#they do at least have good fodder and I like 3/4 of those characters but

[owainbradys]

FEH fans: I am going to create an AHR banner that is so dogshit

[the-creative-lounge-blog]

The video features custom community emojis by @azuzeldraws

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[stillhavetodothat]

Replaying Nancy Drew without Cheating - Part 9: Secret of Shadow Ranch

Loving this game is sooo diametrically opposed to who I am to my core (i.e. anti-horse girl), but I just CANNOT help myself. It’s so good. As a former Arizona gal myself, I am enamored with the setting, swept away by the romantic story of Frances Humber and Dirk Valentine’s forbidden love, and love staring a little too long at Dave’s sculpted ass at the chicken coop. I feel like this game is near perfect and I have very few complaints, despite the fact that I actually despise Shorty Thurmond with every fiber of my being. I haven’t hated a character this much since the days of yore, when Louis Chandler’s punchable face and droning voice haunted my nightmares. I have new nightmare fodder now - but I am very appreciative that at least it harkens back to The Shining, which is one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

God, my skin is crawling even just looking at that photo.

Okay, the real question here: was I tempted to cheat playing this game? The answer is no. I am thinking that between DDI, which I recently finished, and SHA, because I have not felt the need to look up any hints, probably just indicates that these are games that I have re-played most often. There was not any moment where I wasn’t sure what I needed to do next; in fact, I’ve come to realize that not playing along with a walkthrough (which I frequently have done) really does you an injustice as a player. It removes the element of immersion, so now, I was actually able to follow the storyline and really appreciate how well-fleshed out the game is. It just FEELS like they put some time into this one, if that makes any sense. It is enough to make me overlook the fact that I am terrified of horses and would never be caught dead riding one solo through the desert in real life.

Here are my thoughts:

1. This was THE FIRST game with this new interface, and it brings a whole new feel to Nancy Drew. The screen is larger, you feel more like you ARE Nancy. With that, of course, came some issues that would eventually be worked out, such as needing to deliberately close your bag every single time you pulled something out of it...made it feel a bit clunky. However, the changes’ good definitely outweighs their bad, and it was fun to feel like I was part of the next generation of HerInteractive.

2. Anyone else wondering how there are so many sticks just laying around, considering the fact that there are no trees on the ranch, and hardly any trees in that desert at all? I’ve never thought of this before, but I think these people would probably be buying firewood in town irl, not just finding it hanging around the yard.

3. Dave is obviously hot, and I have thought this since my childhood, but TEX is a smokeshow. Damn, those deep, rugged voices get me every time (lest we forget my concerning childhood crush on Dexter Egan). Mary Yazzie is a lucky lady, especially since I am inferring from this poster that Tex is very well-endowed. Girth is definitely rife with sexual innuendo. Remember, I know nothing about horses, and some people are reading this and palming their faces, but this is head cannon for me now.

4. Shorty is probably the dumbest culprit ever. I knew it was him back in the day as soon as I saw his stupid maps. The constant beration over his underripe vegetables and the elusive chicken eggs only further drove my hatred for him (without hints in this playthrough - I got thrown out of the house THREE times for picking the wrong vegetables. THREE!!). Shorty’s refusal to do his own job, his gross bald head, the fact that I for some reason have to rely on him every single day for water, him and/or his bank robber friends leaving the key for Nancy to escape from the jail cell within 3 minutes of coming to...I could go on. He is as dumb as a stump.

5. The look on Dave’s and Tex’s faces in this scene is hilarious. We can all relate. Even though lamb ragout sounds really good and I would take it over a burger any day, I have a hard time agreeing when he says that Dave and Tex’s taste buds are as sophisticated as a sand flea’s. This man made me bake a cake myself while he stood at the stove, stiff as a taxidermied bear, stirring at nothing in a pot for 12 hours a day, so I have my doubts as to his talent in the kitchen. “I must confess the man has NO TALENT.”

6. LOVED Dry Creek. It was so creepy that I really did feel nervous whenever I had to go out there, as if the sense of isolation of that town was seeping into me through the screen. Very cool spot. Getting locked in that jail cell was super exciting gameplay too. I give Shorty shit for leaving that key on the hook there, but in this playthrough I definitely knocked the key off the wall and into the floor hole about 4 times before I finally remembered about lassoing the chair. Who’s the dumb one now??

7. This magnet puzzle made me want to kill myself. Ultimately, I just randomly put each piece in each spot until they locked in, since I never did see the pamphlet in Mary’s shop. I thought there would be a better explanation out there as to why the wood pieces are there the first 10ish times you open it, and disappear on the 11thish. Has any game ever just inexplicably taken pity on you like this before? I am trying to think about whether or not I have ever realized that the game does this, or if this is the first time, since every other time I would have solved it the first time I opened it by following a very explicit walkthrough. I do like finding these weird little quirks, which I would never have found if not for this initiative.

8. The WORST puzzle though, not because it was hard but because it was so fucking annoying, was the game inside of Cappy’s after you put in Frances’s cousin’s ring. I had 2 tokens going in, both of which I had gotten playing the original game making a series bad guys with the token from the roadrunner game, and they were quickly gone as I lost twice in a row. I then proceeded to have to go back and play that roadrunner game SEVEN MORE TIMES!! in order to get more tokens to win a game that was purely luck. OMFG. I now have all 3 levels of that roadrunner game memorized. I will likely never forget them. And honestly, cheating wouldn’t have even made this easier.

9. And finally, Dave’s shit-eating grin in this photo at the end of the game, as he watches a mysterious Nancy cloaked in a physically impossible shadow. 

Excellent game. Maybe my favorite so far. Who’s ready to follow along with me as I shit myself in fear as Ethel lurks in the shadows of Blackmoor Manor?

[televinita]

First library sale of the year! Their bag sale, specifically. I initially went on the first night but I was so exhausted from work that I legitimately did not enjoy myself; I found no proper treasure and only bought 2 things, not least because I was surprised to find hardcovers were $2 instead of $1. So instead, I hatched a plan to come back for the $5 bag sale on Sunday, because I had a lot of fun with those in 2021 and didn’t really go to any in 2022 because I was already way over capacity with my regular buying. This time I had a great excuse!

My bag sale objectives are twofold: one, scoop up pretty books to dump in my HPB “sale fodder” bag (left side pic) -- I do not feel bad about this as long as I’ve given people who might genuinely want them at least a full weekend day plus a bag sale hour to pick them up first -- and two, grab whatever even mildly catches my eye once the bulk has been picked over, because hey, $5 whether I take two books or twenty-five, and *slaps reinforced paper sack* this bad boy can fit so many books.

I’m including the stack on the left just for general interest if anyone’s curious what kind of things I found. I don’t know any of these titles and am not interested in reading them. EXCEPT “Sold,” which I don't need a physical copy of but do love, and am probably going to buy as an e-book at some point because the writing is so profoundly moving. Might even just put that one in a Little Free Library, so strongly do I believe in its literary value to portray a harsh topic in teen-appropriate ways.

Below the cut, photos exclusively of the much-less-pretty, mostly-ex-library books’ covers from the stack on the right, along with extremely and unnecessarily long winded commentary.

(hmmm, I did not arrange these in the same order I wanted to talk about them, but I guess I’d better follow the pics)

Adult Fiction & Nonfiction

1. Spill Simmer Falter Wither - Sara Baume (2015): Will I love it, IDK. Will I keep it...even less sure. But it’s about a solitary older man who adopts an unwanted dog, and it seems very introspective and beautifully written without being too heavily literary. This is almost always a trap in literary fiction, but what if it wasn’t.

2. The Distance Home - Orly Konig (2017): Ooh! on my TBR for like 5 years now, because horses + women’s fiction, everything in the summary appeals to me. Grabbed partly to ensure I have access in case the last copy gets weeded after this, and partly because there’s a good chance I’ll want to keep it.

3. The Escape - Lisa Harris (2020): would not have paid for this on its own, but on bag sale day I grabbed it for convenience just to read because “two air marshals transporting a dangerous prisoner crash-land in the mountains and everyone except them dies and now they need to catch the bad guy on the loose” really ticks all my law-enforcement-character-loving + wilderness setting + thriller preferences. [edit: it was exactly what I expected, nothin’ special. but to my delight, the library stickers actually peeled beautifully off this one so now it’s going in the sale pile]

4. Cold Day in the Sun - Sara Biren (2019): Oops, this one’s YA. Anyway, still haven’t read her books but I suspect I might like them, and they are so unpopular here that the library only has 1 copy left; it won’t last much longer. So, convenience again.

5. Wanderer - Sara Leon (2016): I skimmed through this last year when I was looking for pianist/composer characters and it wasn’t quite what I was in the mood for, but it’s slim and at some point I will be in the mood for “a novel that explores the stifled, unspoken feelings of a music teacher and his former student, and the damage done by their years of silence.” And the library weeded BOTH of its remaining copies at once in this sale so yeah, tucking this safely aside for later.

6. Leaving the Pink House - Ladette Randolph (2014): university press published memoir, I don’t know if I will really like her but there are no local library copies left and I love houses so much that this immediately grabbed my attention: on September 12, 2001, Randolph and her husband bought a dilapidated farmhouse on twenty acres outside Lincoln, Nebraska, and set about gutting and rebuilding the house themselves. They had nine months to complete the work. The project, undertaken at a time of national unrest and uncertainty, led Randolph to reflect on the houses of her past and the stages of her life that played out in each, both painful and joyful.

Children’s & YA (mostly)

7. My Friend Flicka - Mary O’Hara: One of two I bought on Thursday. Not the most beautiful copy but not a bad one either, 1960s ex-school-library and fairly clean pages. Because I was just thinking about how odd it is that I neither own a copy of this very famous novel, nor ever see copies of it at these sales, despite owning the latter two books in the trilogy. I’d like to reread it, and haven’t since childhood.

