#very much post - apocalyptic scenery

[facesblind]

@untodeath  for  piers  nivans prompted:  012.   the rooftop of a very tall building .

     𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘆  𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱  𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗽  𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗺'𝘀  𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱  𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀  𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵  𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀  𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀  𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴  𝘂𝗽  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁,  𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴  𝘁𝗵𝗲  𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆  𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵  𝗶𝗻  𝗮  𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁  𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆  𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘄.  it's  quite  a  sight  —  not  enough  lights  below  to  outshine  constellations  above,  the  area  empty  &&.  abandoned.

     nothing  here  poses  a  threat  to  bsaa's  north  american  branch;  this  far  away  from  danger  &&.  this  close  to  their  safehouse,  there's  no  need  to  be  this  alert.  despite  the  safeness,  schrödinger  keeps  her  guard  up;  if  she  were  a  dog,  her  ears  would  perk  up  at  the  sound  of  rooftop  door's  openig;  picked  up  is  the  pace  of  familiar  steps,  and  so  she  doesn't  even  turn  around  to  check  who  decided  on  disturbing  her  peace.

     ❝  if  you're  worried  i'll  jump,  that  is  not  my  intention.  ❞

     the  clarification  is  smooth  and  sounds  believable,  though  legs  dangling  as  the  girl's  seated  on  the  edge  of  the  building  could  suggest  something  different  being  on  her  mind.  ❝  just  because  i  was  dragged  into  this  mess  involuntarily  doesn't  mean  i  wish  to  end  my  life.  i'm  not  that  dramatic.  ❞

     miriam  probably  is  that  dramatic,  actually.

     ❝  now,  with  that  being  clear  —  what's  up?  here  to  stargaze  or  to scold  me  for  sitting  this  close  to  the edge?  ❞

[lime-bloods]

Reading Roxy and Meenah as doppelgangers: a digression on manifestation theory

A brief introduction to manifestation

Manifestation theory sounds scary - the idea that the appearance of trolls and other fantastical creatures might double as insight into the psychological goings-on of our human protagonists is not one that necessarily comes intuitively to all readers. But as blogger azdoine succinctly put it: it's basically "just symbolism". Characters in a story symbolise something, and, understanding that Homestuck is chiefly about its human protagonists, it's logical to presume that the non-human elements symbolise things that are relevant to the protagonists' human experience.

mmmmalo has written at length about what he identifies as the signs linking Meenah to Roxy's inner psychodrama - the things that make Meenah an "esoteric mirror" or "doppelganger" of Roxy. For comprehensiveness' sake, I'm going to outline from scratch what I have identified to be the key signs, and to that end this post is going to discuss the topics of reproduction, reproductive coersion and miscarried pregnancy (with text-pertinent allusions to grooming and incestuous abuse).

One big happy family

Looks like a little girl's room. This all strikes you as a bit odd.

Hussie suggests only briefly in commentary that the young Roxy's (β) upbringing was at the hands of "a younger grandpa Harley" (Book 2, p. 106), but we needn't take their word for it; the scenery here speaks for itself. Roxy grew up in a dark green basement, trained from childhood to become an agent of Harley's goals, just as Damara (β) - and then by succession Meenah (β) - would be trained as English's agents. So, by analogy, Grandpa Harley is Lord English.

This is another point mmmmalo has (in)famously already made, but regardless of your thoughts on the particulars of that specific reading, the key clues pointing to English as a manifestation of the "Grandpa" character are still plain to see. When John says "the worst case scenario" would be "[facing] our grandfatherly paradox-dad as a last boss", he's explicitly referring to he and Jade's family patriarch, but he's also implicitly foreshadowing Lord English - a character who, in the maturity of 2024, we should now all be able to recognise is in one way everyone's grandfatherly paradox-dad. He represents the same upper echelon of paternalistic power on a cosmic scale that Jake (β) represents on a familial level.

Moving this along towards my point: essentially all of Acts 1-4's adult characters form part of this elaborate Nuclear Family Roleplay - a pantomime of the 'Suburban' setting Homestuck is founded upon. In the same way Jake being known as simply "Grandpa" symbolises his arch-patriarchal position, the reason Roxy is known only as MOM for the first five acts of the comic is because this is the archetypal, impersonal role she has been reduced down into. Her relationship with the character named DAD is a direct invocation of this - the two are essentially playing house, living out the gendered roles that have societally/cosmically been laid out for them. The comic's exposition coyly brushes over this, but a deeper look at Alternian culture gives us a much clearer vision of why 'MOM and DAD' make such an iconic matespritship: on Alternia there ARE no real family units, only procreation, and therefore matespritship is understood by the planet's inhabitants as a mere expression of "mating fondness". MOM and DAD make such a cute couple because they are exactly what their assigned titles depict them as - a breeding pair.

This is basically the crux of Roxy's arc right up to the very end of the comic; though Roxy's (Α) post-apocalyptic anxieties about the extinction of the human race bring these thoughts to the forefront, her struggle within the patriarchal structures of the household / society / reality itself has always been that she is only valued as a MOM - as a breeding machine.

The problem therein is that Roxy is seemingly incapable of having children.

The grieving mother

Within Sburb's scheme of universal childbirth, a "void session" is one that simply doesn't have the eggs required to bear fruit. So it's immediately easy to see why the Hero of Void would have similar trouble bringing a pregnancy to term. But certainly not for lack of trying!

Sorry, Jaspers [...] your final resting place is already a mockery. You should have decomposed years ago under a bed of petunias like a normal cat. Not given to a taxidermist and fitted with a tiny, custom-tailored suit, and then stuffed in a coffin built for infants.

When Rose was still very young, Jaspers was found dead. Roxy took the death of her CAT so hard that Rose found it difficult to take her grief seriously, interpreting the cat's elaborate mausoleum as a "structure erected with a spirit of scornful IRONY in response to [a] youthfully innocent request to hold a funeral for the animal." But more than any other, Rose and Roxy's relationship is one defined by miscommunication, and this assessment of Roxy's grief doesn't even seem to hold up to Rose's own recollection of events: later, we hear that the funeral service was something Roxy "insisted upon".

And thus begins probably Homestuck's most clear-cut example of a character's arc stretching across multiple iterations, because from this point - parallel to her neverending quest to settle down with a nice hubby and start a family - Roxy (both β and Α) becomes fixated on bringing back her baby - I mean CAT - only to produce failed mutant after failed mutant. These freaks of nature are not Jaspers, and by the laws of time travel dictating the lives of Paradox Clones they can never be Jaspers. The younger Roxy's first few attempts are literally stillborn; while she's eventually able to create what she calls "healthy felines", she still keeps those monsters locked in the basement they came from, for fear of upsetting her real CAT.

Even as over the course of her Sburb quest and her interactions with the new arrivals from the other session Roxy is seemingly able to address and even overcome some of this obsessive gnostalgia for the things she's lost, her apparent inability to bring to term resurfaces when she's made the reproductive object of another grieving mother.

The lamenting queen (or: the other mother)

Her Imperious Condescension is not so immediately recognisable as part of the family pantomime because the troll social structure doesn't use the same terminology we're familiar with, but she's always been there; just as Lord English is grandfather of grandfathers, Meenah is the family tree's literal grandmatriarch of grandmatriarchs, placed upon the Earth in the guise of Betty Crocker - archetypal nurturing housewife - so that her children's children might seed the events architected by her master. This kind of familial roleplay is exactly how English and Meenah's story is passed down to her descendants; Jake recalls that "the witch used to be married to a terrible man named english." Dirk is insistent, though, that this is a masking of the truth, and that English was only ever "her superior". And while it's true that we can't say for sure a young Meenah (β) slept in the same bed Damara grew up in, the fact that Meenah was only formally recruited after Damara's death should not be mistaken for suggesting that Meenah was not one of English's many daughters. She was "the Lo+rd's slave all alo+ng", even if implicitly.

ARANEA: Once she claimed the throne, she would have to serve for many thousands of years, until the next successor was ready.

For all the differences between Meenah and Roxy's cultures, slavery in the form of motherhood has always been the expectation of the female fuchsia caste, right from the very beginning of Meenah's arc - not as the empress of Alternia, but on Beforus, where the hemospectrum is reframed in far more familial terms:

ARANEA: The jo8 of each 8lood caste was to serve the needs of all those 8elow it. ARANEA: We were to use our progressively greater longevity and wisdom to help the lower castes learn and grow. To listen to them and try to provide whatever they were missing. Like a hierarchy of caretakers with increasing social responsi8ility.

Crucially, this is where Meenah and Roxy appear most to act as reflections but not carbon copies of each other; because where Roxy constantly strives to contort herself into this motherly, wifely role, Meenah perpetually runs from it. Saddled with the "incredi8le responsi8ility" of sitting atop Beforus' structure of care, Meenah "viewed the empress as a glorified slave" and fled to the moon, and even forced into ascendancy on Alternia she finds implicit ways to be absent from her children, spending her life flying further and further away from the planet where they're born and taking every opportunity to hand off any real political authority to clown rappers (a tendency reflected in her human heirs - the company is always passed on to the son and never the daughter).

But when Meenah finally returns home to find her children suddenly massacred by a galactic apocalypse, her arc begins to pull into line with Roxy's in earnest.

A fluffy twitching prison

TT: The rumors say it was her own "pet" who killed them.

From the moment of her dramatic introduction, Meenah's tragedy is that though she can extend life indefinitely, she cannot have back what she's lost, and this continues to be true as she attempts to resurrect her children on a new planet; attempt after attempt, her babies all die. Despite Gl'bgolyb's explicit death in the meteoric holocaust which claimed the rest of her family, the creature has inexplicably returned on the trolls' prospective new homeworld with the apparent sole purpose of making sure Meenah can't carry to term. We're left to our own devices to figure out just what's going on here.

Act 6 of Homestuck introduces Watchmen to its repertoire of intertexts through Jane's poster of cobalt beefcake MANHATTAN. Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan is an omnipotent world-shaping being who flees the responsibilities of Earth to settle on the planet Mars, iconically rendered in beautiful rosy hues by colourist John Higgins - when we hear the story of Meenah's refusal to the call of being Beforus' own god-empress, it's against the backdrop of a photograph of Mars literally hue-shifted pink (see fourth image), and images of Meenah's ship flying over a settlement on the red planet are included among the products advertised by Crockercorp. Far more explicitly, though: Watchmen originated the idea of using the screams of a psychic alien squid as political leverage, and that's why Gl'bgolyb has to be here for this part.

