#these must be checkmate era?

[cherry-yunas]

I’ve never seen her look that dead serious before lol

[xagave]

pleasepleaseplease recommend some danphan fics!!

Sorry these are on ff.net I was into danphan before AO3 was really A Thing. Invisobang also just completed and a whole wack of new fics are also now out for your enjoyment so I suggest taking a look there too Lab Rat - Danny (as Phantom) is captured by his parents and vivisected in the lab. THE MOST iconic dp fic from this era of fandom and also the first dp fic I ever read which single-handedly got me into the fandom. I also recommend anything else by this author[sequel]

Pits - Danny is captured by Walker and thrown into the Pits to fight for his life. HANDS DOWN my all time favorite dp fic. I drew a bunch of fanart for it and never showed the author LMAO [sequel]

In The Way - A twisted tale of a summer spent all alone

Wondering - Danny's been captured and tortured by his parents, but he refuses to say a word until his psychiatrist starts connecting the dots. Can he risk keeping it a secret any longer?

Dreams of Light - A cute box ghost fic with a fun twist at the end

Phantom's Sketchbook - Mr. Lancer finds himself in an unparalleled situation, he has access to something which can give him incredible insight into the personal workings of Amity Park's local ghost teen hero, Danny Phantom

Masks - Lancer has had enough of his most enigmatic, frustrating student Daniel Fenton and forces him to stay in detention with him until Danny tells him The Truth. A story examining Danny's relationship with the human race. Another BIG FAVE of mine [sequel]

Darkness - Part 1 of Illuminations saga. [part 2][part 3][part 4] Maddie and Phantom are trapped in the dark and must work together to avoid dying. I don't remember much about this but I do remember it being super creepy and I bulldozed my way through all 4 parts so it must have been good lol

I'm Still Here - Danny's been locked away in a forgotten thermos, buried in the backyard for 70 years. When he's finally released, happy isn't the word he'd use to describe his new life

Real Life - A very creepy take on ghosts and the events of the show, where they're more inhuman, feral, and scary. I don't remember much about this but it's unfinished

Lopeholt - Valerie must survived the night in the third scariest place on earth. **VERY** creepy, I remember reading this in the dark and it gave me nightmares. Another top fave. I def recommend reading anything else by this author

Running to the Enemy's Arms - Danny runs away and ends up on the doorstep of the person who's dead last on his list of favorite people - Vlad. Danny/Vlad father son relationship. A fun and interesting view of what Danny's life would be like had he been the son Vlad always wanted. Incomplete but also another BIG FAVE of mine. Tolerate the first 1-2 chapters and the rest is golden

Checkmate - Vlad forces Danny to leave everything behind in order to save Jazz's life. But just when the billionaire believes to have won his chess game against his young rival, Danny makes a single unexpected move.

A Secret Uncovered - Danny's transformation is caught on tape and now the whole town knows who he is Photoshop - Dash and Kwan find an old class picture and start having a little too much fun on Photoshop. Will someone's secret be revealed?

Chained - It starts with a fire at the Guys in White headquarters, where a vengeful Valerie stumbles across an imprisoned Danny Phantom. It starts with injustice. But what happens when justice and revenge are confused for one another? Where does a hero end, and a villain begin?

Phantom of Truth - Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her subject, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth… except, perhaps, herself [Sequel]

The Soul Sepulchre - Something foul is stirring in Amity Park and it all starts in the bowels of Amity Park's Museum of Natural History

Moral Code - Moral code says to never kill or capture a specimen that you did not weaken yourself. Maddie finds Danny Phantom wounded late at night after a hard battle. After she helps him, she finds there is more to him than she ever thought possible. Mother/son bonding

Connections - Maddie knows that the Booo-merang has keyed into Danny, for whatever reason, so what's she to think when she sees it collide with Phantom? [Sequel]

Isolated - It's just a wish that's been granted with the wrong twist, but for Danny, it's a nightmare that's become reality. He's stuck as Phantom, his family's hunting him, and everyone who can help him is gone

Little Earthquakes - They say that a man is defined by what he does when he thinks nobody's looking. Does the same hold true for ghosts?

Tortured Truth - Danny's parents discover that the ghost boy is half human. Now that they've captured Danny, will he submit to torture and reveal himself, or is the revelation just the beginning of their problems? [Sequel]

Estrelas - AU. Sam's attention is captured by a lonely ghost haunting her grandmother's attic…and discovering his secrets will take everything she has.

Criteria of Life - Every living thing must follow the Laws of Life; however, Maddie wonders if Phantom can somehow follow these laws as well. The fact that he is a ghost is putting a knick in her plans, but what if Phantom can follow the Laws of Life?

[havendance]

Caged Birds

ao3 | superlove | cffa

AN: Take some quick Spyral-era Nighthunt set during the Grayson: Futures End oneshot. (@thereisanangelinheaven -- malihah this one goes out to you! <3 Grayson: Futures end...)

“How did we get here, Helena?” Dick whispered. “I never thought I'd end up here. I never thought…”

Helena hummed, pressing herself closer to him. It was a private room. Or at least, as private as they ever got. Rank had its privileges. “The war's over,” she said.

“I used to think I'd be home by now and yet here I am.”

“Here we both are.” Her hair was warm against his chest. “Needs must.”

“But the KGBeast?”

Helena looked up. “It's not polite,” she said. “He's the president now.”

“You fought him too,” Dick said. “We both did, back in the day.” He closed his eyes. “I miss Gotham.” Five long years. He'd never thought he'd be in Spyral this long. He never thought he would be dead this long.

“I do too.” Helena had been here even longer than he had. There before him, on the bidding of her own masters. Checkmate, she'd confided in him long ago, pulling on a string she'd never managed to sever. Dick couldn't remember the last time he'd heard from Bruce. Helena never said if she was similarly stranded.

“I miss Tim.” Damian dead in the ground, Barbara, Cass. He'd never thought he'd be leaving them this long.

