#they actually have a fairly similar top portion

[whaleaddict13]

Nobody asked for this (because she would never) but here is Zinnia's cape with the same print as Ghetsis' BW2 cape

[jasntodds]

Lost In The Bitterness | J.T.

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Request: @just-lost-inbetween-worlds :  I was wondering if you could write a fic where reader kind of works for the titans helping with their medical stuff as she has her EMT certificate or something similar, and one late night she patches up Jason/red hood or Robin, who’ve had a crush on each other secretly but are also sort of enemies? And then when she patches a fairly hurt Jason like the feelings come out and they kiss and confess and such. 

Summary: Patching up Jason Todd, Red Hood, at two in the morning on a Tuesday night was not exactly on your agenda. Especially given the history between the two of you.

Warnings: Descriptions of injuries, enemies to lovers, mentions of previous homelessness, bit of angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Words: 3,323

A/n: Photo credit goes to the amazing @just-lost-inbetween-worlds !! Hello, I love injury tropes, especially this one lmao If you wanna be added to my tag list, click the link below, send me an ask, or comment!! You can also follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary​ !! If you like this, please reblog it and/or talk to me about it!!

masterlist | request info | tag list

You and Jason were friends previously, before Red Hood, before he died, before Robin. Jason and you were two street kids, just trying to make it to the next day. You'd met at one of the shelters, clicked almost instantly. Even then he was charming and funny, hot-headed as hell. A true menace to society. He got you into so much trouble and you lived for it. It was fun and he was your best friend. You were his. But he decided to try and rob the Batmobile and Bruce Wayne picked him. You haven't been friends since. Unfortunately, for you though, the Titans and Red Hood have managed to patch things up between them and Red Hood is in San Francisco helping with a case.

When you decided to get your EMT certification, you didn't think you'd be using it to work with the Titans. You got it so you could help people, sure, but you thought you'd be helping people who did not always put themselves, intentionally, in the line of fire. But, life is funny that way. It rarely ever goes the way you think will. And now you're here, working for the Titans because of one really random and chance encounter with an injured Nightwing a few years ago. You helped him and the rest, should have been history. But, your life can't possibly be that simple because then you found out the one and only Jason Todd was actually Red Hood.

"Did you wanna tell me what happened?" Your voice holds a harshness to it that makes Jason groan as you get your supplies ready to patch him up.

"Like you fucking care." Jason quips back, stripping his top half of the suit.

"That's true. I do not fucking care. This is a favor to Dick." Your words are harsh and it hurts.

Jason isn't sure exactly what he did to you to make you hate him so much. Jason isn't oblivious and he's far from stupid. It's not a coincidence that your friendship ended the day he went to live with Bruce. But, he can't figure out why you're so mad about that. Why you don't want him to be taken care of? It didn't pan out exactly how he thought it would with Bruce with the whole Batman and Robin thing, then the dying thing. But, it was good and safe for a while and he was happy being Robin and with Bruce. He doesn't understand why you would hate him for that. So, he's mad at you because you're mad at him. And hearing this is a favor to Dick, now that stings like a hundred hornets.

"Don't fucking help then. Give me the shit and I'll do it my-damn-self. I don't need you." Jason snarls, sticking out his hand for you to hand him whatever you're willing and for a second, you think about it.

Being around him is just difficult and it hurts. All you two do is fight which is partially because you start it a good portion of the time. But, he keeps it going and he hits low blows. Tonight, you're taking the first strike, before he even has a chance. And you think about letting him patch himself up because he's done it before and it would be easier for you. You wouldn't have to be around him and technically, that's still fulfilling the favor to Dick. You made sure Jason didn't die...again. But, you signed an oath and you don't hate him that much. Hate might even be the wrong word.

"No, I'll do it." You mutter, grabbing a pack of gauze pads, knowing you'll be needing to clean something.

"I'm not some dirty fucking favor to anyone." Jason grumbles and his words are hot, boiling in the air.

"You're so insufferable." You groan, tossing your head back in frustration. "Just shut the fuck up and let me help you so you can leave." You turn around and now you're getting a look at the damage.

The anger and annoyance you just had vanished in an instant. His abdomen is bloody, what looks to be a large gash is near his right rib cage. There's a spot below it that looks like a bullet grazed the spot. Shades of purples, blues, and maroons litter the rest of his abdomen. There are a few scars across his chest, on his arms, one up near his neck and you wonder how the hell that even happened. His armor is supposed to protect him. And it stings looking at him like this.

"I'm fucking fine." Jason spits, his eyes narrowed at you and he sees the worry start to stretch across your face. "Don't suddenly act like you give a shit now. I'm bleeding out, you wanna do something or let me do it?"

You suck in a deep breath and move forward. He knows exactly which buttons to press and just how to press them. And yet, you find yourself, not growing mad at the interaction. You've never seen him like this. You've seen him with plenty of bruises and cuts. Jason being a hothead, he's been in his fair share of fistfights but nothing like this. This is different, it's more dangerous. He's putting himself in the line of bullets and knives and fists on purpose. The thought of him dying, again, crosses your mind and you feel your heart skip and then thunder as if it's going to burst right out from your chest.

You weren’t friends when he died but you remember seeing it on the news. Jason Todd had been killed. And you remember how it hurt anyway. Your breath had been sucked from your lungs and every piece of you regretted ever being mad at him in the first place. But, then he came back to life as Red Hood and you fight with him anyway because maybe a part of you thought he was indestructible after dying. He seemed that way and believing that lie you told yourself was easier than facing him. Clearly, you’re very wrong.

"Just stay still." You drop the venom in your voice, kneeling down so you can see the wound.

Jason holds your phone's flashlight in your direction so you can see better. It's not a super deep wound luckily and he doesn't seem to be in too much pain meaning it likely didn't hit anything important. So, you get to work cleaning the wound with water, holding a rag under it to catch the falling water.

"What the hell happened?" You ask, glancing up at him and Jason's eyes are boring into you.

Dick called and gave you the heads up you'd need to help Jason. Jason is staying at the tower but you both have been actively avoiding each other. So, Dick calling you to give you the heads up for your own sake, to prepare yourself for the encounter. And you figured it would be bad for Dick even ask. You always patch them up, even when they can do it themselves. But you didn't think you'd be dealing with Jason. Dick knows you never want to. But, of course you do it anyway. And now you're stuck worried about him.

"A few lucky shots, I guess." Jason looks away from you, not wanting to give you any detail. You already said you don't care, he's not gonna waste his breath.

"Yeah, okay." You roll your eyes. "Former Robin, current Red Hood, just people getting lucky shots in. Sure."

"You don't fucking care." Jason's voice almost cracks with his words. "Just do whatever the hell you need to and I'll leave, alright?"

Hate is not the word for Jason. It was never the right word. Because he's mad at you for being mad at him. When you were kids, there were always those bubbling feelings in the pit of his stomach. He always brushed them away because who has time for that when you're just trying to survive? And the feelings went away because you weren't around anymore. But, then he saw you again and they flooded right back. Even with you being mad at him. There is still something stirring in his stomach when he's around you. Hate isn't the right word.

You let out a sigh. "I'm just mad." You shake your head, swapping the water out for a gauze pad to dry some of the water so you can start stitching it.

It's not the right word for you either. He left you and that hurt a lot. But, it also hurt because you did really like him. Jason Todd has always been charming and charismatic, funny. He's always had a way to get you to laugh or smile either with something that was actually funny or some type of innuendo that also made you cringe. He's always been very good at it and there was a reason he was your best friend. It was never out of a convenience or necessity. There is always something a little bit more to it. And then he left and it hurt a lot. Being mad at him for it was a lot easier than facing any other type of feeling you had toward him.

He knows you're mad. That's kind of the whole issue. Maybe a part of him doesn't want to know. He thinks maybe you'll tell him it's him. There's something he specifically did. He's done it to everyone else, done something to piss them off and make them hate him. The Titans hated him for long enough, Bruce wasn't thrilled with him. Bruce still isn't happy with him given their opposing morals. Everyone gives up on him eventually and he doesn't want to hear that. Not tonight.

Not from you.

You get up and grab the needle and thread, threading the needle before moving back to your spot. Jason is still watching you intently and it makes you feel a little uneasy. You're not really sure why he's watching you so carefully. He has a thing about him that always makes you squirm, he's always been good at it. And maybe you're a little tired of being mad at him. Especially right now because he's injured.

"You left." Your voice is so small, Jason barely hears you.

"You're mad because I left?" Jason questions, his brows pulling together.

"Mhm." You hum. "Stay still. It'll probably hurt." You state before you start the stitching with no warning and Jason flitches. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Jason says through gritted teeth.

You start adding several stitches up the wound. "You went to live with Bruce and you left me alone."

It's not that he left you alone on purpose. He didn't have a choice. He went with Bruce, to a home, or go to juvie again. The choice was pretty easy and simple. He also did go looking for you but you conveniently, forget that part of the story.

"I looked for you. You fucking avoided me. I checked all of our spots and you were never fucking there. What the hell did you expect me to do?" Jason questions and it’s so frustrating. And you can hear the hurt in his voice which makes you feel worse for being mad in the first place.

"I don't know." You groan back, pausing your stitching. "But it hurt, okay? You left me alone and it hurt. And I'm mad because you were my best friend and you got to be safe. I got the shit end of the stick." You shake your head and that’s first time you’re saying it out loud, realizing how horrible it sounds. “It’s...it’s not your fault. It just sucked.”

That's not his fault. It's not his fault you weren’t caught by Bruce. It was a chance encounter. A fluke. Jason was just ballsy to try and steal from Batman. That's all it was. It's not his fault but he feels bad about it anyway because he doesn't think he deserves it. He doesn't think he ever deserved the kindness that Bruce offered that day or deserved the chance to be Robin. Look at what he's become, Jason doesn't think he deserves it.

"I'm sorry." Jason states, his voice broken. "You should have gotten better, alright? You should have."

You shake your head and you know this whole thing is dumb and selfish. "No," You shrug your shoulders. “It’s not your fault, Jay. I’m sorry for being mad. You deserved better and it was selfish of me to be mad. I was mad at the world and I took it out on you because it was easier, I guess. I’m really sorry.” You wish you could take it all back. Every single part of it. It’s not fair to him and you know he always deserved the best.

Jason is someone who doesn’t hold many grudges. He can let stuff go and it’s pretty simple. Apologize and he can move past it. And he always had a hard time staying mad at you for anything.

“I was only mad at you because you were mad at me.” Jason lets out a soft chuckle.

A faint smile pulls at your lips. “That’s a very you thing to do.” You lets out a soft laugh.

You continue to patch Jason up as the silence of the room consumes the two of you. You meant a lot to him. Jason's always been a rebel with a cause, causing trouble for the fun of it. Just trying to survive and you got that. You always did and you helped him get in and out of trouble more times than he count. You were his best friend and he's missed you, even if he doesn't show it and he's been mean to you. He's missed you and he hates being mad at you. Jason doesn't hold very many grudges.

And in this moment, you're finding it hard to hold onto the grudge. He's riddled with scars and he's actively doing what no one else is willing to do. Baring the weight so other people don't have to. He never meant to hurt you and you know he didn't. You wonder if anyone has ever helped him, after Robin. Probably not. Jason doesn't let many people in to begin with and you find yourself feeling sad for him. He didn’t deserve any of the bad things that have happened to him. And all of those feelings you had for him, bubble back up to the surface.

"I did miss you, for the record." You state, letting out a breath.

Jason's abdomen flexes as a chuckle falls from his lips. "Bull fucking shit."

"I did." You defend. "You were my best friend, of course, I missed you."

"Sure as shit never acted like it." Jason spits but there’s almost an airy sarcasm to his words.

"Because of the anger I had covered it up." You glance up at him as you finish placing some gauze on one of the cuts.

"You gonna stay mad at me forever?" Jason offers you the smirk that used to get you into trouble and he’s so tired of being mad at you. It’s pointless. It never got either of you anywhere.

"No." You flash him a gentle smile.

"Good, holding grudges doesn't look good on you." Jason quips, a cheeky smirk on his lips.

You roll your eyes, getting to your feet. "Oh, and now you know what looks good on me?"

"I've got some ideas."

"Right." You nod your head. "Be careful next time." You look him up and down and you can feel your stomach turn with nerves as you watch the smirk turn into something cocky.

"So now you care, huh?"

"Just don't want you to die again." You state.

"Yeah." Jason scoffs, looking down to his lap.

"Mad doesn't mean I actually didn't care."

"Sorry for everything anyway."

"It's alright, I forgive you." Your eyes widen at him as a smile pulls at your lips. "Always had a hard time staying mad you, especially when you manage to apologize."

"Yeah?" Jason gets a sinister glint in his eyes. "And why's that?" A part of him is messing with you, just like he used to when you were kids. The other part though, is curious if your reasoning is the same as his.

Your eyes narrow slightly. "Because..." You shrug and decide you have nothing to lose at this point. You’re not kids on the streets anymore. And you’re done holding onto bitterness and grudges. There’s no harm in telling him now. "Had a little hit of a thing for you then."

Jason's heart thunders with your words and he can feel heat rush to his cheeks. "Not now though?" He tries to brush it off, admitting the same thing. "Had a thing for you, too.... back then."

"Not now though?" You repeat his words and Jason has a cheeky grin as his eyes look to the ceiling and back to you. Jason shrugs right back. "Oh, well, too bad.” Sarcasm drips from your words. “Could've seen where it would go now but if—"

Jason grabs the back of your thighs, pulling you closer to him. Your hands catch yourself on his shoulders, your eyes wide. And you feel your heart jump to your throat.