Alongside commenting on the political landscape of the 80s and the fascist undertones of the superhuman archetypes found in comic books, Watchmen pays particular attention to these characters' sexual eccentricities, and particularly their hangups with women. It stands to reason that of the latter closet homosexual Ozymandias' are the most severe, but they also become the most explicit: the artificial 'horrorterror' he uses to usher in his new world order is his fear of the female body made manifest. With its single clitoral eye and sphinctered mouth, the creature is unmistakeably yonic, and included in the horrific psychic imagery it broadcasts to instill fear into the Earth's population are nightmarish images of juvenile aliens chewing their way out of their mother's womb - the very same image trolls use to describe their disgust at human reproduction in The Homestuck Epilogues. Meenah's relationship to Gl'gboylb should be thought of the exact same way; one of the rare insights we receive into the adult Meenah's psyche is that she finds the process of giving birth "revolting", and it's for this reason she insists that humans procreate only through impersonal cloning. Gl'bgolyb reappears as Meenah's own manifestation: alienated from her own lusus after spending centuries literally running away from it, and traumatised by repeated miscarried attempts at reviving her race, she sees her own reproductive organs as nothing more than a hideous, baby-killing monster. It's no coincidence that when we see our single glimpse of the enigmatic emissary to the horrorterrors on Earth, it's with its tendrils wrapped around the throat of a symbolic depiction of the Genesis Frog (see above image) - the baby that grows in the womb of Skaia.

Breaking the cycle

By Act 6, the matriorb has already long been associated with failed and aborted pregnancies, having been rescued from the first mother it killed and taken into the care of Kanaya, who is then blasted through the abdomen just as it's destroyed, symbolically miscarrying through physical trauma. So when Roxy is tasked with finally bringing a dead baby back to life, it's a coalescence of multiple disparate threads.

(p. 6463)

Meenah unwittingly - or perhaps uncaringly - perpetuates a patriarchal cycle which has been repeating for eternity by selecting a younger, more fertile doppelganger to take over the role of mother, and locks Roxy in a dungeon with the intention of making her have the baby in her place. But, cycles being cycles and doppelgangers being doppelgangers, the same problem arises. Roxy can only create mutants.

When Roxy does ultimately overcome this, ending the comic with the culmination of this long, meandering motherhood arc, superficially it's because of time spent blitzing her Void chakras in the space outside of reality, and with the help of Calliope as a Muse. But in the time Roxy spends in the white nothingness, she's crucially able to take steps to end her own obsession with reviving the past - not just by burying a version of her own mother, who she spent so much time hoping to resurrect in sprite form, but also in sharing a tearful reunion with the literal ghost of her dead CAT. As with so much of Homestuck, the key to ending the suffering is breaking the self-perpetuating cycle that causes it; made literal, in this case, by Roxy's slaying of her dark mirror image using a sword known for splitting vinyl records - symbolically, for breaking the ever-turning circle of time. And in passing the matriorb off to Kanaya rather than letting Meenah have control of it, Roxy never actually brings this baby to term herself, either - at the end of the day, the minutiae of biology aren't really what motherhood is about:

ROXY: the way i see it is you shouldnt have needed to worry about makin the thing ROXY: i think it will be challenging enough like... ROXY: hatching it?? ROXY: and tending to all the stuff that comes next ROXY: isnt that basically being responsible for the preservation of an entire race of people?

Physically overcoming her demonic doppelganger isn't the end-all of Roxy's struggle with gendered expectation, either. Roxy's complicated relationship with their sex and their motherhood, introduced to us only indirectly through the relationship between Meenah and Gl'bgolyb, becomes central to their understanding and exploration of their own gender identity as they grow into adulthood. Anxieties about the inherent femininity of a childbearing body - the glorified slavery that is seemingly inherent to the cosmically-assigned role of the mother - give way to an understanding of the human body as "something altogether different [...] A flesh machine" with "a specific, practical purpose."

But I digress

The threads running between Roxy and Meenah exist along the types of lines most Homestuck readers will already be familiar with in some form. When two characters share a class, or an aspect, we expect that traits from one character can be used to analyse and further our understanding of the other. Manifestation theory simply asks that we look for even more subtle and non-literal connections between characters than these - a process which Andrew Hussie themself has identified in authorial commentary as part of what they call "persona alchemy". (Book 4, p. 151)

Roxy and Meenah's particular relationship, though, should also be thought of in terms of another phenomenon which is central to Homestuck's structure - escalation. Homestuck constantly reorders and transmutes the alchemical elements that compose one character into 'new' characters, but it also consistently stretches these fundamental concepts to their logical extremes. Just as a game that destroys planets works its way up to the destruction of universes, John striving to leave his house in Act 1 should be taken as the logical precursor to our heroes leaving reality itself in Act 7. The forces keeping these children in their houses - essentially the story's first ever antagonists - are their parents, and as we scale this story up to a cosmic level, we find that the cosmos is dictated by the same suburban family structures; by celestial GRANDPAs and MOMs, raising/grooming/training/neglecting entire worlds or even galactic empires at once.

By allowing us to meet not only the teen MOMs and BROs and NANNAs, but also the teen Lord Englishes and the teen Condesces, the scratch takes us in the opposite direction, reducing these faceless, larger-than-life figures into their smallest, weakest, most fundamentally human forms. And in some cases, as in Roxy's, this creates the opportunity for the child-form to confront and overcome the very darkest of their potential; by being the one to put Meenah down, Roxy not only liberates herself from her own expectations for what a mother has to be and do, but shatters the very cosmic image of MOM itself, breaking the mold that reality had set in stone for her entire sex - her entire caste.

[silverthehedgehogcharacteristics]

Silver the Hedgehog Characteristics

Justice -  Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Very confrontational because of this(Has zero tolerance for injustices and things like breaking promises, will take on anyone to right wrongs or help his friends(Mario & Sonic 2020)). Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you mess with him). Sometimes grapples with doing the right thing. His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil(Sonic & Silver).

Hope & Optimism/Positivity - Embodies hope and does not give into despair no matter the circumstances(fought through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky). Believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others in the darkest moments(Sonic 06 last episode, Sonic Forces, helping Elise through her performance anxiety in Otherworld Comedy). Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column Wallpaper) and an Enchanting Smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy and a recipient he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already in Wallpaper Comedy 2022). When he is down it does not take much to bring him back up(Sonic Rivals 2). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. “Does not want to use his powers for himself but to help others”(Sonic Channel Otherworld Comedy). His kindness is the only thing that can make him drop his mission as he can’t say no to a sad face and will stop to help those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Actively goes out and does things like serve apple slices, deliver Christmas presents, play holiday mascots and engage in Cheerful Activities(Sonic & Silver). Wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can ‘protect smiles’, wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Lives and fights for World Peace. Greatly empathetic to the world around him so his feelings reflect the state of the environment. Destroyed environments sadden and upset him while Beautiful Scenery and places with people prospering/living happily leave him breathless(in contrast to the apocalyptic suffering, darkness and devastation he’s experienced). Blue Skies make him feel at peace and people’s Smiles make him smile. Peace, blue skies and smiles are very important to him and he is vicious to anything that threatens them. His head quills are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Determination - Determined to protect peace. Arguably the most determined character. Doesn’t give up easily(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting undeterred after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Straightforward and Honest(Sonic & Silver) to a fault, he cannot tell a lie(Sonic and Silver) though he can change the subject(“Circumstances have changed”, ending of Rivals 2). Is direct, blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve. Like his namesake he is said to have purity(Sonic & Silver). Is straightforward, outgoing and blunt in contrast to Blaze being shy and reserved.

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. Is juvenile(indicated in the Japanese terms that describe him as “young”). So straightforward and honest that he’s Rude and Blunt. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. So straightforward and blunt that he often manners and social customs(Sonic Rivals 1/2, how he approaches NPCs in 06, even Sonic says that he has an attitude in Sonic Rivals). Abrasive and quick to insult both enemies and competition(mocks Sonic after beating him in 06, sneers at competition in Rivals 1/2 and Riders Zero Gravity, insults everything that gets in his way in Rivals 1/2, insults Eggman after stopping the Eclipse Cannon in Wallpaper Comedy 2021). Has a snotty attitude towards anything he one ups(“Can’t you do better?”). Prone to sarcastic remarks(“What am I doing?” when traveling with Amy in 06, "They think THAT is what the future is like? Please." in Colors DS). Headstrong(Offended when treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8, explodes at Jet’s provocations in Mario and Sonic). Has a Mischievous Side(Commemorative Illustration Series). In Japanese he uses informal/rude impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), points directly at people talks to(confrontational rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks.

Naive - Has a Black and White mindset/Innocent in his ideals(06). Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true(Which causes people to think he’s crazy). Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Can sometimes take things literally(has an angry “What’s so funny?” attitude when he doesn’t understand things. Says “Yes, why?” when Espio says “you want me to believe that?”).

Sentimental - Appreciates little things and finds great beauty in nature and simple parts of the world that most people take for granted(Calls Dusty Desert beautiful, comments on the beauty of a beach in TSR). This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity(also what a maple leaf represents) in various forms. Enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Colors DS, Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) because of this. Can be Introspective/contemplative(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger to think about the morality of his actions in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR). Says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all for a single objective”(Team Vector Interview).

Emotional - High-Spirited and Hot-blooded. Emotionally immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly. can get loud and carried away when riled up(06 design docs, Mario and Sonic 2020). Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Easily angered(Gets indignant when Soleanna officials don’t listen to him in Sonic & Silver)/has a vindictive temper like Blaze(he’ll twist you up if you mess with him). Needs to be calmed down/held back at times(2012, 2020 Olympic Games, why he has stoic partners like Blaze, Shadow and Espio). Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or thinking about his anxious feelings in TSR. Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Sonic & Silver) which can make him Impulsive and Reckless(such as when he goes to fight Ifinit in Sonic Forces ). Is passionate and controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool(Sonic & Silver).

