#CRYO INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

[retrocgads]

USA 1993

[the2dvgstages]

"Cyberskull Hall" [Mirror Edit] - Pax Corpus

[aardwolfpack]

This is where that annoying old guy came from! I remembered the guy, but not the game.

[cyclist-of-guilt]

I can't believe dragon lore legend begins is ring 2 but actually good

[canonical-transformation]

Genshin ships: stock market update (Natlan Act 3+4)

(Warning: May contain spoilers for character appearances and dynamics in [Chapter 5 Act 3–4] Beyond the Smoke and Mirrors and The Rainbow Destined to Burn. Previous entries here.) This is for entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice: consult with your ship financial advisor before you invest.

Citlali/Traveller — This ship has everything. Handholding. Accidental mind reading tropes. Fast friendships in middle age. Drunken soul-baring. Palm reading. Coparenting dynamics. They sat and watched the moon together. BUY.

Capitano/Traveller — HOLD. Solid starting potential but their interactions have all been too high stakes to get a sense of how their personalities interact.

Mavuika/Capitano — SELL OR HOLD. Too early to call; Act 5 could make or break this.

Mavuika/Xilonen — Our previous recommendation has changed; it's now a strong BUY. Our analysts say they haven't seen this level of weary fondness since 2021's "pay your fines, Captain", and Dainsleif hinting that Xilonen does everything in her power to avoid being around when Mavuika turns up is just icing on the cake.

Kinich/K'uhul Ajaw — HOLD. Just because two people are married doesn't mean there's a ship in there. Sometimes it's just for tax purposes.

Paimon/K'uhul Ajaw — SELL. The world's best travel guide deserves someone who will treat her with respect, such as... uh... Sorush?

Mehrak/K'uhul Ajaw — be serious.

Traveller/Teleport Waypoints — after Act 4? As if. SELL.

Enjou/Aether — BUY BUY BUY does this even need explaining?

Enjou/Lumine — HOLD. Our analysts hurriedly added, “Nonono it's not a gender thing, it's because Aether likes Pyro slimes and Lumine likes Cryo slimes more so really we should be shipping Lumine with the Maguu Kenki or something.”

Chasca/Shenhe — SELL. Bird mating rituals aren't nearly as fun without the possibility of oviposition. Or, um. So I heard. Stick with Xianyun/Kujou Sara.

Cyno/Kinich — *sigh*, no, SELL. Too (ki-)niche.

Ronova/Xbalanque — HOLD OR BUY. Btw, are we sure the Archon War made it west of Liyue? >_>

Citlali/Faruzan — HOLD. It's too early to compare their traumas for thematic compatibility, but it's not out of the question. Watch this space.

Citlali/Draff — *wince*

------

We tend not to advise on heavily optioned stocks due to all the short selling activity, but for those of you who were wondering:

Citlali/Ororon — too volatile to call. This is the first explicit (grand)parental relationship between playable characters, so it technically fills a niche, but it's unclear whether that's a niche anyone went into Genshin looking for.

Chuychu/Chasca — the analysts just gave me a really withering look so I guess SELL? "Too soon"? What's that supposed to mean? She's just resting her eyes, right?

Mavuika/Nahida — SELL OR HOLD. The motif of memories as fuel is great and all but Mavuika is way too young.

Ematol/Phonia — SELL. The worst part is that they're not even the kind of sisters where that would have any transgressive je ne sais quoi. They're just like flatmates. Bert and Ernie minus the chemistry.

And that's it for now. Keep an eye on the Sumeru market later this patch— we're expecting predictable dividend payouts on all the blue chip stocks.

[not-the-darknight]

Diluc, of Mondstadt. Just say the word if you need anything. For reimbursements, ask Elzer. Occasionally I'll work the bar at Angel's Share. The tavern is known for being the center of information in Mondstadt.

RULES

- No nsfw asks, RPs, Links. Slightly suggestive themes are okay.

- No hate to anyone in any form will be entertained.

- Mod isn’t always very active. Please wait 1-2 days before resending your ask.

- Mod doesn’t like to be DM’d. But if situation calls for it, mod will answer

- No shipping wars. All ships (of age) are accepted and enjoyed

-- Kaeluc ships will not be entertained!! I am uncomfortable with pseudo-cest. Your questions related to the ship will be ignored.

GENERAL INFORMATION

- Character might act ooc on certain situations because they haven’t happened in game.

- Mod is in education so response times may vary.

Character assessment of the RP:

[…] - Character doing an action

<Small font> - Character thinking

((…)) - Ooc, Mod is talking

HASHTAGS

🍷 Tavern nights - Responding to asks and general

🍇 Grape juice - Diluc's headcanons

❄️ Freeze me to death - Brotherly Shenanigans

🔸 Cor Lapis - @wangsheng-consultancy related interactions

🎶 That bard - Venti related topics

🏮 Crimson and Oni tales - @crimsononiarataki related interactions.

💉 Mad doctor - Epsilon segment related interactions

🔵 Rather eat a cryo slime - Fatui related interactions

🔥❄️ Whispers of frost and flame - @goose-of-the-fatui (Cecil) related interactions

🐈‍⬛ Merlot - @merlot-meows related interactions

Fang and Annie - @the-chaos-siblings related interactions

🕴 Dawn Winery at your service - Guest Muse, Adelinde or Elzer responding

Kosha the kitten - Koshka related interactions

Mod attempts to speak - when mod talks

🎻 Ragnvindr Rhythms - Diluc’s playlist

Will add it more as needed

PENPALS

If you wish to reserve a sign off, let me know.

🍃 Anon

🌱 Anon

🧪Anon

🍓 Anon

[archoneddzs15]

Super Famicom - Time Cop

Title: Time Cop / タイムコップ

Developer: Cryo Interactive

Publisher: Victor Entertainment

Release date: 17 February 1995

Catalogue Code: SHVC-ATCJ-JPN

Genre: Beat-em-up

The Super Famicom was home to many games based on movies and TV shows. Movies and TV shows often do not hold enough action scenes to make a playable game. These movie licensed games were churned out like no other genre. Some were decent (the Star Wars series for example), and many others were simply cash-ins (Cutthroat Throat Island, Bram Stoker's Dracula, etc.). Sadly, this falls into the latter category. The movie was pretty good by Van Damme standards and could have easily translated into a cool action title. Yet the game falls short in every category and only goes to show that the movie industry has a long history of hurting the gaming world.

In the game you follow the movie's story pretty loosely. In one level you go under the sea (who thought of this idea?) and in the next stage you dodge cars and gangsters in the 1930's. Enemies are pretty cheap, and the levels feature some hazards that are very hard to avoid as well. Bosses are almost too difficult to defeat, and not in a fun way like facing Dracula in Castlevania 3. This game rivals Double Take for no. 1 Van Damme atrocity.

I love how the edgy synthesized soundtrack is peppered with goofy electronic samples. Is this a 16-bit platformer, or a parody of 16-bit platformers? Many regard it as garbage, but Timecop is a fascinating relic that trascends time and space.

One note of trivia: A version was planned for the Mega CD. Although a one-level demo was released, the full game was cancelled; a full build was released in 2007 by the main programmer, Jean-Charles Meyrignac. Like many Mega CD ports, it's very similar to the cartridge game but features FMVs and a CD soundtrack.

[beedreamscape]

I'm just as anti movie adaptation for the locked tomb as anyone else, I truly don't trust they'd do right by it.

