#THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL AND THEN...ugh

[rawme-price]

Crow!gaz who loves shiny things and human!reader who finds said shiny things.

Youve known gaz just long enough to know he likes shiny things, and you really like his company, so you figure a shiny gift would be fitting, right? Anyways you spend forever looking through the various trinkets you've collected over the years, finally landing on a small polished bronzite. When you hand it to him during breakfast, a casual gesture, you mention how it reminded you of his eyes.

A simple gesture, you think. You go back to eating, but the others see the way gazs feathers puff up when he stares down at the shiny rock. After that, its some marbles, then a seashell, then more rocks.

You shower him in gifts, a bit unintentionally. Everytime you see something shiny, you grab it and tuck it into ur pocket for gaz. He's obsessed, of course. The bird in his brain screaming about what a good mate you would make, while hes overjoyed that you think if him so often.

Ofc you two get closer, talking more and hanging out more. It gets to the point where people assume you two will be together, finding one of you always leads to the other. One thing leads to another and gaz eventually invites you i to his room, nothing more than to hang out in his nest, but still the gesture is huge.

While looking over the small space, you notice all the trinkets you've given him laid out on the desk. When you ask about a trinkets display and gaz shyly admits he doesnt have one, you offer to clear out one of your own. Its mentioned in passing, how its basically empty anyways because gaz owns so much of your stuff now.

But that comment has gaz freezing, looking at you with wide eyes. "You've been giving me stuff...from your own horde?" His feathers puff up fully, and he has to physically press down the mating trill in the back of his throat. When you nod as if that was obvious, he sternly reminds himself ur not an avian, so sharing hordes isnt a big deal.

Still, hes thinking about it even as you watch a movie in his nest. You've basically just asked him to be your mate in avian culture. Would you be interested? Surely not, but the idea is enticing.

[portalbones]

Just something about ghosts (specifically the DP ones) Warning long post.

Acids (and bases) are able to conduct electricity. The stronger the acid, the more electricity it can conduct, since those have particles that are more heavily dissolved. That means there are more freely floating particles, which act like electrolytes and shit to conduct electricity. I know, I know. "But portalbones, when are we gonna get to the ghosts? This is just chemistr-" shut up or I'll whack you with a rolled up newspaper. Or something.

"Strong acid" as a term more refers to how much of the acid dissolves rather than a measure of how corrosive the acid is. HCL in low enough concentrations can still be less corrosive than a weak acid like acetic acid, which is just vinegar. But, in a pretty basic concentration (like if both are the same concentration), HCL will be more corrosive (I think) and will conduct more electricity.

You know what else acts kind of like electricity?

A whole fuckton of those ghost laser things that danny has shot from his fucking ass in multiple episodes.

Ectoplasm is often used as a weapon, both by the ghosts and by the Fentons. It must have some attack potential beyond "ugh yucky slime," right? The idea I'd like to propose is ectoplasm being acidic.

All ectoplasm would contain some sort of strong acid, but in varying concentrations. Ghosts like the Box Ghost or those little shit goo ghost things that are your generic specter who aren't as strong would have lower concentrations of ectoplasmic acid, meaning they can conduct less energy and their surfaces would basically be non corrosive. Maybe a bit tangy if you bit them, idk.

Stronger ghosts like Skulker or Ember would have higher levels of acid, allowing them to conduct more energy and use stronger attacks. If you touched them for too long, it might sizzle a bit, but still nothing major. Skulker can power his suit with the energy conducted from his acid, which is unusually high in concentration for a ghost so small.

This acid would help them eat, since to stretch themselves like that they probably don't have much for organs, because those would be destroyed. They can still consume food because it's just dissolved inside them. Even ghosts who are weaker still have this, because the acid manifests in layers. The closer to the core you go, the more acidic they become. The core is what provides the energy that will be conducted, the acidity is what lets them use it. That's why sending out beams doesn't fry the ghost who does it. Or something.

Surface level ectoplasm is likely what's seen getting all over the Fenton lab and what shows up when there's an ectoplasmic mess to clean up. It's not really corrosive, just glows annoyingly (zinc sulfide, anyone?) And has the acidity of maybe vinegar. If you have a cut or sensitive skin it might sting. The ectoplasm used in the ghost weapons is stronger, maybe enough to give surface burns but usually targeting ghosts.