She was quiet.

“The war's over. Maybe we could go back.”

Helena snorted. “You're a real idiot sometimes, Grayson.”

“It's optimism. What do we even do now?”

“The same as we always do, survive. Do what we can.”

That's what she said when they'd joined the Russians in the first place. It's the only way. We survive and we bring those Earth-2 bastards down any way we can. She'd kissed him, then. He'd taken what comfort he could in it.

“Keep doing the Beast's dirty work, you mean.”

She kissed him now. Small comfort again. “Dick,” she said when she pulled back for breath. “I want us to live. I don't want you ending up on the wrong end of a rope because you couldn't hold your tongue.”

“That's how my parents died, you know,” he said absentmindedly. “On the wrong end of a rope.”

She kissed him again. Briefer, this time. “Learn to lie. Don't join them.”

“I lie all the time.”

“You could fool me.”

Helena was the only one he could be honest with anymore.

“It's about responsibility,” he said, staring up at the ceiling. “You saw Kiev.”

“Terrorists.”

“Like you believe that.”

She huffed. “This is why you need to learn how to lie.”

“Nightwing wouldn't have stood for it. The Huntress wouldn't have stood for it.”

Helena pulled away. “The Huntress is dead and so is Nightwing. We're all that's left.”

Helena had told him once, in the desert, that you let a man live and you give up responsibility for him. He goes out and kills again, because you wouldn't do what needed to be done. Bruce had told him once, in the cave, that you kill a man and you give up responsibility. You kill a man and he's gone forever. Dick had done too much of both over the years. Where did all of that responsibility lie?

“Rumor has it they're going to give you a medal,” Helena said. He'd been quiet for too long.

“I don't need a medal.”

“It means you're important,” she said. “It means we survive another day.”

Dick wasn't sure how much he cared about that any more. Responsibility. He imagined it: dying on the wrong end of a rope. “I want to go home,” he said.

“This is home now. I’m home now. Don’t leave me.”

Dick leaned in. “I love you.”

Helena smiled. “Love you too.” And then there were things to think about other than responsibility and blood. For the night, it could just be them, no dreams of falling.

[demifiendrsa]

The Thing: Remastered Announcement Trailer

The remastered version of the 2002-released horror third-person shooter will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam in 2024.

Key visual

Screenshots

Overview

About

The Thing: Remastered is a faithful restoration of the cult-classic 2002 third-person survival horror shooter game inspired by Universal Pictures and filmmaker John Carpenter’s genre-defining 1982 film, The Thing. Nightdive Studios has upgraded this horrifying classic for the modern era through its proprietary KEX Engine for play on current-generation gaming devices up to a 4K resolution at 120FPS. Improvements to character models, textures, and animations have been hand-crafted by Nightdive Studios, with the implementation of advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects—for a suspenseful and disgustingly detailed remaster that reanimates the thrilling game for modern audiences.

In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them… or himself.

Key Features

Return to U.S. Outpost #31 – Continue the story of The Thing and face off against terrifying monsters, from scuttling head-spiders and human-like walkers to gigantic multi-tentacled level bosses.

Who Goes There? – Command a squad of up to four NPCs from Soldier, Medic, and Engineer character classes through the game’s 11 frightening levels.

The Warmest Place to Hide – Someone in your squad may not be who they appear to be. The shape-shifting alien hides inside an imitation, so keep a watchful eye.

Don’t Lose It – Gain the trust of your squad members and minimize their fear levels lest they become defiant or, worse, succumb to paranoia.

Ultimate Alien Terror – Upgraded models, textures, and animations hand-crafted by Nightdive, plus enhanced lighting and atmospheric effects.

Stunning Visuals – Up to 4K 120 frames per second visuals on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Checkmate – Trophies and Achievements on Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

[satoshi-mochida]

The Thing: Remastered announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC - Gematsu

Nightdive Studios has announced The Thing: Remastered, a remastered version of the 2002-released horror third-person shooter. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam in 2024.

Here is an overview of the game, via Nightdive Studios:

“Many of us at Nightdive Studios are ardent fans of the horror genre, so it’s been an incredible honor to work within the world of the iconic The Thing,” said Nightdive Studios’ director of business development Larry Kuperman in a press release. “The 1982 film is a masterpiece and truly one of the most impactful pieces of art in the horror genre. With The Thing: Remastered, we’re honoring that legacy and Computer Artworks’ incredible game inspired by the story that further expanded the lore.”

About

The Thing: Remastered is a faithful restoration of the cult-classic 2002 third-person survival horror shooter game inspired by Universal Pictures and filmmaker John Carpenter’s genre-defining 1982 film, The Thing. Nightdive Studios has upgraded this horrifying classic for the modern era through its proprietary KEX Engine for play on current-generation gaming devices up to a 4K resolution at 120FPS. Improvements to character models, textures, and animations have been hand-crafted by Nightdive Studios, with the implementation of advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects—for a suspenseful and disgustingly detailed remaster that reanimates the thrilling game for modern audiences. In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them… or himself.

Key Features

Return to U.S. Outpost #31 – Continue the story of The Thing and face off against terrifying monsters, from scuttling head-spiders and human-like walkers to gigantic multi-tentacled level bosses.

Who Goes There? – Command a squad of up to four NPCs from Soldier, Medic, and Engineer character classes through the game’s 11 frightening levels.

The Warmest Place to Hide – Someone in your squad may not be who they appear to be. The shape-shifting alien hides inside an imitation, so keep a watchful eye.

Don’t Lose It – Gain the trust of your squad members and minimize their fear levels lest they become defiant or, worse, succumb to paranoia.

Ultimate Alien Terror – Upgraded models, textures, and animations hand-crafted by Nightdive, plus enhanced lighting and atmospheric effects.