"You saying you still do?" Jason asks, his eyes hopeful and you always liked the color of his eyes.

"Is that going to be an issue?"

Jason can't help the genuine smile that comes to his face. He always felt the most comfortable with you, even when you were being mean to him. "Nope, not an issue." Jason's voice drops as he eyes your lips.

"Yeah, still have a thing for you now." You dip your head lower, resting your forehead against his.

"So, do something about it." His voice is low but taunting and you take him up on it, bringing his lips to yours.

The kiss is soft at first but then Jason's grip tightens on your thighs, pulling you closer and your hands tangle in his hair, pulling his mouth harsher against yours. The kiss turns hungry and desperate, his hands sliding up to your ass and then your hips. His mind pays no attention to the pain of the injuries from tonight and he focused solely on you. He's always wanted to be with you, since those days on the streets. It's complicated now, too but not like that.

You pull away first. Your breathing is quickened and an uncontrollable smile pulls at the corners of your lips. "Didn't know you felt that way, Jay." And truly, you never did. The jokes always seemed like jokes but the idea of him and you makes your heart nearly burst.

"Yeah," Jason chuckles softly. And he never thought you liked him, not like that. You always liked to mess with him and played the same jokes. He thought that’s all it ever was. Why wouldn’t it be? But, that never stopped him from wanting something more with you. So, now with confirmation, he takes his shot at it. "You wanna try this out? See where it goes?"

You nod your head, lowering your voice to just above a whisper. "Yeah, I'd like that." You close the distance again, kissing him deeply.

Tag list: @jasontoddsmentaldisorders // @purplerose291 // @lovelessamai  // @makaelaseresin // @lenidaslenchen // @mayfieldss // @ghostkingblake // @dgraysonss // @im-done-with-this-im-out // @velvetskies // @vivian-555 // @kebonita // @deyja-the-duck // @jasontoddslover​

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

So some Ulpianus thoughts as I go through his kit and do some of the math out

-Base statistics wise, he's extremely similar to Hoederer, having slightly more HP in exchange for very slightly less ATK -This of course doesn't matter once he gets stacks of his talent going. At 10 stacks, he'll have the highest HP and ATK of any Crusher in the game (even outpacing Wind Chimes with her Vigor buff) -Regaining 100 HP when hit, and 160 HP when under 50% HP, is actually probably not enough on its own to really keep Ulpianus alive through sustained damage. It is very good against damage over time effects though, with the possible exception of Zaaro's curse which is very funny

-S1 looks pretty okay. It's notable for being a Pull in an entire class who does not have one, and it's a pretty beefy attack scale on an ATK stat that can almost be 2000. I'm not sure this ends up being a viable portion of kit in most situations, especially since his other two skills seem generally better. -S2 looks...interesting. I'm not actually sure this skill is "good", at least in part because of its massive 70 SP cost. This can be reduced significantly (to about 47 SP) through Unchained's PUM-Y module, but 47 seconds is still a long time for what is supposed to be a lane holder. While the skill is up though, it is quite powerful, especially since it increases the healing from his talent to 200/320 per hit, but 3 Block is also really risky on a Crusher. Hoederer's S2 also suffers from this issue. -S3 is just good. A frankly disgustingly high ATK buff on top of a scaling attack buff means that anything he hits in his initial blast is probably capital F Fucked and he'll take advantage of the six second stun to get two more additional hits in, adding in that the range on this skill is long, let's him be proactive in lane holding, and potentially even allows him to hold two lanes at once is bonkers. 17s charge time with PUM-Y btw.

We probably should talk about the hunter buffs btw, because Ulpianus arguably benefits the most out of any Hunter with them.

-Gladiia: On her own, Gladiia provides a 237.02 HP/s Regen buff to Ulpianus thanks to his titanic HP stat, which increases to 279.02 HP/s with his talent stack maxed out. That's just generically hefty as an regen in general, especially since its healing effectiveness cannot be reduced in any way. The 30%...psuedo-Sanctuary (does Sanctuary actually stack with Gladiia's module?) is also rather incredible for him, being a huge HP buff inherently and making his HP gain talent even stronger. -Andreana: 22 ASPD matters the absolute most to Ulpianus thanks to his titanically long attack interval, reducing it from 2.5 seconds to ~2.05 seconds. In addition, Andreana benefits the most from the 600 Max HP Ulpianus can give her thanks to her low base HP. -Skadi: +24% ATK and +20% Max HP on the Abyssal Hunter with the highest ATK and HP of any class in the game. Easy. Honestly maybe we should have seen the Crusher class coming. Worth noting though that the ATK buff is extremely diluted once his skills are up, however. -Specter: 5% extra damage is honestly fairly good for him. On one hand, his ATK stat gets so high it probably isn't super distinguishable from ATK buffs in terms of effect, but during skill, this buff won't get diluted either. -Specter the Unchained: Maybe the biggest partner for Ulpianus outside of Gladiia, because he really wants the extra SP per second she gives, especially for S2.

In total, what does Ulpianus look like with all the Abyssal Hunter buffs?

HP: 10,158 (11,358 with his Talent) ATK: 2,100.56 (2,400.56 with his Talent) HP Regen: 355.53 HP/s (397.53 HP/s with his Talent)

This is just at base too. While the ATK and HP buffs do end up diluted from his own skill buffs, just looking at his stats while his S2 is up:

HP: 14,221.2 (15,421.2 with his Talent) ATK: 4,810.96 (5,110.95 with his Talent) HP Regen: 497.742 HP/s (539.742 HP/s with his Talent)

So...is Ulpianus good? If you're using him in Abyssal Hunters, definitely, and honestly he's disgustingly good looking there. But outside of that remains to be seen. I think his S3 in general is just so strong that there's a very good chance he remains a good, usable operator outside of his niche, just like all the Abyssal Hunters.

[radio-writes]

These asks seemed similar to me so I thought I'd tackle them in one go.

What I think of Alastor The Radio Demon

I've never really done a character analysis before so I'm not sure how to go about it. Honestly, I had to rewrite this several times to trim it down. 

I put little footnotes here and there for parts that I think ruined the flow of thought, and weren't essential but still figured were worth a mention. Corresponding footnotes can be found below the lower divider for any interested.

The way I see Alastor, and how I try to write him, is that he's smart—terrifyingly so—and emotional. 

I mean we all know he's basically a textbook manipulator. He's charming, great at reading people, and brilliant enough to know exactly what to say and when to say it. 

He's so gifted at charming people that a fair portion of the fandom's basically head over heels for him—despite the fact that based on what we've seen in the series, he's an objectively despicable person.

And he's so good at manipulating people that, again, a huge portion of the fandom thinks he actually sees the hotel gang as friends/family now. Hell—a lot of people even believed him when he said he cared for Charlie like a daughter.

Add his brains and his skill of wrapping people around his clawed finger, to his god-complex1 and selfishness, and what you'll see is that, on paper, he should absolutely be the big bad of the show.

Except...he currently isn't; and I don't think he will be although it would surely be fun to see how that would go.

Because as much as he is terrifyingly evil, he is also, extremely driven by his emotions.

I know it sounds like a bit of an ass-pull.

Alastor being emotional? The same demon that doesn't drop his smile even when having a whole mental breakdown? The same demon who doesn't bat an eye at a hotel patron dying?

Well, yes. Because there's more to feelings other than sadness and love and care.

There's anger, there's hope, there's desperation, there's pride, there's hate.

And I think Alastor is absolutely driven by these and more.

As said by the most darling, delightful, dangerous overlord over one side of the pentagram,

"words are cheap, but actions, they speak the truth."

As much as Alastor wants to think he's in control, we've seen his emotions come first before rational thinking. 

His pride has absolutely taken over him. He thinks he's above it all, untouchable, unreachable. Because he's so clever, so strong, so charming, and it has more or less gotten him everything he's wanted.

But it's this pride of his that has also lead to his most glaring flaws.

Alastor's first instinct was to lower Lucifer in any way that he could—leverage whatever he did have that Lucifer didn't (height, a relationship with Charlie etc.). Because Al knew that Lucifer was inherently stronger than him, better than him—and he hated that.

His pride couldn't stand the blow, and that—along with feelings of irritation and likely insecurity— is what drove his actions for most of that episode; overtaking even his usually smart wits.2

But it's not just negative emotions.

If Alastor being a mama's boy is still canon, then even his relationships are steered by emotions too, whether he's aware of it or not.

His love for his mother influences his biases towards women. How he judges and approaches them miles more fairly than he does men.

Hell, his whole persona—the transatlantic accent, the radio theme, the over the top silly jokes, his laugh even!—all a by product of his passion for being a radio host.

But why does being emotional mean Alastor won't be the antagonist in the show, you ask?

Well because, being emotional is such a humane thing. It shows weakness, vulnerability. Something the show has often used as leeway to develop and redeem its characters.

While I don't think Alastor has the best intentions coming into the hotel—or even at the point of the season 1 finale really—I do think him being this emotional of a person shows that there is some chance of him genuinely growing fond of the gang, and then settling into the found family at some point in the future.

It may not be a conscious choice, it may take some pushing and pulling, it may take the whole run of the series, but Alastor is capable of caring. And when he feels something he feels it to a point past his own rational thinking.

Would love to see him try to betray the hotel though as some last minute attempt to maintain an evil persona.

Now this doesn't exactly mean I can see Alastor ascending into heaven not unless they drag him kicking and screaming.3 But I do think that in the end, he'll find some sort of other form of "redemption," one that he would actually like.

Perhaps it's coming to terms with the fact that he is mortal and that is okay and it doesn't mean he's any weaker or any lesser. And that even if it did, it shouldn't matter.

Honestly, I'd be more terrified of him once he's come to that point. The only weakness Alastor right now has—aside from whatever deal it is that he made—is his ego.

You could probably get away or manipulate him back if you struck at it, but once he's all done with hotel therapy time and has his emotions under control? That man's going to be unstoppable and I fear for all of hell.

Maybe Charlie should let him keep his issues after all?

1 I find Alastor's god-complex extremely ironic. Oh, he definitely has it. My best guess is that it stemmed from his serial killing days.

If the previous source saying that he killed on a weird moral code (not unlike Dexter) still holds water, then he probably saw himself as some god doing such good work for the people. Judging criminals and delivering punishment.

This whole, "I'm so strong and untouchable even amongst criminals" mentality of his was probably egged on when he got into Hell and he was able to take down big bad overlords with ease. That definitely fed his ego nicely.

Now I say I find it ironic because well, he thinks he's so above it all. So perfect and pristine—nothing like all those other sinners. He doesn't care for senseless killing or stealing jewelry or sex, no he's so much better than that, isn't he?

Well, the way I see it, he's really no different.

*cue angry radio noises*

He cares so much for all the material and outwardly things. Sure, it's not to brag or to be sexy, but you can't tell me that fucker isn't just as vain as say, someone like Velvette.

He'd probably freak if anyone caught him outside of his well tailored suits and impeccable posture. 

To Alastor, image and public opinion must mean so much more than he's willing to admit.

And all that killing the bad guys, killing the criminals, killing the scum of the earth. Oh let's not pretend he does it out of any other reason aside from the fact that he loves it. 

It's an act for power for him, not actually done to protect anybody.

And considering he eats most of his victims now, I'd say he's actually below your average criminal.

On sex—well, fine. He can have that one, I suppose.

But still, the irony that this man thinks he's so above your common everyday sinner is just hilarious to me, because he's exactly just like them.

2 I have seen people say that this is yet another one of Alastor's cleverly planned schemes. That he kept pushing only because he was confident Lucifer wouldn't smite someone Charlie cared about. Which, sure, I could see that being the case later on in their interactions.

But as an introduction? An opening line? When he didn't know Lucifer's temperament, and Lucifer didn't know how much Charlie valued/cared for Al?

No. I genuinely think, that this was purely a gamble on Alastor's part. A slip, a jab that he just had to make to save his own pride.

3 Personally, while I absolutely love all the angelic designs of Al, I really do not want him up in heaven unless it's for comedic purposes or he's grocery shopping for angel meat.

Dude was a serial killer. Granted, he killed criminals. But I've never been a fan of vigilante killings. I mean, who's to say the person he killed actually did the crime though? What if it had been someone who was actually innocent?

And even if they weren't, can you imagine if he killed your parent in your lifetime for say, stealing some bread to feed you? And you're just chilling in heaven and all of a sudden your parent's murderer is redeemed while your parent still rotted in Hell?

I would just start a riot right then and there, damnation be damned.

Besides, red suits Alastor best, anyway.

Tagging @cofeedaifuku because they were the only one out of the three that weren't on anon. Hope my fellow vien and the other anon find this answer anyway.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: Nile crocodile

Humans in general often have a fear of large reptiles. This may have an evolutionary advantage as it helped our smaller ancestors avoid large predators like snakes and crocodiles. Whatever the reason, the fear has entered into many belief systems and one common feature in many myths, legends, and religions of Africa and the Middle East is the Nile crocodile. While their reputation as man-eaters is somewhat exaggerated, Nile crocs are one of the most dangerous reptiles to humans, with only the saltwater crocodile matching them in human deaths. However, like most animals, the danger can be avoided if you know what to do and what not to do.

