#vulcan solo leveling

[pfpanimes]

⌕ solo leveling • new trailer.

like or reblog if you save/use. ✨

[sayonara363]

Did ya know that Vulcan (yes, that demon Jinwoo defeated in the demons castle) was really sad that nobody understood how empty his heart was but then Ashborn came into picture and was like: “yeah, bro I got you. That ain’t no fun”.

Vulcan changed sides and imagine a big ahh red demon surrounded by a shadow soldiers who are playing with him.

Ashborn what is up with you and demons.

Also for clarification I got that information from Solo Leveling: arise, in the dossier of the Vulcan’s weapon.

Also I must add that devs treat Ashborn like we already know who he is (which we do) even tho he didn’t appeared in the main story of the game yet. But eh, I mean fair enough and I don’t complain much.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.191 thoughts

[FOUR YEARS AND AN ANIME!!!]

(Contents: Celebration, predictions)

WE DID IT, EVERYONE!!! As of this week's chapter, Undead Unluck has officially been running for four whole years!!!

I don't recall, though, did UU take an extra week off at some point? It should be at 192...Ah well, it's not super important! We've officially hit the goal I've been asking for since day one, and I'm over the moon about it! The hashtag is no longer a wish for the future, but a celebration of success!

At the time, I did expect that it would end around now rather than merely approaching the final phase, but hell, I'm not complaining! I don't know if I necessarily want UU to hit the eight-year mark, it might start to feel like it's dragging by that point, but I also can't really imagine it doing that anyway

If we assume that we have five arcs left before Ragnarok (Top, Tatiana, Kururu, Backs, Ruin) and we generously assume that each is 10 chapters (only Rip and Latla's arc has lasted more than 10 since the loop), we should have at most another year until the final battle, though it likely won't even take that long since most of these recruitment arcs are more like 3-5 chapters per recruit. From there, the previous Ragnarok arc was about 40 chapters, so we'll overestimate again that the next one will last a full year

In other words, depending on how much Tozuka decides to take his time, I think we should be seeing UU running until June 2025 or January 2026! It's a bit sad to see the writing on the wall like that, but as far as I'm concerned, we're playing with house money right now! I'm glad that my favorite series turned out to be such a hit, and that it should get to resolve itself as it pleases! So few series get to go out on their own terms, I can't be upset when one of my favorites becomes one of the lucky ones!

Onto the chapter itself, this was such a cool fight! Andy holding off all ten of the Superior Rules by himself for three minutes is such a badass display of how far he's come, and shows us some cool ways he can use his soul techniques! We've heard of him using his soul to move his body before, using it to overcome Nico's copy of Unmove, but seeing him actively replacing his lost body parts with his soul?? Now that's sick!

100-Twist Vortex Bullet, Soul Vulcan, Soul Road...it's all derived from what we've seen, but all on a whole new level! Even the soul chains are taken straight from his fight with Ghost. It's like a perfect showcase of how far Andy's come in the last four years of serialization!

BUT! For how strong he is now, for how much stronger he apparently is than the rest of the team, he was only able to hold off the Superior Rules for three minutes. In other words, while you might think he's become an invincible one-man army that could do everything on his own, you would be absolutely wrong!!! He had to let the two weakest Superiors go to temporarily match #1 (who we can reasonably assume is UMA Soul), so while we can assume he'd be capable of facing Soul one-on-one, we also have to assume that Andy is still nowhere near Sun's level. It took everyone together to hold off Sun for 11 minutes, including Rebellion!Victor, and at least half of them died in the process. Andy, as he is now, could only hold off all ten Superiors for three; if he'd had to hold on for 11, they probably would have all escaped, and since we can assume that all ten together don't measure up to SUN, we can conclude that Andy is not so strong that he could solo Sun

Andy will be a tremendous asset to the final battle, but he will not be the single deciding factor. To beat Sun, it won't be enough to simply have everyone together, everyone will need to raise their level to be capable of at least soloing a Superior Rule like Andy did to Sick. In other words, Andy's display of power here isn't merely a way to tell us how strong Andy is now, but telegraphing how strong EVERYONE is going to be by the end!!! Even if they never quite make it to Andy's level, we can expect that our team is going to be absolutely made of monsters, and I! Can't! Wait!!!

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[spock-in-awe]

Hey, so, I made up a term and wrote a whole thing. Hope you enjoy.

Inspired by the concept of liminal spaces, liminal space characters are narratively stuck, their subjectivity seemed rendered inert. They are resistant to transiting to the next phase, on the brink of possible transformation if only they could figure out the how of transforming. However, this arrested character growth is designed by skillful hands to be temporary, and the resulting arc of change is heightened by that seemingly fixed–and problematically so–starting place.

An inherent trope among these characters is a bridging multiple worlds, identities, or contexts. They inhabit an “in-between,” a space of discomfort, uncertainty, waiting, and denial (relating to the personal, the public, or reality itself). Narratively, there might be an impending change on their horizon that they work to avoid, sacrificing pieces of their own ethical system to reach that aim. They might be running from their past actions, straddling multiple spheres of existence, or haunted by what they’ve done but unable to face the consequences. Others might be so committed to completing a task bestowed upon them they barely assess whether they are capable of even doing so. In worse emotional places are those characters who complete the task set before them, only to realize it was a horrible mistake.

At the root is their relationship to subjectivity. Who directed their understanding of self? When did that occur? Was it purposefully manipulative or purely environmental? To move through the liminal space, they must define their own subjectivity, and take control of their own identities after being buffeted by expectation, lineage, or limited opportunities.

One of the most persuasive liminal space characters of the last ten years is Ben Solo, or Kylo Ren, in the Star Wars universe. He is born under incredibly traumatic circumstances, his lineage being a splinter of the light side and the dark. Impossibly high expectations are thrust upon him before he enters the world, so too is a sinister invasion intended to corrupt him in the womb. He is purposefully kept ignorant of his grandfather’s actions, deprived of an opportunity to come to terms with the damage wrought those decades prior. Ben’s parents don’t quite notice how calculating the dark side is, or avoid doing anything about this understanding, until they send him to his uncle’s Jedi Temple. Even under his Master-level uncle’s observation, Ben struggles to integrate everything that is seemingly at odds inside him; the pull to the light, the pressure of the dark. Consequently, he is left in a state of fractured identity, split between what is acceptable and unacceptable, unable to find his place in a galaxy ruled by strict binaries. This tension boils to the surface as rage, violence, hopelessness, and subservience to those he turns after his family members fail him.

Another excellent example is Spock in the Star Trek universe. He is born half human, half Vulcan, a duality that leads to lifelong struggles not only within himself, but in the galaxy, as well. While he must suppress his emotions through training and social expectation, his internal system of rationality is encouraged during his childhood on Vulcan. Despite his father’s choice to partner with a human woman, Sarek seems to resent Spock’s individuality. In Vulcan schools, Spock is bullied by his peers for that part of his identity of which he has no control. In a more recent iteration of Star Trek, it is revealed that Spock also has a form of dyslexia, setting him further apart from those he might otherwise find a connection with. He is a unique individual, someone whose adversities aren’t recognized by those he encounters–let alone seen and validated–and so he is left to find a balance within himself with little support. His world is also one of defined boundaries, clear parameters for acceptable behaviors. This path isn’t easy for him, especially when he seeks to relate to those he finds himself drawn to, or forced to spend time with. Depending on the era of Star Trek, he deflects the advances of those around him, or falls under the influence of an alien biologic, for example, wherein he is allowed to express emotions, and later confesses that being under the pollen’s influence was the only time he felt happy.

Both these examples share a commonality: they are pushed a certain direction in response to family obligation, social expectation, or environmental constraints. This can even go as far as childhood abuse or neglect that carries on through their lives. From the clay of their childhood experiences, the liminal space characters are taught it doesn’t matter what they want for themselves; they must accept and perform an identity according to what people around them dictate as acceptable. For Ben Solo, it is dutiful Padawan to his own detriment, while as Kylo Ren, he is a conflicted tool used by those he bows to. Spock defaults to appearing as a distanced and capable science officer, hiding any internal tumult he may experience. Both have suffered for their struggles and crave relief.

For some, there is a distinct lack of agency often assigned, something that happened at the start of their journey that was entirely out of their control. Ji-Ah, a liminal space creature from Lovecraft Country, is possessed by a spirit that wreaks havoc on those she encounters. She did not consent to the spirit’s arrival–her mother invited it in for reasons all her own–and the human Ji-Ah loses her identity in the process. What is intriguing about this arc is how the spirit is the one to change, not the negated human within. That person was lost, replaced by a spirit who transforms for the better.

San, from Princess Mononoke, was abandoned by her parents in the forest. She was discovered by the Wolf Clan, whose leader Moro takes the human child in as her own to raise entirely as if she were a wolf. As San grows up with deep hatred of humans, she must confront the truth of her existence; that she comes from them, was abandoned by them, and now commits her life to stopping their destruction of the natural world. Her transition through the liminal looks similar to her starting place, living as a wolf, yet her internal conflict finds resolution through connecting with a human man she can trust.

