#gen zero: brutal

[cvriosities]

atlas is growing up and hating it :(

[mythgendered]

heyy its pokemon day right so now's the best time to post some year old art of my pokemon ocs in their various outfits, right?

They're from a pokemon au I've not really talked about here -- with the core idea of being another sequel to the Gen 1/2 eras, seeing the changes the region would have seen by the time of, say, Gen 5. Gyms and Elite 4 members have shuffled, towns and cities have grown -- and that dude from Vermillion City finally finished building that tower with his Machoke.

Character details under the cut -v-

Leah - My main pokeoc and ancient blorbo. Loud, abrasive and confident, Leah wants to be the absolute strongest trainer. Born and raised on the Sevii Islands, Leah's life was changed when, as a young child, her town was raided by a gang of bikers. When they were poised to ruin the small town-- a young trainer in a red hat came in and beat them all, saving the day.

Ever since then, Leah swore she would be the kind of strong trainer who would go around saving people and beating up bullies. As such, she jumped at the opportunity when Professor Oak opened up his most recent round of Kanto Pokemon Survey Work. With Pokedex in hand and her beloved Bulbasaur, Sprout, in her heart, Leah set out and...immediately dove into the League Challenge, giving the barest minimum to the pokedex survey work. Leah is a direct person, toeing the line of tactless, and that translates to her training style. Brutal attacks, leaning into type advantages, and little thought given to strategy. After all, the only stat she wants to impact is HP-- and change it to zero.

Still, she is remarkably in sync with her pokemon, who she loves above all else. Her team are as good as family, and its this care that may credit her battle success despite a disdain for strategy.

She can be kind of a jerk, but all she wants to do is be a hero.

Sean - Leah's rival, and the "player character" to her "loud, annoying rival."

A Saffron City native, Sean has long admired former Gym Leader and current League Champion Sabrina. He wants to follow in her footsteps, gaining power and becoming a top trainer -- before facing his hero in the battle.

Sean is a quiet, serious boy, and is the opposite of Leah in nearly every way-- careful with his training, mindful of his team composition, and at least trying to pay attention to his Pokedex. He finds her annoying, and she finds him condescending. They're both kind of right; Sean can be quietly judgy and a bit of a snob.

Still, he cares deeply for his Pokemon, and despite his frequently shifting team composition, he tends to drift to the same handful as close companions.

He also cares deeply for his boyfriend, who is staying back home and training to be a daycare center operator. The new long distance element to their relationship has been an Adjustment, but its one they work through with lots of phone calls and gifts sent via teleporting Abra.

Alana - Alana is here too!

While Leah and Sean have their intense rivalry, and travel across Kanto and Johto earning badges, making friends and fending off a mysterious villain team -- Alana is the only one of them who's actually doing the job she signed up for.

Alana selected the third of the starters Professor Oak was offering and almost immediately got to work. She's no trainer, and has no badges to her name. She's the embodiment of spinoffs-- she's pokemon snap, she's the safari zone, she's just here to catch and catalogue 'em all.

She's a sweet girl who isn't afraid to get dirty, and in addition to using the pokedex, she has a journal on hand at all times to jot down her own research notes and sketches, delighting in the natural world around her.

She probably spent enough time in Viridian Forest for Leah and Sean both to get their third badges.

[motorspexx]

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X - Full Tech Specs and Performance

This is the new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X — the most extreme and technologically advanced Corvette ever built. Under the rear hatch is a hand-assembled 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged LT7 V8, producing a massive 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. This flat-plane-crank engine revs to 8,000 rpm and uses a unique “maniturbo” design, where the exhaust manifold and turbo housing are combined into one compact unit. The result is lightning-fast spool, reduced lag, and brutal mid-range power.  At the front axle, an upgraded electric motor from the Corvette E-Ray adds another 186 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Combined system output is 1,250 horsepower, delivered through a fully electrified all-wheel-drive setup with torque vectoring for maximum grip and agility. Performance is hypercar-level. Zero to sixty takes under two seconds. The quarter-mile less than nine seconds at over 150 miles per hour. The front motor stays engaged up to 160 mph, then decouples to reduce drag and maximize top-end performance. Drivers can opt for two distinct chassis setups. The standard package uses Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and next-gen Magnetic Ride Control for street-focused balance. The ZTK track pack stiffens everything up, swaps in Michelin Cup 2R tires, and adds more aggressive aero calibration for serious cornering. Speaking of aero, the optional Carbon Aero package includes front dive planes, a hood extractor, underbody strakes, and a massive rear wing. Total downforce can reach up to 1,200 pounds, keeping the car planted even at triple-digit speeds. Carbon-ceramic rotors come standard — 16.5 inches up front with massive 10-piston calipers. In testing, the ZR1X pulled up to 1.9 g of deceleration when braking from 180 to 120 miles per hour. Built in Bowling Green with precision and performance in mind, the 2026 Corvette ZR1X is more than a supercar — it’s a declaration that America can build a hypercar.  2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X – Technical Specifications Powertrain Engine Type: LT7 5.5L Twin-Turbocharged DOHC V8 Crankshaft: Flat-plane Engine Output: 1,064 hp @ 7,000 rpm Engine Torque: 828 lb-ft @ 6,000 rpm Turbochargers: Dual 76 mm turbos with integrated "maniturbo" housing and dynamic anti-lag Redline: 8,000 rpm Electric Motor (Front Axle): Output: 186 hp / 145 lb-ft Max Engagement Speed: 160 mph Configuration: Single motor, torque-vectoring capable Total System Output Combined Horsepower: 1,250 hp Combined Torque: Estimated over 950 lb-ft Drivetrain: Electrified All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) Transmission: 8-Speed Dual-Clutch Automatic Performance 0–60 mph: under 2.0 seconds (GM estimate) Quarter Mile: under 9.0 seconds @ more than 150 mph (GM estimate) Top Speed: Not officially released Max Deceleration: Up to 1.9 g from 180 to 120 mph Chassis & Suspension Platform: Mid-engine, aluminum space frame Suspension: Standard: Magnetic Ride Control with adaptive dampers Optional: ZTK Track Pack with stiffer springs and custom tuning Tires: Standard: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZTK Package: Michelin Pilot Cup 2R Steering: Electrically assisted, variable ratio Brakes Front: 16.5-inch Carbon-Ceramic Rotors with 10-piston Calipers Rear: Carbon-Ceramic Rotors with 6-piston Calipers Aerodynamics Standard Aero: Functional rear spoiler, underbody paneling Carbon Aero Package (Optional): Carbon fiber dive planes Hood extractor vent Underbody strakes High-mounted rear wing Max Downforce: Up to 1,200 lbs Dimensions (estimated) Length: \~182.3 in Width (w/mirrors): \~79.7 in Height: \~48.6 in Wheelbase: \~107.2 in Curb Weight: Not officially disclosed (expected \~3,900–4,000 lbs) Wheels Front: 20 x 10 in Rear: 21 x 13 in Construction: Lightweight forged aluminum (optional carbon fiber wheels) Production & Assembly Assembly Location: Bowling Green Assembly, Kentucky, USA Engine Hand-Built: Performance Build Center (same facility) Availability Launch: Expected late 2025 Price: To be announced

[neverpathia]

Thinking about a Genderbend AU for ASOIAF, and coming to the realization that it is zero percent pretty.

(Of course it's not pretty. It's ASOIAF.

And for the sake of not rewriting the damn thing's entire history, I'll only be genderbending the younger POV characters, last-gen Tyrells, second-generation Lannisters, and Robb Stark but it's still...man.)

Falseflower AU

Ramble 1 - The Starks

Sansen Stark (male!Sansa) is now Eddard Stark's first son and heir. He's a kindly and chivalrous young squire, perpetually dreaming of gallantry and heroics. This little guy is way too optimistic, droning on and on about one day being sung about as some hero sweeping some lady off her feet. The classic idealist. Some simple boy.

He fucking named his direwolf "Knight". That should tell you all you need to know.