Stunning Visuals – Up to 4K 120 frames per second visuals on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Checkmate – Trophies and Achievements on Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

[queenretcon]

do you have any bea reading suggestions?

read fire & ice: welcome to smallville #1 IN STORES NOW

Now that that’s out of the way, the easiest way to jump on with Bea is to read Justice League International/Justice League America (same book, different titles).

(rest going under a cut bc I have a lot of things to say about Beatriz da costa surprising no one)

She was in comics before then (Super Friends & Infinity Inc), but the version of her that was a main character and that ‘stuck’ really starts with JLI. She first appears in Justice League International #12, which is also Tora’s first appearance, and she stays on the team until the book ends with #113. She’s the longest serving member! If you’re looking for her coming-out-arc-that-wasn’t based on my last post, that run starts with #93 though I always have to give the warning that it’s permanently out of print because of the actions of the writer.

The spin-off book Justice League Quarterly is also a must read for her. She’s not in every story since it’s an anthology but she appears in most issues and a lot of my favorite Fire stories are from that book (#2, 5, 7, & 10 in particular).

After the JL is rebooted, she bounces around books a little more. One story I think is required reading that’s easy to miss is Showcase ‘96 #7.

The Super Buddies arcs (Formerly Known as the Justice League & then JLA Classified #4-9) are. Uh. Reasonably controversial, but I have a line about her from JLA Classified as a tattoo so I’m fake as hell if I don’t recommend it.

At the same time as that, Ted’s stupid ass gets shot and causes problems for everyone. Most of her appearances were written by Greg Rucka for a while who I think handled her well largely, including her 52 appearances, OMAC Project, and Checkmate (where she reunites with Tora! yay!). I also like her small inclusions in Blue Beetle 2006.

After that it gets, uh, dire. She’s in Generation Lost which is racist but some people like it. Then the universe reboots and she’s in Justice League International (2011) which one could charitably call mid. Justice League 3000/3001 have a LOT of issues and are also an AU, but I would recommend reading at least issues #12-15 of JL 3000 since it’s a continuation of her Super Buddies story that makes me cry.

And now we’re basically here! With Power Girl Special #1 which led into Welcome to Smallville. As someone who lived through the Dark Ages, I would say now’s a good time to start reading Bea comics! If any of this was unclear, feel free to shoot me any follow up questions (there’s a lot of stories and crossovers contained in that JLA #12-113 era that can be confused)!

Do not fucking read The Human Target I am so serious do not.

[stickydreamermusic]

No dia do banquete no palácio deon ficou doente e não conseguiu ir criando um grande efeito borboleta no mundo...

Deon estáva na sua cama pensando em como foi ruim ele pegar uma gripe assim do nada, mal sabia ele que essa tinha sido a melhor coisa que aconteceu na sua vida, alguns anos depois disso Eduardo Deserte se tornou o imperador mais conhecido como o tirano que declarou que de agora em diante aquele reino se chamaria Império e logo após isso declarou guerra

Era mais um dia feliz um mês após o aniversário de 14 anos de deon ele e seu irmão cruel estavam no jardim jogando xadrez...

" Hi xeque-mate! " disse cruel vitorioso

"Ha por que eu nunca consigo ganhar?" Disse deon triste e derrotado

Cruel agora tinha 17 anos ( por seu irmão não se afastar da família eles conversam muito mais e tem uma ótima relação) e deon tinha 14 anos ( por nunca ter sido espancado e chamado de monstro ele tem uma autoestima melhor do que no universo original e tem uma relação melhor com a sua família )

"...Deon....eu... Preciso te falar uma coisa.." cruel disse isso com um pouco de tristeza na voz , antes de deon se dar conta o ar do lugar ficou tenso

"Deon... você notou que os nossos pais tem ficado muito mais ocupados ultimamente não é?"disse cruel que não estava mais feliz como antes

"Sim eu notei mas isso não é esperado com todas essas coisas sobre o novo imperador e tal? " disse deon

"Deon...eu vou para a guerra " deon não podia acreditar no que seu irmão avia dito, ele sabia sobre a guerra mas não sabia que o seu irmão teria que ir

" O que!? Quando!? Por que!?" Dizer que deon ficou chocado era pouco

"O imperador ordenou que um filho de cada família Nobre deve ir para guerra, e os soldados imperiais viram me buscar mais tarde hoje mesmo"

Depois de muita conversa sobre o porque cruel teria que ir, já era hora dos soldados o buscarem , seus pais e as empregadas e servos do condado Hart se reuniram para dar "adeus" para cruel, deon chorou muito quando viu seu irmão sendo levado pelos soldados, deon queria ir no lugar do seu irmão para ele não precisar passar por aquele inferno, depois daquele dia deon jurou que ficaria mais forte para poder proteger sua família e todos os que ele ama para assim seu irmão não precisar proteger a todos sozinho.

On the day of the banquet at the palace, Deon fell ill and was unable to continue creating a huge butterfly effect in the world...

Deon was in his bed thinking about how bad it was that he caught the flu out of nowhere, little did he know that this had been the best thing that happened in his life, a few years after that Eduardo Deserte became the emperor better known as the tyrant who declared that from now on that kingdom would be called the Empire and soon after that he declared war

It was another happy day, a month after Deon's 14th birthday, he and his cruel brother were in the garden playing chess...

" Hi checkmate! " said cruel victoriously

"Ha why can I never win?" Said deon sad and defeated

Cruel was now 17 years old (because his brother doesn't stay away from the family they talk a lot more and have a great relationship) and Deon was 14 years old (because he was never beaten and called a monster he has better self-esteem than in the original universe and have a better relationship with your family)

"...Deon....I...I need to tell you something.." Cruel said this with a little sadness in his voice, before Deon realized it the air in the place became tense

"Deon... you've noticed that our parents have gotten a lot busier lately, haven't you?" he said cruelly, he wasn't as happy as he used to be.

"Yes I noticed but isn't that expected with all this stuff about the new emperor and such?" said deon

"Deon...I'm going to war" Deon couldn't believe what his brother had said, he knew about the war but he didn't know that his brother would have to go

"What!? When!? Why!?" To say that Deon was shocked was an understatement.