But I think Nona the Ninth would? Being the one with the least necromancy

Especially if they did a marketing campaign in the likes of the Dark Knight with the political campaign and the joker clues.

(More on it in this really great video if you're too young to have experience it like me.)

And since unreality has become such a big... form of entertainment? I don't know what to call it, it'd be even more reasonable to do this type of campaign nowadays.

Examples, not in exact chronological or thematic order:

News about a tech company investing in John's cryogenics project (documents, reports, websites)

Missing posters for lyctor Harrowhark the First and adept Judith D.

Actual stream of Corpse Puppetry™ looking for people displaying similar abilities

Reports on the outer planet installations (the ones from earth time)

Political propaganda from the New Rho militia and goverment

Reddit posts on how the death wizard guy is doing his tricks, how the cures are a scam

Anti zombie propaganda from Blood of Eden

News on faster than light travel/News on the dropping/failing of the cryo project

Helicoper cams and Google Earth maps of the Cow Wall®

Infomercial on how to proceed on threat by necromancers.

Documentary on the NZ cult that is attracting people from all over the world

These could fit as parts of the movie, but interactive digital media, printed paper, fan encounters, puzzles, etc would pair well with this novel.

[abandonwave]

Dune (Amiga), 1992.

[retrocgads]

USA 1997

[genshin-impact-updates]

Version 2.1 "Floating World Under the Moonlight" Update Details (Part I)

Dear Travelers,

Below are the details of the Version 2.1 update "Floating World Under the Moonlight" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems for every hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (Please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Eligibility〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 or above before 2021/09/01 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please claim before the end of Version 2.1.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who reach Adventure Rank 5 and above before 2021/09/01 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please claim the compensation mail before 2021/09/04 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins 2021/09/01 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the "OPTIONS" button, and select "Check for Update."

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Inazuma Islands — Seirai Island and Watatsumi Island

◇ New Islands: After the Version 2.1 update, two new islands, Seirai Island and Watatsumi Island in the Inazuma region will be available.

◇ Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 30 or above

• And complete the Archon Quest: "Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia"

▌New Domains

New Trounce Domain - Narukami Island: Tenshukaku

This is the dwelling of the Raiden Shogun, who rules over Inazuma.

It is also the perfect place for a "duel before the throne."

◇ Unlock Criteria: Reach Adventure Rank 35 or above and complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals"

Located at Narukami Island.

Domain: Palace in a Pool

◇ They say that long ago, seawater had yet to fill this pool. The moonlight was brighter back then, and it filled the pool instead, flowing freely like quicksilver.

◇ Unlock Criteria: Reach Adventure Rank 38 or above and fulfill certain criteria.

◆ Challenge the Domain to obtain rewards such as Primogems and Electro Sigils.

Located at Watatsumi Island.

II. New System - Fishing

Recently, the Teyvat ecology has seen an increase in fish population, with many new fish species appearing in various waters. The grassroots Fishing Association has its hands full and had to put up a commission for help at the Adventurers' Guild...

Bring your fishing rod, choose the bait, find the spot, cast your rod, reel it in, and voila, a big catch!

The fish caught can not only be used to make dishes, but also can be exchanged for precious treasures at the Fishing Association. There's even a chance to catch vibrant ornamental fish to admire at your home!

What are you waiting for? Let's become anglers together!

◇ Unlock Criteria:

• Unlock the Serenitea Pot System

• Complete the quest "Exploding Population"

*To make it easier for Travelers to record the locations of Fishing Points, a pin for indicating Fishing Points has been added to the map. Travelers can place the pins as needed.

III. New Characters

5-Star Character "Plane of Euthymia" Raiden Shogun (Electro)

◇ Gnosis: Electro

◇ Weapon: Polearm

◇ Her Excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho, promised the people of Inazuma an unchanging eternity.

◆ The Raiden Shogun's Elemental Skill, Transcendence: Baleful Omen, will grant each nearby party member an Eye of Stormy Judgment that will perform coordinated attacks alongside them when party members deal DMG. Party members affected by Eye of Stormy Judgment will have their Elemental Burst DMG increased based on the Energy Cost of the Elemental Burst. When they use their Elemental Bursts, they will accrue Resolve for the Raiden Shogun's Chakra Desiderata.

"When the Raiden Shogun uses her Elemental Burst, Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu, she will use up all the Resolve accrued by Chakra Desiderata and deal AoE Electro DMG using her Musou no Hitotachi, entering the Musou Isshin state. While in this state, the Raiden Shogun will wield her tachi in battle, with her attacks restoring Energy for her party members. In addition, her resistance to interruption is increased, and she is immune to Electro-Charged reaction DMG. The DMG dealt by Musou no Hitotachi and Musou Isshin's attacks will be based on the number of Chakra Desiderata's Resolve stacks consumed when this skill is used.

4-Star Character "Crowfeather Kaburaya" Kujou Sara (Electro)

◇ Vision: Electro

◇ Weapon: Bow

◇ A general of the Tenryou Commission. Bold, decisive, and skilled in battle.

◆ Kujou Sara's Elemental Skill, Tengu Stormcall allows her next fully-charged Aimed Shot to grant her Crowfeather Cover. The arrow fired will leave a Crowfeather behind that will trigger Tengu Juurai: Ambush, which deals AoE Electro DMG and also increases the ATK of nearby characters.

When she uses her Elemental Burst, Subjugation: Koukou Sendou, she will strike a target area with Tengu Juurai: Titanbreaker, dealing AoE Electro DMG and causing several consecutive Tengu Juurai: Stormcluster to spread out, dealing more instances of AoE Electro DMG. These Tengu Juurai can also increase the ATK of characters near the point of impact.

◆ During the event wish, Reign of Serenity, the event-exclusive 5-star character "Plane of Euthymia" Raiden Shogun (Electro) and 4-star character "Crowfeather Kaburaya" Kujou Sara (Electro) will get a huge drop-rate boost!

5-Star Character "Pearl of Wisdom" Sangonomiya Kokomi (Hydro)

◇ Vision: Hydro

◇ Weapon: Catalyst

◇ The Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island. All of the island's affairs are at this young lady's fingertips.

◆ Sangonomiya Kokomi's Elemental Skill, Kurage's Oath summons a "Bake-Kurage" created from water. "Bake-Kurage" will restore HP for all nearby party members periodically, and deal Hydro DMG to nearby enemies.

When Sangonomiya Kokomi uses her Elemental Burst, Nereid's Ascension, she dons her Ceremonial Garment, which temporarily increases the DMG dealt by her Normal, Charged Attacks, and Elemental Skill. During "Ceremonial Garment," when Normal and Charged Attacks hit opponents, Kokomi will restore HP for all nearby party members. During her Elemental Burst, she is also able to walk on the water's surface.

*The event-exclusive 5-star character "Pearl of Wisdom" Sangonomiya Kokomi (Hydro) will be available in a future event wish.

5-Star Character "Savior From Another World" Aloy (Cryo)

◇ Vision: Cryo

◇ Weapon: Bow

Formerly an outcast, now a hunter of unparalleled skill. Ready to do the right thing at any time.

◆ Aloy's Elemental Skill, Frozen Wilds throws a Freeze Bomb in the targeted direction and triggers an explosion. After the explosion, the Freeze Bomb scatters into multiple Chillwater Bomblets that explode on contact with opponents immediately or after a short delay. When a Freeze Bomb or Chillwater Bomblet hits an opponent, the opponent's ATK is decreased and Aloy receives the Coil effect, increasing her ATK. When there is a certain number of Coil stacks, Aloy's Normal Attack DMG will convert to Cryo DMG.

