#Full Armour Alex

[gremoria411]

There is a problem with looking at so many mobile suit designs in that you can wander quite far sometimes. Sometimes to odd places. For instance, I’ve been wanting to watch Gundam Narrative recently, but ended up watching Gundam Twilight Axis instead (they have a similar plot to me). Twilight Axis has the Tristan, a derivative of the Alex. Another derivative of the Alex would be the Full Armour Alex, which appears along with the Striker Custom in Mobile Suit Gundam Katana.

I’m gonna get two things out of the way first: I haven’t finished reading Gundam Katana, because I don’t like Gundam Katana.

Oh, the arts wonderful and I like a lot of the original mechanics, but I absolutely despise the protagonist (the plot’s not great but it’s essentially a blip compared to how much the main character bothers me).

I don’t want this to be just a rant post so I’ll be brief; The Protagonist of Gundam Katana, Ittou Tsurugi, is a prick. In that way that only a brat with a silver spoon in their mouth (on in this case, at their side) can be. He’s handed a super custom ms and a force of followers that follow him absolutely, despite the fact that he has no experience with command (and more to the point, no experience with failure). In addition, he’s also got those bad reader self-insert characteristics (always in the right, excels at everything he strives to do, knows things that he probably shouldn’t at that point in time). Two examples I just want to call out, the first being when he gets mugged at the docks by a group of five. The muggers attempt to justify their behaviour because of the ongoing economic depression and the claim that the Earth Federation spends more on its military than on other things. Ittou defeats them easily (fair enough), but then has the gall to turn around to them and say that they should work harder because of the recession. Ittou, a military brat, heir to his household and with a legion of followers to cater to his every need. The second example is that after fighting Zeon Remnants on the Moon (which is a whole other thing), Ittou has a chance encounter at the flight terminal with none other than Quattro Bajeena, who’s on the moon on business. Now, Quattro’s real identity in Zeta eventually became an open secret within the AEUG until Char’s Dakar Address. However, many members of the AEUG suspect Char’s real identity (Blex), fought against him in the OYW (Bright) or eventually hear enough rumours that they suspect anyway (everyone else). Ittou has never met Char, never seen Char so there is no reason as to why he should be able to recognise someone who fought with a mask throughout the entire One Year War. But he does, because he’s apparently just that good. (As an aside, the whole deification of Char post-OYW as this ace of aces bothers me a little, since he’s only really relevant to the White Base crew and there were plenty of other aces running around. It makes sense post-Dakar and post-Gryps, but prior he should be just another ace).

Anywho, the reason I wanted to talk about Katana is because I like quite a lot of it’s original mechanics. I say original, because it uses a lot of units that were originally from videogames, so I’m only going to be talking about the Striker Custom, Full Armour Striker Custom, Full Armour Alex and GM Striker Custom.

The Striker Custom is the main mobile suit of the series (and yes, I did choose that second picture to show off its weaponry). It’s probably my weakness for close-quarters suits talking, but I really like it. It is essentially a GM Striker with a Gundam Head and new backpack, but as custom units go I find that honestly quite charming. Despite the two pictures shown here it’s actually quite well-armed, starting with the standard Vulcan guns and twin beam sabers. Following this it has a further two beam sabres, snazzier ones with a longer blade, that can be combined into a beam naginata. It is also armed with a set of Knuckle Daggers, mounted on the backpack when not in use, which are essentially a sort of axe-shaped beam blade mounted in the hands (they can be seen in the second picture). It can also be armed with the Spark Knuckle (essentially an electrified, handheld brass knuckle, based on the electrical weaponry Zeon used) and the Burst Knuckle (punch to attach mine, punch again to detonate, because there’s totally no way for that to go wrong). It can also be armed with a 100mm machine gun (or as GBO2 is wont to, a GM II Beam Rifle), but typically isn’t, because Ittou’s a lousy shot. I really like the knuckle daggers - I don’t really think that they’d be more practical than a beam saber (longer reach and all), but they are cool as heck, giving the suit a boxing vibe that I quite enjoy. The Spark and Burst knuckles are typically used sparingly, which helps my opinion of them - the spark knuckle’s lovely, but there isn’t much defence against electric weaponry other than range, so it’s good it doesn’t get overused. The Burst Knuckle…. I don’t dislike it, it just seems horribly impractical. That said, I can only really recall it being used once, so it’s not like I typically remember it. The Striker Custom is also fitted with a “Demon Blade” AI System, a derivative of the EXAM system (*shot*), whiiiiich…… is fine? It’s probably the fact that I stopped reading before it became a major factor (I remember it being introduced, but little else) but I don’t really have a big opinion on it. It makes sense for a close-quarters suit to have it, especially as a trump card to pull out in dire situations. It’s more of the “can be mastered” system than the “WILL mess you up” one though (the original EXAM system was pretty harrowing, as I understand it and the HADES aren’t exactly a nice walk in the park either).

Form and armour wise, it’s pretty good. A large part of that is going to be inherited from the GM striker, yes, but the Striker Custom feels very agile, and light on its feet. It probably is the boxer influence (even the head looks like it’s got a head guard on), but I like it because it feels like a very straightforward design - get close and hit things. Specifically, I like how it feels like a “gundam-ified” version of the GM Striker in the same vein that the Gundam Marine Type “Gundiver” is to the Aqua GM. It really sets your mind going as to what other “upgraded GM’s” there could be (like a Gundam Night Seeker, or Gundam Guard Type). I’m fine with the colours - I typically dislike it if a protagonist suit is “just” white and blue, but in this case it’s actually got a purpose because the main rival suit, the Full Armour Alex, is Red, so it shows the contrasting personalities of their pilots (and it works pretty well with its pink beam weapons). I will admit that I’ve repainted it to Titans Colours in GBO2 though - it’s about the right time period for them to be around (some even show up in the early chapters) and honestly I like imagining the AEUG stealing one (plus, I think it looks really nice).

Now if only it had a better pilot.

It’s upgraded form is the Full Armour Striker Custom, build with spare parts from the Full Armour Alex. Cards on the table, I haven’t read up to the part in the manga where this shows up, so this is purely on the design and it’s weaponry (as seen in GB02). I do like the bulkier look (the original has a nice agility to the design, but I don’t mind the additional weight), however I do think that it’s overarmed. This is a common problem I have with Full Armour upgrades - they just cram a bunch of additional weaponry on for the sake of it. I like heavily armed suits, but just adding bulk to an existing design doesn’t work for me because the end result just ends up looking sluggish. Speaking of those armaments, let’s run down the list, shall we? The Vulcan Guns remain, as per usual. As do the twin beam sabers, though one of them has been moved to the front of the right shoulder. The Knuckle Daggers are now mounted in the…. What is a apparently supposed to be a shield, but looks to me more like a weapons rack on the left arm. There’s an EXAM unit 3-style double beam cannon as it’s primary ranged armament on the right arm - that’s essentially standard armament for FA (Full Armour) Units, so absolutely no issues there. It’s also got a back rocket cannon and chest missile bays, likely modelled after the regular FA Gundam, and rounding out the loadout is a set of missile pods on the legs. In addition to all this, it’s armed with a brand new sword weapon called Fukusaku - a long sword roughly three-fifths the size of the mobile suit itself. I find it to be a textbook case of a mobile suit being overarmed. I can see how - the striker custom brings its close quarters weaponry and the FA Gundam Brings its long-range weaponry, but it just seems to be fighting for space on the suit - the Beam Saber on the front armour (a very dangerous position, given what happens to beam sabers when they’re shot) and the “shield” that’s essentially mounting two especially large beam sabers on the left arm are just the most obvious examples. Fukusaku is odd, because it looks completely unique, and all the sources I can find state that it’s a cold saber - essentially an electric saber, typically used when stealth is required, such as on the Efreet Nacht. Thing is, it looks to be an mobile suit sized Katana, meaning it was forged, but it still has beam effects over the…… Hamon? Of the sword (that wavy bit on katanas that’s formed as the sword cools). Oddities aside, it makes sense that the main suit in “Mobile Suit Gundam Katana” would recieve a fancy katana, but it doesn’t exactly help with the suit having two other paired melee weapons already. I do like the bulk added by the additional armour to the Full Armour Striker Custom, it creates the sense of a slower, more methodical fighting style (“one strong cut” to the striker custom’s barrage of punches), but I think the weapons weigh it down too much, especially since I know it’s going to be used in space. Honestly, I feel like if you took off the Knuckle Daggers and Chest Missile Bays, maybe moved the saber mountings around, it’d look much better. I like the splash of purple added in the paint scheme, but I don’t notice it’s absence much in GBO2. The Full Armour Striker Custom’s design is busier (especially around the chest), so it doesn’t look quite as good in Titan’s colours, but there’s some lovely details on the back (like the leg thrusters) that really pop.