As the eldest son, Sansen's left to govern Winterfell when his father leaves to act as the King's Hand, and later when his mother leaves for the King's Landing because of Lysa's little letter. But he's too young and naive. And with his sister Reba (fem!Robb) gone south with dear ol' Dad, he can't really turn to anyone for help regarding lordly drama.

Well, there is someone. Jenn Snow (fem!Jon), who was also left behind because she didn't really have any place at court. And it's not like she, as a she, could've taken the black either.

Sansen does not like this arrangement at all. So he shoves Jenn the hell away and takes over everything all by himself, or at least he tries to.

And it soon becomes clear that Sansen has a knack for diplomacy and wordplay. He's a good lord. He's very good at making the smallfolk love him. Fair of face, gentle of demeanour, what's not to like?

So every day, he plays at this farce in ways that Robb never would. A cute child, a fair face, the tailored words of a little bird. Promises and smiles sweeter than sugar. Walls of valiant courtesy. At first glance, it does seem that he knows what he's doing. And he never fails to do the kind thing.

The northern crowds cheer his name.

He's even revered at King's Landing.

Ignore the moody bastard girl at his side. This isn't about her.

But as it turns out, honeyed words and deep blue eyes do not a lord make. And the kind thing may never be the right thing. He soon finds his work catching up to him. He's only eleven, after all.

So every night, he weeps in his chambers.

And Jenn hears him. Jenn, whom he'd always scorned so much. When Sansen finds out, he's terrified. She knows his weakness now...yet she forgives him. Besides, these are her lands too. She's never been satisfied with just that little glimpse of power- she'd always wanted a taste.

So now we have Sansen handling everything in the public eye while Jenn does the dirty work. Rather like a king and his Hand. Simple, right?

Not just yet.

We have the boy who 'should have been the heir'. The wolf of a boy, quick of swordplay and harsh of wit. The boy who would rule with steel rather than a soft little mouth. The boy who hates coming second.

This boy is Aryn Stark (male!Arya).

Aryn isn't charismatic like Sansen. He's somewhat handsome, but not as clearly and conventionally as his brother. No, his strength lies in the blade. Where Sansen is kind, Aryn is blunt and brutal. Where Sansen is fearful and hesitant, Aryn is fucking thriving.

But Aryn isn't the heir, and he'll never get to be the cold Stark lord that Sansen isn't.

Still, he didn't have to just yet. Oh, of course he's resentful, but at least he had Jenn. Jenn's the only one who knew how it felt to come next, to always be an afterthought. To be denied something that should've been theirs. And they even looked alike.

Besides, Sansen's words were effective enough. Maybe a pretty face and a silver tongue was enough for a good ruler.

Sansen was a thing of peace, after all. He quickly grew skilled at negotiating terms and brokering agreements. The lesser lords adored him. And he never failed to host a memorable banquet, each better than the last.

Seems like we're leaving the boys at a decent spot. Let's get into King's Landing.

Reba's been engaged to the Prince Myrcel (Myrcella). And Princess Jefreye (Joffrey) doesn't appreciate Reba's being engaged to the Prince Myrcel.

Don't question the names. Queen Jamei (Jaime) is pretty bad at naming, apparently.

All Reba's been trying to do is fit in. She's just as dutiful as Sansa, but with none of her dreams: she merely sees these silks and those banquets as 'weapons' of her own. She's friendly, but cold: approachable, and welcoming enough, but you get a sense that this is nothing but her duty. Her smile is polite and courteous, but there's nothing else beneath it.

Jefreye sees her as a competitor. Reba, however, does not spare her the grace of giving a shit.

As far as they're concerned, it's different games they're playing. And the throne doesn't quite belong to Jefreye- not quite yet. Meanwhile, Reba plays the part of a future queen, and she plays it well. But she's no Margaery.

She's not trying to be shrewd or cunning, and she's never loved the game. This is just her duty. That's all.

Jefreye is very pissed.

Oh, and Littlefinger sees a lot of Catelyn in Reba. Hell, she even acts like her. She's just as loyal and duty-bound. She's pretty much Catelyn 2.0.

That's not going to end well.

And then we have the little Lady Brandell (Fem!Bran), but everyone (still) just calls her Bran. I'll be frank here. I'm not actually sure if she breaks her legs this time.

Wait, actually, I think I've got it. Ahem.

There's only one honourable path available for ladies in this universe, and that's beauty and marriage. So that's exactly what a little girl would aspire to.

She's always been a pretty thing. Fire-red hair, soulful wide eyes of a deep-sea blue, delicate little features. Catelyn was pretty certain that Bran would grow to be more beautiful than her. Yes, she'd wed a nice lord. Yes, she'd have tales told of her visage.

And then she saw Cersion (Cersei) and Jamei doing the deed.

Unlike the source material, this happens after Ned brings her to King's Landing. She's learning to be a proper lady and everything. So she was just taking a little walk around the palace when she saw That Which Shall Not Be Spoken Of.

Cersion very nicely bashed the little girl against the wall over and over again in a fit of rage before leaving her for dead.

And then, in true Bran Stark fashion, she proceeded to not die.

She'd have tales told of her visage, alright.

The girl was comatose for a little while with the same old dreams of the three-eyed raven. She woke like, well, in the same old. But her eyes, her real eyes, never truly opened. All the harsh blows had left her half-blinded.

And her face? It was dominated by grisly scars and horrible cracks. No amount of powders and pinks could force misshapen flesh back into place.

At least her wits were somehow left intact. I'll put that under some three-eyed raven nonsense.

But Catelyn Stark heard of what happened to her precious little daughter and proceeded to get really mad too. Poor Cersion. He's not gonna know what hit him, and it most certainly won't be a very angry mama wolf.

We all know that Eddard Stark dies in the end.

A scared, grieving, overworked Sansen is crowned King in the North at twelve. He looks fine. Better, even. He's still the same graceful lordling, and he's growing into a very comely man.

But something's changing. He never asked for this.

When the Greatjon hollered that title, when the crowd decreed him a king; all he felt was fear. He just wanted to cower and weep. He could barely hold the North together as a lord, let alone a king.

But the men all loved him.

They still loved him, and he couldn't afford to lose that, never. So he put on his lordly courtesy, and forced yet another handsome smile as they crowed and cheered.

And so commenced the War of Five Kings.

But to Sansen, it wasn't much of a war. He never wanted to let it come down to battle. He refused to.

Sansen gets himself a lot of allies. His fights are never on the battlefield, but in the banquet hall. He weighs his foes' threats and turns them into friends. He bargains and negotiates, conjuring benefits on the fly. He charms little ladies and wins lords over. He says exactly what they want to hear. And he does it all with that pretty little smile of his.

Not like, cough, Robb, cough-cough.

Rumours are spread about this wolf-pup of a king. He's so young, too young, not even a man yet. He's too well-spoken. He shouldn't have known anything, and yet he always finds the right words. His smile is too constant, too warm.

He's hidden himself away beneath too many layers. He's very, very terrified.

Well, Catelyn appreciates how he keeps himself safe. Even Aryn's a little relieved that Sansen's not charging to his death just yet, though he'd never show it.

But Aryn always felt like Sansen was doing something wrong. Wars were battles, not conversations.

And Jenn? Jenn stands soundless by his side as ever.

Catelyn doesn't particularly appreciate Jenn's influence and status at court. She didn't trust her presence when she was absent, and she certainly doesn't trust this bastard girl face-to-face now. Sansen doesn't seem to tolerate her too much either, yet he refuses to kick her out for reasons Catelyn doesn't comprehend.

At least Aryn likes him. But Cat grows uneasy.

Things get even worse when the Tyrells are involved. Sansen gets along amazing with Maegor (Margaery), though he can't help but wish that he's the one sitting on his throne instead. Maegor knows what to do and likes playing the game. Maegor would be a far better king, Sansen thinks. He's not too young either.

And then he meets the Lady Lora (Loras)...who happens to be betrothed to Renly Baratheon.

