#ww likes to pick up strays

[yayee-pspsps]

Trimax au where the twins live with wolfwood and livio at the orphanage.

[ghostbsuter]

Ghostbsuter's Masterlist!

Every prompt and idea (outside of the multiple parts: section) is free to use! Have fun. Feel free to credit me as well when you do.

Got a prompt yourself? Drop it into my inbox! Chatting is fine too, haha.

・゜-: ✧ :-

Multiple parts:

Batclan and Catband

Selina is Danny's mom, recently got engaged to Bruce, and now they're meeting!

[ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

The house of Nightingale & Constantine | #the house of Constantine and Nightingale have infinite beef

Batman called for help.

Now, with Phantom's help and Constantines, they might have a chance. If only he knew those two were rivals and enemies in terms of dark houses.

[ chapters: 1 | ] [ao3] (soon!)

[ snippets: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ]

[ chap 1 snap-shot ]

Wonder MOM

Danny is a godling, born from the stars and son of Diana. Batman rescued him from abduction, and that's how the JL finds out about the son of WW.

[ part 1 ]

Twins, minus the Demon

Demon Twins Au, Damian and Danyal are the sons of the bat, demon and cat.

Implied and referenced past/current Bruce/Selina/Talia throuple.

[ part 1 ]

Magicians way

Danny is the son of Zatanna and John, member of the Young Just us and well... sometimes things don't go as planned.

[ part 1 | 1/4 ]

Team effort

Danny is a member of the Teen Titans!

[ part 1 | part 2 soon! ]

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Stand alones:

Birthday present (read the reblogs!) | (Martian appreciation)

High on fear (read the reblogs!) | (ghosts really like emotions)

Joker's Jr. or not? | (danny being the son of joker and harley)

He's Danny | (Joker's Jr. or not? continuation)

Titan missing! | (phantom is teen titans member and amity got kidnapped)

Wingman | (steph x sam)

Dog-napped | (cujo at it again ft. baby assassin)

One way to crush | (Dani crushing on Lian)

Speed running romance | (Dick x Jazz x Babs)

The Fries | (Nora going ghost)

Arson and consequences | (Roy!!)

Babysitting trouble | (baby yeti outside!)

Visitation | (Sam and young justice)

Syn eclipse | (being chased)

Elephant | (beast boy trolling)

Sibling rivalry | (just dan and danny things)

Team Bonding!!! | (JL + Danny get kidnapped)

Halloween skull | (supersons)

Young Justice Dark | (JLD + their own Jr.)

Actor au | (Team Phantom)

Human born | (Zatanna)

Death defying (not the ship) | (undying)

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Bats!!

Prompts and snippets of adventures Danny has with various Bats.

College student shaped stray | (dami befriends teen dad danny)

Mom!cass | (time shenanigans end with conspiracy theories)

Calico (read the reposts!) | (nighttime activities as family bonding)

Paranoia | (bonding activity between Duke and Danny)

Harsh truth | (the plans start the moment Ra's fell)

Meta-child | (dick centric)

Villain magnet | (just danny being danny)

Sweet revenge | (danny and bruce)

Diplomatic immunity | (danny in gotham)

Little Brother | (Danny is a drake)

Another Cain | (Danny Cain)

Buying your own mercenary! | (Danny in his deadpool arc)

Grayson's stray | (one police officer picks up a kid)

Robin manifestation!Danny | (child of gotham)

Governmental shit that is (read the reblogs!) | (dead tired)

1 (+3) new child | (scooby doo but its Danny-Johnny-Kitty-Ember and shadow)

Cell buddies | (Dami and Danny)

Its not a habit | (Tim and danny)

Keeping up with the waynes | (wes theories and denial)

Straying Twins | (demon twins)

Bat plans | (robin needs a new buddy)

Mantles | (cass prepares)

How to spot | (night shift bats)

Apologies | (timetravel is a great plot)

Play along! | (Agnes and Beatrice)

Spoiler alert! | (steph and danny)

Infiltration | (dick and danny)

Doubled | (talia and danny)

Strange animal | (damian)

Left and collected | (everlasting trio + baby tim)

Please leave | (he won't leave)

Annoyance at Patrol | (Red Hood shenanigans)

Catnapped | (Red Hood shenanigans ||)

Time anomaly | (Jason Todd and Danny)

.・゜-: ✧ :-

WONDER W

Prompts and snippets with the one and only! Wonder Woman!

Spiderman meme | (featuring Dani and Diana)

Demigods (read the reblogs!) | (fake it till u make it)

.・゜-: ✧ :-

SUPERS

Prompts and snippets with the local superfam

Metropolis | (hiding)

Twitter beef | (ft. Superman)

Super representative | (confused Clark kent)

New kid dropped | (they're so confused)

Fake it till u make it | (Jon dug his grave)

Civilian life | (danny is just trying to live)

School way | (Jon and Danny meet!)

Clone Club covers | (kon jumps in as elle)

.・゜-: ✧ :-

SPEEDSTERS!!!

Prompts and snippets of adventures Danny has with various Speedsters.

Bart & Danny | timetraveler & immortal (read the reposts!)

Bart & Danny | playdates

Barry & Danny | Found family via Villain

Bart/Danny | Crushing

Bart & Danny | displaced

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Godly shenanigans | #Billy and Danny are brothers in crime and losers in costumes

Prompts and snippets of Billy and Danny trying to survive in the world of adults.

JL's own trouble kids

Double the trouble

Pranksters in disguises

Grounded

Challenge

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Anything with Connie

Prompts and snippets of various ways of Danny interacting with John Constantine.

Troubled and Dad shaped

Imprisoned but not dead?

Breaking in

Hell adventures

Zones

Rush hour

He when (head wanted, not alive)

Haunted menace

Nail polish

[science-lings]

okay I’ve been inspired, time to list all my versions of botw/totk/aoc link lets go

Wild (He/They): Nonbinary, LU Wild adjacent, generally who I write whenever I write for LU, kind of his own thing bc I feel as though I tend to stray when it comes to lu characterization to fit my own wants. Has the most trouble with memories and their past, has the least control over his emotions. Things like sorrow and anger hit really hard for them and they have more trouble regulating it. Still silly and GNC though, just not as confident about their gender presentation yet.  

Sage (They/She): Genderfluid, HSFR botw/totk Link, really leaning into the whole death/rebirth/reincarnation thing with this one, accidentally picks up a spooky vibe because they have a skeleton horse and a big comfort cloak and is extremely good at making potions. This whole vibe what I’m leaning into for Another Second Chance, even though in that one the botw Link is still called Wild lol. 

Guardian (He/Him): Too anxious to think about gender rn but is a aroace queen. HSFR AoC Link, half sheikah and it is important to his story. His life is kinda dictated by his dedication to the throne by being descended from a long line of royal knights and sheikah who have vowed to serve the blood of the goddess. Also he’s betrothed to his Zelda and on his way to becoming King/Prince Consort.  

Aryll (She/Her): Cis woman (but with complicated gender feelings as she was discouraged from being feminine for a long time and has trouble feeling valued while enjoying typically feminine things, you know the vibe) My Fem!Wild/ Link AU, is the most likely to commit regicide. Had an easier time recovering memories during botw bc of her large amount of shared moments with Zelda. 

Linkle (She/Her): Trans woman Link au, has a bit of an egg cracking moment when she was getting into gerudo town, don’t have much for this one, it might be where I put all my Link being close to the Gerudo hcs. Like, after sealing the calamity, she and Zelda go to live in Gerudo Town instead of Hateno and they’re real close buddies with Riju and Linkle goes to the nearby great fairy to get her gender magically transed. idk i love the gerudo and think they deserve better. (also her name could be changed i kinda made this one on a whim...) 

Spirit Sage (They/Them): Fem leaning enby, totk role swap au where Link gets sent back with the spirit stone instead of Zelda, they lost their arm but the stone lets them summon a ghost version that they have to learn how to control (a feature also seen with HSFR Sage), trained under Mineru and tries to assasinate Ganondorf a few times. 

Time Sage (They/He): Masc leaning enby, pre-calamity was a trans man but then their gender got pickled for a century and their ideas on gender changed a little. They lose their arm but don’t get a replacement. The secret stone they had with them amplifies their time manipulation abilities (bullet time/ sitting by the fire, that kind of thing) They have to learn to fight just as will with their left side and not wield any sort of shield. The story is closer to the canon version than the Sage of Spirit version of the au. 

