#yet another comparison chart

[sabermoonlight1616]

Just finished re-reading a fic where mini Alan from Hamefura meets Sayaka from Madoka Magica in a dream, then it got me thinking. . .

[canideformed]

Trans men do not have male privilege because you cannot separate their trans identity from their male identity.

People love to say, “but they’re men and men are privileged!” as if you can just. Pretend they’re not also trans. Or they say that it doesn’t matter that they’re trans if they pass because people will just see them as men.

Just. Think it through. Think about what happens when the experiences of trans and cis men are compared at any systemic level.

1. A cis woman says that a cis man sexually assaulted her. The woman is told she is probably dramatic by the cops and the cis man isn’t impacted because all his friends are misogynists. People talk about how boys will be boys and how it wasn’t his fault, women wouldn’t understand men’s’ sex drives.

2. A cis woman outs a trans man and says he sexually assaulted her. The trans man is arrested and jailed (keeping in mind you can be arrested with no proof, only reasonable suspicion—such as an allegation) by cops who openly watch him pee because they wanted to get a look at a pussy on a man. He gets out and his friends hear through the grapevine that he’s trans. They laugh at and grope him the next time they see him and they ostracise him. People talk about how testosterone is such an evil chemical and how the trans guy is dangerous because he has a “female brain running on toxic male hormones.”

For another comparison—

1. A cis man goes in for a routine sexual health checkup—a prostate exam. It is quick, though awkward and uncomfortable. He later begins to feel ill. He sees a doctor who takes his symptoms seriously and treats him appropriately.

2. A trans man goes in for a routine sexual health checkup—a pap smear. He is stared at in the waiting room. The nurse calls “Ms.__” and is visibly confused when he stands up. The doctor isn’t educated on trans bodies and doesn’t use enough lube (or simply doesn’t care to) and it hurts. The doctor asks invasive questions about bottom growth and ignores the guys’ preferred terminology for his parts and his identity. The guy files an insurance claim that is denied because his legal gender is M. He has to either pay or try to deal with the company. He begins to feel ill. He sees a doctor who sees that he’s trans in his chart or spots the testosterone prescription or an old or legal name. The doctor tells him it’s probably the T without doing a proper exam and that T is dangerous for “females” and he should consider stopping.

Male privilege is systemic. It’s not just who the waiter looks at first when they take a dinner order. It’s men being protected by the system by other men in power. Trans men do not have that protection. The second a transphobe thinks a criminal might have been a trans man they start talking about how it was because his mind couldn’t handle the testosterone. (Remember when there was a rumour that a school shooter was transmasc?). They worry about him “tainting” cis women. Because he is trans, it means that people don’t even see him as man enough to be protected by the system. It is because he is a trans man and trans manhood is not respected as Real by the cistem.

Part of male privilege is having your voice believed and your autonomy respected. But trans men are told their pain isn’t real, that they’re being dramatic, that it’s their period or the T. Trans men are at risk for sexual abuse and fetishisation by cis people who might use a medical exam as an excuse to hurt or assault them. Trans men are not seen as a possible type of man, so insurance systems auto-deny sexual healthcare for trans men because “men can’t have that issue.” Part of male privilege is having your voice centred, and yet many conversations about abortion and access to birth control actively exclude trans men, because trans men are held personally accountable for the pregnancy, even when it’s rape. Cis men don’t experience anything like that.

And sure! The situations I laid out above don’t describe ALL trans men. But they also don’t describe ALL cis men or ALL cis women. The difference between cis men and trans men is that trans men, along with other gender minorities and cis women, are specifically targeted by oppressive patriarchal systems by virtue of both their trans and male identities.

It breaks my heart to see people tell trans men to ‘take accountability’ for their privilege when I hear all the time about trans men who are in jail for killing the person who was raping them, about trans men who were abused by police, about trans men who were tortured and murdered.

[5ummit]

AO3 Ship Stats: Year In Bad Data

You may have seen this AO3 Year In Review.

It hasn’t crossed my tumblr dash but it sure is circulating on twitter with 3.5M views, 10K likes, 17K retweets and counting. Normally this would be great! I love data and charts and comparisons!

Except this data is GARBAGE and belongs in the TRASH.

I first noticed something fishy when I realized that Steve/Bucky – the 5th largest ship on AO3 by total fic count – wasn’t on this Top 100 list anywhere. I know Marvel’s popularity has fallen in recent years, but not that much. Especially considering some of the other ships that made it on the list. You mean to tell me a femslash HP ship (Mary MacDonald/Lily Potter) in which one half of the pairing was so minor I had to look up her name because she was only mentioned once in a single flashback scene beat fandom juggernaut Stucky? I call bullshit.

Now obviously jumping to conclusions based on gut instinct alone is horrible practice... but it is a good place to start. So let’s look at the actual numbers and discover why this entire dataset sits on a throne of lies.

Here are the results of filtering the Steve/Bucky tag for all works created between Jan 1, 2023 and Dec 31, 2023:

Not only would that place Steve/Bucky at #23 on this list, if the other counts are correct (hint: they're not), it’s also well above the 1520-new-work cutoff of the #100 spot. So how the fuck is it not on the list? Let’s check out the author’s FAQ to see if there’s some important factor we’re missing.

The first thing you’ll probably notice in the FAQ is that the data is being scraped from publicly available works. That means anything privated and only accessible to logged-in users isn’t counted. This is Sin #1. Already the data is inaccurate because we’re not actually counting all of the published fics, but the bots needed to do data collection on this scale can't easily scrape privated fics so I kinda get it. We’ll roll with this for now and see if it at least makes the numbers make more sense:

Nope. Logging out only reduced the total by a couple hundred. Even if one were to choose the most restrictive possible definition of "new works" and filter out all crossovers and incomplete fics, Steve/Bucky would still have a yearly total of 2,305. Yet the list claims their total is somewhere below 1,500? What the fuck is going on here?

Let’s look at another ship for comparison. This time one that’s very recent and popular enough to make it on the list so we have an actual reference value for comparison: Nick/Charlie (Heartstopper). According to the list, this ship sits at #34 this year with a total of 2630 new works. But what’s AO3 say?

Off by a hundred or so but the values are much closer at least!

If we dig further into the FAQ though we discover Sin #2 (and the most egregious): the counting method. The yearly fic counts are NOT determined by filtering for a certain time period, they’re determined by simply taking a snapshot of the total number of fics in a ship tag at the end of the year and subtracting the previous end-of-year total. For example, if you check a ship tag on Jan 1, 2023 and it has 10,000 fics and check it again on Jan 1, 2024 and it now has 12,000 fics, the difference (2,000) would be the number of "new works" on this chart.

At first glance this subtraction method might seem like a perfectly valid way to count fics, and it’s certainly the easiest way, but it can and did have major consequences to the point of making the entire dataset functionally meaningless. Why? If any older works are deleted or privated, every single one of those will be subtracted from the current year fic count. And to make the problem even worse, beginning at the end of last year there was a big scare about AI scraping fics from AO3, which caused hundreds, if not thousands, of users to lock down their fics or delete them.

The magnitude of this fuck up may not be immediately obvious so let’s look at an example to see how this works in practice.

Say we have two ships. Ship A is more than a decade old with a large fanbase. Ship B is only a couple years old but gaining traction. On Jan 1, 2023, Ship A had a catalog of 50,000 fics and ship B had 5,000. Both ships have 3,000 new works published in 2023. However, 4% of the older works in each fandom were either privated or deleted during that same time (this percentage is was just chosen to make the math easy but it’s close to reality).

Ship A: 50,000 x 4% = 2,000 removed works Ship B: 5,000 x 4% = 200 removed works

Ship A: 3,000 - 2,000 = 1,000 "new" works Ship B: 3,000 - 200 = 2,800 "new" works

This gives Ship A a net gain of 1,000 and Ship B a net gain of 2,800 despite both fandoms producing the exact same number of new works that year. And neither one of these reported counts are the actual new works count (3,000). THIS explains the drastic difference in ranking between a ship like Steve/Bucky and Nick/Charlie.

How is this a useful measure of anything? You can't draw any conclusions about the current size and popularity of a fandom based on this data.