Okay, I'm getting a bit tired here. I might elaborate eventually, especially in my Lannister ramblings.

Hello, ASOIAF fandom! I'm mainly a Slay the Princess blogger but, seven hells, I figured it was high time I stuck a foot into this thing as well. Let's see how well my idea goes.

More torture lies in wait for King Sansa. But I really love King Sansa. And stay tuned for Lady Robb clocking Princess Joffrey on his golden little face.

[mapleeeewee]

˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰welcome to my blog꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄

On this Blog I usually post art of everything I've drawn, talk about opinions about characters, redesigns, etcetera. Every type of art I've made has the names of the characters included, so just search it up on my blog. (Example: "Breezepelt")

Nicknames: Maple, Maps, Mappy(close friends only), Magpie, Mag, Marble, Marb

Age Range: 14-17

Sexuality and Pronouns: Demisexual and Trans Man, I use he/him only. Questioning my attraction

Nationality: Italian

Personality Type: INTP

I'm a Multishipper and Rareshipper

DNI: darkshippers, pedophiles, groomers, feral NSFW, AI "artists", zoophiles, fighterfelines, transphobes, homophobes, . Plus! +18 people may not comment, re-quote or DM me. You may follow, like, re-post and request a cat, but you may not do those.

Fandoms I'm in:

Vocaloid ,Warrior Cats, Wings of Fire, Pokémon, Minecraft, Object Shows, Murder Drones, Monster High, Ever After High, My Little Pony, RainWorld, ARK, SCP, Sonic, Sanrio, Kipo, Yandere Simulator, Mouthwashing, South Park, A Hat in Time, Sailor Moon,Omori, Jurassic Park/World, Homestuck, Madoka Magica, Arcane, How to Train Your Dragon, Strawberry Shortcake, Miraculous Ladybug, Object Show Community, Lion King, Doki Doki Literature Club, Life is Strange, Little Witch Academia, Little Nightmares, Needy Streamer Overload, Baldi's Basics, Cult of the Lamb, Night in The Woods, Children of Silenttown, Class of '09, Kinitopet, Ena, Resident Evil, Spider-Man, Animal Crossing, Paw Patrol, Winx, Aristogatti, Sweet Tooth, Scenecore Artists, Chi: Une Vie de Chat, DinoWorld, Sally Face, SkullGirls, Kindergarten, Lacey's Games, Coraline, Bad Parenting, Little Big Planet, Ponytown, The Lego Movie, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, Scott Pilgrim, Tomodachi Life, The Sims 4, Mindless Self Indulgence, KORN, Mitski, Total Drama, Toca Boca, Cuphead, She-Ra, Zoochosis, A Little To The Left, Goat Simulator, Pile Up!, My Child Lebensborn, Papers, Please!, Pal World, What Remains of Edith Finch, Untitled Goose Game, Inscryption, Kill It with Fire, Donut County, That's Not My Neighbor, Planet Crafter, Journey to The Savage Planet, Slime Rancher, Deponia, Chuchel, House Flipper, Kena, Hell Architect, Man-eater, Bioshock, Stick It To The Stickman, Octodad, Beyond Two Souls, It Takes Two, Shady Part of Me, Spore, Infectionator 3 Apocalypse, My Little Blacksmith Shop, Rock of Ages, Ancestors, Job Simulator, Dawn of Man, Subnautica, Subnautica Below Zero, Hitman 2, Unravel Two, Parkasaurus, Megaquarium, Let's Build a Zoo, God of War 4, A Way Out, The Forest, Pixark, The Sexy Brutale, Shadows of The Colossus, Staxel, Hob, Quantum Conondrum, Astroneer, Never Alone, Carried Away, State of Decay, The Universim, Bermuda, 60 SECONDS, Valiant Hearts, The Unfinished Swan, Yonder, The Long Dark, Suicide Guy, Conarium, Blackwood Crossing, Rime, Silence, Snake Pass, Guts and Glory, Night in The Woods, The Wardrobe, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Happy Room, Raft, The Town of Light, Pokémon Evolved (ARK mod), Maize, Lara Croft GO, Beholder, Hello Neighbor, Mr. President, Manual Samuel, Abzû, Anarcute, Fire Watch, The Marvellous Miss Take, The Guest, Pony Island, Broken Age, The Escapists, Pac-Man, Is This Seat Taken?, Clan Gen, Bugcat Capoo, WGF, Two Point Museum, Stars in The Trash, Wolf Quest, Little Kitty, Big City!, Planet Zoo, Pikmin 4, Cattails, Stray, Cat Cafe Manager, The Wandering Village, A Street Cat's Tale, Pupperazzi, Life is a Game, Unpacking, Endling, Old Friends Dog Game, Prehistoric Kingdom, Shelter 2, Niche, WildCraft, Ultimate Cat Simulator, Warrior Cats: Untold Tales, To The Rescue: Dog Shelter Simulator, Yellowjackets, Final Destination, Department Q, Scott Pilgrim, Under Paris, The Shark, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

My favorite Characters: Moonwatcher, Ashfur, Ferncloud, Squirrelflight, Breezepelt, Brindleface, Leafpool, Onyx, Ethan Winters, Rodrick Heffley, Carl, Nat

Warrior Cats Opinions-

Favorite Arc: Power of Three and The Broken Code

Favorite Clan: RiverClan

Favorite Artist: @femmekinkajou , gekkozilla

Other Socials:

[dire-miralis]

Some oddball elder dragons and elder-adjacent monsters i hope will return in Wilds thanks to the grand scale of the game:

Note: I define an oddball as a monster that either hasn't shown up in a long time, and/or is very distinct from the general vibes that more powerful monsters tend to be given.

Nakarkos and Vaal Hazak: Putting these together because they would inhabit the same kind of biome. It looks like Wilds will be taking place in the New World, and i genuinely hope we will see at least an echo of the weirdness of the Rotten Vale return. Many people wanted Nakarkos is World because of the Rotten Vale, but it's clear it couldn't have happened considering the body type limitations the staff dealt with at the time. This clearly isn't the case anymore. The biomes we have seen so far are pretty tame, and beyond any specific monster wishes, i'm hoping that there are some weird maps in store that will allow more specialized new and returning monsters to show up.

Lao Shan Lung, Yama Tsukami, Shen Gaoren, and Kulve Taroth: I think the larger maps are kind of begging for a rework of sieges. I really hope we get to see more single-player friendly siege monster fights. The Seikret's ability for vertical transportation may allow for less clunky use of larger areas in combat with giant monsters.

Dalamadur [DLC]: Honestly i don't have big hopes for that one, as i don't really see how you could make an encounter with it that is in any way distinct from it's 4th gen fight. I suppose it could belong in the above siege category i mentioned, but i don't really see it just, existing anywhere outside of a giant cave, so it would probably still need an arena. Regardless i like it, it's an oddball, and i share everyone's wish to see it back, so, i might as well mention it.

White Fatalis [DLC post release content]: Only an oddball because it hasn't shown up in newgen as of yet. Obviously a popular monster, and i'm still so confused as to why it never showed up in Rise to save it from being the only game in the franchise with Zero forbidden dragons. I'm also going to be brutally honest and say it like it is: There is no point in Fatalis showing up without White Fatalis in any game after MH1. Fatalis in the first game was interesting because it was the only western-looking dragon, which made it stand out and communicated clearly that there was something unnatural about it. As of Kushala existing though, this idea was made obsolete, and White Fatalis was a good way to mitigate Fatalis's loss of visual purpose. Fatalis in World means Nothing outside of "hey look it's the final boss from the first game oooo". If Fatalis comes back in the DLC, which i'm almost sure it will because this is World devs, i want Grandpa back for moral support.

