#there are no major unknowns with it as a project. i will continue it just couldn't make up my mind about one specific thing

[tamamatango]

(Lack of) Anime News Update: Sadly, I was right to be skeptical

THEY TOOK ALL MY COPIUM

A few months ago, a rumor emerged about the new Keroro anime project being a series in 2025 and a movie in 2026. I did a longer write-up on it here, but the tl;dr is that I said there was a chance due to the usual reliability of the leaker but that it could also be a misinterpretation of another source. I leaned toward more likely than not (hopium perhaps), but I did advise caution and to not strictly take it at face value.

I guess that was the right call because, well, here we are mid-February. The spring anime season starts in about a month and a half. And…no official news. Zip. Nada. The waiting game continues, it seems.

So, what was that Oizaki quote about? We don’t have hard confirmation, but my guess is that the spring 2025 series part was about a completely different seasonal anime Oizaki is directing set to begin in April. (Yes really I know the premise sounds ridiculous but it’s an adaptation of a light novel, sky’s the limit with those things.) This was revealed back in December. As for what the movie is, it seems to be still unknown. My guess is either an original project or something involving Kaleido Star, which also had a major anniversary recently. The interpretation of the Japanese that the series and movie were connected was in hindsight a mistake, but I wasn’t the only one to propose that reading, and it could’ve gone either way. Gotta love/hate ambiguity.

I could go more into how I think this mix-up happened but then I’d have to talk about twitter anime leaker drama, and while I am unfortunately pretty knowledgable about this subject, it is not fun to talk or read about so I’ll spare you the details. The main conclusion I have is that this account was not deliberately trying to trick anyone and rather just made an assumption and reported the info before actually checking against the evidence because they really wanted to be fast and get interactions, especially because a perceived to be competing account reported a less sensationalized, more accurate version a few minutes before. SugoiLite’s sources aren’t usually publicly visible but this time they pretty much played themselves.

What does this mean for Keroro, then? Personally I still think there will be a series (for reasons I explained in my post from last spring about the whole reveal) and I still think it will be this year, but in either summer or fall. That will have been at maximum a year and a half after the announcement (summer season starts in July, fall in October), which gives it a pretty standard anime production time, assuming the teaser trailer was released during early production. As for the movie? There’s not as strong of a reason to speculate that happening, but next year is the 20th anniversary of Movie 1, so the timing would line up pretty well. That’s just based on vibes, though, rather than any evidence at this time.

Look, I’d be pleased as punch for the Keroro PR account to prove me wrong tomorrow, but I’m quite confident that we lost the coin flip on this one. Before you get too down in the dumps, don’t forget that two major dates are around the corner: AnimeJapan in late March, closely followed by the next anniversary on April 3. I think we will see some kind of preview or at least a progress update around that time. If not…then maybe I’ll start worrying a bit about the chances of it making this year, but we’ll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. So hold onto your butts for just a little while longer! I think!

[4lph4kidz]

idk maybe talking about my writing seems conceited for who hasn't published much of anything and hasn't finished anything as of yet, or maybe all this hand wringing is annoying, but i've written a lot of bits and pieces over the years and it's enough for me to be reasonably comfortable with the basics, you know? but working on something this long is presenting a whole other world of trouble for me and i think i accidentally put a hell of a lot more of myself into it than i meant to. so i'm feeling particularly vulnerable about it being out there and existing. it means a lot to me and that's scary!

[schlattslonghairytoes]

watching every single barbie movie 🎀 🩷

content creator ted nivison x actress reader

a youtuber dms you asking for help with a video, do you agree and meet this overly passionate film major, or opt out and possibly never meet the man of your dreams

ted had this video planned for months.

his goal was to watch every single barbie movie before the movie came out

and it was going well

the cast had already been announced and trailers had been released

and he had always loved your work

he thought you had a great filmography, and i mean, he also thought you were really hot

so he was really excited to see what you would bring to the screen

a week into his project he noticed he was getting a lot of attention on twitter (i'm not calling that shit X.)

he ignored it as usual, until his friend tucker told him he needed to go take a look, and tucker did not mess around about that stuff.

if he told you to check something, you better look.

he opened the clip of you and jack manifold, seemingly on his you laugh you lose series

the video started and you still maintained all three lives, while jack only had one left, you two were joking around and laughing

"objects ive shoved up my ass" was the next video and you and jack recited it together, almost making you laugh, ted was starting to regret listening to tucker, i mean this had nothing to do with him

until jack told chat to send in edits of his friends, and asked you to rate them, you agreed as that shit was funny, the first few rolled in, a couple "he's cute!" one "she's hot." but nothing that people cared about.

then came an edit of a man who you didnt know the name, but lord he was good looking, you barely even noticed how quiet, and red, you got

starstruck, you finally found words "jack who is that." jack was desperately trying to not laugh, as the stream was not near how long he wanted

"ted, my friend ted nivison" jack let out as he tried to calm his breathing.

you leaned close into your mic "chat, is this man accounted for." you stared intently at chat waiting for an answer, when you saw many no's you smiled

"this is a message to ted television- wait what was his name? nivison, doesnt even matter. if you see this, i want you. dm me, you beautiful, beautiful man." the stream quickly ended as jack couldnt keep it together.

ted was sat in bed, staring at his phone, for maybe twenty minutes, he rewatched the clip countless times

he was speechless

why was his celeb crush calling him beautiful?!?

he was too scared to dm you, like what if you didnt see it

or what if you just said it cause you were live?

so decided to grow a pair and ask jack for your number, it felt more formal that way.

the day after your stream with jack you recieved a text from an unknown number

and god you really hoped it was the man from the edit

so thats what you did, and he answered your facetime within two rings. hot.

his face and dopey grin filled the screen, as well as your heart "hi ted." you smiled at him

"hi." the call was silent for a while, as you two kinda just took the other in

"i have a question." ted finally broke the scilence when you nodded and gave him the go away he began his tangent.

"well as we know you are in the upcoming barbie movie, and ive began a project to watch every single barbie movie before i go and see the movie, i was wondering if you would like to maybe, be in the video, you of course dont have to, i understand if thats weird but i rea-"

"ill be in your video ted, just tell me where you want me and ill be there." ted smiled anxiously, you could tell how much this ment to him.

you two continued talking for the coming weeks

and became very close, like it was so obvious you wanted eachother

flirting, joking, and borderline sexting became normal for the two of you

and even with very tough scheduling

and alot of sacrifices

you were going to miss one interview to drive to teds house and spend a whole day watching barbie movies with him

finding out ted only lived like 45 minutes from you was the peak of your year

on your drive to his house you thought about how fast this man made an impact on your chaos filled life

you spent most days on camera with a mic in your face, being asked questions by people who dont know you

today you were gonna watch nine movies with someone who you actually hoped would never stop asking you questions

when you arrived at teds apartment, you were filled with excitement, what should you even do when you saw him, hug him, kiss him?

you were scared you were gonna make a decision you would later regret, but the moment the door flung open you knew that wasnt possible

ted launched at you and swept you off your feet in a bone crushing hug, and you couldnt of been happier.

you stayed like that for a moment until he finally let you down and you could actually get a good look at him

his tall frame filled your view, and you felt yourself going feral

the day was spent watching movies, the occasional makeout sesh, and filming for his youtube channel

lets just say, thank jack manifold, for getting you on that grind ;)

guys im back, still a little sick, but we prevail 💪

cant stop that jack manifold grind 😉

im so sorry the ending sucks butt, im so tired and want to nap, so the 5 of yall that read this will have to live

[along-the-silkroad]

Hellenistic Alexandria

When Alexander founded in the Nile Delta one of his many Alexandrias in 331 BCE, he would have been overjoyed to know that this settlement would later become one of the cultural capitals of the ancient world—a city that still bears his name today. This location was not entirely unknown to the Greeks. In fact, it was on the nearby island of Pharos, just across the limestone ridge where Alexandria would rise, that Homer situated the abode of Proteus, a prophetic sea god. Nor was Alexandria completely barren; the small Egyptian fishing village of Rhakotis, which would later become one of the city’s neighborhoods, was already established there. The site’s potential as a trading hub was evident from the thriving nearby ports of Canopus and Heracleion.

Researching Alexandria presents significant challenges. One major obstacle is that the city has been continuously inhabited since its founding, which severely limits opportunities for excavation. However, recent archaeological surveys and explorations of the old harbor—now submerged beneath the Mediterranean—have uncovered remarkable treasures and provided invaluable insights. For example, the discovery of several statues depicting Ptolemaic kings as pharaohs has challenged the long-held perception of Alexandria as a purely Greek-looking city. While the predominance of Greek culture is not disproven, these findings add nuance to previously accepted views. Nevertheless, much of what we know about Hellenistic Alexandria still relies heavily on literary sources, such as the writings of the geographer Strabo.

After Ptolemy I Soter gained control of Egypt following the Partition of Babylon in 323 BCE, he initially ruled briefly from Memphis before relocating with his retinue to Alexandria. Under his leadership, the city continued to grow and prosper. Alexandria was organized as a Greek polis and has often been regarded as distinct from the rest of Egypt. This distinction is notably reflected in its later Roman designation, Alexandria ad Aegyptum, meaning "Alexandria by Egypt," rather than "in Egypt."

Alexandria has often been described by ancient authors as being shaped like a cloak (chlamys), stretching approximately 6 kilometers from east to west and only about 2 kilometers from north to south. The city’s neighborhoods were laid out according to an organized grid plan, a design attributed to Deinokrates of Rhodes. Historically, both scholars and the public were quick to regard this type of urban organization as an enlightened Greek invention. However, the Egyptians had been building towns in this manner for centuries. One of the defining features of Alexandria, which astonished its visitors, was its broad streets lined with numerous stoai, giving the sides of the streets the appearance of a continuous colonnade.

The city was dominated by the vast palace complex of the Ptolemies, located to the east of the Great Harbour, primarily on Cape Lochias. This grand district housed the renowned Museum and Library, the tomb of Alexander the Great, and the sepulchers of the Ptolemies, eventually united within a pyramid-shaped structure commissioned by King Ptolemy IV (r. 221–204 BCE). The palatial quarter spanned between one-third and three-quarters of the city's area and included open spaces accessible to the public. These spaces hosted significant festivals, such as the Adonis festival, vividly described in Idyll 15 by Theocritus. Such celebrations were pivotal in nurturing a shared "Alexandrian" identity. Nearby, the Temple of Poseidon and the Theatre on Hospital Hill added to the city's cultural and architectural splendor.

One of the most celebrated architectural projects initiated by Ptolemy I was the renowned Lighthouse on the island of Pharos, designed by Sostratos of Knidos. Over time, the lighthouse became synonymous with the island itself. However, Ptolemy I did not live to see its completion. Beyond its practical function as a beacon for seafarers, the lighthouse served as a powerful piece of state propaganda, symbolizing the might and grandeur of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Later hailed as one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” the Lighthouse of Pharos stood as a testament to ancient engineering and ambition. Sadly, earthquakes and the subsequent reuse of its materials have reduced this once-majestic structure to little more than its foundations.

Diodoros tells us that in his time (1st century BCE), approximately 300,000 "free" inhabitants lived in Alexandria. According to Jane Rowlandson, this suggests a total population of around 500,000. Most of these inhabitants were of Greek and Macedonian descent. As vividly portrayed by Theocritus in his Idyll 15, many settlers from the Hellenic world initially retained the identity of their mother city during the 3rd century BCE. However, a study by Willy Clarysse (1998) indicates that by the 2nd century, wealthier citizens had begun to develop a distinct "Alexandrian" identity.

In addition to Greeks and Macedonians, many other ethnic groups lived in the metropolis, including Egyptians, who resided in the neighborhood of Necropolis. The hostility and racism prevalent in the city are vividly depicted in the aforementioned Idyll by Theocritus, which describes Egyptians as nothing more than thieves. Another important community in Alexandria was the Jewish population. According to tradition, it was here that the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek by 72 translators at the request of King Ptolemy II (r. 285–247 BCE). Over time, a significant portion of the Jewish community came to embrace Greek culture, in stark contrast to their northern counterparts, who fought wars to resist such assimilation.

Near the Egyptian quarter stood the Temple of Serapis, also known as the Serapeum. The temple, in its recognizable form, was constructed under Ptolemy III (r. 246–222 BCE). Serapis was a syncretic deity, arising from the combined worship of Osiris and Apis. He was often depicted in a Hellenized style, and tradition holds that Ptolemy I introduced this god to the settlers of Alexandria. The goal was to provide them with a local yet familiar deity they could relate to, in contrast to the traditional Egyptian gods, whose animal-headed forms were alien to the Greek settlers. At the same time, the Osiris and Apis elements in the cult ensured that Serapis also resonated with the local Egyptian population. Over time, Serapis became an immensely popular god, venerated throughout the entire Mediterranean.