8. I Tell A Lie Every So Often - Bruce Clements (1974): OH HEY, one of the long-weeded-from-local-libraries titles from Lost Masterworks of Young Adult Lit?? Instant snag! I’m always interested in reading those for myself, even though this one does not look nearly as exciting as hoped. Will probably read & release.

9. Vinyl Princess -- Yvonne Prinz (2009): I don’t remember this title well but I remember it fondly, and every time I look at it on Goodreads I think about rereading it, not least because she was really ahead of the curve in writing about a modern day teen who thinks music sounds better on records. I always promised myself I’d buy it if the library ever weeded its last copy, and that day has come.

10. King of the Screwups - K.L. Going (2009): actually, nah, this one’s going in the sale bag as originally planned. While sorting them I caught enough in the jacket summary about a complicated father/son relationship to make me wonder “Loki vibes?” and consider trying it, but upon further examination this just looks like an awful time. Trashy teen boys are not where it’s at for me.

11. More Tales for the Midnight Hour - J.B. Stamper (1992): I bought Still More Tales for the Midnight Hour as a teen and have loved it ever since; with this one I think I might finally have the full set o’ spook.

12. Both Sides of Time - Caroline B. Cooney (1995): I read so many of her books in high school, but I remember this one being one of the best. Mass market paperback is a very convenient way to store access. Plus, Laurel Leaf imprint is my favorite paperback imprint. very nostalgia/comfort.

13. Call it Courage - Armstrong Sperry: an elementary school fave I’ve almost forgotten, bought to revisit briefly and then I’ll release because holy hell is this cover ugly, and the too-stiff binding basically made to crack and dump the pages out.

14. Vacancy - K.R. Alexander (2021): THE children’s horror author of the modern day. I’ve actually read a couple of his books recently because the covers alone were so creepy, and had a blast, so I’d like to read this one too and then I’ll let it go. Much better in print than as an e-book, but library only has it on Libby.

15. Nop’s Trials - Donald McCraig (1985): Ending where we began, with an adult-fiction dog book set in nearly the same region... Except this is much better. It’s the other one I bought Thursday, and the closest to treasure in the set, because I read this in high school and 5-star loved it and have been looking out for a cheap copy ever since, but only ever saw it in a huge and heavy oversized hardcover. At last, the mass market paperback of my dreams/same as the one I originally read is mine.

BONUS FUN FACTS: 

(because I love to talk books and literally cannot shut up about them)

1. I spent an hour walking around and it was honestly fascinating to watch the number of books shrink in real time, circulating volunteers constantly consolidating sections and folding up/removing emptied tables. Practically a time lapse vid.

2. I donated a full grocery bag of books to this sale myself, and I was so excited by how many I saw on Thursday that were gone by Sunday. I also took back 3 of them (not pictured above) that had not been taken by an hour before sale ending time, because I was Personally Offended about it -- one of them was a horse book! i just accidentally had two copies of it -- and went, “fine, I’ll bring them somewhere they’re appreciated!”

(joke, but I really do plan to donate them to another sale and hope they have better luck in a new county. I don’t know for sure what the Friends do with unsold stock after these sales and I don’t want to, but I’d rather not risk ones I like being thrown out / donated anywhere that will pulp stock en masse if I don’t have to.)

[ftalos]

[HOS] Heroes of Shadowverse: Portalcraft cards' first impressions.

Shadowverse’s “last” expansion starts tomorrow, a whole set of renascent cards full of characters and lore from the story mode will arrive and, hopefully, fill the next three months with the nostalgia and the competitiveness that makes this game one of my favorites.

From early reveals, some classes are getting menacing finishers, while others, like Portalcraft seem to be full of support for all the playstyles available on rotation. Artifacts, Control, Evo and Machina will all be getting new cards to push the class forward, but are they strong enough?

Time to read the whole set and find out.

Bronze Cards:

Nameless Impulse: From RSC, the EP recovery stays but the draw is out, instead it becomes an artificial 0-cost from mid to lategame. The card itself is not exactly a new staple, but it could fit in Evo or Control builds. 3/5

Overgrown Wretch: Illganeau’s token is back, and the old Rally Portal did not use the bronze card itself. The story might repeat this time, unless a new aggro deck enjoys not having board presence. 1/5.

Metal Mammoth: This Machina card is now Evo Support and a seriously strong wall from turn 8 onwards. Some of the new cards do extra effects if you have an 8-cost in hand, and this one might fit the bill for Machina portal or Evo Portal. 4/5.

Outmodded Warrior: I see this one more as Machina fodder than as an Artifact card, but it is a new name still. Kinda expensive a 3 tho. 1/5.

Silver Cards:

Dual Sword of Severance: Maysia tokens returning would’ve been great, but this card is not that bad anyway. On the right targets it becomes a free removal, so it will see some play, either early on the expansion or as a later tech. 3/5.

Mass Produced Enforcer: It stopped giving a bot token but now has unconditional rush, a nice trade in my book. As it did before, this one is a staple in Machina Portal. 5/5.

Fettler Coyote: 1 cost 4/4 is not something to ignore, all this PP recovery lines up for a spam of cards whose pay off I’m still unsure of. It might see play, specially in control portal, because it’s not a bad card, but doesn’t have an obvious place. 4/5.

Gold Cards:

Duel with Destiny: This new version doesn’t have the dual effect but it is still strong, the Yuwan side goes nice with Artifact and control, while the Belphomet side is perfect for his Machina/Control goal. 5/5

Sparksting Archaelogist: Card’s good on a vacuum but it has strong competition with Jasper (Carnelia), Agyll must be your first Evo everytime, so… This is, maybe, a 2-of in artifact, because this guy on curve is annoying. At worst it’s a fusion target. 4/5.

Legendary Cards:

Illganeau, Restored Wretch: Rally 20 is achievable in artifact, but the decklist is getting kind of tight. It’s a good card overall, so it might create his own deck. 4/5

Belphomet, Loretaker: His Fusion effects are a nice addition and his menacing turn 8 is still a threat, Machina-Control might enjoy this card but his place in the metagame looks hazy. 4/5. Hope to be wrong.

Postapocalyptic Girls: A 3rd legendary card and it’s an original! These girls are a valuable addition to artifact portal, and their side of resonance might pair well with chaos aura and control builds, emphasis on “might”, because those analyzings clogging the deck are something to watch out. 5/5

Overall the power level of these cards is low, but the synergies are really high and portal has at least three decks for climbing, I will miss Enhanced Portal and Killzael, but the latter has a skin I’m dying to get and the new environment looks fun to try.

[obkkfkr]

Reasons why Obito "snapped" and didn't return to Konoha but rather worked towards achieving the Infinite Tsukuyomi And why he's a much deeper character than just "he did it for a girl lol";

1. Team Minato were just kids fighting in a war.

Kakashi, Obito and Rin were 12-year olds fighting against adult Jonin level shinobi during the Third War. They were only kids and even the enemies mocked them for being nothing more than cannon fodder.

2. Rin was kidnapped for intel

You may say anything goes in a war but Rin was a medical ninja of Team Minato. Their enemies didn't hesitate before using a Genjutsu on her and possibly planning torture to get anything out of her. She was just a kid.

3. Kakashi's fear of being ostracized like his father

Once Obito heard the story of Sakumo, he finally understood what Kakashi went through and where his fear of abandoning the mission to save a comrade came from. Lives meant nothing for the village high-ups, what mattered was that the mission was completed. To the point Konoha drove one of their strongest shinobi to suicide, calling it a mistake. Obito saw Kakashi wasn't a jerk, after his father's suicide Kakashi purposefully distanced himself and fought his own feelings.

4. There were high expectations of Obito from his clanmates.

The Uchiha were known for their Sharingan and Obito was constantly pressured to not only awaken his Sharingan quickly. He also had to perfect Katon Jutsu of a higher tier to earn the approval of the clan's head.

5. Minato came to their rescue too late.

Although Kakashi was appointed as the team captain during the Kannabi Bridge mission, they all still relied on Minato to come to help them. Kakashi, Rin and Obito were up against too many enemies to deal with. Minato was someone Obito looked up to, so when he didn't come to them on time, Obito was hurt, disappointed or even felt betrayed. He wanted to believe that Minato, as someone who wanted to become the Hokage, would look after his students, comrades and value their life.

6. They never went to retrieve Obito's body.

Obito spent a good half a year in the cave recovering and during this time not once did he get any info that someone from Konoha was searching for him. Sure, Zetsu might keep it a secret, but not getting any news like that hurt.

7. Madara told Obito he was naive.

This one is self-explanatory. But if Obito had any doubts by the time he met Madara, they were certainly fueled further. Obito wanted to stay optimistic but every day he was losing the reasons to hope. Agreeing with Madara later made sense.

8. Rin was kidnapped by Kiri.

Once again, the least dangerous of the Team Minato, the person who trained to heal her teammates, was taken to be used as a ticking bomb. The Sanbi was put inside of her just to sacrifice her later. No one had any regard for human life.

9. Kakashi was the one to go rescue Rin.

I'm not calling him incapable by any means. But once again, we have Kakashi, who isn't even 15 yet, leading a team and eventually going in solo to rescue his teammate. They weren't up against normal Jonin-ranked shinobi but Kiri ANBU.

10. Kiri ANBU fought two kids just trying to get home.

ANBU are professionals, trained to be killing machines. Rin and Kakashi were alone, just trying to get back to Konoha. They didn't infiltrate Kiri to steal anything. They didn't kill anyone on their way out.

It was the culmination of all of those events, that seeing Rin die was the last thing that completely crushed Obito's hope. The entire time he saw all these faults and tried to keep being positive but he had to realise it wouldn't change naturally. He had to change it by force.

It's partially the fault of the anime for focusing on Rin too much. If you compare how many times Obito thinks back to Rin in the manga, it's significantly less.

And to top it all off, let me remind you something Obito said himself but everyone just loves to overlook to keep their stupid narrative of "You let Rin die" being Obito's sole reason to do the things he did.