The GM Striker and GM Striker Kai are largely identical, save for the backpack. Indeed, the Striker Custom is essentially a modified GM Striker Kai (with perhaps a little of the blue destiny units sprinkled in). They are armed differently however, with the GM Striker Kai being armed with beam sabers like the ones the Striker Custom has, and the regular GM Striker being armed with a twin beam spear that can convert into a scythe. I like the regular GM Striker, I think it’s an excellent up-armoured version of the GM, with the twin beam spear being an appropriately imposing melee weapon for it. I very much like the colours as well, with a lovely green, yellow and blue-grey scheme. The blue visor also draws attention nicely to the head. The GM Striker Kai is the space-use version, having the backpack of the Striker Custom in addition to its weaponry. Overall, I think it’s a nice GM unit with the additional armour doing a lot to distinguish it from the pack.

Lastly, the Full Armour Alex. I found it quite difficult to find a decent picture of the Version seen in Gundam Katana. The Full Armour Alex is…. a little of an odd one for me, because though I know it’s just differing artist interpretations, I tend to consider the original (Green and White, right) and the version seen in Gundam Katana (Red, Left) as separate designs (for the most part). I’ll go over the one seen in Gundam Katana first. It’s piloted by Kotetsu, a cyber-Newtype of True Federal in the series (True Federal have a vested interest in having as many newtypes on their side as possible, but they don’t seem to be going for the inhuman experimentation that the Titans did.) who functions as an early, personal foe for Ittou, here to drop subtle hints about the organisation and provide an actual challenge. The Full Armour Alex is essentially a brute - it’s got the strength and power to easily match most anything else in one-on-one combat, and functions as True Federal’s one-man clean-up crew. I think it’s used well in the series - it’s a FA unit, with lots of weaponry that’s geared towards ranged combat - a natural counter to the Striker Custom, which focuses on close-quarters. It spends much of its initial appearance holding Ittou back by sheer volume of fire alone - he’s forced to do little else but dodge. But it’s meaty firepower never allows it to feel unthreatening.

Design-wise….. it’s just fine. I like the red colour scheme in the context of their pilots - Kotetsu’s far more emotion-driven than Ittou, so it makes sense for their contrasting personalities. But in the context of red mobile suits in Gundam….. it doesn’t work. Red is a signifier of Char, or something related to Char (or a char clone), but the Full Armour Alex is neither. I have been seeing some “regular” rivals using it as of late (see the Pixy (LA), but in those cases it just comes off as forced. It’s just red because it’s a rival and rivals are red. The form and body’s fine - it’s a good example of the artist’s style and the muted colours really mean your attention’s drawn to the knees, skirt, head and gun. As a full armour unit, it doesn’t get many dynamic melee shots, so it’s imposing and weighty stature helps it look imposing, particularly the back rocket cannon and it’s targeting camera.

However, I must confess I completely prefer the Original (Green and White) design, as featured in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 MSV. It just feels so much sleeker and faster, selling that the NT-1 is an improvement over the original Gundam. The green and white colour scheme is still eye catching, clearly drawing a distinction between the original and its additional parts, while helping to sell just how protective the armour would be, since the parts of the original Alex peeking through help emphasise just how beefed-up it is. Furthermore, you can easily believe that there’s space in the armour for the chest missile bays, without significantly compromising its protection. It’s only got two other integrated weapons - the back rocket cannon and the twin beam cannon, but it feels like an appropriate amount of additional firepower. It feels significant, since they’re both clearly visible on the design and the grey plays off the rest of the colour scheme - there’s only a few other small details, like the collar and “ribs”. The Full Armour Alex does retain its built-in arm gatlings, but they cannot be used since the armour covers them. I think the fact that the armour doesn’t cover the leg thrusters, and has dedicated gaps for the AMBAC system are why it feels so much sleeker to me - the Full Armour Alex was intended to be a backup plan for the Chobham Armour, and looking at it it might have even been more agile. I also very much like the head - I assume it was just artist interpretation, or perhaps the NT-1’s design hadn’t been finalised when it was made, but the yellow eyes, red forehead jewel and sleeker face really appeal to me, while helping it have its own identity other than “just the Alex, but bigger”. It’s just really rather neat.

[sisaloofafump]

Reimagined Trinity

a WIP that I’ve technically been working on for over a year but never finished and so I’m just posting now bc why not. Design thoughts below:

BATMAN

lighter on the bottom darker on the top like how fish blend in with the sea floor/sky differently depending on whether you’re above or below them

shorts mimic urban landscape

simple bat symbol. Kinda constellation like

big stomping boots bc he deserves it and also needs good grip

SUPERMAN

yellow/orange inside of cape mimic sun :) (this is a design feature that I think should be used wayyy more often)

break up the full blue with soft alien designs. Not armoured plating

ridges on his sleeves so people can hold on easier

sleek boots bc his only job is to fly and look pretty

princely looking collar

El crest is his golden age design but with different colours

WONDER WOMAN

this is just a design I’ve drawn a lot

clay pottery bodice that can glow

protective underlayer

bandages for aesthetic & purpose. Supposed to evoke Greek sandals

barefoot bc obviously

clay-textured skin because the way that Alex Ross draws her breaking apart in Justice is imprinted on my mind

sword hilt is the Wonder Woman symbol!

hair is free enough to have motion and stuff but constrained enough (especially on sword side) that it won’t get as caught in things or get in the way

[scribble-dribble-writes]

The Quest

Pairing: Alex Walter x female reader

<<<

———

“How often have you been outside the campus?”, Alex asked you as he walked by your side.

His hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, a flannel scarf slung around his neck and even in the wintery soft glow you could see the colour in his cheeks. He raised his eyebrows and only then had you realised you had not answered his question and instead spent the few seconds staring at him.

You looked away instantly and somehow that made him huff a laugh.

“Never.”, you said as you shrugged your shoulders.

“Never?”, he gasped when your gaze caught his eyes again.

Magnetic hazel orbs that glistened even in the dark as you walked beneath streetlights, you tugged on the edge of your gloves when his shoulder brushed against yours as he pivoted towards you. Your answer had shocked him first but now as he dipped his head to catch your eye, to place his full attention on you, it was clear that he sounded more thrilled at your lack of a social life.

“Never.”, you repeated and his lips tipped up into a lopsided smile before it spread further as though he had found this situation rather peculiar.

“You seem quite astonished.”, you narrowed your eyes at him to which he pursed his lips and pulled out his hands that were hidden to run it through his hand. His long fingers glided through his raven black hair.

He had a magician’s hand that danced in front of you as he told you stories of his time outside the campus, but his words faded as you watched his fingers that pointed to places you had never been to, the way he tilted his wrists like he could pull out a card out of thin air or snap his fingers together and change the reality around it you.

“That’s the best spot for pizza.”, he pointed and leaned closer and you pulled on your gloves again.

The smell of his cologne, rich with a hint of cinnamon and spice that it washed over you like Christmas Day. There was comfort that came with his presence, he was warm and affectionate that everything he did was the opposite of what you were used to. Your gloves were your armour, concealing your fingers that itched to hold his hand.

“Now I know the best place here but before I can take you there, you will have to be sworn into secrecy.”, he stopped all of a sudden that it took you a step and half to stop.

“Secrecy? What sort of place is this?”, you asked feeling baffled and some what unsure if you wanted to go.

“Ah ah, give me your hands.”, he held out his as he asked for yours and now was when you began to panic.

One more tug on your gloves and you knew they would unravel. So you turned to him slowly, you couldn’t help it that your guard was up. You wanted to trust him and yet you were afraid to. But he waited for you, his gaze soft and secure that your hands found his before your mind had come to a conclusion.

His hands were bigger than yours now that he held it, but what you soon came to realise was your armour was insufficient. His fingers curled around your wrist and you felt a fraction of his body warmth light your skin.

“State your name.”, he said and you smiled, his playful seriousness making you laugh. So you told him your name and he nodded with approval.

But he said your name with a pause that blood rushed to your cheeks, hearing it from his lips some how made it sound more special.

“Do you swear to hold this secret forever and always?”, he asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

What he didn’t know was your heart was already harbouring a secret. A longing for him. A secret that you will keep forever.

But you nodded anyway.

“I do.”, you said politely and it made him beam with joy. It was over, he will pull away his hands and you would be able to go back to securing your armour in place but instead, he held onto your hand as he started to run down the street.

“Now you will just have to prove yourself by completing a quest.”, his elated laugh thundered through you.

You matched his stride as he looked over at you and it was all in slowmotion, the warmth that spread through you, your smile mirroring his, the wind working wonders as it ruffled his hair while you pulled down your beanie. You were free falling and soaring at the same time.

He turned a corner and led you into a park that had a few people taking their nightly stroll. He held your hand securely in his as he walked down the path in search of something.

His eyes lit up at he looked ahead and when you followed his line of sight, you furrowed your brows in confusion. It was a playground which was set up like an obstacle course with monkey bars, a tunnel and a slide.

“Up the bars of fury, through the tunnel of fears and down the slide of wishes. You will have to finish this trial under a minute to prove your worthiness of keeping the secret.”, he instructed.

“What do I win?”, you bought into it and he turned to you his eye twinkling with delight.

His hands were quick as he pulled away your blue beanie and secured it behind his back. The cold air brushed against your cheek as you tried to snatch it back but he moved away.