Another focal point of Alexandria’s religious life was the dynastic cult. After their deaths, the monarchs of Egypt were venerated as gods, and festivals were held in their honor, such as the Ptolemaieia, the Arsinoeia, and the Basileia. The queens, in particular, were widely celebrated throughout the city. 

The will of the Alexandrians was poorly represented in political life, with key institutions, such as the bouleuterion, wielding little power. There is also no evidence of an assembly of the people. The political arena was dominated by the royal family, and understandably so, as Alexandria served as the center of a Hellenistic kingdom. Nevertheless, the people found other ways to express their opinions on matters of public interest. In our sources, riots are frequently mentioned, such as the unrest that occurred after the murder of Arsinoe III.  Olivier Goossens

[mariacallous]

Star Wars fans have lived with Mon Mothma for a long time without ever really knowing her. The ethereal Rebel leader has been a regal but enigmatic figure for four decades, but all of that is about to change with episode four of Andor, the Disney+ series about Diego Luna’s devoted spy that also chronicles the strengthening of resistance in the galaxy far, far away.

Genevieve O’Reilly portrays Mon Mothma on the show, which will finally delve into the intense personal story behind this politician from the planet Chandrila. “In her public role, there is a requirement to be calm, there is a requirement to project serenity because the cost is so high, the danger is so extreme,” O’Reilly tells Vanity Fair. “Mon Mothma can't step into the drama that is often surrounding her. But I think what Andor allows is to see the private alongside the public. You can reveal so much when you take that public mask off.”

Even casual fans of the franchise will remember Mon Mothma’s striking first appearance in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, with actress Caroline Blakiston playing the caftan-clad, priestess-like figure who advises Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Lando Calrissian about the Empire’s construction of a new Death Star. “Many Bothans died to bring us this information,” she intones gravely.

Star Wars faithful still don’t know what a Bothan is, even after all this time, but they’ve caught glimpses of Mothma here and there. O’Reilly first played her as a younger woman in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, which revealed that Mothma was a novice galactic senator back when Darth Vader was forged and Emperor Palpatine took over the galaxy. Her speaking lines exist only in a deleted scene, but her appearance as a silent background figure in the finished film was unmistakable.

Fans were left to connect the dots between how an upstart politician became the leader of a guerrilla space resistance until 2016. That’s when O’Reilly reprised Mothma for a more substantial role in the stand-alone prequel Rogue One, serving as a kind of M to Diego Luna’s galactic version of 007, Cassian Andor. The new series is set five years before that, when the two were still unknown to each other, living distant parallel lives—the powerless refugee, and the frustrated powerbroker, both trapped in a corrosive system they hope to change.

The patience of Star Wars fans is about to pay off. The so-called Mother of the Rebellion is now coming into sharper focus.

“This woman has been a part of this universe for so long—and with great respect to George Lucas who created her as a female leader of the Rebel Alliance back in the early ‘80s. That was, I'm sure, as ambitious then as it sounds now,” O’Reilly says. “ I have always really loved the opportunity to step into this woman's shoes. There is something in Caroline's original portrayal of her. I always go back and watch that scene just to remind me how they originated it. I think there is a pain at the center of that.”

For her, it all comes back to the Bothans, those unknown spies who gave their lives for the information she relays. It’s information that she knows will necessitate a battle that will certainly cost even more lives.

“She has that very famous line that people will say to me: ‘Many Bothans died…’,” O’Reilly says. “I always wondered what that was. I always wondered what she was carrying, what her own personal sacrifice was, what the cost to this woman was—and continues to be.”

Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy (The Bourne movies, Michael Clayton) predicted in May that Mon Mothma will become a trending topic when episode four airs. That day is now upon us.

“She's this figurehead of liberal democracy that will fail, and ultimately, she'll go to the Rebel Alliance. We stick to the timeline and the major events. But as you can see, we're saying, ‘You don't really know what's going on with her,’” Gilroy says. “Nobody has really known what's going on with her. She's had a much harder time than we knew.”

The revelations about Mothma are more intimate than Star Wars storytelling usually gets. Andor shows her not only struggling to hold together the nascent rebellion, but it also bears witness to her tumultuous and combative marriage to a husband named Perrin (Alastair Mackenzie). Fans have seen Han and Leia trade barbs, but they’ve never seen anything like these two.

“Just wait, just wait,” Gilroy says. “Their marriage is as complex as any marriage I've ever written in any show I've ever done, or any movie I've ever written. Their relationship, how they negotiate it, where it ends up, the shifting power dynamics of it… It's as complicated as anything I've ever worked on.”

Part of the problem is that Mothma's husband Perrin is all too comfortable living in the luxury of the Empire. “She's the boss. She’s the senator. And he's an epicurean,” Gilroy says. “He just wants to live life, man. ‘Why can't we have fun? Why does everything have to be boring? Why we have to do all this political shit? Who cares about this revolution? The revolution's a pain in the ass, man. Let's have fun!’”

It would be a spoiler to reveal how that relationship plays out, but Gilroy and O’Reilly are willing to describe the origin of this mismatched couple in advance. “They were married at 16. That is a very big thing in Chandrila,” Gilroy says. “She has a daughter. It was somewhat of an arranged marriage.”

If that seems shocking, it’s worth noting that 16 was also the age when Mothma became a senator. That sort of thing happens in the Star Wars universe; Padme Amidala, Natalie Portman’s character in the prequels, was also “elected” queen of the planet Naboo when she was a child.

O’Reilly says Andor confronts what it’s like to live with so much responsibility for so long. In some ways, she says she and her character have grown up together. 

“I have played her since I was very young and Mon Mothma was one of my first roles,” she says. “What is it to live within that orthodoxy? And what is it within that familial culture where the woman has the more powerful public role? What does that do to the balance of power within a home? How difficult or easy is that to navigate? And what if your husband has lent into the very voices that you are trying to oppose?”

For O'Reilly, it’s not just a story of good vs. evil. It’s about the many sides of a conflict that can exist sometimes within a single person. 

“There is a public space and then there is a private space. And with Mon Mothma, we are definitely walking that tightrope in Andor,” O”Reilly says. “What can I reveal in a private space? What is the cost to her? How dangerous is it? How dangerous is it to have a voice—or to risk having a voice—in this very volatile political climate? How costly is it to speak up against autocracy? How is it to navigate not only a public space but also your private home when your voice is very different, when you are a woman speaking in a very male-dominated, arguably aggressive world?”

O’Reilly’s hope is that Star Wars fans will realize that Mon Mothma is not such a mystery after all. There are versions of her all around us.

“You don't have to look too far, no matter which profession you work in, to see women who are trying to effect change from within,” she says. “I looked to different female leaders around the world and sadly we don't really have enough of them still. Often they are lonely voices, or voices that others are trying to silence. I see a correlation with those voices and with Mon's voice. For me, I didn't have to look too far to see the women that I believe can be reflected in Mon's fight. I recognized her. I recognized her fights. I want to stand up for her as a character because I think we can all recognize her.”

[obwjam]

a small surprise part 5 (gravity falls g/t)

idk what it is about this project that's getting me to write so much but damn it, who am i to question it! i hope you're all enjoying!!

this story is now on ao3 if you prefer to read it that way!

part 1 • 2 • 3 • 4

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

It was hard, but not as hard as Jay thought it would be.

She had always been curious about humans, more so than any borrower she’d ever known. It was part of the reason she was shunned from so many forest clans, but she hardly cared. If she was known as the house dweller, then so be it. She didn’t hide in cowardice and let fear control her life. She had a sense of adventure. She had freedom.

Perhaps that’s what drew her to Ford in the first place. She knew how dangerous humans could be, but she knew how to be careful. She could safely observe him from a distance – or so she thought. As it turned out, she really didn’t know what she was getting into with him, but she couldn’t look away. His curiosity and enthusiasm for the weird and unknown was downright infectious. And yeah, it was terrifying. But it was also exhilarating.

Stanley had this way of capturing her attention, too, though she still didn’t quite understand how. It certainly wasn’t his sparkling personality or his kindhearted generosity. It was… something more intangible. Maybe it was the way he was so beyond dedicated to fixing the portal, something he would be the first to admit made absolutely zero sense to him, to the point where he wouldn’t even realize – or care – that he was working nonstop through the night. Maybe it was the way he would very sloppily eat, leaving crumbs strewn about that he conveniently forgot to clean up, or he’d break off a piece of food and slowly push it across the table when he thought she wasn’t looking. Or maybe it was just because he’s the closest thing to Ford that Jay was ever going to see again.

So even after the entire incident, even when Jay couldn’t close her eyes without feeling an inexplicable pressure rushing down on her, even when she shook like it was minus 20 degrees, she didn’t run. She sure thought about it, but in her mind, if she wasn’t 100% committed, then she wasn’t going to do it, because a significant part of her didn’t want to leave the house. She had gotten so used to it, finally, a place she never had to leave or hide or worry. She supposed this is why borrowers were never supposed to meet humans – complacency and comfort were dangerous things. But she’d be damned if Ford’s stupid meathead of a brother drove her from the one place she finally felt at home. She had earned this. She had to be better than him. She had to get Ford back. And even if she did manage to get herself off the table without suffering a major injury, it would only be a matter of time before she needed to come out again for food and water.

Plus, it was the dead of winter, and living on her own without a proper shelter would be deadly. Maybe she could find a warm corner in the walls, far enough away from Stan that he’d never find her, but that was a lot of work she didn’t have the energy for. She briefly contemplated the attic, but quickly dismissed it. Too many triangles.

The day after the incident was, admittedly, rough. And awkward. Neither of them wanted to say a word to the other, but Stan was clearly surprised to see her still on the table come morning. Besides a very long stretch of eye contact, he barely acknowledged her, but was clearly nervous to make any sudden movements and produce any loud noises. Jay didn’t really know what to do, and she was effectively marooned on the table, so she curled up around the stack of books and continued to sit in turmoil about, well… everything. 

“You, uh, want to keep staying here for the night? On the table, I mean.”

Jay snapped back to attention. It felt like Stan had just gotten down here. He had been working for 10 nonstop hours. 

“Um.” She wasn’t expecting to speak today. Her lip trembled as she gazed up at him. “It’s fine.”

“Okay then,” Stan replied, voice as neutral as she’s ever heard it. He stared at her for a good, long while, trying to figure out what he’d do if he came back down here tomorrow and she was gone. She was looking back at him as if he was about to strike. “It’s just – you, uh, you’ve been sitting on that table for like, a week now.” Huh. Has it really been that long? “Just thought you might – I dunno, get bored or something. And it’s freezing down here.” 

“It’s fine,” she repeated after a moment, mostly because her brain was too fried to come up with more words. But she didn’t like what he was implying, anyway. If she was going to get off the table, it would be on her terms.

Stan felt a slight frustration bubble up inside him, and judging by the way she reacted, it was written all over his face. He gave a quick sigh and opened his mouth to speak, but found he didn’t really have anything to say, so he left in an uncomfortable silence.

Over the next few days, though, it got better. Conversations were few and far between, but Jay mostly watched him work. It was actually kind of mesmerizing, the way he moved around so effortlessly and had a kind of raw strength not even Ford possessed. He was lifting pieces of metal and pushing around gigantic barrels that the two scientists used to need all their combined strength to even budge. He had stopped asking her for help, instead burying his face in the journal in an attempt to understand it all by himself. How much good that did him, Jay couldn’t quite tell, but he had managed to put a lot of the broken pieces back together, even if nothing actually turned on. 

Today had started mostly quiet, but as the hours passed, the curse words became more frequent and the slamming down of tools became a common occurrence. Stan was hitting a wall. He needed a drink.

“Hey, short stack, where does Poindexter keep the extra drinks?”

Jay peeked an eye open. She didn’t even hear him reenter the room. Had she been asleep all this time? “Uh oh, don’t tell me you passed out again.”

Jay pushed herself up on shaky arms. She had been sleeping a lot lately... 

“Um, I’m fine. And, I dunno… the fridge?”

“The fridge is empty. Drank up all his sodas and… other beverages. I need to know where the extra cases are. Poindexter’s always stocked up.”

“Extra cases?” Jay was hesitant. This felt like a trick. “Wouldn’t it… just be what’s in the fridge?”

“Haven’t you seen this place? It’s ready for the apocalypse. Besides, you’ve been here longer than I have, right?” Stan asked rhetorically, pulling up the stool and plopping down above her. Jay recoiled a bit, but regained her composure with a curt nod. “Shouldn’t you know where he keeps things?”

“Yeah, well, I–” she stopped. “I mean, you saw him before he… you know.” Jay shuddered at the memory. “He wasn’t entirely himself. I dunno where he might have put stuff.”