I'm sick and tired of people claiming Obito started a war and ruined lives because the girl he loved died. If you still think I'm wrong, then just go. Don't even bother responding. I love Obito BECAUSE he's such a deep character. He's the best villain in Naruto for me. Period.

[csmeaner]

WARNING: GROSS

Might as well submit this now so I can take a break off the blog for a bit after digging up that Densy shit.

So, I'll bite: /post/694191943132053504/who-is-jesse-and-why-does-everyone-hate-him-so 

post related

posts tagged jesse

Gross stuff at the end.

I wouldn't say I hate Jesse, exactly. That would imply he takes up a lot more active space in my head than he does. His antics, however, do live in the more passive part of my brain and no amount of sandpaper's gonna get that out, so I, uh, am not fond of the guy.

1. Hides behind his mental illness as an excuse to be a POS. Was Jesse mean to you? Did he blow up at you? Was he a shitty friend? Is he bitter as fuck? Does he only talk to you when he wants something? Well, he has mental illness so he has an unspoken expectation you just shrug your shoulders and move on. (In his response to the CCCat-Peakit thing, it read to me like he was explicitly expecting it. You'll have to decide for yourself.)

2. What he did to his "friend", Caravan. While she was around, he was happy to receive gifts from her and defend her. But the moment they had a falling out and he was, like Densy, sure Caravan was gone, he sent screenshots of their personal conversations to Densy. 

I don't care how much you fucking hate someone. Private messages between someone you call a friend should stay private unless there's a very good reason for them not to (ex: someone's telling you they're going to end their life). Print them out and burn them if you need catharsis.

It's also super hypocritical. Caravan was one of the most blatantly mentally-ill people I've seen whaling in CS but because she made Jesse mad, he's excused himself for doing it.

3. He's caused trouble in other communities. Since it's not CS, I won't go into details. He's so aggro and unwilling to back down from anything.

4. Some people still hate him from his hoarding and foddering days. He was never Caravan-level, but he was just about everywhere like her. At least he was usually fair about trades.

5. Mad shit-talker in general. Oh the shit he published following the initial days of the 20K Grem callout. I bet if Caravan released some of her private chats with Jesse, we'd see some real tea.

BUT THE BIGGEST REASONS

6. I'm uncomfortable with his thoughts about minors given how he tried to talk around himself for having a relationship with a 16 yr old when he was 19 yrs old, and how he visited this 16 year old and they "kissed and mildly fooled around". His background story is eerily similar to Soyu-k's. Warning for talks of CSEM and abusive religion: https://archive(.)ph(/)oc1M0. Further response from Jesse (same warnings, just to be safe): archive(.)ph(/)IdG27.

I really don't know how to feel about the last two links. On the one hand, maybe he didn't know, and he's open (as far as we know) about it? Then again, he only came out with it when he couldn't deny it anymore, like Soyu-k. But everyone is different. There's just something about both those posts that doesn't sit right with me. You'll have to decide for yourself.

To be clear, I don't think Jesse is dangerous. I think he's a narcissist (in the general sense, not the personality disorder sense) who's willing to...wriggle around a bit to get himself out of something he'd never forgive someone else for.

7. Related to the above, he has one instance (one is all it takes to make me hate you) that I know of what looks like graphic pro-shipping material in his Toyhouse, which was drawn by his boyfriend(?), Xiphos. Censored version (warning as it's still pretty rancid if you're sensitive to this sort of thing): pasteboard(.)co(/)FnTM1kmrVlmU(.)png.

I know someone who archived the original, uncensored image. I'm not in the mood to dig it up for obvious reasons but lemme know if you just HAVE to see it. And I'll get back to you in a couple days. Or go look it up for yourself before it's inevitably hidden.

It seems clear from the TH profile that the character is intended to be an adult and the image should be interpreted as "size play" or maybe "macro". Knowing how some people treat size play/macro, I avoid people who draw it out to this extent. The character in this image has borderline-child proportions.

Actually, Jesse seems to share Xiphos's tastes in general. For example, this naked human's encounter with a rather large anthro. Censored version: pasteboard(.)co(/)Z5MXE9Cqnnz4(.)png.

Again, I know this is supposed to come off as size-play or macro, but it's something that comes down to your own perspective. Is it bestiality to draw a human having, um, relations with a giant anthro? Is it nasty or just incredibly weird? That's for you to decide.

As for me, I'm going to go play video games or something and hope this heartburn goes away.

[captnjacksparrow]

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS? Because I can't help but think like that when I see them in Boruto. Like no way he wants them to be seen as happy or content. Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hey, after fifteen years of us chasing after the story and characters we invested in so much, at least give us some indication that they are least happy after sooo many sacrifices, like they deserve that happiness.

But no, if anything, they seem totally miserable. What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working. Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

Don't get me wrong, I think Boruto is trash. But I am still in interested in SNS in Boruto because that's still canon. Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

Good ask, Anon☺️☺️❤️❤️

Before answering this, I am going to tell you that I don’t watch Boruto. But I know what happened so far, vaguely. Like, Gaiden arc, Karma seal, Kawaki adoption, Kurama’s death, loss of Rinnegan, Time travel arc. Anyways, I might have missed many interactions between Sasuke & Sakura in the filler episodes or other canonical episodes. I would be happy If you send me an episode list or timestamps in where they interact, so that it saves my time instead of me, watching that entire shit show. 

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS?

In this post, I dissected SS from a non-SNS perspective. It seems Kishi went all out of his way to make their interactions too insincere, blunt and toxic. I mean Sasuke’s absolute lack of interest in her was very evident even until chapter 693. That is right before, their final VoTE fight. And even after Sakura comes to heal their injuries, he just said ‘Ummmm..... I guess Sorry’... 

Kishi could have made Sasuke say some corny shit to Sakura like how he felt bad inside for hurting her, how he missed her, wiping her tears or whatever (Puke!!!! 🤮🤮🤮). Because in the previous chapter, Sasuke basically confessed to Naruto internally about how he felt about Naruto when he was a child. Kishi could have done the same for Sakura in just 4, 5 panels. But anyways, my point is, Kishi’s moment to salvage that ship is chapter 699. 

But he didn’t.

Did Kishi tried to build their bond after marriage?

He definitely could’ve. But he didn’t. 

This shows his clear distaste in SS.

As for NH, Kishi is indifferent. He neither hates them nor loves them. Kishi created Hinata as a pairing fodder and she still is. 

Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hmmm, I don’t know whether Sasuke hates her, anon. Again, maybe I’ve missed those parts. But when he looks at her, it’s always filled with regrets and an urge to avoid her (like Itachi avoided Sasuke, but for totally sad and genuine reasons). 

But this again begs the question, ‘Why feeling regret or hesitant even after 12 years?’. 

Believe me anon, Love/Bonds/Understanding can happen at anytime of your life. From where I come from, not everyone marries out of love. Arranged marriages are common. But still, many couples make effort and work out their difference, and find love. Kishi could’ve done the same for SS too. 

Is Sasuke that heartless? No.

He was once a boy who bear hugged his brother every time Itachi comes back from the Academy. Itachi’s presence itself made Sasuke so happy. 

Did he become heartless after the massacre? Also no.

Even after the trauma, Sasuke just became aloof and cold. But he always becomes a child who can pout, be silly, becomes animated, bicker around Naruto. So, he can be lovely, but only around the people he choose by himself. 

Still, Sakura is not that person. So, he looks like he is depressed and wants to escape from her at any given chance because of a certain guilt. 

What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working.

To answer, this goes way back, anon. 

Kishi is a person who prefers to write love through intense friendship, sensei-student dynamics and brotherhood. He can occasionally write cute and sweet romance but it can only be short like 2 or 3 pages... or a chapter, max. He can’t go on doing it for 70 chapters for romance. Which was evident from Minato & Kushina, Dan & Tsunade, Obito & Rin. 

But the real deal of Naruto manga is the bond between Naruto and Sasuke. The bond between Itachi and Sasuke also played a huge role in this series. And then comes Hashirama and Madara, Jiraiya and Naruto, Kakshi and Obito, Kakashi and Naruto and many more. So, Kishi pretty much gave an ending he wanted for a long time in chapter 699. He successively pulled off a great manga without corny and shitty romance but with just friendship and brotherhood alone. He didn’t give two shits about NH or SS before chapter 700.

Naruto series’ another success lies on it’s characters tragic backstories. I simply loved them all and most of them made me cry. 

Kishi wanted to move on from Naruto.

But then Money played a big part. Naruto series can be milked in a lot of ways. Editors wanted all the characters to become some baby making dolls. So you have to create pairings. Based on the popularity polls, they decided NH and SS.

In my opinion, Sasuke is a goal-oriented person. He is a wanderer who works on his own accords. Ever since he left Konoha when he was 13, that was his path, so you can’t make him stay in one place. At every stage of his life, he had different goals.

At age 8-15, he had one goal. To kill Itachi. Can he have a romance here? Nope.

At age 16, his goal is to destroy Konoha. No chance of romance in that dark path.

At age 17, he wanted to Revolutionize the shinobi system. Since he wanted to be alone for that goal, no possibility of romance.

At age 18, he adopted Naruto’s dream as his own. To make all shinobi cooperate and look out for Kaguya remains. Romance cannot happen here as he was constantly wandering around and he prefers to work alone.

This is how Kishi designed Sasuke’s character throughout.

Now all of a sudden, if you ask Kishi to go OOC by asking him to write corny romance for his favorite character Sasuke just for the sake of making him relevant to Boruto series, what will he do? 

Since Boruto is a series which is a sequel to Naruto, you pretty much know everyone’s backstory. Those 12 year old New Gen kids possibly can’t have tragic stories like Naruto or Sasuke. 

Kishi being a troller, used this opportunity to create a piss poor sob story for Sarada by making Sasuke as an absentee father and an unloving husband.

