#General Slocum

[pluckyredhead]

The past few days I've been thinking a lot about the General Slocum disaster.

It's a mostly forgotten story now, but the General Slocum was a passenger steamboat that was used for excursion trips around New York during the turn of the 20th century. In 1904 it caught on fire and sank in the East River, and over a thousand people died (there were less than 1400 aboard to begin with). Most of them were women and children. They were on a church-sponsored picnic outing.

From top to bottom, the story of the General Slocum is about corporate greed, and corruption, and incompetence:

The fire was probably started by a match or cigarette (!) in the Lamp Room, which was full of straw, oily rags, and lamp oil (!).

A child told the captain that the ship was on fire, but the captain ignored him. The crew didn't properly inform the captain of the fire until ten minutes later.

The captain inexplicably made for North Brother Island, even though other islands were closer. Steering directly into headwinds spread the fire faster.

The crew hadn't practiced a fire drill in the past year.

None of the safety equipment on the ship worked, because the steamboat company found it cheaper to pay off safety inspectors than to keep their ships up to code.

There was a hose on board, but it was so old and rotten that it burst when the crew tried to hook it up. The crew then gave up trying to put out the fire or help anyone and abandoned ship.

The lifeboats were wired to the deck, and the wires had then been painted over, rather than removing the lifeboats each time the ship got a fresh coat of paint, so it they were impossible to lower.

The life preservers were filled with cork. They were supposed to weigh a certain amount, so the manufacturer had put lead bars in some of them to make weight.

Others were so old that the cork inside had disintegrated into powder. Solid cork floats. Powdered cork sinks.

That meant that some of the mothers who survived described putting life preservers on their babies and throwing them into the river to escape the flames, and watching them sink.

Very few people could swim at the time, and everyone was wearing the heavy wool clothing of the period. Hundreds of people drowned.

The disaster decimated the immigrant community of Little Germany on the Lower East Side, where most of the deceased were from. Fathers who hadn't been able to attend the picnic because they were working got home to find their wives and children were all dead. Dozens of bodies were either never found, or found but never identified.

Though multiple safety inspectors and employees of the steamboat company were indicted, only the captain - who very much became the scapegoat for the whole thing - was convicted. The steamboat company paid a nominal fine. The one silver lining was that state and federal safety regulations were strengthened in the aftermath.

Like I said at the beginning, this story is mostly forgotten. A lot of historians credit that to the Titanic upstaging it just a few years later. Adella Wotherspoon, who survived the General Slocum as a baby and lived until 2004 (!), said she knew why: "The Slocum people were very poor or middle class. They were often German immigrants. The Titanic and other ships had celebrities."

I don't really have a moral to this story, except that safety regulations matter, ships full of immigrants are just as important as ships full of rich people, and humans have pretty much always been the same, as far as I can tell.

(If you want to know more, I highly recommend Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum by Edward T. O'Donnell, the excellent Wikipedia page, and the Bowery Boys podcast episode on the disaster.)

[futurebird]

North Brother Island

In 1904 New York City's lower east side was home to a thriving German American community. In that same year they would be uniquely struck with one of the most terrible disasters in the city (and America's) history.

This is one of those disasters that might be better known today for the tendency to overlook and forget it. But, this was a tragedy on the scale of the Titanic and 9/11. 

June is always hot and miserable in NYC. Especially in the days before air-conditioning. The chance to go on a riverboat ride must have seemed like a special treat for the children of the working and middle class families in the lower east side. 

Fresh air and sightseeing!

They packed picnic baskets and some got dressed up. This kind of outing was a tradition on the last day of school. It was a Wednesday, most of the men were at work, still the General Slocum , an old steamship with budget prices for holiday outings would be packed.

The trip started out as planned. Everyone was having a wonderful time. But, around them were ominous signs that the passengers couldn't have been expected to notice. 

The General Slocum didn't have enough life boats.

The few that it had were so disused that paint had stuck them to the decks. 

The life jackets, far too few in number, were filled with rotting cork that would be useless for buoyancy. 

Back then it was extremely rare for city children to know how to swim.

The steam ship took off up the east river. It must have been a powerful engine to cope with the tides. They were making good time going at about 15 knots or 17 mph when, around 97th street the crew noticed a fire.

They tried to use the fire hose, but like nearly all of the safety equipment it had not been tested for far too long and burst. They couldn't put out the fire. And the boat was speeding up, not slowing down!

Boats tried to pick up passengers but the ship was moving too quickly. It would crash near North Brother Island. Home to a quarantine hospital.  (And a few years later Typhoid Mary.)

The nurses and patients at the hospital rushed heroically to the beach and saved a number of lives.

But, caught between drowning for not knowing how to swim and death by fire the majority of passengers would perish. A congressional hearing would follow. People were outraged.

The ship had been inspected not long before the disaster. And the inspection documents claimed that it had sufficient life jackets and life boats. It is likely the inspector was paid off by someone at the Knickerbocker Steam Ship company.

Little Germany was devastated and would never be the same. Death touched every apartment in some buildings. And, for a time, it was all that people would talk about.

But, then greater tragedies would come to overshadow it, and time would soften the grief.