“Yeah, he pointed a crossbow at my face after sending me a postcard to come see him,” Stan grumbled, crossing his arms. He had tried his hardest to avoid thinking about that night. “Even after all these years… it didn’t feel like my brother.”

Jay nodded somberly. “Yeah.”

A sharp silence fell over the two. Their minds both swirled with questions about Ford; their time knowing him seemed to perfectly fill in the gaps that existed within both their relationships. Ford never talked about his time pre-Gravity Falls, except while reminiscing about college. Stan could tell her all about that. And Jay knew everything he’d been up to out on the west coast. But neither wanted to ask the other, and neither wanted to admit they were curious. So the silence stretched out until Jay was forced to ask the obvious, more pressing question.

“Is there… no food left? At all?”

Stan sat still for a moment. “Not really.”

“Oh.” Jay fiddled with her fingers. “Shouldn’t you, um… go buy some more, then?”

Despite trying to be as delicate as possible, she knew she made a mistake the moment the words left her mouth. Normally, the comment wouldn’t have bothered Stan so much, but he was at his wit’s end today, and he wasn’t in the mood to be bossed around. When he got particularly frustrated, there was only one rule — don’t say anything provoking. Just smile and nod and agree with everything he says. Jay was still learning.

“What did you just say?”

Jay shook her head. “Nothing, I was just – I meant –”

“No, I don’t think you understand. You’re not in charge here, you realize that, right?” A shadow passed over Stan’s face, and Jay clung to the cloth to hide her trembles. “You can’t tell me what to do. Nobody tells me what to do. Ever. Got it?”

Jay nodded her head vigorously, her gaze flickering between Stan’s giant, angry face and his giant, twitchy hands. “Sorry, it’s just – I thought humans needed to eat every day, that’s all.”

Stan gave her a look she could only describe as baffled. “What?”

“I – I meant –” Jay stuttered, her expression reserved. “What’s confusing about that?”

“You just called me human.”

Jay was even more confused now. “Isn’t that – yeah, that’s what you are.”

“Well, yeah, I guess, but –” Stan stopped, unsure where to go from there. He could practically feel the gears in his brain turning, trying to figure out why she worded that so weirdly, when he remembered that word she called herself – borrower. Clearly, there was a distinction to her. “What, and you don’t have to eat every day?”

She shrugged sheepishly. “Not… really. I can go a while without food or water.”

“Huh.” Stan didn’t think it would be any different. He suddenly felt stupid for leaving her food crumbs every day.  “That’s, uh. That’s strange.”

Jay didn’t say anything. What could she say?

Stan cleared his throat after a moment. “Well, I’m, uh… I guess I gotta go get some groceries, then.”

Jay blinked until realizing Stan was waiting for a response. “Oh. Okay.”

He pressed his palms on the table on either side of her and stood up, nearly causing Jay to fall backwards. Instead, she simply gawked at him as he walked toward the exit.

He stopped, though, and turned back around to look at her. They both stared.

“What?” Jay finally asked.

“What?” Stan repeated.

“Why are you just staring at me?”

“You’re the one staring at me!”

“Well, yeah, I’m waiting for you to leave!”

“Why? What are you gonna do when I’m gone?”

“Nothing! You just said you were leaving! So I’m waiting!”

Stan peered at her, taking a step closer. “Now I don’t trust you.”

“Wh–what could I possibly do!” Jay cried, throwing her arms out.

“I dunno, but you’re crafty. And trust me, I would know.”

“C’mon, there’s nothing I could even–”

“What if you’ve just been waiting for me to leave, and you try and sabotage that journal? Or mess with the portal somehow? I can’t take that chance…”

Before Jay could even process what that meant, her entire world was swept out from under her. She felt a familiar pressure on her stomach and back, and the blood rushed to her head as Stan pinched her waist and lifted her into the air. For a moment, everything was blurry, and then, darkness. She was flipped upside down on her back like a bug, comically flailing her limbs to swing herself upright. She eventually reached forward and grasped something soft, pulling herself up to her knees.

She knew this feeling all too well.

Stan lurched forward, not stopping for a second, his mission apparent. Jay used all her strength to grip the lip of his pocket and pull herself up.

“STANLEY!!!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “YOU CAN’T DO THIS! PUT ME BACK DOWN!”

Stan looked down – well, he tried to. All she could see was the underside of his chin, and all he could see was his red coat. 

“I can’t? Looks like I already did, kid,” he said mockingly. “If I can’t trust you to stay outta trouble, then you gotta come with me. Simple as that.”

“STAN–!” she would have yelled more, but she was thrown around when he stopped walking. “You can’t – I’m not supposed to –”

“If you’re worried someone’s gonna see you, trust me, they won’t,” he said, summoning the elevator. “I’m just goin’ into town for a minute and leaving. I don’t wanna be there long.”

“You don’t understand, people in this town, they’re –” she stopped, realizing her voice was shaking more than she wanted it to. “They’re – they’re too – curious for their own good, sometimes.”

“It’s cute of you to worry for me,” Stan said, stepping out onto the main floor. Jay squeaked in surprise as Stan gently pressed his finger down, pushing her fully into the pocket. “Now, pipe down unless you want everyone staring at us.”

“STAN!” she cried, but mainly out of frustration. He was right – she wanted no attention from those lunatics. But it wasn’t the fact that she was being brought into town that bothered her; it was that she was being brought into town against her will. In about 30 seconds, she had gone from sitting on the table by herself to being forcibly shoved into a dirty, smelly pocket. And it was dirty. Paper clips, lint balls, gum wrappers. Why was he even putting these things in his breast pocket, anyway? It was hard not to feel like just another piece of junk rattling around, destined to be forgotten.

Honestly, maybe it would be better to be forgotten. Why did Stan think she was going to do something to the portal? It’s not like she was never left alone down there. Some days, he actually remembered to go upstairs and sleep in an actual bed and not with his head down on the desk. Jay could have done anything during that time. But maybe trying to find logic in Stan’s actions was just a fruitless effort. He was just so – unpredictable. She never knew what he was going to say, how he was going to react. Any little thing could set him off. One second, he would be delicate, and the next, he’d grab her because he felt like it. She wasn’t sure how to work around that, or if she even could. 

The long trip gave her extra time to think, and her mind drifted to Ford. It was beginning to hit her that she may never see him again. Stan was admittedly noble for trying to figure out the portal, but it didn’t take Ford-level brains to see that he was probably not going to figure it out anytime soon, despite his efforts to make it work by sheer force. And he couldn’t seem to figure out if he actually wanted Jay’s help or just wanted to ride some kind of sadistic power trip over her. She figured he didn’t know, either.

She missed her playful banter with Ford. She missed when she would do something completely normal and he would treat it like a scientific breakthrough. She missed asking him about human stuff. She missed telling him all about borrowers as he excitedly jotted down, word-for-word, whatever she said. Ford was everything she knew a human could be. He cared about her struggles. Even if he didn’t fully understand, even if he didn’t always do the right thing, he tried, and that was all that mattered. And in all likelihood, she was never going to experience that again. Maybe it wasn’t meant to last more than a few years. Maybe that was all it was ever going to be.

High above her, Stan was caught up in his own turmoil. He tried to pretend that he wasn’t harboring a tiny being in his pocket, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t laser focused on the little weight in his pocket. He found himself wondering how it felt to be in there – carted around by a huge person, stuffed in a hot, tiny space. He would hate it. She probably did, too.

He couldn't decide if he liked her or thought she was disgusting. It was hard to imagine her being all that clean; but then again, he wasn’t exactly the shining example of hygiene. But she could get her little grimy hands all over his stuff! Like some kind of – little rat person. It all felt so unnatural. It was like having a pet he could talk to; but a pet with a really, really high IQ. 

Stan was a little baffled and a lot embarrassed at how much smarter she was than him. He supposed it was only natural after spending that much time with Ford, but it still made him angry. She was tiny. A pipsqueak! Stan could pin her down with one finger and almost no effort. She could get lost in the house and Stan would never be able to find her. How could something – someone – like that be so… observant? Astute? Sure of herself? It was just weird. Even in her moments of terror and confusion, she never came across as helpless, despite what she might think. If anything, she was intimidating at that size, carrying herself with a confidence that Stan knew he did not possess himself. And the way she reacted after the incident was nothing short of intriguing. Stan found it hard to care about people who weren’t himself, but the fear she exhibited in that moment of vulnerability surprised Stan so much that he couldn’t stop thinking about it. What had happened in her life to make her react like that? Stan knew she’d never tell him. But maybe one day, she would.

Suddenly, Jay’s vision was flooded with light, but all she could see was one of Stan’s massive eyes, peering at her, trying to make out her form. “You okay in there, short stuff?”

She was taken aback by the seemingly considerate question, so all she could do was nod. Stan barely saw it, but that was enough for him. “Good. We’re about to hit town.”

The next couple of hours were a blur. There was a lot of voices, a lot of stammering, a very fast heartbeat, and a lot of muffled protest. Just when Jay thought it was safe to peek out, there were no fewer than a dozen people following Stan back through town. And to her horror, he was leading them right back to the house, awkwardly trying to answer the questions thrown at him. Jay heard the familiar creak of the front door and nearly smacked her forehead. Why was he inviting them inside?! 

But not too long after, something in Stan’s demeanor changed. His body wasn’t rigid and nervous; it was pulsing with excitement. Jay’s stomach sank. This couldn’t be good.

Eventually, the noise stopped, and the voices died down. Whatever just happened, it was all over now.

“Oh, good, you’re still in there.”

Jay shut her eyes as light from the outside once again blinded her. She let out a squeak when Stan’s hand cupped her and lifted her into the air, holding her at eye level. Her heart was racing. He was beaming.

“Stanley…” she started, taking a moment to look around. Everyone else was gone, but she had to make sure this wasn't a trick. Stan’s hand twitched each time she pressed down on his palm with hers. “What just happened?”

“The best thing to ever happen to me just happened, kid!” Jay winced; he had never heard his voice so full of joy. “I mean, sure, those people? Total nutjobs. But they’re nutjobs with cash! Can you believe it? They want to pay for this junk!”

Jay was confused. “Pay for it?” 

“Didn’t you hear anything in there? I’m turnin’ this place into a tourist trap! We’re gonna be rich, tiny!”

Jay blinked. She had to suppress her desire to be sassy. None of this was making sense to her.

“Oh, don’t give me that look! It’s perfect! You can work on the portal during the day, then when I close up shop for the night, I can do all the stuff you can’t!” Stan tapped his chin. “Which is a lot, actually.”

Jay rolled her eyes, but he wasn’t done yet.

“Don’t you realize what this means? I’ll be able to buy us food, water, anything you want! We just have to fix this place up and get the word out, but if the tourists are even half as smart as the people in this town, that’ll be a piece of cake. Say, how does The Murder Hut sound to you?”

Jay stared, bewildered. Stan had this hunger in his eyes – the kind Ford used to get when he was on the verge of a breakthrough. But something still didn’t make sense to her.

“Hold on. I’m lost. You want to clean up the house and…”

“Make it a tourist trap, I already said that! People will come in, look at the stupid crap I set up, and then spend all their disposable income on gimmicky souvenirs! I’m sure all the weird stuff Ford’s been hoarding will–”

“Wait, wait. You mean… people, complete strangers, are just gonna be… wandering in and out of the house? All the time?”

Stan nodded with a grin. “Every day, baby!”

Jay was floored. That sounded insane! Ford wouldn’t want this! How could Stan even think to ruin his life’s work like that? And what if they discovered the portal?

“You can’t – this is Ford’s home! He built it from the ground up! This is is whole life! You can’t just–”

“Listen, kid, I know you don’t really know how this all works,” Stan cut in, trying not to get too angry. “But believe me when I say there is nothing we can do to get my brother back if I don’t have the money to keep the lights on. And right now, this is the best option I’ve got. All we have to do is move around some stuff and make this top floor like a museum. Nobody will ever go downstairs; it’ll be our little secret. Make sense?”

“A – museum?” Jay knew what that was. Humans would display artifacts and things they found interesting inside. And if Stan wanted to put all of Ford’s research on display… what would be more interesting for humans to look at than–

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m not gonna stick you in a display case,” Stan said, his usual snappiness pulled back just a touch. Holding her so close to him, it was painfully obvious when her mind wandered to the worst-case scenario. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

Jay wasn’t sure if she believed him, but she had no choice but to trust him. “I mean – thanks. But I just – I dunno, I…” She stole a glance at Stan’s face, but quickly looked away. God, he was so close. So big. “That’s a lot of people to hide from, you know?”

Stan sighed. He wanted to roll his eyes and tell her to stop whining, but the tug in his gut made him soften his expression. “I’ll make sure nobody sees you, kid. I promise.”

Jay didn’t know what to say. Stan had never sounded that sincere before.