“Finish the quest and you win your beanie.”, he laughed again and it became addicting, the sound of his laugh that you wanted to kindle it often.

He counted down and you began, your boots cruching against the crisp ground. The metal cold and slippery as you propelled further to land at the mouth of the tunnel. It was dark as you wriggled through it, your eyes focused on the start of the slide. His voice echoed through to let you know you had twenty more seconds.

You reached your final spot, you peered down to see him, one hand holding your beanie while with the other he kept time.

“Ten.”, he began to count. You didn’t wait, you slid down as you heard the final set of numbers.

“Three”

He had made the grave mistake of standing at the mouth of the slide.

“Two”

There was no stopping this collision. It was meant to happen.

“One”

You couldn’t stop, he realised too late. You bumped into him as you came to a sudden halt to try and change the course of history but you were already falling.

He groaned as he fell onto fresh snow with you landing on top of him. It was a mess. Your hair was splattered across his chest, your hands bracing his solid torso, you propped yourself up when you felt his cold touch again, the edge of his finger tips holding your waist beneath your jumper that had moved up. You inhaled sharply as you turned to face him only to see his cheeks were flushed with colour turning him deep red. His eyes bore into yours as you both shared a breath for a second.

He was a fool, here he was, fate had handed him a second chance on a platter and he was too stunned to speak.

This was out of control, this was a chance that could break this newly forming friendship or if he gave into his selfishness, he could take a risk.

“Did I win?”, you whispered and watched as his eyes darkened, his gaze flickering to your lips. It was almost as if you could read his thoughts. But could he read yours?

He could give in, he wanted to give in, he inhaled slowly, your perfume was going to haunt him in his sleep. He watched you wait, sit still to observe his move. And if he did something outrageous would you condemn him?

He didn’t know. He could sense you reading his thoughts the way your eyes glimmered with unsaid mystery and he slowly reclined his head back breaking the moment.

He wasn’t his brother. He had lost everything and for the first time, after the disaster, he had found a friend.

Your company felt soothing and freeing, he didn’t feel like that when he was in love with Jackie. Love was akin to anxiety and it was unsettling that he didn’t feel anxious around you. No butterflies fluttering around in his chest, it was the opposite. It felt grounded and secure, that wasn’t love.

Was it?

He wasn’t sure. He brought your beanie over your head and secured it to cover your ears. You watched the varied emotions flash across his face and you knew what it was. You knew how it felt when you needed more time, when it was difficult to trust.

“You did.”, he smiled and you stayed a second longer. His heart thumping wildly beneath your palm. His finger lingering on your cheek as his eyes read you like a novel he knew the language to.

You both needed time and you both knew it. But there was no one stopping you from having a moment. In the dark, in the corner of this playground. This second was only yours.

You raised your finger to push away the strand of hair that had fallen over his forehead when you felt the bump of a scar. Over his eyebrow, you couldn’t see it but now running your finger over it, you could feel it.

His breath hitched in his throat. His hands reached out to pull away your hand out of instinct but when he felt your fingers in his, he didn’t want to pull away. His heart settled within him and this moment felt natural.

How were you able to do it?

You watched him, the colour in his eyes wavered as he observed you like a hurt animal would. He held your hand in his, holding it away so you won’t go finding all his hidden scars.

Maybe if you showed him you meant no harm, would it ease him? It was a risk to take.

“Do you know how to heal a scar?”, you asked.

His eyes didn’t peel away from yours, “How?”, his voice was a soft whisper but he sounded like a man who wanted a remedy to his pain.

You pulled his hand up to your lips. The adrenaline in your body had given you enough courage. You pressed his finger tips against your lips and guided his hand back to stamp your kiss over his scar.

The gesture had sedimented his belief, that he needed you in his life. But was he brave enough?

He had made up his mind, he was full of resolve, he reached up to cup your cheek but the moment was gone.

You pushed away to get up and he was left defeated on the ground. It was all gone like how the wind had turned cold, his body craved your warmth and the chance the fates had given him, he had wasted it.

He watched as you dusted your hands to then wear your gloves, like they were meant to be sealed away from him.

You had to kill the feeling, the craving and the wanting. You put on your gloves and it reminded you how of things were supposed to be.

You held out your hand to him and he took it without skipping a beat. You pulled him up and dusted his shoulders but the air was thick with a feeling.

The feeling you both were actively trying to ignore.

He wanted to convince himself, that you and him were better off as friends.

He caught your eyes.

He gulped, this semester was going to ruin him.

[cynthia39100]

Henry told the story!! God I want to cry…

Nicholas’ delivery was beautiful. When he finished the story, his face was full of resignation while he said the seemingly hopeful sentence, “ the prince’s heart beats freely once again.”

It was heartbreaking.

This scene added on the reasons that triggered Alex to try to confess his love later and I really feel sorry for him now more than before. I think in this scene he heard Henry saying “ I love you” in the most romantic way. Also he heard so much hurt and loneliness it’s as Henry was crying for help. And Alex desperately wanted to help him, telling him he was loved, and so deeply.

But that’s not what Henry wanted to tell him. Alex asked if it’s true that he couldn’t let anyone fall in love with. Henry’s answer was: yes, he couldn’t let anyone take off his armour despite how deeply in love he was with Alex and how happy he was to because of it. Alex lay back on the brick with a relaxed smile after hearing the peasant part because he thought that was what Henry wanted to tell him — a happy ending fairytale. The camera focused on Henry alone after that so I think Alex completely missed just how torn and devastated Henry was when he uttered the final part of the story.

Henry was right in the Kensington Palace scene. He did tell Alex over and over, with words, stories or actions, how in love he was with Alex. He also did tell Alex why that didn’t make it possible for them being together, forever. Alex never linked the two things together though. He didn’t understand why that could be the case. He must be so confused when Henry left, thinking that he read the wrong message, that Henry didn’t love him back.

[meraki-yao]

RWRB: A list of thoughts on the Campfire Scene

Ok I went to sleep for another hour to calm myself down and now I can form coherent thoughts about the scene and not just scream and squeal

It's a three-minute scene with two shots. The first shot is a little over two minutes

When Alex asks his question, Henry, who was looking into the fire, tilts his head towards Alex as if to listen better. After Alex finishes, Henry looks up towards the sky, like he's wondering how to answer

Alex doesn't really react to Henry's "Once upon a time" even though he's not directly answering Alex's question. He just listens, and that's such a beautiful thing

Nick deserves a round of applause for this scene, his monologue was two minutes long, and monologues are really hard to perform because it's just you who keeps talking, you don't really get to react to other things or people, it's just you, so Nick is a fantastic job

Nick's delivery and tone, and the way he sometimes ends a sentence a bit like a question (ex: "acutely") makes it sound like Henry's been thinking about this story/ metaphor for a while but this is the first time he ever verbalizes it, so while he knows what he wants to talk about thus he doesn't need to pause a lot to think of the story, he does occasionally need to think of the next word or line because again, he never actually said any of this out loud before, and Nick does that so well

@pippin-katz pointed out that Nick misspoke and said "sent the suit a prince of armour" which is hilarious, and while because movie, this shouldn't happen, realistically we all have moments where we mix words up so it almost feels more... authentic? Also, I didn't pick it up but now that Pippin mentioned it I'm really aware of it lmao

Also Henry/Nick's voice here is so soothing? I can almost imagine him telling bedtime stories to his and Alex's kids like this in the future. I wonder if Henry would write children's books because it feels like it'd be something he do and something he could write really well, if this clip is anything to go by. Plus I stumbled across an audio of Nick reading "The Emperor's New Clothes" before (I literally have no context of why he was reading that and it was literally just audio, not sure if I can find it anymore) and it was so soothing and calming that I fell asleep to it one night. Besides the full-cast RWRB audiobook that I'm practically demanding at this point, I wonder if he would be interested in doing more audiobook/narration stuff. He's really got the voice for it

The King sending a suit of armour to protect the prince's heart kind of further proves my point of the King being a much more loving grandparent to Henry than the queen in the book, and him worrying more about Henry himself than the image of the crown. He noticed that 1, Henry is an emotionally sensitive person, 2, Henry is gay, and both of those things could be turned against him easily, and he will get hurt. He does love Henry, just not in a way that's good for Henry. If we get a sequel I do hope we can see them reconcile in one way or another. It'd be a nice example for people in the same positions.