There is a memorial in the city. A children's water fountain. 

I mostly know about this story because I have a kind of obsession with North Brother Island.

Between it's legacy as a small pox quarantine hospital, the steam ship disaster and Typhoid Mary... North Brother is a place that NYC rarely thinks about. 

Though in the 50s and 60s there was new construction there. A "home for way ward youth" It seems like all these islands beyond the Hell's Gate are places where the city puts people and things it wants to forget.  Riker's island isn't far from North Brother. One is totally uninhabited and taken over by nature, the other ought to be.

On North Brother island most of the windows in the old buildings from the 60s are broken and at this time of year leaves blow in to collect around the forgotten bookshelves and murals. Spent summer weeds have started growing in the hallways, and give their last gasp of life before the snow drifts come. 

You can't hear the city on that island, just the thrumming of  insects. And maybe the cries of the nurses rousing everyone to run to the sandy north shore.

[alightinthelantern]

Fearful Visitation: The General Slocum Disaster (with survivor testimony)

On June 15, 1904 the aging excursion steamer General Slocum departed the docks of Manhattan, NYC for a trip up the East River, with 1,342 aboard. Most of the passengers that day were German-Americans from the Little Germany neighborhood in Manhattan, who belonged to St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church and were attending the church's annual summer picnic. Most of the passengers aboard were mothers and their children, all dressed in their Sunday best.

Within half an hour of departure, the ship was a burnt-out wreck, run aground at the bow, and over a thousand women and children had drowned in twelve feet of water after leaping from the ship's stern. The Slocum's lifesaving equipment was old and useless: the lifeboats were wired to the deck and inoperable, and the old life vests disintegrated when their wearers hit the water. In an age when most people didn't know how to swim, and everyday clothing was tight and restrictive, people leaping from the burning decks of the ship had little hope of making it to shore.

[playitagin]

1904-PS General Slocum

A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1,000.

[corsairesix]

Fallout TV show thoughts

Spoilers ahead because I'm like, talking about the show and what happens in it.

The first two episodes are the strongest definitely. The vault dwellers being culty trad weirdos and the brotherhood being technofascists is a great return to form. But after that, the aspects of both of those tend to get subsumed into "Lucy and Max are naive"

Lucy and Max kinda stop having ideologies pretty quick. It's easier to accept with Max because he's shown from the beginning to be less interested into the technocult aspects of the Brotherhood but Lucy has fully drunk the vault kool-aid and that kinda becomes secondary to "she's from a vault so she's used to good people"

The central tension of "if it's life or death, you'll abandon your morals" vs "but we have to keep being better anyway" is a really popular one for post-apocalypse stories to tell, but it's kind of a boring Fallout story for me.

The early Brotherhood stuff really hits the sweet spot between the creepy ritualistic aspects and the fact that a lot of them are just shitty bullies. Titus going from the helmet voice to his normal voice was a really good scene.

Tangentially, I don't particularly care for Ghoulgins. I thought the pre-war plot with Walton Goggins was great, but with Ghoulgins it felt like every scene he was in he walks up to someone, snarls a bit, kills everyone present, and walks away with no variation.

The best part of episode 3 onwards was all of the stuff with young Steve Buscemi solving mysteries

I laughed at the fact that they did Kid in a Fridge 2, but after the fifth time or so that they played that clip it was increasingly obvious that it was the only backstory that Maximus had. We know exactly five-ish seconds of his life outside the story. And sure, part of that was that he's like, raised in a high-control cult, but so is Lucy and we learn a half-dozen hobbies that she has in the first minute.

Also is it just me or did they put one black guy in every scene where Max was getting his ass beat? So like, invoking a certain imagery for sure but not textually saying anything about racism, which seems like the worst of both worlds

There's a running textual and subtextual dichotomy between "innocence/naivete/ignorance" and "willingness to do violence" but it's undercut a little by how often characters screw up by doing violence because they were ignorant or naive

Lee Moldaver call me

(side note, I'm not a "wouldve been way better if at the end the Black Panther turned to the camera & said "i am communist now" & then specified hes the exact kind of communist i am" person, but honestly Fallout is allergic to ever depicting American communists. McCarthyism can only be bad if it's aimed at the wrong target.)

I just realized Sarita Choudhury was in Gawain and the Green Knight and she was really hot there too

I *really* liked the plot device of "Vault-Tec has a fiduciary responsibility to the end of the world" but I thought every company we know the name of sitting around a table and going "we're going to do the end of the world" was corny. I'm surprised Slocum Joe wasn't there to pitch an iced regulah and strawberry frahsted vault.

Slight tweak that could be more compelling--vault tec wants things to be bad/drive up paranoia to sell reservations, but they don't actually want the world to end. It's like an insurance company that wants you to be scared of disasters, but doesn't actually want to pay out. That's the exact type of corporate hubris I could see them trying to thread. And it still works with stuff like suppressing Moldaver's cold fusion.

Wait why was the cold fusion in that guy's head? They injected a similar thing into the dog, so I assumed at first he could like, psychically communicate with the dog and that's why the dog could track his head. But the dog was injected before the guy so like, did the dog just have general cold-fusion tracking software injected? Like I know it was an excuse to have Dogmeat IV, but I genuinely want to know if anyone knows the deal with that.