I feel like Danny and Vlad would work in a similar way to this, meaning ghost Danny just has no organs. Cut him deep enough and he'll melt the knife that you used to do it. It explains why he can use so much energy, since his acid levels would be comparable to one of his stronger enemies. These levels can adjust over time, becoming stronger as they power up, but it usually doesn't impact the ghost negatively.

Certain ghosts have an abnormality that makes their acid content super high, so that even the outer layers burn stuff pretty well. Things like that would be found in the ghost I made for the comic, for example, though I don't think any canon ghosts fit the bill. Have fun fighting that, Danny.

TL;DR basically ghosts have acidic ectoplasm that conducts the energy from their cores to use their ghost rays and stuff. The outer layers are pretty neutral though. Maybe chucking baking soda in the Box Ghost's face would hurt him. Idk. If the science here is wrong blame my sophomore Chem class for that. I don't remember that shit.

[aramblingjay]

my thoughts on tog 2 (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

overall: it was lovely to see these beloved characters back, they opened a lot of doors to explore in fanfic and i have no doubt the talented writers in this fandom will deliver, but the movie was too short and too packed with retcon lore drops

-can’t believe we waited so long just for that, i feel they missed that the characters were the beating emotional heart of the first movie and thought we wanted a mediocre action flick instead

-feeling very vindicated about my joe as fire, nicky as ice headcannon. it always seemed so clear to me that joe was angry at booker in a fast, explosive way but nicky is the one to be afraid of. the one who believes strongly in consequences for actions and atoning for crimes and would accept his own sadness at booker’s exile as a kind of necessity rather than do anything to break the terms of booker’s punishment. ofc it’s joe, the big softie, who would break first. my favorite bit of character work in the whole movie pretty much

-where was joe and nicky’s discussion about all this?!!! joe lied to him! nicky caught him in it pretty quickly but joe lied! i want to watch them have a mature, emotional conversation about it the way only two people who have known each other for 900 years can. i wanted conflict and resolution, not just one (no matter how beautiful) scene of nicky declaring his love for joe and Head Bonk TM

-i did really enjoy nicky’s simple but no less beautiful than joe’s Van Speech declaration of his love. and the Head Bonk. oh, the poems i could write about the Head Bonk

-what happened to nile?!!! she was the beating heart of the first movie and she was just. there in this one. they did her so dirty, she was a weapon more than a person

-all the lore retcon and random exposition was wild and unnecessary. one of the things i loved about the first movie is how consistently and interestingly they painted the world. the dreams were fascinating and added world building insight in a thoughtful way. now there’s tuah and discord and nobody dreamed of them?! andy kept tuah a secret ALL these years from the closest people to her in the world?! nile and discord have some birthmark that makes her a destroyer?! there was potential to do something interesting with quynh being back and they ruined it. what is this

-i loved the ending scene with andy and quynh. gorgeous. beautiful. soft. my immortal wives. the rest of it… there was not enough time and weight given to the emotional significance of that reunion, the complicated conversations they would need to have, the fact that joe and nicky also lost quynh and just got her back… none of it. i have read fanfics that did it so well and brought me to tears and in the movie i was just sort of. bored

-booker. booker booker booker. killing off a suicidal character in a self-sacrificial way and claiming that’s a good ending. seen that one before. didn’t like it this time either. made all the worse because there was no reconciliation between booker and the boys, barely a conversation even. and he didn’t have to die there, so it was just a stupid suicidal sacrifice rather than a meaningful one. wtf

-the ending was stupid. what a waste of 1hr 45mins just to resolve nothing and set up a sequel we probably won’t get. just. UGH. remember when movies actually had a completed coherent arc and plot and not everything was a desperate corporate cash grab?

-i did not want more of the movie necessarily but also it was too short. nothing happened. another 30 mins of runtime and maybe we could’ve seen some actual conversations, more team as family moments, more tension instead of action with no real stakes or drama, more character development. instead we got this

however, i can’t wait for fandom to get their hands on the bones of this movie and fix it in ways that will bring me to tears

[princessbubblecup]

Twilight zone stan is a wonderful idea!!! So angsty. What if he was a consistent character that had to live through like multiple episode scenrios because the twilight zone was an actual area he was caught in?

Love your addition!!