The "Nothing will ever happen to him" line!!!! I wrote a whole essay about Kensington and this line because somehow this line was one of the most powerful ones to me, but to know that it was originally Henry's word just adds another level of pain to the Kensington scene

You can see Henry's face light up when he starts talking about the peasant boy. And Alex's quick eyebrow raise and deep chuckle. It's so beautiful, I wanna cry

We talk about Alex's heart eyes, which, yes, but Henry's look of pure adoration and love at Alex when he says "Truly Alive" makes me want to melt

I yelled a little at Alex when he started to lay back down (as in I verbally shouted "DAMMIT ALEX LOOK AT YOUR MAN") because I felt like if Alex saw Henry's face in the following lines he'd figure out Henry has issues earlier? But then I saw a take saying the shot was framed like theatre where Henry's both centre stage and in the spotlight so the focus is on him, so Alex was designed to lay back down on the timber bench to make the entire space for Henry

Henry's look of sad longing when he talks about the peasant boy pulling apart his armor is heartbreaking

I wonder if this was originally planned to be the changing point from Alex's POV to Henry's POV? Because in that case I do think the lake scene worked better as a changing point

I also wonder how did Henry end the story in his head up to this point? Because as hopefully as the last line is, at this point in the story, Henry still doesn't believe he can keep this

I get why scenes are cut because when you're putting together a movie, there are a lot of things you don't see for individual scenes until you put them together. This is why as much as I want the cast and crew to get the premiere they deserve to have, I don't really want an extended cut of the movie, because things were cut for a good reason

That being said, if the cornetto scene and this scene proved anything, is that the scenes themselves are fascinating, and I WANT THEM ALL

[ch1meraa]

Warning long post!

Here is an excerpt from an rp I’ve got going on with @turtwap - This isn’t the entire story, but some turns from where we are up to. It takes place in my Plagued horror au - Some time after the end of episode 25 of Transformers Earthspark. Mandroid’s plan to eradicate all Cybertronians is reversed, the healing ray ressurects him, but leaves him in a comatose state. He is taken by GHOST where his future is not certain. When an outbreak of an unknown and devastating virus surfaces shortly after, Alex asks GHOST to help Victor AKA Mandroid - They agree, but funding a new body for him will not be cheap - They must see results from him to make it viable. And so, Victor is brought back where he has to face up to his past - He makes some good progress but there are many obstacles ahead to face.

@monocle-teacup thought this might be of interest to you

@vihattu-thethoroughbredofsin Here is the rp the drawings are based on

SVEENE -

As time passed, Hashtag grew fed up with being in her room. She wasn’t tired either - and now she was growing bored of being in the same place. Her music wasn’t helping her tonight. Exhaling pointedly, she got up from where she’d been sat, which wasn’t on her berth - instead, she’d been sitting on the floor, head in her hands, for an unknown amount of time. Bored, she decided to take a walk to break up the monotony of the evening.

In the training arena, a miserable sight was unfolding before the scathing glare of Lena, who should have gone home hours ago. She wanted to oversee proceedings with the new Plagued captive - because this one was far more coherent than the others. This one was *talking* …

Arms folded, she turned to the team. Alex was nowhere to be seen, not at this late hour. She smiled a gloating little leer of a grin. Nobody to stop her from getting her money’s worth out of being an absolute bastard around Victor, whom the scientists had gathered around as he was being medically assessed - he looked indifferent to the situation. He was sitting on the berth. Alex ordered that he wouldn’t be strapped down against his will. He tolerated just sitting there, even as hands touched him, pinched at his veins, injected him or hooked him up to various machines. Victor had ports on his armour, where jacks could be inserted, to see how the mechanical parts of him were functioning - it was sad how no one spoke to him, despite that, like them, he had a human face - he stared ahead, or down at the floor. The only one who spoke to him was Lena - and she did not address him nicely. He didn’t look at her but saw her feet approach, then stop some feet away. His face was unreadable. He did not look up. When Lena spoke, it was not to him but about him - to the other scientists, making him feel even less human.

“…We have a talker in the arena. Have Victor find out the alien’s name. I want to know as much as possible - so make sure there are no mistakes this time.”

Wincing as one of the technicians jabbed a needle into his arm, Vic looked out through the window at the Cybertronian who was sitting by themselves, surrounded by open space and then a ring of guards with plasma guns trained on him. At that moment, Vic felt a weird sympathy - Two different life forms which were not so different because they were both viewed as beasts.

“Diagnostics are complete. Looks like a clean bill of health for you, Victor.” Came the voice of one of the scientists, Alex’s friend Marcus - One of the more pleasant lab staff. Even though he was scared of Vic, he was always courteous to him.

Marcus followed Vic as he wordlessly stood up, walking towards the window to look into the arena. Marcus appeared next to him, looking up at the cyborg scientist.

“…I take it that this one isn’t destined for the chopping block, then?”

“Yeah - we just need intel tonight, Vic. You have full permission to terminate him if you feel it is necessary.”

That was all Vic needed to know. He looked at Marcus, who moved back a few steps - Vic stopped caring long ago who was scared of him just for existing.

“Acknowledged - And chill out, Marcus. I don’t always bite.” Vic added sardonically. With that said, he left to go to the arena, where the big, captive Cybertronian awaited him.

Hashtag had found herself wandering through tall doors marked ‘No Entry’ or ‘Staff Only’ - Fuck it. She was in a mood and needed a thrill. She had no idea what she had let herself in for when she found herself in a dark engine room - with its busy machines buzzing away and bright lights flickering … no one was around despite the noise. The next door she found was marked ‘Arena 2 - Viewing Room’ - at first she didn’t dare to go in - what if it was full of people? Before she could stop, she’d already let herself in. It was cold, dark and empty. What the hell was this place?? She locked the door, spark pulsing with some fear she now felt for having snuck so deeply into the base - where she was probably not permitted unless accompanied. What she saw next made her optics go wide - It was *him*

And someone else… a fellow Cybertronian… she didn’t get too close to the glass, in case she was seen, but nor could she make herself look away.

TURTWAP -

Topspin was as bolted to the wall as any living being could be. The restraining bolts kept him from accessing any of his weapons, but he had the strength now to break out of there if he tried. Even hungry as he was - *starving*. He just needed something to eat, just one cube of energon to take the edge off. He’d *watched* those Terran kids go right past where he was hiding that night, but Megatron had forbidden anyone from touching them on a pain worse than being made un-dead.

GHOST still dumped Energon in the forest. It wasn’t always *good* Energon. They were sure it was medical waste or what was left over from various machines, but despite tasting like trash, it was edible for them. It took the edge off, at least. GHOST had so few uninfected Cybertronians left, so getting a fresh meal was much more complicated than it used to be. With the loss of his twin still fresh, he felt like he needed to eat double to fill the gap inside his spark. Maybe if he played his cards right, he could talk them into giving him some…

As the humans stepped aside, a creature stepped towards him - the face was human, but the rest of it….he didn’t even know. Despite not being afraid at all, inside him, he felt a sharp pain of fear from what had, at one point, been Twin Twist’s half of their bond. The fear he felt before he’d been killed.

As the creature stepped towards him, Topspin bared his terrifying fangs and screeched at it. The humans all jumped back in terror, but he wasn’t focused on them, “you killed my brother! I felt it! You gut him like a fish!”

Despite all the humans’ fear, one of them without armour, he didn’t recognise her even from before, turned to another and whispered, “Make a note: ‘even infected they still feel familial relationships—'

Topspin cut her off by shrieking again, “And you took him to get butchered! I’ll kill every one of you and take your hearts for —“

Several of the armed guards fired taser rounds at him, electrocuting him so hard he thought his audials would explode. He saw the human’s pet monster get closer to him, looking at him like a specimen.

SVEENE -

As Victor approached, his organic set of arms folded loosely, he stood and observed, face set as he looked into the optics of the being before him. When he saw a scientist nearby making notes, he thought it best to usher them off - before they found out anything of *actual* value - and as Victor was the chief scientist at GHOST, he did have the final say. No one was going to argue with him regardless - most were only too happy not to have to be around him, especially given the fact that he’d nearly killed one of the scientists just weeks earlier. Vic was able to hide his reaction when he saw them taser Topspin, but his folded arms seemed to tighten. He, too, knew the pain of the taser well.

“Leave us.”

There was no resistance from the other scientists, who did as ordered. The others with their guns seemed hesitant at first, exchanging glances until Victor spoke again, that slightly mechanised voice making them jump as it echoed eerily in the massive space of the arena.

“*Did I stutter?*”

With the sternness in his voice, the guards, with their plasma guns, submitted and left the area along with the scientists. As they did so, Vic remained staring dead ahead into the face of the captive Cybertronian - when it was just the two of them, Victor finally spoke again.

“What is your name?” Vic began, ignoring the bestial anger and snapping jaws that could not reach him. Topspin was struggling so much, but Victor remained icy calm. He wasn’t going to barter or inflict pain. He wanted Topspin to realise he had a choice, to either be hard work - or be reasonable.

“This can be as difficult as you want it to be. If you comply, we can get this over with quickly. The choice is yours. I’ll ask again - What is your name?”

TURTWAP -

When the guards left, Topspin stared at the thing talking to him. Four arms, a tail….yikes. Maybe this guy took over the space bridge and came back as a monster in a shell. Acting tough didn’t faze him, so Topspin quickly cut the act and eased back against the wall. He didn’t let his guard down, but he no longer had anyone he needed to scare off.

The second time he was asked, he complied, “Topspin. Twin Twist was my brother…he’s one of the ones who was killed a couple of nights ago. Rotorstorm was the other.”