Her Elemental Burst, Prophecies of Dawn, sees her throw a Power Cell filled with Cryo in the targeted direction, which she then detonates with an arrow, dealing AoE Cryo DMG.

How to Obtain "Savior From Another World" Aloy (Cryo)

All Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 20 or above will be able to obtain the event-exclusive 5-star character "Savior From Another World" Aloy (Cryo) directly through in-game mail.

This event will be divided into two phases:

▌Phase I

After the Version 2.1 Update – Before the Version 2.2 Update Maintenance (2021/10/13 05:59 (UTC+8))

During the event, all Travelers who log into Genshin Impact on PlayStation®4 or PlayStation®5 will be able to obtain "Savior From Another World" Aloy (Cryo) directly through in-game mail.

▌Phase II

After the Version 2.2 Update – Before the Version 2.3 Update Maintenance (2021/11/24 05:59 (UTC+8))

During the event, Travelers who log into Genshin Impact on any available platform, and who have yet to obtain the character during Phase I will be able to obtain Aloy directly through in-game mail.

"PlayStation", "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

IV. New Equipment

▌New Weapons

Engulfing Lightning (5-Star Polearm)

◇ A naginata used to "cut grass." Any army that stands before this weapon will probably be likewise cut down...

◆ ATK increased by the portion of Energy Recharge over the base 100%. Gain Energy Recharge for 12s after using an Elemental Burst.

◆ During the event wish, Epitome Invocation, the event-exclusive 5-star weapon Engulfing Lightning (Polearm) will receive a huge drop-rate boost!

Everlasting Moonglow (5-Star Catalyst)

◇ A string of lovely jasper from the deep sea. It shines with a pure radiance like that of the moon, and just as ever-distant.

◆ Healing Bonus is increased. Normal ATK DMG is increased by a certain percentage of the Max HP of the character equipping this weapon. For 12s after using an Elemental Burst, Normal Attacks that hit opponents will restore Energy. Energy can be restored this way once every 0.1s.

The event-exclusive 5-star weapon Everlasting Moonglow (Catalyst) will be available in a future event wish.

Luxurious Sea-Lord (4-Star Claymore)

◇ The great king of the ocean. Having been air-dried, it makes for a fine weapon as well as emergency sustenance.

◆ Increases Elemental Burst DMG. When Elemental Burst hits opponents, there is a 100% chance of summoning a huge onrush of tuna that deals AoE ATK DMG. This effect can occur once every 15s.

◆ During the "Moonlight Merriment" event, you can obtain the event-exclusive weapon Luxurious Sea-Lord (Claymore) as well as its refinement materials once you achieve a certain progress level through exploring specified regions.

"The Catch" (4-Star Polearm)

◇ In the distant past, this was the beloved spear of a famed Inazuman bandit.

◆ Increases the DMG and CRIT Rate caused by Elemental Burst.

◆ You can exchange for "The Catch" (Polearm) and its refinement materials at the Inazuma Fishing Association.

V. New Event

"Hyakunin Ikki" Event: A team-switching combat challenge awaits

During the event, take part in the free-for-all fighting tournament "Hyakunin Ikki" and show off your elegant combat skills by defeating opponents in tag teams of two characters. By reaching the target scores, Travelers can obtain rewards such as the event-exclusive namecard style "Celebration: Ikki," Primogems, and more.

▌Event Duration

2021/09/02 10:00 – 2021/09/13 03:59

▌Eligibility

Reach Adventure Rank 30 or above

And complete the Archon Quest "Ritou Escape Plan"

"Passage of Clouds and Stars" Daily Login Event

During the event, log in on 7 days in total to receive Intertwined Fate ×10 and other rewards!

▌Event Duration

2021/09/28 04:00 until the end of Version 2.1

▌Eligibility

Reach Adventure Rank 5 or above

▌Event Details

Requirements Rewards

Logins: 1 day Intertwined Fate ×1

Logins: 2 days Mora ×80,000

Logins: 3 days Intertwined Fate ×2

Logins: 4 days Mystic Enhancement Ore ×18

Logins: 5 days Intertwined Fate ×2

Logins: 6 days Hero's Wit ×8

Logins: 7 days Intertwined Fate ×5

"Moonlight Merriment" Event: Take part and exchange for the event-exclusive claymore Luxurious Sea-Lord

The event "Moonlight Merriment" will also be available. During the event, Travelers can complete quests in Moonchase Tales or take part in Moonlight Seeker and Trail of Delicacies challenges to obtain rewards such as the event-exclusive claymore, Luxurious Sea-Lord as well as its refinement materials, Crown of Insight, Primogems, recipes, and more.

VI. New Main Story

1. New Archon Quest

Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals"

◇ The Tri-Commission, Resistance, Vision Hunt Decree, "Musou no Hitotachi"... The Traveler has been caught up in the middle of Inazuma's conflict.

Where will the Raiden Shogun's desire for "Eternity" take her people, and how much will it cost them...

◆ After the Version 2.1 update, the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals" will be permanently available.

◆ Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 30 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest: "Chapter II: Act II - Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow"

2. New Story Quests

Raiden Shogun's Story Quest "Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act I - Reflections of Mortality"

◆ Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter Quest Start Time:

Permanently available after the Version 2.1 update

◆ Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals"

Sangonomiya Kokomi's Story Quest: "Dracaena Somnolenta Chapter: Act I - Warriors' Dreams Like Spring Grass Renewing"

◆ Dracaena Somnolenta Chapter Quest Start Time:

Permanently available after 2021/09/21 18:00

◆ Dracaena Somnolenta Chapter Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 40 or above

• Complete the Archon Quest "Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals"

• Complete the Story Quest: "Imperatrix Umbrosa Chapter: Act I - Reflections of Mortality"

3. New World Quests

◆ New World Quests: "The Moon-Bathed Deep," "Divine Plant of the Depths," "Solitary Sea-Beast," "Seirai Stormchasers," "Relics of Seirai," "Reminiscence of Seirai," "Neko Is a Cat," "Storytelling Method," "Fertilizer... Salesperson?" "The Narukami Trail," and more.

VII. New Monsters

Signora

◇ Signora, the Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers.

She possesses the power to manipulate ice and destroy everything in her path. However, unlike many other Fatui who use Delusions to exercise their power, her Delusion is an instrument to suppress the eternal flames that burn within her...

As the battle progresses, the temperature of the battlefield and her attacks will vary between heating and scorching. Being flexible with adapting to temperature changes is the key to defeating her.

Located at Narukami Island.

Hydro Hypostasis

◇ Elemental creature which protects itself with a cubical shell that is elementally inert.

When HP is low, it splits into three crystalline "water droplets" that will move towards its core. Destroy these water droplets in time to prevent the revival of the Hydro Hypostasis.

Located at Watatsumi Island.

Thunder Manifestation

◇ An elemental life form created as the avatar of thunderous indignation.

It uses lightning attacks and its Strike Probes to lock on to its foes. If a locked-on target is present, the Thunder Manifestation will enter an enraged state and prioritize the annihilation of that target.

◆ Complete the World Quest "Seirai Stormchasers" to challenge the Thunder Manifestation.

Located at Seirai Island.

Specter

◇ High elemental concentrations have resulted in the creation of this floating creature.

When it takes a single grievous hit, it will build Fury. When a Specter hits maximum Fury, it will expand, becoming larger and stronger, and it will explode violently when defeated.