Gladiator (He/Him): trans man, ssbu Link, pulled from his quest pretty soon after botw. Older brother/babysitter to Young Link (MM) and Toon Link (WW), Eyes have been opened to the multiverse and he’s kinda just vibing with being kind of immortal and meeting the strangest people. ssb lore is wacky so he’s at least allies with all of the other characters, including ganondorf at in the end. Has the least amount of fashion sense and cooking ability but at least he has little brothers and is buds with Kirby. 

[darkicedragon]

darkicedragon https://www.tumblr.com/ciceqi/742693093560762368?source=share 'how many strays did u get?' o3o 'show me. how many strays did you find' O3O;; 'how many - WHERE DID YOU EVEN FIND THEM ALL' azure OOHH NOESSS AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH XDDD Muzaka like o3o''' picked up all the bby ww strays oh no that's how Muzaka eventually gets the strongest pack XDDD he just picked up all the werewolf strays he found Franken like >8( with like 4386 children darkicedragon 'you should have told me earlier or else i would have prepared more food!;

[owlafterhours]

ffxiv fanfes got me on the au hamster wheel

Edit: fixed the, fc tags wheezing

Me n @myrhhi have been, spitballing ffxiv au for like, a Good While now and fanfes really kinda, turned the dial up a bit so, the brainworms (with more under the cut bc it uh, kinda got long,)

(also pls check out @mochinue's ffxiv ac6 art!! it's fantastic)

≪hounds≫ being an fc for the hounds and Walter! They're all raiders who largely PF, but decided that they Did want an FC chest to store and share their stuff in - so they turned to Walter. 'It's a good game' they said, 'we can spend more time together, since most of us have moved out' they said.

He caved.

Unfortunately, Michigan found out pretty fast, so he texts Walter whenever he needs a fill for his static, the Redguns. They're in ≪BALAM≫ which is primarily an RP fc (ngl, kinda like foxhole rp? except in ff) - and they're mostly there 'cause Michigan is with his tax-benefits EB Nile. ≪FCS≫ (Furlong) hasn't forgiven them for stealing away Michigan, but they deal.

Iguazu's been trying to pick up using a controller and it's a bit of a time. Coincidentally, he got GM jailed for swearing at someone in-game again, and Volta would Very Much Like It if his friend could keep playing with him?

Meanwhile, ≪AQB≫ is 50% raiding fc and 50% crafting to support the raiding - the Vespers are just one of their statics. Freud says it feels like another 50% RPing sometimes, with how Snail makes it feel like they're on Slack whenever he talks.

Hawkins is their primary crafter, and also holds a Saint of the Firmament (Mining). He knows the Diadem like the back of his hand and he wishes that he didn't.

Rusty was recruited as a part of the Vespers for the current tier, but was actually there to investigate who the Hell seemed to be consistently undercutting the things from his usual FC.

It was Swinburne. Man took an extended break after they found out, citing irl things.

The RLF players are in ≪wall≫, which was made because Ziyi wanted to play a few years back and they weren't letting her do that unsupervised! Their fc house, is also called 'the Wall' and they have a sub named 'the Strider'. Actually, all of their vessels are named that, except with a number at the end.

O’Keeffe hangs around the Wall a lot. Everyone is Suspicious except for Flatwell, who’s mildly exasperated. They had a very quiet EB you see, and while it’s not a secret, neither of them are going out of their way to publicize it since there's been bad blood since The Swinburne Incident.

And other stray thoughts;

The hounds have, individually and collectively, managed to PF some ultimate clears, and they do go in and help now and again. They tend to clear the tier fast, get geared and get super casual after that.

Sulla's been around since 1.0 and he's been trying to get Walter to play for the last ten years. He Can't Believe that it was the hounds that finally did it. Unfair. Meanwhile, the hounds have a grudge against Sulla bc somehow, the guy always rolls high on the loot in PF and snipes their coffers ww

Carla had been playing casually for a while, and is technically the FC leader for ≪RaD≫, which primarily does housing, glam and a bit of rp on the side. They're also a small community of mod makers, but you didn't hear that here! Carla just happened to help with complicated issues enough times that they asked her to adopt them.

Honest Brute cleared out the FC chest when he left, also stole some sub parts--(like that's basically what he did in canon right,)

Chatty-bot is a bot in the RaD discord server based off a real player Chatty Stick who isn't around as much anymore. They log on now and again to help when Carla asks though!

Allmind is That Person with the extremely normal name and you kind of worry that they might've used their real name in the game? But the way she talks is kinda like a bot and the community is divided on whether she's a bot or not. Hasn't been banned for being a bot though, so who knows...?

≪coral≫ is? was? one of those mass invite FCs, but here, Some FC Drama Probably Happened, Maybe Named Fires Of Ibis, and it was briefly deleted. Some members who weren't as caught up in it remade it a little while later though, and they're rebuilding.

Branch roamed Eureka, and then Bozja for a good long while as a light party - but they've recently gotten into the Variant Dungeons, so they're around a little less, but they're generally down for some BA o/

[pandoraimperatrix]

I have been feeling quite insecure about WW, because I'm the kind of fanfic writer that hardly ever write fics that aren't canon compliant. Canon Divergence brings a lot of freedom, but it can be tricky not knowing where to thread. I've decided to do some writing exercises. And since I think this is fanfiction, it's not anything serious, there is no reason to hide stuff and play mysterious, you get to see the whole thing.

Obviously, there will be spoilers.

The character sheet I picked is short, and I like it because it's sectioned in the day before, the day of the crises, the day after, which helps me to organize my very diachronic mind around this very anachronic plot it came with somehow.

The Day Before

Name the character. Richard John Grayson

Where are they? Squatting in some old hideout Bruce set up before he was even adopted, from his early days as Batman. It suits Dick now because it's stock of expired canned food and low tech security. It used to have it's on electricity generator, but broke 3 months into Dick's stay.

List 5 possessions around them. 1- Gun 2- Swords 3- Knife 3- Backpack 4- Cannister 5- Kory's ring

What time do they wake up? He's usually sleep starved, every little noise wakes him up because it can mean something lethal creeping in. He manages 3 hours of sleep in a row when he's lucky.

Who are they with? His regrets lmao.

How do they dress? Warm and practical. Cargo pants he'd never be caught wearing back before the apocalypse. Tshirt, flannel, hoodie and a trench overcoat. Fingerless gloves, lace up heavy boots.

What do they eat? Canned foods mostly, sometimes he can still find stuff inside vending machines. The thought of killing stray animals and wildlife has crossed his mind one or twice, but he remembers Gar and just can't.

What do they think about? His pasts mistakes, what is Rachel doing, where will she be, where is Gar, is he still alive? Kory. His next meal.

What work do they do? Surviving, homesteading, detective work.

The Day Before

Name the character. Your Highness Crown Princess Lady Koryand'r

Where are they? Galaxies away from home, running from her duties, falling in love with an emotionally stunted man.

List 5 possessions around them + 1 1- Phone 2- Candy 3- Multiple throw pillows with sequin covers 4- A piece of her burnt starship 5- That old picture of Rachel +1 - Sketch Gar made of her that he tried to hide thining she'd be mad, but she loves it and told him it's really good even if her hair wasn't that big (it was).

What time do they wake up? With the sun. She lays naked on the rooftop of the Tower to recharge every morning.

Who are they with? The Titans.

How do they dress? Show-y, fun, lots of purple and bling. Loves over the knee boots too.

What do they eat? In Tamaran food is more of a necessity, they eat mostly animal protein since they evolved from cat-like creatures. When she got to Earth, eating was just that but slowly, and most thanks to Donna, she learnt it could be a way of bonding, and pleasure too. She likes sugary Earthen foods, pasties, and she keeps a bag of candy next to her bed, hidden away from Dick, when the kids need a break, then hang out in her room with her and they eat gummy worms and shit talk Dick's disgusting food.

What do they think about? Her children's wellbeing, how Kom is doing in Tamaran, how she lost Donna in such a stupid way, pushing Dick against a wall and having her way with him.

What work do they do? Children raising, team training, emotional support, bird boy keeping.

gonna update this later

[kozutenshi]

𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙴— a @babythotshq WW piece.