Names were a start - GHOST always loved getting names, even before. If they didn’t have a bot’s name, they pushed until they got it. The twins had listened to Optimus, joined the humans with the rest of the Autobots, kept their heads down and did what they were told. Look where it got them now.

“I was just looking for Energon - some guys in a truck usually dump the wasted stuff by this old backroad. It must have got too close. That’s what the other two were doing. Rotorstorm was so hungry he was starting to lose it - that’s probably why….”

He didn’t need to explain the rest. And he wasn’t trying to win any favours with a sob story. He just wanted to get this interrogation over with so they would hurry up and put him out of his misery.

SVEENE-

As Topspin began to talk, Vic just listened - His demeanour didn’t change much, but his expression was intriguing. The man looked *done*. He looked like a guy who had just turned up to a 12-hour shift at his hated job. He kept his pair of organic arms loosely folded for a moment longer but soon began to walk towards the various large storage vats, machinery and what looked like surgical equipment on the big workbench nearby. Was this the end? What was this four-armed monster going to do next? Indeed, something awful. Indeed, something as inhuman as he looked.

There was the sound of liquid gushing and a tap being activated. It was probably a preservative or acid.

When the cybernetic creature returned, he held a Jerry-can-type container full of bright pink liquid. What he did next was utterly unexpected - Hashtag was still watching, optics wide. She was mentally trying to prepare herself for whatever awful thing was about to happen next. She could already feel her optics stinging, mind and spark racing as she desperately wanted to do *something* - anything… to stop was about to -

“This will be easier if you lift your chin.” Vic began, now standing well within biting distance - He had nothing to fear. He’d be wheeled away and stitched up, forced to get better and exist for another day, so he didn’t fear the jaws of Topspin. He wanted to give him some Energon, given that’s all he had wanted. It was impossible to tell if the act was out of some vague sense of compassion, or remorse or whether it was scientific curiosity. Regardless, he was offering the Energon - Topspin was free to react however he pleased. Given that he was bound, his options were somewhat limited.

Hashtag continued to stare in confusion through the window. In the sanctity of the room, she felt a knot form within her. Why was this scene not playing out like she had expected? Ruthless, scornful, cold and horrible Victor - Who wasn’t doing what she expected him to. Why?

As Victor leaned in with the Jerry can, just before he let Topspin drink, he lifted the can up enough to cover that he was talking to him - This was unexpected. Topspin could take the man’s throat out with one bite if he wanted, but when Vic began to speak again, it was too unusual of a situation to do anything other than listen.

“Topspin, I don’t have much time. If they see me like this for too long, they’ll send the guards down. Tell me - Are there others like you? Where is Megatron’s base?”

Victor knew that he was being monitored - They couldn’t hear him, not like this - but they could see him to a degree. He hoped that Topspin would give him something useful to work with and fast.

“I’m sorry about your brothers - There is no time for sentiment. Tell me what you know.”

TURTWAP-

When GHOST’s cyborg monster approached him with the Energon, Topspin didn’t hesitate. He tried to keep his lips over his fangs as much as he could out of deference, but he did gulp it down greedily. If he could, he would have bitten through the can and sucked it dry, though that would probably risk biting the hand that fed him and getting put down early.

He acknowledged the first question with a nod, swallowing down the last of the Energon quickly so he could answer. Instantly, he felt more alert, less like he was trying not to lose his grip on a slippery slope. Another couple of days hungry, and he would have ended up like the mindless ones that tore off and never came back.

Fair was fair - the creature had extended an olive branch, so the least he could do was answer honestly, “When you say ‘like me’, you mean coherent? Not just angry, spark-sucking monsters? We’re *all* like that - at least….who’s left. It doesn’t start like that. The hunger is so bad at first that it just *hurts* like nothing you could imagine. All you want to do is rip someone’s throat out. But after a while, it goes away. You start to become…more like you.

“But with so many of us, it’s getting harder and harder to find ways to feed. Sorry to say it, but we ate most of our options. That’s why we go after the scraps and stop attacking GHOST so frequently. There’s not much to go around, though…and when bots go hungry… that makes them monstrous. The ones that attack don’t know what they’re doing. As for the base…I don’t know—

Before Topspin could continue, the door slammed open again. Lena and her small army returned, pointing their guns at Topspin but not bothering to mind that Vic was half in the way if they fired.

“Victor, I said, interrogate it, not make friends with it. We are not a home for wayward demon-bots. Did it say anything useful or not?”

With the humans back, Topspin had no desire to speak. Their cybernetic pet….lackey….thing—Victor, apparently—he had no issues with anymore, but the humans would remain nothing but cruel. He bared his fangs at them, “Now I won’t say anything! I know what you’ll do if I talk: you’ll kill everyone and pretend to be the heroes. You aren’t any different than us.”

He sneered at her, hissing quietly through his teeth like a snake. The guards looked at the human woman expectantly, who only raised an eyebrow and looked down at her watch and back.

“Fine. I don’t have the time to waste, and I can find ways to lure another of you in. Maybe one more talkative,” she turned to Vic coldly, “kill him. Not too horribly, since now I need his corpse for bait.”

SVEENE-

When Victor heard the big doors to the lab open abruptly, he looked to Topspin, resisting the urge to look behind himself - and for the first time, his otherwise set expression looked pleading. He spoke quickly and quietly, even as he heard Lena yell up at him, on the platform where he stood eye-level with the much larger form of Topspin.

“…If you want to help your friends, tell me where Megatron’s base is.”

In no hurry to acknowledge Lena or her troupe of guards, Victor searched the optics of Topspin one last time - Hoping he’d say something worthwhile. Victor pursed his lips, eyes closing in a moment of seething frustration as his jaw tightened. He sharply exhaled, looking determinedly to Topspin one last time - the seconds slipping away. He got down from the platform, getting back to the ground with a swift leap. He landed a short distance away from Lena and approached, noting how she did not move around like everyone else always did - even her not-so-tough guards appeared as if to be hiding behind their guns.

Her face twisted into a scolding grimace - as if she was always thoroughly disappointed. She barely acknowledged Victor even as he watched her dismissively pass by him. He was not going to chase after her. He didn’t even speak until she looked back, and up at him. Her words seemed to defy logic - Victor’s brow furrowed in confusion

“Lena - I implore you to reconsider. He has valuable Intel we can use. Killing him will be a setback we cannot accommodate.”

Lena’s head spun around so fast it was almost as if she’d had cold water thrown on her. She looked up at Victor, walking towards him. Whenever she took out that damn pen in her pocket and began clicking it, Vic knew well enough to expect the situation to go only one way - *hers*.

“Victor-“

“-Give me some time with him and-“

“*Enough* - That is enough. Now, I believe I have already given you an order, so why don’t you hurry up and *execute* it? Put those many empty hands of yours to some use, won’t you? They, along with the rest of you, are costing this organization a small fortune I hope you realise?”

Inside, the man was utterly seething. All four of his fists tightly balled up - but he could not let his anger show -

For an entire moment, he locked eyes with that woman before him, and inside, behind the rack of chest teeth, he felt his laser gun warm up painfully - Oh, how he wanted to. He could not, though. Not yet.

Victor’s gaze went toward Topspin as he resignedly walked over to where he was bound - He did not want to kill him, but Victor had no choice. Before he did, he looked up at Topspin one last time and did the last thing he could think to do - in the moments they still had left. Using the Plague’s telepathic bridging ability, he reached out to Topspin - So only the two of them could hear each other.

“I apologise for what I am about to do. There won’t be any pain. I ask you one last time to tell me the location of Megatron’s base.”

Lena was growing ever more impatient by the second; if Victor wasn’t going to do it - She’d surely get her guards to kill him instead, and Victor would be reprimanded. To keep Lena distracted, Vic began charging up - The sound of his mechanical parts whirring up as a power boost bought him a little longer - but not much. He implored Topspin, as his organic arms began to extend - Then slam into Topspin’s chest, palms down, the teeth on his palms piercing Topspin’s chest plate, sinking in with deadly swiftness- Victor promised there would be no pain, and he kept his word. The scientist began draining the Energon out of Topspin - rendering his last meal moments ago worthless - Victor’s eyes went bright violet-white. Topspin stared back, hypnotised into unconsciousness. Victor drained him until he shut down, sagging in his restraints- completely dead. It was horrendous to witness - Even Lena looked uncomfortable. Truly, Victor was as twisted as any life form could get and he worried her, even if she never let him know of it.

Hashtag’s mouth hung open - she backed away from the window until darkness shrouded her. She felt *terrified* - She watched Topspin die, the unnaturally stretched arms of the cyborg scientist retracting. She ambled backwards until her back was against a wall, which made her gasp as she slid down it - She felt utterly numb by now. Why was she here in this awful place… It was like living in a tomb.

TURTWAP-

The moment Victor stepped away from the body, the team of specialists and guards had it lowered onto the ground to swarm it like flies, most likely preparing to store it until whatever plan Lena was concocting came time.

Speaking of, the woman continued staring on ahead when she spoke, not looking at Vic for even a moment, “I wasn’t just putting on a show, I meant what I said. We don’t have time for you to get to know every single bot that comes through here. If one won’t spill, we move on. Throw enough darts at the wall and one of them is bound to hit the target - eventually we will either find one that is as cooperative as we need, or we end up wiping them all out anyway.”