Warrior -  fought and struggled for half his lifetime in the hellish Iblis future(Sonic & Silver), constantly fighting against Iblis, Iblis monsters and putting out disasters including Flame Tornadoes to bring peace to the world(06). Shadow describes him as a Fighter in Team Sonic Racing. Enjoys Fighting and can be quick to start fights(Fights almost everyone for both in Rivals 1+2 and Infinite in Forces, almost fights Blaze in Colors DS and Otherworld Comedy and Bowser Jr and Jet in the Olympic Games). Extremely Brave(Self-sacrificial, no regard for his own safety and will sacrifice himself at a moment’s notice(Sonic Comic Pumpkin Trigger), Instant fight response when surprised in Sonic Generations, does not back down in the face powerful threats like Iblis, Infinite or large disasters, fought Iblis monsters since he was Cream’s age). Values bravery and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics(Rivals 1+2, Colors DS, Team Vector interview). Has high aggression, determined expressions and aggressive body Language during anything he's focused on. Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated and gets up with his fists in Sonic Forces. Due to his backstory he is deeply appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has a violent personality(Colors DS).

Focused - Is Focused on saving the Future(06 design docs). Very serious and focused when it comes to his mission or dealing with potential danger(Team Sonic Racing). Calls himself a realist in the English version of Sonic Forces and rallies the Resistance to focus and move forward after Tails disappears. Very proactive in dealing with things as he was the only one actively trying to defeat Iblis and change the world(06) and the only one trying to find the truth of Dodon Pa and Eggman(TSR). Has a Straight-To-The-Point mindset(doesn't care what the plan is called, only that it works in Forces) and doesn’t like things getting in his way. Very goal focused(even during competitions, he says the Jade Wisp Ghost ability is the only item he likes because it lets him “disappear and focus on racing”(Team Vector interview)). Takes things much more seriously than Sonic and sometimes gets mad at Sonic for not taking things seriously or messing around(JP TSR, Famitsu Magazine comic). Has pointed angular shape eyes like Sonic’s other rivals which represent intensity, danger and seriousness in character design.

Can be Ruthless - “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Sonic x Silver). Opens both his fights with Sonic in 06 by trying to sneak attack and snipe Sonic with psychic energy balls. Has fought dirty(Played possum to hit Sonic in 06), tried to assassinate Sonic, snuck past Soleanna guards. Mugs Tails in Sonic Rivals 2(he’s okay with stealing), has no qualms with fighting kids like Tails or Bowser Jr. Leaves his enemies to die even if they beg for life(Sonic Rivals 2/IDW Sonic). Has the pragmatic “get-it-done” mindset of Future Trunks/will do whatever it takes to save the future.

Intuitive - Solves problems by using his mind in all his major game roles including figuring out how to revive Sonic(06), being a detective(Town Mission 13), uncovering Eggman/Nega’s plots(Rivals 1+2, TSR) and solving various puzzles. Very perceptive(Sees through Eggman Nega’s disguises by noticing small details), turns his fight with Sonic into a race to collect Chao to advance his mission(Crafty). Intuits Blaze trying to control great power when seeing it for the first time(Otherworld Comedy). Not trusting(Didn’t initially believe in time travel, Immediately suspicious of Dodon Pa in TSR, questioned Mephiles’ mission even as Blaze reaffirmed it as their only option, takes time to work with others in the Rivals series). Eggman is unable to deceive him the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Challenger - Enjoys challenges and seeks out ways to test himself(Climbed Tokyo Tower, disappointed when Orbot and Cubot don’t pose a challenge). Very Competitive(Almost fights Blaze when they start one-upping each other over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS). Self-confident and has a smug attitude about his abilities but is otherwise pretty humble(doesn’t think of himself as a hero but rather someone just trying not to mess up the timeline in Sonic & Silver, has a humble attitude when befriending Donkey Kong in Mario & Sonic). Cherishes his friends and strongly believes in/very grateful to those who help him. Regularly trains off screen like Sonic’s other rivals and is said to make Steady efforts to improve(Wallpaper Comedy 2022). Bold and undeterred by any threat(“We can take them all on!” when facing Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge in Rivals 2, “I’ll just destroy him everywhere at once” when facing Solaris). Will take on anything for what he believes in or to help his friends(threw himself at Iblis and Infinite, took on Wendy for Tails and Luigi). one of his catchphrases is “I’ll take you on”.

Curiosity - Has a certain curiosity and likes seeing new and different things(“Interesting”). Can praise or call things cool as much as he can insults others as he has no filter(Sonic Runners). Might have a weakness for cute things(Has a soft spot for/plays with Chao in Sonic Rivals 2 and an official magazine comic). 

Skills - Powerful psychic with various super powers(Sonic Runners). Like Sonic’s other rivals he has various skills including car racing, acrobatics, fighting near the level of Shadow(they were both out of breath during their fight in 06), sharp shooting among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history(he takes offense to being treated like an amateur for a reason). Has been a detective, delivery boy, butler, top ranked ice skater and “genius” skating coach celebrity that helped taught others and helped Elise through her anxiety(Sonic Channel). Fly/Skill-type character so he specializes in more technical sports like ice skating and drives a car with high balance(TSR, Team Vector Interview). Can be sharp as he was able to turn his fight with Sonic into a race to advance his mission in Rivals 2 and is noted to be very perceptive by Eggnan Nega. Eggman fails to deceive Silver the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Polar Opposite of Eggman Nega(Blaze’s best friend, Pure, Young, Honest, Rude, Empathetic, Impulsive/Reckless, Naive, Practical/Focused, Altruistic, wears blues themed with white, desiring Peace and Happiness and willing to die to protect the world opposed to Eggman Nega being Blaze’s arch enemy, Twisted, Old, Deceitful, Polite, Psychopathic, Calculating, Sophisticated, Petty, Egoistic, wears red, themed with black, desiring Chaos and Destruction and willing to die to destroy the world)

Enhancer-Emitter - Enhancer is someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in actions and thinking, whose words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals. Emitter is someone that is impatient, not detail-oriented and quick to react in a volatile manner but can also calm down and forget easier

Lives in the good future when not helping Sonic in the present the same way Blaze lives in her dimension. Thinks things in Sonic’s time are dated(sometimes, in Sonic Rivals and Colors DS). Often implied/shown to like apples(Ate apple flavored calorie bars in the Iblis Future according to Sonic Pict) and to live in Soleanna(He was originally going to be named Venice because he lived there, he may be Italian coded as his counterpart Galahad uses an Italian Cinquedea as a sword). 

[micromekas]

The Wild Robot is great and you should watch it, animation film of the year. However.... SPOILERS AHEAD

However, both me and a friend found the ending to be... lacking a little something?

It took me a while to figure out but I think I got it, I found what bothered/disapointed me.

So during the movie we get some hintd that humanity is doing... fine maybe but not so much?

Of course there is all the post apocalyptic scenery that shows that we apparently failed to avoid a climate catastrophe at some point. Fair enough. We seem to have survived by building Those utopian looking complexes of which we have seen very little, but the Rozzum line advert indicates that A) a techno corp seems to have a monopoly on a lot of very important stuffw including robots and B) Life in those complexes seems to be maybe good (we have mostly seen a corpo advert and the food growing facilities) but importantly, VERY REGULATED. I think the ad talked about your life being predicted and planned or something like that.

This, in addition with the looks and behavior of non-Rozzum robots (both the retrieval unit and the enforcer units), I think clearly points to human society propably being a corporate dystopia with a pretty good coat of paint.

It also seems that rather than facing forward after the climate catastrophe, humanity decided to shelter itself from nature as much as possible instead of actually learning to live alongside it again. We are sheltered in domes, and the reaction to seeing a flock of geese is to pull out the guns. Conversely, humans seem to have completely retreated in the domes, separating them completely.

Now In comes Roz. An artifact of the human-built world thrust into the natural world. At first she obviously doesn't fit in, but after a lot of work she ends up integrating herself and making both herself and the island better. Roz is a symbol of a possible future in which Nature and Humans fuse back together and both come out on top - by building a relationship not on dominance like humans did in the past, but on understanding like Roz did. Roz is a symbol of things changing for the better. Hell, The scientists seemingly want Roz's data, and supposedly they would have been able to see the robot cooperating with animals in a way that ended up benefitting them, along with propably learning a lot about how robots apparently almost WANT to become sentient at the first occasion.

And then the end of the movie comes, and it's sweet but nothing of the sort happens. Rozzum unit 7134 is "at her place", a place where she was not sure she would belong at pretty much resigned herself to go to save the island. Humans are still insulated in their domes.

It's not a bad ending, it just feels like it wants to be a bit more, to imply a bit more. Anyway just my two cents, I still loved the hell out of the movie

[sarabwawahm]

"The longer you live, the more you forget."

Summary: Marceline is still haunted by glimpses of her past.

Time heals. An undeniable truth, despite her wanting to scream and holler about it being wrong. They still hurted, all those discarded scars of heartbreak, but they were scars nevertheless.

Time certainly heals, and Marceline had all the eternity.

The tales of her long, long life distracted her, and she went on endless adventures just to keep it this way. She discovered new people in a new world, became so invested in it that sometimes she even wondered if her past was real, if it wasn't a prolonged dream she had while sleeping in Tree Trunks' field, if her life hadn't always been a happy mingle of fun and occasional reminiscence. She had no proof, after all, that it indeed happened. Her supposed Simon, the formerly genius scientist, had became a madman. She lost Hambo due to her bastard of a boyfriend..and her..

No. She was no illusion. Her voice would come to her in daydreams and nightmares. It was a memory, a memory she cherished and forever will. The loving voice would utter a sweet Linlin and the mighty Vampire Queen would gasp in pain. She no longer denied her loss, nor was she always mourning, but she had yet to accept. She very likely wouldn't. Not when her name was in the back of her throat, ready to call for her younger-big sister whenever something was too much to handle. Not when ocean eyes would stare back into her own in the soft blue flames of her stove before they turned red. Not when her ghost phantomed her thoughts if she lets them wander, omnipresent in the back of her mind and constantly prepared to resurface.

Marceline walked down the nighty beach, unbothered by the loud cries of the waves as she dragged her toes in the sand. For such a nocturnal hour, the place was pretty lively, a strangely familiar crowd formed to celebrate as if conflicts never existed. In contrast, Marceline felt a gloom growing within her, as if she slowly approached a cursed fate by her aimless stroll. She didn't bother, her emotions taking the little reason she had left and letting her feet lead her to a wooden house planted far away from the commotion. She frowned slightly, feeling a sudden urge to enter it. Never one to hesitate, she did, stepping in and forcing her eyes to get used to this random, complete, change of scenery. She wasn't surprised. This was Ooo, anyway, a land of abnormalities.