"The Emperor has ordered that one son from each Noble family must go to war, and the Imperial soldiers came to pick me up later today."

After a lot of talk about why Cruel would have to go, it was time for the soldiers to pick him up, his parents and the maids and servants of Hart County gathered to say "goodbye" to Cruel, Deon cried a lot when he saw his brother being taken away by the soldiers, deon wanted to go in his brother's place so he wouldn't have to go through that hell, after that day deon swore he would get stronger so he could protect his family and everyone he loves so his brother wouldn't have to protect everyone alone.

[mihai-florescu]

whyyyyyyy are we having a switch-eden tour when BOTH the switch and eden climaxes are still yet to happen

I guess that leaves the ryuseitai and knights climaxes next but i was hoping i'd be able to save some dia for those.....guess not anymore. Either that or they randomly shove even more tours between the climax events for some breaks

We deserve a MaM climax as well i think. Let it be the very last one, surprising everyone like a dagger stabbing you from the back

I found the natsume and ibara 5star choices odd too at this time but oh well. There is definitely going to be one more tour, my bet's on valentines day, but im not sure on the order of climaxes...

My theory rn is 1-1 the ibanatsu tour, 1-2 kanata climax, 2-1 sora climax, 2-2 valentines day tour, 3-1 tsukasa climax, 3-2 nagisa climax (march could be swapped depending on when checkmate anime comes out actually), 4-1 alkakurei tour. Wait but this leaves one more event in the rotation for 4-2 right? The new one always starts at the end of april/ beginning of may no? So.....what event am i missing......... maybe you are getting that mam event afterall lmao. Or not actually im taking it back from you we're getting the first kaname center event. I said so, and it must happen. I think a mam climax would be redundant, we already wrapped up for him in the double face event, where he realised he needs a new identity and cant in fact me mama (Also, the df album already had the mam songs and his solo. So from a marketing perspective theyre not gonna do a surprise mam climax, i dont think. But who knows what happyele are thinking, truly).

When mam does come back it will definitely take another form, a rebranding. I can see it being one of the early !!! stories too. Very Veery curious how we're doing the change of eras this time, im just speaking out of my ass with speculations here

[clay-cuttlefish]

Finishing out Rebirth. Turns out this is actually a pretty decent era, things only get really rough in Infinite Frontier.

Lois Lane #6

Have I mentioned that this series is good? It's good. Lois is the best.

#7

I like that the blue mist accentuates how inhuman Renee must seem to the people she fights without being too weird. The facelessness has lost its creep factor after hundreds of issues.

"I feel like you could have handled that better." Lmao.

It's very funny that Renee is, like, Clark's wife's work friend that he met at a gathering once. They've been In A Comic Together before, but they're barely acquaintances. It's nice when the Questions are sort of tangential to the wider hero world.

#8

Big fan of the flirty skeleton assassin fight.

Clark and Lois are such a good couple it's ridiculous.

#9

Renee going from being awkward and impressed by Superman to bossing Batman around with a shit eating grin is great. The brooding doesn't work on her, dude, she knows you're cringe.

I'm amazed how well the series handles its tone shifts. It moves from dumb banter with Batman to a look at the harm done by ICE to meeting a witch within one issue is a lot.

#10

This explanation of the multiverse is the only reason I have any confidence in my understanding of canon.

It does such a good job engaging with how weird it is to live in a world where retcons happen and how that'd affect people outside of dramatic cosmic events and sweeping hero drama.

Helenarenee real <3333

The big multiverse spread also has Batwoman, The Shadow, and Flash-ish Renees, which is a neat little assortment.

#11

This twist should probably feel like more of an ass pull but I am so on board with lesbian skeleton enemies to lovers.

#12

What a good epilogue. Keeping the multiverse aspects grounded works so well, and it creates a really interesting space for worldbuilding with multiverse weirdness being public and acknowledged.

I wish Elicia was acknowledged more. They don't need to still be together, but at the very least Renee's assassin girlfriend from another dimension who she saved with the power of true love feels like someone who should impact her relationship with Kate.

Mandela effect discourse in this world must be wild.

Leviathan Dawn

Even more nonsense than Event Leviathan proper. At least that had charming moments.

Checkmate

All the characterization here is a mess.

It's very funny that everyone gets titles like "The Truth" and "The Wildcard", and job descriptions like "Spymaster" and "Operations", and then Vic doesn't have either. Even the introductory text doesn't know what his job is meant to be here.

Vic and Oliver get to hang out, and it's acknowledged they've worked together, but Vic is so weirdly written that it's missing all the charm.

Literally what is Vic's job. Why is he on this team. He doesn't do anything other than chill with Oliver.

Reflections of the Heart

What if the 2006 characterization of Vic, but actually interesting?

I still don't love it, but there's a clear intent here, it works.

[midnightunderground-hq]

Time stops for no man or beast and we march ever forward. The wheels of fate spin wildly.

Hello, my doves. It’s been some time since we last held correspondence, though my dearest and I have watched over you all for these past few months. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, but I’m not here to offer sentimentalities, rather I’m presenting you with several leads for your enjoyment…well, mine, but your consideration. 

001. Our children suffer for the avarice of others. The Black Market has wreaked havoc in your community for years, growing without limits, poisoning the minds of the disenfranchised humans among you and worst of all…turning my children and Hers into commodities. Those behind a velvet curtain have tapped into the inferiority complex of these beautifully mundane creatures, turning them against those twice blessed by yours truly. Some say they deserve empathy, but I cannot spare a single drop. Perhaps, you will approach the matter differently…all I ask is that you excise the Underground of this verdant tree and its poisoned roots. 