She could *feel* that Victor was about to argue back, and she didn’t care for it. Lena hadn’t even heard him draw breath before she held a hand up to quiet him, “they can act intelligent all they want, but it won’t change the fact that they are a threat. Whatever you were going to say, don’t.”

She walked away after that, crossing the room to speak with the team of lab coats and assistants, leaving Vic standing by himself. As cruel as she acted towards him, to the rest of her team she was firm and shrewd, but much less harsh. Always thanking them, hearing out and occasionally agreeing with their opposing opinions. She understood that the organization ran best with cooperation. But she saw Vic as an unpredictable outlier, one that needed to be kept on a short, tight leash.

-

Hashtag knew what she needed to do. She had to protect her family from that *evil thing* that her sister was so attached to. She could go home and hide and cry later, but right now she felt so angry she let it take her over. She retraced her steps from a couple days prior to her to the lab, easily hacking through door controls and security cameras to get there unnoticed. Once she was in, she realized she didn’t entirely have a plan. Was she going to try and kill him? How was she going to do that when he was so much stronger than her.

She pulled up the security camera feeds for the hallways again and saw that Vic was making his way back to the lab, he’d be there in a couple minutes. Panicking, Hashtag found a metal storage closet against one wall, and opened it, hoping for *something* that would give her a quick weapon, at least to defend herself. Fixed to the inside of one of the doors was a massive crowbar. It would have to do.

She grabbed it, shut the cabinet so no one would notice, and hid herself in a dark corner near the door.

[smilysstuff]

Basics: what are their names and their proficiencies? (The way Church was a bad sniper, and Tucker primarily a melee fighter, while Doc is a medic and Lopez an engineer, etc) Where do their alliances lie?

Extended cut: favourite foods and their armour colours, maybe?

Btw thank you! :D

Well I have three Rvb OCs and one Sona,

Two of the three OCs I have aren't really developed but, one is.

Let me start off with my IS or rvbSona, Who I call Blanks. It sounds pretty weird but it actually stuck with me after using it for a couple of months. Why I named my RvB Sona that way is because I don't feel comfortable sharing my last name, so blanks it is. Blanks alliance goes with Red team, and her proficiency is basically being a horrible driver or starting a fire, I'm kidding (not really) she has decent aim with a battle rifle or any gun with a scope. She doesn't necessarily have a favourite food since she is really indecisive but likes the food that tastes good for her in any flavour. Her armour is basically the same as everyone in the canyon only difference is her helmet being the same as Felix's (a scout helmet), and her armour color is olive with black accents on her shoulder.

(Visual appearance ig?)

Next is the two not really developed characters that appear in the chorus trilogy. Two males, A Fed named Nico and a Rebel named Alex. (I have to shamely admit I created them solely for the hehe enemies to lovers gab) Like I said not fully developed because I sadly forgot about them as time passed by. But Nico is good with long ranged weapons and Alex has a good aim on where to throw an explosive.

(Old art COUGH COUGH) Nico on the left and Alex on the Right.

Now for the other OC that has more character development and my precious boi.

A Freelancer named Nevada, Full name is Nathaniel (REDACTED)

Nevada's last name is information that me and my friend only knows, you really don't wanna know what it is it'll ruin this guy's reputation trust me.

Nevada's proficiency is being a stealth operator. Specialised to neutralize or subdue a target as quietly and quickly as he can, decent aim on multiple weapons and expertise also lies in CQC. (funfact : he has boots that completely silences his foot steps, also does undercover missions) Though from the sounds of things here he sounds serious (He is, but only when things ARE serious and he needs to be) but he's a completely different person out from the job. Quite the fruity personality, you could say that he is what Tucker imagines himself to be, a smooth talker. But Nevada actually gets some, in both genders. Since I'm, ahem, practically lazy to even give him a different type of armour but only a different type of helmet- same shit same armour as the rest but his helmet is the CQC one.

Favorite food? Does wine classify as favourite food—

Armour color is dark black, with golden accents on the Armoured shoulder pads. Like Wash's pattern but with no helmet stripe and the armour color is much more darker.

(The first image is an old drawing of Nevada, when I was still trying to have a grip on his appearance.... Don't mind him being a bit fashionable in the middle image)

[lizardgimpking]

Book Review: Aliens vs Predator: Ultimate Prey (Various Authors)

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I’m a huge fan of the ‘Alien‘ franchise, and also a big fan of the ‘Predator’ series. Their famously crossed over butting of heads has led to some...decidedly mixed cinematic offerings, and a whole bunch of games, books and comics that vary from fantastic (Fire and Stone) to indisputable guilty pleasures (A v P v Judge Dredd). I must admit I’ve never read a AvP novel before this anthology offering, although I’ve dipped my toes into the written world of the ‘Alien’ franchise several times in recent years (The two Alex White novels are excellent). This collection of short stories seemed like a fun way to see how these two franchises merged in writing...and, well, indeed it was!

Featuring 15 stories from 16 authors, this is a pretty robust little anthology book. One thing I really appreciated was the consistency in length. There’s a little give either side, but pretty much every installment in this book runs for around 30 pages. That’s just the right amount to make for a solid day’s reading, which means you can comfortably work your way through the book at a nice clip of one story a day, with no need to pause in the middle of each one. You can obviously read more, or indeed less, but I found the pacing of each story to be just right for a fun daily excursion into the AvP universe.

As with any anthology collection, there’s ups and downs in terms of quality. It’s hard to feature so many authors, all dabbling in the same playground, without encountering some lackluster offerings along the way. There’s no utterly unreadable stories in the book, especially since none particularly outstay their welcome, but there are some rather uninspired concepts and iffy characterisation going on here. I won’t call out any of my least favourites, but needless to say there’s about 3 or 4 that just felt completely bland and/or more than a little goofy in premise and execution. There’s also a frequent lean towards including ‘female’ Predators in the mix, which whilst not the worst thing ever, did rub me the wrong way a little. I personally consider the Predator species as something of a gender ambiguous design, but several of the stories use the female body template designed for the game ‘Predator: Hunting Grounds’, which means they have breast armour and a generally smaller, curvier figure. That’s not to say they don’t still kick ass, and it’s also not to say that several of the stories don’t use the concept of female warriors/hunters in thematically interesting ways, I just prefer the idea that the basic Predators we’ve met in the films aren’t necessarily male or female, or...we at least can’t tell. Not every two-legged fictional species needs to conform to human body standards.

My favourite story is definitely ‘The Hotel Mariposa‘ by David Barnett, which pairs Aliens and Predators with a ‘haunted’, reality distorting hotel, where a group of amateur ghost hunters get caught up in the chaos of both the hotel’s influence, but also the two warring factions within. It’s a really creative and fun idea, pairing shades of ‘The Shining’ with AvP in a way that seems insane, but ultimately really works. I would love to see that concept, or something similar explored more in a full novel. This anthology really works best when it’s pairing these franchises with interesting concepts and time periods. Or at the very least, interesting portrayals of its creatures...particularly the Predators themselves, which are obviously intelligent beings with a known honour code. When they’re made into characters themselves, with internal thought processes and relationships with the human protagonists, rather than just being big beefy monsters, that’s when things feel especially engaging. I could’ve done with less of the ‘hoomans’ kinda internal dialogue, but I did tend to enjoy the stories with Predators as characters more than the ones with them as generic killers. Included of note in this anthology book are follow-ups to both the movie ‘Predators’ and the novel ‘Aliens Phalanx’, the latter of which even written by the original novels author; Scott Sigler. Whilst the ‘Predators’ continuation is a little lacking, I really enjoyed the ‘Phalanx’ sequel, and it’s interesting to see what was once just an Aliens story weave in Predator mythology in ways that work surprisingly well and open the door for another continuation, short or long-form, in the future.

All in all, this is a mixed bag, as all anthologies are. But none of the stories are complete duds, and those that are a little lacking are never unending, thanks to the rather nice ‘tight 30 pages’ format of the novel. It’s worth getting through some of the duds to enjoy the highlights, because there’s some really fun reads here. If you’re a fan of these franchises, particularly combined? This one’s a fun read, and definitely worth a look.

Read it or Leave it : Read It.

Reading Next (Dead Ground by M.W. Craven)

[invisibleraven]

T-R-O-P-E

Trope: Touch Starved <-AO3 link!

Warnings: Fullmetal Alchemist AU, so mentions of death, dismemberment, violence, and arson

Pairing: Alex centric with Alex & Reggie, and Alex/Willie

Alex never thought he’d be back here. Not that he really knew where here was--only that it was a white endless void that he had been to once before-when he first lost his body.

He didn’t think there was coming back from this, not with the blood seal on his armour broken. He wondered how long he would linger here this time, and what Reggie would give up to bring him back. He hoped he wouldn’t try, that he would let Alex be, but his brother never had been good at giving people up.

Neither of them were.