To achieve their goals (which are usually not intrinsically motivated but outwardly so), they may suppress their innate tendencies. These often include compassion, empathy, tenderness, or caretaking. This leads to immense conflict, both externally as they aim to reach certain objectives, or internally as they combat or try to eliminate this intense intrinsic struggle. This conflict may cause violent behaviors, mental instability, or emotional chaos. When these characters are coded as “villains,” they often cause intense harm to others and themselves. They do this usually out of desperation to survive, to fit in, or perhaps to avoid perceived judgement. Depending on the narrative, they are given an opportunity to make amends for this harm. But usually in western media, they are not redeemed, let alone offered the chance to atone for the damage they inflicted while they struggled to actualize as their true selves.

The heroic versions, of which the Star Trek universe has many, benefit from extra layers of character depth, which offers an arc that builds effectively over several seasons. Whether it is an android who observes humans around himself and wishes to emulate their mannerisms, or a previous human-machine hybrid forced to sever herself from the greater machine organism, these characters depend on the external to define their identities. It takes much longer for them to find that truth within themselves.

Other characters fall into a middle ground between villain and hero coding. One such example is Ed Teach, or Blackbeard, in Our Flag Means Death. He inhabits the world as a fulfillment of his own stereotypes and exaggerations. He claims to care about little and presents a bravado to match the fearsome illustrations in history books. But eventually we see his immense dissatisfaction with the role he has been performing. His liminal space, similar to the rest, is that of moving away from this project front toward authenticity.

Joel Miller, a character originated in the Last of us video game and portrayed in a streaming show of the same name, begins as a regular man. He has a daughter, a brother, a job. It is only because of horrifying circumstances that he is forced to transform. He makes himself cold, violent, and ruthless. There can be no remainder of his previous self. Until he encounters someone to protect, and protect, he does, much to his own aggravation. His circumstances are some of the most dramatic across narratives, and how he integrates, or fails to integrate, his warring selves has fascinated audiences for over a decade.

Neither of these previous two examples have conclusions in their streaming narratives at this point. Both are left on the cliffhanger of violence, of rejection of social expectation around them. Both revert to a previous state of being, but in different ways: Ed to his Blackbeard persona, Joel to his protective father role. Whatever results from these decisions (however conscious or reactionary they are), is inconsequential. And therefore, potentially read as villainous once more, buckling under the pain of the past and fear of that suffering’s return.

The character Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer willingly suffers for his previous actions. Over time, he begins to recognize what he has done, takes action to make amends, and fights for his redemption. Though by the closure of the show he is deprived of what he most craves–connection–his final actions are entirely the opposite of his original ones. He countered the vampire tendencies within himself, found wholeness, and dedicated himself to a goal that was selfless.

As Spike was for some time, these characters can be confused about where they belong and crave that understanding and connection. There is a deep ache to be understood, though few of them acknowledge this desire. In fact, many go out of their way to deny it, to pretend otherwise. 

The character of Nimona, originating in the graphic novel of the same name, traverses the murky landscape of being a shape shifter. She camouflages her deep interest in finding a companion by presenting herself as a “sidekick,” someone for the villain mastermind to rely on and trust. She is uncertain of herself, carrying the wounds of centuries past, convincing herself that violence and domination are paramount. When she bonds with her new friend in unexpected ways, her deeper needs rise to the surface. But these are frightening. It is only when she is shown radical acceptance and safety does she integrate her various parts at the end of the story.

Killian Jones in Once Upon a Time jostles between presenting his desires in a joking manner, and hiding them beneath layers of anger. He is bound by revenge and denies anything in conflict with that goal. His swagger is an exaggeration, a front or projection, which is a common detail across these stories. If he claims to be a heartless villain, no one will discover just how victimized he once was.

These characters may herald chaos or drama within the narrative, amusement or disquiet for the audience. A character like Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series is written from the outset as a direct–if youthful–antagonist. Yet later in the story, insight into his wounded mental and emotional state arrives, eliciting the reader’s compassion. He was inculcated in an environment of bigotry and toxic superiority, of which he must decide personally to move beyond. 

Liminal space characters can appear unique in their behaviors and presentations when compared to those around them. Perhaps this is because of a heightened defensiveness, or anxiety, or refusal to engage with typical romantic situations. 

For those who are deliberately off-putting and aggressive, sarcastic and aloof, or extremely isolated by design, the audience must confront their own biases, as well. When the narrative is effective, we as consumers may empathize with these struggling individuals. We may understand why they have taken the steps they have, protected themselves, lashed out at others. 

What I love most about liminal space characters is the potential for them to heal the dueling perspectives within themselves. These characters at some point must question themselves, and when done successfully, the audience does the same: How capable are we of forming our sense of self? What does harm look like? How do we live with our mistakes? How do we shape ourselves? Is it possible to make a new choice after a long pattern of harmful behaviors? Where does this character go after discovering they have wronged so many? When is that redemptive effort enough?

Both the characters questioning themselves, and not questioning themselves (ie following external demands), may lead to feelings of loneliness and rejection. Prince Zuko of Avatar the Last Airbender rotates entirely around his father’s acceptance, and whatever he must do in order to receive it, he will. There is no cost too high, and he questions nothing. Until he stumbles into a bond with a supposed adversary, which begins to shift his perspective. This is a common trope within these stories, as well, the mirror opposite coming into sharp relief by comparison.

Frustratingly, there are far more male-presenting liminal space characters than female ones in the duality of Western media, so the “adversary” is often portrayed as female (I’m optimistic this will change as more diverse writers share their stories). In a compulsory heterosexual context, there is potential for romance, as well. This is perceived in the canon text and also by fans through their own stories. An opposing character–such as Kitara in Avatar the Last Airbender, Rey in the last Star Wars trilogy, or Captain Kirk in Star Trek–may help these liminal space characters realize they are not a lost soul, no longer a victim to their circumstances. They can offer an opposing viewpoint: what if you took a different path? You’re not required to stay this way. It’s never too late.

Hope gives the liminal space characters the sense they can make new choices and change. Hope is the kernel, the light slanting through clouds, the assurance nothing is permanent, not even a limbo state of the mind.

[gubbles-owo]

In my tradition of semi-randomly promoting ops simply because I like them: Vulcan!

Extremely focused and passionate blacksmith, her kit is fairly simple yet fun, plus she got that tgirl swag. Gameplay-wise, she's obviously great for soloing a lane, or going at it with a partner for assistance. S1 is alright but watching her bonk shit with her S2 is always a treat.

they're dating, ur honor (i'm still a lil new to the game to know what counts as a crackship in arknights, but crackships are best ships get on my level or fuck u <3)

Okay, so, I'm not gonna do this justice, but I'm gonna have a shot at it anyway: Vulcan is a weaponsmith. It's practically her sole interest, as her file states that she hyperfocuses on her craft all day, and tends to get irritated if you pull her out of it. Her voicelines really hammer this in (hah). Soooo she has ADHD or some kinda incredible focus ability. Well damn can I relate. She not only forges her own gear, but also helps design and repair gear for fellow operators, so she proves to be a pretty valuable resource for Rhodes Island. Her operator record shows this in action, and I have to say, the care and consideration she demonstrates for her peers are way sharper than I would've expected.

Goddamn, she really understands the importance of both the tool and the person bearing it. Even the most reliable tools will begin to fail someday, and you can choose whether to submit their bound purposes to prioritize preservation, or give up some part to fix up or even improve them. Neither is a wrong answer. It depends largely on the person behind the tool. These things can be special. But this fuckin exchange right here though...

"She liked my machines, but she insists on only using things she's made with her own hands." Cut to me reading this earlier today, still partway through writing my own damn matrix transformation functions in C so I can move the damn camera/objects properly in 3D space on the Nintendo 64. I could easily pop open one of countless git repositories for open source 3D projects and yoink their matrix transformation functions for myself. It's free real estate. So why in the fuck am I burdening my feeble mind with cranking out complicated math shit that has already been done before? "Because there's meaning behind it. It's part of my roots." I want to understand exactly why this thing works. I want to try things far beyond my perceived capabilities, come to those realizations myself, and hopefully learn some shit along the way. It doesn't really matter whether or not I succeed, and even if not, there's no shame in seeking assistance from others. But it's in my nature to meticulously learn every aspect of the things I love. It's simply how I operate. I will hyperfocus on that shit all day. Just know I'll feel cranky if you try to pull me out of it.

smiles i want to protect (or support).png

[doublesama]

In Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow Episode 3, Jin-Woo returns to the Demon's Castle dungeon to see how far he can get. The boss fight against Avaricious Vulcan was animated particularly well.