002. Be wary, children, of the snake in the grass. How I wish I was allowed to meddle just a little more into these affairs. Seeing as one after the other unfolds, has left us feeling both disappointed and impotent…to see the hatred in these hearts, to be unable to cut the threads being weaved before us…godhood is far more onerous than any of you would understand. Either way, Cicerone and I can only hope the breadcrumbs scattered around you prove fruitful. Goodwin is…a problem— I cannot and shall not reveal any more than that. But fret not, children, the answers stand right before you…you need only take a closer look. 

003. The eclipsed sun will hide behind the moon no more. I’m not sure if you’ve all noticed, but very strange things have been occurring lately; more than the mischievous doings of a wayward Faerie and her cursed companion. There’s something amiss in the air, a thorn in my side and a deadly parasite for others. Audacious creatures will always taint a God’s mercy, and this one child of a bygone era has polluted the well in its entirety. You must understand, they grow stronger with each passing day and if they’re able to remove their shackles, you will be the first to feel their wrath. It is in your best interest to stop this false God.

004. Checkmate, another false prophet has fallen. What a shame it is to watch this unfold. When a thread is woven, braided until it resembles rope and presented to one unlucky person; a thrall in this instance, flying too close to the sun. The former mayor now sits on the hand of a clock, disgraced, stripped of his prestige and soon, he will be stripped of his life. You should all be made aware that the hour draws near, he will become one of the departed and his secrets will be buried with him. Before then, you’re free to speak to this dead man walking, though there’s no guarantee that he would humor any chance at redemption. 

005. If you would like, lend me your sight. While the choices presented above are of utmost importance in my eyes, I sit on another plane and observe as one would an ant farm…if you feel I may have missed something of importance to you— summon me, if you dare…and please feel free to pull another from the pile.

[vinaysohan]

Carrom Gam

Certainly Board games are tabletop games that involve players moving pieces or markers on a pre-marked surface or "board" according to certain rules. These games can vary widely in terms of complexity, strategy, theme, and mechanics. Here are descriptions of a few popular board games.

Chess: Chess is a two-player strategy game that involves moving different types of pieces across a checkered board with the goal of checkmating the opponent's king. Each type of piece moves in a unique way, and the objective is to put the opponent's king in a position where it cannot escape capture.

Monopoly: Monopoly is a classic economic strategy game where players roll dice to move around a board, buying and trading properties, and aiming to bankrupt their opponents. The game involves resource management, negotiation, and a fair amount of luck.

Settlers of Catan: Settlers of Catan is a modern board game that involves resource management and trading. Players build settlements and roads on a fictional island by collecting and trading resources like wood, brick, wheat, ore, and sheep. The game's popularity has led to numerous expansions and variations.

Risk: Risk is a game of global domination and strategic warfare. Players deploy armies, attack opponents, and conquer territories on a map of the world. The game involves both strategic planning and tactical decisions.

Ticket to Ride: In Ticket to Ride, players collect train cards to claim railway routes between cities on a map. The objective is to complete destination tickets and build the longest continuous routes. The game balances strategy with a touch of luck.

Pandemic: Pandemic is a cooperative game where players work together as members of a disease-fighting team to treat infections and find cures before the world is overwhelmed. The game emphasizes teamwork and strategy against the challenges presented by spreading diseases.

Carcassonne: Carcassonne is a tile-placement game where players build a medieval landscape by placing tiles with cities, roads, fields, and more. Players also deploy their followers as "meeples" to claim features and earn points.

7 Wonders: 7 Wonders is a card drafting game where players build civilizations over three ages by selecting cards that represent buildings, technologies, and wonders. The game involves choosing cards strategically and adapting to changing circumstances.

Codenames: Codenames is a word-based party game that requires players to give one-word clues to their teammates to help them guess the correct words on a grid. The game challenges creativity, word association, and deduction skills.

Twilight Struggle: Twilight Struggle is a two-player game that simulates the Cold War era. Players take on the roles of either the United States or the Soviet Union, competing for influence in various countries through political, military, and cultural means.

These are just a few examples, and the world of board games is vast and diverse, catering to a wide range of interests and preferences. Whether you enjoy strategy, cooperation, negotiation, or storytelling, there's likely a board game that suits your tas Of course, I'd be happy to continue describing more board games:

Dominion: Dominion is a deck-building game where players start with a small deck of basic cards and gradually acquire more powerful cards to improve their deck. The goal is to earn victory points by constructing the most efficient deck.

Agricola: Agricola is a worker-placement game where players are farmers striving to expand their farms, grow crops, raise animals, and improve their homesteads. Players must manage resources and plan carefully to meet the demands of each harvest.

Splendor: Splendor is a game of gem trading and development. Players collect gems to purchase development cards, which provide permanent gem bonuses and victory points. The game emphasizes resource management and strategy.

Lords of Waterdeep: Lords of Waterdeep is a worker-placement game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Players act as secret rulers of the city, assigning agents to quests and buildings to gain resources and complete objectives.

Dead of Winter: Dead of Winter is a cooperative and semi-cooperative game set in a zombie apocalypse. Players work together to survive, complete objectives, and manage limited resources while dealing with potential traitors in their midst.

Betrayal at House on the Hill: This game starts as a cooperative exploration of a haunted mansion, but as the story unfolds, one player may become a traitor with a secret objective. The rest of the players then try to overcome the traitor's plans.

Terraforming Mars: In Terraforming Mars, players take on the role of corporations working to terraform and colonize the planet Mars. They acquire resources, improve the environment, and compete to achieve various goals.

Catan: Catan, also known as The Settlers of Catan, is a game about resource gathering and trading. Players collect resources to build settlements and roads, while trading with each other to expand and develop their territories.

Forbidden Island/Forbidden Desert: These are cooperative games where players work together to solve puzzles and complete tasks. In Forbidden Island, players retrieve valuable treasures from a sinking island, while in Forbidden Desert, they search for parts to repair an airship in a desert.

Clue (Cluedo): Clue is a deduction game where players attempt to solve a murder mystery by gathering clues and making educated guesses about the suspect, location, and weapon. Players move around the game board to gather information.