With this system, not only is the reported "new works" count incorrect, the older, larger fandom will always be punished and it’s count disproportionately reduced simply for the sin of being an older, larger fandom. This example doesn’t even take into account that people are going to be way more likely to delete an old fic they're no longer proud of in a fandom they no longer care about than a fic that was just written, so the deletion percentage for the older fandom should theoretically be even larger in comparison.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the author of this "study" KNEW the data was tainted and chose to present it as meaningful anyway. You will only find this if you click through to the FAQ and read about the author’s methodology, something 99.99% of people will NOT do (and even those who do may not understand the true significance of this problem):

The author may try to argue their post states that the tags "which had the greatest gain in total public fanworks” are shown on the chart, which makes it not a lie, but a error on the viewer’s part in not interpreting their data correctly. This is bullshit. Their chart CLEARLY titles the fic count column “New Works” which it explicitly is NOT, by their own admission! It should be titled “Net Gain in Works” or something similar.

Even if it were correctly titled though, the general public would not understand the difference, would interpret the numbers as new works anyway (because net gain is functionally meaningless as we've just discovered), and would base conclusions on their incorrect assumptions. There’s no getting around that… other than doing the counts correctly in the first place. This would be a much larger task but I strongly believe you shouldn’t take on a project like this if you can’t do it right.

To sum up, just because someone put a lot of work into gathering data and making a nice color-coded chart, doesn’t mean the data is GOOD or VALUABLE.

[bits-and-beasts]

here's soundwave and blaster! I'm very fond of portrayals of soundwave where he's a bit of an eldritch horror, so I definitely leaned a little into his TFP design.

soundwave is, as per usual, lead communication officer. he's blind, due to a pre-war incident and sees through the eyes of the cassettes. the cons are all aware of this, however its a well maintained secret from the autobots, blaster finds out by accident while on an intel mission. but for one reason or another.. has yet to tell the rest of his faction.

also an extended height comparison chart! so y'all can appreciate just how lanky soundwave really is!

[oldmagerambles]

The world(s) and their people p1

The Alllands (overworld)

the Alllands is the name of the realm the Hjaellin(Humans) , Levande (villagers), and Umevande (illagers) with the occasional visits from the Emberfolk and the Voidfolk, all connected through portals, magic, and the like. The Alllands is bountiful, lush, and vibrant, seasoned with cities that make earth cities small in comparison. full of art and innovation.

The all land is similar to earth, but locked in a progressive balance between machine and magic, cars to airships to dragon carried carriages and trains fueled by blazes the alllanders call this era "The Divergence Era." Where world leaders bickering on the use of which to progress with. Golems and familiars were made by those who tested the balance of magic and machine.

The Emberlands (nether)

The home to the emberfolk, Hjaellin, Enderlings, and Piglins who either stay for the thrill, or banished by all Alllander cities for heinous crimes. The ember had been described to be nothing more then a giant fire pit by the first who discovered this realm. The opposite to the Allland's green pastures and bustling cities, the ember only has ruins, and hard to come by foliage, with the sprouting of mushrooms the size of buildings and creatures that seemingly embody the element of fire.

Although the air of the allands is to thin for the Piglins, Hjaellin and piglins alike in the modern day, have made herbs and breathing apparatuses to help sustain the piglins who wish to live amongst the dimensions. While humans share the same treatments whn going into the nether.

The Voidsea (end)

The Voidsea is home to the Voidfolk, Hjaellins who are forced to evolve to live a life in the end, and enderlings. There is no atmosphere, no breathable air for Hjaellins and Piglins, and yet there is gravity to the islands that float across the endless void, comparable to the oceans of the alllands.

As if to embody its name, the Voidsea are inhabitable for Hjaellin and Piglin alike, but not for Enderlings, Enderlings are tall breathless beings who communicate using telepathy, some who keep their eyes revealed are Enderlings who embrace their nature, a flight or fight response triggered when another being stares into their eyes. Those who cover their eyes arent necessarily blind, but are outcasted by the society of enderlings.

QNA

Q: Can all races be paired with other races?

A: yes though only Alllanders races can have halfspawn, excluding golems as they are an artificial race

Q: Are the hostile/neutral races (piglin, enderman, and vindicators) evil?

A: no, my iterations can have their own motives to being evil/good. meaning you can have enderman merchants with an illager wife, or a piglin with a polycule with some golems they met/made Race Chart

[shitswiftiessay]

Swifties are PAINFULLY fucking stupid.

I shouldn’t be getting THIS heated over a Disney comparison but the Kristoff slander is absolutely fucking wild. Kristoff (at least in the first movie) is both poor and an introvert. Those are two things that swifties HATE Joe for. He also had to work since he was a child, which is something swifties make fun of Joe for- calling him yogurt boy. And he DEFINITELY would think that award shows are stupid.

Hans is much more like Travis in the fact that he pursued a woman for his own gain. Whereas Kristoff was just trying to live his life and didn’t even WANT to get involved in Anna’s shit, Hans wanted to become king, so he pursued Anna (a naive and desperate young woman- which is what swifties are trying to paint Taylor as) and made himself look like her dream guy- “true love.”

Last summer, Travis publicly and relentlessly pursued Taylor with his story about how he tried to give her a friendship bracelet with his number. And he’s been reaping the benefits of dating Taylor Swift, he’s got new TV gigs, his podcast shot up on the charts, and he might even be getting his own reality show.

He tried to pass himself off as a fan, Even though he’s blatantly obvious that he DOESN’T listen to her music. But his little pretend act of being a fan charmed the shit out of swifties and made them believe he was her Prince Charming. All he has to do is that stupid 🫶 thing and he’s got the swifties swooned, much like Hans had Anna swooned from the minute he met her. But his intentions were completely self-serving.

And another thing I find interesting is the fact that Hans proposed to Anna a few hours after meeting her. IF ANYTHING, that couple is literally a lesson on NOT marrying a guy you just met. And yet, Swifties have been talking about Taylor marrying Travis since that first football game-even BEFORE then.

But Joe, the guy who didn’t want to marry taylor, is just like Hans? The one who was in a long term relationship that ultimately didn’t work out is JUST LIKE HANS??

It beggars belief how swifties could be so stupid, because they either didn’t watch the movie, didn’t fully understand it (because they are less cognitively capable than 5 year olds), or they’re so addicted to painting Joe as this cartoonist Disney villain in their heads that they think it’s perfectly reasonable to compare Joe to a character that was trying to KILL his fiancée and her sister.

I the stupidity of comparing Taylor Swift to Anna- a girl who’s been isolated in a castle for most of her life and has ZERO relationship experience - I think she’s supposed to be like 18 or something? Very young and inexperienced and naive. Taylor was 26 years old when she started dating Joe and she had plenty of relationship experience before then.

Taylor literally wrote MASTERMIND, but swifties still see her as this naive and innocent disney princess who is easily manipulated and taken advantage of by men. So I guess they think it’s a reasonable comparison because they understand disney movies as well as they understand Taylor’s lyrics- which is NOT AT ALL.

[angelremnants]

Roll Call l J. B. Barnes

ONE. Under the Diner Lights

summary : The biting winters of 1943 paled in comparison to the frozen hearts of soldiers, weary and broken by the unrelenting call of war. For men burdened by despair, the burn of alcohol was the only warmth they knew. Sergeant Barnes lived for one purpose: to stand by his best friend’s side, no matter where the battlefield led them. But a chance encounter at a dimly lit bar near the military camp changes everything. A young woman, bold yet gentle, awakens something in him—a spark long buried beneath years of frost and pain. Inspired by Roll Call by The Neighborhood.

pairing : James ''Bucky'' Barnes x f!reader

warnings : Mature themes (13+), flirtation and teasing, fluff.

word count : 4.6k

author's notes : I first wrote this in 2018 for an old friend's birthday, and it was the first one-shot I had ever written as well as my first MCU-related work. It was honestly very poor writing—I wrote in both first-person AND third-person POV and I even had an OC put in it that I had barely put any thought into, it was awful—but given I was thirteen at the time, it isn't that shocking.

Nonetheless, the scenario still appeals to me, and The Neighborhood (which was at the time consuming 99% of my music chart) is still one of my favorite bands; I wanted to pay an homage to my roots by making a remastered version.

It turns out that I can indeed go overboard and transform what had once been a poorly written 5k words scenario into a whopping 22k-word story in the span of a single night. When a girl wants, she gets. Obviously, I have divided it; it's going to take me great restraint not to post everything at once.

Here's the first part of the story. I hope you'll enjoy the ride, this came at the cost of my sanity and the several precious hours of lost sleep.