READ: https://doublesama.com/solo-leveling-season-2-arise-from-the-shadow-episode-3/

[rexpectnerds]

Sung JinWoo vs. Vulcan 「Solo Leveling Season 2 AMV」 | "Burn It Down"

[comiiical]

Gabriel “Gabe” Summers

26

Mutant

Space pirate

AU version of Gabriel Summers. Main differences with canon are set on his own mindset and involvement with the Shi’ar empire: his mutation was manifested in the womb, his mother didn’t get killed as they tried to run away from the ship and instead he teleported them to safety subconsciously as a form of survival. He was raised in secret as Corsair built his tripulation. He detected the existence of his brothers and Corsair brought them all back to earth, where they were established for a while. He was eraised by his parents with the tutelage of Moira and Charles (un)like in canon. And became an X-Man just like in canon. The moment that he died or presumely so, he merged with his friends but didn’t came back with an aim for revenge, just confused. Accepting that his team was part of him and once it was possible to resurrect them, caused the split (but his powers didn’t get themselves affected). He is the X-Man and hero Vulcan and not so much a sometimes villain most time antihero. He can be seen as an antihero though, because he remains being too much of a playboy and freecare due to his pirate life. After that though, he went back to a space piracy kind of life as it meant freedom from Earth Politics.

As a mutant he is an omega level skilled mutant with the ability to absorb and transform all forms of energy then generate himself any type of energy, such as magic or including magic if in need. He can fly, suprress powers temporarily, phase through matter, live in the vacuum of space, heal himself and others, naturally stronger than the average mutant, can teleport by ttransforming into energy. After the merging with his friends he can also manipulate earth and time. 

He is bisexual.

If he is not in the summer hours in Krakoa he is flying around or living in his ship in a very Peter Quill like but being solo because he had enough company inside him for years.

[papercranesong]

Shadows of P’Jem

Archer messing with Trip’s head, pretending Trip can’t come and see the planet - is so reminiscent of that scene in season 4’s United where Trip pretends he’s going to put Malcolm on report. Archer even calls Trip an easy target, which is what Trip calls Malcolm.

Does this mean that Archer and Trip’s close friendship gets supplanted by Trip and Malcolm’s friendship? It feels like - especially after Cogenitor - the Jon-Trip friendship just can’t withstand the strain that Archer-as-Captain, Tucker-as-subordinate puts on it.

🖖

Why does Phlox always steal food off other people’s plates? Is that a Denobulan thing?

🖖

Love that shot of Malcolm and Trip‘s heads together looking at the map. Think it’s because I like dark hair and blond hair duos - like Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, or Benton Frasier and Ray Kowalski, or Arthur and Merlin.

Is that a weird thing to admit to?

🖖

The Vulcan says “Your vessel is ill-equipped to mount a rescue mission.” Them be fighting words! But to his credit Malcolm doesn’t retaliate and keeps shtum. He has near-Vulcan levels of self-control.

🖖

Wonder if Malcolm and Trip talked about anything when they were sitting in that shed with bags over their head.

🖖

I’m getting a big mirror verse Malcolm vibe in this episode, the way he smiles with only half of his face when they take the guards out, or when Trip gives him permission to mount a rescue.

🖖

Malcolm always holds his phase pistol with a straight locked arm and sort of goes into a crouched, side-posture stance. Not sure if that’s a proper soldier thing but he always looks like he knows what he’s doing anyway.

[bcanetwork]

BCA NFTalk Vol.3｜Art Blocks NFTs’ Imagination

Guest Speakers：Host ArthurLou BCA Co-Founder丨Vulcan DAO GP（简称A）

Zero Chen NFT Consultant of FTChinese.com（简称C）

Ting Song AI and Blockchain Artist丨IOAC Asia Ambassador（简称S）

Hesiod 「Theogo NFT Observer」Chief Editor （简称H）

Nico Yang VulcanDAO GP（简称Y）

Background: It's been a few months of a mini-bull market for NFT collectibles, which the frenzied sales of CryptoPunks have pushed up in recent days. In addition, Art Blocks, as a generative art segment, topped the 7-day trading volume list strongly, ranking first with The Art Blocks segment was ranked fifth overall with $498 million. These three segments - avatars, generative art, and solo editions - make up a solid JPEG Summer. In this context, we invite four guests to chat about the NFT imagination beyond Punk.

01

Host A: What do you think of the macro reasons for this 2021 Summer rampage? Share some of the recent Punk-like replica disc projects and NFT collecting tips that you've been following.

C: It's not very surprising that Punk is on fire; its holders or investors/collectors who are bullish think it should be higher priced. Its broken circle has become more apparent, and this mini-bull market is a spurt of an accumulation from the entire NFT market that preceded it. Social subcultures and aesthetic psychology drive NFT and trendy fashion, so its rise and fall may be very different from how technology has evolved and popularised. Compared to traditional art and traditional collecting, this wave in the crypto world should be just beginning. If CryptoPunks do become digital antiques, I believe they will be worth much more than that in the future.

Y: Until 2021, it will be difficult for digital content creators to get their work recognized by the market and to cash in without relying on big institutions with a centralized approach. The breaking of the circle in media and the entrance of money brought by the wealth creation effect have greatly refreshed the perception of digital content. Echoing what Che Guevara once said, "After we leave, they build you schools and hospitals, not because they have shown great mercy, but because we came."

The identity that comes with NFT is only really felt when it is held. The purpose is different, and the logic of buying and collecting can be very different. A scarce NFT is a status symbol in itself.

S: Compared to the art market, which is repeatedly tested and scrutinized by connoisseurs from different perspectives, there is a sizeable speculative bubble in the English-speaking community on Ethereum. A lot of this bubble is in cultural content and projects that lack culture can be short-lived. The works that I want to keep inside my wallet for a long time are the ones that I will be happy to look at even ten years from now.

In this JPEG Summer, I strongly feel that it is similar to 1CO at the end of 17, where all aspects of blockchain project parties were active, but the market turned cold after 18 years. A successful crypto art series is also a successful cultural product that combines technology and art.

Punk is Punk in the same way that an asteroid hitting the earth is hard to replicate, and special times happen like this. How do you ambush the next Punk? 1. Is there innovation? 2. Is the seed community very geeky? 3. Is it a historical level under the megatrend? 4. Can the team continue to do it? 5. are the institutional holders coming in at the middle stage good enough to drive the project forward? 6. can it create a cultural resonance in the circle? These are all worth exploring.

Regarding collection investment strategies, I am very much focused on niche artists from developing countries, especially those with a pure art background or a very pioneering sense of creativity in the contemporary art field and those who respect the blockchain spirit of the blockchain community.

Moderator A: Each Trader (trader) has a different investment strategy, and each person has limited energy to focus on one vertical track. Suppose one is easily influenced by the market and forcibly changes his investment strategy. In that case, it is scary for a Trader, which is equivalent to the whole cognitive system having to be reconstructed.

H: The cost of a physical painting is not high, but it can be sold for hundreds of millions. Therefore, the value of a work does not lie in its materials or cost. Its physical price does not determine the value of Jpeg. In the structure of the blockchain market, Crypto Punks, Art Blocks, and BAYC represent the three dimensions that can be found in the NFT market. Crypto Punks starts from a programmer and is driven by technology; the monkey BAYC is community-driven. The blockchain community may be The base for the survival of the future blockchain; Art Blocks enter from artistic creativity.

From the perspective of social governance, Token is an institutional symbol. Mature NFT projects must create a field and a way of existence, and a variety of hobbies professional life corresponds to the current needs of various communities. I don't see it as a speculative target but rather as a script for building a kind of Metaverse called the respective Metaverse, whose development depends on the evolution of the community.

02

Moderator A: The more successful 10K projects have a cultural tribe behind them, and the ethos can be very different from project to project. How do you see Art Blocks as a clear stream with awe-inspiring numbers? How do you see it breaking out and the appreciation and valuation insights into generative art as a discipline?

S: The group of projects in NFT that are particularly speculative and not culturally good enough are like passing clouds and won't be in the prosperous state they are today when the market is in a bad mood. But two things are sure to go a long way: firstly, good cultural content is never speculative. But anything that has an innovative aesthetic or interest that strikes a chord is not entirely speculative and has its own commercial identity quite typically. The second point, the trend towards avatars and social identities, is unstoppable.

I am very bullish on generative art. Behind it is a respect and exploration of the mathematical logic behind information technology. The methods used are engineering in nature and reflect the cultural identity of a group of people.

C: Generative art started with computer technology and continued until this wave of artificial intelligence, more precisely the application of convolutional neural networks, entered the aesthetic vision of the masses, with a low correlation to the market price of generative artworks. In the past, the general aesthetics of popular art did not break through the traditional class texture (strong mediated aesthetic vision), the blockchain market changed this law, and the same thing is now entering the NFT art collectibles market.

H: NFT is a fuse to the art market, not a monopoly on art history. When the financial operation goes to an extreme, it is decoupled from the actual value creator. Although Art Blocks has a centralized organizer, it is isomorphic with the state-of-the-art community. Generative art will present different visual effects depending on the materials used. With the rapid development of technology and speculation, it is possible to join the first-line NFT.

Y: Art Blocks is the same thing as the explosion of CryptoPunks. Looking at the top 20 Crypto Punks holdings, the most intuitive data is that there is a very high degree of overlap with the big Art Blocks accounts, with the smallest of these holdings holding more than 50 Art Block NFTs.

More generally, a large percentage of the first blockchain explorers to make a large fortune were programmers. The culture that Art Blocks carries is precisely an aesthetically pleasing phenomenon from a programmer's perspective.