These are just a few more examples from the diverse world of board games. Board games continue to evolve with new themes, mechanics, and styles, catering to both casual players and dedicated enthusiasts. Whether you're seeking strategic challenges, social interaction, or immersive storytelling, there's likely a board game that suits your interests.

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[starswallowingsea]

realized i never did an explanation for this one so lets just do it now maspdfioams

the five eccentrics all hung out during summer vacation and as part of that broke into the prime minister's house according to Altered

Kanata mentions multiple times that he can talk to sea animals. Notable incident in Aquarium

Mika thought he killed Ritsu (who actually just fell asleep) and was panicking about what to do with the body and started digging a hole in the courtyard despite his inability to see in the dark

4 characters were executed during the war era as a part of school reformations. Depending on how you see Checkmate you could make the case that a fifth person was executed (Leo) if you wanted

in Ariadne the event story accompanying HiMERU's center song, one of the challenges they must complete is escaping a hoard of cows chasing them through a maze. You can see the cows in the unbloomed for HiMERU's card in this event

enstars is a spinoff of engirls, which is now discontinued

this is the fake one nobody breathes underwater congratulations

double face was created to deal with underground idol activities which includes company sanctioned murder

leo tsukinaga believes he's met aliens while abroad. in reality it was just someone else who spoke japanese while he was in italy

okay lets go part 2

[raayllum]

Updated Season Four Predictions

AKA the clips of 4x01 have given us a lot to talk about and re-evaluate, so let’s talk about it! Full spoilers down below including a twitter summary of 4x01 “ReBirthday” from SDCC 2022, so if you don’t want to see all the spoilers we’ve gotten so far, please move past the read more! For everyone else, strap in! It’s gonna be a doozy.

Driving Narrative force for S4 / S4-S6

So the driving force for S4 and beyond is clearly Claudia’s resurrection and the ticking timeline Aaravos has given her: one month to free Aaravos from his prison or else Viren will die and stay dead, this time. This indicates that Claudia resurrected Viren with some of Aaravos’ help in terms of magic, and not just the spell (or ingredients) it would take to bring him back. 

There are two routes this journey could take: either it’s the actual travel time to wherever they have to be in order to free Aaravos from his prison (possibly the ruined Star Nexus, whose location is unknown). Or it could mean getting a powerful relic and/or ingredient from each of the six primal sources. They already have a corrupted Sun staff, so the Sun primal is covered, but it leaves Claudia with a mission to collect the rest. Powerful objects being stolen or going missing would be enough to alert Callum and Ezran in Katolis that something weird is going on, and Callum is currently the human with the best understanding of primal magic, so that could be a plot element. As well, it could be that one of each kind of Primal Source is needed alongside Aaravos’ cube is needed to be in a certain spot to free him, a kind of carefully constructed cosmic checkmate, if you will.

The month timeline is particularly interesting because a shot from 4x01 of Callum and his mage wings (when he falsely thinks Ez is in danger on his 17th birthday, and Viren’s re-birthday) is a waxing gibbous. So rather than moving towards a full moon, it’s heading towards a New Moon. 

The New Moon is commonly known as a time to initiate beginnings. Something to also be mindful of is that when the new Moon occurs, it not only begins a new cycle, but also ends the phase that came before (1). This would perfectly fit with Aaravos’ return / breaking out of the mirror ending the previous world of peace and kicking off the era the characters currently live in, which is canonically known as the Return of Aaravos (SDCC 2019). 

The real question is whether Claudia’s month timeline will cover one season, or like how S1-S3 was a month, it will cover the entire Arc 2 timeline. I lean towards a just one or two season timeline for a few reasons, by which I mean: her deadline is completed by the end of S4 or the end of S5. The deadline feels vaguely reminiscent of Rayla’s binding, established in S1 and concluded by the end of the season, for example, especially since S1-S3 never had any such timeline (we comparatively didn’t learn Zubeia was dying until 3x04, for example). So this one is the most likely to me.

Additionally, I could see it stretching out to S5, but I feel that Aaravos must be out of the mirror by the end of S5, so that S6 can have the trio and co. work together to try to bring him down and fail spectacularly. They can’t win the first time they try, so I think it’d be difficult to have them lose say halfway through the final season, and then have them try again very shortly afterwards and succeed. This would also mean that S6 ends in typical three act structure with the second act ending horribly to set up a triumph for the third (as opposed to a tragic structure, where the hero wins the second battle for loses the finale).

The other driving forces seem to be 1) Callum’s interest in the mirror, perhaps to fulfil Harrow’s letter and/or take his mind off Rayla, which will subsequently aid in our understanding of Aaravos as we go along and learn his history with Callum as an audience conduit / detective 2) Xadian and pentarchy politics. This fulfils both Ezran’s side of things (not all humans will want peace, King Ahling might still resent the death of his son, etc) and Janai. Her engagement to Amaya may be the final straw for her more traditional brother, or other Sunfire elves of the Six Horns. This could lead to a rift between Sunfire elves and a short conflict of the throne furthered by Sol Regem, although I do think Janai and Karim’s relationship will be repaired and have a happy ending (with some nice setup / parallels for Soren and Claudia’s getting there someday, too).

Unexpected Angles

Claudia and Terry’s relationship was the last thing I expected, but I’m already won over and curious about where their relationship will go. Judging by his first clip, how he meets Viren, and that he’s there when she does the resurrection spell, Terry is totally okay with dark magic even though he’s an elf. That’s a perspective we haven’t seen before from anyone but Aaravos, so I’m excited to see where Terry fits in morally even amid his adorable, charming personality.

However, this also means Claudia has three relationships to ponder: her and her Dad, her and Aaravos, and her and Terry. It’s already been heavily implied / basically confirmed that she’ll be under Aaravos’ greater tutelage for a bit. Now, this is more of a headcanon than anything, but I always figured Claudia would have a very hard time breaking off or dealing with the end of a romantic relationship of any kind, as it would remind her of her parents’ divorce. If Terry does begin to see dark magic in a worse light, and Claudia does not, how will she handle (or rather, not handle) that kind of distance happening again in another relationship? Just food for thought.