A good amount of stuff that turns me off of the show is that I genuinely find the post-post-apocalypse of some Fallout games more interesting than just post-apoc.

This show seemed less built up than even Fallout 4. All the locations seemed kinda disconnected from any sense of space. I cackled when the snake oil guy showed up to treat the guy's foot. He's not anywhere near the other two places we've seen him. Is this even his building?

"The Governmint" being two guys and their boss who looks like every wasteland mayor ever was really good. Good enough to wipe out Shady Sands? Jury's still out.

I'm not particularly mad about "they destroyed the NCR!" but I wish they did something interesting. I do like how Moldaver flies NCR flags. That was probably the most interesting element of it

[demifiendrsa]

Persona 3 Reload | Meet the S.E.E.S. Trailer

Japanese version

Battle BGM & Gameplay Reveal

Japanese with English subs version

Persona 3 Reload will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) February 2, 2024 worldwide. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

The game will be available in the following editions:

Physical Editions

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Base Game

Aigis Edition

Base game

Collector’s box

Art book

Two-disc soundtrack CD

Aigis figure

Downloadable Content Pack – Includes all purchasable additional content for the game. (“Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves Costume Set,” “Persona 5 Royal Shujin Academy Costume Set,” “Persona 5 Royal Persona Set 1,” “Persona 5 Royal Persona Set 2,” “Persona 5 Royal Background Music Set,” “Persona 4 Golden Yasogami High Costume Set,” “Persona 4 Golden Persona Set”).

Digital Editions

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Base game

Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)

Base game

Digital art book – Filled with 64 pages of character art, concept art, backgrounds and other illustrations from the game.

Digital soundtrack – Listen to newly arranged tracks from the original Persona 3 plus all new tracks from Persona 3 Reload, presented by the ATLUS Sound Team for a total of 60 new songs.

Digital Premium Edition ($99.99)

Base game

Digital art book

Digital soundtrack

Downloadable Content Pack

Users who pre-order any version of the game will receive the “Persona 4 Background Music Set,” which features the following additional tracks:

“A New World Fool”

“I’ll Face Myself -Battle-“

“The Fog”

“Reach Out to the Truth”

“Results”

“Time To Make History”

Latest details

■ Characters

Koromaru (voiced by Shinya Takahashi in Japanese)

A dog who awakens to the power of Persona after a tragic event. Since his original owner—the priest of the dorm’s neighboring Naganaki Shrine—had passed away, the protagonist and friends take him in as a full-fledged member of S.E.E.S.

Clever, loyal, and friendly, he quickly becomes a beloved member of the group. He seems especially close to Aigis—who translates his barks—and Ken Amada, the elementary school student.

In battle, he wields a knife in his mouth. His unique Persona is Cerberus, specializing in dark skills.

Aigis (voiced by Dawn M. Bennett in English, Maaya Sakamoto in Japanese)

A man-made Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, 7th Generation. She joins S.E.E.S. as an android with a humanlike heart, granting her the power of Persona.

She harbors a mysterious attachment to the Protagonist from the first day they meet. Initially coming across as cold and robotic, she begins to discover more human emotions through her experiences with the group.

In battle, she fires off an arsenal of weapons built into her mechanical body. Her unique Persona is Palladion, specializing in physical and support skills.

Ken Amada (voiced by Justine Lee in English, Megumi Ogata in Japanese)

The youngest member of S.E.E.S.—a 5th grader at Gekkoukan Elementary. After losing his mother in an accident, he comes to live at the Iwatodai Dorm.

After awakening to his Persona abilities, he joins S.E.E.S. of his own accord. While he strives to act mature with his mannerisms, deep down he is still a child with a passion for superhero TV shows.

In battle, he holds a long spear in contrast to his short stature. His unique Persona is Nemesis, specializing in light skills.

Shinjiro Aragaki (voiced by Justice Slocum in English, Kazuya Nakai in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High, though he can rarely be seen at school. He was a founding member of SEES alongside Mitsuru and Akihiko. After distancing himself for about two years, a certain turn of events convinces him to rejoin the group.

While unapproachable at first glance, beneath the gruff exterior is a gentle heart and a knack for cooking. He even has a soft spot for animals, doting on Koromaru when no one is looking.

In battle, he bludgeons with weapons like axes. His unique Persona is Castor, specializing in hard-hitting physical attacks.

■ Key Art and Protagonist’s Battle Uniform Revealed

In Persona 3 Reload, all members of the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.) now don new battle uniforms when taking on Tartarus.

The newly revealed key art depicts the protagonist in his new outfit alongside his Persona, Thanatos. The iconic S.E.E.S armbands have also been redesigned to match the updated battle uniform.

[gotham-ruaidh]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Thank you, @flyinghome-againstthewind!

In no particular order:

Let Us Not Talk Falsely Now [AO3 link]: Jamie is a wounded soldier. Claire is a combat nurse. They meet at the Chu Lai field hospital in Vietnam.