Any art form first evolved from technology, and the value of NFT relies on the programmer-led blockchain revolution to provide sufficient wealth to support it. Crypto Punks represent a new class of people, the last piece of the puzzle in internet development.

03

A: The bigger the wave, the further back you look; what should be the kind of work that can be called classic or digital antiques? What is the view on the future of NFT?

C: If we look at this from a long-term perspective, three points need to be considered. Firstly, there is a characteristic of any cultural investment product that performs more similarly to financial assets in a bull market and can be less liquid than financial assets in a bear market, with a liquidity black hole. Classic core assets can find counterparties no matter when they are traded. Broad consensus and acceptance are the hallmarks of traditional investments, and a sense of scarcity and value is formed over a long period.

Secondly, whether crypto art or generative art, continuing to move forward requires special attention to fit in with other cultural and sub-cultural trends, the spirit of the times.

Thirdly, the artist is a profession, not an inoffensive one. One might as well consider the NFT market giving artists such opportunities as a form of nourishment. If it does not produce investment returns, it is still making its contribution to the art market.

H: I encourage artists to get involved in art that may not be very romantic because there is a massive demand for essential art waiting there. A good NFT project is hardly successful without the creation of artists, and NFT offers a vast blue ocean for artists. Calmness is always within one's heart, maintaining a sense of rationality in the course of a bear or bull market, no matter how noisy it may be.

Host's summary: Since I entered this track myself, there are still times of anxiety and confusion, but things are still in the making. I hope that I can do something genuinely long-term like the four excellent teachers.

[pmiller1]

What If Neku Sakuraba Was In Smash

I have been watching BrawlFan1, Whom made video of what he (and other) if some character was in Super Smash Brother. Talking about Move Set what they would use in Smash. And wild they there some character may not be in Smash or less likly, it is fun to come up with what they move and skill would be in Smash. And for me, being Inspired by his work. I will give my own idea for Neku Sakuraba.

A anti social teenage who have got himself into a Game known as the Reaper Game, take to clear the mission in set of team they would face eraser. And with that he have the power of psychs come from each set of pins he have been given by him and the help of his partners who is the only mean to help him clear the mission and get out of this Reaper.

Neku is a well written Character who was able to open up and become a batter person in the ends, no thank to his Partners who beside one became part of his new friends. Now he facing into another Game known as Super Smash Brother. Using his psychs to make a good match for any enemy and helping his allie.

Neku would be a Light wirght class with Two Jump and Wall Jump (thank to flowmotion in KHDDD).

The A Attack.

Let get right of the bat, Neku move are all from his Pins. And in the game he can only up to Six Pins. It wouldn’t really be fair to have Neku only have Six Pins for any attack, so he will have more then Six Pins.

And starting with his Jab, witch will be 1st ever posited element attack, Shockwave, He will slase with one hand, then slace with his other hand then he down slase with his 1st hand with Stellar Flurry pin, that rapidly stab.

His Dash Attack will be using a Velocity Attack Pins, Making a Velocity speed, crashing his body in a blear.

His Side Tilt. He be using his Lance Lunge pin, dealing lance like attack with a high knockback

His Up Tilt will be using his Vulcan Uppercut pin, that as the name said, deal a uppercut attack, this will also give a higher jump in the end, but will end in a freefall.

His Down Tilt will be using one of the Earthquake Pin, facing Neku will have a small shockwave that deal little damage, but will trip opponent.

As for Side Smash, Neku will be using a Massive Hit pin, where he charged up, as Neku to jump slightly forward and swing a large blade.

His Up Smash, Will be using a Piercing Pillar pin, the slash one, Where he a ice pillar shot up wear from Neku, deal ice damage, freezing opponent on contact.

His Down Smash, It will be from his Street Jam pin. As two speaker appear when charged beside Neku facing away from him that deal a sound blasé, deal damage and could knockback opponent,

His Neutral Aerial, He using one of his Pin that use Discharge, As Neku deal electric damage, stunting opponent.

Forward Aerial, He will be using on of starter pin that he get in his 2nd day, Force Rounds, As Neku will fire a Projectiles of Force Rounds, on the angel of where it was tilt, being upper side or down wear side just to the side of him.

His Back Aerial, He will one of Apport Pin, where Neku would have a rock throw behind him that would spick opponent if they was hit bellowed the rock.

His Up Aerial, He'll use a Twister pin, that make a whirlwinds on top of Neku, that deal small multi hit damage that also push opponent up wear.

His Down Aerial will be one from Grave Marker pin, where he does inter fall damage to any that come into contact and a small shockwave when he landed.

The Grabs.

Grabs have long range grab thank to his Pyrokinesis pin, witch he use to keep opponent on hold with his Pyrokinesis.

The Pummel, he will use one of the Holy Light pin, where he deal a small light damage.

His Forward Throw, will push the opponent, knocking back, as if he use Slash version of Pyrokinesis .

His Back Throw, will use the Drag version of Pyrokinesis. where he Drag the opponent, throwing them behind him.

His Up Throw, He use one of the Explosion pin, As it deal explosion damage under the opponent sending them up wear.

And his Down Throw, he will use the Touch version of Pyrokinesis. Sending in the air and throwing them down to the ground that deal damage, if this was on the edge, it will make then go down until of land on a ground or the blasé zone.

The B Attacks.

His Neutral Special, he will use the very 1st pin he have use, Pyrokinesis, with this he will make a trial of fire that you can move with a cursor, the fire will fleam up that deal fire damage. However this leave Neku vulnerable and last for 3s and can't use it for 5s. If Neku in the Air in this Attack. He will use Splash Core instead, That make a Bubble of Water in fount of him that deal damage of a opponent made contact it, that bust it.

His Side Special, well it will be a charge attack as he use Thunderbolt when Uncharged, fire a thunder, locking to a opponent close to him, any opponent beside them will also be locked on, deal a chain attack with each chain deal less damage then he main one. If you release the move when charging, he will use one of Lightning Arrester pin. That make a Neku fire a Lightning bolt direction to wear witch direction of the left anglog with a small arrow slowing where he will fire at. He deal multi hit electric damage. But full charged, he will use Lightning Bolt pin. Where a longing bolt of lightning from blasé zone, pass Neku by the direction of the left anglog again. Like with Lightning Arrester it will deal multi hit electric damage.

His Up Special. He'll use one of the Teleport pin. Witch he Teleport. Yeah. I think you know how that work.

His Down Special... Well here the thing, Neku wouldn't be able to use anything of his pins, if he haven't partnered up with another Player, forming a Pack that bond him and his partnered, he be helpless alone, in fact, he need to Partnered to Survived the Reaper Game, it why he become a better person, he had his partnered, having no other option to work with there partnered, needing to trust his partnered to win the games. And sure, he in Smash for this, not the Reaper Game, He can play his Solo. But really, if he gonna win Smash, He gonna need his Partnered.

The Gimmicks.

That right, he wouldn't be alone, as Shiki, Joshua and Beat will also be joining Smash too. And really, if Neku gonna be in Smash, his Partners have to join too, Being then own fighter in there right. That the point of the game, is having that partnership, Neku became a better person thank to them. Truth you Partners and will take that partnership to the fullest.

For this, His Down Special, He will use a Smash Remix of the Partner Pins. As using will summon Shiki, his 1st partner along with with his stuff pig... I mean cat adding her with Neku, she'll and the rest of Neku's Partners will be a semi-controlled player, like with 2nd Ice Climbers. When Neku attack, she will attack, if Neku use a Special, she will use her own, she move with him.

Down Special, will switch with his Next Partner, Joshua, then Beat and back to Shiki. However, they will have a cooldown when you switch out and would be able to resummons them for a 10s.

However, they is a flaw, as whatever deal damage to his partner, Neku will take that damage, if they hit the blasé zone, Neku will lose a shock and will respawn with the partner. As in the DS game, Neku and Partner share one HP bar. But they will have they own HP bar they own, that also act as they time to being used, one that bar empty out, they will disband will have a longer cooldown, 30s.

You can select who your starting Partners will be by press Y, like with PT, the Echo fighter and The Aegis Girls.

You can also select Neku to go Solo having no Partners. In watch Neku will use Pin given by Rhyme, Beat 1st partner, Cure Drink. This will heal Neku down 30% of his damage, who 1/5 in Stamina. However you can only use four time and it will not cooldown, making Neku Down Special useless until he got KO. As it will refill the number.

And for the sake of it, Neku will only be Solo if the match is a 5-8 player. As having all those Partners, Will be hell for Match.

He will have have another Gimmicks, one that only effect in team battle, the Puck. Every time Neku deal damage, a orb of light move toward one of his teammate, the player with the orb deal more damage, passing the puck to another team or back to Neku, Getting more stronger for each time it passed, but will died out of no damage have been dealt for some time. As Neku need to deal again to restaring the Puck. This encouraged the team to being team combo and teamwork as part of the point of the game, teamwork and trusting your Partner. After all, you and Neku have toward together.

The FINAL SMASH!