(Image ID: a Nile crocodile walking on land, seen from the front. It is a quadruped with short limbs on the side of its body, scaly skin, and an elongated set of jaws with protruding teeth. The tail is out of view. Its body is dark brown on top and yellowish on the sides. End ID)

The Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus, is the second largest crocodilian and (depending on how you measure some snakes) possibly the second largest living reptile after the saltwater crocodile. Average adult males (which are larger than females) reach between 3.5 and 5 meters (11.5 to 16.5 ft) and and 255 to 270 kg (500 to 1,650 lbs), but some specimens have gotten considerably larger, with the largest confirmed size on record being a male who broke the scale at 6.45 m (21 ft) and between 1,043 and 1,089 kg (2,300 - 2,400 lbs). Nile crocodiles are fairly typical crocodilians. They are large quadrupeds with scaly skin covered with scutes and osteoderms, long and powerful jaws, and eyes, ears, and nostrils on top of their heads. Their eyes are protected with transparent eyelids called nictitating membranes and their skin has many sense organs whose purpose is poorly understood but may help detect changes in water pressure. While on land, the crocodiles are fairly slow and ungainly, but they can swim at high speeds when needed. The broad jaws and powerful muscles give the crocodiles an enormous bite force, being able to bite down on prey with 22 kilonewtons of force. For comparison, humans max out at about 0.7 kilonewtons. This force can also be continuously applies for long periods of time, allowing the crocodiles to hold struggling prey in their mouth and drag it underwater. Famously, though crocodilians can close their jaws with incredible force, the muscles for opening their jaws are much weaker and can be held shut with a person's bare hands or some duct tape. They have dark bronze scales on the back and lighter yellow scales on the sides and underbelly, marked with dark spots. The color darkens as the animal ages. As with all crocodilians, the Nile crocodile has a four-chambered heart that is highly efficient at oxygenating blood and is similar to the hearts of birds. Crocodilians and birds are actually more closely related to each other than they are to anything else still alive. All crocodilians have high lactic acid levels in their blood. This allows them to sit motionless for long periods of time, but increased levels due to overexertion can kill them.

(Image ID: a Nile crocodile resting in the water just offshore, with most of its body still visible. This one is a lighter brown. Its tail is visible. It is long and thick, with two rows of scutes running down it. Its mouth is open. End ID)

Nile crocodiles are found throughout a large portion of Africa and are the most widespread crocodiles, with only the saltwater crocodile having a wider distribution. Their current range is smaller than it used to be and now it is known that areas there were once thought to be part of the Nile croc's range are actually home to the similar species known as the West African crocodile. The West African crocodile was formerly believed to be the same species as the Nile crocodile and was only reclassified in 2011. Their habitat is freshwater lakes, waterways, and swamps throughout Africa. They can tolerate brackish or marine water, but but prefer fresh water. Like other crocodilians, Nile crocs are largely sedentary ambush predators. They can remain motionless for long periods of time, often submerged with only their eyes, ears, and nostrils exposed. A crocodile submerged like this can easily be mistaken for a log. When prey comes close, the crocodile will lunge forward and bite down. Larger prey that is not killed outright will be dragged into the water and drowned. Almost uniquely among crocodilians, nile crocodiles are known to hunt on land. They still employ ambush tactics, usually hiding in brush along paths at night and attacking animals passing by. They have even been known to try to steal kills from land predators and get into tug-of-war battles with lions over pieces of carrion. While clips of a massive crocodile leaping out of the water to drag a zebra to its doom make for entertaining documentaries, about 70% of a Nile crocodile's diet is composed of fish. As an individual grows, larger land animals will make up more of its diet. Nile crocs have been known to cooperate to herd fish into tight spots where they are easier to catch and eat. While famous for their skill and hunting and killing prey, Nile crocodiles are anything but voracious eaters. Their stomachs are pretty small for their size, only around the volume of a basketball. They can also go long periods of time between meals, sometimes several months without signs of starvation. Nile crocodiles are a classic case of apex predators. An adult Nile crocodile has no natural predators, though young ones do get attacked and eaten by larger predators, including other crocodiles. Curiously, they are known to swallow stones. Swallowing stones, known as gastroliths, it a well-known behavior in the animal kingdom. They are usually held in the digestive tract and used to help grind up tough food. Most species that use gastroliths are herbivores or omnivores who use them to help grind up tough plant matter, so it's not clear why the carnivorous crocodiles need gastroliths.

(Image ID: a nile crocodile's had visible above water. Its mouth is open and in it is a silvery fish known as a tilapia. End ID)

(Video ID: a clip from the BBC Earth showing a Nile crocodile successfully attacking a wildebeest. End ID)

When not attacking prey, Nile crocs are pretty sedentary. They can easily spend most of the day basking in the sun, behavior common to large reptiles who need a long time in the heat to warm their bodies enough to perform daily functions. While basking, they sit on land, often with their mouths open. The open mouths are vital for thermoregulation (a crocodile with its mouth sealed shut can overheat and die), but may also serve as a warning to others who may want to steal their spot. In the southernmost reach of their range, Nile crocodiles may wait out the cool, dry months of May to August by digging burrows and entering aestivation, a state similar to hibernation. Nile crocodiles are social creatures that live, bask, and hunt together. They follow a social order with the largest individual around (almost always an old male) being in charge and having first access to food and the best territory. Males are territorial and will try to force other males out of their range. Larger males will be able to maintain the best territories while smaller males are forced to live on the outskirts. Females are not territorial and will seek out the best male territories to live in. While territorial, crocs of all sizes will come together while basking and their interaction then are mostly peaceful. they are known to communicate through posturing, touch, and vocalizations. Males are known to compete over territory and while most of these competitions are settled through threat displays, they may escalate to violence.

(Image ID: four crocodiles resting on a sandy shoreline. End ID)

Territoriality is especially prominent during mating. The mating season begins around the beginning of the dry season and varies based on location. Males will signal for females with several noises, including bellowing, blowing water out of their noses, and slapping the water with their heads. Males will also attempt to drive other males away to reduce competition. When a female chooses a male, she will approach him and the pair rub their jaws together while making a warbling sound. Males like it rough, roaring and pining the females down, sometimes underwater, while mating. Most males will only mate with a single female each year, though some particularly successful males in certain regions will can multiple mates each year. After two months, the female lays her eggs. While most crocodilians incubate their eggs in piles of rotting leaves, Nile crocodiles use sandy banks or beaches. The female digs a nest, lays up to 80 eggs in it, then buries the eggs. The heat of the sun is used to incubate the eggs and to determine the sex of the offspring. Eggs incubated between 31.7 and 34.5 degrees C will be male. All others will be female. Nests used to be laid extremely close to each other, but but to increased disturbances along the nesting sites, this has become rare. During the incubation period, the mother guards the nest continuously, only leaving to avoid overheating by resting in the shade or entering the water. The father also plays a role, patrolling the area around the nest to drive away predators who would eat the eggs. Incubation lasts about 90 days and the female usually will not eat during this time. The hatchlings will make chirping noises before hatching to signal to the mother that she needs to dig out the nest. Once uncovered, the mother may use her jaws to crack the eggs and assist hatching. Hatchings start at around 280 mm (11 in) long and 70 grams (2.5 oz) and will increase by that rate for the first few years. The mother will protect her offspring for up to two years, often carrying them on her back or in her mouth or throat pouch to keep them safe from predators. The juveniles feed on insects for the first few years of life. Even after leaving their mother, hatchlings will often live in groups until they are large enough to not have to worry about predators. It is estimated that only 10% of eggs hatch and 1% of hatchlings survive to adulthood. Sexual maturity is reached at around 11 to 12 years and the maximum lifespan is estimated to be 70 to 100 years.

(Image ID: a Nile crocodile mother standing at the edge of her nest, a pit in the ground. Multiple white eggs are visible, as are newly-hatched crocodiles, which are far smaller version of an adult. End ID)

(Image ID: Nile crocodile eggs hatching. Four eggs are visible and two are actively hatching, with only the hatchling's heads having emerged. Two other crocodiles have already hatched. End ID)

Nile crocodiles are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, prey loss, bycatch, and human hunting. From the 1940s to the 60s, Nile crocodiles were hunted in massive numbers for the leather trade and were near extinction until new laws, international trade regulations, and conservation efforts largely stopped the hunting efforts. Despite this, their population has not returned to pre-hunting levels and they have been extirpated from many locations. Poaching still happens, as does hunting due to their perceived status as man-eaters, which is actively hindering conservation efforts. Like with sharks, the public image of an animal as being dangerous to humans directly harms its survivability and conservation efforts. Loss of habitat and suitable nesting sites due to damming and other human-caused changes to wetlands have also damaged crocodile populations. An invasive plant, Chromolaena odorata, is harming the crocodiles due to it growing out of control in nesting grounds. The shade from the plants keeps the sun from warming the eggs, causing them to die. Nile crocodiles and saltwater crocodiles are responsible fro the vast majority of attacks on humans and it is estimated that Nile crocs may be responsible for hundreds of deaths (most of them unreported) a year. Only the largest individuals pose a threat to adult humans, though children are at risk to smaller crocs. In fact, Nile crocodiles kill more humans per year through direct attacks than any other wild animal. Those numbers are still dwarfed by deaths due to disease spreading animals, animals acting in self-defense, or attacks or injuries from domesticated animals. For the most part, the crocodiles do not seem to target humans, the number of attacks comes from humans and the crocodiles both living near the water's edge and the crocodiles' nature as generalist predators of large animals. People who study and interact with the crocodiles report that if the right precautions are taken, the danger from being around the animals is negligible and many people and groups have tried to spread safety precautions, especially to poor and remote areas where attacks are likely the most common.

(Image ID: several juvenile Nile crocodiles in a tank being fed. Someone is using a grabber on a stick to drop meat into the tank. Four of the crocodiles are rearing out of the water to get the food. End ID)

[elliepassmore]

Foul Heart Huntsman review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, spies, multiple POVs, historical fiction, morally gray characters

Foul Lady Fortune review

Last Violent Call review

Shanghai is a city once again on the precipice. Tensions between the Nationalists and Communists have risen, driven only higher by the encroaching Japanese army. The chemical killings have at least been stopped, but with that out of the way, the city's populace isn't afraid to be out and about around the city, and so protesting starts up again as well.

On top of the political tension, Rosalind's secret is now out. Not only that she's Fortune, but also that she's Rosalind Lang, a once-beloved daughter of the Scarlet Gang. And, of course, there's the little problem of the Nationalists, and Shanghai in general, thinking Orion was behind the murders. Not that he wasn't....but still, there's more to the story than the public knows. With Orion and Rosalind both betrayed, covert operations is a bit of a mess, and completely, 100% unwilling to help either of them.

Rosalind in this book is a woman on a mission. She's determined to help Orion, even if the Nationalists have washed their hands of both of them. I liked seeing this fiercely dedicated side to her because it's one we haven't really seen yet. We've seen her vengeful in both OVE and FLF, and in FLF we saw her remorseful and more level-headed, but now we get to see how she is when someone she loves is threatened. The same care and devotion we saw in FLF comes through in this one, and it's made clear again just how far she'll go to protect those she loves. Rosalind is also quite clever, and we get to see some of her schemes come into play here.

Orion is a bit of a tricky one since he's brainwashed for a portion of the book. He is in the book though, and we do get some of his POV. I was actually kind of worried about what would happen with his character after the events of the last book, but I was pleased to see how things played out. It stayed true to the plot while also not turning him over completely. Also, we do get to see himbo!Orion, lol.

Celia gets a larger role in this book, along with Oliver. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place in this one, with her loyalties torn between her sister, everyday people, and the Communists she works for. I have to say, Celia is definitely the practical one in...all of her relationships. Sure, she gets a little bit pressed when Oliver is in trouble, but overall she really does seem to have a better handle on things than most people, including Rosalind. That being said, I loved seeing her protective side, which extends to a great many people, from Oliver to Rosalind to Alisa, and beyond.

Oliver does start the book still being cagey, but Celia is done letting him get away with that, and has no qualms about confronting him and forcing him to be more open with her. I enjoyed getting to know more about Oliver and his background (and not just from Orion's perspective). At the same time, I still feel like we don't really know Oliver that much by the end of the book. He and Celia fit together well, but I still would've liked to feel a greater emotional connection with him.

Phoebe is back, as predicted, and even has more POV chapters than before. I liked getting to see more of how she thinks and acts. I still find her and Alisa to be very similar in their own ways, and I like that they got to meet and hang out in this book. Phoebe plays a fairly prominent role in this book, and I enjoyed seeing her come out of hiding a little bit to shine. She's a brave one, and despite dreams of seeing her family reunited, she's also practical enough to pick her brothers and their safety over her dreams. Silas, whom I didn't even mention in my FLF review, also shows up in this one, though tbh I don't buy their romance.

Alisa actually didn't play as big a role as I expected in this one. Sure, she has some pretty vital information and gets her own POV, but I was hoping she'd be upped in importance re: POV chapters. Despite that, I loved getting to see Alisa again. She's the same casually optimistic badass character and I enjoyed reading about more of her antics. Her actions are important to the overarching plot, and more personally for the characters, but I still wish she'd gotten more POV prominence.

If you've read the Last Violent Call stories, it's probably not a surprise that certain characters show up in this one. I was absolutely delighted to see them, and especially to see them in a room with our main characters from this duology.