Uitlander [Tumblr link, AO3 link]: {{Uitlander, Afrikaans for “foreigner” (lit. “outlander”)}} Claire Beauchamp arrives on the shore of the Cape Colony in December 1825, destined for what she believes will be a quiet life in a colonial backwater. Within hours she realizes that life in South Africa is anything but predictable.

Truth to Triumph [Tumblr link, AO3 link]: The General Slocum disaster in New York City's East River on June 15, 1904 claimed over 1,000 lives. Jamie Fraser is reporting on the tragedy for the New York World when he meets Dr. Claire Beauchamp as she tends to the survivors. In the aftermath they work together for justice - and find beauty in the ashes.

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be [AO3 link]: This story takes place during the summer of 1987. It's the time of the Cold War, and heavy metal, and Just Say No. Claire and Jamie meet under very different - yet not so different - circumstances

It Does My Heart Good [AO3 link]: An unexpected letter shatters Jamie Fraser's world. A very different Fraser family story.

Modern Glasgow AU [List of stories in chronological order [Tumblr], List of stories in publication order [AO3]]: Claire and Jamie's life in modern-day Glasgow

[slocum-dodson]

Ron Dodson

Bisexual

Age: 35 (The war was hard on me)

About me:

S: 8

P: 4

E: 4

C: 10

I : 3

A: 3

L: 10

About Me:

I am the reigning CEO of the Slocum's Joe Corporation. I'm also the general of the Minutemen, but if you ask me the real head of the outfit is my husband Preston. I'm a widowed husband of technically two. My first son, Shaun is elderly on account of time passing while I was frozen. My other son, Shaun is an abominable synth created by my first son for some kind of cruel mind game. I don't think Synth Shaun will age, but I will attempt to raise him to be a Slocum's Joe man like his old man. A few months ago I became the head of the institute after helping my elderly son fake his death. I have killed and will kill again.

I am a good man. I don't care what the priest or the mayor of Diamond City says.

This is my husband, Preston and his stepson, Shaun. Aren't they sweet?

The Slocum's Joe Corporation is eternal, and I will not feel satisfied until I have made this entire planet an engine that creates nothing but Slocum's Joe Coffee and Doughnuts.

[illiana-mystery]

WIP Whenever

So I am currently making my way through finishing Chapter 3 of both Snow Angel (my Leonhard Seppala fic) and Chasing Foxy (my new Norman Osborn fic).

And I didn't want to wait until Wednesday, so here's a sneak peek of both of the chapters today! 😁😆

Hopefully, both chapters will be finished and posted sometime this week! 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾

Taglist: @ghnaim24​, @currvycurly, @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky​​, @iobsessoverfictionalmen​, @emily-ella-nightshade89​, @goodoldcharley, @writingkitten

---

Snow Angel

"You alright? It makes sense that I'm winded, but you're young. I thought you would have more energy than me."

She laughed.

"You're not that old, Leonard. What are you...like 35?"

"I'm almost 50," he corrected her. "But thanks for the compliment."

"Hmm, you really don't look a day over 40," she assured him. "Norwegians must age very well compared to Russians and Alaskans."

He snickered.

"You're too kind. But now I'm afraid to ask how old you are?"

"Almost 30," she responded, to his shock.

"Really?! I thought you were mid-twenties."

She giggled.

"No, I'm 29 so that probably makes you 49, right?"

He nodded.

"Hmm, well I've always found older men more attractive," she boldly said, leaning closer to him.

"What are you getting at?"

She laughed.

"Nothing at all," she teased, before she moved from his grasp. "Let's get to reinforcing those kennels."

He was speechless once she suggested that.

Here she was clearly being more bold with her flirting, and now she was making her way down the ladder.

Pretending like it never happened.

Although the smirk on her face said otherwise.

Did she like him as much as he liked her?

He was more than confused, trying desperately not to scare her away.

Sure she was stuck, but he also didn't want her to be distant from him while she was stuck.

He just didn't want to misinterpreted her flirting.

She was probably just being nice, he told himself.

---

Chasing Foxy

"It'll be okay," Rosie assured him after grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "You'll do fine. If General Slocum can't appreciate your genius, he's a fool. You're brilliant, Norman. Just like my big old man."

Otto chuckled, before he kissed his wife's cheek.

"Rosie, I love your positivity, but Slocum is a hard man to impress. Norman is well within his right to be worried."

"Ugh, I suppose so," she huffed in defeat, before taking a sip of her Chardonnay.

"I do appreciate your positivity though," Norman assured Rosie.

"Thank you, Norman," she smugly said, looking at her husband after.

"And this is why I fell in love with you, Rosalie. You charmed me with the positivity, but stayed for your sass."

"The stress relief sex helped too," she remarked as she took another sip of wine.

"You got that right," he said with a hardy chuckle.

"I've always envied your relationship," Norman admitted. "I loved Emily, but we were never like you two."

"Emily was always in the clouds, bless her heart," Rosie started. "But I know she loved you as much as you loved her."

"That's a nice thought, Rosie. But you know I pushed her away. In my pursuit of success, I forgot about her and Harry. She would have divorced me if she hadn't died first," he revealed before he looked back at his phone, pondering if he should text Foxy back.

"Norman, you don't know..."