What shocked her, though, was the odd nostalgic feeling this space gave her.

A foggy weather. Fallen buildings. Eerily empty streets. A post-apocalyptic air.

Infantile giggles, and three figures could be distinguished amongst the chaos.

-"Sing it, Tricy! One more time!", the black haired little girl spoke.

-"Oh, Linlin, don't you think we sang it plenty of times?"

Marceline's breath hitched, and she instinctively inched closer to the trio. Simon's soft expression gleamed in the campfire, his aspect holding remains of sanity and his hair barely having strands of white. He stared fondly at the two girls, amused and warmed by the joy of his proteges.

-"Please, My Sister!", little Marceline extended the plea, using the name she knew the older girl loved.

Beatrice looked at the girl in her lap with breaf awe, before she hid it behind layer of playfullness, chuckling at her sister's innocent insistance.

-"Alright, alright. One last time!" Little Linlin cheered at that, then snuggled her head in the Beatrice's neck. It felt like home.

The voice started singing, and the adult vampire, standing a tad nearer to the group than she was previously, watched longingly as the melody she knew by heart was murmured again.

'Thank you, i'll say goodbye soon.'

As the continuous loop of words emerged her.

'Though it's the end of the world, don't blame your self now.'

As a buried hope stired up within her.

'And if it's true, i will surround you..'

As the bittersweet dream filled her with an unbearable comfort.

'And give life to a world'

As she craved what the verses promised.

'That's our own.'

[miikarin]

These are the games I played this year and a rough ranking on them. I say rough ranking because even with my cobbled-together categories, it's hard to sometimes rank games against each other because they have different parts that I like and some of these are effectively tied or close rather than a clear higher ranking.

I tried to include in this list just the games that I have either finished or put in a significant amount of time for the more casual ones so that I felt that I had a fair idea in my head of what the game had on offer. Most of these I played and finished on stream though a few, most notably all of the Hidden Object category, were played purely offline. Some games I started on stream with the intent of showcasing them to then take offline and play.

Okay so starting at the top! No, I will not be taking any comments about my category choices, thank you 🙃

Metroidvania/Roguelike/Soulslike

Ranking on image (with links to game page): Grime, Afterimage, Vernal Edge, Pronty, Lone Fungus, Going Under, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Ghost Song, Faerie Afterlight

Read more under the cut

So as someone with very specific aesthetics, I would definitely choose Afterimage over Grime but yet here we are, with slightly creepy, very toothy game ranked highest in this category. Even in terms of having multiple areas to explore and backtracking, Afterimage would be my pick. However, Grime's parry system made me fall in love with the combat in the game and it was so satisfying that I actually speedran the game for a bit and then devoted time to making resources for the any% run. I still need to play the dlcs but even on base game alone this game gets my vote.

Afterimage was quite a lot of fun and the vibrant and bright art was such a treat and feast for my eyes. I also really liked the different weapons and how they changed the combat. I think the story could have been a little tighter but I just fully enjoyed the time I had in the game and getting to see the areas. I wish more games had this type of colour palette and I know the whole 'grim, and dark, and moody' bit sells but I'm slightly tired of it. The Afterimage world was post-apocalyptic (or in-game analogous) but it was presented in a different manner and there were still areas that weren't all lush, vibrant scenery.

Vernal Edge is a game that I remember feeling frustration in certain areas while playing it but also it lives in my mind and I still think about it so it's next on the list. The fighting is different than what I usually experience - it's a spectacle fighter style, and there is an interesting mechanic by which you cast 'spells' and also heal. I think the character was a bit slippery at times which led to some of the frustration in the platforming as mentioned earlier. The game has some good writing underpinning it though and travelling to different islands in the sky and exploring them was a neat way to put together the world.

Pronty is interesting that it is underwater and the art is beautiful; combat is a bit removed since you do not do the fighting but instead direct your javelin fish to do it.

Lone Fungus I wish I could like more but it was a lot more platforming and very precise platforming at that, which is not where my interests lie.

Going Under is doing the heavy lifting for including Roguelike into this category mashup and the reason for that is that it is a genre that I also do not tend to play for various reasons that I may go into in the future but not here. Still, if I had to pick a game from that genre, I'd say Going Under is a good one - there's some seriously great writing here from dev Aggro Crab and it's a quite hilarious commentary on startup culture in our current times.

Not really going to go through the rest of the games since I only want to type so much and there are a few other categories to go. However, those categories will be in a later reblog.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group J Round 1: #J2 vs #J7

#J2: Two girls wander the post-apocalyptic world.

Amid the desolate remains of a once-thriving city, only the rumbling of a motorbike breaks the cold winter silence. Its riders, Chito and Yuuri, are the last survivors in the war-torn city. Scavenging old military sites for food and parts, the two girls explore the wastelands and speculate about the old world to pass the time. Chito and Yuuri each occasionally struggle with the looming solitude, but when they have each other, sharing the weight of being two of the last humans becomes a bit more bearable. Between Yuuri’s clumsy excitement and Chito’s calm composure, their dark days get a little brighter with shooting practice, new books, and snowball fights on the frozen battlefield.

#J7: Lecherous young man gets engaged to an alien princess

When aliens known as the Oni threaten to invade the Earth, they promise to leave under one condition—a randomly-chosen human must win a one-on-one game of tag against Lum, the beautiful daughter of the Oni leader. The “lucky” person selected happens to be the lustful and unlucky high-schooler Ataru Moroboshi. Given 10 days to attempt to grab Lum’s horns, Ataru realizes how impossible the challenge is as he is faced with Lum’s extraterrestrial powers.

Motivated by a promise of marriage from his childhood friend Shinobu Miyake, Ataru manages to catch Lum off guard. He mistakenly grabs hold of her bikini top first, but he eventually achieves his true goal. Although the game is over, Lum misunderstands that she is the one whom Ataru wants to marry, and she decides to move in with him. The poor student constantly tries to shake off the clingy Lum while doing his best to reconcile with his desired fiancée. After Ataru's heroic feat results in such a disastrous outcome, it is questionable whether luck will ever be on his side.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#J2: Girls’ Last Tour (Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou)

Propaganda:

Above everything else, this is a show about how human life and curiosity will continue to exist even in terrible circumstances. The two main characters are super charming, so following them around is fun, but even beyond that it’s just a gorgeous show. The scenery is often awe-inspiring and beautiful, as is the soundtrack. Despite the show taking place after the end of the world, it can be surprisingly uplifting as the girls (and the audience!) find wonder and joy in the world around them. Definitely a show more people should watch!

Trigger Warnings: There are some flashbacks that depict the war that ended the world, but they are not graphic. Some blood is shown, but not much else. Main characters own guns, though they don’t use them on other people.

#J7: Urusei Yatsura (2022)

Propaganda:

This anime is actually a reboot; the original came out in the 80s. It honestly does the manga justice compared to the 80s anime. I absolutely love the animation, it really does stick to Rumiko Takahashi’s art style. Though the pacing is a bit different, overall it stays true to its manga counterpart. (It’s honestly too bad the series isn’t very popular in the west, it’s a great comedy/harem type show. And the thing is, it’s not your traditional harem where “the basic guy gets all the girls” which makes the show so much more enjoyable.) Everything about this show really captures the essence of the series. It’s able to be funny while still having its more serious moments. I just really love Urusei Yatsura, it’s so good.

Trigger Warnings: The art style is very colorful and could cause eyestrain

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[littlemessyjessi]

Part Two: "Cure of Infection": A BTS x SKZ Crossover Zombie Apocalypse Story

=

The scenario:  Post apocalyptic AU.  Zombie Apocalyse AU. 

A BTS x SKZ Crossover Event

WARNING WARNING: SPOILERS IN THE RECAP! IF YOU HAVEN"T READ CHAPTER ONE FIND IT HERE

Chapter Recap:  Felix and the mc were on their way back from a raid that went sideways and Felix was bitten not once but twice.   They are battling the clock to save him before he turns.  All looks lost when none other that Taehyung appears and offers them sanctuary.  However, trouble stirs and the mc is forced to seperate from Felix and Taehyung.   Does Felix make it?   Is Taehyung true to his word?  Will the mc be able to make it back to Felix and the others?  

=

Hoseok stood, arms crossed, brows furrowed and eyes hard as he took in the scene in front of him. 

Taehyung had arrived back … after having told no one that he was even gone. 

He loved the man, really he did. 

And he understood the desire for a stroll outside. 

But those days were in the past.  

Someone needed to know where you were at all times and you didn't need to go out alone. 

And to make matters worse, he'd returned with a drifter … who'd been bitten.

Hoseok, having long since accepted the reality… was prepared to put the kid out of his misery. 

Only for Taehyung to shoot into a blind panic raving about a woman and a separation of cells and a cure. 

Truthfully, if Namjoon's curiosity hadn't gotten the best of him… Hoseok would've already put the poor young man out of his misery and been done with it. 

However, Namjoon had stepped in. 

"Hoseok-ah… let's just see what happens.  We have a containment area … just in case.   Let's just see where this goes.  If it's true and this woman shows… I mean, if she's right… then who knows what this could mean?" 

And while it ground against every nerve and instinct Hoseok had…. he had always been a sucker for that wonder in Namjoon's eyes. 

Joon was the leader, technically, but Hoseok was the disciplinarian and everyone knew it. 

Joon was the face and the voice and Hoseok was the follow through. 

Which usually made it all the more jarring because Hoseok was so naturally charismatic.   

He was a natural at letting you see what he wanted you to see right up until the very end. 

Chameleon, actor… whatever you wanted to call it. 

But he had one huge weakness… and that was Namjoon and that childlike wonder he got in his eyes when he wanted to learn something. 

If Hoseok was Superman, Namjoon was his kryptonite. 

That being said… he didn't like this… at all. 

It was far too risky. 

Felix, the young man, had been bitten twice and while Taehyung insisted he watched this 'mystery woman' pull the virus cells out of him… he had his doubts. 

At Taehyung's insistence, he had been given the medicine found in the backpack in thirty minutes intervals. 

