your own table, and supply your own necessities. And to the rest of you, brothers and sisters, never grow tired of doing good.

If someone disregards the instructions of this letter, make a note of who it is and don’t have anything to do with that person so that this one may be shamed. Don’t consider someone like this an enemy (he is an enemy only to himself) but warn him as if you were redirecting your own brother.

Work is part of the ongoing work of creation, an aspect of God’s image in us. Those who do not work will be unfulfilled and a burden to those around them.

And now, dear friends, may the Lord of peace Himself grace you with peace always and in everything. May the Lord be present with all of you.

This final greeting is by me, Paul, written by my own hand. This is my signature, letting you know that this is a genuine letter from me, and so I write to you:

May the grace of our Lord Jesus the Anointed be with all of you.

The Letter of 2nd Thessalonians, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 26th chapter of the book of Jeremiah where Jeremiah was wrongfully accused and some people wanted him sentenced to death:

The word of the Eternal came to Jeremiah not long after Jehoiakim (son of Josiah) began his reign as king of Judah.

Eternal One: Stand in the court of My temple, and speak to the crowds who have come to worship from all the towns of Judah. Give them all of My words, Jeremiah; don’t leave out a single one. Maybe they will listen this time, and each one of them will stop the evil actions and return to My path. Then I, too, will stop the impending disaster I have planned for them because of all the evil things they do. Tell them what the Eternal says: “If you will not listen to Me or obey My law that I have already given you, and if you will not listen to what My servants the prophets have to say even after I’ve sent them to you again and again, then I will deal with this temple as I did Shiloh. But this time I will also make this very city a curse for all the nations of the earth.”

The priests and the so-called prophets and the crowds heard the message Jeremiah delivered in the temple of the Eternal. As soon as Jeremiah finished saying all the Eternal directed him to say, the priests, the prophets, and those who stopped to listen grabbed him and began to shout.

Temple Audience: You deserve to die! Why have you uttered such prophecies in the name of the Eternal declaring that this temple will be destroyed like Shiloh and Jerusalem will be empty and lifeless?

At this point, a large mob of people gathered around Jeremiah in the Eternal’s temple.

When some officials of Judah heard what was happening, they left the palace and hurried to take their seats at the entryway of the new gate leading to the Eternal’s temple. The priests and so-called prophets brought charges against Jeremiah to these officials as the crowd looked on.

Priests and Prophets: This man should be sentenced to death! You heard with your own ears how he prophesied against our city.

Jeremiah (to the officials and the crowd): The Eternal sent me to prophesy against the temple and this city—every word you heard came from Him. If you stop your evil actions and obey the Eternal your God, then He will stop the impending disaster He has planned for you. As for me, my fate is in your hands. Do with me what you think is right and fair. But know this: if you execute me, innocent blood will be on your hands and on this city and on all who live here, because the Eternal truly did send me to speak each and every word you heard.

Officials and the Crowd (to the priests and prophets): This man should not be sentenced to death because he has spoken to us in the name of the Eternal our God.

At this point, some of the elders, who were leaders of other communities, stood and supported the verdict, speaking to the entire crowd.

Elders: Remember the prophet Micah of Moresheth in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah. It was he who said to the people of Judah, “This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, has to say:

Zion will be plowed under like a field,

Jerusalem will be left in ruins,

And the hill on which the temple stands

will be overgrown like a forest.”

As difficult as those words were to hear, did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah demand Micah’s death? No, he humbly worshiped the Eternal and asked for mercy, and what happened then? The Eternal stopped the impending disaster he had planned for them and turned back the Assyrian army. Now it is our turn to listen to the prophet of God, but instead, we are about to bring this terrible disaster upon ourselves by ignoring Him again!

Uriah (son of Shemaiah) from Kiriath-jearim had prophesied in the name of the Eternal with essentially the same message as Jeremiah against this city and nation. When King Jehoiakim, his soldiers, and his officials heard what Uriah had been saying, they decided to kill him. When Uriah became aware of these plans, he was afraid and escaped to Egypt. Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan (son of Achbor) to Egypt along with others to bring Uriah back. Once they found him, they brought him back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him executed by a sword and then buried in a commoner’s grave.