Omg poor stan poor cyborg companion! They fuckin killed her dude, murked her straight out and then super drugged stan to keep him compliant until they had a replacement model! These lives are just objects to these people!!

Having a "perfect" manufactured companion so that the "exihibit" doesnt potentially clash or act erratically is such a dark and good idea. The comic i referenced was definitely more lighthearted, but i think the darker tone youre suggesting is much more fitting.

Ugh ford letting his morals shift because he doesnt have time to consider others when his life is actively at risk, and then being faced with his own decision when someone he actually cares about is (hypothetically depending on what he does at the zoo) impacted by it, causing inner turmoil you know hits where it hurts in the guy? Too good.

Stanford has standards, beliefs, and ideals. He wants to be a hero, he wants to be a good guy, he wants to be the protagonist, he wants to be LOVED. But he has to rationalize acting otherwise either for his own safety or peace of mind sometimes, especially when he is actively being hunted while on a mission to end the biggest threat he knows (one that has kindled several trauma responses in him). He had to think about the "greater good" or potentially run out of steam and strength to move forward. This is at the cost of others more times than he can let himself admit.

I think hes developed a survival mechanism rooted firmly in denial. Maybe he can accept a truth, such as the fact he would leave this zoo exhibit in captivity, but not the implications thereof, such as the fact they will suffer and he would be cruel not to attempt to end that. He cant accept the implications, because that would hinder his ability to complete The Objective with the efficency he feels is desperately needed.

He has experience: you slip up, you slow down, terrible things happen. No room for error.

But, the Objective is so important to him because he cares so much, even if thats contradictive with the actions he takes to complete it. He wants the world, worlds safe. He wants people free and unharmed. But he wants this for two reasons: to be the person he feels he needs to be to finally be respected and accepted by the majority, and because those he already loves and who do love him need to be free and unharmed.

This, however angry he acts about it, includes stan.

So, when his decision made to complete the Objective is suddenly revealed to directly go against it (keep stan safe-- he was going to let stan rot) this probably shakes him. He probably feels something crack in his cast, and he doesnt know how to keep himself together if it breaks completely.

Theres no way he wouldnt save stan. But he probably hardens himself outwardly even more to compensate for that break.

I.e., being a grouch to stan unfairly. Fighting ensues.

Never apologize for talking to me, or adding on to my ideas. I gain 100 health points every time it happens.

Anyone ever read that one comic where a guy is offered a really great job opportunity, where he gets housing, food, entertainment all included with a six figure salary?

Then he gets to the interview and it turns out hes "employed" as an attraction in an alien zoo where he will be watched by other life forms all day every day, and also he can never go home?

Yeah, so i think we should put stan in there.

No way he wouldnt accept that, even just to sleep in the bed for a week then rob somebody and ditch. Then he gets alien drugged and wakes up in his parents old house with a bunch of aliens staring at him through a glass screen and a paper telling him hes a lifetime exhibit, no vacation days.

Maybe they find carla or some random lady to "complete" the exhibit and (maybe stan tries his luck at first but is totally shot down) they just have to awkwardly live in pines pawns together trying not to go crazy over their insane situation.

Maybe not idk.

Point is, who might be traveling that particular universe by chance who would be quite interested in a zoo of countless multiversal lifeforms?

Cue stanford jailbreaking his brother after finding him locked in an exhibit.

[ulteri0rm0tives]

They sooo could've made Johnny romancable if they wanted to.

And I know technicalities were a big part of it, it being Keanu Reeves' face. But honestly I don't even think V and Johnny's romance would've needed a sex scene. I don't think I would've even wanted it. And I also know reception can play a big part of it too, with the fact half the dudebro fan base would've flipped the fuck out if they weren't being catered too, but. I don't know. I just wish the option was there.

The thing about Johnny is, I don't want a romance with him like I have with the other romance options. I'd want it to be something different, not necessarily deeper as I feel that just minimizes the other relationships you can have in the game, but definitely something forged through a connection that is literally quite not possible with the others.

Something just.. knowing. Something that if you choose the right dialogue options and actions, it's a slow natural build up to something unspoken, something that you know they feel for each other by the end of the game and the tragedy of that. Where the only 'physical' affection they can ever show each other is that lingering handshake at the bridge before V gives up the body.