The ending of this book is closed in a way OVE's ending wasn't. There's definitely still the potential for future stories in the Secret Shanghai world (even if not necessarily in Shanghai), but overall the ending felt fairly final. Character arcs got closed and rounded off in a satisfying way, and the epilogue provided some nice insight into what the characters are doing a year post-FHH. The B&N special edition short story also provides some more information in that direction, and is a funny and sweet story centering on Orion and Rosalind but featuring everyone.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and loved being back in the Secret Shanghai world. The stakes are high, but the characters have plenty of alliances and wiles to work with. The book ended on a high note and in a way that I think is satisfactory for all the characters involved.

[jamesthedigidestined]

In the Name of the Moon, I Will Pirate You!

What you need:

Paid VPN/Proxy/Seedbox

Beginner-level or better Google-Fu

The desire to right the wrongs of Sonny Bono and Micky Mouse

First off, we’ll cover the differences between the options listed above. Most people have a vague idea of what a VPN is, but to briefly explain it’s a server you create a “virtual private network” with, that uses an encrypted “tunnel” to hide your data from prying eyes. Think of it like sending a piece of mail written in code, with the downside being that it takes time to decipher it. VPNs are fantastic for hiding information from rogue networks such as a coffee shop, mitigating “Man-in-the-Middle” attacks, however that encryption is actually a (minor) detriment for piracy, as it impacts the speed of the connection. Despite that, this is what I would recommend for most people to buy.

Proxies, on the surface, are similar to VPNs but lack the encryption capabilities. This allows you to change your IP address *and* retain a high speed. Are usable with most of what people use (web browsers), but miss out on the encryption benefits and thus are less useful overall.

Seedboxes are, again, conceptually similar except that the piracy happens on their machine, and at blazing fast speeds. However these options are typically far more expensive than proxies/VPNs, although a fair portion come with a VPN as well. Essentially, with a seedbox you are renting space on someone else’s server, one that ignores copyright notices. This option, despite the cost, is the SAFEST OPTION. If you live in countries where piracy can easily result in $100USD+ fines, I recommend this. Also useful for those who wish to host a Plex server to share the content with friends/family outside of a LAN.

NEVER USE SKETCHY FREE VPN/PROXY SERVICES THEY ARE MAKING A COPY OF EVERYTHING YOU SEND AND EVERY APP YOU DOWNLOAD IS MALWARE.

Now, with all of that out of the way, it’s time to obtain the torrenting software and VPN.

I suggest using qBittorrent, which is fairly user-friendly, but there are a host of free and open source software (FOSS) for torrenting that you can see here.

Now, look for a VPN/proxy that allows for port-forwarding. I won't make any specific recommendations (because they ain't paying me), but any that allow port-forwarding will suffice (and even some that won't, albeit speeds will suffer). Now, you want to bind the VPN to the torrent client. First, install the VPN and get it set up, then test its properly active by going here. For qBittorrent, you want to hit the gear in the top right:

From there, go to the next set of gears subtitled "Advanced":

From here, things get a bit more VPN-specific. The short of it is, though, you want to check the "Network Interface" dropdown and take note of what is available. From there, you turn the VPN off and look for what interface disappeared. THAT is your VPN interface, and what you want qBittorent to bind to.

And that should be it! You can test it by using the test torrents here, here, and here. If they all turn back with the IP your VPN uses, then you're good! Now, for the final stretch. Using your Google-Fu, find the MANY different options available for torrenting, as a head start though I would recommend fmhy.

[annwrites]

| Rules & Guidelines. |

General

ꕤ My blog is a safe space first & foremost for me. But it’s also meant to be as much for my followers & readers. With that said: bigotry, hatefulness, etcetera of any kind will not be tolerated. 

ꕤ I do have a full-time job outside of this blog, as well as errands, chores, pets, & other responsibilities to attend to. So, while I try to be fairly active on here, I’m not always able to be. Please respect this.

ꕤ Sometimes, it can be a month or more in regards to chapter updates for my fics, especially if inspiration takes me elsewhere & I put something on the backburner to focus on another project instead. I’m sorry it takes so long, but I try to write only when the inspiration strikes so I’m not putting out poorly constructed content just for the sake of an update.

ꕤ Please also try to keep in-mind that I don't have Wi-Fi at home. I only have it at work. So, if I need it, I always have to either drive out to get it, or I have to try & hotspot my laptop with my phone. I say this so people are aware that putting up new posts sometimes has to be put off until I can properly format them from desktop; the app only gets me so far & using the site on mobile can be tedious.

ꕤ Sometimes, I get chatty on this blog, & you will find such posts tagged under "💭 ᵃ���ⁿ ᵗᵃˡᵏˢ ᵗᵒ ʰᵉʳˢᵉˡᶠ.". After awhile—this may be as little as a few hours later—I may delete such posts to keep my blog free of clutter. Just a heads up that I'm a serial deleter in regards to personal posts. So, if you see an ask, but can't find the context for it, it was probably a personal post that I got rid of.

ꕤ I have the right to edit this post as I see fit at any time.

Interacting

ꕤ I don't do drama/discourse, so don't try to drag me into the mud with you if you're arguing with another Tumblr user.

ꕤ Don’t make negative comments on my posts. I will delete them, as well as block & report you. If you come into my asks & exhibit similar behavior, you will be promptly blocked there as well.

ꕤ Constructive criticism also isn't welcome, even if you mean well by it. I'm doing this as a hobby & for free on top of that. I make nothing from it, so I don't need critiquing.

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ꕤ Do not steal my ideas, or portions of my work. Taking inspiration from me is fine, but please give me credit if I served to be as much for you. I will be far more receptive to that than happening upon your fic & discovering that portions of it are identical to mine (this has already happened once & I won’t tolerate it a second time, instead I will make a callout post for such abhorrent behavior (I know I said I don't do drama, and as such, I will come to you first to try & come up with a solution. If you refuse to work with me, I will do what I must to stand up for myself & my creations that you stole); you give credit where credit is due—if I can abide by such a common sense rule, so can you). Honestly, if you take inspo from anyone, or use anyone's creations (dividers, gifs, etc) in your work, you should be giving credit just to cover your own behind so you can't be accused of theft/reposting.

ꕤ If you like my material, whether that’s my fics, gifsets, etcetera, please like, reblog, comment, send me asks, add it to your fic-rec blogs/masterposts, share it with others, etc!

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ꕤ Doing any of the above listed things actually gives me motivation to keep writing & updating my fics, so it’s always greatly appreciated. I check my notifs multiple times a day hoping to see more than just likes & always love it when I do.

Requests

ꕤ I don’t accept requests, nor do I intend to ever start doing so. This is simply because I never run out of ideas, lol.

Writing

ꕤ I write for a variety of fandoms & characters, & the list is growing all the time. In regards to pairings however, I write primarily for M/F (male character x fem!reader). 

ꕤ I, at times, am known to write dark/triggering content. I tag my posts accordingly at the top, while the story itself is always hidden below a cut. It is your responsibility to read my tags & trigger warnings. That is your chance to turn back if you see something listed which bothers you. If you choose to proceed, that is your choice. I will not be held responsible for you subsequently being upset about whatever you’ve read. I did my part in warning you ahead of time & further hiding the work under something you have to actively click on.

ꕤ With that said, everything here is fiction & fantasy, or used as a form of catharsis. Writing about a specific topic or character doesn't necessarily reflect on my actual morals, opinions, political leanings, etc. Don't be ignorant & try to imply otherwise, or you'll be blocked. I can accept questions in good-faith about my beliefs, however. But if I even have an inkling of a doubt that your ask was not done in such a manner, it will be, at the very least, deleted.

ꕤ I will not write for real people, such as celebrities. Even writing for the portrayals of real people pushes the limit for me, but I’ve been known to do so (e.g. Masters of the Air), simply because I found the actor portraying the person & their characterization of them to be attractive. Make no mistake: I am not writing about the real-life counterpart, only their on-screen portrayal.

ꕤ In regards to topics I won’t write, I’m not sure what to list, because there are things I never thought I’d be into (fem!dom & mommy kink, for example), until I wrote about it on this blog. So, I’m always exploring new things!

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know in an ask & I will respond as quickly & as best I can. ♡

© annwrites 2024. do not plagiarize, copy, edit, rewrite, or use my works for ai. do not translate w/o my permission.

[shaemeful]

Week Five Homework

This week we were asked to find two images, one as a background and one as an 'interest', and then combine these two to create our own image using the various different skills and tools we've covered thus far.

At the time of doing this homework task I have already started my InDesign Nursery Book and so have stumbled across one of the funniest and most cursed images I have ever seen, and I knew exactly what I had to do...

To begin I used the Quick Selection tool to select my image, and because of the plain white background it honestly did a pretty good job but to make sure I was fully happy before moving on I went into Quick Mask Mode and then just tidied up the sections I felt need a little more attention.

I then turned this into a layer mask and dropped it into my background image:

My image had a white outline around it that I wanted to remove so I double clicked my layer mask to open up Properties and adjusted the Shift Edge slider to -100% to remove it.

My next step was to make the inserted humanoid-sheep feel like it belonged in the photo so made a couple of different adjustments until I was happy with my results.

This left me with a humanoid-sheep that colour matched significantly better but it still looked like it was just placed on top of the grass... because it was. So the next thing I did was use the Lasso tool to select a portion of grass that I could then duplicate in a new layer and bring on top of the sheep:

I moved the patch of grass to cover the humanoid-sheep feet (trotters?) and then with the Eraser tool went in and faded out parts to make it look more realistic. I still wanted to see part of the foot so it looked like it was moving out of the patch of grass so strategically revealed parts of the foot as I went. I also use the Blur tool to try and match what the other grass at this level was doing.

Pro Tip: Using a bigger brush size in a soft brush type with a low level of hardness will give you more control when trying to feather or soften edges (at least in my experience).

Once I was fairly happy with where the grass patch was at, I went in and did a slight curve adjustment of the whole image to try and make it feel a little more cohesive:

Once I got here I decided I didn't like how the patches of grass looked being so close together and still looking so similar, so I jumped onto the Clone Stamp (S) tool, dropped the opacity and picked a big soft brush and just ran it over a few spots to blend it into the lighter grass a little more.

After a little more erasing and blurring, I had my final image:

If I was being pedantic I would have gone in and perhaps shrunk the sheep at the back a little so I could create better perspective, but lets just pretend the humanoid-sheep is actually a child vs. the sheep at the back being a mammoth.

All in all I think this image is hilarious and I really enjoyed making it!

[youphoriaot7]

ACTUALLY WAIT-

I'm so sorry op I'm gonna write a q!Roier character study essay under your funny post I apologize I LOVED THE POST THOUGH <3 /lh

Side note, I've only seen a total of two (2) Jaiden streams so this could be a complete mischaracterization, and I sincerely apologize for that—please yell at me in the tags if I'm wrong, I'm still so behind on so much lore (Cellbit main slash neg /j)—but I needed to spew my thoughts.

BUT I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER BECAUSE

We know there's two Cucurucho's now, right? One that's more business-like, more Federation-focused, more...aggressive. And one that's more, well, silly—eccentric, I believe was the word used.

And we are all WELL aware of q!Cellbit and q!Jaiden's HEAVILY differing opinions on the Cucuruchos—Cellbit basically wanting to dismantle the Federation and shove a blade in Cucurucho's throat, meanwhile Jaiden's having tea parties and making a good friend. (And this is only about the Cucuruchos, and this distinction is important—because they're both wary of the Federation, but Jaiden trusts the Cucuruchos.*)

Now, who has more experience with the business Cucurucho? Cellbit, clearly. From the moment he summoned the bear with Forever with that iron machine and got chased down a horror tunnel with a chainsaw, he made an enemy for life. And then it stalked him for weeks, and then it kidnapped him and his best friends—man has reason to be upset, but that's beside the point: Cellbit primarily has interacted with the aggressive Federation Cucurucho.

Jaiden, on the other hand, has not. The primary portion of her interactions have been with the silly Cucurucho, the eccentric Cucurucho, the imperfect Cucurucho. She's confided things to it, they've talked about a whole bunch of topics—and it's friendly, to the point of having tea parties and dancing around and blowing bubbles. (I'm hesitant to add too much more here, as again I don't know a large amount about q!Jaiden lore, but you get the point.)

Now, that's not to say they haven't each experienced the other: Jaiden had at least one that I know of, the Federation Cucurucho giving her the details for the dungeon mission atop the wall. Cellbit's had a couple of run-ins with the silly Cucurucho, the one I can think of off the top of my head being that instance when the Cucuruchos showed up back to back at his castle and he took them through his paranormal rooms.

And both times, it's felt...out of character. As a Cellbit viewer, I know I've been weirded out when "Cucurucho plays nice." It's like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop...but it never does. And I'd imagine a similar thing for Jaiden viewers—though, again, a lot of this is speculation, and I apologize.

But who has had experience with both the most frequently?

Roier.

Early on in the server, Roier and Cucurucho had a fairly positive relationship. After their fight about the tacos, Cucurucho even apologized, and seems to have left gifts and such to show it. He always comes when Roier calls, even now—as proven by his and Cellbit's test a few weeks ago.

But eventually, stuff took a turn. Roier has pointed out before they used to be friends, but "Cucurucho changed." He went from friendly to frosty, caring to cold. Eccentric and imperfect to business-like. Perfect.

Ever since Bobby's "revival" and Cellbit's kidnapping, Roier hasn't truly trusted the Federation or Cucurucho, probably even more than he really lets on. But it started before that, really. His distrust runs all the way back to that "abrupt personality change," which, as I believe he now knows, was more likely an entire Cucurucho switch.

Now, who are q!Roier's two closest friends on the entire island?

Jaiden, his platonic partner, and Cellbit, his husband.