➴ 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙰 𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙰𝙽 𝙸𝚁𝙸𝚂 @asahi-is-jesus-periodt ! ! !

✉ hey bub! <3 happy holidays to you! may you have the patience in the future to handle me as I try to interact more with you👽 luvlots and I hope you enjoy the fic kith xx

WHO: KOUTAROU BOKUTO

PROMPT: hot chocolate and decorating cookies

GENRE: royal au, fluff, a very small but of angst

the first time the taste of hot chocolate and cookies made you feel at home was when bokuto found you on the ground, tired and almost losing warmth. he had only strayed far from his village to get more firewood to provide warmth for everyone but he had dropped his task almost immediately to get you to safety first.

you only remembered the cold, the loneliness of being thrown out of your once castle. the winter was harsh, the snow falling heavily as you struggled to keep your body temperature up. your skin already felt uncomfortably dry from the wind, the coat you had hurriedly picked up not warming you enough.

he treated you with a smile, something you thought was just common courtesy since you were once part of the royal family and you were too obvious about your identity.

but when he presented the same smile to different villagers, travelers, and traders, you knew it was his nature. he fooled around kuroo and played with the children, all the while helping the village and reaching out his hand to the needy.

it wasn't long after when the people recognized you, but the leader of the village, bokuto, insisted on keeping it a secret which they all strangely fulfilled. was it because they had a feeling that this was a way to repay him? you didn't know, but you slowly eased into a routine matching his pace and lifestyle.

you slowly learned simpler things, skills needed to live without the privileges of being of noble descent. his laughter filled your days, and the act of growing old with each other had never left his and your mind.

he became a part of your life as you did to his.

as years passed, the exiled royal became old news, and it was safe for you to roam as a normal villager. records of you had been erased, and the ruling family didn't seek for you or stir up trouble under your name. you got to meet his companions and got close to them, akaashi in particular, and got used to seeing bokuto's sleepy gold eyes first thing in the morning whenever you walked over to him at the dining table.

the light rays of the sun would hit his skin rather beautifully, as if the light was bending and showcasing the art that is him. the smell of coffee would fill the small house that the two of you now called home, an agreement that he sealed with a kiss.

the second time he gave you the same blend of marshmallows and cocoa, the cookies were missing. his hair hung a bit low, and he had a small pout as he apologized, admitting that he couldn't make enough for everyone that year since the supplies ran scarce.

indeed, you had noticed this. the number of traders that had stopped by decreased, not to mention the passing chariots and wagons. though you had expected cookies, you only tipped your drink to his, the clink of the mugs lightly clashing pleasantly hit your ears. you smiled at him gratefully, contented already by his presence.

he, almost immediately, smiled, but this time differently. full of love, adoration, and joy. it was an action that made your heart skip a beat, his old woolen jacket wrapped around you suddenly too warm to wear. he had kissed you tenderly under the mistletoe after, as he snickered at his cheeky (and sweet) move and cuddled you until you fell asleep.

that night, he couldn't sleep. he was staring at the ring on your finger, the small gem shining under the moonlight. and though problems had started to rise, the village fared well under your and his ruling, effectively keeping everyone safe and healthy.

"so what would you like to shape the next cookie to?" bokuto asked the child gleefully. snow trickled outside the window as his arms carried the small child carefully, supporting them as they reached for the snowflakes.

"a crown!" he sneaked a look at you, as if to say, "did you tell him?" as you shook your head subtly. "well then, y/n, you can do it!"

you placed the hot chocolate you were sipping on the table, ruffling the child's hair as you moved to the preparing table and started cutting the dough.

who knew those pastry classes would pay off?

you smiled triumphantly as you finished decorating the owl-shaped cookies which were baked first, brown and white carefully added for style. sneaking one in your mouth, you smiled even bigger as the right amount of sweetness made you feel cozy.

the fire in the chimney warmed the living room as he let the child down from his arms, sighing as they wobbled around with a candy cane in their mouth. bokuto only grinned and started stretching before chasing the kid for fun, careful enough to make sure that they wouldn't get hurt.

he caught sight of the sparkle in your eyes, the satisfied look on your face as you gazed down at the baked goods. you met his eyes briefly, sending a smile to him which made his heart beat even faster. happiness pumped through his veins as he returned your gesture, something that made you feel even warmer and more loved, before mouthing "love you" and chasing your child again.

as laughter rang through the dining area, trickling into the kitchen, the smell of cocoa and fresh cookies clung to the small home you now shared with your small family; the spring in your winter and evermore.

[dreamindolls]

Aaa so i know i haven't been active on here but its been hard to be excited to write for kny because of all the new chapter leaks every week so i think ill be starting to write for other fandoms instead ww

For now im gonna start with bnha cause ive been getting really into it lately!! Also i say im gonna do reader inserts but this ones actually with my oc cause i love the quirk i gave her and i wanna write for her really badly

Usui's Quirk: Anima

This Quirk allows her to have the ability of an animal she befriends! She can understand animals and communicate with them. She can only use up to 3 abilities at a time. Depending on her friendship with the animals depends on how long she can use her abilities for. If an animal dies of natural cause (I.e: dies of old age, sickness,etc) it can choose to give her full access to using it for any amount of time.

This has only happened once so far with her bird. She cant pick and choose what abilities the animals give her rather they choose what they want to give her. 

Her ability takes up lots of stamina and can be difficult to discover what abilities were given and control them. 

So!! Without further ado heres my oc x hawks!!! (ily hawks)

It was a pleasant evening on the rooftop of her building. Who knows how many stories high it was but definitely close to the clouds. She took a deep breath in and sighed before standing up and stretching as if getting ready to jump. As she was prepping she felt a tug on her tank top. She turned around only to find a red feather. She grabbed it only for it to struggle in her fingers before slipping away back to it's master. 

"Not going to jump I hope?" Bright red wings overtook her vision for a second as he flaunted them spreading them wide into the sky as if showing off to no one. The stray feather reattached itself. 

The girl smirked as she turned to face him. "And if I am? Will the great number two hero save me?" She pretended to swoon, sarcastically emphasizing the word great and putting a hand over her forehead as if she was going to faint, taking a step backwards closer to the edge which made Hawks reach out slightly. 

He smirked back at her making his way closer to her and the edge. "And if I stop you?" He tried to sneakily put his arm around her before noticing two distinct holes in the back of her shirt. He was about to question it but she quickly did a small spin as if dancing away from him. 

Her arms out to her sides as she spun she laughed. "Then I guess we'll just have to see if you can save me number two." She smiled softly at him before she spun again and took a step off the building and let herself fall. 

Hawks only reaction was to jump after her to catch her but as he was about to grab her, he stopped. "Do you jump off buildings for a living, for fun, or to be saved by a handsome hero?" He said that striking a pose clearly referring to himself, as he fell with her, a feather on her slowing her fall along with him. 

She had a feeling he'd put another feather on her so she picked it off as much as it tried to stay on her. "I can fly on my own so I guess it's for enjoyment." She stated simply and if he knew. And before he knew it she disappeared. He looked around before looking up and seeing she'd gone up and she had sprouted wings. It was hard to see but he could see a smirk forming on her lips as she flapped her wings and turned to fly up. That was an invitation for competition if he ever saw one and he flew to catch up to her. 

She looked down trying to see him again but suddenly he'd appeared next to her. "You'll have to be faster than that to beat me" he shrugged at her almost stating matter of factly. 

"Challenge accepted bird brain" she whispered to herself as she took off after him catching up to him and tapping his shoulder to get his attention. She mimed a yawn and stretch as she continued to fly farther and faster than him. Honestly it was a surprise how long this continued. At some point though she had a thought. 

She started to slow down little by little and her wings started to flap less and less. And of course the number two hero noticed this. "Getting tired already dove?" Dove?? What a lame nickname… I guess he really is a bird brain. 

She smiled tiredly. "Maybe just a little but doesn't mean I can't keep going Bird Boy!" She stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing manner as he stared at her entertained.

“Not a very good insult if you’re also a bird y’know.”

“Hmm~ I wonder if I am a bird though..” She tapped her chin in fake thought as her wings suddenly disappeared and started to fall again. Hawks couldn’t help but react again trying to catch her just like the first time, but this time he'd caught onto her. 

She was smiling again. Just like when she fell the first time. He cocked an eyebrow and frowned at her. "This must be fun for you huh? Do you always play heroes like this?"