He created a sad story for Sarada and he gets to shit on SS ship. Two birds, One stone!!!! 

Now, Sasuke being an unloving husband is OOC ? Nope. He was never a marriage material in the first place. So he is perfectly in-character.

Sasuke being an absentee father is OOC? No and Yes. No, because it’s the effect of the cause I mentioned above. Yes, because unlike Naruto, Sasuke once had a father. He can try to reach her out now and often. but he prefers not to do instead he cares more about Boruto. LOL.

Sasuke being not family oriented is OOC? Nope. He is a goal oriented person. His goal is same as Naruto’s dream. He will go to any extent to fulfill it, even at the expense of his family’s happiness. Because that’s what he learnt from Itachi. What Itachi taught him was, even at the expense of his own happiness and Sasuke’s trauma, he preferred Konoha and Shinobi World’s peace. That’s what Sasuke is doing now. 

Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

As for Naruto, 

I think it’s very funny. And I guess, I know why.

Just like Sasuke, Naruto is also a goal oriented person. 

Remember, in that Boruto movie, Sasuke knocks Naruto’s door at the midnight?

Imagine if Naruto opened the door. 

Sasuke will be like, ‘Alright mothafucka!!! I wanted to die in the VoTE itself. You wanted me in your dream world. Am working my ass off for your stupid dreams and trying to reach you without even meeting my own family. And yet here you are, sleeping well and sound. Am just gonna Chidori you!!!’ LOL.

I think you get my point. 

If you make Sasuke to be an hardworker, then Naruto must work even hard to fulfill his dream. So you possibly can’t have Naruto playing duet with Himata or whatever trash. 

So kishi pulled his Two birds, One Stone for NH here!!!

In short, Kishi gets to make his New generation shine through this pathetic sob stories and at the same time, kept his favorite characters without going OOC. 

So, it’s a polite way of Kishi showing middlefinger to SS and NH for making him do this. He is saying, ‘Alright folks, you wanted this all along. But this is what you will get!!!’.

Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

I think about this all the time. How will they end?? How will they die??

Now, don’t think I am some sadist for wanting them to die. I am just being practical and honest here. This is a new generation series. Of course, at some point, Naruto and Sasuke has to die for the sake of character development. And I will be happy if they die because I don’t like their miserable portrayal in Boruto at all. 

Naruto series has a pattern when it comes to death portrayal. Meaningful characters (except Neji) always die protecting someone/something they cherish. Jiraiya died for Naruto, Yahiko died for Konan & Nagato, Itachi died for Sasuke & Konoha, Haku died for Zabuza, Obito (younger) died for Kakashi & Rin and so on.

Ever since Naruto became Hokage, his death is pretty much plastered on his head. He will die protecting Konoha just like all the Hokages from First to Fourth who sacrificed their life for Konoha. 

But Sasuke??? 

I am going to say he will die protecting Naruto or the village. But for Naruto mostly. Either way, Sasuke will die first. 

Dying for Naruto, the reasons are crystal clear. He already died protecting Naruto once in the Zabuza arc. He will never hesitate to do it again. Which was evident from the way he told Naruto in the Boruto movie while giving his Susanoo, ‘If they capture the real you, then everything is gone’. Somewhere in Boruto Manga chapter 38 (I don’t remember properly), Sasuke was yelling at Naruto, ‘If you are gone, it’s pretty hopeless’ and was praying ‘Naruto, don’t you die’. 

So it’s pretty much Sasuke saying to Naruto, ‘I’ll protect you, You protect everyone’

But why the village?? Why will Sasuke die for Konoha which caused him so much pain?? I know anti-konoha stans wont like this, but that’s the reality.

It seems many Sasuke fans never paid attention to his character. After hearing the story from all the Hokages, Sasuke said, ‘I will not let Itachi’s life and this village into nothing’. He really meant it. Because for Sasuke, Itachi was more precious. Itachi died saying, ‘I’ll have protected my village as Uchiha Itachi of Konoha once again. I have no more regrets’. Sasuke wanted to respect his brother’s wish finally and that’s why he openly claimed in the battlefield, ‘I am going to protect Konoha and become it’s Hokage’. Sasuke’s another precious person is Naruto. He is the Hokage now. 

Don’t you think Sasuke will die protecting something Itachi and Naruto values so much??

He even claimed it openly in Boruto Manga. ‘I would die anytime for Konoha, as has your dad (Naruto)’

Sasuke even said to Boruto, “I will stop you even if I have to kill you”. And do you think Sasuke is just pouring out some empty words??? Sasuke will not let Boruto to turn into an Otsutsuki monster and destroy the village.

Like I said, Sasuke will go out first. And eventually Naruto will follow him. Or they both die protecting the village together. I don’t see them dying for their wives or children. Because, their relationship with their family is not too strong and their ambitions are far beyond their own families.

Maybe for this reason, Kishi is trolling NH and SS in Boruto. LOL.

Naruto’s bond with Sasuke was formed even before his birth, when Kushina asked the 3 month old Baby Sasuke to be friends with Naruto.

However, One thing is for sure. One will not live very long without the Other or Both will die together. That’s how their bond should end. 

[mercurysowntwenty-two]

tell me more about lancer!! (I’ve heard of it but never played)

“It is 5016u, and the galaxy is home to trillions. At the core of humanity’s territory there is a golden age, but outside of this newly won utopia the revolutionary project continues... Your character in the world of Lancer is a mechanized cavalry pilot of particular note – a lancer. Whatever the mission, whatever the terrain, whatever the enemy, your character is the one who is called in to break the siege or hold the line. When the drop klaxons sound, it’s up to them to save the day. “ - Introduction, Lancer core rules (pp 10-11)

Lancer is a very good role-playing game about piloting giant robots and using them to make Utopia happen. I’m going to organize this into mechanical things that are Very Good about Lancer and lore things that are Very Good. Here are 12 things I like Very Much about Lancer. 

MECHANICAL

1. COMPCON

2. In addition to a primary system of regular old weapons n attacks n hitpoints, there is an entire other system of technological attacks and “heat” hitpoints to represent hacking enemy robots to increasingly bizarre effect. Making regular physical attacks is tied to physical weapon “mounts” on your mech, and these mounts may be destroyed over the course of a fight, so the technology attack system gives players who might otherwise be neutralized something to do the whole time. 

3. So much player choice: There are 29 mechs in the core rulebook, another 5 in the first rules supplement, another 3 freely available on the publisher itch.io, then various others in the nooks and crannies of the Lancer discord. Do not be daunted, however!  i. In a source like COMPCON above, all the mechs are organized by manufacturer and role. Each in-universe manufacturer matches one of the 4 fundamental mech stats so if you know you’re aiming for a mech that especially interacts with a particular part of the mechanics you’ve already selected out 75% of the choices.  a. The matches go like this: Harrison Armory matches to the “Engineering” stat and so their mechs deal with the Heat mechanics in interesting ways, HORUS matches to the “Systems” stat and so they specialize in hacking other mechs and other technological attacks, Interplanetary Shipping-Northstar matches to “Hull” and so builds tanks and tough guys, and Smith-Shimano matches to “Agility” and so builds the sexy ones the ones that have interesting ways of avoiding getting hit. b. Roles are relatively straightforward too! Striker mechs are the close-quarters fighters, artillery are... artillery- long range fighters, controllers do big Areas of Effect or impose conditions or alter character movement, defenders have big shields or are mobile bunkers or are just so darn big they protect those behind them, and support is... support- they share bonuses like repairs with their allies.  ii. Take this all together and finding the mech that best suits you is actually real easy despite the long long lists. And if you ever get locked into a build you grow to dislike? At every level up, you can completely replace and overhaul the mech licenses (which represent your ability to use the relevant equipment and frame associated with a given robot) you have so you can try other robots. 

4. The NPC system: There are 33 NPC statblocks, organized by the kind of role they have in a potential fight. In addition, there are 12 templates you could potentially apply to an NPC. Both statblocks and templates are defined by “systems”- just little traits and qualities and there are often many optional systems you can slap on for an extra level of customization. Therefore, you can tailor hundreds if not thousands of NPCs out of a seemingly-limited stock.  i. The template system means any potential moveset or archetype can be made into a miniboss or boss ii. The template system means you can flavorfully telegraph how an encounter can go- telling the players they are fighting a group of pirates prepares them for coreworm rockets and grapple leashes (hallmarks of the pirate template) regardless of the actual statblock in use. iii. Each statblock is effectively 3 statblocks in one, set to different tiers to match and scale to the level of the players throughout the game (so oops I guess there are 99 NPCs by default) iv. Monstrosity- it’s for Kaiju! it’s also one of the most modular statblocks for all the little tweaks you need for Big Monster v. Squad- for footsoldiers! 

5. There is no class system (mechanically speaking, in the lore Union is working on it). Character creation functions through selecting Skill Triggers for situations outside your mech and Talents for situations inside your mech, and mech licenses themselves. Even Backgrounds are mostly just lists of questions in order to prompt character introspection. 

6. I put this last down here because it’s kind of at the intersection of the mechanics and the lore, but Lancer has some good random tables for generating things like planets, space stations, people on space stations, Pirate crews, and big Enterprise companies. It’s just good clean fun. 

LORE

I also created this google doc for totally unrelated reasons

1. The naming convention of the rings of Union and the Blinkgates- Blinkgates are Lancer’s mechanism of faster-than-light travel. They are Big installations and passing through one can take you to any other instantly. They’re organized into “rings” of the stations that are physically closest to one another, emanating out from Earth. Each ring is named after a mountain range on Earth (now called Cradle because of course) and each gate is named after a peak in that range. This is a real small detail in the grand scheme of things but I adore it because this naming convention is a clear reflection of the priorities and values of the people who did the naming. Every gate by definition is situated in places that humans have already settled, but they’re not named according to local convention. Just so, every gate is situated somewhere in Cradle’s night sky, but they’re not named for things like constellations. Each blinkgate is named after a feature on Cradle because the blinkgates were named by the Second Committee of Union, who had a driving philosophy of Anthrochauvinism (a manifest destiny attitude towards humanity on the galactic stage, with a heavy bias towards humanity as it is on Cradle) and so of course blinkgates are named as a projection of life on Earth onto space without regard for the actual space they occupy. 

