#yeah they're generic at best and bad at worst but. i liked them and through them i discovered other bands.

[6okuto]

Can I ask for headcanons about the LIs from Touchstarved and how they would deal with the MC who is suffering from menstrual cramps? Unfortunately, I'm in those days, I always get very sensitive and I can't eat anything (sometimes I even feel nauseous and vomit).

Sorry about my English

TS CAST WITH AN MC ON THEIR PERIOD

gn!mc | aaaghh i hope u feel better soon/now anon that sounds awful :(

ALL

i want you to know (partially because i don't want the notes to be repetitive) none of them would mind cleaning up any vomit, stains, etc. when they happen. literally none of them!! they've all seen worse, had worse happen, and care about mc. of course they'll take the time to clean up, change sheets, rub their back (and hold back any hair) as they hover over the toilet etc.

the others would ask kuras to check on mc if the symptoms are super serious and it could be some underlying condition. vere. ....mc is important enough to get kuras bro trust me. one of the others might recommend it if not him bdjhgbd

KURAS

! Finally a doctor that won't invalidate your experiences or just send you home! kuras would take their symptoms seriously and prescribe medication, etc as needed (i don't know how advanced they are surgery wise but if it was safe and possible...!)

he offers to let them stay at the clinic with him, but they both know he'd prefer they did assuming it isn't too difficult to set up

...methodical? when it comes to checking on mc, especially when they're suffering the worst of their symptoms! even when it seems like he's super busy and doesn't have time, he makes time.

he's good staying calm at signs of pain, strong emotions, etc., but it's a little different because mc isn't Just a patient. sometimes he can't help his worried expression when mc is in obvious pain, and he wouldn't buy tea for just anybody now would he! or let them pull him to the bedside and chat to distract them, comply when asked to hold his hand over their stomach, etc.

food wise.... he learns mc's favourites quickly, at least what they can stomach. best soup flavours, best drinks, soft foods... plus the nearest places he can run to. mc can be like Kuras It's literally 10 minutes away but he's like.. What kind of doctor would i be if i let my patient leave in this state. Can you lie back down now?

when they're home, kuras is freer to spend time with mc if they'd like! if mc says he has to cuddle because they're in pain, he can slip into bed with them. (he might be a little awkward the first couple of times because, well, cuddling isn't a usual treatment he offers to patients is it? and i don't think he's cuddled a lot in general, but he gets the hang of it!)

LEANDER

the wet wick isn't really where you want to be when you're dealing with cramps, nausea and anything else. so when mc mentions that they'll probably be dealing with their period soon and they tell him how bad it can get, leander makes sure to find a more comfortable place, even if it's just for a while. (or you know. maybe they live together somewhere else already and that'd just be very lovely and convenient !)

if there's any Magic Treatments he can do himself to soothe their pain, do some magic equivalent of a heating pad, etc. leander will absolutely use them! though he might make a joke like, Is the spell as good as me though? and when mc is like you know what? yeah. he's like :( / oh i see how it is...after everything we've been through /joking

i don't care if he doesn't like naps he will nap with mc if they ask. He Will. even if he doesn't stay the whole time, he'll at least rub their back and wait for them to fall asleep.

at their beck and call while he's around!! they need help getting to the washroom? he's there to help. they want a little snack? he's bought some! they ask him to run a hot bath? do they want him to help them wash because he will! their heated towels aren't hot enough anymore? no need to get up, leander's already on his way. they want to cuddle with him? What kind of guy would he be to say no?

if mc is more sensitive and their emotions are kind of all over the place, it probably surprises leander the most LOL. like everyone's caught off guard and worried walking in on them crying, but leander is most visibly like wait shit what happened? what's wrong? are you okay? did someone do something? because he's done everything he can to make sure they're comfortable like woah!!😭

VERE

do you guys know if vere's job is a 9 to 5 deal... well. while he's on the job, trust me when i tell you he's thinking of mc more often than he'd like to admit. he wishes he could check on them himself, but if he can't, he'll ask one of the others to. you'd think ais considering ais is the only one vere likes, but depending on what you need, he'll have to suck it up and ask. leander maybe?

yeah okay he'll rest his tail over your stomach and let you play with it now stop giving him puppy eyes and asking /lighthearted /silly. he'd appreciate it if you didn't squeeze very tight, like please hold onto something else besides his tail. but staying near you and getting that something isn't at all an issue for him!

if they want to cuddle Vere and not just his tail, he pretends he's Relenting and Allowing it, but he does enjoy it! (you can tell by the smile on his face and the way he shifts the pillows and blanket to make sure they're both comfortable for the foreseeable future.) he lets them rest their head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat, and he wraps his tail around just for extra warmth.

tones down his provocations and attitude when he realizes mc's state, and his more serious side comes out. if mc is confused/surprised by this, he rolls his eyes before carrying on to tell them to stay hydrated, and which places have the best teas/warm drinks. (he knows the owner of the one on the corner two streets down, and he's sure they'll lower the price for you.)

stubborn mc who ignores vere telling them they should stay in bed, or trying to help them there. vere who watches patiently as they're obviously in pain, until they give in and look at him. vere who, just once because he's vere, is like oh? what happened to not needing help? before mc tells him to shut up and he wraps an arm around them

AIS

makes sure they're drinking enough water and eating what they can despite his teasing. says shit like "okay, if you drink enough water i'll buy you some sweets" "think of how disappointed princess will be to find out you're pushing yourself" etc etc. of course when he's especially worried about them not eating, he'll take a more serious tone, but it's what he can do to keep their mood up.

even though exercising while you're cramping and bleeding often sounds. Miserable and Impossible. exercising regularly can help when the time comes! ais offers to join them on a couple walks a week :-) if mc thinks that they can do some light exercise, he'll be there to help them and suggest some easier workouts they can do. i don't think he's a huge yoga person, but he's got some stretches for sure!

guy who goes to buy some things and comes with more than mc expected or listed. he shrugs and says it's better to be prepared, and he was there so why not? he even asked some of the clerks for their opinion and was told some nice advice from a stranger who overheard him and who's he to say no.

might be below leander in terms of cuddling enthusiasm, but is still more comfortable than the others! he'll wrap himself around them, keeping a light pressure on their stomach and rubbing circles against their skin. he never complains about quietly staying and watching them, or talking if mc asks him to distract them. (they wonder how many of his stories take place in a bar. Have you never had a fun experience perhaps at a festival or park? he feigns offense before telling a 'nicer' story anyway.)

more modern au than TS but. i don't know if you guys saw that video where they asked their boyfriend to get pads with wings and he bought. pads and chicken wings. i'm crying soo bad like ais would do that as a joke. he'd take the wings out first then show mc he did, in fact, get pads with wings after they stare at him like ???? BEJHSBGJHB

MHIN

the first time it happens? they spot mc obviously in pain and watch them for a while because, well, that isn't their problem is it? they're just watching because they're curious, not because they really care. inevitably, they go up to check on them and bring them somewhere more comfortable because it was "hard to watch"

 it's like... mhin knows what to do, but there's hesitancy because they feel awkward About Offering. do they just hand mc the warm towel? do they ask them to roll over? if they ask what mc wants to drink, will they have the ingredients for it? they leave a bowl by the bed and say "in case you vomit" then hesitate before telling them where the washroom is, but the bowl is just in case. the others are more comfortable asking and taking initiative when it comes to mc y'know. but once they've established a relationship, mhin is quick to know what they like and need without mc even asking! ^^

"mhin" "hm?" "i think i'm dying" "you aren't dying" "i'm going to die" "don't die on my favourite blanket" "what the hell" (/lighthearted) (they do in fact care very much and feel bad. if mc wasn't busy suffering maybe they'd have noticed mhin preparing tea and a hot pack across the room.)

doesn't even try to entertain the thought of mc getting up and doing something strenuous. mhin shoots them a look like ? are you kidding. stay here and i'll take care of it. they won't force mc to stay in bed and assumes they know their limits, but that also means if mc pushes themself too much, mhin is all the more 'annoyed' (concerned!! they're concerned more than Angry, but can you please listen to them for once!)

omfg mhin bringing mc to a place where stray cats like to visit just to cheer them up a little. mhin handing them some food to hold out in their hand. there's a specific cat who really likes to purr and cuddle that they get the attention of just for mc. yeah.

[biggie-chcese]

ranking rain code lets plays on how much i enjoy/would recommend them

hi did you know i am incredibly autistic about this game and have watched, in full, several lets plays of it? and im still going? haha yeah im normal. anyway here goes... all lets plays ive watched from best to worst:

#1 Highest recommendation: JustOneGamr. ESPECIALLY for people who are going in blind. im so serious. it's the best way to experience as much of the game as possible without playing it yourself. They go through all of the content, side quests, gumshoe gabs, profiles, DLC, and even most of the flavor text. it's also a no commentary run, which i personally see as a massive boon because they aren't influencing your opinions of the game

#2: Pixel Partners. they've got real good vibes and they actually do the side quests. it's also fun to listen to their theories and see their reactions. they're one of the few who dont spend their time complaining and give more valid constructive criticisms than others. they also have the funniest reaction to the chapter 5 reveal

#3: JohnAwesome. his humor sometimes isn't particularly for me but boy is his lets play enjoyable. also has lots of positive vibes and is generally pretty entertaining. i dont remember if he does side quests but im pretty sure he does. he will easily make chapter 4 even more gut wrenching thanks to a very specific kind of incompetence on his part, which in hindsight is really funny

#4: NyanCave. they're pretty fun and also have great vibes! i like their chemistry a lot. they have some pretty good theories and good jokes, but they will spend a lot of time on responding to chat donations. this is fine like get that bag kings but if you're impatient like me it might get annoying after a while lol. it's especially bad in chapter 5, where the tension dies because of their waifu fight donations

#5: NicoB. I was never really a NicoB fan because he's a bit too loud and high energy for me, but his rain code lets play is still pretty good! he seems to have fun playing the game and even has a few good jokes. i think he does the side quests which is a plus but i could be misremembering. i still quote "and now back to yuma crackhead" to this day so there's that

#6: Faz Faz. This another no commentary run but for people who are in a rush. they go through the game as quickly as possible. frankly, i think these kinds of lets plays are not as good as the ones that go through the sidequests, but hey, it's there if you just want the main plot and gumshoe gabs

#7: Save Data. I don't recommend this one to people experiencing rain code for the first time because they will talk over the cutscenes and dialogue and that will get annoying. they also complain quite a bit about the same things over and over which can also get tiresome (im sorry guys i do Not care about graphics as much as you do). however, they're really funny and it's good for a second or third experience of the game. "this city..." is a highly prevalent vocal stim for me thanks to them. they will shit on on the game often though, so if you really love rain code and dont want to hear that, then avoid this one lol. but you do get to see my art at the end of their vids! that's pretty cool!