That’s what had landed them in this mess of course, trying to bring their mother back through human transmutation. Reggie lost his leg, Alex his whole body, and Reggie gave up an arm to bring him back.

They hadn’t even brought their mom back-there’s no way that thing had been their mom. They’d never be able to live with themselves if it was. So they made a vow to fix things, to fix them and burned down the house to ensure they kept it.

The past seven years, Alex had existed as an oversized suit of armour, often getting mistaken for the Fullmetal Alchemist, when it was truly Reggie’s title. It hadn’t been a bad existence, getting to travel the country, learning and meeting people, trying to find a way to get their bodies back.

It’s just… it hadn’t been a very full life. Not for Alex at least. He didn’t need sleep, and he couldn’t find rest regardless. But he also hadn’t been able to eat, watching mournfully as Reggie wolfed down Mrs. Gracia’s quiche or Julie’s pastales. Longed for the pies that Tia Victoria made, full of ripe apples or juicy peaches. Alex had made a long, long list of things he wanted to try once he had the power to do so.

But the worst part was the loss of his sense of touch.

He couldn’t really feel things anymore, muted tingles to let him know when he was touching things, but never the sensation. Nor could he really remember what it was like to be touched.

Their mother’s hugs were a faint memory, Julie’s sisterly punches to the arm a phantom ache. Reggie wrestling him in their numerous sparring matches, none of it was real anymore. Alex hadn’t been able to feel when that henchman had taken over the suit, only the discomfort it gave him. He couldn’t feel the slashes that so many enemies had put into the armour-though maybe he was better off without that sensation.

Even if he was so starved for touch he’d take the pain just to feel again. To be more than a suit of armour, more than metal.

However he also hadn’t been able to feel it when the young prince from Xing-Willie-had pressed a kiss to his metal cheek, nor held him close and promised to teach him alkahestry. Couldn’t keep him warm when they ventured north to Briggs, only sitting next to him as they struggled to make a fire. Alex had longed to take Willie into his arms more than anything at that moment, to snuggle for warmth. But he hadn’t, because his metal suit would only draw the heat away from the prince, and that was the last thing he needed.

Though now, in this endless void, Alex held up his hand, and didn’t see metal and leather-he saw skin. Sure he was extremely skinny and his nails were long, but that was a human arm, and when he touched his emancipated form, he could feel it.

“I must be dead,” he muttered, relishing the feel of touch, even his own for the first time in years. He didn’t know how long he had before he went off to whatever came next, so he took the time to rub his arms, his legs, pushing his long golden hair out of his eyes.

“Al!”

He looked up, and there was Reggie, smiling at him. Rushing towards him and pulling him into a giant hug. Alex didn’t care that he was naked, or felt as frail as a newborn bird, he hugged Reggie back, delighting in the feel of touch after so long. He didn’t dare let go, in case this was a dream.

“Hey Al,” Reggie said, pulling back and smiling. “It’s done. Let’s go home okay?”

Alex nodded, letting Reggie guide them to the doorway out of this place. Protested when he found out that Reggie had given up his alchemy for him.

“Alex, you’re my brother-you’re worth more than alchemy,” Reggie replied. Alex wept at that, hugging Reggie again, because he knew how much that meant.

And god it felt good to cry again!

When he opened his eyes and saw the sky, his friends and family surrounding him. And felt warm for the first time in forever. He knew it would be a long road to recovery, gaining back muscle and coordination after years of wasting away, but Alex couldn’t wait.

He’d take toil and pain over muted numbness any day.

“Alex…”

He looked, and there was Willie, smiling, though he had happy tears in his eyes before glomping onto him, and Alex laughed as they fell to the ground in an embrace, determined to never let go.

And given how tightly Willie was hugging him back, he doubted the prince had any objection.

[muznew]

Suzy Solar - January 2024 chart

- Artists: Suzy Solar DATE CREATED: 2024-01-03 GENRES: Trance (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic), Psy-Trance, Trance (Main Floor) Tracklist : 1. Juan Almiñana Obando, Super Luminal - Shadow(Extended Mix) 2. Majai - Phoria 23(Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix) 3. DT8 Project, Andrea Britton - Winter feat. Andrea Britton(ReOrder Extended Remix) 4. XiJaro & Pitch, Dicosis, Crooked Bangs - Walking On Water(Extended XiJaro & Pitch Remix) 5. Starry Major - Tears of the Sea(Extended Mix) 6. AFTERUS - Perfect Storm(Extended Mix) 7. Emok, Martin Vice, Volcano On Mars - Recollection(Original Mix) 8. Peetu S - Freedom(Extended Mix) 9. Ciaran McAuley, Audrey Gallagher - Armour(David Forbes Extended Remix) 10. Ben O, James Black Presents - Goodbye Apollo(Extended Mix) 11. Eamo - Salvation(Original Mix) 12. Stoneface & Terminal - North Cape(Asteroid Extended Remix) 13. Talla 2xlc, Doug Laurent - I'm Rushin'(Extended Mix) 14. Citizen Caned - The Journey(Cameron Mo & Seegmo Remix) 15. Read the full article

[djmusicbest]

Suzy Solar - January 2024 chart

- Artists: Suzy Solar DATE CREATED: 2024-01-03 GENRES: Trance (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic), Psy-Trance, Trance (Main Floor) Tracklist : 1. Juan Almiñana Obando, Super Luminal - Shadow(Extended Mix) 2. Majai - Phoria 23(Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix) 3. DT8 Project, Andrea Britton - Winter feat. Andrea Britton(ReOrder Extended Remix) 4. XiJaro & Pitch, Dicosis, Crooked Bangs - Walking On Water(Extended XiJaro & Pitch Remix) 5. Starry Major - Tears of the Sea(Extended Mix) 6. AFTERUS - Perfect Storm(Extended Mix) 7. Emok, Martin Vice, Volcano On Mars - Recollection(Original Mix) 8. Peetu S - Freedom(Extended Mix) 9. Ciaran McAuley, Audrey Gallagher - Armour(David Forbes Extended Remix) 10. Ben O, James Black Presents - Goodbye Apollo(Extended Mix) 11. Eamo - Salvation(Original Mix) 12. Stoneface & Terminal - North Cape(Asteroid Extended Remix) 13. Talla 2xlc, Doug Laurent - I'm Rushin'(Extended Mix) 14. Citizen Caned - The Journey(Cameron Mo & Seegmo Remix) 15. Read the full article

[hardynwa]

NSCDC nabs 4 suspects for vandalizing electricity cable linking Achebe Airport

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra State Command, has arrested four people for vandalising the electricity armoured cable that powers the Chinua Achebe International Airport in Umueri. The suspects, who reportedly specialise in vandalising armoured wires and other electrical facilities, were apprehended by Corps operatives on November 4, 2023. The NSCDC State Commandant, Edwin Osuala, who paraded the suspects in Awka, on Friday, said the arrest came as a result of timely and credible intelligence provided to the Corps by a diligent Awka resident. ”The Command received a distress call about 6:30 am on Monday, Nov. 4, 2023, reporting that a group of people were vandalising armoured cable behind the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square Awka. “Upon the information, operatives of the command swung into action and arrested four suspects with bundles of vandalized armoured electric cable. The arrested persons, all males, are “Monday Chukwu, aged 37 from Ntezi Ebonyi State, Okwudiri Nnaji, aged 29, from Idodo Nkanu East Enugu State, Agu Ikechukwu, aged 20 from Ehamufu Isiuzo Local Government Area (LGA), Enugu State, and Chinecherem Idoho, from Uboloafor Udenu, Enugu State,” he said. The State Commandant directed the Investigation and Intelligence Department to activate the mechanism for apprehending other fleeing suspects in connection with the crime. He said after thorough investigation, all suspects would be arraigned in court. Osuala frowned at the operations of power installation vandals in the state, who he described as economic saboteurs and warned that anyone found would face the full force of the law. Read the full article

[sillovn]

Adventures of Zwan: Wizard Mimicry

Many weapon arts might as well be 'spells cast with a weapon' - so why not make a build entirely out of them? The Adventures of Slinger Zwan, a full dex 'caster',

Ive wanted make a "wizard mimic" - a build that combines several 'spell-like' weapon-arts to create the feel and playstyle of a wizard. This is not Flame Strike spam; we need to be long ranged and lightly armoured.

You see, its not just about weapon art spam - its about making a wizard the most ass backward way.

1. Overview

Pros

Simple - weapon arts cover for ranged and area, weapon attacks for closeup fights.

Works from the start, no need to cheese later areas

Main damage is physical, no need to care for element resistant enemies

Easy respec for PvP

Cons

Requires alot of weapon swap and grip changing

Made for insane people

Squishy

Heres the stats and gear, indepth discussion below.

Yup, 6 weapons (not necessary or even ideal - but Ive never had a chance to use all weapon slots and this character justifies it *kinda*)

Dual-wield Straight Swords (main-hand Stormblade, off-hand Hoarfrost Stomp/Vacuum Slice)

The main setup; Stormblade is your basic damage 'spell' - good balance of speed, damage and stagger. Dual Sword gives sustained damage for enemies that get close.