For Neku's FINAL SMASH, It will be a cinematic Final Smash. As Neku will from a Black Hold from the Black Hole pin itself, pull all opponents up to three into the black hold. If at least one been suck in, it teleported them into Shibuya with the 104 building visible. As whichever Partners is out, they will there Level 3 Fusion Attacks. Shiki's will have Mew being as tall as the build as it fire laser into the trap opponents, deal a lot of damage as She and Neku stand on his shoulder, Joshua's having the Moon fall toward them as Neku and Joshua flow in Space, And Beat will have city been flood as the him and Neku surfing on the tidal wave. And if there no partners or playing Solo, Neku will instead use the Final Fusion, In watch Neku and his Partners join to bring a powerful light that well deal even higher damage. Each of those Fusion will KO when opponents is over 100%.

I will also say that Neku's Partners as they own Smash Fighter will have the same Final Smash with there repasted Level 3 Fusion Attacks.

The Other Stuff.

Neku will started out with his deflated outfit that we seen in The World Ends with You. I should note that I will not go over his Partners outfit in this, just know there be a theme around them. Yes outfit, As the game take place in Shibuya, faction is a thing and you gotter look fabulous, even in the Reaper Game.

His 2nd outfit that I call Favourite brand: He be wearing Dharma, Inazuma, Gekirin and Wadatsumi. It may seem like the are same as Neku own outfit, but this will be light blue. All of this are from Jupiter of the Monkey.

His 3rd outfit, The Punk: He'll be wearing Red Mohawk Set, Tiger Biker Vest, Bondage Half-pants and Purple Sneaks. All from Tigre Punks. His hair will be Red to match the Monark.

His 4th outfit, The Hip: He'll be wearing Dandy Hat, North Wind Concerto, Youth's March and Young American. All from Hip Snake.

His 5th outfit, The Top-class: He'll be wearing Regal Presence and Liberty Duke. Both from Pegaso, His hair will be brown, as he undyed his hair.

His 6th outfit, The Gothic: He'll be wearing Double-breasted Suit, Ribbon Mini-hat and Platform Shoes. All from Lapin Angelique.

His 7th outfit, The School: He'll be wearing a Boys' Uniform with Blazer.

His 8th outfit, The Gamemaster: He'll be wearing Pi-Face's Bandanna, Cap, Coat, and Jeans. All from his 2nd weak Gamemater, Sho Minamimoto, his hair will be gray as Sho. This will also have most of his attack have a black effect on them as if he using Six of Darklit Planets pins.

Enter will have him come out of a Beam of Light like with Mageman.

His Up Taunts will have him hand close to his headphone saying "Open up your Senses" His Side Taunts will said "You're good as gone!" wild posting like his angry Emoticon Sprite. And his Down Taunts will have him in his battle-ready post. Saying "Any last words?!"

Neku will have 9 victory, 6 of them with his Partners and 2 when he going Solo (and in team victory.) And one Up victory no matter if he solo or have any partners.

In fact is Up victory, will have Shiki, Joshua and Beat teleported in and then Neku will teleported in fount and all of those there pose in Cover Art in The World Ends with You. He will say "That's how it's done."

Neku Left victory with have and his certain Partners move join hand and then does the pose as they Level 3 Fusion attack. Wild Solo, he adjusted his headphone and those the same pose as he would over all. He will say "So, who's next?"

And his Right victory for his solo, he removed his headphone and those behind him wild looking away from the camera. With Shiki, he will be camera faceing back of Neku with a hand light thought him as he turn with the camera toward Shiki, who smashing holding Mr Mew, as the two give a fight five. Like with Ending with when Neku and Shiki met in the RG. With Joshua, Neku will listen to some music, only for Joshua to flow down beside Neku, making him jump, with Joshua gigging beside him, as Nkeu looking annoyed at him. With Beat, Neku and Rhyme will be talking, as Best jump in give the two a big hugged as the trying to keep they smile.

---

And that is What If Neku Sakuraba Was In Smash, Really, I just want to do this myself, I like Neku as a Character and wild he have little changed to be in Smash, I still want to go along with this. And really, wild they could having Neku be in Smash alone, but would defeated the purpose of what the story all about, that Neku have to be in a Team, to open up with another person, he need his partner in order to even use his Pins.

But still, What do you think what Neku moveset would be? Do you like my ideal moveset for him?

And really, go watch BrawlFan1 on youtube, have made some character with really and ideal moveset for other character, some of witch fit with the theme of there games. He could even have Neku as a latter character his own, and really, I like to see what BrawlFan1 will have for Neku’s moveset himself. Over all, I hope you enjoyed this and thank for reading.

[xeno-odyssey]

Top 10 (Slightly Revised) Smash Ultimate - Fighters Pass Predictions

Keep in mind, these are fighters I personally want in Smash Ultimate. With the surprise reveal of Joker, and that he’ll be joining the roster soon with only a month away, anything is possible at this point. Also, Mii Costumes and Spirits usually does not mean a fighter is de-confirmed. For example, Mario is a fighter and he has multiple Spirits of himself from other Mario games. This will be a slightly lengthy list, so I’ll put a cut underneath.

Rex & Pyra/Mythra - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Unfortunately they did not make it into the final roster as Smash Ultimate’s development period was around the time Xenoblade 2 released in December 2017, and Smash Ultimate released the next year. As compensation, we got a Mii Fighter costume of Rex if we pre-purchased the Fighters Pass DLC for free. I still have hope for Rex being in Smash. Some people say they want Pyra & Mythra as solo fighters, I have to disagree on that. They share their life-force with Rex, and without him as the Driver, they’re not at full strength, even if they are the Aegises. I COULD see Mythra as a solo fighter, should Sakurai and his team choose to use her Torna iteration. For their special attacks and Final Smash, here’s what I got: Sword Bash in Neutral-B, Rolling Smash is Side-B, Double Spinning Edge is Up-B akin to Link’s Spin Attack, and Down-B can be Blade Switch by changing between Pyra or Mythra respectively. For Rex’s Grab, it can be Anchor Shot akin to Young/Toon Link’s Hookshot, and it can also work as a tether-grab on ledges. For their Final Smash, it can be something like how Ryu and Ken have a 2-in-one Final Smash; Chain Attack - Burning Sword (Pyra), and Chain Attack - Sacred Arrow (Mythra). Rex call upon either Nia & Dromarch, Tora & Poppi, Mòrag & Brighid, and/or Zeke & Pandoria. They let their Blades go all out with the Special Attacks, and Rex deals the finishing blow with Pyra or Mythra using either of their respective Level 4 Special Attack.

Elma - Xenoblade Chronicles X Elma is one of many highly requested fighters to be in Smash, especially during the Fighter Ballot back in 2016 for Smash 4. Even if Elma doesn’t make, I can see the avatar, Cross, be in it. Elma’s moveset can be directly pulled from her origin game, and from Xenoblade 2: Neutral-B is Stream Edge, Side-B is Sliding Slinger, Up-B is Shadow Strike, and Down-B is Ghost Factory as counter akin to Lucario’s Double Team. For her Final Smash, it can be call Full Metal Jaguar Overdrive: This can be similar to Shulk’s Chain Attack in a way. Elma activates Overdrive, then splits clones of herself with Ghost Factory like in her boss fight from Xenoblade 2. Elma and her clones then go all out using moves like Violent Streak, Executioner, Electric Surge, Hundred Shells, and the original Elma finishes the attack with her signature Art being Shadow Strike. For a special aesthetic, one of Elma’s alternate costumes can be her True Form, where she’s actually one of the mysterious peaceful aliens trying to protect humanity from the Ganglion Alliance.

Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza series I know what some of you might be thinking; “But Kiryu has never been on a Nintendo console before!” This is where I say, not true! The first two Yakuza games had HD ports on the Wii U. Sales didn’t do so well though.... But that’s okay! If we can get characters like Bayonetta and Joker, why not Kiryu? For Kiryu’s fighting style taken straight from 0 and Kiwami 1 & 2, he has Brawler, Rush, Beast, and Dragon of Dojima. For most of his standard and aerial attacks, Kiryu can use both Brawler and DoD styles. When dodging, that’s where Rush Style comes in. For his grab attacks and throws, Beast Style is in play. So all in all, Kiryu will mainly be using Dragon of Dojima with hints of his other 3 fighting styles mixed into one, just like in Kiwami 2 and onward. I’m not entirely sure what his B-specials can be like, but they’ll be something straight out of his DoD style. For example, his Down-B can be the Tiger Drop as a counterattack, where Kiryu gut-punches foes causing them to be stunned, similar to Ryu & Ken’s Focus Attack. For his Final Smash, Kiryu goes into Extreme Heat, unleashing powerful Heat Action attacks on anyone that gets in his way. The finisher is using his signature high kick, causing foes to be sent flying. A Kiwami symbol (極) will appear as an aesthetic when the Final Smash is finished.