#8: Rat Attack. i straight up don't recommend this one. it's easily the worst one i've seen and that's sad because i really love their pngtuber avatars. they're not finished with the game yet and that's probably because they spend so much time ranting and yapping about everything else, or just concocting the most baffling theories known to man and spending wayyy too much time on them. you will also hear a lot of unfunny halara gender jokes sorry. sometimes they are funny in other ways but it's honestly not worth it unless you're like me and keep watching out of obsession for the game.

that's all the ones ive watched in full (so far)! here's a couple others i haven't seen in full but have seen small parts of:

Weeby Newz - she's got some fun reactions from what ive seen and is pretty funny too. i have only really watched her play chapters 4 and 5 though, so i cant give a full opinion. i dont care for yakou fathero as a concept though and she seems pretty heavy on that, but if you like that you may enjoy her let's play. i may go back and finish it soon!

CurtStreamy - genuinely very funny from what ive seen though in chapter 5 his whole crew has a pretty fundamental misunderstanding of makoto's character, which can be a little irritating. either way, most of it is great but his live chat sucks. i still need to watch the rest in full to form a full opinion

CrystAAHHL - ohhh she did Not like this game lmao. she is a based makoto enjoyer though. i only watched the highlight reel though i think watching her full streams would just make me tired. i personally dont like watching lets plays if the person playing isnt having any fun

JazzyGuns - unfinished but she is really funny and has good vibes. if you can cope with her probably never finishing the game then go for it

khee chu - im still in the process of watching this one in full but it's fun so far. i will say CHECK OUT KHEE'S MERCH AND SHINIGAMI X JUNKO ART!!! THE ART IS RLY CUTE!!!!

and that's everything! there's other lesser known ones out there but im just one guy i cant watch em all despite how determined i am to do so </3 above all else i want people to get the game but like, yknow, some folks dont got $60 to spend on a game lol. anyway have fun and happy watching!

[simplyender]

You previously mentioned that Johnathon probably had a less than ideal childhood. If you are still in the mood for headcanons, would you mind sharing your thoughts on his upbringing/childhood/adolscence? The good, the bad, whatever comes to your mind. Thank you! (I wonder if he was still roommates with Quentin Beck in the movieverse)

Thank you so much for asking!!!! Sorry about taking so long to respond, work has been exhausting for me, and I really want to give my best answer, hence why I stew over asks quite a bit, lol

ANYWAY,

• Apparently, The Spot from the comics is originally from Spokane. Yeah, I'll incorporate that one in to my personal beliefs.

• He reads to me as having come from an upper-middle-ish class family.

• Only child, but his parents were frequently busy with their jobs, and when they were around, they didn't exactly have or bother to make the time for him.

• Pretty judgemental parents in general.

• Despite that, he still spent a fair amount of time trying to prove himself worthy of their attention, a difficult task with...Mixed results, mostly leaning towards failure.

• One of my friends was once like "There was definitely a time where he wanted to show them something he made and got snapped at for bothering them.", and yeah I totally agree with that.

• Over time he became more reclusive, spent more time in his room than anywhere else. He preferred reading, learning to code, and working on his own little projects over socializing, something he wasn't all too skilled at. It wasn't like there was much to socialize with at home, anyways, considering he would either be ignored or treated like a nuisance a solid 90% of the time.

• This was a double edged sword, though, since he'd also been yelled at for "being in his room all the time" a few times.

• Was used as a scapegoat quite often.

• After a certain point he moved on to trying to get his validation through other means. High grades, impressive science projects, plans to become a scientist and making the biggest damn breakthrough ever seen, do something that will change the world forever. Because then nobody could ignore him or treat him like he's less if he managed that.

• But obviously they're not the worst in his mind because they helped pay for college, so,,,,,,

edit: actually thought about this some more and he probably got a scholarship. oops lol idk high academics.

• Saw the 1933 Invisible man at a young age and absolutely loved it, he spent a short period of time trying to figure out how to make himself invisible, and kind of wished that dr. Jack Griffin was his real dad and that also maybe he'd kill his parents, healthy and not worrying thoughts from a probably 8 year old. It's been around 25+ years since then, but he'd still get seriously embarrassed if somebody brought up his old attempts.

• Had a massive growth spurt in his early teenage years, which automatically put a target on his back for even more bullying.

• Started experimenting with his fashion and putting some more work in to his appearance close to the end of high school. Still sucked at keeping up with haircuts and remembering to shave, though.

• Was probably at his peak in college, honestly. Nicest place he's been in. Least bullying he's experienced. He even made a friend or two!

• IMO he was totally roommates with Quentin in this universe too, they were on different tracks, but all in all, they got along pretty well! John was happy to help him with with whatever he was working on, although, John mostly kept his personal stuff to himself (still appreciated the extra hand with carrying things...), or at least tried to. Whether he was listened to or not is another matter entirely. When they collaborated, they were a real dream team. Unfortunately, they kinda fell out of contact after college, so it was a pretty big surprise to John when Mysterio got caught and it was released that his old college roommate had become a supervillain.

....Which only further entrench him in the "I'm meant to be Spider-Man's nemesis" mindset, by the way.

[theinstagrahame]

It's been like 2 weeks? But I think the hiccup we had with the local Post Office kind of benefitted my collection here. That and a sale at Exalted Funeral...

Here's what's arrived in the last little bit:

The Slow Knife: I like Mousehole Press in general, but the pitch for this one in particular sticks out to me. You're a cabal of evil people who have deeply wronged someone, and they're coming for revenge. One by one, they kill each of you until their wrath is sated. I'm honestly always a little iffy on playing "Evil" characters, but this seems like a really neat way to tackle it.

Koriko: Also from Mousehole, this is meant to be a solo game in the vein of Kiki's Delivery Service and other quiet coming-of-age kinds of stories. It's also an absolutely beautiful book (and it came with the most adorable fat wizard cat patch...)

Star Crossed & Love Letters: I've heard stories and APs of Star Crossed, but never played it. Then there was an expansion coming, and it seemed like the right time to get myself a copy. The box is huge, I assume so I can store a Falling Tower game inside? I also often think about the creator, Alex Roberts, saying that the awards for this game have been nice, but that a couple who broke a chair after playing it is the real reward...

I Have the High Ground: I initially got this game from its crowdfund run after listening to the Party of One episode, but I spaced when it shipped and had it sent to my old Boston apartment. I never went back for it, but it was offered as a bonus on the Star Crossed expansion, so I decided it was time. (Also, there's a great Party of One episode that's a Star Crossed X IHTHG crossover, which is extremely worth checking out)

The Wildsea & The Wildsea - Storm and Root: I'd missed the original game, but the expansion caught my eye. The art and the vibe are weird and fun, but it's loosely a FitD engine under there. I skimmed through the Quickstart, and it felt really gripping. Weird guys sailing weird boats on the trees of a weird Earth future. The forest as a sea metaphor? I'm intrigued.

Nest: Spencer Campbell makes bangers. This is a long-time opinion of this blog, so Nest was a quick pick-up. It's set in his Destiny-like (I think?) Nova-verse, but it follows the bad guys. It's got Heist-y vibes, and I really like the idea of fleshing out the "Evil" team. It's too easy to assume the bad guys aren't people, and humanizing them does a lot.

Dusk, Vol1: Spencer Campbell makes Bange--oh, right. Already established. But still! Also a Nova-verse book, and one that I sorta missed. If I've read the pitch, it's about community within the Nova universe, and I like that that's a focus. People coming together to build communities is a theme I really enjoy, and when the sun explodes (yeah, that's what the Nova in Nova-verse means), I think we'll need people more than ever.

Eco Mofos: I really loved the universe created in Lost Eons, and this promised to be a loose prequel. It's a "weird-hope" game, which is loosely a description of why I love post-apocalyptic fiction. The idea that even in the worst possible outcome for the world (y'know, it ending), people come together to protect and help each other. That's what makes apocalyptica appealing.

Monster of the Week - Codex of Worlds Apocrypha: MotW is a well-established and really nicely designed game. I think I've only ever played it, but I honestly feel comfortable running it, because I've listened to so many APs and read so many of the materials. Apocrypha was the stretch goal collection for the Codex of Worlds expansion, which itself put a little of the best bits from FitD into the PbtA classic.

FIST: I backed the Kickstarter edition, but this was in Exalted Funeral's damaged section (I think for a slight creas on the cover?), so I wanted to grab it and see what the hype was about. Paranormal Mercenary action, is the game. I've heard nothing but good things, so it was an easy investment for me.

Haunted Almanac: Nate Treme is a name I've heard around the scene for a while, but hadn't really checked out until recently. In part because of the RTFM podcast episode about Tunnel Goons, which is included in this book. I don't want to admit that I'll just get anything that Max and Aaron tell me to get, but like... this book is great.

The Last Caravan: Backed this at the height of my FitD interest, and I'm really curious to see what's inside. Survivors of an alien attack in the titular caravan, traveling to survive and maybe fight back a little? Yeah. That sounds dope.