[Part 2 coming shortly.]

[cavity-core]

Satisfying Salad

Chapter One

I post a lot of different stuff that is totally consumable for minors, but this space is not intended for minors, so if you fall in that category, please navigate it responsibly and respectfully... on that note.. keep scrolling to the next post kids. ^ ^ It is still updating but you can read the full fic here

Despite the tag, this is not Kaebedo, I’m shipping Kaeya with the Fellflower because I’m an absolute psychopath... I call it crack but it’s my otp idk what’s wrong with me, cryo sugoi.

The first chapter which is below the cut is not spicy, but that’s about it.

“All you need to do is blend in, it’s all you’re good for, isn’t it?”

Dryly put by his master but.. yes, camouflage should be where he excelled most as a WhopperFlower. Although, integrating into the society of a few conveniently spaced sweet flowers was a far simpler task than the close knit community of Mondstat city.

This mission wasn’t without briefing, but being particularly smart among WhopperFlowers hardly says much for one’s intelligence. From his understanding of his master’s instructions; Subject One would hold up the Traveller in Dragonspine after dealing with Subject Two. If Subject Two… the “real” Albedo that is, were to disappear along with the Traveller, it was supposedly of the utmost importance that the Albedo who would replace him had an alibi. This, apparently, was where Subject Three came in.

Today he, who had thought very little about gender, name or identity before all this, was the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, “Albedo”. Today, as he stepped past the two men stationed at the city’s entrance (after masterfully refraining from lashing out at any pigeons on the way) and into Mondstat’s walls, he was becoming intimately familiar with just how important names were among humans.

“Welcome back, Mr. Albedo.”

“Hello there, Mr. Albedo.”

“Mr. Albedo, you’re back rather early this time.”

He was met with many similar greetings as he walked with all the confidence he could muster in this strange, new place where everyone knew his name yet he couldn’t return their own… Hopefully this wouldn’t cause problems for him during his stay. Albedo’s personality should’ve been easy enough for him to mimic, he had picked up a lot from observing him in the mountains already. The part that was most concerning was his relations with others.

Highly adept at camouflage or not, he couldn’t know anything about this aspect of Albedo’s life having only seen minimal interaction between him and those he encountered on Dragonspine… which is to say they had mostly been with the traveller. In this case, he would need to attempt to come up with a relationship based entirely upon the other party’s behaviour… and what little he presently understood of human relationships.

Thankfully Subject Two had given him very clear instructions, a route even he could figure out, to at least get to his office at the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Subject Two had assured him that all he really needed to do was stay there and look busy, perhaps making an occasional trip to the alchemy bench near the fountain, a landmark he had taken note of when he passed it.

The Alchemy bench visits were not a part of his mission he was looking forward to though… The moment he approached the fountain he was called over by a man who was stationed near the bench. A plain looking man with brown hair and an unmemorable face.. Although his face failed to catch “Albedo”s attention and he possessed no elemental energy, he was aware he recognized a faint similarity to someone he had witnessed Subject One with in the mountains on multiple occasions.

“Ah, Mr. Albedo! I’m glad you’re here, I really wanted to run some ideas by you— that is, if you have the time.”

Hm… although “Albedo” felt Subject One was rather dismissive of this one, it still seemed as though he entertained his ramblings. “What is it?” He asked. A dangerous call to agree to offer his opinion on alchemy when he knew next to nothing about it… and one he was quickly realising was, in fact, the wrong call.

“Alright, this is what I was thinking…” The plain looking man immediately launched into a spiel that, of what he could understand, sounded asinine even to a WhopperFlower with no background in alchemy whatsoever. “What if we could create a new kind of fruit that could help adventurers all over Teyvat, I’ve already got some ideas. It’d need to be able to grow pretty much anywhere so that you could find it no matter how far you adventured, and be able to reenergize tired travellers. Probably something sweet so it’s palatable to the majority of people— kind of like the mainland version of the lavender melon! I did already ask Sucrose about since it seemed right up her alley, but she sighed and walked away… I guess she was busy with something else but—“

“Hold on.” “Albedo” cut into his explanation. “This is.. too much to dissect right now. I will come back when I have more time. You can tell me then if you’ve made any progress.” The safest thing now would be to simply excuse himself from the conversation. He was in no way qualified to give his input on whatever this man was talking about despite feeling oddly confident his idea wasn’t all that revolutionary.

Although he felt a little more sure in his abilities having avoided fumbling during that interaction… he couldn’t help but feel a sense of anxiety as well. If a relationship he was familiar with resulted in an interaction he couldn’t handle, how far could he really get with those he had no reference for? The weight of this concern clouded his expression with a thoughtful frown as he proceeded towards his destination.

The buildings of Mondstat city were massive, bigger than any he’d ever seen up close. Living in the mountains didn’t exactly offer much opportunity to see man made structures outside of the haphazard tents set up by the suspicious humans who frequented the base of Dragonspine. The farther in he got, the bigger and more impressive each building seemed to become. On more than one occasion he needed to pause and regain his composure, the overstimulation of the busy city making it difficult to keep to his disguise and… humanly mannerisms.

Just like all the rest, the Knights of Favonius headquarters was no exception to the theme of extravagant buildings this far into the city. The only one that seemed to stand notably bigger and more imposing than the rest was an even huger building at what he assumed to be the edge of the city, where the mass of raised land ended and dropped off into the large body of water surrounding it. He grasped the door handle of one of the double doors firmly and pulled it open, stepping into the hall slowly as he took in the view around him.

The floor was a busy pattern of white and grey tiles, and it was polished to a shine “Albedo” had never even seen before. He would bet you couldn’t even burrow through something like this! He resisted the urge to bend down and touch it, but even beneath his boots it felt so different to anything he’d set foot… or root on before.

He was so entranced with the shining, pristine walls and floor, and the magnificent high ceiling above the overlooking balcony, that he failed to notice the presence behind him, or perhaps the elemental energy had felt so familiarly like home that he had simply paid it no mind. He had no idea anyone had entered behind him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. The contact made him stiffen, instinctually on guard having been snuck up on.

“Well, well, what a pleasant surprise.” This voice was not familiar, but it was soft and smooth with a lilt that sounded almost condescending. “I didn’t realise I would be having the pleasure of running into the great Mr. Albedo again so soon.~”

From all he had learned of human interaction, he felt as though this man’s tone was mocking him… so then why did he feel so flustered? He brushed the man’s hand from his shoulder as smoothly as he could and turned to face his accoster. “I only finished my work in Dragonspine one day earlier than expected,” “Albedo” explained as he took in the man’s features.

In comparison to the other humans he had encountered so far, this man looked distinctly different. He did not look like the other humans “Albedo” had passed on his way, whose skin could be likened to the white blankets of snow that covered his home; rather this man’s reminded him instead of the splash of colour on Dragonspine, as the dewy earth peeked through the snow near the base of the mountain, when the warm spring winds whisked through from Liyue. Yet the energy he could feel from the taller man’s vision felt more like home than anything he had experienced on his journey as of yet.

Although only one eye was visible, he could still read the quizzical look he was given. Apparently his staring hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

There was no need to pick out the smugness in his tone when it was plastered right on his face in the form of a smirk.

“You haven’t stared at my face so intently since the very first time you sketched me… have I piqued your interest again?” He teased, as he often did, knowing Albedo was sick enough of his pestering that he would commonly present him with a portrait that was little more than the headshot equivalent of a stick figure these days. Still, the fact he could achieve such a casual relationship to hold that level of banter still seemed like a win to him even if he couldn’t crack the alchemist on anything more flirtatious yet.