Dire Miralis [DLC post release content] : Considering what they are aiming to do with Wilds is seemingly to step up the franchise yet another step above what World did, what monster could possibly be more impressive as a final post release update for the DLC than the largest black dragon of the series, which hasn't been seen ever since it first appeared in Tri Ultimate ? Very few monsters could hold the title of being as huge of a flex as Dire Miralis would be. Yes, Dalamadur would be more visually grand, and also never appeared (alive) after 4 Ultimate, but Dire Miralis would also be a very elegant monster to bring back lore-wise: The grand architect said to constructs and destroys continents, returning in a game which is building the franchise's formula anew. Beautiful. And yes, i may be biased.

Shara Ishvalda: I hope it will return, i have no elaborate reason for it really. It's cool, it's weird, the spectacle of it is great, and it's from Iceborne so the assets are already there.

Honorable mentions:

Ceadeus: one of my favorite monsters but unfortunately impossible to wish for, as underwater combat will not feature in Wilds. Gaismagorm: It's so lackluster worldbuilding-wise that the devs would pretty much have to rework it basically from the ground up, and while i hope it does return, i really don't get my hopes up. Morudomunto: Disqualified because it's a spinoff monster. Kinda mad that Arkveld is aesthetically a swagless version of it though.

[saltypepps]

A lil MMX au I cooked up a while back when I didn’t have anywhere to share it. Content warning for implied violence, angst, and (strained) romance.

Megaman X – Lament AU

Post X8

Maverick Wars are over, humans are back in control

Humans have established a tyranny and Maverick Hunters now serve as enforcers

Sigma’s movement is dead and the Maverick Virus has been classified as extinct, all instances of Maverickism are born from reploid will or malfunction

Reploids as a whole are starting to realize how humans have been using them, civil unrest is common and often violent

Discrimination and brutality against reploids is rampant, unionization for working reploids is prohibited

The Elf Wars never happened, a team of researchers has successfully used Zero’s DNA to infiltrate and neutralize the Maverick Virus in old and new-gen reploids alike

Axl has been in stasis since Lumine’s attack

X has retired to care for Axl and aid in his recovery

Zero remains a loyal asset to the Hunters, but he secretly questions the mission of the organization

X and Zero are secretly married, though X’s retirement and Zero’s insistence on keeping his position have become a source of tension in their relationship

Alia, Layer, and Pallette have moved to the Hunters’ research and development wing

Signas resigned from his position and retreated to a safehouse to avoid being scapegoated for all events after the Eurasia Crisis

Key point: Massive civil unrest is stirring after the heart-wrenching public execution of Lament, a humble poet and reploid rights advocate whose songs and poetry have inspired reploids to stand peacefully against their oppressors

Characters

X: The father of all reploids. X has grown weary of the constant conflict between humans and reploids and has retreated into a private existence in the mountains with Axl. Bitter and depressed, he has found himself becoming increasingly apathetic to the suffering around him. He loves but resents Zero for staying with the Maverick Hunters after they both vowed to retire and live a peaceful, intimate life together after the war’s end. X enjoys his newfound solitude at his and Zero’s hideaway in the Swiss Alps, where he spends his time caring for Axl and his garden and working through his unresolved trauma from the centuries of war and loss he endured. He was a quiet but passionate fan of Lament’s work and was furious to learn that his own husband was the one who dealt the final blow.

Zero: The last active SA-Rank Maverick Hunter and the auditor of the organization’s “Peaceful Earth” initiative. Zero is regarded as an inquisitor of sorts, quashing any and all resistance to the World Human Council’s strict and often inhumane codes for reploid existence. His role in the oppression of reploids has earned him the scorn of the entire reploid race and the alienation of his best friend and husband, X. However, Zero is internally terrified. He’s aware that his duties are nothing short of atrocious and has grown to loathe the human bureaucrats he performs for. However, he knows that speaking up will sign not only his but the death warrants of every reploid whom he cares for or is under his command. He was Lament’s executioner, and while it was not by his own volition, the act has riddled him with tremendous guilt and rage.

Axl: The mysterious new-gen prototype from Red Alert who was tentatively accepted into the Hunters during the Red Alert incident. Axl was rendered unconscious after his primary data gem was shattered by Lumine. He hasn’t woken since, but there have been hopeful reports of brain activity akin to dreaming. As of now, Axl is under the care of X and a team of the world’s best reploid doctors at X and Zero’s hideaway.

Alia: Formerly X’s, Zero’s, and more recently Axl’s assigned Navigator, Alia has returned to the field of reploid research since the Maverick Wars’ end. She spearheaded the research into Zero’s DNA that culminated in the development of the Final Cure, effectively eliminating the Sigma Virus entirely. She is now working alongside Layer and Pallette to research and archive the entire history of the reploid race, much of which has been destroyed in the wars. Alia is also X’s closest confidante besides Zero, often allowing X to vent his worries and frustrations when he feels he can’t do so with his lover. She is incredibly worried about Zero reaching a breaking point in his profession. She knows he can’t do what he’s doing forever.

Lament: A young reploid who went AWOL from the Maverick Hunters’ barracks. Over the course of their absence, Lament’s love for the arts flourished. They would spend their time reading all manner of human literature and writing their own from the perspective of the reploid race. Their works were revered by all manner of reploids and evoked themes of pacifism and empathy, often speaking of the hardships of their existence and dreams of a future where reploids aren’t built to be tools for humans to use and dispose. They were captured by the Maverick Hunters and sentenced to death for ‘inciting reploid-on-human violence’. Lament met an uncharacteristically grisly and public end at Zero’s bare hands, their death a poignant reminder to reploids that any dissent will be met with punishment. Among reploids, Lament is viewed as a martyr, and their death has been a catalyst for increasing public vitriol among the reploid workforce.

[darkmaga-returns]

Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times,

President Joe Biden on Christmas Day said he has directed the Pentagon to continue its “surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine,” following a wave of Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure early Christmas morning.

“The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid,” Biden said in a statement. “Let me be clear: the Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety, and the United States and the international community must continue to stand with Ukraine until it triumphs over Russia’s aggression.”

The president said that the United States will “continue to work tirelessly” to back Ukraine against Russian forces in the ongoing war.

Ukraine’s air force said that the early morning attack by Russia using 78 air and ground missiles and 106 Shahed drones damaged critical equipment in Ukraine’s power grid, causing outages on Christmas Day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried the deliberate attack on Christmas day as “inhumane.”

Ukraine shot down “more than 50 missiles and a significant number of drones” and was still hit as there are power outages in a number of regions as engineers are trying to restore power, Zelenskyy said.

“Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas,” Zelenskyy said.

The strikes wounded at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, the governors there said.

Christmas in Ukraine, where most of its people are Christian Orthodox, used to be celebrated on Jan. 7, as is the case in Russia, but that changed in 2023 to Dec. 25, the date used in Western countries.

Nearly three years into the war, Washington has committed $175 billion in aid for Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has said he wants to bring the war to a swift end.

Trump’s choice for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, has condemned the Christmas Day attack.

“Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day,” Kellogg wrote on the social platform X.

“Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong. The world is closely watching actions on both sides. The U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”

[toriagamez]

introducing kacy love: the founder of the sour legacy challenge i’m playing with right now.

raised by her lowly uncle in evergreen harbor, she chose to get herself emancipated and moved to a small apartment in san myshuno. kacy’s now got $100 dollars to her name and a guitar she got from music camp when she was 14. she hopes to make a name for herself, so that she can rise to the top and give back to herself and her sweet uncle.

gen zero: brutal

[seriously-mike]

Elephant on the Road

or, How I Had To Re-Learn How To Drive After Two Decades

As you know, my father died over a year ago, leaving not only his apartment with a fully-stocked fridge, but also his car - a 2000 Nissan Patrol, at that point disassembled and split between a mechanic and a body shop, with the extensive repairs paid only halfway. A year later, it was finally put back together, with 3/4s of the drivetrain replaced, the frame rust-proofed and a new coat of Raptor finish in graphite color. Then, it stood at the local parking lot for five goddamn months before I got the courage to get behind the wheel and drive it.