The Season Breakdown and Callum’s Path

As we know, every season of TDP is roughly broken down into three sets of three arcs per season, most plainly seen in season one. 1x01-1x03 is the castle arc, 2x07-2x09 is a continuous journey for ex, etc. This is a little harder in season three since there’s so much going on, but it can be down by following Callum and Rayla’s journey trajectory: 3x01-3x03 is pre-Silvergrove, 3x04-3x06 is romance and reckoning with the past, 3x07-3x09 all take place at the Spire, etc.

Therefore, I think a rough season breakdown for S4 could have similar stuff. 4x01-4x03 might be a lot of political set up, with something perhaps inspiring Callum to leave Katolis, whether it’s on his brother’s business or chasing his own desires. As people have noted, Callum isn’t wearing his scarf while he’s serving as High Mage in the first clip of S4, but he does have it in the “Aaravos as Puppetmaster” promo art, tethered to string the same way Claudia and Viren are.

Perhaps the donning of the scarf around 4x03 signifies a choice or decision that will impact him for the rest of the season (and arc by extension). This would be a nice parallel to 1x03 with the Zym mission, and how much 1x01 and 4x01 parallel each other. 4x01 ends up with Callum being upset/possibly angry over thinking Ez was in danger, and ends with him being quite upset over the anniversary of Rayla leaving, dejected and ashamed, similar to how he blew up at Ezran in 1x01 over his fear of losing Harrow, and then slumped to the ground disappointed. 

The arc set up could also fit nicely, as Claudia has an Earth arcanum with her (Terry could at least hold the cube, if that’s enough) and Sun staff. Rayla may end up being the Moon arcanum if she does run into the trio, and they’re a lot more powerful than expected even without Aaravos (who’s something else on his own). That leaves Ocean and Sky and possibly Star, fitting nicely into one every three episodes, or something along those lines.

Cube Hostage Exchange Theory

Although modified, now that Callum hasn’t gone after Rayla (possibly just not yet), I still think my Cube Hostage Exchange Theory continues to hold merit as well, a theory. (Extended tag here for any who are interested.) Basically: Rayla is captured by Viren, Claudia, and Aaravos. Possibly just as a hostage, possibly as bait, or even — if we harken back to “Claudia needs ingredients, particually the Moon as Aaravos has been lowkey Ghosted x1000” — as the intended ingredient for the Moon arcanum.

Then, according to the theory, Callum (and possibly others) will show up to save her / trade something Valuable for her. It could be Callum, if he’s connected to the Moon arcanum, but I lean more towards the Cube. It already holds weight as a present from Harrow, but would be very full circle: Rayla risking her life in 1x04 to get it for him and being taken hostage by Amaya, only for him to now sacrifice the cube (and put the world at risk too) to save her from a hostage situation.  

I could see Ezran and Callum (and possibly Soren by extension) coming to save her, I could see it being Callum, with them and Rayla escaping, and/or him and Rayla are both taken hostage in the end and S5 is them trying to escape. Either way gives time for Claudia to confront her old friend and her old enemy, and time for Rayla to unlock the secret of what Viren’s coins hold. 

Aaravos: “Those who fail tests of love are simple animals. They deserve to be motivated by fear.”

Other Misc Thoughts

I wouldn’t be surprised if 4x02 is a flashback heavy ep in terms of giving the audience context for when/why Rayla left, as 4x01 confirms that she’s gone but doesn’t seem to say why or for what. I think it could be really cool to see some Janaya flashbacks here as well as maybe an interspersed Claudia narrative, as Rayla and Claudia have quite a strong foils relationship. Then perhaps another flashback heavy episode (as TDP always tends to have 2ish per season) that focuses more on Aaravos’ history, so we can know more about why he’s bad news before he gets out of the mirror if it is by the end of S4.

I think perhaps Claudia will send Terry to distract / lead Callum astray, but the two dorky, seemingly similar-ish boys will bond instead, and Terry’s persepctive will perhaps change. I’m also very excited to see what Soren thinks of Terry once he realizes this is Claudia’s new boyfriend and all the emotions that brings: happiness someone is looking after his sister, fear and resentment at what she’s become, reservations that she has some ‘random’ boyfriend, etc.

And I think that’s it, Conclusion wise? More theories and such may trickle as we go along, and I have some non distinct thoughts marinating (Soren and Viren’s relationship, possible Ezran-Callum Harrow-Viren parallels being pushed further esp in early S4, etc) that I may post as I go along, but for now, these are the big ones!

So now let me hear from you: agree, disagree, want to take a theory and run with it? Let me know in the replies, reblogs, and/or in my inbox, I’d love to hear ‘em!

[satoshi-mochida]

The Thing: Remastered - 22nd anniversary screenshots - Gematsu

Nightdive Studios has released a new set of screenshots for remastered third-person shooter The Thing: Remastered in celebration of the original game’s 22nd anniversary today.

Here is an overview of the game, via Nightdive Studios:

About

The Thing: Remastered is a faithful restoration of the 2002 third-person survival horror shooter inspired by Universal Pictures’ genre-defining 1982 film, The Thing. Nightdive Studios has upgraded this horrifying classic for the modern era through its proprietary KEX Engine for play on current-generation gaming devices up to a 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. Improvements to character models, textures, and animations have been hand-crafted by Nightdive Studios, with the implementation of advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects — for a suspenseful and disgustingly detailed remaster that reanimates the thrilling game for modern audiences. In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them … or himself.

Key Features

Return to U.S. Outpost #31 – Continue the story of The Thing and face off against terrifying monsters, from scuttling head-spiders and human-like walkers to gigantic multi-tentacled level bosses.