Now the question of a blood transfusion hung in the air. 

Hoseok wasn't having it. 

"Absolutely not." he had snapped. 

"But hyung… she said…." Taehyung pleaded. "He lost so much blood.  He's got to." 

"We don't even know this kid!" Hoseok shouted. 

It had caused an unholy fight amongst himself, Taehyung, Namjoon and Jin.  

It was the kid that spoke up. 

"I understand your doubts.  I get it.   You can't trust anyone anymore."  Felix said.   "Don't worry about it.  Noona said she's coming.  And maybe I can build my blood back up." 

"And that's another thing." Hoseok barked.  "Yet another stranger that we don't know.  She conveniently splits and you come in here with an infected person. Taehyung, what is wrong with you?!" 

"If she hadn't then there is a really good possibility that I wouldn't even be here!" Taehyung snapped. 

"You would be fine if you'd stayed the fuck inside like you're supposed to!" Hoseok roared. 

"I can't live in a box for the rest of my life!  If wanting to feel the sunshine on my face every once in a while is a sin then Satan himself can claim me.   At least Hell would be a change of scenery!" Taehyung screamed. 

The both of them were staring at the other with hard eyes and heaving chests. 

Seokjin was the first to collect Hoseok, pulling him away to cool down while Namjoon went to soothe Taehyung. 

Seokjin would bring Hoseok back down to reality and Namjoon, though impossibly curious of the possibilities, would help bring some clarity to Taehyung. 

"I couldn't just…" Taehyung whispered. "Hyung doesn't understand…" 

Namjoon sighed, placing his hand on Taehyung's shoulder, "He does, Tae.  He's just scared is all.  You know him.  He's just trying to keep everyone safe.  There are others here we have to think about." 

"But… what if… what if it's a cure?" 

"It is." 

The pair of them looked to the young man currently laying on the bed in the isolation room. 

Felix sat up a bit more. 

He looked a bit worse for wear but there was no doubt that he hadn't been overtaken by the virus.   

"A cure?" Namjoon asked. 

Felix nodded, "Noona won't talk about it but I know it's true.  My hyung, Minho, he was bitten and she did with him what she did with me today.  But I think it took a lot longer." 

"This is fascinating but I don't know that it's classified as a cure.  It's more like catching a cut before infection can set it."  Namjoon reasoned. "Still, I had no idea that it was even something that could be done… but it's not exactly a cure." 

"It is though." Felix said.  "I wasn't finished talking." 

Redness creeped up Namjoon's neck, "Sorry." 

"It's ok." Felix said.  "Another member of our group, Hyunjin, he got separated from us for a while.   We feared the worse and had those fears confirmed one day while we were out scavenging.  He'd completely turned. But he's family and no matter what we've been told… none of us could just put him down like that." 

Taehyung's chest tightened with this knowledge and his mind wandered to a certain someone currently locked away in another isolation chamber. 

Felix continued, "We managed to get him back and we put a muzzle on him so he couldn't bite.   Noona knew she could pull the virus cells out because she'd done it with Minho.  But it was different.  Minho had a fresh bite and Hyunjin had clearly been turned for a while. She had to figure out a way to get the cells out and good blood back in."  

"I don't understand." Namjoon said. 

"I think I do." Taehyung said before looking at Namjoon. "That's what she was talking about.   A blood transfusion." 

Felix nodded, "She pumped cells out of Hyunjin until he was barely there at all.   They're not dead, you see.  But their bodies are locked in a different state.  And depending how strong they are mentally…. they could still be aware.   Noona pulled cells out of Hyunjin until he looked like a raisin and then we all took turns giving him blood transfusions.   She'd extract and inject until no virus was left and all that remained was blood." 

"Oh my god." Namjoon whispered.  "This it is." 

"It doesn't always work though." Felix said. 

"What do you mean?" Taehyung said, the flicker of hope in his chest almost dying as quickly as it had grown. 

"It all depends on the person." Felix said, struggling a little to sit up.  "She's tried before on others.   Hyunjin says he felt like he still had his mind but no control of his body.  Like he was being controlled and it was a fight every day.  He said it was like a devil was on his shoulder whispering to him to give in and making him do things he didn't want to.  He said knowing that we were alive and fighting for him gave him hope and something to hold on.  He says that when Noona started the treatment it was awful and extremely painful…but it gave him the strength he needed not to give in." 

Taehyung gasped, tears springing to his eyes, as he thought of the wide dark eyes and full lips, the sweet smile and warm hugs. 

The person who he loved with all his heart…. locked away in his own mind. 

"The others.." Felix started.  "Noona thinks it's because she's not good enough but Hyunjin says he thinks it's because they had already given up hope or perhaps there were prior injuries that were too great.  A girl, Sulli, she came completely back to herself but then she died on the table.   Another, Hara… she was restored but unfortunately she took her life that night.   Changbin-hyung says that she confided in him that she'd lost everyone… and didn't want to continue without them.  She did it before we could even try to stop her. But there was one other.  Her name is Jisoo.  She was bitten and restored.  We saw her not long ago.  She said that she had reunited with her friends, Rose, Lisa and Jennie." 

Taehyung sniffled, "Why did you say you couldn't go back earlier? In the street.  You said you'd been bitten.  If you knew this was possible then why did you say that?" 

A dark look crossed the young man's freckled features, "I didn't exactly have control.  I never realized what Hyunjin mean when he said it was like your body was being controlled.  I felt like it was drifting in and out and my mind was hazy.  I spoke but I didn't have control at times.  At others I did.  That's why when I had the chance, I told Noona I wanted to go with you. I just wanted to make it home.  If we made it home, I knew she could save me.  Because I know it's possible and that she won't give up… and that is all the strength I need to fight it before it overtakes me." 

He was quiet for a moment and tears filled his eyes. 

"But it's been hours… and she still hasn't come.  I - I'm scared that they might've…" he broke off into a sob, his emotions getting the better of him. 

"We'll find the woman." 

The three of them jumped at the voice at the door. 

Hoseok, had been lingering, silently and discreetly listening to the story. 

"Hyung!" Taehyung gasped. 

Hoseok walked to both Namjoon and Taehyung, placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. 

"Taehyungie… I'll find her.  If she can do it… we will try everything we can to bring Jiminie back." 

—-

Helloooooo my loves! So THAT was a whirlwind and I do hope you forgive me for putting you through emotional torture…. but also… don't most of the best stories? I know the only time I really love a story is when my emotions are WRECKED.   I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Love, K 

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[msbarrows]

This is what I’m playing the most of recently - another “soothing builder” game, Cloud Gardens. It’s a sort of post-apocalyptic landscape that you’re replanting with an assortment of vegetation. When the plants blossom you can pick the blooms to gain the ability to buy seeds, and as you progress you unlock more seeds. Some can grow on ground, some on walls, some on both. There are “planter” surfaces that will grow appropriately positioned plants all the way to full maturity, and then generic surfaces where you need to drop decorative objects within range of the plant to cause it to grow, or to reblossom after harvesting from it.

It definitely is a very soothing game to play, and falls into the category of what I mentally tag as “distracts me just enough, but doesn’t actually require much concentration”. Like yes, some of the maps (or sequences of maps - some have several stages that unlock as you progressively cover more and more of the scenery with plants) can be tricky to get through without some strategy, but most of them are just “buy seeds, stick to appropriate surfaces, grow them, harvest them for more seeds”.

[crimescrimson]

Welcome to my gifset blog! Here is my one and only rule from my previous post:

First and final warning guys! Don't tag my stuff with any type of Cleon tags please! Someone just did and the ship makes me very uncomfortable! I don't like blocking people because of this kind of thing but I have and will do so if you refuse to listen to me. It's the one and only boundary I have for now when it comes to my gifs, please respect that!

Gifset Masterlist Tag: #Red's Gifset Masterlists

Below is my tag masterlist! Happy viewing!

|| = RE || = TEW || = DMC

|| = SR || = TWAU

Basic Tags:

Crimson's Gifs: Resident Evil

Crimson's Gifs: Devil May Cry

Crimson's Gifs: The Evil Within

Crimson's Gifs: The Wolf Among Us

Crimson's Gifs: Saints Row

Relationship Tags:

Pairing: Encantado - Romantic Pairing of Ashley Graham & Luis Serra

Pairing: Keeping Score - Romantic Pairing of Leon S. Kennedy & Ada Wong

Pairing: Billy Coen Is Dead - Romantic Pairing of Rebecca Chambers & Billy Coen

Pairing: I've Got You Super Cop - Romantic Pairing of Jill Valentine & Carlos Oliveira

Pairing: Come On Supergirl - Romantic Pairing of Jake Muller & Sherry Birkin

Pairing: See You Around... Wolf - Romantic Pairing of Bigby Wolf & Faith

Pairing: Is This What You Want? - Romantic Pairing of Nero and Kyrie

Pairing: From My Gunsmithin' Days - Romantic Pairing of Lady and Nico

Pairing: I Need My Partner Here - Romantic Pairing Of Joseph Oda and Sebastian Castellanos

Partnership: Fill Your Soul With Light! - The Dynamic Duo that is Trish & Dante

BroTP: Ashley and Leon - Platonic/Siblingly Pairing of Ashley Graham & Leon S. Kennedy

BroTP: Claire and Sherry - Platonic/Siblingly Pairing of Claire Redfield & Sherry Birkin

BroTP: Devil May|Never Cry - Platonic Pairing of Lady, Trish & Dante

BroTP: I Had A Hunch Myself - Platonic/Familial Pairing of Nero and Trish

♡♡♡

Relationship Type Tags:

Theme: DMC Ships - Red's Preferred Devil May Cry Pairings

Theme: Red's RE Ships - Red's Preferred Resident Evil Pairings

Theme: Minor Pairings - Any pairing between secondary characters in a game

Theme: Pairings With History - Pairings that obviously have had previous history off-screen

Theme: Sparks In Dystopia - Romantic Relationships that grew further in apocalyptic settings

Theme: The One That Got Away - Romantic Pairings that end up losing one another or one party assumingly passes away

Theme: LGBT Pairings - All sets with LGBT relationships

Theme: Pride 2023 - All sets related or made for Pride Month 2023

Theme: Like Father Like Daughter - Father-Daughter relationships or Parallels in sets

Theme: Soulmates - Platonic or Romantic Pairings that have so much dynamic chemistry that they cannot be separated and come as a set

Theme: Saviour And The Saved - Sets featuring somebody saving someone else and the dynamic of that!