All Growed Up: Another EF impulse purchase, but partly because Reilly Qyote is a designer I've had really lovely interactions with and respect a lot. I hacked their game Cast Away into a Subnautica-themed survival crafting RPG. Kids playing as grown-ups seemed cute, so I wanted to check it out.

Heroes of Cerulea: I stumbled on this by accident back when I had some extra cash to spend, and it was 100% up my alley. The original Legend of Zelda is such a formative game for me that the nostalgia alone made me pick it up. It uses D4 and the pixel art throughout is impeccable. It feels a lot like skimming the manual of the original NES and SNES titles.

Details of Our Escape: Possible Worlds Games is one of those design outfits that's gotten the benefit of the doubt from me, so I had to pick this one up. Weird, artistic, and a neat backstory: It started asart pieces swapped by the artists, and later attached to a game by Tyler Crumrine. I think it's got heist energy, but I'm not sure so I'm curious to find out!

GoGoGolf!: An impulse add-on for the Details of Our Escape campaign, which looks like it's got that weird energy of some recent multiplayer golf games. I'm sold, and I'm checking it out.

Secutors of the Soundstage Sphere (for Troika!): This was a freebie for the recent EF sale, so I grabbed it. It's not really in my usual interests, but Free.99 is a great price!

Two Summers & Other Summers: I like games about people growing up, I'm realizing about myself. On a personal level, the idea that people can become different people, but remain the same intrigues me. Two Summers is about that, and I think Other Summers makes it weirder. So, excited to dive in.

[bainofjustice]

Kitty's Notes On Episode 2 Of The Payday Web Series

It is really funny to me that they made a “previously on” part for a web show and to recap a episode that clocks in at 6 minutes 

It's funny that Dallas & Houston have time for a very small argument. Also helps set up the insane amount of tension the web show portrays them having

The editing/camrea is so choppy like this isn't a review but omg I had to write that down

Okay it looks like Wolf keeps zip ties on his belt, makes sense both for the game stuff of tying up civis and also is probably helpful for his mechines

Chains and Houston demask INSIDE A FUCKING VAULT post running out of ammo and while they do tell the civis present to not look this is just such a bad idea especially because the vault is basically surrounded by cops 

But also the bromance between Houston & Chains is real, like they're in a bad situation and they plan it out

Also it seems like Dallas and Wolf are the main movers of goods within this heist, I'm not sure they're the best picks but with the limits the gang had at the time I suppose they aren't the worst, it just feels like in general the plan doesn't cater to the real talents of the gang. Which tbh is probably because the web show is meant to be a ad, so they wanted more action which required mostly gun fights and they didn't do fight scenes in a intelligental way 

Also I just realized for some reason Chains is using a damn hand gun meanwhile it's Houston with a assault rifle, which really doesn't seem catered to their skills

I just remembered a little later after writing the above that Chains mentioned being out of ammo for his own assault rifle so not as bad as I thought, still wonder why they didn't switch at any point, like it worked out but yeah

One thing I do like about the action scenes is that the gang uses more than juet guns and use melee attacks as well

Houston is able to flat out flip a guy over and steal his gun, I feel pretty confident in saying Houston has probably taken some hand to hand combat lessons.

Also it appears that both Dallas and Wolf are using assault rifles which makes sense given their roles in the heist.

WE GOT A WILHELM SCREAM!!!

In better lighting it seems Wolf actually has a shotgun which is even better for him actually 

We see the escape driver when Dallas and Wolf are ambushed at the escape van, he appears to be at most middle age, white, brown hair, slightly fatter build and wears a black hoodie with a band or event tee-shirt under the hoodie, grabbing a pic to see if I can locate the shirt later.

We see several of Vlad's men during the ambush including who we later learn seems to be his right hand / personal bodyguard

Vlad's intro is so funny to me, like he holds the gang at gunpoint and stalls their escape and this actually manages to end with him getting the gang to work with him, like I am sure that Bain or Vlad carefully planned this part but it could have easily gone wrong if for example Wolf shoot someone without thinking it through, or if a officer managed to follow them to the van, especially since everyone unmasks!

Houston Vc: Do you know these guys?.    Dallas, who is being held at gunpoint vc: does it look like I know these guys?

1. Vlad decides to shout “Bain” while explaining he is a ally, 2. He calls Bain in this instance “Mr Bain” which I find to be a fun detail of characterization and also to how at the time the only people sorta comfortable enough around Bain to be confident when saying his name and such is the core members of the Payday gan

Ah and then Dallas has to go back uncover which requires faking a injury, which he lets Houston do the honors of punching him, only adding to the family feud they seem to have in the web series. Also this one punch is enough to knock Dallas to the ground.

Also funnily Dallas or should I say, “Nathen Steele” is the one to call in the first world bank heist

Bain vapes! We see him vape, we also hear him in game talk about smoking cigars, so either he does both or in my opinion more likely he lies about the details of his smoking habits even to the gang.

We can see that Bain wears a leather jacket with a design on the back & front when in his lair, the design most looks like fire to me but it's very dark, I would love to someday see some behind the scenes footage or something with the costume.

[roachliquid]

In order to understand Lovecraft's take on cosmic horror (I say "take" like he didn't pioneer the genre, lol) it is necessary to know something about the culture he grew up in - that of old-money East Coast white people.

You know how annoying wealthy people are now? Yeah, it's basically always been that way, and coupled with the deluge of ridiculous ideas spawned from the Victorian era these were some of the most unbearably arrogant people on earth.

We colonized a bunch of people? Well, that was our right, because we're so much better than they are and deserve to hold all the power.

We have wealth where others have none? Well, that's our right, because we're so much better than they are and deserve to hold all the power.

We abuse our wealth to mistreat others while shielding ourselves from many of life's discomforts? Well, that's our right, because etc.

Which is to say, people of means (and especially generational wealth) were exactly as annoying as they are today. And Lovecraft, being raised in that culture (though he was never himself as ludicrously affluent as his forbearers), internalized so much of this bullshit. He personally believed, for over the first 20 years of his life, that he was simply born better than most people, and that it was only fair that life should naturally come easier to him as a result.

Of course, money can't protect you from everything, and Lovecraft genuinely went through some shit in his youth, which might explain why he became somewhat disillusioned with this idea. He still believed it should work that way, but it clearly didn't, and he found those who still believed otherwise to be unbearably naive and optimistic. In Lovecraft's world, security was a fleeting illusion, and superiority an empty promise. In the end, the forces that we have tried so desperately to shield ourselves from will find their way back to us, and the only way to maintain peace of mind is to be blithely ignorant of our own inevitable fate.

Which is to say, I find it a bit odd when people say that the core of Lovecraftian horror is that bad things are coming and nothing can stop them. The core of Lovecraftian horror is that power and safety are fleeting. Lovecraft's stories aren't often about bad things happening to everyone with equal measure; typically, they're about bad things happening to people like him, shattering the illusions they have of their place in the universe.

When other types of characters exist, they are usually incidental at best, or the very cause of the danger at worst. And when we repurpose his ideas to tell stories about characters who aren't arrogantly bigoted fuckheads, it's downright silly to expect that we force them into the same exact type of suffering that Lovecraft put his characters through - when you are already acquainted with the realities of the universe's indifference, you're simply not going to have the same kind of experience as someone who was so blithely sheltered. You might even decide to take up your arms and fight back against the darkness.

And hell, since you actually have half a clue how to stay alive in a world that hates you, you might even make it.

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Genfic!

Happy Singles Awareness Day to all my single pringles out there! Enjoy the half-price leftover chocolate, you deserve to treat yourself. And while you do, please enjoy the third community-sourced reclist, full of fics that AREN'T all about dating and love and sex and romantic happily-ever-afters (those stories are also great, but they can have the other 365 days of this leap year to be celebrated).

Please, leave a kudos, a comment, a reblog, a bookmark, whatever way you like to show your platonic love for these wonderful creators. And then, get ready for the next category -- community-suggested and community-voted!

That's The Way Love Goes by red_panda28 (8800, Not Rated, Louis Tomlinson & Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson & Niall Horan) - fic post

Liam is going through a break up. Louis remembers his own break up in the past

Reccer says: at its core it's a Larry fic, but the main focus is on Louis friendship with Liam (and Niall)

There's Nothing In Our Way That Can't Be Moved by LiveLaughLoveLarry (2770, General, None)

Based on We Made It from Walls. Louis reflects on the people who have stood by him through thick and thin, and how far they've come.

Reccer says: This fic reminds me how proud I am of Louis and everything he's fought to accomplish -- and I'm so proud to be able to support him and watch him flourish.

Pals and Confidantes by yeah_alright/uhoh-but-yeah-alright (2500, General, Niall Horan & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

Golden Girls AU - Older OT4 friends sitting around eating cheesecake and sharing their worst date stories

Reccer says: I love that it's all dialogue - written like a script. So fun and funny! Great golden girls vibes with so many fun 1d tidbits sprinkled throughout!

Virginia is for Lovers by haztobegood (1700, General, Niall Horan & Harry Styles) - fic post

Harry and Niall go hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

Reccer says: A short and sweet canon compliant fic

For One of the Least of These by LadyLondonderry (6500, General, Horan & Zayn Malik & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

The one where Harry, Liam, Niall and Zayn are witches and Louis is the fox with a curse.

Reccer says: This fic has excellent banter and hilarious hijinks as the boys try to break a magical curse

Housewives of Our Lives by homosociallyyours (500, General, Niall Horan & Zayn Malik & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson)

A Girl Direction ficlet where ot5 gets together to watch The Real Housewives of New York together. Because it's gay and they're gay and why the heck not?

Reccer says: This fic is proof there should be more girl direction ot5 friendship fics. Their dynamic in this fic is incredible!

Rising to the Occasion by LadyAJ_13 (3800, General, Niall Horan & Liam Payne & Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post

OT4 participate in the Great British Stand up to Cancer Bakeoff

Reccer says: The friendly competition of GBBO combines with the playfulness of 1D for this wholesome treat of a fic!

bad luck to talk on these rides by wordsnnotes (10430, General, Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson) - fic post Warnings: mentions of aphobia

Liam just started dating Zayn and is desperate to make a good impression on Louis, his best friend. But things are off to an awkward start.