Roier is the bridge between the two. (Always has been, to be honest.) He's the connection they're both missing, the piece that both of them need. The one that can remind Cellbit about the compassionate Cucurucho, the one to gently mention the fact that this other bear has never been as aggressive, never committed any...chainsaw transgressions. (That we know of, at least.) The one that can remind Jaiden about the cold Cucurucho, the one to gently mention the fact that not everyone has been as lucky with the Federation as she has. (For whatever reason.)

And he trusts them both, don't think he doesn't—he's pretty much the only one that supported Cellbit through his corruption arc, pretty much the only one that told Jaiden to ignore the people that didn't trust her. (Because q!Roier chooses bonds, not sides, but that's a whole other rant.) Which, really, puts him in a bit of an awkward spot: having Cellbit ranting about being chased with a chainsaw one minute, and then turning around to listen to Jaiden talk about the walk in the flower garden they took not even ten seconds later. But he handles it flawlessly. (Also a rant for another time.)

Just—hnnnnnngh. Roier and his bonds, and how they connect to the Cucuruchos and, by extention, his views on the Federation as a whole. His cubito is so much more layered than I think people really give him credit for and I just—hnnNNNGHHHHH.

(* Side note—about the distinction between Federation and Cucuruchos. This is something I personally saw q!Jaiden first do, separating the entities of Cucurucho from the greater Federation as a whole. And, to an extent, I really think that's accurate. We don't really know what either Cucurucho...is, why they're here, what their goals are, how closely tied with the Federation they really are—we don't have a lot of answers about anything, to be quite honest. We don't have much information about the Federation, either. There isn't quite enough to make a complete, undeniable, negative connotation yet. And that's another thing that makes this so interesting.)

Can you believe these two are the closest people to q!Roier?

[cufene]

The significance of Technology around Educating Young Children

Sundatagroup.com

Tend to be young children well suited for the use of technology? Advanced technologies are very successful because they rely on probably the most powerful genetic biases we do possess - the choices for visually offered information. The mind has a tremendous opinion for visually provided information. Television, movie channels, videos, and most personal pc programs are very how it looks oriented and therefore entice and maintain the attention from young children. When young ones sit in front of television system for hours, they do not develop other ideas. But the technologies which benefit young children the top are those that usually are interactive and allow a child to develop their appeal to, problem solving together with independent thinking capabilities.

Sundatagroup.com

Technology plays critical role in all portions of American life that'll only increase later on. As technology has grown into more easy to use, the employment of it by small children has simultaneously elevated. Early childhood school staff have a responsibility to be able to critically examine that impact of technological know-how on children and grow prepared to use solutions to benefit young people. Children educators is required to be more responsible inside bringing a change within the lives of young children and their families.

There are lots of issues related to the employment of technology by kids:

the essential factor of teacher with evaluating in considering appropriate use of know-how.

the combinations of technology within early childhood packages

stereotyping and additionally violence in application

equitable the means to access technology

insinuation of technology meant for professional development

role of professors and parents like advocates

A teacher's role is critical to create good decisions about the use of technology to get potential benefits. Looking for the correct software is fairly similar to choosing the ideal set of books in a classroom. Teachers have to take the advantage of pc systems to introduce cutting edge teaching and enhancement strategies. Computers can be intrinsically compelling to get young children. The audio and graphics appeal to a child's awareness. An appropriate software activates children in original play, mastery figuring out, problem solving, in addition to conversation. Children influence the pacing as well as the action. They can try a process or adventure as often as they prefer and experiment with varieties. They can collaborate to generate decisions and write about their discoveries along with creations. Well-designed premature childhood software expands in dimension together with the child, enabling your girlfriend to find new problems as she is more proficient. Right visual and mental prompts designed inside the software expand participate in themes and choices while leaving the kid in control. Vast stuff of images, tones, and information of their kinds are placed for the child's disposal. Application can be made their age appropriate even designed for children as young as 3 to 4. This shows that concept can enhance a good child's cognitive together with social abilities. A top-notch-quality timber a window to the child's thinking.

Every last classroom has a guiding philosophies, prices, themes and recreation. Early childhood teachers should promote fair access to technology for children and their loved ones. Modern technologies have become powerful as they make use of one of the most powerful biases we have. The problem because of this is that many within the modern technologies have grown passive. Because of this they can't provide children while using quality and quantity crucial emotional, cultural, cognitive, or actual experiences they require should they are young.

Sad to say, technology is often would once replace social conditions but it should be accustomed to enhance human friendships. During the current ten years, research has transferred beyond simple inquiries about technology. Babies and toddlers are showing level of comfort and confidence around handling computers. They're able to turn them upon, follow pictorial information, and use situational and visual cues to understand and justification about their recreation. Typing on the key pad does not seem to result in them any a tough time; in fact , it seems as being a source of pride. Because of recent technological tendencies, even children along with physical and over emotional disabilities can use this computer with ease. Moreover enhancing their movability and sense with control, computers could actually help improve self-esteem.

As a result the exclusive price of technology is not any more in question. Study shows that what is good for children isn't merely what is real but what is heart-felt. Computer representations will often be more manageable, adaptive, and extensible. To incorporate more there are a number involving specialized programs this allow children by using certain information-processing complications to get a multimedia event of content to be able to better understand and additionally process the fabric. Even now there are a number associated with good software programs by having a primary educational concentrate on mathematics or looking at. These programs, which are usually very engaging, challenge children to read much better and learn how to get rid of math problems. The moment information is given in a fun in addition to way, it is a significant easier than contemplating a single page with a bunch of columns from numbers you're purported to add up.

We are at all times in search for the miracles wand that go away and solve all of our programs. And from now on the magic wand in our life can be technology. It not alone increases academic competency, reduce dropout prices but also diminishes your racial divide inside academic performance. The risk, however , is of which computers will be utilized only to reinforce a national trend towards earlier and more educative skill acquisition, knowning that other important developing needs will be forgotten about. Moreover the fear will continue to be that developmental necessities not met with technology will be forgotten or radically severely sacrificed: physical play, backyard exploration of the city and of design; art, music along with dance; learning distinct social skills together with moral values, and additionally experiencing diversity inside of a myriad of ways.

In the majority of of the early the child years programs and institutions, technology will be perhaps the learning landscape for the future. To make sure this completely new technology is used comfortably, we must assure that lecturers are fully qualified and supported, and this the programs in addition to internet sites used tend to be developmentally appropriate, low racist, non-biased alongside people with disabilities, along with respect religious variations.

[savagenewcanaan]

Michael Savage New Canaan Is Your Muscle Car Cool Sufficient

Ahh, to be amazing. Youngsters mature having no concept of "coolness", and after that they hit the 6th quality. From that factor on, being "great" gets on the top of their order of business. Muscular tissue cars and trucks are perpetually amazing. They have actually been trendy given that day # 1, and their tale has grown ever since. A buddy of mine (that grew up in the 1960's) lately commented that there is absolutely nothing when driving as great as a muscle mass cars and truck, and he stated it in such a way that made it appear as specific as the reality that 2 +2= 4. The inquiry I wonder is, how do you understand if your muscle automobile is amazing sufficient?

Much like the hallways of senior high school, one could suggest that there is a pecking order of coolness when it pertains to muscle cars. Being prominent appeared to assist make some individuals cool, but several great people were never ever prominent. Muscular tissue vehicles coincide means. (As a side note I have actually seen a few of the preferred youngsters from secondary school later in life ... and they don't appear fairly as trendy as I bear in mind.).

Having a popular model auto (like a Mustang) gives it an immediate coolness variable, while having a much less popular version leaves it up to the cars and truck's benefits to identify it's coolness. Let's take a look at 3 muscle autos particularly and also judge the Cool Factor ... and then you can figure out if it's cool enough for you to drive!

Vehicle # 1 - first Gen Camaro (1967-1969).

Michael Savage New Canaan

1st generation (1967-1969) Camaro's were prominent the day they were revealed. They were Chevy's solution to the Mustang and also were similar because they were built off of an economic situation auto (the Chevy II ... where as the Mustang was developed off of the Falcon). You can obtain one with a tiny block, a big block, one prepared to drag race, or one prepared to run the roadway program (Z/28 design). Simply get it up as well as make sure to reserve a day for Friday night ... which will not be difficult to do. They're still preferred today as well as are among one of the most demanded by collection agencies and warm rodders.

Senior High School Equivalent: The QB of the football team. Athletic. Great looking. He can bench press ... uh, a Camaro. Ladies dig that.

Cars and truck # 2 - 1966-67 Dodge Charger.

Early generation Mopars are type of the Apple 'Mac' of muscular tissue automobiles. A tiny portion of muscular tissue car men enjoy them with utter commitment as well as would certainly drive nothing else. To them, driving a Ford or Chevy would certainly be like dishonesty on their partners. That being stated, the '66- '67 Charger is a very awesome cars and truck just from a designing and also function point ofview - the evaluates alone are incredible - yet it's except everyone. It didn't sell with the appeal of the '68- '70 models (or survive on infinity many thanks to the Dukes of Hazzard), however it does have it's fans and also can certainly hold it's very own against the competitors.

Secondary School Equivalent: The Captain of the Drumline. Not everybody knows him, but those that do know he's obtained rhythm from head to toe. He's jammin' on drums with his friends 24 hr a day, 7 days a week.

Car # 3 - AMX.

Michael Savage New Canaan

And after that there is that guy. American Motors cars were always kind of a fifth wheel. A few of their passenger cars were dorky looking (the Pacer, the Gremlin, the Toreador, etc), but the AMX was genuinely great looking. It was just a little various than the norm, generally due to it's brief wheel base (VERY short) as well as the reality that it was a 2-seater!

Senior High School Equivalent: That individual that put on a leather coat as well as tones. No-one recognized his name. I believe he's a well-known artist currently.

Recap:.

So just why is it that we're attempting to determine if a muscle mass automobile is trendy enough for you to drive? Well, rather honestly ... what various other reason would certainly you have to drive one? They're bold, loud, smelly, and can be hard to drive at times. They hate being driven gradually and also offer you feelings of large delight as well as synchronised terror while being pushed to the limits. They require constant wrenching and also "tweaking" simply to remain in battling form. Why in the world would certainly you endure every one of that when you could drive a wonderful happy Toyota Camry? You know why ... because similar to the Fonz, muscle mass autos are cool, as well as coolness rubs off. So, ultimately, if you assume your muscular tissue car is great - it is. That's all that matters. It's cool sufficient. Remember however, if it's prominent, it's probably currently awesome, but much like secondary school ... a few of the coolest people were never prominent.

[saltyenthusiastblaze]

How to Sell delta thc-o to a Skeptic

Getting The Meet Thc-o Acetate, A Hemp-derived Compound Three To Work

Table of ContentsExamine This Report on What Is Thc-o? Uses And Benefits Of This CannabinoidThc-o Distillate (Thco Distillate) - QuestionsGetting My The Risks Involved With Using Thc-o To WorkUnknown Facts About Thc-o Is A New Cannabinoid That May Lead To Powerful

Bioavailability. Portion of this concern stays an enigma as there is actually still a great deal to be actually found concerning THC-O acetate. how strong is thc-0. Regarding why THC O, which when malfunctioned generally provides delta 9 THC, is actually extra strong than the true delta 9 THC, experts stick neck out that this effect is because, when metabolized, THC-O is actually a lot more bioavailable to the body system than Delta-9 THC is actually.

THC-O might take 15 to thirty minutes to take result when taken by mouth. When smoking cigarettes, THC-O may use up to twenty minutes just before it begins to begin. There is actually no main claim on the ideal dose of THC O, nonetheless, since it is actually an opinion that the material has to do with 3 opportunities more potent than delta-9 THC.

THC acetate ester was checked out as a possible non-lethal incapacitating broker as part of the Edgewood Toolbox practices at some point in between 1949 and 1975 (thc delta 0). It was actually noted to have concerning twice the ability to create chaos (lack of willful balance of muscle movements) as did THC when offered to canines.

For that reason, this instance is actually presumed to embody a separated occurrence and because of this, will definitely offer to end our dialogue of cannabinoid Cs, A's." A similar instance reported in June 1995 in the United Empire, as well as THC-O-acetate was concluded to become a Training class A medicine because situation. The summary of that situation seems to indicate the convicted supplier was making use of D - thc 0 potency.

Post Viewpoints: 295 apanese marijuana clients are actually looking for brand-new, solid cannabinoids that may assist all of them in a number of means considering that the country's ban on HHC as well as THC items. Making use of hemp in the United States was actually simply legalised in 2018 due to the Ranch Expense. thc o gummies for sale. Ever since, the cannabis business has made various new products, consisting of ingenious minor cannabinoids.

Top Guidelines Of Studies About Delta-9 Thc-o Acetate Are Limited

However, THC is fully forbidden in Asia, where the man-made substance THC-O extract enters play. For the opportunity being actually, THC-O distillate is actually lawful in Asia considering that it has no THC. Non-natural chemical THCO distillate (also called the THC-O distillate acetate or even ATHC) has actually caught the focus of lots of Japanese cannabis customers.

The cannabinoid has certainly not been the subject of a main study. THC-O extract acetate, on the various other hand, shows up to aid lessen pain, boost food cravings, and lower anxiousness. Its own high dosages may be incapacitating, as well as some customers review its impacts to mescaline at reasonable doses. An influence might certainly not be actually tasted of up to 30 minutes given that it is actually a prodrug. thc o pre rolls.