(ao3 version)

The chatter of soldiers filled the room, their voices loud and full of the kind of bravado that only came with knowing they might not make it home. It was a familiar scene in the small diner that had become a favorite spot for the local military. After all, the diner was a familiar refuge for soldiers on leave. With the war raging overseas, it had become a haven for those looking for a brief respite from the horrors of the battlefield. The men, heavy with the weight of their duties, sought comfort in the warm glow of the lights and the warmth of alcohol, determined to enjoy the brief respite before returning to the frontlines.

You had seen it all before. You’d been working here for as long as you could remember—long enough to know the rhythms of the place and the faces of the soldiers who passed through its doors. It was 1943, and though the world was at war, this small diner was a constant, offering warmth and familiarity to the men who needed it most.

As a waitress at the diner, you were used to the noise, the rowdy soldiers, the long hours, the repetitive tasks grounding you in a world that felt strangely disconnected from the chaos outside. You moved through the crowd with ease, filling orders and wiping down counters, delivering drinks and meals to the men who sought comfort in the fleeting moments of normalcy. The war weighed heavy on everyone’s shoulders, but here, in the dim light of the diner, it was easy to pretend for just a little while that the world wasn’t torn apart.

It was another ordinary evening when Margareth Elizabeth “Peggy” Carter walked in. You had grown used to her visits; Peggy had a way of moving through the world that was commanding and purposeful. She wasn’t just another customer. She was someone who carried the weight of the world on her shoulders but somehow made it look effortless. And though you didn’t know the full extent of Peggy’s work with the Strategic Scientific Reserve, you knew it was important—far too important to be talked about in public.

“You’re looking a little worn out, Peg’” you remarked, pausing for a moment as you wiped the counter.

Peggy gave you a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s been a long day,” she said, her tone brisk. “I could use a break.”

Peggy’s visits were usually short, but tonight, she was clearly staying longer. You couldn’t help but notice the way Peggy kept glancing at the door, as though she was waiting for someone.

Before you could ask if anything was wrong, the door opened, and in walked two soldiers. One was tall and broad-shouldered with a boyish charm that seemed to soften his otherwise serious demeanor. The other, slightly shorter but just as imposing, had a more rugged look, his jaw set in a way that spoke of someone who had seen more than he should have. You noticed that both of them seemed to be trying hard not to draw attention to themselves, but it wasn’t working. The air in the diner shifted when they walked in.

Peggy, bless her heart, had eyes as sharp as her mind and quickly caught on to what could have been stringing her dear friend’s attention for the past five minutes by looking in the direction of her gaze. She studied you carefully for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer this time. “You’ve been working hard. If you need a break, let me know.”

You gave a small smile and nodded. “I’ll be alright.”

“Do you know who that is?” Peggy asked, glancing toward the counter where the dark-eyed soldier was sitting.

You froze, lifting your head towards your confidante. “No idea who you’re talking about.”

Peggy’s gaze flickered to the man at the counter. “That soldier there,” she said quietly. “His name’s James Barnes. He’s with Steve Rogers. I’ve heard a lot about him. Good soldier, but… he’s seen a lot. Be cautious, [Y/N].”

You smiled, grateful for your friend’s kindness and protectiveness. “Don’t worry about me, Peg’. I think I’ve seen enough of the clientele to know what I’m dealing with.”

Their conversation got interrupted by one soldier calling you to serve them, and you excused yourself to go and attend to the client with a promise to come back to her.

You saw Peggy standing up from her seat, her posture shifting from casual to professional. She caught your eye and gave a small nod, signaling to you that she was counting on staying with these two soldiers for the remainder of her stay at the diner. You weren’t sure what to make of the interaction, but something told you that these men were more than just soldiers—they were part of something bigger.

Peggy greeted them both with a curt nod, but there was something familiar in her businesslike voice, a bond that was clear to anyone paying attention. “Gentlemen.”

The two men gave a slight nod in return. Steve’s smile was warm but tired, while James’ expression was more guarded, scanning the room with a quiet intensity.

“We were hoping for a quick drink before we head back,” Steve said, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion. “Just a moment of peace.”

Peggy didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” she said, her voice steady. “Take a seat at the counter. I’ll be right with you.”

You watched as the two men took their seats, their casual demeanor belying the weight they carried. You didn’t recognize them, but there was something about their presence that made you pause. They didn’t look like the average soldiers you’d seen pass through here. There was a certain tension in their posture, a wariness that made them seem different. But there was no time to dwell on it—you had orders to fill.

As you went to refill the soldier’s drink, you watched as the two men took their seats, their casual demeanor belying the weight they carried. You didn’t recognize them, but there was something about their presence that made you pause. They didn’t look like the average soldiers you’d seen pass through here. You quickly turned away, trying to focus on the job, but you couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something had just changed.

You emerged from the kitchen room after submitting the latest orders when Peggy called over to you, her tone casual but firm. “Hey, [Y/N], could you take their orders? I’m a bit caught up with something else.”

A small flutter of nerves ran through you. You hadn’t met these two men before, but there was something about them that was different. They didn’t carry themselves like the usual soldiers you served. Maybe it was just the nature of being soldiers during a war, or maybe it was something else. Either way, it made you feel oddly vulnerable, as if these men were capable of seeing more than you were letting on.

“Sure thing,” you replied, walking over to the table with a practiced smile. As you approached, you noticed the way both men subtly straightened their postures, as if instinctively aware of their surroundings, but trying to remain low-key.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” you politely said, pulling out her notepad. “What can I get you tonight?”

Steve flashed you a smile, and though his eyes were tired, there was a warmth in them that made you feel at ease. "A couple of beers would be great," he said, glancing at Bucky for confirmation.

Bucky didn’t respond immediately. He was watching you intently, his dark eyes steady as he took in your features. There was a flicker of something in his expression—something unreadable—but he nodded in agreement with Steve’s order. "Make that two," Bucky added in his low, gravelly voice, though he didn’t take his eyes off you.

There was a strange, subtle tension in the air, and you couldn’t place it. It wasn’t hostile, but there was something… guarded about him. He was different from the others. There was something about the way he carried himself—quiet, intense, yet effortlessly calm.

"Coming right up." You said quickly, trying to shake off the feeling as you moved toward the bar.

You moved behind the counter to prepare their drinks, your eyes briefly flicking to the pair as you worked. You caught James’ gaze for another moment, his dark eyes locking onto yours. It was only for a split second, but it was enough to make your heart skip a beat.

You had seen him before—always with the others, always just another face in the crowd. But tonight, there was something different. His quiet demeanor contrasted with the rowdy energy of the other soldiers, and it made you feel like you were stepping into something deeper than just a simple interaction. The connection felt strange, almost as though there was something more to it. You quickly looked away, trying to shake off the feeling.

You returned to the counter, placing the two beers down in front of the soldiers. You tried to push the lingering feeling aside, but there was something about the taller one—James Barnes—that kept drawing your attention. He had an intensity to him, something that made you nervous in a way you couldn’t quite explain. His quiet demeanor contrasted with the rowdy energy of the other soldiers, and it made you feel like you were stepping into something deeper than just a simple interaction.

You placed the drinks in front of them, offering a smile that you hoped didn’t come off too forced. "There you go, gentlemen. Anything else?"

Steve gave you a warm, tired smile, and Bucky, though still quiet, gave you a small nod. "Thanks," Steve said. "That’s all for now."

You hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask something—something about them, about why they felt so different from the usual crowd—but you couldn’t quite find the words. Instead, you let the silence stretch, your eyes flicking between the two men as they settled into their drinks.

As you stood there, wondering how to break the ice, you heard Peggy’s voice from the other end of the counter. "You two behaving?" she called out lightly, making her way over with her confident, purposeful stride.

Steve smiled at Peggy, but there was a bit of relief in his expression at the sight of her. "Trying to," he said, giving James a teasing look.

The latter, as usual, said nothing but let his lips curl into a small, almost imperceptible smile. It was a rare moment of warmth from the usually stoic man.

Peggy paused in front of you for a moment, studying you carefully before turning to the two soldiers. "Well, if you’re behaving, then maybe I can introduce you to [Y/N], here," she said with a soft smile.

You blinked, looking at Peggy in surprise. "You mean, you’ve never introduced us?" you said, raising an eyebrow as you gave a teasing smile of your own.

Peggy’s eyes twinkled with mischief. "I wasn’t sure if you three would hit it off," she said, giving a pointed look at Bucky.

Bucky raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, turning his attention back to his drink.

"[Y/N], this is Steve Rogers and James Barnes," Peggy said, gesturing to the two soldiers. "Steve’s a bit of a show-off, but he’s alright. Bucky here—well, let’s just say he’s got a history of getting into trouble."