Reccer says: The friendship that developed between them became so meaningful, and I loved the platonic love that grew between them.

A Special Bond by Neondiamond (1110, General, Harry Styles & Niall Horan) - fic post

Niall and Harry take Harry's daughter Lilah out to see the Christmas lights over London.

Reccer says: It's very cute and sweet, both Niall and Harry dote on little Lilah. The linked pictures add a neat multimedia element as well!

[quirkle2]

I was wondering if there are any rare happy ritsu moments in ur zombie au since hes always miserable I think,, like is he always miserable or is he happy/not miserable and feeling kinda good sometimes?

VWHDGDGD NO YEAH OFC HE'S HAPPY SOMETIMES im just horrible and enjoy putting him through misery

ive never been able to get a genuine smile to look right on his face in my art style either i think thats part of it. as ive said his face is just built to be mildly uncomfortable and bothered and i lean into it sm it's starting to get kinda funny

but yes ritsu is happy plenty! i think, canonically, he just seems like the type of person to me that tends to turn lemonade back into lemons. he's easy to scare and his first reaction to things is often Dread and Anxiety. he dwells on the negatives a lot and seems to be a "hope for the best, expect the worst," kinda guy, but there's a section in this post abt shigeo always loving the little things in life, and ritsu steadily learns throughout the journey on how to do that and how healing it can rly be. even if he had to grow up too fast during this whole thing and learn things a kid should never have to, the journey also gave him some good insight and lessons in other places! ritsu is smart, he figures it all out

in terms of little things here n there he's the happiest lil guy on the planet when he finds one of his favorite foods—swings his legs while he sits and munches on a kitkat bar like he's got absolutely nothin in the world to worry abt. sometimes mob does smth funny that he laughs at; for the longest time i've had this silly image in my head of mob accidentally knocking down a bucket from a store shelf and it lands on his head and he just kinda stands there and makes noises.when the noises continue out of pure curiosity about the weird echoey quality it's giving them ritsu cannot help but lose it

besides tiny things tho, when tome comes around ritsu in general is a lot happier, just cuz he has somebody to talk to that will actually respond in some way. they're sorta reluctant partners in crime at first (at least on ritsu's end) but over time and over bonding they grow to rly like each other's presence. they bicker constantly but it's almost always fond eventually, and they shove each other and playfight until mob gets antsy enough to get worked up about it. rly, tome is a godsend to ritsu's mental health—after months and months of being effectively alone with his thoughts, he finally has another person to converse with. a person His Age, too!

tome is rly good at knowing when ritsu is thinkin himself into oblivion and she's Also rly good at being the most annoying girl on the planet to yank him outta that and replace any misery with Oh My God Get Off Me You Freak. she doesn't even do this on purpose at first, but over time she learns how to tell when he's thinking too hard and, ofc, she's grown attached and she cares, so she's as obnoxious as possible to lighten the mood

when they find reigen n teru, ritsu gradually gets Much happier still. now that he knows they're safe and the gang is finally back together (and now that there's an Adult present and he can relax a lil and let himself be taken care of) his stress levels r exponentially lowered. having teru back is another instant lift to his mood—im always a big fan of teru and ritsu friendship, and i think adding tome to their dynamic simply makes it more chaotic. truly a trio of the 3 most normal teenagers in existence which will surely bring nothing but good (reigen sweats offscreen)

actually this makes me feel bad for forever torturing him im gonna go draw happy zau ritsus brb ,.,.ok imback <3

[grigori77]

Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 86

Matt: "Don't ask." Yes, probably best ...

Maps! Yay! I love maps! Oh! Czepeku! I love these guys! Nice! And now the costumes make sense. Matt: "What's happening?" Yeah ... we're with you. And now he won't say their name ... Marisha: "Say it, bitch!" LOL

A Luxon D20 with a LIQUID CORE?!!! OH MY GODS ... so cool ... O.O

Liam O'Brien delivered a truly BIZARRE Jester impression there ... cue OG turn from Laura to show us how it's really done ..

Oh yeah! Fearne's in another dimension ... so where is she?

Perception check? Nat20! Nice ... oh yes, US the portal still there? It is ... oh thank fuck ... in she goes ... and she's BACK!!!

Yeah, actually sleep sounds good. They really need it. Goodbye mist form, but still ... like they really are on the verge of exhaustion ...

BTW I am going quietly nuts over Marisha's look tonight ... it's genuinely adorable ... :3

Through the mouth? Is that an EXCUSE, Fearne? Are you being sneaky flirty?

Yes! Anchor a line with the rod. Good idea. It WOULD probably pay to check this out. Be a good retreat point if needed ...

Oh yeah, good point. Would that transfer thing be a potential beacon for Otohan?

So Imogen gets an extra Sorcery point? That is pretty cool ...

Ah yes, Chetney's tools. Affixing a piton for thd rope. Meanwhile Fearne takes the tethered Immovable Rod ... while still a leaf sheep sea slug? Not gonna work ... no, Orym takes it while she guides him through ...

Wow ... Liam STILL doesn't know zll his stats that well ... XD Messy ...

They're trying SO HARD to make Matt accidentally describe this as passing through a weird magic butthole ... XD

Travis: "Chetney's leaving to pursue his fortunes elsewhere."

Aha ... so they ARE on Exandria? Interesting ... but WHERE?

Turning into clouds while still in the water would probably be a bad idea ...

Discussing Fearne and Werewolf Chetney's "sexy time" ... yeah ...

On the shore of this strange lake ... ah yeah, Nature Check! Smart ... pine-trees ... higher altitude ... this is VERY NEW to them ... interesting ... are they on Tal'dorei, perhaps? Near Vasselheim, maybe? THAT would be interesting ...

Mist once more ... heading UP!!! So what do we see?

T-shirt shenanigans ... oh Samuel, you are playing with fire ... XD

A village! Nice ... heading down again ...

Street level! Here we go ... well into the evening ... the place seems to be abandoned ... strange ...

Dusty empty general store ... looks like it's been empty for a while ...

FCG suggests they're in an alternate dimension ... unfortunately much what I was considering ... not that I LIKE this idea any ...

Overgrown gardens ... yeah, another suspicious sign ... some of the buildings are collapsed ...

Ria'doin village ... Lake Umamu ...

It's somewhere in Marquet? Issylra, maybe? Hmmmm ...

Ashton checks out the most expensive house ... which seems to have been ransacked ... but a long time ago ...

Imogen picks up shoreline pebbles snd loose bits of wood from the town.

Grim Psychometry! Here we go ... no joy ... hmmm ...

Chetney joins Ashton, starts checking the house for hidden rooms, etc. Small compartment under the bed, but already emptied ... yup ...

Laudna finds mention of people disappearing ... a whole slew of families leaving ... no, DISAPPEARING ... rumor, conjecture ... then nothing? Weird ...

It's all very X-Files, really ...

FCG casts Speak With Animals on a local bird ... oh, he really does HATE birds, clearly ... talk about trauma ... XD

Matt Mercer ... master of creepy looks ... LOL

FCG has to mark off a Stress Point ...

People walk into the lake? Oh boy ... yeah, this place is CURSED!!! I fucking knew it!

Chetney DEFINITELY wants to sleep here now, just to see what happens ... yeah ...

Aha! Yes, is Imogen picking anything up with her telepathic abilities right now? Nothing ... hmmm ...

Deciding to sleep in the expensive place. It's serviceable fir the night, at least. Setting in ...

Oh dear ... worst time for intrusive thoughts ... XD

Examining spoils ... a Ring of Life Awareness ... whoops ... well THAT'S not a good thing at all ... does thr Ring have tracking? Crap ...

His new feat? Oh yeah, his deal with Nana Morri ... of course ... Master Craftsman! Ooooooòoooooh ... O.O

First watch, Fearne and Chetney ...

Nothing happens ...

Second, Orym and Imogen ...

Orym is attempting to communicate with Caleb Widogast ... oh fuck me it WORKS!!!

CALEB!!! THE DIRT WIZARD LIVES!!! I mean obviously WE know this already, but still ...

Imogen casts Sending to Caleb ... and it WORKS ... then tries to Send to Keyleth ... fuck, it worked AGAIN!!! Sweet!

Catamaran Reach in Issylra! Yup! They were right!

Okay, so she's gonna try snd meet up with them? That's smart ...

Awwwwwwww ... such a sweet moment for these two ... :3 Orym DESERVES a break, so he needs this.

Holy fuck, it's Jester! Oh my gods!

Yeah, she is as adorable as ever ... I love how she can just keep it up now with Unlimited Sendings ... XD

Orym tries to get through to Dorian ... gods I want this to work SO BADLY ...

No response, but he's sure he heard something OUTSIDE?!!! He thinks it might be Dorian ... oh fuck! Creepy horror movie vibes! DO NOT GO, ORYM!!!

No, Orym is just GOING TO THE DOOR ...

Laudna sends Pate to look for him ... literally CHUCKS HIM out the window ... oof ...

Yes, this is a super creepy situation and NOBODY should go ANYWHERE ... and now Ashton can hear something ...

Oh right, of course, clearly there is something IN THE LAKE that's trying to draw people in ... they need to IGNORE THIS FREAKY FEELING!!!

Hunter's Bane? Oh, smart ...

Chetney and FCG are going to investigate ... for fuck's sake ... and now more of them are going ...

Yeah, this is all going south SO FAST ...

Imogen casts Detect Thoughts ... oh shit there IS something IN the fucking lake! Great ...

Liam: "We are in Derry, Maine." Of fucking COURSE they are ...

Imogen tries to Command them all to return to the house ... it works, but not on Ashton ... CRAP!!!

Laudna sends Pate after him ...

And now the other two are going in again! Shit! And NOW Matt decides to call a fucking break? SERIOUSLY?!!!

Welcome back to SHEER FUCKING PANIC!!!