So holy shit, there I was, trying to wriggle a two-ton War Elephant out of its parking space, some guy's shiny new Mercedes to the left, three trucks behind me and zero knowledge how the whole thing behaves - acceleration, braking, turn radius, I knew fuck-all about that. But, with some slight fettling, I got out of the parking space, out of the parking lot's gate and OHMOTHERFUCKERITURNEDTOOHARD. Literally, I turned the steering wheel too hard, jumped the curb, ran over the remnants of a decorative fence all of four inches tall and swung the car back onto the road in the initial stages of a heart attack.

Fuck. And I mean, FFFFFFFUCK. Turned out that the two-ton War Elephant has really nice power steering for a beast slightly more than half my age and I need to turn gently. So, down the street I go, letting the pedestrians cross the road as they have the right of way on crossings without traffic lights, the brakes aren't that bad either, the soundtrack from Brutal Legend is blasting from the radio because my dad bought one with an USB port long ago and then asked me to make a thumb drive with his favorite songs on it (which I, sadly, failed to do), I'm GOING. Baby, am I going. But then, I have to turn into the large avenue and I'm all kinds of afraid what's gonna happen then.

So, apparently, the first rule of the road is "act like everyone else, and nobody will suspect you don't have a driver's license" (I actually do, for the record, I just didn't have a car for the last two decades and the last one I had to drive was a rusted-out fifth-gen Nissan Sunny with a busted manual gearbox that had issues with switching gears). So I'm rolling down the avenue, regulation 50 per (km/h, mind you), and I haven't even killed anyone yet. I'm even using turn signals, correctly, because the War Elephant has an American dashboard with two separate turn indicator lights so I know whether I'm flashing left or right. So, off to the right lane and I tuuuurn right into another avenue.

Much to my joy, I see a "Speed Limit: 80" sign on the overpass (this one is a part of the large transit road through the town), so I floor it. I floor it so eagerly to keep on the tail of the guy before me that I go all the way to 100 per before noticing and gently slow down back to 80 before hitting the tunnel.

I fucking knew I forgot something, and that something were the headlights. Halfway into the tunnel, I turn the headlight knob, swearing and hoping that no undercover cop car saw me. Okay, now we're driving 100% legit, only one car honked at me, no hits, no scrapes, I stay in my line like a motherfucking tram. Off a roundabout that isn't a fucking roundabout (who even named it like that?!), down another street and after some more uneventful ride I arrive at my dad's former apartment to pick up some junk from the basement. Hell, even parallel parking was easy because someone was nice enough to leave a car and a half's worth of space between the two already there.

I forgot to turn off the lights, as you can see in the photo, because I'm a derp and I haven't figured out what the incessant pinging after turning the engine off meant. So I take the photo, notice the lights on, open the car again, turn the lights off and head to the basement to pick up the junk.

Coming back was a bit more difficult, mostly due to me being unable to tell which of the three turns left was the correct one (note to self, it's the third one, the largest), but it resulted in an "always wanted to say that" moment when some absolute fuckwad decided to cut from the right lane all the way to the left and up the overpass, prompting me to go "Turning left from the right lane, you unschooled dickwad?! Last time I've seen idiots like you in Night City!"

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 7: Struggles and Successes

Before Isra broke up with him, she was often an afterthought at the end of a long day. Now thoughts of her filled Luigi’s every waking moment.

He tried calling and texting, but she seemed determined to ignore him. He couldn’t believe that it was really over. He had truly cared about her, but only now that he’d lost her did he begin to see how much knowing she was a part of his life had meant to him.

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

Tess did what she could to help, which mostly ended up being a lot of listening to her friend go on and on about how sad and lonely he was.

It also meant keeping her own fledgling romance on the down low. She didn’t think now was the time to tell Luigi all about Julio, who she’d met at the student union one afternoon while he was in class. Learning from her cousin’s mistakes she made sure to make plenty of time for her new beau, texting him regularly and planning frequent meet ups when Luigi was occupied with his studies or his games.

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

Luigi also found a sympathetic ear in his dorm mate Bonnie. She was a good listener, able to make him feel heard but equally skilled at gently steering the conversation away from his ex-girlfriend and onto their shared hobbies and interests.

She told him she’d been where he was and promised that it would get better. Time spent with her seemed guaranteed to turn his frown upside down.

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

Luigi refused to let his heartbreak destroy his academic or gaming progress. He had to show his nation and his watcher that he could be the best and that meant carrying on even when his heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces.

He continued entering gaming competitions, usually placing in the top 3 but never managing to take home the coveted first place prize. He was sure with a little more practice and skill building he’d get there – it was only a matter of time!

Finals were brutal, but in the end all his hard work and dedication paid off handsomely when he ended the semester with top marks. He signed up for next term immediately and looked forward to e-sports tryouts, which were scheduled near the end of the break.

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

Tess did equally well in her classes, coming out of her first semester of university with a new sense of self confidence. Seeing the proof, on paper, that she could excel academically made her feel like she could do anything she put her mind to.

However, what she wasn’t sure she wanted to put her mind to was another semester of college. Learning about the dark side of the sim psyche had sounded fascinating, but she wasn’t enjoying herself. She held off on registering for a second term, unsure if college was really for her.

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

In addition to signing up for classes the pair also had to the option to sign up for room and board. Luigi wasn’t thrilled about the idea of going back to the homestead, but he had no interest in continuing to live in the zero privacy dorms that were a bit too communal for his tastes.

Maybe, he told Tess, they could get some off campus housing in the city next semester. He was sure Chance and his dad would help them pay for a place to live until they graduated. Tess nodded along, not yet ready to share the fact that she might not be returning to Britechester.

For now, the two friends packed up their things and headed home for the break, excited to relax and recharge for whatever the future held in store.

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

Want To See More? View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[cvriosities]

i love this interaction omg 🥺

[onceuponaswanqueen]

My 2023 Fanfiction Reading Stats

Happy New Year, everyone!

In this post, I'll be giving some stats over my fanfiction reading last year, and under the cut will be my 15 favorite fics I read last year (10 new ones and five rereads).

But first, some stats!

I read 17 890 498 words, that's 6 million words more than last year! I read 593 fics. 110 fandoms and 322 ships! That's double the amount of ships I read last year.

By number of fics, my most popular fandom was Harry Potter with a total of 89 fics. Second popular fandom was Gossip Girl, with 55 fics, and in third place we have Criminal Minds with 42 ships.

That means that Harry Potter is the only fandom from last year to break the top 3 again. Last year (2022) I read zero Gossip Girls fics, and only a couple Criminal Minds fics, so both those fandoms entered with a force.

When it comes to ships and word count, my three most popular ships were Dan/Blair (Gossip Girl) with 21 fics, and Emma/Regina (Once Upon a time) with 21 fics. Ironically enough, 21 was the highest number of fics read with a single paring last year (2022) as well though the pairings were faberry & swan queen. My third most read ship was Katniss/Peeta (The Hunger Games) with 16. Only one f/f ship in the top three, which i don't think has happened to me since middle school.

In terms of words, my most popular fandom was still Harry Potter (3 927 226 words), followed by the Hunger Games (1 274 229 words), and in third place General Hospital (1 006 643 words). And for pairings that is Emma/Regina (Once Upon a Time) at number one with 947 973 words, followed by Jason/Elizabeth (General Hospital) with 889 029 words, and in third place Ginny/Harry (Harry Potter) with 671 844 words.

I mostly read canon divergence (196 fics), then future!fic (not necessarily canon compliant) with 73 fics, and then post-canon fics with 66 fics.

I read 168 fics with f/f pairings, 161 ficswith f/m pairings (which damn, i haven't read this much het since i was in middle school), 166 gen fics, and 72 fics with a M/M pairing. I also read 20 fics with mulitiple pairingtype (ia both f/f and f/m), 1 fic which was nb/m, and 8 fics with a poly ship.

My avarage rating was 4 stars. My avarage number of words per fic were 30 204 words. I also had 55 fics that I had read last year, which is much lower than last year.