Steve chuckled at that. "I prefer to think of it as ‘saving the world,’ Peg," he replied, flashing a charming grin at you.

You couldn’t help but smile back at Steve’s warmth. "Well, I’m sure we all have our own ways of saving the world."

"And I’ve got mine," Bucky said softly, his dark eyes flicking over to you. There was something unreadable in his gaze, but there was a hint of humor there as well.

You gave him a smile of your own. "Nice to meet you both."

Peggy, noticing the brief exchange between Bucky and you, gave a small nod of approval before continuing. "Bucky’s a good soldier, but you’ll find he doesn’t talk much," she added with a teasing lilt in her voice. "He’s a man of few words, but when he speaks, it’s usually something important."

Bucky’s lips twitched in amusement at Peggy’s comment, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at you with an insistence that made your heart thrum a tad faster. There was something about him that made you feel like you were being studied, but not in an uncomfortable way. More like he was taking in the details—quietly observing, as if waiting for something.

"What about you, [Y/N]?" Steve asked while slightly leaning forward. "I can tell that you’re pretty good at keeping things running around here. I’m guessing you’ve seen more than your fair share of soldiers come through."

You smiled at the compliment. "You could say that. I’ve been here long enough to know the regulars. And some of them—well, they’ve got stories that would make your hair stand on end."

"That sounds like something I’d like to hear," Steve said, his voice easygoing but with a hint of sincerity.

Before you could respond, Peggy’s light voice interrupted. "Don’t get her started on the stories. You’ll never hear the end of them."

You laughed lightly, shaking your head. "I’ll have you know, I’ve got the best stories in the diner. You just need to ask the right questions."

"Alright,  I’ll take your word for it," Steve replied, his smile warm. "But for now, I think I’ll stick to the beer."

As you turned to head back to the bar to fill another order, you found your mind often leading you to your new acquaintances. There was something magnetic about these two men—Bucky’s quiet demeanor and Steve’s easy warmth. And though you didn’t know it yet, something told you this was just the beginning of a connection that would unfold in unexpected ways.

After serving the two soldiers and exchanging pleasantries with Peggy, you couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, especially by James. His quiet intensity lingered in your thoughts, even as you moved around the diner, taking orders and serving meals. There was a strange pull in the air every time you glanced in his direction—something about the way he observed you, as though he were piecing together a puzzle. Despite the din of chatter and clinking dishes, your mind kept returning to that brief moment of eye contact with him. His gaze had been steady, almost penetrating, and there was an inexplicable tension in the air that made your stomach flip.

The evening wore on and you found yourself stealing glances at the two soldiers, but every time he caught your gaze, he offered nothing more than a small, unreadable smile before turning his attention back to his drink. Steve, on the other hand, was much easier to talk to—his smile was warm, and he didn’t seem to mind the casual conversations that passed between them. But James… James was something else entirely.

Finally, as your shift came to a close, you finished your last table and wiped down the counter one final time. The steady hum of the diner slowly began to quiet as the soldiers started to trickle out, leaving you with only the soft chatter of the kitchen staff and the occasional clink of cutlery. You were ready to head home, though you couldn’t deny a small part of you was still wishfully thinking that the night would have grown longer so you could go chatter with the two soldiers.

You grabbed your coat and made your way to the back door of the diner. The night air was chilly, but it was a welcome change from the warmth of the cramped kitchen. As you stepped outside into the alleyway behind the diner, you felt the cool breeze against your skin, pulling you out of your thoughts.

Just as you started walking toward your apartment, a familiar rumble of an engine broke through the quiet night. You turned your head, and there, parked in the shadows, was a motorcycle—dark, sleek, and unmistakable Harley Davidson WLA. James stood next to it, his leather jacket gleaming under the dim streetlights.

“Hey,” he said casually, leaning against the bike, one hand resting on the handlebar. There was a smirk on his lips, but his dark eyes still carried that unreadable intensity.

You blinked, surprised to see him. “I didn’t expect to see you out here.”

James raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening slightly. “Thought I’d catch you before you disappeared into the night. I was a bit doubtful to succeed though with the way you carry yourself in a crowd, I figured you’d be out of here before anyone noticed.” He said, a teasing grin tugging at his lips as he leaned against his motorcycle, playfully acknowledging how good you are at your job, but also teasing you about being busy.

You couldn’t help but chuckle, your nerves suddenly flaring as the distance between you closed. “You really do have a way of showing up, don’t you?”

He gave a casual shrug. “Guess I’m just good at finding people.” James’ tone was playful, but there was an underlying warmth there, as though he were genuinely interested. “So, what are you doing after this? Walking home alone in the dark?” He tilted his head, looking at you with a hint of concern mixed with amusement.

You hesitated, glancing down the quiet street. “I live a couple of blocks away. It’s not too bad.” “I can give you a ride,” he offered, his voice low, yet confident. He gestured to the motorcycle. “It’s faster than walking, and less dangerous than wandering around by yourself.”

There was a brief pause as you considered it. James wasn’t the kind of guy you normally struck up a conversation with, but something about the way he was looking at you made you hesitate for a moment longer. You met his eyes, a little bit of a challenge in your gaze. “You think you’re the only one with wheels, Sergeant Barnes?”

His smirk deepened, the playful tone in his voice turning a little more serious. “I’m sure you can find your way home just fine,” he said, stepping closer, his presence commanding, “but I wouldn’t mind keeping you company for the ride.”

You raised an eyebrow, deciding to have a little fun with it. “And what makes you think I’d accept a ride from you? We’ve barely even met tonight, James. For all I know, you could be a dangerous psychopath. You know, stranger danger.”

He chuckled softly, a sound that was more genuine than she expected. “That’s true,” he agreed, the smile on his lips turning more teasing. “James Barnes, at your service. But you can just call me Bucky.”

“Well, Bucky,” you said, testing his nickname out for the first time, your voice lighter than before, “I guess I could use the company. It’s not every day someone offers me a ride home.” Bucky uncrossed his arms and pushed off the bike, taking a few steps closer, and the way his eyes met hers made your pulse quicken. “So, is that a yes, then?” Your lips quirked in a small smile, your curiosity now piqued. “I’m saying I’ve got nothing better to do and that I’m careless enough to indulge in a bit of adventure.” You took a step toward him. “Lead the way.”

“Glad to hear it,” Bucky replied, his smile widening as he moved to the bike and gestured for you to climb on behind him. As you straddled the motorcycle, he turned to you and lent her the only helmet that he had. It had to be his as it was a bit too big for you. He helped you secure it tightly on your head, taking his time to gently brush away your hair and buckling the safety gear.

The soldier started the engine after placing himself in front of you, a low rumble vibrating through the handlebars. “Hold on tight,” he said with a soft voice, a hint of something deeper in his tone. He felt a slight shiver run down his spine—not from the cold, but from the sudden warmth that pressed against his back.

Your arms slid around his waist, tentative at first, but then firming up as you settled in behind him. It was a simple, intimate gesture, one that caught him off guard, and yet it felt right. The weight of your arms against him was a comforting contrast to the harshness of the world outside, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the sensation that made the noise of the engine fade into the background.

You rode through the streets with the wind whipping around you, Bucky smoothly guiding his motorcycle while making small talk as you passed by the dimly lit streets of the city. He was casual, but every now and then, he’d throw in a question that felt more personal than a regular chat.

“So, where am I taking you?” Bucky asked, his voice cutting through the sound of the engine. His tone was light, but there was an underlying curiosity in it, like he was genuinely interested in getting to know you.

You hesitated for a moment, the rush of the ride making you feel both exhilarated and exposed. But you didn’t mind. There was something about Bucky’s presence that made you feel safe, even with the uncertainty of the night. You leaned in a little closer, your voice rising just enough to be heard over the wind.

“My place’s a few blocks down,” you said, giving him the address, your breath steady despite the pounding of your heart. You hoped to any listening deity out there that he couldn’t feel it through the leather of his jacket. “Right past the old bookstore on the corner. Just follow this road and take a left at the next light.”

Bucky nodded, committing the directions to memory as he maneuvered the bike effortlessly through the streets. As you neared the turn, you pointed it out for him, guiding him as he followed the path you set. You couldn’t help but smile a little to yourself. It felt strangely natural, this back-and-forth of directions, the way you were working together to reach your destination.

“Indulge me a bit,” he started, his voice almost drowned by the hum of the engine but still reaching your ears clearly, “what’s someone like you doing in a place like back there?”