“Albedo”, however, knew nothing of this man’s history of courtship so indiscreet it was difficult to tell if it was even sincere. He could only infer from what was happening in the here and now, in which it seemed he had embarrassed himself. “No, it’s nothing,” he replied curtly. “I have a lot of work to do, please excuse me.”

“Ah.. brushing me off again,” the man sighs. “Then you’ll make it up to me with an evening at Angel’s Share tonight, won’t you?” He gives you a charming smirk with his expectant tone.

Ah… so he was to understand that Albedo was close to this man. Keeping a clear head was oddly difficult and growing more so the longer he held the other man’s gaze, but he couldn’t blow his cover by insisting to every person he came across that he would be busy in his office at all hours. “Yes.. you can find me later in my office,” he answered instead.

Did he seem surprised just now? As though he didn’t expect that answer? The two men were interrupted before he could try to save the situation, by a woman’s voice addressing who he must have been presently speaking with. “Captain Kaeya, I have some documents for you in my office,” the tall, blonde haired woman who came from one of the doors on this floor informed Kaeya. The emotion that flickered across his face when “Albedo” gave his answer was long gone now… he couldn’t help feeling as though he may have done something wrong but there was no way to know now. “Welcome back, Albedo” she greeted him as well.

“Then I guess I’ll be seeing you tonight, Albedo,” Kaeya said with a wink before striding past him and disappearing behind the door the woman had appeared from along with her.

The hall was finally empty again and he let out a sigh. Standing around in the hallway was clearly asking for trouble, he decided to make a speedy escape to the room on the upper floor in which he was told he would find “his” office.

Even knowing what little he did about alchemy, and it was indeed very little, this room was clearly the correct one. Although there was likely some method of organisation at play here, it all looked like utter chaos to him. Before he could even consider becoming acquainted with any of the foreign items cluttering the office however, he needed to get a hold of himself after that encounter.

Surely it was all the stimulation leading up to the moment that exacerbated his state and resulted in his flustered reaction. That on top of having to hold this form for so long. Taking on the shape of a mint sprouting stationary from the ground was a far easier task than maintaining such a complex human form to move about in. All of those things combined were surely the cause…

With his back against the door “Albedo” slid down until his butt hit the floor, taking a steadying breath. It would probably be less of a strain on him if he could return to his normal form and give his body a break, he was sick of being in this awkwardly shaped body… but he wasn’t sure if he could get back into this outfit by himself. Clothes were still quite new to him among the many other experiences he’d encountered since he’d been fully awoken by his master, and frankly he hated them. The coat was long and got in the way, the chains on his hips got caught on branches if he didn’t pay attention, pants were just plain restricting, and worst of all he just couldn’t feel anything! His hands were covered by gloves and his feet with boots, leaving him totally unable to evaluate his surroundings by much other than sight. Sight wasn’t any good when burrowing underground!

There was no sense getting worked up over the hindrances of human clothing now, he needed to mentally prepare himself for this evening. The clutter around him made up of strange, unknown objects made him want to tear it all apart, a primal instinct itching to break through… but the punishment certainly wasn’t worth the brief satisfaction it might bring.

Swallowing down his urges, he pushed himself back up and moved across the room to the window overlooking Mondstat, the side with the massive building that he hadn’t gotten to explore yet… which could be said for the majority of the city really. He had no idea where Angel’s Share was— or what Angel’s Share was for that matter. He had at least implied that Kaeya should come find him before leaving so… he could only hope that the other would lead him.

Realistically, if Kaeya never picked him up he could simply default to his excuse of being too busy in his office, just like Subject Two had told him to do. What he really needed to think about was what was expected of him at this Angel’s Share should he have to go; What would he do there? What did it have to do with making up or apologising to this stranger who was apparently his friend? Worse, was he even supposed to be friends with this man who seemed so taken aback when he agreed? With his expression fixed in a perplexed frown, he stood at the window and mulled over these baffling questions. At the very least, the view of nature made him more at ease than the various man made items crowding the office.

In the end… It would seem that Subject Two was right after all. The best course of action was to lock himself away in his office, seldom showing his face outside… and he had failed. Failed to remain under the radar and failed to come up with much of anything regarding his social event this evening. No amount of staring out the window or searching the room turned up any answers… although this may have been largely attributed to the fact that he couldn’t actually read. For all he knew the papers strewn about before him on the desk at which he was now seated could hold the answers to every one of his problems and he would be none the wiser! That thought in itself was frustrating.

With what one might be able to call a growl he raised his arm, every intention of sweeping everything off of the surface in front of him. Two sharp knocks at his door made him freeze before he could follow the motion through though, remembering himself and smoothing down his coat as he stood up. The sky had already grown dark, he noted as he passed the window to open the office door.

Naturally Kaeya was exactly the man he expected to see on the other side, but he still felt a wash of relief at the prospect that this might mean he could get an escort to… wherever they were going. Once again however, his reaction was met with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh my, are you eager to see me today?” His tone seemed teasing… or did it? It was starting to give the impression like he always spoke like this. Could he have been reading into Kaeya’s tone incorrectly at the start? He would need to pay close attention to decide on that. “I thought you’d be far too busy to answer the door for me so quickly.”

Perhaps Subject Two was right again… of course the intelligence of a WhopperFlower couldn’t measure up, it was stupid to think he knew more about blending in with humans simply because he’d posed as a plant a few times. This was the situation he’d gotten himself into by his own methods though, and now he’d need to use them to get himself out again. “I told you to find me later, didn’t I?” He pointed out, though he tried this time to mirror some of Kaeya’s smugness. There was no sense assuming the personality of someone he couldn’t even see, WhopperFlowers blend in by mimicking what is around them and that was precisely how he’d made it by so far. “I didn’t think you’d forget.”

Kaeya gave a huff which “Albedo” interpreted as amusement. “Never. In that case, colour me pleasantly surprised.”

His shoulders relaxed a little at Kaeya’s response. Although he had been tensely awaiting his due consequences for ignoring his orders and attempting his own approach, instead it appeared to have worked in his favour. Maybe this mission was easier than he’d thought, matching another human’s mannerisms was just the sort of infiltration he was made for!

“I assume you are ready to leave then, Captain Kaeya?”

With a nod and a smile that still looked too sly, Kaeya stepped aside giving a flourish to usher him out of his office. “After you.~”

[loosesodamarble]

Despite the fact that I am not an artist, I do like getting a sense of scale with characters. Because, well, height is part of character design and I think it's pretty important.

I have an especially odd fascination with height differences in ships. So I decided to take a look at my ships and ships from mutuals to see how varied and how large the differences can get.

.....

Let's start by taking a look at the numbers alone.

Nacht x Josele: 180 cm vs 169 cm: 11 cm difference

Nozel x Helia: 177 cm vs 174 cm: 3 cm difference

Nozel x Adva (@cringeyvanillamilk): 177 cm vs 190 cm: 13 cm difference (This is the only pairing, among these m/f ships, where the female is taller than the male.)

Fuegoleon x Koli (@cringeyvanillamilk): 188 cm vs 188 cm: 0 cm difference (If this were a competition, which it isn't, these two would win the award for the smallest height difference since there is none.)