Byleth - Fire Emblem: Three Houses With FE: 3 Houses recently announced and coming to Nintendo Switch soon, it won’t be a surprise if yet another FE avatar makes it into the roster alongside Robin and Corrin. Corrin especially since both them and Roy were originally put into Smash to promote both of their respective origin games. Roy being The Binding Blade, and Corrin being Fates of course. Robin, Corrin, and Byleth. Wouldn’t that be amazing? As of making this list, we don’t know much of Byleth other than they can use swords and have mysterious powers in Three Houses and how that’ll be incorporated into Smash Ultimate, but I have a feeling they’ll be an original FE fighter much like Robin & Corrin. Robin using their tomes & Levin Sword, Corrin wielding the Omega Yato & using their Dragon Fang ability, so I’m curious and I’d like to see what Byleth could bring to the table.

Shantae - Shantae series Reminder once again, Spirits don’t usually de-confirm fighters. In Smash Ultimate, Shantae & Risky’s Spirits are represented in their Half-Genie Hero appearances & design. So what I’m thinking is that we can bring in the “recent” Shantae iteration from one of her more popular games being The Pirate’s Curse. Shantae’s Smash design can be a mix of all of her past and present iterations, like her vest from PC. All of Shantae’s attacks can derive from all of her games. She can use her magic, and use other means of weapons & attacks from Pirate’s Curse. Shantae can be slightly similar to Robin, and how they use swords & magic. Like she can use her signature Hair Whip attack on the ground, shoot magic fireballs or use a flintlock pistol for projectile attacks, and use a pirate cutlass for her aerial attacks. She can even use moves like Power, Drill & Uppercut Kicks. Her dodge can even come from her notable Backdash. Her most iconic magical bellydances can be her special attacks, and her taunts. Shantae’s Final Smash can be something like unleashing powerful Genie Magic via her magic bellydancing.

Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney series & VS. Capcom series I mean, c’mon now. We gotta have another joke-fighter in Smash. Nick works as a joke fighter in the VS. Capcom games because most of his moves are taken from his games and from Project X Zone 2. Shouting an “Objection!” can be a forward-Smash attack, his Up-B can be a powerful sneeze, and other attacks can involve his partners such as Maya & Pearl Fey (with the Steel Samurai), Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes. For his Final Smash, the name can be something like “Final Evidence Presentation” A.K.A., “TAKE THAT!” Phoenix presents the final key evidence on the “suspect”, belittling them even further that they were at the crime scene with no alibi and hope left, with the finisher being a powerful “TAKE THAT!” shout sending the suspects flying. For this, both Apollo and Athena join Nick like they both did in Dual Destinies.

Neku Sakuraba - The World Ends With You I was one of the people that voted for Neku to be in Smash during the Fighter Ballot. If you’ve played TWEWY, you probably already know how Neku can fight. Most of Neku’s powers come from pins, allowing him to use pyrokinesis, electrokinesis, shockwaves, energy projectiles, quakes, soundwaves, and more. If he were to be a fighter, Neku can be similar to Robin. In his game, the pins’ powers have a limit use and time limit. After a certain amount of use, Neku must wait to use the pin again until it reboots. This goes for all of his special attacks. Neutral-B can be Energy/Force Rounds, Side-B can be Shockwave akin to Marth/Lucina/Roy’s Dancing Blade, Up-B is Vulcan Uppercut or Teleport, and his Down-B is Pyrokinesis which is controllable. Neku’s Final Smash will be Final Fusion. He summons Shiki, Joshua and Beat where they put all of their power in the Harmonizer Pin with Neku dealing the finishing blow. If Final Fusion manages to KO opponents, this fully reboots all of Neku’s pins.

Monster Hunter - Monster Hunter series Smash Ultimate feels nearly complete as it already has the armor as Mii Costumes and Rathalos as a boss & Assist Trophy. I know very little of the Monster Hunter games, but they can work as a fighter with their various weapons.

Ruby Rose - RWBY series Ruby seems very unlikely for a fighting game like Smash Ultimate, but she already has her own game which is RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, and stars in another crossover fighting game being BLAZBLUE: Cross Tag Battle. But what she can bring to the table is that she’s the most unique fighter out of everyone in Smash. Ruby wields her favorite weapon, Crescent Rose, a high-impact sniper-rifle scythe hybrid weapon. Most of her attacks from the show involve using her Speed Semblance, and attacking from a distance thanks to the rifle part. In a way, she can be similar to Bayonetta as both characters uses guns and attack from far away. Her speed can even match Sonic’s and Shulk’s Monado Speed. For Ruby’s Final Smash, it can be similar to Shulk’s Chain Attack, where she summons the rest of Team RWBY; Weiss, Blake, and Yang. All four girls use their unique team attacks, and the finishing blow is all four of them attacking together with their respective weapons.

Sora - Kingdom Hearts series Sora is on the very bottom for this list because I feel he’s highly unlikely to be the next DLC fighter. He’s technically a Disney character, and Square-Enix is usually careful with their IPs, though some producers seem to be okay with his inclusion in Smash Ultimate. Anyway, should Sora become a fighter, of course he would bring his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key to the battle. All of his attacks can derive from his origin games, like moves from Limit & Second Form. Sliding Dash is his Dash-Attack, Ripple Drive can be his Up-Smash, Stun Impact can be his Down-Smash akin to Zero Suit Samus’s, and Magnet Burst can be a Neutral-Air as an example. I’m not sure what his Neutral-B will be like though for the rest of the Special Attacks; Side-B will be Strike Raid akin to Link’s boomerang, Up-B is Aeroga, and Down-B is a Counterattack being Zantetzuken (or even his latest reprisals from KH3). Sora’s Final Smash is a bit tricky as he has a lot of powerful finishers and attacks. They can be either Ragnarok, Sonic Blade, Ars Arcanum, Union χ, Ancient Light, or Trinity where he teams up with Donald & Goofy to unleash a powerful attack.

[unexpectedreylo]

Mary Sue Or Not?

Having climbed aboard the Reylo ship 10-11 months ago, I’ve written quite a bit about them as a couple and about Kylo/Ben, since he is endlessly fascinating on many levels and he is the last Skywalker heir.

But it’s time to shine some light on our girl Rey, the heroine of this fairy tale/gothic romance novel collision in space.  And the first thing I want to address is whether or not it’s fair to call her a Mary Sue.

One problem we have is no one really can define what a Mary Sue is anymore; it’s become what former U.S. Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart once said about obscenity...you can’t define it but you know it when you see it.  A lot of the time in modern parlance, it’s a lazy shorthand for “a female character I don’t like.”

But “Mary Sue” did mean something once and it was very specific.  It was meant to describe an original character in fan fiction who was basically an idealized version of the author, there to suck all of the gravity of a particular universe in her direction.  Someone I knew in Star Wars prequel fandom once described a Mary Sue as a fundamental writing error.  I would add it’s the kind of error (usually) young, inexperienced writers who aren’t familiar enough with the source material tend to make.  

The OG Mary Sue from the zine Menagerie #3.

The term “Mary Sue” came from a satirical Star Trek fan fiction (“A Trekkie’s Tale”) written in the ‘70s meant to spoof these kinds of stories.  The heroine, Mary Sue, is the youngest Starfleet officer at 15.5 years old and is half-Vulcan.  Everyone falls in love with Lt. Mary Sue; of course Capt. Kirk hits on her but being a woman of virtue, she rebuffs him.  She dies a tragic death trying to save the Enterprise and is mourned by all (in the early days, Mary Sues often died tragically and heroically).   Since then Mary Sues have become more sophisticated and varied, but are often marked by their extraordinary skills, unusual but beautiful appearance, and ridiculously convoluted names (”Mary Sue” is pretty vanilla these days for a Mary Sue).  They also stubbornly refuse to die.  But the principles remain the same:  the Sue is the always the center of attention, the Sue is always a usurper, and the rules of the canonical universe/characterizations always bend or break to justify a character who really doesn’t fit into that universe at all.  For example in “A Trekkie’s Tale,” the normally stoical Mr. Spock blubbers like a baby at Mary Sue’s funeral.  In the infamous “My Immortal,” the denizens of Hogswarts are transformed into suicidal bisexual “goffs” to accommodate its Draco-humping vampire anti-heroine “Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way.”   (”My Immortal” just might be the 21st century internet troll’s version of “A Trekkie’s Tale.”)

I started reading Star Wars fan fiction 26 years ago and every now and then, I’d run into a Mary Sue.  More often than not, she was Force-sensitive and was usually paired with Luke.  In older zines, particularly ones pre-TESB, I’d see the kind often paired with Han Solo that I’d called “Spacer Sues.”  About 20 years ago I wrote a fic spoofing Star Wars-style Mary Sues called “Hello Jedi Sue.”  In the story the main character Sue was sucked up into a tornado and sent into the GFFA.  She had a higher midichlorian count than even Anakin and immediately upon meeting Luke, he realizes she is destined for him.  Over the course of the story, she leads Rogue Squadron to victory against a stray Sith Lord who turns up out of nowhere (she’d never flown an X-wing before), she pilots the Falcon through an asteroid field after Han suffers a heart attack, and of course she trains to be a Jedi.  Leia is kind of chilly to her at first but comes around and gives her a ring that once belonged to Queen Amidala, the only memento she has left of her birth mother.  Some apprentice gets jealous of her and pushes her off the top of the temple to her death.  Leia declares it a worse tragedy than Alderaan.  Everyone’s crying and stuff but Sue uses her Force superpowers to resurrect herself.  She and Luke marry and she immediately gets pregnant.  Obi-Wan’s ghost appears to tell the happy couple she is his granddaughter and Qui-Gon’s great-granddaughter (don’t ask).  