"Aww you caught on to me. I guess you aren't as much of a bird brain as I thought." She smirked again. She sprouted her wings again and pushed out of this grip and made her way back to the building she started at and landed. Her wings spreading themselves one last time in almost the same fashion Hawks did when he arrived before retracted into her back. 

"What kind of Quirk do you have? I don't think I've ever seen someone hide a mutant type like that before." He stared at her back before she turned around eyeing the marks on her back and the obvious holes in her shirt, seemingly designed so she could sprout her wings. 

"Hmm… Do I tell the Number two hero my secrets or do I let him wonder forever… What to do, what to do." She pondered sarcastically as she tapped her finger on her chin. "The least I can do is introduce myself I suppose!" She laughed before pulling a card out of her pocket and handing it to him. Hawks was shocked it didn't fall out of her pocket while they flew. "The names Usui Enma. I run this building here. I have a hero license so I can freely use my quirk when I want. You should come check out my building sometime! It's quite fun in here you know!" She stated before she clicked a button on one of the pillars of the building and a hole appeared on the rooftop. 

A few birds came out from inside the building and flew around Usui and Hawks as he stared at her amazed for a second. Only a second… Ok it was more like a minute. When he finally snapped out of it he put on his usual smirk and asked her. "What do you own a zoo in here or something? An awful large building for a zoo."

Pfft– Usui burst out laughing as the birds perched themselves around the hole in the roof and looked curiously at her. "This isn't a zoo but there are animals here! They're my friends! Of course I have human friends too but animals are so much better. Come see what it is when you have a day off, this isn't the kind of place you can spend only a few minutes at!" She laughed a little bit more before signaling something to the birds which made them take off back into the building. 

Click

The hole started to close again. She saluted to him as she walked forward and plummeted into the now closed hole. 

That was…. A lot more strange than Hawks had anticipated.  He couldn't even react to what she was saying. He looked at the card again. Usui Enma… Quirk House..? What does that mean??

I guess he could find out now–

Ah. I guess not. That's Endeavor calling him for a job. Maybe another day soon he could see what this place is all about. 

[monkey-network]

WarioWare: The Series Season 3 Episodes

52 Episodes. Season 4 Coming 20XX Season 2, Season 1 * = Episode Submitted by @tmantookie

The End of the Show: WarioWare Inc. want to make games again… except Wario, who has grown tired of the idea and the gang somehow taking advantage of him (even when he steals from them), so he goes back to treasure hunting. This begs the question: can a company run smoothly without an (arrogant and maniacal) entrepreneur to lead it?

The Prince and the Bopper: An elegant prince gets transported to Diamond City and feels out of touch with this new reality, so JT helps him see a side that’s been locked away. His kingdom’s chancellor arrives to take him back, but he’s conflicted between becoming king of the castle or staying as king of the ball.

Wario Side Story: The Possums and the Squirrels, rival gangs of DC’s Crystal Park, have fought for territory for generations. However, the daughters of the gang’s leaders start to bond and wish to put an end to the war. With Wario and Mona spectating from afar, can there be enough resolve in putting an end to the conflict?

Hurry Up!: The WarioWare gang are making a mad dash to a concert, but when they try using a shortcut through the DC mall, they’re forced to confront persistent kiosk owners who will stop at nothing to make them pay.

Words Hurt: In the show’s quietest episode ever, 9 and 18 Volt study at a library when higher grade kids start getting them in unintentional trouble, so the duo set up prank traps that’ll surely get back at them. All without making a sound.

Greed Pluribus Unum: A master thief is taking money from Wario, the richest fatcats of DC, banks, schools, hospitals, everything from the town. Why and where to is anyone’s game, but Wario-Man’s on the case to track down, take back, and force himself to give back to those who’ve been wronged.

Robot Humble: Doris 1 short circuits and plots to lead a robot uprising, but fails at getting an army due to Crygor’s bots not being the most vicious (or stable). So she turns to Mike, who develops feelings for her but gets annoyed by her constant pleading and moping.

Star Tolls: Orbulon takes over Dribble and Spitz’s shift for the day and is somehow better than the duo at getting the job done. But when he accidentally scratches a car and is challenged to a race across the galaxy, he may have to break some codes of his to win.

Nightmare on W Street: Halloween has arrived and Ashley is still the one person who’s afraid of nothing (beyond that one time). She and Wario takes this as an opportunity for easy money from the city, but when a stranger shaman casts a spell on her, the scam might falter when she starts to finally recognize fear.

Man of the Woods: Former minions of Wario’s past are stalking him, and everyone’s trying to figure out how to sooth their haunting tension toward him.

Cater Joe’s: Manager Joe opens a diner on the edge of town to have some time away from the city life. Some of the WarioWare gang stop by to share an adventure they had over the week.

Penny Machine: A snooty scientist is dazzled by Penny’s science fair project, but Penny refuses to give it up as it’s her most delicate creation. So the judge does all they can to get it, but you can’t put a price on love.

The Hero’s Might: After her first ever sugar rush, a hungover Lulu is stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a lute, a water bottle, a mule, and Wario’s clothes on her back. Nothing left to do but try to make it back. And it begs the question: who’s the stubborn one in this story?

The Rhythm Hath Fallen* (Half Hour Crossover Special): A cosmic earthquake causes Heaven World to fall and collide with Diamond City, with HW’s citizens treating DC’s citizens to a week long block party. But the week starts to overstay its welcome, so Rhythm Heaven’s Tibby, his friends, and the WW gang try to fix things with Mamarin’s bizarre guidance.

The Opposable Opponent: Young Cricket starts training under a master that only uses his left thumb to fight, but struggles to keep up with the regime... until he starts to figure out how the master came to be.

Spell “Mi cup”: 9-Volt, 18-Volt, and 13-Amp enter and win a special edition movie branded mug and split up their days of possessing it. However, sharing germs is the one thing the three unfortunately overlook.

Tree Top Tango: Jimmy T is enjoying a jazzy walk in the woods, but gets in a pickle when creatures of nature’s variety start to surface. What’s a disco fool to beside show them a natural groove to ease their carnivorous minds.

Love at First Strike: Ana starts to develop a crush on 9-Volt, and is stuck between practicing and hanging out with him. 9-Volt would feel the same way, if she wasn’t pummeling him as a means to hide him from Kat.

The Typical Beach Episode: It’s an average beach day for WarioWare Inc... until a hurricane lands smack dab in the middle of the fun. So now the gang is caught between staying within the eye of the storm and dodging the chaos circling around them.

Ashociates: Ashley finally made some friends, dawg! Except not really, she’s only using them to get a mystical artifact and if you see her so called “friends”, her front is kinda justified.

Good Golf: Mona and Dr. Crygor are enjoying a nice day of mini-golf when a egotistical pro golfer butts in their game and begins ruining people’s fun. The two team up to beat him just in time for lunch, but things get difficult when he put up traps on the course.

Chili Dog Millionaire: Lulu finds out she’s a great cook, so she gets a job at a gourmet restaurant where the head chef demands for nothing but perfection. Nervous at first, the head chef treats her better than the rest, which prompts jealousy and potential sabotage her way.

King of the Dill: 18-Volt is selling hot pickles at school but sells out quick and ran out of his special ingredients. While going to the store, his classmates spot him and suddenly transform into sore throat, teary eyed zombies by the sight of his green jacket.

Becoming Human (For Dummies): Orbulon gets tired of people picking on him because he’s an extraterrestrial. So he invents a human suit that helps him appear like one. But, the intricacies of the suit start to send Orbulon dark thoughts that yet don’t stray from typical human ideologies.

Dueldreaming: Kat is suffering from nightmares to the point of not sleeping at all, so with the help of Penny, Ana goes into her dreams to slay the horrors but starts to cower before what she finds.

Way of the Birthday: It’s Young Cricket’s birthday, so Mantis has the perfect gift for him for all he’s done: a Battle Royale where it’s him against Mantis’s old friends.

Jump the Rope: We got ourselves a flash forward episode, where we see the kids grown up, the adults living out their days, and Wario.... ummm, in another place.

A New L.O.W.: Wario creates the League of Wario, a team of sinister pranksters, to get back at a viral video celeb that wedgied him great enough to put him in a wheelchair. 