2. On a related note, according to the starship-battle spinoff Battlegroup, Union names its largest starships- its battleships- after environmentalists. That just warmed my little Environmental Scientist heart, and also is a clear reflection of the Third Committee’s values and priorities (Union rose from the ashes of an environmental disaster on Earth, and the Union Navy under the Third Committee has a general mandate of acting protectively and defensively, so Union has effectively named one set of their people’s protectors after another set of protectors). 

3. The fact that every faction is simultaneously in a state of escalating tension. "The Good War" is this inevitable conflict that everyone constantly expects, but it is constantly not here, which just increases the tension further. This makes for good adventure fodder.  i. KTB and HA are about to have the Second Interest War in the Dawnline Shore,  ii. Union and the Aun are about to have the Second Distal War in Boundary Garden, and SSC is gonna wade into it because geneticists gotta get their samples I guess,  iii. IPS-N is about to fall apart from infighting,  iv. In the Long Rim HORUS is closing in on Horizon, finding the Fourth Metavault is around the corner

4. Utopia is a verb. Corollary: Union are the enemy you want. Or: Life is good, but it can be better. All this to say, Union is presented as an unambiguous force for good, but the game and the creators make no bones about how Union can be made better (and thus directly put improving the world in the players’ court!). 

5. Many Factions are defined by a fundamental expectation-subverting "What If?"  i. Union- what if the big bad hegemony that rules over everything was (at least trying to be) the good guys?  ii. The Aun- what if the mysterious and mystical theocracy explicitly and literally had the support of a god and thus could back up their claims of manifest destiny?  iii. The Corpros- what if all of these awful organizations actually did materially improve people’s lives, instead of that just being a propaganda line they throw out to justify themselves?

6. NHPs- Explaining what’s up with NHPs in full would be a whole Thing, so for now I’ll just share my favorite thing about them: they’re like droids in Star Wars, except the creators actually acknowledge the immorality of the situation and thus generate and encourage discussion about it in the playerbase, rather than just let it be taken for granted (and thus directly put improving the world in the players’ court!). 

[footballandshenanigans]

You know what, I normally avoid screenshotting bad takes but this one really takes the cake;

I don't want to accuse but it seems this person is a part of either cloti/clerith faction of the fandom and I normally do give the benefit of the doubt but... this...is why you do NOT enter ff7 fandom without playing the game. This reeks "I don't play the game,I'm only here for shipping and I don't care about the story, hell I don't even bother to research,I just love hanging out with my shipper friends and swallow everything they told me as Gospel."

Sephiroth had a lot of reasons...

1. He stabbed Aerith because she was the one who could stop his big plan of dropping the meteor

2. He stabbed Shinra senior because Shinra has been using him as the Company's prop, a weapon, a capitalistic fodder. He was the one funding Hojo & the Science department to do all kinds of unethical human experimentation on him & those Deepground members. And I say GOOD RIDDANCE. You go Sephiroth!

3. I've seen some people from the fandom really FANON-ING the Turks as allies..really now? At this point of the game, the Turks are Villains. Just because they did not hurt the main characters it doesn't mean that they are the protagonists' friends. If Tseng was stabbed/killed, it is just a part of his job as a Turk. Why feel sorry for a team who dropped the 7th sector plate and killed Denzel's parents? There's no need.

4. The Nibelheim townspeople are the most unfortunate, yes. They are definitely victims of cause and effect, but still, reducing Sephiroth into this maniacal man killing people with no reason..is really obtuse. I'm not saying that you have to like him. But at least try to understand his POV, he has a LOT of reasons to turn bad. Some of his reasons are really close to what we, as real life humans are dealing with everyday. Grief,loneliness,depression,mental & emotional instability,not having a proper,loving upbringing,little to no social support- all of these things can break a human being.

It's pretty telling if someone in the fandom was really here for the story, or if they were here only for shipping. I'm looking at their understanding of Sephiroth,Shinra and the Turks characters as the catalyst. Rest assured I have no qualms in chain blocking people with bad takes like these. If you hate Sephiroth please refrain from giving stupid takes like these, man. I have no problem with people hating him. But I do have a problem if you tried to deviate his canon characterisation into some bastardized fanon stupidity. Y'all welcome to my blocklist.

[stillness-in-green]

I saw speculation on this going around & I’m curious to get your thoughts on it: where do you think Geten’s story might be going in the future, & do u think it’s possible Dabi will kill him? I saw ppl talking about Dabi’s noted distaste for him & how the PLF seems more of a temporary alliance in the LoV’s mind (Compress’ noted rejection of the name in his thoughts, Dabi’s use of Skeptic against his will, etc), & w/ AFO back in the picture they theorized Dabi may get his quirk & kill Geten.

Okay, so, it took me a while to grapple with this one, and in the end, I'm going to have to break my reply up into two parts. Because you asked a very simple question, anon, and my answer to the question you actually asked is pretty simple (if characteristically rambly)! But you also provided a bunch of contextualizing information about what prompted your ask, and I have a lot to say about that contextualizing information, stuff that is only tangentially related to your actual question.

Note that some of this is going to get pretty salty, but I assume you wouldn't have brought a Known MLA Stan a question like this if you didn't want at least a bit of that. Most of the salt will be in the second part, though! This first part is pretty safe!

So, to answer the actual question: I don't have a lot of solid thoughts on where Geten's story is going, because from the looks of the way the series as a whole is going, it may well be that the MLA’s story is already done. I have previously expressed concerns about the current status of the MLA mainly because of all the speculation that Horikoshi is trying to rush to get to the ending, and if Hori’s rushing the ending, I don’t know that I’d bet on Geten coming back at all. In fact, given what I can guess about the scenario, I’d kind of rather he not.

The thing is, the MLA have always been far more relevant to the League than they have been to anyone else in the cast. They’re Tomura's victory spoils; their plot beats were established to connect to the League, not the heroes, the students, or even All For One. There’s just no personal connection there, and lacking a personal connection, all they’d do is be fodder for background fights to fill page space and give the side characters something to do.

And there’s just no drama in that! Not even any tension! We've already seen the MLA characters beaten--first by the villains, and then by the heroes. Hell, we've seen Re-Destro beaten three times!(1) Based on how the raid went, there are maybe three people in the entire MLA that present a credible threat--Hose Face, whose name we don’t even know, Re-Destro, who has a repeatedly-illustrated weak point in the form of his new legs, and Geten.

While I definitely think Geten could give any of the students save Deku a run for their money,(2) what would be the point? Who would he be slotted in to have a dramatic fight with? Geten hurt Cementoss, but he didn't kill him, and none of the students are uniquely close to Cementoss anyway. Geten has never personally offended or harmed any of the kids directly. There was a time people theorized that Shouto's end game boss would be a combination of Geten and Dabi, but with the PLF scattered, that looks less likely.

From the other side of things, Geten himself has no particular beef with the kids. If he'd been on the front lines to witness the opening moments of the battle, maybe he'd have a bone to pick with Kaminari, Kinoko, Juzo, and particularly Tokoyami, but it took Geten a bit to get to the front; he has no particular way of knowing about those four, and at the moment, he certainly has more pressing matters on his mind.

Geten's primary interest, when it comes right down to it, is Re-Destro. He talks a big game about the MLA's goals, but when the pivotal moment comes in Deika, he bails on the battle that was assigned to him to try and help RD instead. He claims that pure strength is to be valued above all else, but his loyalties don’t change when Gigantomachia bats him aside like a fly or when Shigaraki proves himself to be An Strongest. Even up to Jakku, Geten is still concerned solely with Re-Destro. With no real reason to pit RD against the kids, there’s no reason to throw Geten against them, either.

The only person Geten has an established rivalry with is, of course, Dabi, but getting the two of them even in the same vicinity again is going to require breaking the MLA leaders out of jail, which clearly isn't a priority of AFO's, and he's the one running the show right now. Would Shigaraki bother? He might, particularly if RD, Trumpet and Geten all get shipped to whatever Tartarus Lite Mr. Compress and Machia are likewise bound for. But if the story is headed to its conclusion, is Shigaraki ever going to get that option?

Is AFO the final boss? If so, it doesn't seem to leave much of an opening for the MLA to become relevant again, because, again, the MLA are all about Tomura's victory, Tomura’s ascendant arc as a villain, his status as a hero to other villains (namely RD). If Deku "saving" Shigaraki from All For One is going to magically resolve all of Tomura's issues with society as a whole, because hey, at least this kid is a good person, so his society can't be so bad after all! (GAG), that doesn't seem to leave much room to get into the myriad issues with society that all of Tomura's followers have. Frankly, the only thing the MLA has to offer Deku right now that's remotely relevant to his current goals is Re-Destro's starry-eyed explanation about why he's fallen so hard for Shigaraki, and Spinner is better suited for that role on basically every level.

So that’s all been one big if. The other alternative is the ending I'm hoping we get, in which Deku and Shigaraki join forces to put an end to AFO, only for Shigaraki to thank Deku cordially and then get right back to destroying things because, surprise surprise, Midoriya Izuku being a good person doesn't absolve Hero Society of all of its many, many sins. Then I can see there being room for the MLA to return. At that point, not only is there RD’s devotion to Shigaraki on offer, but also the MLA’s ideology of Liberation, what it is, what it offers, along with, for example, more on whatever Harima Oji’s complaints were about heroes, more on what has to change systemically to satisfy Shigaraki’s grudge. That’s a story the MLA can meaningfully contribute to, and therefore a story in which Geten and his quirk supremacist beliefs are more likely to be addressed.