Imogen tries to hold onto Orym ... strength check? Somehow he STARTS TO BEAT HER in that, so they're now BOTH going in! Aaaaaaaah!!!

Fearne tries to Scorching Ray all of them ... but they're ALREADY underwater! Crap!

Laudna sticks her head UNDER THE WATERro try snd see boats? Hmmmm ... amazingly, there are FOUR sunken boats here! Wow ...

She PULLS ONE UP out if the water ... oh fuck she's BROUGHT IT TO FUCKING LIFE!!! And it can talk and crawl around ... bloody hell ... as is THE ROPE ATTACHED TO IT!!! She sends both to collect the others ...

FCG's going down to try and help ...

Weird underwater growth? Oh for FUCK'S SAKE it's some kind of twisted monster! Lovely!

Damn, it's COLD down here! And it's starting to have an effect on EVERYBODY down here now ...

Oh shit it's fucking HYPOTHERMIA!!! They are in DEEP SHIT right now!

Bones. Lots of bones. Yup, this is definitely NOT GOOD.

Mind Sliver? GO IMOGEN!!! 16 points of Psychic damage to this ... THING ...

Fearne bamfs out Mister ... who DOES NOT HAVE WATER BREATHING right now! Crap!

All but Ashton manage to snap out of the trance ... lovely. They are back in control but VERY MUCH lost in darkness and icy cold right now ...

Form of Dread! Undead pirate style! Sweet! And they DIVE!!! It's all gone very POTC with the crew of the Flying Dutchman ...

Dimension Door! Nice one Mister! FCG is now free ...

Laudna (pirate voice): "Arrrr! All aboard the Queen De Rolo!"

Imogen stand again, more psychic damage!

Blood Maladict! Chetney does some damage too ... it does not have blood, but he does hurt it. Now he's swimming for his life ...

Orym makes pushing attacks and succeeds ... he's got some "breathing" room ... and he sees the bones ... tries to grab a skull, but it manages to grab him again in the process! Crap ...

FCG grabs the boat's bough ... grabs his coin snd tries to Turn Undead ... BOOM!!! Unfortunately the creature manages to resist ... but LAUDNA IS EFFECTED TOO!!! Shit ... Nat19! Oh thank fuck ... she resists because "she's a dope underwater captain." XD

The rope grabs Chetney and pulls him up. Laudna: "Give yerself to the Kraken!" LOL ... He unleashes Turmoil and Blasts the beastie ... POW!!!

Marisha: "This is THE BEST SPELL and I'm so glad I took it!"

Now she's trying to frighten the thing with her Form of Dread. Travis: "You CAN intimidate this kelp!" Whoa, a fucken NAT1!!! Jeeze ...

This has become SO VERY SURREAL ...

Somehow BOATY SAVES HER LIFE ...

Shocking Grasp! Go Imogen! 12? Balls ...

Fearne tries to swim in to rescue Ashton ... that's a SHITE roll ... yeah, he is just TOTALLY obscured still ...

Orym breaks free, and now he can BARELY make Ashton out ... wait, HOW THE FUCK did he just move like that? He slashes through snd now Ashton's free ... but he just starts trying to claw his way back in again? Fuck ... Orym tries and fails to break him out again ...

Chetney swipes with Turmoil again ...

Fearne tries to snap Ashton out of it ... NO JOY, and it's BECAUSE OF THE HERO'S FEAST?!!!

FCG tries to flip the coin underwater ... and loses it! It sinks ... but then ACTIVATES!!! BOOM!! Somehow that manages to break Ashton out of the trance! Yes! He books it!

Laudna breeches the boat back to the surface!

Big boom! Everybody run! But YES!!! That's a good point! They need to stay and warn about the thing down below ...

Crap ... the bost and rope are NO LONGER alive ... they swim back to the shore ...

Well, at least they're all out again ...

Balls ... they can't send any more messages ... Chetney carves a warning on the dock. A very obscure warning ... hmmm ... oh, leave the skull for people to talk to?

Orym (spooky voice): "Dead gnomes make no toys!"

They're all so tired ... wait, they're going BACK IN?!!! Hmmm ...

They set up signs matking where yo go, then go back in ... the creature is not there at this time, so they can safely go back through thd portal ... back jn the cave, then ...

Laudna sets up for a watch ...

Orym wonders why Dorian didn't answer the stone ... oh no, don't do that to yourself, wee man.

Wow ... Laudna is having a weirdly profound existential conversation with Pate ... hmmm ...

Oh for fuck's ... DO NOT talk to Delilah, Laudna!

Disturbingly, the ruthless evil bitch is actually giving her some pretty good advice ... oh boy, and here comes the seduction, right on time ... back off, Delilah ...

Laudna: "Are you Pate?" Oh boy ... thankfully no ... oh for fuck's ... now she's SEEING HER ...

Thank the gods ... FINALLY a long rest ... morning comes ...

Oh fuck, greasy takeout sounds SO GOOD right now ... damn you, Ashton ...

Going up sounds like the smart move ... yes, as Orym's saying, "stay curious."

Leaving an arrow to follow ...

A Ring of Protection? Nice. The Tiny Tank (aka Orym) takes it ...

Laudna puts the Harness on and drains the other ring ... whoa ... she gets a permanent 2 extra HP! Sweet ...

Time to climb ...

Group Athletics Check ... great ... 2 Nat20s? Automatic success ... phew ...

FCG tries to Scry on Ira ... the connection fails ... interesting ... communications are once again buggered ... even more interesting ... seems like the Latticework is blocking the signal between worlds ...

Bane-worm? Crap ...

The tunnel just ENDS? Balls ... it's just a hard compacted collapse, no way through.

Oh yeah, can Ashton do something about this? Oh wow, he's doing it ... Ashton activates his Shard and goes all Dragonball Z again ...

Sweet, our boy is now a burrowing GOD ... that's VERY COOL ... he just powers his way STRAIGHT UP ... and surfaces headfirst into a massive dust storm ... he goes back down ... SUPERHERO LANDING!!!

Chetney ATTACKS ASHTON by chucking his chisel at him ... and HITS!!! Oof ... he just POPS IT BACK OUT and stabs it VERY DEEP INDEED into the wall ... that is VERY COOL ...

So they're going up? Okay ... he carves another diagonal tunnel for them up to the surface.

Still a storm up here, but lighter now ...

Scry balk is dark ... phew ...

Imogen tries to reach out to scan the area, Ruidusborn style ... now they have a path, but may also have broadcast their location ...

So goals ... find the Friends of the Volition ...

The Scroll? Ah crap ... read it! Put the protective magic up ... now they're theoretically undetectable ...

Imogen leaves a triggered message that can only activate if an ally passes by ... a Mind Egg? Hmmm ...

So now they're walking through the chappy dust and wind ... charming ...

A vibration in the air? Oh hell what's THIS SHIT?

EVERYTHING'S lighting up? Oh fuck ... IT'S A FLARE!!! FUCK!!!

Imogen and Fearne and now just PULSING OUT ... weird shit ...

It passes and Fearne's still glowing but Imogen's gone ... crap, she's HOVERING IN THE AIR and just SUPERCHARGED ... she snaps out of it and drifts down ...

They BOTH now have 15 temporary Hit Points? Awesome ...

Ashton is just CRUISING THROUGH THE GROUND ahead of them. Like a land shark ... O.O

Eventually he pops up and changes back ... and now he is A WRECK ... great ... TWO WHOLE POINTS OF EXHAUSTION?!!! Holy shit ...

FCG casts a 4th Level Greater Restoration to bring him back up to health again ...

Fearne turns into a direwolf and scouts on ahead.

A carved valley? Hmmm ... oh, an actual CITY ... that's Kreviris, then ...

And that's it for the night ...

Phew ... at least it's s chilled out end for once ...

[bunbeeplays]

The Lemon Legacy: Generation 1, Chapter 121 - Fretting and Regretting

It's been a few days and Ophelia has had time to process what happened between her and Drew and Moses.

Xander has been great at listening and offering reassurance, but also not allowing herself to feel as though they're trying to abandon her. Deep down, she knows he's right.

Ophelia: I guess it felt so sudden, and like they were ganging up on me… but now that I'm thinking straight, I know they'd never do that. I acted like such a brat, though, I don't think they'll forgive me.

Xander: I've done dumber shit to both of them. Trust me, they will.

Ophelia decides to give Moses a call to apologize… but it goes straight to voicemail.

Ophelia: He always picks up…

Xander: Maybe he's busy with the baby.

Ophelia: Maybe…

She's about to call Drew when she gets a call from Anna Huff of all people. Despite how much she wants to ghost her, she picks up.

Anna: Ophelia, hello!

Ophelia: Hi. What's up?

Anna: I hate to bother you but I have a favor to ask.

Anna: Our church is going on a mission trip to build homes for the needy in Selvadorada.

Ophelia: Isn't that a destination world? People don't actually live there.

Anna: Regardless, we just found out toddlers can't come for liability reasons. Could Jaden stay with your family?

After checking with Xander, Ophelia goes back to her call.

Ophelia: Sure. Jaden's always welcome here.

Anna: Bless you! Are you doing alright? You sound a little down.

Anna is the last person Ophelia wants to talk to about her life, but she isolated her two closest friends.

Ophelia: Oh, it's just some personal stuff I'm going through. I'll be fine.

Anna: Ah. I'll pray for you.

She can tell Anna doesn't mean it in a judgmental way for once.

Ophelia: Thanks. I appreciate it.

She gets the details of the day Jaden will be dropped off and hangs up.

When Xander goes to check on Lulu, Ophelia gives herself a pep talk.

Ophelia: Okay, we let our insecurities get the best of us. Your friends are allowed to pursue what they want, even if it means you're not together all the time anymore. Time to woman up and apologize.

She goes outside to clear her head, only to find-

Ophelia: Drew?

Ophelia: Hey. Look, I know it's been a few days. Moses said you might need some space but I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry about how we handled bringing the topic up. We kind of just sprung it on you.