And now, my top fifteen fics I read last year, (in no particular order)

The Victors Project by oisin55

Before Katniss and Peeta, seventy-three children won the Hunger Games. Some were brutal. Some were clever. Some were lucky. A few were almost decent. These are their stories. This is the Victors Project. (Hunger Games, mostly gen)

THIS IS THE BEST FIC I HAVE EVER READ. Like it's so good, and yes it's long. Its 311k, but worth every second. It's no longer canon compatible due to Songbirds, but it's still worth the read. You will not regret it.

2. The Mad World Series by crimsonglass

Set in Summer 2003. One night in June, Ric kidnaps Carly and locks her in a panic room, drugging Elizabeth to cover his tracks. Before long, Port Charles is embroiled in scandal, corruption, and trauma that hits home for everyone. It will be a long time before anyone forgets Ric Lansing’s reign of terror or the evil simmering beneath the surface of the city. (General Hospital, Jason/Elizabeth centric, but with other ships as well)

This is a niche fandom and ship, but this was absolutely brilliant. All the parts are great, tho I really love All of Me and This Is Me, which revisits Elizabeth's rape and puts her center in her own story. Which the show just hasn't done in over a decade. And it's just so good. I've read almost all of crimsonglass's fanfic this year but this stands out to me as one I will proabably reread for years.

3. Truth and Measure by telanu

Andy doesn't leave Miranda in Paris, and learns that a single decision can change your life. But the main thing about decisions? You don't get to stop with one. (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy/Miranda)

This is a classic for a reason. I cannot believe I have never read this before. It left it breathless. It was so good, I just couldn't stop reading it. I finished in like two days and it's 271k long. It's just so addicting.

4. Roads Diverged by freelancerrh

The stick had two lines. Four alternate continuations from "Late." (Dawson's Creek, Pacey/Joey)

THIS IS BRILLIANT. It follows four different timelines from Late if Joey was pregnant, one where she keps the baby and raieses it with pacey, one were she has an abortion and tells pacey, one she raises the baby alone, and one where she has an abortion but never tell pacey. All four timeslines are excellent, and I love this kind of multiple timelines stories. Totally worth a read if you know the fandom and ship the pairing.

5. If You Never Bleed, You're Never Gonna Grow by mp143

For three years, she ignored the way she clung to updates about him from her brother, every little piece of his life he didn’t share with her in the course of a hookup. She disregarded the tightening in her chest and the fluttering in her stomach when they were together, noticing that he never stopped noticing her, anticipating her desires and giving them to her without her having to ask. And she refused to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t only about sex — not for her, and maybe not for him either. And that’s, of course, how she ended up here: huddled over a cauldron in the bathroom of her tiny flat, trying to work up the courage to prick her finger and pinch a drop of blood into the potion.

Best Harry/Ginny fic I read last year, hands down. It was so suprising, deals with why and how Ginny got pregnant so young and in the middle of her career. It also steers away from canon but honestly, it works better that way. Also the romance in this is spot on.

6. To Hold off the Lightning by cinnamonfiglatte

There’s no burst of dust, the way Faith expects. Only blood at her hands and blood at the stranger’s lips and the chilling sound of a death rattle fighting its way from his lungs. Or: Faith kills Allan Finch. The Scoobies offer her the literal crumbs of support she needs in order to not give in to darkness. Yes, this is another “Faith stays (mostly) good” season 3 AU. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Faith/Buffy)

Works perfectly in canon and in character Fuffy fic, yes and thank you. The way the romance develops in this is so natural and organic, and it makes so much sense, and it never puts down on Buffy and Angel and it all just works. It's a slow burn and it so delicious i can't even. Read it!

7. There's a place I call my home by lizwas (Series)

au from 5x21 onward, but takes place years in the future. Jenny comes from London to spend a summer in the Hamptons, and reconnects with her old friend Nate. (Gossip Girl, Jenny/Nate)

I fell into a gossip girl hole this year, no doubt. and my favorite writer for this fandom is lizwas, but this series just stood out to me. i love jenny & nate and they are so underappricated and this series is so good, it treats nate with respect, it treats jenny with respect, it shows how people can grow and how people can grow together, and i just *chefs kiss*, the smut is pretty good too if that's your thing.

8. Who Knows, Who Cares by the_dream_team

Lily Evans liked girls. Well, she liked boys, too. Bisexual. That was the term she’d settled on." After 22 years spent in the closet, Lily is excited to finally start dating girls. In fact, she's quite determined to make up for a lifetime of relationships with mediocre men, and the messy-haired boy who works at the art museum isn't going to change her plans anytime soon. Definitely not. (Harry Potter, James/Lily)

This is a no!magic, coffeeshop au, AND ITS SO CUTE. It's the perfect winter rom com. It has Hallmark Christmas movies vibes but in a good way. It's just such a nice cozy read. And the James/Lily dynamic is spot on and I love it.

9. The Way The World Ends by KidA_666

“Age of Consent” by New Order blares out, loud enough for Jonathan to hear across the room.  He had been there when Steve chose it a few months ago during another war room: “‘Age of Consent’ is good, I guess.”  “It can’t be I guess, dingus!  It has to be enough to save you from a brutal interdimensional death!” Robin snapped.   Steve had rolled his eyes.  “What’s Vecna gonna want with me anyways, Rob?  I’ll do ‘Age of Consent.’”  Jonathan had known, that night, that it might be the wrong choice.  But he didn’t say anything because it had been years and he could be wrong and maybe some selfish, petty part of him didn’t want to give Steve the satisfaction of Jonathan still knowing. Something lifts Steve off of the couch. “It’s not working!” Robin screams.   And Jonathan knows why it isn’t working.  He remembers.  Whatever high school bullshit Steve has put him through doesn’t particularly matter in the face of watching him be destroyed and turned inside out.  So Jonathan, calmer than he feels, says, “It’s Hank Williams.  Do you have Hank Williams?”  (Stranger Things, Steve/Jonathan)

Why does this work so well? I have no clue but it does. It's childhood friends to enemies to lovers and it works so well in canon, like it fits right in and it's so great. I love this. It's not a pairing I usually read, but it took me by such suprise and totally worth giving it a chance.

10. The War is Not Over When The Soldiers Come Home by keepcalmsmile

DeFonda Hepburn had met many parents in her many years as a nanny, but she'd never met parents quite like the Potters. Strangely enough, they have more in common than she thought. (Harry Potter, gen with Harry/Ginny)

Outsider POV of Harry and Ginny as adults and parents. It's so good. It's canon compliant, and it's wonderful. I found a new love of outsider POV this year and this one is the best I read. I just.. wonderful.

Top Five rereads (In no particular order)

- by colormetheworld

No summary available but it's this after Jane's wife dies by Hoyt's hand, Jane transfer to Boston with her kids and moves in with Maura. This is a story about healing. (Rizzoli and Isles, Jane/Maura)

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of fiction I have ever read. This author is my favorite author in this fandom, and this work along with Keys, never fails to make me cry. It's wonderful.

2. I don't know how lovely you are by sungfsongsun

Emily-centric. Set after 1x09. Emily/Alison, implied Emily/Maya.

This fic is super short, 1345 words, but it stuck with me. It stuck with me so much I read it twice last year, and I have read it several times before this. It's just three short scenes with the other liars set after she came out, and an apparence by ali in the end. it's just so simple and so beautiful.

3. Bittersweet and Strange by speakpirate

Emily Fields doesn’t need either of them. But Rosewood is still Rosewood. Their students just might need them both. A story where Paige and Alison discover they have more important things in common than a mutual ex. (Pretty Little Liars, Alison/Paige)

This shouldn't work. I shouldn't love this as much as I do. Like I hate that trope of the bully falling for their victim, but it just works here. Maybe because they're adults, and they've grown, but this just fit so well. Such a treat.

4. Track changes by cairophoenix

Alex is an editor at a New York publishing house, and that means her life is going right. She has her apartment, and the gym, and Kara a subway stop away. So if her apartment’s always empty at the end of the day, that’s just how things are. She spends a lot of time at the office, anyway. She’s making it, and that’s something she can be satisfied with. And then a mysterious book arrives.