Theme: Power Pairings - Platonic or Romantic Duos that kick ass together

Theme: Iconic Duos - Famous character Duos in sets!

Theme: DMC Power Duos - Powerful two-person team-ups in DMC

Theme: DMC Power Teams - Powerful team-ups in DMC

Theme: DMC Interesting Dynamics - Sets studying dynamics between characters in DMC

Theme: DMC Mentor/Student - Sets studying the relationship between a person setting an example for someone else in Devil May Cry

Theme: DMC Platonic Relationships - Sets exploring platonic or familial relationships in Devil May Cry

♡♡♡

Misc Tags:

Theme: Dedicated To Friends - Sets I've made for my friends

Theme: PTSD - Sets exploring canon depictions of PTSD in games

Theme: Grief - Sets exploring canon depictions of grief in games

Theme: Insanity - Sets exploring imagery or games where the characters lose their minds

Theme: Introductions Aside - Sets that introduce characters

Theme: RE Parallels - Sets that compare Resident Evil scenes

Theme: RE Set Pieces - Sets featuring Resident Evil Scenery

Theme: Classic RE - Sets featuring Resident Evil 1, 2, 3, CVX, RE0 or RE1R

Theme: RE Romantic Parallels - Resident Evil Romantic Parallels between multiple couples

Theme: Jill Valentine's Fashion Sense - Sets involving Jill Valentine's Outfits

Theme: Umbrella's Legacy - Sets depicting Resident Evil Characters affiliated with the Umbrella Corporation

Theme: RE Dream Cast - Red's Preferred cast for a new Resident Evil game

Theme: Pieces On The Board - Resident Evil Sets depicting each faction or Affiliation within the games

Theme: Hidden Gems - Relatively unknown or unpopular games I've made sets of

Theme: Character Death - Sets featuring the death of characters

Theme: Faked Character Death - Sets featuring the false death of characters

Theme: The Heroes - Sets featuring main characters or heroic characters

Theme: Supporting Cast - Sets featuring NPCs or side characters

Theme: City Of Ruin - Raccoon City Tag

Theme: Blood and Gore - Game typical Gore tag, can range from horror game typical to mortal kombat typical

Theme: Infection Spreading - Sets that involve zombie/zombie-adjacent behaviour or infection

Theme: Morally Grey - sets that feature Morally Grey characters

Theme: Morally Sound - sets that feature Morally Sound characters

Theme: Take My Breath Away - Scenes that are very attractive or aesthetically pleasing

Theme: Women Of My Dreams - Red's Favourite Female Characters Of All Time general tag

Theme: Favourite Female Characters Of All Time - dedicated tag to this set series

Theme: Feminine Power - female empowerment! Typically found on female-only sets or sets that display women at their best!

Theme: Masculine Strength - male empowerment! Typically found on male-only sets or sets that display women at their best!

Theme: Character Development: found on character sets displaying a change in behaviour or a comparison to the past and present!

Theme: Red and Redder - Characters affiliated with the colour red for my namesake

Theme: Colour Palette Blues - Sets with Blue tones

Theme: Colour Palettes - Rainbow - Sets with multicoloured tones

Theme: Resident's Fashion - Resident Evil outfits tag

Theme: Game Interface - Depicting game title screens, menus etc.

Theme: Dream Cast - Red's Dream Casts for any game

Theme: Truth and Lies - Depicting paralleled scenes where a lie is told and a truth is revealed

Theme: SR Parallels - Saints Row Parallel Sets where scenes are compared

Theme: TWAU Pairings - Pairings I prefer from Telltales: The Wolf Among Us

Theme: TWAU Set Pieces - Scenery from TWAU

Theme: Dream Dream Dream - Sets that feature dream, nightmare or hallucination sequences

Theme: Red's Favourite DMC girls - Devil May Cry Women I adore in gifs

Theme: DMC Alternative Costumes - Ex Colors and Alternative Costumes in Devil May Cry

Theme: DMC Parallels - Scenes in Devil May Cry compared

Theme: DMC Iconic Moments - Famous Moments in Devil May Cry

Theme: DMC Hilarious Moments - Funny Moments in Devil May Cry

Theme: Domesticity of DMC - Domestic Bliss in Devil May Cry

Theme: Favourite Male Characters Of All Time - Favourite Male Characters Tag!

Theme: Favourite Characters Of All Time - My Favourite Game Characters

Theme: Best DLC Of All Time - My personal favourite DLCs in games that are the best of the best

Theme: Aesthetically Pleasing - Gifs based around the beauty of what's featured in the set

Theme: TEW Set Pieces - Set Pieces from The Evil Within

Theme: Gothic Horror - Gothic Horror in video games

Theme: Goth - Gothic elements in video games

Theme: Demons and Devils - Demonic related content in video games

♡♡♡

Personal Tags:

Theme: Red's Personal Preference - Anything to do with my own interests, basically a get to know me tag!

Sorry for the wall of text. Thanks for reading!

[food4dogs]

WEEKEND CHAT :: 9 JANUARY 2023 :: TV DRAMA

Hello all,

I'm trialling a new home for my YouTube Weekend Chat longer writings - especially for TV/MOVIES/BOOKS - as Tumblr makes the writing & publishing process a lot easier. I hope you don't mind; do let me know if you have any problems accessing these posts here.

I'll catch up with three big Netflix TV productions today; before that, a quick bit of news:

The new show by the team who brought us DarK was .. not successful enough? 🤔

‘1899’ Canceled After One Season At Netflix

We don't know all the reasons of course (we DO know that Netflix is scrambling to cut costs) - but it looks like cost could be an important factor in this case.

On Reddit, there was a discussion about it:

The sad implication is that this type of decision does affect how people watch (and will watch in the future): They will become more cautious and not watch the first season any more but wait to see if a second season is greenlit.

We haven't watched 1899 yet, but I believe it ends on a big cliffhanger, so naturally people are upset.

As I've pointed out before, Netflix is not the only service struggling with decisions over expensive series and long-term planning (we've seen equally upsetting decisions by Amazon Prime, for example). But Netflix does seem to go through these issues more frequently (which indicates there's a problem with their streaming & financing model).

So, what does that mean for the future? It means with more cautious viewing behaviour, many shows (especially smaller, more niche, more unorthodox ones) will struggle even more to make an impact and get renewed. It doesn't bode well for fostering creativity in my opinion.

==========================

OK, on to our first Big Drama series: Alice in Borderland (adapted from the manga by Haro Aso) Season 2. (Note: If you haven't watched S2 yet, there will be a few unavoidable, but minor, spoilers in my discussion)

Netflix has an article about the actors and changes for season 2:

‘Alice in Borderland’ Levels Up in Season 2

Season 2 really felt very different to us: in terms of production value, cinematography, choreography of fight scenes and much more, this was a BIG step up. It really looked and felt superb. 👍🏻

Question for those of you who have watched S2 : did you have a strong "The Last of Us" impression, too, from the way the Tokyo Borderland city scenery was portrayed, all overgrown? I just couldn't shake it. And then ... SPOILER ALERT! ==>

... there was the ... scene with the elephants! My brain just wired "Giraffe"! 😁🦒

==> END SPOILER ALERT!

Is that just me?

We thought the second season was overall better than the first (the first had various issues with strange pacing, sometimes unimpressive acting, the story veering around at times) and we were truly hooked.

The big divide for most people will be over whether they found the ending (and therefore explanation of the true events) believable and satisfying.

If you feel the need to either 'study up' more, or don't want to watch Season 2 but want a summary of what happens, then Netflix obliges with this article: Game Cleared: ‘Alice in Borderland’ Season 2 Ending Explained

I won't discuss the ending too much, since many may not yet have seen it. But while it is obviously pretty 'out there' - what else could it be with a story like this, seriously? - we didn't think it was unbelievable. In terms of bringing closure, a death game story like this with an apocalyptic setting really has its work cut out. What matters is the journey, and the final episode had enough twists and turns to satisfy, we felt.

You could call it a bit of an easy 'cop out' kind of ending. But what kind of ending can you possibly have for a story like this? I haven't read the manga, but I assume from what I've read online that the adaptation sticks pretty close to the conclusion (?).

However - BIG HOWEVER - there are enough questions that remain, unresolved or without clear explanation, to warrant some probing. 'Alice in Borderland': 11 Unanswered Questions After Season 2

The really 'teasing' issue is of course the zoom in on the Joker card right at the end. Woah - is that an indication of more Alice in Borderland coming? It could be, couldn't it? (I believe Joker is actually a character in the manga, but doesn't appear in the TV series. Maybe this is a chance to propel the story even further?)

PoodlePa and I obviously talked about AiB for a long time afterwards, and something strange happened. PP quoted - off the top of his head - some lines from a TS Eliot poem (ya know, the guy who wrote famous poetry a hundred years ago, including The Wasteland).

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

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - from "Prufrock, 1917"

Do I dare

Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time

For decicions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

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

If you remember the significance of the "one minute" in the AiB ending, then you'll see why I thought this was eerily hitting the mark!

Had enough of Death Games? 😯

Let's move on .. to more grisly deaths and murder mystery investigations!

I'll discuss The Pale Blue Eye next in Part 2!

[liquorisce]

Tengoku Daimakyou rereads, Chap 2 & 3

cw: SPOILERS!!