Drew: Before you joined, playing in Hector's band was just a gig Moses got me, but then you came along and we really made something magical. I've loved every second of being in The Main Squeeze, but there's a lot of other stuff I want to do too, y'know?

Ophelia: Yeah, I get it.

Ophelia: I'm sorry for how I reacted. You're totally allowed to go after what you want. Maybe I need to shake things up too. You guys mean the world to me, and I don't know, I think I took you both wanting to leave the band as wanting to leave… me.

Drew: No way, kid. You're stuck with us for life. Instead of band practice, we can just meet up for coffee and you two can talk about your babies and what color their poop is while I do cool childless shit, like skateboard and say forbidden words.

Ophelia: Sounds like a plan.

As glad as Ophelia is to have made up with Drew, there's still someone she needs to apologize to.

Ophelia: I have to talk to Moses. I tried calling him this morning, but he didn't answer.

Drew: Weird, I couldn't reach him either. Maybe Shea drooled on his phone and it broke.

They arrive at Moses' house, hoping they've caught him at a good time. They can hear wailing all the way down by the front door, so probably not.

Drew: Moses? This a bad time? Ophelia and I-

Moses shouts at them over the screaming baby.

Moses: Thank Watcher, help me!

Ophelia's the first to reach the nursery. Moses is still in his pajamas and looks like he's gotten maybe an hour of sleep in the past 24 hours. She asks Drew to make a pot of coffee while she talks to their friend.

Ophelia: Hard day?

Moses: I'm the worst father ever.

Shea continues to sob in her crib.

Moses: I can't get her to stop crying! I've tried bloody everything! She's not hungry, she's doesn't need a change, she doesn't want to cuddle. She's going to get taken away because I can't do my damn job!

Ophelia: Moses! Breathe!

Ophelia: You're exhausted and you're at your wit's end. I get it. Let me try something while you take a minute to collect yourself.

Moses: O-Okay.

He has so much he wants to tell her but it's hard to have a serious conversation when your baby's screaming her head off.

Ophelia thinks she knows what that cry means. She takes the wailing infant in her arms.

Ophelia: Hello there, sweetie. Let's give this a shot.

She gives Shea a few firm pats on the back, and the cries cease, followed by a big burp.

Shea sighs in relief, and so do the adults in the room.

Ophelia: There we go. I bet all that gas was hurting your tummy, hmm?

Moses has never loved the sound of silence more!

Ophelia: Did all that crying wear you out? I know your papa probably needs a nap too, but let's get you settled in first.

She spins Shea into her pajamas and settles her in her crib to rest.

Moses: You're amazing! Thank you.

Ophelia: I'm level 6 parenting. You pick up on this kind of stuff.

Moses: Listen, I'm sorry about the other day. I was trying to explain and misspoke. You're a great mum. Clearly I can't talk on anyone's parenting since I'm failing at it.

Ophelia: Moses, you're not failing, you're new. You think I knew everything there was to know when Gemma was born? No way. There's still plenty I don't know… Like how to properly react to your bandmates wanting to go different directions in life.

Moses: I shouldn't have just blurted it out at a social setting. We should have had some kind of band meeting or something so you'd be in the right mindset.

Ophelia: I still shouldn't have snapped at you like I did. Can we just put this behind us?

Moses: I'd love that.

Even though all is forgiven, there's one thing they have to acknowledge.

Ophelia: So, the band… it's really over, isn't it?

Moses: Maybe not forever… But I really want to give this a fair shake… Even if it means giving up one of the best things to ever happen to me.

Ophelia tearfully embraces Moses.

Ophelia: We're not allowed to not be in each other's lives, though, okay? Drew promised, you have to too.

Moses: Of course. Don't you start crying, you'll get me crying!

Ophelia pulls away, sniffling.

Ophelia: Okay, no tears. This isn't an end, just a new beginning. Who knows what wacky hijinks I'll get up to!

Moses: I'm sure the Watcher has something amazing planned for you.

Drew has some tacos planned, from the smell of it. Dig in, gang!

And so, on their last official day as a band, Ophelia, Drew and Moses sit down and talk about their futures. Ophelia's not quite sure what hers will look like just yet, but whether they're a band or a group of friends, she knows that wherever life leads her, she won't be alone.

[n0heart]

How long do you have your nipples done? How was your experience with pain, healing and sensation in general.

Regards

i got them in april 2022.

did they hurt? fuck yeah they did, a lot. my pain tolerance with needles (tattoos/piercings) is THE WORST so that could totally be a factor, but i'm certain that if you ask anyone about their nipple piercings they'll probably tell you the same. they hurt A LOT but!!!!!!

but!!!!! the actual process of the needle going through the nipple lasts for...a minute and a half each one. not even kidding. they hurt and they hurt BAD but it's incredibly fast. if you're in good hands (like i was) then trust me, it's done in no time.

healing process mmm 🧐 the jewelry i got was titanium (i still have titanium btw but slightly larger), it's THE best material you could probably choose for any piercing, it makes the healing process way shorter and it's widely tolerated by...almost every body, even the most sensitive and/or allergic one.

i was told by my piercer that i couldn't sleep on my stomach for AT LEAST a month, which was torture lmao but they healed super fast (everything i've gotten whether that was tattoos or piercings has always healed in just a few days 😌)

by the next day my nipples were no longer IN PAIN but they were sore and i could feel the material of my clothes which was weird. i haven't worn bras in years, and the weight of my boobs did not affect the pain of the piercings at all.

i've always had super sensitive nipples and that hasn't changed, if anything i think they're more sensitive now. which i don't always love tbh. they're tender and i try not to be too rough with them because it hurts and not in a pleasurable way 🥴

all in all i'm SO HAPPY with them, i hated the way my tits looked before, but ever since i got my nips pierced i've been in love with them. they're so pretty and hot and cool and i love showing them to everyone 🥺

p.s. they never really stop HEALING. which i've learned to accept but it sucks sometimes. and i thought it was my body at first but i saw other people complain about the same soooo yeah, i gotta live with it. they crust often or randomly bleed, but it's fine i'm used to curating them for a few days when that happens lol

enjoy two pics from when i first got them

[beevean]

ooh, are we making fun of NFCV again? i wanna add to the pile re: how all the so-called "diversity" and "representation" it gets praised for goes overwhelmingly, if not entirely to the bad guys - and half of them don't even have a speaking role or even names, or at least we don't learn about them anywhere else besides the supplementary material, like in the case of drac's vampire generals (except godbrand, of course). even the two PoC good guys i can think of, zamfir and greta, aren't that great considering zamfir is portrayed as hopelessly and delusionally devoted to the deceased targoviste royalty, to the point of forsaking the wellbeing of both the underground and aboveground survivors, and then dies anyway in service of that delusion. and greta's just a last-minute newcomer to allegedly address grant's conspicuous absence that fans were complaining about from the start.

We never stop making fun of NFCV lol, there's always something new to point out 🥰

I can see how fans would respond to this that representation doesn't need to be relegated to heroes only, and you can have minority villains as long as they're not stereotyped. But yeah, the representation in NFCV is shallow at best and offensive at worst.

Most Generals in Dracula's army don't have a speaking role. Cho, the Japanese vampire who goes down in less than a minute in S2, gets a flashback after she died, because storytelling.mp4, and even then she doesn't talk. I only remember Raman's name because Carmilla says something like "there are only 4 women in this castle" nope it's just 3 of them lmao

Sumi and Taka look identical despite not being related according to Word of God, which is hysterical to me because you know they said that to divert the accusations of incest. my pal. you really think your GoT-inspired show is above twin siblings having a threesome? Also, you know, they immediately jump to rape by deception without a hint that they'd do that through all season, and then their corpses get graphically mutilated and pissed on (contrast this with the white, most likely French Lenore who gets to flirt and be cute with her victim)

Isaac is gay! How do we know that? He "jokes" out of nowhere about kissing Hector, a guy he has zero respect for. This line has no follow-up and is OOC with how serious the character is always portrayed. And that's not counting his declaration of love made to his abusive master when he was a boy.

I don't know enough about Islam to have a solid opinion on how it was treated in Isaac's case, and in a vacuum having a "complex" Muslim anti-villain is more original than usual. But I don't like how his self-flagellating habit was first treated as a result of his traumatic past, then as a religious practice, then completely dropped. Using Mohammed's own words about Hell being emptied, which from what I've read mean that in Islam hell is transitory, and twisting them to justify his necromancy is... certainly a delicate choice, but again, he doesn't really reflect on this in S4, he just jumps to "wow I sure love having agency!"

Also, in retrospect, it would have been much better if Isaac hailed from the Emirate of Granada instead of being a slave, a backstory more befitting for N!Annette for her origins and time period. In his case, it would have been more original, and expanded the world a little more. What's that? He wouldn't have a reason to hate humankind? Then how come game!Isaac can do it just fine? :) You know, since he was persecuted (maybe even by the Spanish Inquisition!) for his cursed powers? :) maybe you can have more reasons to hate humans than "former slave"? maybe black people can be depicted as something different than slaves? :)

Striga and Morana are cute together, but are non-entities who begin and end with each other. Also, funny how Morana, the lesbian of color (triple minority!), is literally the most useless and wasted of the four :) and even then the most characterization she gets is "she loves to torture people". nice

Alucard was made bi by Word of God and I don't need to repeat how appalling it is. I hate that most "antis" have a problem with him being attracted to men in the first place, and not that the declaration was made to downplay his sexual assault.

(meanwhile Carmilla, inspired by the literal archetype of the lesbian vampire, to the point that you can even see her game version as being a lesbian thanks to Laura, gets reduced to joke that she'd only sleep with Godbrand if all the men, half of the women and some of the animals died. but hey, she's a radfem, I guess that's enough)

Apparently I have... controversial opinions on the choice of darkening Hector's skin and the ethnicity he is in this version. But I will say that there is something weird in deliberately giving him bronze skin, I suppose to emphasize his Greek heritage, and then spending two seasons literally dehumanizing him and lowering him to the level of a dog and pet.