Something to contrast with the other romances. Something that highlights the tragedy of not being able to physically exist with the one you love, the tragedy of knowing one of you won't be able to make it out of this, that one of you will have to leave eventually, always eventually. That one of you will have to sacrifice yourself for the other.

I wanted the lingering looks, the quick turn aways of being caught, the trail offs of meaningful dialogue, the cut offs of almost saying something too revealing. I wanted the subtle snark of jealous dialogue, or even possessiveness, the ones that are played off as jokes and teasing while V is with the other romances. I wanted him sitting on the couch during hangout dates with the others trying his hardest not to look bothered, distracting himself by playing music. I wanted Johnny saying shit with the same vulnerability as him admitting how scared he was for V at the bridge (the closest thing will ever get to a confession I swear).

Something to really, really drive home like a slap across the fucking face how much he changed, how much he learned about himself, how much he learned about how to genuinely care and love for others in ways that weren't just destructive and selfish, but in ways that were literally transformative and life saving, and how fucking sad that is that it comes at a time that's too late. That it's too late for him to do anything about it besides give up his life for V, or betray V, or watch helplessly as they give their life up for him when that isn't what he wanted.

Something. I just wanted something.

Like maybe they didn't add the option because Johnny being a romance option was never something they had in mind, but you cannot tell me Johnny and V's story doesn't play out like a tragic love story. That they weren't starcrossed, doomed from the start. Doomed from the moment they realized they started to care for the other or at least like each other in some capacity.

V would've never given Johnny the keys to the body again after the talk in the oil fields if they didn't start trusting the bastard, caring enough about him to help him find closure or make amends with his friends or reconcile with his past. Johnny would've never entrusted these tasks to V, or open up about them, or open up about how he finally saw how much everyone had hated him yet it seemed like V didn't. He would've never asked V for a second chance if he didn't think V could do right by him, if he didn't care about V. If he didn't trust them. If he didn't want that from them.

And the fact that none of that will matter by the end, how they feel about each other, because there will always be a choice to be had. Which of them will get to live? And which of them will have to leave?

If anything, it'd just make the choice all that much harder. Do you sacrifice yourself for the one you love, or do you sacrifice the one you love for yourself? Do you watch and stand by as the one you love sacrifices themselves for you, or do you try to convince them that it should be you instead? Is this a choice either of you could make?

There could've even been a secret option in Mikoshi if you had achieved a romance with Johnny just like the reaper ending if you had achieved a high enough affinity with him after selecting all the right dialogue. Where if it wasn't a decision either of them could make, or V didn't want to make, which one of them to sacrifice, that V could've convinced Johnny that they could both just leave behind the blackwall, that they both could be homogenized into Alt's code. At least then they could've been together. At least then, in some way, they could still live with and within each other for the rest of their digitally constructed lives. At least then, they could've been something.

(The calls from the others in the end credits could've been much like the ones you get in temperance too. Where it's either assumed V died or offed themselves or ran off, or that even Johnny took the body and ran off. Just a lot of accusations and assumptions and grief that could still come with an ending like this.)

Idk, I just wish we could've had the choice with Johnny is all.

[asmogorna]

paige + gay boy

[emioliravioli]

have i ever talked about how they're both the princess and her loyal knight? because they are, and they make me insane because of it.

[viviandarkbloombartylusversion]

Wait...cause what about minor age gap bartylus, like only 2-3 years but Barty has got a terrible crush on Regulus, yknow he's older, kinda forbidden cause his father tells him the Black's are all awful, beautiful without doubt, smart, and even great at quidditch. Regulus catches on because he's trained himself to know who's eye he catches, Barty isn't his usual type, he's younger when Regulus prefers older, but he's cute and has this nerdy, loser daddy's boy charm, and Regulus realizes he can corrupt that, he sees Barty's potential and knows what strings to pull to get Barty there. Regulus starts hanging around Barty more often, whispering in his ear, and Barty is eating it up, falling deeper, becoming more and more infatuated. What Regulus doesn't realize is that he's getting attached, and at some point, he can't picture a life without Barty. Barty is his, he keeps Barty's hair, pictures and blood vials and a t-shirt all tucked away for safe keeping in his dresser.