Hoarfrost for groups/frostbite status - I have it on off-hand as these are situational uses; we don't need it on fast swap. Vacuum Slice gives better damage/range but appears late-game only and has no utility.

I used Lordsworn for fashion/easy to find 2 copies. The others are just rarer or suffer the "dex-tax" (more on that later). But really, any infusable straight sword works here.

Main Hand 2 - Cleanrot Sword/Urumi + Thunderbolt/Beast Roar

Beastroar has very strong stagger, able to push away small enemies. Thunderbolt is fast lightning damage.

Cleanrot Sword for fast poke or pursuit. Urumi for ranged damage without fp, also the strongest dex scaling for wep-art damage. Your choice.

Main Hand 3 - Gransax/Zamor Sword/Guardian Swordspear + Phantom Slash/Any Spear + Ice Spear (Optional)

The 'flashy' slot, the idea is to mimic big, impactful spells. This is optional and where the only 'heavy weapon' goes.

Gransax is a great opener from very long range (ie. Loretta bow-like). Zamor is the weapon version of its sorcery namesake, also the only major hyperarmour attack we have.

Swordspear+P.Slash if you need a long dash. Ice Spear is the earliest available option, also safely applies status effect from range.

Off-hand 2 - Any Dagger + Chilling Mist (Optional)

When you need to frostbite quickly.

Off-hand 3 - Any Dagger + Golden Vow (Optional)

Buff stick, use it and put away.

Armour

Tanith Mask for +1 dex, all else is fashion.

2. Optimizing for Sanity

Here, I am using 6 weapons and 29 mind; because I am deranged and like to PVE in style.

You can easily cut this down to 3 weapons (dual swords + flex option) saving endurance. Not using Gransax saves points in str. Mind can be easily cut to 16.

The build really only has 2 stat requirements: 60 vig + 60 dex, all else is to taste. So what to do with the extra points?

Endurance for heavier armour or lightroll

Push for 80 dex

This leaner, cleaner style is essentially a pvp respec. Becoming a rather standard 'dex shell' with extra mind investment.

3. Leveling

Start as a Vagabond, grab any straight sword and buy Storm Blade from Bernahl. Early levels are Vig and Mind; this build is fp intense from the start.

Kill the Limgrave Knight for Golden Vow (but its not worth using early). You can farm Godrick Soldiers for a second straight sword.

Liurnia unlocks Hoarfrost, Chlling Mist, Ice Spear, Urumi and Carian Filigree Creast. Gurranq gives Beast Roar at 4 deathroot. Grab any spear and throw Ice Spear on it. Hoarfrost/Mist goes on anything, you can use the unique frost axe. The build is mechanically complete at this point.

Lategame unlocks the 'flashy' options - Gransax, Zamor, Phantom Slash and Vacuum Slice. Alex shard gives the biggest damage boost and is our only 'mandatory' talisman.

4. Technical Discussion

Damage Stat (or why dex?)

Went with Dex due to good variety of ranged wep-arts and low-weight weapons. Int, Arc and Fth are also doable, but thats a different build entirely.

Besides keen+lightning, Dex also dips into quality and cold. It is the stat that bridges the most element affinities, hence best variety. Many of the quality wep-arts also do more damage on keen infusion at meta levels.

This also adds a wind/weather theme - something not well represented in the main spell roster.

Why that weapon selection?

Since 1 weapon = 1 weapon art, we are limited to 6 "spells" without swapping. Weapons also have weight, so each "spell" comes with an endurance tax.

Using an off-hand wep-art, requires 2-handing it (ie. takes more time). Therefore off-hand options should be situational, main-hand the "bread and butter".

Weapon arts that shoot a projectile (really, anything not a weapon swing) ignores your weapon's damage. Trying to optimize these 'bullet' arts is very complicated - so heres a detailed video explanation

All this means that we want many light-weight weapons, raw ar is not as important as good scaling. Which leads to...

The Secret 'Dex Tax'

There is a hidden mechanic where weapons with an innate str/dex bias get worse wep-art scaling than no-bias weapon - assuming both are infused to heavy/keen.

In short, within a weapon type - the version with better natural dex is worse for us. This is why we dont use Warhawk Talon as our main sword. Though as usual, exceptions exist (eg. Urumi, Swordspear)

Consumables?

An unexpected upside to this build is consumable item. Dex + ranged playstyle makes good use of Throwing Knives. Physical weapons mean buff items are an option - though our playstyle almost never uses them.

Other Weapons

Why not Highand Axe+Beast Roar? - forgot that combo existed, but is pretty solid.

More Wind Ashes?

The other wind/storm ashes mainly care about your weapon's damage? They're also much more melee centric.

5. Closing Thoughts

My main issue was how similar in function alot of ranged weapon arts are. Stormblade, Beast Roar and Thunderbolt all fill the niche of fast ranged projectile - and they were by far the strongest tools in our kit. This meant the ranged playstyle was quite 1-note; sure you can run in and attack - but thats not the focus of this build.

On a side note, I find that weapon arts are better ranged attacks than *many* spells - but thats another rant entirely.

[tattorack-blog]

Alexander Ixe and his Apex Armour

Alex is one of my original characters.

Since I was a kid I've always had this imagined universe full of characters that go on adventures. As years went by that idea became more refined until I gave it a timeline, a proper setting, and a title: Deep Space.

My original universe with a not-so-original name. Inspirations for Deep Space have been Star Trek, Star Wars, Bionicle, and The Lord of the Rings. Though inadvertently there are also some similarities to Stargate, despite that I never watched Stargate until the last 3 years.

This here is basically showing the high tech armour my character wears when he goes and does his thing.

[mahikaniayanasworld]

LOVE ME 🖤♥

Dahil sa kagustuhan nyang makatulong sa isang kaibigan, pumayag si Brent na maging espiya.

At sa kanyang pagmamanman meron syang lihim na natuklasan. Hindi mga ordinaryong babae kundi mga engkanto pala ang kanyang sinusubaybayan. At ang masama pa nun, ay nabighani sya sa diwatang kanyang nakasagupa sa kagubatan. Panu na ngayon ang gagawin nya para mapaibig ito sa kanya? Gayung hindi nya kayang tapatan lahat ng meron ito. Hanggang saan sya magkukunwari para manatili lang ito sa kanyang tabi? Hanggang pagkukunwari na lang bang magagawa nya?..Na...

Kunwari bulag ako para di ko nakikita ang ngiti mo .

Kunwari bingi ako para di ko naririnig ang tawa mo.

Kunwari pipi ako para di ko masabi sayo na "ako na lang".

Kunwari pilay ako para di na kita habol-habolin.

Kunwari wala akong puso.

Kunwari hindi ako nagtanga tangahan na ako ay nagbubulag bulagan, bingi bingihan, pipi pipihan at pilay pilayan para matago ko sa'yo na mahal kita pero kunwari hindi.

🖤♥

Name:  Brent Red

Age:  25

Birthday:  November 3, 1995

Civil Status:  Single

Nationality:  Norway

Occupation: Hainsha Secret Assassin Agent

Position:  Tracker / Doctor

Motto:  “Loving someone who cannot love you the same way in return is not weakness. It’s one of the most courageous things you’ll ever do. You are putting your armour at their feet and you are saying ‘I will not fight you in this. I have loved you and that means that I have already won.”

🖤♥

"Say that you Love me!"

- Brent Red -

⚔⚔⚔

Sa pananatili ni Alex sa mundo ng mga tao bilang tagapagbantay ng Prinsesa ng Umbra, marami syang natutunan at nalaman.

Na mas masaya pala maging tao kesa ang maging engkanto.

Kasi simple lang ang pamumuhay at walang digmaan na nagaganap dito.

Ng minsang gumagawa sya ng potion sa kagubatan, may naramdaman syang presensya na nagmamatyag sa mga kilos nya.

Sa pag aakalang ito'y kalaban sinagupa nyang mag isa ito.

Pero laking gulat nya ng makitang isa itong tagalupa at sa unang nagtagpo ang kanilang mga mata may naramdaman syang kakaiba na nagpalito sa kanya.

Bakit ako kinakabahan?

Bakit tila kay bigat ng aking pakiramdam?

Bakit tila natatakot akong may ibang makaalam?

Ano bang gagawin ko para mawala saking isipan?Ang tagalupang yun na nagdudulot sakin ng sanlibong kalituhan.

🖤♥

Name:  Alexis Martinez / Alex

Age: 23

Occupation:  Protecting Princess Ayana

Position:  High warrior in the Kingdom of Umbra in the world of  Engkantadya

Nationality: Umbra's

White Fairy Witch

Motto:  "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope"

🖤♥

"Remind me how to love you!"

- Alexis Martinez -

🖤❤

Loving someone who cannot love you the same way in return is not weakness. It’s one of the most courageous things you’ll ever do. You are putting your armour at their feet and you are saying ‘I will not fight you in this. I have loved you and that means that I have already won.

💃MahikaNiAyana

[thedeafprophet]

This is about how that conversation went

First panel without text under the cut because I like it