You laughed lightly, the wind pulling your hair as you leaned closer to his back to stay steady. “You mean, why am I working in a diner in the middle of a warzone?”

“Pretty much.” Bucky’s voice was soft, but there was something about the way he asked that felt like he wanted more than just a simple answer.

You shrugged playfully. “I like it. Keeps me busy and the stories interesting. It’s my little escape from everything. Not to mention it obviously helps me pay the rent, electricity, and everything.”

Bucky nodded, his eyes glinting with interest. “I get that.” Then he paused, as though considering something. “I might be a bit upfront, but I think you’ve got more to you than just working in a diner, though.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. “You really know how to flatter a girl, don’t you?”

“Not really,” Bucky replied, a little more serious now. “I just call it how I see it.”

There was a moment of silence, just the sound of the engine filling the air. Then, out of nowhere, Bucky added, his tone soft but direct, “If you ever need someone to keep you company again, just give me your coordinates.”

You raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at your lips. “Coordinates? What are you, a spy?”

Bucky chuckled. “Let’s just say I know how to find the people I want to.”

His words hung in the air as you considered them. He was being bold, but there was a raw sincerity in his voice that made you smile despite yourself.

“I’ll think about it,” you teased, your hand resting lightly on his waist as you cruised through the streets, the night feeling just a little bit warmer than before.

“Almost there,” you called out, your arms tightening around his waist just slightly as you leaned forward, your breath mixing with the cool night air.

As you reached the final block, Bucky slowed the bike, taking the turn with a smooth motion that made you feel almost weightless. The streets were quieter here, a little less lit, but you knew you were close.

He didn’t immediately pull up to the curb. Instead, he stopped just a little further down the road, near the corner. For a moment, the hum of the engine was the only sound that filled the air, and Bucky took a beat, glancing over his shoulder at you, his expression unreadable but curious.

“You live alone?” he asked casually, though there was a glint of something behind his question, something that made you wonder if it was more than just small talk.

You blinked, a little taken aback. It wasn’t an unusual question, but the way he phrased it made you pause. You shifted slightly, tightening your grip on his waist as you tried to mask the flicker of surprise in your tone. “Why do you wanna know?” you teased lightly, not wanting to reveal too much just yet.

Bucky let out a small laugh, his gaze shifting forward as he fiddled with the bike’s throttle, stalling just a little longer. “I’d like to know if I’m gonna have to share you with anyone else,” he said with a playful edge, though there was a subtle sincerity to his words.

You couldn’t help but laugh, a small sound that felt comfortable in the quiet between you. “Not unless you’re looking to make a new friend. It’s just me,” you said, trying to sound casual, biting your lip as you felt a little flutter in your chest at the idea of him wanting to be that “someone.”

“Good to know,” he murmured, the words almost lost under the hum of the engine, but you could hear the smile in his voice.

You shifted again, about to hop off the bike, but Bucky’s hand reached down, briefly brushing yours. “Hey,” he said, turning just enough to meet your eyes, “If you’re serious about thinking it over, you can find me anytime. I don’t have a phone, but if you need me, just leave a note at the post office near the old church on Third. Ask for me, they’ll know who you mean.”

You raised an eyebrow, curious. “A note at the post office?”

He nodded, his smile widening slightly. “Yeah. I’ll get it. That way you can reach me anytime. I’ll be waiting.”

You chuckled softly, clearly entertained by his resourcefulness. “I’ll stop by if I’m looking for company,” you teased, feeling the growing anticipation of what might come next.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, the playful glint in his eyes returning. “I’ll be there. Just leave a note and I’ll show up.”

With a final glance at him, you dismounted, your feet touching the cool concrete of the sidewalk. You adjusted your coat and gave him one last look. “Thanks for the ride, Bucky. See you around.”

He nodded, his gaze lingering a little longer than usual. “You sure will.”

You turned to head toward your building, but before you got too far, you heard him call out, his voice warm. “Don’t forget about the post office!”

With a small giggle and a final wave, you disappeared around the corner, a little giddy and knowing you’d be back to see him again.

Want to read more of my works? Check out my masterlist !

dividers ©️ @chachachannah + @vesearartistry .

angelremnants ©️ 2024. All rights reserved. Do not repost, reproduce, or distribute without explicit permission.

PART ONE. l NEXT PART.

[wot-tidbits]

Why did Amazon just cancel a 97% scored Prime video show?

The first graph above became a huge hit among fans right after the third season of the TV series ended, and it is used as the ultimate argument for how successful, popular, and well-received the season was. There’s no arguing with a 97% rating, right? RIGHT?!?

One of the remarkable things about this graph is how easily this number was swallowed like hotcakes without any critical thought or questioning.

As soon as this number came out and was flying around like a banner, I made the effort to log into the respective Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB sites and check for myself what was behind these numbers. It seemed too good to be true for a series that never reached the level of pop culture zeitgeist alongside the series this graph claims to displace.

The numbers are publicly available and easy to check.

The project has nothing to do with yesterday’s news, as my first rating check was back in April.

I intentionally waited a month after the last episode to give some time for viewers who like to watch the season at once to give their ratings. In the end, the differences between the check at the end of April and what came out at the end of May turned out to be negligible.

Here's what exactly is hiding behind the screen of yet another data manipulation.

Rotten Tomatoes Ratings Season 1 81% with 94 critic reviews 61% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Season 2 86% with 48 critic reviews 81% with 2500+ viewer reviews

Season 3 97% with 65 critic reviews 83% with 2500+ viewer reviews

For comparison, here are the other seasons of the series in the top 10 of the ranking above, which is used as an argument.

Game of Thrones Season 2 96% with 304 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Game of Thrones Season 3 96% with 419 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Game of Thrones Season 4 97% with 580 critic reviews 97% with 5000+ viewer reviews

The Witcher Season 2 95% with 64 critic reviews 54% with 5000+ viewer reviews

Percy Jackson Season 1 91% with 66 critic reviews 79% with 2500+ viewer reviews

His Dark Materials Season 3 91% with 22 critic reviews 78% with 250+ viewer reviews

Comparison with the TV series on the other chart, for which it is claimed that The Wheel of Time was more successful.

House of the Dragons Season 2 83% with 274 critic reviews 73% with 2500+ viewer reviews

The Witcher Season 3 79% with 47 critic reviews 19% with 2500+ viewer reviews

Rings of Power Season 2 84% with 170 critic reviews 59% with 5000+ viewer reviews

As it can be seen from the number of reviews indicating the audience, the TV series is very far from successful and barely competes with the numbers of the "competition" it supposedly defeats.

IMDB ratings

Season 1 Episode 1 – rating 7.3 out of 14k reviews Episode 2 – rating 7.7 out of 12k reviews Episode 3 – rating 7.6 out of 11k reviews Episode 4 – rating 8.5 out of 12k reviews Episode 5 – rating 7.4 out of 9.5k reviews Episode 6 – rating 7.5 out of 9.2k reviews Episode 7 – rating 7.8 out of 8.6k reviews Episode 8 – rating 6.5 out of 9.6k reviews Average 10.74 thousand reviews per episode

Season 2 Episode 1 – rating 7.1 out of 5.6k reviews Episode 2 – rating 7.4 out of 5.2k reviews Episode 3 – rating 8.1 out of 5.4k reviews Episode 4 – rating 7.9 out of 5.0k reviews Episode 5 – rating 8.2 out of 4.9k reviews Episode 6 – rating 8.7 out of 5.6k reviews Episode 7 – rating 8.2 out of 4.7k reviews Episode 8 – rating 8.9 out of 6.7k reviews Average 5.4 thousand reviews per episode

Season 3 Episode 1 – rating 8.5 out of 5.5 thousand reviews Episode 2 – rating 8.2 out of 4.8 thousand reviews Episode 3 – rating 8.3 out of 4.8 thousand reviews Episode 4 – Rated 9.3 out of 6.5k reviews Episode 5 – Rated 8.1 out of 4.0k reviews Episode 6 – Rated 8.5 out of 4.0k reviews Episode 7 – Rated 8.5 out of 4.2k reviews Episode 8 – Rated 9.0 out of 4.5k reviews Average 4.79 thousand reviews per episode

Again, for comparison with the series that The Wheel of Time claims to be equal to in terms of successful ratings (which is why I'm not comparing their unsuccessful seasons).