Also something about the Speakers, nomadic people whose oral traditions get made fun of, by Sypha in particular who calls them idiots, is... hm. The wiki even points out: "They are also similar to the Jews (especially due to their reverence for knowledge and their tradition of oral history) and, to a lesser extent, to the Romani."

I skipped Zamfir's plotline because by S4 I had burnout, but yeah, Greta is probably the best character of color and even then she's little more than a generic badass woman with attitude. Also she's even more ambiguously brown than Hector, I would say on the same level as Casca from Berserk - you can tell she's not white, but she's not really anything else.

(btw no, she has no relation with Grant :) )

tl;dr: the only good representation in nfcv are the tunisi people isaac speaks to and this is why i do not trust them with black annette, and i hate the fucking discourse on twitter from people who just don't like the design change

[overx]

Which of your muses is more likely to talk in their sleep?

Which of your muses sleeps the most?

Which of your muses is the most sociable?

Which of your muses would win, if all of them had a drinking contest?

Which of your muses is the worst sore loser?

Which one of them is the most cynical?

Which of your muses is the most likely to murder someone just to prove a point?

Which of your muses would kill to prove a point / that they are right?

𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 ! Multi muse asks | Accepting

[[This post got long even though I tried to keep most of the answers short until the last few sooooo read more.]]

Which of your muses is more likely to talk in their sleep?

[[Probably Rho! He's a very restless sleeper when he does get sleep at all. He moves a lot, and even sleepwalks on occasion. Sleep talking is just another facet of that, but typically no one is around to notice these things.

Which of your muses sleeps the most?

That one is a bit of a toss up! The general gist though is Voluntas because some days just demand being lazy or "sloth-like", since demons embody all of the sins and not just their major one.

Rock is also high on the list here. Put simply, when he's dealing with a depressive episode, he sleeps (if he's not choosing to be self destructive instead). This isn't an always thing for him but it crops up semi frequently.

Honorable mention from the side muses for Link because I mean. Yeah.

Which of your muses is the most sociable?

I'd probably have to give this one to Xanti! He used to be pretty shy and awkward, but his role as a public figure has really made him grow out of that. He's polite, friendly and (secretly) a bit of a gremlin.

Besides them though, I'd say Alexander and Raziel are pretty high on the list. They both tend to do fine with new people and enjoy making friends.

Which of your muses would win, if all of them had a drinking contest?

Volt and Rho are the top contenders here! It takes a lot of alcohol to have an effect on either of them. Even drinks with magical properties would take time to kick in. If they were directly competing it would probably come down to the rules and what they're specifically drinking.

After them though, it's probably Vile and Rock. These two pretty regularly partake, on top of being machines. They're not really lightweights among their peers.

Which of your muses is the worst sore loser?

VOLT VOLT VOLT VOLT VOLT. Pride ranks pretty high in his hierarchy of sins and he cannot STAND losing to most people. Especially people he doesn't like or respect. How he acts when he loses depends on the situation of course, but in general he's bad at it.

Which one of them is the most cynical?

It's Rock? It's Rock. I cannot emphasize enough how much he does not trust most people or care about them. He doesn't really believe in good people, and tends to brush off the suffering of others unless he's personally invested in them.

To be frank, I've had several muses in the past try to open up to him about their histories before he knew or cared about them and he was.... less than stellar in those interactions. He keeps his own pain and trauma close to chest, and is distrustful of those who are open about the darker parts of their lives. He tends to view openness of that kind when shared without 'reason' as a manipulation tactic. Even muses he IS close to don't know the full extent of the things he's been through, and he will keep it that way unless it is strictly necessary.

This is to say if your muse is a stranger and they trauma dump on him or come to him in need, he's going to walk away at best. BUT ALSO if your muse is immediately friendly with him, he'll think they have an underlying motive. There is a reason I do not recommend him as a first interaction muse if we haven't threaded before.

Of course on the flip side of this, Cale is the same way. Just a different flavor of cynicism. He projects friendliness and optimism because it's disarming, and because he genuinely believes that absolutely selfless people do not exist. To him, the world is so broken and people are inherently damaged.

Even those with the best intentions can and have been bought. Anyone can cause harm if it will benefit them personally or they believe it will bring good in the long run. The difference is that Cale sees kindness as a struggle, and as a radical act to give in a dying world.

He gives it, because generosity and compassion do not actually exist. Because good men do bad things, and bad men do good things, and the cycle of hurt is endless in turn.

Which of your muses is the most likely to murder someone just to prove a point? & Which of your muses would kill to prove a point / that they are right?

I see these questions as kind of intertwined so I'm going to group them up a bit. Essentially this is who would kill because they can, and who would kill because they should.

Voluntas is absolutely the former. He will not hesitate to maim or murder purely because someone irritated him. Violence is at the core of his nature, and death is a weightless thing.

Close to him is Rock, because violence is so commonplace where he's from. It is a language, a way to defend yourself, and to prove who is or is not vulnerable. It sends a message, and he is beyond caring about the cost.

Both of them would absolutely kill to show that they aren't above it, and to make sure you know not to fuck with them.

To kill for your beliefs is a different thing though.

Crimson is the epitome of this. He is the weapon for the cause. The sword taken up against the enemy. Much of his self identity is tied into the idea of existing solely for battles with a greater purpose.

Then there's Rho. Right now he lives only to slay the new Gods of his world. To him, they are the root cause of much of the suffering in life, and hunting them is both selfless and selfish.

Vile also falls into this list in that his work makes killing a requirement. He absolutely has the capacity to do it for personal belief, even if it hasn't happened yet.

Alexander also can straddle this line in very specific circumstances. If the wrong kind of person crosses his path, there is no reason to show mercy.

There are others who would kill for a cause but haven't yet... by which I mean Cale. He pretends he's a pacifist but he isn't, and he would kill for the greater good if the opportunity ever presented itself. He hasn't been put in this kind of position though, so for now his hands are clean.]]

[nofacednerd]

You know what I loved the most about My Adventures With Superman? The fact that it's evidence that every serialized story has to be as dark and gritty as burnt toast.

Yeah, sure, it has it's dark moments.

Like when Lois [CENSORED FOR SPOILERS] Clark because he's Superman.

Or when Jimmy got himself [CENSORED FOR SPOILERS] all alone.

Or when the General and Amanda Waller [CENSORED FOR SPOILERS] together near the end of the season.

But it's still a really lighthearted show most of the time. Meanwhile, most serialized shows get darker and darker to the point where you need f*cking night-vision goggles to actually watch the damn thing.

And despite how many shows go down the tubes because of this style of depressing storytelling--Friendship Is Magic, Star Vs, Steven Universe, Miraculous Ladybug, Voltron: that one Loonatics show that's become nothing but a joke to everyone including Warner Bros themselves--despite ALL THAT, people still insist that making shows dark and gritty through serialization is a good idea. And by "people", I mean:

A. Insecure man-children who want to convince you that watching a kid's show about magical ponies makes them smarter or more mature than average.

Or B. Creative hacks in showbiz who want to pander the aforementioned man-children because that's always easier than actually writing a story.

But if all of those shows are evidence as to why making shows too dark is a bad idea, My Adventures With Superman is evidence that having a balance, or even arguably a majority of lightheartedness, is a winning strategy.

anon I prommy it's okay. I, the OP, can tag this post as spoilers. You don't need to censor yourself here bud

2. not to go all animation major on this post but I think that in terms of 'grittiness' in cartoons within the last decade, it's kind of important to think about how media affects our views of the world and how, in turn, world events affect media.

To put it lightly, the last decade has fucking SUCKED. The 2016 presidential election, the sudden shift on social media to give platforms to racists, misogynists, and homophobes, the rise of neo-nazis. Not to mention a global pandemic and multiple major crises around the world. Children these days are VASTLY different to how children were when I (and maybe even you, anon) were that age. They have social media now where they're exposed to the worst of the world at a near-constant basis. It's traumatizing.

Cartoons have always been about giving kids a reflection of themselves. The world is darker and kids are developing mental illnesses and trauma, so the media they watch reflects that.

I also think that it isn't particularly fair to the shows you have listed here to say that they have 'depressing' storytelling and implying the only people who like those sorts of shows are man-children or hacks. I like those shows and I'm neither of the above. It's also unfair to completely reduce those shows to being gritty when.... they really aren't? Not any more than My Adventures with Superman is, really. My Little Pony is especially mostly lighthearted adventures about love and friendship. Miraculous' more serious moments are, at best, a B-plot as far as I'm aware and are only really discussed majorly in fanon spaces. Star Vs was SO much fucking around randomly that I got bored of the show after a while. The only real outlier here that I can comment on (I haven't and will not watch Voltron) is Steven Universe, but when talking about it's core messaging, it's important to remember Rebecca Sugar's identity as a queer Jewish person, and how that affects it's themes of love and oppression.

MAWSM's 'lightheartedness' also comes from an extremely long-lasting era of gritty superhero stories in general (thanks alan moore and also that one guy who called the dc hotline like 40 times because he fucking hated jason todd). It's intentionally supposed to be majorly lighthearted because darker stories is the only (and in my opinion, incorrect) way that Superman has been allowed to be presented within the last few decades.

I think that, perhaps dear anon, what you really are looking for is more diversity in content. And that's fair! But there are plenty of shows that don't (as far as I'm aware) focus too heavily on heavy themes, but the truth is, mawsm does. There are lots of heavy themes of imperialism, identity, diaspora, and trauma all within the first season of the show.

Not particularly sure where I was going with this. Sorry for replying with a full essay.

[kob131]

I plan on making an expansive version sometime in the future but here's a rough shot placement of how I rank the generations-

9- Gen 6. Pokemon is at its best when it goes for both story and gameplay as one complete package than two seperate things. X and Y doesn't push either one with pretty bland gameplay (with the exception of Super Training) and a bland to bad story (I cannot name a single thing about the rivals, the team is as bland as Gen 1 Rocket with nonsensical motivations without the Gen 1 excuse and the Champion exists). Aegislash is rad as hell though. Megas are a mixed bag- why does Mega Garchomp exist?