Fuegoleon x Solara (@thoughtfullyrainynightmare): 188 cm vs 175 cm: 13 cm difference

Yuno x Rex (@cryo-visionary): 172 cm vs 165 cm: 7 cm difference

Yuno x Neva (@lyranova): 172 cm vs 157 cm: 15 cm difference

Julius x Aika (@simpingforthisonedeer): 180 cm vs. 170 cm: 10 cm height difference

Gordon x Deline (@ruffian-writings): 187 cm vs 167 cm: 20 cm difference (At least for now, this ship wins the award of having the greatest height difference.)

Mereoleona x Tani (@succulentsunrise): 178 cm vs 175 cm: 3 cm difference (Is it just me or is it criminal how short Mereo is?)

.....

Now, for a visualization of those height differences! (The average height of females went up so now Solara and Tani are closest to the average.)

I personally think it's interesting looking cc x oc ships where the cc is the same and compare the difference in the partner. I mean, the gap between Helia and Adva is an entertaining 16 cm.

I'm not really sure what to do with this information. But I guess for other writers and the artists of the community, now you know just how much leaning is gonna have to happen whenever the couple goes in the for the kiss. Or maybe the taller party will pick up their short sweetheart.

This information could also be used for oc interaction scripting. Like, if Adva and Neva were to meet, Neva would hurt her neck looking up./j (I mean, it's a 33 cm difference, over a foot!) And I never realized how close in height Josele and Aika were until now.

Shout out to all my mutuals for letting me use their ocs in this project. And sorry for keeping y'all in the dark in case you got worried. I just wanted it to be a fun little surprise!

[alirhi]

...goddess help me...

This fucking episode. *deep breath* This... This episode is where I'm expecting to get some serious hate. Let me just get this out of the way right up front:

I. Hate. Zemo.

I do not find him sympathetic, or funny, or charming. I find him creepy and annoying. I did not like him in CA:CW and I do not like him in TFATWS. If you are pro-Zemo, you are not going to like my version of this show from here on out. Just find something else to read and don't bother me about it. You've got the actual canon, so go enjoy that.

Got it? Good. Now, on to the main event!

Episode 3: The Power Broker

First of all, Sam doesn't let Bucky walk in there alone. No matter Bucky's (flimsy and nonsensical) argument, Sam's like "hell no. I go in with you, or you don't go in." The main reason for this isn't to keep Bucky from breaking Zemo out of prison (with decent writing, he would never do that) - it's so that Sam witnesses Zemo taunting Bucky with/about the trigger words. because Zemo is a piece of shit.

Since he doesn't know the full story, Sam is confused, but he files this interaction away to ask Bucky about later. He's listening to Zemo acknowledging that Bucky was "not conscious for most of [his] imprisonment" (which, yes, clearly refers to the time he spent frozen, but can also mean while he was under their control as TWS/"The Asset" - also, key word: imprisonment) and when he calls Bucky a means to an end, Sam scowls, looking ready to go off on him, but he waits. They've got more important issues.

Neither of them entertains the thought of breaking Zemo out for even a nanosecond. He does that shit himself. And literally the only reason I'm sticking with him getting out at all is because I want to address some truly egregious moments linked directly to him in the show. Zemo makes them think he's setting them on the trail when really he's just sending them to his motor pool. Bucky and Sam are confused until they see Zemo in his stolen guard uniform, then they're both angry and want to ship him right back to prison, but he strikes a deal with them: "My help for my temporary freedom. Creating super soldiers cannot be allowed to continue; let me finish my work, and then do with me as you will." He has no intention of going quietly back to prison, obviously, and they're not stupid enough to believe otherwise, but they believe they can keep him on a short leash, so they agree for now. Anything to bring down the Flag Smashers and whoever created them.

After the title, we cut to Raynor on the phone in her office. She's agitated, fiddling with things on her desk. "No, sir," she's practically growling, "it was disrupted. - Walker did! - It's not my fault your new attack dog got off-leash!" She pauses, huffs, and says more calmly, "No. Of course not. I'm sorry. - Well, I don't see how, with the new Cap strutting around barking orders! - What am I supposed to do? Tell Captain America in front of a dozen witnesses that he can't have his predecessor's favorite pet because we're not done reprogramming him? I didn't see that going over too well. I made a call. - No. No, no, no, we can still use him. The work's not finished, but he still trusts me. He'll be back." A pause as she listens. Angry again, she snaps, "What do you want me to do, shove a tracker up his ass? He'll be back, and we'll pick right back up where we left off! - Don't worry, sir, the Asset will be fully compliant and ready to use soon. I'll make sure of it. - Yes, sir. You, too." She hangs up and tosses her phone on the couch, grumbling, "Dick."

Cut back to Sam, Bucky, and Zemo getting going on their trip to Madripoor. On the plane, Sam wants to talk to Bucky about what he's learned so far, but doesn't want to bring it up in front of Zemo... until the notebook incident reminds him that Zemo already knows more about Bucky than he does.

After Zemo's line about the list, Sam angrily corrects him: "You mean people HYDRA used The Winter Soldier to hurt." When Zemo shrugs and his response is basically along the lines of "what's the difference" Sam is like "oh hell no."

"Those words you were reciting at him," he reminds Zemo, "what were they, Russian? They clearly meant something. They were supposed to do something. What are they?" "Sam, let it go," Bucky pleads, unable to look at either of them. "It's nothing." "You wanna drown in your guilt, that's fine," Sam snaps, "but make sure it's for the right reasons." He turns back to Zemo, who's smiling at this exchange because he's a monster and thinks Bucky's suffering is fucking funny. "I asked you a question, Zemo. What did those words do?" "They activate the Winter Soldier programming," Bucky grudgingly admits. He doesn't want to talk about it, but he's sure as hell not going to let Zemo speak for him. "Or, they did, before the Wakandans got all that shit out of my head." "It's a shame," Zemo says with a smirk. "Imagine the possibilities that come with perfect obedience." "I think you mean 'slavery'," Sam growls, "and I think you're in the wrong crowd to be looking so pleased about it. Remember that we can send your ass back to prison any time." "Of course," Zemo agrees, but with an arrogant smile that shows he doesn't believe for a second that these two have any real power over him. Still, he bides his time and sits back quietly, watching Bucky fidget with the notebook. Sam turns back to Bucky, seeing his discomfort; he won't let the topic go, though, not yet. He just softens his tone. "So, they 'activated the Winter Soldier'? What exactly does that mean?" Bucky shrugs, still not looking up. "Pretty much what he said - perfect obedience. What little consciousness they left me between cryo and the chair was squashed down, locked away. And I did whatever I was told, exactly the way they told me to." It finally clicks. He'd had his suspicions before, of course, but now Sam gets it. Visibly horrified, he stares at this quiet, broken man, and finally sees the truth of what he'd been through for 70 years: "They stripped away your autonomy. Shit, Bucky, they didn't even let you be a person. That's..." He swallows, looking like he'll be sick any minute. "That's awful, man. I'm so sorry." When Bucky tries to shrug it off and downplay it again, Sam gets angry. "Look at me!" He waits; it takes a few seconds, but Bucky reluctantly looks up and is surprised to see just how upset Sam is on his behalf. "It wasn't your fault. None of it. When Steve said you didn't have a choice, I had no idea... You really, truly had no choice; not even the ability to choose. That's horrifying." "I doubt it would make much difference to the people he's killed," Zemo points out snidely. "Or their families. Let's ask Tony Stark, shall we?" "You shut the hell up," Sam growls. He watches Bucky flinch and make that face - the face he's starting to really fucking hate - that says he agrees with Zemo. Bucky still can't see things the way Sam does; he still feels the guilt and shame, and even when he himself pointed out his lack of agency under HYDRA, it didn't click for him that Sam is right, not Zemo.