Game of Thrones Season 1 Average 46.7k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 39.0k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 46.2k reviews per episode Season 4 Average 50.8k reviews per episode

The Witcher Season 1 Average 21.5k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 12.1k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 8.14k reviews per episode

Percy Jackson Season 1 Average 3.67k reviews per episode

His Dark Materials Season 1 Average 4.0k reviews per episode Season 2 Average 4.1k reviews per episode Season 3 Average 1.43k reviews per episode

House of the Dragon Season 2 Average 41.6k reviews per episode

Rings of Power Season 2 Average 21.5k reviews per episode

A more in-depth and detailed study of the ratings clearly shows the decline in audience from season 1 through season 2 to season 3, with more than half the number of reviews (including critics). The fewer the number of reviewers, the higher the rating – the logical conclusion is that these ratings are given mainly by early fans of the series, and the average viewer is completely missing from the picture. The TV series is liked by those who have stayed to watch it, but it has not gathered any new audience to justify talking about how high ratings have any weight.

It is ironic how the headlines are loud about a 97% rating, when the real news is the catastrophic 50+% drop in audience. It looks scary how episode 1 has 14 thousand reviews, and episodes from 21 to 24 barely attract 4 thousand people.

Elementary manipulation of the data to fit in the desired narrative.

Personally, I would be ashamed to use these ratings as an argument, when the much more important question is not how successful it was, but where did 10 thousand people disappear to? And why did 10 thousand people disappear?

But you won't see this anywhere, of course.

P.S. And a completely separate question remains about the spiral of blaming the vocal haters as the culprits for the TV series not being watched… how we continue to count 10,000 thousand people as a "vocal minority" compared to the barely 4,000 fans available. Something doesn't add up here either. But that is a question for another day.

Let the Light keep you safe. LightOne

[pen-and-umbra]

least favorite Seph take?

Hmm… I’ll go with “Cloud has always been a stronger person than Sephiroth”. While objectively it's not the worst take out there, it's still one of the most enduring. I can tell you it was there in the early 2000s, and it's still alive and kicking on various boards. One would think that the rise in mental health awareness over the past two decades would have led people to see the flaws in this simplistic comparison. Alas, this misconception continues to thrive despite the complex realities of the characters' experiences.

While Cloud undoubtedly faced traumatic events and demonstrated remarkable strength of will in overcoming his challenges, his life experiences were more stable compared to Sephiroth's. Cloud had the advantage of a family, a familiar hometown, and the freedom to chart his own path in life. Crucially, he also had people who valued him enough to stand by his side even at his lowest moments. And it's easy to be a good person when your relations let you get back on your feet if you fall.

But to be a good person in spite of, against all the odds – that's something else entirely. Sephiroth never had the benefits of a stable family or a normal upbringing. Instead, he was exploited as a military tool, forced to carry out ShinRA's questionable agenda at a tender age, with his own parent being a ruthless sociopath. Sephiroth was compelled to live a fabricated existence, only to discover that even this fabricated life was merely another layer in an ever-deepening deception. Worse still, every significant figure in his life ultimately abandoned him, often suddenly and without regard – Gast, his SOLDIER buddies, everyone. He was marketed as an idea, not as a real human being.

And yet, throughout the years, Sephiroth remained a decent person. A person who thought about the well-being of others. A person who didn't enjoy the grim trade of combat. A person who pushed himself to the limits to save lives he could save. And that’s a true testament to his strength of character. Until a certain moment, that is.

While Cloud's struggles lasted some years, Sephiroth endured a lifetime of hardship and adversity.

[venussaidso]

The Ascendant Lord impacting your aura is real because tell me why I used to mistaken Jeremy Irons and Daniel Day Lewis for each other. And they still give me the same vibe yet share no nakshatras or nakshatra lords on their top 3 placements.

Jeremy Irons has his Sun in Uttara Phalguni.

Daniel Day Lewis has his Ascendant Lord (Jupiter) in Uttara Phalguni in the 2H. The 2H doesn't just rule over our assets and values, but also our face. The 2H literally gives support to our 1H | ASC and plays a role in our physique, and also aura (in my opinion).

Irons has a Ketu nakshatra (Magha) in the 2H in his chart while Lewis is a Mula Ascendant, Ashwini Moon. So it could be that I'm picking up on Ketu as well. Another thing, Irons has Venus in the 1H and Lewis has Bharani Sun.

They don't even look alike but the way they're so comparable to me can be validated by their nodal contacts too. Jeremy Irons has Rahu in Ashwini while Daniel Day Lewis has Moon in Ashwini.

There are probably other aspects I missed but 1H, 2H placements and the Ascendant Lord is validating enough as they further impact one's physique and aura. The nodes are important as Rahu stood out to me since they are both famous public figures (Rahu is essential when picking apart one's public image when there's established fame). Although yes, the top 3 placements will be extremely prominent– because I can still pick up on their stark differences. I do think this also looks like a random comparison. Like Jeremy Irons is a Pushya Ascendant, Uttara Bhadrapada Moon and Daniel Day Lewis is a Mula Ascendant, Ashwini Moon. The both of them literally have the double whammy effect of their lunar mansion's nakshatra lord which makes them more different than similar. But still valid how I managed to connect them together.

EDIT;;;;;;;

so i am not crazy, this shit felt by some. i'm not the only one who intuitively picked this up 🧘🏽‍♀️

uhm 💀

[randomsporefacts]

yet another follow up to the last post, a comprehensive list of parts that interact with all three of the paints. this means that they can be covered with the various specks of the coat and detail paints, and are tinted the actual base color with the eggshell paint, as opposed to remaining the opposite color (like so) (also i copied the center part and somehow theyre going opposite directions now; i cant seem to replicate it)

also a list of parts that dont get affected by this, and remain the opposite hue on the eggshell paint

-

every single mouth part is colored by the paints

aside from the bot parts mouths. its hard to tell since the uv gets overwriten by the actual part diffuse texture, but while the texture is loading you can actually tell it keeps the opposite hue

-

every single eyes & senses (noses, ears, antennas) part keeps the opposite hue from the base paint, that technically even includes empteyes where this isnt visible anyways

-

all graspers (including Bulbous Fingers and exoskeleton Extractor) get affected by paints, sometimes in sort of interesting ways

once again bot parts is the sole exception

-

same happens with all feet (including Pads and Peppergrabber), all get affected by the paints. once again with the sole exception of bot parts

limbs in general (particularly relevant for the expansion limbs) also get affected by the paints, once again aside from bot parts

-

weapons and details are where inconsistencies begin

Ultramegadeer, Problem-Solvent, Maceball, Stessball, SlimSlam Kablam, Toxic Telson, Reapermantis and Spurprise! are the only weapon parts that get affected by the paints

all the other ones remain opposite from the base color. The Tauntlet and Scimitard are the only strike parts to not be affected by paints

-

same thing with the detail parts, but heres the chart. most of the detail parts arent affected by the paints, with the exception of Osteoflippy, Knurl Down, and Fauxry Wings in the base game

with creepy & cute, the opposite is true. every single creepy & cute detail part gets affected by the paints! and this is once again not the case for bot parts

-

so, in summation, for convenience

the parts that get affected by all the paints (meaning theyre colored with the base color using the eggshell paint, and get affected by the coat and detail paints) are:

all mouths, graspers and feet (minus bot parts) Ultramegadeer, Problem Solvent most strike parts aside from The Tauntlet and Scimitard Osteoflippy, Knurl Down, Fauxry Wings all creepy & cute detail parts

the parts that dont get affected by any paints (meaning theyre colored the opposite hue from the base color with the eggshell paint) are:

all bot parts… parts all eyes & senses all weapons that arent specified above all basegame detail parts that arent specified above

or just this. the green is the base color, so it roughly represents the color of the part with the eggshell base paint

also every single early creature part gets affected by all the paints too

-

the way this is defined internally seems to be from just this one little value. this is in creature_rigblock~ in ce_details_armor_01.prop

armor 02, in comparison, doesnt have skinpaintIgnoreParticles so its assumed to be false. therefore it gets affected by all paints. you can see the results for searching skinpaintIgnoreParticles matches up with which parts dont get affected by paints

this property is only referenced in creature_rigblock~, so all the other skinpaint editor parts (ie cell and flora parts) should get affected by all paints

[mindhealing]

Strong Like Goliath!