One of the things I loved about this series is the worldbuilding. Inside the academy, the utopia or heaven as they call it, in chapter 1, we have one world. And in chapter 2 we are introduced to the "Outside" which looks to be a post apocalyptic wasteland.

here we meet kiruko and maru, who look like wanderers or treasure-hunters at first glance. maru refers to kiruko as "sis". they wander into a couple of houses, the second of which is nicer, where they find a decaying bodies of a couple on the bed, who seem to have died holding hands. this scene reminds me so much of the last of us. i have a niggling feeling that we might find out who these bodies belong to. maybe i'll have a lightbulb moment later lol.

as maru continues exploring he remarks that the house probably belongs to rich people and we see a plaque stating: nawashiro syndicate. again, idk if this is foreshadowing something.

after a failed cooking experiment, where kiruko uses some leaves to flavour the food but it ends up being too bitter, they try to get some sleep. maru then asks if the people who died here ended up having to eat other humans because there was no food. i wonder if this is just a theory or if this is meant to be a hint about the psyche of hirukos and why they eat man-eaters. it's probably a stretch.

we then get some back story on kiruko. she is looking a pictures of 2 men that she carries with her, and maru asks if they're her lovers. by this point we get some hints of maru's attraction to kiruko, which largely feels like coming-of-age feelings, boy meets girl and they travel together for a common cause and they have awkward situations like walking into a toilet when the other is doing their business (bc there's no door), they sleep closeby etc. kiruko refers to herself as maru's bodyguard, although maru says that she is welcome to leave and that he will be fine on his own (in a nice way).

we are then introduced to our first monster:

it's pretty horrifying to look at it, eyes on it's neck, and is that a foot coming out of its neck too?? anyway, there are some theories about this monster, but we'll get to it in later chapters. i personally haven't seen the hints yet.

as maru and kiruko decide where to head in their journey, they came across a group of 3 bandits. the bandits try to attack them (some creepy, sexual connotations here) and bc they think maru and kiruko are women (both maru and kiruko declare that they are guys), they say, "we'll take you to heaven." it turns into a confrontation and kiruko ends up scaring them off with her weird shaped gun. eventually she threatens them and asks them to take her to the heaven that they were talking about.

Chap 3

As the kiruko forces the men to lead them towards heaven, the men speculate about the gun. we learn from maru then that the gun takes 30 seconds to fire, and that ammo is precious.

i found this panel very interesting. one of the bandits states that maru and kiruko must be part of the "lawless generation." maybe this is just world building 101 but i love the way that Ishiguro sensei slowly introduces details of their circumstance. Along with the scenery of dilapidated buildings and corpses and bandits and monsters, it's clear that something changed some years ago, post which society has essentially become lawless. people, even children, have no qualms with killing.

the bandits lead them to a place which was probably once a facility. here we can tell that kiruko has experience living in this world and negotiation with scumbags and she threatens to kill them if they don't let her use the generator to charge her gun. nice of her to ask lmao.

it's clear that kiruko and maru are interested in something to do with "heaven". but when kiruko asks them, one of the bandits say:

now we know that something called "the fall" has probably triggered events that have led to the state of the world. it's nice to pick up on this detail this time around bc i definitely didnt pay attention to this when i watched the show. in later chapters/ eps there are more hints about what really happened, and i still am not 100% sure if an asteroid has hit the earth or what is called the jeweled spear of heaven.

From the bandits they learn about a place that grows tomatoes, that kiruko jokingly names tomato heaven. think again of the tomatoes in the academy that we saw last chapter, it seems to be a clear correlation. after getting some hints about where to go, they set out to leave. when they find out that kiruko was charging her gun, and didnt have actual ammo to threaten them, they try to attack her again (unsuccessfully). as they leave, they remark about how kiruko was acting brave because her brother was there (insinuating that they would have tried to assault her otherwise). but her brother was always covering her blind spots.

says something about how protective maru is of kiruko (and also vice versa).

as they head out, the scene changes to the academy with children (heaven). tokio is talking to tarao (the sick child, who is now on a wheelchair). tarao agrees that there is something outside of the academy.

he is suspicious of what goes on past doors where only teachers are allowed to enter, and where their food comes and goes, what's in the vents etc. when tokio mentions the beasts, tarao asks if that isn't just to scare the kids away. smart kid!!!!!

tarao then asks if tokio likes mimihime to which tokio responds innocently. i find this interesting because tokio probably doesn't understand the intention of tarao asking this. tarao then gets violently sick, and dark spots begin to appear on his arms. before tokio can notice or ask about them, tarao pulls his sleeves down and says he will go back inside by himself.

while tokio is walking back she spots two girls kissing amidst the trees. it confuses her. then she runs into kuku who is flaunting the new drawing that kona gave her. this makes tokio jealous because kona had promised all his drawings to her, earlier.

this is probably the first time tokio realises she is jealous.

this whole scene between tokio, kona, kuku and mimihime is so precious. the little girl lesbians in the forest, too. children going through their feelings without much awareness of what they are. without the ugliness of the outside world telling them what to think.

in the background we see shiro looking outside the window, noticing mimihime's casual interactions (and touch) with tokio and kona. the parallels are so beautifully done.

later in her room, tokio is staring at the drawings on her wall, all made by kona.

i have no idea what it all really means, perhaps i should make a reddit post for that lol. maybe children sharing one mind? the world turning upside down? two children from one embryo (that seems to be clear foreshadowing)? winged angels in the sky (seems to be about asura)? and i have no idea what the top right image is, lol. if anyone knows, please tell me.

the chapter ends with a suspicious message from mimihime, on shiro's phone showing a picture of her nude, taking a bath. i have no idea how he gets this? I can't remember if it was hinted at in future chapters.

is he being a creep and has he set up some monitoring device in her bathroom? i dont think so + i think in future chapters he tries to ask her about it and she's clueless, i'm not sure. sounds like some cheesy porn plot lol

was this sent to shiro by meena?? perhaps this something else to ask the redditors.

[silverthehedgehogcharacteristics]

Justice - Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Unlike other Guardian characters Silver’s mission stems entirely from his personal sense of rather than imposed responsibility like Knuckles and Blaze. Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces, dunked Rough the Skunk to get even in IDW) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you trifle with him). Very confrontational because of this as he has zero tolerance for injustices or things like breaking promises and will take on anyone or anything to right wrongs and help his friends without a second thought. Though he can also sometimes grapple with what is right(06). However “His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil” and he wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can “protect smiles”(Sonic & Silver).

Positivity - Silver is an optimist and embodies hope just as Sonic embodies freedom. He always looks to a brighter outcome, does not give into despair no matter how dire the circumstances and believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others during dark times(Sonic 06 last episode, Sonic Forces, helping Elise through her performance anxiety in Otherworld Comedy) and spreads happiness during peaceful times as he is said to engage in Cheerful Activities after the historical change in 06(Sonic & Silver) and does things like serving apple slices(Wallpaper Comedy 2022) and giving gifts as Santa(Sonic Pict) because his greatest joy is seeing smiles. Silver became a top ranked ice skater and a “genius” skating coach celebrity in Soleanna to entertain and help people. When he is down it does not take much to bring him back up(Sonic Rivals 2). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Silver is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. Silver is always thinking of someone else’s happiness rather than his own(Sonic & Silver) and “Does not want to use his powers for himself but to help others”(Otherworld Comedy Act 4). His altruism is the source of his mission and the only thing that can make him break from it as he can’t say no to a sad face or ignore those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Silver wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world filled with despair, where people lived without hope(Sonic 06, Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Silver lives and fights for World Peace. His feelings reflect the state of the world around him. Silver is devoted to peace because he hails from a hellish ruined future that was filled with darkness, devastation and suffering. Silver has great empathy for both people and environments, even Dusty Desert is beautiful to him simply because its thriving and the people are happy(in contrast to the apocalyptic devastation and suffering he’s experienced). Because of his empathy, he is sad to see these things destroyed and vicious to anything that threatens them. Blue Skies and Smiles are especially important to him, blue skies make him feel at peace because he came from an environment that was ravaged and always dark, and he can’t help but smile when seeing people’s smiles. The quills on Silver’s head are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Sentimental - Silver is very sentimental, he finds great beauty in nature and appreciates little things that most people take for granted. Beautiful scenery and people living in prosperity takes his breath away. Silver likes talking about and simply observing beautiful things and he relaxes and chats with Sonic before and after their mission in Kingdom Valley(Sonic & Silver). Can be Introspective and meditate on things(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger to think about the morality of his actions in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR) but can also be slowed down by doubt. Silver serenely appreciates things like the legend of Revival Bridge(Sonic & Silver) and says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all to a single objective”(Team Vector Interview). Silver enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) as he likes taking in the world. This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity which the Japanese Red Maple Leaf also represents.

Naive - Has a black and white perspective and is innocent in his ideals(06). Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true(Which causes people to not believe him). Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Sometimes takes things literally. Has an angry attitude when he doesn’t understand things(Says “Yes, why?” when Espio asks “you want me to believe that?” in Rivals 2, says “What’s so funny” when he doesn’t understand what everyone is laughing at in Otherworld Comedy) and can’t take a joke(Team Sonic Racing, Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Described as forthright in design docs, Silver is Straightforward and Honest to a fault. He can’t tell a lie and wears his heart on his sleeve. Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column). Silver is a very genuine and pure person and this is something those that come to know him adore about him. His naivety, immaturity and straightforwardness all tie into his purity. Although he can have a smug attitude about his powers, Silver is very humble and does not think of himself as a hero(Sonic & Silver). Can praise or call things cool as much as he can insult others as he has no filter(Sonic Runners, Otherworld Comedy Act 12). Silver is a reliable person(Sonic & Silver) that cherishes his friends, strongly believes in and is genuinely grateful to those who help him(Sonic Rivals 2, Sonic & Silver). Silver is an Enhancer(someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in their actions and thinking, words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals).

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. Silver is so straightforward and honest that he is also rude and blunt. He has little filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot and is so direct that he can often ignore manners and social customs(06 NPC dialogue, Sonic Rivals 1+2, even Sonic says Silver has an attitude in Sonic Rivals). Is very sassy, abrasive and sarcastic, being quick to insult any opposition(06, Rivals 1+2, Olympic Games, Eggman’s theme park in Colors) or make snide remarks in general. Silver is said to have Mischievous Side(Sonic Channel Commemorative Illustration series) and is Headstrong(almost fights Blaze when she treats him like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy). Silver has various mannerisms that are informal/rude in Japanese including bad posture, using “Ore”(informal masculine “I” pronoun), “Anta”(Impolite “you”) that signifies he speaks bluntly, pointing directly at people he speaks to and crossing his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks. Silver’s rudeness and honesty is opposed to Eggman Nega’s over-politeness and deception.