Wario Party: It’s the anniversary of WarioWare Inc, and the gang wants to celebrate the occasion... by dining at the perfect restaurant. But they’ve dined at every place in DC, so they set out to go to the best place with the best palette, atmosphere, and prices.

Musclecats HO!: Mona joins a gym and enters herself into a bodybuilding competition. With the help of a supportive and swoll group of regulars, she’s aiming for the top.

Grey JT: A grey hair sprouts from Jimmy’s head and this makes him worry about how his routine may be the cause of aging faster.

That’s Enough, Buddy: Due to increase danger risk in DC, a young yet no nonsense sheriff is enforcing old rules on the public which interferes with Wario’s latest scam.

A Mother’s Metal: 9-Volt wants to give 5-Volt the best Mother’s Day gift ever, and eventually digs up an old relic of her past that’s both a blessing and a curse to 5.

The Best Worst Case Scenario: Television has gotten boring, even Wario thinks it’s a waste of his time, so everyone trashes their TV and goes outside to more productive means. Everything is swell, except for the people up top who soon rely on Wario to save them.

Oh Snow: Layers of snow has hit DC and while Wario becomes a life-sized snowman, Ashley learns about the multifaceted fun of snow.

WarioWaRPG: A digital virus manifests from Penny’s laptop and turns Diamond City into a card based RPG world. She kidnaps Penny and it’s up to the gang to save her. Unfortunately, they skipped the tutorial and don’t have the best decks on hand.

Let’s Be Lazy For Once: Due to a budget setback thanks to last episode, the WW gang decide to look back on previous episodes and provide as clever and nice a commentary as possible.

You’re Clowning Me: Dribble and Spitz pick a group of clowns that are on their way to rehearsal. What the two fail to realize is that they’re clown mafia with police, and rival clown cars, not far behind.

Chivalry is Dumb: A famous detective, and his maid sidekick, arrives at Diamond City to investigate an elaborate crime, only to be taken aback by Wario and all that he stands for, while his sidekick grows to enjoy the big guy’s rebellious and burly personality.

Break Out the Rainy Day Fun: Kat, Ana, Penny, 9 & 18 Volt join Ashley and Red at their manor while the rain’s heavy outside. And while Ashley is busy with a certain brew she’s craving, she summons skeletons to go play with, and not chomp, the others.

The Suit: Legends says there is a mystical 3 piece suit that can turn any normal being into a charming yet sadistically unruly reality bending version of themselves. Now this would be the part where I mention who stumbles upon such clothing, but I’ll let that be a mystery.

Consider the Fruit n’ Nuts: Dr. Crygor, with assistance from Wario, Mona, Cricket, and Penny, teaches us the good and bad of dieting.

House of Mike: After Mike stumbles upon a group of pugs who’re seeking a sense of purpose and bonding, he shows them a fantasy game he recently bought that could help them out.

The Hero’s “Happiness”: Lulu is comfortable with the life she now has in DC, but doesn’t feel happy, whatever that means. Only when a familiar villager of Luxeville enters the picture does she question whether it’s right to stay or leave for better purposes, and she turns to the least favorable person for help.

You Agree With Me?: In a shocking turn of events, a man who’s never able to decide on any choice was able to thanks to Jimmy’s advice. Now our more decisive denizen is indebted to his afro hero, to the point of imitating him to a bizarrely fleek degree.

Master Blaster: A few million years ago, jerk aliens decided to blast the earth with a laser beam that’s destructive yet really slow. A few million years later, it’s set to touchdown in 24 hours. Orbulon and Dr.Crygor team up to figure out how to beat the laser, but our alien is more worried with time than the doctor.

A Series of Unbelievable Events: At Joe’s Diner, Young Cricket and Master Mantis share their awful day and Manager Joe doesn’t find everything to be true, so they begrudgingly trace their steps and recount their day to Joe exactly how it happened.

Amp Unleashed: 13-Amp must face her fears when she has to rap battle against a duo that inspired her career. While she is alone on this mission, the memories of 18-Volt and Mike’s help give her new found strength.

Fronk Sonata’s Moonlight: Penny’s terrible singing practice makes her voice soul leave her body for 9V’s fronk, Snag, who becomes a hit nightclub singer.

Unininja: Kat and Ana fuse into one ultimate dual wielding ninja, but unfuses for good when they go too far with their newly acquired fun. But when a Tengu Shogun is coming with an armada toward Diamond City, it’s the perfect time to unite once again.

My Witch Ashedemia: Ashley is enrolled in a prep school for witches, but feels bored with the mediocre lessons. But she uncovers a secret about the school and uses this to blackmail the teachers for more advanced schooling, which inadvertently puts a target on her from an anti witch group.

LessTalkMoreTanks (Half Hour Season Finale): The WW gang finds a giant battle tank and take it for a spin, but it turns that they stole it from its cantankerous, anarchy driven owner. So... tank fight in the sand dunes, the gang vs the owner’s friends? Who’s on board?

[rottenappleheart]

mm liveblog part 2

majora’s mask, unfiltered notes for the entire first 3-day cycle until you get the ocarina back and are no longer a slave to the passage of time

DAWN OF

THE FIRST DAY

72 HOURS REMAIN

tatl's thesis - that we should ask the great fairy for help, because the skull kid is no match for the great fairy - is deeply flawed. i have met great fairies. do you know what they don't do? help much.

that said i now like the idea of the skull kid being periodically taken to task by various great fairies

"sit down and tell me what you did this time"

"i made  you a sandwich"

"are you sorry"

i know it's meant to be irritating but i love that the guards will stop both deku link and normal link (until they see he's armed, and also looks like he hasn't slept in seven years) from exiting. becasue they are doing their job and keeping the population safe. and that means not letting children wander around alone.

I LOVE CLOCK TOWN OKAY

I TALK TO EVERYONE ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND I READ ALL THE POSTERS FOR THE LOCAL BANDS AND THE GUARD RECRUITMENTS AND I WATCH THAT ODD MASKED PERSON PICK UP THEIR MAIL AND I TRY TO BEFRIEND THE LOCAL STRAY DOGS AND IT IS JUST SO GOOD

the grown deku scrub who promised his wife a moon's tear, i just have to ask: is that a thing that normally happens? does the moon always just... cry onto the surface of the planet? what???

i love their banners and streamers and their happy music and their busy bustling lives and it's so good

what the fuck kind of ink does the banker use that remains indelible even as time itself unwinds

yikes i want to stop and just look at everything but the first sunset is already closing in and i haven't done anything

I FORGOT HOW NERVE-WRACKING THIS GAME IS BEFORE YOU CAN SLOW TIME DOWN

i... just found a lottery shop in clock town. i literally never knew this was here. how have i missed it all these years.

NIGHT OF

THE FIRST DAY

60 HOURS REMAIN

how is time passing so fast aaaaaaa

clocktown is such a nice place, they have a whole section of town set aside for a public park with a playground and gardens and everything ;___;

okay so the  great fairies though

remember what i was saying about how this game is actually very heavily voiced for being an ostensibly unvoiced game? everyone sighs, grunts, yells, hmms? and so on. and sometimes you'll catch almost a word.

except for the great fairy, it just sounds like she's squeaking "PLEASE ME" which is. an uncomfortable request. at the best of times.

but especially when i am in the form of a young potted plant.

idk what that was supposed to sound like but the midi-ified file is NOT GREAT, nintendo.

members-only late night milk bar... aw yeah please spike my milkshake, that is a great idea and i love it

(i'm not joking i love spiked milkshakes)

(also i love the milk bar and all the scenes that take place in there, especially on the last night, when you can just have very quiet calm conversations with people doing their best to be calm in the face of their unavoidable deaths)

DAWN OF

THE SECOND DAY

48 HOURS REMAIN

oh no oh no oh no WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IN THE FIRST GO-ROUND

oh right i have literally two tasks

phew

i forgot to go into the stock pot inn on the first day, and i missed seeing kafei at the mailbox, so i am THIRSTY for EVERYONE'S FAVORITE CANONICAL FIANCEES

seriously, another weird but lovely choice on the part of the developers when they were ganking oot character models for this game. "who's a potential spooky villain? how about that one merchant guy? sure! and for an attractive bride-type character, what are our options? hmmm... how about the cuccoo lady with all the allergies? it's perfect"

i love not just anju and kafei but everything involved in their storyline - how kafei's friendship with the curiosity shop manager saved him, how anju's best friend is cremia on the ranch and they talk about their lives and how cremia will save her life (if she can), how you can spend actual in-game hours just sitting with anju's ancient senile grandmother hearing her stories as she thinks she is telling them to her long-dead son, how anju's mom will quietly not like kafei and kafei's mom will love and worry about him on a serious level very unlike her public persona... it's all so very real and human and i love it so

also heck the whole cast of characters staying in the inn

AH THERE SHE IS

THE BRIDE

anju i'm going to fix this ;___;

hello guardsmen if you are concerned about the state of today's youth maybe you should talk to THE BOMBER GANG i'm just saying

people who have played the more recent loz games, is the trend of "horrible underaged gangs of roving thugs" still a thing? or are mm and ww the only two games where they inflicted that on the player?