On the contrary, THC-O distillate is still the subject matter of fairly little peer-reviewed medical research study. The health and wellness ramifications of these chemical items need to become analyzed additionally. In the exact same method, as delta-8 THC as well as other small cannabinoids are lawful grey places, THC-O remains in the exact same situation - thc-o wax bulk. Also though it's legal according to the Federal Analog Act, others think it should be actually prohibited under the regulation.

Within 30 mins, the THC amount often hits its optimum, and also the impacts may last anywhere coming from one hour to three hrs. Drinking or even consuming weed may take a lengthy opportunity to avoid your unit if you're not mindful - thc-o wax wholesale. You do not constantly understand precisely how effective your store of recreational cannabis is actually; as for the majority of health care weed, the very same holds.

When it comes to Delta 9, properly, most of us recognize that our company still consume that cannabinoid on the down-low, particularly if you reside in a state that does not pretty watch it as a therapeutic or leisure compound. Certainly not to state, Delta 9 THC is actually still federally illegal - buy thc o flower. However thankfully there's a light by the end of those rolled up junctions.

Little Known Facts About What Is Thco.

It seems every single time a new cannabinoid is actually discovered, suddenly shady brands show up of the woodwork. So our team've decided to take concerns right into our very own palms and also produce a quite detailed list of the ideal THC-O distillate brand names in the industry. thc o carts for sale. Our company have actually gone for it and supplied you along with information about the THC-O brand, details about their THC-O distillate, and the advantages and disadvantages of their firm.

That is actually, just since a marijuana extract has actually been actually distilled, does not advise it is actually a lot safer THCO Distillate. There have been actually documents of people stating that "Distilled cannabis productsthat are actually Classification 2 distillate are pesticide completely free and likewise phosphate free, while Category 1 has chemicals as well as phosphates, however, within appropriate constraints" The problem is actually that these insurance cases of Team 1 and Distinction 2 can certainly not be revealed merely by explaining they are distilled (THCO Distillate). thco cartridge.

It is going to surely likewise include pesticides, natural chemicals and likewise not natural chemicals existing in the raw material THCO Distillate. The extraction method will definitely focus every one of these chemical drugs in the last remove (buy distillates online). THCO Distillate. Presently you are actually prepared to boil down the effusion. The tincture is actually moved to the suction distillation boat (THCO Distillate).

This advises that chemicals or various other contaminants that exist in the marijuana extract could be brought over throughout purification! Therefore, simply how can you make a cannabis distillate that is tidy as well as additionally complete? Produce a marijuana significance that possesses reduced concentration of bad chemicals. Thus, the really primary thing to accomplish is actually to develop up an extraction cleaning procedure.

Inevitably, make sure that the team that runs the marijuana distillation operations are actually effectively educated as well as possess the experience and also know-how to comprehend their job. Unqualified or even under-trained individuals will definitely produce poor and also contaminated item (thc tea las vegas). It, and also even more study studies in advance from the CUChange laboratory, could alert whatever from kerbside soberness assessments to decisions about specific recreation or even medical usage.

What Does Thc-o Frequently Asked Questions - Delta 8 Mean?

But the research also raises issues that utilizing centers could unjustifiably put folks at much higher long-term risk of side-effects THCO Distillate. "It lifts a fantastic package of concerns concerning exactly how swiftly the body system accumulates resistance to cannabis as properly as whether individuals can be able to acquire wanted outcomes at lesser dosages," specified Bidwell - thc o bulk for sale.

The experts may not be specific exactly how the concentrate staff might possess such high THC degrees without greater drunkenness, however they think a married couple of traits most likely to participate in: Frequenters of concentrates most very likely cultivate a protection with time (THCO Distillate). thc-o trip report. And also it might be actually that as soon as compounds in marijuana, contacted cannabinoids, fill receptors in the thoughts that induce drunkenness, added cannabinoids possess little impact.

THCO Distillate. The article writers forewarn that the research study reviewed normal customers who have uncovered to gauge their usage based upon the preferred impact, and additionally does certainly not relate to inexperienced people (THCO Distillate). Certainly, the analysts really want to discover what, if any type of, lasting wellness threats concentrates really position (thc-0 buy). "Carries out long lasting, centered direct exposure tinker your cannabinoid receptors as if could possess enduring consequences? Does it create it tougher to offer up when you want to?" asserted Hutchison (THCO Distillate).

[destinysbounty]

Oh nooo I have two new Ninjago OCs, whatever will I dooooo

Anyway their names are Nato and Kascha, and I've only had them for a day but if anything happened to them I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.

Details under the cut!

Nato (left/top) is a weary Ninjago City resident who's been here for several years and has pretty much seen it all at this point. She works a concerning amount of odd jobs - builder, mover, bus driver, tour guide, waitress, line cook, janitor...you name it, she's probably done it. She got bitten by a Fangpyre a while back, and while she managed to have the transformation mostly reversed she does still have some patches of scales scattered all over her body and her eyes are still a weird shade of green. She doesn't hold it against the snake responsible though, and they're actually on pretty good terms now. She is worryingly nonchalant about everything, and highkey disassociates to cope with living in Ninjago City. She's also a Darkley's student, but dropped out a year before Lloyd enrolled so they just barely missed each other. This probably factors into her inability to be phased by literally anything.

Kascha (right/bottom) is originally from Metalonia, but recently moved to Ninjago City to study history, so she is super involved in the academic scene. She's really into, like, history, and archaeology, and linguistics, and all that. Linguistics is her specialty, and as such she actually has a better grasp on Ninjargon than a lot of Ninjagians. But also she's very new to Ninjago City, and is very much NOT used to all the apocalypses happening on a weekly basis. Very panicky, on edge, and is constantly exasperated with Nato's nonchalance. She often used to visit Ninjago as a tourist in her childhood (her dad is a Metalonian trade ambassador so they had to travel a lot), and she ended up falling in love with Ninjagian culture. Of course, she is quickly discovering that being a tourist and being a resident are two very, VERY different experiences. Also she has a lot of metal jewelry, because y'know, her dad works for a metal export company. One time she broke a creepy porcelain vase while at a gift shop on one of her many trips abroad, and the shopkeeper cryptically told her that whoever breaks it will find themselves living "an eventful life" - and in retrospect she's like 70% sure that's why her life is so chaotic. There is a non-zero chance the SoG fiasco might have been caused by her curse, and she's not sure what to do with that information.

(For various reasons I am choosing to interpret the deserty wasteland Metalonia is shown to be in Korgran's flashback as being a more rural area, while Karlof and Kascha are from more urban regions. The fact that Karlof used to build Roto Jets suggests Metalonia is fairly industrial, at least in certain areas. It's probably similar to Ninjago in that way - major metropolitan areas act as major hubs of technological advancement and industry, while large portions of the country remain consistently and noticeably less so. Korgran comes from a more rural region, Kascha is from a big city, and Karlof is probably from a semi-industrial area like a factory town or something. Anyway, that's enough from me about worldbuilding theories.)

The fun thing about these two is that they're basically just kinda vibing in the background of all the canon plot while sometimes accidentally causing the plot. For example: Kascha interned under Dr. Saunders and was the one who set up the Yin Blade's clearstone display, and also helped put together the Hall of Villainy exhibit. Their hijinks caused the traffic jam that led to Pixal, Cole, and Zane being late for the boat ceremony in the beginning of season 10. Nato gave Vinny the idea to give Garmadon a plant, meaning she's indirectly responsible for Christofern. Kascha's cat gets possessed by Morro for a bit. They somehow join the Sons of Garmadon for a hot minute but purely by accident. They end up kinda adopting avatar!Harumi post-s12, but that was also an accident. Also Okino lives with them for a while. Nato and Tox are bitter exes. Kascha was also supposed to be on the expedition to the Island of the Keepers, but she overslept and missed the boat. They live in the same apartment complex as Dareth and were some of the first customers at Laffy's before it got overrun by SoG.

As I mentioned before, Morro ends up possessing their cat at one point due to reasons that are most definitely their fault. That is, they broke his Hall of Villainy mannequin, and thanks to all sorts of convoluted magic rules this led to his spirit returning to the material plane and becoming trapped in the nearest living thing - that is to say, Kascha's cat. I'd like to think their first encounter goes a little something like this -

Kascha: Let me get this straight. The ghost of that one emo teen who destroyed a small coastal village last year apparently had his soul tethered to a random mannequin at the museum - so when we broke the manenquin, your soul got trapped in the nearest living thing. So now you're, what, stuck possessing my cat for the rest of time? Morro: Trust me, I don't like this either. As soon as I figure out how to un-possess this stupid body and get back to the Departed Realm, I'm gone. Nato: ...so...do we still have to get the cat neutered, or...? Morro: NO Kascha: That's your takeaway from all this?! Nato: What? It's a valid question!

Of course, Morro still sticks around even after they exorcise him from the cat because why not, because they're his friends now and maybe getting a second chance at life isn't so bad after all. That being said, he's not keen on interacting with the ninja at all, and has no intention of making his presence known to them. So yeah, Morro is 100% hanging out in the background without any of the ninja finding out and he wants to keep it that way.

The running joke is that Nato and Kascha keep encountering various background/supporting characters, and keep almost meeting the ninja but never actually do (except that one time Sascha had a late-night conversation about the meaning of life with Zane at the grocery store, but didn't realize who she was talking to until two days later). Like, they'll interact with pretty much every canon character except the ninja themselves, often just barely missing opportunities to meet them in increasingly convoluted ways. So many of their shenanigans directly influence the main plot but they just straight-up never realize this. They're just out here causing AND solving problems completely on accident, all the time. Ultimate chaos duo. Just a couple of oblivious dumbasses stumbling into the plot but without even realizing it.

Also! This is very important to me. Their dynamic is essentially "I'd follow you to hell but I just wish you'd stop going there" but in both directions simultaneously. They may be each other's ride-or-die, but that doesn't mean they're happy about it.

[shihalyfie]

The differences between Takato and Haru

(This meta was requested by @digitalgate02​, who also assisted me with a large portion of it. Thank you for your help!)

Takato and Haru often beg a lot of comparisons because of the fact they go so against the usual “brash hero” archetype common to not only Digimon but also shounen franchises in general, being significantly more mild-mannered (on a language level, they’re also the only Digimon protagonists to date who use the more polite boku first-person pronoun instead of the more assertive ore). Haru himself even points out in Appmon’s very first episode that this kind of personality would normally be more suited towards a side character than a protagonist!

Because of that, Haru is often considered to be a spiritual rehashing of Takato, and many have tried to make close parallels between the two, but while the desire to make comparison is naturally understandable, the truth is that beyond surface temperament, the two characters actually have very little in common. In fact, both Tamers and Appmon take rather different approaches to their definitions of a “conventional hero”, and that results in both Takato and Haru having very different roles in the plot.

In many cases, the role of a protagonist in a narrative has a deep relationship with what kind of narrative it is in the first place, and especially what kinds of themes it wants to present. For instance, in the case of 02, you could argue that the story is more “about” Ken than it is about Daisuke, since both major arcs in the story are about his fall and reformation, but when you consider the major themes present in 02′s narrative about purpose in life and pragmatism, Daisuke’s way of life and overall attitude are vital elements in relation to them, and it’s why he ends up being the “protagonist” (or, more accurately, the character at the forefront of the story) despite Ken’s heavier connection to it.

Tamers and Appmon have a number of similarities in storytelling, mainly that they’re both “hard sci-fi” stories in comparison to other entries that have stronger fantasy elements, and do have a certain amount of crossover in terms of dealing with AI-related topics. However, the actual “nature” of each work ultimately turns out to be different, and thus impacts how each of their protagonists is presented.

I heavily dislike calling Tamers a “deconstruction” of the monster collecting genre or of Digimon Adventure, mainly because of how much that term has been exploited to stereotype works in a genre as being things they’re not, or less nuanced than they actually are (as one Twitter user aptly put it: “a deconstruction is when I like something in a genre I disrespect”). I absolutely do not care for the idea of claiming that Adventure or 02 were somehow less nuanced or “deep” than Tamers just because they were more idealistic or more subtle about it, because they sure as hell had a lot of deeper things hidden between the lines if you bother to look out for them, and I also don’t like the implication that Tamers exists to criticize Adventure for supposedly being too naive. It is true, however, that Tamers re-examines a lot of Adventure (and 02)’s concepts in a different context; while Tamers isn’t as strong of a theme narrative, and it’s much more difficult to say there's an overarching message that encompass most or all of the series as much, it does indulge in a lot of thought experiments and smaller subplots that wouldn’t be possible in Adventure, and Takato thus has an important position in facilitating those kinds of thought experiments. The overall franchise metaphors of “growing” (evolving) alongside your Digimon (or, at least, something different from you) and the symbolism associated with it are still more than present, so the Tamers way of showcasing it is in mainly presenting the question of how that kind of goal would even be achievable in the first place when things aren’t as clear-cut.

In particular, Takato serves to address how someone who doesn’t fulfill the typical protagonist mold would cope with situations that somewhat resemble those in Adventure, what would happen when a Digimon partner is fundamentally different from oneself, and how one would still be able to grow alongside such an existence. Thus, his own character arc is more relevant to his own personal growth in accordance with interacting with Guilmon and what he gets out of his journey. This is especially because one thing particularly unique to Tamers is how it portrays Digimon as significantly more feral and different in mentality to humans, which means that he had a much higher personal hurdle to begin with, and thus his personal story and what he gets out of it becomes of significantly more importance.