This is excellent. The slow burn is wonderful. Alex' journey is wonderful. A lovely little no powers AU with these two falling in love through copy editing. And it's so nice.

5. Game of Stacks by CommaSplice

When the Aegon Targaryen Memorial Library at Crownlands University loses its most recent library director in a tragic accident, President Robert Baratheon turns to his friend and colleague Eddard Stark to turn the library around. (Game of Thrones, Tywin/Olenna, Jaime/Brienne, Sansa/Margaery, Stannis/Asha/Davos/Cercei)

This fic is batshit in the best way. Like it's 100% Game of Thrones set in a university library. It takes turns and twist that you just never see coming. Also the ships are wonderful, the way they handle the Cersei/Jaime thing is so good, the suspense is good still on a third or forth reread. It's such a good story.

[silver-heller]

Since you showed me that Mordecai design analysis I'd be really curious to hear what that'd look like for Silver.

(This is the post). It's funny you ask that because those sort of design changes, along with the personality changes, actually kind of happened lol, and some of my friends can attest to that. So I don't really have to invent a timeline of "what-ifs". I go into quite a few details under the cut, and love this question btw, thank you so much! /gen

Stage Zero - Who Even Are You?

TLDR: Silver's design was chaotic for a while there. Eventually I landed on a tabby design because it looked neater and made some changes to make Silver better fit the aesthetic of the comic. I also made Silver more unique from Mordecai.

I call this stage zero because Silver didn't have a personality yet, let alone did he actually fit within the series. To be fair, if memory serves correctly, Silver was just originally meant to be shipped with all my furry cat F/Os, which included Animal Crossing F/Os, mainly Raymond (which Silver fit better with at the time). This was more of me trying to make a furry cat character for the first time and throwing the things I liked all into one aesthetic. As you can see by the two designs, I debated over having Silver be very sweet and shy or sharp and "mature" with his attitude (little did past me know I'd end up with a mix of both lol). His appearance was also far darker with silver as an accent and black as his main fur color.

Silver was originally a very chaotic looking black and silver calico, and, though this color scheme remained, I changed his eyes from green to yellow and removed the glasses because I thought he looked too similar to Mordecai to be dating him. His original design was also pretty modern, which of course clashed with the comic's aesthetic. Though the pea coat and boot look certainly carried over in some ways, they were made to fit more into the times and emulate some of Mordecai's own outfits.

Silver's design being cluttered also lead me to the silver tabby design instead of the calico one because I thought it looked cleaner. Here are some of the variations that could have become Silver's final design. I played around with dark and light coats, along with the potential for mismatching eyes:

Again this is stage zero because so many of these designs were completely detached from Silver actually becoming a character and it is wild to think Silver could have looked like any of these lol.

Stage One - The Professional

TLDR: Silver's design used to have short hair and be very neat in some regards. Silver used to be much more proper and confident personality wise.

(Couldn't find this picrew unfortunately)/Picrew/Picrew

Silver finally has a backstory and a personality, woo! Once again you can see the progression from "sweet and shy", to "sort of sweet with a bit of coldness", to the "bitter and done with your crap" Silver we all know and love. I'd say the middle Silver, however, took over most of this phase. His design was altered to be more comic friendly since, at the time, I still preferred the comics over the pilot (but loved both).

Within this stage, he was originally made to be Mordecai's "perfect match" more or less. He was well groomed, from his slicked short hair to the way he dressed, and overall pretty put together both physically and emotionally (though eventually his design took on the chipped ear seen to the far right). He was perfectly clever and sharp to deal with types like Mordecai, but not so brutally honest about it as to be confrontational. He tried to be charming about it. He was almost agreeable, believe it or not, and put up more with people's crap because he had enough confidence to do so. Which was to say, he was professional.

Here is an example of Silver's early personality:

“Hm, no, you wouldn’t. Your reputation relies too much on others’ approval for that. You’d never be able to suck up to him again. Imagine a new shadow hears of Mordecai’s case, what would you do then? Your charm would be short lived the moment they heard about it, no more Mr. Sweet anymore,” I said, and he chuckled, raising his glass to me.

“It must be why you like Mordecai so much. It’s an uphill battle trying to charm him but, once you do, he’ll never forget it. For better or for worse,” I said, looking up and shooting him a smile, “And me, dangerous? Please. I hardly care about anyone else. You’re all just paranoid.”

Chapter four of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Near the end of this stage, however, more bitterness and an asocial attitude was added to Silver's character as his background and the main drama of the series was developed. He became more sassy, and more likely to put his foot down over being cordial or sensitive:

Silver crossed his arms, lagging behind when Mordecai took a moment to do as told.  “Do I have much of a choice?” “No, but,” Asa said with a shrug, laughing at the glare Silver gave him, “You know, the others will like you more if you just smiled a bit more.”

Chapter eight of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Even with these fluctuations, however, a lot of these elements were still true to Silver's character, they just became more developed and refined over time.

Stage Two - Mad Woman of St. Louis

TLDR: Silver is made more rough around the edges and gets his long, wavy hair. He is no longer simply polite, but rebellious, independent, and a bit "uncouth". Not to mention neurodivergent as hell.

Then comes stage two, with Silver breaking out into his more wild phase, which included more physical and personality quirks. Delving more into his past certainly helped to round out his personality overall, and his design was finalized in this stage.

@floofsselfshipblog was the first to draw Silver with long hair (or at all actually), and, again, Silver originally hard short hair. However, I ended up liking that design so much, realizing it made more sense for Silver to rebelliously grow out his hair when past Silver had shorter hair to appear more "cute and lady-like", that I incorporated it into the character's canon. His hair was now messy, he dressed well still but more for gender affirmation than looking sharp. Silver has had wild curls ever since, and deciding to have Silver choose a more free and disorderly hair style definitely encouraged similar choices in the personality department.

Silver was no longer Mordecai's "perfect match". He became far more wild and a lot of his positive traits were balanced out with more negative ones. Yes he was still observant, but his own insecurities and social struggles often made the truth elude him. He became wonderfully neurodivergent with hyperfixations and stims that made him act less than "proper" most of the time (and we love that for him). A more clear balance was struck between the cold and emotional sides of his character, Silver becoming a sadist to assholes that attempted not to cause harm to those who hadn't harmed him first, making Silver terrifyingly merciless when he wanted to be.

Silver also became more "uncouth". No more perfect prime and proper Silver. The developed Silver could out drink most men, loved getting bloody and going feral on the job (to Mordecai's horror and admiration), made vulgar jokes, gave the middle finger to most social structures/expectations, and, best of all, he was not shy or apologetic about any of this.

This new design ended up being more pilot friendly considering the first image was drawn as an edition to the screenshot.

Here's Silver's old physical description from the fic:

In contrast, my own white markings went fully over my mouth, traveling to the two rung side tufts on my face, were only fluff within my ears, and didn’t touch my tail (the end of which was black), but did fully cover my paws and went up to my ankles in socks. On my chest, a small white diamond could be found.  I also had black stripes all along my body, always horizontal, though they framed the white marking on my face rather than fully going across them. Other notable features included my left ear, which had a chip in it thanks to a physical confrontation with an asylum doctor gone wrong, and my black hair, having grown out in recent years to flow down my shoulders.

Here is the updated version:

In comparison, though I had a build that some would call athletic due to the light muscles on my arms and legs, I would consider myself stout, my stomach and legs being plump with barely any torso between my stomach and my breasts.  In contrast, my own white marking went fully over my mouth, traveling to the two rung side tufts on my face. On my chest, a thin, white oval could be found that started at my chest and stopped at my stomach. However, the tips of my ears, paws, tail, and feet all had a smoky black gradient in place of Mordecai’s plain white.  I was also a tabby, with black stripes all along my body. They were always horizontal, though on my face they stopped where my white mask-like marking began. Other notable features included my left ear, which had a chip in it thanks to a physical confrontation with an asylum doctor gone wrong, and my black hair, having grown out in recent years to flow down my shoulders in waves.