[sysig]

Blind side (Patreon)

[anonymouscheeses]

Old sketch I decided to give line art and color. Will definitely NOT finish this but if I do thennnn iunno congrats on me finally finishing an abandoned sketch 😭

[lottieshauna]

lottielee + ao3 tags (happy birthday @lais-a-ramos!)

Bonus:

[tangents-within-tangents]

Thinking about the song "Ship in Port" by Radical Face and clones

Thinking about the line "Farewell to the chains we were born into" and what that can mean for the clones

Thinking about how "But I have always stayed in place/Under that old illusion that it's safe" could equally describe Hunter, Echo, and (s1+2) Crosshair's complete opposite approaches to the Empire and post-war life.

The way Crosshair clings to his identity as a soldier of the Empire

And Echo as a soldier of the Republic

But Hunter puts his identity as a soldier behind him

Crosshair fights for the Empire to gain purpose

Echo fights against the Empire to save his brothers

And Hunter decides the Empire is too strong to even try to oppose

"A ship in port is a safer one"

"but it's not the reason it was made"

"So forgive me if I wander off"

"And forgive me more if I just stay"

Thinking about what The Bad Batch could have been if it had more fully explored the differences between those ideologies

(Thinking about what The Bad Batch could have been if it had dedicated more screen time to the 'reg' clones within the Empire and the underground network's fight to free them , instead of just sidelining Echo and Rex for a hypothetical clone rebellion show we might never get)

[basu-shokikita]

revisiting real bands and their lore makes me so grateful for skwistok's dynamic being such a piece of work canonically. like is it really a band if at least 2 band members don't have a complex love & hate relationship with each other? if they don't have a dynamic that makes the other feel lesser and unappreciated? if they're great together but can't see it because of their own egos and insecurities? if their lives would've been drastically different had they never met yet they sometimes wish they hadn't? skwistok is all that and without their conflict being taken seriously most of the time. truly amazing characters.

[pokemon1oadvanced]

[clambuoyance]

I’m sure it’s because not many people know but kon actually has a lot of different sources for angst potential! He’s engineered to be a copy of earths greatest hero yet constantly struggling to find out who he is outside of a given purpose. He galavants around with the idea that he’s independent enough to be his own boss, but from the moment of his creation he’s been told who to be or exploited by the people he meets. He’s both treated like an adult yet punished for acting like a kid. He makes mistakes and often feels like a screw up but he gets up and tries again every time! He’s acts like the S symbol is both something he already deserves (because that’s what he was made for) yet acts as if he constantly has to prove he’s worthy. He didn’t have a name for the first years of his publication history, and for a long time he didn’t know how to be anything other than Superboy (and maybe he’s still figuring that out). He cried tears of joy when Superman finally gave him his very own Kryptonian name and verbally accepted him into the family, a testament to how important that journey of identity and belonging is to him. At the same time, why did it have to take so long?

His life is constantly being uprooted, and he can never settle in one place long enough to call it home. He deserves agency and stability, yet his life is often slipping out of his own control. He yearns for a mother or father, and maybe if he had one, he wouldn’t feel so lost. For a while, he thought he would never grow up and be who he needs to be, which is ironic given how many people are quick to call him immature. He cares so much for his friends and family, and he is pained when people leave and feels immensely guilty when he hurts the people he cares about. Regardless of what he may think, those people are happy to remind him that they think of him as family too and they’ll travel across time and space and to the ends of the earth for him.

Despite being created in a lab to be a copy of someone else, ironically he is brimming with a unique personality that is sometimes sought to be stifled. But he’s tied so much worth into who he’s supposed to be that shaking that foundation shakes his very core and is a source of insecurity. He acts so differently from Clark, yet so similarly as well. He wants to be Superman, but both emulates him and fights to be Different from him. He believes in seeing the good in people, even if it lands him into trouble, and though he may doubt it or question it he really is a hero at heart. He’s like Clark where it matters, but everything else—his personality and style, his connections to his friends and family, his struggles and triumphs—all of that is completely his own.

He may not have figured out everything it meant to be human, but he’s loved enough to die for it. To die would indeed be an awfully great adventure, but like J.M. Barrie said, “To live would be an awfully big adventure.” And Kon has certainly experienced it all, good and bad.

<3

[adamusydneys]

playing good luck, babe! and not having a single scene of mabel and honoria is a CRIME