Life can be daunting sometimes and yet it can be absolutely wonderful and magical at some other times, life then is truly paradoxical and the best thing to do is to move with life according to it's dictates and wishes, flow with life like water, be like water and find life and life experiences easy to bear. Don't let life challenges and struggle, experiences and situations change your view of life, your dreams and goals, aims and objectives, ambitions and destiny, because achieving your goals and dreams, your heart's desires and your destiny is the greatest achievement anyone can have in this lifetime, and should be your drive and it ultimately changes your life and life experiences. The key to achieving anything in life is to consistently put in the effort and energy, the work required and to do anything and everything to make the goal come true. Good or bad results come from the daily deposits you put into your life and life experiences, and what you want and desire your life to become. Being in charge and in control is not about titles, positions, or flow charts, it is about one life influencing another and all around you, being strong like Goliath and taking on life and it's challenges head on. You can only be afraid of what you think you know and fear, yet fear is of the mind and not of external reality.

A rainbow shines and is most beautiful after the storm, so become like the rainbow and shine after the success of your trials and tribulations. Free yourself from mental judgement, slavery and comparison, just be yourself and stop driving yourself crazy with negativity, negative mindset, thoughts and emotions. Be happy always even in the face of the most daunting situations and conditions, and life will reward your courage and strength, patience and preseverence with success and abundance. Crystallize your goals and make them of utmost importance in your life and life experiences, then make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline to help you get started, work with supreme confidence and courage, patience and preseverence, determination and disregard for obstacles and blockages on your path and in your way. Have total disregard and zero tolerance for other people's criticisms and discrimination, carry out your plan accordingly  and work out your plan. Trust in the divine will, process and timing of your life and ultimately manifest your dreams and goals.

Your good thoughts and emotion are always good for you and to you, they effectively create a positive mindset that creates and manifest positivity and goodness, blessings and abundance, wonder and magic. They shine forth out of your face like sunbeams beautifying and electrifying all around you, every one around you see you as looking not only beautiful and lovely, but magnificent and captivating, that's what you are vibrating and projecting out. Everything happens n life, a simple chore even the most tedious ones  becomes bearable as you move through each day in a mindset of joy and happiness,  convinced that every task, no matter how menial, labour intensive  or boring it may be, brings you an opportunity to grow and evolve and brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams, goals and life's mission. In this state you have effectively disconnected from the mind and it's attendant narratives, stories and drama creating your life and life experiences up till this moment, now you have reconnected with the divinity within you, your Higher Self which is your authentic self waiting to connect with you and show you the truth about yourself. It will show you how to create and manifest a much better life and life experiences henceforth.

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance, recall that "abundance florishes in a grateful heart". To elevate your life and life experiences, you must be willing to let go of some of your old ways of thinking, doing and being, and now embrace new ones. You are capable of pursuing their dreams and desires at any stage in life and achieving them successfully, so learn to focus on the outcomes rather than the obstacles and blockages on your path. Self-love is the foundation for living and loving others as well as yourself, appreciate the present moment that you have today and see the abundance and success, blessings and fortune that are already yours for the taking. Everyone has a place to fill in this world and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle of life, you are only one piece in the puzzle of life with everyone's piece being different, but when the puzzle is all done, you will realize that we are all one that everyone and everything is interconnected. The most powerful aspect of your life is your ability to choose, to choose wisely what becomes of your life and life experiences, you can choose the meaning to which your life is attached at any given moment - positive or negative, stress, anxiety, agitation, worry, doubt and depression occurs when you forget this. Learn to accept people, events and circumstances as they are rather than expect them to be as you want and wish them to be, so that you will have fewer disappointments in life. If someone treats you like an option or second place, then make yourself a priority and let them go, always choose yourself and prioritize your happiness and joy over others.

Never put a limit on yourself nor on your ability to actualize and manifest all your goals, this is because they can be achieved if and when you believe in yourself and work towards it. You were born with potentials, talents and skills which lie dormant within you undiscovered, today is the day to make them visible by connecting with the divinity within you, surrender to it and let it take charge of your life and life experiences. When the stormy winds of life threaten to knock you down or unbalance you, step up to yourself, develop the courage and strength to spread your wings and fly, and not just fly but fly sky high. Your self-worth is eternal and indestructible, it is a gift to be shared with others and ultimately the world. In times of wars and chaos, troubles and problems and the daily struggle and challenges of life and life experiences, maintain inner stillness, belief and trust that everything will work out for you in the end. Take off the garment of worries and stress, put on the garment of hope and joy, believe without an atom of doubt that you will overcome all challenges. A successful person learns from  mistakes and tries again but in a different way, from a different mindset, point of view and understanding. Sometimes, you must go through difficult times to reach the best outcomes of your life and life experiences, so take time out to spend with yourself, loving and pampering yourself, appreciating and blessing yourself and remember that you are always guided.

More to come.

[gabbi-gabz-a-lot]

Moar sketches!!!

Apparently I only have the confidence to post these at like 1am

But anyway! I'm going to try a slightly different layout and see which one I like better.

So without further ado,

Picture 1!

This is a "post workout" picture of Valerie. Somehow, her hair remains perfectly slicked down even after working up a sweat. How does she do it? And a little bonus Dan I added for fun later.

Picture 2!

This one of my top three favorite drawings of Valerie that I've ever done. I have a vendetta against canon fucking up my girls hair in TUE (more on that at a layer date) and have made it my personal mission to make sure my girl eats. Every. Goddamn. Lewk. TF. Down. And i think she looks very pretty here. I dont have a very good graps of dynamic expressions yet but I really like how her features came out here. This is the most accurate to how she looks in my head (barring hairstyles which i change with my mood).

Picture 3! (Height comparison ref)

So the Dan sketch in this kne was actually done by my sister after several anatomical disproportionate attempts by me. The canon height chart actually has Dan being shorter than Vlad and like?? No? That makes no sense?? How is this boy half Plasmius with his Actual Dad being a Giant and end up shorter than both??? No??? Anyway if you look at the line up of the kids Valerie is actually the second shortest in the group (a distant second from Dani) so i played in that space and landed on "Woman who is a 5'3" stick of Dynamite and her Absolute Unit of a boyfriend" but the heights are subject to change based on what i think is funny.

Picture 4!

An ill advised attempt at realism and though it didn't turn out that great, i feel like i learned a lot through the process. This image is actually from a scene from my multichapter fic that i havent written yet.

Pictures 5 & 6

Incomplete sketches of Valerie one of a dynamic mid action pose where she's just popped up from behind cover to take aim. And another where i was thinking of doing a redesign of her suit, i was trying to go for a "winged Valkyrie" motif (get it? Like Val-imma stop) I do want to eventually come back to finish these, but we'll see.

Pictures 7 & 8

As previously stated, i have a vendetta to draw Valerie with every hairstyle under the sun, so we have her rocking a cute taper cut in a silk evening dress. And then we have a bit of expression practice with a curly fro and beach waves.

Full Page!

I like doing my little info dumps per picture but if y'all prefer to just have me put them in a collection and give an overview I will take it into consideration (tho ultimately I will do whatever i want)

Edit: i almost forgot my boi! Have a Bonus Dan for luck!

Sketch dump 2/?

[vivithefolle]

You seem to be really against Hermione for the bird incident, but don’t seem to care much about Harry sending Hedwig to claw at Ron and Hermione during the summer preceding fifth year, why is that?(/gen) You also seem to ship Ronarry. Is it just because she’s the canon love interest that you’re so upset? I know Harry regretted telling Hedwig to do what she did afterwards, but I don’t remember him ever apologizing to Ron and Hermione. How can we know that Hermione didn’t apologize to Ron after he came back in Deathly Hallows but before the battle of hogwarts?(I agree with your opinions on Hermione in general, I’m just curious.)

If you don't know, I've made some jokes about how Harmony shippers are right about Harry and Hermione having something in common, which is that they both sent birds to attack Ron.

Harry doesn't interest me nearly as much as Hermione because to be frank he's pretty much just... the most boring character in the series to me. I like him for his Ron-loving potential which is pretty off the charts when Rowling isn't actively using Ron as a stepping stone for Harry and Hermione to look better.

I'm actually a pretty big Romione shipper even if I myself get confused about what I'm mad about sometimes. Honestly, it's just that I've kinda had it with people constantly writing Ron fucking up and having to make it up to Hermione, I want her to be fucking up and making it up to him and it not being considered a Crime Against Women Everywhere because yeah, women fuck up and hurt men too, men also get abused or shat on by women, it happens. Hermione as she is has a pretty toxic mentality, what with her often using violence completely casually (her first "big heroic moment" in the series is to set a man on fire) coupled with that shitty tendency of Rowling to use "Hermione on the verge of tears" as a kind of sedative to make the average reader go "who cares what Hermione did before, she's crying NOW and that's UNFORGIVABLE, PROTECT HER".