However, I’m not optimistic that we’re going to get that ending, and until we find out whether Shigaraki will be satisfied with being rescued from AFO (if, indeed, he survives the process at all), or whether he and his compatriots’ societal issues will be left by the wayside, I’m not yet prepared to spend a lot of time theorizing on how the MLA’s role in it would look.

As to the specific question of Dabi killing Geten--honestly? I think that moment is past. While I said earlier that Dabi is Geten’s only established rivalry, that is frankly being more generous than their relationship actually warrants. After all, we haven’t seen them interact since Deika, and literally the only time one of them has so much as thought of the other in that period was Dabi grumbling, “That icy punk sure knows how to let loose,” after Geten’s big wall of ice attack allows Tokoyami to get away with Hawks. If their continued animosity were going to be a plot point, and especially if Dabi were going to murder him in cold blood eventually, Horikoshi should have shown us the two of them antagonizing each other as co-lieutenants of the Violet Regiment.

At this point, Dabi has made his big play, revealed his identity to the world. I think he's pretty locked into the Todoroki Drama now; he has bigger concerns than going back and winning a grudge match against Geten. Also too, given the point he's trying to prove about the strength of his/Endeavor's flames, would he even want Geten's quirk? If he were to get it, would he get the "evolved" version or just the basic one?(3) Because given the precedent set by both the mechanics of Monoma's Copy and AFO's comments about Jeanist's Fiber Master, I'd be inclined to think the latter, and Geten's ice powers are way less badass without the temperature control, especially for a dude trying to wield them in concert with flames of the temperature Dabi uses.

From a narrative standpoint, Geten has already been punished for his hubris with a personal defeat, the humbling of his leader, a loss of pride in his organization, and then a second, much more damning defeat and subsequent capture at the hands of heroes. Dabi taking his quirk and killing him at this point would just be kicking--indeed, killing--him when he’s already down. It doesn’t feel like karma; it just feels malicious.

That said, in the rather dubiously scaffolded scenario that the MLA gets free and finds their way back to the League and AFO/Shigaraki takes Geten's quirk(4) and Dabi accepts it, would Dabi then kill Geten with it?

…I mean, maybe? Do people think that Dabi is that much of a sadist? Because it would be the act of a sadist, to murder a kid who's almost certainly younger than he is and might even still be a teenager, one who has just been violently stripped of any ability to defend himself, all out of a desire for petty revenge over a months-old slight--a slight consisting of Geten parroting rhetoric he learned from the weird cult he grew up in, and which Dabi has very possibly been working with Skeptic long enough to know is maybe not all that accurate a characterization of the cult's ideals anyway!

And that brings me to Part 2. ---------------------------------------

(1) Four, if you count the clone’s destruction.

(2) Even 1-A's two remaining powerhouses don't present any more of a threat to Geten's ice than Dabi did, and Shouto will only give him more of it to work with. Their advantage over Dabi is that they can both sort of fly, which might well tip the balance--one of Geten's major advantages is his ability to manipulate ice from a considerable distance away, farther away than Dabi's flames can reach, but flying opponents deprive him of that advantage. Now, Shouto's flying is fairly unstable, so I suspect Geten is more maneuverable in the air, but his maneuverability wouldn't save him from Bakugou, the human equivalent of the anger-powered jetpack.

(3) Set aside the Doylist explanations about anyone who stole Geten's quirk getting the version the audience already knows purely out of laziness, forgetfulness, or authorial fiat.

(4) And look me dead in the eye and tell me Geten would just let Shigaraki Tomura or anything currently inhabiting his body just casually stroll up and lay hands on him without protest. Not to say I think AFOmura couldn't do it, but doing it in a "cool," dramatic way would probably involve some lightning movements we have not seen him make thus far.

[astrangeraccoon]

BNHA rambles (part 14)

Here we go with episode 3 and 4 from season 2, The sport festival is in full swing! And I love it

-Aizawa being able to instinctively dodge Mic big movement is a sign of how long they’ve known each other/how much time they spend together

-Kirishima just popping out of a robot, you know, like it’s normal

-Not to criticize but how does Sero plan to cushion his fall? Bc I don’t see how he can do it using his tape

-Thirteen’s there! They’re okay! (so glad)

-Aizawa being a proud dad™ for his twenty children

-Izuku learning from past experience and getting better. Also can we point out the fact he’s fighting quirkless?

-That pit fall is, once again, ridiculously big.

-Hatsume Mei is totally crazy and I love her. Also please don’t let her and Izuku interact, two geniuses together can’t be good for the rest of the world.

-Her invention are so cool

-Shinsou is just a bit creepy here

-Let’s add Mic to the slightly creepy one. Should you really be that excited at the idea of scaring your student as a teacher? I mean, I get it, but still

-Izuku being smart!!! Examining the situation and finding a way around it! Work Smarter, not harder guys. (Still stupidly dangerous but hey). At least he’s getting everyone attention

-He’s also wat more feral than I thought he was. He just purposefully used Bakugo and Todoroki’s shoulders as stepping ladders and triggered multiples mines right in their face! It worked but who does that?

-Ah yes! the kid we screamed at for doing our job while we stood uselessly (do I ressent those hero? Me? Noooo of course not)

-Shigaraki watching the festival, just like I said

-Izuku being so happy to get All might approval

-The way they’re using the business course is pretty smart

-Izuku, my sweet child, you weren’t just lucky. Yes it was by luck that you found that metal plate but everything else you did it by yourself with that big brain of yours

-Could someone explode Mineta? Please? I’m ready to pay you for it at this point. I hate it bc what he did is technically allowed but you can see how much discomfort it brings to Yaomomo. He’s literally using a girl to get further I hate him

-Thirteen and Mic carrying all might XD

-Izuku, hearing the point value for the first place: I fucked up…

-Everyone immediately just zoning in on poor Izuku

 Episode 4

-Love the explanation behind why they do the kind of test their doing in the festival (it’s smart, but once again it’s totally oriented towards the hero courses and using the other courses as cannon fodders)

-I love Kirishima! He’s so motivated and he knows how to get Bakugo to agree with him which is really impressive

-Poor Izuku

-Impressive waterwork here

-Let’s give Uraraka some love for deciding to make a team with Izuku despite the risk bc they’re friends

-On the other hand, I can totally understand Iida refusal. Him refusing to join them is both really in character and pretty smart of him with what he says he wish to accomplish

-Mei is so crazy but I love how direct she is. Also, no concept of personal space. 

-And here we go, we lost the both of them, please save the planet and don’t let them interact more

-Monoma, stop antagonizing class 1A. ‘they were only attack by villain’ they nearly died you idiot

-Eraser taking advantage of the 15 minutes break to sleep. I mean, he probably really need it, but same.

-The students are supposed to be wearing their sport uniform, not their hero costume, but toru is totally invisible… Is she… Is she totally naked?

-Izuku being supportive of all his partners, he’s a true sunshine child. Also Uraraka being jealous of Izuku and Mei bond is cute

-Once again, Mineta is mega creepy

-Monoma is slightly creepy too but 1B strategy was really smart.

-Stop! Bringing! Up! Trauma!

-Anyway RIP Monoma

 Yes here we are at the first half of the second activity! I love how everyone is motivated and how they can have a normal (for UA) school activity that they can enjoy.

Anyway, like every time, if you have question or rambles subject suggestion don’t hesitate to reach out! Aya’s out!

[audrite]

artifacts will make your life easier: a guide

i regret to inform you that since my last post about hoping to not roll klee, i rolled klee and she burns everything to ashes

in this post: one sentence that turned into a blog about klee, the importance of artifacts, and an artifact guide for casual players who don’t have time to scour for info so you don’t accidentally use good artifacts as upgrade fodder before realising it was a gateway into greater damage :(

‎‎

damage

with no constellations at level 80 & a lv80 lost winds, klee crits 4-6k on just her normal attacks with a 73% crit rate. with just a lv40 twin nephrite (3* obtained from liyue chests/investigate), she crits 2.5k to 3.5k half of the time.

this is the work of artifacts! upgrading them will make any character shine and they are super easy to get thanks to co-op** and the introduction of condensed resin. even if you’ve maxed out your character, talents, and weapons to your world level cap, their potential won’t be fully realised without artifacts. i might even say it’s more rewarding than doing domains to level up your talents--each run will yield at least 6 of these (twice that w/ condensed). better yet, if you only have an hour or less to spend on the game, you’ll passively amass a good collection over time.

‎‎

tips for artifact grinding

this is something to work on over time, so save most or all of your fragile resin until you are past AR45 + the ascension quest. after that point, the latest dungeon guarantees at least one 5* artifact per run (which is 2+ with condensed resin!)

if you are struggling in the game and/or don’t have 5*s, upgrade your 3* or 4*s--at least the ones that have atk%. it makes a huge difference!

stats are quite straightforward in this game so don’t be intimidated. the “view details” shows you everything you need to know.

** co-op right now isn’t recommended due to the recent hackings. not much is known about whether co-op itself is an issue, but you should be safe if you play with people you know and trust. if you need help clearing these domains, send me a pm and i can help run them with you c:

‎

stats to look out for

flower of life will always come with HP as a main stat, and plumes will always have ATK as a main stat. the other three have potential to roll different ones

for DPS characters, save goblets that have elemental damage bonus% (like pyro, electro, physical); hats that have crit rate or crit damage; and accessories that have crit rate/crit damage as sub-stats

for specialty characters (like Qiqi whose healing power scales off atk%, or Noelle whose atk is heightened by how much def she has), look for those stats

if you often proc reactions, it would help to look out for elemental mastery (either as main or sub-stat) on your artifacts

atk/def% is better than flat atk/def

judge the artifact 2- and 4- piece bonuses yourself to see if you actually like them

‎

my klee

the meta listed on the spreadsheet is 4-piece wanderer’s troupe (amps your charged attack by 35%). the two other sets rely on proccing elemental reactions or pyro status. as a casual player that plays on mobile a fraction of the time, i just wanted well-rounded and consistent damage that applied to all her attacks. for this i settled on 2-piece crimson witch (15% pyro damage bonus), and 2-piece gladiator’s finale (18% damage).

main stats

goblet: pyro damage bonus

sands of eon: atk%

circlet: crit rate% (if your crit rate is already 50%+, just look for crit dmg%)

sub stats, a mix of:

crit damage

crit rate

attack/atk%

elemental mastery

[plasticnightmaredoll]

"Mortal Kombat" (2021) second viewing thoughts

I watched the 2021 "Mortal Kombat" movie a second time and watched some videos on YouTube from fans who shared their thoughts on the movie. I now have some new things to add in addition to my full review.