“Look, I know you don’t think very highly of me, and I guess I haven’t done much to prove otherwise. But there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my family. So if it means rearranging my brother’s home, selling myself out for a quick buck, and worrying about some shrimp who can’t even walk across the room without my help… then I’m gonna do whatever it takes. This is the only way, Jay.”

Jay sat in silence for a long moment before letting out a long, drawn out sigh. How did Stan do this to her? How did he manage to make her feel okay about all this? How did she feel so safe in his hand right now? It must be a Pines thing.

Stan waited with bated breath for Jay to say something. Just when he concluded she might not say a thing, the unmistakable sound of her tiny voice hit his ears.

“The Murder Hut is a terrible name.”

Stan blinked. He was not expecting that. He stared at her – this tiny, remarkable little being, just sitting in his hand, legs crossed, arms pushing down, regarding him with equal amounts of wonder and disgust – and burst out laughing. She flinched at the sound at first, but soon found that she couldn't help herself. Laughter was contagious.

“What!” Stan said through chuckles. “How – how could you say that! It’s a great name!”

Jay couldn’t stop smiling. “Why would people want to go to a place advertising murder?”

“Oh, come on! It’s edgy, it’s mysterious. It’s what the people want.”

“If you want mystery… why not just name it, like, the Mystery Hut instead?”

“Oh, please! That’s… huh.” Stan thought about it for a moment. “That’s actually pretty good.”

Jay raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah! A mysteeeeerious old place, tucked away deeeeeep in the woods… a run-down shack, full of treasures, just waiting to be discovered! Are they even of this world? Come and find out!”

Jay giggled at his salesman voice. “Sounds like a place I’d want to visit.”

Stan found himself smiling at her amusement. “Heh, yeah, it does, doesn’t it?”

For the first time, the silence that fell over the two was comfortable, not suffocating.

“Alright, Stanley Pines. I’m trusting you here.”

Stan smirked. “Alright, Jay, uh… Jay Tiny. I won’t letcha down.”

“No, you really should.”

Stan furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Let me down. I’m getting dizzy up here.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’ve been holdin’ you up here for a while, huh?” I wonder how high up that looks. As gentle as he’s ever been, he lowered the tiny down to her familiar table. “There ya go.”

“Th-thanks,” she muttered, keeping her eyes down as she adjusted to the shift in perspective. 

“Now, you get some sleep, tiny. You’re gonna need all the energy you can get if we want to get this place cleaned up.” Stan paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “You, uh… you sure you don’t want me to take you upstairs? Check out Ford’s old room? Hang out with the human for a night?”

Jay smirked. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that, I just – Ford always thought it was funny, too. Found it fascinating that we had our own observations on human culture. I kinda forget that humans don’t call other humans humans.” She cleared her throat. She was talking too much. “But, uh, I’m alright. I’ll just stay here tonight.” She really didn’t want to go back in his hand. “I, um, might look at the journal some more. See if there’s something we’re missing.”

“Suit yourself,” Stan shrugged, though his tone suggested he was a little dismayed. “I’m gonna get some shut-eye. That was the most social interaction I’ve had in a year, and I’m beat.”

Jay gave him a soft smile. Though he brought this entire situation upon himself, it was clear this was weighing on him, too. He kept his promise about keeping her hidden all day, and that meant something to her. 

“Goodnight, Stanley.”

Stan turned around, still utterly bewildered at how someone who can blend into the surroundings on a tabletop could be a good companion for him. Maybe he needed to be a little more open-minded. Maybe, just maybe, this whole thing could be good for him.

“G’night, kiddo.”

[drunkenskunk]

So, despite knowing that it's probably futile, I called the office of my senator once again, in the vain hope that the staffer I talked to will pass on the message and get her to see reason in regards to KOSA.

Trouble is: how? Catherine Cortez-Masto is a cosponsor of the bill. I couldn't appeal to her sense of morality, as she's a politician; she had her ethics surgically removed before coming into office. I couldn't appeal to the stated goal of the bill, protecting kids, because if she had spoken to a single cybersecurity professional, she would know that the bill is dangerous to kids, adults, and anyone wanting to use the internet. I couldn't appeal to the Constitution, because if she actually gave a shit about the US Constitution or the Bill of Rights, she would already know its a blatant, flagrant violation of both the 1st and 4th amendments, and be trying to kill the bill, not cosponsor it. And I probably couldn't appeal to the fact that the bill was dreamed up by the same republican think-tank that dreamed up Project 2025, the plan to turn what little remains of our democracy into a theocratic dictatorship run by evangelical christians; she probably believes she's wealthy and influential enough that it will insulate her from the worst effects, assuming she isn't already in on it anyway.

It was a puzzler. And then I had an idea. This is what I said:

"Do you know who Steve Sisolak is? You do? Good. Do you want to know why he's the former Nevada state governor, and not the current one? It's because Sisolak was, without exaggeration, the most unpopular politician I've ever come across. No one liked him. Democrats hated him, republicans REALLY hated him, libertarians hated him, and even people like me, who have never felt represented by any of the major political parties in the state but still vote in every single election because we consider it our civic duty as American citizens, didn't like him either. I can't think of a single person who ever had anything positive to say about his tenure as governor, and as a result? The voter base in Nevada was willing to do anything and vote for anyone just to get him out of office.

"I tell you this, because if Senator Cortez-Masto does not change course, and continues to cosponsor and vote yes on the incredibly unpopular, incredibly dangerous, blatantly unconstitutional KOSA bill, then she will make Steve Sisolak's year, as he will no longer be the most reviled politician in the state of Nevada. If she does not reverse course, she will be committing political suicide on a scale hithertofore unknown to science. If she votes yes, then she might as well pull a Mitch McConnell and announce her retirement right now, because any of her political aspirations for the future, at least among the Nevada voter base, will be dead in the water.

"Now, I don't know how many phone calls you've gotten about KOSA. But I suspect it's not as many as you should. Most people in this state don't have time to call their senators. Most people are working two or three jobs to make ends meet with stagnant wages among the rising cost of living and landlords finding any excuse to increase our rent. Hell, I'm calling you on my lunchbreak right now. But despite all that... people here still find time to vote. And if there is one thing I've learned about voters in this state in the 18 years I've been able to? It's that if you piss us off, the people in this state will absolutely vote entirely out of spite, just to burn everything down. KOSA is so incredibly unpopular among the voter base of this state, that when she's next up for reelection? She will find herself out of a job, mark my words.

"Make sure you tell the Senator that, word for word. And if you can't remember, just play her this phone call that I already know is being recorded."

Will this do any good?

I don't know.

Probably not.

But it made me feel a bit better, at least.

[firestorm09890]

FUCK what I said about the majority of significant changes to dialogue in Re:CoM being to adjust Axel's characterization, the most egregious change is actually this

(GBA CoM)

(Re:CoM)

if I had to guess, the reason for this change was because in GBA CoM, The Superior was a spooky, unknown being at the head of this Organization we had very little knowledge on, and for Vexen, the guy who runs his mouth constantly about how much better he is than the others, to be terrified of him, he must be some pretty scary dude. But then after kh2 we know him, it's Xemnas, he's very dramatic, he likes to talk to the moon, and the effect of your mind filling in the gaps about what "The Superior" must be like is gone. So it wasn't really necessary anymore, right?

(rest under cut because it's long)

Except... the way they changed it is so weird. In the GBA version, what's happening is pretty clear:

Marluxia tells Vexen that his project is a failure

Vexen demonstrates that he does not give a shit about Marluxia's opinion

he does care very much about The Superior's opinion, though, and Marluxia uses this to blackmail him into eliminating Sora- an action which is nonsensical, as the entire point of what they're doing needs Sora alive, making it clear to everyone in the room that he is deliberately sending Vexen to die

and then after that, when Vexen shows up to fight Sora, he goes "if you want to fight me for real you've gotta do it in the memories from the other side of your heart lol bye" and Sora goes "huh? other side?" and then it cuts to a scene on the top floor:

and then this gets more into subtext but here, Vexen has realized he's totally fucked and his only hope is to mess directly with Marluxia's plans (well, they were the Organization's plans, but it's pretty obvious by now Marluxia's abusing his power for his own purposes) by giving Sora more information than he should know. This does get the traitor gang worried enough to send Axel to go kill him (as opposed to just letting Sora take care of him, which was presumably the original plan)- he very specifically cuts Vexen off to keep him from saying too much (this is retained between the original and the remake)

Anyway, what happens in Re:CoM sort of follows the same order of events, but everything is changed slightly in a way that just makes things more confusing.

Marluxia tells Vexen his project is a failure and Vexen demonstrates that he doesn't give a shit about Marluxia's opinion, as before

Marluxia threatens Vexen with a weapon, rather than threatening to tell the Superior

this, notably, does not seem to faze Vexen very much. he continues to run his mouth while having the scythe pointed at him.

Xemnas is still leveraged- Marluxia points out it was the Superior who entrusted him with the castle

...even though reasonably Vexen would already be aware of this, and has still demonstrated that he has zero respect for Marluxia despite it

the lines about betraying the Organization being a capital crime are retained, probably because it's super relevant later, but then that line of thinking is abandoned in favor of Marluxia and Larxene just taunting Vexen instead

The part where Marluxia says "do it. you won't" could be seen as a sort of threat... if not for Axel's line: "You give a challenge like that to Vexen and he'll seriously want to eliminate Sora." It frames it all as though Vexen went to fight Sora out of some sort of pride.

And look, Vexen may have a temper and a superiority complex, but he's not stupid. They're obviously baiting him. Plus, what happened to him seeing himself as above the others and countering things he doesn't like with "well actually I'm higher ranked than you and also you're an idiot"? Is he that insecure in his fighting capabilities? I could deal with characterization changes doing him dirty if it didn't also make no sense in the context of the plot.

So now we have Vexen going to try to kill Sora, something that really makes no sense to do, out of pride. What was the purpose of sending Sora to Twilight Town? Also pride, over the fact that he managed to get that information? Giving the writing the benefit of the doubt, I could say that these nonsensical actions can be explained as evidence that Nobodies can have hearts and people with hearts do strange and rash things, but that just feels like a reach, which is bad because what they had in GBA CoM worked perfectly fine and made sense without any reaching for the "idk emotions make you do strange things" explanation.

It continues. After Vexen gives Sora the Twilight Town card in Re:CoM and Sora wonders about what the "other side" means, this is that version of the conversation the top floor members have:

...what? "If Sora disappears, that would mess up the Organization's plans"? what are you worried about? the only reason Sora would disappear is if Vexen killed him. there's no way they think Vexen being in Twilight Town would give him an advantage, right? they know he's a pathetic fighter. "Vexen has clearly committed a treasonous act against the Organization" HOW? HOW IS IT CLEAR? they don't express any worry about Sora learning too much, up until Axel says "I came to stop you from talking too much" when killing Vexen- and that being there makes it seem like they were worried about Sora learning to much, but if that's the case, why would they replace the perfectly serviceable lines in the above scene? it's just... baffling that they would want to lean into the narrative that Vexen going to kill Sora (which he'd been goaded into doing) is the problem here, because it just makes so little sense compared to what it was originally.

once again giving them the benefit of the doubt: Marluxia's real plan was to take over the Organization, and he saw an easy way to pick off one of the members, so he took it. the motive for stopping Vexen doesn't actually matter.

buuuuut it's the same as with Vexen earlier. Marluxia may be too self-absorbed and power-hungry to notice Axel is scheming against him, but he, too, is an intelligent man. he's plotted for a while, getting into Xemnas's good graces in order to be put in charge of the Castle. this is incredibly sloppy for him. I guess it could be said that getting so close to his goal would make him sloppy, but again, if they'd just left things the way they were in GBA CoM, I wouldn't even have to be saying this

in conclusion: GBA Chain of Memories' intra-Organization strife subplot is so tightly woven with calculated moves on all sides that Re:CoM changing certain things without taking into consideration the consequences makes certain parts of the plot fall flat and become far more confusing than in the original story

[naerwenia]

Nemesis, The Ultimate Weapon - Nemesis x female reader

The first chapter here. This is the second chapter.

I actually wanted to continue my first part to make a more substantial forbidden romance type story, or just go for tentacle smut. But that's next, this is just a small in-between chapter full of people looking at reader who sees Nemesis as more than a weapon, while also being studied at Umbrella after what happened at Raccoon city.

A sight set on the weapon that was put away in a box for safekeeping, a tube full of liquid made to house the body of a weapon. Black strips of leather wrapping the body in a strangely humanoid form; four limbs made of muscle and tendrils, a head elongated and mouth with lips pulled back, a grim expression made only by the teeth as the eyes of the scientists were drawn to them only when looking at the creature they had created. But the girl in front of the tube, hands touching the glass, could not see anything, even when she tried to strain her eyes to imagine the features onto the glass mask put on Nemesis. There was nothing, but she still remembered his features, his skin, his touch, even the more unpleasant parts like smell and anger in his growl. All those made her feel safe around him, like someone who would protect her from the unknown. Even now, being shown him next to a wall, in a lab, without his face visible, she knew he was more than a weapon, more than an asset. She was just a girl behind a protective glass, hoping he could feel the warm touch she left on the glass and the longing she felt inside the heart beating in her chest resting against the cold glass. 