It's too much, too soon. Sam sees that and decides to change the subject, to give Bucky some time to process. He nods at the notebook, and they have their little Marvin Gaye debate, where Sam is over the top about it on purpose, because Bucky needs the distraction.

Of course, Zemo ruins it by opening his big mouth again and reminding Bucky of more trauma: his time fighting in WWII. That's why Sam latches onto the bit about Madripoor; to keep the focus not only on the task at hand, but off of Bucky's past that he clearly still can't cope with.

"James... You will have to become someone you claim is gone." Sam is officially ready to throw Zemo out a window. 😂 The only reason he doesn't jump to Bucky's defense again and basically tell Zemo to fuck himself (in a PG-13 way 🙄) is because Bucky's, as Sam pointed out in ep2, a grown-ass man, and because he's just learned how few decisions this poor man has been able to make in his life. Sam doesn't want to come across as another "handler," deciding everything for him, even if he does think this plan is stupid and needlessly cruel.

At the bar, when asked if he wants "the usual", Sam just casually waves the bartender off like "nah". Zemo already said they had business to attend to, so it's not like anyone would be suspicious that now's probably not a good time to be doing weird shots lol. (wtf even was that? I'm not sure I want to know, but...what part of the snake did he drop into that drink?)

Sam's not an idiot (I'm really so sick of this trend of turning intelligent characters into morons because the writers can't think of any other way to move their plot along) so his cell phone has been off this whole time. No sudden call from Sarah to put them all in danger. There was really no point to that, anyway; Sharon likely would have killed Selby for talking about Nagle with or without the excuse of "saving" Sam and Bucky. I mean, it's not like they know who fired that shot, ever.

"They cleared the Bionic Staring Machine," Sam still jokes, but he follows it with, "and they think he's a mass-murderer." "They think?" Sharon stares at him incredulously. "Didn't he kill pretty much everyone he's ever met?" "Wow." Sam glances back at Bucky. "She really is awful now." To Sharon, he adds, "You met Steve; do you really think he'd have defied 117 countries to protect someone evil?" "He did it for Bucky," she points out. "Let's face it - Bucky could blow up half the planet, and Steve's loyal-to-a-fault ass would still take a bullet for him." "You know I'm sitting right here, right? I can hear you." "Look, I don't think you're evil, Bucky," Sharon assures him. "But I know you killed a lot of people for HYDRA." "I'm not denying it." "He didn't have a choice," Sam snaps, glaring at them both. "But we're not getting into that right now. My point is, the government's afraid of Bucky, and they still pardoned him. All you did was steal something. I'm sure they can be persuaded to see reason." "The day the US government sees reason," Sharon quips, rolling her eyes, "is the day I sprout real wings and fly off into the sunset." "Careful, Icarus," Bucky mocks with a smirk, "the sun and brand new wings don't exactly go together." Then he shrugs and glances at Sam. "But she's not wrong."

At the party that night, it takes a few minutes (grumpy old man Bucky's not sure how to feel about the music lol) but a peek of pre-war Bucky comes out to play: they were told to "blend in", so he dances. At first he's just bobbing around alone looking stoic and out of place, but soon he's smiling and dancing between two attractive people - one male, one female. Sam is surprised, but before he can tease him for it, Sharon comes to get them all. Even she's a little "wait what?" at Bucky having a little fun lol. (recovery is not linear, guys. trauma doesn't mean "perpetually miserable, no fun, doesn't even know how to smile." in my TFATWS, Bucky gets his lighter moments; real ones, not humor at his expense)

When they find Nagle, Bucky's the one who notices and opens the secret door, while Sam keeps an eye on Zemo. Bucky catches Zemo trying to grab that gun; closes the drawer on his hand before opening it and taking the gun away. "Nice try." Nagle tries to get away while there's only one person watching him, but Sam catches him and forces him back into his seat. With a bruising grip on the back of Zemo's neck, Bucky drags him back over to where he and Sam can both keep an eye on him. Nagle is killed in the shootout as they're trying to escape; Zemo still runs off, blows shit up, and comes back with the stolen car so he's not totally useless.

I had no problem with Zemo being the one to kill Nagle; Nagle was the worst and def had to die, and Zemo has never had an issue killing anyone. Where I took issue with this scene was Bucky and Sam being dumb enough to let Zemo wander and get his hands on a gun. Nope. Not happening.

Anyway, shootout! Explosions! Funny banter! The seat thing, which is my favorite nod to CW ever lol... And then the conversation on the plane...

"You okay?" "Yeah." Sam sighs. "Just thinking." "About how to get Sharon that pardon you dangled in front of her?" He shakes his head. "About how Nagle referred to 'The Winter Soldier Program" like it was some kind of after school club; like you weren't standing right there. And 'the American test subject' like... Like Isaiah wasn't even a real person." He turns to face Bucky, looking angry and weary. "Makes me wonder how many times... How many times are we gonna run around in the same circles before people learn? And how many people need to get crushed underfoot in the meantime?" "Did you really just equate me with Isaiah?" Bucky frowns, not sure how to react to that. "That man is a hero." Sam opens his mouth to say something, but his phone goes off and Zemo approaches at the same time, effectively cutting off their conversation.

When they get to Riga and Zemo tries to guilt trip them over Sokovia, Bucky deadpan reminds him, "Neither of us were involved in that fight." "I doubt you'd have been much help if you were." He shrugs. "Probably not. But I like to save my guilt for events I was actually present for. It's a thing." Zemo laughs. "Fair enough."

Bucky goes on his walk, and meets up with Ayo.

[kittymsmithwritesstuff]

Theory Following the Bangalore/Wraith lore video.

Video Link: https://twitter.com/PlayApex/status/1378037453894848515?s=20

Note: 

* means additional info at bottom

Also, sorry if I repeat myself a couple times. Anywhoodle.

I am fucking LIVING for the Bangalore and Wraith interaction. This presents so many questions, and I find it fucking hilarious that Crypto is like, “yeah can y’all get a handle on yourselves?”

Also really nice to hear Wraith talk for an extended period of time, you really get an impression on just how “mellow” she is. The lorebook was fantastic on giving her a voice but hearing how she might actually say the words is interesting. 

ANYWAY HERE’S A THEORY

-Bangalore possibly knows something about Wraith that she’s not saying. Wraith, until this moment, seemed to be completely unaware of this. The question here is: what does she know, and why isn’t she telling her?

What she might know: So this requires having read the lorebook, so spoilers ahead as I drop some background.

Background

Bangalore is shown in the book to have some conflictions on her perspective of the IMC; more specifically, she has separated the individuals within it from the overall company for a number of reasons that are better explained in book. But what you need to know is that her eldest brother, Zeke, was killed in the Typhon explosion, alongside millions of other people. Typhon was a planet full of unarmed research and development scientists and civilians. This combined with her brother’s death made Bangalore hate the Militia more than she ever had. The final battle at Gridiron happened soon after, but Bangalore missed it because she was taken to her ship she had just been assigned to, the HMS Hestia, by her brother Jackson. He showed her a strange piece of tech and then everyone on the ship used it to escape, though Bangalore wanted to fight. The tech let them make a 20 year trip to the Outlands in 1 year (in cryo-sleep). It was then useless.