8- Gen 1. Obvious stuff: the glitches in gameplay, really slow pace, starting some of the worst practices in Pokemon like Mythicals, trade evolutions, version exclusives ect. Blue, Lance and Giovanni are interesting characters...outside the Gen 1 games. But the sprites are pretty cool...even if Machop still looks like a gingerbread man to me.

7- Gen 3. Yeah the starters are pretty damn good, they have nice dungeon puzzles and the introduction of abilities was great. But to be real- I can't name a single interesting thing about any of the characters aside from Norman being the ONE dad in Pokemon and Steven being kind of cool. I can't name a thing about Roxanne, Brawly, Watson, Flannery, Winona, Lisa/Tate, Wallace (even though he became a CHAMPION) or any of the Elite Four. I also really don't like Team Aqua and Magma for how shallow they are. Again, they're roughly equal to Gen 1 Team Rocket which could have been fine...if Gen 2 Rocket didn't prove GF was capable of making simple but effective villain teams. Flannery's White Herb Torkoal would have given the games some credit...if not for Juan's stupid ass Double Team-Rest-Chesto Berry Kingdra canceling it out through Evasion hacks.

6- Gen 2. This isn't a condemnation of Gen 2 rather than how old it is. It brought in the Dark and Steel types which have helped make great type matchups and interesting new Pokemon. It made Team Rocket actually pretty interesting since they help embolden the theme of 'times are changing' with them clinging to power and relevancy with Giovanni refusing to show to showcase how their time has come and gone. Lance reinforces this theme by taking over from Blue and Red before teaching Silver, who starts the trend of more dynamic rivals. The sprites are actually really good because it's right before RSE started having blurrier sprites with clear and colorful sprites. It's just other gens adapted what makes it good.

5- Gen 7. The original stuttery Gen, though Pokemon like Vikavolt being a bettle-railcannon, Incineroar being a heel wrestler, Mimikyu's...everything and Lycanroc being a good fast Rock type making some standout Pokemon. It also introduced regional variants with solid additions like Alolan Muk and Alolan Ninetails. It's UI is also a great integration of the region's colorful aesthetic with paint brush splashes. Hau, Lillie, Gladion, Guzma and Lusamine are real standout examples of more in depth Pokemon characters and I think Team Skull is a pretty fun team to feed into the innocent tropical feel of the region. The Totem Pokemon also make for more unique boss battles. The Ultra Beasts are insane from a conceptual and gameplay perspective. I also really love Zygarde's Complete form.

4- Gen 8. A real tossup between this and Gen 7. This is a lot cleaner in terms of visuals but trades off a lot of the color and mix of tropical relaxation/insanity with a clean and flat sports aesthetic that I think is less memorable. Cinderace has an amazing signature move animation but the other two's aren't very interesting in either design or moves. I really like Sir Fetch'd and Obstagoon as new evolutions alongside Orbettle and Toxitricity as great new additions but the clean and simple presentation does make it less memorable. The gyms are also less memorable though the likes of Nessa's design and Raihan's design AND battle are very memorable. Also Leon's battle is really cool...even as he has a nostalgia baiting Charizard. (and I STARTED the series with Charizard). And then we have Hop, the first rival to actually challenge N's spot as the best rival in the games. What really pushes it over the edge is Legends Arceus for being a pinnacle of gameplay, atmosphere and story integration in the series.

3- Gen 4. This might be a little biased considering my clearer memories of Sinnoh. I think with Platnium has one of the best experiences in the games with a well-paced story, great balanced gameplay with the physical and special split allowing for more diverse Pokemon. The starters take advantage of this with the likes of Inferape being a mixed attacker, Empoleon being a special Water/Steel type and Torterra being a physical Grass/Ground tank. We get a great backstory for the Pokemon world in the form of it's creation myth and I think the best Gym Leader rematches in the 2D games. It also helps that this Gen remakes the Gen 2 games, improving the Gen 2 games and gives them the advantage of the more refined Gen 4 sprites and animations and fixing it's leveling issues in Kanto.

... Never forget the issues with the DP's speed and locking several postgame hook resolutions (Shaymin, Darkrai and fucking ARCEUS) behind LIMITED TIME DISTRIBUTIONS.

2- Gen 9. To try and make this quick- the best cast of the games with Arven, Nemona being one of the best rival and Penny being the best friendly team leader alongside the great authority figure in Principal Clavell, memorable Gym Leaders like Larry, Iono, Katie and Rhyme and the sad story of the Professors and how they ended up. They also made the first Legendary Pokemon that's an actual character in Koraidon/Miraidon. The open world allows for more expression of Pokemon's personalities (like how Tauros charge at you to show their aggression, weak and timid Pokemon run from you, Slakoth and Slowpoke lines not reacting to your presence, friendly Pokemon like Hoppip floating towards you, Tyrogue eating berries ect. The updated model textures make the Pokemon look more like actual animals that exist which helps make them appear more like pets. And this is without going into the DLCs which contain either the second best or the best rival in the series in Kieran. However the performance does in fact have issues and there should be more puzzles like in the 2D games. Also if the Pecharunt event is limited time- I'm having words with the developers.

1- Gen 5. Probably the most unique generation since it was the last 2D Gen with sequel games rather than remakes or third versions. This aspect changes a lot since it basically doubles the story of the generation which helps with things like Cherran and Bianca's character arcs with Cherran's use of held items foreshadowing his intelligence and thus his capacity for teaching or Bianca's weaker team reflecting how ill-suited she is for battling to justify her becoming Juniper's assistant. The locations are stunning in their visuals due to the combination of 3D environments and 2D sprites. The Gym Leaders have some great standouts like the Straiton City brothers, Lenora, Elesa, Skyla and Drayton. We also have Team Plasma and how they tackle a concept that Pokemon has long since tiptoed around (Pokemon abuse) being led by their leader N, who stood uncontested as the best rival for a long time.

... It's not perfect. Many of the changes in the sequel are justified by Memory Link events that you can't get normally, the Legendaries are a bit too busy and N probably came in a little early since he's a very verbose and grand rival with big talks of ideals and truth...in the generation right BEFORE we got more in depth dialogue choices. Which kind of makes the writing deflate a bit. Still, probably the best generation we have.

[zestyderg]

new question: favorite aspect of each dinaurian character? or just stuff you like or dislike about each in general

>:D

Duna: Unlike Raptin and Dynal, Duna really just regards the humans at first with indifference instead of like... active malice, which I find interesting. She was just doing her job. In the trio of Hunter, Rosie, and Duna, Duna has the braincell. Actually, even between the dinaurians she has the braincell. Kinda funny since shes like 14. The fact that she chooses to defy her entire species to help humanity after Hunter saves her, knowing the consequences, is really brave of her. She's quite compassionate, even if she's not as outwardly emotional, and her being more calm and logical is a nice contrast to rosie's energy and short-temperedness.

Raptin: Ah the angry raptor man. Like Duna, he was just doing his job, and tried to see it through to the end. His undying loyalty to his kind cannot be overlooked, even if he was a total bitch to humanity. That's probably why he's an Elite in the first place. He loves his people more than anything and will do anything to ensure their survival. Like yeah he fucks up majorly and I think Rosie should get to maim him (she should get to maim many people honestly), but I still like him lol. Nothing will justify that ugly ass green he has though, like the devs could have chosen any other shade of green?

Dynal: I've already mentioned him trying his best for his people (he and Raptin are similar in that regard) after the whole Guhnash ate their planet thing. Another thing I like is just his presence throughout the story. Everytime he shows up you get this feeling of "oh shit, that's a guy you don't wanna mess with". He exudes power and elegance, and this comes across pretty well in his battle form too. He even outsmarts the protags, disguising himself as Richmond to trick them into assembling and handing him the missing sub-idolcomp, raising the stakes and really showing off how much of a threat he is. Dynal means business, and he has no problems letting everyone know it. But even then, he has a high sense of honor and believes in a fair fight. I still find it kind of funny that one fight earned his respect (it didn't earn Raptin's) and losing the fight would not have stopped him from pressing the button, but he was just like "oh humans are cool now, guess I don't wanna make them extinct after all". Also I just really like his design and theme.

ALSO his stupid little evil laugh he does when he plots to get the sub-idolcomp back. Literally boo ah hahaha levels of cartoonish evil lmao

BONUS MINI RANT ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCES IN CHAMPIONS BECAUSE BRUH

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT?? Duna seems like herself, so I won't really talk about her.

One thing to note is how they all refer to humans as mammals in a more demeaning manner, and how every human runs from them. I refuse to believe EVERY human, especially in the world of fossil fighters, that they came across ran from them.

Raptin... bro... I get that you're a bitch but you had your arc last game. LIKE... he seems frustrated because people keep running away from him (he brings up the fact that humans look too greasy for him to EAT?? HELLO??), but Dino/Dina approaches him, and he's just mean to them. Probably why they run, Raptin. He does tell the protag that if they're lucky, Dynal won't eat them. Bro. Maybe don't spread rumors about your king EATING HUMANS? YOU KNOW, THE BEINGS YOU AND HIM SHARE A PLANET WITH NOW? Common Raptin L

DYNAL HOWEVER GOT THE WORST OF IT. HE IS SOOOO MEAN TO THIS HUMAN KID HE JUST MET. AFTER HIS CHARACTER ARC LAST GAME HE SHOULDN'T BE ACTING SO RUDE??? He should have been eager to test your strength but still courteous to you imo. Dynal's a good guy! Being mean to every human he meets would be fucking bad when you're trying to coexist with them, and he knows this!! GOD IT ANNOYS ME HOW THEY JUST MADE HIM THINK HE'S ABOVE HUMANS AGAIN.

Anyways none of the dlc stuff may even be canon so I'm probably just getting worked up over nothing.