"I found the divorce papers she hid after her funeral," he admitted. "I loved her so much, but my ambition clouded that part of my brain. She deserved the man she fell in love with. I'm just glad she had Harry before she died. I'm glad that she had someone to love when she couldn't get any love from her husband. And I was so ashamed, I shipped my son away. I kept shipping him away until now..."

He felt like he was about to cry, but he held his tears back once he scrolled back to the picture of Foxy she had sent him with her message last night.

"I just hope I'm better to my new girlfriend," he whimpered as he texted her back.

Thank you, mommy. 😊 You're making me blush. I really needed your message right now. I feel a lot better now, but I will still need your healing. I really can't wait to see you again tonight. You're making your baby boy so giddy. 😆❤️

The couple across from him was speechless while he was texting. They knew about his strained marriage to Emily due to his overambition and his non-existant relationship with Harry. But they had no idea she was gonna divorce him before she ultimately died.

That just showed that he was really having a hard time. It wasn't like him to be so open about his failings, even to his old friends.

And even Rosie was starting to realize that her positivity wasn't just gonna magically fix all his woes.

Oh, honey. Mommy knows you still need her to make you feel better. I can't wait to see you too. I'm gonna give you so many kisses and cuddle you so tight tonight. 😘

He was absolutely red in the face when he read her reply, which Rosie noticed.

"Should we leave you alone?" she teased to lighten the mood. "Because you're as red as the tomato sauce."

"No, no. I'm fine. My girlfriend is just so sweet."

"Aww!" Rosie cooed again. "Well, it won't be too much longer until you see her again."

"Yeah," he hummed happily.

[ltwilliammowett]

Paddle Steamer General Slocum, sinking in the East River at North Brother Island, just off the Bronx shore, 15th June 1904

On 15 June, 1904, over 1,300 passengers boarded the ship General Slocum for a Sunday church picnic on Long Island. The outing turned into a tragedy when the steamship caught fire shortly after it set sail. In less than 15 minutes, the ship burned and sank just off North Brother Island, killing over 1,000 members of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

[satoshi-mochida]

Persona 3 Reload launches February 2, 2024

Gematsu Source

Persona 3 Reload will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on February 2, 2024 worldwide, ATLUS announced. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. Digital pre-orders are available now.

The game will be available in the following editions:

Physical Editions

-Standard Edition ($69.99)

Base Game

-Aigis Edition

Base game

Collector’s box

Art book

Two-disc soundtrack CD

Aigis figure

Downloadable Content Pack – Includes all purchasable additional content for the game. (“Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves Costume Set,” “Persona 5 Royal Shujin Academy Costume Set,” “Persona 5 Royal Persona Set 1,” “Persona 5 Royal Persona Set 2,” “Persona 5 Royal Background Music Set,” “Persona 4 Golden Yasogami High Costume Set,” “Persona 4 Golden Persona Set”).

Digital Editions

-Standard Edition ($69.99)

Base game

-Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99)

Base game

Digital art book – Filled with 64 pages of character art, concept art, backgrounds and other illustrations from the game.

Digital soundtrack – Listen to newly arranged tracks from the original Persona 3 plus all new tracks from Persona 3 Reload, presented by the ATLUS Sound Team for a total of 60 new songs.

-Digital Premium Edition ($99.99)

Base game

Digital art book

Digital soundtrack

Downloadable Content Pack

Users who pre-order any version of the game will receive the “Persona 4 Background Music Set,” which features the following additional tracks:

“A New World Fool”

“I’ll Face Myself -Battle-“

“The Fog”

“Reach Out to the Truth”

“Results”

“Time To Make History”

Get the latest details below.

■ Characters

Koromaru (voiced by Shinya Takahashi in Japanese)

A dog who awakens to the power of Persona after a tragic event. Since his original owner—the priest of the dorm’s neighboring Naganaki Shrine—had passed away, the protagonist and friends take him in as a full-fledged member of S.E.E.S. Clever, loyal, and friendly, he quickly becomes a beloved member of the group. He seems especially close to Aigis—who translates his barks—and Ken Amada, the elementary school student. In battle, he wields a knife in his mouth. His unique Persona is Cerberus, specializing in dark skills.

Aigis (voiced by Dawn M. Bennett in English, Maaya Sakamoto in Japanese)

A man-made Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, 7th Generation. She joins S.E.E.S. as an android with a humanlike heart, granting her the power of Persona. She harbors a mysterious attachment to the Protagonist from the first day they meet. Initially coming across as cold and robotic, she begins to discover more human emotions through her experiences with the group. In battle, she fires off an arsenal of weapons built into her mechanical body. Her unique Persona is Palladion, specializing in physical and support skills.

Ken Amada (voiced by Justine Lee in English, Megumi Ogata in Japanese)

The youngest member of S.E.E.S.—a 5th grader at Gekkoukan Elementary. After losing his mother in an accident, he comes to live at the Iwatodai Dorm. After awakening to his Persona abilities, he joins S.E.E.S. of his own accord. While he strives to act mature with his mannerisms, deep down he is still a child with a passion for superhero TV shows. In battle, he holds a long spear in contrast to his short stature. His unique Persona is Nemesis, specializing in light skills.