So you might say TFA raised my eyebrows because some of it reminded me of “Hello Jedi Sue.”  Before everyone hits the unfollow button, I DO NOT think that Rey is a Mary Sue.

I’ll break it down like this.  In order for a character to be a Mary Sue, the character must do most if not all of the following:

Be an idealized version of the author.

Be the center of attention, even in situations where it wouldn’t be practical or appropriate.

Bend or break the rules of the canon universe just to fit in.

Possesses highly unusual but beautiful looks and exhibit a large amount of extraordinary skills.

Be irresistible, especially sexually irresistible, to everyone.

Usurp the roles played by canon characters and their importance.

So, let’s go over that list with Rey in mind.

1.  Is she an idealized version of J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson, Lawrence Kasdan, or George Lucas (who created Rey’s progenitor “Kira”)?

Uhh, I doubt it.  It’s not just that Rey is obviously not of the same sex, but she doesn’t seem to exhibit anything that reminds me of these men in real life.  Sure she’s packed with girl power but so what?  So are Lara Croft, Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Padme Amidala, Xena, Leia Organa, Black Widow, Wonder Woman, that dragon chick from Game Of Thrones, Ahsoka, etc..  

2.  Is she the center of attention, even where it wouldn’t be practical or appropriate?

She’s the main hero(ine) of this trilogy and the avatar for the audience but she serves the same function that Luke Skywalker did in the OT or Anakin Skywalker did in the PT.  So of course the story is going to focus on her.  But if she was genuinely a Mary Sue, she would be doing everything of importance in the film to the point of making everyone else useless.  They could be sitting by the sidelines having a beer while she’s basically running the movie.  

3.  Does she bend or break the rules of the canon universe just to fit in?

This is one point where I think a lot of the contention lies.  She gets accused a lot of being “overpowered.”  Well, what does that mean?  The way I see the narrative shaping up after two films, she is obviously very powerful in the Force but TLJ makes it clear her power level is the same as Kylo’s.  I think the movies are hinting she and Kylo/Ben are something new and unique, a creation of the Cosmic Force in its post Anakin-balanced state.  I hope we get more of an explanation of this because I think it would go a long way to reassure people.  

On that note, another common complaint is that Rey takes on skills rapidly with minimal training.  I admit, I felt this was a problem the first time I saw TFA.  I couldn’t understand why for instance she was able to use the Jedi mind trick so quickly without any training.  By contrast, Luke wasn’t able to use the mind trick until ROTJ.  I couldn’t understand why she was able to defeat someone trained in the Force in a lightsaber duel, regardless of his mental state or injury.  It took until I saw TLJ and saw some comments from one of the story groupers that I understood she’d basically downloaded Kylo’s skills when he entered her mind and she’d entered his.  Now I get it.  But this is one criticism I still have of TFA; it didn’t make that clear enough to the audience.  There’s a reason why George Lucas spent time letting you know Luke was a good bush pilot on Tatooine who could shoot womp rats in his T-16 or Anakin could win a pod race...it’s so that when they fly out to blow up something at the end of the movie, you’re able to understand why they can do that.  Sometimes you do have to make movies so that the common idiot can figure it out!

Now a critic might argue that Rey Matrixing her way to Jedi skills is lazy.  Maybe the filmmakers wanted to make sure they had a protagonist able to get into the mix early on because there weren’t enough Force-sensitive characters around who could’ve taken on Kylo.  But then again, did we really see the OT or PT spend a lot of time on training?  Luke fought Darth Vader after about 25 minutes of training in TESB and we never saw Anakin train at all; 10 years had passed between TPM and AOTC and by the latter film, he was able to do all kinds of cool stuff.  And TLJ makes it clear that while Rey had the skills, she still needed direction and instruction.  She thought the Force just controlled people and made things float!

And sometimes the audience misses things, especially if they only see a movie once.  For instance, the first time I saw TFA I was baffled why Rey was able to pilot the Falcon.  It seemed like Little Miss Desert Scavenger just hopped into the cockpit and away she went, whereas if I just got on a spaceship for the first time ever, I’d crash that mo-fo pretty quickly.  Then when I saw the film again some time later, the dialogue makes it clear she IS able to pilot.  She never left Jakku not because she couldn’t leave but because she was still waiting for her loser parents to come back.

4.  Is she irresistible to everyone?

Mary Sues always get a reaction out of every canon character and that reaction is a strong one.  It’s always fierce devotion, instant BFFs forever, undying passionate and true love, boiling-over lust, or pure loathing and hatred (that of course turns into the opposite or the hater is toast).  There’s never indifference, or relationships that take time to build, or first impressions that turn out to be wrong, etc..  And it’s always instantaneous.  

Most of the good guys like Rey but is any of it different from how characters took to Luke in the OT or Anakin in the PT?  Not really.  The only thing that stands out is Leia running over to hug the girl she’s known for part of a movie over Chewbacca but even Abrams admitted he’d goofed.  And one instance does not a Mary Sue make.

The only characters who have more intense feelings for Rey are Kylo and Finn and in both cases, those feelings are complicated.  

5.  Does she have a highly unusual but beautiful appearance and exhibit a large amount of extraordinary skills?

Note the lack of rainbow hair and silver eyes.

Daisy Ridley is a beautiful young woman but as Rey, it seems like if anything they’re shooting for more of a natural, earthy beauty that befits her character.  There’s nothing unusual about how she looks or how she dresses.  She looks like she would almost fade into the crowd if you didn’t know who or what she was.  Mary Sues on the other hand ALWAYS have to be noticed for their looks.

As for Rey’s skills, this is another thing people criticize.  But in the Star Wars universe, being a Force-user isn’t alone an indication of Mary Sue-dom.  Now if Rey was more powerful than anyone else ever, even Anakin Skywalker, that would be a Mary Sue issue.  But the films make it clear that she isn’t more powerful than everyone; her power level is the same as Kylo’s.  Her only advantage comes from being the more morally correct character in the story.

Her other skills are explained in the films and are nothing unusual in the Star Wars universe.  She’s a good pilot but not such an ace everyone’s saying she’s better than Wedge Antilles, Poe Dameron, and Luke Skywalker combined.  She’s a grease monkey but that comes from years of scavenging.  Her talents aren’t just dropping out of the ether.  

A Mary Sue would be the most powerful Force user ever, the greatest pilot of all time, someone who could teach space aeronautics at MIT at the age of 20, have an IQ higher than Einstein’s, be the greatest and most ingenious hacker, a better leader than Leia, a better shot than Annie Oakley even while drunk, cook like Julia Child, have sex like a porn star, have a singing voice like an angel, and is all-around the best at everything that needs to be done at any given time, ALL OF THE TIME. That’s not quite what we’re getting with Rey.

6..  Does she usurp roles played by canon characters and their importance?

This is another area of heated contention and it depends on what you believe are the filmmakers’ intentions.  Are they setting Rey up to be the “real” Chosen One, essentially changing Lucas’s story?  Are they setting up the Skywalkers as unworthy so Rey has to basically take their place as the “gods” end their cursed line?

Believe it or not, I was really worried this was exactly what Disney was going to do.  Now, I don’t think this is the case.  If anything, Rey is there in part to save the Skywalker line and legacy, not to end it or steal it for herself.  But I suspect there are a lot of fans who still think this is where they are going in IX, so of course they’re going to resent Rey.

I came to the conclusion after seeing TLJ that while Rey is important and the lead character, she’s not the center of gravity in the story.  Kylo Ren is.  Pay attention; nearly everything that’s happening in the films is in some way because of him or related to him.  It’s harder to believe she’s some random OC who broke into the Star Wars saga to suck the attention away from the Skywalkers once you realize this.

All of these said, there’s one more reason why Rey is not a Mary Sue.

Canon characters by definition cannot be Mary Sues!

It drives me nuts that people call canon characters Mary Sues.  The whole point of a Mary Sue is someone who doesn’t really fit in with a universe so the universe is fit around her.  Bella Swan may be a lot of things but she’s not a Mary Sue.  (Now if you wrote a Twilight OC who pushes out Bella, gets Edward to fall in love with her, and gets Edward to give up his vampire ways and become a Christian, THAT’s a Mary Sue.)  Now, some fans won’t accept anything Disney produced as canon but this is what we’ve got and it’s all we’re getting.    

I don’t know who did this--I found it on Know Your Meme--but it’s a decent guide.

[creativefuturesza]

Testing Sucking Vibrators For The First Time | Trending Clit Sucking Rose Vibrators

What Is the Best Male Masturbation Technique?

|

What Is the Best Male Masturbation Technique?