Jackson later told her the truth that is the origin of her conflictions and eventual separation of IMC individuals from the company overall. Her brother got insider info from a doctor who survived the explosion and had worked on the project with the strange technology. He revealed that the ARES division was torturing and doing horrific experiments on human beings, with one of their main projects concerning the strange tech (side note: I believe it is actually called an Ark but I’m too lazy to look it up), which they intended to turn into a massive weapon that could wipe out all IMC competition. In Bangalore’s words, “the Militia killed millions…to save billions.”

This is for everyone to read: Bangalore’s hatred for the Militia tempered some and shifted to the ARES division and General Marder, who was behind the giant weapon. She tends to avoid thinking about it too much. She maintains that the IMC was not completely evil, and it is the opinion of the author of this post that she is correct and there was bad on both sides, but this is another post. Other context clues indicate that Bangalore may, overall, avoid conflict when she cannot be sure of the correct choice.

So What She Might Actually Know

At the very least, she knows Wraith was previously part of ARES division. She might even know what part she was involved with before Project: Wraith, which could very well be part of the weapon of mass destruction. For Bangalore, this would be enough to hold a grudge. If she somehow got additional information – say from any possible database on the Hestia, or any other former IMC hotspots in the Outlands that she might have located-then she might have additional reason to hate or dislike Wraith. She specifically mentions that she especially doesn’t want Wraith saying Jackson’s name, which could indicate that she figured out Wraith had some special role in whatever hit the Hestia and caused Jackson’s (presumable) demise, since he’s been gone over a decade by Bangalore’s account, though that’s a far reach.

Baseline: She knows about Wraith’s connection to ARES, and possibly knows more about what Wraith did while working under ARES, something that may or may not connect to Jackson. Additionally, her resentment on Wraith specifically speaking Jackson’s name could simply root in the death of her other brother, Zeke.

Why she might not be teling her: It is possible Bangalore knows what kind of person Wraith was.* More specifically, she might know what she’s done. Why might she not tell her? There’s a few reasons, probably, but the main reason I can think of, almost in summary, is this: She doesn’t want to be the one to tell Wraith the horrible things she might have done, or did do.**

Wraith is shown in the Season 6 comic and in her Employee Intake form in the lorebook to have had trouble with empathy and aggression, her intake form containing a hard-to-read warning that advises keeping an eye on her because of possible conflict. Wraith knows some about this, but Bangalore may have the whole kit and kaboodle, or at least more than Wraith.  She is noted to dislike Wraith, specifically mentioning that she doesn’t like that she volunteered for the experiment that ruined her, but from the video we know they are at least civil, if not “acquaintances” due to the info Wraith has about Bangalore’s brother, though she could have gotten this from outside sources. It’s also possible this civility is a result of Bangalore doing her best to not take out her resentment on someone who has no way of knowing what they did wrong. This could be considered part of the long term effectsof her gradual character change and improvement that first changed significantly when she began her friendship with Loba.

Summary/TLDR: Bangalore probably dislikes Wraith both because she disagrees with her choice to volunteer for the Project: Wraith experiment, and definitively because of her previous ARES association. She might also dislike her for whatever actions she took during her time with ARES, which she may know about due to her IMC connections/previous access to IMC databases. She is trying to avoid acting on this knowledge because she doesn’t want to blame Wraith for something she doesn’t even remember and has no way of knowing she did. She is withholding information from Wraith because she does not want to be the one to inform her of the possibly horrific things she did under ARES, both out of sympathy and possibly because she simply doesn’t want to or doesn’t know how to deal with it.

*in this case we assume fully that our Wraith is similar enough to the Wraith she traded places with that their actions are mirrored in each other’s respective dimensions. This might also contribute to why Wraith can’t just pop into another dimension and figure out what happened-only her and the other Wraith we saw in the Outlands video are similar enough, and she can’t see into the past in either dimension.

**I did entertain the possibility that she was retaining info for her own use, manipulation, or to be a flat fucking bitch, but in all honestly Bangalore’s character just doesn’t fit that. She’s not a horrible person; she’s a strict, sad, frustrated one, but if she found something about Wraith that would be to Wraith’s benefit, I highly, highly doubt she would withhold it, as that crosses the line from bitch to cruel.

[undertheinfluencerd]

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The Abomination (Tim Roth) may have a bigger future in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than fans realized. Marvel already announced that Abomination and his alter ego, Emil Blonsky, was cast in She-Hulk on Disney+. However, the gamma-powered monster’s surprise appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings indicates the Abomination will have an even greater presence in the MCU than first thought.

Abomination has only made one MCU appearance in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk but the massive brute has the distinction of being the second supervillain in the MCU after Jeff Bridges’ Obediah Stane/Iron Monger in Iron Man. Abomination’s human side, Emil Blonsky, was a British Royal Marine working for General Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt). Ross enhanced Blonsky with the Super Soldier Serum but he was still no match for the Hulk (Edward Norton). Blonsky then infused himself with Bruce Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood, which mutated Blonsky into the creature dubbed the Abomination. However, the Hulk defeated Abomination in Harlem and escaped capture. The Abomination was apprehended and held in cryo-stasis within S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Alaska facility called the Vault. That was the last time fans saw the Abomination, although he was mentioned in the Marvel One-Shot titled The Consultant. The World Security Council intended to release Blonsky so he could be part of the Avengers but that plan was foiled in favor of the Hulk joining the Avengers instead.

Related: The Avengers: What If The Abomination Had Been Recruited

Shang-Chi shows the Abomination cage fighting against Doctor Strange’s Wong (Benedict Wong), Doctor Strange’s partner as part of Xialing’s underground fight club. In the MCU timeline, it’s been about 15 years since Abomination was last seen in Phase 1 and while he was left in the cryo-prison The Vault, he’s now in the Raft, as briefly shown when Wong takes him back in the wake of their fight. How that change of location happened is unclear, but since Tim Roth is also reprising Blonsky and Abomination in She-Hulk, it may be revealed when he eventually meets Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), and play what’s been described as “a significant role” in the show. The Abomination was also, of course, a major league villain who possesses Hulk-levels of power, making him “a 30-megaton nuke” on the loose, in Secretary of State Ross’ verbiage.

As surprised as fans were to learn the Abomination will appear in Shang-Chi, Tim Roth may have been equally astonished to have been contacted by Marvel after so many years. There were initial plans to include the Abomination in Avengers: Age of Ultron but those obviously never came to fruition. In a 2017 Reddit AMA, Roth was asked if he will ever return to the MCU and he replied, “I don’t think Marvel will ever use me again, but it would be fun.” Because of the Hulk’s complicated film rights, which are owned by Universal Pictures, there are no more Hulk solo movies on the horizon. The advent of She-Hulk Disney+ TV show allows Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk/Bruce Banner to continue playing major supporting roles in other MCU properties and it opened the door for Tim Roth’s long-awaited comeback as the Abomination.

Whether the Abomination will further appear in the MCU is unclear, but there are questions off the back of how Wong interacts with the hulking monster. That seems to suggest that Wong has been training him and that the pair have an established camaraderie, rather than being enemies. Following on from the Phase One plan to bring him in as an Avenger, Abomination could potentially be a possibility for the next iteration of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers 5 and he could also be recruited by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis Dreyfuss) to join the new team she recruited U.S. Agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell) for in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Since there’s a relationship with Wong already, some fans speculate that Abomination could possibly impact Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Either way, the Abomination is on the verge of a major comeback after sitting out MCU Phases 2 and 3.

Next: Shang-Chi: What Worked & What Didn’t

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