Shinjiro Aragaki (voiced by Justice Slocum in English, Kazuya Nakai in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High, though he can rarely be seen at school. He was a founding member of SEES alongside Mitsuru and Akihiko. After distancing himself for about two years, a certain turn of events convinces him to rejoin the group. While unapproachable at first glance, beneath the gruff exterior is a gentle heart and a knack for cooking. He even has a soft spot for animals, doting on Koromaru when no one is looking. In battle, he bludgeons with weapons like axes. His unique Persona is Castor, specializing in hard-hitting physical attacks.

■ Key Art and Protagonist’s Battle Uniform Revealed

In Persona 3 Reload, all members of the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.) now don new battle uniforms when taking on Tartarus.

Persona-3-Reload_2023_08-23-23_030.jpg (3456×4320) (gematsu.com)

The newly revealed key art depicts the protagonist in his new outfit alongside his Persona, Thanatos. The iconic S.E.E.S armbands have also been redesigned to match the updated battle uniform.

Persona-3-Reload_2023_08-23-23_031.png (3051×4320) (gematsu.com)

Watch a new set of trailers below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Meet The S.E.E.S. Trailer

English

Japanese

New Battle Theme Video: "It's Going Down Now"

English

Japanese

(Had to use just links for the last two pictures since only 30 pictures are allowed per post)

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Sole (nb or gender neutral if possible, but any will do!) being a really good artist, who draws and paints things and scenes from before the war to show their companions?

What a great idea! 💖💖💖💖 Ive always admired people who can draw and paint things really well, I can spend hours just scrolling through other peoples art on Tumblr. Sole was truly a dedicated artist, never seen without a sketchbook in hand and a new idea on their lips. Their house in Sanctuary is completely filled to the brim with drawings and paintings of prewar places and things, kept predestined thanks to Codsworth efforts. It almost looks like a gallery of some kind, with Sole allowing their companion wander through in awe. They walk over and pick up the art piece that calls out to them most, examining it carefully.

Nick Valentine: “Heh, can almost smell it through the paper.” He commented wistfully, before him a drawing of a prewar Slocum's Joe filled with smiling people eating pastries and sipping coffee, just enjoying the moment. Call it stereotypical, but the old Nick was quite fond of a good old steaming cup of coffee and a freshly baked donut right before his shift started. Cant replicate the exact feeling anymore, but this sure brings back some good memories. “You have some real talent Kid, maybe I could use your help in witnesses sketches.”

Piper Wright: “Diamond City used to look like THAT before it became inhabited by bigoted people and corrupt politicians?” She asked with a half smirk, tapping on the side of a painting of a baseball game in the place she now calls home over 200 years later. Sole had some skill, somehow she can almost hear the crowds cheering excitedly through the canvas. “Hah, still looks loud and overly cramped, guess that hasn't changed. Think my office would be right about… there.”

Codsworth: “Oh Sir/Mum, your spouse would be so proud that you managed to capture them so perfectly.” He droned sadly over the biggest painting that happened to be of Soles spouse in their wedding suit/dress, all smiling and happy. Codsworth had seen his Master spend hours creating their many works of art and even helped with some, but this one spoke the most to him and touched his metal heart. Maybe because Sole had done it purely from memory as a way to honor their fallen lover. “They'd also be proud of how far you've come and all that you have accomplished, and that you are continuing to share your gift with others.”

Preston Garvey: “So thats what Concord looked like before the bombs hit? Damn, seems unreal.” He runs his fingers along the sketch of the un-touched city drawn from a birds eye view. How the General managed to capture the city in such a way that makes it seem like a moving photo is unknown, but he is not complaining. “Someday, we will restore the town to its former glory, you'll see. Until then, this will serve a fine reminder of what can be accomplished. Thank you General... Truly.”

Curie: “Oh! A horsie!” She exclaimed happily, gazing at a large painting of a grassy field with a magnificent black horse darting through the wind that flared it's silky mane. Curie has read many books and documents that include horses in their stories or notes, but she never actually seen one in person. Soles painting made it seem so lifelike that she feels like she can reach out and stroke its shiny hair. “It would be wonderful if we could ride such an amazing creature, you did an incredible job capturing its likeness and motion.” (Somebody get this women the finest horse in the world)

Cait: “So this is what passed as a typical family in your time?” She questioned with an unimpressed look, almost glaring at the colored drawing of a family sitting in their dining room eating breakfeast with one another. For some reason, the drawing sent a little lump in her throat when she saw the way the two parents looked at their children with such realistic and loving caring eyes. Sole did a damn good job with getting the emotion across, enough to pierce her heart. “Eh… pretty nice when you squint at it. Better than what I ever got. Well done and all that.”

Deacon: “Thats all it took to woo a girl back then? Dress up like a penguin, grab a quick bite at some fancy pants looking place, then spin her around like a top?” He asked with a wide grin, tilting his sunglasses a bit to get a better view of the colored drawing of a prewar couple dancing the evening away. Seemed very romantic, he'd almost wished to go back in time and set up something like this with Barbra. At least something close to it, she would have liked that… “You mind making one of me next? Get this gorgeous figure captured for all to see? Face would be covered of course, but still would be a fine addition to your collection.”