Male masturbation toys are one of the most popular adult toys today. They offer a unique way to add a little more thrill to your orgasm. They’re great for both solo and partner play. They come with a variety of different features and are very affordable.

Unlike the traditional sex toy, which is usually a hand held device, male masturbation toys are typically a sleeve that is positioned over the penis. This sleeve is often designed to mimic the shape and feel of the vagina. It comes with various functions, including heating, vibrating and rotating. Some are automatic, while others can be a hands-free option. They’re also extremely durable and can be made from materials such as TPR and phthalate-free silicone. They are a great choice for men who are looking for a safe, hygienic and fun sex toy.

Male masturbation toys can be found in many different styles and brands. Some are simple and cheap while others are more sophisticated and designed to replicate orgasms. They can be used for both anal and oral sex. There are also male G-spot products, which are specifically designed to boost your orgasm and help you reach a higher level of pleasure.

The Fleshlight line is a very popular brand of sex toy. They’re known for their discreet designs. They’re available in different colors and shapes, from the anus-shaped SuperSkin sleeve to a mouth-shaped model. The sleeve provides the feeling of real human skin, and the accessories allow you to create a new sensation while you enjoy your sex. You can even use them in the shower for double the fun.

The Lovense Max 2 is a Bluetooth-enabled automatic male masturbator that offers a wide range of sensations. Its soft, tentacle-like fingers provide a satisfying suction. Its internal sleeve also has a variety of textures to choose from. This masturbator can be used both solo and in conjunction with your partner.

Another male sex toy that’s becoming more and more popular is the BATHMATE HydroMax 9. This pump has a cylinder that presses water into the penis. This helps you gain an erection faster and gives you a stronger, more comfortable erection. It’s completely safe and doesn’t cause any bruising or bleeding.

For the best male masturbation toys, look for high-quality manufacturers. Some of the most reputable companies include Zolo, Vulcan, and Fleshlight. You can find a variety of models, from the original to the latest technology. They’re safe, hygienic, and are affordable. The best are made from phthalate-free, body-safe silicone. You can also get an introductory kit to test them out before you buy. They are inexpensive, and are a great way to get to know how to use a sex toy.

Other male sex toy options include the Tenga Eggs. These cute, inexpensive toys are easy to use. They’re made from a sturdy material and come with a sachet of lube. The egg-shaped toy is perfect for both solo and partner play.

from Automatic stroker https://automaticstroker.com/testing-sucking-vibrators-for-the-first-time-trending-clit-sucking-rose-vibrators/

[eireal]

Quintavia, my Berserker. The tag is still under her old name, lol. Back in the days when Eireal was my only 60 my guildmate had convinced me that zerkers were the best bc of high damage and high survivability that allow them to solo thinks like LoT and ET for money. The ET benefit was, literally, just being able to dodge through a wooden barrier and skip the Vulcan boss. So I made one. And, well, that may have been true for him but I could never get the hang of this class. (Also, he himself stopped maining zerker in favor of warrior, and later slayer anyway so, lol)

So yeah, I did not use her (she was a him back then) in any way. During the Wonderholme patch, maybe 1/3 of my alts had WH weapons and the rest were on Steadfast. Quin was one of them. At some point after the alliance patch I used a gender change and name change voucher to turn him into a hot goth elf chick. Back then such a move was actually economical because vouchers were reasonably priced and leveling a new character took forever.

At 70, I never used her for any endgame content except CR.

[mirrorfalls]

Lego Liveblogs ST: TOS, part 12 (of who-the-hell-knows-how-many?)

Lotta high hopes riding on this one, folks, in spite of the permanently-Simpsons-tarred villain name. Will they wind up breaking the Conscience of the King? Let’s find out.

* Easily the least science fiction-y opening we’ve had so far: no Enterprise bridge, no stars, just a single line of dialogue this is an Earth play being done by non-Earthlings. * Aww, Kirk’s pals with Nick Fury! * So the inspiration for this one isn’t hard to figure - fugitive Nazi hunts were all the rage back in the ‘60s. Which makes it all the more interesting how eager Kirk is to brush the whole thing off. * The best forensics Starfleet has to offer... what, couldn’t even get fingerprints for comparison? * Hope you’re read up on your Poe too, good Captain. You oughta know what happens to Lenores... * Woo. Now there’s a mood-killer. ** I swear, if it turns out he faked his death just to guilt Kirk into investigating... * Now, now, Mr. Spock. Green isn’t your color. * “The regulations are very clear about taking on passengers... especially after that Charlie kid passed through.” * Another benchmark (I think) the first solo Spock-Bones dialog. ** “Now I know why they were conquered.” Jesus, Bones, I thought you were past your racist phase! * So... the tour scene. I can practically feel the effort dripping off every word of the script, but it still falls a ways short of actually convincing me Kirk has any  emotional investment in this, rather than just stringing her along for leads. At the very least, they could’ve found a slightly more organic metaphor to tie into the idea of Kirk being chained by his command. * In contrast, this very next scene is something that shouldn’t work but does: Spock spits out the entire story behind Kirk’s behavior in roughly two minutes, before the episode’s even halfway done. Part of it is Nimoy, letting just the right amount of “fuck Vulcan culture, I have things to say about eugenics” fury seep through, and the other part is all in the script: Kodos’ butchery is one of those things that looks kiiiiinda reasonable if you’re in the ruler’s seat, and absolutely goddamn horrifying from literally any other POV. Both options, at least on paper, could driving Kirk’s own stake in this whole thing. * Oh hey, it’s the Irish guy from The Naked Time! Welcome to the “only people who can hang Kodos (assuming he’s still alive)” club! ** Aaaaaand goodbye. Really, hanging out in that big a room by yourself, you were kinda asking for it. ** (Also: Windex in his milk is a hilariously Realistic(tm) way of going about it, but I kinda wish they tried ear-poison for full Shakespeare points.) ** (Also also: Why do I get the feeling someone on-set probably cracked a “Christ, Uhura’s singing was that bad?!”) * So Bones and Spock confront Kirk over... something. I’m theoretically happy that the script isn’t taking the easy way out and making them go “You’re just seeing things, Jim!”, but the whole oooh-Kirk-might-snap thing isn’t much good for building suspense, since at this point Kirk still insists on taking the investigation slow. Hell, if anything they should be dragging him over not putting more men on the case! * And now, Kirk and Spock reenact me searching for my car keys * Alright, we’re deep in the third act now, so let’s get that face-to-face showdown going. I’m sure Kirk’s carefully arranged the most subtle, intricate questions for teasing out- ** Or he could just ask him “Are you Kodos?” point-blank. Captain’s privilege. ** In all seriousness, this scene jumps out to me for one reason: neither of these men needs to go this far. All Kirk needs is a straightforward voice-print; all Kodos (or is he?!) needs is to go “Oh gee, this Kodos of yours sounds like a douche! Sure hope he’s gone for good!” Instead, they lay all their cards out, because tiptoeing around their motives feels inherently repugnant; what they’re doing is Right, element of surprise be damned. * Alas, we end the act not on this, but on another goddamn sitcom cue of ~Lieutenant NPC overhearing something~ * Alright, so I guess this thirty-second sideshow is meant to prove how Kirk is still keeping a level head, but it’s a bit dulled by this being the exact part where the script tosses out any ambiguity. He is Kodos... and it looks like Murder For The Greater Good runs in the family. * Still, whatever problems I have with the script (which is getting less morally nuanced by the second), Lenore’s actress sells the hell out of her being genuinely delusional enough to think murdering people to cover someone’s tracks is equivalent to being a Soldier In A Cause. ** And I’ll admit: “The play’s over. It’s been over for twenty years.” is an absolute banger of a line. * Welp. ** C’mon, guys, I know you remastered this - couldn’t you have made it look even slightly less like she shot him on purpose? *** Unless... that was the point...? * Even if it was, though, this finale tips things from Unsettling to Just Plain Silly - rambling famous Shakespeare lines does not a compelling breakdown make, guys. ** And on top of that, because Females Are More Innocent, she doesn’t even have to live with what she’s done. * “You really cared for her, didn't you?” “I had about two-and-a-half scenes with her, Bones. What do you think?”

This play’s the thing, all right - it’s not quite as good as Balance of Terror, but it aims just as high, if not higher, and it get more than halfway there. Whatever my problems with the direction or Lenore (who’s a bit of a nonentity before the last act - I couldn’t even buy into her having a fake romance with Kirk), Shatner’s clearly having an absolute ball doing Shakespeare in Space, and Kodos’ actor brings a kind of pained gravitas that even the Romulan Commander never quite hit, almost enough to make you forget he massacred 4,000 innocents and didn’t even have the guts to own up to it until the very last second.

And more important than any of that, this is probably the biggest plank in Kirk’s backstory we’ll ever get: past friends and flames will definitely be walking onto the Enterprise for years to come, but none of them could cast such a haunting lens onto every action he takes from here on out. His Captaincy isn’t just a matter of playing hero or serving the Federation, but because he personally saw what horrors the self-righteous and powerful can wreak - and, so long as there’s a single breath left in him, vows he’ll never see again.

Next: Seven men walk into a planet...