Every day one of the guards and a scientist took her to see the Nemesis-T02, so she could see the specimen was alright. She was told not to speak as it might mess with the monitoring equipment, but it really was because her voice had messed with the orders given to the BOW and they had not come to a working conclusion to know what had done that and why. The doctors and scientists could not even agree if it could mess with the whole weapon or just the parasite even in regenerative stasis, or maybe activate brain functions Umbrella deemed unnecessary. They would not let her undermine the project just because the girl saw some resemblance of humanity in the tyrant, especially when it was almost finished, almost perfect for large scale production and sale. Of course it was a good thing they caught the vulnerability now, but it was such an odd and inconvenient one that it might as well be a major issue in the research. Debrief was done right after the memory chip had been removed and any irregularities mapped, but there was nothing indicating a problem in the organic material or the behaviour of the parasite. So here the scientist was, guiding a girl who might be the only irregularity in this equation, but they were not allowed to take her out or put her away.  

The guard tapped her shoulder, and slowly the girl separated from the glass, still looking up at the creature. The guard had seen the tyrant in action, a weapon was a light word to describe the destruction it left in its wake. The man behind the helmet tried to keep himself away from the situation mentally, but the way you looked at the T02 made him take another look every time, questioning if he had lost a bit of humanity in himself as you seemed to regard the Nemesis as a human too, yet he could see only the vague outline of a human in front of him. It had happened before and it would happen again. The grip of humanity was often lost when following orders, but that was by design and he understood that, especially when dealing with hazardous materials in secretive projects. Still seeing the girl have such strong emotion on her face, a look of longing when in front of the bio-organic weapon, made him doubt his own judgement deep down. 

As the scientist led the way back to the girl’s containment room, the guard followed the girl's footsteps. Short, soft steps that tried their hardest to keep up with the scientist’s pace, but every other step she took in her fluffy socks was a quick hop, only to be followed by the marching pace of the guard. Every step the girl took was at odds with the facility she was trapped within; the warm light surrounding her and the innocent, understanding smile she gave freely to those she came across while her walk more closely resembled a bunny hopping from cloud to cloud, all this while Umbrella had taken her clothes, her identity, her freedom. Left of the south wing, upstairs, behind two labs, the girl was given a white dress and hurried back to her room, only to get inside, turn and smile. There was no malice, no trickery, just patience, waiting to be with her friend again.

The door in front of her closed and locked, multiple locks moving in their place and clicking, and the girl sighed. No matter how many times she told herself she was safe here, that no one was out there trying to kill her, that there was nothing she could do but wait and see, but the lack of directions, clear schedule and mission made her incredibly anxious and depressed, more than usual. She had gathered that there was no way out for her before Umbrella knew why Nemmy disregarded commands in her presence, but she was more worried about him, Nemesis. He had been kind enough to save her from the zombies, but that was apparently wrong, as he was supposed to be a weapon instead of a shield during that mission. The thought haunted her, that her selfish desires had doomed him, but for now it seemed Nemmy was in stasis and taken care of. It didn’t take away the wishes she had for him, for the next meeting and embrace they could share, maybe she would be able to give him the kiss she had thought of now every night since finding herself living here, in this glass house of sterile white floors with walls of frosted glass. Only colours she had seen in weeks were white, black, greens on her plate and sometimes blood.

The girl sat down on the floor and got on her back, looking at the ceiling, feeling the cold floor against her skin. Soothing coolness touched her sensitive skin, she closed her eyes and dreamed: a dream made of tentacles slithering on her skin, around her legs, leaving slime where they had touched her, helping more climb up her limbs. Tightly binding her in place, the tentacles could not help but tie her hands above her head and legs bound together, keeping her there in a desperate hug, not wanting to let her go. No matter how crushing the binding hug felt, the girl just smiled, blushed, and let a tear fall down, fearing this might just be the only way for her to feel him again. 

-----------

So that was the second chapter, I have no idea what I want from this, other than eventual smut and more love for Nemesis. If you have ideas or wishes, my ears are open, just like my messages!

[twistedpink]

(“Iron Legacy Anon”)

To fill in the gap between regular posts, we have another weird “Play By Post/Fanfic Hybrid” of another SOTM Custom Game… Assuming I can keep my motivation. I’m going to start by saying that the only custom about TWST made for SOTM is Riddle. So join us in “Feedback Loop” as we explore a new story in Night Raven College.

But first, oddly enough a casting call, because we will be having 7 billion custom characters… So naming their mechanical identities is important to me.

In turn order, we have our unknown villain played by/twisted from Miss Information, Deja Vu. A custom variant of the original that hopefully won’t kill me to death 7 times over.

Next up we Scarabia!Reader and Ignihyde!Reader, played by/twisted from The Librarians from Library of Ruina. (Smiling Faces’ book for Scarabia and Warp Cleanup Crew for Ignihyde)

Following them closely we have Savanaclaw!Reader, played by/twisted from Mainstay from the original games Void Guard expansion. (Specifically Road Warrior Mainstay)

After that we have Pomefiore!Reader, mechanically played by Pachait’s Rin Tohsaka custom.

Second to last in turn order it’s Disomina!Reader and Heartslabyul!Reader, played by/twisted from The Knight from the Cauldron Fan Expansion, specifically their Wasteland Ronin Variant.

And finally we have Octavinelle!Reader, played by/twisted from Void Guard’s own Doctor Medico. (From of course, The Void Guard expansion for the original game).

And of course, Night Raven College itself, mechanically played by Dungeons of Terror from the Cauldron expansion.

I think that’s far too much rambling for an opening, so here we go…

PRELUDE:

It was a snowy day at Night Raven College… None of our 7 participants of the local group project would think much of it, they weren’t special in anyway, just some regular students. [Octavinelle] had proposed the group for their journalism class, check out the strange ghost stories of recent in the school… The others were ok with it, with only [Pomefoire] expressing any doubts. Their time to keep up their fashion schedule was already stretched thin, and they personally doubted they could get their beauty sleep after this…

[Ignihyde], meanwhile, was quick to note that with all their clocks they could easily stop whenever they wanted to. [Scarabia] gave a chuckle and said to their sibling that “Everybody says that, but I’m not sure for how many it’s true.” before quickly extinguishing their cigarette and walking out through the snowstorm and into the previously abandoned Ramshackle Dorms…

[Disomnia] yawned, they had stayed up all night last night studying for tests… Sensing that their group project member might fall asleep, [Savanaclaw] lightly clawed at the soon to be sleeping knight. Who quickly responded… “Ah sorry! Right at your service…” They said, looking around… finding their fellow knight and upperclassman, [Heartslabyul] who chided them… “Hey, listen up kid. I understand if you’re tired just tell us, Ok?”. [Disomnia] nodded and the group continued to the center of the abandoned dorm.

In which, they found something… shockingly real.

TURN 1:

A spectral force proceeded to blow past them… Seeming intent on disarming them, removing a majority of their items and equipment. The group looked behind them shocked to see three ghosts malevolently staring at them… [Disomnia], believing they were seeing things… Stepped right up to a crying figure, seeing the figure shivering they put their hand to the figure’s shoulder and found the touch freezing as suddenly the figure’s breath turned icey and threatened to freeze the group… [Pomefoire] dashes into the way, getting caught in the icey blast alongside the two knights.

Not to be outdone, another ghostly figure seemingly made of cards began to unfold itself, violently spinning itself into everyone not hit by the cold. Suddenly, an imposing ghost grabbed all hit by the cards and redirected all their momentum from being flung back into themselves, smashing them against seemingly invisible walls… With [Ignihyde]’s magical time piece mysteriously activating, healing them and their twin.

[Ignihyde] stared a hole into their twin, [Scarabia]‘s chest… Upon [Scarabia] asking why that was, [Ignihyde] answered… “These ghosts… Since they are activating my pocket watch they aren’t real… They’re projections from another time…” almost as if it demonstrate, [Ignihyde] pulled out their pocketwatch and held it up to the imposing ghost and watched as it vanished… [Scarabia] shouted about why didn’t you do that earlier and [Ignihyde] sighed, saying they didn’t know earlier. Before both quickly began patching themselves up to deal with the other two time ghosts…

(So uhh, legitmately that turn was just using clues to do villain character card stuff and heal. I did manipulate discard pile, but that doesn’t make for good writing.)

[Savanaclaw] meanwhile, didn’t care about this ghost mumbo jumbo… They had jaws that could bite and the mer-crocodilian wasn’t going to let whatever incorporeal nature they had stop them from biting into them for smashing their stuff. The crocodilian quickly tore through the cards with gnawing teeth, feasting on the black ink inside. Before the two ghosts decided to fight back a little, but that just meant they could hit back harder… Quickly ensaring some remaining cards in their jaw and throwing it into the crying figure… Leaving both dazed and confused, [Savanaclaw] shouted… “ALRIGHT? YOU WANT ME?! COME AND GET ME!”, goading the ghosts to attacking them.

(For Tax Purposes, that was a Drop The Hammer into School of Hard Knocks.)

[Pomefoire], meanwhile was more annoyed about their stuff being destroyed… Pulling out their letter opener they quickly began to reassemble their lost potions… Keeping them close by their side… [Pomefoire] didn’t really care for the ghosts themselves as long as they didn’t attack them…

(For tax purposes, yet again, that letter opener is a Azoth Sword. I should probably do my taxes at the end of my posts.)

Meanwhile, [Disomnia] and [Heartslabyul] were internally panicking… Well, [Disomnia] was more so externally panicking but all’s fair in love and war… Including [Heartslabyul] suddenly reaching out and finding the still intact plate helm, handing it to [Disomnia]… Who feeling a little more comfortable suddenly charged into the fray and slashed at the two ghosts recklessly, almost getting themselves seriously injured… But not more than the amalgamation of cards, who fell to the reckless sweeping blade attack.

We cut to [Octavinelle], who is very annoyed that their classmates have somehow gotten into combat with ghosts. They sigh and quickly get to using their powers to control water, to create a shield around [Savanaclaw]… As much as they hate to admit it, they find them kind of cute, and wouldn’t want them to die a frivolous death to strange ghosts… So they keep working their magic, quickly having the water burst forth and gather up the scattered resources… Sending a little to [Heartslabyul] just to make sure they’re ok.

(For both of these turn’s tax purposes, it was infact extra-draw and not recursion from trash, unlike Pomefoire‘s actually recursion.)

[Scarabia] thought that the strange robotic figure probably was going to keep spewing ice at everyone… So they quickly got some abandoned tables and propped them down for cover, shouting: “Listen up you fuckers! Get behind cover if you wanna live!” In all actuality the tables couldn’t do much to stop the attacks, but reducing the harm was very nice for everyone.

However, what if that little harm it takes was enough to trigger a horrible omen… Something so dangerous that just a scratch could kill… Find out next time on “Feedback Loop”…

EEEEEEE!!!

[pearlnareff]

T&B Advent Calendar Day 16

I haven't done any of the other days but this is something that has been bouncing around in my head since the end of season two and I want to get it out. @tnbsecretsanta Pitch for Season 3 or Third Movie. (s2 spoilers)

We start with some exposition updating everyone on what has happened between the end of season 2 and now. Kotetsu Kaburagi is the new curator for HeroTV, basically taking over Yuri Petrov's position since. Well. You know. He's working close with Agnes and what not, even though he still runs his "Anything Consulting" business from the comic because it's hilarious to me. Barnaby also took some time off hero-work to let things settle, but he's back to working as a hero full time. Kotetsu is a little wary about this because everyone else is still in their buddy hero pairs but Barnaby is like "don't worry, old man, everything's taken care of." Because it turns out... on Barnaby Brooks Jr's return to HeroTV Live, he has shown up with a new partner. This Unknown hero shows up in a suit similar to Wild Tiger and Barnaby's however instead of jumping or swinging, a pair of skates is built into their boots. On their debut, it even looks like they have Hundred Power like Barnaby and Kotetsu, which makes Kotetsu even *more* sus of his apparent new replacement. HeroTV happens as usual, ending in some sort of Criminal Pursuit and one way or another we have to end the episode by Kotetsu falling and landing in this New Hero's arms. The announcers introduce our hero as Copy Cat. Kotetsu doesn't even have time to get miffed about the name because it's being explained to the audience that Barnaby's new partner doesn't have the same power as him, but is able to Copy his power for its duration, making them a good team. "What?" Our hero, Copy Cat, is Kaede Kaburagi. And she is totally grounded. -- end of premier episode-- Kaede is grounded because she a) Didn't run the idea of being a professional hero past her dad, and B) didn't run the idea of being Barnaby's New Buddy Hero past him either, and he's not actually sure which one he's more angry about. But after a lot of begging from Kaede and some reassurances from Barnaby, Kotetsu very very VERY begrudgingly agrees to let Kaede continue, so long as she doesn't fall behind in school and most importantly as long as she remains careful. Please have my unfinished sketch of Kaede's super suit from a few months ago.