Who Goes There? – Command a squad of up to four NPCs from Soldier, Medic, and Engineer character classes through the game’s 11 frightening levels.

The Warmest Place to Hide – Someone in your squad may not be who they appear to be. The shape-shifting alien hides inside an imitation, so keep a watchful eye.

Don’t Lose It – Gain the trust of your squad members and minimize their fear levels lest they become defiant or, worse, succumb to paranoia.

Ultimate Alien Terror – Upgraded models, textures, and animations hand-crafted by Nightdive, plus enhanced lighting and atmospheric effects.

Stunning Visuals – Up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second visuals on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Checkmate – Trophies and Achievements on Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

The Thing: Remastered is due out for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG in 2024.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

[ggukkiereads]

Fic List | Daechwita AUs -Yoongi

This is based on an ask sent a few weeks ago. It was also timely because a few days later, BigHit dropped the sword-practice video (anon is channeling their inner minstradamus =))

So here you go, the day the earth stood still and thirst for Yoongi aka Agust D went rampant, resulting to birth of fics in honor of the king 😅🥰. I remember just binge-reading these for days. So thank you dear authors for feeding on our thirst and whipping out these wonderful fics!

Happy Birthday 🎂 to the coolest and the cutest MinYoongi! #TangerineKitty

S - smut | F - fluff | A - angst | 

Note: if link to fic doesn’t work, click on author and go to their masterlist (works even if author changed url)

Beloved @bang-tan-bitches - one shot | 17.4k | Emperor!Yoongi, Yandere, Thriller | Court was just a game of politics after all. And you intended to win  | S   (this is ashasgfad! That ending)

Checkmate @btsaudge - one shot | 1.9k | King!Yoongi, Tyrant King except to Queen!reader | S, kinda F, PWP

Daechwita @bgyulix - drabble series [5/?]  | 4.5k | Dystopian AU, Childhood Friends, Gang AU, Rebel!Yoongi | a series of drabbles about yoongi and his spy, as they try and topple a king | A, F, S (promising concept)

Daechwita @chemicalpink - drabble series  [3/3] | 6k | Assassin!Reader who got caught, Servant!Reader, Emperor!Yoongi, Historical AU | A, S, F 

Daechwita @ironicarmy - one shot | 3.6k | King!yoongi x Queen!reader, royalty AU | S, PWP, F 🔥🥵💦

Daechwita @jinings - series [2/?] | 20k + | servant!yoongi - king!yoongi, princess!reader, period drama, Historical AU | All that Yoongi knows is that King Park must be killed- he just didn’t plan falling in love with his daughter along the way. | A, F, eventual S 

Daechwita @se0kie - one shot | 3.9k | King!Yoongi x Concubine!Reader, Royalty AU, established relationship (?),  with a twist in the end 😉 | S, PWP 

From the Ashes @fortunexkookie - one shot | 7.4k | Historical AU, Royalty AU, Star-crossed Lovers, inspired by the MV, scarred Yoongi | A, F, S (I love that it capitalized on the theories or snippets of info that came out during MV’s release. I remember reading something about royalty x scars) 

Gwanghae Flow @btssavedmylifeblr - one shot | 3k | Historical PWP | The queen receives a forbidden visitor in the middle of the night | S 

Honsool @bangtanlalaland - one shot | 2.3k | emperor!yoongi x gisaeng!reader  | a little F, S, PWP

Kingdom of Joseon @dreamescapeswriting -  one shot | 7.9k | Agust D x Suga, historical AU | F, A

Make Me Proud @moonscriptsx - one shot | 5.6k | this is kind of different because it is about Daechwita the mixtape, established relationship, Idolverse, Idol!Reader | With the release of his second mixtape and her album, the public are eating up the so-called chart rivalry between (Y/N) and Yoongi | S, PWP, F

Mark of Yun-ki @ladyartemesia - one shot | 8.6k | Hybrid AU/ABO, Fantasy AU, Daechwita AU | S, F

Moonlit Throne @hobidreams - drabble series [29/?] | 40k | Historical AU (Joseok era), Royalty AU, inspired by Daechwita MV | S, F, A 

Rise of the Nation’s King @justimajin - two shot [2/2] | 19k | Historical AU, Royalty AU, like the MV there’s King Agust and Yoongi | A, F, S 

Shadow’s Birthright @thebiasrekkers - series [5/?] | 19k | Historical AU (Joseon era), Fantasy AU, Supernatural AU, Magic, romance, tragedy, eventual love triangle (?), King Yoon vs Min Yoongi  | “two princes are born. But a crown cannot be shared” | A, F, S (this is so fascinating) 

Stay @luffles424 - one shot | 3k | Historical AU, Assassin!Reader, PWP | S, F

Step on Me @honsoolie - drabble | 2k | crack, Idol AU, Yoongi’s shooting for Daechwita MV and reader is the extra (the one Agust D needed to step on during the video 🤣) | F 

Tiger Layer @kimtaehyunq - one shot | 3.6k | King Yoongi, Servant!Reader, You are here to serve your king. In any way he pleases, PWP (lol I remember author used “Yoongi’s royal d*ck” and I cannot forget, cannot unsee 🤣)| S, PWP 🔥🥵💦

The King Isn’t Dead @another-army-spot​ - one shot | 17k | historical AU, political AU, royalty au, potential marriage AU | S, F, A

Whispers @btxtreads - drabble series [4/4] | Historical AU, Yunki vs Yoongi (like in the MV), Empress!Reader, Time Travel (?) | F, A 

The King’s Serpent @apotaeose - drabble | 1.6k | King!Yoongi x Mercenary!Reader | A, light S & F

Note: the fics are Daechwita MV-inspired (the mad king vs rebel yoongi) or about the Daechwita mixtape. This doesn’t include other emperor/king yoongi aus

🌷 posted: 2021 March 9 (KST); updated: 2021 March 14 🌷 other lists 🌷 I love to read so feel free to recommend a fic =)