Appmon, on the other hand, very much is an overarching theme narrative and isn’t exactly subtle about it, with one of its biggest questions being about what’s important in a world that’s getting increasingly controlled and regulated by modern technology that’s getting more and more intelligent. Haru is thus the embodiment of Appmon’s answer to that question: “to choose to be kind” -- and the less-than-subtle invocation of the word “protagonist” ends up having a very different meaning invoked in its final episode.

At the very least, on top of both being rather unconventional protagonists, both Tamers and Appmon do start with Takato and Haru both expressing a desire to be more like one who could go on some kind of adventure (Takato’s version isn’t as verbal, but his way of enthusiastically putting on goggles as proof that he’s a Tamer in Tamers episode 2 carries heavy implications of wanting to emulate the heroes he saw on TV).

However, this is where we get our first difference: Takato proudly claims his newfound status as the series protagonist, whereas Haru is unsure and self-conscious about it -- Haru himself is the one who initially considers himself not cut out for the role despite Yuujin personally believing he does and Gatchmon trying to urge him into it. And, in fact, this is actually the difference that kicks off where their paths entirely diverge.

Takato is often said to be unconventional for a protagonist, but when you really think about it, it’s not like Taichi or Daisuke were exactly models of typical protagonist tropes; while you could call them “hot-blooded”, in the end, Taichi’s standout traits have more to do with natural charisma and sometimes even being too chill, and Daisuke, for all he seems assertive, is actually extremely deferential. So why is Takato still such a standout in comparison?

Well, when you look at the detailed profiles of all twelve of the main Adventure and 02 cast, you might notice something: all of them are naturally selfless people who put others before themselves without a second thought. On the other hand, when you look at Takato, you might realize that this is very much not the case, especially during the early parts of the series. As much as Takato is a “soft” person, he’s not necessarily very “kind” or “nice”, especially during the early parts of the series; he can get possessive or clingy, petty, or even a little arrogant (Tamers episode 11 basically has him go on a mini-power trip based on his card combo having worked so well in the prior episode, which ends up becoming part of his isolation from Hirokazu and Kenta in the following one). Moreover, Takato loses his emotional composure and becomes a crying mess as early as Tamers episode 2, and while it’s not like other characters in Adventure and 02 hadn’t been prone to emotional outbursts, combine it with the above facts and you get the take-home that Takato isn’t “soft” out of an active choice to be so as much as he’s just really, really lacking in emotional mettle to begin with.

To be fair to him, Takato has to deal with quite a bit more stress during the early parts of Tamers than Haru has to during the equivalent parts; having to deal with a Digimon partner that’s outright feral at times and doesn’t have a fully intelligent understanding of how to communicate is a pretty rough thing to start off with. That said, Takato is fairly cowardly even in situations that don’t necessarily have to do with this, it’s just that this makes it worse -- but it means a lot that Takato himself is willing to put in that much effort in bonding with Guilmon despite being initially intimidated by what he’d just created, and that perhaps is what’s the beginnings of how he continues to develop that strength of heart for the rest of the series (and also extends to how he’s the one who connects with Grani).

This is in contrast to how Haru is described by Yuujin at the end of Appmon episode 1, in which Yuujin states that Haru is already cut out to be a protagonist because he’s a kind person -- in other words, Takato is someone who is not cut out to be a protagonist of any kind of adventure at the start of Tamers, even though he thinks he now gets the luxury of being one due to the circumstances he’s thrust into, whereas Haru is already someone with the potential to be one even at the start of the series, but initially lacks the self-confidence to consider himself able to be so. Thus, Takato’s character arc involves having to actually grow into someone worthy of the position, whereas Haru’s involves coming to terms with the aspects of himself he already has but doesn’t quite understand yet.

One very important thing to reiterate is that “unconventional” does not necessarily mean “better” by default, and, on the flip side, just because Takato isn’t as virtuous of a person at the beginning doesn’t mean he’s a worse character (after all, these kinds of things are what makes one interesting). Rather, it’s more important to consider why these characters are this way based on the context of the narratives they’re in.

In the case of the Adventure/02 kids, getting twelve naturally kind kids wasn’t exactly accident, nor was Haru and the other Appli Drivers also being that way; said kids have a bit of selection bias in that they were deliberately chosen by various entities (”the one who wishes for stability” and the Agents, the Holy Beasts, or Minerva) knowing that a massive world- or humanity-threatening crisis was on the horizon and quite understandably picking kids who had the greatest potential for the kindness that shouldering the world’s burdens would take (in Adventure and 02 this manifested in having the kids resonate with Crests and Digimentals that represented virtues, and in Appmon this involved Minerva actively testing them). After all, it’s only natural that anyone with the chance to recruit people to help with a monumental task would ideally go out of their way to pick people who seem best suited for the job, whether it’s something as grand as fantasy chosen hero picking or something as simple as job recruitment. But at the beginning of Tamers, none of the involved parties were really aware of any kind of grand, looming threats on the horizon, and whatever the DigiGnomes were thinking (or not thinking) when giving Takato his D-Ark is arcane to us all, and so Takato ended up becoming a Tamer by functional accident, resulting him starting off very poorly equipped for the job and having to learn how to do it on the fly.

This also means that the “motives” Takato and Haru have for taking action at the beginning of the series are accordingly different. Because any concept of “stakes” was not immediately apparent at the start of Tamers, Takato’s motivations for being a Tamer are more self-centered and selfish than Haru’s are for being an Appli Driver at the start of their respective series.

Takato’s motives at the beginning of Tamers really just revolve around “I want to be able to play with Guilmon more and not lose him,” and there’s no indication at said beginning that he’s really prepared for or even understands the part about having to protect others from harm. That doesn’t mean that Takato’s a selfish person to the extent of not caring about others at all -- in fact, by the time of Tamers episode 15, he demonstrates an understanding that they’re not playing a “game” anymore when things get difficult (and even puts his foot down in front of the other kids for it, a huge improvement from his rather cowardly outlook at the beginning of the series), so the issue largely had to do with the fact that the early parts of Tamers didn’t immediately make such high stakes clear, and Takato himself was thus in a situation of not worrying about others because that necessity wasn’t there yet. But even in the same episode, Takato still has a clear motive of wanting to show off his cool Digimon partner to the others and bask in his “status” as a Tamer, and it’s still a huge contrast to Haru who was initially too humble to accept his role as part of such a larger narrative until his desire to “protect everyone” won out. It’s a big deal that Haru understood the stakes that would be involved in the fight against Leviathan from day one, and actively chose to opt in because of his selflessness.

Another major reason for this difference is that Haru has a certain character trait explicitly ascribed to him that isn’t with Takato: Haru enjoys reading books and is actually rather book-smart and intellectual. On a certain technicality, Takato being characterized as not particularly skilled in that department actually brings him a little closer to the conventional shounen protagonist archetype than it does a “bookish” character like Haru, because such a character is often considered too nerdy for the protagonist position -- but in Haru’s case, the fact he’s actively thoughtful and ruminates on things means that he spends a lot of time thinking about “what’s the right thing to do” in a given situation.

For all it’s worth, I really hope that the above won’t be taken as an implication that Takato is a fundamentally bad person for having more selfish immediate priorities than Haru or the Adventure/02 kids do; having to carry the weight of such a large thing is a huge thing to ask of someone, especially when we’re talking about someone who kind of got thrown into this whole mess and has been spending the entirety of this series trying to figure it all out without a lot of reliable sources of help. On top of that, it should also be noted that Takato is ten; if there’s anything that can be said to be not entirely true-to-life with the Adventure and 02 cast personalities, it’s that a lot of the emotional awareness and levelheadedness they exhibit usually come from people much older than 8-12 (it’s one of the “acceptable breaks from reality” employed in kids’ shows that kid protagonists are often a tad bit more mature than actual kids would be at that age, otherwise a lot of said kids’ show plots wouldn’t function), and real ten-year-olds in Takato’s situation would often have more difficulty knowing what to do with such great burdens at this age. It’s actually fairly significant that Haru is 13 and from a group composed mainly of middle schoolers, in contrast to the older series having elementary school kids (the youngest Appli Driver, Astra, is actually the same age as a classic Digimon series protagonist), and thus it’s probably not surprising that they’re more willing and able to deal with such huge issues much earlier on.

Thus, although Takato’s character arc does involve him slowly growing into the role of becoming less shallow and selfish, and becoming more truly assertive while he’s at it, this fundamental difference in their natures ends up continuing to have a major influence by the time of the later parts of the series. The difference can be most starkly illustrated in Tamers episode 35 versus Appmon episode 41 -- in which Takato, upon seeing Beelzebumon kill Leomon, is utterly consumed by his emotions and decides that the best course of action to take would be killing Beelzebumon in revenge, even though this won’t bring Leomon back or accomplish anything productive (and, indeed, it does make things worse in the form of driving his own partner over the edge and traumatizing Juri further). (Adventure had already warned that prioritizing “revenge” over “protecting others” is foolhardy and tends to cause a lot of really nasty problems.)

In contrast, one thing you might notice about Haru is that he never “denies anyone’s feelings”, even when confronting someone like Knight. You could argue that Haru wasn’t necessarily dealing with direct trauma in front of him, but recall that Knight had caused tons of grief and misery for many (something Haru takes serious offense at) and had, along with Charismon, gotten very close to permakilling all of the Buddy Appmon at one point back in Appmon episode 37 -- so it’s not like Haru doesn’t have reason to have grudge against Knight, even if the severity isn’t as immediate. Note that Haru doesn’t “both-sides” this issue; he still insists on making his own case, it’s just that he still doesn’t have it in him to not acknowledge that Knight has a good reason for making the case he does given his background, consider his words to an extent, and fight against the idea of having Knight be killed for no good reason. Haru has a very strong belief in “thinking with one’s heart” and “respecting feelings” that he'd exhibited through the entire series (for example, very prominently in Appmon episode 12 with Rei), and because of that he has a ton of emotional control over himself even taking some very harsh things. It’s clear that Haru does have very deep understanding of what he’s dealing with -- and chooses to be idealistic and kind anyway.

(In addition, because Haru is so naturally inclined to be selfless, the one time he really does hit an emotional low in Appmon episode 49, it’s not anger or lashing out at anyone, but rather sadness and despair. Haru just really does not have the fundamental capacity to be aggressive.)

As said before, Takato’s character arc is very much a personal story of how he grew into the role of a Tamer, via learning to fight for what’s important and have a strong heart for it. As a result, his motives for fighting end up still having a much more personal streak to it than anything -- at the time of Tamers episode 49, technically speaking, the Wild Bunch was still being counted on to work on the D-Reaper problem, and his own family was urging him to stay home for now, but what tipped him over the edge was not some desire to protect people as a whole but rather the fact that Juri was calling for him. It’s not to say that such a thing is selfish -- he’s clearly doing it for her sake, not anything to do with his own -- but nevertheless his involvement was directly related to something that hit a little more personally moreso than it was for the sake of the wider picture.

As said before, this is fitting for someone whose story is really more of a personal character arc before anything else; the significance is more in line with the sheer amount of emotional growth Takato had to go through in order to get to this point at all, and how someone normally so divorced from the concept of heroism could come to do something so meaningful, especially thanks to his interactions with Guilmon and growing alongside him. There’s absolutely no doubt that Takato wouldn’t have been able to do this kind of thing at the beginning of the series, so it’s a huge accomplishment that shouldn’t be watered down. It also makes him a very good foil to the D-Reaper, an emotionless program that’s still fixated on rehashing the same destructive purpose it was originally created for years ago and has long lost its purpose, and while Takato isn’t technically the sole factor in putting it to rest (at most, the most valuable asset as part of the Wild Bunch’s plan), the contrast is quite apparent.

On the flip side, Appmon episode 54 not only involves the exact opposite -- in which Haru sacrifices something closely personal to him for the sake of everything else -- but also ties it very closely to its own series themes, which are assertively laid down in all of their glory during this finale. The reason Haru had been “chosen” by Minerva to begin with, and the reason he himself had been given an opt-in “choice” at the beginning of the series and again in Appmon episode 38, and so many other characters had been given “choices”, is that this story is about choices -- because Leviathan (and Knight, and any kind of “AI should manage everything” argument that this series fights hard against) believes that humans shouldn’t be allowed them, and that everything ought to fall in accordance with a “rational” system. Haru, on the other hand, believes in the human heart that can do unexpected things, and his constant choices to do things out of kindness despite understanding what they entail.

Over the course of the series, Haru hadn’t always been putting himself in a spotlight situation -- in fact, many episodes had involved him saying “we’ll support you!” and generally uplifting others before he’d ever tried to take charge. But in the end, the reason he ends up as the “protagonist” who makes the final choice for everyone’s sake is because he’s the one who understands that gravity of “making a choice with one’s feelings” that’s so vital to changing Leviathan’s mind -- plus, the fact he’d been so supportive and kind to everyone means that everyone else shows up for him when he needs it most. Note that when Astra and Eri are upset at Yuujin in Appmon episodes 48 and 51, it’s not so much out of the overall betrayal as much as the fact he specifically betrayed and hurt Haru, because that’s how much they’ve come to care for him in return.

Hence, why Appmon latently ends on a frame of redefining the concept of “protagonist” -- certainly, on a meta level, Haru became the “protagonist” of the narrative that is Appmon, but what it actually means in terms of what Haru became is that everyone, including the members of the audience watching this series, is “the protagonist of their own life”, meaning that being a “protagonist” is defined merely by said act of “making choices” and defining what your own path will be. And especially in a world where singularity is going to become more and more of a real possibility -- as the show indirectly reminds us, AI surpassing human intellect is something that’s been predicted and warned about in this very world we, the viewers, live in -- understanding this is going to become even more important.