Fighter - fought and struggled for half his lifetime through the disaster future(Sonic & Silver), constantly fought against Iblis, Iblis minions and disasters including flame Tornadoes possibly since he was Cream’s age. Silver was able evenly fistfight Shadow till they were both out of breath in 06 and can repeatedly destroy both colossal enemies like Iblis(Sonic Pict) and small armies of foes(various Town Missions) by himself. Enjoys Fighting(Fights Sonic for fun in Generations) and can be quick to start fights for both serious and petty reasons(Fights almost everyone in Rivals 1+2, Infinite in Forces, almost fights Blaze in Colors DS and Otherworld Comedy, almost fights Bowser Jr and Jet in 2012 Olympic Games). Instant fight response when surprised in Sonic Generations. Can “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Sonic & Silver). Has very determined expressions, aggressive body language(even during competitions or just tasks he's focused on) and sharp pointed angular shape eyes like Sonic’s other rivals which represent intensity, danger and seriousness in character design. Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated(06, Olympic Games Animations) and gets up with his fists(Sonic Forces). Due to his backstory he is deeply appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has an often violent personality(Sonic Colors DS) and feral aggression.

Emotional - Emotionally Immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly. Silver is generally High-Spirited and puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Can get loud, carried away or needs to be calmed down or held back when he gets riled up(06 design docs, Mario & Sonic 2012, 2020), hence almost always being partnered with stoic people. Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or his anxious feelings in TSR. Short-tempered, Easily Angered(explodes at Jet’s provocations in 2012 Olympic Games, twists Sonic for messing with him in a magazine comic, fights/almost fights people for petty reasons throughout the series). “Sometimes Silver tends to deal with things too head-on because of the strength of his feelings, or he tends to take everything on himself”, which can make him Reckless and Rash/Impulsive. Silver is hot-blooded and passionate, controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool(Sonic & Silver).

Focused - Described as Focused on saving the Future in design docs. Silver has the pragmatic and somewhat ruthless “get-it-done” mentality of Future Trunks(has robbed, sneaked and killed before) and a Straight-To-The-Point mindset(doesn't care what the plan is called, only that it works in Forces, encourages everybody to stay focused and move forward throughout Forces) that can make him impatient. Silver is Goal Focused and hates distractions/things getting in his way(tells anything that doesn’t help to get of his way in Rivals 1+2, even during things like competitions he says the Jade Ghost Wisp is the only item he likes because it lets him disappear and focus on racing in the Team Vector interview). Very Proactive(Spent most of his life trying to defeat Iblis and find out how the future came to ruin when no one else did, actively investigated to find the truth of Dodon Pa and Eggman). Takes his mission and potential danger very seriously, takes things much more seriously than Sonic and sometimes gets mad at Sonic for not taking things seriously or messing around(JP TSR, Famitsu Magazine comic).

Challenger - Enjoys challenges and ways to test himself(disappointed when Orbot and Cubot don’t pose a challenge in Colors DS, Climbed Tokyo Tower in M&S 2020). Silver has a certain curiosity and likes seeing new and interesting things(“Interesting”). Has a confident and somewhat smug attitude about his abilities and is very Competitive(almost fights Blaze when they start one-upping each other over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS). Said to make Steady efforts(Wallpaper Comedy 2022) to improve and regularly trains his skills. Silver is a very skilled person that is able to do various jobs around Soleanna and has sharp shooting among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history(06 Town Missions, Sonic Pict)(he takes offense to being treated like an amateur for a reason). Silver values bravery/directness and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics(Sonic Rivals 1+2, Team Vector Nintendo Dream interview). Silver is bold and undeterred by any threat as he fought against disasters and large Iblis monsters in dark dangerous environments from a very young age and throws himself at every enemy from Iblis to Infinite with no hesitation, even if they are stronger than him(says “We can take them all on!” when facing Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge in Rivals 2, “I’ll just destroy him everywhere at once” when facing Solaris). One of his catchphrases is “I’ll take you on”. 

Determination - Arguably the most determined character. Battled his entire life through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky. Doesn’t give up easily in any activity(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting undeterred after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver). Silver is extremely brave and self-sacrificial, he has no regard for his own safety and will sacrifice himself in a heartbeat if necessary(Sonic Comic Pumpkin Trigger) due to his selflessness and recklessness.

Intuitive - Searches for truth and solves problems by using his mind(Prima Strategy Guide) in all his major game roles including being a detective(Town Mission 13), figuring out how to revive Sonic(06), uncovering Eggman/Nega’s plots(Rivals 1+2, TSR) and noted to be very perceptive(Sees through Eggman Nega’s disguises by noticing small details), can be sharp and crafty(turns his fight with Sonic into a race to collect Chao to advance his mission instead, Intuits Blaze trying to control great power when seeing it for the first time in Otherworld Comedy). Despite his naivete Silver is not gullible or trusting and does not fall for Eggman’s tricks the same way Knuckles does in Team Sonic Racing. He didn’t initially believe in time travel, questioned Mephiles’ mission several times in 06, took time to work with others in the Rivals series and was immediately suspicious of Dodon Pa in Team Sonic Racing.

Lives in the good future the same way Blaze lives in the Sol Dimension when not in Sonic’s time(spends most of his time there as he doesn’t get to see Sonic very often according to Team Sonic Racing). Also implied to live in Soleanna(He was originally going to be named Venice simply because he lived there, implied to live there in Sonic & Silver and Otherworld Comedy, he may be Italian coded as his counterpart Sir Galahad uses an Italian dagger as a sword). Shown/implied many times to like Apples(ate apple flavored calorie bars in the Iblis future according to Sonic Pict) suggesting they are his favorite food.

[aviculor]

Azrael is a new release. The Rapture happened, causing those left behind to become devout to the point of taking vows of silence. But they're also performing human sacrifice to appease an "ancient evil in the wilderness".

Okay, so silent people exploring a ruined land trying to avoid detection makes me immediately think of A Quiet Place.

So far it seems as if the setting's religious aspects are just a backdrop. I was expecting more of a The Village-type setup from the premise, with a community that's essentially a cult, but that seems to not be entirely the case. The survivors have more of a "post-apocalyptic raiders" vibe and while there is a village, it's more of a homeless camp made out of trash. But more importantly, we've already seen the creature and that is definitely not a guy in a costume putting on a Scooby-Doo routine.

The scenery here is fucking gorgeous.

So these demons (?) looks and acts a lot like a zombie, which does make me think there is more than meets the eye going on here.

Because the characters are mute, we're left to infer a lot of details from context cues. The Girl was chosen to be sacrificed and she escaped and their religious leader is very dissatisfied with that. I have a nagging feeling the middle-aged woman leading the manhunt could possibly be her mother.

I don't know what language this man is speaking, I might be missing important information here. The scenery did previously give me the impression we were somewhere in northern Europe.

SECRET TUNNEL!?

Is the priestess supposed to be having a virgin birth? Does that legitimize what she and the rest of the cult were doing?

Oh, hell.

You know, I thought we were going to pull a Rosemary's Baby and not show us the baby after the priestess slit her own throat in horror.

The Wikipedia page tells me the girl's name is Azrael and the cult actually cut out their members' vocal chords rather than, you know, Azrael choosing to not speak or scream with all the shit that's happening.

Some pretty nice effects in this one. Very nice to look at. I didn't think we would get a lot of concrete answers since again, mute characters, but there is quite a bit to speculate on. Are The Burnt Ones damned souls that escaped Hell? Is the baby the antichrist? Well, okay, maybe that much is obvious. But there's still a ton of worldbuilding that went unaddressed. I still want to know about the one (1) character with spoken dialogue.

So this ended up being another pregnancy horror.

[mzannthropy]

Another one from Sam Claflin's filmography ticked off!

As you can see, IMDb rating is 4.9 and even at one's most generous, one cannot claim this as a good film in any way, but it's not that disastrous either. Actually for something so low budget, it has an unusually pretty scenery. The film poster focuses on Sean Bean, but he has fewer scenes than Sam Claflin and Corey Sevier and Annabelle Wallis. At least so it seemed to me. The movie is at times trying to be ridiculously dramatic with the slow motion scenes, the dialogue is ridiculous as well, but that can be forgiven in a post-apocalyptic setting. (I mean, who knows how people are gonna talk in 50 years' time?)

Sam was good at least, I liked his look and I liked his character. He's a tracker but also the only one in their tribe who can read and has a lot of optimism and idealism compared to the rest of the characters. And Eleanor Tomlinson plays his sister (which she did again in Love Wedding Repeat), though for the majority of the film they are separated. They care about each other very much, and if you know me, you know I love my siblings.

So all in all, not bad for a Sam fan.

[cullthedeer]

can you explain allotropia and crotale if you havent already i love your concepts with my whole heart !!!!!!! 😊💗💗💗

yes of course!!!! thank you for the kind comment im glad this has at least somewhat of an audience 😭 if you want to hear more about anything feel free to dm me here anytime or ask for my discord (more convenient when it comes to messaging) :) there's a lot i don't post about and i love to do fic talk/just even chat with people!!! fic explanations under the cut because i love rambling

allotropia is a post-apocalyptic quinnjack au that was hugely inspired by me reading the road by cormac mccarthy. it's kind of an aimless project, as in i only started it because i needed a wip i liked enough to beat my huge Not Writing Anything Ever problem, and i'm less trying to have it a coherent finished work than just trying to write scenes i'm satisfied of.

the core of allotropia as a concept is exploring loss of (mostly semantic) meaning and the slippage between words and trying to cling to normalcy rather than trying to (/as a mean to?) achieve survival. lakes sing in the night and are corrosive to everything except human bodies!and suddenly you're standing in a dead man's kitchen with your brother and it sets in that everything has been irremediably transformed, you and him included.

on a technical standpoint it's just a collection of scenes set within this universe having that concept in mind. i don't plan on posting it in its entirety (because, again, they're only scenes that do follow a storyline but are only loosely connected to one another). stuff i reblog and tag as allotropia is genuinely stuff i draw inspiration from. to describe sceneries i've been using a lot more picture references than i usually do (meaning none). here are two little pieces i am very proud of having written :)

as for crotale... it is a quite fucked up necrophilia-adjacent quinnjack fic. quinn, who already has a questionable sexual relationship with jack, finds a dead body in a river near their house and feels aroused at the sight of it. he tries to replicate the feeling when he has sex with jack. non-linear in a way that reflects how quinn's reality blurs and collapses onto itself, mostly an excuse to do a little writing style exercise. unfortunately it's been a struggle to get anywhere with it lately but i do plan on trying to finish it and then post it! you can find the only thing i'm really satisfied with here. the really funny thing about crotale is that conceptually it used to be much worse. like horrifically so