Danse: “This is what people would do on their free time off work? Interesting…” He commented, eyeing the painting of a prewar beach house with families swimming in the water or playing volleyball on the beach. Some of them were even just laying in the sand, asleep or watching the waves wash onto shore. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves without a care in the world, something that sadly couldn't be done anymore. But Sole did a fine enough job that he could get a good feeling on what that was once like. “It takes great skill and practice to capture something like this in great detail. Im honored you chose to show me your work, Solider.”

Hancock: “Damn. Nuka World seemed like a fine place to take the Darling and the kids, before it was infested with raiders and whatnot” He muttered in awe, practically going inside the painting of the prewar amusement park with how close he was to it. It was almost absorbing him whole, the shining of the rides and the adoring eyes of the folks. Shame the place had to go down so quickly. “Sole, you have some mighty fine talent for this sort of thing. Think maybe one day we can get a ride or two working there? That would be a trip I would gladly take.”

MacCready: “You're saying thats how the streets looked all the time? How did you even get around without running into something or someone?” He inquired, staring at a drawing of downtown Boston choked with traffic and pedestrians crowding the roads and sidewalks. It was weird to imagine the city not covered in rubble and piles of discarded trash and people just roaming around without looking over their shoulders every few minutes. “If you ask me, those people are just begging to get sniped. But thats not something they really had to be worried about back then, right?”

X6: “Must have taken great strength in the ankles to achieve such a graceful performance.” He remarked, staring straight at a painting of ballet performer dancing on stage before an audience of well dressed individuals. While he himself didn't see a good reason to spend money and time just to see someone glide across a stage in a supple manner, he could see how such an exercise could benefit ones strength and agility. Maybe he will try it one day, as part of training, of course. “Excellent work on the painting, Sir/Ma'am. A true masterpiece.” (Just imagine him doing ballet)

Strong: “Why puny human show Strong bunch of blobs and scribbles?” He points angrily at a realistic painting of an ideal Thanksgiving meal, complete with a thick and large turkey in the center. It seemed to be so real, like he could reach out and take a big chomp out of it. Yet there was no smell of fresh meat in the air. “Strong doesn't care about fake food blobs! Cant even eat them!” (He tried anyways and now there is forever a bite mark on the painting)

Dogmeat: Barks at the sight of another dog across the room, sprinting over to greet the new potential playmate or rival. He stops a few feet before them, confused on why they haven't reacted to him yet or even moved. Dogmeat had been with Sole while they were painting this very portrait of a prewar dog sitting obediently with their head tilted, but he fell asleep for most of it. The pup whines, cautiously stepping closer and taking a whiff, looking back at Sole in doggy astonishment when he realizes the other dog is a fake. “Bork?”

Moral Of the Story: If Bethesda doesn't give you enough character background or story to work with, do their job for them and make up your own to give everyone more delicious flavor. (Keep those headcanons coming y'all)

Boom! Another one down! Thank You for the request Darling!!! 💝💝💝💝

[valiantarcher]

If I had a nickel for every time I read a book where an early chapter contained a description of the General Slocum disaster and I identified the disaster before it was named but blanked on the name, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.

[fuzzydreamin]

for the fear themed asks, crowds, ghosts, solitude, boogeyman, disease for nora and al?

Crowds: What does your muse think of big cities?

✪ Nora enjoys them. She grew up close to/in the city (still figuring out where her mother actually lived), with her schools in the city, and enjoyed going out on the town and shopping. She likes the liveliness of all those people going about their day, and still enjoys visiting the larger settlements post-war.

✝ Alberta is here and there. They enjoy visiting larger settlements because it means there's more people to do business with in some form or another; either buying and selling supplies and scrap, finding jobs, or just some randos in bars to blow off steam with. But it gets overwhelming and cramped after a few days. Al usually doesn't stay in one place for more than a week. Maybe a fortnight or so if they are ducking out and doing jobs, since exploring the nearby areas and resting away from all those people makes sticking around a bit longer more bearable.

Ghosts: Has your muse ever seen something they couldn’t explain?

Ug-Qualtoth, Aliens, Church of Atom stuff and radiation hallucinations, whacky pre and post-war science experiements... Just a bunch of stuff that their initial reaction is to be like "That can't have been what it looked like..." and then more confusion upon exploring it and thinking on it and trying to find a way to explain it that makes it make sense and not be what it is, and then a mix of acceptance and just... "I'm not going there... Nope."

Solitude: Name 3 things your muse couldn’t live without.

✪ Nora

Coffee (thank god Slocum's products survived)

A month without hot water (a week is almost too much to bear - washing in cold water sucks)

Love (Look, is it cheesy? Yes. But the worst AU versions of Nora are those who lack love)

✝ Alberta 

Their pip-boy

Their voice? (The ability to be able to tell people to go fuck themselves certainly feels necessary)

Freedom (this bird can't live in a cage)

Boogeyman: What position does your muse sleep in?

✪ Nora is a cuddler. So generally she'll sleep on her side a little or spoon with someone if she's sharing a bed. Either spoon position is fine with her. She might hug an extra pillow if she can, or Dogmeat if he's not wandering around making sure nothing sneaks up on them in the night. She may also unconciously gravitate towards someone else if they're close enough for her to feel their body heat.