Incidentally, in the end, as much as it might be tempting to try and draw parallels with Takato because both of them are in the franchise-mandated position of “protagonist”, removing that requirement actually brings up a character that might make a much closer parallel -- “making choices that are out of kindness” easily directly invokes a certain other character from 02 who had “kindness” as a huge part of his character arc, doesn’t it...?

Really, if you think about it, Haru has a lot in common with Ken, who’s also thoughtful, intellectual, very in touch with his own feelings, assertive, resilient, strong in heart, and kind out of choice even when he doesn’t have to be -- you could basically say Haru is what Ken would be like if he hadn’t gone through such a massive formative event of trauma early in his life, or, alternatively, Ken if he had a bit more of Daisuke’s more outwardly bright, friendly, and supportive traits. It may not be a comparison you’d be easily tempted to make because, as stated above, as much as Ken had a deep connection with 02′s plot, he’s not portrayed as the protagonist of his own narrative...and, hence, Haru is unusual in that the exact archetype that was formerly placed in the role of the series deuteragonist has now been recast in the role of the protagonist itself. But then again, from Haru’s perspective, it’s not like Ken wasn’t technically the driving force of his own story, right?

(I’m not just drawing this comparison because I usually blog for 02. I promise.)

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

Diabolik Lovers Survey 2020 Results

This year I got 138 responses in total, which is close to double the number I got in 2019 (74 responses) so a big thank you to all of you for taking part and for those who helped to promote it! Now onto the results:

Question 1. Who is your favorite DL character?

1. Subaru Sakamaki (18 votes) (3rd in CL poll, joint 4th in 2019 survey) 2. Shu Sakamaki (16 votes) (1st in CL poll, 1st in 2019 survey) 3. Ruki Mukami (13 votes) (4th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 4. Laito Sakamaki (12 votes) (8th in CL poll, 10th in 2019 survey) 5. Ayato Sakamaki (11 votes) (2nd in CL poll, 3rd in 2019 survey) 6. Reiji Sakamaki (10 votes) (9th in CL poll, 2nd in 2019 survey) 6. Carla Tsukinami (10 votes) (11th in CL poll, 4th in 2019 survey) 6. Kanato Sakamaki (10 votes) (6th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 9. Azusa Mukami  (8 votes) (12th in CL poll, 13th in 2019 survey) 9. Yui Komori (8 votes) (7th in CL poll, no votes in 2019 survey) 11. Yuma Mukami (7 votes) (10th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 12. Shin Tsukinami (6 votes) (14th in CL poll, joint 11th in 2019 survey) 13. Kino (3 votes) (13th in CL poll, joint 11th in 2019 survey) 14. Kou Mukami (1 vote) (5th in CL poll, joint 6th in 2019 survey) 14. Richter (1 votes) (did not feature in CL poll, no votes in 2019 survey)

Note: 3 people said they didn’t have a favorite character and 1 person skipped the question. Karlheinz, Beatrix, Cordelia, Christa and Yuri were all available options but they did not receive any votes. I’ve included where they came in the CL poll (the most recent official popularity poll) to show how the results compare. Below you can also see how the voting breaks down compared to the 2019 survey.

While I was a little surprised that Subaru managed to dethrone Shu as the fandom’s overall favorite, I was not surprised by him, Shu, Ruki and Ayato all featuring in the top 5 considering their rankings in the CL poll. Laito also managed to sneak his way in there but considering that he was the winner of the 2018 survey, that wasn’t much of a surprise to me either.

The thing that I really don’t understand is what on Earth happened with Kou. Up until 24 hours before the survey closed, he didn’t have a single vote (lone Kou fan, thank you for stepping up), despite doing pretty well in the CL poll and the 2019 survey. If anyone has any theories on where all the Kou fans have gone then let me know because I am baffled.

Anyway, onto the rest of the survey, because this post is extremely long, I’ve put the rest below the cut.

Question 2. Who is your least favorite diaboy?

1. Kanato Sakamaki (42 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 2. No least favorite (15 votes) (2nd option in 2019 survey) 3. Kino (14 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 4. Ruki Mukami (12 votes) (joint 6th in 2019 survey) 5. Ayato Sakamaki (10 votes) (4th in 2019 survey) 6. Carla Tsukinami  (9 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 7. Reiji Sakamaki (7 votes) (joint 6th in 2019 survey) 8. Shin Tsukinami (6 votes) (joint 6th in the 2019 survey) 8. Azusa Mukami (6 votes) (joint 10th in 2019 survey) 10. Shu Sakamaki (5 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 11. Kou Mukami (3 votes) (5th in 2019 survey) 11. Laito Sakamaki (3 votes) (9th in 2019 survey) 11. Yuma Mukami (3 votes) (joint 10th in 2019 survey) 14. Subaru Sakamaki (2 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey)

Note: I discounted one vote for Subaru on this question, as the participant had also voted for him as their favorite character so I assumed they misunderstood this question.

Every single year I’ve done this, Kanato has come first in this category by a massive margin and (while I will admit he’s my own least favorite) I am still no closer to understanding why he gets so many votes. If anyone does have any theories then do let me know.

Other than that, Kino’s placement certainly isn’t a surprise given his place in the 2019 survey and that he was the villain in all of the other characters LE routes, which I suspect has not endeared him to many. I do find it interesting that Ruki and Ayato (who did well in the popularity poll) were also in the top 5 for this question. 

I also wasn’t expecting Shu, golden boy of the fandom, to actually rank higher than some of the other characters in this question and to only have one less vote than Shin (who is considerably less popular and did some fairly deplorable things in the other character’s DF routes). 

Question 3. What is your favorite type of DL media?

1. The games 60 votes (1st in 2019 survey) 2. The drama CDs 46 votes (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. The character songs 9 votes (3rd in 2019 survey) 3. The merch (e.g. plushies, badges, straps etc) 9 votes (4th in 2019 survey) 5. The anime 8 votes (5th in 2019 survey) 5. The manga 6 votes (6th in 2019 survey)

I don’t really think there’s much to comment on with this one, the results are pretty similar to last year and given that the drama CDs and the games collectively provide most of the story content for DL, it’s not at all surprising that they’re the fan favorites.

Question 4. If you have played and/or read translations for the games, which is your favorite?

1. Dark Fate (39 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 2. Haunted Dark Bridal (27 votes) (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. More Blood (13 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 4. Vandead Carnival  (10 votes) (7th in 2019 survey)  5. Lost Eden 8 votes (5th in 2019 survey) 6. Chaos Lineage 8 votes (4th in 2019 survey) 7. Lunatic Parade 6 votes (6th in 2019 survey) Note: 20 people said they had not played the games or read translations of them.

DF, HDB and MB all remain as the top 3 games of franchise. I was a bit surprised to see VC jump up so much though, although I know some more translations for it have been posted recently, and a game being translated will always help to boost it’s popularity within the fandom.

Question 5. If you have listened to and/or read translations of the drama CDs, which set of CDs includes your favorite?

1. Bonus CDs (19 votes) (4th in 2019 survey) 2. Para-Selene (18 votes) (2nd in 2019 survey) 3. Bloody Bouquet (14 votes) (1st in 2019 survey) 4. Zero (13 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 5. The original do-s vampire CDs (11 votes) (3rd in 2019 survey) 6. More Blood do-s vampire (8 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 7. Verus II (7 votes) (joint 5th in 2019 survey) 8. More, More Blood (6 votes) (not an option in the 2019 survey) 9. Dark Fate (4 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 9. Born To Die (4 votes) (joint 9th in 2019 survey) 11. Verus I (3 votes) (joint 9th in 2019 survey) 12. Eternal Blood (2 votes) (no votes in 2019 survey) 13. Versus III  (1 vote) (joint 8th in 2019 survey) 13. Versus IV (1 vote) (no votes in 2019 survey) 13. Chaos Lineage  (1 vote) (joint 8th in 2019 survey) Note: the Lost Eden CDs (joint 8th in the 2019 survey) did not receive any votes and 26 people said they had not listened to or read translations of the drama CDs, 6 more than those who had not played or read translations of the games. 

I was pretty surprised to see the Bloody Bouquet CDs bumped down to third place considering that they won far and away in the 2018 and 2019 surveys, especially with the Zero CDs coming so close behind them. Para-Selene (my own personal favorite set of drama CDs) is still a fan favorite, and while I know many people enjoy the bonus CDs, I certainly wasn’t expecting to see them take the top spot.

In terms of other things to note, I do find it interesting that the Eternal Blood CDs (which feature the Mukamis) are less popular than the Born To Die CDs (which feature the Tsukinamis and Kino), considering that in this survey, the Mukami brothers got more votes combined than the Tsukinamis + Kino, and I’m pretty sure all of the Eternal Blood CDs have been translated, while to my knowledge, no English translations exist for the BTD CDs (although you can find a summary of Shin’s on this blog), so I would have expected this to be the other way around.

Question 6. How long have you been interested in DL?

1. More than 4 years but less than 6 years (55 votes)  2. More than 2 years but less than 4 years (26 votes)  3. More than 6 years but less than 8 years (15 votes)  4. Up to six months (9 votes)  5. Over 8 years (7 votes) 6. More than 6 months but less than 1 year (6 votes) 7. Less than 1 month (2 votes) Note: 6 people said they couldn’t remember how long they’d been interested in DL for.

It seems the majority of us have been here for years (truly, there is no escaping diahell) but it was nice to see so many newcomers to the fandom take part this year, especially as we haven’t really had that much new content. 

I mentioned this in the 2019 survey results post but I do wonder whether the release of the MB anime (a little over 5 years ago), may have some correlation with a large chunk of the fandom (or at least the portion that took part in this survey) being into the series for between 4-6 years.

Question 7. If you answered the survey I did last year, have any of your choices changed since then?

Note: Multiple options could be selected here.

My favorite character has changed: 21 votes

My least favorite diaboy has changed: 17 votes

My favorite DL game has changed: 9 votes

My favorite drama CD has changed: 18 votes

There were definitely more changes this year compared to last year (although given the much larger sample size, that’s to be expected), but it does seem most are fairly firm in their favorites. 

Question 8. If you purchased one of the More, More Blood CDs, which version did you get? 

Deluxe edition: 7 votes (5.22%)

Regular edition: 4 votes (2.99%)

Deluxe edition from Animate: 7 votes (5.22%)

Deluxe edition from Stellaworth: 2 votes (1.49%)

Deluxe edition of the same CD from Animate & Stellaworth: 3 votes (2.24%)

Multiple MMB CDs (some regular, some deluxe): 5 votes (3.73%)

Did not buy any of the MMB CDs: 106 votes (79.10%)

Note: 4 people skipped this question.

I mostly asked this question because I was curious as to how many people bought the deluxe edition versus the normal edition, especially as after listening to Shin’s (and from the comments I saw online) I feel like you really need the bonus CD you get with the deluxe edition to nicely wrap up the story.

I was sort of expecting most people to go for the deluxe edition, as I think if you’re ordering your favorite's CD, you’re going to want the maximum content with them possible, even if it does come with a bigger price tag.

As for why so many people went for the Animate bonus over the Stellaworth bonus, I imagine this was because Animate has an international online store (although I think whether you can actually get the bonus drama CDs from them is variable) while Stellaworth only ships in Japan, which means if you order from them, you have to use a proxy service which really hikes up the price.

Question 9. Out of the following things released within the last year, which has been your favorite?

1. 4-panel More, More Blood comics (28 votes) 1. Winter of Lovers merch (28 votes) 3. More, More Blood CDs (24 votes) 4. Masquerade Jewel merch (18 votes) 5. My Melody collaboration merch (15 votes) 6. Other (14 votes) 7. Merch from Rejet 2020 Fes (10 votes) Note: 1 person skipped this question.

I thought for sure the More, More Blood CDs would win this one but I seriously underestimated just how popular the More, More Blood comics and merch lines were. I suppose given that the bonus drama CDs came first in the Drama CD category and the MMB comics are much in the same vein (as in they both contain humorous content), it isn’t that much of a surprise, especially as the comics are posted online and are therefore much more accessible to international fans than the drama CDs.

As for the merch lines, Winter of Lovers is the most recently released set, so it may be possible that this is partially responsible for it’s popularity (i.e. it’s the merch line freshest in people’s minds).

Question 10. Which of the upcoming DL releases are you the most excited for?

1. Young Blood manga (64 votes) 2. Daylight CDs (25 votes) 3. Releases that have yet to be announced (20 votes) 4. Count Off (9th anniversary song) (7 votes) Note: 22 people went for the “Can’t choose/ Not excited for any of these” option.

The Young Blood manga won here by a massive margin, which is pretty interesting considering that the DL manga ranked lowest in question 3. That being said though I suspect this manga will be more popular than the others as it should give us more of the boys’ backstories.

I’ve seen several people hoping for the unannounced release (that we should find out more about April) to be a new game. Personally I’m not super convinced that’s going to be the case as new game announcements tend to be done at Otomate party (as was the case with CL in 2018), which is scheduled for July. However, I do admit that I think a new game would be a really good way to celebrate DL’s tenth anniversary (which is coming up December next year), so I don’t think it’s completely outside of the realms of possibility that we may get another game at some point. 

Either way I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in April.

And that’s it for the 2020 survey. Again, thanks to everyone who took part, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the results, was there anything that surprised you?