NIGHT OF

THE SECOND DAY

36 HOURS REMAIN

i'm sweating, i am just trying to find the bomber gang so i can get into the observatory so i can get the moon's tear so i can get the flower launch pad so i can get to the top of the clock tower and not die in a fiery inferno as gravitational forces rip the world apart

is that so much to ask

THERE'S THE LITTLE RUGRAT

COME HERE SO I CAN PUMMEL YOU

i refuse to feel bad about spin-kicking this child in the face because 1) i am technically also a child, in any body they put me in and 2) they are super racist if you talk to them while you are still a deku scrub! VERY RUDE

heck they let fergus over there man the door and he is still in diapers

gonna fill their hideout with encouraging tracts and stuff helping them grow into better people

so, fun fact

i remember many things about this game

but not that there is a skulltula in the waterway leading to the observatory

that was an unpleasant surprise

you probably could have heard me yell from three states away

(also, nothing has attacked you yet in the game (that actually does damage, and is not part of the story) so it's a little wake-up call: hey, don't forget to use Tatl to scout ahead, don't forget that you have a shield

also just

don't

be a moron

anyway

i was about to ask who the dickens put balloons with majora's mask on them all over the place - it's a weird choice, since no one... knows... what's going on? but technically, so far, all of the balloons are being interacted with by the bombers, or in places where the bombers go, and skull kid was, however briefly, a member of the bombers' secret society for justice (AND ALSO RACISM) so actually it makes more sense than i expected

when you first walk into the basement of the observatory and... the music changes... and there's a chicken??? it is what i assume being high is like.

DAWN OF

THE FINAL DAY

24 HOURS REMAIN

plays just as i lunge for the moon's tear

okay i've got this, i can stop fretting, the while last day can just be me looking around at stuff and being sad because i can't help anybody

yet

DON'T WORRY PEOPLE I WILL SAVE YOU

EVENTUALLY

IN A DIFFERENT LIFE

YOU'RE DEFINITELY BONED IN THIS ONE

SORRY ABOUT THAT

BUT I'M A STUMP THAT CHEWS BUBBLE GUM RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASK VERY MUCH OF ME

I CAN'T EVEN REACH THE DOORKNOBS OF THIS TOWN SO TBH I WASN'T GOING TO BE MUCH GOOD AGAINST AN INTERSTELLAR BODY CRASHING INTO THE PLANET

a more srs thought: it was an interesting choice of curse skull kid lays on link at the start, making him into a deku scrub, and i think we can unpack some stuff there: he's drawing on his woodland roots (which link shares), he's making link into something small and largely helpless (like skull kid is, without the mask), he's... actually giving link a very similar kind of body to  his own?

i don't know what  the exact taxonomical differentiation is between deku scrubs and skull kids, but they are both wooden-bodied, whether grown or carved, they both have radiantly glowing eyes unlike most other things in the world, they both clothe themselves in bright layers of leaves... i imagine that if you sandblasted all the drama off a skull kid, you'd find something pretty similar to the lankier deku scrubs.

in that case, what he did is... he really kinda turned link into himself. but his helpless, powerless, abandoned, friendless, pre-mask self. to taunt him with all those awful feelings that skull kid himself experienced.

(mythological distinction for skull kids: they are people who got lost in the woods, and became cursed. if i'm not mistaken.)

(link is literally becoming a skull kid.)

(good times y'all!)

oh gosh the music is so frantic on the third day, and it's such a good bit of development on the design team's side: every day, clock town's music gets a little faster, a little shriller, as their time runs out

if you talk to the guards who block you in on the third day, instead of their usual "hey kiddo it's dangerous outside" they'll start saying "hey, are you alone, where is your family, are you okay, someone is probably worrying about you, please find them and get out of town as soon as you can"

fun fact: one of the things that consistently Wrecks me about this game is how the guards stand at their posts, jaws clenched, holding their fists to their hearts, as they watch their world be destroyed... because they will not abandon their duty.

seriously, every time i die.

and the cow figurines all over town that, if you hadn't noticed before, have bobbleheads, because as the earth starts shaking they do too, and it's another tiny detail that makes it all The Worst.

awkward council meeting eavesdropped on

("nothing is wrong!" is a lot less believable when the ground is literally shaking from the gravitational stresses being exerted by the falling moon, but hey, 2018)

the carpenters shouting back and forth "hey dudes i'm sorry but i'm gonna jet" "are you kidding if i stay i get a promotion"

;_______;

SO MANY RACISTS IN CLOCK TOWN, the merchant's hipster assistant will literally refuse to talk to you if you're "just" a deku scrub

meanwhile the bomb shop guy's grandmother (the one who gets robbed, if you're not paying attention, like i wasn't) is just "oh goodness you are a very small customer, please be careful in our shop of very dangerous things"

NIGHT OF

THE FINAL DAY

12 HOURS REMAIN

eeeeeeeeeeep

finally got into the milk bar (everyone's a member when the world is ending!) and madame aroma, the scary and powerful socialite, starts with a very gentle "are you okay with not fleeing? it looks like we are all going to die here in town. is anyone looking for you?"

if i had all my masks and instruments i would love to invoke that scene right now and be the band on the titanic and give her and the other customers a few minutes of... life, if not joy, and beauty, if not quite comfort.

snuck into the now-abandoned stock pot inn, as well, and... okay, i'm going to say it, i don't know wtf is going on with anju's wedding dress. is her midriff made out of ivy? why is her romantic wedding-day mask (which is a neat concept btw!) a grinning rictus? what are we saying about love in this moment???)

(also, if you have ever made the mistake of helping kafei but forgetting to tell anju to wait for him, or telling anju to wait and then not helping kafei deal with sakon... it's a shitshow, it's bad for you, it darkens your heart forever)

during the last 12 hours the guards will say "i want to help you get out of her asap, run find your folks and i will let you out, please hurry"

nooooooo ;_______;

the postman sobbing because "flee for your life" is not written on the schedule

he wrote himself a letter saying that he is doing a good job and he requests that he himself flee ;__________________; but he can't do it ;__________________________;

oh no here we go

here it comes

the clocktower

the fireworks

the moon

the six hours remaining music

HEART CLUTCH

soft wailing

ngl that sad and weary music is the best part of the entire narrative experience to me

and then skull kid's impotent fury against all that immense power

tatl to skull kid: "what if we... didn't???"

also a good and valid point: friends don't hit friends

JUST LOOK ABOVE YOU

IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE STOPPED

JUST TRY AND STOP IT

(his voice is still so horribly thin and shrill, like a child)

but one well-placed gum bubble to the face and we are BACK IN BUSINESS

the BUSINESS

of RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES

from THINGS WE CANNOT FIGHT

i like that the one time zelda appears in the game, it is such a gentle and tender scene, reminding you of the bond she MUST have had with Link, for him to have done so much, and how much trust he puts in her

(... ask me again about the Song of Endings)

("even though it was only a short time, i feel like i've known you forever")

("i believe in my heart that a day will come when i shall meet you again")

(--> all my worst most wretched tp emotions about the wolf and the shrouded lady in the tower)

the song that reminds her of herself and link is the song of time, not anything else... the song about cycles and memory and history and second chances and legends

;_________________;

WELL FUCK I GUESS I'M HAVING PRINCESS ZELDA FEELS IN THE MIDDLE OF  THE GAME IN WHICH SHE DOES NOT PLAY A ROLE

i have to play the songs in the right time, i can't just half-ass it by speeding through the buttons, idk why

("the goddess of time is watching over you" --> old old questions about who the goddess of time is, and which sage zelda was, etc)

the PLOT TWIST when you equip the ocarina and it turns into A GOSHDARN BRASS QUINTET STRAPPED TO YOUR BACK i love it

(each little snail yeah knows how to wail yeah)

tatl saying [as midna will, centuries later]: um dude i mean sir WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU, HAVE I MISJUDGED, SUDDENLY I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY MANNERS

and we are... not victorious, but reprieved!!!

i'll do better this time everyone i promise

DAWN OF

THE FIRST DAY

AGAIN...!!!