Ok, so, one thing that they made a huge mistake on was making the film 1 hour and 50 minutes. It's not even a 2-hour movie, and yet, they tried to cram in 20 hours worth of crap:

Too many cooks in the kitchen

The sheer number of characters featured in this movie was ridiculous and because the writers/producers decided to do this, most characters lacked proper development -- or any development. I mean, let's take a look at the list of characters in this movie (only the "fighters," not the side characters like Cole's family and whatnot):

Cole Young

Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion

Bi-Han/Sub-Zero 1.0

Sonya Blade

Jax Briggs

Raiden

Shang Tsung

Kano

Liu Kang

Kung Lao

Nitara

Mileena

Reiko

Goro

Kabal

I mean, damn. That's a shitload of characters! It's actually unnecessary to have that many characters, especially if they weren't even going to reach the 2-hour runtime mark. Reiko and Nitara, for example, could have been removed from the story and it wouldn't have made any difference. Hell, even Mileena didn't need to be in the movie (nothing against her character -- I like Mileena but in the movie, she was extremely underdeveloped).

For Mortal Kombat fans, at least they can fill in the gaps because they know these characters. However, what about people who know nothing about the games? I can't see them finding much enjoyment in this film, and that's a problem.

The goal of mainstream blockbuster movies such as this one, one that is meant to launch multiple sequels, is to draw in as many people as possible. You would think they would want this movie to appeal to those who aren't familiar with the games. I mean, it could even make some of those people want to play the games. As it is, though, this movie is too heavily rooted in the fans putting the pieces together.

Why is it not 2+ hours?

Ok, I get it: it's very difficult to pitch 3-4 hour movies nowadays. "The Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" movies got away with it because they are based on highly detailed, well-loved books. You can't just treat such legendary writing like fantasy fodder. You go all out!

"Avengers: Endgame" was three hours long, and it worked because they had a) enough material for such a runtime, b) the sheer popularity of the franchise behind it, and c) it was an epic finale for a massive list of films. You couldn't make "Endgame" 2 hours or less and expect it to be good.

Now, "Mortal Kombat" cannot get the budget of a Marvel film (or any Disney property, let's be real) -- many films cannot compete with the amount of money Disney can pour into their movies and series. MK is also not a ground-breaking, incredibly written fantasy story with extensive world-building like "Lord of the Rings." Yes, MK has a lot of stories and a lot of characters but it isn't even in the same league of quality as Tolkein works.

(Don't hate. I am just stating my observations here.)

However, even if they couldn't make this MK movie 3+ hours long, they should have gone for 2.5 hours. 1 hour and 50 minutes just isn't enough time. Add in 40 extra minutes, and you have much more flexibility.

Honestly, you could make 3-4 hour MK movies since there is so much content and so many characters, but realistically, it probably won't happen. So, the writers and producers have to do their best with what they're given, and....they cut this film waaaay too short. Going forward, they need to expand the runtime of the sequels. They need to. Otherwise, we'll keep getting mediocre films and maybe fewer sequels than originally planned.

USE YOUR BEST "TRAIT" FFS

The smartest decision the creators made was casting Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion. He's a great actor, for one, and he just FITS the role. I mean, I look at him in this movie and, yep, that's Hanzo. They couldn't have picked a better actor for such an iconic character but.........they barely used him.

When you look at it in two ways, it's quite disappointing and confusing: Scorpion is just as popular and necessary as Sub-Zero to the MK franchise. They're like.... Godzilla and Kong for Mortal Kombat. Sub-Zero got a lot of screen time in the movie but Scorpion was only in the movie twice: at the beginning and at the end.

I mean, WHY?! We had a bunch of time dedicated to a new character with Cole, someone who isn't actually necessary for the story. Yet, we put one of the most iconic characters from the games on the back burner?

NO!

They made a smart decision but then they did something dumb with it.

If they make sequels, then omfg, FUCKING USE HIROYUKI SANADA.

Multiple sequels already planned?

While watching this video, I found out that the actor who played Bi-Han/Sub-Zero, Joe Taslim, has signed on for 5 movies, which includes the one we just got. This makes sense because Bi-Han does become Noob Saibot after dying, but that's beside the point: this MK movie series planned to be at least 5 films long.

Granted, that's not nearly as many as in the MCU films that lead up to "Endgame," but it's certainly promising. This is a chance for the writers and producers to fix some of their mistakes and flesh out the characters more as well as add more coherent details to the story.

I'm guessing the goal is to have the movies leading to an invasion of Earthrealm, ala "Endgame." I don't know how they will go about it, but I hope that, in addition to the 5 movies, we get spin-offs that focus on specific characters. The MCU did it, which helped develop the huge list of characters that ultimately made it into "Endgame," and this made it easier for the writers to focus on the story as character development was already done. If the MK movies do something similar, then this could be a good series of films.

The biggest problem, though, is that they got started on the wrong foot. The 2021 film is definitely a clumsy attempt to introduce everyone to this movie adaptation of the games, and it could significantly hinder their progress going forward. I mean, you start off wrong, you have much more work ahead of you if you plan to fix your mistakes.

It's not impossible, though. It's still early -- like, the first movie. We have at least four more to go. If the writers and producers can get their shit together, then they may pull it off.

And let's be real: I think MK is LONG overdue for a good movie.

The trailer and opening scene

The trailer for the "Mortal Kombat" movie was pretty epic, as was the opening scene of the film. Actually, the first scene almost doesn't fit into the movie because it appears to be from something of...better quality in terms of writing and development.

Now, imagine the whole movie was as epic as the trailer but also wonderfully crafted like the first scene. This could have easily produced a much better MK movie. They probably should have focused primarily on Hanzo, to be honest, and have Bi-Han there as well as the antagonist, and have some other characters on the side but not too many. I think that would have made this movie fantastic and would have fixed the issues with character development and poor plot progression.

Final Thoughts

The 2021 MK movie is still decent entertainment and worth watching a few times. However, I truly do hope the writers learn from their mistakes moving forward and give the people something much better.

[galaxina-the-pyro]

How would you improve the episode AYA?

...wait...you’re asking me?

I...I didn’t expect this...

The thing is is that I don’t think I could possibly come up with ideas for this better than, say, @authenticcadence18 or @springsfordays because their ideas are just too good (seriously, check them out, they have the literal best ideas for a rewrite of AYA, holy crap).

But if I were to rewrite it...hm...let’s make a checklist for stuff about AYA that just miffed me:

1. Plot B is fine. Plot B was probably the best part of AYA - Doof’s dilemma made sense for his character (and is hilarious), tied in with the name of the episode, and involved fun little shenanigans. My only gripe is that they didn’t go MONDO insane with it at the end, and said ending felt really abrupt.

(I also wish that, somehow, even Doof was involved with that “everyone knew” bit, but we’re gonna be scrapping that joke for this story - that joke is FUNNY, but it’s also degrading to Phineas, and is sorta a nice way of saying “yeah, you’re stupid for not noticing her feelings even though she’s not entitled to them - you’re the problem. It’s not like the episode is trying to hint at you two having switched roles, no, you’re the only one who was being oblivious and stupid.”)

2. We cut out Plot C entirely. Everyone trying to get Phineas and Isabella together was just...ugh. Why? And they had the audacity to compare what they were doing to all the AMAZING things they did when they were younger, like, guys - you set up some tables, decorations, and cooked them what I can assume to be a run-of-the-mill restaurant dinner - that has NOTHING on a rollercoaster through downtown. And their applause at that sweet but ultimately lackluster confession? Hurt. So much. Now that I think about it, it felt condescending, it unintentionally emphasized HOW uninspired this confession (as much as I love it) was, and it felt like they were taking credit for something they didn’t do.

And if we’re NOT gonna cut out Plot C...have Plot C be about FERB? Leaving for COLLEGE? Out of COUNTRY? Cuz I have a hard time believing that Phineas and Ferb are just OKAY with separating at such a long distance - heck, in “Candace Gets Busted”, FERB is the one who assumes that one day he and his brother are gonna own their own place together. It should at least be BROUGHT UP, don’t you think? (I’m conflicted on whether or not I’d keep Montessa in the ring or at least SHOW US how Ferbnessa happened, because I think what’s weirding people out is that they’re assuming that Vanessa literally waited for Ferb to turn 18 to start dating him - when I think it’s more likely that they kinda JUST started dating during the beginning of Summer? But I think stuff like that really SHOULD be explained because even though I don’t think it’s that weird, I understand why OTHER PEOPLE wouldn’t like the idea)

3. I kinda feel like this should have had more songs? I dunno why, I feel like this all could have been improved if we got a fullblown musical out of this (and...this may be me wanting a “What Might Have Been” reprise, lol) - like, make fun of HSM or something, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have.

4. I kinda wanted to see more of the “where are they now”. Like, Jeremy, Stacey, Little Suzie Johnson, even that one couple with the lady who’s always like “what did you think, an anniversary dinner was just going to fall from the sky?” - I like stuff like that, it’s so much fun to think about. Also...I legit have so much anxiety over Perry never interacting with him owners ONCE in that episode, and even more anxiety over Pinky never making an appearance at all. Heck, if there was a good time to show us what the HECK happened to Django, now would be a great time.