Her first sponsor, of course, is her dad's Consulting business. Also her mask isn't like Tiger or Bunny's in that it's a... like a domed LCD screen that she can see though and see video footage on the inside, and occasionally projects a ^v^ or something on the outside. When she's being cheeky or something. There is a few small story beats where Kotetsu is still a little bummed about being left out of the loop, but if he ever wants to punish/get back at/pull one over on Bunny or Kaede, he just changes the logo of his Consulting Business to something silly. Or maybe even for a time he sponsors Golden Ryan or something. Filler Character Arc Shenanigans. Now as the season goes on we learn that a big drawback to Kaede's power is that, similar to Hundred Power having it's time limit, whenever she copies it, it takes a bit of a toll on her body. Because since that kind of strength isn't *hers* her body isn't actually equipped to handle it all that well despite her training. So she can't copy it back to back to back or else it's going to have major consequences. So she can't like... copy Barnaby, go copy someone else, then copy him and use Hundred Power again. Or if she tried to copy someone like Rock Bison it would take her out for the rest of the weekend probably. We also learn that Barnaby's leg injury has gotten bad. like B-A-D bad. But it's something that he's pushing through because he wants to end his career on a high note and he's not about to crap out on Kaede when she's getting started. Anyway This disclosure brings us to the climax point of season three: There's this big battle taking place. Both Barnaby and Kaede have used Hundred power, but somehow find themselves pinned under the rubble of a fallen building. Barnaby is out of power and he's not doing hot at all, basically out of commission. Kaede is trying really hard to get out. Kotetsu is speaking to them both over their radios just saying like: "You two stay put, help is on the way. Rock Bison will be there soon just hang tight." But Kaede sees that they're in real danger and that Barnaby is probably going to fade fast if she doesn't do something. Kaede: "No, dad. Barnaby's real hurt." Barnaby: "I'm fine, I'll be--" Kaede: "No, you're not. There isn't any time to wait. I've got to get us out of here because you and a bunch of civilians are in danger." She's reaching out to Barnaby across the space between them, begging for him to let her copy his power just one more time so that she can rescue him and then go save the day. There's a back and forth between them, and also Kotetsu on the radio being like: "No, Kaede. You can't use that power again. This is a terrible idea. I'm your dad and I say no." "But I can do this--" "No, Kaede. I lost your mother, I can't lose you too. Stay put." "I'm sorry dad." Kaede cuts off her radio, shuts her dad out and continues reaching for Barnaby. Meanwhile Kotetsu is yelling at him like "Don't you dare let her do this. I trusted you with her safety you can't do this." But... Barnaby is staring at Kaede and sees the determination in her eyes. She even gives hits him with a "He needs at least one of us... but if you don't let me do this, he won't have either of us." Knowing the huge danger they're in if she doesn't at least try. "He's given everything to me please just let me try to give my everything." Kotetsu is trying to ask Bunny what Kaede is saying but Barnaby doesn't answer. Barnaby shuts of his radio. Reaches out to Kaede and passes his power over to her. While Kotetsu can do nothing but watch the rest of this fight play out. Of course it all ends up okay in the end but. In the end this does lead to Baranby having to get his leg amputated and retire from being a hero. But he lives and everyone lives and yeah. Yes anyway. The Drama. I've been wanting to write this all for a really long time I just ! I have a lot of feelings

[kakiastro]

Pluto Aquarius : The Abstract Era

Photo by unknown

Hey y’all I’m back with another post! This is a good one because this transit is a major one that’s going to impact us all! To see how it’s going to impact you, check your natal and progressed chart. Look for the house Aquarius rules over. This house represents that particular area in your life. Ex. Aqua 4h, so your home, mother, family will be going through huge changes during this time.

Disclaimer: these are just my own predictions based on my years of studying astrology and applying the archetypes of the planet and sign. the future is unknown but that doesn’t mean we still cant predict the themes of what to at least be aware of. Remember this transit will effect everyone differently because we all have different birth charts. Read this post as a collective reading than individual reading.

Pluto entered Aquarius March 24 until June 12th before it goes back into Capricorn until January 23. It will then stay in Aquarius for the next 20 years! Yes 20!! If you’re in your 20s that mean your Aquarius house in your birth chart will go through massive transformations until you’re in your 40s. Aqua placements, this is a huge time for you!!

If you need a reminder on what rules what, then here’s a list. Feel free to write it down in your own notes.

Pluto rules over: death/rebirth, birth, transformations, exchanges, debt, occult, cult, taboo, horror movies, power, wealth(Pluto means wealth), sex/sexuality, reproduction system, legacy, inheritances, heirs/heirlooms, partners money/joint finances, psychics/psychic gifts, psychology, therapist, , surgeries writers(crime, or dark themes), mortality, funerals, memorials, graveyards, secrets and hidden things, disappointments, deep fears, our experiences.

Aquarius rules over human/humanity, society, social groups, friend group, acquaintances, clubs, large groups of people, community, supporters, “stans (loyal fans), astrology, wish fulfillment, Social Media/content creators, technology, sciences, aviation and speed, projects, innovation ideas, ankles and calves, uniqueness, outcast, disabled people, adoption, step siblings. Chimps/Apes

What does this mean Globally? Well let’s look and see how this will “probably” play out. I put those words in quotations because as astrologers we can only predict what might happen. We sit back and watch the show just like you😂 but that’s what make astrology fun and enlightening.

These are my personal predictions that I believe will be the themes. Remind you, this is a 20 year transit so some of this won’t happen overnight. I live in the US so a lot of the predictions is based on what’s happening here but it can still apply to other countries because we’re all connected some way

Predictions

-Ai. It’s everywhere, and I’m just going to be honest I don’t think it’s going anywhere and I believe it will advanced. Good news is that we are fighting as a collective to not let it replace us. Ai is suppose to help assist us not replace us. I think their will be some government control over it. I think we will eventually have robot type teachers, holograms, hologram type traveling, will assist doctors and medical discoveries. Ai is going to be used in everyday life for mundane things, AI use in airplanes and Cars. Faster trains.

-the Aliens 👽. The government has finally acknowledged other life forms even though we all knew this lol. Aliens have and will be a continuing topic.

-Government. I do believe there’s going to be new laws or even a constitution that will fit with this century standards and not our forefathers. Pluto rules over extreme changes. Aquarius rules over the government just like Capricorn. Remember Aqua is also co-ruled by Saturn. The difference is that Capricorn creates laws to maintain order and structure while Aquarius breaks and create new laws that can be beneficial for everyone.

-Fashion. We are entering the Cosplay everyday era. What I mean is that people are going to dressing up in the abstract clothing and it’ll be the norm. Comic con is going to be an everyday event because people are going to dress like their favorite characters just because Lol. I feel like more people are going to entrepreneurs and create a more chill vibe and have less corporations rule setting. It’s giving the office vibes lol. I also feel like more people are going to be wearing comfortable clothing than trying to “fit in.” Sustainability/Recycled clothing will be a huge fashion trend. Blues, dark reds, silver, dark yellows may be popular colors.

-protest and strikes! We’re already seeing it with Hollywood. So many actors and writers have come out and said their not making hardly nothing! Only 2% of this industry is wealthy, which means most are broke asf. Then I remembered Hollywood is Pisces energy. (Illusions & lies) what does this mean for HW in the future? Theyre not going anywhere lol. Aquarius is Leo sister sign, it’s also a fame sign. There’s always going to be famous people, however; I believe independent movie studios will be on the rise such as A24. More celebrities getting involved in activism and humanitarian projects than movies/tv. More celebrities connecting with non celeb people. I actually think a lot of them will help regular people kickstart their non-profits. More celebrities becoming entrepreneurs. This isn’t going to just be happening in the entertainment industry, this is going to happen in every industry. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see more airline protest and strikes. Moral of the story, people are going where theyre actually appreciated.

-Sex. I believe people are going to be more open when it comes to their sexuality. Talking about sex will be a normal conversation. I truly believe we are entering “let your freak fly era.” People may start to get into some crazy kinky stuff (no judgement, you do you boo!) lol

- community. Here’s the thing, I do feel like people will find their “tribe” “community” “soul group” whatever you call it but it won’t happen until you know who you are as a person first. What can you bring to the group? How can you help if you don’t know your own strengths and weaknesses? Even better question, how you gone join a community when you don’t even know what community you should join because you don’t know who you are? This is what the current North Node Aries transit will teach you! When you figure out who you are is when you will find your people.

-marriage and family. I believe we are going to start seeing more diverse families and couples. People are going to find love away from their home/culture. You may see lots of stories of people finding love overseas while traveling. People may meet their partner at random places or at a random time in their life. I feel like adoption will be a focus such as affordability, people finding out their adopted, people adopting. I believe tough conversation around adoption will rise such as people who adopt children for selfish reasons such as exploitation, adoptees talking about how hard life was for them. Remember Pluto reveals the dark side of things. I actually feel like people will start marrying more for stability then the traditional “I love you” romantic way, I also feel like people will marry their best friend(non romantic) to get by. Pluto aqua rules over USA 2h/3h (placidus)

- the outcast. more women/minorities will be entrepreneurs and working in the communication media, maybe more women(especially black)influential content creators. You may see more Poc and women working in the tech industry and more in the entertainment industry such as more award winning directors, screenwriters etc disabled people especially physical will start to be in different industries getting noticed, becoming well known activist.

-money and transportation. I do feel like there’s going to be a huge shift in our economy. I feel like crypto currency or some form of a digital banking will become our norm. Physical dollar will start to become a thing of the past. I just read an article a few months ago stating the first flying car will be released in 2025. Phones, computers are going to be more advanced than they are now. I don’t know how but it will be. We may end up having full on digital libraries that’s more advanced than kindle and others. In the USA chart, Pluto Aquarius will be in the 3h.

-health and sciences. The medical industry is going to have lots of breakthroughs. Lots of new discoveries on surgery equipment. We are going to be seeing a lot of impossibles become possible. We’re already seeing it. I just saw a surgery where they can adjust your height. Who would’ve thought that was possible 10 years ago lol. Buts that’s where the medical field is going. Pluto rules over extreme changes. I’m personally curious on the technology that’s going to help physically disabled people and what type of advancements will be discovered there.

-Animals. More People are going to start having all types of pets. The classic I have a cat, dog or goldfish won’t be your only type of pet. Instead we’re going to be hearing I have a dog and 2 raccoons lol. Aquarius rules over Apes, i wonder if there’s going to be some planet of the apes scenario. Not them taking over but studies may come out showing they’re more evolved then we realize👀

-internet. I’m going to be real honest with you and I’m not trying to instill fear or none of that but we all need to start being more private on the internet. Don’t post where you are until a few days after you’ve left. If you can, make your page private. Pluto rules over stalkers and aqua rules the internet. If you can avoid it, please don’t have your young kids on the internet without your supervision. Make their pages private too. If you have teenagers, please have a thorough conversation with them about the dangers of the internet, especially when it comes to weirdos asking them for nudes. Listen I grew up when having these talks about the internet wasn’t a thing because our parents didn’t have this growing but we can help the next generation from our mistakes. Like I said I’m not trying to scare anyone. We live in a digital world now so I want you all and your families to take safety precautions.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I know this post was long but I wanted to cover a much as I could. Please feel free to reblog and write your own predictions.

Sources:

Rex E. Bills book “the rulership book” (highly recommended)

USA Sibly chart on astrodienst website

Derivative houses(advanced astrology.

[blueikeproductions]

So the current hullabaloo is Hasbro isn’t funding any more movies going forward due to a string of flops, TFONE among them, and people are freaking out.

Now having looked over it, they never say they’re NOT making more movies, they’re just not going to help fund more going forward, as stuff like Snake Eyes and TFONE proved to be a huge money sink. They’re also not going to be creatively involved as much either, though going by some fans’ poor reaction still to Bayformers, maybe Hasbro was never THAT involved to begin with.

So what does this mean going forward?

Heck if I know. None of us truly understand what’s going on here, but what we can infer is at the end of the day is Hasbro doesn’t want to pay out of pocket for more potential flops.

Most likely it’ll just be purely licensing similar to Skybound, where the Energon Universe was given the opportunity to do what it wants, and in this case, did so to great success after they won over Hasbro with their pitch.

In other words Paramount and/or Skydance pay Hasbro a fee to use the Transformers in movies, vs it being a more direct collaboration like before.