[bnrobertson1]

The Unexpected Tutelage of Cuphead

Lot of Life Knowledge in those cups. 

I am not a fan of horror movies. Sure, I almost always like them when I find myself watching them, but that usually takes a Herculean effort of an enthusiastic friend or a total lack of desire to drudge up an explanation why I don’t want to watch something called Happy Death Day 2U. The reason I don’t like them? Simple- life is terrifying enough as is, and seeing as I don’t like ruminating in fear with my precious free time, the idea of willingly being scared strikes me as preposterous.

While there are some “scary” games like the new Resident Evil*, for me the real parallel to scary movies in the video game world is difficult games. Most current video games are super user-friendly, oftentimes because the software developers want you to see the entirety of the thing they’ve spent hundreds of thousands of hours and hundreds of millions of dollars creating. In other words, they don’t want you to get pissed and bail without showing off what they spent a good chunk of their lives working on. And while I have played video games long enough to be pretty good at them (I’m not), I actually appreciate the lowering of the difficulty bar. Much like scary movies, I usually stray away from difficult games. Why? Again, simple- frustration ain’t welcome in my leisure time. I’m trying to enjoy myself, not get all red-faced and hurl hard plastic as a torrent of never-before-heard profanity gushes out of my mouth because I’m trying to defeat some recluse’s brainchild/ torture device.  

*A stone cold modern classic for the first hour alone

But, many hardcore* gamers find modern games’ user- friendliness/ forgiveness to be insulting to their cheesy-dusted core. Many of this ilk were raised in the original Nintendo-era, where difficulty was praised and games like Ninja Gaiden and Battletoads were designed to be essentially impossible to defeat, thus making it a bragging-worthy accomplishment if you could.   

*Bathe in the irony of me using a pornographic term to describe a gamer 

But, as video games started to expand their audience, many of these Capital G Gamers who loved the feeling of accomplishment that accompanied victory over insanely hard games were kind of forgotten, given “Hard” modes on otherwise easy games to satiate their thirst for difficulty, but that’s about it. After being avoided for what to them must have felt like ions, things finally began to change when games like the rebooted Ninja Gaiden and the fetishized Dark Soul franchises started catering to those who those studs who think replacing l3tt3rs with numb3rs is cool and that the best games are the ones that only those with superhuman focus and tenacity can defeat. 

Enter: Cuphead. A long-in-development indie game that looks like a gorgeously* animated WW 2-era cartoon a la Betty Boop or Woody Woodpecker yet is as difficult as finding a WiFi hotspot during the Great Depression. A simple shooter, the game does an excellent job of drawing you in with its eye-popping looks and catchy soundtrack before it intentionally overwhelms you. Because it’s you, a literal cup of coffee whose only offense is a finger-gun (seriously) and the ability to jump, fighting enemies so large their eyeballs fill the screen. To put it politely, you’re fucked.     

*And buddy, it is one seriously gorgeous game. One of the things that keeps you playing is the desire to see all of the peerless art and monster design    

Again, it’s you:

Versus (that’s you in the little red airplane- everything that’s glowing will kill you instantly, but that’s a good life lesson within itself):

Again, fucked. And that’s one of the earliest bosses. Just about everything on screen kills you, and there are no checkpoints from which you can start over. It often takes several consecutive minutes of flawless playing to even make a dent. But amongst all the gorgeous ass-kicking chaos, the game does something profound on the sly: it gives you hope.

I realize this sounds silly- hope, arguably existence’s sweetest gift, is given by a game where Asperger’s is almost a prerequisite to win? But it’s true. 

At 35, I’m at the age where I doubt that most things can or will change. Sure, shoes look different, the popularity of some philosophies surge then retract, the younger get old who in turn die, but much of life is being reminded that real human change simply does not happen. Socially awkward at 15? Probably won’t be much different at 45. Addictive personality? Better find a healthy outlet because the addictive part probably ain’t going anywhere. Planning on writing the Great American Novel? Drinking like the other millions who tried that is much more likely. Want to pick up a language in your 30s? Maybe an instrument? Good luck, those parts of your brain stopped working while you were cursing at the iPod speaker because it wasn’t playing Master of Puppets loud enough after that gin bucket incident. 

The more life’s inevitable stasis solidifies in the brain, the more harrowing it is- the more dangerous the feeling of defeat and despair become. Grand realizations and epiphanies start feeling like the stuff of fiction. Things perpetually prove pointless, because if you can’t change, what exactly is the point of existence? The one thing you know for sure that does change is our planet’s resources (they dwindle) as we march- or should I say sail- to our doom.  

“Hold it right there, Mr. Goth McDowner,” Cuphead whispers at you after about an hour of play. 

Because not being good at Cuphead is exactly what you should be once you start playing it. Failure is certain. You die all the time. Like within seconds, over and over and over. You’ve got a gnat’s chance against a windshield. Fail. Fail. Fail.  

But while Cuphead first appears to be the masochist’s wet dream, you realize that why everything still overwhelms and doom as is certain as time itself, you’re- somehow- getting better. Slowly, sure. In most instances, you’re not even sure how. It’s almost imperceptible when it isn’t imperceptible. But, sure enough, keep at it, and you will improve.

And that is the direct result of Cuphead’s design. For while it is hard- easily one of the hardest games I actually enjoyed playing- it is never cheap. The game doesn’t want to defeat you with bullshit tactics like games from the 80s. Much like the loving, hardass parents everybody probably needs, It wants you to get better, and is more than willing to kick your ass to get you there. How does it do both? By subtly encouraging you through how it is made. Getting better boils down to two things: sharpening your hand-eye coordination and muscle memory*, and recognizing patterns that start simple but become supremely sophisticated, ranging from the speed of enemies to knowing the exact positions where the 12,000 objects flying at you will miss you by a millipixel. Nothing truly random ever occurs, so you won’t have to bear the true indignity of finding meaning in a game you’ve played for dozens of hours about coffee cups cheap deaths (or cheap wins) just when you’re about to see that sweet, sweet Victory! screen. The game also does something genius when it comes to letting you know you’re progressing: Every time you lose, a timeline appears where you see how close you were to victory. 

*Sorry, A.I., but that one requires practice, which means dying. A lot. 

Plus, it’s just funny to lose to characters from the 30′s who then insult you with Vaudevillian trash talk. None of them have voices, but I like to think they all sound like the Penguin from Adam West’s Batman. 

At first this seems boisterous if not barbaric in the worst possible way- a na na nee boo boo for the Switch generation. It quickly proves to be just the thing you need to see that you are in fact making progress. Yes, it makes some of the frustrations sting a lot more (I was this close). But it also gives you hope (I was this close). It’s the first time I’ve seen such a mechanic in a game, and I will be amazed if it is the last.

Eventually, after you’ve beaten the Robot that has been giving you a headache for the better part of 10 hours, a weird feeling may hit you like it hit me: not accomplishment- although that is most certainly present- but hope. Hope that if you are willing to be persistent, you will get better. Sure, that’s not an guarantee, but one thing is for sure: you can’t improve- in this game, in life- if you quit.  Persistence is the best quality a person can have, as it is pretty much the only one they can control. Why? Because hope- the beautiful thing that makes happy people happy-  is the fruit of persistence. And the truly ingenious thing about Cuphead is that its design encourages such epiphanies. Not bad for $20. 

Does constant failure suck? Speaking as an ad writer and more generally as a person I can tell you from experience that yes it indeed does. It’s humbling. It can be crippling. It’s demoralizing. But if you’re willing to fail with both feet, you will get better. At least sometimes.  And if you don’t, just remember to not chuck your Switch in the lake.

[meru-chanx3]

Solana, Rossete, Reiner, and Soleil!