Nora's never been too fussed about personal space in that way, so long as everyone's fine with it and she can trust them. She also really got used to cuddling because Nate prefered it, as it helped him sleep better with the PTSD to have her weight and warmth wrapped around him, and it became something she missed when he wasn't around.

✝ Alberta could sleep in just about any position. Depends how tired they are -and they're usually pretty tired with their sickness draining all their energy. They tend to toss and turn a bit, so they won't stay in any one position for too long. They can go from fetal position curled up to fully splayed out within an hour.

Disease: What does your muse do on a sick day?

✪ Nora will insist on finding some way to work anyway, even if it's going over papers in bed. Will want to be updated on everything that's going on while she's shut in. Will probably "just take a short walk for some fresh air" in which she will personally check up on people and every project being done wherever she's staying. If she really doesn't have the energy, or is up to date on everything, then will she relax in bed and let Codsworth brew her some tea and generally fuss over her.

✝ Alberta: Every day is a sick day. Though some are worse than others. Mostly she self administers medicine, and maybe some stimulants to keep her on her feet, then just continues pretending she's king shit and can't be taken down. If they're really wiped out they will probably give Charon a list of things that really need to be done, and either stay in bed or have him help them get around (depends on current travel situation).

[just-another-wasteland-merc]

From the Soft OC Asks for both Em and Mars:

2, 6, 10, 17

Thank you!

Hey, I'm here! Sorry this took a while!

2. Does your OC have any endearing qualities?

Em has the biggest and kindest heart anyone in the Wasteland has ever seen. People are thrown off by how nice she is and how generous, mostly because they've been taken advantage of from people who simply pretended to be nice.

Mars has a decent sense of humor. She sort of has to in order to put up with Sharky and his stupid ideas. Most of the time she's running after him, screaming about how it's definitely not safe, but with a few things, she just giggles once she knows no one will be hurt.

6. What calms them down most when they're anxious?

Em gives out some good advice for dealing with anxiety, but it doesn't mean she takes her own advice. She tries to, but Mac knows how to help her the most. He will rub circles into her back nice and slow to help her match her breathing, and he'll remind her that everything is okay. She tries her best on her own, but this is one thing where she sort of depends on Mac. And he's happy to help.

Mars doesn't like to show her anxiety around others, especially the Cougars when Faith is screwing with her. She doesn't cope well, so she will bottle it up unfortunately. Until something minor happens and she's a crying mess. Sharky tries his best, and it seems to help, but his coping strategies with her is "hey let's go take a nap". He tries.

10. Your OC is surrounded by puppies/kittens/ducklings. What do they do?

Em. Cries. In joy. She wants to take all of them home immediately and tries to name them all. And then she cries more when Mac tells her no. She will pet and hold all of them for equal amount of times, but she can barely see them cause she's crying so much. Along with a lot of "you so cuuuuuuute".

Mars loves kittens. She finds petting small animals relaxing and lets the kittens climb all over her and into pockets. Sharky adores the sight of course, but don't put a duckling by him, he's scared of birds.

17. Do they have a comfort food? Who makes it best?

Em loves sweets. She used to make donuts when she worked at Slocum's Joe when she was a teenager, and still remembers how. She makes them the best, especially since Mac is not allowed in the kitchen unsupervised.

Mars likes the more savory flavors. Her favorite dish is tied between beef and vegetable soup, and chili. The soup is best made by Casey at the Spread Eagle, and Sharky takes the crown for the best chili. He even tones it down for her cause she can't handle the spicy as much as he can, so he makes a separate batch just for her. She doesn't even use a spoon. Give her scoopy chips and some sour cream and she's completely happy.

Thank you for the ask! And thanks for letting me talk about Mars! :)

[gotham-ruaidh]

fic stats meme

I was tagged by @theawkwardterrier - thank you!

all of this is based on my AO3 stats...here we go:

most hits: Modern Glasgow AU - 96,873 hits

Imagine Claire and Jamie as a couple in present-day Glasgow

second most kudos: Shifted - 1,264 kudos

What if Claire had gotten pregnant with Brianna a month or two earlier in the story, and she and Jamie had re-evaluated their priorities and decided that the cause was lost, and they were able to slip away from the army and quietly return to Lallybroch?

third most bookmarks + fourth most comments: Let Us Not Talk Falsely Now - 248 bookmarks and 262 comments

Imagine if Jamie was a wounded soldier and Claire a combat nurse who met in a field hospital during the Vietnam War.

fifth most words: Truth to Triumph - 25,038 words

The General Slocum disaster in New York City's East River on June 15, 1904 claimed over 1,000 lives. Jamie Fraser is reporting on the tragedy for the New York World when he meets Dr. Claire Beauchamp as she tends to the survivors. In the aftermath they work together for justice - and find beauty in the ashes.

least words: half gone wi' drink - 45 words

Imagine a night on Fraser's ridge where both Claire and Jamie have had too much to drink

Tagging: @lady-o-ren @liusaidh-writing @flyinghome-againstthewind and anyone else who wants to participate! xo