Until something else is stated, it sounds like the GI Joe team up movie is still a go, along with future TF projects with Josh Cooley. Transformers as a brand still does well for Hasbro overall, and we’re still on track to get CyberWorld and Wild King next year. So situation is mostly normal.

Still, the best we can do is speculate.

A big problem with IDW and post RiD15 cartoons were this huge insistence on making the Decepticons sympathetic, there by making Megatron into an Autobot. I will die on this hill, this has been a major issue. The average Joe wants Megatron to be a villain again, they want the Decepticons to be an evil empire bent on galactic conquest. That is the story we’ve had for 40 years, clearly that formula worked. Changing it now has led to same apathy the Pokémon anime is stuck in since it swapped out Ash for Liko.

The problem I continue to have is if they want to retire the Decepticons and Megatron as the villains that’s fine, they just need to pick a successor but they’re still so unwilling to do so. The Terrorcons and Quintessons feel like that’s what Hasbro wants, but for some reason we haven’t had a definitive modern take on the Autobots fighting them instead of the Decepticons.

Mandroid and his Arachnamechs feel like another attempt at proper villain faction, but they screwed it up too.

The Quintessons took over later in EarthSpark, but their main leader (that we know of) is dead now, and the show haphazardly has otherwise retuned to the Decepticons being the antagonists.

Prior to that in WFC and Cyberverse, it felt like there was a push to get the new Mercenary faction up and running as villains…

But that went nowhere too. Not helped is Hasbro seems to be ignoring this group entirely now…

Skybound started their TF book with the usual Decepticon conflict, albeit cranked up to 11, but trained the idea started with the first Bay film and TFA, by slowly building up to Megatron. The leaders now on Earth are Soundwave leading the main faction while Starscream has taken command of a splinter faction made up of the Combaticons and Astrotrain. Shockwave was the leader on Cybertron but, barring anything left field, he’s dead now, with an injured Megatron having escaped Cobra-La, but his current plans and whereabouts unknown atm.

So on top of being indecisive with replacement factions, it also feels like most want a return to basics, which means the traditional Autobots vs Decepticons approach. Skybound has largely succeeded in this front with Transformers, same with their GI Joe series. It’s probably because of the success of the Energon Universe Hasbro and Paramount still want to push forward with their own crossover movie, and as much as fans want to complain about Joes in their Autobots, the two series have crossed over frequently SINCE the 80’s. I’m actually more surprised Galaxy Force and Sigma 6 didn’t team up nor did Prime and its Joe counterpart. We ALL know Cobra Commander would want to use the Earth Cyber Planet Key for dumb nefarious reasons and I’m sad we never got Cobra aligned Destrons doing a Force Chip Ignition lol.

Anyhow, on the off chance more TFONE stuff continues, my guess is the former approach will be taken: the heroic Autobots vs the evil Quintessons, with Optimus convincing Megatron to begrudgingly help them.

I believe it was said the villains for CyberWorld are still Decepticons but the choices give me a Predacon and Terrorcon vibe.

Wild King on the Japanese end, post EarthSpark, makes me wonder if we’re reverting to how things used to be. Transformers is co owned by Hasbro and Takara, but both companies go their own directions with the characters, which is how we got stuff like Victory, Car Robots, Beast Wars II, and recently the Trigger PV.

What happens post EarthSpark and post TFONE will be very interesting going forward if nothing else. Skybound’s continued success will probably influence things to some extent as I strongly feel going back to basics is what’s going to help in the long run.

[honey-katsu]

take her to the moon for me - ao3

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 here

Summary:

Aizawa and a few of his students were given a job from the Hero Commission: stop the yakuza group known as the Bulls from selling any more quirk enhancement drugs. It should have been simple. Sneak in, destroy the drugs, and get out before anyone notices.

But of course, things never go as planned.

Warning (for all parts): violence, major character death, grief/mourning, panic attack/flashbacks

note before we begin: i am chickenKatsu on ao3. I do not give anyone the right to repost my work to another platform unless I’m asked then properly credited. Please support me on ao3 if you like it!

This raid had gone terribly awry. Aizawa and a few of his students–Kaminari, Asui, Shinso, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Midoriya, Uraraka, Todoroki, Bakugou, and Tokoyami,–were given a job from the Hero Commission: stop the yakuza group known as the Bulls from selling any more quirk enhancement drugs. It should have been simple. Sneak in, destroy the drugs, and get out before anyone notices. 

When they got to the warehouses they were supposed to destroy, Midoriya had discovered a hidden entrance. It led to a complex underground network of tunnels. From what he could tell, Midoriya assumed these tunnels connected almost every warehouse in the prefecture, making their simple mission impossible. Aizawa and his students were about to leave and report back to the Commission when they were ambushed by yakuza lackeys, forcing them deep into the unknown labyrinth.

Which brought them to their current situation. Battered, bruised, and running on dwindling adrenaline, lost in the Bulls’ tunnels, and facing off against everyone they came across. 

Aizawa’s eyes were extremely dry from overuse, despite the fact that he tried to use his quirk infrequently. Asui’s skin and tongue were also too dry, seeing as her frog quirk required her to always stay moist. Kaminari  had already reached his limit even though he tried to conserve his energy like Midoriya suggested. Todoroki, Kirishima, and Tokoyami were just tired from how long they had been fighting; their quirks placed great strain on their bodies. Shinso’s voice was hoarse and pretty much unusable. Uraraka had thrown up at least 3 times now and seemed like she might do it again soon. Bakugou’s arms were on fire, muscles strained from so many explosions. Midoriya had broken his bones again, but he wasn't the only one; almost everyone had a broken bone or had sustained a major injury somewhere.

And Yaoyorozu… She was a lifesaver. She looked like she was ready to drop at any second, but she was the only reason they had lasted this long. Since they had been down in the yakuza's tunnels, Yaoyorozu had been making support items to ease everyone’s pain: medicine for Uraraka’s stomach, lozenges for Shinso’s strained throat, painkillers for Bakugou’s sore arms, eye drops for Aizawa, and emergency medical supplies for everyone’s injuries. She also created a bucket for Todoroki so he can melt his ice for Asui’s use. Along with the constant outflow of support items, Yaoyorozu also continued to try and make contact with the Hero Commission. After a while, she quit trying, assuming a jamming quirk or how far they were underground was interfering with communications.

The group traveled as quietly as they could, their aching bodies weighing them down like lead. At last, they felt a breeze, the smell of a forest drifting on the faint wind.

However, none of them noticed the villain waiting around the corner. A humongous fist shot out from behind the wall and grabbed the nearest hero. Tokoyami slammed against the wall, cracking it on impact. Dazed, he slid down the wall as the villain removed his hand and stepped into the hall. 

He was a giant, barely fitting in the cramped tunnels. He was as tall as a tower yet had to slouch in the tunnels. Short, white hair covered his muscular body. His sharp horns shone in the dim underground lighting. His cow-like face curved up in a smile. “Master said there were bugs causin’ trouble. Think I found them,” he said in a low, gravelly voice.

Before Aizawa could stop them, Midoriya and Bakugou rushed forward, launching attack after powerful attack. But each kick or explosion irritated their target, unfazed by their efforts.

“Damn flies,” he muttered, squashing Bakugou with the wave of a giant hand. The other caught Midoriya. The reckless kid struggled and squirmed in his grasp like a worm. The villain threw him down on Bakugou, who was just starting to get back up, knocking them to the ground.

Asui quickly lept into action, snatching the two out from under the villain and back to the group. Yaoyorozu and Uraraka immediately assessed their injuries. Tokoyami had started to get back up. He was ready to fight again until he saw the state of his teammates. Their most powerful close-combat fighters were down or unable to fight, leaving him, Todoroki, and Aizawa to face off against the giant.

Kirishima growled and positioned himself between the villain and his classmates, activating his quirk with what little energy he had left. Kaminari hung to the back with Todoroki, ready to protect their friends. It was ill-advised to use their quirks now. Kaminari was too close to his limit and didn't want to electrocute anyone. Todoroki would fight if he absolutely had to. Flames would only fill the hall with smoke, and Yaoyorozu didn't have enough energy left to create masks for everyone. Ice would freeze everyone except him. Or the villain could break it, deadly icicles ready to pierce anyone in their path. Plus, their opponent blocked their only way out.

“I am the Chianina, strongest of the Bulls,” the large villain growled, beating his chest proudly. “Challenge me if you dare!” 

“What now, Aizawa-sensei?” whispered Tokoyami as he carefully rejoined the group. 

Aizawa studied the villain before them. He was sturdy and undoubtedly had the strength to pummel them into dust. His animal-based mutant quirk gave him an advantage in close combat, which wasn’t good for them. Close-combat wasn’t an option, and their only long-range fighters couldn’t utilize their abilities in this enclosed, cramped space. 

“Protect your classmates and escape as soon as you can,” Aizawa said quickly. “I’ll give you an opening.”

“But Sensei--”

Before Tokoyami could protest, Aizawa rushed forward. He nimbly dodged his opponent’s swings, darting around him. He whipped out a knife and sliced his legs, torso, and any other area he could reach. Any time the Chianina tried to attack his students, Aizawa would use his capture weapon to stop him.

Soon, the villain got annoyed. With a roar, he swung. This punch was much faster and stronger than before, so Aizawa didn't have time to avoid the attack. The Chianina’s fist rammed into Aizawa’s face. Pain exploded from his nose and his goggles shattered. 

With a small growl, Aizawa charged again, completely ignoring the pain. Since his quirk wouldn't help against a mutant, he put all his energy into fighting the giant in front of him. However, his attacks weren't as successful as before. The villain had already learned his attack pattern, and Aizawa was easily overpowered. Effortlessly, the Chianina ripped his capture weapon with a swing of his massive horns. He barreled into Aizawa and choke slammed him, pinning him down. The force knocked the knives out of Aizawa’s grasp.

The Chianina laughed triumphantly. “Got you know, little fly.”

“Aizawa-sensei!” cried Midoriya. Before he or any other student of Class 2-A could rush over to help, Aizawa activated his quirk with a glare that said, Move and you’re expelled. He met each and every one of his students’ eyes as his vision began to blur.

Midoriya was barely able to hold back his anger. Uraraka tried to stifle her sobs. Yaoyorozu cried in Todoroki’s arms as he gave a slight nod to his teacher, determination and regret ablaze in his eyes. Kirishima held back a raging Bakugou, struggling to contain his own tears. Kaminari was too shocked to move, squeezing Shinso’s hand as if he were his life line. Shinso trembled, his lips pressed in a grimace of fear and understanding. Asui did her best to keep Tokoyami calm as he grappled with Dark Shadow and his emotions, terrified of what was to come. 

The sound of stampeding footsteps echoed through the halls. The villain smiled, pushing harder on Aizawa. A strangled noise escaped Aizawa’s throat. He clawed at the huge hands around his neck in a futile attempt to free himself.

The giant villain roared with laughter. “You can’t save him now, little heroes. My buddies are coming for me, and they’ll enjoy killing you boys. But not before we have our fun with the girls!” He roared with disgusting  laughter

 “Go!” Aizawa grunted, the wind escaping his lungs and not returning. “Don’t… get caught!”

For a moment, none of his students moved. Todoroki was the first to take action, scooping up Yaoyorozu and sprinting. The second to hop into action was Asui. Taking Tokoyami by the hand, she wrapped her tongue around Kaminari and Shinso and dragged them to the exit. Kirishima effortlessly carried Bakugou, who had stilled at his teacher’s demand, over his shoulder. Uraraka was next, alleviating Asui’s burden by nullifying the gravity of those she carried. She pulled at Midoriya, but he wouldn’t budge. Tears streamed down his freckled cheeks, a mix of emotions swirling in his mind, plans and calculations running through his brain. 

That Problem Child, stubborn as ever. Aizawa glared harder at him. Midoriya flinched a little, eyes fixed on his teacher.

Leave. I’ll catch up, I promise, Aizawa’s gaze said.

That finally got Midoriya to allow himself to be led away by Uraraka. “We’ll be waiting, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku called, “so make sure you come back, too!”

The villain’s reinforcements arrived just as Class 2-A’s footsteps disappeared. Aizawa couldn’t focus on what was happening anymore. His oxygen-deprived body was numb, yet burned and screamed for air.  Nothing he could do would save him. Both he and his students knew that, yet he was glad they had still listened to him. 

Now that they were safe, Aizawa stopped trying. Every action tired him like he had gone 72 hours with no sleep and no coffee. Instead, he just laid there beneath the villain’s grasp. He couldn’t see anything anymore.

Aizawa could vaguely hear the villains mocking him, but he didn't care. Tears pricked at his eyes, cascading down his cheeks, full of lost warmth and fresh regret. But he couldn’t feel the Chianina’s grip on his throat. He couldn’t feel his aching bones. He couldn’t feel anything but burning desire to win this fight, to leave, to go back to his family.