Ahikam (son of Shaphan) used his influence to help Jeremiah. As a result, the prophet was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 26 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Wednesday, September 8 of 2021 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about the Divine Word:

Both the Torah of Moses and the New Testament attest that Yeshua is Elohim (אֱלהִים) -- the Creator of the cosmos: בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיָה הַדָּבָר / "in the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1,14). The Divine Word and Voice cannot be separated from God any more than the Spirit of God can be separated. Yeshua is the Source of all life in the universe: כָּל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים נִהְיוּ עַל־יָדוֹ / "All things were made by Him (John 1:3). The "Word made flesh" is the "image of the invisible God" and the "radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint (χαρακτήρ, 'character') of his nature" (Col. 1:15). All of creation is being constantly upheld by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3): "All things were created by Him (i.e., Yeshua), and for Him" and in Him all things consist (συνεστηκεν, lit. "stick together") (Col. 1:16-17). As our Creator and Master of the Universe, Yeshua is both our King and our Judge, and therefore Rosh Hashanah (i.e., Yom Teruah) rightly centers on Him...

But in addition to God’s power and sovereignty as our Creator, we note that the Scriptures begin and end with the redemptive love of God. Yeshua is the Center of Creation - its beginning and end. As it is written: אָנכִי אָלֶף וְתָו רִאשׁוֹן וְאַחֲרוֹן ראשׁ וָסוֹף / "I am the 'A' and the 'Z,' the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Rev. 22:13). Indeed, Yeshua is מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים / Melech Malchei Hamelachim: The "King of kings of kings." He is LORD of all possible worlds -- from the highest of celestial glories to the very dust of death upon a cross... יְהִי שֵׁם יהוה מְברָךְ / yehi shem Adonai mevorakh: "Let the Name of the LORD be praised" forever and ever (Psalm 113:2).

The central point of all true Torah, then, is the redemptive love of God demonstrated in the "first and last" principle of sacrificial life. This was prefigured in the original paradise when Adam and Eve were clothed by the lamb sacrificed for their transgression (Gen. 3:21), and the theme continues throughout the Torah, for example, in the account of the sacrifice of Isaac (we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah to recall the Lamb of God given in his place), in the visions of Jacob, in the commissioning of Moses, in the redemption from death by the blood of the sacrificed lamb in Egypt, and by the climactic revelation of the altar given at Sinai (i.e., the Tabernacle). Just as the "korban tamid" of the Temple (i.e., the continual sacrifice of the lamb upon the altar) recalled the original Passover and foretold of the Lamb of God to come, so Yeshua, the “Living Torah,” embodied the Sacrificial Life itself, the true Lamb of God that was offered upon the stigma of the cross, to demonstrate God's infinite condescension, mercy and love that redeems the world from sin and death. Just as there is no Passover apart from the Lamb, so there is no "Rosh Hashanah" or "Yom Kippur" apart from God's atoning love given in the Messiah... Now THAT is something for us to make a "teruah," or a "joyful noise" in praise to our God! [Hebrew for Christians]

9.6.21 • Facebook

and another about having a sound mind:

It is written in our Scriptures (2 Tim. 1:7) that "God has not given us the spirit of fear (πνεῦμα δειλίας), but of power, and love, and a sound mind" (note that the term "sound mind" comes from the word saos (σάος) "safe," or under the protective restraining influence of the Spirit of God). Understand the connection between fear and confusion, then, and note further the connection between having a sound mind and a heart of peace and courage (Isa. 32:17)... A fearful or shameful attitude, then, enervates your resolve, quells your love, and introduces pain to your thinking. It is the old ruse of the enemy of our souls to lead us to despair, the exile of shame, and cruel bondage to untruth. As always the answer is the same: namely, teshuvah, turning to God and embracing the grace and love given in Yeshua as our deepest reality, our power, our heart, and our mind. [Hebrew for Christians]

9.7.21 • Facebook

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

September 8, 2021

The Righteous Judge

“That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25)

People often make erroneous judgments. Even those who are officially appointed or elected to judge others are sometimes mistaken, and so we have a whole system of appeals courts. Yet even the Supreme Court, composed as it is of fallible human beings, often seems to be wrong. But as Abraham recognized long ago while interceding for the people in Sodom, we can be confident that the Judge of all the earth will do right!

He not only can judge our actions in relation to His revealed will but can also discern thoughts and motives and, therefore, “judge the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16), and He will do so in absolute rightness. Furthermore, “he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:...and my judgment is just,” asserted the Lord Jesus (John 5:22, 30). To those who reject or ignore His redeeming love, relying instead on their own worth, “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).

To those who have been redeemed through saving faith in Christ, there will, indeed, be a Judgment Day, but it will be for dispensing of rewards for faithful service rather than for salvation, and this also will be done righteously. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day” (2 Timothy 4:8). HMM