5. I would have given the episode a unique intro, ala “Night of the Living Pharmacists” and “Last Day of Summer” - like, AYA is as much of a status quo shifter as those two episodes, why was it given the “Phineas and Ferb Get Busted” treatment?

6. Here’s a brilliant thought - NO ONE tells Phineas about Isabella’s crush? How about instead Phineas goes and wants to check in on her, because he really misses her and doesn’t understand why they don’t talk anymore (and he’s tried before, and they’ve nearly had conversations, but Isabella’s just too busy) - did he do something wrong? Is Isabella just too busy now? He needs to know. That should have been his priority, none of this “FrIeNd ZoNe” nonsense.

7. I would have made this into a near movie-length special. With all the topics that this episode brought up, particularly the whole “manipulating the situation” thing, I feel like a longer episode would have given them more time to talk about how stuff like that is...not okay.

[READ THE ACTUAL REWRITE OF THE EPISODE (well, my take at least) UNDER THE CUT!]

Okay, with those out of the way, how I would have written Phinabella the Movie...I mean...Act Your Age (I warn you, it’s not gonna be as good as @authenticcadence18′s or @springsfordays‘s ideas, so if you want quality stuff and not just mushy fanfiction fodder I’d check their stuff out):

I would have sorta made this entire thing take place during the “What Might Have Been” song - what that means is that it’s a collage of memories. How Isabella and Phineas met, how Isabella first got her “crush” (if you can really call it that, girl was full out in love lol), them building stuff with the gang during their canon ages, them going into highschool, Isabella ultimately choosing to give up her crush to maintain her friendship with Phineas (because her choosing to not be as close to Phineas because of a crush isn’t an option), Isabella’s first boyfriend (which probably’s gonna hurt a lot of fans, cuz I envision that to NOT be Phineas; but it’s Phinabella endgame, so relax); the episode just centers on the gang (mainly Isabella since it’s from her perspective) growing up.

Like, yes, all of the memories are gonna be Phinabella centered, but we gotta have SOME side-stories and junk, like maybe how Baljeet gets together with Ginger (and...how they break up...please don’t kill me), what ultimately leads Ferb to want to go back to England for studies (maybe it’s him wanting to be his own person and not wanting people to think he and his brother are just “a pair”), Buford...uh...something with Buford definitely, because I love him and he deserves it. Heck, maybe even the Fireside Girls can have their own arc with a graduation ceremony for their ranks (...what? I’m not linking stuff to the best fanfic ever, noooooo...why would-why would I do that?).

And maybe in this case Plot B SHOULD be different - maybe it should focus on how Doofenshmirtz first got to America, how he first met Charlene, what exactly led him to being evil in the first place, all that good stuff. Though, ultimately, that might be a little angsty - maybe there’s a reason why we don’t see exactly HOW Doof and Charlene divorced, because that could very well be the saddest scene ever, and it’s hard to put that kinda comedic spin on something so tragic (I mean, obviously there are comedies CENTERED on divorce, but like...they always SKIP the divorce part from what I’ve seen). Not to mention that this is a kid’s show, so...I doubt they’d actually show HOW it happened. This is just my thoughts. X’D

Back to the Phinabella.

Phineas and Isabella would have their confession during THIS part of the special rather than the very end (so, like...they’re still in highschool, and Isabella’s already broken up with that other dude in the story, and maybe Phineas had a girlfriend he just wasn’t happy with) - Phineas tries to do something big for Isabella, but it ultimately falls through because of Perry’s current nemesis (we never see who that is, lol), so he settles for something simple (at first he’s scared about it not “being enough” for someone like Isabella, but Ferb’s able to slap that nonsense out of him pretty quickly). He and Isabella spend the ENTIRE DAY together alone, leading to Phineas eventually singing a song he wrote for her to her, and the two have a cute little duet as a result (that has the opposite energy of “What Might Have Been”, so it’s important that somewhere in this episode that “What Might Have Been” is still a thing, it just doesn’t involve Phineas being aware of Isabella’s feelings, and it doesn’t involve Isabella trying to leave somewhere without saying goodbye, this would be more about Isabella, after trying to get over her crush, realizing that she still LIKES Phineas that way). They almost kiss, but they’re ultimately interrupted by Buford being Buford or something, but it implies that Phineas and Isabella are now a couple onwards from here.

Eventually it leads to a small party in the middle of Summer with the gang, with them playing some games and talking about how by the end of Summer, they won’t be seeing each other as much anymore because of college and stuff. They all remanence about the simple times - with Isabella eventually leaving (saying it’s because she needs to check on something, but really it’s because she’s sad that things are ending so quickly and she’s gonna miss everyone especially Phineas), and Phineas going after her to see if she’s alright (he’s oblivious, but he’s always been able to tell if she’s sad for the most part, save for maybe a few instances - but he’s older now, so he’s probably better at telling).

The two go for a stroll outside, and discuss the changes and stuff, how he and Isabella are ultimately going to have to work on a long-distance relationship and how Phineas is going to miss Ferb when he leaves the country, and how he’s gonna miss Isabella. And then they both realize that everything is gonna be okay, because they’ve literally dealt with worse situations and came out stronger for it - Isabella nor Phineas have any doubts in their minds that their relationship with each other or anyone else is going to sever just because of long distance.

Time moves onward, and there are a lot of changes (mainly talking about couples and other stuff - if it were me, there’d be endgame Buford/Gretchen and Ferb/Ginger of all people, and of course Candace and Jeremy would be married by this time). Phineas and Isabella are about to go into their last year of college, and decide to spend one more day together before they, once again, go their separate ways. The gang surprises Isabella by having made an ACTUALLY GOOD AND CREATIVE BACKYARD DINNER for the two per Phineas’ planning (the idea wasn’t bad, the execution was just lame imo), and long story short, Phineas proposes to Isabella. She obviously accepts, and everyone cheers for them as Isabella inner monologues about how change can be scary but it’s okay some mushy stuff about loved ones being there for you when you need them or something.

And finally, we cut to many years later, with Isabella as an adult now, looking out at the backyard of her current home, drinking some tea - this whole movie/special has taken place in this Isabella’s memories (if that makes sense), as she thinks on how she got there. The story ends with a child (we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl) calling to her and calling her “mom”, and Isabella leaving to check on her kid.

And...that’s how I would have written “Act Your Age”. Again, I recommend this and this over my idea (because again, their takes on this episode are perfect, I don’t think anyone can top them), but if you like it then great. This was still fun to write out and stuff, and I hope you enjoyed it regardless. ^^;

[sortasirius]

Do you know if JIB10 happened before 2019 SDCC because i remember that's when Jensen said his infamous "where is destiel real" line? i want to know if it was a diversion of some sorts or just him being ugly about it.

JIB10 was in May of 2019, SDCC is in July, so yeah JIB was before they were pitched the season arc and the ending of the show, and before Jensen reached out to Kripke.

Listen, Jensen has said shit like this for years, literal years, some of it more pointed then others.  (One time at a con a few years ago he literally said “Destiel doesn’t exist”).  This is where people get the fodder of “oh Jensen hates it and would never let it happen.”

I have a couple of reasons why I think that’s not what’s actually true:

1. Jensen is a grump.  Always has been.  He’s moody at cons sometimes and says stuff like this all the time.  His energy can change in a literal nanosecond.  Basically I’m going to link this and just....yeah.....he can be very grumpy, which leads to snarky comments like this.

2. Jensen’s first exposure to shipping was Wincest.  Like.  That would be enough for any uninitiated person to be like “yeah lol this whole shipping thing isn’t for me.”

3. People. Will. Not. Leave. Them. Alone. About. It.  I get it, I’m the same way, just like any clown I spend all of my waking hours thinking about the way Dean and Cas have looked at each other for eleven years, but that’s my choice.  Every con, every appearance with fans, the cast gets asked about what they think about their relationships on the show, and I think Jensen knows he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.  If he leans into Destiel, a bunch of fans are going to be pissed, if he writes it off, a bunch of fans are going to be pissed.  So that could be another reason why he sort of ~fluctuates~ (or, rather, fluctuated more before they found out the ending and direction of the season last year).  Sometimes he says shit like “where is Destiel real” and then sometimes he says “Dean has no taste, clearly.”  Sure, there’s been a LOT more positive shift with him since midway through last year, but he’s always just sorta flip-flopped on the subject.

4.  Jensen, rightly so, believes that he knows Dean Winchester better than anyone.  He probably has opinions on his acting choices, how he’s chosen to portray Dean over the years.  He’s always gotten defensive of Dean, and I can’t blame him.

5.  Y’all, as someone who has worked with actors on my own personal work, they don’t have a lot of say in what goes in the scripts and what doesn’t. Yeah, Jensen and Jared have a little more sway than most actors on a project just bc they’ve been with the show from the beginning, but even if, for some reason, Jensen went to Dabb and was like “I hate Destiel and I don’t want you to make it happen” uh.  I’m sure they would have sat him down and explained their reasoning, why the arc is the way that it is, whatever, but they wouldn’t just change the arc of the finale season and the arc that Dabb has been trying to get greenlighted for literal years because one of the actors doesn’t like it.

6. Jensen doesn’t hate Destiel.  He just doesn’t.  I also literally refuse to believe that they have not talked about the DeanCas arc over the last few seasons, it simply wouldn’t make any sense.  As a writer, as directors, you have to tell your actors *something* about what you want from them, about what you’re expecting as an overal emotional through line for the major characters, otherwise acting choices are going to change throughout the season.  Jensen has likely known the direction they were wanting to go since *at least* season 11.  He’s an actor, and a damn good one at that, I can literally almost guarantee you that he’s not sitting around mad that the writers are moving Dean and Cas’ relationship from subtext to text.

I get it, you hear things like that from him and it’s hard not to draw the conclusion that he thinks a certain way, but I really just don’t buy it.  I truly chalk most of those comments (whether they’re about Dean and Cas or something else) up to being overworked, tired, grumpy, whatever.