SO MANY AIFJAISCPODS TY MAKO!!! AAA

Full Name: Solana Clovehart (from 9lives)Gender and Sexuality: straight femalePronouns: she/herEthnicity/Species: a Gifted (being blessed with magic/witch)Physical appearance: reddish orange hair worn in braided pigtails, golden eyesBirthplace and Birthdate: The Capital (I still haven’t done much world building for 9lives yet pkodwjaifscd)Age: 20Guilty Pleasures: hoarding an abnormal bunch of animals she finds in the swamp near her shack in the forest as pets (toads, salamanders, tarantulas). She absolutely adores them. Phobias: she used to be afraid of heights, but she’s overcome it with the help of her sister and some broom flying lessonsWhat They Would Be Famous For: being the leader of the party who discovered the cure for the Snow White plague that was killing off the humans. She’s always been using her medicinal magic to help others, especially humans, and was scorned for her involvement with them, especially by Lionel, who had a rivalry with her sister Luna.What They Would Get Arrested For: being suspected of overthrowing the king when she and her party traced the seed of the plague back to him and his royal circle.OC You Ship Them With: Lionel Padfoot; he had previously looked down on her for devoting herself in a useless field of magic. However, after being turned by a cat by Luna as revenge for ruining Lana’s campaign to assist the humans, he comes to appreciate her when she rescues him from stray dogs. She heals him and he decides to stay by her side during her quest to find a cure. He ultimately falls for her selflessness and devotion to help those in need. OC Most Likely To Murder Them: King Medicus or his henchmen. Or even the plague. That was what killed her sister when she refused to abandon a village of infected humans.Favorite Movie/Book Genre: medical text books, history booksLeast Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: n/aTalents and/or Powers: she’s managed to use the skills she’s learned in school and alter them for medicinal use. Her magic is quite effective and convenient.Why Someone Might Love Them: her sweet nature and unrelenting drive to learn Why Someone Might Hate Them: some claim her to be a traitor to the Gifted for helping lowly humansHow They Change: Although she initially seemed undeterred by the other Gifted being hostile to her, Lionel as her cat sees her crumble and weep when she’s by herself in her shack. She wants to stay strong in order to help others, but the pressure can be crushing. By the end, she’s happy with the path she’s chosen and the friends she’s made, but Gifted and human. Why You Love Them: She’s given so much up for others and tries her best to catch up to her older twin sister.

Full Name: Rosette (from Lord Drache’s Inner Hell [fantasy/comedy])Gender and Sexuality: straight femalePronouns: she/herEthnicity/Species: humanPhysical appearance: orange-brown wavy hair in side ponytail (bun when she’s hunting or fighting), sharp green eyesBirthplace and Birthdate: Bohrenn, Chelona. August 28Age: 19Guilty Pleasures: sunsets; watching the golden sky darken into a blanket twinkling night blanket eases her and gazing at all the stars a little less lonely somehowPhobias: n/aWhat They Would Be Famous For: apprehending the demon king Drache, if only Reiner would let her turn him in as bountyWhat They Would Get Arrested For: snagging food from the open market. Huntresses gotta eat.OC You Ship Them With: Reiner as a sibling ship. He’s everyone’s little brother, really ww. She has a love-hate relationship with Drache and Soleil. They can get under her skin, but she still cares for them, although she doesn’t want them to know that.OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Drache wouldn’t last five seconds against her.Favorite Movie/Book Genre: doesn’t read muchLeast Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: ew romance. Like, romance isn’t a bad thing, but some novels just. Overdo it.Talents and/or Powers: killer knife skillsWhy Someone Might Love Them: tough and reliable, but still caringWhy Someone Might Hate Them: she can be pretty selfish and does things only if there’s some sort of benefit for her, using her pretty looks to decieve men and get what she wants. She kind of takes advantage of Reiner this way and he either doesn’t realize or doesn’t seem to mind.How They Change: She grew up in the slums and got into some dangerous, shady business in order have some food on her plate at the end of each day. Her mindset was to always be suspicious of others and fight to survive and when Reiner helped her one day, she couldn’t help but take the opportunity to latch onto him and pretend to be his friend so he could provide for her. When Reiner let Drache join their party, they butted heads a lot and he would often call her out on her bullshit. When Soleil forced his way into their group, she couldn’t stand him either because he desperately trying to win her heart. But overtime, she’s become fond of everyone and has learned to care for others instead. Why You Love Them: she’s like that one older sister who treats you like shit sometimes, but would always have your back when you’re having trouble

Full Name: Reiner (from Lord Drache)Gender and Sexuality: straight malePronouns: he/himEthnicity/Species: human Physical appearance: fluffy white hair, gentle blue eyesBirthplace and Birthdate: Cherza, Chelona. March 7Age: 16Guilty Pleasures: playing in rivers and the rain, although he catches colds easily, poor childPhobias: spiders, and just insects and bugs in generalWhat They Would Be Famous For: being the prophesied hero of ChelonaWhat They Would Get Arrested For: being too pureOC You Ship Them With: Drache falls for his sweetness, which causes him to shed his rough skin and become a kinder person. OC Most Likely To Murder Them: because of his insane luck, no enemy can touch him. He tries to avoid fights as much as he can because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone anyways.Favorite Movie/Book Genre: adventureLeast Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: n/aTalents and/or Powers: apparently, he fits the hero of the prophecy and is blessed with insane luck and power. He’s easily able to get through nearly any situation and barely has to try. Why Someone Might Love Them: he’s compassionate and always stands up for justiceWhy Someone Might Hate Them: his flaws are that he can be really naive and doesn’t know what’s happening of what he’s doing half of the time. How They Change: Reiner had initially been pretty naive and let people get away with anything if they came up with good reasons or unless they were blatantly acting out of evil. Thus, Rosette was able to slip under his bad guy radar and leeched off his wealth and luck. However, after showing mercy to Drache and befriending the pathetic demon king, he’s learned from him how to be more careful. Why You Love Them: he’s just. a really pure boy. And Drache is always afraid Soleil might taint him and Rosette might lead him down a path of violence and he just wants to protect his innocence ww

Full Name: Soleil (from Lord Drache)Gender and Sexuality: agender (technically since he’s a hermaphrodite, although he’s cool with being referred to as a dude) and bisexualPronouns: he/himEthnicity/Species: angelPhysical appearance: straw blond hair that falls around his neck like a thin mane (Kaoru from Enstars), energetic lavender eyesBirthplace and Birthdate: was kicked out of Heaven on June 9 Age: appears to be in his early 20sGuilty Pleasures: Flowers. He’s studied floriography and can gather the most beautiful, meaningful bouquets, but they don’t do him any good when ever woman or man refuses him for being too pushy.Phobias: large bodies of water. For some reason, he has a crushing fear of drowning. Maybe because Lune picked the ocean as the place to dump him from the sky. Drache, Reiner, and Rosette encounter him by saving him from sinking to the bottom.What They Would Be Famous For: banished for lusting for human loveWhat They Would Get Arrested For: excessive flirting and borderline sexual harassment qo[wpfkejids you fail at being an angel, you filthy sinner. How is Drache a more decent character.OC You Ship Them With: I would ship him with Rosette but she wouldn’t like it at allOC Most Likely To Murder Them: Rosette. Or Drache. Whoever he manages to tick off more.Favorite Movie/Book Genre: romanceLeast Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: sad endingsTalents and/or Powers: healing powers and flight (although it takes him ages to learn how to fly. He never really used his wings much in the past). He also used to have light magic, but that was taken away from him by his supervisor Lune as part of his punishment.Why Someone Might Love Them: it pains him to see people alone and he can be good company and hears people out (he fell in love with Rosette from heaven because he saw how lonely she was living on her own before she met Reiner)Why Someone Might Hate Them: sometimes, he doesn’t know when to shut up or restrain himselfHow They Change: Initially, Sol comes off as annoying, frivolous, and clingy, but as he learns about how difficult life can be and how complex humans are, he becomes more considerate and respectful. It hurt him that Rose rejected him even though he was banished for trying to pursue her, but he eventually accepts just being friends with her. Instead of lounging around,  like he used to, Sol now contributes what he can to his party and becomes more responsible, as Reiner looks up to him and Drache as older brothers.Why You Love Them: despite being kind of a perv, he actually is really caring and has a lot of love to give. He just wishes others would love him back.

I still need to make proper pages for 9lives, Lord Drache’s Inner Hell, Heartstrings, and Haunted orz. But I think I’ll do that when I have at least one portrait to attach to each main character;;