Chapter fifteen of Silver Bullets & Black Dandelions

Stage Three - A Whole New Me

TLDR: Silver's final form. He is now the chaotic, murderous, and oddly kind cat we all know and love. Any properness he displays is an act, and now his design is darker with smoky tips on most parts of his body. The white diamond on his chest has become a thin oval of white.

And finally we have Silver as we know him today. His design is far darker, with smoky tips encompassing both his ears, tail, and paws. The only bits of white left are on his mouth and his chest. It's funny, looking at earlier designs Silver's design did go full circle in some ways. Maybe the real designs were the designs we made along the way lol. Just goes to show there is a method to the madness.

Personality wise Silver is polite, quiet, and proper around strangers but an excitable, playfully sadistic, and almost hilariously bitter mess around those who know him well, to say the least. The "uncouth" and "improper" elements of his character are far more evident and a huge part of his character. Silver wouldn't be Silver without burning down buildings and occasionally falling into baby talk.

Again, his earlier characterization wasn't wrong per say, there were just so many complexities to Silver I hadn't explored at that point (and that will, hopefully, really show in part two of the fic as it comes out). This certainly inspired me to get back to editing!

I think Silver's design ultimately ended up very pilot leaning. I am unsure what adjustments would need to be made to make him fit into the style of the comic (besides giving Silver rougher edges and more textured hair), but I feel like his current design would fit more into the show than anything. And, honestly? I am actually really happy about this. The pilot means so much to me now (without it Silver might not exist, it really pushed me to make a Lackadaisy OC), and I am ridiculously excited for the show (and my Mordy plush lol).

Mordecai and Silver Design Developments Side By Side

Thanks to those who stuck through all of Silver's little phases /gen

[themeowmouse]

Allow me to add some of my favourite gems...

The author wishes it to be known that the bulk of this video was written before the Microsoft DRM backtrack, and he now thinks that games exclusive to Xbox One are no more tainted by original sin than those exclusive to other consoles. He regrets now having to fall back on less popular arguments against next-gen consoles such as their blind insistence on empty spectacle above all else to make triple-A development all the more elitist and prohibitively expensive, the systematic erasure of console gaming history one generation at a time, the flagrantly anti-consumer culture of artificial exclusivity that has created a world in which games are expected to support consoles in which artwork exists to serve a medium on which artwork is presented, as if the words of a great novel exist to serve paper, or a great film exists to serve a piece of wall onto which it has been projected, and so on, and so on, and so on...

-Yahtzee, Zero punctuation.

“I Don’t Run From Demons, I Just Beat The Shit Out Of Them.”

-Jon Moxley, wrestling legend on AEW

Father of children without a home (Home) Creator of vessels without a soul (Soul) I'll stay the course, I will follow you (You) Show me the way, I'll be there soon

-Stay the course, a fnaf song by natewantstobattle and cg5

“When you need someone to fix your sink, you call a plumber. When you need someone to fix your electricity, you call an electrician. And when you need someone to OVERTHROW A BRUTAL TYRANT, YOU CALL AN ANARCHIST!”

-Technoblade, the blood god of mcyt (Who happens to have went to uni for english), and a personal hero.

"There's so many good stories where some brave hero has to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors cheer, and everyone lives happily ever after. But the hero never gets to see the ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain’t that a bitch.” 

-Red VS. Blue, a halo machinima that somehow became one of the best tv shows available right now.

"You should try fighting for what you believe in sometime, Jack. Not for a company, or for a nation, or for anyone else."

-MGR: Revengance, a game where you play a cyborg ninja.

All art is meaningful, and when a person pours their soul into any form of media it will come across.

“i am a monument to all your sins” is such a fucking raw line for a villain it’s amazing that it came from halo, a modernish video game, and not some classical text or mythos

[toku-explained]

New Generation Stars: Ediom reminds Z that the Ultra's most powerful weapon in that battle was their bond. The story of the battle with Ultra Dark-Killer finished, Ediom explains that Zero Beyond Galaxy Glitter was like a physical manifestation of Zero's bond with the New Gens, and that battle connected directly to the Tri-Squad's battle with Tregear.

Gavv: Shoma decides to visit Dente, worried about his health as he doesn't know Dente pulled his own teeth to make the Gochipod, Sachika joins. Lizel goads Glotta, revealing to her Jeeb undergoing modification. Shoma and Sachika find Lakia getting frustrated with Dente, who wants new store only snacks for inspiration, as he can't go out they decides to make him one there. Jeeb is annoyed his body hasn't adapted to the Gavv, Lizel calms him and tells Nyelv her father wants the toxin improved. Looking for a platter for Pudding a la mode, Sachika tells Lakia about Dente's failing health, Lakia feels his ignorance of this is the same as with Comel, and then uses his Granute instincts to pick a platter. While buying ingredients Shoma meets Sunflower's owner, who was buying flowers before visiting his parent's graves, and they run into Hanto before parting ways, Hanto is still trying to track down Michiru's family. Glotta goes to Nyelv furious he modified Jeeb without consulting, but he knows talking doesn't work with her, she lashes out and accidentally discovers Dente's existence and his helping Shoma. Shoma Sachika and Lakia may the food while their Gochizo's mimic the actions. Glotta confronts Dente, intending to force him to help her keep control of Stomach Inc, but he knows, even if she doesn't admit it, what she actually cares about is the loss of her family, she's become lonely. She lashes out, and he refuses to help Stomach but offers to help reconcile with Shoma, her other brother. The team arrive to find Glotta standing over the body, she leaves, refusing to ever consider Shoma family, and when they rush over Lakia recognises the wound left. He confronts Glotta, who doesn't even remember if she killed Comel, and they fight brutally, Glotta refusing to accept Dente's words, is only stopped from killing Lakia last moment by Over Gavv.

Gozyuger: Sumino has acquired the Go-Onger Ring, Kinjiro the Kiramager one. Aoi is downcast, Saori believes it's because of a coming sports day, not helped by the rumoured Sports Day Crasher. Mashiro spots Aoi, who doesn't want to embarrass himself, before Track-and-Field No-One appears, dragging all the Gozyugers into competition. Hoeru is weirdly excited, as Gogg Legoh serves as impartial referee. The No-One shoot them while Legoh isn't watching, so Mashiro has GoodeBurn make their goal easier, but Legoh only penalises the Gozyugers. TegaJune declares Bouquet was right, they'll need all the Rings and the correct Pilot next time they attempt the ritual. While Hoeru and Rikuo are in the 3-legged Race, Mashiro treats the others to a rich meal, and explains that he's 26, but he spent 10,000 years frozen in the graveyard after winning the war, GoodeBurn freed him immediately after waking, and he took that chance to snatch the Ring from him. Since the world wasn't perfect, he now chose to surpass TegaSword as a perfect god, something that riles Ryugi. While they struggle, Rikuo understands these events are something Hoeru missed, and while they win as Gozyugers, Legoh disqualifies them on a stupid technicality. Now he's confirmed the matches are fixed, Mashiro has a plan for the Cavalry Fight, drafting Aoi for the Number One Battle, helping him find excitement and defeat one opponent, before getting the rest to join the match, riding GozyuWolf, GozyuLeon and GozyuRex, while GozyuEagle uses KiramaiRed to create to copies of himself to form GozyuUnicorn's tower. The all out battle that results is one by the Gozyugers, and Mashiro has bought Legoh off, he then defeats the No-One, entrusting the rescued host, a boy, to Aoi. Bouquet arrives angry in Calendeus, and from the Ayayaser Legoh makes her and GoodeBurn take an obstacle course. After Bouquet is humiliated by mud she leaves, and Mashiro finishes by defeating Legoh. After learning the host was just like himself, worried about the event, Aoi helps him practice, Mashiro himself tears us BearKuma's latest bill, believing this one is fine pro bono.