But, Harry himself also has a system like that, by virtue of being Our Poor Orphan Protagonist. Honestly, I hate to say it but Potterheads read another book because yes, Harry is nothing new, when an author wants you to root for their protagonist they give them a backstory that makes you want good things for them, yes Harry's suffering is just all destined to make you attached to him and meant to make you think everything that ever happens to HIM personally is automatically The Most Horrible Thing Ever To Happen To Anyone Ever and I'm kinda done with that as a whole because of fandom experience. I can only tell people to pay attention to what Ron goes through only to be rebuked by a "but look how hard Harry had it, in comparison Ron is a baby" so many times before I get completely soured and decide that the character they feel so sad for doesn't need any more people to feel sorry for.

... I don't know if I'm being clear. But yeah I function mostly through pure spite nowadays.

I know Harry regretted telling Hedwig to do what she did afterwards, but I don’t remember him ever apologizing to Ron and Hermione.

He did say a token sorry to Ron specifically:

He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut. ‘Oh, yeah,’ Harry said. ‘Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know –’

(I say "token" because yeah it's not really an apology given how it's immediately followed by a justification.)

Hermione however?

‘He seemed to think it was best,’ said Hermione rather breathlessly. ‘Dumbledore, I mean.’ ‘Right,’ said Harry. He noticed that her hands, too, bore the marks of Hedwig’s beak and found that he was not at all sorry.

WOOP WOOP FEEL THE HARMONY YET

How can we know that Hermione didn’t apologize to Ron after he came back in Deathly Hallows but before the battle of hogwarts?

Honestly she can have apologized anytime, I'd just like it to be shown to me, and I'd like it to mean something.

While for example @divagonzo believes that after Malfoy Manor Hermione realizes her own mortality and blunts her sharper edges, I still remember the scene where Ron isn't sure they can trust Griphook and Hermione immediately insult him for being racist. Yeah, if that's blunting her sharp edges then I sure hope she's got other ways to do it otherwise she's gonna need a lot more Malfoy Manors.

As it stands, Harry and Hermione are really underdeveloped and bare-bones. If Harry has a character arc then I've missed it entirely because while he does realize that Snape has reasons and shit he's still kinda hating on him all through OOTP, HBP and DH until the Epilogue pulls the rug from beneath our feet. Hermione has moments indicating there's some things happening - her arc with Luna in OOTP is neat, in DH she finally learned to thank Ron for complimenting her - but aside from that she never is confronted to actual failure, to actual dilemnas, to actual problems without a true "I'm right you're wrong" solution - we only see her "being right" without anything exploring what she COULD be beyond "being right".

Which leaves Ron to shoulder the burden of having to do character development for two static characters that amount to "male role model" and "female role model". Ron IS confronted with failure, with actual dilemnas to which there's no easy answer or solution, Ron IS confronted with his personal character flaws... in pretty much every book, he's kept in a loop of "complete character arc" -> "oh no JKR needs drama to happen and she can't have Role Model 1 & 2 do it because they're supposed to be Above Mere Mortals" -> "backtrack on Ron's character arc so he can cause the drama so she doesn't have to strain her brain too hard", which is pretty obviously a disservice to Ron's character. And sadly, the fandom picks up on it but takes the wrong message from it: instead of realizing "wait, Rowling is violating the rules of good storytelling by constantly backtracking on her one good and complex character's development all so she doesn't have to risk Harry and Hermione's popularity by using their character flaws to create conflict", the fandom instead goes "ugh Ron is always causing messes while Harry and Hermione always have their hearts in the right place and always want what's best and anyway if they ever did something bad it's because they were forced by the situation".

It's... upsetting.

[skyward-floored]

I’ve got a big mess of thoughts so here we go, analysis time!

First of all may I just say I love the siblings vibes in this entire update?? Wild is so happy Twilight is alive, his little brother energy is positively off the CHARTS here, and their bickering (while Legend looks on awkwardly) is hilarious. Peak sibling behavior.

Moving on!

I find it interesting Legend is grabbing his own scar here (you can just baaaarely see it) after it shows Twilight’s arm injuries. “I would have been done for,” huh? What do you mean by that Legend? How did you get that scar..?

The font change here has me cackling, Wild does NOT believe him a bit. It’s so funny.

“Uh-huh,

Friend”

Another thing to mention though, I’ve seen a lot of people agreeing with Wild on the whole “there’s no way she was just a friend” thing, but Twilight’s relationship with Midna is complicated y’all. It’s not just a broken romance. Twilight is probably hesitant to put a label on it, and Wild is pushing him a bit. Plus he was just thinking of Midna the night before... no wonder he’s cranky.

(I’ll also remind you that lu sticks very much with game canon and NOT manga, so don’t expect anything in the tp manga to be true in the comic y’know)

Warriors, putting on a happy face as he gears himself up to stop what he thinks is yet another fight: is somebody being cranky-wanky

(Also looking pretty fine there Wars 👀)

Makes me wonder what everybody else is doing... arguing? XD (also the little elbow cuff! They’re brothers your honor (Legend does not appreciate this))

This is one of my new favorite panels. Warriors being so stern and still annoyed at the sword thing (give it a rest buddy...) in comparison to Legend slapping his knee and making a truly ridiculous face as he laughs at Wild’s joke, it’s fantastic. I love it.

(Sorry this is basically about Warriors now)

I mentioned this in some tags, but I really like how Warriors calls Ilia by name. He doesn’t just say “your family” or “your girl”, he calls her Ilia, and I think that’s really sweet. It shows he’s been paying attention. (Also Legend’s little nod <3)

THEY’RE SO HAPPY TO HEAR HIM LAUGH look at them smile ooogghgh (And Twilight talking about Ilia! He talks about her a lot like how Time talks about Malon :)

And finally....

He’s laughing even though it hurts. The others, (Warriors especially) cheered him up, even after Twilight admitted himself he was grumpy, and I love that. He’s laughing even though it hurts. Man.

[nova--spark]

TFP: Elita-One

So here is a long long bio for Elita-1 and my story for her in my AU !

Formerly Ariel, she was once a council worker on Cybertron, specializing in supervision of all sorts of workers from mid and lower castes. She could have done far greater, as she had been gifted by the Well of AllSparks with the ability to change her form not just twice but three times total, to walk on legs, wheels or fly.

Yet she still chose to work where she did. Grunt work, in comparison to the great Senators and other somewhat rulers of Cybertronian society but…Ariel loved her line of work. It kept her humble, in comparison to great many of her councilmen and women who did otherwise.

So, Ariel spent many many times seeing how they worked, as well as going to the record halls, studying what she could to ensure she did her work correctly. That was how she met, then Orion Pax.

The two were close, as he often fetched her the necessary data of her work, and would speak with her about all kinds of things. Be it speaking of the caste system, history, myth, legends and so much more. It was only natural thus that she fell for him, and he for her.

Of course, then all changed as Megatronus and Orion crossed paths, and tensions rose, when Orion was deemed worthy of a Prime by the council. Ariel, who had sided with Orion, made it clear to the council that this caste system was by no means a benefit to anyone, made her voice heard and…paid the price dearly for it. If she wanted to advocate for the lower caste, then she would live as lower caste.

Sentenced to the docks, she was. Made to toil in them day and night, as rebellions stirred further and further…till Megatron came to be, and Optimus Prime was reborn. When alliances came to be, factions decided and each parted from one another.

Ariel, found by the Autobots after an attack on the docks, was heavily damaged. Awakening to a medbay, she was delighted and saddened to be reunited with Orion,now Optimus. Had they lived another life, perhaps things would be different. So, that night, Ariel died. In name and frame, she was remade and rebuilt by the medics, and chose a new name for herself. If the council thought herself so elite, then she would take that name. Elita-1.

She rose the autobot ranks, using her knowledge from her former line of work to coordinate attacks, recruit and train soldiers of all kinds.

Then came the grand Exodus, and Elita-1 was forced apart from her Conjunx, having only committed themselves to each other a week before. He had given her the coordinates for Earth, to follow him, but she couldn't follow aboard his ship, as she and the last of her team would forge a distraction till they made it out.

And when that was secured, and she was the only one left standing, she boarded a ship of her own, broken as it was, but it was something still. The damage was substancial, especially as Cons found her, and alone, she could do nothing but chart her course…and jump into a cryo-stasis pod, and wish that Primus would keep her safe. That she would make it to this new planet in one piece…and that maybe, Optimus would be there when she made it.