There was so much he still wanted to do before he died. He wanted to open a cafe with Hizashi when they retired. He wanted to adopt Eri soon, so she could be surrounded by love and cats for the rest of her life. He wanted to help his Problem Child learn how to love himself more. He wanted to do the same for so many of his students... There was still so much he had left to teach his class, still so much he wanted to tell them. But now, Aizawa had run out of time.

Sorry, kids. I don’t think I’m getting out of this. But I’m glad it was me, not you...

----------

Hizashi was worried. It had been hours since Aizawa and a few students of 2-A had left for their mission. He didn't know the details, but he knew 12 fucking hours was way too long. No one had been able to contact them, not even the Hero Commission. Hizashi and the rest of Class 2-A—Iida, Jiro, Koda, Soji, Hagakure, Ashido, Ojiro, Sero, Aoyama, and Sato—had gathered in the dorms. They found little solace in each others’ presence, fretting over their classmates’ and teacher’s safety.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, the missing students stumbling through. Immediately, Hizashi knew something was wrong. His students were beaten, bruised, and absolutely broken. They barely made it through the door before they collapsed into each other’s arms. They were all gasping for air, fatigued and weeping. Even Todoroki and Bakugou were shamelessly crying. Their worried classmates rushed to their sides, relieved they were back.

“We were so worried! No one could contact you for hours!”

“Oh my god, why didn't you guys go to the hospital? Look at you!”

“Thank god you’re back! Where were you?”

“Hey… are you okay?”

Hizashi quickly counted everyone. Kaminari, Asui, Shinso, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Midoriya, Uraraka, Todoroki, Bakugou, and Tokoyami—good, everyone returned. They were safe within the walls of UA… but where was Shota? Where was his husband?

Hizashi didn't want to press the students, seeing as they were exhausted physically and emotionally. But panic began to rise in his chest. Every second that passed when his husband didn't walk through the door filled him with dread. He studied the little heroes, noting every scratch and bandaged wound. Their injuries were serious but not fatal, and Hizashi wondered why Shota hadn’t made them go directly to the hospital.

Midoriya abruptly stood and made his way over to Hizashi, careful not to step on his sobbing teammates. A few watched with concern as he met Hizashi’s eyes with a grim expression on his tear-stained face.

“Present Mic-sensei,” he said quietly. “Aizawa-sensei…”

He struggled to bring himself to speak, but the tears came back in full force. Instead, he reached into his pocket and handed it’s contents to Hizashi.

Shota’s goggles. A few small pieces of it, anyway. 

Hizashi forgot to breathe. He stared at the yellow pieces, cradling them as if they were a fragile child. His husband’s goggles… his husband was okay, right? I mean, this isn't the first time his goggles have been smashed, rationalized Hizashi. Granted, the last time they were broken had been when Oboro...

Died.

“Mic-sensei.” Midoriya’s voice sounded light years away, chattering a mile a minute. “We got trapped in a labyrinth of tunnels that the yakuza used to secretly transport quirk-enhancing drugs and we tried to contact the Commission but communications were jammed so we just had to look for an exit. Then we finally found one and we thought we were finally going to get out of there. We let our guard down. I let my guard down. And we didn't notice a giant villain waiting to ambush us. He was so strong and we were so tired and he had a bull mutant quirk that made him really, really strong. He called himself the Chianina. Aizawa-sensei was forced to confront him to save us but the villain was stronger and we escaped and waited for him but he never caught up like he promised and I—” Midoriya cut himself off, barely able to form coherent words. He took a deep, shaky breath, fighting back another wave of sobs and steeling himself. Sad eyes met unbelieving ones as Hizashi tried his best to hold it together. 

“I’m sorry, Mic-sensei. He’s gone.”

[thatonebirdwrites]

*KNOCKS ON WOOD*

I just got on disability. It is literally saving my life as it was backdated far enough so that I can go on Medicare next month. The backpay I used for an accessible bathroom. It pays my housing, utilities, healthcare bills, pet costs, and food/amenities. Without it I'm kind of fucked and won't be able to afford the meds I need. I fear the worst. But then, it's not like I haven't faced off with Death and Pain before. Those two play a long game with me, and so far I'm winning. But why do I fear the worst?

Project 2025's changes are fairly lethal and damaging to the survival of most marginalized populations, and especially disabled people. Trumpocalypse filled his advisors with Project 2025 assholes. If not Project 2025, they'll try to destroy as much of the government's social programs to harm the most vulnerable people because they're cruel. They tried that last time and judges stopped them, but they packed the courts last time. So we'll see who is left to act as obstructions. Seems they're starting with a major spectacle of ICE raids. WEird TikTok shenanigans. And stopping all NIH grant funding. This means the research on my chronic illnesses no longer has funding. Whether they can continue any current research is unknown. Whether I'll ever see treatments or cures in my lifetime is unknown. Whether research on my chronic illness will continue or whether Trumpocalypse decides it should be cut is unknown. The treatment I have currently is not great but it's keeping me alive. I had high hopes on the research finding better treatments, and maybe even getting in on a LongCovid study. That hope is dashed as Trumpocalypse mentioned wanting to cease/defund research on infectious diseases (including Covid and LongCovid and Sars and bird flu). We already don't have a pandemic response team because Biden failed to rebuild that. Instead, he doubled down on Trumpocalypse-like policies of denial and obfuscation and defunding. Friends died because of these shitty policies. And now, just as disabled folks predicted, Trumpocalypse is tearing down what they can to cause the most harm. This is a Death Administration, who are okay with us dying as long as billionaires profit. it'll be a miracle if I survive these four years. But then I've survived: Falling off a 500 foot bluff, drowning in Gulf of Mexico, SA, death threats, knocked unconscious due to falling face-first into concrete, transphobic attack, lost in the wilderness for a day with no water, hospitalized due to suicide attempt, hospitalized due to temporary paralyzation of right side... Death and I got this deal, you see. We play tag. I've been winning so far, but I'm not sure how much longer that'll last. You see, Death sneaked in a cheat -- LongCovid and my other nasty chronic illnesses -- so we'll see who wins this next few rounds. Since I need to finish my fics, I'm determined to win. Got a few tricks up my sleeve.

[dare-to-dm]

Xbox Research

Okay, someone just asked me if my research into xbox games from both the 360 and xbox one era revealed any changes in demographic trends between those two generations.  So now I get to rant about my results!

First!  I will describe the data I was tracking.  I made a list of all the games officially released for both of those systems at the time I started the research.  This came out to about 2000 games for the Xbox 360 and about 4500 games for the Xbox One.

Then I started categorizing each game based on the following factors.

Genre: I chose 27 genres for this project, and allowed each game to get a maximum of 3

Mode: Each game was designated as Single Player, Multiplayer, or Both

Protagonist Gender: Classified as Male, Female, Player’s Choice, Unknown, or Not Applicable

Protagonist Race: Classified as White, Person of Color, Player’s Choice, Unknown, or Not Applicable

I’m going to put the rest of this under a Read More, because there is A LOT

I say I “started” categorizing them, because I will be honest and admit that I did not fully complete all this data for every game in the data set.  I prioritized my research by which games were the most popular, ranked by how many players in my data set had played them.  I did get all of this information for every game played by at least one person in my data set, which comes out to about 3100 games fully categorized.

As for my player data, I took 90 players (45 self identified men and 45 self identified women) and used their achievement data to track which games they played.  This differentiates my data from a lot of stuff that’s widely available because rather than tracking sales, I was tracking what people actually played.  If there’s anything I’ve learned in my years as a gamer, it’s that there’s a big difference between what people buy and what they play.

Anyway, on to the trends!

Genres Rise, Genres Fall

The top genres between to the two systems were fairly consistent.  Top 5 for the 360 were Shooters, Sports Games, Action Adventure, Brawler/Hack’n’Slash, and Racing/Driving Games, in that order.

For the Xbox One, the top genres were Shooters, Action Adventure Games, Platformers, Roleplaying Games, and Sports Games, in that order.

The biggest difference between the two system generations is that producing indie games for console became a lot easier in recent years.  So, not only do we have a lot more games overall for the Xbox One, but many of those are from smaller studios.  I believe this is why platformers crack the top 5 in the One era, and why sports game fell from the 2 spot to the 5 spot.

Some genres did have a dramatic shift in popularity between the 2 systems.  Walking Sims functionally didn’t exist in the 360 era, but there are a full 32 of them in my data set for the One (and they continue to grow in popularity - I believe the number/ranking would be higher if I had continued to track this to the current day).

Party Games (defined as more casual games meant to be played with local multiplayer for short sessions) dropped massively in popularity.  This is no surprise given the shift to online gaming and many franchises dropping split screen capabilities.

Music/Rhythm games also had a massive drop in popularity.  Again, no surprise.  Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Dance Central were once huge franchises, but now there aren’t really any equivalent major releases.

Classic Adventure Games (defined as character/choice driven games with stories but no or little action) have risen in popularity.  Again, this is largely driven by the expansion of indie titles in the space.

Simulation games, survival games and visual novels have also become more popular.  I would argue that survival wasn’t really an established genre in the 360 days, but it definitely is now.

ALSO: The prevalence of game modes has shifted greatly!  In the 360 era, games largely needed to have both single player and multiplayer modes, with fully 71% of games falling into this category.  That has shifted over the years, with only 37% of games for the XBox One era having both.  Numerically and percentage wise, exclusively single player games are on the rise.  That being said, only one exclusively single player game (Fallout 4) cracked the top 20 most played list.  The 360 era had 3 single players games in the top 20 (Hexic HD, The Walking Dead and Assassin’s Creed).  So those publishers who claim that single player titles just don’t sell as well anymore?  You might not like it, but they aren’t lying.

The Glass Ceiling For Women Was Raised a Few Inches

When it comes to gender representation in games, my results largely speak for themselves.

360 Games With

Male Protagonists: 46%

Female Protagonists: 4%

Player Choice: 36%

Not Applicable: 9%

Unknown: 5%

Xbox One Games With

Male Protagonists: 33%

Female Protagonists: 11%

Player Choice: 32%

Not Applicable: 17%

Unknown: 7%

So, women are getting a bigger market share of protagonists these days, but it’s still only a small percentage.

Also, I will note that Player Choice is not always as equitable as it sounds.  In addition to games where you get to create your character, any game with multiple playable characters and even one female option was put into this category.  So, for example, a Dragon Ball Z fighting game with 20 characters would count even if only one of them was a woman.  This type of thing was (and still is) pretty common.

And this probably goes without saying, but for all my gender neutral folks, nonbinary options were not purposefully excluded from this study.  Rather, there were so few relevant examples that any few that could count got lumped in the Not Applicable Category (which also included protagonists of species with alternative gender dynamics).

Things Not Getting Much Better for People of Color

The numbers here are bleak.

Xbox 360 Games With

White Protagonists: 35%

POC Protagonists: 4%

Player Choice Protagonists: 37%

Not Applicable Protagonists: 18%

Unknown Protagonists: 5%

Xbox One Games With

White Protagonists: 35%

POC Protagonists: 4%

Player Choice Protagonists: 26%

Not Applicable Protagonists: 27%

Unknown Protagonists: 8%

As you can see, by market share, people of color have not made any gains.  In fact, if you look at games that give you a choice, there has been a backslide!  I will note that I think this number can largely be explained by the rise of indie games on the platform, however.  Character creation clearly comes with a higher development cost than many indies can afford.  And, well, frankly a lot of stuff indie studios are producing isn’t more progressive in this aspect anyway. 

While these numbers are not promising, there is one area in which things are not as bad as they look.  Namely, popular and triple AAA games are getting more diverse, at least through the avenue of letting your create your own protagonist.

In the 360 era, 7 of the top 10 games features canonically white male protagonists.  You don’t get to a canonically nonwhite protagonist until number 14 on the list (Lee, from the Walking Dead).

In the X Box One era, only 3 of the top 10 games features canonically white male protagonists.  The rest let you choose.  (Lee from Walking Dead is still the most played canonical nonwhite protagonist, followed by Kait Diaz in Gears 5 and Beatrix LeBeaux in Slime Rancher).

This category was particularly fraught because race can be subjective.  For example, can we really say that Kait Diaz qualifies as a person of color?  We’re talking about a franchise that takes place in a fictional earthlike setting, so we don’t have any real history to pull from.  Her skin tone is ambiguous and her voice actress is white.  But I feel her name and design puts her in the category of latino coded, and after a discussion with someone who actually played the game, that’s where I put her.

There were a lot of cases like this in this category, so do look at these numbers with a grain of salt knowing that I often had to make a judgement call as to how to classify a character, and other people may have made different judgement calls.

ANYWAY if anyone has any questions about any of the data I collected, please let me know because I could talk about this all day.